Mainland Mania

I'm just back to Hong Kong following my annual trek to mainland China. As you probably have come to expect by now, once a year, I journey north to Shanghai and Beijing, visiting clients on a work trip while also getting a chance to catch up with old friends, eat delicious local food and explore a bit in my free time.

I have been to Shanghai four times as of this trip, and Beijing three. These are places I now know fairly well, but they are still hiding heaps of surprises within their bounds. The journey is something I look forward to as the summer approaches and I start planning, and I'm happy to say the 2019 installment was another grand addition to my China adventures.

For the first time, I actually reversed the order this trip, landing in Beijing and then making my way down to Shanghai a few days later. So last Sunday, fresh off my moon landing anniversary high, I touched down at Capital Airport and hopped in a cab to Qianmen, near Tiananmen Square, to check in to my lodging, the Emperor Hotel.

I was previously unfamiliar with this area, and it was great to wander the pedestrian-only streets that surround the place. There are dumpling shops a-plenty, intriguing architecture and very friendly Chinese tourists from all corners of the country proud to explore the historic core of their capital city.

The Emperor is also blessed with a rooftop pool, a rare treat in Beijing and most welcome in the 98.6 degree heat that greeted me upon arrival! From the small but inviting deck, there is a view out in all directions. To the north, you see the Qianmen Gate, Chairman Mao's Mausoleum, Tiananmen Gate and even a faraway glimpse of the Forbidden City. To the south, you'll spot the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests of the famous Temple of Heaven.

Just before 8pm, as the lights outlining many of these famous icons suddenly illuminated while I feasted on my first dumplings of the trip, I was reminded of exactly why I love to visit magical Beijing. It's so different from any other place I know, and while it's broad avenues and charmless business district might not immediately reveal the secrets of the city, a quick hutong stroll and a meander through the ancient vestiges that have weathered the centuries is an "only in Beijing" kind of experience.

Sadly, this was a bit of a lopsided trip, with only two nights in historic Peking followed by four in bustling Shanghai. You can bet both Monday and Tuesday were crammed full of meetings, but all went well, in spite of the distances, pollution and traffic than can complicate an otherwise pleasant day there.

After completing all my official duties that afternoon, I met my buddy Clement at the Slow Boat Brewery in Sanlitun. I tasted my first Slow Boat brew two years ago on my inaugural trip to Beijing and have been a fan ever since.

Sampling several of their varieties, chowing down on delicious burgers (conveniently split down the middle, allowing Clem and me to share a few), and catching up with an old friend, it was a wonderful evening, and the closest I came this trip to having a night on the town.

Of course, as comfortable as I was at the Emperor, and as enamored as I was with its fabled location, there was a downside. Nestled up a few pedestrian-only cobblestone passages, it's a fair walk from the nearest subway exit and even from the closest spot a taxi can drop you off. It was easy enough to find, but, alas, I had to be in Beijing for one of its rare rainy evenings. So as I umbrella-less-ly ran home that night, I couldn't avoid the deluge. I was soaked by the time I entered the lobby, but it was a small price to pay for all the perks. 

One of the world's fastest passenger locomotives links Beijing to Shanghai about forty times a day in each direction. These bullet trains travel eight-hundred-and-twenty miles in just about four-and-a-half hours, with a top speed of about two-hundred-and-seventeen miles per hour! You can take your own food and drinks aboard, and the seats are extremely comfortable. And in three trips now, the trains have never been even a minute behind schedule. Since flights are known to be delayed for hours (or even outright cancelled) on this route, I never consider flying between the two cities. I'm a firm train fan, all the way.

It was a great feeling setting foot in Shanghai again. You may remember that on last year's trip, I found the Shanghai hotel of my dreams, the Metropole, and declared on the pages of this blog that I'd never stay anywhere else on a future visit. But because I didn't get my hotel-booking-act together until the last minute, I could only secure a room at the Metropole for the last three nights of my Shanghai powwow. That first night, I stayed at another historic hotel managed by the same brand, in the 1930s-built YMCA building near People's Square. 

I knew I would like this new hotel when I saw its graceful floodlit exterior, and my pulse quickened when I entered the gorgeous, intricately-decorated lobby. But when I spied an old time photo of a Shanghai cinema advertising M-G-M's 1936 version of Romeo and Juliet starring Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard (complete with a rickshaw driver and his charge) in my actual room, I was in seventh heaven.

My feet carried me back to Yang's without even having to look at a map. And I was soon stuffing myself with what I still claim to be the best dumplings on earth. A little kid and his mother sat down at my table after I'd ordered, and he offered me a dried blueberry while I waited for my pork buns to cool down. It was a lovely little moment. No English besides a "Hello," but unplannable interludes like this add so much to business trips.

The days were unsurprisingly filled with meetings, but my nights were my own. One evening, I met up with my friend Jean, who has never steered me wrong in terms of drinking or dining establishments. I met her at a hushed and secluded bar appropriately called Keep It Quiet, and then we took a taxi to a Yunnan-style restaurant called Lotus Eatery, where we enjoyed a veritable feast. My timing could not have been better. Jean is moving to Los Angeles in a few weeks, so I'm oh-so glad we got one final Shanghai evening to savor!

An insurance company treated me to an utterly delightful lunch on Thursday, in an old mansion now masquerading as a luxury restaurant: Maison de l'Hui. Every course was sumptuous, from the soup poured from a tea kettle and placed over billowing smoke to the beef served with fluffy egg white and pear. Everybody treats me so darn well when I'm up here, and I love sampling all the local foods I can get my chopsticks into.

I also returned to Jia Jia Tang Bao, the unbelievably delicious (and unbelievably cheap) xiao long bao mecca a few steps off People's Square. Literally across the street from Yang's Dumplings, I had actually only intended to re-visit that old favorite (for the second time this trip). You see, Jia Jia Tang Bao is normally either packed to the rafters with a line out the door, or firmly shuttered. They close their doors when their daily supply of soupy morsels has run out, and before then, people are literally queuing around the block to tuck in. But, through some sheer grace of happenstance, when I turned up around twenty to six on a Friday evening, there was stock to spare and no wait! Twelve crab and pork xiao long bao, it is!

Of course, I duly crossed the street to Yang's for a second helping of their legendary buns, as well. And I then tracked down a Dippin' Dots cart in a nearby shopping mall before settling back in to my hotel room. It being my last evening in town, of course, I popped out for a final moonlit stroll along the Bund before calling it a night.

And before I flew back home on Saturday, I got a chance to reconnect with my old pal Dora, who moved from Hong Kong to China over a year ago! We'd seen each other at Jay and Dave's wedding in Chiang Mai back in December. But to meet her in her element, and to catch up over all the major changes in our lives since that last encounter, was fantastic. Our reunion took place at the Saint Regis, where she and a colleague were representing their firm at a job fair, and we took the opportunity to sneak in a cheeky bottle of white in the lobby restaurant before they had to head back.

Later that afternoon, Shanghai's zippy Maglev train took me from downtown to Pudong Airport in what felt like seconds. It's a trippy ride, knowing you're on the world's fastest passenger train. I shot a timelapse of the screen indicating our current speed, which zooms from zero to three hundred kilometers per hour in a matter of seconds.

By the time I settled into my Cathay Dragon flight later that evening, I was certainly fatter than I had been a mere six days earlier. But what great memories! I hope I'm back again soon, Beijing and Shanghai. I love spending time revisiting old haunts and discovering the secrets that lie lurking beneath your surface. Until next time!

By the Light of the Silvery Moon

I'm at Hong Kong International Airport right now, sitting at Gate 5 on an early Sunday morning, as I get ready to head to Beijing and Shanghai for a week, alas, for work. But, before I do, I thought this would be a good opportunity to update you on some of my July 2019 highlights!

A typical workday lunch at my favorite dai pai dong, Ball Kee

As I think I've noted multiple times before, the first day of July is a public holiday in Hong Kong. It marks SAR Establishment Day, which signifies the return of Hong Kong from Great Britain, of which it was a "crown colony" for over a hundred years, to China. On 1 July 1997, Prince Charles, Tony Blair and other British bigwigs officially ceded control of my adopted home back to the Chinese. And for the twenty-two years since, it has been a bumpy reunion. 

Recently, as you have probably read or seen on television, things have come to a boiling point. The Hong Kong legislature was debating a bill that would allow for fugitives to be extradited to a list of countries with whom Hong Kong has no formal extradition treaty. The catalyst for this was a tragic scenario last year, where a young man murdered his pregnant girlfriend on a Valentine's Day trip to Taiwan. Before his crime was discovered, he managed to steal away back to Hong Kong. And since there is no agreement in place between the two governments, he is, effectively, unable to be charged with murder. Although he is currently sitting in a jail cell for fraudulent use of her bank card to withdraw funds after his heinous act, the sentence for this crime is short. If nothing is done, he will soon be a free man. 

The solution to this problem was to plug the loophole by creating a list of crimes and a list of jurisdictions where Hong Kong currently has no cooperative treaty. If a fugitive made his way back to Hong Kong after committing one of the enumerated crimes in one of the enumerated locations, he or she could be legally sent back. 

All sounds good and rationale on its face.  But there was a sense of urgency within the Legislative Council due to the circumstances that instilled a fear among the local population that the bill wasn't being properly vetted. Augmenting this fear was the presence of mainland China on the list of places to which someone could be extradited. The very real concern that China could exploit the situation to demand the surrender of public figures who have been vocal opponents of the communist party unsettled many. 

In China, there is no freedom of speech, or of the press, or of the people to peaceable assemble. The state of the Chinese legal system is also a very real concern. And so many factions within Hong Kong decided the bill was a bad idea. This created strange bedfellows, with both the pan-democrats, a party who are generally seen as extremely liberal and anti-China, joining forces with the business sector, who normally side with more conservative politicians and enjoy the financial upsides of our proximity to China, uniting against the bill. As one commentator wittily put it, "the pan-democrats are afraid of of being sent to China for fake crimes; the business community, for real ones!"

While I was away in the States in June, things really kicked off. Millions (literally millions) of Hong Kongers took to the streets to make their opposition to the bill known. And on 1 July, yet another rally took place during what would normally be an official celebration of Hong Kong's reunion with the mainland. 

I had originally planned to join the protest with Myles and Chun, but both wound up unable to attend. Myles, now a personal trainer, had sessions booked with his clients during the day, and Chun developed a cold and decided it was in his best interest to use the time off from work to recover. And I opted to instead spend the afternoon in Kennedy Town with Max and Celine, who welcomed a beautiful baby girl named Zoey, several weeks back. We took her for a stroll along Kennedy Town's gorgeous waterfront promenade, and were treated to a sunset to remember as July commenced in a most memorable fashion.

The Kennedy Town waterfront

Just a few days later, it was Independence Day, every patriotic American's favorite day of the summer. I duly marked the occasion by meeting one of my best American friends, Christina, for lunch at Beef and Liberty. With a Kentucky bourbon milkshake and otherworldly burgers, it was an entirely appropriate lunch.

Fourth of July at Beef and Liberty

I had planned on staying home that night, perhaps watching Jaws with Fredric, on the couch. But the short-term return of my former flatmate Antoine happened to coincide. Antoine suggested going to Franks, a New Jersey-style Italian joint, and I was in no position to refuse the invitation. After a few rounds of Brooklyn Lager in the jazzy spot, we migrated a few doors down to a true Italian ristorante, Divino, where we split a gorgeous bottle of red and feasted on an incredible truffle-and-blue-cheese pasta. 

Welcome back, Antoine!

When I got home, I drunkenly popped Clueless into the DVD player. As a 1990s pop-cultural lollipop, the film is a super-saturated, quote-laden, nostalgia-infused gem that is perfect Fourth of July viewing for faraway Yanks, especially children of the nineties like yours truly. Combined with the wonderful lunch and dinner, it made for a full-on American celebration. 

While at Franks earlier in the night, I had learned that they were hosting a belated Fourth of July brunch a couple of days afterwards, on Saturday. Before leaving that night, you can bet I booked a table. (The buffet included sausage and peppers, mussels in white wine, eggplant rollatini, Sambuca-glazed carrots and meatballs. How could I resist?)

Irresistible menu

On Saturday at noon sharp, I met my friend Debbie to indulge. Our waitress, Sarah, delightedly informed us that the two hour free-flow champagne package was extended to four hours. I think you can imagine how awesome the day turned out. There was so much food, so many bubbles and a lot of laughter. And we even popped over the Tai Kwun for further al fresco revelry after the brunch had concluded.

Happy Fourth... Errr, Sixth!

When I got home that night, it was finally a good opportunity for a Jaws screening. It's my favorite summer movie, hands down, and if I can, I always try to watch it near the Fourth of July. Thanks for Franks thoughtfully extending the holiday a couple of extra days, it felt fitting. 

Movies actually wound up playing a fairly big part of my July. In fact, one one weekend in the middle of the month, I caught one a day from Friday through Sunday, with plenty of other action peppered in for good measure. 

After work on July 12th, I crossed the harbor via MTR to meet Chun and Omar in Elements to catch Rocketman, the Elton John biopic. I certainly found the flick entertaining, but I don't think it will go down as any classic. That being said, popping up to The Pond, a spicy Chinese restaurant on Civic Square overlooking the massive International Commerce Center, Hong Kong's tallest tower, provided an effective post-movie jolt. And a final round of drinks at Typhoon in Wan Chai drew a memorable evening to a close.

The Pond on Civic Square, after Rocket Man

That next day, as I was making my way from apartment to tram terminus to head off to Kowloon, I bumped into my old pals Kevin and Dan. Kevin, I'm sure you'll all remember, was my first colleague back in 2009, literally among the first people I met after touching down in Hong Kong. I was quickly introduced to his best friend, Dan, who took me in as a Christmas orphan that first holiday season abroad. 

Kev is now a proud father of two, and it was utterly delightful (and unexpected) to spend the day catching up with him. When his wife and kids came down to join, we decided to have a communal meal. And I loved to randomness of the afternoon! But fear not, I still fit in a movie.

A wonderfully unexpected Saturday afternoon!

The Cine Fan program of which I am a member was in the midst of a mini-film festival celebrating the work of Hollywood icon Nicholas Ray from June through July. I already mentioned that I attended a screening of his seminal work, Rebel Without A Cause, just after my return from the States. But it was during July that the retrospective really got kicking for me. 

Saturday's screening was of a film called Bitter Victory, a WWII-set movie I'd never heard of before, starring Richard Burton, Curt Jurgens and Ruth Roman. It's a black-and-white study in male power, with the two leads pitted against one another during a desert espionage campaign. Jurgens is the husband and Burton the former paramour of the lovely Roman. And when the two men find themselves jointly appointed to oversee a risky mission, their different leadership styles coupled with revelation of the affair creates enormous tension. 

I was glad I caught it, but I won't be putting Bitter Victory among my top ten any time soon. Still, I rarely fail to seize the occasion to see a classic on the big screen, as part of a crowd. And I'm happy I made the trek out to Kowloon Tong that Saturday night to add this one to the list. 

Sunday was a bittersweet day, with the grand finale of the horse racing season at Shatin Racecourse. True, true, the races only cease for about six weeks and next season's opening day is coming up fast on the first of September. But I still miss my weekly visits to Hong Kong's electric Thoroughbred tracks during the summer hiatus, and I would never even consider skipping out on the closing day!

Sha Tin Season Finale!

A few moments before the last race, I spotted a horse who looked itching to run in the parade ring. I can always hear my mom's voice in my head when that happens. "He's going to fly," she used to tell me. "Here! Run and put two dollars on him!" Luckily, I listened, putting the minimum bet to place. And sure enough, he came in third! What a finish to the season!

An exciting race

I think you all know my post-race ritual now, win or lose. I normally make a beeline from the track to nearby Shatin Inn, the Indonesian restaurant that is so closely linked with the racetrack that I hardly visit one without the other. But that night, I made a rare exception.

The Ray entry that evening was Johnny Guitar, a candy-colored Western I have wanted to see for years. Boy, was it worth the wait! The performances from Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden and, especially, Mercedes McCambridge can only be described as dynamite, and I found myself on the edge of my seat throughout most of the film. 

When it ended, I wanted to stand up and cheer! If Rocketman and Bitter Victory were one-timers I don't need to see again, Johnny Guitar is a new favorite. And if there's ever another screening I learn about, you can bet I'm buying a ticket!

As the second half of the month barreled on, I had a most fortuitous afternoon on the water. Ana has a friend named Lisa; Lisa has a friend named Jeremy; Jeremy has a boat. What can I say? It's good to have friends who have friends who have boats. The invitation to join for a day of fun in the sun was extended to me, and I wasn't passing up the opportunity. We met at South Bay Beach and wound up sailing back to Aberdeen, complete with booze and a barbecue.

Sailing back to Aberdeen

I invited people back to my roof afterwards, hoping for further grilling, but it seems the gas canisters are in need of re-filling, and it was not to be. We consoled ourselves with a few last beers before calling it a night. (McDonald's chicken wings may also have made an appearance after it was revealed that there was no way to cook the sausages.) 

For the past few days, I've been frantically planning for this trip, making hotel reservations and trying to formalize the schedule of meetings that will see me through to next weekend. But one major milestone commemoration added a lot of glee to the proceedings: the fiftieth anniversary of the moon landing.  

In anticipation of the event, I took the opportunity to hoist the stars and stripes in my bedroom, a clever and patriotic way to hide the fact that the hinges on a closet door broke, exposing my suits and dress shirts. I also began playing the moon-related tunes, like Fly Me to the Moon and Moon Over Burma.

A small step for fixing my closet door

I passed a somewhat-new Japanese restaurant up the street in Happy Valley called The Grill Station that serves a bowl called Full Moon Ramen. Well, you can guess what my lunch was yesterday.

My friend Katie celebrated her birthday later that night, and with just two minutes to go before midnight, I looked up as I was strolling down Wyndham Street to see the bright moon. I had to cut my evening short owing to this morning's early departure, but I closed the day off by dozing on the couch, listening to an old Lux Radio Theatre recording of The Moon's Our Home. Yes, I was (and still am) on a moon landing high.

The moon on Wyndham Street, at two minutes to midnight!

So as I get ready to board my Cathay jet to whisk me up to the Mainland, Happy Fiftieth Moon Landing Day to all those of you back in the States, where it's still the anniversary! Enjoy, and stay tuned for an imminent update on my work-infused adventures in Beijing and Shanghai!