This morning was a typical HK morning. The in-laws left at 5am. They were extremely quiet as they were getting ready to leave and it was only the smell of raisin toast that aroused me from my pleasant slumber. Kisses and hugs and they walked to the elevator with luggage in tow. Mrs M decided she'd return to our marital bed while I decided to remain on the sofa given I would soon to re-awaken for work. Just settling back under the covers there was a knock at the door. Actually there wasn't even a knock.

(Digression 1) Because we live in a secure building with a guard we usually don't lock the front door. To be honest, if someone is prepared to break in through the front gate of Disneyland, get into our tower (which is up the hill), get in the elevator and go up 21 floors past the guard, they can take whatever they can shlepp with them. Additionally crime in HK is rare unless you're invovled with Triads. So our front door remains unlocked. It means I don't have to ever take keys with me to work. In fact I only got a copy of our front door key after being in the apartment 6 months. But I digress.

The front door opened and there was my father-in-law. There were no taxis so they need a lift to the Airport Express station. (Digression 2) HK's former overlords from Britain decided the best way they could squander bequeath their former colony was to spend some of HK's massive reserves. This was spent on an airport. The airport was built on an artificial island, requiring new roads, bridges, trains, facilities with an award winning terminal building designed by some Pommie git who wins awards for designing grandiose public buildings. But God damn it, it works and it works well. There's a train station right in the middle of town that takes 25 minutes to the airport. It is quintessentially Hong Kong: fast, efficient, on time, well thought out and not used by most of the population. But I digress, again.

So I got dressed to take them to the airport. Got the keys and glasses, went down to the lobby. Discovered a taxi had been found after all and my services weren't needed. Another goodbye to the in-laws, trundled back to the elevator and back home. Back into bed for 5 minutes of tossing before realising there was no chance I would be going back to sleep. Especially with Misti snoring away heartily in the corner. So got up and frigged around for a while. Waited for the girls to wake. Of course today they slept in to 6:30am (yes, that's sleeping in). They kept each other entertained for a while, then I went in to get them up. Today involved changing two dirty nappies (yes, that kind of dirty), as well as checking out a sick JC, who seems to have a mix of conjunctivitis and a cold. Suffice to say she hasn't gone to school today.

Then I scoffed down a quick breakfast, quickly got dressed for work and raced for the bus, which of course I missed by seconds. Thus I arrive late to work, feeling completely exhausted already and like the day is half-over when it's only just begun.