Met up with a couple of frens for some window shopping and lunch at Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao at Scotts Road. Yeah, I know it’s a chain, but who cares? It was good chow!
Yum yum yum, now THAT’s a good beginning!
Look at those dumplings! That was our starter. Mmmmmm. The xiaolongbao were really good too!
Good xiaolongbao u dun have to go to Shanghai 2 have, cuz it’s cold there!
Usually xiaolongbao outside of Shanghai is pretty pathetic, especially in the US, but these were excellent! Just soupy enough inside but not that soupy so that it was soggy. If you eat xiaolongbao, you understand what I’m trying to describe. We had some fried eel and some other dishes.
It’s easy to take pictures of food. Not so easy to take pix of people. For one thing, food cooperates!
Since it was my fren’s day off, we partook in that peculiar Singapore sport, retail therapy. I mean, it IS the Xmas season, so I guess it was the thing to do…
We wound up going to Tang’s where we looked at dehydrators (huh?) and “sampled” expresso from fancy schmancy expresso machines (yeaaah!). Actually, they were making cups when you listened to their presentation. So we made like we were dense so the guy would make us expresso.
Then to Takashimiya for more of the same. Sounds pretty domestic lah! Of course, back home we have Williams-Sonoma to do this kind of shopping in. Did I just say too much about myself?
Then…
The shopping day ended when those two decided to head to Tiffany’s.
Guys are there for two reasons: either to look at the men’s stuff (watches, various accessories) which takes all of five minutes because there’s so little of it OR they are there to get baubles for their girlfriends/wives/mistresses/SOs. Big expensive baubles in a baby blue box.
My self preservation instinct kicked in and I made myself scarce until they were done. My fren’s husband didn’t come out with us today, claiming illness. I wonder if he knew this was in store…
Smart guy! =P
Art at the Twin Durians
With copious apologies to Mel Brooks and the late Cleavon Little:
Hey, where all the Azians at??
Well, we ARE in Singapore, just look at the sign! =)
Let’s Compare!!
En route to Singapore via SQ. About to eat lunch. Here’s a chicken ragout with cheese and crackers, big assed shrimp in the shrimp salad, a bun and Tiger Time! We also got a chocky Haggen-Daz ice cream cup for dessert. YUM!
Lunch amongst kebaya-clad stewardesses and Kris World entertainment!
Criticisms: The bun was squished and was lukewarm. Hard to spread the butter.
Now this is what passed for “dinner” on UA on my flight over. Before you ask “WTF is that?”, it’s supposed to be Salisbury Steak (or in Nihongo, hamburger steaku) with vegetables, salad, fruit plate and a slice o’ cake. It’s a lot of food.
A UA meal amongst “flight attendants” past their prime. And what seatback on demand entertainment?
I liked the fruit because of hydration’s sake. No ice cream for dessert though.
But take a closer look at this “hamburger steak”. I ask, is that appetizing?
Well, at the time, I was hella hungry and this was the only thing that seemed appetizing…
Which meal would you rather eat?
Mmmmm Mak’s Noodle! And Yum Cha, and Daan Taat
I’ve broken one of my HK traditions, sorta. I arrived on Wednesday PM late, ate a LOT on Thursday and will bug out to Republik Singapura on Friday AM. Then I’m returning to HKG on Monday PM and bugging out AGAIN to NRT the following AM. Yes, this trip is panning out to be the “fastest Asia trip ever”. And my trips are usually anything BUT speedy.
I met up with a friend here in HKG that happened to be on holiday from the land of tax, I mean the United States. He was able to help me gather information about Hoiping and how to get there. After we got all that info, we were kickin8 for most of the day. Which meant a little bit of shopping, meeting his frens and doing a LOT of eating.
So back to the breaking of tradition. No Tsim Chai Kee this trip. Even though they got spiffy new digs right next door to their former location. Gotta go there when I return next March!
Instead, we went to Mak’s Noodle.
It’s right across the street and it’s HK$25 a bowl, probably the most expensive in HKG. But the noodles were springy, with just the right amount of give, the wontons were stuffed, but not too stuffed and the gai-lon was cooked just so, not too much or not enough.
In short, it was a nice balanced HK supper. And was worth the premium. I like!
Before that it was a late (1400) yum cha in Mong Kok. Imagine a typical HK scene. Three people at the table yapping away. Then 6 steamers came to the table, stacked one atop of the other. In unison we went, “Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!” I think I was the loudest one. And the tables around us looked at us with happy amusement. Yes, yum cha is a joyful thing.
Then the rattling of chopsticks and the business of eating began.
But even BEFORE that, we began this “day of eating” at Tai Cheong Bakery in Mong Kok. MK? Yup. And in a mall, no less. See, after I queued up at their old location in Central back in May and they closed, they opened a new location in Mong Kok in July. Then they reopened in Central up the block in September. So Hong Kongers didn’t have to go cold turkey without their daan-taat fix.
Funny thing was that my friend finally realized that these were the daan-taats that his mum would bring home when he was little and living in Hong Kong. And I think he would agree that these ARE a big deal.
The night ended late with yet another meal at a HK steak place. Then it’s off to Singapore via heaven, I mean Singapore Airlines! Am looking forward to real service and food, especially having been subjected to UAL and it’s AFA “flight attendants” for 14 hours.
Wanna Beer?
Ummmmm, no thanks. Perhaps you have some piss water, I mean, Coors Light instead?
For those of you who are totally blur, look at the NAME of the beer…
How to Pack
or more appropriately, “How I Pack”.
Plane leaves on Tues AM. Got a new, 26″ roller expandable suitcase (because a 22″ roller carry on dun hold everything on an overseas trip) and now need to fill it.
Remember how I had the 22″ roller AND the red monster with a duffle inside? I looked like the glam traveller (not), lugging both bags down from the hotel, down the street, up and down the overpass, around the construction zone and up into the JR Station. Yeah right.
So this is how packing begins.
And this is how it continues. Notice how much the pile has grown?
It’s especially difficult because this is one of those “am on the other side of the planet, let’s see how many places I can visit”. Note to self: This method of travel is fine; just make sure all destinations are similar in climate!!
And we’re STILL not done…
Why so much stuff? Tokyo is having San Francisco weather right now. It’s a bit chilly. 15/3 degrees c. But HKG and SIN are in the high 20s. HIGH 20s?? That’s frakking hot!!! That means shorts and what not. But Tokyo calls for jeans and jackets and long sleeves. Gotta carry that stuff wherever I wind up.
One of the reasons why I have this big case now is so there’s room inside. To stash a pea coat. And long pants. Cuz I dun like being coooold!
What a difference a few hours makes
In the hours since the last entry, the skies cleared up and it’s nice and sunny outside.
Of course, 12 hours of rain followed by sunshine = weeds in the backyard. And, of course, I just pulled a LOT of the weeds.
Sigh.
Also, I need to remember that wonderful nugget of wisdom that I’ve quoted before in this blog: “Frequent Flyer miles dun accrue interest!”
Let’s see if I can get to SIN next weekend…
Tough Month
Sigh….
This has been a tough month. So many changes.
Ever have one of those life-altering events that just throws your life and everything you hold true into disarray? I had one last month. And have been dealing with the aftereffects and pain ever since. You wanna know? Email me.
The first clue was the posting of “Cemetry Gates” for almost a month. I generally dun post song lyrics, since I ‘m usually better expressing myself than some random songwriter. I haven’t been online, haven’t done any MSNing or anything even close to routine. And on top of that, I see that one of my fave blogs shut down because of the jealously of petty people.
Next week, I’m off to HKG, via NRT for a week and a half. I had a ticket I had to use or burn. Because of the quick time that this trip entails, I kanna head down to my favourite city-state, even though it’s sooo close! Singapore will have to wait until next March….
The HKG trip will be more business now. I’m planning to caucus with some frens there about finding my way to Hoi-Ping (which I understand is called “Kaiping” City now) in Guangdong Province. If I can get there on this trip, that would be good. If I can get there after before Ching Ming next year (cuz Ching Ming is at the beginning of April), it would be better (I’m still a sucker for planning) AND I can swing down to SIN and visit my dark chocky lovin’ fren.
During this past month, we had our two weeks of “summer”. It was nice. Today is “Black Friday”, or the first shopping day after Thanksgiving. It’s raining and cold. Fun for all those people who actually queue up in the wee hours to get into a mall…
Priorities, people!!
Respect where you are
There is one ironclad rule that all international travellers should abide by (maybe through a blood oath or something goth like dat):
You respect the local laws, customs and traditions of wherever you visit.
Examples: you can learn how to bow properly in Japan or catch up with happenings in Hong Kong and by extension, the PRC. Or even the food scene in Singapore.
But most importantly, you need to observe what laws are important wherever you are. Especially when it’s printed in big red type on your arrival card. Like this.
Think of visiting other countries like visiting people’s houses. You in their house, you follow their rules. And don’t expect special “rights” simply because of the color of your passport (or the “rationale” for breaking this kind of law).
The freedom to make your own decisions is the most precious of freedoms. The responsibilty for the aftermath is, again, borne by the individual.
Pretty deep for THIS blog, eh?
UA PA announcements
I’ve had to listen to no less then three UA drones,
#1 at the gate,
#2 on the plane (flight attendant) and
#3 from the cockpit,
go on about how “this is a very full flight”, yadda yadda yadda.
Is there EVER a UA flight that isn’t full???
Nope. Never. Ain’t gonna happen.
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