COURSES DE CHEVAUX/HORSES RACES

Last Wednesday, Mark and I were invited to attend horse races at Happy Valley Horse race course, not far from home. Mark was invited by a big accountant firm and "spouses" were welcome too. I was the only wife there, but everyone was very nice and not surprised to see me there. We were in a private dining room special for sponsors or horse owners, and we had a fantastic view on the races.
 

 

Mercredi dernier Mark et moi avons ete invites a assiter aux courses de chevaux a l'hyppodrome de Happy Valley, non loin de la maison. Mark etait invite par un grand cabinet d'audit et les epouses etaient les bienvenues. J'etais la seule femme presente, mais tout le monde etait tres gentil et pas vraiment surpris de me voir la. Nous etions dans une salle a manger privee, reservee aux sponsors ou aux proprietaires de chevaux, et de la, nous avions une vue fantastique sur les courses.

 

Nos hotes pour certains, passionnes de courses, tenaient beaucoup a ce que nous parions sur des chevaux, alors nous avons joue le jeu,  nous n'avons pas choisi les grands favoris, ni les improbables mais mise sur un seul cheval qui avait quelques chances d'etre dans les trois premiers. 

 

Our hosts, who for some of them had a passion for races and horses, expected us to bet, so we decided to please them and we bet on one horse everytime, which was not the most probable winner but which was not a looser either, we chosed a horse who had reasonnable chances to be among the 3 winners.

 

  

Nous avons laisse passer la premiere course le temps de comprendre le systeme, puis parie a la deuxieme course sur un cheval appele Tomodachi (Ami en Japonais) ce qui me parut de bon augure. Il arriva troisieme, et ayant mise 50 HK Dollars (5 Euros) nous en gagnames 75. A la troisieme course nous perdimes 25 HK Dollars, mais miracle a la quatrieme course nous gagnames 500 dollars (50 Euros) nous nous sentions riches.... et avons dine de bon coeur, le menu etait chinois ; il y avait des plats varies sur un plateau tournant au milieu de la table et chacun se servait avec ses baguettes, puis faisait tourner le plateau pour passer au suivant ou pour choisir d'autres plats ailleurs sur le plateau.

 

We did not bet for the first race, to give ourselves time to understand how the system worked, then for the second race we bet on a horse called Tomodachi (Friend in Japanese) which I thought was a good owmen, and as he arived third, after having bet 50 HK dollars (5 Euros) we won 75 HK dollars. For the third race, we lost 25 HK dollars and miracle for the fourth race, we won 500 HK dollar (50 Euros) we felt very rich and happily enjoyed the chinese menu : there were several kind of food on a round tray that turns in the middle of the table, you help yourself with chopsticks, turning the tray to choose what you want or to pass some food he wants to your neighbour.
 

Comme toujours dans les menus chinois, nous sommes limites par la casherout,  car meme si on demande vegetarien et poisson, il y a inevitablement des fruits de mer partout. Mais nous avons trouve notre bonheur et nous sommes regales de tofu, de legumes divers et de morceaux de poissons agreablement epices. La soiree avait commence vers 19h30 et finit vers 21h30 car chacun commencait le travail tot le lendemain matin.

 

As ever in Chinese menus, we are limited by Kashrut, because even when we ask vegetables and fish, there is always seafood or shells everywhere, but we found   lots of things to eat : vegs, tofu and tasty pieces of fish  with various delicious spices. The evening had started early at 7.30 pm and finished early too 9.3o pm because every one had to work early the following morning.