Snowden Says He Took Job With Contractor To Collect Evidence Of NSA Programs

[brett_jv]

148. The SHACK! Nice!

Yeah, I was a little young for the drinking beers part (7th-9th grade) but used to hang out in there playing their tabletop space invaders game and smoking US$.50/pack marlboro's with my friends. That Buddhist temple down by the McDonalds on the Beach was a fave hangout as well.

HK in the late 70's early 80's was the friggin bomb, esp. for a kid that was just reaching the age where they were allowed some freedom like I was at the time. The awesome, cheap public transportation system (esp. the cheap cabs) and the fact that, aside from housing, EVERYTHING was friggin' cheap there ... made it so you could get anywhere easily, and live it up when you got there. There was NO drinking age (I was drinking a little by the time I left, just not beers at the Shack), NO smoking age ... It was just a really fun place for a 12-14yo. ex-pat to live back then.

I lived in the Repulse Bay Apartments, the huge building just to the NW of the erstwhile Repulse Bay Hotel, (which, sadly, is all torn down now from what I hear, but what a cool spot it was back then ... sitting on the patio out front, it was a total throwback to the early 1900's). Pretty sure my building was being built when you were living there. I had a 17th floor view of the Repulse Bay from my bedroom window, it was sweet.

Also, my folks had a 33ft sailboat we kept moored at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, where we were members. I had my own little sailboat I kept at annex of the Yacht Club that was on Middle Island just to the NW of Repulse Bay.

There was SO MUCH to do there man, so much fun to be had. Riding (sitting, actually) on our skateboards from the top of the 'Peak' down into Aberdeen ... we called it 'Peak Riding'. Going shopping at Stanley Market, going Skim and Boogie Boarding at Big Wave Bay. The snorkeling was pretty decent in a lot of places, and there was tons of great food.

I totally miss those days ... once I got used to it there, I friggin' LOVED it. Didn't wanna come back 'home' when the time came, actually.

I'm still friends w/a couple people from HK ... in fact one of my best buds from HK DJ'd at my wedding a couple years back, and works as a DJ on a radio station in San Bernardino nowadays.