What a Weekend!

 

As hard as it is to believe that five years have elapsed since my graduation from Villanova University in May of 2009, my incredulity turned to sheer bliss this past weekend as I returned to the campus green for our first major reunion.

I took a BOLT from New York City to Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon, a bit earlier than most people returned, because I really wanted to revisit my old Thursday night haunt, the Grog, a bar on Lancaster Avenue only a few minutes' walk from my senior year front door. You see, in addition to great food, the Grog boasts a Thursday night drink special in the form of $3 Long Island Iced Teas, and so it became a sort of staple on our weekly calendar senior year.

Outside and inside my favorite Mainline bar

To visit again, indulging in some old favorite dishes before (over) indulging in that old favorite cocktail, was a surreal experience, especially since I was joined by several great friends whom I hadn't seen in a long time. 

Simply waking up on Friday morning was a delightful throwback, since most of us were staying on West Campus, where we had lived during our junior year. Although most of my friends were arriving at some point during the day on Friday, just wandering around the buildings breathing in the Villanova air and soaking up the early rays of what promised to be a peerless day was fine for me!

West Campus Apartments

After officially registering and receiving tickets for the events I had signed up for, I made a beeline for Austin Hall, the Admissions Office, where I got to chat with all the people I worked closely with during my time on Blue Key. And seeing the beautiful buildings and renovated center of Main Campus made it feel like 2009 all over again.

My roommate Joe called while I was there to say his flight had arrived and he was on campus. We met up and decided to go to Wingers for lunch. While waiting for our order, our other roommate Ryan called to say he had arrived, so we upped our order, brought it back to our room, and feasted while we caught up. Although I had seen both of them at Shea and Jen's wedding just last month, it was magical to all be together on campus.

After a stop in the book store and a visit to Bartley Hall's Clay Center, where I got the chance to catch up with some great faculty member's from my VSB days, Joe and I walked down Lancaster Avenue to Kelly's, another of our old local watering holes. At the first table as soon as we entered were a trio of memorable faces—Tina, Walter, and Nicole—and Joe and I joined them while we reminisced over scads of college memories. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard! 

At Kelly's

Many people joined us at Kelly's, and it was just great enjoying some Friday afternoon beers in such a familiar setting.

That evening was the "Class Party" in the center of campus, with impromptu bars and buffets set up all over the place, while a diverse crowd mingled from one area to the next bumping into old faces right and left.

Of course, post-party, we hit up the Main Line bars again and there was some revelry on West Campus as well! It was funny to think this was once our life, and it was amazing to realize again just how many incredible people are a part of the Villanova community.

Saturday included the alumni picnic, where hundreds of members of the class of 2009 gathered on the steps of Bartley Hall for our group photo. Seeing more old friends, and complimented by more pitch-perfect weather, it was another highlight of this weekend of highlights.

Between the picnic and that evening's Supernova dinner dance on Mendel Field, my friends and I ordered Campus Corner favorites and had them delivered to our apartment in Farley! Talk about a throwback to our salad days! 

The Supernova event itself was very classy, with an air of elegance that was reminiscent of many a college formal. They even showed the Belmont Stakes on big screens, while the whir of music, dancing and various intersections of alumni of different generations all met on the memory-filled "Hello/Goodbye Field" on Main Campus, not to mention an appearance by Villanova President Father Peter himself! 

Father Peter and me

After it ended, a bus shuttled a nice little crew of us down to the Main Line bars yet again, with Kelly's and also Maloney's proving the venues for further unexpected encounters with old friends! 

Sunday morning quickly turned into Sunday afternoon, and everybody suddenly disappeared back to reality... except me! I took the rest of my time on campus slowly, savoring just being there. I met my friend Erin and her husband Adam for dinner at the Mediterranean Grill, across the street from the Grog, making it fitting for my last meal in the area, since we had had dinner on the other side of Lancaster Avenue a few nights earlier. 

Erin and Adam live in Saint David's, and I stayed in their guest room that night, before wandering around Wayne the next morning and ultimately catching the R5 to 30th Street Station. It was far too brief a return to the old stomping grounds, and I wish the weekend hadn't flown by so quickly, but I loved every minute of my time back at Villanova. Although I know the next five years will fly by even more quickly than the past five, I'm comforted by the knowledge that our ten year reunion in June 2019 should be just as awesome as this one was! 

ONCE A WILDCAT, ALWAYS A WILDCAT! 

Wedding on the Cape

A week ago today, two of my best friends got married in Falmouth, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. The dapper bridegroom, Shea, asked me to be one of his groomsmen, so there was no way I wasn't flying back for the momentous nuptials. So when I booked my flight back to Hong Kong in January, I planned the return leg of the journey to get me to Boston on the Friday leading into the wedding weekend.

You may recall that I was flying on Singapore Airlines, generally regarded as one of the world's best carriers. I am a firm supporter of this opinion, especially after my recent twelve hour journey from Hong Kong to San Francisco (where I connected to a Boston-bound Virgin America flight). 

When I checked in for my flight in Hong Kong, I was informed that the duration of my layover in San Francisco was below the minimum length. The counter attendants made a phone call, conducted in Cantonese, and I was sure I was going to be told something along the lines of, "We cannot guarantee you will make your connection. You're on your own, brother." Instead the very polite lady said, "Mr. Parisi, as your layover is only one hour and thirty-five minutes, we have arranged for a member of our ground crew in SFO to meet you coming off of your flight. He will escort you through baggage claim and customs and bring you to Virgin America's check-in counter, so you can jump ahead in all queues." I love you, Singapore Airlines.

Before catching the Airport Express, I grabbed a few al fresco beers at Pier 3 with my friend Joel and an out-of-town colleague of his. One of my favorite Hong Kong rituals is the ceremonial goodbye drink at one of the bars near the In Town Check In desks and the Airport Express train. You can send your bag off on its way, collect your boarding pass and then linger with friends until the last possible minute before finally making your way to the airport. It's funny, Hong Kong International is among the nicest airports I've ever flown in or out of, but I spend such a short amount of time there that I hardly ever get to enjoy it. 

Sitting down on the plane, I was handed the menu for the flight. A full page of "beverage" offerings, including Remy Martin VSOP Cognac, Grand Marnier and even a Singapore Sling are free of charge, even for passengers in Economy Class. The meals were incredible as well. I had a couscous salad with roast chicken as my appetizer, and enjoyed braised beef with rosemary sauce, vegetables and gratin potatoes for my main. Before landing, I had dim sum for "breakfast," although it was 9pm San Francisco time when we touched down. 

Ironically, we landed early, and my layover time was now well over two hours. Still, a member of ground crew was on hand to whisk me through customs and on to the Virgin America counters, where I checked in for my next flight. 

In one of the oddest little peculiarities of all my international travel experiences, my flight from SFO to Boston took off at 11pm on May 1st. My previous flight out of Hong Kong had departed at 11:30pm on May 1st. But thanks to the massive time difference, I had actually landed in San Francisco several hours before I had even left Hong Kong. Think about that one for a little while!

In SFO, I began reading a book called The Road to Oxiana by Robert Byron. I recently read his Europe in the Looking Glass, which I discovered misplaced on a shelf at the Hong Kong Central Library and decided to borrow simply based on its cover illustration. As Oxiana seems to be universally regarded as his "masterpiece," I checked it out next, having immensely enjoyed my first Byron outing. 

Although the staff on Virgin America were delightful, I can't say it was an enjoyable flight. With hundreds of television shows and movies on my intercontinental flight, I was never bored despite its length. With little else to do but look out the window or watch the plane's progress on the map, the five hours between the coasts was a real drag, although I did have very interesting neighbors. I was seated beside Nick and Ellie, a couple who are working hard on a charity he started called Swings for Dreams that aims to build playgrounds for underprivileged children all across the globe. If you get a moment, I highly suggest following their progress and checking out their website, http://www.swingsfordreams.org. 

After collecting my bag in Logan, I had a few hours to kill until my friends Joe and Nadia landed and we drove down to the Cape together. I hadn't seen these two since their own wedding in October of 2012, so it was great to catch up with them during the hour-and-a-half car journey. 

Me, Shea and Joe during our Senior Week

Surprisingly, this was my first visit to Cape Cod. I always regret that although I live overseas and have seen a fair amount of Europe and now Asia, there are still plenty of destinations across my home country that I've left undiscovered. I'm glad to have finally experienced this popular New England locale. Falmouth, the place where Shea grew up, is one of the most adorable little American towns I've ever seen, with a picture perfect shop-lined Main Street where we collected our tuxes and met up with other members of the wedding party for lunch. That afternoon, we had the wedding rehearsal at the church and a great dinner at the local Falmouth Yacht Club. 

The following day, Shea and Jen finally tied the knot, and it was a joy to share it with them. You see, back on the first day of Villanova Orientation in August of 2005, Shea, Jen, Joe and I had all met in the same room, members of the same small orientation group. Over the years, we had become great friends, making it a very special ceremony to witness. 

Orientation Group 18

The whole weekend flew by in a kind of a blur, but it was utterly delightful to see so many familiar 'Nova faces and meet so many members of the bride and groom's families. Getting ready at Shea's home, ushering guests into the church and looking on as they said their vows, was truly beautiful.

The post-ceremony party bus was a blast, and included a stop at a picturesque lighthouse overlooking the sea. I only wish I had gotten to see more of the historic area, but, hey, at one point, I even managed to squeeze in a beach session on the stretch of sand in front of our hotel.

Sunday came far too quickly, and the inevitable hour came to head home—not home to Hong Kong, mind you, but home to New Jersey, via New York City. You see, two days ago, my dad turned sixty, so the timing couldn't have been more convenient. With Mother's Day tomorrow, I saw no reason to rush back to Hong Kong. 

So it's been a whirlwind of a week, and I'm so happy to have been able to share in Shea and Jen's magical weekend. Congratulations to two of the nicest people in the world, and two of the best friends anyone could ever hope for! Thanks for asking me to be a part of your celebration, and all the best to you as you start your journey as man and wife!

Some Movies, Some Rugby, Some Rain

Last night, the 38th annual Hong Kong International Film Festival drew to a close... It's been an incredible fortnight, with a slew of movies from every corner of the globe. And as you may remember, the middle weekend of the film festival happens to coincide with Hong Kong's most popular sporting extravaganza, the Rugby Sevens. I've written before that the collision of these two events makes for my favorite chunk of Hong Kong's cultural and social calendar, and this year has strengthened my conviction.

Over the past two weeks, I managed to squeeze in twenty-one movies from ten countries, a record for me. And it was a great assortment of films I'd been waiting ages to finally see, little gems I'd never even heard of before and, of course, restored classics from decades past.

One of the bright spots of this year's HKIFF was a screening of Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder, with Ray Milland and Grace Kelly. I've seen the film many times before—in fact, I actually own it on DVD—but the festival screening showcased the work in its original 3D form! You see, by the time Dial M for Murder was completed and ready for release in 1954, the 3D craze had pretty much died down. Theater owners, looking to save cash and knowing Hitchcock's name was enough to attract a crowd without the added gimmick, opted to show less expensive 2D prints instead. As such, very few audiences ever saw the film in the manner the Master of Suspense had originally envisioned it. For a movie geek like me, there was no way I was missing this opportunity!

Me and my friend Yvonne with our 3D glasses

It was another classic that stands out for me as the absolute highlight of the entire festival. On Saturday afternoon, on the massive screen of the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, a remastered print of Nicholas Ray's seminal Rebel Without a Cause dazzled the crowd with its vividly restored colors and a trio of dynamite performances from its young leads (James Dean, Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo), which remain undimmed despite the sixty years that have passed since the film's original release. 

Apart from the films themselves, an added attraction of many festival screenings is a post-movie dialogue with stars and directors. In festivals past, I've gotten the chance to listen to Keanu Reeves, Charlotte Rampling, Déborah François and plenty of other less well-known actors and crew members discuss their films with the audience. This year, I added a very memorable addition to the list: Catherine Deneuve. The iconic French legend appeared in Kowloon's Grand Cinema to answer questions from the crowd after a showing of her new film, On My Way. A picaresque movie about a woman driving from place to place after the unexpected conclusion of a romantic relationship, it was a highly enjoyable flick made undeniably more incredible by the presence of Ms. Deneuve herself. 

Five other screenings I attended included similar "meet the audience sessions" of incredible variety, from a local Hong Kong documentarian and a Mainland Chinese college film crew to the French director of a still-in-progress underwater 3D documentary, a legendary Chinese actress and a Czech guest programmer who curated a special selection of this year's festival. 

Of course the movies got put on hold, albeit briefly, for the rugby. For the past three years, I've managed to secure tickets for all three days of the Hong Kong Sevens. This year, I decided that I'd gladly take any ticket that came my way, but I didn't feel the urge to go out of my way to hunt for them. In the end, I wound up in the stadium on Friday afternoon only, since Sarah couldn't make it and gave me her ticket. With Sonia and Motez up from Singapore with a bundle of friends, it was a great time in the South Stands, as you can easily imagine. 

Although I didn't actually make it to the rugby on Saturday, of course I went out in Wan Chai afterwards to meet up with the usual suspects. Hong Kong is at it's best during this weekend, with a palpable, electric atmosphere. It's a ton of fun, and I'm already looking forward to next year's Sevens. Truth be told, I think having missed out on a lot of it this year will inspire me to start the search early next year, so that I can fully participate again.

On Saturday, the rains came. They came and they stayed. Sunday was one of the wettest days I've ever seen here. It got so bad, that out in Kowloon, one of the shopping malls flooded, traffic cones were swept away and an MTR station was filled with water. Some awesome individual mashed up various clips of the havoc and overlaid some ominous music, resulting in the below video.

Although there have been a couple of beautiful sunny days this week, the majority has been pretty drizzly and cloudy. But quite honestly, I'm fine with this. It always breaks my heart to go in to a cinema on a glorious afternoon or evening, when I could easily be on the beach, on my roof or in a park reading. I think the rain is perfectly appropriate film festival weather—but for the rugby, not so much! 

Oh! I also have a new roommate, which is always exciting. Sarah decided to move out of Happy Valley and move in with her boyfriend, leaving a vacancy at the flat. Enter Jonny, a really cool British guy brand new to Hong Kong. He actually moved in on Rugby Sevens weekend, making for a memorable start to our roommateship. He seems like a fellow adventurer, and I foresee lots of interesting exploits in our collective future. 

With Jonny at the Rugby

The screening of On My Way was actually on Sevens Sunday, and from each day between then and the festival's close last night, I made it to at least one movie per day—films from France, the US, Japan, Hong Kong, Denmark, Belgium, China and the Czech Republic. It was an incredible festival, and I can hardly wait for movie fever to sweep over Hong Kong for next year's event!

Bamboo Jungle

One of the things about Hong Kong that seems to prove endlessly entertaining for foreigners—whether resident expats or visitors—is the presence of the scaffolds that cling to our city's buildings when they are under construction or renovation. I guess it's just another crazy quirk of this crazy city, but instead of relying on boring steel to get the job done, we prefer to use Asia's iconic, sturdy, abundant natural resource: bamboo.

Just about six weeks ago, when some repair work was being done on my flat here, a workman informed me a day or so in advance that scaffolding would be going up. I excitedly asked, "Bamboo?" And his reply was a befuddled, "Yes, yes. Of course." As if to say, "Obviously, you stupid gweilo. Haven't you lived here long enough to know that yet?"

Bamboo scaffolding in my stairwell during a recent paint job

But it's one of those things that never seems to get old, at least not for me. Each and every time I see a gnarly jumble of bamboo shooting skywards, I pause to take in the sight—and to admire the gumption of the homegrown daredevils who earn their daily bread navigating these vertigo-inducing webs. They've struck me from the very beginning. And I'm not the only one. Even the introduction of my Frommer's Hong Kong guide contains the line, "There are as many skyscrapers here as you're likely to see anywhere, but they're built with bamboo scaffolding..." Clearly they are a beloved oddity of this place.

View from my old office window in March 2012

I suppose at first I must have thought it was "an Asian thing." But it turns out that's wrong. It's "a Hong Kong thing." Yes, Hong Kong is the last place where you can witness this spectacular phenomenon. Nowhere else, not even in Asia, do they go about constructing their scaffolds in this strange manner.

Wan Chai residential towers under construction last month, from the Hopewell Center's glass elevator

Currently, three of the SAR's most iconic structures are under bamboo at the same time, so I've been scurrying around town on a little photo-tour over the last couple of days. It's funny, but Hong Kong might very well be the one place on earth where finding out a famous sight is under scaffolding actually enhances the experience instead of turning it into a massive letdown. 

Starting in Sheung Wan, there is the historic Western Market, a handsome, red-brick Edwardian building completed in 1906. From that time all the way until 1988, it operated as a popular food market, where locals could stock up on meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. Now a far less attractive building a few blocks away takes care of that need, while the venerable structure itself houses cafés, bakeries, a few souvenir shops and dozens of fabric vendors.

Moving eastward across the island, you can visit Statue Square's classic Old Supreme Court Building, opened in 1912 and designed by the same architect who did Buckingham Palace in London. As you probably guessed from its name, the original purpose of the building was to provide a home for the highest judicial body of the then-Crown colony. In the mid-1980s, Hong Kong's Legislative Council (usually referred to as LegCo) moved into the space, which they vacated in 2011 to relocate to the new government offices constructed in neighboring Admiralty. Currently the building is vacant, though the plan is for the Court of Final Appeal—the highest court in the post-Handover land—to take possession next year.

Saving the best for last, we finally come to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center on Wan Chai's waterfront. This massive complex was completed just in time for the 1997 Handover—and provided the venue for the official ceremony that brought an end to over a century of British rule, with Prince Charles, Tony Blair and other important dignitaries in attendance.

The scaffold here is without doubt the single most impressive I have come across since I moved to Hong Kong. It's massive, it's dense and it's almost unbelievably cool. They even had to post bilingual signs saying "No Climbing" because the mess of bamboo is just too darn tempting to scale. I'll certainly be disappointed when it inevitably comes down. Wandering around the waterfront promenade this morning, it struck me that the scaffold itself is so incredible, it's actually become a sort of tourist attraction in and of itself. In fact, more people seem to be interested in taking photos of the madness than of the glorious views over the harbor!

While it's just happenstance that such a noteworthy trio of landmarks are undergoing renovation works concurrently, the bamboo scaffold is a ubiquitous sight around Hong Kong all year long. Though the larger, more famous buildings ultimately garner the most attention, and thus a mention on here, even the smallest patchwork jobs inevitably depend upon bamboo. As I was walking home yesterday afternoon after visiting Western Market and the Old Supreme Court Building, I saw two workmen seemingly precariously balanced on bamboo high above the sidewalks of Happy Valley.

Literally just across the street from them, Saint Margaret's Church is also covered under the stuff. And around the corner from my apartment, piles and piles of bamboo poles lay on the ground, evidence that yet another scaffold will be rising in my neighborhood any day now!