Another Milestone: Two Years and Counting

This is a special day for me. November 9th is the anniversary of my arrival in Hong Kong, so today I officially hit the two year mark on my ‘adventure of a lifetime.’ I really can’t believe it. Looking back on the past two years, November 9th, 2009, seems so far away. So much has happened since then. But at the same time, these past two years have just whizzed by. As excited as I was about making a new life for myself in a completely different culture, I never could have known just how incredible the experience would turn out to be or that I would wind up falling in love with Hong Kong so hard. But it did, and I have.

The first photo I took in Hong Kong: November 9th, 2009

Two years is a long time… that’s half of high school, half of the time I spent at Villanova, and almost seven times longer than the time I spent in Paris when I studied abroad there in 2007.

First afternoon in our hotel in Mong Kok

I honestly think time flies faster in Hong Kong than anywhere else I’ve ever been. For example, last Halloween—the day Pietro moved into the apartment—could just as well have been yesterday. I can’t believe how fast the year has gone. This year for Halloween we coordinated a little group costume. We went as the suspects from Clue, with the assorted weapons (which were all genuine and awesome). I was Colonel Mustard, and my friends Eloise, Alex, Amy, Remco and Silja rounded out the cast. It was a great night, and Lan Kwai Fong was crazy, as we knew it would be. I expect this coming year will fly by just as quickly, and before I know it, I’ll be posting another blog entry on Halloween 2012 and my third anniversary.

Mrs. White with the wrench, Reverend Green with the dagger,

Mrs. Peacock with the rope, Prof. Plum with the candlestick,

Miss Scarlett with the revolver and Colonel Mustard with the lead pipe!

These two years have given me tons of great memories, and I look forward to many more to come. I still don’t want to think about leaving this part of the world. There’s so much to see out here that I need many, many more years to check everything off my “to do” list. But I’ve made a decent dent into that list over my first two years. It’s funny, but when I look back on some of those memories, I am shocked to realize how long I had been in Hong Kong when they happened. For example, when I visited Erin and Emily in Thailand in February 2010, I hadn’t even been here for four months, yet I felt like an old China hand already. Now four months feels like child’s play to me. But at the time I was amazed I had been away that long. It’s funny how time changes perspectives.

Going back through this blog and rereading the entries I wrote at the six month and one year marks, I still feel remarkably similar about the passage of time. I feel more the old pro than ever, and I know Hong Kong like the back of my hand, but there’s still so much of this place I’ve left unexplored.

Local scene on Cheung Chau Island

You see, when I first arrived here, my weekends were chock full of exploration. On weekends, I’d wake up early, open my Frommer’s guide, pick something I hadn’t done yet, and set off on an adventure. As the months wore on, I wound up having more leisurely weekends, or I’d end up re-doing my favorite things as opposed to taking a shot on a new one. Instead of a trekking to a remote temple in the New Territories, I’d pick a new restaurant in SoHo to try their eggs Benedict. And instead of choosing a new outlying island to explore, I’d hop on the ferry to my old favorite, Cheung Chau.

But as the looming two year milestone was staring me down, I realized just how many things I hadn’t done yet. My end-of-year resolution is that I’m going to pursue them with all the vigor I can muster over the final two months of 2011. And earlier this week, I had a chance to test out this new way of life.

Often when there is a holiday in a major market, like Japan, Singapore, the U.K. or the U.S., business is so slow that it’s pointless for both Kevin and me to be in the office. We generally split the day, one of us working the AM shift while the other takes the afternoon. On Monday, for example, I had the morning off from work because of the Hari Raya Haji holiday in Singapore. Alive, awake, alert and enthusiastic, I decided I was not squandering my free morning.

So I opened my trusty guide book and decided to explore Kowloon Walled City Park, one of the most fascinating places I’ve been in Hong Kong. First I treated myself to a hearty American breakfast at the Flying Pan (a four cheese omelet, plus a pancake, grits and hash browns) before venturing out to Lok Fu, in Wong Tai Sin on the Kowloon side. The park is a place I’ve wanted to visit for some time but somehow never got around to. Nowadays it’s a beautifully landscaped, classical Chinese garden, with stunning pavilions, ponds, plants and sculptures. But the serenity of the current site belies its notorious past.

Kowloon Walled City Park

Kowloon Walled City was created around the time the British seized control of Hong Kong Island in the 1840s. When the British later gained control of the New Territories in 1898, the official 99-year lease they signed excluded the Walled City. Officially this small plot of land was still a part of China, completely surrounded by the British-controlled colony. In practice however, China had little authority over the city, and the British also ignored it. It became a fen of seedy alleyways, illegal dentists, loose wires and densely packed high-rises.

Historic arial photo of Kowloon Walled City

Finally, in 1994, the British and Chinese governments reached an agreement to relocate the residents and demolish the place, replacing it with the current park. Today, you can visit the old almshouse in the center of the city, where interactive exhibits reconstruct life in the former slum with photos, models, video interviews of former residents and re-creations of typical scenes of city life. Archeological excavations have also unearthed historical remnants of the city walls and gates, which help visitors imagine life in yesteryear’s netherworld.

Archeologists found the old South Gate when they demolished the city.

I spent a good hour and a half just wandering around the park, soaking up the pleasant atmosphere and history of a place that took me two years to finally visit—definitely better than sleeping my free morning away!

So I’m two years in, and I feel fine. I have a renewed energy for this place, and I really do love it more than ever. Cheers to you, Hong Kong! I can’t wait to see what adventures you have in store for me in the year to come!

The Legislative Council Building and the Cenotaph in Statue Square

Changes

With some friends at the Empire State Building during my recent trip to the US

Well, I’ve returned to Hong Kong after a wonderful month in the States. In fact, I’ve been here for about five days now, so I’m pretty much back in the swing of things. Except life isn’t exactly the same as when I left. While I’ve been away, quite a few important changes have taken place. It’s funny, but even making my way from the airport to my apartment, I realized that more seems to have changed in Hong Kong over last month than in the US over the eight months between my visits. Favorite restaurants have closed and fresh ones have opened, massive new stores have sprung up, construction projects have finally been completed and new ones have been started. I also missed out on the first Typhoon 8 to hit Hong Kong since I moved here. But there are other changes that personally affect me to an even greater extent than these.

'Nova Happy Hour in NYC

One of the first to hit me upon my homecoming was the absence of Véronique, my roommate whose internship ended while I was away. She’s back in Europe now, going on with her life, and Hong Kong is just a chapter of her past. We knew her departure would occur while I was in the States, so we had a proper goodbye before I left, but it still felt odd walking into the apartment knowing she was no longer there. I know I wrote this in my last post, but I am really going to miss her. She was a fellow adventurer and a drinking buddy, a history nerd and a partier, all rolled into one, and that combination is pretty hard to find. I was very lucky to have her around, even though she only stayed in Hong Kong for a few months.

with Véro

In her old room, we now have Remco. He’s from Amsterdam, and he also works in finance, so I’m sure we will become friends. Although he moved in while I was in the States, my first days back in Hong Kong were a sordid mess of late nights, early mornings and strange sleep schedules, so our paths didn’t cross until last night. We had a good chat though, and I’m very excited to get to know him better. He seems very motivated to see as much of Hong Kong as he can while he’s here (until February), so hopefully I get the chance to revisit some of my favorite Hong Kong attractions that I’ve pretty much ignored since the first months after my relocation. It’s funny, but there are so many things I literally haven’t done in nearly two years—things I loved when I first arrived but somehow never got back to. Maybe Remco will be a good excuse to do them again.

Perhaps the biggest change I was faced with when coming back to Hong Kong was a shift in offices. Yes, while I was away, the company decided to re-locate from IFC2 to 151 Hollywood Road. Imagine moving from the single most corporate skyscraper in the heart of Hong Kong’s business district to a quaint, Chinese street lined with stately antique shops and banyan trees, and that’s pretty much what we did. Walking into the old office, I used to pass a line of clocks indicating the time in over twenty cities worldwide. Now, I walk pass the Man Mo Temple, perhaps the most historic and interesting temple in town, which is literally just across the street.

The uber-corporate lobby of IFC2 features digital clocks of major cities around the world.

And so far, it’s turned out to be wonderful. Near IFC, the restaurants acted like they were doing you a favor by letting you eat there. They charged exorbitant prices for only decent food. And the lunchtime crowd was a horror. The restaurants up here compete for your business with reasonably-priced prix-fixe lunch specials. And it’s such a nice area to work. It’s quiet and filled with incredible restaurants, bistros, coffee shops and wine bars. I already miss certain aspects of IFC, but the new location certainly has its perks!

Inside the Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road, across the street from our new office.

I’m not gonna lie: one thing I certainly miss is taking the tram every morning. But to get to Hollywood Road from the nearest tram stop, I’d have to scale several steep flights of stone steps, so it wouldn’t really be practical to continue taking it to work. Luckily for me, the 26 bus runs pretty much from my apartment to the office door, so it’s a much less exhausting way for me to commute. And the fare is only HK$4.10 (or $0.53!!!) so I can’t really complain.

One thing I already miss is taking the tram to work every morning.

And although I loved the view from IFC, our workspace was pretty small. I wouldn’t exactly call it cramped since it was only Kevin and me sharing it, but the larger space on Hollywood Road is much roomier. Gone is our harbor view, but we now have a nice panorama of traditional Chinese apartments, the Cat Street market and the neighboring high-rises. And I understand the new rent is about one third the price of our old office’s. Sounds like a good deal to me!

One of the last photos of took of my view from my desk in IFC2

Luckily, a lot of things are the same, too. I’ve loved spending time with my old friends, ogling at the skyline from the Avenue of Stars, dancing till dawn in Lan Kwai Fong and feasting on the most delicious dumplings you will ever eat! Tomorrow night I’ll head back to Happy Valley for the Wednesday night horse races before venturing into Wan Chai for post-racing revelry. And next weekend we have what may well prove to be the last junk boat trip of the season. So Hong Kong is still an irresistible mix of old and new, and I’m so glad to be back in the pearl of the orient.

Sunset over HK's skyline, with my old office building, IFC2, dominating the scene!

Savoring Hong Kong

Greetings from good old New Jersey! It’s so nice to be back here. On Wednesday morning, at 10:25am Hong Kong time, I flew home for my once-a-year visit. With a twelve hour time difference, I arrived on Wednesday afternoon at 1pm, so the fifteen hour flight had me landing about three hours after my take-off time. Luckily I can fly direct from Hong Kong International Airport to Newark International, which is very close to my family’s home in Old Bridge. It’s so convenient!

I had no trouble sleeping during the flight. I pretty much slept for its entire duration, only waking up for the three meals. I didn’t even have time to watch a single movie or television show. I was that tired. But there is a good reason for my exhaustion: my last five days in Hong Kong were spent with a good friend named Kristen, who came to visit following an eight month work experience in Australia. The two of us ran around pretty much non-stop the whole time she was in town, and our final night, we never went to sleep, opting instead to stay out until heading to the airport around 9am.

“What drug did you take?” the Jewish couple seated next to me on the plane asked after we touched down in Jersey. “You slept the entire time!” Spending five fun-filled days in Hong Kong has the potential to do that to anyone, but after spending those days there with Kristen, it was an inescapable outcome. I could have slept much, much longer! She has endless energy, and coupled with my desire to show her pretty much everything the city has to offer, it was the only drug I needed!

Kristen landed very early on Friday morning, just after 6am. I met her Airport Express train as it pulled in to the station below my office, IFC2. Wearing an unmistakable Villanova sweatshirt and an even more unmistakable smile, Kristen looked ready for adventure. Unfortunately, I had a full day of work ahead of me. She came up to see my office and we had a good, long chat to catch up. Although we had spoken on the phone and exchanged several e-mails over the past months, the last time we had actually seen one another was New Year’s Eve in New York, on my last trip home over eight months ago. It was so nice to just relax and chew the fat. Around 10am, I sent Kristen on her first adventure: from my office to my apartment by herself to drop off her luggage.

Back just in time for lunch, we went to Hunan Garden, a delicious Chinese restaurant near my office. I had booked a table for four people, but my two French friends bailed last minute, so it looked like it would just be me and Kristen for lunch. However, as soon as we sat down, I recognized another friend, Melanie, just being seated at a nearby table with her friend Minh. I went over to say hello, and they decided to come and sit with us. It was a wonderful introduction to the city, complete with Tsingtao beer, prawns in chili sauce, xiao long bao, pan-fried pork dumplings, fish steamed in black bean sauce and sweet and sour pork. Everything was tasty, and I was so glad Kristen got to sample so many varied dishes. And having Mel and Minh along for the lunch also added a lot to the meal.

After lunch, I deposited Kristen on the Star Ferry and sent her to the Hong Kong History Museum in Tsim Sha Tsui. I’m not sure if I’ve written about it before, but the History Museum is one of the greatest museums I’ve ever been to anywhere. It divides the history of Hong Kong into eight gigantic rooms, each covering a portion of the territory’s past. It starts with the geological formation of the region and traces the earliest roots of civilization before charting the Opium Wars, the British colonial period, the Japanese Occupation during World War II and, finally, the handover back to China in July of 1997. Although a touch of jet lag and a confused Cantonese-speaking bus driver delayed Kristen’s arrival at the museum, she still managed to enjoy the afternoon.

We had agreed to meet at the Star Ferry pier in TST at 6:30pm, and afterwards we strolled along the Avenue of Stars to a waterfront bar called Deck ‘n Beer, where we enjoyed a pint of San Miguel while waiting for the nightly 'Symphony of Light' to start at 8pm.

Deck 'n Beer

After the light show, we got a photo in front of the skyline and then took the ferry back across to Central, where we had dinner in Rat Alley, a ramshackle assortment of mismatched tables and chairs in an alley near Lan Kwai Fong. In spite of the dilapidated décor, the food is absolutely delicious—a mix of Thai, Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine—and Kristen loved it. Just ask her about the yellow curry!

The skyline from TST, with red-sailed Aqua Luna in the foreground

My French roommate Véronique and German friend Bernadett joined for the meal, and after dinner, we hit up Al’s Diner in Lan Kwai Fong for some Jello-shots. Next, we visited Le Jardin, another fun and chill bar above Rat Alley. Finally we made our way to Wyndham Street, where Hayley and Jeroen were celebrating their final night in Hong Kong at a bar called Tonic. I’m going to miss them a ton… I only have a handful of friends in Hong Kong whom I have known longer than these two… And we have experienced a lot together over the past year-and-a-half. I wish them the best and look forward to the day when we meet again.

With Hayley at Tonic

We cut the night short before it got too late, owing to the early morning junk trip I had planned for Saturday. We had to be up super-early in the morning to procure some last minute rum and ice cubes, and I was a little stressed because the weather report was not very promising.

Anxiously, I awoke the next day and set out with Kristen to take care of the last minute necessities. The rum was easy—the first supermarket we went into had it stocked on a shelf right near the registers. The ice proved more elusive. The first few shops we entered offered no help, but as we were walking along Johnston Road, we saw a Chinese man pushing about ten bags of ice, delivering them to various restaurants. Luckily, one shop offered to sell us their just-delivered ice for a small amount of money. What a relief!

The junk left from Pier 9 in Central, and all the stress of the morning washed away as we sailed past the iconic skyline of the city, watching as the uber-tall skyscrapers faded into the distance as we reached the rugged, green mountains of Sai Kung. The "it-might-rain-at-any-minute" skies slowly transformed into a beautiful sun-filled day. And after we dropped anchor at Clearwater Bay, we whiled away the hours eating, drinking, swimming, wakeboarding and sun bathing. It was almost certainly my favorite junk trip ever. I had spent weeks planning and coordinating, and it was great to see the whole day come together flawlessly.

On the junk

Following the junk trip, we brought the leftover booze to a public viewing deck near the pier and spent a few more hours playing cards and enjoying great company. All in all, it was a wonderful day.

Sunday started early again, with 9am church service at St. John’s Cathedral. After church, I gave Kristen an impromptu walking tour of Central, stopping in Statue Square, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, the Central-Mid-levels Escalator, Hollywood Road, Cat Street and the Man Mo Temple. At noon, we met my friends Chiara, Andrea, Jamie and Giuseppe, Andrea’s friend from Italy who was also visiting for a few days, for brunch at Gaia, an Italian restaurant in Grand Millennium Plaza.

I’ve wanted to eat here since the first time I strolled by and saw the outdoor tables spilling out into the piazza. Sitting outside by the impressive fountains, drinking Chiara-approved Italian wine, and surrounded by great people, I loved the meal all the way through. The “appetizer” was a huge buffet table filled with fresh vegetables, cheeses, prosciutto and fruit. And the entrée was a choice from four or five options on the menu, of which I chose salmon and Kristen opted for pork.

Afterwards, we strolled around Central and Sheung Wan some more, and we even had “chops” made. A “chop” is traditional Chinese seal with someone's name carved onto it. In Hong Kong, many businesses and individuals use "chops" as an official stamp, almost like a signature on a legal paper. You rub the bottom of the "chop" in ink, and then you imprint the signature on a letter or document.

And there is one remaining street in Hong Kong (known unofficially as 'Chop Street') where the practice of carving them is alive and well. You choose from literally hundreds of designs, and the owner of the "chop" shop finds your Chinese name, carves it onto the bottom of the seal and voila, you have a cool (if not exactly practical) souvenir! We arranged with one shop owner to have our "chops" include both our Western names and the traditional Chinese equivalent. And we set a pick-up time for the next morning.

At 4pm, we attended a classical Chinese music concert in Hong Kong Park. Then, we walked over to the nearby Peak Tram, where there was, miraculously, hardly any line at all. We took the historic, eight-minute ride to the top of Victoria Peak to spend a few hours in Hong Kong's most gorgeous neighborhood. Up there, I took Kristen on the one-hour circular walk before she treated me to dinner at Café Deco, one of the Peak’s most popular restaurants.

Back at my apartment in Wan Chai, we got ready for a night out. Even though it was Sunday, Spicy Fingers had its signature live cover band, and although the bar was nearly empty, we made friends with a pilot from Luxembourg and put in our requests with the band. It felt like a private concert! We stayed until closing, and walked back home after the band had played its last tune.

Monday we had a game plan: pick up our “chops” and head straight to Hong Kong Disneyland! Having almost lived in Hong Kong for two years, it was a little mind-boggling to me that I still hadn’t been to Disney. But believe it or not, most of my HK friends have absolutely no interest in paying a visit to the park. I've tried to convince people to go with me in the past to no avail. So when I found out Kristen was coming to Hong Kong, I knew I would finally have a chance to go.

A Visit to Hong Kong Disneyland

Of course, the day was incredible. Hong Kong Disneyland was smaller than other Disney parks, to be sure, but it was absolutely lovely. There were no crowds and the weather was beautiful! Space Mountain's line was so short, in fact, that we walked right on twice in a row! Over the course of the afternoon, we caught the 5th Anniversary Parade, rode most of the rides, saw two stage shows, and capped off the visit with a phenomenal fireworks display at 8pm. And before we left, I upgraded my one-day ticket to a full-out year's pass, so you can bet I’ll be back sometime soon!

Sleeping Beauty's Castle, Hong Kong Disneyland

Back in town, we went to one of my favorite spots, Yorkshire Pudding, for dinner. I am in love with their eggs Benedict, which luckily are available all day, so we indulged in a little "breakfast for dinner" action with Véronique. After the meal, we went to Typhoon to meet Alex, Amy and Sonia. Of course, eventually we had to make our way to Dusk till Dawn. I know I’ve written about it before, but yet again, we had a phenomenal night dancing and singing along to the Filipino cover band. Even on a Monday night, the place had a good crowd and was a ton of fun.

Fun times at Dusk till Dawn

Tuesday was our last full day in Hong Kong and we had already decided to stay awake until our Wednesday morning flights, so we knew we had a long day ahead of us. Chiara planned yet another delicious al fresco Italian lunch in Kowloon at a restaurant called Joia, which specializes in Northern Italian cuisine. We sat outside and enjoyed a view of the International Commerce Center, which is Hong Kong's tallest tower and currently the fourth tallest skyscraper in the world! Ho bao is Cantonese for "I'm full," and after the amount of food we ate, I think it's the expression Kristen and I used the most that week. Lunch at Joia included an unlimited appetizer and dessert buffet, with homemade gnocchi as a main course, so you can imagine how much we both ate!

Tuesday's lunch at Joia

After lunch, we got to visit Jamie at the kindergarten where she teaches English and art. I might call the teaching experience the highlight of Kristen’s visit. The children were absolutely adorable, and we got to sing with them, color pictures and even teach them “Itsy Bitsy Spider.”

Miss Jamie and her class

With Jamie and the students

After class, Jamie and I took Kristen around Mong Kok’s markets—the flower market, bird market, goldfish market and Ladies Market. In TST, we enjoyed one last massive Chinese meal, complete with Peking Duck, at Peking Garden in Star House. Ho bao again, as you probably guessed!

Market shopping

Neon on Nathan Road

Peking Garden Restaurant "Noodle Making" Demonstration

We arrived back on the island (via Star Ferry, of course) and packed our bags for the next day. Sticking to our plan to stay out until the 9am journey to the airport in the morning, we headed back into Wan Chai with Véronique. First up on the evening’s agenda was a visit to a bar called Carnegie’s, which has a vodka special on Tuesday nights. It was absolutely packed, but for some reason, around 2am, they closed. Véro took it as a sign that she should go back home, since she had to be at work in only a few hours! Since her internship ends while I'm back in the States, I won't be seeing her again in Hong Kong. She has been a wonderful roommate, and hopefully I'll be able to visit her in Europe on my next visit. I'm going to miss her enthusiasm for the city and hope we keep in touch.

With quite a few hours left to kill, Kristen and I took a chance on LKF. Although it was pretty dead, Zinc had a decent crowd, so we chilled there for a few hours before heading back to the apartment around 6am. We got our bags, made our way to the "In-Town Check In" desks, and then had one last dim sum meal at Lin Heung Tea House.

Somehow we both made it to the airport that morning. Kristen was off to Paris for a few days, and then on to Rome to meet up with her brother, and finally to Munich to experience Oktoberfest, before getting back to New York. And I was flying direct to Newark. But in a funny coincidence, both of our flights were scheduled to depart at 10:25am, so we got to stay together until we actually went to our separate gates. One of the last things I remember before take-off is looking out the window and seeing her Air France jet two planes behind mine. Exhausted and on the verge of passing out, I’m sure Kristen was looking forward to the long flight just as much as I was. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect last few days in Hong Kong. Now I’m excited for the month ahead of me. I have a wedding at ‘Nova next weekend, and I’ll also be going to Texas at the end of the month to spend a weekend away with my old college roommates. See ya in October, Hong Kong!

Anchors Aweigh

Thanks to its deep natural harbor, strategic location in the South China Sea and political independence from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong has long been a popular port of call for US Navy ships. Each month, several drop anchor here, and the town fills with American sailors ready for a few memorable days of shore leave.

Traditionally, Wan Chai is their temporary address. Home to Fenwick Pier, where they first set foot on the island, Wan Chai was once notorious for its tawdry collection of girly bars, tattoo parlors and brothels. Wise indeed was that first man who thought to establish his bar near the disembarkation point of thousands of young, seafaring yanks stepping on dry land for the first time in weeks or even months. Countless others followed in his footsteps, and to this day, Wan Chai is still synonymous with nightlife.

Wan Chai by night!

Although the area only retains traces of its more disreputable side, and the world of Suzie Wong has all but vanished, the watering holes lining the streets of Wan Chai are indelibly linked to American sailors. My guess is that this fact of life will never change. As long as the ships continue coming to Hong Kong, Wan Chai will be, for many sailors, the greatest recollection of our city. (For the record, it will also surely be one of my own!)

Lights of Wan Chai

As you know, Villanova has a very popular Naval ROTC program, so over four years I made plenty of friends who ultimately joined the Navy. Funny, then, that it took almost two years for the first one to make a port stop in Hong Kong. But better late than never!

This past weekend a slew of ships were in town, including the USS Ronald Reagan. On Sunday night, as the taxi I was riding in drove past Fenwick Pier, I thought to myself, “I wonder if Sam will ever find herself in Hong Kong?”

The next morning, upon signing into Facebook at my desk at work, a message was waiting from her. She was in Hong Kong! The night before I had endured a terrible sleep, and it was pretty much the worst wakeup in recent memory. Then, in a matter of seconds, it went from painful Monday blues to one of the most delightful days I’ve ever had here. Although she had to be back on board by 9pm that evening, we managed to have both lunch and dinner, and I got to meet several awesome ensigns and LTJGs (lieutenant junior grade officers) that she lives and works with on her destroyer.

Sam and me during our Villanova days

Basically, as soon as I read Sam’s message, I sent one straight back suggesting we meet for lunch. That is, after pinching myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Only the night before I had thought of her while passing by the pier and it turns out she was already in town! What are the odds?

Kevin suggested I meet her for lunch at Fish Bar, an al fresco seafood restaurant (in case you couldn’t guess by the name) situated beside the swimming pool of the JW Marriott at the Pacific Place shopping mall, where Sam told me she planned to spend some time browsing in the stores. All morning long I could hardly contain myself. I was so excited to see her for the first time since graduation. Her friend Dianna was with her when we met at Starbucks, and it turns out we even had a mutual friend! What a small world!

The inside of the restaurant

Lunch beside the pool was phenomenal—fresh fish perfectly char grilled in a wonderful and unpretentious setting. It was the ideal choice for us, and I’m sure I’ll be making return visits there in the future. The lush greenery of Hong Kong Island's hilly terrain was showcased in its best light by the simple surrounding atmostphere of the restaurant. And the pool added to the leisurely feel of it all. There was lots of catching up to do, and of course, lots of 'Nova nostalgia to reminiscence about, as well. And it was also nice to get to know Dianna, a Naval Academy alumnus who was so friendly and fun to be with.

Fish Bar at the JW Marriott

The girls were meeting up with some other Navy friends to catch Harry Potter at the Pacific Place AMC movie theater—a pastime that isn’t easy to enjoy when you live on a boat. Before I returned to work, we all made plans to go for an authentic Chinese dinner in Wan Chai before they had to be back at the pier at 9pm.

As easy as it is to figure out what kind of food Fish Bar serves from its name, the same cannot be said of the spot we went for dinner: I picked the American Restaurant. Opened back in the heyday of Suzy Wong’s Wan Chai, the restaurant was named American in an effort to attract the many sailors in town on any given day. In actuality, the food served there is about as authentically Chinese as you'll find in this town, and their specialty is the famous Peking duck.

You'd never guess how good this place is from it's bland exterior.

Whereas Fish Bar showcases the cosmopolitan, Western glories of Hong Kong in a most impressive way, the American Restaurant emphasizes the city's Chinese heritage equally well. In fact, I think the day, as a whole, proved that this place knows how to fuse the two flawlessly, creating an unbelievably interesting integration of cultures, a true mixture of East and West.

There were six of us at dinner, and we ordered enough food to feed many more than that! But every dish was delicious, from the xiao long bao (soup-filled pork dumplings), sizzling beef with spring onion, salt-and-pepper squid, spring rolls, shrimp in chili sauce and of course the Peking duck, among others!

Dinner at the American Restaurant

During dinner, we traded stories about Navy life and expat life in Hong Kong, and it was really great to find out more about their experiences sailing around the world. I learned lots of things I never knew about life on a naval ship, from the dining procedures to the sleeping situation to the work schedule to the disciplinary policies.

I taught Sam how to ask for the check in Cantonese (M’goi, mai tan!) and then we hopped across the street to Typhoon—a favorite bar of mine—to use what was left of the group’s combined collection of Hong Kong dollars in the most enjoyable way possible. I even got Sam to do a Flaming Lamborghini, a signature Hong Kong libation that is set on fire while you sip it through a straw.

Preparing for her Flaming Lamborghini

Before long it was time for the five of them to head back to the pier. I wish we could have stayed out longer, but it was so nice to spend even a little time with Sam and her friends. And I hope more of my Villanova Navy friends find their ships pulling into port in Hong Kong in the near future! Thanks for a great day guys, and God bless you as you continue your service to the United States.

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