Reflections on My Final Night in Hong Kong

I’m sitting in my empty apartment on my last night in Hong Kong. And while I’m definitely sad to be leaving this incredible city, I am so excited for what awaits down in Singapore. I fly at 1:20pm tomorrow afternoon, and I feel ready. I have no regrets about my past three years out here, and I also don’t think my Hong Kong story is quite over yet. I’ve mentioned before that I’ll be coming back for work fairly often, and it’s especially nice that there are relatively cheap flights offered by three budget airlines between the two cities. I am continuing to pay rent in my apartment till at least March, because I definitely plan to come back for the Rugby Sevens and Hong Kong International Film Festival, and I know it would feel wrong to stay anywhere else. I’m also coming back on January 11^th, for an indeterminate period of time. You see, my company booked my ticket down to Singapore and offered to add on a return trip to Hong Kong any date I would like. So I figured January 11^th is far enough away that I’ll have started to make Singapore my new home, but still close enough to ease the pain of having to leave. I might stay a week, I might stay a month, but I know I’ll be back in Hong Kong very soon!

These past weeks have been a madcap, nonstop, quintessentially Hong Kongian romp, and I’m actually quite excited for a good rest my first few weeks in Singapore! My first “going away” party was two weekends ago in Macau. Last year, Rich and I had gone to Macau for the Grand Prix, which we didn’t realize overlapped with a party organized by the local Alliance Française celebrating the release of the Beaujolais nouveau. My friends Adrien and Eloise invited Rich and I to join them for the fête, and we were both blown away by it. In fact, it even trumped the car races for me as the weekend’s most memorable event.

With Christina and Gauthier in front of the Ruins of Saint Paul's

So when I realized this year’s party would be only a couple of weeks before my departure from Hong Kong, I decided it would be a perfect going away party. My friends Christina (a fellow VSB '09 alum working in Hong Kong) and Gauthier joined me for the day, touring around Old Macau and seeing all the sights. Then we headed to the party, where Adrien, Eloise, Bernadett, Sonia and her boyfriend Motez met up with us.

The party is set in an old Portuguese courtyard, with a moss-covered tree, yellow colonial architecture and a jazz band providing live tunes. The Beaujolais bottles are there for you to take, and a buffet is set up so you can munch and sip at the same time. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Beaujolais nouveau, it’s basically the first wine released of a particular year’s harvest, so it’s the world’s first taste of what to expect from the year’s grapes. The first bottles are officially released worldwide on the third Thursday of November, and although its rarely spectacular, it makes for a fun event that offers a glimpse of the rewards to come with the release of the season's later wines.

As last year, it was a phenomenal event, and I will make every effort to be in Hong Kong next November for my third round!

VSB '09 Alumni!

My final Wednesday was a bit of a going away event in itself. Anyone who’s read this blog knows that Wednesday is hands down my favorite night of the week, owing to the horse races in Happy Valley and the subsequent partying that ensues in Wan Chai after the last race has been run. Needless to say, Wednesday night will perhaps be the thing I miss most about Hong Kong—Thursday morning might be the only thing I will not miss one bit!—so it was important to enjoy my last one to the fullest.

The next day was Thanksgiving, and although it’s always a little strange to be so far away from home on that day, I still have now enjoyed three Hong Kong Thanksgivings. My friend Eleni is a journalist for Bloomberg, and as such, she is a member of the Foreign Correspondent’s Club, a very cool private social club housed in a historic colonial building in Central. I’ve been with her quite a few times for lunch or drinks, but when she realized the club was putting together a special Thanksgiving menu, she got a group of about eight people together and we had ourselves a memorable night.

Thanksgiving Dinner at the FCC

Friday night a big group of us went out in anticipation of my twenty-sixth birthday at midnight. Lan Kwai Fong was at its best, and such a great group of friends turned out that it really reinforced for me how the people I’ve met have truly made my whole experience out here simply phenomenal.

On Saturday, Bernadett planned an afternoon in Chai Wan, a neighborhood I’d curiously left unexplored. It’s the last stop on the Island Line of Hong Kong’s subway system, and it’s an industrial zone that’s just emerging as Hong Kong’s newest art gallery district. The surreal thing about it, though, is that the galleries are tucked away in very industrial areas. We had lunch and explored a couple of the galleries, and had a nice meander along the colorful waterfront.

First time in Chai Wan!

Me and Bernadett in one of the galleries

I had booked dinner that night at the American Restraurant—my favorite spot for Peking duck. I made the reservation for ten people, but in the end about fifteen showed up, so we had to add a second table! But it was a great last dinner at a restaurant that has been host to some of my favorite meals of the last three years. And I couldn’t have asked for a better group to celebrate with.

My friend Alison snapped this candid photo at the American Restaurant

Early this morning my relocation company, called Santa Fe, showed up at our flat and began packing up all my things. They were unbelievably efficient and professional, and I was simply in awe watching them work. In the end, all of my belongings were put into twenty-nine boxes, and they will be shipped to Singapore and stored for me until I find my new apartment.
  

My flight is booked, a hotel room has been reserved for my first week, and then I’ll be moving into a serviced apartment until the end of the year… and by January 1^st, I plan to ring in the new year in my new apartment with all of the things I’ve managed to collect over the past three years! The twenty-six year old who’s leaving Hong Kong tomorrow is a different person than the twenty-two year old who arrived back in 2009, and I’m so grateful for all that has happened to me out here! Thanks for everything Hong Kong. I promise you, you haven’t seen the last of me yet!

Parisi... Paul Parisi – 007

Three Years Ago Today…

On November 9^th, 2011, I wrote on this blog, “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.” Well here I am, one year later, and it seems my prediction was scarily accurate, with another whirlwind of a year under my belt, marking three full years of expat life! Three years ago today, I landed in Hong Kong for the first time. Now, in three short weeks, I will be leaving to start the next chapter of my Asian adventure in Singapore.

I always get a little bit nostalgic in the early part of November, as this date approaches. I usually go back and re-read my earliest blog entries and reminisce about all the great people who came into my life because of my decision to move out here. I’ll look back at old photos on Facebook and remember all the good times—late nights, weekend trips, new foods and hearty laughter. It was doubly nostalgic this year, then, with my imminent departure. But remembering how many good things have happened to me over the past three years also makes it easier to make the move to Singapore, for if the people and experiences awaiting me down there are even half as incredible as those up here, I’ll be in for a treat.

This past year, the one that I predicted would “fly by just as quickly” as the one before, did indeed just whiz by. And it took with it some of the best friends I’ve ever had. In fact, over the past twelve months, more than fifteen of my good friends have all moved on in life. Even just yesterday, Rich, my roommate and pal over the past eighteen months, made his own departure from Hong Kong. He's headed back to the U.K. now to figure out the next stage of his life. In some way, things like that make the timing of my own move a bit easier.

In Rich's old room, we now have Sarah, an energetic Scottish girl from Edinburgh. She's only been in the apartment for a short amount of time, but I already feel like we've become good friends. She has a great passion for Hong Kong, and I know having her around will ensure that my last weeks are fun and memorable.

My fourteenth roommate, Sarah!

So, with Rich leaving and Sarah arriving, you can imagine life has been super busy since I came back from the States. And lots has happened back home, too. First there was the devastation brought by Hurricane Sandy, which destroyed many beautiful towns in the area where I grew up. Luckily, my family weathered the storm safely, and with only minimal damage to our home and property. I just spoke to my dad this morning, and he told me that power has finally been reconnected today, twelve days after Sandy made landfall in New Jersey. It was difficult to be so far away during the catastrophe, but thank God Facebook and e-mail kept me in touch with my loved ones throughout.

There was also, of course, the presidential election, which I monitored closely from Hong Kong. I sent in my absentee ballot weeks ago, taking my right to vote seriously, and I even attended a CNN-sponsored “Election Watch” organized by Hong Kong’s American Chamber of Commerce. With the time difference, the first East Coast polls begin closing around 8am Wednesday morning, Hong Kong time. So I took off from work to experience American democracy in action.

And I think I mentioned in my last post that I had to bolt down to Singapore for two days to meet up with Alan and Dimitri, my company's president and tech wizard, to be present for the setting up of our new office in the Central Business District. I finally got to fly Singapore Airlines and was lucky enough to stay on the club floor of Singapore's Mandarin Oriental, so you can bet I wholly enjoyed my two quick days.

Atop the Marina Bay Sands with Alan, his girlfriend Jackie, Dimitri and David, who helped us find our office space

I got back just in time for Halloween! Normally, the Saturday closest to Halloween becomes the de facto night for costumed revelry. But as you know, Wednesday is Hong Kong’s favorite party night, and since Halloween itself fell on a Wednesday this year, there were two occasions to dress up. Having literally just come back from the two day jaunt down to Singapore the night before, I had put very little time or effort into planning a proper costume for Saturday.

Gauthier and I ran all over Causeway Bay and Wan Chai around 6pm that night hoping we'd get lucky at a costume shop, but the Halloween gods were not on our side. We decided to go as nerds, buying some cheap, thick glasses and bow ties we stumbled across and sporting dorky t-shirts from the bottom of our drawers. Though Gauthier definitely looked more like a hipster than a nerd, and my costume was pretty lame, it was still a fun night. Andrea was back in town from Shanghai, and he, Bernadett and Gauthier’s roommate Hugo (a pirate) all joined in for the once-a-year Halloween mayhem in Lan Kwai Fong.

Saturday night in Lan Kwai Fong

On Wednesday, after watching Night of the Living Dead, I donned Rich’s Egyptian costume from Saturday and went as a pharaoh for Halloween 2012.  Rich and I headed to Wan Chai for Ladies Night, meeting up with the usual suspects for a great Wednesday. I love Halloween, and the whole season that goes along with it, and I’m glad I got to enjoy one more in Hong Kong before experiencing the Singaporean version in 2013.

Halloween in Wan Chai

So another year has flown by, and I'm once again grateful for all the people who've made this journey so incredible—from my bosses in New York, who trusted me enough to send me out here, to Kevin, who's been a friend and mentor from day one, to everybody else who's been a part of my Hong Kong story! Thanks for the memories... And here's to many more to come!

Around the World in 8 Days

Me and my sister in Cheesequake State Park, near our house

Five short weeks from today, I will be making my move down to Singapore. Before that happens, I will celebrate the third anniversary of my arrival in Hong Kong and also my twenty-sixth birthday. I know the time is just going to fly, but I also know it will be a memorable and wonderful finale to life in the Pearl of the Orient. Tomorrow, I’m actually flying down to Singapore for a two day mini-visit. Alan, my company’s president, and Dimitri, the vice president for technology, are in the Lion City making a final decision about our office space, and they are whisking me down to be there for the actual setting up of the office.

I’m also recently back from my shortest trip yet to the States. My Villanova roommate Joe married his high school sweetheart Nadia in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on October 13th, and although I was only in the country for about a week, I can safely say this trip was one of my most memorable.

Downtown Saint Paul

You can’t fly direct from Hong Kong to the Twin Cities. San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and New York are the only American cities with direct air links to Hong Kong. Since Chicago is the only one of these I had never visited before, and as it’s also the closest to Minneapolis, it made perfect sense to fly via the Windy City and spend a couple of days there.

One of my best friends from my semester abroad in Paris in 2007, Hallie, lives in Chicago now, and I stayed at her incredible apartment overlooking Lincoln Park for the first two nights of my American adventure. I hadn't seen Hallie since the final day of our program over five years ago, when I waved goodbye as her train pulled out of the Gare de Lyon taking her and our friend Melissa down to Nice. Chicago proved to be the perfect spot for our reunion.

View over Lincoln Park from Hallie's apartment

I was blown away by that toddlin' town. I fell in love with it almost instantly, as I walked from Hallie's apartment in Old Town to her office on Michigan Avenue, just beside the Chicago River. One of the first things that hit me was the fact that it was fall in America—something I haven't experienced since I moved to Hong Kong in 2009. And I'd never realized over the past three years just how much I had missed seeing the autumn leaves. But over the next week—in Illinois, Minnesota and New Jersey—I relished the sight of the beautiful canvas displayed before me. Many people commented that the season was still a few weeks short of its colorful height, but as far as I was concerned, it was perfect.

That first night I explored Millennium Park, the Buckingham Fountain and State Street. I especially loved that fountain, with its musical light show that I had no idea was about to occur. As I walked up to inspect the sculptures more closely, "America the Beautiful" started playing while water spewed many feet into the air. There was hardly anybody else around, and it felt like the show was all for me. What a welcome home! And afterwards, I was treated to authentic deep dish Chicago pizza and drinks at a rooftop bar, as Hallie laid out an itinerary for my next day.

Reunited in Chicago

It goes without saying that Wednesday was full of fun, with city strolls, a river cruise, a visit to the Sky Deck of the former Sears Tower and dinner at Frank Sinatra’s old favorite haunt, The Twin Anchors. Hallie’s sister Katie and Katelyn, a great friend of mine from Villanova, joined for the memorable meal. Then we hit the town, stopping at an uber cool speakeasy called Barrelhouse Flat and finishing at a bluesy jazz club called Kingston Mines. Another Villanova pal, Mara, joined us for the night, and it was so good to catch up and reminisce about our college days. Of course, I was exhausted on Thursday morning when I took the “L” to O’Hare to fly to Minneapolis-Saint Paul, but the forty-eight hours I spent in Chi-town made me eager to return on future trips. I completely understand what Old Blue Eyes meant when he said it was his kind of town.

V for Villanova

Joe picked me up at the airport in Minnesota and we ran a few errands before heading to his house. There, I met Rupert, Joe and Nadia’s adorable nine-month old puppy. I grew up with dogs as far back as I can remember, and I miss having pets now that I'm living in Hong Kong, so you can imagine how much I loved the next few hours playing with Rupert, as he rolled around in the autumn leaves and ran all over his backyard.

Rupert

Joe and Nadia took me to dinner in downtown Minneapolis, where we met up with our old roommate Rusty, his new girlfriend Britney and a couple of her friends. It wound up being the only real time I spent in the famous city, but I really enjoyed soaking up the "Mini Apple." We stopped for a photo op at the Mary Tyler Moore statue before grabbing a drink at a swanky joint called Marvel Bar. Back at Joe and Nadia's, I had a pumpkin beer and watched the vice presidential debate with my new pal Rupert. 

I made it after all.

I spent Friday morning at the Mall of America before heading to Saint Paul for the wedding rehearsal. You see, Joe had asked his four junior year 'Nova roommates to be his groomsmen, so I got to don a tuxedo and escort a lovely bridesmaid down the aisle. It was my first time being in a wedding party, and it was an absolute blast. And the celebration that followed was a great opportunity to spend fun time with the newlyweds and all their wonderful friends and family.

The beautiful couple

The Saint Paul Hotel's lobby

After some obligatory Sunday Minnesota sightseeing, including a stop at Minniehaha Falls, I hopped on yet another plane and made my way to good old New Jersey. My not-quite-two days back home were mostly spent with my mom, dad and sister in Old Bridge. I visited the state park behind my house, admiring the autumn leaves and crisp air. Before heading to the airport on Tuesday afternoon, I grabbed breakfast at one of my favorite local restaurants, the Turning Point, with my friend Gretchen. My sister dropped me off at Newark nearly one week to the hour since I'd landed in Chicago seven days earlier. And sixteen hours later, I was back in Hong Kong, having made my way around the world in eight days. As I said, it was a short trip back home, but definitely a great one!

Autumn in New Jersey

Time For a Haircut

As my days in Hong Kong grow fewer and fewer, I often hear myself saying, “Gosh, I’m going to miss this” or “I’m really going to miss that.” In a way, it’s a good thing, because I find myself taking advantage of even the smallest things and enjoying what would otherwise be perfunctory exercises of quotidian life.

Case in point: in about twelve hours, I am flying to the States for my friend Joe’s wedding, and it struck me while looking in the mirror the other day that I should really get my hair cut beforehand. You see, I love the place I get my hair cut here, and just sitting in the chair, using the mirror to gaze at all the photos on the walls behind me, emphasized for me one more time, just how much I love this town. It’s gotten to the point where almost every second of every day does that for me.

Getting my hair cut is something I do about four times a year. I generally get it cut very short, and let it grow out as long as possible, until Kevin or somebody else starts pointing out that it’s really time for my next visit to the barber shop.

The place I get my hair cut here in Hong Kong is an absolute gem. It’s called simply The Barber Shop, and it’s a near-perfect approximation of a 1940s dream, out of some fantastic mixture of Raymond Chandler and Ernest Hemingway.

Back in 2009, when I first arrived in Hong Kong, Kevin almost immediately told me my hair was too long to be a serious member of the finance industry. He recommended The Barber Shop right away, but I held off as long as I could because I had no idea what kind of barbers Hong Kong would have. In fact, not only was I reluctant, I was downright scared to have a local barber touch my hair.

What a fool I was! This place is easily the best barber shop I have ever visited. I should have known right away from their website (http://www.thebarbershop.com.hk/), with a timeline tracing the history of barbering and prominent quote from witty Benjamin Franklin: "Beware the young doctor and the old barber." Now I've not only learned to muddle through an inevitably looming haircut, I’ve grown to love it and look forward to it.

You enter through a somewhat sketchy side alley off Wellington Street in Central. Making things even sketchier is the fact that the entrance is shared with that of a sex toy shop, so I always wonder what the local workers taking their cigarette break in the alley think I’m going into the building for. (Since my hair is usually painfully long, they probably assume the truth.)

After walking up a flight of stairs, you’re suddenly transported into the type of place Humphrey Bogart or Cary Grant would have gotten a cut and a shave back in the good old days. Glamour shots of William Powell, Nat King Cole and Jean Harlow watch over the staff and customers, and a jazzy assortment of music—both modern and classic—plays in the background.

And Sam, the lady who cuts my hair, is very capable indeed. She knows exactly what I want and makes helpful suggestions about length and style, once even telling me that if she cut my hair any shorter my face would look too fat! She’s delightfully chatty and extremely proficient, and I am always completely at ease when I’m in her chair.

The sad truth is that today’s visit to The Barber Shop was probably my last as a Hong Kong resident, though I promised Sam on my way out that I’d make sure to fly back to Hong Kong for my next trim instead of even thinking about trying to find an equivalent in Singapore. 

Courtney and the Mid-Autumn Festival

Hong Kong’s festivals are one of the most intriguing aspects of life here. I’d say the city plays host to at least one relatively important festival each month, but some of them are more fascinating than others. May’s Cheung Chau Bun Festival is probably my favorite, and I also love the Dragon Boat Festival in June, but perhaps the one that visibly transforms Hong Kong most impressively is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Held on the 15^th day of the eighth month of the Chinese calendar, the festival is marked by fire dragon dances and decorative Chinese lanterns festooning the streets and parks of the SAR. It’s also notorious among expats for the little “mooncakes” that are consumed during this period. “Mooncakes” are de rigueur among the Chinese here during the festival, but to a Western palate, they are quite perplexing—a richly sweet lotus seed paste encased in a pastry-like shell, with several unbroken salted duck eggs enclosed in the middle. I am very happy that I made it through the entire festival this year without having to consume a single one!

A picture I took during the Dragon Dance during the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2010

Making this year’s festival even more memorable for me was the fact that a friend of mine from Villanova was visiting at the time! Courtney was two years behind me at school, but because we were both involved in Music Activities and the Blue Key Society, I got to know her pretty well. She was only in town for four days, capping off a multi-week trip that took her from Bangkok to Phuket to Beijing and finally to Hong Kong. Her timing was pretty perfect. Hitting the Mid-Autumn Festival would have been good enough, but due to this year’s lunar calendar, the festival overlapped with China's National Day on October 1^st. So I was off from work on both Monday and Tuesday, getting to spend all my time with Courtney without having to take any days off!

Good Old Days: Me and Courtney during NovaFest 2009 

It was a blast from start to finish, a non-stop string of days with little sleep but lots of fun! I picked Courtney up at the Airport Express station in IFC and took her straight to Crystal Jade. One of her biggest goals of the trip was to really sample the entire range of authentic Asian food, from the lowest street grub to more upscale dining. Since Crystal Jade is on my short list of all-time favorite restaurants, and since she was hungry immediately on arrival, and moreover since there is a branch located a few floors up from the Airport Express, it seemed stupid not to head straight there. Dan dan noodles and xiao long bao—the perfect way to start a trip to Hong Kong!

Back at my apartment after a longer-than-usual taxi ride, we played some music on the rooftop and enjoyed catching up over a few drinks before hopping on a tram to Central for dinner. My buddy Will had a friend in town too, and he had put together a dinner at a Thai restaurant that night, which we joined. Tuk Tuk Thai is cheap and cheerful, and it’s centrally located so it makes for an easy segue into a night of revelry in Lan Kwai Fong. Naturally, we headed to Al’s Diner for some post-dinner Jello shots to kick start our night on the town. Needless to say, it was a great night out, capped off with a visit to Wan Chai, where we hit up Typhoon, Dusk till Dawn and Amazonia before finally heading home.

Lan Kwai Fong!

My friend Bernadett invited us to join her and her parents for dim sum Sunday morning. They were visiting from Germany, and I had met them last time they were out here, so it was great to see them again. Dim sum can run the gamut from humble to haut. Places like Lin Heung Tea House serve it from trolleys in a noisy, crowded dining hall and other dim sum restaurants have Michelin stars. Bernadett’s choice was on the more upscale side—Fu Tung in the Wharney Guang Dong Hotel on Lockhart Road in Wan Chai. Tucked away three floors above street level, the restaurant is a hidden gem. I never even knew the place existed, even though I walk past the hotel several times a week. Luckily, a friend of Bernadett’s recommended it. We had everything from spicy jelly fish and steamed pork buns to congee and deep friend wontons. Each time I go for dim sum I kick myself for not indulging more often, because I love it so much.

Before heading over to the Dark Side for a day of sightseeing, I took a little detour to show Courtney my old ‘hood, Wan Chai, by day. Most famous as a nightlife zone, I got to know and love ‘the Wanch’ over my two plus years living there. Although I also love my current apartment in Happy Valley, I still miss living in the bustling, colorful neighborhood practically every day.

So we headed up to Queen’s Road East where we hopped in the scenic “observation lifts” of the Hopewell Center. I still think these elevators are one of Hong Kong’s best kept secrets. Nobody seems to know about them, but there they are, on the 17^th floor of the building, free for all to use. They rise and descend on the exterior of the cylindrical structure, connecting the 17^th and 52^nd floors. And all the times I’ve ridden them, I’ve rarely had to share them with any other tourists. It’s like nobody knows this free sightseeing gem even exists.

But the view is incredible—first just over the rooftops of Wan Chai, and slowly higher and higher, as the towers of Central come into view, and—finally—the glasslike water of Victoria Harbour and the skyscrapers on the Dark Side ultimately fading into the Kowloon Hills. Sometimes if I’m just walking by, I pop up to ride the elevators, so I’m glad I found the time to take Courtney here.

We wandered down through Wan Chai’s market, past butchers and fishmongers and a bustling crowd of local shoppers. It’s not Hong Kong’s most famous market, but for me, it’s one of the best and most authentic.

As we were nearing the ferry, Courtney suggested a mimosa. Always a good suggestion. So we stopped at new place called Divino Patio to imbibe before finally catching the Star Ferry and crossing to Kowloon.

I have playing Kowloon tour guide practically down to a science. Ever since Lisa and Tak first visited me, I’ve pretty much only made slight adjustments to the itinerary whenever somebody has come out to visit. With minor tweaking, I took Courtney on the same tour as those who had visited before her. After getting off the ferry, we strolled up the Avenue of Stars, where the Hong Kong skyline is best viewed. Then we took the MTR to Prince Edward, where we explored the flower market and Yuen Po Street Bird Garden, before walking back down Tung Choi Street with its photogenic goldfish market. The goldfish market ends a few minutes’ walk from the Ladies Market, so we strolled down past some of the stalls there, where Courtney bought some cool souvenirs to bring home for friends and family. Since we had made a pit stop for a few beers earlier in Prince Edward, time mandated we take a taxi to the waterfront instead of walking all the way down Nathan Road. We arrived back at the Avenue of Stars with a few minutes to go before “A Symphony of Light” started at 8pm.

The Kowloon waterfront was decked out with really colorful lanterns thanks to the Mid-Autumn Festival, but the biggest lantern display was located in Victoria Park, back on Hong Kong Island in Causeway Bay. I missed the whole thing last year because I was back in the States for about a month, but I had great memories of my first lantern festival in 2010, and I really wanted to check it out again.

So after a quick dinner at my old local noodle joint (during which Courtney battled bravely against her soup but ultimately lost) we went to the massively crowded Victoria Park with my friends Gauthier and Hugo. The red lanterns hanging everywhere, and a bright full moon looking down from the heavens, make this a very charming spot, in spite of the ridiculous crowd. There were musical performances, puppet shows and perhaps thousands of lanterns hanging all around the park! A post-crowd chill out session on our rooftop was just what the doctor ordered, and we came scarily close to never leaving the apartment that night. But luckily, we found the second wind to leave.

At the Lantern Festival in Victoria Park

Myles, one of my local Hong Kong friends, invited us to join him and some others on Repulse Bay Beach. It’s sort of a Hong Kong tradition to gather with family or friends on the beach on the night of the full moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and this popular stretch of sand was crowded even when we arrived after midnight. There were glow sticks everywhere, and families even had little children out with them. It’s too bad there aren’t more nighttime gatherings on the beach, because the buzz of the crowd, the gentle breeze and the pale glow of the lights made for a great ambiance to spend a very chilled out night. I won an impromptu jump-roping competition, Gauthier made some friends from Venezuela, and Courtney got to see a Hong Kong beach, so the evening was a success in the end.

When we got home, we booked tickets to go to Macau on Monday. Because it was so late, we actually only had a few hours’ sleep before our ferry, but I definitely think it was worth it! Gauthier joined, and so did my friend Sarah, who you may remember from my post when Jackie came to visit. You see, Sarah had such a good time out here in Hong Kong, that she went back to England, quit her job and decided to move here. She actually had to go to Macau anyway, in order to re-enter Hong Kong with her new working visa for a brand new job that she started this morning!

In Macau, we had to cram a lot of things into a short amount of time, but I think we hit all the important points. We had a beautiful, Sangria-filled lunch at Portuguese favorite Fernando’s on Hac Sa Beach. We had to wait a little longer for a table than usual, owing to the public holiday. But some Sangria and chorizo in the garden made the time pass quickly.

Fernando's serves delicious Portuguese bread.

After lunch, we headed to Senado Square to stroll Old Macau’s tiny streets and alleyways. I will always love it here, and I’m so glad we found the time so Courtney could experience this little slice of colorful Portugal hanging off the southern coast of China.

Senado Square

Gauthier, me, Sarah and Courtney in front of the Ruins of Saint Paul's

Colorful Macanese side street

Before we knew it, though, we had to head back to catch our ferry. The boat ride flew by, Sarah re-entered Hong Kong and got her visa stamped, and the National Day fireworks were less than an hour from starting! 

Journey Completed!

Not many people get a fireworks display to celebrate their first day of work, so obviously champagne was in order! We popped into CitySuper! and bought the goods, headed up to the public rooftop of the mall and watched the fireworks commemorating the 63^rd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

It was Courtney’s last night before returning to New York, and there was no way I was letting her leave Hong Kong without going up to Victoria Peak. As you know, I’m firm in my opinion that the view from the Peak is simply the greatest city view in the entire world, especially at night. You just can’t leave this city without seeing it. So, after the fireworks, Gauthier, Hugo, Courtney and I caught a cab to Hong Kong Island’s highest point and took the one hour circular walk. We made it just in time to see the former British colony in all its glory, just a few minutes before some of the city’s most iconic towers turn their lights off for the night. And then we continued the walk through the lush forest-like setting of the Peak. Courtney must have gotten annoyed with how often I kept saying “Gosh, I’m going to miss this place.” But I really am.

Figuring the crowds would be in Wan Chai, we took a rollercoaster of a taxi ride down to Lockhart Road. Unfortunately the bars were relatively quiet, but a quiet evening in Wan Chai can still be a good night out, and in the end, we wound up staying out pretty late, aided by several live bands (Spicy Fingers and Dusk till Dawn) and, finally, a jukebox (The Old China Hand).

Yesterday, a public holiday, felt just like an ordinary Sunday. Courtney woke up and packed, and I slept in a bit later than usual. Rich woke up eventually, and so did our second houseguest, confusingly also named Courtney! She had been travelling around the world for several months, so this was the first time I’d seen her since August, and it looks like she’s thinking about taking over our apartment when I move down to Singapore, so it’s good to know it will stay “in the family,” so to speak!

The four of us wound up at a local pub, The Jockey, for an al fresco brunch, and like everything else so far this trip, the time just evaporated! I can’t believe how fast it all went. Rich and I caught up with Courtney after her months of travel, Courtney and Courtney got to know each other, and I just enjoyed being with great people in such a great city. 

Before long, we hopped a cab to the Airport Express station in Central, and Courtney headed off on her way back to New York. Hope your trip was a success and you had as much fun in Hong Kong as I did! Be sure to come back to Asia when I've gotten myself settled in Singapore!

F1 Roars Into Singapore

The last two weeks down in Singapore were—for lack of a better word—amazing. I have no doubt that I will grow to love that place, and I genuinely look forward to making my new home there. To cap off my Singaporean adventure with the Grand Prix was the icing on the cake, and I know that particular weekend will be one I look forward to each year I live in the Lion City.

I had never been to a Formula 1 race before and knew next to nothing about the sport. But the first time the cars roared by the grandstand, I was addicted to the speed and surreal sound. Each time the masterful drivers whizzed by topping speeds of 200 miles per hour, I was mesmerized.

Singapore’s Grand Prix was the first F1 race to take place at night, and the street circuit is located right in the heart of the city, so it winds past historic buildings, the modern financial district, the Singapore Flyer and the iconic Marina Bay. The atmosphere is out of this world, amplified by the blindingly bright lights and excited gathered crowd.

Sonia and I had been looking at various ticket options for weeks leading up to the race, but when we finally decided on what we wanted to buy, tickets were sold out! Thank God for Craig’s List! On the Tuesday before the race, Sonia found a listing advertising two sets of Zone 4 Walkabout tickets for a reasonable price. We snapped them up immediately, meeting the seller, named J.T., a few hours later at Dhoby Ghaut. He turned out to be from Philadelphia, and has been living in Singapore for a few years now. He bought the tickets months ago but ultimately decided to go on vacation to Sri Lanka the weekend of the race, so Sonia and I lucked out.

Several of my Hong Kong friends—Will, Tory, Blair and Vic—were also in town for the big weekend. Due to the timing of their flights, they only purchased tickets for Saturday though. And since Sonia had some work commitments to attend to, I went to the track on Friday around 4pm by myself.

Just walking around the massive park-like setting of the viewing area was great. I got to know the layout of our home for the next three days, and also got to sample the view from several different stands. You see, our walkabout ticket did not give us an actual seat to watch the race, but scattered all throughout the zone were three-tiered stands with different vantage points over parts of the circuit.

I explored some beautifully restored vintage cars dating as far back as the 1920s, and watched a talented fire dancer perform, while the deafening roar of the F1 cars grew louder and louder each time they drove by during the first practice session.

The Singapore Grand Prix has a lot more going on than just car racing. Music plays a huge role in the event, and many spectators are more excited about the live performances than they are about the automobiles. This year, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Bananarama, The Pretenders, The Proclaimers, Noel Gallagher and many other less well known musicians performed at several venues scattered all throughout the circuit. The schedule is meticulously set up so that no practice sessions or races ever overlap with the music, so as soon as the cars stop, the music starts, and vice versa. That first night, I was treated to two great shows. First up was Fuse, an electric violin duo from England who covered classic songs by Michael Jackson and Queen, among others.

But the real surprise of the night, and one of my best memories of the entire weekend, was the stellar performance of Dobet Gnahoré, a ferociously talented singer from Cote d’Ivoire. She was absolutely amazing from start to finish, singing, dancing and playing traditional African instruments. She had many members of the crowd dancing and clapping along with her. I remember thinking, “Anything else that happens this weekend is just a bonus, because I already feel like I’ve gotten my money’s worth.”

Shortly after Ms. Gnahoré finished, and the drivers began their final practice session of the night, Sonia arrived, and we again watched in awe as the cars sped past. Jay Chou, a wildly popular Taiwanese singer, was the star performer that night on the main Padang stage. We briefly checked it out, but it wasn’t really our scene, so we headed back to Sonia’s house to catch some sleep so we could get an early start for Saturday. 

Saturday just might have been the most clichéd, touristy day you could possibly have in Singapore, in the best sense possible! It began with lunch with Sonia, Will, Tory and Will’s local colleague Hailin. The restaurant, named Jumbo, was situated right on the riverfront near Clarke Quay and we feasted on traditional Singaporean fare, including cereal-fried shrimp (which were absolutely delicious) and of course Singapore’s favorite national dish—chili crab.

 

The brunch club!

We then made our way to the race scene, where we secured wristbands to get into the very front Fan Zone area for the Maroon 5 concert later that night. You see, the wristbands are free, but they are distributed on a first come, first serve basis upon each day’s gate opening at 2:30pm.

Will and Tory had never been to Singapore before, and they were flying out on Sunday afternoon, so they only had a very limited amount of time in the city. To give them an idea of the circuit, we walked around Zone 4 for a little while. Then Sonia and I suggested we all go on a river cruise so they could see some more of the city. We hopped on the boat in Merlion Park, and sailed around the Marina Bay before heading up the Singapore River past Boat and Clarke Quays.

When the cruise was over, we indulged in Singapore’s single most touristy experience: a drink in the Long Bar of the impossibly elegant Raffles Hotel, Singapore's bastion of old world charm. Our friends Blair and Vic met us at the Raffles, and the six of us all headed up to the famous bar, where we got a table and ordered drinks.

Will, Tory and Blair each had the bar’s obligatory Singapore Sling, but by now I’ve had enough of the sweet, syrupy concoction and decided to try something else. I remembered a drink I had seen on the menu when I first visited with Jamie a few years back that was called 'Millionaire's Punch' or something similar. I mentioned this to our server, and he recalled the 'Million Dollar Cocktail.' No longer on the menu, he pointed out, but he was sure the bartender cold whip one up for me. Sonia ordered a Pimm's, Vic took a Tiger and it was yet another classy cocktail break in the legendary watering hole.  

The Long Bar is an old-school institution, and even though drinks there are very pricey and almost every table is filled entirely with tourists, it still has a lot of charm. The old ceiling fans, the peanut shell-littered mosaic floor and the vintage posters make it a very memorable spot indeed. And nobody could ever forget the astronomical number at the bottom of the bill when it arrives either!

After cocktail hour, we all went to the races. There were practice sessions and qualifiers scattered over the next couple of hours, and of course the music in between the driving. The first band we saw that night was The Pretenders, and they performed all of their famous hits in the intimate Esplanade Open Air Theatre. We were in the second row for the show, and it was awesome. My particular favorite will always be Back on the Chain Gang, but I loved that they chose to close the show with an energetic Brass in Pocket.

We grabbed a delicious street food dinner at Glutton’s Bay, perforated by the unmistakable roar of the powerful F1 engines, and before we knew it, it was almost time to get our places for Maroon 5’s concert. Since Sonia and I knew we would be around the following evening for the big races of the weekend, we decided to stake out a good spot for the performance. Will and Tory, knowing they would have to leave around noon the following day, decided to watch some more of the racing.

With our Fan Zone wristbands, Sonia and I were admitted to the very front of the large Padang Field, with an incredible up close view of the band! All of their hits were stellar live, and they really put on an energetic, entertaining show. Of course, they teased the crowd at the end, pretending to finish before re-emerging for a showstopping "Moves Like Jagger" that thrilled the entire field!

After the show, Sonia and I went separate ways—she to Club Street for a rooftop party, me to Arab Street to meet up with Will, Tory and some of their other friends. Arab Street, I already know, will be one of the parts of town where I go most often. It’s lined with quaint old shop houses, delicious restaurants and trendy bars. It was a nice place to finish our quintessential day in Singapore. Tory, in particular, was enamored with the area.

Sunday started with an early poolside brunch at the British Club, where Sonia is a member. She invited Will and Tory to join as well, and Blair and Vic missed breakfast but showed up a bit later to chat and relax. It’s a very special spot, at the top of a hill enclosed by lush trees, and the pool and restaurants are great.

Will and Tory went directly from the club to the airport to fly back to Hong Kong, and Blair and Vic, who did not have tickets for the race that day, decided to head off into town to find a suitable bar where they could watch all the action on television.

For Sonia and me, Sunday was another atmospheric day of racing, and as most of the qualifiers had finished, the big races were finally taking place, culminating with the showpiece event of the whole weekend, the Grand Prix! But before the race itself, Noel Gallagher, formerly of Oasis but now front man of his own group called Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, put on yet another enjoyable musical showcase, featuring not only some of his new songs but many Oasis classics as well.

Then it was time for the Grand Prix! The drivers paraded around the circuit in the vintage cars, and then they were off! We watched the first portion of the race from the grandstands in front of the Fullerton Hotel. It was crowded, loud and mesmerizing. The first time the cars went by that day, Sonia and I just started giggling, as the speed and sound were ineffably entertaining.

Short video clip I took of the F1 cars whizzing by

But it was also difficult to follow the progress of the race because of the deafening roar drowning out the commentary. So after about forty minutes of live racing, we moved to the Padang Field to watch the final portion on the massive screens they had set up there. Even though you could still hear the cars circling around the city, you could also easily pay attention to the commentary while viewing the race, so I’m glad we decided to go there for the event's second half.

Crowds watching the final race on massive screens on the Padang 

In the end, German driver Sebastian Vettel emerged victorious. Renowned British driver Lewis Hamilton had car trouble and did not finish, while Vettel's compatriot Michael Schumacher plowed into another car and forced both himself and the other driver out of the race. It was an action-packed event from start to finish, and I don't think I’ll ever forget it.

Vettel's victory ceremony at the conclusion of the race

After the spectacular post-race fireworks, Katy Perry put on the closing show of the weekend, and the excessive pageantry, pyrotechnics and costumes made it the most memorable concert of all. Every song was a famous hit, and she made the most of her venue. Having heard her on the radio for years and years, I never realized how good a live performer she actually is. In particular, her poignant acoustic rendition of The One that Got Away stood out for its sheer, heartbreaking power. Even Sonia, not the biggest pop music fan, remarked at the end that she had more respect for Katy Perry as an artist after seeing her perform that night.

Post-race fireworks

Katy Perry and Co.

Having heard about the Singapore Grand Prix weekend for almost three years now, it was certainly a pleasure to finally be able to experience it for myself—a perfect weekend to end a great two weeks in the city that will soon become my new home! Needless to say, I’ll be anxiously looking forward to the 2013 installment once I move down there in a couple of months!