Electrical Confusion

Small appliances are at the core of American living. We use blenders, mixers, coffee makers and hair dryers to make our lives easier most every day. Rusty and I are no exception. That is why we purchased our favorite Cuisinart coffee maker to bring to Hong Kong. It brews incredible coffee right into a thermal carafe that keeps the liquid at the perfect temperature, without burning it and making it bitter, for several hours. Can you tell we relish our morning java? 

We also brought with us several electrical adapters. Of course we would use one for our lovely coffee maker and we did for less than one week. But then one morning in the midst of the brewing cycle...nothing. No water flow, no coffee, no steaming aroma of aribica, nada! The darn thing blew up. How could this be? What about the adapter? Doesn't the electricity know how to convert? What about our morning coffee? 

Thank goodness for English Breakfast Tea. It's a noble substitution, but will never take they place of java in the morning. I take mine with milk and sugar so in the early a.m. my brain can be tricked for that very first cup. Rusty on the other hand likes his coffee strong and black. He wants a jolt which no tea can provide. After two days he needed his coffee.

Now we also brought with us electric hair clippers. I'm sure you're wondering why. I obviously wouldn't use one and let's face it Rusty doesn't have much hair. That's exactly why we needed it. His little amount of hair is clipped every two weeks at home. Where would he get this done? Have you ever seen a barber shop in Hong Kong? Well neither had we. 

So I volunteered my efforts. I would be the official barber. Of course I had given my boys buzz cuts when they were little. As long as they sat reasonably still everything was all right. Obviously I could count on Rusty to not squirm or fidget. This would be a breeze.

After five weeks without a haircut Rusty was acquiring the Einstein look. Yes his few precious hairs were sticking out on the sides of his head, particularly the right side. I kept telling him to wet them down, but up they would pop as soon as they dried. They had a mind of their own.

Saturday morning, after our tea, we decided it was haircut time. I plugged in the hair clippers and whirrrrr they almost flew out of my hands. These were Nascar clippers. They were revved up and ready to run. There was no way I could put this electric demon on Rusty's bare little brain. I could already envision the scars. 

Which gave us our mission on Saturday - find a real electric coffee maker. Not a french press, nor cappuccino machine. Not a latte maker, nor electric teapot. We wanted, and Rusty needed, a plain old coffee maker. And we needed electric hair clippers. Do they even have those in Hong Kong? 

Off we went to our local Fortress store. It's basically Best Buy on a much smaller scale. They obviously work on commission and are ever so helpful. This being Hong Kong you can request a better price so we bargained 10% off and gladly took it. 

Next I ran into 7-11 for wine. Although the store is about the size of my master bathroom in the States they do carry a few bottles of Australian wine. I grabbed one and threw it in Rusty's shopping bag. They don't give you bags at 7-11 and I didn't want to be carrying my bottle of wine down the street.

Our final stop was a street/alley market for flowers. I selected a large bouquet and we headed for home. Up Wan Chai Gap Road, which is really just a paved path, we climbed. Me carrying the flowers and Rusty with the coffee maker, hair clippers and wine. I'm sure the locals looked at us and laughed, but probably not as much as we were laughing at ourselves. 

Everything here is a learning experience. When we returned to the apartment I cut Rusty's hair and then sipped a glass of wine as we watched the lights of the city. We're learning more each day.

Our Way To The Top

Saturday, February 5, the 3rd day of the Chinese New Year, was warm and bright. It was our first morning to wake up in our apartment. We had spent the entire last week getting settled in so it seemed we deserved a great day off. 

We had both heard about the trail that leads to Victoria Peak and Rusty had been talking about it since our visit in December. I think he envisioned this pleasant stroll from our apartment to the trailhead and then up. Well up it was.

We took off in the direction of the tram and very quickly found a trail. Naturally we assumed this was it. We headed up the trail, then found a path, then went down a road to another trail and so it went. Up we climbed, zig zagging back and forth on incredibly steep trails, paths and roads.

There were times I had to stop and catch my breath. This did give me the opportunity to really look at the incredible vegetation in our new subtropical home: palms, ferns, fig trees, giant elephant ears and every vine imaginable. The moist earth smelled musky and oh so rich. Thank goodness it was getting cooler as we ascended the Peak since I was definitely getting hotter.

At last  we were almost there. The only problem was the very last leg of the hike involved walking on a road that was built for one car, but allowed two plus walkers. As the cars rounded turns one vehicle had to back up to make way for the others and you can just forget the walkers. It was wait and then run around the turns when the coast was sort of clear. We felt lucky to make it there in one piece. This time my heart was racing for a totally different reason.

Of course the view was well worth it. The day was clear and we could see not only Hong Kong, Victoria Harbor and Kowloon, but also the mountains of the New Territories and Lantau Island. What a beautiful sight! 

And then we saw it. Another trail. The trail to the Mid-Levels. The one we were looking for. Naturally we'd take that one back down. But first some water, an ice cream cone and some serious people watching. The Peak was packed with visitors for Chinese New Year. 

After our respite we headed to the Mid-Levels Trail. It began very steeply. It was seriously a 75 degree angle. Surely this would level off. No such luck. The entire trail was amazingly steep and we actually saw people running up it. I'm not sure I could even walk up it! Going down wasn't difficult, but up? You've got to be kidding. Thank goodness we found our own way to the top even if it was a rather strange journey.

Chinese New Year Fireworks

Friday, February 4, the 2nd day of Chinese New Year. Tonight's the big fireworks display over Victoria Harbor. I must admit that I am a fireworks junkie. Yes, I love them with an undying passion, will watch them any where, at any time and can never get enough. 

Rusty has learned to tolerate my obsession and I do believe has become a mild fan of fireworks. He no longer tries to convince me to leave (thus avoiding traffic) after a Cardinal's baseball game when fireworks are planned. He knows I won't budge and will ultimately ignore his request. So he obviously wasn't surprised and couldn't say no when I insisted that we not only go see the fireworks, but do it in style. We were going to watch them from a boat in the harbor! Oh yes a dream come true.

I researched CNY firework boat tours and found the one that suited us best. We were picked up by a bus at the Marriott and whisked away through the traffic to a dock at the northeast end of the island. Along the way our guide explained the reason we had to leave so very early. The roads are closed to vehicle traffic several hours before the event. Therefore we would board the boat and spend an hour and a half touring the harbor. 

Our boat was the perfect size. It held 54 passengers and had a 2nd level that was open so the view for all would be terrific. Rusty and I settled in next to a mother and daughter from Perth, Australia. They were lovely companions and we enjoyed hearing about their home in WA (Western Australia), their lives and their travel adventures around Asia/Pacific.

I had been told that light snacks would be provided. The guide served us beer and soft drinks. The she brought around some snacks: Ritz cheese crackers, small cans of Pringles and Moon Pies. What an interesting selection of American junk food. I hadn't eaten a Moon Pie in years. The Chinese called them Chococakes, the Aussies Wagon Wheels and yes, us Yanks thought they were Moon Pies. I hadn't eaten a Moon Pie in years, but I must say it tasted fantastic. Imagine enjoying a Moon Pie in the middle of Hong Kong. 

The tour of the harbor offered great photo opportunities. No city is lit up quite like Hong Kong and what a treat to see it from this vantage point. As the time drew near we made our way to the viewing spot. Our guide had told us that the captain would do everything possible to get us in the front of the viewing. How could that be accomplished with all of these boats? He did!

It seemed an entire fleet of boats was lined up across the harbor from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon. I looked back and saw boats as far as the eye could see: junks that looked as though they had too many passengers, large ships with hundreds, yachts with families, and small tour boats such as ours. You could literally pass a beer to the boat next to you. Oh my, Party Cove had moved to Hong Kong!

Four large boats were stationed in the harbor from which the fireworks were set off. Police boats kept the others at a safe distance. It was organized chaos on a grand scale. And then they started.

Beautiful red and gold fireworks. Again good luck and prosperity. Fireworks in the shape of hearts for Valentine's Day. How did they do that? Not once or twice, but again and again. Huge blasts of white that glittered and glistened like crystals. 

People were videoing and photographing the entire extravaganza. Not me. I wanted to take in every second of the color and light. I was getting my fireworks fix and loving every moment of it. After the finale I think for once I might have been satisfied. 

The harbor was awash in smoke. Even the skyscrapers were obscured from view. Talk about second hand smoke. 

Then before I knew it the boats were gone. They dispersed in what seemed to be moments. We headed back to the dock with lights in our eyes and memories in our minds. Happy New Year!

Kung Hei Fat Choi

Happy Chinese New Year! Today was beautiful in Hong Kong with sunshine and temperatures in the upper 60s F. The streets are quiet since most people are with their families enjoying the holiday. The Chinese New Year is marked by the lunar calendar so the actual date varies each year.

We have prepared our Lei See. Lei See are red envelopes with gold writing that symbolize good luck and prosperity. In each envelope you place new HK dollars to give to single people and children. The bills must be new so long lines often occur at the banks several days prior to the New Year.

Gold foil wrapped chocolate coins are also handed out along with dried candied fruit. Turnip cake is prepared especially for this holiday although we haven't tried it yet. I have visions of fruit cake dancing in my head.

We were fortunate enough to attend a Lion Dance Performance this afternoon. The Lion is actually two people underneath a costume of gold or red. One manipulates the head and one the tail. The Lions acrobatically hop from strategically placed pillars which are several feet off the ground. They also eat green lettuce (good luck and prosperity), chew it up and spit it out around them to spread the wealth. All of this ensures a prosperous New Year.

The entire time this is going on there is music being played by a drummer, gong and many cymbals. Our musicians were dressed in fluorescent orange pants with black tops emblazoned with dragons. Yes orange and black really! I thought I was back in Webster Groves.

After the performance we headed off to Man Mo Temple to light incense for the upcoming year. Rusty thought I was bonkers, but he did agree to humor me and check it out. Man Mo Temple is the oldest in Hong Kong and is Taoist. It was built in the 1840's. It is named after 2 deities: Man (the god of literature) and Mo (the god of war). Giant incense coils hang from the ceiling. People come during the New Year to light incense and the smoke carries their prayers up to the spirit world.

We took the MTR and then walked to the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator which is quite unusual. It is the world's longest escalator at 2,600 feet. It is not continuous, but has stops along the way for pedestrians to get off and on. In the morning from 6 - 10 am it goes down and from 10:20 am - midnight it goes up. Next to it are stairs when you need to go the other way.

We got off at Holywood Road (I kid you not) and headed for Man Mo Temple. Most of the stores were closed and not many people were out so it was a real treat. We could walk at our leisure and enjoy the fine day. As we approached the temple we saw a line running down the street. Could it be? Yes everyone was queued up to get into Man Mo Temple. Well Rusty will only humor me so far. He was not about to wait in that line to watch me light incense.

We did walk down to the temple to get a better view. The incense was so thick it was billowing from the roof, windows and doors. An old woman walked past me with incense ashes on her head and shoulders. Maybe my allergies couldn't really take this. I'll come back when the year settles in.

Tonight is the big Chinese New Year Parade. Floats, marching bands, dragon and lion dancers from around the world participate. It is THE event of the new year. People queue up hours in advance to get a spot. All forms of mass transit are clogged for hours after. No wonder people don't work tomorrow. We are watching on the television from the comfort of our hotel room.

Tomorrow we officially move into our apartment. A new beginning of the new year! We won't have internet access until Feb. 09 so I/you could be blog free until then. If I get anxious to write, who knows, I may go in search of some Wi-Fi.

Buying the Staples

We realized the other evening that we had absolutely no food in our apartment and would not if we didn't purchase it before Chinese New Year. Although the thought of going to the grocery was not particularly appealing our common sense prevailed and off we went.

Going to the grocery store (market) is not like going to Schnucks or Safeway. The markets are located in the lower level of malls and the malls are incredible. Not like West County or Galleria more like Plaza Frontenac, but nicer. Prada, Gucci, Versace, Chanel no Macy's or Penney's I assure you. The higher the level the nicer the stores. I've never even ventured above level two. Why bother? I'm not spending a week's salary on a purse.

We went to a market called Great in the lower level of Pacific Place in search of the basics. We told each other that we would just buy the staple items we needed to survive: coffee, bread, fruit and a few other things. As we entered we grabbed a shopping cart. It was the same size as the kiddy ones at Schnucks, but with 2 baskets one above the other. How very cute! I pushed.

Down the aisles we went in search of those basics. The aisles were marked: Korean, Japanese, Thai and so on. Well it's very interesting what ended up in our baskets. Rusty's basket had cereal, blueberry jelly and beer while mine had peanut butter, brie cheese and vodka. What exactly that says about us I'm not sure, but we were certainly laughing while we waited to check out.

We were very pleased with ourselves having figured out how to shop for food so now all we had to do was pay and have the items delivered to our apartment. Wrong! No deliveries for five days! What to do with all those groceries? Carry them up the escalator, down the street, through the mall, up the elevator to the hotel and out to the taxi stand to take them home. Then up the elevator to our apartment and put them all away. Maybe I really didn't need that vodka.

Eating With My Eyes

I love to eat and am not by nature a picky eater. I think it began in my childhood. While most of my friends' parents were serving pot roast and potatoes my mother was experimenting from the Joy of Cooking. She had a library of cookbooks and would pour over them in search of some new delicacy to try.  Her kitchen was her lab and we were happy guinea pigs. We ate everything from crepes to kugula and for the most part enjoyed it all.

Which explains why I will try almost anything with "almost" being the operative word here. The reality is I eat with my eyes. What I mean is that if something looks visually appealing I will try it. I've always been a visual person. In college being a visual learner meant that while my professors were expounding on some topic I was frantically taking notes. If I see it I will remember it. I can't just hear it. And somehow this does tend to apply to food also.

I have eaten ostrich, octopus, more kinds of fish than I can remember (you see I didn't write them down) and even lemon ants. At the time they all looked appealing. So as I have been experimenting here in Hong Kong it comes down to visuals. 

Lunch at the noodle bar was fine with a wide variety of noodles, unfamiliar leafy greens,  unusual looking mushrooms, but then the next stop - meat. I can't eat anything that looks like it should be in Gray's Anatomy (the book not the TV show). Now what? I'm in line and I have to choose. People are waiting. How about something that looks like fish even though I'm not sure what it really is? I'll try it.

Dinner can also be a unique experience. The Chinese are very helpful to westerners in that most menus have photos of each item. You just point and give the number desired. That works well unless the items have heads. I just can't eat anything that has a face I have to look at. The Peking Duck was smiling I swear, the Roasted Baby Pigeon had just learned to fly and don't get me started on the Suckling Piglet. How about crab and sweet corn soup? No heads. One please.

Now you would think Rusty would be an expert at chopsticks since he has spend a lot of time in Asia. Well that is not correct. He fumbles with them although he tries very hard and he does really want to learn. Last evening at a very trendy HK restaurant we were served a small bowl of peanuts. I suggested Rusty use the time to practice his chopstick usage. Why not pick up the peanuts one by one and eat them?  We both thought this was a great idea until the very first peanut was lifted with much concentration and then... BOING! Off it went heading straight for the young man seated across from us. We both held our breaths waiting for it strike the blackberry the man was so intensely reviewing. Thank goodness it banked right and disappeared behind the man's back. I'm still laughing thinking about this. I do believe you should practice chopstick usage in the privacy of your own home!

I'll keep tasting, but I must admit a brownie would look good right now.

Hong Kong Park

Monday was our last day before the deliveries begin so I spent several hours at Hong Kong Park. The park is about 20 acres in the Central area of Hong Kong. It's free to the public and has beautiful ponds, waterfalls, and gardens. How amazing to be in this lush oasis of calm surrounded by high rise buildings and commerce.

My first stop was the Tea Ware Museum in the Flagstaff House. The Flagstaff House was the office and residence of the Commander of the British Forces. It was built around 1844 and is the oldest Greek Revival style building in HK. The Museum of Tea Ware promotes the Chinese tea culture and Chinese ceramics.

I learned the correct methods of preparing and serving tea along with the history of tea throughout China. It was actually the Mongols who first used cream in their tea! Each area of China has their own method of tea preparation for the specific type of tea they drink.

How fortunate that I was able to view an incredible exhibit of tea ware pottery by local artists and students. I was expecting something mundane, but what I saw was far from it. Many of the artists created whimsical or comical pottery such as a large octopus pot with small octopi cups, a large seashell pot with smaller seashell cups and some very angular modern pieces. It made me want to take a pottery class!

Next I ventured back out into the park and watched the terrapin sunning themselves in the ponds and listened to the birds. I have always fancied myself an amaturer birder so everywhere I travel I purchase a bird book. It's great fun to know the names and habits of the different local birds. Well the birds here are truly beautiful! I saw a small flock of ring necked parakeets. They are bright green and about 10 - 12 inches in length. I saw many other delightfully interesting birds, but I need to find a bird book. Unfortunately I haven't seen even one bookstore yet.

Of course I took off for the aviary. The entrance begins on an elevated walkway so you are walking through the tree canopy. The aviary is enclosed by steel mesh which makes the experience open and airy. Naturally many of the birds where very colorful like the mynahs and barbets. It was great fun, but doesn't compare to the local birds on the outside.

I also toured the Forsgate Conservatory. It has three different sections: Display Plant, Dry Plant and Humid Plant. The Humid Plant House had a Cacao tree that was actually bearing fruit! It reminded me of the ones I saw in the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. I believe that it is the only time I have seen the Cacao tree with fruit.

The Marriage Registry is near the edge of the park so it's not uncommon to see couples having their wedding pictures taken. I was lucky enough to view a beautiful bride and groom on my walk back to the hotel. They looked so young and innocent it made me smile.

I'm sure I'll be spending more time at Hong Kong Park especially once I find that bird book.