A Late Thanksgiving

I hope all my American friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving, we have so very much to be thankful for not just yesterday or today, but every day.

This year, Steve and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving on Saturday as we don't get that as a holiday here in Hong Kong. Last night, for our Thanksgiving Day dinner, we had Japanese ramen at one of our favourite places, and the best damn ramen joint in town (the owner has a thing about racing cars and soccer jerseys)!


Tonight, when I get home, our bird, which has been defrosting nicely in the fridge over the past three days, will be dunked into the brining liquid. Then late morning tomorrow, out he'll come (or maybe it was a she - can one tell?) and into the oven. I pushed the boat out and bought an organic turkey, from a small farm in Pennsylvania. I think I might even have an Amish bird in my fridge - which of course is a very non-Amish place for it to be.

We're planning a late lunch/early dinner prior to an evening of karaoke in celebration of a friend's 40th birthday! Then on Sunday it's up bright and early to take Lupo on his first ferry ride over to Hong Kong island and a taxi ride up to the Peak, for the annual Hong Kong Dog Rescue Peak to Fong Fundraising Walk, along with hundreds of other dogs. I think all three of us will be walking off a big Saturday meal.


I'll get Steve to take photos and hopefully post a photo log next week.

John Williams - Awesome!

Steve and I went to see him in concert yesterday evening. What an incredible two hours it was!

He captivated us with each piece he played in a wide-ranging programme:

Vivaldi (Arr. by John Williams) - Concerto in D, Op. 3, No. 9, RV230
Scarlatti (Arr. by John Williams) - Sonata in F-sharp Minor, K448, Sonata in A Minor, K175
Granados (Arr. by John Williams) - Valses Poeticos, H147
Albéniz (Arr. by John Williams) - Torre Bermeja from 12 Piezas Caracteristics, Op. 92
John Williams - Notes in the Margin
Mangoré - La Catedral
Sculthorpe - Djilile
J. T. Williams (Arr. by John Williams) - Theme from The Schindler's List
Morricone (Arr. by John Williams) - Theme from Cinema Paradiso
Myers (Arr. by John Williams) - Cavatina from The Deer Hunter
John Williams - Prelude to a Song, Open End, Song without Words, Hello Francis
Traditional Irish Tunes (Arr. by John Williams) - Carolan’s Concerto, The Little and Great Mountain, The Bottom of the Punchbowl, Jackson’s Morning Brush

Cavatina was one of my Dad's all-time favourite pieces of music.

When one man, sitting with a guitar on the vast expanse of a concert stage, can enthrall the way he did, that is an incredible gift.

Bravo, Mr. Williams!