Jackie Comes to Hong Kong!!!

I’m definitely on a Hong Kong high right now, thanks to an incredible visit from one of my friends from Villanova, Jackie, who spent the last week with me here. I always enjoy showing my friends from home around this crazy metropolis, and this visit was no exception. We ate, drank, danced, partied and toured for five straight days, and although I thoroughly needed a full weekend of rest after she went home, I can safely say that the past week was one of the most fun I’ve had here.

I wrote in my last post that Jackie's trip was happening on pretty short notice. Basically, I called her up about a month ago and mentioned that it would be awesome if she could ever come out to visit. She immediately told me that she had just cancelled round trip flights to Europe, and she would investigate changing the ticket to a Hong Kong one.

Literally an hour or so later, she wrote me a message via Facebook informing me that she would be arriving in the early afternoon on Sunday, June 3^rd! Talk about quick action!

Although we first met at Villanova during the fall semester of our freshman year, it turned out we had a quirky connection: Jackie, from Staten Island, actually attended the high school where my mom teaches!

Me and Jackie on the bus to a formal, our junior year at ' Nova!

Over four years, we became very good friends, and I was extremely excited to learn about her upcoming visit. Unfortunately, I had tickets to a rare screening of my favorite movie, All About Eve, at the Hong Kong Film Archive for the same day as Jackie’s arrival in Asia, but I fixed it so that my friend Courtney would pick her up at the Airport Express station in Central, take her to my apartment, and I would meet them up on our rooftop as soon as I finished at the cinema.

Court was definitely the MVP for Jackie’s trip to Hong Kong. As she’s looking for a job currently, she was free to join us each day for whatever escapades we had planned and add another perspective to Jackie's view of life in the city. The two of them became fast friends, and I know Court's presence added immeasurably to Jackie’s overall experience.

That first night, we just sat out and enjoyed the fresh air on our rooftop. I invited a few friends over, and Jackie got to meet all the usual suspects. We ordered some pizzas and played some music, and everybody seemed to have a good time.

Jackie, Chiara and Andrea on the roof

Monday morning we got up bright and early for a full day of sightseeing. I wanted to take Jackie straight over to ‘the Dark Side’ since one of the things she was most interested in exploring was Hong Kong’s famed market scene.

It turned out Ally had a friend named Sarah visiting Hong Kong that week as well, and since Ally had to work, Sarah joined in our adventures. Our first stop was for lunch at Crystal Jade in Wan Chai. It’s one of my favorite restaurants, with its delicious xiao long bao and other dumplings, and also one of my favorite noodle soups, called ‘dan dan la mian.’ Jackie and Sarah both loved the food, especially the dan dan noodles. And it was here that Jackie learned her new favorite Cantonese expression—M’goi, mai tan! (Check, please!)—which became her catchphrase for the rest of the trip. It was a perfect start to a wonderful day.

Crystal Jade's amazing xiao long bao

After the Star Ferry transported us from Hong Kong Island to Tsim Sha Tsui, the three of us strolled up the Avenue of Stars, along the water, showing off Hong Kong’s extraordinary skyline.

Jamie joined us after a while, and we took a quick trek up to the top of Signal Hill before heading to the 1881 Heritage complex for an al fresco afternoon drink. Signal Hill, also known as Blackhead's Point, is a quaint and peaceful hillside park in Tsim Sha Tsui. Atop the hill, overlooking the water, is a tower that used to drop a ball every day at 1pm so that ships in the harbor could regulate their clocks. It is now a virtually unknown park with lovely views.

Pagoda atop Signal Hill Park

View of Hong Kong Island from Signal Hill

The 1881 Heritage complex, also in TST, is the stunningly restored Former Marine Police Headquarters, which now houses high-end boutiques, restaurants and a colonial-style hotel. The main structure is one of Hong Kong's four oldest surviving government buildings, and the historic landmark has been given a new lease on life by the loving restoration.

1881 Heritage Complex

The Indian Balcony at 1881

After our drink, we jumped on the MTR to go to Prince Edward, and Jamie headed home since she had an interview later that evening for a summer job. I took Jackie and Sarah first to the Flower Market and then to the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden. I especially love the Bird Garden, with its intricate cages, colorful songbirds and chatty Cantonese men who bring their birds here for a few hours each day. It’s a very cool place, and one I really enjoying showing off to visitors.

Bird garden

Ally met up with us after we left the garden, and the four of us found a dive bar called Unknown Island, only a few streets away. Over a happy hour bucket of Carlsberg, we created a new dice game and rested our feet for an hour or so.

Ally and Sarah went up to the Peak that night, and I continued taking Jackie around Kowloon. We walked through the photogenic goldfish market and then hit up the Ladies Market, where Jackie bought a few items, both for herself and for family back home. We made it to the waterfront just in time to catch ‘A Symphony of Light’ at 8pm. Following the conclusion of the light show, we hopped back on the ferry and headed to the island.

Goldfish Market

I had made a reservation at one of my favorite Italian restaurants, Cecconi’s, because on Monday night, they participate in the popular “2 for 1” deal I’ve written about before. Courtney and Jamie joined for the dinner, and we all enjoyed it very much. Since Jackie was tired, we hailed a taxi to take us home afterwards. I asked the driver to take Kennedy Road, because it offers a lovely view over Central, Victoria Harbor and the Kowloon side. And after climbing those five flights of steps, we got a good night’s sleep so that we could get an early start the next morning. 

Tuesday began on a high note! Jackie found out that she was offered her dream job, which she had interviewed for immediately before coming out for the visit. Of course, a champagne celebration was in order, a wonderful wake-up indeed!

Celebratory Mimosas 

The itinerary for the day was to catch the No. 6 bus to the seaside town of Stanley, where we would eat, soak up the sun and spend a few hours on the beach. I know I have written about it before, and I know I’ll most likely write about it many more times, but Stanley has got to be one of this city’s greatest gems. With its slow-paced way of life, picturesque waterfront promenade and tangible sense of history and heritage, it’s a wonder it’s only a short bus ride away from the hectic city to the north.

Sarah and Jackie in Stanely

After lunch overlooking the sea, we strolled down to Stanley Plaza, Murray House and Blake Pier, and Courtney joined us just before we hit up the well-known Stanley Market. Afterwards, we grabbed some ice cream at the local Wellcome supermarket and made our way to St. Stephen’s Beach.

View over Stanley

Although it’s one of the smallest beaches on Hong Kong Island, St. Stephen’s is also one of my favorites. Most of the Stanley crowd usually heads to Stanley Main Beach to hit the sand, leaving tiny St. Stephen’s with hardly a soul on it. It’s got a killer view and is a wonderful spot to take a post-lunch dip in the South China Sea.

St. Stephen's Beach, Stanley

Before long, we were on our way back home to get ready for dinner on Victoria Peak. I had booked a table at the Peak Lookout, which is still my favorite restaurant up there, and we hopped on the historic Peak Tram to whisk us to the mountaintop. Since it was nearing 8 o’clock, our first visit was to the Sky Terrace, an observation deck on the rooftop of the Peak Galleria, where we saw the light show from our high perch. We then headed down for dinner.

From the rooftop viewing deck of the Peak Galleria

With its twinkling lights and stone walls, the garden of the Peak Lookout is straight out of a fairy tale, and it was an absolutely perfect night for an al fresco dinner in the storybook setting. Eating oysters and sipping wine, we enjoyed another great meal at this magical restaurant.

Al fresco dinner in the garden of the Peak Lookout, complete with Oysters Rockefeller

After dinner, I took Jackie on the circular walk around the Peak, as Lugard Road hugs the side of the cliff, offering a stunning panorama of the city below. No matter how many times I do it, the walk gets me every time. I am firm in my belief that the view from up here is the greatest city view anywhere in the world!

Unreal view from Victoria Peak

Following our walk, the Peak Tram took us back down to Central, and we met up with Courtney to give Jackie her first real taste of Hong Kong nightlife. An espresso martini at La Piola gave us all the jolt of energy we needed to descend into Lan Kwai Fong, where we requested songs and downed Jello shots at Al’s Diner, danced to the tunes of the live band at Insomnia, grabbed a late night snack at Ebeneezer’s and finished around 5am with a few last drinks at Zinc, a bar that’s always crowded no matter how dead the neighboring establishments seem to be.

Al's Diner

Somehow, we made it up for 10am on Wednesday, ready for a full day of fun at Ocean Park. Andrea met us at the apartment bright and early, since he is leaving Hong Kong in a month or so and wanted to experience the park before he goes. We hopped in a taxi and, before we knew it, we were in Aberdeen.

Riding the Ocean Park Cable Car

Ocean Park is probably the most picturesque amusement park I have ever seen. It’s set atop a lush, green mountain, overlooking the grandeur of Hong Kong’s rugged, beach-lined southern shore. Courtney met us at the park, and the four of us had a wonderful day riding the roller coasters, visiting the panda bears, seeing the dolphin show and enjoying the lovely views from the park’s signature cable car.

Originally, my plan was for us to head home early to ensure we made it to Happy Valley Racecourse for the 7:15pm post time of the first of eight Wednesday night races. However, we opted to squeeze in a visit to the Jumbo Floating Restaurant in Aberdeen Harbor after leaving Ocean Park. We were already in Aberdeen, after all, and the weather was absolutely ideal for a cocktail on the relaxing Top Deck. Plus, it would be Jackie's only chance to fit in a visit the famous attraction, so it was definitely the right choice to slightly amend our schedule.

Courtney and Andrea split one of the Top Deck's enormous "Jumbo Margaritas" while Jackie enjoyed some wine and I had a spicy martini made with lemongrass. 

We wound up at the racecourse just in time for the fifth race of the evening, and Ally, Rich and Sarah joined soon after. Sadly, it was Ally’s last night in Hong Kong. The next morning, she flew to Japan for a week’s vacation, and although she will pass back through town later this week, she’s heading home to the UK afterwards. I’ll miss having her here, and I hope she finds her way back soon!

Jackie had a nice winning streak for the first three races that night, and then I hit one of my bets on the final race, so in all, it was a great night at the track.

You know Wednesday night is a big one for us in Hong Kong, so of course, following the races, we headed out to Wan Chai for Ladies Night. A large group of my friends congregate at a bar called Devil’s Advocate after the last race. They have a special promotion on Wednesdays that allows for heavily discounted drinks if you pay with a particular $20 bill. So of course, all week long, we all keep our eyes peeled to collect as many of the notes—called ‘Standard Chartered Twenties’—as possible.

In the end, it was a rather low key Ladies Night, and Jackie was exhausted from the full days we’d been having, so she went back to the apartment to get a good night’s rest. I may or may not have stayed out a tad bit later. 

Thursday was probably our fullest and most fun day of the week! From start to finish, it was a jam-packed day I will never forget. Jackie was such a huge fan of the dan dan la mian on Monday that we went back to Crystal Jade for a repeat lunch to kick start our day.

At 3pm, we arrived at Pier 9 in Central to board the Duk Ling, a traditional Chinese junk that offers atmospheric harbor cruises several times per week. I had only ridden the distinctive vessel once before, back in the summer of 2010 when my mom came to visit. What a mistake it has been to wait so long for a second journey! The one hour tour of Victoria Harbor was stunning, and the experience was augmented by the beautifully clear weather. 

Duk Ling arriving at Pier 9

With a breeze gently blowing as the waves lapped at the sides of the fifty year old junk, and with Hong Kong surrounding us in all its 360° glory, Sarah, Jackie and I settled down on the outdoor deck, taking in all the sights and sounds of the extraordinary harbor. It was only a one hour cruise but surely an hour to remember.

I deliberately chose the 3pm departure because its disembarkation point is the Avenue of Stars, within walking distance to the Peninsula Hotel, the grande dame of Hong Kong hotels famed for its extravagant afternoon tea.  

The fleet of Rolls Royce at the Peninsula

Courtney met our boat as we hopped off, and our quartet made its way past the fleet of green Rolls Royces and into the legendary lobby of the Pen. Luckily there was no wait for a table, and we were seated promptly. Since we had eaten at Crystal Jade earlier, we opted to split “Afternoon Tea for Two” between all four of us, and it was definitely enough food!

A string orchestra played a medley of familiar tunes as we snacked on cucumber sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and French macarons. And after we finished, we took a quick walk around the hotel to explore its old-world glamour and elegance.

Jumping from one four star hotel to another, we caught a cab to the Ritz Carlton. If the Peninsula is Hong Kong’s oldest hotel, the Ritz is definitely one of its newest. Perched on the top twenty floors of the city’s latest skyscraper (and the world’s fourth tallest—the International Commerce Centre), the Ritz is home to a stunning rooftop bar called Ozone, with a view to die for. It was my third visit to Ozone, and I know I wrote about it when I visited with Lisa and Tak last year. Although it has since lost its title as “the highest bar in the world” it has still got to be one of the most impressive watering holes anywhere. From 118 floors up, all of Hong Kong is laid out before you. And the drinks, though expensive, are worth every penny.

118th floor!

View from Ozone

Eighteen floors down from Ozone is the ICC’s requisite observation level, Sky100. Slightly closer to the buildings below, Sky100 offers panoramic views of the entire city from its floor-to-ceiling windows and high tech telescopes. It also does a nice job of injecting some Hong Kong culture into the whole experience, with photos of local festivals, people and foods. Since I had never been to Sky100 before, I thought it would be a cool thing to squeeze into Jackie’s itinerary, especially since we would be in the building already. When I found a Groupon offering half-price admission, my mind was made up! I’m so glad we did it, as it offered yet another grand view of this amazing town.

At Sky100

Jackie needed to do some souvenir shopping before heading home, and so we took the opportunity to make one more trip to the Ladies Market that evening. Both Sarah and Jackie loaded up on goods, from chopsticks and chess games to iPhone covers and travel bags. The market was crowded, but it’s always an atmospheric place to hone your bargaining skills.

That night I was really excited to show Jackie my typical Thursday night haunt, a bar called The Chapel, a few minutes’ walk from my front door. Owned by a wonderful guy called Surjit, The Chapel serves killer Indian cuisine, but the reason we return regularly is because of the difficult weekly pub quiz. It’s been almost two years since we first started ‘quizzing’ here, and we’ve definitely become regulars, though many crucial members of our group have since left Hong Kong. I’ve always meant to dedicate an entire post to our Thursday night pub quiz, but somehow I’ve never gotten around to it. Anyway, it’s one of the things I look forward to all week, as much for the butter chicken as for the trivia, and although we came in fourth (and last) place that night, I’m still glad Jackie got to experience my local pub.

You know it’s been a good day when your least favorite thing was tea at the Peninsula!

Sunset from Ozone

Friday was Jackie’s last day in Hong Kong, and I spent the morning in the office. I met Jackie in front of the Man Mo Temple around noon, and after a quick and easy lunch on the Escalator, and a stroll around Central’s high-end (and air-conditioned) shopping malls, we headed to the fascinating and informative Hong Kong Museum of History. It was a perfect way to escape the midday sun and learn a bit about the illustrious heritage of the region, and I would have been disappointed if Jackie hadn’t been able to fit in a visit to the place during her time in town.

The Escalator

Unfortunately, that morning when I left for work, I stupidly forgot to mention to Jackie not to lock the wooden front door of our apartment. We have a key for the main door to the building, and we also have a key to the iron gate leading to our apartment, but the actual front door is always left unlocked because the location of the key is unknown! Since I had spent the entire week with Jackie so far, I never told her this. So when leaving the apartment that morning to come and meet me for lunch, she naturally assumed she should lock it!

A local locksmith fiddled with the door for what felt like hours to no avail! Eventually he had to drill through the lock to get it to open, but the good news is that he replaced the whole handle and brought us three new keys, so hopefully a similar situation never arises again!

Hot and sweaty... and locked out!

Feeling a bit rushed, and slightly behind schedule, we arrived at Peking Garden in Alexandra House, the restaurant I had selected for Jackie’s grand last meal in Hong Kong. We were going all out for a Chinese feast, complete with Peking Duck, Beggar’s Chicken, sweet and sour pork, fried prawns in chili and many other delicious dishes. Of course, it was all washed down with generous helpings of Tsing Tao and red and white wine. 

Peking Duck

I had never had Beggar’s Chicken before, because you have to order it in advance thanks to the long time it takes to prepare. It’s cooked overnight in a clay pot, and Jackie got to crack the clay to reveal the chicken inside! I loved all the pomp and circumstance that went into the dish's presentation, and it was absolutely delicious! The dinner was the last in a long line of great meals we had enjoyed over the past week. And at the end, Jackie flawlessly asked for the bill in Cantonese one last time. 

Jackie breaking open the Beggar's Chicken

Beggar's Chicken

Jackie had specially requested a karaoke night at some point during her trip, so after dessert, most of the eleven dinner guests headed to Neway in Wan Chai for some serious singing! Jackie is a great singer, and she seemed to have a special affinity for Whiteny Houston, belting out all the classics over the course of the night.

Karaoke Night

We even fit in a quick visit to Lan Kwai Fong after we left Neway, so that Jackie could say goodbye to Court, who had gone off to LKF a few hours earlier.

Back at home around 3am, Jackie decided to take a short nap, wake up at 5am, and head to the Airport Express for 6am. We both set our alarms; in fact, I set two—my actual alarm clock and my phone alarm. You can imagine my confusion, then, when I woke up at 7am! I assumed Jackie had tried to wake me earlier with no luck and hopped in a taxi by herself. However, I went to check just to make sure she wasn't still in our third bedroom. I let out a scream when I saw her lying there, and she hopped up! In a frantic rush, we bolted out the door and down the five flights of stairs and furiously flagged down the first taxi we could find.

At the Airport Express station in IFC, they told Jackie she would have to go to the airport itself to find out if she could still make her flight, since the “in-town check in” option had already closed.

I bought her a round trip ticket for the train, just in case she needed to come back to the city. It was a pretty stressful goodbye, but she e-mailed me a couple of hours later saying that everything had worked out alright. She did wind up missing her flight, but for only $75, she caught the direct flight to Newark, avoided connecting in Beijing, and landed even earlier than she would have had she made her original 8:30am departure. As with everything else over the past six days, it all worked out pretty much perfectly! Hope you had as much fun as I did, Jackie... You’re welcome back anytime you want!

Dim Sum at Disneyland!

Yesterday I checked something off my Hong Kong “to do” list I’ve been trying to fit in for a very long time. I finally enjoyed dim sum at Crystal Lotus, the Cantonese restaurant at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel on Lantau Island. It’s now well over a year ago since I first read an article about the character-themed dim sum, and I knew instantly it was something I wanted to do. 

It’s only served on weekends and public holidays, and it's not always easy to get a reservation at the restaurant, but I finally got my act together and booked the table about a month ago. With my Magic Access Pass, I am able to visit the park on most weekdays but only certain special weekends, and I made sure yesterday was one of those special weekends before I reserved the table.

It was my seventh visit to the park, so I’ve definitely made good use of my year's pass since that first visit last September with Kristen. I first went back around Halloween-time with Alex to experience Disney’s version of terror; I also visited with Remco on one of my designated weekends in November, since he was keen to see the park during his brief time in Hong Kong. During the Christmas celebrations, I visited for a few hours one day when I found myself alone and off from work. I even went back one random afternoon in February, just because I felt like it. Then, a few weeks ago, I visited with Silja and Ally because, with their respective times in Hong Kong coming to an end, they wanted to see the park before leaving. But I never managed to fit the Disney dim sum into any of these visits, for various reasons!

But, boy, was it worth the wait! I’m so glad I went back for it, as it was, without doubt, one of the highlights of all my visits to Hong Kong Disneyland. My friend Gauthier joined, and we both loved the meal. It was one of the most memorable dim sums I’ve enjoyed in a very long time. 

The food at Crystal Lotus is delicious, of course, but the reason it’s so memorable is because of the shapes and design of the dumplings, buns and other items. They are all made to look like Disney characters, from the delectable Mickey-shaped seafood pancakes to the super-photogenic “little green men” spinach and pork buns, aping the Toy Story aliens! I'm not usually one to take pictures of my food, but I made an exception this time around! 

The attention to detail on all the food was impeccable—almost to a point where you’d have thought they put all the effort into what would appeal to the eyes as opposed to the taste buds. Rest assured, each and every item was just a tasty as it was physically attractive. 

After our meal, we walked around the lovely grounds of the resort, from the pool to the waterfront to the hedge maze. I had never actually been to the hotel before. You see, it's a shuttle bus ride away from the theme park, and I never really had a reason to go. But I was very impressed with what I saw there.

It seemed to me to be based on the Grand Floridian in Orlando, perhaps the most beautiful of all Disney hotels I have ever seen. It was a picture of elegance overlooking the South China Seas. I really hope I get the chance to spend a night or two sometime, perhaps one day when my family comes out to Hong Kong and we want to "get away" from the hectic city without going too far.

Of course, after the meal and hotel exploration, we made our way to the park itself. After all, it was one of my designated weekends to visit, and Disneyland is a good forty-five minute ride on the MTR, so it would be silly to go all the way out there and not go in. Plus, Gauthier is a pretty big Disney fan himself, especially since he comes from Paris and has visited the French park many, many times.

It was another full and wonderful day in Hong Kong Disneyland. From the parade to the shows to the fireworks, there's nothing like a day in Disneyland to brighten just about anyone's spirits!

In other news, I have a couple of other exciting updates to tell you about! First, in less than a week, one of my good friends from Villanova, Jackie, is flying to Hong Kong to visit me. I am so excited to show her around town, and I wish all my friends were as easy to convince to come visit as Jackie. A few weeks ago, I called her to have a quick catch-up. During our chat, I mentioned she had an open invitation to come and stay with me in Hong Kong if she was ever up for it. A few hours later, I got a message from her that she would arrive in less than a month! You see, she recently had to cancel a trip to Europe, and she found out that for only $50, she could change that ticket to a Hong Kong one! I couldn’t be more thrilled, so keep an eye on this space for an imminent update on our adventures!

I’m also happy to report that I have finally booked my next trip home. On July 12th, I fly from Hong Kong to Newark, with a quick stop in London. It’s my first trip back during the summer months since I moved out here in 2009, so I’m incredibly excited to enjoy July, Jersey-style, with my family and friends in the Garden State. As always, there’s lots to look forward to! 

So Much to Write About

So much has been going on lately and I’ve hardly had a chance to post an update about any of it! I’ve wanted to sit down and write at length about my new apartment for almost a month now, but I never got around to it. Then my friend Colleen passed through Hong Kong on her way to a wedding in Bali, but I didn’t have a chance to include that here either. A few days later, having just purchased a new camera, I took a couple of days to visit photogenic Macau to test out my new Olympus. And this past weekend, I zipped down to the Philippines for another quick but wonderful mini-trip to Cebu. Now that I’ve returned to Hong Kong, I’m finally able to sit down and put together this account of the past couple of weeks!

First things first—I am in love with my new flat. We actually moved in over a month ago, on April 1^st. The move took place in the midst of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, so I was very busy running around from one movie theater to another. In fact, I didn’t even really unpack, and only a few days later, I was off to Thailand for Easter. Back in Hong Kong, life was as busy as ever, but I did manage to get my things sorted and decorate a bit.

The apartment is not entirely new to me. Sonia lived there when I first met her and I celebrated my first Christmas Eve in Hong Kong there in 2009. Amy moved into the second bedroom when she decided to stay in Hong Kong, and she and Sonia always had gatherings, dinners and parties, so I was no stranger to the place. In fact, two of my Hong Kong birthdays were also celebrated there, as well as plenty of other special events. It was almost as if the apartment belonged to all of us whenever something special was happening.

Living Room

So with Sonia relocated to Singapore and Amy leaving Hong Kong indefinitely, it made perfect sense for Rich and me to move into the place, and I’m so glad we did. Sonia's parents signed a long-term lease so that their daughter could live there, so technically we are renting from them. Martin and Mongia are wonderful people, and wonderful landlords, and I know even if I move out, I'll stay friends with them for a long time.

Sonia's mom Mongia

Happy Valley is much quieter than Wan Chai, where I have lived for the past two years. But it’s a very nice part of town, with great bars and restaurants and—of course—the horse racing track. We have a large private rooftop with a view over the track, and it’s perfect for a few pre-race drinks or a nice dinner. And in addition to the two large bedrooms that Rich and I occupy, there is also a third, smaller bedroom taken up by a sweet Filipina named Lisa. She is Sonia's parent's maid, but she lives with us. You see, Martin and Mongia's place is only a few minutes up the street from our own, but they prefer to have there full-time helper living elsewhere. The bonus for us is that Lisa keeps both their apartment and ours very tidy, and she's a gem in terms of changing sheets, doing laundry and washing dishes! King size bed, private rooftop, live-in maid! Can you see why I'm in love with the place?

Our Rooftop... there are usually cushions on the couches, I swear!

If it sounds too good to be true, and you’re wondering what the catch is, here ya go: There is no elevator in the building and our top floor apartment is six floors up! It’s only getting slightly easier as I get used to it, but at least it’s good exercise!

The other half of the roof!

The apartment itself is huge compared to my last two. In fact, my king size bed is actually bigger than one of the entire rooms in the old place! Rich and I are very happy with our decision, and over the past few weeks, we’ve been rearranging the furniture, buying new stuff and making plans to have some work done.  

Finally writing about my new apartment… Check!

About two months ago I got a Facebook message from my friend Colleen informing me that she would be passing through Hong Kong on her way to a wedding in Bali at the end of April. She arrived on Buddha’s Birthday, April 28^th, and only had two short nights, but it’s always nice to see an old familiar face, no matter how much time you get to spend together.

On Sunday, April 29^th, we met up near Colleen and her boyfriend Josh’s hotel in Kennedy Town. After a quick walking tour around Sheung Wan’s dried seafood stores and a quick Starbuck’s stop so Colleen could load up on mugs for her mom who collects them all, we swung by Crystal Jade for a great lunch—xiao long bao, dan dan la mian, chili pork dumplings, we had it all!

With Colleen outside Starbucks 

After lunch, we went to see Lyuba (Russian for ‘love’), a baby woolly mammoth discovered frozen in Siberia in 2007 and currently travelling the world. Only one month old when she froze to death over forty thousand years ago, she is immaculately preserved and has provided scientists with their best opportunity to study the actual remains of one of the legendary prehistoric creatures.

Lyuba in IFC 

A trip on the Star Ferry transported us from Hong Kong Island to Tsim Sha Tsui, and we were just in time to catch ‘A Symphony of Light,’ which I have now seen about a hundred times! Colleen and Josh both seemed to enjoy the show very much, and it was so much fun to see their impressed reactions to the skyline, lights and lasers.

Colleen before the light show

Dinner that night was at the famous Under Bridge Spicy Crab, a restaurant I have been hearing about for years but had never eaten at until that night. Its specialty is—as you can guess—spicy crab and it’s located—as you can also guess—under a bridge. The Cantonese don’t mess around when naming their restaurants! It was actually Josh’s friend Marc and his then-fiancée Jolie who organized the dinner.

Picking our crabs!

As they were getting married in Bali in a few days, they were happy to have the wedding guests pass through Hong Kong beforehand, both to break up the flight and to show them what their life is like in Hong Kong. It was a great dinner, and it was very nice to get to know Marc and Jolie, and also another member of the wedding group, Jorge, who had just arrived in Hong Kong several hours before.

Jorge, Jolie and Marc at Spicy Crab Under Bridge

The next day, I finally bought a new camera. I’ve been using a Canon Power Shot point and shoot for the past two-and-a-half years. I still remember driving to Best Buy with my sister the day before I flew to Hong Kong back in 2009 to buy it. It has served me well since this whole adventure kicked off, and it’s gone with me practically everywhere, but after my Easter trip to Thailand, I decided I should invest in a nicer camera. It dawned on me that I’m seeing such interesting sights and visiting such fascinating places that it’s silly not to have a great camera to document my adventures. So I did a little research and decided to upgrade to a new DSLR.

I chose the Olympus Pen EP-3, and I am wholly satisfied with that decision! I had seen advertisements for it in the MTR here and they really caught my attention. I loved the striking retro design, but I wanted to make sure it was a good fit camera-wise. I did a bit of online research before making the purchase and bought my Pen at a camera shop on Stanley Street during my lunch break. As I get to know the camera better, I hope to buy different lenses and really get to know how to use it. So far, I’m very pleased with the results.

 

Ads for the Olympus Pen that I saw on the MTR

To play with my new toy, I went down to Macau for two days. As it’s one of the most photogenic spots in the region, there was really no more ideal place to test it out. Ally has a friend named Ma-Cha (short for Marie-Charlotte) who is visiting from France, and since she couldn’t get off work, I was happy to show Ma-Cha around our sister SAR. We grabbed lunch at Nga Tim Café on Coloane and spent the rest of the afternoon strolling its tiny lanes, snapping photos and enjoying the laid back atmosphere.

Chapel of St. Francis Xavier

Macanese home

Coloane Sunset

That night I had dinner at my friend Adrien’s apartment, with Eloise, his girlfriend, and two of their friends also visiting from France. After dinner, it was off to the Wynn for a night of gambling. In the end, I was only down about HKD60, so I have no complaints!

View from Adrien's apartment in Macau

The next day, I went to Taipa to explore some more. Once upon a time, Coloane and Taipa were two separate islands, but now, thanks to land reclamation, they are joined by one massive strip known (cleverly) as Cotai. Close to the Macau Peninsula, Taipa is literally in the shadow of huge casinos like the Venetian and the Galaxy. Farther afield, quaint Coloane has been spared such ostentatious developments. Still, Taipa has a lot of offer, from tiny back alleys to charming squares and the wonderful Taipa Houses Museum, a strip of five colonial homes each showcasing a different aspect of Macanese life.

One of the houses of the Taipa Houses Museum

View of the houses

Another delicious lunch, and some more photographic side stops (the highlight was the historic Red Market), and I was on my way back to Hong Kong. I arrived at the ferry pier around 8pm, and I had to go home, pack and get back to IFC in only a few hours before our flight to Cebu. Complicating matters was a massive thunderstorm, turning my street into a veritable waterfall.

Red Market, Macau

Man slaughtering live chickens in the Red Market

Silja, Chiara, Andrea and I were flying from Hong Kong, and meeting up with Sonia, Amy and Amy’s friend Matt at the airport in Cebu. The plan was then to get to Bohol, where Sonia’s brother Kareem was meeting us with his boat so we could sail around for two days before flying back to Hong Kong Sunday night. Since we planned it as a surprise for her upcoming birthday, Chiara new nothing about the boat trip, so we all had to keep this part of the plan a secret as we started our journey.

Despite the fact that many other flights were delayed because of the rain, ours took off remarkably close to its scheduled departure time. Chiara and Andrea had a slight nightmare when they realized they had booked their tickets for the wrong dates, but luckily everything worked out and we were off!

After reuniting with the others at the airport, we made our way to the Cebu Ferry Pier. Getting there around 7am, we had to settle on 10:30am tickets because all earlier trips were sold out. We used our free time to grab a quick, uber-local Filipino breakfast (octopus, sausage, rice, fish and other assorted mystery meats) and squeeze in some of Cebu’s historic sights—namely Magellan’s Cross and the Basilica of Saint Nino.

Magellan's Cross

Our one hour boat ride to Bohol flew by, as we all slept the whole way. Once there, we took a van across the island to Tagbilaran, hopped on Kareem’s boat and sailed off! His catamaran is beautiful and spacious, and we jumped off from time to time to swim and snorkel in the crystal clear waters.

We dropped anchor off Alona Beach on Panglao for the night, and took the dingy ashore for dinner and some beachfront cocktails. Back on board, there was singing, dancing and drinking, and before I knew it, the sun was rising. This was my second Filipino sunrise following an all-nighter, and it was just as beautiful as the one I experienced in Boracay last summer. I hope to catch many more in my lifetime.

Sunrise

Alona Beach, Panglao

The next morning flew by, and sooner than I would have liked, it was time to go back to catch our flight. A quick dinner of pancakes at the Ayala Center in Cebu City capped off the night. A short trip away, but a sweet one for certain!

Ayala Center, Cebu City

Having slept for no more than two straight hours—and never in a bed—over the past three days, I was very happy to flop onto my new king-size mattress in the apartment back in Hong Kong. I was also very happy to be off from work Monday, so I could just sleep to my heart’s content.

Monday night, Colleen and Josh passed through Hong Kong again, this time on their way back to the States. Their hotel was overbooked, and they actually wound up spending the night at my place, and it was so nice to see the photos and hear the stories of Marc and Jolie's wedding. They went with me to my office the next morning, and I gave them some sightseeing tips so they could enjoy their last hours before flying home. It's always great to have friends visit Hong Kong, and I'm so glad I can add Colleen to the list of my fellow Villanovans who have gotten to enjoy the city.

With Colleen and Josh in my apartment

Now, things have settled down, and I’m back to the grind at work. Of course, life in Hong Kong is rarely, if ever, quiet, but at least I can say it’s less busy than it has been these past few weeks!