Democracy, Dietrich and Decadence

We're on the cusp of the last month of the decade, December 2019 mere minutes away... and 2020 waiting in the wings. So, as I get ready to say my last "rabbit, rabbit" of the 2010s, it feels appropriate to pause for a moment and look back on the three weeks that have just dissipated since I celebrated my tenth anniversary of arriving in Hong Kong, because so much has happened since then.

First up was our company's annual "Christmas dinner." I put that in quotes because this year, we did it on the fourteenth of November—not anywhere near Christmas—and it took place at two in the afternoon—so it was more of a lunch. But my colleague Kevin, probably my best friend in the office, was heading back to the States the following week, so if we wanted to include him in the festivities, we'd have to accelerate the schedule. And with the budget we were given, it seemed we'd get more bang for our proverbial buck by transposing the normally nocturnal gathering to a daytime one. Thus our "Christmas dinner" became a mid-November lunch, which started when our traditional office shenanigans (champagne, canapes, Christmas tunes and Secret Santa) commenced well before noon.

But it was one for the record books.

After lengthy internal debate, we settled on Jimmy's Kitchen as our restaurant of choice, and, in hindsight, I can't believe we ever seriously considered other venues. Jimmy's is the kind of place you go if you're yearning for tradition, the kind of place where you can indulge in signature dishes that have all but vanished from the menus of the trendy restaurants that burn brightly for but a brief moment and usually fold shortly thereafter.

But Jimmy's has been around since 1928, and I don't think it's going away any time soon. And it proved just why it has such staying power during that lunch. Start to finish—err, oysters to baked Alaska—it was a repast to remember. From the top-notch service to the divine specialties, every element was pitch-perfect. I'll be dreaming about my steak Diane for months. And I hope I'm back at Jimmy's again soon.

One November event I always enjoy is the release of the Beaujolais nouveau, the first wine made from 2019 grapes that is available for consumption. Rarely exceptional but always quaffable, the Beaujolais nouveau is, at the very least, a great excuse for a party. It's a fun wine, and one that compels many a French restaurant to throw a celebration, often with scrumptious cheese and charcuterie to complement the ubiquitous drink. And so, I'm always down to indulge!

This year, Hong Kong's French (and French-loving) community gathered at Cafe Claudel in Tai Kwun for the occasion. But when the two friends who were going to join me bailed at the last minute, I was faced with a dilemma. I had been to an amazingly boozy broker event in Causeway Bay the evening before, and a part of me wondered whether I'd be better served skipping out. Luckily, I decided to turn up alone, and I was delighted to bump into multiple friends—and make new ones—as we all chatted, chomped and cheers-ed the night away in the classy venue of the old parade ground of the restored former police headquarters.

But perhaps the most noteworthy November event was last Sunday, when I celebrated my thirty-third birthday in the most Paul-esque manner yet. As you all know, I became a permanent resident of Hong Kong last year, and one of the duties and privileges that accompanies this status is the ability to vote in Hong Kong elections. 

Well, as fate would have it, the first election to actually take place since that milestone happened to fall on my recent birthday—and you can bet I took full advantage by casting my ballot for Happy Valley's next district counsellor, the only true representation of direct democracy that exists in my adopted home!

My polling place is so close that I can actually see it from my living room window. And the lines weren't too bad when I rocked up at around 2pm to make my voice heard. I tied Fredric outside while I took the elevator to the sixth floor. And less than twenty minutes later, I was back out in the sunshine, feeling an enormous internal sense of satisfaction that I only feel when I waltz out of a voting booth. Of course, I celebrated with two cheeky beers at Happy Alley, where the candidate I had just endorsed happened to stroll by during my interlude. I gave her my best Jersey first pump. 

Civic duty duly completed, I crossed the harbor by Star Ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui to attend a late afternoon movie screening at the new K11 Musea of Shanghai Express, the 1932 classic directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring the legendary Marlene Dietrich at her most alluring. It's part of a larger festival called The Elusive Enchantment, showcasing all seven of their joint efforts, including Morocco (1930), which I saw the day before at the same venue, and Blonde Venus (also 1932), which I caught earlier tonight at the Arts Centre in Wan Chai, both solo.

But, since Shanghai Express was being shown on my birthday itself, it seemed like a good occasion to guilt some others into joining me. I wasn't sure how appealing the idea would sound to them, venturing to Kowloon during increasingly uncertain times, to sequester ourselves inside a darkened cinema on a gloriously sunny afternoon. In fact, the sun was setting as I entered the cinema, and even I couldn't help but pause for a few moments to admire the stunning vista.

Even so, in the end, six friends came along for the adventure, as Shanghai Lily and her cohorts make the perilous journey from Peking to Shanghai, while feuding warlords use the glamorous expats as pawns in their dangerous games. 

And afterwards, we made the short, four-minute trek from the cinema to the Peninsula for dinner, where I'd booked a table for twelve at Chesa, its signature Swiss restaurant. Opened all the way back in the 1960s to promote a newly-established air link between Hong Kong and Zurich—and only intended as a temporary addition to the hotel's eateries—Chesa has proved so endearingly popular that it's still here over fifty years later!

We had a gluttonous assortment of fondues, cured meats, escargot, potatoes and creamed spinach, all consumed in a candlelit alpine dining room that really transported me straight back to Switzerland, complemented by deliciously crisp Swiss fendant—a white wine I discovered on my summer visit to the country.

Completing the meal was a chocolate, ice cream-filled miniature of a typical Swiss chalet, with "Happy Birthday Paul" engraved in edible fashion on a square of white chocolate. We also shared chocolate mousse and meringue, plus a round of delicious complimentary petits fours discreetly dropped on the table as we polished off the last spoonfuls of our dessert trio.

The Star Ferry took us back to Central, where my friends Katie and James treated me to further drinks at Shady Acres, a popular watering hole up on Peel Street. And even after Katie retired, James kept me company until the wee small hours of the morning, a fitting end to the day indeed.

Then, of course, came Thanksgiving, celebrated on my rooftop once again, the ninth year in a row for me! With about fifteen friends along for the ride (representing all six inhabited continents!), you better believe it was a stellar evening, with the best turkey yet, courtesy of O'Bird, a wonderful French rotisserie a few minutes' walk from my apartment!

I actually got two Thanksgivings this year. My compatriot Christina always hosts her own version of the feast on the Saturday before the actual holiday, so as to allow for ample time to lovingly create dish after decadent (and traditional) dish. Whereas my party is more of a casual potluck, with each member of the international crowd bringing along a contribution of his or her own choosing, Christina takes care of everything herself for a formal sit-down dinner: turkey, cranberry sauce, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans with fried onions and multiple pumpkin pies covered in whipped cream. Understandably, she needs the weekend to properly prepare.

So, after that screening of Morocco in TST, I crossed the harbor back to Hong Kong Island and made my way to Christina and her husband Clement's apartment in Kennedy Town. And, boy, was I in for a treat.

By the time midnight (and, thus, technically, my birthday) rolled around, we headed out into Lan Kwai Fong, meeting up with Myles and Chun, and kept the party going until the early morning. It was literally 7:15am when I arrived via tram back in Happy Valley. What an introduction to thirty-three!

Myles—unsure if he'd actually get to celebrate my birthday with me due to other commitments—had decided to treat me to a spicy lunch at one of my favorite Sichuan restaurants on the Friday leading into my big weekend. Up at Monogamous Chinese, hidden under the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator,  we stuffed ourselves on fresh chili spring rolls, dan dan noodles, fried shredded beef and spicy dumplings. So it felt like a double bonus to get to see him again in Lan Kwai after the clock had tolled twelve.

I'm really looking forward to decorating the apartment for Christmas in the next day or so, as the holiday season kicks into high gear. Hopefully this decade is about to go out on a high note, and I'll be sure to keep you updated on its final moments! 

Until next time!