Wrapping Up November

November is, without doubt, the most jam-packed of months for me here in Hong Kong. In addition to the perennial celebration of the nth anniversary of my arrival in the SAR at its start, there's also my birthday and Thanksgiving to round things out at the end. This year, a dozen or so other events were liberally peppered throughout the momentous thirty days, and so I'd like to take a moment to pause and reflect on what a full month it's been.

First off, as you may have noticed from the lead photograph of my last entry, the one and only Silja Boy was back in town! She and her friend Alex stopped in Hong Kong for a few days en route to a vacation in Vietnam, and they passed through again on the way back to Germany. So I got to have them join for my anniversary dinner, and I also got to spend an all around great time with them while they were here. 

I also lost two stalwarts of my Hong Kong life when Sonia's parents, Martin and Mongia, retired to Thailand. They've lived in Hong Kong since 1982, and they finally decided the time was right to retire to their beloved vacation spot. When they found a steal-of-an-apartment for sale on their last visit, they took the plunge, and they moved down about two weeks ago. Although I will be flying down to visit them later this week, I already miss having such loving, entertaining and generous neighbors to spend time with here. Our frequent rooftop dinners and their communal feasts around major events were some of the major highlights of my Happy Valley social life. And their absence is a void that will be tough (read: impossible) to fill. 

Of course, there were also the horrific events that transpired in Paris on 13 November, which made a big impact here in Hong Kong, owing to the immense and vibrant French community. There were some very poignant candlelit memorials held in a pair of waterfront parks, and the people of Hong Kong displayed an overall sense of solidarity and strength with the people of France. As you probably know, there are few places in this world that have more sentimental value for me than Paris, where I studied abroad in 2007. And so to be able to show my support with my French friends gave a glimmer of comfort in the face of unspeakable tragedy. 

On a happier note, my friend Eleni turned thirty less than a week before my own birthday. She got a small group together for a delicious Italian-American dinner at Carbone, a New York-style eatery that harkens back to the glory days of mid-century America, with hearty portions and lethal cocktails. 

Over a couple of Gibsons and some rigatoni alla vodka (not to mention a killer slice of lemon cheesecake), I was delighted to celebrate the historic occasion. (My having booked the following day off from work also may have added to my desire to make it a full-fledged party night in LKF afterwards.)

I actually arrived a few minutes late for the dinner, because a last-minute opportunity presented itself that I was unable to turn down. An old Villanova buddy, Broc, was in town, as his Naval ship was calling here for a few days. Broc graciously offered me and my friend James a tour of the USS Anchorage while it was docked at China Merchant's Wharf in Kennedy Town. He was oh-so knowledgeable about the ship and took James and me all over the massive vessel, the whole while spewing forth interesting facts, figures and anecdotes about his time on board.

On Sunday 22 November, Silja was back in town and I had tickets for an open day at King Yin Lei, an old-school mansion perched on Stubbs Road overlooking Hong Kong Island and the harbor beyond. The historic building is only open on very limited dates, and I'd recently missed a couple of opportunities to finally get a peek inside. So I made sure I picked up the free tickets the first day they were available when they last were distributed to the public.

A few days later, of course, my own birthday took place. I made up my mind long ago that I finally wanted to organize dinner on a sampan anchored in Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter to ring in my twenty-ninth year. And I'm glad to say all the hype is worth it! I had to get a Cantonese-speaking colleague to help arrange everything, but in all, the evening couldn't have gone better.

In the olden days, I'm told, you could just wander up to the waterfront and any number of fisher folk would be delighted to row you out to dine on their daily catch. As the decades wore on, and hygiene became more and more a consideration for diners, the "floating restaurants" gradually disappeared. Then, a few years back, after wrangling through governmental red tape to secure a license, one entrepreneurial chef revived the tradition in the form of Shun Kee Typhoon Shelter.

Fresh seafood, free corkage, great friends and an unbeatable atmosphere... It was surely a great way to celebrate (or palliate) the dubious distinction of turning twenty-nine! And my friend Emilie managed to capture some wonderful photos of the meal with her nifty camera.

Thursday evening, I hosted another installment of my rooftop Thanksgivings—Fredric's first—and it was another memorable evening. Perhaps it was a little chillier than in years past, but we still had far too much food, wine and merriment. We do a sort of pot-luck feast where everybody brings an item, and we had turkey with all the trimmings, vegetables, mashed potatoes, Chinese roast pork, cheese and crackers, brownies, cupcakes and pumpkin pie. And lots of red wine. And my friend James managed to capture some wonderful photos of the meal with his nifty camera.

(Oh... just a word of warning. Next year, my birthday and Thanksgiving collide. And I'm turning thirty, to boot. So clear your schedules now so you can come celebrate with me! I'm planning to have a traditional American Thanksgiving with friends and family, hopefully served on a beach or junk.)

I booked the following day off from work again, so I could properly recover after a week of big events, but it was only a day's rest before the next one: Clockenflap.

Clockenflap is Hong Kong's biggest music and arts festival, a full weekend's worth of fun. And even though I didn't know many of the "headliners" this go-around, spending at least one of the three days listening to live bands, bumping into friends left and right and basking in the glorious ambiance of the West Kowloon Cultural District made for an unforgettable closeout to the month. 

Yesterday, Sunday, was the first day of Advent, capped off with a candlelight service at twilight at Saint John's Cathedral before I slowly wandered all the way home... 

And so it was... November 2015. In a few hours, December will have arrived, and the year will be in its final sprint.

The Sixth Anniversary Post

Six years... That's right: as of today, I have been in Hong Kong for six years. Every November, this date rolls around, and I scratch my head in confusion at how fast it's come back. Today is no different. I can't decide if I'm more bemused or delighted, but it's a combination of both. Sort of like when you find some of the best ravioli or agnolotti you've ever eaten in a trattoria ensconced in one of Hong Kong's most traditional Chinese neighborhoods. Which, incidentally, is exactly where I just finished a celebratory Italian dinner with a group of friends to mark this anniversary. 

Everybody keeps saying, "One more to go!" Of course, they are referring to the fact that expats get "permanent residency" upon hitting the seven year mark, and by such logic, I'll be eligible in a mere three-hundred-and-sixty-five days. The truth, however, is that although my plane touched down in Hong Kong on 9 November 2009, my official work visa didn't get approved and validated until the end of March 2010. So I still have about a year and a half to go. Still, if the past is any indication, the time will just continue to fly, and I'll have my PR before I know it. 

Recently, two friends of mine from Villanova, Melissa and Andrew, came to visit, and it was another grand excuse to remind myself what a great city I call home.

Me and Andrew feasting on dan dan noodles on his and Melissa's first night in town.

It was particularly special to have Melissa in town, because back in 2009 when Hong Kong first appeared on my radar, she was one of my few friends who had ever visited. You see, Melissa had studied abroad in Hong Kong the semester before, and so she immediately lit up with excitement when she found out I might move here. So to have her now ask me for tips and advice was slightly surreal! 

Shenanigans in Lan Kwai Fong

It's funny to remember, but there were a few weeks during the interview process when I wasn't quite sure I would accept a job offer in Asia, should it come. I knew nothing about Hong Kong and hadn't bothered to do much research at that point. Melissa helped not only to alleviate my reluctance but to transmute it into anticipation. I don't have to tell you that a job offer did come, and I accepted the two year assignment. And—well—here I am. 

For Halloween, Melissa, Andrew and I all participated in what is surely the coolest costume party I've ever experienced: Beatship! Beatship is an event held on SuperStar Virgo, a bona fide cruise liner that sails nightly into international waters, usually for gambling but occasionally for massive parties. You get a room, several meals, access to pools, clubs and a casino. And for this special Halloween edition, there were even monsters wandering the ship whom you had to approach, uttering a specific pass-phrase to collect stamps, which could later be redeemed for drinks.

"Guys, there's Leatherface!! How do you like Texas?"

Melissa and Andrew actually booked a special cabin, so as the ship sailed out of Victoria Harbour, we sipped gin and tonics on our own private balcony as the skyline faded from view. It was windy on the forward deck where the dinner buffet was served, but the aft deck, which was home to the nightclub, was much less squally. 

Taco face and wind gusts

The party was still kicking in the early hours, so I only made it back to the cabin shortly before we pulled into port at 8:30 the next morning! (I also may have taken a short nap on a deck chair.) I must admit, it was probably the best Halloween I've ever had. Over a week later, it's still a go-to conversation topic, and I suspect it will remain so for some time. 

Cheers!

So another November 9th has come and is about to go. This year hasn't been the easiest of the six, needless to say. But from dinners and hikes to boat trips and foot massages, I know I'm still so lucky to have wound up in such an extraordinary place. And Fredric is always on hand to cheer me up if all else fails. 

So, once again, I have to thank my lucky stars that fate lead me to the Pearl of the Orient—and that through a combination of luck and hard work, I've managed to remain here despite things not quite always going according to plan. Bei mir bist du shön, Hong Kong! I'm confident our story still has much waiting to be written!