There isn’t a lot to update on this week. The first week of training is over and honestly, it was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. But having said that, it is a lot easier than the rest of training will be.

The first two weeks are orientation and then tests that I have to pass to convert my F.A.A. license into a Hong Kong license. Cathay really doesn’t care much about me at this point, because I’m just in the conversion process. I took two tests on Thursday and one today. I’ll take one more next week, and then I’ll have my Hong Kong licensing taken care of. The following week is when I’ll actually start training on the 747 and Cathay Pacific procedures.

Laura and I are looking forward to the weekend and will probably head downtown again. I’ve run into several of my friends here and it’s been fun to get caught up a little bit. I bought a sim card for my mobile phone, so that I can make local and international calls from my T-Mobile phone here in Hong Kong for reasonably cheap. I found on the internet a string of codes to enter into the phone so that it would accept a new sim card. Then I went to the local 7-11 and bought a sim card with prepaid minutes on it. I can refill the card with minutes at any local convenience store. So, I just popped out my T-mobile sim card and popped in my new card and, “presto,” I have a local phone now, with a local number and all. Now I just have to figure out how the voicemail setup tutorial works, because I can’t figure out how to hear it in English! Either way, local calls are just pennies a minute, and calls to the U.S. are the same. When I know for sure I’m going to stick with this card, I’ll give out its Hong Kong number so you can call my H.K. number!