Tsing Yi

On a lazy Sunday we decided to go outlet shopping in Tsing Yi. Tsing Yi is a very small island between the Kowloon peninsula and the island of Lantau. Prior to our exploration we only knew it as a stop of the airport train. The mall was like most outlets, a few good stores and a lot of average ones. The only unique display was the one promoting an upcoming movie...

... The Smurfs!

We wandered around looking for bargains and didn't really find any we were interested in. We did have a very nice lunch at the Spaghetti House on the lower level. The best part of this was discovering that the lower level leads out to a beautiful walkway by the harbor.

Across the harbor is a very old cemetery. The Chinese believe that it is good for the deceased and the generations to follow if you are buried with your back to the land and your face to the water. It is good fung shue. Thus most cemeteries are built on hillsides often with cliffs separating the levels. It is an awesome sight to see hundreds of graves, very close together hanging from the hillside. It is somehow hauntingly beautiful.

Walking along the waterfront provided beautiful views of Kowloon and the bridges connecting it to Tsing Yi.

This area is right near the major port for shipping. The size of the container ships is very impressive and smaller vessels ply the waters as well. From this walkway there is even some good fishing.

A little further along the path widened and became part of the huge Tsing Yi athletic complex. There is even a cushioned jogging path and unlike where we live - it is flat.

What started out to be a rather boring trip to the mall turned into a beautiful walk by the harbor. That is one of the beauties of Hong Kong. There is always a surprise if you just keep your eyes open.

A Tale of Two Dinners

While Ken was enjoying his dinner at Clark Quay, I went out for Korean Barbecue with my friend Vesper. The restaurant is located in Causeway Bay and is on the third floor of an office building. The food is served buffet style and each table has a grill in the center to cook on. There are some pre-prepared foods like soups, salads and veggies, but all of the meats and seafood selections are cooked at the table. There is also sushi!

After making our selections, we began putting our dinner together.

We had a lovely selection of beef, chicken, pork, fish, squid and vegetables. It really is a very relaxing way to eat. There is a slower pace to the meal with plenty of time to enjoy each other's company. 

When we finished our meal it was off to Haagen Dazs for a little dessert. Both Vesper and I were surprised at the Haagen Dazs shop. There is a young man who leads you to a booth, presents you with the menus and takes your order. The booths were plush and it was fun having your ice cream in a very elegant setting. There were some summer smoothies that we could not resist.

And what was Ken doing while we were having such a wholesome evening?

He was at a Persian restaurant with three beautiful women, enjoying the entertainment.

Apparently belly dancing is a must when eating Persian food. 

Clark Quay

Last week Ken went to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and I stayed in Hong Kong. One of the areas he visited in Singapore he had not seen before. It is called Clark Quay. 

It is a beautiful riverfront area covered with a light and airy roof held up by pillars that circulate cooled air so that even near the equator you can shop and dine in comfort. 

One very interesting display featured a hologram of a Range Rover.

The area is anchored on each end with a mall and filled with restaurants and shops. Another haven for the Asian passions of eating and shopping. One restaurant they did not dine at, but which caught their eye, is called Clinic. In this establishment the seating might be hospital beds or wheelchairs. I am not sure that would be the atmosphere I would want to dine in, but to each his own. It certainly is creative.

And as for where he ate? You'll see that a bit later.

Happy Birthday, Ken

What to do to celebrate a birthday half way around the world from all of your family and friends? Well, I tried my best and I think Ken had a fun birthday. His big day was on Saturday so he took Friday off work. (Makes sense to me.) We were trying to figure out what to do on a very hot day and, of course, we decided to do something that would keep us in the sun for a long stretch. In our defense, it was partly cloudy when we started out, but by the time we rode the ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui on Kowloon all the clouds were gone.


Ken had not yet seen Hong Kong's "Avenue of the Stars" so we decided to take a stroll. At the start is the statue that represents their film awards like Oscar does for us. Only they have a naked lady wrapped in film - where did we go wrong.

And of course there is the obligatory pose with that world renown star Mickey Mouse.

We even had an opportunity to help in the filming.

Ken has always wanted to direct!


He had a brief moment with Bruce Lee...

And then it was off to do a little birthday shopping. We stopped on the way home for a bit of Happy Hour. Yes, he had a beer. We chatted with our friend Anna who manages Cochran's and then headed home for a quiet dinner.


On Saturday we took a tram to Causeway Bay to check out the Adidas store. Ken was watching a tennis tournament and saw an outfit he liked. This is his favorite way to choose tennis wear. He went on line but could only find the shirt and not the shorts. When we got to the store, the first thing he found? The shorts. Of course they didn't have the shirt in the color combo he wanted. So, we got the shorts and the on-line store will provide the shirt. There is always a solution when it comes to his sports gear.


Saturday night we were hosted by our friend Rommel for a Filipino dinner. Friends of Rom were in visiting from China. Rafael and Grace are delightful and Grace's birthday was Sunday so it was a double celebration.

As is our custom, we let Rom and Rafael order since they know what they are doing. We had authentic Filipino food that included a soup that was fantastic, egg rolls, beef in peanut sauce, the accountant's special (chicken, pork & adobo - CPA, get it? Rom's joke, not mine) veggies, noodles, and more. 

One of the dishes was called Sasa (might be spelled wrong). It's the one in the top photo with the orchid on the plate. It looked like a chopped salad and had a vinegary topping but was crunchier that I expected. After two helpings, Rom told us the secret ingredient - pig's ears! If you don't know, it makes it easier to be adventurous. Very little goes to waste in any type of Asian cooking and pig's ears are proof positive. Another dish which we knew we were eating was fried pork knuckles.

It is actually hunks of the leg and joints that are deep fried and served with several toppings. The meat is tasty and I actually liked it plain. It would make great bar food. 


Our dinning enjoyment was enhanced by a pair of singers who had beautiful voices and sang everything from The Eagles to Bruno Mars to The Captain and Tennile.

We went back to Rom's apartment in Wan Chai for a bit and admired the view from his balcony. Then it was back to Central and up through Lan Kwai Fong. 

It is always a happening place and especially on a Saturday night.


And what would a birthday be without a few little presents. So what did Ken get?
From me two shirts he has been coveting for quite some time.

They are the real deal (I found a great sale) and he is quite pleased with them.


From Shayne he got another gadget that will help him when he has those long conference calls.

It is an old fashioned hand set that works with your mobile phone. We tried it out and he said he can hear better with it than with either his phone or the blue tooth. He loves it.


And of course there is Kyle's gift.

Despite the tease, we are already trying to figure out how to get all of our stuff home so it makes sense not to send one more thing that we would have to ship back. He knows he will love it no matter what.


And of course, what would a birthday be without a birthday cake?

So Happy Birthday, my dear. We are once again the same age!

Nina & Alex

I had a wonderful afternoon today and I have Shayne to thank for it. When she was visiting we went up to the Peak. While there she mulled over an item she wanted and decided not to get it. After careful reflection (and flying back to NYC) she changed her mind. So I was commissioned as personal shopper. 


It is a beautiful day in Hong Kong and I never, ever tire of the views from Victoria Peak. I also like the tram ride up - it's like a slow roller coaster. The Peak Tram terminus is about a 15 to 20 minute walk from our apartment. So after lunch I set out to run my errand. 


A short distance from the station a woman came up to me and was speaking in a language I did not know (other than Chinese). She was with her grandson and he could speak a few words of English. I gathered that they were looking for directions but couldn't fathom exactly where they wanted to go. Luckily she had a drawing of the tram being pulled up the hill, so I told them (and motioned a lot) to follow me. Once inside the station I decided to wait for them to buy their tickets because I figured we had already started figuring out how to communicate. 


We boarded the tram and set off for Victoria Peak. On the way I found out her name is Nina and his is Alex. Alex is from Moscow and I am fairly sure Nina is from Vladivostok. 

When we arrived at the Peak I helped Alex choose a souvenir and then showed them my favorite lookout spots. 

It was such an interesting afternoon. Alex would try a bit of English but was very shy about it. Nina would try a bit as well following his lead. The best I could do in Russian was thank you. We each talked to each other in our own language, yet somehow the meaning was perfectly clear.


We admired some of the paintings at the stalls and checked out the route to Macao. Alex was enamored with a display celebrating 100 years of the trolly busses in Hong Kong.

Along with photos Nina was also taking movies and giving commentary. I even heard my name mentioned a time or two. I found out that they are in Hong Kong for two days and then going into China. I can't really tell you how I know this; I just understood what she was trying to tell me.


After we took our last looks at the beautiful views it was time to part ways.

With hugs and thank you's in both English and Russian, we said goodbye. Somewhere in Russia there will be a video with this short American woman in Hong Kong and all over the U.S. there are photos of a lovely Russian grandmother and grandson on vacation in Hong Kong. It truly is a small, small world after all. Oh, and tomorrow they are going to Disneyland.