Photo book complete

I finished my photo book!!  I think it turned out pretty good.

http://viewmyphotobook.smilebooks.com/905997ec5885b88a09d2434d0461a217

Day 11 Last call, part 2

Our next stop was to the beach on Hong Kong Island.  The only problem was the weather quit cooperating with us and it was a rainy slosh.  We did see the beach and I would have loved to hang out there on a sunny day.  We saw several brides getting their pictures taken.  Teresa said its very normal for people to get pictures done outside from the actual wedding day.  She pointed out this area was very a very popular place for expats to live and hang out.  We checked out Stanley market and I put some good ol time in picking up gifts and trinkets. 

We headed back to Kowloon island to grab an amazing cocktail.  We went up to the 109^th floor of the Ritz Carlton to the fancy bar and observation deck.  Yes 109^th floor and the elevator to get up there was the fastest elevator ever.  It took 55 seconds to get all the way up there, my ears were popping and I could actually hear everybody else’s ears as well.  It gave me the giggles and I couldn’t stop.  Yup, weird white girl foreigner starts cracking up on the elevator for no reason.     Once up there, it was designed so cool- contemporary fixtures, open fire things, glowing things and the view of the city was remarkable.  This is one of those places you go for 1 drink that costs the price of five, but the view and ambience is part of the price.  I ordered a dragonfruit martini….and it was heavenly.

Afterwards, we went to the mall where I could check out one of our Naturalizer stores.  It was the same as most other Naturalizer stores….same setup- only difference was the prices were in Hong Kong $$.   We grabbed a bite to eat at the mall – I think one of my fav.  I finally got to try the dumplings that have soup in the middle.  It was VERY tricky to grab and pick up the dumpling with a chopstick without puncturing a hole in it and the soup leaking out.  Yummy.

What an amazing day…..

I mean Hong Kong has everything I love. A beach, lots of shopping, lots of water, lots of people, food, bars, and a social culture. I am so glad I went. I highly recommend Hong Kong as a fun filled vacation destination. Althogh I am sure I owe most of this to Teresa, she was so sweet to take me out and answer all of my odd questions.  Thanks Teresa!!  I heart Hong Kong!

Day 11: Last call

Day 11. Monday

I had to pack in my last day in Hong Kong before spending the next 24 hours on airplanes and airports during my 3 flights back to western society.

I met Teresa at 9:30 for breakfast before we made our way to the Brown Shoe Hong Kong office. Our Hong Kong office isn’t very big, probably 20 people or so work there, but I wanted to say hi, in case I ever had to work with any of them.  Everyone was nice and the office was mostly the same- cube land with everybody typing away on their computers.

Afterwards we strolled through a market. A food market….I really had to pull myself out of my head and just focus on taking pictures because it was sooo out of my element. I didn’t want to be gagging while looking at other people’s food (im not completely rude), but it was sad to me to see the dead animals and even sadder to see the living ones just waiting to get their heads chopped off for dinner.  Yes I eat meat….but I am really good at denying it is an animal.  Most of my food doesn’t look like an animal so somehow I pull it off in my head.  I know this is not logical thinking.  I need to work on becoming a vegetarian or get over it.  I tried to be a vegetarian, but I found it so difficult in social situations.  And I love being social….it was hard to find things to eat.  Surely over time it becomes easier and if I became more dedicated, the more people would know to have a meat-less option.  After my 3 months run, I gave-in at a family Christmas dinner and said screw it the food is way too good to pass up.  BUT, I should try again.

Anyway… I understand that the reason for keeping the animals (fish, frog etc) alive up until right before they are eaten- so that they have the freshest food.  But I don’t get that logic.  The buckets, tanks and pins the animals are kept in are gross and dirty.  Yes they may be freshly dead, but they have been swimming and living in shit and who knows what bacteria for how long???  Not appetizing.

Still flopping around.

They are still alive-flopping around.  They throw water on the m now and then

After all the dead animalness, and some more regular shopping I was able to work up an appetite.  We  were off to see a floating restaurant.  This restaurant was very historic and we had to take a boat to it, after all it was floating in the bay.  We had the fish ball soup.  Yummy.  

Teresa really knows what American’s eat- I told her I will try and like most things BUT the can NOT be looking at me or remind me it would be looking at me and she got it.  I felt sooo lucky to have her guiding me around.  It was as if she could read my mind; every time something was weird or different she would point it out and explain it to me.  On several occasions, we laughed so hard I was almost crying. How often does that happen when you first meet a person?   This happened when we were talking about the variances in toilets- especially from mainland China to Hong Kong.  Mainland was mostly porcelain holes in the floor “squatty potties”- hong kong was much more western style toilets.  She explained that many mainland Chinese much prefer the hole in the floor- they think it’s disgusting to sit on a toilet- unsanitary.  Ok, Ok…I get it.  But its way more unsanitary to not wipe!!!  Toliet paper is very rare. She tells me that in many cases when the folks who prefer the hole come across a western toilet they will climb on it and stand to go to the bathroom in order to avoid sitting on it!!!!  I was picturing this in my mind and way dying laughing.  So funny.  If you are ever in China and there are footprints on the toilet, now you know why. 

Day 10 So much to do, so little time part 2

After spending the day with the ladies, Teresa gave me instructions to another tourist must do- the Peak.  I caught the ferry to the other island and took a bus to the top of the mountain.  We drove through neighborhoods and I got to see a lot of nicer neighborhoods.  The drive was nice it was so green and lush. Teresa told me to keep an eye out or the Philipaean maids gathered outside a mall we would pass.  Sure enough there were lots of them.  She explained it is manadory for all maids to be off on Sundays so the all gather and play cards etc.  I thought it was odd that their maids were from Philipeans. Why wouldn’t the use maids from the mainland.  It turns out that one of the only things China will not export is their people.  It is illegal to hire a mainland Chinese maid.  Hummm.

I got to the top of the peak just as the sun was setting.  What sunning views- in every direction.   It was quite chillier way up there so I grabbed  grande carmel maccanito form good old Starbucks and headed back to the other island.

At 8pm every night, Hong Kong’s cityscape turns into a laser light show.  Each building is lit up and flashes lights to the sound of music.  It was even more dedicant because of it being Christmas time. There were so many people who gathered around to watch.  I was looking from Kowloon Island onto Hong Kong Island and the people on Hong Kong Island viewed the building behind me on Kowloon Island.  Pretty neat.  I dont think we have anything like this in the states.

Day 10 So much to do, so little time

I am so grateful that my supervisor suggested to reach out to a coworker that lady she knows well  from our Hong Kong office.  She had made plans for me to join her and a few other Brown Shoe ladies for Dim Sum.  Oh boy, what a treat.  Dim Sum is style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food that is traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates.  This is a common communal style of eating.  Every culture has some sort of dining customs that are different from others.  Here is no different, the most obvious is the use of chopsticks and the spinning lazy susan.  But when we were getting seated, Teresa, the Hong Kong co-worker, was given a small bowl of water to rinse off the tea cups that we were about to drink tea from.   I asked her why they do that and she  explained that it is mostly customary.  But sometimes the restaurant setup the night before so just to be sure the cups are clean they clean the cups themselves. Drinking tea is very important in their culture and it was amazing- this one was a jasmine blend- yummy. 

After Dim Sum, we walked over to the Jade market.  It was divided in two parts.  One of which was the more expensive side where wholesalers and jewelers can be seen.  The other side offered more of costume jewelry.   It was all very colorful and pretty.

Then we were off to the bird market!  I had never been to a bird market and was a little scared.  I hoped it was not a bird meat market- I am sure there is such a thing in China. Fortunately this was more of a bird park.  It was so different and cool.  Birds have long been pets to the Chinese.  They bring their birds to the park just as we would bring our dogs to the park.  They bring the bird in the cage and hang it up under a tree or such.  Then the sit and read the paper and enjoy the bird.  Other park goers walk by and admire the birds and when we stopped to check out a bird, the owner would get the bird to sing by whistling calls to it.  The market part of the park was for buying birds or bird food, including live crickets and other bugs.  Totally fascinating.   Later we ate a light meal and Teresa pointed out the hooks in the restaurant so that people could bring their birds inside while they ate.  She then explained that it became illegal to bring the birds in 5 years ago with the outbreak of bird flu.

Skeeto traps

Nearby was the flower market.  You could smell the sweetness of the flowers blocks away.  There was every kind of plant and flower possible. And the holiday wreaths, they were real and smelt just like Christmas.  There was lots of arrangements to check out and plenty of plants I had never seen.  The one pictured below is called a mosquito trap.  They get trapped in the flower part because its filled with water.  We also passed a few bridal parties getting their photos. And a bakery, where they displayed peach shaped cakes- the peach is a symbol for long life and a peach looking cake is a normal birthday cake!

Day 9: Serenity found

After the night, I let myself sleep in a bit and lounge around.  Later that morning, I took the subway out to Lantau Island to spend the day visiting the Big Buddha.   The line to get tickets was insanely long, but I pulled out the ipad and just read through the line….about an hour and that was just to get to the ticket window.  The wait was worth it. 

I took a glass bottom gondola to the top of the Buddha Mountain.  6 people fit in a gondola and in my gondola there were 2 girls from Canada who were on their way home from spending 3 weeks in Thailand….we shared stories and they gave me some tips on where to go while in HK.  The gondola was cool and the views were awesome!

Once we got to the area, I was already super happy.  The sky was a baby blue and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.  The temperature was an awesome 65. I hiked up the Big Buddha and took lots of pictures. 

I had found my serenity; there was defiantly peacefulness in the area.

After walking around for a while I bought a meal ticket for a late lunch at the local seminary.  All the food is vegetarian.  And really really good vegetarian.   Isn’t it amazing how in different parts of the world the same items of food are cooked completely different and have an entire new taste?   The white thing below is made from radishes….and it was DELICIOUS!  The other thing, had peanuts and coconut. 

After the wonderful meal I checked out the temple.  I love the smell of temples, the aroma of incense and cloud of smoke rising to the heavens.  So peaceful. 

At about 6pm I took the gondola back to the subway.  I was lucky to be in the gondola as the sun was setting- the perfect way to end the day. I took the train back to the area I was staying and of course, I got lost.  I got turned around and turned around.  I was going to check out the night market, but  I thought I should just end the nice day and go to bed early.