You all know the story. Back on 20 June 2015, I ventured down to Stanley to watch the annual dragon boat races that are the most memorable feature of the Tung Ng Festival. I made it a point to stop by the local SPCA that afternoon, because the day before, I'd seen a photograph on their website that just melted my heart: an adorable, black faced little mongrel looking for a home. I'd been on the hunt for a dog for months by this point, and I thought there was a chance that Hank—as he was then called—might just be the Fredric I'd been searching for. Spoiler alert: he was!
Although the SPCA makes you "sleep on it" for a night before allowing you to take your new pet home, I returned the next day—ironically, Father's Day—to bring my Fredric back to Happy Valley. And a beautiful friendship was born. It's now been (just about) three years since that auspicious day, and what a full three years it's been!
Because Tung Ng Festival is a Chinese celebration based on the lunar calendar, the Western date fluctuates from one year to the next. In fact, last time, it actually fell at the end of May! At least this year, it's fairly close to the 2015 date. And since I'm flying to Shanghai tomorrow for another week working out of China—meaning I'll be separated from my little mutt for the actual anniversary on Thursday—it seemed appropriate to compensate today, by taking him to his ancestral family home for a day of fun in the sun.
Stanley boy
A lot of my friends were competing in the races this year, including CriCri, and it's always a pleasure to bump into them on Stanley Main Beach before or after their heats. Quite a few of them seemed to emerge victorious in their pursuit, which is also great to learn.
What's more, a duo of recently-minted Villanova alumni, Peter and Alick—who was also a member of the Blue Key Executive Board during his time on campus!—were coincidentally on hand to lend some jollity to the occasion. Peggy put us in touch when she learned about their impending Asian extravaganza before beginning new careers in Philadelphia and New York, respectively, and it was great fun to show them around Stanley.
VU does Stanley
As I explained to Peter, I like to "hop around" during Dragon Boat Festival, usually starting on the beach for the morning qualifiers, with its high tide and air of mayhem. Still, after awhile, the crowds do get a bit tiresome, and that's when I take the opportunity to migrate to the other side of the Stanley Peninsula to soak up the relatively relaxed vibes of the well-known market and promenade.
Today, the three of us wound up enjoying a quick breakfast of noodle soup, peanut butter toast and other-worldly yuenyeung (a mix of milk tea and coffee) at the town's most famous dai pai dong before indulging in one celebratory Tsing Tao on the waterfront before the boys had to head back to Central, since they were both moving on to their next holiday destinations later in the evening.
Morning crowds on Stanley Main Beach
Today, the three of us wound up enjoying a quick breakfast of noodle soup, peanut butter toast and other-worldly yuenyeung (a mix of milk tea and coffee) at the town's most famous dai pai dong before indulging in one celebratory Tsing Tao on the waterfront before the boys had to head back to Central, since they were both moving on to their next holiday destinations later in the evening.
After depositing them at the local taxi stand, I retraced my steps back along the promenade to Ma Hang Park, where a hidden little dog-friendly beach sits at the bottom of a steep staircase. There, I made a few new friends, took a dip in the cool waters and read a bit as the afternoon wore on.
My perennial favorite restaurant in Stanley was always Lucy's, a delightful Mediterranean eatery a few steps off the market. While the strip of bars along the waterfront wins in terms of views, the food is generally mediocre and expensive, while Lucy's sacrifices the sea vista for stellar cuisine.
Thus, it was with great sadness last summer that Lucy's announced its closure after twenty years! Although I had heard it was being taken over and re-named Henry's, I was a little skeptical the high quality would remain. Luckily, it seems like the name was literally all that has changed. The very friendly waitress who served me today said that the cook and all staff were retained, and the menu was identical to the one the last time I visited. And, mercifully, the food was still tops!
On a veritable high after my late lunch, I returned to Main Beach, with plenty of room now that the tide had gone out. Bumping into friends and watching the iconic races, Fredric and I had a blast celebrating this third anniversary.
The veritable buzz that transforms the sleepy south side hamlet into a raucous carnival once a year is the best way I could possibly imagine toasting to the past three years, and all the memories that are left to come!
Cheers, Fredric, and many happy returns of the day!
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