Paul and Joe Do Hong Kong

I slept through most of the day today, recovering after a string of sleepless days playing tour guide for one of my best friends, Joe, who's been in town since Wednesday. He had a business trip to Tokyo, and was able to insert a side-trip to Hong Kong into his itinerary. Joe was in my orientation group back in 2005 when we started at Villanova, along with Shea and Jen, and we've all been good friends ever since. You may remember, I was a member of his wedding party when he married Nadia back in 2012, and I've been working on convincing him to come visit me here since pretty much day one.

In March, Joe and Nadia welcomed their first child, an adorable baby boy named George, and I thought it might be a couple of years before he'd be able to visit, now that fatherhood was upon him. But luckily this trip made it possible for him to have a three day Hong Kong adventure. Ideally, of course, I would have wanted more time to show him around, and also for him to be able to visit with his wife and son, but I'll take what I can get. It was an absolute blast having him here, and I'm already excited for his next visit. 

Joe arrived around 10:30pm on Wednesday evening. I had put off tidying the apartment until the last moment, but between getting off work at 5pm and having to head to the Airport Express station in Central, I thought I had ample time to get it ready. Of course, Hong Kong always throws surprises at you. One of my favorite Wan Chai bars shut down several months ago, and although rebranded, it was re-opening that evening. To celebrate, they offered free food and drinks, and put on a dazzling lion dance. Decisions, decisions! What was I to choose? Cleaning the flat, or free beer? Let's just say, my place wasn't quite looking its best when Joe did arrive later that night, but I arrived at the station just in time to meet his train.

The taxi queues were pretty long at that time, and since Joe had only one relatively small bag, I thought a tram would be an appropriate mode of transport to take us back to Happy Valley. It's a great introduction to Hong Kong, especially at that hour, with little traffic on the streets. 

As we were just about to reach my front door, we saw my new flatmate Max walking Fredric. 

Max is a very cool Frenchman. He's been living in Mexico City for the past four years, but he recently decided he wanted a change. He chose to base himself in Hong Kong while he searches for a job in the region. He may have already found one in South Korea, but he's continuing to look around in Hong Kong and Singapore over the next few weeks. And while doing so, he's rented the small room that Lisa use to occupy. 

I've been keeping a bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge for the past two months in anticipation of Joe's arrival, and we promptly popped it open and enjoyed some rooftop bubbles to welcome Joe to Hong Kong. And then it was off to Wan Chai for a fun night out hopping to a trio of my favorite watering holes.

As you can probably guess, spending Thursday at my desk did not exactly make for the best day ever. Still, Joe and I managed to squeeze in a phenomenal lunch at a dai pai dong near the office called Ball Kee. It's just two woks and a few ramshackle tables and stools set up on a staircase connecting Queen's Road and Wellington Street. But it's one of my favorite Hong Kong restaurants, owing to tasty local dishes and an unbeatable ambiance.

Joe spent the afternoon getting a suit fitting at Sam's Tailor in TST, followed by a visit to the Hong Kong Museum of History. I struggled through the remaining hours at work, and was disappointed I couldn't spend the day with my visitor. But I consoled myself with the fact that I had Friday off the following day to play tour guide for Joe.

At 5pm, I met Joe outside my office, and we hopped on the 10 bus to Wan Chai, where we hit up Stone Nullah Tavern's insane "beat the clock" happy hour deal. Although we missed HKD 1 drinks, we were in time for the HKD 2 slot. After several gin and tonics, we made the move to another nearby bar, Tai Long Fung, before riding the Hopewell Center's glass elevator. And then it was time for dinner at Crystal Jade. In order to be up and at 'em in the morning, we cut our night short, taking a tram home and just relaxing with Fredric at the apartment.

The weather didn't look much better when we woke up on Friday, so we each took an umbrella with us for the day's adventures. Rain or no rain, with only a couple of days to see the sights of the city, I was determined to show Joe as much as possible. 

A few steps away from my apartment, there's an old school Hong Kong cafe called Cheung Hing Coffee Shop, where I often go for pineapple buns and milk tea. It's got booths, tiled floors and scrumptious local delicacies, and people even come to Happy Valley just to eat there. So I was glad to share the place with Joe. 

Walking to the tram, we passed by another Happy Valley establishment, the similarly-named Cheung Sing Cafe. I have a rule that if I walk by and there are napoleons on display in the side-walk fronting display case, I have to get one. They are just so good. As luck would have it, the popular snacks were sitting there waiting for us! 

We hopped off the tram in Wan Chai, and wandered all around for the next several hours, making our way through Admiralty into Central, all the while passing temples, markets, parks, Saint John's Cathedral and all sorts of curious stores. We even rode the Central-Midlevels Escalator before heading down into Sheung Wan for lunch.

My Friday lunch spot was Man Mo Cafe, which I've only ever visited for dinner before. It's an expensive place, but worth every penny. The fois grad xiao long bao and burger buns are among my favorite foods anywhere. And at lunch time, there's a set of phenomenal value. 

Fois gras xiao long bao!

Burgerbuns!

Afterwards, we explored the antique stalls surrounding the restaurant, made our way up to Hollywood Road and Po Hing Fong, and eventually came down through Hollywood Road Park, walking through Sheung Wan towards the Central Ferry Piers. 

The weather was clearing up... It was still overcast but the clouds were lifting higher and higher. And the rain was behind us. In short, it was perfect timing to take the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour to TST for Joe's second fitting at Sam's Tailor.

We cut through the Peninsula on our way up Nathan Road to Sam's, and after the fitting, we made a beeline for the ICC for a drink at Ozone, the world's highest bar. The view from Ozone is probably the best panorama of Hong Kong and Kowloon, with towers, hills and the outlying islands spread out as far as the eye can see.

After lingering over our drinks at Ozone, we hopped on the MTR back across to Hong Kong Island. There's a happy hour deal at a Spanish place called Boqueria, which gives you free flow Sangria and light tapas for two hours, and it's a great way to start a Friday evening in LKF. You get a head start on your drinks, plus a good food base in your stomach to sustain you for the rest of the night. I bumped into some friends unexpectedly, and then Max and my friend Christina, also a member of Villanova's Class of 2009, came by, so we made a nice little crew together.

Following happy hour, we all made the short trek from Boqueria to the Foreign Correspondent's Club. One of Hong Kong's classiest bars is ensconced inside, but because it's a private club, it's impossible to visit without a member. My friend Eleni, a former journalist, has been a member for years, and as she and her boyfriend Patrick are soon moving to Germany, they coordinated a farewell party at the club.

Villanova Class of 2009 Alumni in Hong Kong!

As if the evening hadn't been extraordinarily memorable already, Patrick got down on one knee and asked Eleni to be his bride in front of a huge crowd of their friends!

To cap off the evening, we set ourselves up at Al's Diner for the mandatory Jello shots while soaking up the craziness of LKF.

Finally, on Saturday, we awoke to good weather. The skies were not only clear, but blue, and the sun was shining!

Max joined us for dim sum in Aberdeen at the Jumbo Floating Restaurant. I've only ever visited for brunch or dinner, but this was my first time feasting on dim sum in the cavernous dining hall. Let's just say, I'll be back again soon! The dumplings were delicious, the location can't be beat, and even the price was extremely reasonable.

Pulling up to the Jumbo on the shuttle ferry

To make the meal completely unforgettable, we donned traditional Chinese costumes and posed for a photo in the middle of the restaurant!

Although Max went back to Happy Valley after dim sum, Joe and I headed up to Victoria Peak. I'd had my eye on the skies ever since Joe arrived, waiting for the proper moment to head up to the island's best vantage point. And I'm so glad we waited until Saturday. The view was as spectacular as it's ever been, and the circular walk was the perfect way to show it off.

I love walking down the Peak after a visit up there, following the steep paths from nature to the heart of the city. It's amazing just how quickly Hong Kong's towers are suddenly back at your fingertips, after having surveyed them from so high a perch. 

I couldn't let Joe leave Hong Kong without a bowl of noodles at Dan Dan in Sheung Wan. Of all the restaurants I frequent, I think Dan Dan has to win the award for most visits. I must go at least twice a week. It's proximity to my office and the killer spicy peanut noodles make me a bona fide regular. And so after reaching Sheung Wan at the end of our walk down, we popped in for a bowl. Delicious as always. 

Another trip on the Star Ferry deposited us in TST, where we had to visit Sam's one final time for Joe to pick up his suit and shirts. And owing to our timing, the skies darkened, giving Joe the unforgettable night view of the skyline during our return ferry trip back to Wan Chai.

We hopped in a taxi home, to drop off Joe's suit and change for the night. And then we hopped on the tram to Wan Chai for dinner at American Restaurant. I organized a group dinner, and ordered all the usual dishes, from Peking duck and Beggar's Chicken to more xiao long bao, fried rice, sizzling prawns and sweet and sour fish. Because of a mix-up with the pre-ordering of the chicken, they even threw in a free dessert of banana dumplings to finish the meal.

We had some drinks in Wan Chai before another tram ride to Lan Kwai Fong, where we visited Geronimo's Shot Bar, meeting up with my pal Ben and his crew celebrating his own farewell to Hong Kong.

It was an awesome night, and I loved that I got to introduce Joe to so many friends. Inevitably, though, he looked at his watch and said he'd have to go home to be ready to leave in a few hours. We took a cab home, set alarms, and promptly crashed. 

Earlier today, I woke up just in time to say goodbye to Joe, as he headed to the Airport Express to catch his flight to Japan. It was far too short a stay but we sure did our best to squeeze in as much as possible. Have fun in Tokyo, buddy, and hope to have you, Nadia and George all come visit me again soon! 

A New Territories State of Mind

Sometimes a day just comes out of nowhere to take you by surprise, creating unexpected, unplanned memories that linger long after the day itself is over. This past Sunday was such a day for me, and one I'll surely remember for years to come. My friend Debbie organized an adventure around a remote, unexplored section of the New Territories, and she invited me to join in. She also graciously extended the invitation to my AirBnB guest, Mike, a fellow New Jerseyan in the midst of a grand Asian adventure! 

Our day started bright and early, with pineapple buns and milk tea in Happy Valley before trekking over an hour on the MTR and KCR to Fanling station, near the border with China. There, we linked up with Debbie, her husband Ben and her brother-in-law Derek, where the adventure kicked off.

A short taxi ride deposited us at an open-air roadside restaurant curiously called BB Happy Cafe, the veritable epitome of a hole-in-the-wall. Although we had indulged in those pineapple buns not too long before, neither Mike nor I had any objections to a second morning snack.

Pictures of celebrities lined the walls of the Hakka establishment, and the friendly staff delighted in sharing their local specialties with us. After the tasty treats, and a cheeky Tsing Tao for me, we were off on a hike!

We forged through a hilly, wooded area and emerged at the waterside, separated from Mainland China by a small channel. The tide was out, exposing the muddy shoreline and durable mangroves. And the ruggedness of the Hong Kong side was silently juxtaposed with the civilization across the maritime boundary. 

Some colonial buildings and homes nestled in the midst of the hills and marshes stood lonely and proud, shrouded in mist, lending an air of mystery to our adventure. It was a surreal experience, and amazing to learn that in a city with sections as densely populated as Mong Kok or Causeway Bay, such vast expanses of undeveloped wilderness could still exist in our metropolis. 

We passed a school, traditional villages and isolated mansions. The owners, Debbie told us, come back once a year to perform maintenance work on their beautiful homes, but they don't live there most of the time. Gosh, how I'd love to rent one for a weekend to escape to hustle and bustle of the city from time to time!

Before long we came to our lunch venue, eating fresh seafood under a tree, while the towers of China loomed in the distance, with the natural beauty of the New Territories on full display all around us. Hong Kong just keeps throwing unforgettable meals my way, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised any more. But feasting on fresh clams, an oyster omelet, roast duck, fried rice and delicious beef in such a setting knocked me off my feet. The continuously flowing Tsing Tao and stellar company certainly contributed to the overall wonder of the meal.

Retracing our steps back towards BB, we passed a local fisherman shucking oysters, destined to be dried and sold, but, alas, unfit for raw consumption. It's astonishing to me that in the same place where I earn my daily bread, in the world of insurance and finance, countless others still make their livings off the sea. 

Our New Territories fun ended memorably at Debbie's ritzy apartment complex, where she presented me with delicious homemade cookies and thanked me for giving her the chance to let her share her neighborhood with me! Truth be told, it was Mike and I who owed her, Ben and Derek all our thanks for one of the most endearingly unforgettable Hong Kong experiences anyone could ever ask for! Thanks, guys! I'm already planning my reciprocal tour of Happy Valley, though I know it won't be half as amazing! Still I can't wait to spend time with you all again soon! 

Looking Back

2015 is about to end, and I can't say I'm particularly sad to see it go. I thought of titling this post "Good Riddance, 2015," but I decided against it. In fact, I even toyed with not posting a "year in review" entry at all, but obviously, in the end, I opted to continue the tradition.

True, it's probably been the toughest year I've ever lived through. The death of my mother at the end of March will always taint the memories associated with the year as a whole. But looking back on everything else that's happened, it would be a real disservice to write 2015 off in its entirety.

Sitting here now, I can honestly say that I've forged some incredibly strong relationships over the past twelve months. New people have come into my life and injected it with love and good fellowship. Several precious old friendships have been strengthened to new levels. And I've gotten to spend a great deal of time in the comforting arms of my family.

And as you know, I got a puppy, which changed my world in many ways and gave me a sense of responsibility I've never had before. I set foot in India for the first time to enjoy one of the single greatest adventures of my whole life. And I worked all the way through, making this my first full year of gainful employment since 2012.

Yes, despite all the sadness and heartache, the clouds had silver linings, as hard as it is to remind myself of that at times. So here's me putting my best foot forward and looking back over the good memories of the past year.

January

After a midnight countdown on ifc roof, we spent our first hours of the new year partying it up in Lan Kwai Fong.

February

My atm card decided not to work in India, so I had to get a friend to Western Union me emergency funds. This is what ₹58,000 look like! 

March

Continuing the now annual tradition, I hosted my fourth Saint Patrick's Day rooftop party in March.

April

My good friend Heidi tried her best to cheer me up during my six week trip home this spring. 

May

My sister and I got to celebrate my dad's sixty-first birthday before I flew back to Hong Kong.

June

From the moment I set eyes upon him, I fell completely in love with this little guy.

July

Fredric and I made our movie debuts this summer when my friends Emilie and Marlon asked us to be extras in their independent film.

August

A shot that never made the blog, from our Peak stroll during Shea and Jen's amazing visit in August

September

Celebrating my friend Yvonne's birthday with some drinks in Kennedy Town

October

My friend Myles is a master dinner organizer and loves sharing the local side of Hong Kong with his expat pals.

November 

My favorite people in Hong Kong help me celebrate my twenty-ninth birthday on a sampan in Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter. Bring on thirty!

December

Another December, another SantaCon!

Fredric and the Christmas Tree

Once upon a time, there was a little puppy named Fredric. He lived with his owner in Happy Valley, in a medium-sized apartment that was huge by Hong Kong standards. It was a sixth-floor walk-up, which really blows. But apart from that, it was lovely. 

Fredric was a very sociable pooch who wanted to be friends with everybody and everything he encountered.

He wanted to be friends with all the dogs he walked past on the street, even when they clearly did not want to be friends with him. Often, his owner had to jump in to save him from attack, but that did not stop Fredric from trying. He never seemed to learn his lesson.

He wanted to be friends with all the people he walked past on the street, even when they clearly did not want to be friends with him. Like, even when the people shrieked in terror and recoiled in fear—as if he were a ferocious lion on a leash instead of an adorably sweet puppy—Fredric would still run up, tail wagging, to say hello. 

He wanted to be friends with the cat who lived on Yuk Sau Street, even though this cat clearly did not want to be friends with him. She would hiss and scratch at the air whenever Fredric approached, but that did not stop him from trying. Seriously, Fredric... that cat will never be your friend.

Yet sometimes, Fredric's attempts to make friends were successful.

He made friends with the hostess at the dim sum restaurant around the corner from his flat, and every time Fredric and his owner walked by—literally, every single time—they would stop and chat with her. But she was a very nice lady, so this was OK.

He made friends with the patrons seated outside at the Happy Valley Bar and Grill. And if he played his cards right, he could even use his cute puppy eyes to convince them to sneak him table scraps. Sometimes, if his owner happened to be in a rush, he'd have to find a roundabout way to get home to avoid passing by, for fear of being late for whatever it happened to be he was doing that night. 

In short, Fredric simply adored making friends.

But one day, his owner brought around a new friend... This new friend actually lived in a box on the top shelf of the spare room, and he only came out to say hello for about one month each year. His name was Douglas Fir, and he was a Christmas tree.

Each and every December, Fredric's owner would bring Douglas out of his box and put him together. He'd spend a great deal of time arranging the branches, untangling the lights and festooning the tree with cheap ornaments from Ikea. 

At first, Fredric and Douglas did not give each other much attention at all. To please his owner, Fredric would patiently sit in front of the tree and do his best to smile for the camera.

But when his owner left him alone in the flat, Fredric made his first enemy. For to Fredric's eyes, Douglas was not as cool as any of the dogs in the neighborhood. Or any of the timid townspeople. Or the vindictive cat. Or the affable hostess. Or the drunken barflies. And he needed to be destroyed.

And so, many times during the month of December, Fredric's owner would reach the top of six flights of stairs and open his door to this pretty sight:

Thus every evening, upon returning home after a hard day's work, Fredric's increasingly exasperated owner would straighten Douglas up, re-adjust his lights, re-position his star, and re-hang his cheap ornaments. He did this, Fredric presumed, so that he could knock him down all over again tomorrow, which he dependably did. 

It seemed as if poor Douglas spent more time lying on the floor that Christmas season than he did standing. And every evening, to please his owner, Fredric would patiently sit in front of the felled Douglas and do his best to smile for the camera.

They continued this way for weeks and weeks until Fredric's owner flew home to New Jersey for Christmas and left the little scalawag with friends who did not have a Christmas tree that he could destroy. And Douglas stood proud and tall and princely in the empty apartment in Happy Valley. 

And they all lived happily ever after. Until next December, I guess. Merry Christmas, everybody! 

Thailand 4.0

Utter the name Pattaya and, in the imagination of many, you'll inspire thoughts of a raucous red-light district teeming with unsavory misdeeds. Do a quick Google search of the town's name and then take a look at the images. You'll see that you're just as apt to find pictures of scantily clad young women as you are the town's attractions or beaches. 

For years, I've been hearing about Pattaya, and my overall impression was certainly along these disreputable lines. But this past weekend, Martin and Mongia treated me to a getaway in the infamous town, and I'm happy to report that my fourth trip to Thailand was not one of repulsion and disgust but rather of relaxation and merriment. 

As I mentioned, my former landlords recently relocated there, having found a bargain flat on their last trip down. With apartment and office rent costing a small fortune each month—plus an overall exorbitant cost of living here in Hong Kong—they decided it was time to make the move to what had over the years become their perpetual holiday home. 

Owing to baggage limitations, a few suitcases were unable to make the trip down with them, and thus I became party to a tremendous bargain. If only I would agree to tote along one of the extra bags, Martin and Mongia would treat me to round trip airfare, and bed and board during my stay. I might not be the world's savviest financier, but I think I know a good deal when one comes my way. And so I immediately agreed!

First off, Emirates flies between Hong Kong and Bangkok, where it stops to refuel en route to its final destination of Dubai. Because many passengers simply book a ticket from Bangkok to Dubai, Emirates is keen to fill as many seats as possible on the first leg of the journey by offering highly competitive fares. As such, I got to fly on a world class airline, with good food, incredible entertainment and generous legroom. 

I flew out last Thursday evening, having booked Friday off from work. And by the time I returned last night, I can say I completely understand the appeal that drew Martin and Mongia to the special spot. I hope many future visits are in the cards... 

In pursuit of total transparency, Martin and Mongia don't actually live in Pattaya proper but rather in a small hamlet about ten miles out of town called Na Jomtien. It's about an eighty mile taxi ride from Suvarnabhumi Airport, but at midnight, there was no traffic so I cruised all the way down. Thanks to very thorough directions from Martin, my taxi driver and I had no trouble locating their place. 

The apartment is enormous, with two bedrooms, three full bathrooms and a sizable terrace overlooking the complex's swimming pool. What's more, it was sold fully furnished, with amazing artwork and comfortable couches and beds. Although I had nearly fallen asleep at several points during the ride down, I was immediately rejuvenated upon arrival, and so a few celebratory terrace drinks were obviously in order. 

It's kind of funny, but it took until this fourth trip to the Land of Smiles for me to finally get a taste of the country's beaches—ironic considering clear blue water and powdery white sand are prominent features of most people's idea of Thailand. That next day, we whiled away the hours on Sae Kaew Beach, managed and maintained by Thailand's navy. Although most beaches in this area have a reputation for being less-than-ideal, I was surprised to find that Sae Kaew was truly spotless, and thus a fitting introduction to the country's seaside treasures. 

When we grew peckish, we relocated a few dozen yards to the beachfront restaurant, where we feasted on local favorites like tom yum gai, pad thai and chicken curry. Back to the sands as the afternoon faded, a multitude of Russian holidaymakers came and went and Singha's magically continued appearing in my hand (courtesy of Martin). All the while, the sea was tranquil and clean, and I don't think I'll ever forget the sunset. 

That evening, we hit up Walking Street, the epicenter of Pattaya's notorious red-light district. I'm not sure quite what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't a ritzy dinner of duck à l'orange at a French bistro.

I'm not saying that the seedier side of Pattaya doesn't exist—and that we didn't see glimpses of it—but simply that there's more to this place than debauchery. As we dined on La Notte's outdoor terrace, with its Italian name but a French-English menu and Francophone servers, all manner of people strolled by. Of course, there were foreign men accompanying much-younger local girls. But there were also plenty of Western couples; there were even families with babies in tow. There were large tour groups traipsing along in the footsteps of their umbrella-wielding guides. There were people of every age and nationality. And so I never felt that my trio—a twenty-nine year old Yank chaperoned by two sexagenarians from Northern Ireland and Tunisia—was even a bit unwelcome, because it seemed like everybody had a place here that night.

Walking Street

Post dinner, we hit up quite a few bars, and ended our evening at an open-air establishment with pool tables, a live band and Singha on draught. But as the endless parade of revelers continued to flood by, I was told it was time to head home. 

I realized on Saturday why Pattaya's beaches aren't held in such high esteem. Still, a beach in a city is a beach in a city: no use complaining that it isn't a pristine deserted island, because it's surely better than no beach at all! If I lived here, I'd probably make the extra effort to visit Sae Kaew Beach most of the time, but in a pinch, there's certainly no problem with unwinding for a few hours on the stretch of sand of Jomtien, where Martin, Mongia and I spent some time that afternoon.

Jomtien Beach

I was left to my own devices between 2pm and 6:30pm, while they attended to some business, so I took the opportunity to wander about town before our seafood dinner at a delightful spot within walking distance of the condo. 

Of course, I was in no way ready to head back to reality on Sunday, yet before I knew it, I had to face the music. But I feel very fortunate to have Martin and Mongia in such an accessible getaway destination, and I look forward to many more future trips to their little slice of heaven. Perhaps the prominent marquee is wrong, and good guys and bad guys all go to Pattaya.