Category Archives: Hong Kong

Dim Sum and Then Some

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Hong Kong is known for many things but among foodies the Cantonese version of dumplings or Dim Sum is king.  The traditional way to indulge in Dim Sum is on a lazy Sunday morning.  Women walk by with carts or baskets of food showing off the foods and with a simple nod you are digging into a tremendously delicate shell filled with gooey sweetness and spice.

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When you ask Sydney if she is hungry she will reply “Chicken-Rice”.  It does not matter the time of day or place be it 10 am by the  the pool if she is hungry it is always “Chicken-Rice”.  When the lady showed us her favorite foods wrapped in a banana leaf we had a happy girl.

Woman cannot live on Dim Sum alone as much as I would like to try so we ventured off to see more of Hong Kong.  Andy’s and my tour guide for our final evening was our old friend Matt.  I met Matt the day I moved into my freshman dormitory at Duke and later he lived in the same “college” which is loosely like a fraternity where  Andy and I were the semester we met studying in Sydney.  It had been over a decade since I saw him in person so it was fun to catch up.

Matt and I Drink Beer from Porcelain Bowls

Matt is a independent contracter who helps companies with web design.  He has lived several places in the world most recently in London.   However, he fell in love with the vibe of Hong Kong and moved here a year ago.  He was proud to show off his adopted city. He   took us to a fantastic restaurant in the Java Road Market.

The restaurant was filled with locals.  There were many people in large groups who appeared to be there for celebrations.  ”Ruby” is the jovial host.  Matt informed us that as the beer flowed more freely his antics became more wild.  At one point in our meal he led the restaurant in a rendition of “We Will Rock You”.  Hundreds of people clapping and stomping in the hall made it feel like a party indeed.

A small portion of the market. "Ruby" can be seen taking orders in the back.

The food was as fantastic as the atmosphere.  We had wonderful spicy crab with vegetables.

Black Squid Ink Pasta with Calamari

Hands down though my favorite dish was the Pepper Crusted Whit Fish.  The crust was an intricate mix of bread crumb, chili and black peppers.  I could have eaten the crust alone all night.  Hmm…maybe Syd’s onto something, my new mantra will be “Pepper Fish”

After dinner we headed to the Happy Valley Racecourse which is a Hong Kong institution.  The track was first built in the current location in 1845.  The city has sprung up around the course which makes for a fascinating sight.

The hour grew close to midnight.  Andy and I rushed back to the sitter.  The kids get up at 6 am regards of what we did the night before.  Matt who leads a much different life thought the night was too young and headed off to the bars for a bit longer.  I was grateful for a while to be part of the Hong Kong scene.  Now to dream of winning big at the race or “pepper fish”….

Hong Kong Pooh!!!

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Personally I find traveling in a busy, crowded Asian city far less intimidating than a journey to  Orlando.   The long lines and expanse of Walt Disney World seem difficult to navigate with two small children.  That said in Hong Kong Disney is easy and I must admit I enjoyed it far more that I thought.  First of all, it is a short walk from our hotel to the subway and after a few stops you board a special “Mickey Train.”  You are there in no time.

The Train Handle

Two Very Excited Kids

Hong Kong Disney is small relative to its United States counterparts.  The  ”biggest” ride is Space Mountain so for the ten and under crowd it is a perfectly wonderful place.   It is very similar to the American parks but there are distinct differences.  This is Mickey and Minnie dressed up in their finest Chinese New Years costumes at the entrance.

In the Chinese lunar calendar 2012 is the “Year of the Dragon”.  So even the Lion King had another ferocious beast behind him (not to mention the one in front).

Another distinct difference is when you are a light-haired, blue-eyed child in China you actually become an attraction.  It is amazing how many people want to get their photo taken with Aidan and especially Sydney.  In a sense I feel what it must be like to be famous because I could not go but a short distance with her until someone else was wanting to get her in a picture.  Fortunately she is usually a good sport.  Here are a few of my favorites we snapped of the “shoots.”

Aidan’s done with the movie star life and ready for rides

This was my second visit to Hong Kong Disney and each time I was surprised at how emotional I became when my children’s faces glowed as they first spotted their favorite character.  For Aidan it was dancing with Mickey at age 2 1/2 and for Sydney it was spotting Winnie the Pooh in the parade.  She loved it so much that now whenever I say “Hong Kong” she grabs my chin and looks me straight in the eye and says “Pooh” with a nod.  I always have to stand corrected and say “Yes Dear, Hong Kong Pooh.” To her the city and the stuffed, yellow, honey-loving bear are one and the same.

Sydney as she spotted "Pooh"

I must admit at times I had tears in my eyes at the pure joy my children faces expressed…perhaps that does make this magical place indeed.

The Many Markets of Hong Kong

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The reason for Andy’s business in Asia was to learn more about the various Asian investment markets.  Given I am not working and the children are not in school, we get to come along on trips.  Our first stop is to Hong Kong…

This is actually my third trip to Hong Kong.  The city’s beauty never ceases to amaze me every time.  At eight every night they light up the buildings with neon and lasers while music highlights the beauty across the harbor.

While Andy researched the stock market.  The children and I explored a few markets of our own.  First was the bird market lined with beautiful cages…

and birds…

and of course bird food…

Traditional Bird Seed

Bird Food That Wiggles

Jumping Bird Food

Down the Street a bit was the Goldfish Market.  There we dozens of shops filled with fish, aquariums, and aquatic plants.

The Flower Market was busy with everyone buying mandarin orange trees and decorations for Chinese New Year that starts on Monday.

Aidan and Sydney saw many animals they would like to invest in but alas travel and more living creatures to care for does not exactly fit in well to our plans.