Ohhhhhhh...I RUV tea

Nothing Like a Little Buddhist Bean Curd

Our meal at the buddhist monastery on Lanteau, while it looks a little scary, these monks could cook!  Bean curd is really just tofu (although it sounds like we are being much more adventurous if I keep it bean curd, so from here on out I am going with that).  This was 2 different types of bean curd, one with corn and one with zuccini.  The other is bok choy with mushrooms and soup was a mystery--as you can see they did include trusty spring rolls--watch out Paula Dean, the monks of Lanteau definitely know how to deep fry!

The monastery

Love these little lotus plants!

Buddha...booya!

Gon-DOLA ridin'

From the top of Lanteau Peak back to HK, about 20minutes.  You can guess how I felt about crossing a large body of water in one of these...beautiful though!

Elise, I'm saving my hat collection for you!  These were 3 dolla (holla!) from a little booth at the top...I think I am losing all fashion sense

View from the monastery

They were not messing around at the monastery when they built the big Buddha!

He sits on a hill overlooking the mountains of Lanteau Island, a ferry ride away from HK.

Happy Birthday Elise!

We hope you have a blast and do a couple chinese take-out prank calls late night in our honor--we wish we were home to celebrate!  While Elise will be accepting gifts of all kinds, we will be embracing the Chinese New Year by receiving gifts of only one kind--the traditional gift of money is presented to couples and children at this time of year in the little red baggies you see below.  We are happy to provide the red bags, they are everywhere!  We are really just trying to embrace the culture, do as the locals do, and stay true to the traditions of our environment.....

New Address in the LKF

Views from our new place!

WIth glass windows and very questionable photography skills from your truly, they aren't the best, but you get the idea!

Living on what is essentially the Bourbon Street of Hong Kong was a blast for a month, but for the next two, you can find us on a quieter street a couple blocks away:

38 Icehouse St.

#403

Central

Hong Kong

Still about 300 square feet, but with nice views and steps away from all the action, so do not be deterred potential visitors, we are still in the midst of it all!  

You can see pics of apartment interior on web:

www.icehouse.com.hk

Beijing-a-ding-ding

10 Days in Beijing; with Ted in lectures and business trips, I was picturing my time there to be much like Scarlett Johannsen's in "Lost In Translation"--wandering about in awe, exploring the city, finding a little restaurant I would frequent, and giving a 5 star karaoke performance.  

The only thing that came to fruition was the karaoke.  

Beijing is not easy to get around peeps. NO ONE speaks English (which came as a shock after 3 spoiled weeks in Hong Kong), not even the cabbies could understand an address written in chinese by the hotel concierge.  Getting anywhere is extremely difficult and being with someone who is fluent is crucial.  While Ted has a few phrases mastered, they didn't really get us anywhere. 

(Sidenote on learning the language, to give an idea of difficulty: compared with our 26 characters, Chinese has 20,000, along with 9 intonations that can change the meaning of the word, so if your pronounce it the wrong way, you change the meaning.)

The feeling that I got ripped off--multiple times--is strong to quite strong.

A Beijing tradition: Hot Pot.  Basically the Chinese equivalent to fondue, with food cooked in seasoned broth instead of oil.  There was everything from carpaccio to fish balls (a favorite around here) to a whole egg.  I took one for the team in the dumb american department when i boiled my whole egg instead of cracking it in the broth.

We stayed at the Commune by the Great Wall--check it out! www.communebythegreatwall.com

Highly recommend it!

The section of the Great Wall that we hiked close to Badaling but avoided the tourist area

Lots of comments on this hat...good news, it could be yours, for the right price.  I will warn you in advance that our haggling skills have quite improved since being here, so it will take a brave one to step to this...

Pictures don't do justice!

Ted at the infamous Silk Market.  It is here that every major brand is knocked off, highly illegal, but one of the biggest tourist draws.  Some of the guys on Ted's program told us that you should ask for and not pay more than 10% of their asking price for anything.  It was pretty exhausting--not just the haggling, but making your way through the hundreds of aisles (there are 7 floors) getting grabbed and yelled at--"Hey lay-deeee I tink I know you" and "SHHHHH, come hee and I give you seec-wet pwice"

Ted had a suit made, which turned out great, and I battled it out with a young girl for some fake Uggs (I had to have them for the wall Lindsay, I can hear you gasping now).  I finally had to leave it to Ted when she started calling us crazy and accused us of lying about other prices. Apparently, the go-to move for selling fake Uggs is pinching a piece of the "real" sheep's wool from the inside of the boot and burning it with a lighter so you can smell that it is authentic... real or fake, didn't smell so sweet.  

Made our way out after getting the fakes for $350 yuan (about $35) which was still too much, but starting price was $2300.   Just a heads up to booth 108, the "Burberry plaid" shouldn't accompany the Max Mara label

Don't think I need to explain this one

This is a motorcycle with a metal cab covering the bike--fun little ride--there were even curtains in the back, bless him.  Really trying to set himself apart with some ambiance.

Ted eating a self-heating meal....questionable? I thought so

Here I am, at the Forbidden City, diving into the mass of people, trying to bump up to the front row of the rail guarding the throne at the Hall of Supreme Harmony (where the Emperors were crowned--anyone seen The Last Emperor?  All filmed here)  I'm usually not one to feel the need to edge my way to the front, but it kind of becomes a competition when you've been pushed around long enough.  About half way through the pack I decide there's no way I can get to the front without losing an arm, so I just hold the camera over my head (Bonks style) and try to shoot a quick photo--only mid-capture, I got taken down by the tour group to my right--you get the idea from the slant of the photo.

The enormity of the Forbidden City is mind boggling--we were here for three and half hours and saw only the major points of interest--some people dedicate a full day and still don't squeeze it all in.  The walls are 30 feet tall, the enclosed city itself is about 960 yards long and 750 yards wide (so even bigger than Andrew and Allison's wedding), and 90 courtyards. Wasn't open to the public until 1925 when the last dynasty fell.

Entering the Forbidden City, you see behind Ted a huge portrait of Chairman Mao.  It is amazing to me that he is revered and worshipped here the way he is, being responsible for an estimated 70 million deaths during his rule in China--portraits, dollar bills, his picture is everywhere.  Guess you have to pretend to love him even if you don't--we learned that it was just before the '08 Beijing games that a student was released from prison after 18 years for throwing a paint bomb at his portrait...titch extreme.

Across the street you have Tiananmen Square, scene of the "June 4th Incident" as they call it here, referring to the massacre of peaceful protesting students in 1989 (i can't believe I don't remember it happening).  I don't want to bust out into a history lesson here (I have learned so much from the book you gave us Kristy, thank you!) there is obviously tons to read and see about it on google/you tube...that is, if you aren't in Beijing. 

In Beijing the government has banned access to anything published about the issue, and continues to downplay it--the government ignores that it ever happened, people speak of it cautiously, and memorials are not allowed. What is really amazing to me is that it is impossible to find any information or coverage of the incident if you google from there--and they JUST lifted a ban on wikipedia. Crazy/scary/communists!  

Just one little fact that I have to share: according the the government 200-300 people were killed at Tiananmen Square while the red cross reports 3000-4000...

The local hip hop bar

Please read the center work "ethic"

This was a wall at one of the most successful companies in China, Hui Yuan, a juice company that just sold to Coca-Cola.  

This was great Chinese Food at Da Dong, noted for Peking Duck.  Steered clear of the pigeon.

The Beijing Opera House--referred to as the Egg--you can see why, with the reflection in the surrounding pond--beautiful!

First karaoke--called KTV here (they hate anything japanese, so the name had to be changed).

I love KTV for many reasons:

1. You have your own private room
2. They supply tambourines, moroccas, and mini stage
3. KTV reminds me of DTV, the dance tv station from Girls Just Want to Have Fun
4. The songs that are offered in English are hilarious and random--this is Ted with our friends Eva and Salvadore doing "Hotel California"--worst karaoke pick of all time, but they do love a good ballad here, and they REALLY want you to sing it well.  Personally, I think they need a little dose of Tone & Matthilda's "Islands In the Stream"

First taste of Peking Duck--really good!  That's the head off to the side, which does make its way onto the serving plate--you know, they're all about presentation!

Just a LITTLE bit of a smog problem...

This is 2 pm in the afternoon at the Olympic Village, they have obviously really let themselves go after the summer games.  I think it is partly carbon emisions, partly human burping emissions--lots of belching going on here, nothing to be ashamed of--can be within inches of your face on the subway, not a big deal.  Some nasty stats on the cleanliness of Beijing:

• If the particulate in the air (hang with me here, this is the amount of toxins per square meter) in the US reaches 50, there is a warning that goes out for children and seniors.  At any given time here, it's at 140.
• China makes up 1/3 of the entire world's smoking population--which along with the smog, leads to a lot of people hacking up their lungs--which means the noise or sight of someone hawking a loogee (I almost got hit by one!) is about 1 every 3 minutes.  For real ya'll.
• Children can and will use the bathroom on the side of the street or in public ashtrays (ok, I didn't see that, but I read it)
• Ladies toilets are porcelain holes in the ground--with TP disposed of in little bins right there next to you--forgive me if that's TMI, but I'm still a little scarred from a few!

The Watercube was my favorite Olympic venue!  I love Phelps signs for sale everywhere.

Ted eating a street vendor treat on a stick--this was carameled crabapples, pretty safely played.

Also offered on a stick: seahorses, crickets, and scorpions...no dice!

I Think I'm Turning Chi-a-nese

With one month down, I think we have some ample material to share with everyone about life in China, although after a trip to Beijing, Hong Kong is clearly not authentic China, but more of a western version (although it's heading in the other direction).  While I have yet to achieve international superstar status, we have done a lot so far....

So, I guess you could say there are a lot of people in China...

Our street, Lan Kwai Fong is the place to be for major holidays (and on any given night really). This is Christmas Eve, which was surprisingly huge here, although most people are not Christian.  Any and all Christmas decor was viewed locally as a photo op likened to that of one with a celebrity, starring Santa, the Nativity scene, and really anything with tinsel or lights. People love a good solo photo of themselves--protocol seems to be a  bad attempt at a supermodel expression, pretending to lick a fake candy cane, things of that sort.

Maaaaaaaaaay Kiss-maaaaaaaaas!!!

Lan Kwai Fong Hotel, Christmas Eve Dinner at Azure, overlooking the city.  

Noted: do not attempt to ingest large quantities of English Mustard--stuff's hot!

The balcony view--one of top 10 rooftops in the world

According to who, I'm not so sure, but so they say

We had been warned that Disneyland was disappointing, and while there was only one roller coaster, Spacemountain (the real entertainment was Ted's genuine fear that we were going to fly off the tracks--we're talking 3 short minutes of vocalized fear and concern, I couldn't breathe, tears).   It was well worth it though to be somewhere at Christmas that felt American...as much as possible...don't try the friend chicken, white meat here is apparently disposed of in favor of the parts we usually throw away.

Just keeping it real in futureland

While we have been pleasantly surprised to find some key Western comforts while we are here--Ben & Jerry's,  7-Eleven (no bakery, Kata), and groceries (sadly for me no crystal light), we have really tried to do most of our eating at local places, eating local fare.  Pictures above are chickens feet, and yes, Ted tried them...lots of bones people.

This one is jellyfish, as adventurous as I could get.

 

You would think McDonalds might be a haven for an American treat, yet nothing but the Big Mac is the same as in the states.  The featured item everywhere is the shrimp burger, which as you can see from the picture, looks like some sort of fried alien membrane.  Whoever is in charge of marketing this sucker might want to think again, just a thought.

The view of the island from the mainland

After hiking over the peak to Aberdeen on the sout side of the island, we took a boat ride after being bombarded by chinese women who make a living toting tourists around.  One followed us for about 20 minutes tugging on Ted's sleeve, yelling in Chinese, and after saying no for the 200th time, we went to the silent treatment, but that didn't work either.  After one last long chinese rant she surprised us with a little english--"come AAAAAAAAAAAAAn!" This is the famous floating restaurant, their claim to fame is that Tom Cruise came here on his last visit.

Just your everyday hike...

Up the peak and you are completely out of the noise of the city--and trust me, you need it sometimes.  Personal space here is a little thing nobody cares much about.  Walking down a busy street (most of them) you really have to be on your toes.  Pushing, elbowing, cutting you off, or walking directly into you isn't taboo in the slightest.  Same goes for driving, and pedestrians definitely do NOT have the right away--sometimes it looks like the cabbies want to hit you just to teach you a lesson.

Ted meeting Thomas Friedman at the bookstore in IFC mall.  Everything here is basically a mall.  Train station=mall, office buildings=mall, everywhere you go in Central at least a couple floors are dedicated to mall-like retail, only all their retail is Chanel, Gucci, Prada...you won't find a Spencers or Lane Bryant in these parts...which brings me to my next observation: there are literally no fat people here, anywhere, bad news for the shrimp burger.

First trip to Victoria Peak

We're not at Keeneland anymore...

Shatin racetrack for Cathay Pacific International Cup; we were the only ones dressed up and pretty much the only American patrons (in the grandstand).  The trucker hats came courtesy of the track when you entered--9 out of 10 chinamen were sporting theirs, yet few seemed to have cared to size the hate or do any bill shaping, pretty classic.

Attempt at Mexican food failed.  Ted didn't care too much for his cinnamon beef tacos (the cinnamon was a surprise ingredient) so he decided to politely dispose of the food out the front window rather than offend the waitress.  This is right by the escalator that goes up through the center of HK to the midlevels, and very busy--we got some strange looks, I'm not gona lie.

On the famous Star Ferry

Our street when not so crowded--at night it is closed to cars, so patrons can spill from bars and restaurants into the street