Hong Kong Journal

Scrunchie Acculturation

2012-02-01T19:27:00.000+08:00

I went exploring last Saturday in the local neighborhood of Pok Fu Lam. It is just a few steps west of my apartment. My intention was to find a particular dumpling shop that was good, authentic and cheap. I wondered to myself how often I eat Southeast Asian or Chinese dishes each week. Quite a lot. Most of the Western dishes I try to prepare each week are in some way "Asian". I drink tea rather than coffee nowadays, and much of the time I prefer using chopsticks when I eat. I then began to reflect on how much I may or may not have acculturated to Chinese or Hong Kong culture since I have lived in Hong Kong. I know I have learned so much in the work place when it comes to approaches to communicating and interacting and doing business across cultures. But how much have I learned socially, aesthetically and in other ways? I know that I probably enunciate my words more clearly than I ever did in college. This is due to an ever present chance of being misunderstood due to language barriers. In terms of aesthetic acculturation, sure, I have even more respect for Chinese art than I did before living here. That's not saying much, as I have always had a high regard for art from this region. The one real shocker came to me after my noodle-seeking adventure last weekend. I had a few impulse buys on my outing. These purchases included a hello kitty figurine (which I fully intend to ship to my 4-year old cousins.) and a hair scrunchie. Wait. What? Yep, a black, velvet scrunchie. I did not blink an eye until after I went through with the $0.50 purchase. Flashes of Donna from 90210 went through my mind...but so did those of 5-year-old Chinese concerto pianists and gymnists wearing velvet scrunchies. And then I thought about myself wearing a scrunchie. I never would have bought this living in New York. In Hong Kong, though, they are sold on every corner. A fifth of the women walking down the street are wearing them. And while I do not intend to let this thing see the light of day, I love mine. They are good for your hair and perfect for holding hair back as you wash your face. Scrunchies rock. And they will now always remind me of the time I have spend in Hong Kong.

Comfortable Flying for Long Flights

2012-01-07T17:36:00.001+08:00

It's great to be back in Hong Kong after a whirlwind trip home to the States for Christmas and New Years. The trip was fantastic because I had the opportunity to spend time in some of my favorite cities with my amazing friends and family. I left on Dec. 17 and flew Continental Airlines direct to Newark, with a final destination in DC. I also visited New York, Richmond, Raleigh and Kilmarnock via various other means of transportation. I honestly can say that the long-haul flight is NOT bad. A 4-hour bus trip (what was i thinking?) is worse--much worse.

I usually do prepare a lot for the flight, though. My routine involves lots of exercise before the flight, combined with lots of drinking water. I do not drink alcohol a few days before the flight, nor do I drink alcohol on the flight. This all helps with the time zone adjustment process in the US.

Before I board I make sure that everything I could possibly need is within arms reach of me on the flight. It may sounds ridiculous, but little things make a long flight more comfortable. I have traditionally flown economy or economy plus on the long haul, and these little items make the experience almost pleasurable:

1. A fitted "releaf" neck roll for travel. Do not use one of the loose doughnut pillows for your neck--it seems comfortable, but it's not. The fitted neck roll allows you to comfortably lean on a cushion while sitting in the stiff, upright economy class seat. When I board that plane I intend to sleep, and this neck roll will allow that to happen.

2. A sleeping pill. I know its a no-no to admit this, but I take a sleeping pill when I travel to and from the US. I use it on the plane and once I have arrived at my destination to help me with jet lag. Getting adjusted to jet lag is easier for me if I am returning to Hong Kong from the US. It took me 1 day to readjust to Hong Kong time this trip; however, when I was going to the US it took me almost a full week to adjust. If you're a finicky sleeper like I am, sleeping pills help with your time efficiency while traveling in different time zones.

I usually board the plane, watch a movie and a TV show and wait for the first meal to be served--which is about 2 hours into the flight. Once I finish the meal, I take a sleeping pill and am usually asleep for about 9 hours. I don't mind missing the mid-flight snack, even though it's usually ice cream, and I love ice cream. When I fully wake up there are only a couple of hours left. During this time I usually go for a walk, brush my teeth, go drink a bunch of water, and eat the second meal, which is right before landing. Pretty easy.

3. Ear Plugs. Some people prefer noise cancelling headphones. I have never tried the BOSE brand ones, which most people love. I simply use old-fashioned, foam earplugs--the kind my dad used to have for hunting. They're simple and take up very little space.

4. Drops. When travelling at 35,000-37,000 Feet above sea level for 16 hours the air on an airplane can be painstakingly dry! Normally the good airlines monitor this, but once I flew back to the US on an aircraft that was so dry I thought I would have a nose bleed at any second. Save yourself the agony, and travel with saline nasal mist or gel. I have not used the gel, but I hear it is better than the mist. I simply use the mist and it is fine. I usually also travel with eye drops, but I never really need them. If you wear contacts, you may want to bring some eye drops along for the ride.

5. Water. Duh. I drink tons of water on the flight. I also use a water spray on my face and a facial moisturizer. I realize this may sound over-the-top, but when I arrive in the US, I want to arrive fresh and ready to go, especially if I have to work out of New York while fighting jet lag. This makes a HUGE difference in how you feel--and how clean your face feels when you arrive . I use these two products: L'Occitane Rosee Fraicheur, which is a hydrating mist for your face and Cetaphil Hydrating Lotion

6. Toothbrush. Just pack your toothbrush. It will make you feel better.

And that's about it. Friends, I hope this takes the fear out of flying for you. Now it's time to get yourselves over here!

Love,

Leaping Lizard

...and you thought we only drink tea in Hong Kong

2011-11-05T08:57:00.001+08:00

This week was a long week full of working hard...and working harder. Working hard is a lasting trend in Hong Kong. Everyone here works hard. Friday came, and it was finally time to let my hair down and kick my shoes off. Per my regular routine, however, I was up at 6 am on Saturday morning. Perhaps it was the glass....er 3...of wine I had last night, or maybe it was restlessness caused from doing something all the time here, but I woke up and the only thing I wanted to do was go for a run. So I slid downstairs to my building's gym and logged a few laps on the treadmill. I caught the first round of Saturday morning infomercials in Chinese and felt once again like a strange lady in a strange land. One amusing infomercial had a young Chinese man sipping some espresso and making a scrunched up, distasteful taste. After a few swirls of pink kittens(?) on the screen and some lightening bolts, the young up-and-comer and his gal pal bring out a tin of coffee. they are excited. but what they bring out is actually mix to make coffee jello. so the couple joyously makes morning jello shots of coffee (I won't even get into the actors facial expressions. but they were priceless), they roll the espresso shot-sized gelatinous morsel in some powdered sugar or coconut or something, pop it in each others mouths and loudly chew it to show how much they like it. For a second I didn't really know how to digest this idea. Coffee jello? Then i thought about how I shouldn't judge. this idea actually sounded kind of American-to process something like coffee to make it something completely different...but it's more Asian to love jellies and gel candies.

Anyway, this is probably a ridiculous post, but would you make coffee jello?

I digress, but the new popular shot for Hong Kong'ers to order at clubs is Coffee Patron. This is essentially coffee tequila. It is the beta version of Red Bull, and it is lauded for being more natural than Red Bull. Yes, I've had it, and it is quite good. Have you guys tried it? What do you think?

French Cooking

2011-10-15T20:25:00.002+08:00

If you have not yet spent some time in Hong Kong, you'd be surprised to know how many Europeans actually live in this city. Hong Kong has a surprisingly large French population. There are probably more French peeps in Hong Kong than American peeps. I like this. I love France. I grew up studying the language and acquiring an appreciation for French culture by traveling and studying in France throughout my youth. While French no longer rolls off my tongue like it did once upon a time, I still love most French things. Hong Kong offers a great way to experience French culture while also being in the thick of Chino-British culture. That said, when my birthday rolled around, everything was French. Champagne, foie gras, a home-made Nicoise style dinner and...wait for it...French Cooking Lessons!

Today I awoke at 8 am to prepare for my lesson (which wasn't till 10) before happily hiking up to the restaurant La Terrace on Old Bailey Street in the Central district of Hong Kong. The menu: Sea Bass and Scallops Provencal; Dessert - Flambe Rum Banane et la glace a la vanille avec Chef Rene Etienne. Chef Rene Etienne is from Avignon, France. Here are a few of the photos.

just before class starts

Chef Rene Etienne, beginning with a tomato demo.

Moving on to the Sea Bass and Scallops. The main seasoning came from the Provencal sauce we put together using fresh herbs, oil, vinegar, sun dried tomatoes, olives and a few other secret ingredients

trying not to overcook the fish

young Robert, stirring the sauce

My creation. Sea bass and scallops Provencal.
interesting fact: chef Rene sourced today's fish from the Hong Kong wet market!

ingredients for bananas flambe. Rum, Bananas, Almonds...also clarified butter, brown sugar, chocolate, mint...and ice cream.

the flames were MUCH larger than this

Chef with his Flambe. I caught him eating his back in the kitchen while the rest of us were making ours.

les bananes

the finished flambe

post-cooking, post-meal with the coolest chef in Hong Kong.

First Visitors

2011-10-15T19:43:00.000+08:00

I'm proud to say that my family recently came and visited Hong Kong. The pressure was on to show them some fun. From personal experience, I knew they'd be fighting jet lag and figured the best approach was to keep them busy and entertained. They were fantastic, and didnt complain about their schedule one bit. Here are a few pictures from their adventure!

Fresh of the boat to China. . .only this was an aircraft. Here they come! Meeting them at the airport

dinner at Under Bridge Spicy Crab, a favorite spot for entertaining guests.

Hike around Victoria Peak

love this photo at Temple Street Night Market

On a day trip to Macau. This is historical Macau, which was once the crown jewel of the Portuguese trading empire

In Venice (or the Venitian Hotel in Macau)...where else can you find an indoor, 4th floor canal?

Visiting Hong Kong -- An Itinerary.

2011-09-26T20:41:00.004+08:00

I am so excited that my family is coming to visit Hong Kong next week! I have been putting together an itinerary for them and even sent them a color-coded spreadsheet last week, which I think freaked them out a little because no one responded. So--what are some good things to do in Hong Kong?

Before I started work in Hong Kong I had a few months to explore the area and be a tourist. Much of this list began in my head back then

Clothing Tailor There are many tailors in Hong Kong. Finding the best one for you is the overwhelming part. Whether you want the most established tailor in Hong Kong or more of a value tailor, you can find great quality everywhere in between. Before your trip, begin brainstorming what you would like to have made. You may bring photos out of magazines/catalogues to have items copied. You may also bring them some of your favorite clothing items to be copied in a new fabric or pattern.

Shoe Cobbler "LIII"-- start dreaming now. The shoes are expensive, but they are beautifully made of the finest quality and fit perfectly. They make any shoe you want.

Dim Sum Hong Kong's famous "snack" dining. A bit like the Spanish Tapas style. here you order dumplings and small plates which you pick off of a fancy cart that the tea ladies steer around. Maxim's and Yung Kee are two old-guard spots to try.

Felix Bar at Peninsula for brilliant views of Hong Kong island and watching the waterfront light show, which occurs every night at 8 PM

Star Ferry the old fashioned way of crossing the harbor. Costs about 30 cents and takes 5 minutes. but it makes you feel straight out of a movie! Speaking of, do some homework and watch "The World Of Suzie Wong" to get in the mood before your trip.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Horse Races run on Wednesdays each week starting in September. Bet on 1 dollar or 50, but go, order a beer and live it up--you're at the races!

A Chinese Massage or Reflexology. I'm not saying Chinese massage is the most relaxing massage ever, in fact I find pressure point massages almost painful. Whatever your preferred massage style may be, I'm sure you can find something suited to your tastes! Happy Foot comes highly recommended.

Victoria Peak you've probably seen pictures of this, whether it was in the latest Batman or elsewhere. I suggest you take the Old Peak Tram up to the top of hong kong island and walk around and check out the views. You can also do a quick hike around the Peak. Watch out for snakes, though, i almost stepped on a pretty green one once. (by pretty, i mean pretty ugly!)

Macau--"Where Asia Plays." You can see the historical sights and eat authentic Macanese food (which is a mix of Portuguese and Chinese) AND/OR cash it in at the Cassinos. If you do both, a whole day is probably needed. Macau is fascinating, and I definitely going to the historical side and visiting the fortress and museum. Eat a few Macanese egg tarts, and you may even feel like you're in Europe. Once on the Cassino side, check out the mainland Chinese gamblers arriving with suitcases of cash--and I'm not even kidding. Interesting fact about Macau's gaming industry: 3 billion people live within a 5 hour flight of Macau, whereas 400 million people live within a 5 hour flight of Las Vegas.

Sai Kung for seafood. This is an authentic seafood town with fresh, cheap, amazing seafood. Fun for a day trip excursion. See my past blog posts--"Sai Kung" and "More Sai Kung" about this!

Spicy Crab a famous restaurant for Crab (enormous crab!) cooked in chilies and fried garlic. You can have your spiciness made to order, ranging from one to five with one being least spicy and five being very spicy. AMAZING. Unless you're from Texas or Sichuan Province, exercise your spice tolerance and consider keeping the heat below a three.

Stanley Markets--one of the many beach areas of hong kong. Famous for its markets selling linens, arts & crafts, clothing and souvenirs. You can also find some good, beach-side dining in Stanley.

Temple Street night market/ or Jade and Pearl Market --a grittier version of the above (see my blog post), with cool street food. Temple street has knick-knacks such as cheap electronics and knock off sunglasses. The Jade and Pearl markets sell jade and pearls.

Shanghai Tang Shopping This beautiful old Hong Kong store that sells lovely clothing and home accessories. The Pedder building space it occupies has recently been acquired by Abercrombie & Fitch. Try to sneak in and out before Eau de Abercrombie takes over the block.

Shenzhen-- You'll need a Chinese Visa for this hour-long MTR ride to mainland China, but here you will find any thing you ever wanted to buy....without having to write the check you thought you would. You can even have a custom made sofa made for pennies on the dollar. I am in love with Shenzhen.

Obviously, there are many other things to do in Hong Kong. These are just a few of my favorites. Hope you come and enjoy!

Dim Sum

2011-09-20T21:25:00.001+08:00

I had the pleasure of joining some colleagues at Dim Sum this week. Dim Sum is a Cantonese term for snack. The way I see dim sum is as a dining style unique to Hong Kong. It is similar to Spanish Style tapas in that when having Dim Sum you order a variety of small plates. These plates range anywhere from dumplings in bamboo baskets to pork buns to bok choi to jelly fish. A group was in from out-of-town, and one of the Chinese girls on my team booked the lunch at a local spot previously unknown to me. It does not have an English alphabet name. As is common in Chinese style dining, about 15 of us gathered around one round table with a huge Lazy Susan in the middle. On it lay 3 tea pots. As various people ordered a plethora of small plates, the Lazy Susan began to fill up. First with veggies, then with rice noodle dishes, then with pork belly, jelly fish, beef something, mystery meat a, b, and c.

For the western eye, the most approachable items are probably the dumplings and pork buns. Both are delicious. Dumplings come in all styles--my favorite is the soup dumpling. If you aren't familiar with its name, it's often a little meatball cooked inside a soft dumpling--the soup created by cooking the meat is locked into the little dumpling. Often this is served with a sweet light soy sauce. The other dish that I love to have at dim sum is a "pork bun." this is usually a fluffy steamed bread with chopped pork inside. The bun part of the food is quite spongy and round. If you are from Richmond, Virginia, the flavor is similar to a White House roll, although the texture is different.

courtesy of Wikipedia.com. in lower right-hand corner note pork buns in bamboo steamer. Dumplings above. I believe the soup to the upper left is Chinese-style congee, which is a traditional rice porridge

If youre willing to "when in Rome" a dim sum experience, the world is your oyster. Pork Belly is a tad more bold than the dumpling or pork bun; whereas jelly fish are a few more notches up the ladder. Yes, these are jelly fish we are talking about. It is not the British "stinging nettle" vegetarian dish, a delicacy made from poisonous vines. This is mopsy flopsy jelly fish. Everyone I know who has tried it, loved it. That's why I chose to order it at dim sum the other day. Tragically, I did not try it. Pathetic, I know. I won't give you any excuse except that the gelatinous head-cheese prostrating next to the jellyfish could have been anything, and I was too scared. I decided to enjoy it with my eyes this go-round. After all, there will be other dim sums.

Dim Sum in Hong Kong truly has something for everyone. The communal aspect of dining in this style is perhaps my favorite part of the tradition. I can't wait to go for dim sum with my family who is visiting in 2 weeks!

48 Hours in Bangkok. You Are Not in Kansas Anymore.

2011-09-18T17:46:00.001+08:00

Bangkok, Thailand.

Growing up I never really thought about Thailand. I remember when I lived in New York one of my friends told me her company had thought about transferring her to Bangkok. I recall thinking that the idea was proposterous, just as I'm sure many of you thought I was crazy for choosing to move to Hong Kong. This story is not one about "different strokes for different folks," as my dear Dad likes to say. While I do feel like I was naive about this area of the world before I lived here, at times I still do feel naive. Economically thriving cities are constantly changing and evolving and to say you truly know a place as diverse as Hong Kong or, furthermore, Southeast Asia, would be foolish. I do, however, have a better understanding of the area in which I live than before I lived here. Living here has helped me understand more about the world. I see differences, but I am constantly reminded of similarities among humankind and am touched by how small the world can be. If my friend had decided to move to Bangkok, it probably would have been an amazing experience. Last weekend I went to Bangkok. It is rawer and grittier than Hong Kong, but I loved visiting Bangkok and had a fantastic time.

Upon deplaning at the Bangkok airport, I saw what a world mixing pot Bangkok is. There was once a time that US ports looked like that of Bangkok. The airport was full of so many people of different cultures, my mind was blown. Hong Kong is different. It is more developed, and thus feels more Western. The Bangkok airport is a legitimate airport, but I did feel like I was a stranger in a strange land. "Liz, you are NOT in Kansas anymore." For example, the line of people to pass through immigration was a sample of the entire world's population--you saw hippie Dutch backpackers, elderly British men, Swahili women, a cluster of teenagers from ___insert any country___louder than the other 5000 people in the immigration line, Indian women with henna covering their hands and feet and Saudi Arabian men wearing full-length thawbs with headdress. At one point a flock of Emirates Airlines flight attendants glamorously flew through immigration wearing their veiled hats and perfect hair-dos. It looked like a UAE version of "Catch Me If You Can." That's not to say everyone in the airport exuded a breath of fresh air...

The city has its own way of greeting you. I feel like my first "welcome to Bangkok" moment occurred at a 7-Eleven, where I bought a can of Coke, a bottle of water, and a bag of peanuts. The total was 80 US cents. I assuredly was not in Kansas anymore.

The reason for the trip was that Rob had a business meeting on Saturday morning. 4 hours aside, We had one weekend to explore the vibrant city. This was our first vacation in Asia since moving here, and I was pumped. Here's what we did in 717 words or less:
Friday
-Take the Sky Tram into the city
-check in to the hotel, in the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok
-take a cab (or tuk-tuk motor taxi) to the waterfront area to sight-see. Due to heavy traffic, we re-routed to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, which is also on the water. We had fancy drinks and a light bite. The Mandarin has never been so inexpensive as it is in Bangkok. If you visit, do order the Thaihito--not only is it delicious, but according to the menu it is Pierce Brosnan's favorite. The helpful assistant at the hotel's newspaper stand taught us how to say thank you in Thai--Khab khun ka (thank you).
-We took took the water taxi up the river with locals (including some young Buddhist monks). We found land at Pier 9, where there was a market selling bracelets made of Jasmine flowers!
-While in the market the Thai Anthem to its Queen began playing on a loud speaker. Everyone in the market froze until the song completed. I froze as well, but I couldn't help but think how different this tradition is. It felt a bit antiquated but was a lovely, old-world nod to royalty. The Thais love their Queen and royalty.
-Rob and I explored the Shopping Markets at Khao San and ate its street food before going back to the Hotel.
Saturday
-woke up at the crack of dawn to get an early start on sight-seeing (aka, beat the traffic)
-Take cab to The Grand Palace. Discover Rob left his new cell phone in the cab. Decide to worry about it later and proceed to change into state-issued clothing for female tourists (ahem, me) wearing inappropriate fitted tee-shirts . After putting on a collared shirt (seemingly left over from a 1960s men's golf tournement) and covering my ankles, we were good to go, exploring a truly remarkable palace. I studied the Grand Palace in art history classes in high school and college but at the time was naive and dismissed the landmark as a place I would probably never visit. In person, it is remarkable. I was glad Rob urged me to visit.
-Afterwards, we quickly visited the world's largest reclining Buddha, which I definitely studied in art history classes. I found it extraordinary. That may have been the highlight of what I saw on the trip.
-Booked it back to the hotel so Rob could go to his work appointment, and I could do some work. I also booked a massage. The shortest one available was 1 hour 30 minutes. Nervous about finishing in time for a dinner reservation, I asked if they could shorten the massage to 1 hour. They quickly told me that would be bad for my health. Okie! I indulged in the full-length massage! Thai massages are heaven.
-Met up with my friend Biz and her boyfriend Allen--friends from home. We were so happy to see familiar faces in this area of the world! We went out to dinner at a restaurant named "Cabbages and Condoms." Strange but good dinner spot! Definitely worth a visit for the open minded and young at heart.
-Saw a slew of touristy going-out areas---Soi Cowboy and Patpong Night Bazaar-- the touristy red-light districts you may have seen in the film "Hangover 2". These are the first red light districts I have ever walked through. They were quite red and had lots of lights.
-Capped off the night at the night market and backpacker's paradise, Khao San Road. We sang and danced the night away at a rooftop bar called "Roof." Eventually we needed some late night street food and a rest...zzz.
SUNDAY
-Awoke on Sunday to have an enormous breakfast at our hotel. Marble-slab frozen Greek yogurt with any topping you want? Side of Guava or Lychee juice? YES PLEASE!
-Decided to quickly visit the Chatuchak Market, the largest outdoor market in the world. It is both underwhelming and overwhelming at the same time. Underwhelming because they had the same stuff you can find in a Hong Kong market, overwhelming because it was so freaking humongous we kept getting lost and spent most of the time we were there trying to get out!
-Booked it back to the hotel to pack and get to the airport.
-Bye bye, Bangkok.

PICTURES:

Passing river taxi

Taking the river taxi upstream

buying a jasmine and rose bracelet near Pier 9

For Teddy. Revisiting a bar Rob and his friends enjoyed a few years ago.

cooling off and taking a break from the touring and shopping

Rob ordered street food from a Pad Thai vendor on Khao San Road. Rob says it was the best Pad Thai he's ever had

Highlights of the Grand Palace

Rob, at the Grand Palace.

Wat Pho--the world's largest reclining Buddha. Must take your shoes off to see the Buddha.

I loved the beautiful art on the walls of all the temples we entered. It resembled a tapestry but had been painted and inlaid with stones and gold.

Biz and Allen on Soi Cowboy!

At Roof on Khao San Road
odd Thai lady who is in many of our pictures.

Rob having a thumb war with a little boy selling roses

Little baskets of quail eggs for sale at the Chatuchak market.

Contagion

2011-09-18T13:56:00.003+08:00

Hello all. Sorry for the radio silence. For a few months I felt that I had told you all everything there was to tell about living here. I was settling into work and solely focusing on that. The time has come, however, to start writing again. Perhaps I'll start by talking about something we both may have in common--the film "Contagion."

Have you heard of it? The cast contains a slew of heavy-hitting names such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard (j'adore) and Kate Winslet. The film tells the story of how a serious contagious illness from Hong Kong attacks the world's population, causing death and mayhem every where it spreads. The story focuses on how the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control first acknowledge the epidemic, strive to contain the illness, and the effect that these actions have on the world's population. The story also focuses on the roll of blogging as a form of information dissemination that detracts from the goals of government organizations. All-in-all the film is frankly terrifying, as an example of art imitating the real-life SARs epidemic of Hong Kong in 2002.

The film begins in Hong Kong, where an American woman is traveling for work. She catches a food-borne illness prior to her departure and returns home to the US only to spread it to her son and countless other citizens of the world. We watch Matt Damon, one of the few immune to the disease struggle to make sense of a world gone mad. Throughout the film instances of the deadly disease are traced back to Hong Kong and Kowloon, which is a district of Hong Kong on the northern side of Victoria Harbor.

After seeing the film on Friday night, I bought a bottle of Dettol Disinfectant Spray and shared its contents with every surface in my apartment. When I fixed pork tenderloin for dinner last night, I must have washed my hands and dishes literally 10 times. Normally I am not so impressionable or easily persuaded, but after this film I considered buying and wearing a surgical mask--but I didn't. Rob told me he would never take me to see another thriller. Rightfully so. The movie freaked me out. It is a well-done, documentary-type film with great actors, but be forewarned, it is terrifying.

Answer

2011-07-21T21:33:00.001+08:00

For those of you who replied to the Trivia Question, I regret to inform you that none of you were correct in answering the question: What do the following have in common? Dolphin, Dimple, Tacky, Cinderella, Fat Fat and Icy?

Good Guess, Mom, but no these are not types of dumplings. And no, Kitten Rags, they are not names of Cats

Answer: They are all names of people in Hong Kong that I have encountered since living here.

The point of my asking this is not necessarily to shock my American counterparts, but more to observe the culture behind naming in Hong Kong. Names in both cultures are meaningful. This selection of names is a quick highlight the types of names that Chinese choose to be called when they pick a Western name. Most frequently you will encounter Chinese people with more "normal" Western names such as Mandy and Sandy and Claire when in Hong Kong. But once I was at a restaurant where the server's name was "Eat". Cinderella, per the name above, is actually a name that was given to me when I was volunteering with a non-English-speaking charity. I guess they figured everyone would remember it; after all, I think I was the only person with blond hair. I will admit though, that most of the people mentioned above did probably pick these names when they were in middle school English class and had to pick a Western name to be called. I can only imagine what I would pick if I were to choose a Chinese name. I would probably get confused and pick something the equivalent of "popcorn."

Hong Kong Trivia

2011-07-18T20:47:00.000+08:00

Hey friends. It has been awhile. Sorry.

Today I wanted to play a little Hong Kong trivia concerning a few things I've been thinking about recently.

Question of the day:

What do the following have in common?
Dolphin, Dimple, Tacky, Cinderella, Fat Fat and Icy.

If you email me the correct answer, I will send you a present from Hong Kong. Promise.

2011-05-16T21:57:00.004+08:00

It was a rainy weekend in Hong Kong. We welcomed the rain because it took away the first heat wave of the season. Rob and I made a trip back to our Hong Kong tailor this weekend. The tailor is making a summer suit for me. I decided to spice up my life and have him make a more "style conscious" suit, since he made a traditional navy suit for me last time. The new suit is copied from a white linen designer suit I saw a picture of. If you come visit me, you can have anything you want made! The tailor even feeds you beer and free Indian food, talk about a perk.

It's a good thing it rained this weekend, because it provided an easy excuse for me to curl up and read Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for 3/4s of the weekend. Have any of you all read it? Feeling like one of the last people on earth to read this mystery thriller, but it's a great page-turner! Perfect for summer reading! Bad for getting a full 8 hours of sleep.

Ok, obviously life is getting a little bit more boring here on this side of the globe--weather, books, and clothes are the blog topics of late. I know things are spunky in the Western world. Word of Strauss-Kahn reached the East quickly and is currently dominating the headlines. But do please send updates on what is going on with you guys!

~Lizard

twas a blustery day in Hong Kong. I could even wear pants!

2011-05-12T20:26:00.000+08:00

It has become wickedly hot in Hong Kong. The air is entirely wet, and it feels about 100 degrees if you leave your home or office. I dream of going on hikes this weekend, but I don't know if I can stomach it. I'm trying to cut down on the air conditioning to try to train my body to acclimate. Heat has never bothered me too much in the past, but if future days are anything like the past two days, life will take some getting used to.

When I'm not at work the best way to pass my time is by reading. This activity complements another activity, which involves lying very still beside the swimming pool. I find myself happy lounging indoors or out, reading a book. I finished Cutting for Stone on Tuesday, which was yet another holiday in Hong Kong--this time Buddha's birthday. I lay outside by the pool for 3 hours on a cloudy, muggy day and still managed to get ravaged by the sun! Clearly, fair skin is better suited for the indoors or a high SPF in this climate. Fortunately, however, I am still able to slip on my tennis shoes and go for runs on the treadmill--conveniently located IN doors!

Stream of Consciousness

2011-05-07T13:21:00.001+08:00

So much has happened this week. It's just one of those weeks you look back upon and think about all that happened and say, wow, why is this week different, what happened. As I reflect, my reflection comes in list form:

Starting from a week ago:
Royal-wedding-inspired playlist. I am obsessed with playing Elton John--specifically "Your Song." This has led me to other oldies...and right now "Sunshine Superman" by Donovan is playing--great for a sunny days. Also, I am very much enjoying the video for the Avett Brothers "November Blue." If you say you don't love a love song, I think you're lying.

Taking, or more precisely, re-taking my Bloomberg Excel formula/programming exam, which includes troubleshooting...which leads me to think, "just shoot me."
Two of my friends in Hong Kong are having babies, and I recently found out that both will be boys!
My other 2 friends in Hong Kong are leaving to go back to the US to get married this week.

I bought Rob fish for his birthday. We went to the Goldfish Market in Mong Kok and bought clown fish and named them Sai (after Sai Kung) and Kiki (my dad used to call me that sometimes, so of course I like the name). Clown fish are saltwater fish, however, so this makes them very hard to keep alive in a synthetically saltwater environment. Unfortunately Kiki and Sai had to go for a swim in the John this week. I hope they are enjoying fish heaven. In the meantime, I am working on creating a less hostile fish environment in my apartment so that Kiki2 and Sai2 won't ever have to know The John.

Rob had several job offers this week, which were followed by more job possibilities. Each day is an adventure as I watch possibilities unfold.

Nat--we love you and are praying for you!

Last, but not least, tomorrow is MOTHER'S DAY. All of you moms have worked so hard. I can't even imagine how you did it. So, tomorrow is a big day for all of you Mommies out there. Mommy, I'd like to thank you for everything you've done for me.

Ok, I think that's about it. Have a great weekend!

May Day, May Day

2011-05-02T13:02:00.002+08:00

Hello Friends and loved ones,

This past weekend has been an interesting one in Hong Kong. First, Great Britain graced us with a Royal marriage. Every girly girl's fantasy became a reality. Not only did Prince William get married, but he married a "common" girl from the outlying village. This event was a fairytale in living color.

Obviously, I did not attend the wedding, but for the British in Hong Kong who felt snubbed by their lack of wedding invitation, the Mandarin Oriental saved the day. The hotel transformed its ballroom into Westminster Abbey, complete with nave, aisles, proper seating arrangements, trees and proper placement of Kate and Wills via projection screen. All attendees dined on fine food while partaking in the momentous occasion. I did not go, but I was fortunate enough to attend the tongue-in-cheek 'official' after party, where I realized that the Mandarin event was actually quite popular among British ex-pats in Hong Kong. The Brits know how to kick up their heels and enjoy a drink, so the celebration was quite fun.

In more serious news, you all in the US probably heard as you were going to sleep that Osama bin Laden has been killed, and US troops have his body. This comes nearly 10 years after the events on 9/11, for which his organization was responsible. I was awake at Noon in Hong Kong to witness US President Obama deliver the announcement, to which the English speaking news anchor summarized as "That was Osama bin Laden, speaking to the world about the death of...Osama bin Laden." Grimace. Gaffe.

In more local news, today is May Day in Hong Kong. I have heard numerous interpretations of what this holiday is, the most benign being that May Day is a version of Labor Day. Some call May 1 International Workers' Day, which alludes to ties with Socialist movements in Australia. Whatever your take on this day may be, Hong Kong still celebrates this holiday and gives e'rybody a day off of work! Three weeks in a row that I will have a four-day work week. Next Tuesday is Buddha's birthday. Easter, May Day, Buddha's birthday. Hooray for Holidays!

Out to (a normal) Dinner in Hong Kong

2011-04-26T20:37:00.003+08:00

This blog has advertised several dining joints serving off-the-beaten-track local food, but I want to let you know that my advertising does not fairly represent the dining scene in Hong Kong. Many restaurants are cosmopolitan, sophisticated or trendy, while others are regular, easy-going digs. It's not hard to find a good spot where people can go to dinner and eat simple BBQ and beer. I decided to post pictures from a dinner I had with friends at a Restaurant that reminds me of a place you might even find in Richmond, VA. Bourbon is its name, and I feel right at home there. It specializes in serving, you name it, Bourbon! and other Southern-inspired foods. Here are a few pictures:

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T21:54:00.002+08:00

The cameraman must have caught the Easter Bunny at a frightening angle, but at least the little girl is happy.

For other photos similar to this one, please check out this site. Pretty entertaining.

Homecoming in July

2011-04-20T21:33:00.000+08:00

Super excited because I just sealed the deal on a trip home in JULY!

.... and I land in Charlottesville on July 1. Yee!

I will be in Virginia that whole week (July 4-8) to see friends and family, so please drop me a line if you would like to coordinate plans.

More Sai Kung

2011-04-18T21:25:00.000+08:00

...continued from last post

Squilla Mantis

After having lunch at Chuen Kee Seafood, we walked around the town a bit

The town is made up of tons of little alleys with tiny shops lining them

Veggie market. I always check out the veggie market--not sure why

Old lady carting garbage away.

The children were mesmerized by this big grouper.

Had to get another picture with Big Fish.

SQUEELIES!

Dun dun DUN....BIG CRABS.

Rob made me stick my hand out in front of the crab "for scale" for this photo. It was really scary.

We thought a little 'mobile softee' might cool my crab claw nerves off a bit. Upon tasting our softees, Rob and I realized this frozen treat is no more than frozen Whipped Cream. Hmm?

Looks kind of like the Westside Highway in NYC

Traditional fishing boat. Loved this. The bumpers were old tires, which were so old that the rubber was droopy like it had developed wrinkles in its skin.

Tons of poodles lined the boardwalk, and Rob was quite pleased to finally find another breed of pup.

Fishermen line the boardwalk to sell fish to anyone who buys it. Tourists can even buy seafood to take to a nearby restaurant to have prepared for them :). Better bring your negotiating skills to these fishermen!

Sai Kung!

2011-04-18T21:08:00.002+08:00

Hi all,

This post is dedicated to Jessie McComb and Schwab, who called me out on not keeping up with Hong Kong Journal since I began working. I really owe you all a post.

This past weekend was Rob's birthday. When I asked him what he wanted to do for the big day, he said he wanted to go to Sai Kung to eat fresh seafood. And this is what we did.

We went to a small fishing village called Sai Kung to celebrate and eat some fresh seafood. I can't wait to share pictures with you all. The restaurants and their respective tanks of live seafood line Sai Kung's port/boardwalk. It is an experience to walk around and check out the freshest and largest tanked prisoner. The selection, size and price of the seafood in Sai Kung was remarkable. Rob and I were able to order lobster, crab, fish and a pre-historic-looking lobster called "squilla mantis" for about $50 US dollars.

We also filled the weekend with lots of other eating--but I will save that for later! For now, here's a photo journal of our trip to Sai Kung:

Goofing around in the MTR station on the way to Sai Kung

Sort of like Ugg boots for tropical climates. This girl knows how to have her cake and eat it too.

Red Wine Zone...keepin' it classy.

This little guy was SO cute with his Puffin backpack. Had to show you.

Puffin Backpack from a distance.

Sai Kung Boardwalk! This photo actually shows you the smog coming over from China. In person the atmosphere looked much brighter than this, though.

Tanks of live seafood

These are live Squilla Mantises. They are freaky looking things in the tank, but once cooked they are mighty good.
Tastes kind of like a more delicate lobster.

Hello Big Fish

This Grouper is over 100 lbs. We had a staring contest.

Standing under the threshold, about to walk into a restaurant to try Squilla Mantus

Crab with a random toy boat resting on top

Elderly Chinese woman preparing Sea Urchin for the restaurant next to her.

Standard issue peace signs before we dive into lobster served over linguini

Fish in ginger sauce. Was not my favorite, but the other dishes made up for this one.

Ginger and Garlic infused fried Crab. Amazing. The whitish things are huge pieces of ginger.

2011-03-21T21:24:00.000+08:00

Hi all,

I had a few moments this evening and figured I would take the chance to check in with my neglected Hong Kong Journal and you guys. Since work has begun, my life has spun around and switched gears, and I find myself back in the same groove as when I lived in New York--always on the move, planning out everything so that I can accomplish what I need to in a day. This weekend was no exception. Rob was in Vegas, and Aside from a few meals with friends, I got to work while he was gone. I haven't had time to go shopping or get a haircut since work began, so I did some of that. I went on 2 long runs and stocked up on groceries. I filed my taxes and read a manual on Interest Rate Swaps for work-- both were a bit of a snore. I toured a new friend around Hong Kong, which was fun. He is visiting from Kazakhstan, where he is currently teaching English before resuming work on Wall St. It was fun to hear a Westerner's perspective on an Asian country I know little about. We compared cultural notes on Communist and Post-Communist cultures, which was interesting, as the fundamentals of our observations seemed to align. (we can discuss in person if you're really interested). Living over here and following much of the news that is going on in the world right now makes me stop and appreciate my home country much of the time.

Touring my new friend did make me wonder--since when have I been in HK long enough to give tours to visitors? Weird, but I guess it's been long enough.

Anyway, I don't have much to report for this post, just wanted to touch base.

To those of you who reached out in concern over whether Hong Kong was affected by the Japan catastrophe, thank you. All is fine in Hong Kong, and we are busy here reaching out to those in need north of us.

Happy Monday,

Lots of love,

Leaping Lizard

GO HEELS!

Monday Perspectives

2011-02-28T20:54:00.000+08:00

Checking in to say hello to you guys. Work is going well so far--I'm working hard and learning all the time. Especially glad to have had a few months to enjoy Asia at a leisurely pace.

I have been learning the most from the people around me. Getting to know them has opened my eyes to view my Asian world in completely new ways. I have new perspectives and insights into my experience in Asia. This a huge, unexpected perk of my new position. The people around me come from almost every continent of the world, and getting to know them has been fun, challenging at times and infinitely rewarding.

I've got to get back to studying, but thank you for the e-mails! It takes away from the distance. xo

Have a great Monday. It was a beautiful 72 degrees here.

-Leaping Lizard

Hello and Hail to the Chief

2011-02-21T19:47:00.000+08:00

Hello on this glorious (rainy) Presidents Day. Thank you, George Washington for doing all that you did. Today is not a holiday in Hong Kong, which I can prove by the amount of work I have. Hong Kong is meant to be a learning experience for me, so lots of work is a good thing. I hope all of you enjoy the day off and have had a great weekend.

Hong Kong at Night. Looks foggy like this right now.

I am super busy these days in Hong Kong, so my posting will probably trail off for the next 8 weeks. All is well, but I would love to hear from you. What did you guys do for President's Day weekend? Promise to respond if you write me an e-mail...hopefully, you know the e-address :)
x,
busy lizard

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T06:29:00.000+08:00

Happy Valentine's Day from Hong Kong. Here are some Chinese peeps in traditional clothing on Valentine's Day.

Love,

Leaping Lizard

Poppit

2011-02-12T11:27:00.001+08:00

This has nothing to do with Hong Kong, but I cannot stop playing the game Poppit. It just came out in Google, and it is addicting. Here's the link, so give it a try and let me know what you think!

Poppit

Enjoy :)

Apartment: After!

2011-02-10T09:07:00.003+08:00

Mostly finished, but holding out for some decorative pillows and art for the walls.
*Let me know if you have ideas!

That's the orange tree I bought for Chinese New Year. They looked SO pretty lining the sidewalks of the neighborhood. My cleaning lady laughed when she saw it and told me I need to water it more. I want to keep you alive, plant!

Bathtub!

See, they do have everyday American items in HK. Pantene Pro V! Unfort. I can't read what type of Pantene this is!

Handy bathroom telephone. Who uses these? (if you're a doctor on-call, I understand)

Searched HK high and low for a jewelry tree and finally found this one at a store called Homeless. My Grandmother's "Save the Bay" calendar is in the background.

Found this handy jewelry organizer for $1.50 USD at a Japanese Home Store. I think the tray is made for kitchen cutlery but whatevs. Sterling Silver must be stored in air-tight bags here, otherwise it will tarnish very quickly.

Traces of British colonialism in the 'hood.

All the shops and people go away during Chinese New Year. This is what my neighborhood looked like!

Apartment Pictures: Before

2011-02-09T10:30:00.000+08:00

Entry way

balcony view

Rock Out With Your Wok Out

2011-02-07T09:33:00.002+08:00

I decided to do some Superbowl cooking Sunday night even though the Superbowl airs Monday morning (at 7 a.m.!) here in Hong Kong. I had been dying to make stir fry in a WOK, so last night I did. It is a ton of fun to cook with a wok--you get to use high heat, everything cooks quickly, and it's easy to improvise on your favorite ingredients. I ordered the veggies in the photo below and then went to the market to buy sprouts and flank steak. I used seasonings we already had to flavor the 'fry. I also bought Thai, long grain rice online so that I could start attempting to make rice in the Chinese style--aka sticky! Here's what happened:

Rob sweetly chopped the veggies for me.

Heating the wok and adding peanut oil! Vinegar, soy sauce and chili oil on the sidelines, ready for action. Computer and recipe on the dish drying rack.

sizzling steak and veggies

Yum!

Stir fry with sticky rice! It was delicious and fun. I will definitely do it again.

Recipe for Stir Fry and Rice here. Note, I did not have all of the stir fry ingredients, so I subbed peanut oil, white wine and vinegar for canola oil, sake and hoisin sauce. I also did not put the stir fry "in a bun" or add cornstarch as the recipe calls for...improvising worked well!

Lazy Sunday. Reading.

2011-02-06T12:18:00.001+08:00

To me Sundays mean sleeping late, fixing pancakes and reading. I like to read books, blogs and favorite news web sites...perhaps write a blog post and a few e-mails. After that, the day is up in the air.

I'm doubly thrilled this morning because one of the blogs I read, BlackEiffel, did a post about the book I am reading right now, Cutting for Stone. My mom gave the book to me for Christmas, and I am loving it so far. While the link above gives a more in-depth summary of the novel, I will give you a little glimmer, too. The novel's namesake "Stone" is a surgeon, Dr. Stone. He is the only surgeon at a mission hospital in mid-century Ethiopia. When Stone's nun-assistant of seven years dies giving birth to twins, he flees, leaving two babies to be raised in the remaining wake at "Missing Hospital." I'm only 200 pages in, but so far I am hooked to this smart, contemporary novel.

Have you guys read anything good recently?

Friday!

2011-02-04T19:50:00.000+08:00

Good Morning, and Happy Friday to you all. I hope you have great plans this weekend, even if that means lying low and relaxing! I am finally feeling much better and have a rather nifty link to share with you today. A few friends passed it on to me, and I have copied and pasted the content here for you. It comes from Gwyneth Paltrow's Web site "GOOP," in which she chronicles her life and offers some fresh advice for yours. In this case, she advises all to visit Liz and Rob in Hong Kong :)

Hong Kong

I spent just a few days in Hong Kong in October while on set for a film. The city is frenetic and crazy but has an incredible energy. It’s a magical place and I hope to visit again sometime soon. In the meantime, here’s my list of great spots for a whirlwind visit.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Love,
gp

The view from one of Hong Kong’s many highrises

Hotels:

Upper House
Pacific Place, 88 Queensway
+ (852) 2918 1838
www.upperhouse.com

The Upper House was recommended to me when I was looking for places to stay in Hong Kong. It is definitely the most contemporary of the luxury hotels there, with a minimalist, Japanese look. After an incredibly long day on set, I had their Turkey Club Sandwich with fries at the hotel’s Café Gray Deluxe—another place where you’ll find a great view of the harbor.

We arrived on National Day and there were some spectacular fireworks.

The Four Seasons
8 Finance St
+852 3196 8888
www.fourseasons.com

I went to the Four Seasons which is located right on the water’s edge with amazing views of Kowloon. It houses 3 Three Star Michelin restaurants, including the Caprice, a French restaurant, if you’re in the mood for something different. The Four Seasons also has great central location, being right inside of the International Finance Center mall which houses all the good shops like Lane Crawford, etc.

Mandarin Oriental
5 Connaught Road, Hong Kong
+852 2522 0111
www.mandarinoriental.com

I wanted to check out the famous Mandarin Oriental for my GOOP readers, and a friend of mine arranged for me to visit the presidential suite ... Why not start at the top? The suite has an elegant and modern Chinese look to it with huge windows that open up onto a balcony that surrounds the entire suite. The views from all the way up there are incredible. The bathroom had both a huge jacuzzi and a steam room. I am told that the other rooms in the hotel are all similarly decorated with Chinese antiques and modern furniture. There are 10 restaurants and bars in the Mandarin Hotel including the M Bar, which seems to be one of the more trendy places to go to for a night out.

Hong Kong hosts a pretty major lightshow on the buildings facing the harbor every single night.
Credit: Scott Thistlehwaite

Restaurants:

China Club
Old Bank of China Bldg.
Bank St., 13th & 14th fls.
+ (852) 2521-8888

David Tang’s classic member’s club, China Club, is one of the most beautifully decorated spaces I’ve encountered. The feel is Shanghai circa 1930, with all the furnishings hand-selected by David himself. The China Club is also a gallery, packed with art by some of the most outstanding Chinese artists today. The dining room has a great vibe, with a woman singing standards by the piano; it’s like you might run into a movie star from the 1940s. The club also has a Mahjong room upstairs if you want to make an afternoon of your visit. Though it’s members only, a great hotel concierge can definitely pull some strings.

Dim Sum
63 Sing Wood Road, Happy Valley
+ (852) 2834-8893

My friend Ellana took me for brunch at Dim Sum in the Happy Valley section of Hong Kong. As its name suggests, it serves up just this. If you want to have an authentic Chinese dining experience, Dim Sum is a good place to start.

Jumbo Kingdom
Aberdeen Harbor
+ (853) 2553-9111
www.jumbo.com.hk/eng

As I was filming a scene for a movie set partially in Hong Kong, I ended up spending a lot of time on the Jumbo, which is a floating restaurant on Aberdeen Harbor. It is a major tourist attraction, with 5 floors of restaurants floating on this big boat. It is also a self-proclaimed “theme park”—just so you’re warned. All this taken into account, it’s pretty fun in the end and the food is not half bad.

Zuma
Levels 5 + 6
The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Road
+ (852) 3657 6388
www.zumarestaurant.com

Zuma is one of my favorite restaurants in London, and its Hong Kong branch does not disappoint.

Nightlife:

Kee Club
6/F 32 Wellington St.
+ (852) 2810 9000
www.keeclub.com

The Kee Club is another worthwhile members club to visit. Try to go with a friend who is a member, or twist a concierge’s arm. The club is like an elegant old house with a lounge, game room, library, dining room and salon. The night I went, I had a great time dancing in their club.

Drop
39-43 Hollywood Road
+ (852) 2543 8856
www.drophk.com

I ended up at this teeny club late one night and had a great time. The club has a great vibe, a long and fun list of cocktails, and the dance floor is always packed.

Sevva
Prince’s Building, 25th floor
10 Chater Road
+ (852) 2537 1388

After going to the China Club, I got after dinner drinks at the Terrace at Sevva with my friend Ellana. It has a great view, and it’s the perfect place to have a drink in Hong Kong’s balmy weather.

A boat ride is a wonderful way to see Hong Kong and get away from the city—it’s so busy it almost vibrates. I was lucky to catch a ride on a friend’s boat.

Shopping:

Red Lanterns in a street-side marketplace.

International Finance Center
1 Harbour View St.
www.ifc.com.hk/en

The IFC, which is right on the water and also houses The Four Seasons (if you’re in for a luxury shopping trip), is the best place to go shopping in HK. It has all the basic, big name brands plus every single luxury brand you can think of. It can be dangerous if you’re a serious shopper … You could spend an entire weekend here without seeing the light of day.

Lane Crawford
IFC
www.lanecrawford.com

Lane Crawford is a beautifully decorated, incredibly well-selected specialty store. It’s the only place in HK where you’ll find varied brands like Acne, Elizabeth and James, Moncler, Vanessa Bruno, etc. It was definitely my favorite find at the IFC with its beautiful displays of contemporary art and huge and equally well-edited homeware department.

William Cheng & Son
8/F, Han Hing Mansion
38 Hankow Road, TST
+ 1 (852) 2739 7888

This workwear tailor has been around for more than 50 years, making and copying bespoke suits for clients all over the world. A friend of mine bought a suit there while we were visiting and they did a great job, and very quickly. William Cheng & Son have an international following and make yearly trips to London and Australia for their customers.

Toys Club
13/F
1 Duddell Street
+ (852) 2167 8474
stores.itoysclub.com

Whenever I’m away from my kids, I always check out the toy stores for a little memento to bring back. The Toys Club is the local mega-store in Hong Kong—absolutely everything a child would ever wish for. It also has a huge books department.

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

2011-02-03T15:25:00.002+08:00

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

...In case you didn't know, that means Happy Chinese New Year, Homies!

'tis the year of the rabbit!

Here is a link that will tell you what you can expect from the year of the rabbit. It will also tell you which animal year unto which you were born.

Dog days

2011-02-01T20:30:00.000+08:00

Welp, it turns out my cold is actually the flu. According to the US Consulate's e-mails, there is a flu pandemic going around Hong Kong right now, and I seem to be representing one of the statistics. Woo hoo. I think the worst is behind me now, and I ought to be up and running by the end of tomorrow or the next day.

In other news, did any of you catch the last installment of Downton Abbey? It ended with quite the cliff-hanger! I need new shows to watch while lying in bed, please let me know if you have any favorite shows coming on today. Or if you just want to talk about nothing, I'm around.

xoxo, will post again once this thermometer is safely stored away.

Leaping Lizard

Woah Doggies

2011-01-31T16:31:00.000+08:00

Hello all. Woo, a lot is going on these days. I have been super busy catching up with friends back in Hong Kong, getting the new apartment furnished (pictures to come!), and preparing to start working in February (yay!). Rob has been busy on the job hunt, and has landed some great meetings. Please keep your fingers crossed!

I somehow managed to catch a bad cold and have been in bed the past two days. I guess better now than later, as Hong Kong seems to be getting quiet this week. The Chinese are gearing up for the Chinese New Year, which takes place this week. The CNY is a serious holiday in which all Chinese return to the place where they are from and spend time with family. Since so many Chinese people live in Hong Kong, much of Hong Kong empties out as people return to the motherland or go on Vacation. Work is cancelled. Rob and I will be pretty low-key and plan to see a few friends who are staying in Hong Kong for the holiday, as well.

Will post soon when I'm feeling better.

Meatballs

2011-01-26T20:53:00.001+08:00

I went to the grocery store the other day to buy some staples for the apartment. I knew we would need MEAT from the International grocery, since the Chinese grocery tends to offer rather odd cuts of meat. While at the International grocery I was super duper happy when I found ground turkey from Mount Olive, North Carolina! I was so happy that it came from some place familiar that I bought three pounds of it.

When I returned home I realized that I had more ground turkey than I knew what to do with. I had never bought ground turkey! I decided I needed to come up with some uses for the lovely meat, and I decided I was dead-set on meatballs!

After sorting through a few recipes online, I landed on Rachael Ray's turkey meatball recipe. Now, historically I haven't been all that into EVOO and RR and the RR cult following stuff, but I got over that--the RR recipe called for things I already had in the kitchen.

Tonight Rob and I made the meatballs. Success!

They were easy, SOO delicious, and guys love 'em (Rob ate 7!). I highly recommend trying them.

Here's the recipe!

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-index/dinner-recipes/Turkey-Meatballs

Enjoy! Do you guys have any favorite recipes?

Shanghai 1990 v. 2011

2011-01-26T09:50:00.000+08:00

Rob sent me this link, and it's pretty unbelievable.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/01/picture-of-the-day-shanghai-in-1990-and-2010/69959/

The sky in Shanghai no longer looks like it did in 1990.

Winter in New York

2011-01-25T17:31:00.003+08:00

I'm not sure why the picture in this article tickles me, but I just had to share it with you. Poor guy:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/this_guy_freezy_rider_2nFk3OcA3U7YgOeq9lbeFM

TV tweet

2011-01-24T16:51:00.002+08:00

We bought a TV today, and I finally feel relaxed for the first time since arriving back in HK. I am actually watching MTV Southeast Asia. After watching several episodes of The Hills circa 2004, I am now trying to stomach an Asian boyband music video that is heating up the airwaves in Hong Kong. The song "Hello Hello" by Shinee is sung in Chinese, and it offers the latest in coiffed man-dos, and pleather man leggings.

I am trying to find the Chinese version of the BBC so I can watch the new mini-series "Downton Abbey" by Julian Fellowes. Have you guys seen it? It's amazing. I watched it with my mom at home. I'm also trying to access Bravo's Real Housewives of BH. It's a gem of a reality show, if I do say so. Do any of you know when the episodes are uploaded online?

___
A few hours later...

Speaking of Downton Abbey, I was just catching up on some of my favorite blogs, and look what I found! So excited:
http://habituallychic.blogspot.com/2011/01/divine-downton-abbey.html

blah bity blah

2011-01-23T21:26:00.001+08:00

Hello all.

I am going to make tonight's post rather short. Frankly, I'm exhausted. Rob and I had a relatively smooth journey back to Hong Kong and have since hit the ground running...non-stop. The only slip-up in the return route was that the airline lost our bags in Shanghai. Because of this, I spent the first night in the new apartment literally on the floor without any blanket. Perhaps that night encouraged us to get things in order QUICKLY. After 3 or 4 trips to Ikea and the Japanese home stores, things are coming together. I will show and tell more in the next post...must get my beauty rest for a day of Hong Kong immigration office appointments tomorrow...schwing!...will be thinking of you.

Lizard

Happy New Year & The beginning of the end of my journey home

2011-01-17T09:56:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year!

It is January 16 here in Virginia. Tomorrow is my last full day in the United States. I will have spent about a month here at home when I leave to head back to Hong Kong Tuesday. This visit home has been completely wonderful. Some (but not all) of the highlights were:

1) First arriving in the United States after 4 months in Asia and a 48-hour journey home. It's a great, unique feeling.
2) Christmas
3) Seeing my family and friends (love you guys!) This past week was so fun!
4) Helping pick out a surprise Christmas puppy (He's a busy boy named Blitzen)
5) Ringing in 2011. New Years Eve at my friends' home was perfect!
6) Playing in Richmond and relaxing in the country...never read so many books in one month :)
7) Meeting Sally Mann and doing lots of other local, cultural activities
8) Test driving a bevy of friends' and family members' cars! Volvo mom wagons, Fords, VWs, Lexuses, GMCs...Thank you guys for looking out for this car-free lass.
9) Finding a new reality TV show that I love. Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Beauty is pain.
10) Sleeping 10 hours almost every night.

A few of the negatives (because we must be balanced):
1) Exploring the woes of international banking!
2) Driving in snow for the first time in years
3) Jet lag
4) forgetting to prepare for my half-marathon in February...oopsie! *The chocolate was fabulous, though.

Anyway, I will resume posting regularly once I return to Hong Kong and move into my NEW apartment! I am so excited :) Until then, please send e-mails and be in touch~以后再聊!

With Love,
Leaping Lizard

White Christmas

2010-12-26T20:12:00.000+08:00

I may be a day late and a dollar short, but MERRY CHRISTMAS!
How lovely it is to be home for a white Christmas in the Virginia countryside!

Oh Holy Night

2010-12-23T18:06:00.000+08:00

After three connecting flights on two airlines and one night in the shadiest Shanghainese hotel EVER, I have arrived. And it is great to be back! It is 4 am here in Virginia. I already attempted to rewrite the words to "The Twelve Days of Christmas" to describe my journey for you, but jet lag seems to have the best of me.

Nonetheless, this poem seems more fitting for tonight:

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Leavin' on a jet plane

2010-12-20T08:41:00.000+08:00

Welp, today is finally here, and it's time to go home. All packed and ready to go. The route today goes HK>>Shanghai>>New York>>Home. It will be a long few days on China Eastern airlines. My US telephone number will kick into gear Tuesday afternoon.

See you on the flip side of the globe.

Feliz Navidad!

Fa la la la la

2010-12-14T12:31:00.000+08:00

Fa la la la la,
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. It may be a warm 70 degrees here in Hong Kong, but I am super excited to be home in Virginia one week from today! When are you planning to get home for Christmas/the holidays?

Here are pictures of my dream Christmas house (that leave to your imagination the friends and family inside):

Woo!
-LizARD

Rudolph in Richmond

2010-12-08T10:17:00.000+08:00

Hope this brings a few laughs to your day.

http://perezhilton.com/2010-12-07-rudolph-the-red-noise-reindeer-balloon-delates-in-holiday-parade

Temple Street Night Market

2010-12-06T15:56:00.001+08:00

This weekend I ventured over to the Kowloon side of Hong Kong to attend Rob's softball game.When the game was over, (and Rob's team had won!), we picked up some oat sodas at the nearest 7-Eleven and strolled down the road to explore Kowloon. We stumbled upon an outdoor night market, which turned out to be a great source of fun on Saturday night. We found inexpensive spicy crab restaurants, souvenir shops, Chinese calligraphy booths, tee-shirt stands, sunglass huts, and all sorts of knick-knack heavy pagodas. While sifting through the goods, Rob and I casually drank beer and talked to some of the locals. Our attempts at haggling prices down were not as successful as at other markets, but none of the items we purchased were more than a few US dollars, anyway. Since visiting the market, I have learned that this was the Temple Street Night Market on Kowloon. It opens at 4 p.m. and closes at Midnight. I highly recommend visiting the market if you are in the mood to go off the beaten track for a just-fun, no-frills Saturday night.

Robert and friends, just before the game begins

Gearing up for the road...

Approaching the night market

Temple Street Night Market! Notice the outdoor restaurants to the right. Very few Westerners in this picture.

Gloves for tinies. Not sure if it ever gets cold enough here for these.

scanning the goods

Tam, the sweetest man at the night market. He does GREAT calligraphy work. I mean, I think he does...I can't read Chinese.

After talking to him, Tam asked me to take a picture with him. Here we are!
Note the basketball painting (yes, painting) in the background. Maybe I'll commission some Carolina bball art.

We wanted to dine at this cool-looking seafood restaurant until he saw this on the menu. Fish of the Dog Style, Goose Leg, and pan-fried air bladder. No, m goi sai! We left after taking this picture.

Rob, on our way home from the night market. Christmas decorations over the highway cross-walk.

Happy Friday--Real Estate!

2010-12-03T19:33:00.000+08:00

Happy Friday. Hope you've had a solid week. Things in HK have been dandy and very busy. I've begun looking at new apartments to rent in the new year, and I can tell it may be a long process. So far the search has been fun and has made me realize that I LOVE real estate, even when the real estate is a 13 X 18 ft. box called an apartment. I love touring apartments and homes and seeing how people live. That said, I've included a few pictures of various apartments in Hong Kong--both the good and the u-g-l-y. Here goes nothin':

...This is a typical Hong Kong kitchen (without the expat package). Notice the bite-size fridge and visible air vent.

I thought this arched doorway was charming. While the walls and floors were nice, the kitchen needed work.

Traditional windows on old buildings in HK.

Large and IN CHARGE

Cultural dissonance: before viewing this apartment, the agent warned me that it was not as nice as the others. When we walked in I said, NO NO, this is much nicer than the others! I like this! He later told me that this apartment is in the "Colonial Chinese" style, which he thinks is not as "nice" as "Western styles." I think this is much nicer than the "Western styles" we saw. Funny that we Westerners think the inverse.

Apt. 3: this place was awesome, but way too much of a bachelor pad for me. I can only imagine how much two guys would love this place. It was the nicest apartment and a total steal for the square footage. See next picture below

Another shot of the sweetest apartment ever. If you only knew how huge this is for Hong Kong....it even comes with that leather couch and gigantic tv...bar and barstools in background included, too. What you see here is 50% larger than my current apartment.

This apartment had two furnished bedrooms (ex mattress). It was so awesome, I was wishing I were a guy while viewing the apartment.

Storage extraordinaire, an endangered commodity in this neck of the woods! Might I add, this apartment is just off the escalators!

All of the excitement caused by looking at apartments left me exhausted. I went home and found this little guy there to greet me:

Pretty picture

2010-12-02T20:50:00.000+08:00

Fun times in the humidor...

2010-12-02T10:30:00.001+08:00

This past weekend my friend A and her husband J decided to take me and the bf out for a night on the town to celebrate employment. It was very nice of them, and we had a blast. A few margaritas and sangrias deep, we thought it would be a good idea to go see J's cigar locker...yes, you heard me correctly, cigar locker. He was talked into being a member/holder of a locker one night when he was having a great time puffing cigars in the humidor at a swanky hotel restaurant. Needless to say, the cigar room is a great place to entertain friends.

The humidor culture at this hotel felt to be part of a scene untouched by recession. To enter the room, one walks through the fancy restaurant and knocks on the unmarked door. An attendant greets you and guides you through a humidor and into a cozy, little lounge with plush leather seating, elegant Asian businessmen and their Herve Leger clad companions. Rather than speaking softly to the attendant in the next room to order your drink, you pick up the old-fashioned rotary phone and ring the bar directly. A few moments later, your drinks arrive through a trap-door within the wall. We had fun putting on voices and ordering drinks.

After the men enjoyed their Cubans and scotch, we all decided to take the high brow down a few notches and end the night with a jello shot from an outdoor street bar.

A few pics below:

When matches just won't do: Use a tiny blow-torch to get your cigar going.

Ordering drinks

Rabbit Rabbit

2010-12-01T11:18:00.006+08:00

While I intended to say "rabbit rabbit" upon awaking this morning, I think I actually said nothing. I can hardly believe it's December! It is 70 degrees outside, and I feel like I arrived in Hong Kong a month ago. In all honesty, today's date should not be that surprising; Hong Kong office buildings and malls decked the halls and began playing carols weeks ago. Despite the tropical weather and concrete jungle, the malls are helping usher us into the holidays....

I always welcome the Christmas season, complete with festive decorations, talk of plans with friends and family...and most importantly discussions about ~~presents~~ what Christmas is really about.

I think it's time to go to Church.

Hope you have a great Wednesday, Dec. 1.

P.S. Speaking of rabbits, 2011 will be the Chinese Year of the Rabbit! Because of this, when I was out and about today, Rob purchased this little critter for me:

Bugsy, sitting on top of my phone, is supposed to bring good luck in the new year!

Surprise!

2010-11-26T20:53:00.000+08:00

After keeping quiet for awhile, I am now pleased to announce that I have accepted a position in Hong Kong. It has been a fun and, at times, scary journey, but I have finally reached my goal. I look forward to diving in and gaining more experience in the Asian marketplace. Thanks to you all for your support along the way!

Pre-acceptance photo. Proud to be a little dorky here!

Found this nice surprise when I returned from accepting the job offer.
<3

Gobble Gobble

2010-11-25T12:34:00.000+08:00

I may be in Hong Kong, but Thanksgiving is definitely on my mind today. I hope all of you are planning to gobble up turkey, green beans, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Perhaps you're a fan of pecan pie...I know the Chinese are. Most of the Chinese that I have heard say "pecan pie" pronounce it with an American Southern accent, "PEE-can pie." I was slightly taken aback the first time I heard it--it's pretty funny.

I'll be missing out on the traditional sights, sounds and family time that Thanksgiving usually bestows, so I decided to warm up the blogospere with some photos that conjure up feelings of the hearth and home.

Thank you Martha Stewart for outdoing us all. Here is a dreamscape thanksgiving table setting that reminds me of an idealistic, traditional Thanksgiving in the Virginia countryside. All the table needs is....FAMILY.
(photo from habituallychic.com)

(photo by my friend Leyla)

Dad, doing magic tricks for the triplets. (photo courtesy of Aunt Lisa)

Because it's Friday...

2010-11-19T17:11:00.001+08:00

...and Friday rocks Part Deux, I have another post.

Holidays:

So many of you have been wonderful friends, asking what my upcoming holiday plans are. To answer your questions, I have decided to camp out here in Hong Kong for Thanksgiving. It should be fun (and dicey) considering there is a case of bird flu within the city limits. Fortunately the one case was contracted in mainland China (not here), and it is NOT spread by human-to-human contact. Please do not worry. While I may be eating US Grade A Cold Cuts on Thanksgiving, I am healthy as a hen.

As for an actual Thanksgiving dinner, that does exist here in Hong Kong. Imported American turkeys are available at the local supermarket. Provided you have an apartment with a luxurious oven or an extra large deep fryer (as my dad suggested), you can buy one of these bad boys and cook it right up. If you're wondering if it is expensive to buy an imported turkey, it is actually insanely inexpensive. I am not sure why a huge bird only costs $18 HKD (that's $2.32 US), but that's how much a large, fresh, imported bird costs...and it even comes plucked--in case you have heard horror stories.

This is the first year of my life that I have not spent Thanksgiving at my family's farm, so Rob and I feel very fortunate to have been invited to a friend's home for an early Thanksgiving celebration Saturday night. The wife of our friend is fixing a traditional Thanksgiving dinner from scratch, which is amazing. I hope that I will be able to roll up my sleeves and help a little, even if it's just for dish duty. I am very thankful for the dinner we will have tomorrow night.

Rob and I have already started joking about what we may find ourselves eating on actual Thanksgiving (given that ovens are not de rigueur in Southeast Asia, and we lack one). Tune in for that at a later date.

As for Christmas, I have booked a flight and will be coming home for Christmas on Dec. 21. Mark your calendars!!!

Have a great weekend. Be safe!

XO,

Lizard

Because it's Friday...

2010-11-19T16:21:00.001+08:00

...and Friday rocks, you may get two blog posts today. Leaping Lizard is feeling lucky and has some cool news for you. No, not a job...yet...but exciting news, nonetheless. I was reading one of my favorite interior design blogs called Elements of Style. I was scrolling through the most recent post, admiring the screened-in porch and porcelain elephant. Then, smack in the middle of my screen appeared the name Lindsay Cowles, which was followed by several images of her paintings. Lindsay is from Richmond and became a great friend and mentor to me in New York. She headed West to L.A. and has since begun painting. Her mixed-media paintings are abstract and amazing. Not surprisingly, they have been getting a lot of hype. I was incredibly pleased to see that leading interior designers with blogs are now advocates of her work. Here is the article.

Atlantic, Lindsay Cowles

*Pictures from the Weekend

2010-11-16T22:34:00.007+08:00

____________

Upon returning from the gym, I found Carnival characters lining my street. The clowns at the left were more friendly than I am used to, and I felt awkward. Rob captured the moment.

Thanks to my lovely grandparents, I've always Loved stilts (they were a favorite toy of mine growing up). This guy had a great pair of stilts.

Another type of legs-- real ones--demonstrated here by the scantily clad carnival ladies.

Out with Sarah and Rob on Friday night, on our way to the softball BBQ

Rob's softball team, The Bulldogs, is named after this pub on Lan Kwai Fong

Even though this is not for me, I had to share it with you. Here, a seemingly sane woman puts her feet into a bath of skin-eating fish at Wonderfish "spa." To each her own, but I will pass on this spa treatment. Thank goodness I have ticklishness to blame.

Imagine waking up after a big night and finding a real, live transformer outside your apartment.

Wall of Fame at Under Bridge Spicy Crab

Centerpiece of Wall of Fame at Under Bridge Spicy Crab.

Rob was sweating while trying to eat spicy crab

Fete Accompli! The Remains of our Level 3 Spicy Crab

Big Time

2010-11-15T12:09:00.004+08:00

Hi friends,

Sorry I haven't written much recently, I did not have much to say last week. My friend from NYC/Australia was in town this weekend, though, so I have a lot to report (but just a little bit of time today). Here is a quick recap of some of the things I did this weekend:

*will post photos later

Friday:

Picked up Sarah at W Hotel Hong Kong. Woot, my first friend to visit in HK!
Went to Rob's softball team's BBQ at coach's apt (this was fun)
Went out after and fortuitously ran into some people I've been talking to on the job front (Hong Kong is a small but big city, and I find that I run into people ALL THE TIME here, despite the fact that I am half-way around the world and feel like I don't know many people. 'tis weird.)

Saturday:

Took Sarah to a tailor, where she had some beautiful silk suits made
'' '' '' The Peak, where we had a great lunch at my favorite Chinese chain restaurant Tsui Wah. I hear this is pronounced "chwee wah." I do my best to speak correctly. I was attempting to use the little Chinese I do know at Tsui Wah, and the waiters laughed at me and spoke back in English even though their English can be pretty bad! I reverted back to only speaking in English. This is kind of funny because while at Tsui Wah I asked the waiter if Sarah and I could "please order," as in "I would like to order our lunch." The waiter thought the word "order" meant "water" and brought several glasses of water to our table. After I held out the menu and vigorously pointed, he understood that we wanted to order. That is just one example of the language barrier you can find here
Sarah and I attempted to go to Wonderfish, the spa that offers fish pedicures. I was a chicken and didn't go through with the beauty treatment, which involves sticking your feet into a tub of skin-eating baby fish. GROSS! (the fish must do a "wonderfish" job, as it is a popular place for tourists at The Peak.)

We took the tram back down to the CENTRAL district and had shoulder and head massages at a more traditional spa
Explored the Carnival that was taking place on my Street before Sarah headed back to her fitting at the tailor
Rob and I met Sarah at the Penninsula Hotel to have a martini at Rooftop bar Felix. Tres chic! Watched nightly Hong Kong light show from window of bar
Took MTR (subway) to WanChai, which is the red light district, where the restaurant Underbridge Spicy Crab is located. Had a HUGE, authentic dinner at Spicy Crab. I have a high tolerance for spicy food, but this rocked my socks off. We expected to dive into the spicy crab dish when it arrived at the table, but we picked at it like birds for the first 30 minutes because it was almost too hot to eat. I will return to Spicy Crab, but next time I will make a point to order the least spicy version of the namesake dish
Worked off dinner by grooving and dancing at club Dragon-i. Fun place. Good people watching.
Called it a night at the W Hotel. Sarah was very sweet and said that I could stay at her hotel one night. Because I have never stayed in a hotel in Hong Kong and because the W Hotel is supposed to be awesome, I readily accepted the offer. It is one of the coolest hotels I've ever seen. I could go on and on about the amenities.

Sunday

Went to the Jade Market to check out the beautiful jade and pearl jewelry. This was a lot of fun.
Ate a steamed pork bun for lunch at an authentic Chinese bakery.
Got lost and then got found wandering around Kowloon.
Decided to go back to HK Island and get my bearings. I was tired. Sarah took the Ferry back to her hotel on Kowloon.
Went to my friend JS' apartment and baked brownies for Rob...no easy task in Hong Kong, as most apartments (including mine) do not have ovens.
Watched Law and Order and crashed.

This weekend was busy and fun. It was GREAT to see Sarah and show her around. The activities involved copious amounts of good food, which provided stamina for trekking around on foot. It was SO great to have Sarah here. I hope more of you will come visit!

I would like to talk more, but I need to get back to studying. Have a great Monday, and I'll talk to you soon!

xx.

Heels & New York

2010-11-07T09:58:00.000+08:00

First of all, nice game TARHEELS! I wasn't able to watch the game against Florida State, but I saw the final score 37-35. Go Heels. Really wish I could make it to a game this year. Come to think of it, it has been a while since I've been back to Chapel Hill and spent a long time. Other than a quick drive-through of the town this summer, I haven't spent much time there since graduating. It was for times like this in Hong Kong that I did the quick drive-through this summer.

I digress, but for those of you who went to Carolina, have you seen Sandwich recently? Sandwich was a tiny little sandwich shop (practically the only one) in Chapel Hill that had the most amazing gourmet sandwiches. It opened a year or two before we graduated in a little, tucked-away location. In the two years since I've graduated, Sandwich has exploded. It's new shop is a huge restaurant on Franklin Street next to McDonald's. Rob and I stopped there for lunch the day we drove through, and I was blown away by how much Sandwich has expanded. Go Sandwich.

In other news, the New York City Marathon happens TODAY, well tomorrow really since it's still Saturday night on the East Coast. This is the first year I have been quasi-following the marathon. For starters, my friend Merrill is running in the race! Go Merrill!! In addition to this, I have been reading running blogs that are written by people who are training for the NYC Marathon. My favorite blog is Runner's Kitchen. All the blogs have been leading up to this huge event, so I'm excited. Best of luck to all you runners out there!

Here is a pretty picture of my UNC friends, Merrill, Kennedy and Jenna. Love and miss you all!
Merrill, will be thinking of you!

Have a great Sunday.

xx,

Liz

Re-routing a routine

2010-11-04T21:25:00.000+08:00

Welp, as soon as I think I have a routine down pat, and I decide to tell you about it, you know what happens? It gets squashed. This week has been entirely unpredictable, but in a good way. First of all the weather has been up, down, all around. This means that my outdoor endurance running has been, uh, not happening. The best I could muster was yesterday when Rob and I took the tram to "The Peak" (ahh, Victorian Era Nostalgia!), and I decided to sprint up hills on our hike around the Peak. I was winded, as this was a change to my, uh, normal routine. While sprints spiced things up, I can't wait to get back to Bowen Rd. soon. Perhaps another reason why I haven't had as much time for long distance running is that I've been relatively busy on the interview/meeting circuit this week. Just as I think I'm at a stand still with the interviews, a fresh batch of 'em pop up out of nowhere. That has been a welcome development. Hopefully I'll have more news to report on that soon. It is a crap shoot, though, and you just never know when a lead will begin or end. There's no predicting it. So please, eat a fortune cookie for your friends in the East.

Also, Please send e-mails to fill me in on your life. Or write a comment at the bottom of these posts--pretty sure I'm the only person who reads 'em.

xxoo,

P.S. It's almost Friday! (Rob and I are heading back to Underbridge Spicy Crab for dinner tomorrow--can't wait!!) What are you doing this weekend?

Routines and Popcorn

2010-11-01T18:57:00.002+08:00

Good'ay,

It's Monday evening here, and I hope you guys at home are gearing up for another Monday morning. Monday morning after Halloween is probably a bit more difficult than most Mondays, so I'm thinking of you all.

I find that I don't have as much to report these days, as I've pretty much settled into a routine here in Hong Kong. My morning usually goes something like this: wake up, eat Greek yogurt with almonds and have a skim cappuccino (do not know how I picked up this habit, but it has become a habit. I guess there are worse habits to pick up). Then I send some job e-mails or general e-mails or have early morning Skype calls--I would love to have more of these..hint, hint...so long as they are after 8. At 9 a.m. I run Bowen Road, which feels like running through a tropical rainforest! I could could spend the whole day there, but I don't! Then I usually go home or to Subway for lunch. I usually switch it up in the afternoon by going to meetings, reading, watching news or just goofing around. I love visiting the fancy grocery stores in Hong Kong and seeing all the international foods, many of which do not have English translations on their labels. Sometimes I'll play Russian Roulette, take my chances and purchase one of these items.

This afternoon I went to the local fresh market to pick up some peppers and onions for dinner. Rob and I are making our new go-to dish that we call "Hong Kong Noodle Hash." It is nutritious and inexpensive, and while it doesn't include potatoes as you may expect from the word hash, I like the way the dish sounds and tastes. The ingredients are lean ground pork (pork is the most available meat here), peppers, onions, chili oil, a small dash of wine or sweet soya sauce, and rice noodles. We cook down the onions and peppers in a pan and then add the ground pork and seasonings. Add this concoction to the cooked rice noodles, serve in bowls with chopsticks, and voila!

As an hors oeuvre, I tried air popping popcorn on the stove top this evening. Not only did the kernels pop, they popped UP and ALL over the kitchen. I wish I had a picture because it was pretty funny. I felt like Amelia Bedelia.

If you have any easy, favorite recipes, please send 'em this way.

Anyway, have a great Monday.

Cheers,

Lizard

Halloween

2010-10-31T13:03:00.001+08:00

Hello and Happy Halloween!
Also, Happy Birthday, Mimi!
Ordinarily I do not dedicate posts to people, but this post is dedicated to Anne Taylor because she requested a post after I had not written for a few days and to Mimi Worrell because it's her birthday!

It is a lovely Sunday morning here in Hong Kong. I am yawning and recuperating from a big time celebrating Halloween last night. When I came to Hong Kong I had no idea that Halloween would be celebrated here. Well, it is. It is a BIG holiday. It is so big that I needed an official letter, proof of residence, and a police escort to allow me to return to my apartment last night. I live near Lan Kwai Fong, the "Bourbon Street" of Hong Kong, and the crowds can become quite boisterous when people are celebrating Halloween on LKF. Luckily Hong Kong is a very safe city. I attempted to stay away from Lan Kwai Fong last night, but there was no way to avoid its crowd presence as I returned to my apartment.

Some of you have asked if I planned to dress up for Halloween. Indeed, I did because Rob and I were invited to a progressive Halloween Party dubbed "Liquor Treating." This inspired some creative costumes. One Englishman even sported a burka. Another man dressed as Sarah Palin. I asked the guy wearing a burka where one might purchase a burka, and it turns out he bought it when he "went undercover in Northern Afghanistan." His friends earnestly confirmed this story. Interesting guy with interesting stories. My costume was fairly plain and simple--I was Little Red Riding Hood. Rob was a Mexican and wore a NY Jets pin on his poncho. The Halloween party was fun. I was able to tour various Hong Kong apartments, and I met some smart people. One guy took our conversation as an interview and practically offered me a job. While common sense would say that was the "liquor treating" talking, I plan on following up. After a few stops at various apartments on the Yale Liquor Treating route, Rob and I left and met my friend Anne (the one who is from Raleigh, went to UNC and moved here from NY with her husband). I drank a lychee martini and called it a night.

After all that, a serious run is in store this afternoon.

Before....

...After

"Bobby Sanchez"

At my friend JS' apartment. I caught the Sultan kissing the hand of his fifth wife. Sarah Palin observes from the back of the room.
I ask myself, is dressing up for Halloween politically correct as an adult?

With Jess and Anne at Wagyu Lounge for a night cap. Anne dressed as Betty Draper.

Monday!

2010-10-25T12:17:00.005+08:00

Greetings on this glorious Monday morning,

I hope your work days are off to a solid start. I began mine with a quick nibble of muffin and a trip to Holly Brown, my go-to coffee shop. HB is decorated in Carolina blue and white, so I feel at home there. It offers free Internet, delicious cappuccinos, and up-beat elevator music, which requires one to bring her noise-canceling headphones. Nonetheless, Holly Brown helps me log a few hours on jobsdb.com and efinancialcareers.com.

As I reflect back on the weekend, it was a fun one. Miraculously Hurricane Megi never threatened the blue skies. We ended up spending lots of time outdoors. On Saturday I went to Kowloon to watch Rob play in his first softball game since joining the expat softball league. I was the only girl there this week and felt like I was crashing man time, but it was lots of fun. Funny quote of the day was overhearing a bystander say, "Wow, that's a tall first baseman!" Rob is tall, and he played really well!

Later in the afternoon I hit the gym and then met our friend Sarah for Saturday night bowling! I have always been a TERRIBLE (and I mean terrible) bowler, but whatever, bowling is fun. I learned half way through bowling that I held and released the bowling ball the completely wrong way. I used the wrong fingers and then would throw the ball back handed, which caused me to have little control of the ball. I have done this my entire life and never had a clue this was wrong. It is no wonder that my game-end score would be 30 on a good night. After Rob showed me the right way to bowl, my score improved. I can't tell you how beyond shocked I was when I finished with the highest score of the group at the end of the night.The group was laughing; nobody could believe it. Anyway, it was just fun. We went out after and had a great time.

After making a big night of it, Sunday was relaxing. Not much to report on that except, oh ya, KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) delivers in Hong Kong....Yeah, we ordered KFC delivery.

What did you guys do this weekend?!

TGIF!

2010-10-22T17:01:00.002+08:00

I returned to mainland China yesterday for a second shopping trip. This time I knew what I was looking for, and I knew where these items were sold. Despite our brief time together last time, most vendors seemed to remember me, what I bought and how much I paid. I was shocked. It was remarkable. I am very impressed with their quick mental recall of faces, names and figures. I aimed to secure better relationships with these vendors so that I can continue to do business with them conveniently and at a good price.

Last time I went to the mainland I bought a particular purchase and showed a picture of it to a friend from home. She was intrigued by this purchase and asked if I could find one for her. Of course I could. I am more than happy to do this. Today I dropped it in the mail, and it should arrive in the US within 10 business days. Eee, can't wait!

I was also a little selfish in my purchases. The best purchase I made for myself this trip happened to be really dorky but practical--new prescription glasses! Yep, I have brand new prescription lenses and frames. I wasn't sure how the lenses would turn out, but I figured that if the job was botched, it wouldn't set me back too much. Much to my surprise, they turned out great! The hardest part is that I now have to retire my old lenses and frames, which have been with me since 10th grade. Oh, dork memories! To balance out the dorkiness, I also bought stiletto ankle booties, which I can hardly take off. Rob even caught me wearing them in my workout clothes.

Now that we have a massive hurricane approaching I'll probably need to take them off.

Big news here seems to be the approaching storm that is Hurricane Megi. (I think that's an Australian name). The alert level in Hong Kong is 3 right now. People don't get too serious about the storms unless the warning level reaches 8. I hope the storm passes by us without much damage to people or places.

Have a great Friday and weekend!

Lizard

Progress

2010-10-20T15:29:00.006+08:00

Took a day off from blogging and miss it already! Hope you all are doing well at home. I miss you guys very much.

I'm doing my best to keep a positive attitude about the job search and am finding more success this week than last as things have picked up a bit. Knock on wood! I hope it stays this way, but there's no way of predicting. All I can do is the leg work and hope it pays off. As Lee and Jarrett say, let's hope the popcorn pops!

I went to a different gym this morning. It is located in the IFC, which stands for International Finance Center. The IFC is quintessentially Asian. It is an enormous complex that is home to many financial companies on the structure's higher levels. It also offers a smorgasbord of high-end shops, restaurants, hotels and even a movie theater on the lower levels. Pathways connect the facility to other buildings, which are designed in a similar fashion. This network of shopping and corporate business spans across all of Central Hong Kong. You can walk anywhere in this large network without getting wet on a rainy day. The IFC is also connected to the metro and to the ferry terminals. If heading to the airport, you can even check your bags at IFC!

My gym sits on the Northeast corner of the 3rd floor of IFC and overlooks both the Harbour and a mammoth construction site. It is nice to see so much construction here, as it is a visual representation of progress. Even though I gave a shameful performance on the treadmill this morning, I was inspired by the progress in front of me. I couldn't help but want to get back to my computer and make something happen on the job front. I've never really observed a major construction site in action, particularly since the recession struck two years ago, but watching dozens of cranes working at once and watching diggers dig huge holes in the earth reminded me what effort and action can build. Even though my efforts haven't begun to pay off as much as I would like, having reassuring surroundings helps keep a positive, pro-active attitude. Now...must get back to the search.

Hasta la vista!

Lizard

p.s. I love hearing from you guys (it's what keeps me going)! Promise I'll write you back.

2010-10-18T09:06:00.000+08:00

Go Heels!

Marley and Me

2010-10-16T10:03:00.000+08:00

I woke up this morning to find "Marley and Me" on HBO. I had never read the book or seen the movie, although I had heard memorable things from my brother and college roommate. I guess I was waiting for the right time to enjoy the movie, and there was no better time than this morning. So I watched it.

...Old Yeller much? Wow. I LOVED the movie, but it'll set you back a few Kleenex. Note to self: Must emotionally prepare before watching "Marley and Me."

I miss you, Bay Bay!

Liz

A few things from today

2010-10-15T21:30:00.004+08:00

It's the end of Friday here. Rob and I are preparing dinner and staying in this evening. We're having sauteed veggies and pork with pasta. Rob is playing in a 14-hour softball tournament tomorrow with an expat league. We looked all over town today for a baseball mitt and could not find one anywhere. We were able to find badminton rackets, though. I picked up some new running clothes.

The job search was pretty slow this week. Hopefully it will pick back up next week. I tend to run off the stress when job stuff slows, so I've been spending more time at the gym. Yesterday I did a bootcamp class, which may be the most difficult workout I've had since Mr. Warner's pre-season field hockey practice. Today I decided to switch it up and run. Leave it to bootcamp, but I ran my highest mileage yet....all while watching the European synchronized swimming tournament on TV. That is an impressive sport.

I guess the main theme of this week has been "When you don't have a job, you spend extra time at the gym," followed by "Televised sports in Asia are ~~weird~~ awesome." Click here for picture.

Dinner's ready. Have a great weekend.

~Lizard

You Learn Something New Every Day

2010-10-13T17:40:00.000+08:00

...and today I learned that badminton is a competitive and televised sport in Asia. As I logged miles on the treadmill this morning, I was pleasantly surprised by this televised sport. I could not understand what the Chinese-speaking commenters were saying, but the sport is still fun to watch when you sub the audio with Passion Pit and Milkman.

...If only the networks would air NFL football games, we'd all be happy!

Congratulations!

2010-10-12T11:23:00.000+08:00

Congratulations Schwab and Brian!!
(Schwab, will we have to start calling you Anna?)
Love and Miss You!!!

Weekend Pictures

2010-10-11T16:34:00.002+08:00

So exhausted today...here are a few pictures from the weekend:

Polishing up before heading to my surprise birthday dinner! (at Posto Publico...so yum)

post-dinner champagne at Wagyu, a favorite watering hole for Westerners in Hong Kong. Great music and dancing!

I love bubbles

Roberto goes along with zee bubbles
I almost convinced him to dance to the 80s music that was playing, better luck next time...

This random guy, Charlie, (walking through the picture) was a Canadian wild man. He was very friendly but kept walking through our pictures and striking up conversations with us. The necklace he is wearing is actually his house key--his friends make him tie it around his neck when he goes out so he won't lose it. I truly wonder if he remembers this or us.
He is a good representative of the Lan Kwai Fong going out scene...more pictures below

Lan Kwai Fong going out scene on a Saturday Night. You can walk anywhere in Hong Kong with drinks in hand.

Rob, Thayer and her college roommate, who was visiting from New York.

Hong Kong horns

At Beijing Club...the first "real" club I've been to in Hong Kong. We were the only non-Asians there. All music was new Western music.

One full day later, Rob and I decided to have Vietnamese food for my birthday on Sunday night. Vietnamese is my favorite Southeast Asian cuisine. This is the seasoning here. We did not take pictures of the fried soft-shell crab spring rolls, which we eat at least once a week it seems. If you can get your hands on some vietnamese ravioli, do. It's good.

Jasmine tea. I've grown to enjoy tea. I used to think it tasted like grass.

We finished the day at Holly Brown Coffee, where I had tiramisu and chocolate gelato.

The works. Worth every bite.

Flowers :)

Close-up

Happy 10/10/10

2010-10-10T22:13:00.002+08:00

Today's date is 10/10/10-- I'm really happy about that for two reasons: one because it's an awesome date, and two because it's my birthday!

It's the end of the day here in Hong Kong, and I must say that today (as well as the rest of the weekend) has been an absolutely wonderful 25th birthday--complete with Rob and new friends, but also with pancakes, champagne, an Asian spa day, several surprises!, a new favorite restaurant and chocolate upon chocolate! Now that I feel more than spoiled, it's time to watch my Shenzhen edition of Gossip Girl Season 3. Gym will have to wait until tomorrow...

I miss all of you whom I could not spend the day with!
*Polly and Rawleigh, Happy 1st Anniversary :)

~Lizard

Others who were born on 10/10: Brett Favre, John Prine, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Humidity

2010-10-08T12:25:00.000+08:00

Trying to blow dry your hair straight for an interview in a tropical climate is next to impossible, even when you have a dehumidifier whose water tank you empty every day. I've touted the positives of Hong Kong...this is a major negative!

Shenzhen/The North Pole

2010-10-07T10:48:00.002+08:00

Hello!

Just awoke here in Hong Kong in a very sleepy way. I am wiped out from yesterday's day trip to mainland China with my friend Anne and a new friend, Farizeh. If you're like me, you probably haven't heard much about Shenzhen, but chances are that many of the clothes in your closet were made in or near it. I had no intention of going until Anne asked me to go, and boy I'm glad I did.

After a 45-minute metro ride to mainland China (yep, the real deal!), you go through immigration and walk outside. In front of you is the most mammoth grey complex I have ever seen. It is the size of a Super Wal-mart but with 5 levels. Truly enormous. Tiny shops are jam packed into this complex. It is here that you find any textile product you could imagine.

Throughout the day I kept saying how it felt like a dream--a really good, really strange dream, complete with VERY few English speakers! Most of the people in the shops are tailors, manufacturers or salesmen who don't seem to bother themselves with the concept of Copyright. Most of the buyers mean business and seem to know what they are doing as they haggle prices down and nicely argue with the shopkeepers. I am almost certain each shopkeeper could double as a currency trader, too, as you can pay for goods and receive change in many currencies. All of the shopkeepers I encountered knew the current exchange rates.You can find anything here with a quality that rivals the "original." Handbags, shoes, watches, jeans, jewelry, ipads, iphones, Wii, dresses, scarves, DVDs--at prices that make Wal-mart look expensive. I had heard the stories about getting "cheap stuff" in China, but this gave me proof. Wholesale in China is impressive.

I went to China yesterday with the intention of having a tailor make custom copies of my favorite dresses for $15 USD, but I found better value elsewhere and decided not to have the dress copied. When I returned to Hong Kong and looked at my loot, I felt like I had visited the North Pole.

I hope you'll come visit so I can show you. Mom, I kept thinking about you while I was there...you've got to come visit.

Green Curry

2010-10-03T20:51:00.000+08:00

This morning Rob asked me what I thought we should have for dinner tonight. We discussed a few options, and the most exciting idea we came up with was green curry. There are tons of good Thai restaurants in Hong Kong, and we have sampled a fair number, but tonight I wanted to stay in.

After spending some time climbing up and down the mountainside of Hong Kong today, I needed a nap this afternoon. When I awoke, I found that Rob had been to the markets, where he had picked up the ingredients for green curry! Turns out he had decided to cook for me, making my favorite Thai dish from scratch. It was delicious! I was so touched, I decided to share the pictures here:

The chef at work

Green curry paste, coconut milk, a mixture of favorite veggies and chicken--these are a few of my favorite things!

Our table setting

The accomplished chef

Macau--ow oww!

2010-10-02T13:57:00.004+08:00

Greetings Loved Ones and strangers ;),

Yesterday was National Day in China. That means that all of China was celebrating China's "61st Birthday." AKA 61 years of Communism. It's funny, though, because in Hong Kong you don't see many traces of Communism beyond kitschy Mao trading cards and jokes about Mao and Obama. As a Special Administrative Region (SAR), Hong Kong is still under it's own government, not that of the People's Republic of China. It seems that people here basically celebrate the national holiday as a day off from work. In Hong Kong you don't hear many references to government, just to prosperity. Rob and I thought it may be a great day to grab our Passports, stretch our sea legs and head over to Macau, which happens to be the only other Special Administrative Region in China. If you aren't familiar with Macau, it is an island on the Pearl River Delta, and it was settled by the Portuguese in 1503--338 years before the British settled Hong Kong. Macau blew my mind. It is is a hidden gem to this part of the world, and I urge all of you who have not been to go.

There are two contradictory sides of Macau. One is the old, historical side, which demonstrates a beautiful combination of Eastern and Western cultures that has been developing since the 1500s. Macau was once a trading post on the water route of The Silk Road, and it was open to many different cultures and peoples. A fort was built on the solitary peak of the small island in order to defend the settlement from other European colonists who were jealous of the settlement's successes (the Dutch attacked repeatedly). You can go visit this tropical fort today. In many ways, it reminded of St. Augustine, Florida, but with strong Asian flare. Just below the fort stand the remains of St. Paul's Church, which was burned in a fire 200 years ago. Only the grand staircase and the facade of the Church remain. It is striking. As you wander down the staircase into the old town, you see the streets, which are paved with smooth, wavy-tiled mosaics and lined by Portuguese-style buildings. Vendors fill the buildings and urge you to sample goods--pork and beef jerky as well as Macanese egg tarts! The island is famous for its egg tarts...Mmm. Words cannot describe how good these little desserts are. Anyway, that is one side of Macau. The other side feels like the antithesis of this historical place. If you walk about 200 yards down the road, you will reach the pumping, neon side of the island. Bright lights, big city casinos line the avenues. Fountains explode. You are in Vegas, baby, at the MGM Grand. You are in Paris, cherie, when you walk through the Arc de Triomphe Hotel and Casino. You are everywhere you want to be at once. As a matter of hearsay, the Macanese prostitution industry is a booming industry. You see fancy women lingering on the corners of the brand new Louis Vuitton/Gucci/whatever stores. It is fascinating that this new wealth is part of the other place down the road, where the old, Church and fortress rest.

There are many reasons for this dichotomy, and one of them happens to be Hong Kong. When the British came and settled Hong Kong (just 40 miles from Macau) in 1841, much of the trading industry migrated from Macau to Hong Kong. Macau, once a major trading post, became just a blip on the region's radar. Not to mention, by the 1800s, Portugal was not as powerful as Britain, especially when it came to colonial powers in far away lands. Hong Kong, with its deep waters for large sea vessels, stole the show from Macau. Macau's main industry became the match-making industry, which lasted into the 1920s...no, literally, Macau made matches and match books. Perhaps this is how it got the idea to advance its prostitution industry, by matchmaking in another way, but that's another story, and probably not the right one. In more recent years, as Macau has ceded from the Portuguese back to the Chinese, Macau has undergone more change. While it still values its historical past, it sees dollar signs in its future by way of the casinos.

Needless to say, Rob and I had a great time exploring the many sides of Macau on National Day. The visit was made complete by a farewell firework competition between Italy and China. Not surprisingly, China won.

It was spectacular. Pictures below.

The Hydro-planing, high-speed boat we took to Macau. Takes 1 hour to go 40 miles. I thought the boat was awesome on the smooth ride over there. Our ride back was the opposite. Really rough. I'll spare you the details, but thankfully Rob and have strong-ish stomachs. Many others did not.

But...we arrived and were fast exploring the city by foot! Here: Old Macau on National Day in daylight. Beautiful architecture and wavy mosaic streets. Notice McDonalds in the background. Asians LOVE McDiesels.

The pork and beef jerkey. Vendors give out samples of any flavor you would like to try. I liked the sweet and spicy.

Walking up the tiled, vendor-lined streets. St. Paul's Church remains in the distance.

The staircase adds a powerful effect.

The area leading up to the fort is a park. Many Chinese bring their dogs. Golden Retrievers seem to be the dog of choice in Macau. I met some super cute ones and their proud owners. There is even a dog W.C! There are also public elliptical machines for their masters. The dogs can take a load off while the master works it. Kinda funny.

The entrance to the fort is now a European style concession stand with Coca-Cola products. The inside looks like a Bavarian Hansel and Gretle house.

The top of the fort is now the Musea De Macau. Rob and I did a quick run-through of the museum. Many of the facts I mentioned above came from here. Neat place. I <3 museums.

Read this how you will. East-West style cannon once aimed at attacking Dutch ships now aims at casinos.

Rob and I ventured back down to the facade of St. Paul's Church and climbed to the top of the facade! This was one of the views looking down--a Chinese temple. Neat how the two religious structures coexist.

Proud owner with his beautiful retriever.

Historic Macau on National Day at night.

Casino Land! Hotel Lisboa and it's ENORMOUS casino. Robert Stephens standing in front for scale :).

Wynn Hotel and Casino

The real Arc de Triomphe. Ask anyone inside!

Macanese cuisine is unique because it is a fine melding of various ethnic cuisines. Here Rob and I are at Dom Galo with African Chicken, a dish of potatoes, chorizo, shrimp and olives, as well as mussels with bacon and garlic. Definitely was not a light meal, but it was pretty good. Rob and I first had Macanese food in New York at a great, great restaurant called Macau Trading Company. Macau Trading Company is cool, and you should go if you are in New York. It's owned by the Employees Only people, and they serve great cocktails and food!

Grand Finale!
Chinese finale of the fireworks competition. It was out of this world. In Macau they do it big, especially when it comes to competition and fireworks!

Per Pope's Request...A Typical Day In Hong Kong

2010-09-29T18:43:00.007+08:00

Hello to you all! Happy Wednesday; I hope you're having a great week. Not too much to report here except that I'm continuing the job search and am increasingly spending time with new friends. I do miss my old friends, believe me, I think of you all often.

I recently received a request from a fellow blogger friend to photo document a typical day in Hong Kong. Because I love hearing from you all and listening to your blog advice, I was happy to fulfill the request. The request even involved specifics like "brushing your teeth," etc. I thought this was a great idea and could be fun, so I documented each step of my day yesterday. Here is a photo documentary of a typical Tuesday:

Sleepy, truly just woke up. Tried to make this photo as small as possible :)

Brushing my teeth...This experience is SO different when you do it in Hong Kong ;)

Agonizingly small ironing board debate: made for tiny apartments or made for tiny Asians?
It's just an awkward height for tall people.
Anywho...
Dressed in workout clothes and doing some morning chores: an augmented and scrambled version of Jersey Shore's GTL. Preparing for the gym, ~~tanning~~, laundry....and working on a few job e-mails!

Gearing up for a run!

Snapped this on my way out the door. This is my sweet doorman, who does not speak a word of English. We seem to get along well with waves, hand gestures and smiles. He was slightly taken aback that I wanted to photograph him. He is wonderful.

Just outside my apartment building on Wo On Lane is one of the many temples that exists in Hong Kong. The temple always smells of incense and usually has a worshiper at its entrance. A coffee shop and several bars surround the temple. Temples are very much a part of everyday life here. (Notice the dude on his blackberry to the right)

Various icons and coils of incense fill the temple. Sometimes you'll see little bowls of food that people have left beside the temple.

Contraband material: After stopping at 7-Eleven to buy some water, I arrived at the gym, where I force myself to run and take a steam. I was scolded for taking this picture--cameras are not allowed here.

After taking care of my morning errands, it was time to embark on the fun stuff of the day: shopping. My sister is turning 10 on October 4, so the goal of the day was to venture over to the authentic shopping district and buy some fun Chinese gifts for her. Since I was documenting the day, I included a few photos of the sites while on my walk. This is another temple I passed. I have posted photos of it before, but here it is again. It is quite large and beautiful. Everyone is quiet here except the fortune tellers. One of the fortune tellers speaks English. One day I may venture in and ask for my fortune...but fortune cookies are enough for me right now.

Doors of the temple.

The main drag of the antique shopping district: Hollywood Road. If you keep going far enough, you'll reach some great (and LESS expensive) shopping markets. The more centrally located shops are fine antique furniture stores and art galleries. I wish I were in the market for a 300-year-old urn, but I'm just not...and I don't think Carolyn wants that for her birthday.

You know you've arrived (at the markets) when you see things like this: Communist cards, LeBron James Cards, vintage pin-up cards, etc. You can find plenty of Communist paraphernalia here in Hong Kong. They like to sell Obama and Mao knick-knacks together. I wish I could speak Cantonese so I could understand their reasoning for this. (Don't worry Carolyn, this is NOT what you're getting for your birthday)

I liked these items. Porcelain bowls, chopsticks and spoons. I love using Chinese spoons!

Tweety. I'm not really sure why he was hanging here, on the side of the road.
I like looking at the scrolls behind him; the craftsmanship on the paintings can be really beautiful. The styles range from simple and minimalist to very ornate and painterly.

You see these medicinal tea shops around town. Locals seem to frequent them, as there is often a line of people at the window. This particular tea shop had English translations on the menu. Close-up below:

Turtle shell tea, anyone? As an aside, I learned later that jelly, which comes from chicken's feet (and is a common ingredient in beauty products), is the best conditioner a girl can use for her hair. I'll let you know when I (knowingly) try it...

On my way to the post office with the day's loot! Carolyn, your birthday package is on it's way. I had no idea, but shipping here is shockingly affordable! I shipped this to Virginia using Hong Kong's fastest shipping option for about $7 USD. Ok, EDIT: that's not true, Rob just corrected me. It was $17.50 USD. Still okay, but not that great.

Rob had been looking for a place to get a hair cut, and as we walked past this barber shop, he decided time was nigh and walked in. Here he is pre-cut. Did you know that they washed his hair 3 times before cutting it? Neither of us could figure that out. Rob had to wash it a 4th time after the haircut, as he is not used to the amount of hair gel men commonly use in Hong Kong. I wish he would let me post a picture. His hair really does look great!

Pope (my creative, design genius friend), this pic is for you. This little shop next to the barber had tons of cool leggings I thought you'd like. Generally speaking, everyone in Hong Kong seems to take pride in his or her appearance, as most people are fashionable and very well groomed.

After exploring the Western side of Hong Kong proper, I was pooped and went home to take a nap. I don't usually take naps here, but I did on Tuesday from 4 to 6:30 p.m.. Sorry--didn't photograph that. By the time I awoke, it was time for dinner. Rob and I met up and went to the video rental store around the corner and rented a movie. We also grabbed food for dinner.

Here is a picture of my TV--this is what the cable TV system looks like in Hong Kong. It's called NowTV. The Learning Channel here is really great. It's a combination of Discovery Chanel, Travel Channel and Food Network :)

Here I am about to eat red curry chicken with sauteed onions.

After dinner and a movie, I was exhausted again and fell fast asleep. Zzzzzzz

A few photos

2010-09-27T17:29:00.005+08:00

Good Evening to the Eastern world, Good Morning to the Western world....it's always 5 o'clock somewhere!
Today's post will not be very long, as I am working on a longer one that will be posted in the next few days.

My friend Anne, whom I met on a junk boat trip, recently sent me some photos. So that you all could see what we do on these boat rides, I thought I would post a few of them:

Liz (about to be sunburned), Anne and Thayer. Anne went to UNC and graduated a few years before I did. She and her husband recently transferred to Hong Kong from New York. Thayer is from Boston.

A fisherman, as you might see while sailing on the south side of Hong Kong Island, near Aberdeen.

Rob and I standing on the side of the boat, about to jump into the water.

SPLASH!

Our junk boat for the day. A junk boat is basically a large boat that anyone can charter. Usually between 15 and 30 people rent it for the day. When you board everyone decides on a destination. This particular day we left from the south side of Hong Kong Island and sailed to a small fishing village for lunch. Must watch out where you stop to swim! Certain areas can be quite polluted.

Where we had lunch.

Lunch! Yum. I try to use chopsticks, and I feel like a baby flinging food everywhere. I must work on my manners!

The coast

Swimming around. Frog legs.

An In

2010-09-24T18:41:00.000+08:00

It's not a job, but it's an in--financial communications and consulting freelancing. Today I met with a woman who asked me to do some writing for her company when they have overflow work. It's not a full-time job, but it is enough to keep me going in Hong Kong while I keep looking. Woop.

Closing Thoughts

2010-09-23T01:07:00.002+08:00

It's night time here in Hong Kong, and I keep thinking about the movie "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," which I saw this evening. I wish I could wait to review it in the morning when my mind is sharper, but I can't--it was great! I am especially impressed with the movie because it is a sequel, and from my experience, sequels don't usually live up to the original form (with the exception of Thomas Crown Affair and Look Who's Talking). Shia LaBeouf does a stand-up job. I feel like he as an actor could become what Tom Hanks and Michael J. Fox were in the 80s--good, young actors that you like personally and professionally and you want to see succeed. The cinematography was cool, as it was unique and modern but also reminiscent of the first film. The story had depth but also did not forget to include delightfully cheesy glamourisms like a drop-in by Graydon Carter and hot shot Wall Street egos. If you were living in a cave during the Summer of 2008, the story will provide a super glossed over but similar-to-reality overview of what happened to the world that summer. It may be a stretch or it may be nostalgia, but I felt like I was seeing New York as it was during my first job search after graduating from college in 2008. I'd see the movie again.

The Sun Never Sets When You're Running in Hong Kong...Lesson of the Day #1

2010-09-21T21:59:00.002+08:00

If you follow this blog, I think you know that I love the gym I have been going to in Hong Kong. I am only a quasi-member at this point because I haven't decided if I want to pony up and pay the high fees to join, but it's a sleek, trendy gym that makes you want to go work out. It's called Pure Fitness, and most of the international companies around here offer discounted memberships to their employees. Like at most gyms, it is filled with fit business professionals at peak hours, and at off-peak hours it is filled with mommies-to-be and all sorts of other creatures like (and unlike) myself. Today, for example, I decided to go for a run around lunchtime. I hopped on a treadmill next to an Asian girl who was running and who looked to be about my age. Call me a rube, but I thought I had already experienced most of my "lost in translation" moments while at the gym. Welp, I was wrong. As I embarked on my treadmill jaunt, I quickly learned that it is quite en vogue at my gym to wear full-on, black-out shades while you workout. Sister on the treadmill beside me was not only sporting shades bigger than those you might find on Park Avenue, she was reading! I was really impressed that she could run so well in the dark. I was even more impressed that she could run for 45 minutes without sweating or even touching her large sunglasses. She must have really good natural eye sight, as it's already pretty shady inside. I thought I had seen a lot...but no.

Job Search Continues and Proof that the Stinger Still Lives

2010-09-19T19:13:00.003+08:00

Hello,

I hope you all are enjoying this Sunday in September. I hear the weather is beautiful on the east coast. It's nice here in Hong Kong, which allowed for a fun junk boat cruise yesterday with some new friends. One of the girls is from Raleigh and graduated from UNC in 2002. The others transferred from various positions in New York and range in age from 24 to 30. Great crowd--we seemed to have quite a bit in common! The only high pressure on my radar these days is being caused by the job search. While I am having fun meeting people and talking to people about "what I want to do," what I really want is a job. Today I spent a full day sending e-mails and contacting various career Web sites. I have been after it for about a month, with limited success. I think it will take finding the right person at the right time--and the best way to find that is to meet A LOT of people. So, Mom and Dad, I'm working on it. I still have until November 17, so I've got some time. Anyway, Rob has posted lots of photos, so I hope you'll check them out! I did borrow one photo of his so that you can see my new suit :). I wore it for my first (informational) interview at a media company. I like this suit and am hoping to get some good mileage out of it! Hopefully pounding the pavement will pay off this week!

Getting Ready for my first interview in my new suit!

Also, Beau and friends, you may remember that while in Richmond, just before I left to come to Hong Kong, we had a family dinner where everyone tried to order the old-fashioned drink called a Stinger. The search was brought on after a discussion about cocktail trends with my lovely grandmother, Mimi. Much to our dismay, we could not find a bartender in Richmond who knew how to make the Mad Men-era drink. Anyway, to all of you who were part of this discussion at dinner and thereafter, please check out this menu from a hole in the wall in Wan Chai called Pizza Bar:

The Stinger still lives in a small, smoke-filled joint in Wan Chai

Quick Hello

2010-09-15T15:35:00.001+08:00

Hello,

Thought I'd make today's post a quickie. I'm at the library trying to catch up with you folks, network for jobs and brush up on my, uh, accounting knowledge. I hijacked Rob's ipod and am listening to a mix of Band of Horses, Cold War Kids "Audience", Avett Brothers "November Blue," Cut Copy, and Chromeo. I love Chromeo's song "Way Too Much," even though he's better for the gym than for the library. I hope everyone is happy and healthy this morning. WRITE ME E-MAILS! (please).

Lizardly love.

Liz

It's a small world after all

2010-09-14T14:46:00.001+08:00

A few days ago I found myself on a junk boat talking to a group of Welsh, Irish, Americans, Canadians, Brazilians and Chinese. Someone had chartered the boat for the day and had invited "friends" by word-of-mouth. Because Rob and I are friends one of the girls who was officially invited (she's awesome and actually from Richmond), we were invited too. It is a foreign feeling when you go are on a 60-foot long boat for the day, sailing the South China Sea and know one other person. We decided to dive into conversation with a group of people from around the world. Having no idea what any of us had in common, the conversations were interesting. One of the brief conversations we stumbled upon was somehow about various Disney Worlds around the world. One Australian guy seemed to have a few things to say about Disneyland Tokyo, some were taken by Disneyworld in Florida, others seemed keen on Disney Land Hong Kong or California. One aficionado even knew which ride was the exact same around the world. She briefly slipped into the conversation that the infamous "it's a small world after all" ride was the same at each theme park. It's funny that all of us, who hailed from various places around the world, could find a small world out of a ride called It's a small world. As I thought about this silly idea that day, I had no idea how quickly my seemingly vast world would become even smaller.

Back in June, just before I left New York, Rob and my friends threw an Asian-themed bon voyage party for me (thanks guys!). After an evening spent dining on dumplings and sailing up and down the Hudson River we decided to have a night cap at a funky little martini bar called Bongo. I thought it was a small world that night when I was approached by a girl my age who was wearing the same ginkgo-printed dress that I was wearing. Luck would have it that both of us were moving to Hong Kong in the next few weeks. She was being transferred by Morgan Stanley. We soon parted ways to get back to our friends, and as we were caught up in our respective events, we didn't exchange much contact information.

With the exception of a few expat friends of friends, Rob and I knew almost no one when we arrived in Hong Kong. In an effort to meet more people, Rob and I decided to go to a cocktail party last night that was hosted by the UVa Club Hong Kong for alumni and those interested in attending Darden Business School. You probably have guessed where this is going, but I had no idea that when Rob and I walked into the Hong Kong Club we would be staring straight at J.S., our long-lost friend in the ginkgo dress. Turns out, yes, indeed, it is a VERY small world. Rob and I decided to invite her to dinner with us after the event. Soon after dinner, J.S. invited us on her friend's junk boat ride this Saturday. I can't wait to sail and see more of the South China Sea! Oh, what a ride this small world is!
__________

...will write back soon. Miss you all tons! Send e-mails!!!

Love,

Liz

Greetings

2010-09-09T11:30:00.002+08:00

Hello friends,

It has been awhile, and I decided I'd say hello. Hope you've been doing well. It seems as though Fall is in full swing back on the east coast. The pictures I've seen involve turtle necks...really? Already? I do love love turtle necks, but I don't think I'll see any here for awhile. It's hot right now.

I took a brief hiatus from blog writing this past week.Rob and I have been busy here meeting new friends, working on the job search and exploring some of Hong Kong's surrounding islands. We went on a hike this weekend on the island called Lantau. We took a ferry over to a largely expat area for families that was reminiscent of the film "Pleasantville." The community's actual name is Discovery Bay, and it is like a suburban living community/mall on a beautiful tropical island. One of our older ex-pat friends who once lived there calls it "DB-Dogs n' Babies." It's a very nice, safe-feeling place. Two of the first things you notice upon stepping off the ferry there are leashes and strollers. Discovery Bay may, in fact, be code for Dogs and Babies. Anyway, it was a very nice community full of golf carts and smiles. We began our hike there. After meeting several other expats from the US, Canada, Australia and Mainland China we began our 2-hour, GRUELING journey up to the peak of Lantau and crossing over to the other, more natural side. It was gorgeous. Rob's blog has pictures posted of the hike. I have been running a lot here, and I feel like I'm in pretty good shape, but that hike kicked my hiney. All's good that ends at a beach, and that is what we did. We ascended, descended, and then went for a swim. Then we ate burgers on the beach. Yum. 8 hours later, Rob and I dragged ourselves back to Hong Kong proper. Big Day.

On Tuesday, Rob and I hopped on a public bus and rode down to the southern side of Hong Kong Island to see the much-talked-about markets there...in an area called Stanley. The bus ride was INCREDIBLE. I felt like I was motoring along the coast of Southern Europe. I even thought about Grace Kelly and how she must have felt driving along the coast of Monaco. While I cannot believe I just admitted that, the views truly were amazing. Steep cliffs lead your eyes down into crisp blue waters and then back up to hazy mountains in the distance. Beautiful homes, small fishing boats and huge cargo ships dot the scenery. Lush, tropical trees and vines cover everything. Once we arrived, Rob and I had lunch--pizza & salad--and explored the markets. Notables from the market were high thread-count sheets and cashmere sweaters. (Wow-writing that makes me feel like a grown up). I didn't buy any because I don't have a job, and I just couldn't justify buying linens without a job--and seriously, what 24 year old goes out to buy linens??!?! I'm scaring myself except that the linens were beautiful, and I will go back one day and buy, even if it's as a wedding present for Lindsay Doswell.

Anywho, apparently I need to run. Rob's "sling box" arrived at his home in Irvington, which means that we can now watch his parent's American TV, any channel, any time from our laptops in Hong Kong. He's watching MTV Real World right now. Yay! I can now watch the TV shows I thought I'd said goodbye to for a very long time. The world just got a LOT smaller.

Talk to you all soon. Lots of Love.

Leaping Lizard

Time to Back Track and Cover a Few Things I've Missed

2010-09-01T13:42:00.006+08:00

My brother commented that based on word count the highlights of my trip so far have been monkeys and dumplings. And he's right, except that word count skews what the actual highlights of my experience have been. Because of this I have decided to go back and rehash a few aspects of the experience that I have not yet focused on because I've been focusing on the details of my day, not the overall experience. Often I notice overarching cultural comparisons as I'm walking down the street, and I'll forget to type them out. Here are a few things I haven't covered. I hope it balances the word count.

Farewells in Richmond: Before I am too far removed from farewells in Richmond, I want to thank my family and close friends for such a warm send-off. I wouldn't have been able to make it over to Hong Kong without you all. Sara, I borrowed a photo from your Facebook to post. Miss you all tons.

At Dad's house, 8/13/10, a few days before blast off.

Being and not being a tourist: The first week in Hong Kong I spent half of the time sleeping/trying to sleep and the other half of the time being a tourist. I've told you all lots about the activities I've done, but I have not included many of the observations I've made while doing these activities, at the risk of feeling like an outsider to my own surroundings. I'm trying to meld in and adjust to the place I will be living for a while and tend to look for more similarities than differences between here and home. Sometimes it's hard to deny the differences, though. Anyway, I think it is safe to say that I now have a basket full of cultural observations. For instance, I was here 5 days before I saw one black person. If I see a fellow blond person walking down the street I stare, because it is not a common sight in this neck of the woods. When I see them I wonder if they speak with a British accent or an American accent. Most tend to have a British or Australian accent. I've begun to get used to all of the dark hair and petite people. The men and women are quite smaller in size than Westerners. Particularly the men. Everyone dresses well, though. An older expat friend told Rob that if you live here long enough you get so used to seeing working people in custom made clothes, that when you travel other places, off-the-rack clothes look like they fit strangely. I'm "off the rack" at this point, I guess :).

Another observation, the streets are VERY clean. Cleaner than any American city I've seen. It's remarkable because this is such a metropolitan city and has as many inhabitants as Manhattan. 7.5 million. A few years ago during the Avian flu scare, Hong Kong decided to clean out and clean up urban areas to avoid the spread of disease. The trend has stuck. This city is spotless. The metro, er MTR, is also spotless.

When you're walking along the windy streets on the small sidewalks, construction will be going on around you and there won't be much protection or guardrailing. Men will be dragging carts of glass on a dolly, up the same steep sidewalk on which you're walking. Look out. There is no real regulation or safety enforcement for these things. One is required to watch out for oneself. That's not to say that Hong Kong isn't a safe city; it's one of the safest in the world. There is little red tape or residual legal cushioning for your day-to-day actions. In fact, you could walk through the streets drinking two cocktails and you would not be breaking the law. At the same time, if a piece of glass slid off a cart and cut you, I'm not sure if you would be able to blame someone else for that. I'm basically living in a Communist country, and there's less red tape here than in the US. You're more responsible for yourself and seemingly more free to do what you want than in the US.

My last cultural observations pertain to quality of life here. The cost of living is pretty high but also skewed from how it is in the States. Apartments are expensive, even more expensive per square foot than in New York. The cost of food, however, varies greatly depending on where you go. It ranges from very cheap to very expensive by US standards. Same goes for clothing. I can have a beautiful suit made to order by a tailor (skirt, pants and jacket), using the finest wool and cashmere for $370, but then I can also venture into a flashy store and buy something similar that is much more expensive. On that same note, I could also find a suit that is not as well constructed without spending much money. In this city, though, quality seems to be important.

Domestic help--something I never considered having at my age in the States--is also quite inexpensive here. Every expat family we have met here have "helpers." If you don't have your own domestic helper, most apartment leases come with a maid service that cleans at least once a week, but often cleans every day. At the apartment where I live now, our land lady's "helper," comes to clean for two hours once a week. Even two hours feels like a lot of time to spend cleaning a 400 square foot apartment. In addition to cleaning and doing laundry and dishes, she will organize my closets, go to the grocery store, and even take things to the dry cleaners. She couldn't be any nicer or more helpful. It feels weird not doing the chores myself. I do feel bad, though, that by law helpers from the Philippines have a lower minimum wage than people from China/Hong Kong. I am not sure why that is.

Anyway, those are just a few observations that I have been thinking about. Thank you for sending me questions and comments. If you have any other questions or things you'd like for me to talk about please let me know! I always love hearing from you :)

CIAO!

Lizard

2010-08-31T22:53:00.000+08:00

Thoughts of the Day

2010-08-29T20:17:00.001+08:00

Joined a gym for the week. Gyms here are awesome. Very high tech, have wonderful locker rooms. The gym to which I have a free week-long pass even has a DVD library so that you can watch any hit TV show of the past 10 years or watch a movie while you run (if you're feeling REALLY ambitious). There is also a machine which is usually found at hospitals. If you stand on it and hold a few sensors for two minutes, it will tell you everything you ever wanted to know (and didn't want to know) about your physical fitness and composition--even how proportional your physique is. Trainers can analyze it and suggest which exercises would benefit you most.

Second thought of the day: there is a typhoon approaching. Still far off shore (250 km). Apparently they are a common occurrence.

Speaking of gyms and typhoons, my third and final thought is that I am using the metric system a lot here. In fact, I am using math a lot in day to day actions, which is a good thing after my summer break. Dividing Hong Kong Dollars by 7.7 (to convert currency) all the time and calculating km/hr at the gym will hopefully help get me ready for work....smirk.

Good Morning

2010-08-28T11:32:00.003+08:00

Good Morning,

I added 25 new photos to the bunch this morning, and they're posted at the left. The photos are from yesterday when Rob and I went over to Kowloon (across Victoria Harbour from HK Island) to have some suits custom made for Rob. (Gotta look sharp for interviews!) While over there, we scoped out some of the cool hotels and museums. My grandmother and Uncle highly recommended going to the Intercontinental Hotel's restaurant and seeing the views of the Harbour and Hong Kong Island. So, Mimi and Uncle Henry, the photo in front of the Intercontinental is for you. Definitely glad I ventured in. You can see the views in the photos...my favorite photo is from the back window of the hotel, where the glass panes divide and highlight the junk boats in the Harbour.

As far as Hong Kong tailors go, Rob got an unbelievable deal. If you need any custom made suits at an insanely good price, this guy travels to the US 6-8 times a year. His main stops are DC and Charlotte. We can give you more details if you're interested.

Last night I went out to dinner with my landlady and landlord (how Feudal does that sound?), and we had a great time dining on soft shell crab. Afterwards, boyfriend and I went to trendy club Dragon-i. I felt like a 21 year old New York intern again. We left soon after arriving. Thank goodness. I can still hear/feel Dragon-i pulsing through my brain. If you come visit me, I'm definitely taking you there, though.

Have a great weekend. XO

Update

2010-08-26T20:38:00.002+08:00

Hi friends and fam,

Thanks for all of the e-mails. I've loved hearing from you and miss you tons. Can't believe I've been in China for a week! All settled in and will probably hit the ground running with the job search next week. While there won't be a real post today, I'm working on a post that I'll publish in the next day or two...so stay tuned. Check in. As they say in America, ttyl.

Lizard

Wednesday: independence and good fortune

2010-08-25T18:47:00.013+08:00

This morning I went out into the town by myself for the first time. I rode the metro 3 stops east to the Causeway Bay area of Hong Kong, where I met a new friend at Ikea. Like I, she is an expat. She attended nursing school at UVA and has lived in Hong Kong as an American Expat for 3 years, ever since her husband was transfered here. She is wonderful and asked if I would go shopping with her today. We explored Causeway Bay, which is a cool area because it was once a popular neighborhood for Japanese who came to live in Hong Kong. Among the Ikea, hotels and bric-a-brac, a cache of Japanese shops still exists there. Andi showed me where to purchase various necessary items like hairdryers, samples of any cosmetic brand you could imagine, and affordable zen-like items for the home. She agrees with me that "minimalist chic" is a good way to make the most of small apartments here. Japanese stores in Causeway Bay do this well. She was a great shopping partner.

Later in the afternoon Rob and I had lunch at an authentic Chinese restaurant. I liked it because it was more palatable to my western tastebuds than some of the other culinary venues we have selected. Dumpling Yuan is a place I will remember not only for the food's simple excellence but also for it's name. The term "Dumpling" combined with "Yuan" caught our attention as we dined on the boiled and fried fare. For the Chinese, dumplings are symbols of wealth and fortune, and both are very important in Chinese culture. In a country whose history has battled severe poverty and a taking away of wealth, fortune is now valued highly. This value is displayed many places in Hong Kong, including dumpling shops. The dumpling as a symbol is similar to bread being a symbol for money in the West. An example being the term "bread-winner." The second word in Dumpling Yuan's name is an obvious reference to money, as the yuan is the Chinese currency. Rob and I sat at Dumpling Yuan thinking about the significance of this restaurant's name and how it showed a lot about the culture in which we are living.

As we left the restaurant I thought that perhaps I should start rating restaurants here on a dumpling scale, as one Commerce School student once did. For instance, a 10 star dumpling restaurant is top dog. I give Dumpling Yuan 10 dumplings.

Have a great Wednesday.

Liz

PS--Please check out new pictures posted at the left. Also, please leave comments and send e-mails/suggestions/dumplings. I'd love to hear from you.