The October Stories

October, in my opinion, is an all-around great month, no matter where in the world you happen to be. In the States, I love the autumn leaves, apple and pumpkin flavored treats and classic horror movies played on television. In Hong Kong, the days of high humidity are a thing of the past, and the weather is—in a word—perfect. Still hot enough during the day to don shorts, flip flops and a t-shirt, bask in the sunshine on a sandy beach or sail on the water in a junk boat, yet complete with cool, balmy breezes and the occasional night or two where a light sweater isn't unwelcome. 

It's been a great October here so far, reaffirming my hypothesis. I've discovered some new gems around town, relished the return of my items that had been sitting in storage for nearly a year, and entertained guests from out of town. And with Halloween just around the corner, I'm excited for what's left of October 2013.

The first weekend of the month was particularly memorable. Friday afternoon, I caught the jetfoil to Macau with Mongia and tried my best to turn a profit at roulette. This resulted, of course, in dismal failure that was, somehow, still loads of fun.

Then on Saturday afternoon, I attended the once-a-year blessing of the animals at Saint John's Cathedral in Central. In honor of the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, churchgoers are invited to bring their four-legged, furry friends into the sanctuary for a beautiful service of song and prayer. There must have been about twenty dogs scattered around the pews, in addition to eight or ten cats, a couple of tankfuls of fish and some hamsters. Every now and then, there would be some canine accompaniment to the hymns, but things always seem to go surprisingly smooth otherwise.

The following morning, Sunday, I woke up early and headed to Quarry Bay Park with my friend Sarah to watch the annual Cross Harbour Swim. In the olden days, swimmers jumped into Victoria Harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui and vigorously made their way to Central. Then, in 1978, the waters became too polluted for the government to allow the event to take place. Over the next thirty-three years, environmentalists raised awareness and instituted new policies that lead to a cleaner harbor. And in 2011, the pollution level was once again acceptable for the major event, and it was resumed. 

I was unable to watch the first two years' races, but I made sure I wouldn't miss it a third time, and drafted Sarah as my spectator buddy. I was genuinely surprised at the size of the crowd that gathered on such an early Sunday morning. And watching the athletes make there way across the channel from Lei Yue Mun to Quarry Bay was very cool. 

I was even more surprised by the ages of some of the swimmers! I am not exaggerating when I say that some of them could not have been more than ten years old. Although I felt kind of ashamed of myself for my own dismal level of physical activity, it was certainly impressive to see so many people take part in the event. And I was glad to be able to show my support.

As close to actually participating in the Cross Harbour Swim as I'll probably ever come

After the swim, Sarah and I took the tram to Tai Hang, my new favorite neighborhood in Hong Kong. Located near the Tin Hau MTR behind Causeway Bay, the area has a winning assortment of local and Western shops and eateries, and although I'd spent a bit of time there before, it was even more impressive than I had remembered. 

Quaint restored apartment building in Tai Hang

We wandered around for awhile trying to pick a spot to eat. None of the Western places seemed to be open, but few of the Chinese places seemed to have available space or English menus. Finally we spied one tiny place on the corner of King Street and Brown Street and decided to give it a go. "Point and hope," we call it, when we grab a table, point at the dishes other people seem to be enjoying and hope for the best.

In this case, someone up there was smiling down on us. We took our seats and looked around. At first, nobody seemed to acknowledge our presence, but there was an old man making something a few feet away. A couple of minutes later, a local lady named Mabel approached to ask if she could share our sidewalk table, and we made a bargain with her: she could sit with us if she would tell us what was good and order on our behalf!  

This opened the door to a great meal. She was a very friendly lady, and she explained that this was one of the very last remaining spots in Hong Kong where the rice noodle is home made, by that old man (who must be in his seventies). He's been running the place for decades, and his family helps out by waiting the tables. Every once in awhile, Mabel told us, she drives from her home in the New Territories just to eat here. So she ordered the house specialty for us, and of course, the food was delicious. (I even went back by myself a week or so later for a second helping.) This type of restaurant is called a dai pai dong, and they can be some of the best bets in town. Unfortunately, many, including this one, don't even have English names, but they sure are great finds. 

After breakfast, I finally accomplished something I'd been meaning to do for years. I say it with some embarrassment, but I'd never actually registered for a Hong Kong library card. In fact, I'd not actually set foot inside the imposing Central Library in Causeway Bay, or any other Hong Kong library for that matter. We corrected this that morning, and I checked out a copy of Ray Bradbury's The October Country, a collection of short stories someone or other had posted on Facebook, a year or so back, was appropriately chilling reading material for this time of year. One of the cool things about Facebook is that someone from your past, maybe someone you hardly ever knew, can post something that just hits you at the right moment. I don't know if I would have ever stumbled upon The October Country had it not been for a random post that got stuck in my brain, but I'm certainly enjoying making my way through the collection. So thanks, whoever you were, for the suggestion! 

We had a nice wander around Victoria Park, just across the street from the library, afterwards. I really like the park, with its vivacious picnickers, tall palms and the regal statue of Queen Victoria, originally displayed in Statue Square, moved out of Hong Kong due to the Japanese Occupation during World War II and transported to its current location when the park was created in the 1950s.

My Happy Valley rooftop is my favorite reading locale, and it's also perfect for another of my favorite October activities: rooftop horror movies. With the return of my belongings came the return of the projector and sound system, and I've enjoyed watching Dracula and Hocus Pocus, among other October-appropriate films, on a sheet stretched across our clothesline. A movie a night is my goal as the month finishes off.

Another of my big October memories for 2013 has to be the visit of my friends from Singapore, Jacinda and Christine. They were in town from a Friday night through a Tuesday evening, and we had a blast: nights out in Lan Kwai Fong and Wan Chai, loads of dumplings and Hong Kong french toast, a movie at the Director's Club, a trip to Stanley, a nighttime visit to the Peak, and my first trip to Lantau's Big Buddha since May 2011, complete with a cable car ride in the glass-floored Crystal Cabin, which I had never done before! And dogs. Lots and lots of dogs.

A Saint Bernard at Stanley Plaza

It was a packed string of days, but it was just plain awesome. I always feel like I love Hong Kong best when I show it off, so to speak. And showing it off to Christine and Jacinda was certainly a blast. 

Hong Kong French Toast Break at the Mido Café in Yau Ma Tei

There was a lot of laughter and a few tears (Christine's iPhone was snatched that first night in LKF—"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Singapore anymore..."), but all in all, I'd say a good time was had by all. Jacinda got loads of shopping done, Christine got a taste of Hong Kong's nightlife, and I got to revisit some of the places I love best here. 

This past weekend was yet another good one. Sarah was baptized on the beach in Deep Water Bay, with her visiting mother and friends looking on. She's been getting more and more involved with a church in Wan Chai called the Vine, and decided with her mom in town from England, it would be a fitting time for the ceremony. 

Baptism in the sea!

Afterwards, I headed back to Happy Valley with another christening guest named Annalisa, an American who has lived here for the past fifteen years and is fluent—yes fluent—in Cantonese. We stumbled upon a protest in Wan Chai (where the bus from the beach dropped us off), and wound up having to walk back to Happy Valley because traffic was so disrupted.

Protest stopping traffic in Wan Chai

And as we rounded the racecourse, we decided to pop in for the last couple of races. Normally, weekend races are held in Sha Tin, but for some reason, on very rare occasions, a weekend race is held in the Valley, and there was no way I was missing it. Annalisa, who had never set foot in a track before in her life, of course won money in the first three races we witnessed that afternoon. Oh, beginner's luck! I only hope I haven't created a gambling monster! 

Weekend race meeting in the Valley

I've also managed to reconnect with my former neighbor Sindi, the sweet Chinese lady who lived two doors away on the eighteenth floor of Tonnochy Towers back in my Tollochee Doe days. One afternoon I went back up and rang her bell to see if she was still around. She promptly took me out for delicious dim sum, lent me a CD of Mandarin pop songs and invited me to one of her choral concerts. I love people like Sindi because they can really unlock a part of Hong Kong normally inaccessible to foreigners. 

She calls me her gweilo brother, and I look forward to many more meals and adventures with her and all my other friends in Hong Kong as the year enters its final stage. Here's hoping "the November Stories" are as fun as the October ones!