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!