SURPRISE: You Leave for Boracay in Two Hours!

Happy Fourth of July from Hong Kong… although I am not in the USA for Independence Day, fear not. I still partied in proper American style. A bar downstairs from the office celebrated its one year anniversary by having free food and drinks for everybody. To boot, the name of the bar is Liberty. So my Fourth consisted of unlimited free booze in a place called Liberty. Not a bad replacement considering how far from home I am out here.

Celebrating at Liberty!

But the real subject of this entry is about my past weekend. I haven’t been able to write about it earlier, but it’s been a cause for excitement for months now. My friend Iris just turned thirty, a major milestone. To celebrate, we all coordinated and planned a surprise long weekend in Boracay, a tiny tropical island in the Philippines. Until a few hours before our plane took off, Iris had no idea of what was about to happen. Then, at our local bar, Typhoon, last Wednesday night, Iris unwrapped her birthday present to discover her passport! We then told her that we had talked to her boss and gotten her some days off work, and that she and her boyfriend Alex would be going on vacation! Excitedly, they both went home to pack, and the rest of the crew headed to the airport express train with balloons, champagne and a birthday banner for part two of the surprise: the seven of us—me, Rich, Silja, Frank, Amy, Sonia and Aziz—are all coming with you!!!

Arial view of the island of Boracay

It was a phenomenal weekend, from start to finish. Everything went off without a hitch, and the experience could not have been better. But because we were all so afraid of ruining the surprise over the past couple of weeks, I made sure any mention of the impending getaway was kept out of my blog. Those last few days were a little stressful, trying to hide our excitement or worrying that a friend unaware of the surprise would mention the trip in front of Iris.

Since there are no direct flights from Hong Kong to Boracay, we had to connect in Cebu on the way out. Our first flight was on a normal-sized airplane and perfectly pedestrian. Our second flight from Cebu to Caticlan, the tiny airport on one of Boracay’s neighboring islands, was anything but. Due to the small size of the airplane, every passenger and their carry-on luggage had to be weighed at check-in, so the combined weight of the group could be properly distributed among the rows of the aircraft!

One of the plane's propellers

The plane's propellers, just outside my window, spun furiously throughout the flight, creating a terrific buzz for its entire duration. And as we made our journey, the sun began to rise over the Philippine Islands. It was an exciting way to start the trip, and it definitely contributed to the whole feeling of adventure surrounding our journey.

Sunrise from the window of our prop plane

After landing in Caticlan, we had to take a tricycle (or “trike”) to a pier and then hop on a short ferry ride across the channel to Boracay, where we took a second trike to our hotel. But finally, around 7am Thursday morning, we had arrived in paradise.

About to land at Boracay Airport in Caticlan

Probably the smallest airport I've ever seen!

Rich, Amy and me reflected in the rearview mirror of a trike

Our hotel, Banana Saging Guesthouse, was lovely. Far from luxurious but full of character and perfect for our group. And since my friend Sonia is friends with the owners, we had the run of the place and got a special discount on our rooms. The hotel was on Bulabog Beach, a serene and tranquil spot with beautiful blue water and swaying palms. Some of the best memories of the trip are just sitting around on our beachfront sipping on fresh pineapple juice and Tanduay rum, watching the trees dance in the breeze as the waves crashed into the sand.

Banana Saging, our guesthouse in Boracay

Bulabog Beach

Beachfront of Banana Saging

Thursday was a leisurely day. After settling in at the hotel and feasting on omelets from its ramshackle “bar/restaurant” we made the short trek over to White Beach, Boracay’s picture-postcard stretch of sand. It must sound cliché to say it, but it just might be the most perfect beach I have ever seen. Even in the Caribbean, I don’t ever recall seeing clearer water—it almost felt like swimming in a pool! And offshore, in the water, linger countless blue-sailed boats.

Blue sailed boats anchored off shore

White Beach, Boracay

Almost four miles long, White Beach is lined with bars, scuba establishments, souvenir shops and countless restaurants of every variety imaginable. I couldn’t get enough of it. Lounging on the comfy beach chairs sipping San Miguel—the Philippines’ national brew—was about as magnificent as a first day on cloud nine can be. Day turned to night, we had dinner at a trendy little Indian place (complete with a mesmerizing electrical storm), and we all finished our night back on Bulabog, at a relaxed bar next door to our hotel.

Up bright and early on Friday, we again took the post-omelet walk over to White Beach, which by this point I had decided was the most beautiful beach I had ever laid eyes on. I could have easily spent the whole time there, but luckily some others convinced the group to charter a boat and sail around for the afternoon. We ordered some pizzas and loaded up on rum and coke and then took off. If I needed any further proof that the Philippines is one of the most heavenly places on earth, this was it. We swam and snorkeled in the calm seas, and every now and then a small boat would drift by selling ice cream or fresh coconuts. And the rocky islands we glided past were dramatic, rugged and impressive.

When the boat arrived back on Bulabog Beach, the tide had gone out. This time of year, the beach at high tide is literally only a few feet of sand, but at low tide it stretches for meters and meters. After the boat couldn’t sail any further, we had to alight in knee-deep, sea-urchin filled water and precariously walk towards the shore. It was certainly an adventure!

Dinner that night was certainly the most memorable of the trip. There’s this fresh seafood market in the middle of the island, and it’s become very popular for vacationers to visit the market and buy all kinds of fish and shellfish. Then you take your purchase to any local restaurant and they will charge a small fee to cook the food any style you like. We feasted on shrimp, swordfish, crab and snapper. And they even made French fries out of our potatoes! What a meal it turned out to be, and what a night that followed!

Aziz bargaining for our prawns

After dinner we walked the entire stretch of White Beach, past the Facebook Resort (whatever that is), an adorably mischievous monkey and some boys playing in the sand. The whole area was so lively and interesting—people trying to sell sunglasses, give you massages and get you to eat in their restaurants.

Eventually we came to some beachfront bars where we rocked out until the wee hours of the morning. It was hot, and we were all so sweaty, but dancing up a storm with the gang and all the people we met was so much fun. The crowd was friendly, and I honestly felt transported back to the Jersey Shore's bars at points, especially in one place called Guilly's Island.

Dance floor

Frank, Silja, Rich, Iris, Amy and Alex on Friday night

Jager bombs in Guilly's Island

Unexplained: our favorite picture of the night, but we

still have no idea how Rich inspired such fear from Silja

Me with Silja and Alex

From down below!

Early morning trike ride back to our guest house

Saturday, our last full day, might be the highlight of the trip. In the morning, Aziz, Sonia and I went to Puka Beach, a less touristy but equally beautiful stretch of sand on the north shore of Boracay.

Riding on a motorcyle in the surf on Bulbog Beach

Puka Beach

As I was swimming in the sea, three Filipino kids came by on a floating log. I’ve written before about the wonderful people in the Philippines, and this trip only further reinforced my notion. The kids were so funny and happy, and they wore my sunglasses and (unsuccessfully) tried to convince me to give them a few sips of my San Miguel. The beach, the children and the moped ride around the island were incredible.

The icing on the cake, however, came afterwards. I finally managed the tick off one of my lifelong goals of going scuba diving. I’ve literally wanted to dive since I’ve been about eight years old, but somehow I never got around to it until now. And although it took me a few minutes to get the hang of it, the experience was nothing short of breathtaking. We fed the fish, got a close-up view of the colorful coral and had an all around great time. I can only imagine how much more there is to explore in the vast world under the sea. I think I will definitely make the effort to get PADI-certified so I can participate in more intense dives on future Southeast Asian vacations.

Me, Alex and Rich on Saturday night

Saturday night started with beachfront Mongolian Barbecue for dinner with Amy, Sonia, Rich, Alex, Silja and Iris, followed by some live music on White Beach. When the girls left, things got crazy, especially after Alex, Rich and I found a popular bar called A Summer Place.

Long story short, we made it back home just in time to watch the Sunday sunrise from our hotel—a great photo opportunity to be sure!

The view on the early morning walk home

Boracay Sunrise

Operating on no sleep, the last few hours of the trip were surprisingly fun: sipping my last pineapple juice and rum, taking one final dip in the crystal clear waters of White Beach, saying our goodbyes to the friendly staff of Banana Saging and journeying back to the ferry pier to catch our flight.

Our last morning in Boracay

But there was one last surprise in store that none of us could have seen coming. Our flight to Manila was supposed to take off just after 2pm, giving us almost five hours in Ninoy Aquino International Airport before our evening flight to Hong Kong. But the 2pm flight was overbooked. We got bumped to the 5pm flight, still giving us enough time to make our Hong Kong connection, yet instead of enduring a five hour layover in Manila, we found a quaint Filipino bar on Caticlan where we ate, drank and recapped all the great stories and indelible memories of our trip. To “compensate” us for the inconvenience, Cebu Pacific Air gave us each a free round trip ticket anywhere in the Philippines—not a bad trade off at all as far as I’m concerned!

Celebrating our free flights in Caticlan!

Book ended by pleasant surprises, this trip to Boracay was truly phenomenal. I’d been hearing about this tropical paradise since my arrival in Hong Kong, and now I understand what all the fuss is about. Hopefully as the tourists pour in over the years to come, the island will retain its small town charm and decidedly Filipino character. Stay tuned to find out how we use our free tickets!

Enjoying one last 'San Mig Light' at the airport in Manila before our flight to Hong Kong

Summertime… and the livin’ is easy!

Summer has once again come to Hong Kong. In fact, what I consider “summer” has been here for months already and isn’t going away any time soon. What I mean, though, is that Hong Kong summer is now reaching its heigh, and it's in full force. It’s been sunny and beachable for months, but now it’s hot, humid and—er—absolutely wonderful. Sorry, but I love summertime, and in Hong Kong it’s one of the best times of the year. The territory’s stunning natural location makes it the perfect locale for all your typical recreation, from water sports and sunbathing to boat trips and rooftop barbecues. This being my second summer in the SAR, I know I’ve written before about the joys of the season here. But each weekend I remember all over again why every day I am grateful to be where I am. And so I'm going to write about it some more.

The heat can be a killer, make no mistake! Combined with the humidity, it can be downright awful. I read a description a few weeks ago in the New York Times that perfectly captures what it's like here on a humid day. Basically, the writer said that there are only a few precious weeks in Hong Kong (after winter ends but before full-out summer) until it starts to feel like you're walking around town wrapped in a hot, wet blanket. Still, the air conditioning works very well indeed, and almost all indoor spaces are kept incredibly cold. We often joke that Hong Kong is one of the only cities where businessmen carry their blazers or suit jackets into work and then put them on once they are sitting at their desk. But it’s all too true. Our office in IFC is absolutely freezing, and the air conditioner seems to have a mind of its own. So even though I'm living in a subtropical climate, I get good use out of an old Villanova hoodie.

However, on the weekends or after work, when you can relax in a t-shirt, shorts and pair of flip flops, Hong Kong’s weather seems to be its greatest blessing. With forty free public beaches scattered all over the territory, Hong Kong is a summer paradise. You can take a taxi for less than fifteen minutes and be on pristine white shores overlooking the soothing waves of the South China Sea. And those willing to put in more effort can find exponentially more thrilling beaches, with stunning rock formations, cliffs merging into crashing seas and—I’ve been told—waterfalls and natural pools steps from the beach.

The beach at Repulse Bay—one of the SAR's most popular stretches of sand

Junk boats are a staple of the summer social season in Hong Kong. One person, or perhaps a couple, will charter a junk and invite their friends to join along. The captain will sail out to remote, inaccessible beaches and islands and drop anchor for several hours. There, the junk-goers can swim, banana boat, jet ski, wakeboard or participate in any number of activities.

Me, my roommate Richard and our friend Jasmin on a "birthday" junk

And of course, for those wishing to stay dry, there’s always the sun deck and the bar! We just had a junk trip two weekends ago, and I'm looking forward to many more before the season's end. Ahh, junk trips—one of the aspects of Hong Kong life I know I will miss most when the inevitable day arrives when I must leave this wonderful place.

On the junk trip to Sai Kung a few weeks ago

Although we’ve had our fair share of bad weather and rain over the past month or so, a single good day seems to wipe away the gloomy memories. For me, summertime in Hong Kong is without doubt the crown jewel of expat life in the former British colony. Thankfully, as I mentioned, “summertime” runs from April though October.

Enter Lisa and Tak!!

Wow wow wow—what a fun but exhausting string of nonstop action this has been! Two friends of mine from Villanova, Lisa and Tak, have been here in Hong Kong for the past six days, and they are currently en route to Beijing to continue their two week vacation in China, which concludes in Shanghai.

I’ve had friends in town before, like when Jamie was working in Singapore and fit in a long weekend in Hong Kong, or when Courtney and Christie came to town with their family on a half business/half sightseeing vacation and we got to meet up. But Lisa and Tak’s visit marks the first time that friends have planned a trip from the USA to visit me here, and I took advantage of the opportunity to show off the city that I've fallen in love with over the past eighteen months.

I met both Lisa and Tak at the very beginning of our freshman year at ‘Nova. There was only one other person from my home town (Old Bridge, New Jersey) in our incoming freshman class. Her name was Brianna, and although I did not know her very well, we had met before school started. And since we had our  calculus class together, we became friends pretty quickly. We were also partners on the semester long math project, which involved lots of after class work, usually done in Brianna’s dorm. It just so happens that Brianna was roommates with Lisa in St. Monica, and that is how we first met and became friends.

Tak and Lisa were in the same orientation group, and they also became friends very quickly. I can still recall one lunch in the Pit way back when, at the beginning of freshman year, when I first met Tak. It’s funny, but I bet none of us ever would have guessed back then that in six year's time, we’d be in Southeast Asia together. But fastforward to 2011 and here we are.

Believe it or not, I didn’t really have much forewarning about this impending trip. Lisa only gave me the awesome news in April, so it all happened very quickly! In fact, they didn't even tell me they were thinking of coming. I just found out one day that they had booked their tickets and would be in town from May 21st through the 26th!

For the past few weeks leading up to their arrival, I could think of little else besides their imminent visit. Unfortunately, the weather decided it was not going to make things easy. There was more than a fair share of rain and clouds, but we got pretty lucky on numerous occasions. So much so, in fact, that at one point we joked that the whole trip had been “an amazing series of narrowly avoided disasters.” Everything wound up working out pretty much perfectly in the end, but I was definitely nervous at several points.

They landed just after 7:30pm on Saturday night, about four hours after the torrential downpour had started. I went to the airport to meet them and, luckily, their landing wasn’t really delayed by the weather. After a quick trip home to freshen up after the sixteen hour flight, we caught a tram and went to SoHo, one of my favorite parts of town. There’s this series of escalators there that snakes its way uphill for about a mile, and lining both sides are dozens of bars, cafés and restaurants. Although there are actually twenty-nine escalators in total, Hongkongers simply refer to the area as “the Escalator.”

So Lisa and Tak’s first drink was had at a bar called Staunton’s, on the Escalator. Luckily the rain had diminished to a faint drizzle, so we were able to stand outside and watch the parade of people pass by. My friend Long was there with one of her friends who had just moved to Hong Kong, and it was the perfect introduction to the city. And it wasn't long before Lisa made a new friend of her own: nothing says "welcome to Asia" like a cockroach crawling over your foot, but she laughed it off and took it all in stride.

The next stop of the night was at Neway, a karaoke bar around the corner from my apartment. One of my other friends, Iris, also had friends visiting, and we all got together for a fun night of singing. The karaoke bar was ridiculous—almost one hundred private rooms scattered around a maze-like mess of hallways in a basement underneath the Novotel. And perhaps most ridiculous of all were the videos accompanying most of the songs. Instead of the actual music video, often we would watch young women strolling around a park on a sunny day, or lovers walking hand in hand by a lake, or simply scenes of Australian wildlife. Random is the first word that comes to mind to describe the place. Awesome is the second.

Karaoke in Wan Chai

Another funny part about the karaoke was that the words on the bottom of the screen weren't always the accurate English lyrics. At times it was very obvious that a local Cantonese speaker listened to the song and typed out the words as best he could. Somehow, a rabbit played a part in the lyrics to Livin' on a Prayer and other mistakes were similarly hilarious.

After karaoke, we grabbed a quick kebab from Ebenezer’s and then went to Dusk tlil Dawn, one of the coolest bars in town. Instead of your typical DJ spinning current chart toppers, a Filipino cover band plays the songs live! The band is great, and the place gets packed. It certainly lives up to its name, as it was bright out when we walked home.

Sunday began with a delicious brunch at an Italian restaurant called Isola with my Italian friends Chiara and Claudio. Chiara sells wine out here, and she's got connections at pretty much every restaurant in town. Although she had booked a table well in advance to ensure a prime spot on the waterfront balcony, the rain forced us to sit inside. Still, the food was out of this world. It works like this: you have unlimited access to a wide array of appetizers and antipasti from a buffet table, you order your main course off a menu, and dessert is a similarly limitless buffet spread. Everything, from the mozzarella and prosciutto to the fresh seafood and salad, was delicious, and I can hardly remember ever feeling more stuffed than I did at the end of the meal.

After a quick crossing back and forth on the iconic Star Ferry, we met up with my friend Jamie to hit up the Jumbo, the giant floating restaurant in Aberdeen. Although the Jumbo is at its finest on a balmy summer’s day, we decided to go for it anyway, regardless of the less-than-perfect weather.

We often remark out here that once you cross over to the south side of Hong Kong Island, the weather can change completely. A dreary day in Central can translate into sunny skies in Shek-O, and if it's rainy in Wan Chai, it could very well be lovely in Repulse Bay. So it wasn’t really that surprising when it was brighter and more pleasant in Aberdeen. At one point, we even saw some patches of blue sky, and kicking back with a nice “Jumbo margarita” helped us forget that the weather could have been better.

Lisa, me, Tak and Jamie at the Jumbo Floating Restaurant

Dinner that night was atop Victoria Peak, perhaps Hong Kong’s most famous locale. We took the historic Peak Tram to the top, and then my roommate Valentine joined us. Sadly, she also unexpectedly announced that she would be returning to Geneva for good the next day! Valentine has lived in the apartment with me longer than any of my previous roommates, and I am going to miss having her around. But it was great to have a very memorable last night together.

High above the bustle of the city

Basically, if it’s foggy out, there’s no point in going to the Peak. Its main attraction is the stunning panorama it offers of the cityscape below. (The photo in the header of this blog—in addition to the cover photo on 90% of Hong Kong travel guides—is of the view from up there.) Although the Peak was covered in clouds earlier in the day, by some miraculous twist of fate, the skies cleared around dusk. We all took the one hour circular walk around the top, showing off Hong Kong in all its twinkling glory. Every time I go up there, I'm even more mesmerized than the time before. It's really got to be one of the best views in the world. The city buzzes below, its lights sparkle everywhere you look, and you are so high above it all that it feels worlds removed. I've still never read a description that fully describes the scene, nor seen a picture that really captures the magic. It's one of those places you just have to experience to understand.

Hong Kong as viewed from the Peak

After the walk, we sat down to dinner at the Peak Lookout, a restaurant with a fairy-tale setting that reminds me of the old Tavern on the Green in Central Park. About midway through dinner, the skies opened up and a massive thunrderstorm ensued. Since the restaurant is mostly glass-enclosed, we had a great view of the lightning and intense rain, making for a very memorable meal. The precarious bus ride back down to Wan Chai was awesome—if a little scary—and in all, the timing of the night could not have been better. One half hour earlier and the fog would have marred the view… one half hour later and we would have been caught in the worst of the storm. But as it was, we had perfect views, a delicious dinner and another great night—without getting drenched!

The Peak Lookout

Macau Monday followed. We got up and made our way to the ferry terminal to catch the one hour jetfoil to the former Portugese colony only about thirty miles from Hong Kong. My first few trips to Macau were fun, but it wasn’t until I really started exploring that I fell in love with the place. I decided on one of my recent visits that it would be the perfect place to take Tak and Lisa to contrast the ultra-modernity and hustle of Hong Kong. With its laid-back, old European charm, Macau was the perfect vacation from their vacation, and I’m so glad we went.

In front of the ruins of St. Paul's in Old Macau

At the old fort

We spent the afternoon wandering the streets and squares of Old Macau, with its winning mixture of European and Asian influences. Ruined Portuguese forts and old churches stand beside Buddhist temples and traditional Chinese mansions. It's the fusion between the two styles that makes Macau truly unique, and the old city has been designated a World Heritage Sight by UNESCO.

One of the most stunning spots in Old Macau is Largo do Senado.

In front of one of Old Macau's quaint European fountains

If the old city represents Macau's glorious past, the astonishing casinos are its face for the twenty-first century. With only a fraction of the hotel rooms found in Las Vegas, Macau somehow managed to earn triple the gambling revenues of the Nevada gaming capital last year! You may have never heard of the place before, but mark my words: you'll be hearing a lot about Macau in the years to come. The casinos are always packed and there are so many to choose from. First we hit the Venetian, which is twice as big as its sister location in Vegas. The complex is unbelievable, complete with canals, gondola rides and even a recreation of St. Mark’s Square. After that, we took a cab to the Galaxy, a brand new casino that had only opened the week before we visited. Glittering from top to bottom, the spotless casino was stunning, and although we were pressed for time, I managed to make a bit of a profit at the roulette table, which always makes a day in Macau even better.

Gondola in the canal at the Venetian

And the weather in Macau was great… There was sun and blue skies—lucky for us, because back in Hong Kong, we found out the day had been miserable and rainy. Again, our timing was just right.

Macau's newest casino, the Galaxy, opened just over a week before we visited!

We barely caught our boat back to Hong Kong (and by that I mean we had less than a minute to spare!) and returned just in time to say goodbye to Valentine as she headed to the airport. We then joined my coworker Kevin and his friends Amit and Grace for Monday night’s ‘two for one’ dinner at Cecconi’s on Elgin Street, another Italian hotspot. We followed it up with visits to the bars on Wyndham Street, and eventually we descended into Lan Kwai Fong! Although it was a Monday night, there were still crowds and plenty of atmosphere, though it was nothing compared its Friday night self. A rather late visit to the Flying Pan, Hong Kong’s attempt to replicate a 24-hour American-style diner, capped off yet another great day.

À bientot, Valentine!

Lisa in LKF

Tuesday was set aside for Kowloon, or the “Dark Side” as we often refer to it. It’s so easy to spend all your time on Hong Kong Island, but if you don’t pay a visit to Kowloon, you miss a lot of the culture and history of Hong Kong. Not to mention one of the greatest views of the skyline! Once again, we crossed Victoria Harbour on the Star Ferry before wandering up the Avenue of Stars, Tsim Sha Tsui's long waterfront promenade.

With Lisa on the Avenue of Stars

After a quick beer at McLovin's Tavern (one of the sidewalk bars in TST East, and yes, it is named after the character from Superbad) we indulged in afternoon tea at the elegant Peninsula Hotel on Salisbury Road. With its doormen, Rolls Royce fleet and graceful gilt lobby, the hotel exudes the sophistication of Hong Kong’s bygone colonial age. As a classical quartet serenaded us from above, Lisa, Tak and I enjoyed tea, scones, sandwiches and delicious French pastries.

Tea was followed by a trip to Mongkok’s famous markets, namely the flower market, bird market, goldfish market and Ladies Market. A quick stroll around the floodlit 1881 Heritage complex preceded A Symphony of Light, the 8pm laser show projected each night from over forty buildings on both sides of the harbor. Rich, my new roommate from London who moved into Valentine’s room, joined for the show and spent the rest of the night hanging out with us.

Bright neon lights on the Dark Side

After the light show, we all headed up to Ozone, a bar located on the 118th floor of the International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon. Newly opened, Ozone is currently the world’s highest bar, and it sits atop the Ritz Carlton, also currently the world's highest hotel. With a bird’s-eye view over the city, Ozone is not the type of place that is easy to forget. Although drinks are pricey, we figured it was worth the splurge to stand outside and ogle at the buildings far below. There's a rumor that a bar in Dubai will soon top Ozone's record, so we wanted to be sure to visit while it was still the title-holder. Drinking at the highest bar in the world? Check!

At the world's highest bar

Next up on the night’s itinerary was a visit to Ned Kelly’s Last Stand, a quirky jazz bar in Tsim Sha Tsui with live music every night. Although it's an Australian bar, the band is made up of both Westerners and Asians, and they play New Orleans-style jazz. I love Ned Kelly’s and wish I would visit more often. The musicians are so talented, and the show they put on is great. And Lisa and I were both feeling a bit peckish, so we ordered some nachos—which turned out to be made with Doritos and were surprisingly delicious... prompting Lisa to announce that she would be making her own Doritos nachos at an upcoming family barbecue. Afterwards, we took a quick walk up to Knutsford Terrace before catching a cab back to the island. A night cap in my apartment brought the day to a close.

Wednesday was Lisa and Tak’s last full day before heading off to Beijing. Although we had been keeping busy and certainly not wasting any time, there is simply too much to see in Hong Kong to be able to squeeze it all into five days, so we had to make a decision. Ultimately, we opted to go to Stanley in the morning to walk around, have some lunch and visit the beach. I love Stanley, with its charming waterfront promenade lined with restaurants, so I'm very glad I got to show Tak and Lisa more of Hong Kong Island's ruggedly beautiful southern side.

Stanley Main Beach

For the afternoon adventure, we paid a visit Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha at Po Lin Monastery. Unfortunately, Lantau’s signature cable car linking Tung Chung with the monastery was closed for repairs, so we had to take a taxi to the top.

Me, Lisa and Tak with the Big Buddha on Lantau Island

I’d been up to the Buddha twice before, but I’d never seen it like this. It was so empty that there was hardly a soul to be found. I guess it was a combination of the cable car not running and the overcast weather, but in some way, it made the sight much more peaceful and spiritual, as opposed to tacky and touristy, like it usually feels. The surrounding mountains looked surreal in the fog, and the lack of a crowd transformed it into some otherworldly landscape. I'm not going to lie, after my first two visits, the place was not one of my favorite Hong Kong attractions. But experiencing it as it was yesterday makes me think I may have misjudged it.

Lisa at the base of the Buddha statue

Posing with one of the statues on the grounds of the monastery

Luckily, as the rain was starting to get heavy, we just made it onto a bus heading back down to the train station. Back on Hong Kong Island, I took Lisa and Tak to my favorite dumpling restaurant, Crystal Jade, before the obligatory Wednesday night activity—the horse races in Happy Valley. The weather held out, and Lisa even managed to collect some meager winnings on one of her bets! There was a great crowd, and Tak and Lisa got to meet even more of my Hong Kong friends.

With Iris, Rich, Hayley, Tak and Lisa at the races

Me and Lisa at the Valley

Winner!

Of course, after the races, we all went out in Wan Chai for one last night on the town. Wednesday is possibly the most popular night to go out in Hong Kong, owing to the post-racing crowd that beelines to Wan Chai for Ladies Night, when girls drink for free all night long. We started at Typhoon and again finished our night at Dusk till Dawn, bringing Lisa and Tak's time in Hong Kong full circle.

Typical Wednesday night outside Typhoon

I had so much fun showing Hong Kong off to these guys, and I’m really glad they got to meet so many of my friends out here. I can’t believe we managed to fit so much into such a short period of time, and I hope others choose to follow in their footsteps and come out to visit me here! I don't think I'll be forgetting the memories of these past days any time soon. Lisa and Tak's visit is truly one of the ultimate highlights of my entire experience in Hong Kong. Thanks guys for a great time! Hope you had as much fun as I did!

Porno-Chic

I don’t know how many of your have read about it or not, but a new movie has just made a big splash here in Hong Kong, and the waves are traveling around the world. It’s the first film of its kind, and the press has latched on to its unique appeal, with dozens of articles printed in even the most recognizable and respectable newspapers.

Almost every legitimate cinema in town has booked the film, including the twelve-seat, private screening rooms at the Director’s Club in Taikoo Shing. And what’s more, the first few days’ worth of show times all sold out well in advance!

In fact, people are coming to Hong Kong from all over the place just to see this movie. Chinese travel agencies are putting together package tours to bring Mainlanders down by the busload, especially over the upcoming May Day holiday, since the film itself is to be banned, or at leat heavily edited, in China.

3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy, whose producers claim it to be the world’s first 3D pornographic film, opened last Thursday. And its first day revenue was the highest opening gross for a 3D film ever in Hong Kong, beating the previous record-holder, Avatar. The publicity machine designed to promote this movie has done its job well: you can hardly go anywhere without hearing people talk about it. An enormous buzz has engulfed the film, and it seems the whole city has seen it or plans on going, even respectable people who would ordinarily steer clear of something so seemingly vulgar. And I was not going to miss out on my chance to witness history in the making.

Last night, I went with some friends to the Grand Ocean cinema in Tsim Sha Tsui to catch the 8:10pm screening. And don’t think this was a spur of the moment decision… because of the film’s insane popularity, we had to book our tickets on Monday, as seats for Tuesday night’s discount screenings were going fast.

I’ve written about it before, but the Grand Ocean is possibly Hong Kong’s most impressive movie theater. Built in the 1960s, it is the last remaining genuine movie palace in the SAR. With over 1,000 seats and a single, giant screen, it’s a throwback to another era of movie-going. In the age of 12-screen multiplexes, a place like this is a wonderful change of pace. In fact, I’m pretty sure you could watch any movie in this setting, regardless of its quality, and like it.

Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I immensely enjoyed last night, but I think there were several other factors.

First of all, I hate to crush anyone’s hopes, but promoting 3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy as a pornographic film is false advertising, plain and simple. We all agreed on that afterwards, at least based on our perception of what constitutes pornography.

Don’t misunderstand—there were tons and tons of topless Chinese girls running around the place. But when I think of “porn” I think of actors and actresses actually having sexual interaction, which is filmed and exhibited. Here, it was all acting, and no actual sex ever took place before the cameras. The frontal nudity was confined almost entirely to female torsos, and both male and female nudity was viewed from behind. Any nudity not mentioned in the preceding sentence was carefully obscured by sheets, props, actors and other ‘clever’ techniques. To be completely honest, plenty of other mainstream movies have shown characters engaged in sex in exactly the same way… it’s just that 3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy does it more frequently throughout its duration and, to the credit of the marketing team, made it a selling point.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m not complaining about this. In fact, if the film had been the hardcore pornographic romp most people probably envisioned, I think it would have been a less enjoyable overall experience. It was almost as if the director and cast wanted to be shocking, and genuinely thought they were breaking taboos, but kept stopping far short of anything truly offensive, like children who think the word “damn” is unutterable but gleefully use it or sneak a few hours of late night television when they are supposed to be sleeping, believing they are acting truly naughty. The overall result wound up feeling almost—dare I say it?—adorably innocent. The final message viewers take away from the film, and I’m not making this up, is that sex is unimportant and abstinence just might be the key to true love! It’s more like anti-porn, if you ask me.

For all its lack of explicit sexuality, the movie had an incredible abundance of explicit violence. I was prepared for lots of sex but not for lots of blood. Brutality was the word of the day, with multiple severed limbs, intense fighting and nasty wounds. In fact, the 3D effects promised by the title came mostly from the action sequences (think flying daggers, bullets and swords) as opposed to the erotic ones, with a few glorious exceptions.

Despite this jarring violence, the film is clearly meant to be viewed as a comedy. It was entirely lighthearted throughout, even amidst all the hostilities. And some sequences were genuinely laugh-out-loud hysterical, with the whole audience in stitches. It was all told, however, in a very Chinese fashion, and by that I mean that at several moments, my group felt completely on the outside of a joke that the rest of the crowd apparently found hilarious. (We were the only Westerners in the packed house.)

The story, which I didn’t think would matter at all, was much more than a simple framework for raunchy sex scenes. Believe it or not, there were several lengthy stretches without any sexual bits, leaving the plot—of all things—to carry the film. Imagine that!

Set during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), the film centers on protagonist Wei Yangsheng. This sexually incompetent, newly-married scholar enters the “Pavilion of Ultimate Bliss” to develop his skills after his new bride, Tie Yuxiang, finds his sexual prowess leaves much to be desired. The nefarious Prince of Ning, who runs the orgiastic complex, is at first very sympathetic to our young hero, granting him access to the bevy of beautiful squaws who cohabitate with him in the Pavilion, to practice and learn some new techniques.

When a world-famous ‘elder sex specialist’ enters the picture, Wei is anxious to become a student to the sage instructor, but as our hero is under-endowed, he must first undergo—in one of the film’s most whimsically uproarious episodes—a penis transplant performed by two disabled, incompetent doctors.

Back at the Pavilion following a successful operation, Wei begins to uncover the ulterior motives behind the prince’s benevolence. And before long, his young bride Tie has also been implicated in a vicious battle to break free from the Pavilion and return to a peaceful life. The climactic battle to defeat the prince and save their own lives brings the film to its decades-later epilogue, where the couple finally understands the once-incomprehensible words of wisdom uttered to them on their wedding day by an elderly husband and wife, which they themselves have now become.

Despite its completely defying my preconceived notions of what I would be viewing last night, 3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy managed, through its tongue-in-cheek satire, to elevate itself to something more than a dirty movie. Somehow, in some strange way, I actually felt like I’d participated in a cultural or historical event, as ludicrous as that sounds. I actually felt like I had done something significant with a free night, like when I sit through a Cantonese opera or a classical Chinese music concert. Might I even have called it, um, classy? Sure. Maybe porno-chic, to borrow a term from the 1970s, is a more apt expression.

But it was certainly an experience. We all said at the end we were glad to have seen it, not just because it’s the world's first 3D pornographic film but because it was funny and enjoyable and a good way to spend a Tuesday evening. And it was so Hong Kong.

Sevens Fever

Once a year, Hong Kong puts its best face forward and hosts the Rugby Sevens, a world-class sporting event the likes of which you’ll find in only a handful of cities scattered across the globe. A three-day, one-sport Olympics, the tournament sees twenty-four countries vying for the championship cup, plate, bowl and shield over one incredible weekend. The city goes crazy for the event, with an influx of over 21,000 overseas visitors merging with Hong Kong’s already-massive permanent population. Although the sport itself is the reason behind the weekend, the atmosphere, costumes and post-rugby revelry are just as memorable for most of the crowd.

This past weekend saw the 2011 installment of the Hong Kong Sevens, and the event was simply—for lack of a better world—awesome. Last year, in a cruel twist of fate, I wound up in the UK on Sevens Weekend. Although I had a phenomenal experience working out of our London office for those three weeks in March 2010, I was extremely disappointed to miss what I had long been told was the ne plus ultra of Hong Kong weekends. And by only a day or so, to boot! But time flies, and before long, the first strains of Sevens Fever started hitting Hong Kong again in anticipation.

Cathay Pacific, one of the event's two major sponsors,

put together this clever commerical for this year's Sevens

The rugby itself takes place over the course of a weekend, from Friday afternoon through Sunday evening, including the centerpiece showcase all day Saturday. But the first traces of the virus become apparent months before, and amplify with the flood of arriving visitors in the week leading up to the big event. Hong Kong is a noticeably charged city as the Sevens approaches. From the commercials on television and posters around town to the articles in the newspapers and posts online, it is obvious that something special is in the works.

Tickets to the Sevens go on sale in late January, and they sell out in mere minutes. Over the next two months, Hongkongers and overseas visitors alike are on the hunt! The face value of a three day pass is HK$1250, but last Thursday I heard of people selling their Saturday-only tickets for upwards of HK$3500! The whole week was on the slow side business-wise, and the only reason for this was Sevens Fever. Everybody was preoccupied with costume planning and scrambling for tickets.

You see, the most popular place in the stadium is the infamous South Stands, and this area is renowned for the colorful and creative group costumes its inhabitants spend weeks or even months putting together. My coworker Kevin went with his soccer team as Egyptian pharaohs, and other popular costumes included numerous Colonel Gaddafis, Black Swan ballerinas, Michael Jacksons, toy soldiers and sombrero-donning Mexicans, in honor of Mexico’s first-time participation in the tournament.

Gaddafi costumes outside the stadium

As visitors arrive during the week, the restaurants and bars are full of patrons, with crowds spilling out onto the sidewalks and streets. Each day seemed more crowded than the one before, but it was on Friday that things escalated to the next level.

Work on Friday afternoon literally came to a stand-still following the traditional “long lunch” and 4:30pm kickoff of the first match. Instead of selling bonds that day, I was on the hunt for a Saturday ticket, along with the rest of Hong Kong. Even Kevin, who had a ticket set up for himself, was looking for tickets to help out friends and friends of friends. I lucked out and found a ticket on one of the expat websites, and got to leave work early, since the market was completely quiet. And from then on, the weekend was a non-stop onslaught of sports, parties and an electric atmosphere. As dead as the markets had been those past few days, the city was roaring.

Saturday morning I made my way to the stadium bright and early, only to find out the South Stand was already full. Initially I was crushed at the prospect of a three-hour long wait, but my friend Rudi, a huge rugby fan, explained that we would probably be better off forgetting about the South Stand and opting for seats in the upper levels of the West Stand. You see, the South Stand fills up quickly, and after it reaches capacity, they institute a “one in, one out” entry policy.

Madness in the South Stand

But the North, East and West Stands are less popular and there is usually space. So up we went, and I quickly forgot my disappointment watching some world class rugby. The day flew by, and before I knew it, it was 5:30pm, and the South Stand gates had been opened for everybody to enter. I got to watch the last two games amidst the costumes and vigorous insanity, which was unforgettable.

The start of a match

That night, the rugby fans descended upon Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong’s most popular nightlife area, for one of the most memorable nights on the town ever. At times it seemed like the entire 40,000-stadium-capacity spectators had all decided to go to this one street! With the possible exception of Halloween, I have never seen LKF so crowded. But the atmosphere was one-of-a-kind, and I will never forget it.

Unbelievable crowds gathered in LKF on Saturday night!

Sunday was another day of rugby at the stadium (which, by the way, was especially constructed for the Sevens in 1994 and is hardly used for anything else over the course of the year). I got to watch the finals from the South Stand again, followed by fireworks and the award presentation ceremonies. The entire place was bathed in blindingly white lights, and by this point, not only was the South Stand packed but every section and seat appeared to be filled to the brim.

Since most visitors have early morning flights back to their respective homes, Sunday night is another packed, party-filled evening. The streets of LKF were bustling until the early hours, and I found myself incredulously eyeing my watch at 3am, grudgingly forced to hop in a taxi and head home, bringing to a close what had easily become the best weekend I’ve had in Hong Kong since the New Year. 

Even on Sunday night, LKF was packed with costumed rugby fans

savoring their last moments of the weekend before heading home!

Hong Kong loves its Rugby Sevens, and now I finally understand why. And I cannot wait for the 2012 version of Sevens Fever to take over this place again. Only next time, count on seeing me as part of a group, in costume and up bright and early in the South Stand on Saturday morning!

At the Movies

Going to the movies is one of my favorite leisure activities, as anybody who knows me well knows all too well. Although I usually try to keep this blog focused on either business or culture, I also like to include little snippets of city life in Hong Kong. And since going to the movies plays a significant role in my life here, I figured this could be an appropriate time to write about Hong Kong’s film scene. After all, the Oscars were just handed out a few nights ago, and I’ve been going to the movies more than ever these past weeks, trying to see as many of the contenders as possible. And to boot, the 35th annual Hong Kong International Film Festival takes place later this month, so there's something to look forward to, movie-wise!

At first, Hong Kong can be a frustrating place for the newly-arrived movielover, but it's not without its charms. Unfortunately, unlike New York, London, Paris and other major metropolises, it takes time for the year's most acclaimed films to find their way to Hong Kong's screens. For example, The Fighter will not be playing here until later this month. The King’s Speech only opens tomorrow, and Black Swan and True Grit just came out last Thursday. Smaller independent films might not get theatrical releases here at all, so you have to resort to buying DVDs or going online to find them.

Sillier, less critically-acclaimed films, on the other hand, often open in Hong Kong in concert with their US release, and sometimes even before! Love and Other Drugs, No Strings Attached, Sanctum 3D and countless other mindless chick-flicks and action films are often all that can be found during the dry spells. It can be very annoying when people back home tell you that a great movie has just come out, knowing it will be months before you get a chance to see it.

One of the first differences that struck this American filmgoer upon arriving at his first Hong Kong cinema (to see Avatar) was having to choose a seat when buying a ticket. Here, you take a real chance if you just show up at the box office twenty minutes prior to show time, because screenings often sell out hours or even days in advance, especially when a popular film has just opened. Other times, the last remaining seats will be in the very front row—and I’ve gotten stuck there too often! I suppose I’ve adapted to this difference by now, but I still think “first come, first served” seating at the movies is a better way to go.

AMC Pacific Place, where I saw Avatar soon after arriving in Hong Kong

For all my complaints, though, I must say the theaters themselves are incredible. In general, the seats are much more comfortable here than in any other city where I’ve been a moviegoer. And there is a very classic feel to most of the cinemas, from the gold curtains that open as the film is starting to the ushers who escort you to your seat.

I work in a skyscraper in Central called IFC2—a stroke of luck because there is a movie theater in the IFC Mall downstairs! I can easily go down after work to see a film at the IFC Palace, and I can find time to visit the box office earlier in the day to ensure I get decent seats. If a showtime is just right, I can even squeeze one in during my two-hour lunch break, but the timing has to be perfect. Though it’s not my favorite Hong Kong movie theater, it’s certainly the most convenient, and therefore probably the one where I’ve spent the most time.

IFC Palace, in the shopping mall connected to my office building

Just across the harbor in TST is the Grand Ocean, a rare remaining relic from a grander, more glamorous era of movie-going. Built in the 1960s, the huge theater only has one screen and over a thousand seats! Due to its single screen, the theater usually only shows one film at a time, for a week or so, before changing its program. Thus, you have little choice in what you see but are treated to a very retro experience. The only movie I’ve seen here so far has been The Tourist, and although that much-maligned film was pretty silly and far from believable, it still made for an overall great night seeing it in such a stunning venue.

Grand Ocean Cinema

Further up the Kowloon peninsula, in Yau Ma Tei, is one of Hong Kong’s true cinema gems, the Broadway Cinémathèque. To boot, it has a wonderful little café attached to it, called Kubrick, that is ideal for a nice coffee or snack before or after the movie. This theater has a constant stream of interesting films on its roster, running the gamut from foreign art films and American indies to standard shoot ‘em ups and fun rom-coms. It has special previews of major films before they open at other theaters around town and well-planned festivals and retrospectives of great classic and modern films. Surprisingly, this year, it is the only cinema in town to schedule any screenings of Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, the bizarrely-titled Thai film that won the Palm d'or at Cannes.

Yau Ma Tei's Broadway Cinematheque

In the Elements shopping mall in West Kowloon is the Grand Cinema (not to be confused with the Grand Ocean), which is where I went last night to see True Grit. It is a great theater that often keeps movies for an extended period of time. For example, in case you missed it, they are still showing The Social Network. It’s also where I managed to catch a preview of The King’s Speech about a week ago, allowing me to see it before the Academy Awards even though it still hasn't officially opened here. The Grand Cinema also puts together some good festivals, including one that starts this week and includes such films as The Hurt Locker, The Tree and, inexplicably for series called “Art Scene Revisited”, Step Up-3D. I’m not sure how that one slipped in there!

The Grand Cinema, Elements, West Kowloon

Tuesday night is officially “discount movie ticket night” in this town. All the regular theaters—yes, literally all of them—slash their prices significantly for the Tuesday screenings. So for maybe HK$50 (about $6) you can see the film of your choice instead of the usual HK$75 or HK$80. The actual discount depends on the specific theater, but regardless, it is a good excuse to go to the movies. Monday has its 2-for-1 dinner deal, and Wednesday has its horse races in Happy Valley, so Tuesday fits perfectly in between as a night to catch a good film. Since I’ve come back from my Christmas trip home, I’ve pretty much taken advantage of this deal every week.

There are some other theaters that are pretty special here in Hong Kong. Perhaps the coolest is the Director’s Club in Taikoo Shing. Two intimate twelve-seat screening rooms (named the Hitchcock and Chaplin Theatres) show current, popular films in a truly luxurious setting. The fully reclining leather chairs are just like first class airplane seats. Since the theater is air conditioned, warm blankets are provided. And the ticket price of HK$175 (about $22), while much more expensive than standard movie tickets, includes a hot dog to start and unlimited popcorn and soda throughout the film. Only instead of having to get up and leave the theater to get refills, you simply press a button on your chair and an usher appears and takes your order! So far, I've only made it here once, in August to see Toy Story 3, but I can't wait to go back.

Hong Kong's most luxurious cinema, the Director's Club

The Agnès B. Cinéma, near my apartment in Wan Chai, has some interesting films from time to time, though recently the programming has been more sporadic than it used to be. Thanks to this theater, I was finally able to see some films I'd been hearing about for years: Bullitt, The Seventh Seal and Vivre sa Vie. I also got the rare chance to see the monumental Japanese trilogy The Human Condition, which clocks in at almost ten hours. The three-part epic was presented over the course of a weekend, and it was incredible. And what makes Agnès B. particularly refreshing for me is its open seating policy—no pre-selected seats here, sit anywhere you like!!

From time to time, there are also special cinematic events around town. On a rainy Thursday night last July, for example, one of the city's major concert halls held a screening of Charlie Chaplin's silent classic City Lights, accompanied by live orchestra! It was one of the more intersting events on Hong Kong's culture calendar, and I am so glad I got to see it.

A venue focusing specifically on classic films is the Hong Kong Film Archive, which I love. Located in Sai Wan Ho, this isn’t just a movie theater, it’s a center for film preservation, exhibition and study. Once a month they screen what they call a Restored Treasure, which is generally an older film highly regarded in the world of cinema. Past treasures have included Lawrence of Arabia and the Japanese drama Twenty-Four Eyes.

The Hong Kong Film Archive

The HKFA also organizes major film series on a regular basis. For me, the highlight of the last year was their comprehensive Alfred Hitchcock festival, which lasted almost two months! In all, I made it to six screenings throughout October and November. Luckily, since Sai Wan Ho is pretty far from the action, the Archive rented out screening spaces in more centrally-located parts of town for almost half of the films, so I got to take some friends to see Psycho for their first time without having to drag them all the way to Sai Wan Ho!

And of course, the imminent 35th annual Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) is a major cinematic event of increasing worldwide importance. Although it is a tier below the festivals in Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Toronto, it will surely be a pleasure to attend screenings in the presence of directors and other creative forces behind the production of many new and exciting films.

Now that I’ve gotten used to the differences between seeing a movie here and in the States, I can say I’ve grown to love Hong Kong’s cinema culture. Although I truly wish the films here were released earlier than they tend to be, I think the city makes up for this shortcoming with its classy theaters, wonderful festivals and relatively inexpensive ticket prices. After the conclusion of the HKIFF, I'm sure I will love it all the more! All in all, this is a great place to see a movie!