It's late June in Hong Kong, and you know what that means. The heat and humidity are in full force. What do the weathermen say? Air you can wear? That's not a bad description, but I'm mostly either in a climate controlled setting or donning shorts, flip flops and a t-shirt, so I'm relishing summer at the moment.
Happy Valley Sunset
I do hate, though, when I board the ding ding at the Happy Valley terminus, and we just sit there for ten minutes before getting a move on. You see, once we're gliding over the tracks, coasting east or west along the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, it's a lovely feeling, with a balmy breeze flowing through the tram's large open windows.
But if it's poorly timed, with a long wait until departure, it's an awful, sweaty stretch of minutes. When I run a finger across my brow to remove the gathered droplets, it looks like rain when I flick it out the window. That's probably a bit of a graphic description, and fairly disgusting, but it's also perfectly accurate.
But apart from small moments like that, it's great to be back in Hong Kong.
As you know, I recently returned from a visit to the States, the catalyst behind which was my ten year Villanova reunion but also included that already-documented romp around Boston and Cape Cod. Well, the trip concluded with nine days spread between New Jersey in New York under the gloriousness of an East Coast summer.
Whether hitting up old haunts from my youth, or sipping craft beers in my dad's backyard, or feasting on favorite foods that are just impossible to track down out in Hong Kong, there were many highlights.
Waterfront promenade in Keyport, New Jersey
Whether hitting up old haunts from my youth, or sipping craft beers in my dad's backyard, or feasting on favorite foods that are just impossible to track down out in Hong Kong, there were many highlights.
Craft beer in the backyard
There were bagel sandwiches, and pizzas, and home-cooked meals by my old man. We watched Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, listened to classical music, dusted off old memories as we cleaned the house, and cruised around Middlesex and Monmouth Counties, visiting places that are indescribably sentimental for yours truly.
Bacon, egg and cheese on a sesame bagel
Not far from my dad's house, a short drive down Route 35 in Colts Neck, is a glorious market appropriately named Delicious Orchards. We've been going there as long as I can remember, and for my money, it's Monmouth's—if not New Jersey's—finest food store. Gosh, is the place special.
Visiting with my dad is a treat no matter the season. We linger over the pie counter where they dish out freshly-baked goods, as the friendly ladies describe the varieties on offer that day. I always strike up a conversation with the cheesemonger, as I search for a creamy blue or seek out the perfect Manchego. And the samples in the produce room never fail to put a smile on my face, from cups of fresh apple cider to slices of plump, luscious tomatoes.
Oh, man, the tomatoes! I had more than my fair share of those Jersey gems during that Tuesday visit, and you can bet we filled a bag to take home. The corner of the world where I was fortunate to grow up is appropriately famous for them, and few things signify a New Jersey summer more. Many would say, you've never had a tomato until you have a Jersey tomato from Delicious Orchards. I count myself among them. I actually have friends who think I dislike tomatoes because they've seen me toss them aside from a burger or salad (or refrain from having them added in the first place). The truth is I'm so damn spoiled by places like Delicious Orchards, that few tomatoes I've ever had outside of Jersey have been worth my time. So I don't even bother.
Visiting with my dad is a treat no matter the season. We linger over the pie counter where they dish out freshly-baked goods, as the friendly ladies describe the varieties on offer that day. I always strike up a conversation with the cheesemonger, as I search for a creamy blue or seek out the perfect Manchego. And the samples in the produce room never fail to put a smile on my face, from cups of fresh apple cider to slices of plump, luscious tomatoes.
Tomato selection at Delicious Orchards
Oh, man, the tomatoes! I had more than my fair share of those Jersey gems during that Tuesday visit, and you can bet we filled a bag to take home. The corner of the world where I was fortunate to grow up is appropriately famous for them, and few things signify a New Jersey summer more. Many would say, you've never had a tomato until you have a Jersey tomato from Delicious Orchards. I count myself among them. I actually have friends who think I dislike tomatoes because they've seen me toss them aside from a burger or salad (or refrain from having them added in the first place). The truth is I'm so damn spoiled by places like Delicious Orchards, that few tomatoes I've ever had outside of Jersey have been worth my time. So I don't even bother.
Heaven
I had a work meeting in New York City on Wednesday morning, and I took the opportunity to catch a matinee afterwards. I had really wanted to see Glenda Jackson in King Lear, but the show, which was originally supposed to run a few more weeks, closed early due to poor ticket sales. I only discovered this when I walked by the Cort Theatre en route to my client's office and saw a theatrical moving company loading a truck on West 48th Street, plus a notice posted on the front door.
Instead, I opted to see Arthur Miller's All My Son's, with Annette Bening and Tracy Letts, revived by the Roundabout Theater Company. I snagged a great seat from TKTS in Times Square and really enjoyed the show. It's a downer to be sure, and a dark one at that, but the intense performances from the whole cast and the realistic production really transported me to post-World War II Ohio. It was a potent afternoon at the theater.
Notice outside the Cort Theater
Instead, I opted to see Arthur Miller's All My Son's, with Annette Bening and Tracy Letts, revived by the Roundabout Theater Company. I snagged a great seat from TKTS in Times Square and really enjoyed the show. It's a downer to be sure, and a dark one at that, but the intense performances from the whole cast and the realistic production really transported me to post-World War II Ohio. It was a potent afternoon at the theater.
View of West 45th Street
I had a Manhattan at Sardi's afterwards... Naturally... Where else can you sip a post-curtain cocktail while striking up a conversation with the patron on the bar stool to your right about every show currently playing on Broadway?
That night, Heidi suggested we take in the New York Philharmonic's annual summertime concert in Central Park, which included works by Rossini, Copland and Rachmaninoff. Thanks to friends of friends who had arrived at the Great Lawn at 8am that morning to set up shop, we had an incredible spot, even though we plopped down about fifteen minutes before the show started!
The whole thing concluded with a thunderous fireworks display, and although I wasn't dead set on attending the concert when Heidi first brought it up, by its conclusion, I was utterly delighted we had spent the evening in such a memorable fashion. I like New York in June, how about you?
New York Philharmonic in Central Park
The whole thing concluded with a thunderous fireworks display, and although I wasn't dead set on attending the concert when Heidi first brought it up, by its conclusion, I was utterly delighted we had spent the evening in such a memorable fashion. I like New York in June, how about you?
Post-concert fireworks in the park
Two days later, back in New Jersey, my sister Danielle and I treated my dad to an early Father's Day dinner in Keyport, at our local favorite, Burlew's, on a peerless Friday evening, with clear skies looking straight across to the Verrazano and the skyscrapers of Manhattan.
We shared fresh oysters and fried clams to start, feasted on fresh fish for our mains, and capped it all off with Key lime pie for dessert. And, not wanting to squander the exquisite weather, we lingered on the waterfront promenade after our meal.
Clear views from Keyport
We shared fresh oysters and fried clams to start, feasted on fresh fish for our mains, and capped it all off with Key lime pie for dessert. And, not wanting to squander the exquisite weather, we lingered on the waterfront promenade after our meal.
Delicious fried clams at Burlew's
I even managed to fit in a night out down the Shore, because on Saturday, Danii invited me to Donovan's Reef in Sea Bright with a few of her friends. No matter how long I base my life in Asia—and no matter where I head next, or even if I never again wind up living long term in my home state—Central Jersey will always remain the most special place in the world to me. And I was so glad to bask in its unique magnificence that evening.
Me and Danii at Donovan's Reef
When I saw that Father's Day was falling a mere week after the Villanova Reunion, I never seriously considered rushing back to Asia. There was no way I was missing the holiday with my dad, and we spent the day in Brooklyn with family. The celebration, including hot dogs, spinach and artichoke dip, strawberry short cake and cannoli, nicely meshed with my cousin Joseph's eighteenth birthday and high school graduation. And, excitedly for me, he's headed to Villanova in the fall, a proud member of the Class of 2023! I'm ecstatic to have another Wildcat in the family!
Brooklyn cannoli
I spent the night in Manhattan afterwards, hanging out with my favorite knickerbockers, Heidi and Rusty, as we popped into a speakeasy and played music in Rusty's new backyard. It was a perfect day, spending time with both family and friends—all the people I miss most when I'm so far away.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it turned into a pretty late night, including a post-bar pizza pit stop. For some unexplained reason, we felt a need to document the occasion with a snapshot. My phone, in an unprompted tattle tale, informed us the following morning that the photo was taken at 4:22am.
Cruising into Manhattan
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it turned into a pretty late night, including a post-bar pizza pit stop. For some unexplained reason, we felt a need to document the occasion with a snapshot. My phone, in an unprompted tattle tale, informed us the following morning that the photo was taken at 4:22am.
Late night (early morning?) pizza
Before heading back to Matawan via New Jersey Transit that next day, Heidi and I paid a visit to Tracks in Penn Station, the famous raw bar that is sadly closing at the end of the summer. Barring some miracle, I guess it was my final time in the dimly-lit, nostalgia-infused spot, so I nicked a plate—its outer rim encircled by a railroad track motif—to remember the occasion.
Like that, it was my last full day in the States. These trips always go so fast, like summer itself in that part of the world. Danii, her friend Christina, my dad and I had one last dinner together at another local haunt, the Pine Tavern, on Tuesday evening before my flight. There wasn't a bit of the fantastic baked goat cheese left on the plate, nor did my rare burger survive more than a few minutes.
I did wind up taking the bulk of a rather large side order of macaroni and cheese with me on the plane, and it made for a great mid-flight snack, since I awoke with longer than usual until landing. Watching episodes of Frasier, Modern Family, New Girl and Friday Night Dinner, I hardly cared.
Oysters at Tracks
Like that, it was my last full day in the States. These trips always go so fast, like summer itself in that part of the world. Danii, her friend Christina, my dad and I had one last dinner together at another local haunt, the Pine Tavern, on Tuesday evening before my flight. There wasn't a bit of the fantastic baked goat cheese left on the plate, nor did my rare burger survive more than a few minutes.
Sammy's baked goat cheese at the Pine Tavern
I did wind up taking the bulk of a rather large side order of macaroni and cheese with me on the plane, and it made for a great mid-flight snack, since I awoke with longer than usual until landing. Watching episodes of Frasier, Modern Family, New Girl and Friday Night Dinner, I hardly cared.
So, yes, it was a great trip home.
Manhattan morning
I arrived back in Hong Kong a little over a week ago, just in time to mark the fourth anniversary of the day I brought my beloved Fredric home to Happy Valley after having first laid eyes on him one day earlier at the Stanley SPCA.
The perfect timing wasn't just happenstance. You may recall that last year, I was on a work trip to the Mainland for our big day, and I didn't want to desert my pal two years in a row. I had noted the date before I booked my tickets, and I fixed the return leg so I'd arrive the day before our anniversary. And I'm so glad I did.
I got him a doggie dumpling from the Bark Department, a ritzy pet store around the corner from my place in Happy Valley. (Even the packaging was luxe.) And I actually had to steam it properly on the stove before it was ready for consumption. This, in and of itself, is supremely ironic, because apart from making popcorn from time to time, this was the only thing I've cooked in my kitchen for God knows how long.
Fredric's ritzy dumpling container
But nothing is too good for that mutt. I dutifully got the large wok out from my bottom cabinet, filled it with water, lit the stove and placed the bundled banana leaf-wrapped morsel in my steamer, which I in turn placed over the bubbles, keeping an eye on the whole thing for close to half an hour.
Steaming on the stove top
He seemed to enjoy it, since he wolfed the whole thing down in a matter of seconds. I served it to the little buddy on our rooftop, as a large group of friends gathered that Saturday evening to mark the impending departure of one of our flock, Gargi, whose time in Hong Kong has sadly come to an end as her work takes her to Singapore.
Chowing down
The night passed in a memorable blur, with great friends, great food and a few too many drinks. The first rooftop barbecue of the summer came and went, and I hope to host many more. My roof was a mess the next morning, to be sure, but the experience was entirely worth it.
Rooftop barbecue
The next day, one of my best Hong Kong friends, Chun, turned thirty-three, so we treated him to a hearty Brazilian brunch at a churrascaria called Braza in Lan Kwai Fong, followed by drinks in nearby Tai Kwun.
We had our first round at the al fresco Armoury and our second in the cleverly named Behind Bars, a watering hole hidden inside one of the old cell blocks! You see, I'm still making good on that mid-year resolution to spend as much time in the restored police compound as possible!
One of my favorite things upon any return to Hong Kong—after reuniting with Fredric and catching up with friends, of course—is indulging in fantastic Asian food. You see, I have an unwritten rule that for about two weeks after any Stateside visit, I refrain from eating American cuisine. So since I touched down I've been feasting on dumplings and rice and noodles and char siu and kebabs and pad Thai and curries.
And you better believe I got straight back into racing mode on Wednesday, too, though none of my bets hit. And I even caught a special screening of Rebel Without a Cause over in Kowloon Tong earlier this evening with my friend Danijela, part of a retrospective of the films of Nicholas Ray. We followed it up with a stroll around Mong Kok, so you can see, I jumped right into Hong Kong life upon my return, jet lag be damned.
Yes, both the second half of my trip home and the first ten days since my return to Hong Kong have seen many noteworthy moments, and I am really excited for more summer adventures as the heat and humidity kick into high gear!
Happy birthday, Chun!
We had our first round at the al fresco Armoury and our second in the cleverly named Behind Bars, a watering hole hidden inside one of the old cell blocks! You see, I'm still making good on that mid-year resolution to spend as much time in the restored police compound as possible!
A round of drinks Behind Bars
One of my favorite things upon any return to Hong Kong—after reuniting with Fredric and catching up with friends, of course—is indulging in fantastic Asian food. You see, I have an unwritten rule that for about two weeks after any Stateside visit, I refrain from eating American cuisine. So since I touched down I've been feasting on dumplings and rice and noodles and char siu and kebabs and pad Thai and curries.
And you better believe I got straight back into racing mode on Wednesday, too, though none of my bets hit. And I even caught a special screening of Rebel Without a Cause over in Kowloon Tong earlier this evening with my friend Danijela, part of a retrospective of the films of Nicholas Ray. We followed it up with a stroll around Mong Kok, so you can see, I jumped right into Hong Kong life upon my return, jet lag be damned.
Mongkok glow
Yes, both the second half of my trip home and the first ten days since my return to Hong Kong have seen many noteworthy moments, and I am really excited for more summer adventures as the heat and humidity kick into high gear!
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