Category Archives: Hong Kong

Typhoon Day

29 Thursday Sep 2011

Posted by in Hong Kong, Random Musings

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I got a call from my nocturnal aunt this morning at 6:30am telling me that there was a typhoon 8 going on and that work was cancelled for the morning. I haven’t had such great morning news for YEARS. Not since high school! I immediately slammed my alarm shut and proceeded to sleep the morning away. YES!!!! This is the best thing that can happen early in the morning.

For those who don’t know, located in the sub tropics, Hong Kong is prone to typhoons and heavy rain, which occasionally makes it too dangerous to go to work. Consequently, they came up with this system, where we classify our typhoons (1,3,8) and rainstorms (yellow, red and black). Whenever they come up with a typhoon 8 or a black rainstorm, then the city closes, until the signal is removed.

Usually we know that a typhoon is coming, and we all anxiously monitor the television to see if and when they put it up. But this time, the typhoon Nesat snuck up on us. There was wind, but they said that the chances of a typhoon 8 was extremely mild, and so we all ignored it. Who knew that it would sneak up on us AND manage to keep the typhoon 8 signal up for close to 12 hours? As a result, most of us didn’t even have to go to work for the whole day!

Yes, some trees were uprooted, and glasses fell off buildings, but no one was hurt (since no one was out). It was like an extra day of holiday for all of us! Many restaurants were actually still opened. So I celebrated the unexpected day of rest by sleeping til noon, and having a late lunch/tea with my family. It was definitely a very good day today. And hey, tomorrow is Friday!! 🙂 Am I unusually happy and giddy over a random day off?

In Jail!

26 Friday Nov 2010

Posted by in Art, Hong Kong, Random Musings

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If the economy in Hong Kong wasn’t so vibrant, the hippest restaurants in town wouldn’t have been fully booked on a Friday night, and I wouldn’t have ended up heading to a not-so-hip restaurant in Soho on a Friday night. If I hadn’t lost my hair tie earlier this week, I wouldn’t have chosen to go up to Soho via the ladder streets to pick up some hair ties on the way. If I hadn’t gone up ladder street and had to catch my breath at the top of the stairs, I wouldn’t have looked up and noticed the floating lantern of lights in the distance, at the usually closed gates of the long  deserted Victoria Prison. If I hadn’t been a curious party crasher, I wouldn’t have come across this most amazing display of balloon lights by Jiro Hirano.

Isn’t this one of the most amazingly romantic scene one can possibly randomly come across? It was right out of a cheesy romantic comedy! I imagine that these balloons would look beautiful surrounding a dance floor at my wedding……………….

If I hadn’t been so dazzled by this display of lights, I wouldn’t have wanted to check out every part of it and I wouldn’t have noticed the people upstairs in the building. If I hadn’t gone up the rather sketchy looking set of stairs, I would’ve missed this most intriguing display of paper structures built by first year HKU architect students inspired by body parts.

And that would’ve been a shame, because even though I didn’t quite get the body part reference, I did thoroughly enjoyed interpreting it on my own. I haven’t used my imagination in a while, and this was definitely good exercise! The first one that caught my eye was the top left one. I thought it looked like a Greek helmet with the feathers caught in the wind, flowing towards the left. But alas, the artist of the piece  told me that it was actually the arm of a music composer, and it was embodying his hand movement as he conducts music. I can kind of see that…. but I still see helmet more. As for the rest, I couldn’t quite  figure out what body part/movement it is supposed to embody, but going clockwise the following things popped into mind: wind chimes, star and a chair (or headphones!). Ah.. the joys of abstract art.

The next one that I loved, was the People’s Paint display next door. I thought it was an incredibly smart piece of interactive art (after the Bean in Chicago that is- that will always be my favourite piece of interactive art!). Viewers enter a room filled with canvas walls/objects, where an outline of a design has been drawn with pencil and the color codes for each space numbered. The viewer is then provided with paint in the correlating numbered colors (they also thoughtfully provided us HK-ers with aprons), and like a kid’s coloring book is invited to fill in the blanks on the canvases. The idea is that everyone gets to contribute a little to this piece.Being the sensible soul that I am, I chose to paint with white, cause I figured that it will do less damage to my clothes than say… orange.

You know what the seriously clever thing is? Inside the room is a TV screen with a digital camera, programmed to constantly take pictures of the room and monitor the progress of the piece. If you stare at the screen long enough, you will find yourself in it. And who doesn’t like to see themselves on screen (if only to make sure that they weren’t caught on camera doing something unseemly!)? This room can engage you for hours if you let it!

Going further into the prison, I found the Design Mart. It is like a regular bazaar (like the one in Soho last weekend), but the thing that stood out to me most were the little booths everyone had made of cardboard. Very clever and environmentally friendly! I also discovered this Hong Kong based designer selling bookmarks in the shape of her dress designs there, called Chailie Ho. She specializes in cocktail dresses, but also has a line sold in Central somewhere called Law Season (I think!), which specializes in OL wear. I’m definitely interested in checking that out! And I’ll check out her cocktail dresses too if I can ever motivate myself over to Kowloon Tong.

Did I mention that this was a prison ? I’ve lived in Hong Kong for most of my life, and I’ve never been in here before until last night. In fact, I don’t recall the last time I’ve been inside a prison (unless the catacombs in Paris counts)! It is an experience within itself.

The conditions inside make Prison Break’s cell (season 1 anyway) look like a hotel. Especially in the dark, it is quite creepy! I cannot begin imagine what it is like to live/work here when it was actually a prison.  Though I must say, combined with art, it is actually quite a novel and exciting experience. Stimulating enough to motivate me to stay up till almost 4am on a Friday night to write this up (and I haven’t done this in a LONG time)!

On my way out, I also stopped by the recycle fashion room, where you’re supposed to hang things you don’t want onto the wire dress. At the end of this exhibition, you are invited to come back and pick up something someone else has left behind that you DO want.  Another interactive piece of art. The idea is a good one, but I’m not sure about the participation rate. I’m unlikely to wear anything I don’t want on my person to begin with……….. let alone leave it there. Across from the dress, is a wall of shopping bags, which I think  would make an excellent wallpaper for my iPhone!

I am so glad I made this mini detour, as otherwise I would not have discovered DETOUR (the annual flagship programme of Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design, aimed at showcasing Hong Kong as a regional creative hub and featuring inspiring designs from Hong Kong’s young and emerging creative talent) at Victoria Prison, which happen to have opened TONIGHT! How coincidental can this night get? Opened from now until December 12, you simply MUST go check it out. It is a breath of fresh air to Hong Kong (better than the HK Art Fair!). I can’t wait for the next DETOUR event. I may even go again to this one, just to check out the prison in day time! Did I mention that it is free?

Ironically , the new hip restaurant I’d originally wanted to try (Tango) magically had an excellent table by the window for us once we were done with DETOUR, and we were able to enjoy a very satisfying and incredibly good valued Argentinian steak for dinner.

One warning though if you’re planning to go to Tango: when you get medium rare here, they really make it rare. Check out the inside of the rib eye we got. It is almost uncooked!

I’m an anal planner, but even I must admit that sometimes unplanned spontaneity often works out better then perfectly planned days! Can one plan spontaneity?

The Wow Factor

02 Thursday Sep 2010

Posted by in Hong Kong, Random Musings

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The reason why I’ve been MIA for the past week is because I’ve been busy rearranging text, translating and refining my people cutting skills on Photoshop. I’m proud to say that I finally figured out an easy way  to cut out hair without it looking too unnatural thanks to this blog post!

I’m pretty much happy with my final product, except that the brochure may be lacking a bit of the “wow factor.” We are still trying to figure out what that may be. And is it just me, or do the fact boxes look more aqua than light blue to you? Because on my Photoshop screen, it is definitely light blue. It is just when I upload it onto the web that it seems to look different. Could it be because I used the CMYK color scheme instead of RGB? I’m told that if I want it printed out, I should use CMYK….

But yes, other than that, any thoughts on the “wow factor”?

Starstruck Again

17 Saturday Jul 2010

Posted by in Blogging, Dining, Hong Kong

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Yesterday my girlfriends and I met THE Jason Bonvivant, at Riquiqui Dessert Bar and were completely starstruck!

We were just sitting at the bar, enjoying ourselves and chatting with Andrea and Amanda (the lovely hostess and chef of the establishment) when he and his friends walked in. Andrea greeted them and called him Jason. They started talking, and my friend M suddenly whispered to me that he kind of looks like the Jason from Jason Bonvivant, the famous Hong Kong food blog that we both love to stalk. Since I never studied the tiny picture he has on the corner of his blog, I scoffed at the idea and reasoned that it couldn’t be. What are the chances?

But then Andrea started telling us that Jason knows all about food and that he even has a blog. . . and we couldn’t help but ask, “Wait, are you THE Jason from the Jason Bonvivant blog???” When he confirmed, we were all starstruck and started crowding around him and bombarding him with questions. Luckily, he was super cool about it and didn’t seem to mind even after we kept him from his raspberry sorbet for well over 15 minutes. We didn’t even realize how embarrassing we were being until we excitedly recalled this experience to our friend and she observed that we sounded like a gaggle of crazy teenage fans. Whoops 😛

He mentioned this really awesome sounding low profile Italian restaurant in some basement in TST, that I’m real excited to try. But sadly I didn’t catch the name. Anyone got an idea?

Ps. The Riquiqui dessert bar is a GREAT place to hang out, chat and have some yummy sweets. The atmosphere is super friendly. It almost feels like visiting a friend’s home!

Cruisin’

11 Sunday Jul 2010

Posted by in Hong Kong, Lifestyle

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Boat trips are a huge pain to organize. Finding enough people to commit, making sure that everyone is fed and hydrated- all within budget- and hoping that the weather will be clear, is no easy feat.

But when you’re lounging on the deck, staring up at the clear blue sky and drifting in and out of a nap, it makes it all worth it. There is just something so soothing about the open space of nature, especially when you’ve been cooped up in the city for the last many months. Just remember to slather on loads of sunscreen and reapply frequently.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Swept Away

08 Thursday Jul 2010

Posted by in Hong Kong, Lifestyle

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Following the footsteps of the Sassy Girls, my girlfriends and I went to the Victorian Spa at the Disneyland Hotel yesterday to enjoy an afternoon of pampering. The special Girl’s Day Out Package was just too good to resist!

“If  3 or more friends book together you can indulge in the the Elemis Dream Journey massage and facial plus a one way transfer to the spa with a car picking you up in Central!  The Girls Day Out Package is available for $930 each Sunday to Thursday and $980 if booked for a Friday or Saturday.” (original text from SassyHongKong)

We were immediately swept away with an efficiently arranged car pick up at Pacific Place 1. The car ride  there was so smooth and comfortable that it barely felt like it took 20 minutes. When we arrived at the Disneyland Hotel, the driveway was immaculately lined with palm trees and the sky was blue. We felt like we were on a vacation and we didn’t even have to go through customs!

We were warmly welcomed at the reception and given a tour of the facilities. The staff was very friendly and even offered to share their mosquito repellent with me when we decided to take lunch outside at the poolside bar. After a simple lunch, we grabbed our drinks and enjoyed ourselves on the lounge chairs by the poolside.  Oh how I miss staring into the empty blue sky without trying to peak behind skyscrapers. It’s a good thing we went on a weekday, because the pool was relatively empty save a few children, so it was nice and peaceful (or as peaceful as a Disney themed pool can be). We even took a dip in the pool and tried out the water slide. The water slide was surprisingly long. This is my first time back in the water since the fitness swim test I had freshman year, so it’s a good thing that the pool was relatively shallow. I accidentally tripped over myself twice attempting to swim with my head above water and effectively defeated the purpose of it when I went “overboard.” Sorry I forgot to take pictures of the pool side. I was too busy just being in the moment of it.

Then we changed into our robes (they were rather thin and not as plush and princessy as I’d hoped) and headed off for our treatments. I love how the luxuriously decorated waiting room has girly refreshments, like lemon honey ginger water, and the Disney channel on. The treatment was heavenly. I felt so refreshed afterwards! I especially loved the  cooling gel she put on my shoulder to “de-stress” towards the end. It felt so tingly! The only problem I had was that I had difficulty breathing through my nose when I was facing down, even though there was already a hole in the chair. I guess it is not their fault though. It happened to me before at my last massage too. It’s as if the position blocks off my airway. Does anyone else have this problem??

After our treatment, we tried out the steam room (to open our pores and better absorb the oil), sauna and the jacuzzi. It was fun to have it all to ourselves. The changing room itself was really well equipped, though the bath products felt a bit watered down. Once we were all showered and dressed, we took a leisurely walk into the hotel’s hedge maze. Since reading a book in high school that featured a hedge maze, my friend and I have been oddly enamored of them. This maze is  actually quite sophisticated and you can indeed take a wrong turn. It’s a good thing that we were tall enough to see over the hedge! But alas, we did not find a prince at the end of the maze. The picture posted of it is kind of small, but can you see the Mickey head in it?

We were sad to leave and kicked ourselves for not making arrangements to spend the night. Though I’m already making plans in my head to visit again soon. I can really get used to this on a more regular basis………….

Some Good in the World

02 Friday Jul 2010

Posted by in Hong Kong, Random Musings

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Today I left my phone on a cab AGAIN. This is the fourth time since I was old enough to have a phone. I didn’t even realize until a hour later! Panicked, I frantically called my phone, hoping that I’d just misplaced it in my pockets. But alas, it wasn’t hidden away in any mysterious pocket. After calming down and recapping the events of the night, I concluded that I must’ve left it on the cab.

I frantically called myself some more hoping someone would pick up while I kicked myself for leaving it on silent. When no one picked up, I sent myself a text offering a reward for bringing my cell back and posted a call on the Road Co-op Lost & Found 24 Hours Free Hotline for Lost Property on Taxis (it is 1872920 if anyone else needs it) offering a reward as well. I even struck up a conversation with another cab driver, who said that yes he does listen to that hotline, but that it really isn’t about the reward but whether the cab driver actually picked it up. In 80% of the cases, the next passenger usually picks it up and then it’ll probably end up in the black markets. Knowing Hong Kong, I knew it was true and that my chances of getting it back is slim. That’s probably what happened to left-on-a-cab cell phone #3. It is a mercenary world after all- Hong Kong being more so than most.

Images of my parents telling  me how clumsy I am again and never letting me live it down for the rest of my life started to reel in my head.  Just when I was about to admit defeat, and getting ready to cut off my SIM card in case the person who picked my phone up decided to make some obscene international calls and rack up my data plan, we received a call from the cab driver. He has it and he’s willing to drive it back to us if we’d cover the fare. I was more than happy to do so. And half a hour later, I had my phone back! He joked that he was giving me the phone back because Brazil lost to Netherlands in the world cup tonight and he made money from it. But it made me feel  all warm and fuzzy inside anyway, to know that even in a mercenary city like Hong Kong, there’s still some good in the world. At least I think he was joking, if not, than thank god that Brazil lost!

Ladies Night

16 Wednesday Jun 2010

Posted by in Hong Kong, Random Musings

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Last night, my girlfriends and I went to an Anti World Cup event held at an exclusive night club by a social and lifestyle group for girls. The event wasn’t quite as exclusive as the club’s usual. All you had to be was female to enter. There were free champagne, makeovers and manicures with like minded girls who were also tired of hearing about the World Cup all the time. Sounds like the perfect night, right?

Not quite. Upon entering the club, we were all taken aback by the scene as we tried to recall the last time we saw a club full of females. Obviously, we were not one of the first 50 girls to arrive and be rewarded with a goodie bag. As we wandered around looking for a space to sit, we encountered many “this seat is saved” and “someone’s sitting here.” When we tried to figure out how the makeovers and manicures worked, we were told that  “Oh, we’re in line and the line stretches all the way around this couch,” when obviously they just happened to be sitting there and wanted to save places in the line for all their friends too. We were quickly reminded of how bitchy in general our gender was- especially when it comes to free things. We travel in packs. We talk amongst our exclusive little cliques and we look out/fight for our own, whether it is saving them a seat or a space in a line. It almost felt like high school again, except we were all sipping champagne and dressed better.

I’ve always thought of myself as a girl’s girl. But for once, I actually missed the boys and football.

Art HK 10: Part III

04 Friday Jun 2010

Posted by in Art, Hong Kong, Lifestyle

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The final post on Art HK 10 features a series of paintings that are both cute and eerie, which is a surprisingly powerful combination. When I first passed them, I thought it was just another picture of a cute anime girl with a really big head. But then I did a double take as I noticed odd little things that I didn’t expect to be there. First it was pills as toppings on a sundae.

Then it was a girl knitting a dress for her doll from the wool of the dress of a lifeless unseen form hanging above her. How incredibly creepy is that? Innocent everyday scenes suddenly took on a new meaning!

There was even a fairy tale themed series that was interesting since it provided another perspective to the classics. A little bit like Gregory Maguire books which totally changed my perspective of Cinderella and the Wizard of Oz forever. There was Snow White and her poisoned apples. It seems to be suggesting that she poisoned herself. Notice the little can of spilled arsenal on the ground?

The same was going on for Sleeping Beauty and the poisonous needle point.

Then there was Cinderella, where she has trapped all the things that had helped set her free i.e. the mice and the glass slipper. It seems as if in each case they’re inflicting pain upon themselves instead of being victimized by others. I haven’t quite figured out what message the paintings are trying to convey yet, but it is all very ominous and thought provoking. It makes one just want to stare and wonder.

Ps. There’s nothing quite like procrastination to keep the blogs coming. Good luck to all CFA candidates this weekend!