I have realised after 22 months that there is a swimming pool right beside my apartment. it is underground in ymca. it is a 18m pool, but looks like a 10m pool. i will attempt to swim sometime this week. i have bought a membership at ymca, a red swimming cap, as required, and transparent goggles. not very glam, i will consider every visit there an onsen trip.
i have got a friend visiting coming weekend. it is indeed possible to plan a weekend getaway. checking my trusty "A Year of Adventures" points me to Xinjiang in China, the Karakoram Highway & Silk Road, Hike Tiger Leaping Gorge where you begin in Lijiang Dali, Nepal, Gobi March, Trailwalker in Hongkong!
next week is busy with boss in town for the better half of the week. it is almost reaching mid june, almost 2 years i am in hongkong. how time flies.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Tsing Yi Hike on Labour Day
I met Joyce and friends at Tsing Yi, MTR station on Friday morning. We then, took a bus there. This trail was easy and short. It took us a relaxing 2+ hours walk. Roads were well paved and little jungle bashing. When we finished, we walked to the mall back at Tsing Yi and had Yum char.
Bought a PC at Wanchai. And saw the orderly march from Causeway Bay to Central, where the government office sits. I found out after about the Wanchai Metropark Hotel incident of the infected Mexican guy. Unfortunately for the occupants of the hotel, all 300 had to be quarantined for a week.
Bought a PC at Wanchai. And saw the orderly march from Causeway Bay to Central, where the government office sits. I found out after about the Wanchai Metropark Hotel incident of the infected Mexican guy. Unfortunately for the occupants of the hotel, all 300 had to be quarantined for a week. I missed the Bun Festival because of the first case of Swine flu in HK. Obviously i should be avoiding crowds. Here is what i missed. Newspaper reports say,
Business was better than ever for Cheung Chau’s bun sellers yesterday as 60,000 people crammed the streets to see the annual bun festival parade. Businesses put the bumper attendance down to the island’s big day coinciding with a public holiday. Early today Ho Sin-fai, the youngest of 12 finalists, beat the odds to win the bun scrambling competition, which is the highlight of the festival. Ho, 20, won with a score of 1,038, having snatched the most and the highest-scoring buns from a 14-metre tower set up outside the island’s Pak Tai temple.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Of buns and of late
I haven't blogged for the longest time. Partly because I did not have anything particularly exciting to write about. But it was important time that I off took to cook, read, do up place a little with pictures (of family and Nepal) and necessities! (such as a recent addition to my cookery utensils, induction wok, air purifier, tap purifier, desktop PC) Hurray! :-)
Things that has been moving well. One is being very comfortable in HK, social life and setting up activities for myself. These are all being set in place, and will take full swing by end May.
Activities for a headstart:
* Rock climbing level 1 - 30 May 09
* CFA Level 1 - December 2009
* Dance at CCDA - July 2009
Work is going well too. I am happy with the progress I have made, though i cannot say I am content. (Somewhat quoting from Obama's 100 days in office speech)
A couple of things: glad that Paul is happily in school. Paula not very happy with her gowns designs, aikes, I will just sort out my own first, pending for a good design to hit me! Any suggestions welcome! I live so close to Shenzhen, should be peanuts to get one tailored!
Tomorrow is the Cheung Chau Bun Scrambling Festival.
Cheung Chau's Bun Festival, which draws tens of thousands of local and overseas tourists every year, is staged to mark the Eighth day of the Fourth Moon, in the Chinese calendar (this is usually in early May). It coincides with the local celebration of Buddha's Birthday.
The Cheung Chau Bun Festival began as a fun and exciting ritual for fishing communities to pray for safety from pirates. Today this religious origin has largely been forgotten, and the festival has mainly become a showcase of traditional Chinese culture.Cheung Chau's Bun Festival, which draws tens of thousands of local and overseas tourists every year, is staged to mark the Eighth day of the Fourth Moon, in the Chinese calendar (this is usually in early May). It coincides with the local celebration of Buddha's Birthday.
The Cheung Chau Bun Festival began as a fun and exciting ritual for fishing communities to pray for safety from pirates. Today this religious origin has largely been forgotten, and the festival has mainly become a showcase of traditional Chinese culture.
Things that has been moving well. One is being very comfortable in HK, social life and setting up activities for myself. These are all being set in place, and will take full swing by end May.
Activities for a headstart:
* Rock climbing level 1 - 30 May 09
* CFA Level 1 - December 2009
* Dance at CCDA - July 2009
Work is going well too. I am happy with the progress I have made, though i cannot say I am content. (Somewhat quoting from Obama's 100 days in office speech)
A couple of things: glad that Paul is happily in school. Paula not very happy with her gowns designs, aikes, I will just sort out my own first, pending for a good design to hit me! Any suggestions welcome! I live so close to Shenzhen, should be peanuts to get one tailored!
Tomorrow is the Cheung Chau Bun Scrambling Festival.
Cheung Chau's Bun Festival, which draws tens of thousands of local and overseas tourists every year, is staged to mark the Eighth day of the Fourth Moon, in the Chinese calendar (this is usually in early May). It coincides with the local celebration of Buddha's Birthday.
The Cheung Chau Bun Festival began as a fun and exciting ritual for fishing communities to pray for safety from pirates. Today this religious origin has largely been forgotten, and the festival has mainly become a showcase of traditional Chinese culture.Cheung Chau's Bun Festival, which draws tens of thousands of local and overseas tourists every year, is staged to mark the Eighth day of the Fourth Moon, in the Chinese calendar (this is usually in early May). It coincides with the local celebration of Buddha's Birthday.
The Cheung Chau Bun Festival began as a fun and exciting ritual for fishing communities to pray for safety from pirates. Today this religious origin has largely been forgotten, and the festival has mainly become a showcase of traditional Chinese culture.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Hold On
This MTV i chanced upon after watching American Idol is interesting. It talks about bull riders having the biggest balls.... haha. Well like life right? Take it by its horns.
Hold On - Korn
With aversion, this insertion
came so swiftly
Cut the cord, from this day forward
We'll be drifting
No direction, no affection
Watch the soul dive
You're dissected, resurrected
Still don't know why
This illness is like a monster that is
eating us alive
Hold on, be strong
So right, so wrong
With all of our senses
All of our defenses
Hold on, be strong
New arrival, our survival
still not certain
What's a virtue, where do you go to
when you're hurting?
It's a weakness, it's a sickness
in the gene pool
Show no mercy, people here say
"Kill the damned fool"
This illness is like a monster that is
eating us alive
Hold on, be strong
So right, so wrong
With all of our senses
All of our defenses
Hold on, be strong
My
Soul
Blood
Run
Don't ever let me go, no
Don't ever let me go, no
Never never let you go, n
oI'll never let you go, no
Hold on, be strong
So right, so wrong
With all of our senses
All of our defenses
Hold on, be strong
Hold On - Korn
With aversion, this insertion
came so swiftly
Cut the cord, from this day forward
We'll be drifting
No direction, no affection
Watch the soul dive
You're dissected, resurrected
Still don't know why
This illness is like a monster that is
eating us alive
Hold on, be strong
So right, so wrong
With all of our senses
All of our defenses
Hold on, be strong
New arrival, our survival
still not certain
What's a virtue, where do you go to
when you're hurting?
It's a weakness, it's a sickness
in the gene pool
Show no mercy, people here say
"Kill the damned fool"
This illness is like a monster that is
eating us alive
Hold on, be strong
So right, so wrong
With all of our senses
All of our defenses
Hold on, be strong
My
Soul
Blood
Run
Don't ever let me go, no
Don't ever let me go, no
Never never let you go, n
oI'll never let you go, no
Hold on, be strong
So right, so wrong
With all of our senses
All of our defenses
Hold on, be strong
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Oscars - My Predictions
I watched an impressive three movies over this weekend. They are Slumdog Millionaire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button & Revolutionary Road. I guess I wanted to see for myself the movies before the Oscars. Others I have to watch before Wednesday: Milk, Doubt & The Class. I don't think The Wrestler, and Frost/Nixon and Rachel Getting Married & The Reader will be out in HK by this Thursday.
My Picks for those that I know:
Art Direction: Benjamin Button
Cinematography: Slumdog
Directing: Slumdog
Makeup: The Dark Knight
Music: Slumdog
Best Picture: Benjamin Button,
Best Music: Jai Ho from Slumdog
My Picks for those that I know:
Art Direction: Benjamin Button
Cinematography: Slumdog
Directing: Slumdog
Makeup: The Dark Knight
Music: Slumdog
Best Picture: Benjamin Button,
Best Music: Jai Ho from Slumdog
Sunday, February 22, 2009
One Week Later
Shanghai was great. Met with China "laojiaos" like Jack and Dan from SMU, Sam and his wife Grace, and Alex - Pris's colleague. Went to eat Ma La Hotpot, Di Shui Dong, Xiao Long Bao at Cheng Huang Miao, Ningbo Tang yuan. I even had the experience of eating at a SOE's canteen, and oh Intercon's breakfast was delightful!
It was reasonably priced tailored blouse at RMB100, and one tailored black jacket at RMB260, another at RMB200. I had it tailored at the commercialized ('read - so many lao wais!') texile market near Nanpu Bridge train station. This guy at some leather shop made me drink beer with him! And i went for much-needed massage at Ming Massage - it was surely a far walk from what I was instructed to be a near walk! The decor was amazing, very zen, and the massage baju was good elastic material, not your cheap cotton kind! It cost something like RMB108 for 60mins, plus it was quiet, could unwind from that intense two days of meetings! Visited Awfully Chocolate (their chinese name is 'au fu li' full stop, oops) and the fudge was too melty for my taste. Shop very true to the clean white barewalled interior.
All credit to the spicy food, i have got a huge ulcer on my cheek (near my wisdom teeth surgery), that lasted for a week. I could hardly speak, and had no appetite. Thank god its getting better. I went to the doctor - on the pretext of getting a MC, but obviously the doctors in HK are too pragmatic to even offer. I suffered, while my colleague was gloating behind my back. By chance (and part by plan) she didn't get to see my visitor for one week, Smoochie. This little Snauzer has amazing bowels, none of my dogs ever mastered the skill of holding their pee overnight, and she did it. See, I allow only selected bitches to my apartment - those who know how to behave.
It was reasonably priced tailored blouse at RMB100, and one tailored black jacket at RMB260, another at RMB200. I had it tailored at the commercialized ('read - so many lao wais!') texile market near Nanpu Bridge train station. This guy at some leather shop made me drink beer with him! And i went for much-needed massage at Ming Massage - it was surely a far walk from what I was instructed to be a near walk! The decor was amazing, very zen, and the massage baju was good elastic material, not your cheap cotton kind! It cost something like RMB108 for 60mins, plus it was quiet, could unwind from that intense two days of meetings! Visited Awfully Chocolate (their chinese name is 'au fu li' full stop, oops) and the fudge was too melty for my taste. Shop very true to the clean white barewalled interior.
All credit to the spicy food, i have got a huge ulcer on my cheek (near my wisdom teeth surgery), that lasted for a week. I could hardly speak, and had no appetite. Thank god its getting better. I went to the doctor - on the pretext of getting a MC, but obviously the doctors in HK are too pragmatic to even offer. I suffered, while my colleague was gloating behind my back. By chance (and part by plan) she didn't get to see my visitor for one week, Smoochie. This little Snauzer has amazing bowels, none of my dogs ever mastered the skill of holding their pee overnight, and she did it. See, I allow only selected bitches to my apartment - those who know how to behave.
Friday, February 06, 2009
Shanghai Advice
"I think you can stay at Le Meridien, its really nice, rooms cost 1100 from a discount agency.
Places that you can visit, places to eat – I got more eateries than I have places to visit…
1) Jap Restaurant: 长宁路890号玫瑰坊广场EF32 – good yakitori and sake!
2) Small lobster Restaurant: 虹桥路217号- if you’ve never experienced small lobster eating, try it once! Get the 年糕 ver.
3) Fakkin’ good Sichuan food: Jinjiang Dickson Mall area, look for 滴水洞 http://www.shanghainavi.com/food/restaurant.php?id=11
4) 小肥羊 – I always eat that when I go to Shanghai, WITHOUT FAIL!
5) Go to Xintiandi also ba, that’s all I know of Shanghai! "
~NH
" Hi, attached is the namecard with the addresses for Sichuan food (pretty spicy but its good. must book in advance hor). The following restaurants are also good, check out the reviews (must book too or go early)
- Spicy joint : http://www.dianping.com/shop/2061259
- Mushroom Hotpot : http://www.dianping.com/shop/2244928
- 789 Hotpot : http://www.dianping.com/shop/2198275
If you wanna try good xiao long bao, I would recommend a stall in this old town called 七宝 Qi Bao. There is a train station with this name on line 9 (i think). Once you emerge, there will be a shopping centre... but if you go across the road and walk in a bit further.. there is an 'old town'. Surprisingly, its filled with more locals than tourists and there's a food street there which is usually very crowded. The xiao long bao stall is near the bridge beside a pavilion. They are famous for their crab-roe xlb. The ah-balling stalls there are also worth trying. Have fun!"
~John
Places that you can visit, places to eat – I got more eateries than I have places to visit…
1) Jap Restaurant: 长宁路890号玫瑰坊广场EF32 – good yakitori and sake!
2) Small lobster Restaurant: 虹桥路217号- if you’ve never experienced small lobster eating, try it once! Get the 年糕 ver.
3) Fakkin’ good Sichuan food: Jinjiang Dickson Mall area, look for 滴水洞 http://www.shanghainavi.com/food/restaurant.php?id=11
4) 小肥羊 – I always eat that when I go to Shanghai, WITHOUT FAIL!
5) Go to Xintiandi also ba, that’s all I know of Shanghai! "
~NH
" Hi, attached is the namecard with the addresses for Sichuan food (pretty spicy but its good. must book in advance hor). The following restaurants are also good, check out the reviews (must book too or go early)
- Spicy joint : http://www.dianping.com/shop/2061259
- Mushroom Hotpot : http://www.dianping.com/shop/2244928
- 789 Hotpot : http://www.dianping.com/shop/2198275
If you wanna try good xiao long bao, I would recommend a stall in this old town called 七宝 Qi Bao. There is a train station with this name on line 9 (i think). Once you emerge, there will be a shopping centre... but if you go across the road and walk in a bit further.. there is an 'old town'. Surprisingly, its filled with more locals than tourists and there's a food street there which is usually very crowded. The xiao long bao stall is near the bridge beside a pavilion. They are famous for their crab-roe xlb. The ah-balling stalls there are also worth trying. Have fun!"
~John