Buddha Bellies, Junk in the Trunk and a Birthday Bash to Boot!

It's been a rainy week here, but I took advantage of a clear Thursday and joined Jesse and Joel, another law student from Toronto for a day of adventure in the New Territories.  Prior to the 1980s, the New Territories were made up of little more than sleepy villages and farming communities, but today, the region, which stretches across the Mainland from Kowloon to the Chinese Boarder is home to 3.3 million people- close to half of Hong Kong's total population.  According to my guidebook, many of the people who live in this part of the SAR live in subsidized housing, but you wouldn't know it upon initial inspection (although we would find out later in the day).  Exiting the MTR at Sha Tin, we found ourselves in familiar Hong Kong surroundings: an air conditioned super mall.  We skipped the Gucci and sadly the air con and made our way toward the Monastery of 10,000 Buddhas.

At the entrance, we were accosted by two monks who shook us down for some HKDs. Not being the type who readily parts with his money, Joel was less than impressed when one of the monks slapped a beaded prayer bracelet on his arm and then demanded more money, but we were left alone for the rest of the trip and the Monastery was well-worth the couple bucks we ended up forking over.

We began the Buddha experience by trekking up more than 400 stairs flanked on both sides by life-sized golden buddhas, each one wearing a different expression or striking a different pose.  With the mercury rising to a balmy 38+ degrees this was no easy trek and by the time we had reached the top of the hill we all looked like we had gone for a swim rather than a 20 minute hike.  The journey was well worth it though, and we were rewarded with some good views of the endless rows of high rises and the surrounding mountains of the New Territories.  We took our time enjoying the monastery grounds and the vibrant nine story pink pagoda but the highlight was the temple itself which was built in the 1950s by Yuet Kai, a monk who wrote 98 books on Buddhism.  The walls of the temple are lined with over 13,000 tiny buddhas and no two are exactly alike.

Our next stop was the Hong Kong Heritage Museum which showcased the region's history- both ancient and recent.  Not my favourite stop of the day, but a good way to take advantage of some serious air conditioning for the whopping admission price of CAD$0.75.  The T.T. Tsui Gallery parallels the exhibit at the ROM in Toronto and features Chines art, porcelins, bronzes, conch shells and jade dating all the way from the Neolithic period to the 20th century.  There was even a ceremonial cup made from a human skull.  Other exhibits provided insight into the history of Chinese Opera and Cinematography and a collection of photographs from throughout the 20th century illustrated the transformation of Hong Kong and the Territories over the past decades.

After the museum we hopped a bus to Sai Kung- a small fishing village way out in the middle of the Hong Kong Hinterland famous among in-the-know tourists (like us, thanks to Joel!) as a seafood mecca. Of course, no seascape in Hong Kong seems to be complete without at least one token British Pub, and Sai Kung town was no exception.  A hole in the wall tavern off the main street served up traditional roasts and meat pies and hosted happy hour ales between noon and nine.  We passed on the pies and headed straight for the pier where we employed a bilingual agent to negotiate a fair price on a boat ride out to the surrounding islands with an old local woman who didn't speak a word of English.

At first, I was more than convinced that we were going to be taken far out to sea and sold to pirates, especially when the woman pointed at a rickety old ladder dangling from the promenade down to our vessel and instructed us in Chinese to climb aboard.  However, when we boarded the boat, we quickly realized that the junk was also her home and that there wasn't really any room to hide pirates, let alone three hostages.




The boat proved sea worthy (barely) and we had a really great ride around the bay.  The highlight was when our toothless driver, who had been casually maneuvering the rudder with her bare foot stopped suddenly in the middle of the bay to use the toilet, which was separated from the rest of the boat by little more than a shower curtain.  Needless to say, despite the heat, none of us felt like going for a swim afterward.

We arrived back on shore in one piece and after joining the millions of Hong Kongers for rush hour on the MTR we got back onto the island just in time to enjoy a well-deserved feast at Sweet Basil Thai in Causeway Bay.

After an early night (midnight) on Thursday and a slow start to the morning on Friday,  I was ready for my first true Dim Sum experience, hosted and paid for by HKU.  The food was delicious and fairly safe, although Joel mustered the courage to try a chicken foot, which, based on his reaction and my distaste for meat on bones, I will not be indulging in anytime soon!

I spent the rest of the day wandering fairly aimlessly around the city taking some pictures and headed to the gym before getting ready for Kora's birthday dinner.  She had picked out a really great American-style smokehouse in SoHo called The Bourbon so we delighted in hearty New York strips and full-bodied reds before devouring a velvety cheesecake for dessert.  Post dinner we went to Yumla- a serious techno/electronic club just down the road.  It was a fantastic night.

That is, until I returned home to find that my residence had transformed into Noah's Arc after a couple hours of heavy rains.  Water was cascading in through the ceilings above both staircases creating actual waterfalls between the building entrance and my room.  I made it to bed safe, but only after trudging through some suspiciously murky waters in the halls.  By early morning, there was a four foot deep puddle barring the exits on both sides of my hallways, but building staff had it dry by the afternoon and I was able to make a quick escape.  Hopefully this will be the last act of God plaguing my dorm, at least for the month- otherwise it's hotel time for me!

Typhoon

Pub Crawl Fail!!

Experienced my first Asian Typhoon on Wednesday while celebrating the end of the school week in Wan Chai.  Mother Nature, I am impressed!  I haven's seen rains as heavy since my stint in the jungles of Guatemala and the lightning crashed over the city more violently than I have seen in any post-apocalyptic science fiction movie.  Luckily, it was ladies night in Wan Chai so there was more than enough free-flowing vodka to calm my nerves.  So much so that I didn't even mind when I noticed that I was standing toe to toe with a giant cockroach who had also come into the bar to escape the rain (a common sight I'm sure).  A fantastic night even despite the storm!!

Labour Day Long Weekend

Sunday Sunset at South Beach

Welcome to my first official long weekend post, and happy Labour Day to all the folks back home!  I say "first official long weekend post" for several reasons.  First, back at home, it is in fact the long weekend.  Second, EVERY weekend in Hong Kong is my long weekend thanks to my top-heavy, travel-happy schedule this term at HKU which has me capping off my school week on wednesday evening just in time to watch regular folk struggle through the hump day grind.  Third,  if this past weekend is any indication of what's in store for the rest of the term, then Monday seems like a fairly opportune time to sit down and do a little recap of the week's events.


Macau:  Early Thursday afternoon we gathered passports, rallied the troops (18 of the law students on exchange from Canada, the US and Israel) and hopped a ferry to Macau, a former Portuguese colony on the western side of the Pearl River Delta.  Although Macau has been appreciated for years for its unique mixture of Chinese and Portuguese (Macanese) culture, it appears on the travel radar today primarily as a mecca for gambling and shopping.

Insert "bus full of lawyers" joke here:

Hard Rock Casino, Cotai

Macau has been dubbed the Las Vegas of South East Asia and it doesn't take long to see why.  A cruise down the central strip reveals block upon block of casinos and luxury brand mini-malls, each more ostentatious than the last,  A short trip across the harbour to Taipa will land you on the Cotai strip where recognizable American imports such as the Venetian and the Hard Rock dominate the skyline.

To give you an idea of the sheer size of these monstrous complexes, the Galaxy Resort, set to open in 2011, will take over an impressive 550,000 square-meters of prime real estate in Cotai and will consist of more than 2,200 guest rooms, 50 food and beverage outlets, 52,000 square meters of oasis gardens and the world's largest sky wave pool (4,000 square meters) complete with its own 350 ton white sand beach.  The Venetian, located right next door, boasts similar statistics and is currently listed as the world's largest casino.

Overview of Galaxy Macau, opening 2011

If all of this seems absurd, rest assured that the space is all being put to good use.  We surveyed the scene mid-afternoon (on a weekday mind you) only to find that most of the casinos were already bustling, mostly with visitors from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Mainland (where gambling is currently illegal).

After exploring the casinos, we regrouped for dinner at Fernando's: a delightful Portuguese spot off the beaten path on Hac Sa Beach.  The fish was fresh, the sangria was plentiful and the company was lively.    After negotiating a ride back to the strip with a local, we hit up the Hard Rock to take advantage of some free champagne and then jumped a cab to D2 for some more drinks and dancing.  In true vegas style, the DJ was spinning a rousing mix of house and top 40 and the (female) entertainment was provocative to say the least.  Around 3 a.m. there was a noticeable shift in the room's demographic as a large cohort of Russian girls began to work the crowd, watched closely by some serious looking dudes who stayed in booths enjoying bottle service.

Dinner at Fernando's

The Ladies: Rodan, Nicole, Kelly, Kora, Me, Nathalie, Noeme and Noa

Leaving Hard Rock

Joel and Jesse enjoying the scenery

Of course there is plenty to do in Macau even once you tire of all the gambling, shopping and drinking (read: once this town has swallowed your wallet).  The historic centre of Macau was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 thanks to its culturally significant temples, churches, fortresses and monuments.  A walk around town would have been splendid had we not arrived just in time to catch the tail end of a typhoon passing through.  The sheets of rain quickly ruled out the other activity I had planned for Macau: a death-defying leap off of Macau Tower which plays home to the world's tallest bungy.  Fortunately for me and unfortunately for my coffers there are lots of weekends left in the term to explore this sexy SAR.

Lippo Towers from Hong Kong Park

Back in the City: Friday was uneventful as I spent most of the evening recovering upon my return to HK.  I spent Saturday morning at the gym and spent the afternoon wandering around Hong Kong Park and Admiralty.  Notwithstanding the groups of tourists the park is a peaceful sanctuary juxtaposed against the bustling city.

After a long day of walking around, I  joined Jesse, Nicole and Mikey for some authentic cantonese noodles at a local spot just outside of Causeway Bay in Tin Hau.  The food was delicious thanks to Mike's ability to order everything in Cantonese!  We let dinner digest as we walked around Causeway Bay and stopped for a quick dessert at a local Chinese dessert spot in the World Trade Centre.  We avoided all durian-based dishes (a stinky melon considered to be a delicacy here for reasons beyond my comprehension) and selected delicious mango, banana and ice cream treats.  We capped the night off at a sweet shisha bar in LKF called Alhambra which overlooks D'Aguilar, the main street in LKF.

LKF from above

Kiwi Martinis and Mint/Grape Shisha

Wakeboarding in Tai Tam: To cap the weekend off, on Sunday I joined Kora and our friends Doug (from Queen's), Tomo (from Japan) and Mitch (from Sidney) for an awesome day of sun and surf in Tai Tam on the south side of the island.

Makeshift Dock

No one ever told me that Hong Kong was known for its wakeboarding, but it is apparently wildly popular, at least among expats, and the guys seemed to have a great hook up with the boat owners in the area.  The water was warm and incredibly calm compared to Victoria harbour, although I still struggled with the waves which turned my legs and arms to jell-o after about the third run.

On the way home we stopped for a late lunch and a swim at South Beach.  The spot is popular with locals and so we dined on burgers and caprese salad before plopping down on the sand surrounded by families speaking French, Dutch and English.

Kora and Doug

Driver Extraordinaire

Mitch Jumps the Wake

Doug Gets Some Air

Wakeboard Virgin Gets Up!! Very Impressive with this boat

Tomo Works the Waves

My Comparatively Unimpressive Moves

Me and Kora at South Beach

By 8:30 we were feeling peckish again and so we met up for dinner at the Clay Oven- an Indian food restaurant in Kennedy Town.  We were joined by Mike Atlas, another law student from Queen's, Nicole, Jesse and Amy, a Texan who now works as a trader in town.  The food was fantastic and abundant, as were the drinks.  No one was quite ready to call it a night so we finished the weekend off at a British Pub where we ordered beer towers and played some pool before crashing for the night.

Nicole Working the Table

Overall, an unforgettable weekend.  Can't wait to do it all again in two days!!

Dancing in (the eve of) September

A few nights ago I was chatting up Mike, one of Jesse's friends from Toronto who conveniently (for me) moved to Hong Kong a few years ago, and was more than slightly miffed when he told me that Hong Kong isn't really known for it's dance club scene.  Lounges, apparently, are a dime a dozen, but rumour was that locals just didn't like getting down and dirty on the dance floor.  Luckily,  this rumour was partially dispelled on Monday night when we happened to stumble upon a proper funk band playing at a club in LKF, covering Al Green, Earth Wind and Fire and other disco-era r&b classics.  It didn't take long before the crowd made its way to the dance floor.  

Admittedly, "crowd" might be a bit of an overstatement.  In fact, the dance floor was pretty much held down all night by one lone soldier- a flamboyantly gay middle aged asian man with a pocket-sized paper fan that played a leading role in most of his dance moves.  We did get up and join him for a few songs, but our western moves paled in comparison to his well-rehearsed fan-heavy routines.  And so the search continues for a proper dance club...

Yesterday, I made my way across Victoria Harbour to Kowloon with Jesse, Nicole and Kora.  If Hong Kong Island left any doubt about whether or not I was truly living in an asian city, Kowloon more than settled it.  If you're looking for an authentic Chinese experience (viz. crowded markets, abundant noodle shops, neon signs and cupboard-sized restaurants proudly displaying whole boiled geese and serving up miscellaneous fried organs) then Kowloon is definitely your destination.  With a population density of roughly 43,000 per square kilometer (approximately 2.5 times that of Hong Kong Island), Kowloon is hot and crowded.  Luckily, it is also relatively flat which made our marathon walk through the area slightly less exhausting.

Neon signs by day along Nathan Street

Goose is a special at a lot of the Kowloon Restaurants

If you take the star ferry across to Kowloon, you arrive on the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade surrounded by luxury retailers, ritzy hotels and Michelin Starred restaurants.   A great area to explore if you have CAD$4 million to drop on  hand carved Mammoth Tusks (a luxury commodity that has filled the gap in the ivory market ever since the trade ban on elephant ivory) or if you want to peruse the racks at Vivienne Tam before heading for high tea at the Lobby at the Penninsula, but we decided to go a little deeper into the heart of Kowloon and rode the MTR all the way to Prince Edward Station.

Our first stop was Flower Market Road:  two or three blocks of open-fronted shops selling bunches of exotic flowers at rock bottom prices (a dozen roses ran about CAD$3 and a live orchid plant cost about CAD$4-7).  Fresh flowers are thought to bring good luck and are therefore a staple in most Hong Kong households.  They also apparently improve Feng Shui, but I think the real draw is that the fragrant bouquets of lilies and freesia likely mask some of the more pungent odors which are known to violently burst forth from unknown sources and catch your nostrils quite off guard.

A little further down the road, we came to the Yuen Po Street Bird Market, a fascinating and thoroughly disturbing open-air courtyard where vendors sell all types of song birds and related paraphernalia including intricately fashioned bird cages, delicate porcelain water dishes and bags of live crickets.  

On display were everything from small parakeets and cockatiels to African Grey parrots, green parrots and one very grumpy macaw.  Most of the birds seemed happy enough, but some bounced psychotically off the walls of their cages every time you walked near, no doubt as a result of severe claustrophobia and bird anxiety.  One poor guy had lost his tail, likely in a failed escape attempt.

The Market is not only a popular destination for tourists and bird fanciers, it is also a place where local Kowlooners (mostly older men) can come with their birds for an afternoon outing.  Quite a strange site.

By the time we had done a full loop around the courtyard, I had seen just about as many caged birds as I could handle for one day, and after the giant macaw nearly took off my finger with his beak as I took his photo, I got the sense that they had had just about enough of us snap-happy tourists as well.

Live Food!

Friendly Cockatiels

This macaw was not interested in being friends

From the Bird Market, we headed toward the next logical destination: the Goldfish Market.  Equally as fascinating and not quite as terrifying as the Bird Market.  All along Tung Choi Street between Prince Edward and Bute, store fronts were lined with bags and bags of live aquarium fish.  Everything from Neon Tetras (about 8 for a dollar) to angel fish to tiny turtles to albino frogs.  One store even carried miniature red, white and blue lobsters.  Aquariums are also considered to bring good luck and are excellent for feng shui (sensing a theme yet?).  The brightly hued exotic fish and hypnotizing live coral aquariums were almost enough to convince me to invest in a new pet, but for now I think the geckos in the Patrick Manson bathrooms are just about all the residence wildlife I can handle.

To date, I have been pleasantly surprised at how laid back all of the local vendors seem to be in Hong Kong.  Having spent a fair amount of time negotiating my way through street markets in Central America and Europe, I came to Kowloon expecting to have to fight the entrepreneurs of the informal sector off with sticks.  I was pleasantly shocked to find that most of the vendors in the Ladies Market seemed to take a very low-pressure sales approach in comparison to their Mexican counterparts.  The sales dialogue typically unfolds in a generic manner as follows:

Jesse and Nicole stroll through the market

Me: (Point to an item) How Much?

Vendor: 100 (insert price).

Me: (looking shocked then suddenly uninterested) Oh, no thanks.

Vendor: Okay, how much?

Me: 25 (I like to start at about a quarter of the quoted price).

Vendor: No, no too low.

At this point the vendor will highlight various features depending on the product like "real silver", "like Chanel" or "Good for boyfriend" and then make a counteroffer which will take one of two forms: either a 2 for 1 offer at the original price or an immediate jump to half-price.  Following this, I will either restate my initial offer of 1/4 the price, or meet somewhere in the middle depending on how much I want whatever junky treasure it is I am bargaining for.  Most often, I am pretty bored by this time and have seen something in another stall that has caught my eye so I walk away.  Have yet to see anything here that I can't live without.

After the ladies market, we picked up our pace a little bit and made our way along Temple Street where the night market was just starting to set up.  A warning to anyone planning on taking a leisurely stroll through the night market with kids: this public market seems to be the proper location to load up on novelty lingerie and adult toys.  At first we shared a few chuckles as we passed by fairly benign-looking back massagers and nighties, but only a few tables in, our laughs turned into wide-eyed, open mouthed bewilderment as we not-so-bashfully surveyed the many interesting silicone and battery-operated options available to customers who liked a little impropriety along with their open-air shopping.

Finally we made our way down the south end of Nathan Road to the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade where we set up shop (and tripods) to watch the famous Symphony of Lights illuminate Victoria Harbour.  Lasers and light fixtures on more than 40 buildings on both sides of the harbour light up the night sky for 20 minutes every night in a dazzling display set to music.  We were glad we got their early since there was a sizable crowd by the time the show started.  The "hurry up and wait" element of Hong Kong's attractions is made far more tolerable thanks to the city's acceptance of public alcohol consumption.  We were all parched after a full day of walking around in the heat and a couple of TsingTaos courtesy of the nearest 7-Eleven really hit the spot!  We capped the night off at Gaylord- an unfortunately named but tasty Indian food restaurant complete with its own live tabla band.  The hype for this restaurant was well-deserved.