AmySchrei

Now Available in Chinese

2011-10-13T14:56:00.002+08:00

Very strange to see these books and Corona translated in Chinese.

Bilingual Baby Toys

2011-08-15T20:49:00.002+08:00

We plan to teach Sophie Mandarin. I was excited to buy a bilingual English/Mandarin toy for her at Toys "R" Us. Good schools in Hong Kong are incredibly competitive and difficult to gain admission. Some schools accept names for the waiting list on the day of birth. Bilingual nursery schools start at 6 months and come with a hefty price tag. Standard nursery school starts at 2 and kindergarten at 4 years old. I never thought I would need to think about choosing a school for Sophie so soon, insane!

Starbucks Asian Style

2011-08-01T20:39:00.000+08:00

Currently at Starbucks in Hong Kong, are featured summer Frappuccinos, a la bubble tea. These drinks have chunks of coffee flavored jelly, i.e. jell-o, at the bottom. I am guessing they don't have these in the US.

Lycheeeees!

2011-07-22T20:53:00.000+08:00

It's lychee season. Fresh lychees are so yummy, tasting similar to grapes with a lot more zing. A vendor sent several cases to my job, and we each got plenty. I ate enough to give myself a stomach ache. Fresh lychees are a small but wonderful treat of living in China.

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T09:16:00.000+08:00

The 4th of July passes quietly in Hong Kong. It makes me reminisce about our recent trip to the US. It was a great visit with both families and fun to introduce Sophie. Fortunately, Sophie did great with the flights and jet lag. As usual, we did lots of eating and shopping but didn't take enough pictures. The time just flew. I miss everyone dearly.

Here are some of my favorite pics.

B-Day

2011-04-06T14:16:00.000+08:00

For how many years can I celebrate this birthday? ;-) Erik and I went out for a delicious Japanese meal followed by a drink at the world’s highest bar. The Ritz-Carlton finally opened atop the ICC building next to where we currently live. The hotel occupies the top 15 floors and the bar, Ozone, is on the top, 118th floor—that’s high. You can see I coordinated my dress to match our car.

My colleagues had a cake for me in the office.

New Apartment

2011-03-31T13:49:00.001+08:00

Now that Erik has finalized the terms of his localization, we will move into a new apartment. By new, I mean new to us and brand new. We opted for a nice place with good space and wonderful amenities, but will be farther away from downtown. There is a nice mountain view, and I am super excited to have a built-in oven.

Hong Kong's real estate was recently named the most expensive in the world followed by Sydney, London, and New York. The cost for buying has risen 50% in two years. As expected, competition is fierce. I feel very lucky to have secured this place.

Out of curiosity, we looked at the show flat in a new building for sale. In less than 24 hours, 2/3 of the apartments were sold at a cost of about US$1,000,000 each. People keep saying the bubble will burst, but I don't see any sign of it.

I'll be sure to post pictures once the place is decorated.

A Coffee Worth the Wait

2011-03-22T21:53:00.003+08:00

On Friday between 3-5:00 p.m., Hong Kong Starbucks donated all sales to Japan disaster relief. I never need a reason to patron Starbucks, so I was happy to wait 45 minutes in a line of about 150 people. The line length remained constant and flooded into the mall. It was awesome to see so many people supporting the relief efforts. I was very proud of my fellow Hong Kongers. Check out an image here.

Stay Tuned

2011-03-17T21:39:00.002+08:00

Shortly, I will be back to blogging and will update what happened in the past three months. This blog is as much for my benefit as it is for any of my readers. As you all know, I gave birth to a sweet baby girl, Sophie Madeline. Now that she is two months old, I am getting my sea legs. I plan to keep this blog focused on living abroad, not about Sophie, although I am sure she'll have a presence here. Thanks for continuing to read.

Crazy X'mas!

2010-12-16T21:30:00.000+08:00

In Hong Kong, Christmas is widely celebrated. Since most people are not Christian, the decorations are often non-traditional and rather artistic or bizarre. I love the creativity and off-the-wall ideas most of the time, but this year’s Times Square Christmas display makes no sense. Entitled “Crazy X’mas!” the scene has lots of large spray paint cans and robots. I read the signs and tried to figure out the theme, wondering if it was about recycling, but I couldn’t come to any cohesive conclusion. I have asked friends if they get it, but no one seems to know what it is all about. Regardless, lots of people seemed to enjoy it and took tons of pictures as usual. Here’s to a CRAZY X’MAS!

Work BBQ

2010-12-10T20:11:00.001+08:00

My job hosted a BBQ day as a little celebration for employees and their families. It was not the same as a US work BBQ but seemed to be a fairly typical Chinese-style one. The “park” was arranged for large groups to BBQ--no other activities. Each table was provided a container of meat that we cooked ourselves over very simple grills. The menu consisted of raw meat, white bread and soft drinks, followed by two suckling pigs that were grilled by a professional. It was quite an interesting experience.

This Little Piggy

2010-11-21T14:39:00.002+08:00

It is common for restaurants to receive food deliveries on the sidewalk, so after three years in Hong Kong, I should be used to sights such as this one. It's a container full of suckling pigs just sitting on the sidewalk. I was quite shocked when I walked past.

Junk Trip

2010-11-10T21:34:00.000+08:00

We had our first, and likely last, junk trip of the year in early November with Erik's colleagues. The weather was absolutely perfect. November and December in Hong Kong have the best weather of the year.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T17:18:00.001+08:00

To celebrate Halloween Hong Kong style, here is a funky mall display. I love the pumpkin-head skeletons in bird cages.

Koh Samui, Thailand

2010-10-10T16:52:00.000+08:00

We spent a long weekend in Koh Samui, Thailand. It is a small island off the southern coast, not too far from Phuket (were the tsunami occurred). The mini vacation was wonderful. Our resort was very nice, and we took a day excursion involving a boat trip, kayaking, and snorkeling. We ate lots of very spicy Thai food, yum! There are many more places we want to visit in Thailand, so I'm sure we'll be back soon.

Window Art

2010-09-25T17:00:00.000+08:00

A famous, designer clothing store had a painter decorate their store window. I was lucky to catch the painting in progress. This store usually has very cool window displays. You can see the artist's painting on the wall inside. The painting is not abstract, but is a large figure, soon to become figures. It is great to see examples of Hong Kong embracing art.

The artist's quotation reads, "In the paintings, each line represents one's life. Loading the canvass with numerous lines forms a fascinating drama."

Ann Niu
Born in Shanghai, China

Even More Goodbyes

2010-09-21T21:46:00.000+08:00

Erik's Scottish colleague left Hong Kong after a 5 year stint. He and his wife were good friends and will be missed. There was a lovely goodbye party for them, and all the guys wore kilts for the celebration. It is funny to watch men sit in skirts when they have never done it before.

American Government Bureaucracy in Hong Kong

2010-09-20T21:53:00.000+08:00

I do not like to complain on the blog, but I can’t help myself in this situation. One of my “bucket list” goals was to fill my current passport before it expires. I have successfully filled it in three years, so it is time for new pages. Erik has had pages added to his passport on several occasions and always raved about the efficient service at the Consulate. Previously, you booked an appointment online, went to the Consulate, and came out 45 minutes later with new pages. It was a free service. I booked my appointment, showed up and was informed it would cost US$82, and I could not get the new pages while I waited but must return the same day between 3-4:00. I was completely flabbergasted!

The insane part of this situation is that an entirely new passport only costs US$70! Adding pages to your existing passport involves sewing 6 pieces of paper down a four inch seam. This process cannot take more than 10 minutes. In Hong Kong, you can have a whole suit custom made in 12 hours for less than US$82! It is infuriating, because most people, like me, will not want a new passport since the existing one holds valid and necessary visas. A new passport would require carrying both the old one and the new one. It seems American government bureaucracy has made its way to Hong Kong.

The Consulate is not in a convenient location, as it is situated up a tall hill with no subway stop nearby. Yesterday, we had a typhoon #3. I waited for a taxi for 30 minutes with no success so had to walk. I was completely soaked, to the extent that my “new” passport got wet inside my purse!

From the Consulate’s website:

Why is the government charging me such a high fee to add passport pages, something previously provided for free?

The cost of service study found that adding visa pages to an existing passport book requires nearly the same resources as producing a new passport book. The study found that the cost of producing the pages, placing them in the book in a secure manner by trained personnel, and completing the required security checks costs the U.S. Government US$82.48. The Department will charge US$82 for this service.

More Big...Clothes

2010-09-14T13:37:00.002+08:00

I have mentioned before the clothing sizes in HK and China are much smaller than in the US. Erik is playing in a work basketball league. Here he is in his uniform which fits great. Note the size: XXXXL. Yes, it is 4XL!!!

Big Food

2010-09-06T21:35:00.003+08:00

Generally, portions are smaller in Hong Kong than in the US. Here are a few exceptions. This burger was appropriately at an American style grill.These shrimp were huge. Including the claws, they were over a foot long. There was deceivingly little meat inside.

More Goodbyes

2010-08-28T21:27:00.001+08:00

The goodbye celebrations with Monika continued with a weekend in Macao, which is an island about and hour away from Hong Kong. A bunch of us had fun eating, shopping, and laughing. We treated Monika to a "skywalk" on the Macao tower. The tower is similar to the space needle in Seattle. The skywalk is 233 meters high.
The following weekend was Monika's going away party. It is a certainty that I will go visit her in her new home, Switzerland.

Tea at the Peninsula

2010-08-08T21:09:00.003+08:00

Finally, I had high tea at the famous Peninsula Hotel. Erik and I went with my friend Monika who is leaving Hong Kong soon. The tea was wonderful but so rich. It was a lovely treat that I'm sure we'll indulge in again. Monika and I spoiled ourselves this weekend too by going for high-end spa treatments, so lovely.

Tin Hau

2010-07-19T21:09:00.000+08:00

We explored Tin Hau on Sunday, a part of Hong Kong where we had not yet visited. There wasn’t much to it, except for a nice temple. Erik captured some nice images of HK street life.

New Furniture

2010-07-11T14:17:00.000+08:00

Since we’ll be in Hong Kong for at least another year, we decided to upgrade a few pieces of our furniture. It started with our bed, which was broken for more than a year. We got this new bed a few months ago, and I updated the bedding during the US trip. I am very happy with the bed which is so much more solid than our former, Ikea one.

I think I’ve mentioned before the lack of vintage/antique stores in HK. There is no appreciation for old items except super valuable antiques. We had no reason to upgrade our coffee table other than the new one is so unique. It is a mid-century mod design, and we totally love it. It was acquired through AsiaExpat which is similar to Craig’s List. Hong Kong is a very transient city, and there is plenty of stuff for sale on AsiaExpat.

Likewise, there was no reason to change our dining room set other than the new one is very cool. It is made from recycled boat wood. We’ve been waiting for it for about 2.5 months for it to be shipped from Bali. While we love it, it is probably too big for our space and unlikely to fit in a “normal” HK apartment. It could also be used outside since it is weather resistant. Worst case scenario: we sell it in a year.

Now, it is time for a party to show off all the new goods.

Hong Kong Lunch Delivery

2010-07-04T17:24:00.000+08:00

The stereotype of China is lots of bicycles. While this is true in mainland China, Hong Kong is not very bike friendly, because the traffic is very dense and there are no bike paths along the major roads. I did see a man delivering lunches by bicycle near my work. This is a quintessential China picture.I was in the US for almost 2 weeks in June. As a result, I have been away from blogging, because I was preparing for the trip and then recovering from jet lag. It was great to be back in the US and see the family. I filled up on yummy, comfort foods and got some beach time.

Summer in HK is rather boring. Many people are traveling so the social calendar is light. The heat and humidity make you want to stay at home in the AC.

I am very sad to be losing three great friends this summer :-( All three are leaving HK to pursue brighter opportunities. This makes a total of six close friends of mine who have left. I need to meet some new people, but I don't feel motivated. This is the nature of expat life--very transitory. I guess Erik and I are "old timers" now as we close in on three years.

Happy 4th of July to all the Americans!

Mirror Ball

2010-05-30T12:24:00.002+08:00

I found this scene funny: moving a giant disco ball in the middle of the busiest part of the city. The bars and clubs are a few blocks away, so I have no idea where the mirror ball was going.

Cebu

2010-05-24T22:34:00.000+08:00

We went to Cebu, Philippines for a long weekend. It is only a 2 hour, direct flight. We stayed in an awesome, small, boutique resort, The Abaca. The service was impeccable, and it was very private and peaceful. The restaurant was award-winning Italian which we didn't know when we booked it--a nice surprise since most resort food is mediocre. It has been a while since we look a purely relaxing vacation--just what we needed.

Here is Erik's slide show: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eschrei/sets/72157624147622836/show/

One day, we rented a private boat to take us island hopping and snorkeling. The water was crystal clear. The coral was spectacular, and we probably saw 20 different kinds of tropical fish.

The Philippines is very poor, so we only ventured out of our resort one day to go into town. We visited Magellan's cross where he marked the territory for Spain. There is also an old Catholic church from the 1600's. Filipinos are devout Catholics.

I am sure we'll go back to Cebu. Next trip, USA!

More Butchering

2010-05-18T19:17:00.000+08:00

Another example of fresh meat: Erik snapped this picture which we stumbled upon walking down a small street in the evening. Chinese are fanatics about fresh food. We recently watched the movie "Food Inc.", and this photo is another reminder of the difference between US and Asian food cultures.

Big Tuna

2010-05-17T21:07:00.001+08:00

There was a special event at our grocery store where they butchered a whole, fresh tuna fish. I didn't know this event was happening, but fortunately stumbled upon it close to being complete. The customers were nuts fighting over the best cuts. The choicest pieces are the most fatty, but I prefer the leaner portions, so I was able to get a nice fillet. The head was the last piece to be sectioned off, and I saw one woman purchase both eye balls. I cooked it simply by searing with some crushed peppercorns. It was amazing!

More, Bigger, Better

2010-05-14T21:03:00.000+08:00

Hong Kong always has construction happening. It is amazing how quickly major projects are completed. Much of the new construction is housing since the city is so crowded and new apartments are highly coveted. Recently, a big works project started near our apartment. The area used to be a driving range which was a poor use of the space considering it has a harbor view. I am fairly certain this will be a new apartment complex. Our apartment is marked with the arrow. Notice that the ICC building next to us is externally complete. It is 118 stores tall and our apartment building is 80.

Spring Cleaning

2010-05-09T21:51:00.000+08:00

One of the most striking first impressions of Hong Kong is how clean it is. Near my job there is a small park where a full time crew works to keep it clean and maintain the landscaping. Here is a prime example of the crazy cleaning--two days of power washing the sidewalk. I love this fountain near my job and the large pedestrian walkway.
At home, I've been doing spring cleaning as well. We brought very little to Hong Kong, and I pared down my clothes considerably; however, it is amazing how much we've accumulated in the past 2.5 years. It feels great to organize and purge.

Finally, a fun little spring creature:These large snails are common during the rainy season.

Cultural Differences

2010-04-25T11:45:00.000+08:00

Things that seemed very different or weird to me when I first moved to Hong Kong or traveled in China, no longer seem odd, or as odd as they once did; however, I still notice the differences. I captured a few when recently in China. The first is a very odd translation. I don’t like to point out bad English when my Chinese is so far from fluent. Besides, engrish.com captures far more craziness than I ever could. This picture is an exception:
There were similar trash bins in other parks that were correctly translated as Recyclable/Non Recyclable. The Chinese characters for recycle roughly mean, “can return to collection” and the non-recyclable characters simply add an extra one for “no/not/non”. I have no idea how non-recyclable got translated into “organism”.

Here is an ashtray in a restaurant that is simply bizarre:
Monkeys are pretty common:
I love the industrious nature of this home-made stroller; simply hook a small rattan chair to a base with wheels. In general, babies do ride in strollers. They are carried, even in Hong Kong. I saw several cases of this same rattan chair tied onto a bike for an easy bicycle baby seat.
There are far fewer rules and laws in Hong Kong and China, especially concerning safety. I find this rather liberating, but it is still shocking to see children standing on the floorboards of the front passenger seat or mothers holding infants with no seatbelt. Another common sight in southeast Asia, is the family of 4 riding on a scooter/moped.

Let me know if you like to see these “strange” things, and I’ll try to post more of them.

Hong Kong Breakfast

2010-04-21T13:44:00.000+08:00

I woke up an hour late this morning but still managed to get to work on time. On the way to work, I picked up a "Hong Kong style" breakfast from 7-11. It is rice noodles with soy sauce, peanut sauce, and sesame seeds with a few fish dim sum (yellow things) thrown in. The drink is hot tea with lots of condensed milk and sugar. The noodles and drink cost US$1.50. I may start making this my standard breakfast.

Guilin and Yangshuo

2010-04-13T21:26:00.001+08:00

We had a wonderful trip over the long Easter weekend to the mountains in China. These are the strange looking mountain scenes depicted in Chinese paintings, very beautiful and magical. To get to this area, we flew into Guilin (75 minute plane flight) that I would describe as a small city. The mountains rise up out of the city and along the large Li River. During our two days in Guilin, we rented bikes and rode from mountain to mountain and strolled along the river.

Originally, we planned to take a river cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo, but China is experiencing a severe drought, and the water level was not high enough for large boats. Thus, we took a 90 minute taxi ride to Yangshuo where we spent 3 days.

Yangshuo is small town and rather westernized due to its famous rock climbing and influx of backpackers. Erik visited Yangshuo while on a business trip a few years ago before we moved to Asia. It was great that he could show me all the places he had visited. Yangshuo is very quaint, but it was super crowded with tourists. Again, we biked and hiked. One day, we took a local bus to a small village where we went on a bamboo raft cruise on the river--so picturesque.

This trip was well-needed, and we had a relaxing yet active time.

Here are Erik's wonderful pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eschrei/sets/72157623703231651/show/

A funky cave in Guilin:Crowds in Yangshuo:On the bamboo raft, we saw the site depicted on the 20 yuan note:These birds were trained to catch fish:Two women in their home preparing dinner. Note that it is a chicken:

Happy "San Shi Ba" To Me!

2010-04-06T20:13:00.000+08:00

That is Happy 38 in Mandarin. My birthday was spent making our way back from a lovely vacation in Guilin and Yangshuo, China. It was a wonderful way to celebrate. 37 was an awesome year, and I plan to make 38 even better. Here I am eating my birthday dinner of instant noodles and a can of beer in the airport, yummy!

Happy Easter 2010

2010-04-04T20:54:00.000+08:00

Once again, the mall by our apartment has a fabulous display for the holiday. This Easter, the theme is Peter Rabbit. It is a beautiful take on the Easter Bunny. There are two huge displays, one with a person in a Peter Rabbit costume. The line was so long to get a picture with Peter Rabbit.

HAPPY EASTER!

TCM

2010-03-26T20:23:00.001+08:00

TCM=Traditional Chinese Medicine. It consists of acupuncture, herbs, diet, and lifestyle. I have been intrigued by TCM since coming to Hong Kong. All my Chinese friends see a TCM doctor. So, I finally went for my own diagnosis. TCM works with the balance between yin and yang energies, and its goal is to balance the system. It treats the whole body, not just the symptoms. TCM is a very different philosophy than western medicine, and it takes an open mind to believe in it.

I was curious to see if TCM could help my chronic TMJ and a few other minor aliments. I was prescribed weekly acupuncture sessions and given some herbs to drink. The herbs are horrible, but I do feel better taking them. The acupuncture is wonderful, very calming. Additionally, I am making changes to my diet. It is recommended that I do not eat any raw foods such as salad and eat mostly warm/hot foods and drinks. I should limit caffeine, alcohol, dairy, refined wheat, sugar, and fruit. It may seem a bit wacky, but I really feel better. I am going to stick with it for awhile.

Taxes

2010-03-19T08:31:00.000+08:00

I recently paid my Hong Kong taxes and reflected on how vastly different the process is than the US system. First, I take home 100% of my paycheck which is standard (OK I do have to contribute about US$125/month to something equivalent to Social Security). Absolutely zero taxes are withdrawn from anyone's paycheck.

The HK tax year follows the fiscal year, April 1-March 31, so in January, the tax form comes in the mail. It is literally 2 pages long and takes about 10 minutes to fill out. It is very similar to the short form I did in college. Again, this is the standard tax form for everyone. I don't have a special circumstance because I'm an American. I am a local hire.

About a month after the tax form is submitted, the bill comes. This is a bill for the whole year's taxes to be paid in one lump sum. Hong Kong has more or less a flat tax rate of 15% which is amazing considering all the social programs including almost free healthcare for everyone. Thus, it is no mystery how much your tax bill will be--far different situation than in the US.

To pay my taxes, I could do it online through my bank's website. They have a special button to "Pay Tax", just type in the amount and it is done. Easy Peasy. Why can't it be this simple in the US? I know many American's would not have the discipline to save 15% of each paycheck for an entire year. Isn't this is heart of America's current economic problems?

In comparison, our US, expat tax return is over 40 pages long!

Similarly, when we first contemplated moving to Hong Kong, we were warned that banking was difficult. The reality is that it is difficult to get credit cards and loans, but every other aspect that we've encountered is much more streamlined than in the US. I think the main reason is that the majority of people use 2 main banks. Paying bills is super easy and can be done at the ATM simply by transferring money from your account into the service provider's since you both bank at HSBC. I love it.

Good luck to all the US folks who are currently struggling with their tax forms.

Urban Improvement

2010-03-15T13:20:00.000+08:00

I have mentioned before that Hong Kong does not have a strong art scene or vibe. The city is so focused on money and shopping. Most urban improvement and development results in more shopping, housing, and/or eating. I was delightfully surprised to see the most recent project take on a green and arty theme. There is a heavily traveled walkway connecting to the Mid Level escalators that is getting a face lift. Before, it contained a few rundown shops and was often inhabited by beggars and homeless. Now, it is decorated with hand-painted murals and living walls. Of course, there is some life-size anime, but at least it is handmade. I have seen many people stopping to photograph and admire the new design. Way to go Hong Kong!

Private Kitchen

2010-03-08T21:36:00.002+08:00

After 2.5 years in Hong Kong, we finally went to our first meal at a private kitchen. A private kitchen is rather like a small, private restaurant and quite a unique experience. The one we went to, Da Ping Huo, it quite famous. It is owned and operated by a husband and wife team. The husband works the front of the house and helps serve, and the wife is the head chef and entertainment. At the end of the meal, she sings an opera song, as she is a former Chinese opera star. There is no menu and no choices; however, the meal is multiple courses with lots of variety. The cuisine is Sichuan and very spicy. We absolutely loved it, and it was pretty reasonable. This was the first time in ages that Erik and I went out by ourselves for dinner in Hong Kong.

I Heart Sydney

2010-03-02T20:13:00.004+08:00

Wow, Sydney is amazing. We spent about a week there for Chinese New Year, and it exceed our expectations. We had about 5 other destinations we wanted to go to which were fully booked, because we planned so late. Sydney was a "lame fall-back" since tickets were still available. It is crazy that Australia is "close" to Hong Kong, but Sydney is still a 9 hour plane ride. Our 6 days were spent as follows: 1 day at the nature preserve visiting the koalas, 2 days at 2 different beaches, 1 day in the mountains, and 2 days in the city. We did everything by public transportation.

I love the beach. Sydney's beaches were the best I've ever seen and the most intimidating. At Bondi beach, the current was so strong that I was knocked down knee deep. I quickly gave up my idea of taking a surfing lesson. I know when to fold.The food was excellent, very fresh. The local wine and beer was great. Coming from polluted Hong Kong, we appreciated the clean, clear air. It's been the first trip in a while where we spoke the native language. The only negative of the whole trip was that Sydney is expensive. While it is true that we are used to cheap South East Asia destinations, Australia seemed more expensive than the US; more like Europe. A simple lunch at a deli (no wait service) was US$30. A Coke at the convenience store was about US$3. Regardless, Erik and I would go back in a heartbeat.

Here is Erik's beautiful slideshow followed by a few choice shots and must have pics.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eschrei/sets/72157623472799910/show/

Year of the Tiger

2010-02-12T21:52:00.004+08:00

Kung Hei Fat Choy! Happy Lunar New Year in the year of the Tiger. This beautiful display is in the mall near our apartment. I think 2010 is going to be a fabulous year.

Shanghai

2010-02-07T20:33:00.004+08:00

Last weekend, I went to Shanghai to visit my friend S. She was in town for a job interview that I helped her get through my former company. It was an interesting twist of fate. Shanghai is very similar to Hong Kong but much larger. It has a strong western influence with some amazing European architecture. Much of the city, especially the main tourist areas, was under renovation in preparation for the upcoming Expo which is supposed to be similar to a world's fair. I definitely want to go back to Shanghai for a longer stay. It was a really fun weekend, and I had a great time with S. Shanghai is known for its xiao long bao, a dumpling filled with pork and soup. Normally, they are golf ball sized, but these were soft ball sized and came with a large straw to drink the soup. Fun!

2 Hikes

2010-01-31T20:58:00.001+08:00

We had two nice hikes recently. The first was with Erik's colleagues from Shenzhen, and we hiked the popular Dragon's Back trail which I've blogged about before. The second hike was in celebration of my friend A's birthday, on Lantau island.
On Lantau island, there are wild water buffalo. This one charged at the men ahead of us on the trail. A small shop on the island:

After hike drinks!

Happy 2010

2010-01-15T13:12:00.006+08:00

If writing this blog were my job, I'd be fired by now. Oh yeah, I already have two jobs! The end is very near, just another few weeks.

For New Year's weekend, Erik and I went to Beijing. We got stuck in a huge snowstorm, the worst in Beijing in 60 years. As a result, our flight was canceled which was a bit of a pain, but the beauty of seeing the Forbidden City and Tienanmen Square covered in snow was worth it.

We love Beijing. Hong Kong is very superficial and glamorous. The endless wealth and shopping get old after awhile. Beijing definitely has more history, grit, and creativity. We went to the 798 art area which is a former Soviet weapons factory/compound that has been turned into art galleries and small shops. The architecture was ultra cool.

We visited the Heavenly Palace and the Yong He Gong temple which houses a huge Buddha carved from a single tree of sandalwood.

One evening, we had dinner with Erik's colleague in cool restaurant. Of course, we had to have Peking duck and went to a different place than last time but equally famous. It was probably the best Chinese meal I've ever had. There was no shortage of great meals, including a wonderful western dinner at a restaurant over looking the Forbidden City.

We hadn't planned to go to the Forbidden City again, but we had to go when we saw the snow.

There is still a long list of things we want to see in Beijing, so I know we'll be back.

Here is the link to Erik's wonderful photo show:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eschrei/sets/72157623180655318/show/

New Year's Eve:
Me and Erik's colleague:
Dinner at The Courtyard. The snowy "ground" just outside the window is the frozen moat surrounding the Forbidden City.
Looking out the hotel window on Sunday morning. It continued to snow for about 15 hours.These hats were very popular:
Forbidden City:
Tienanmen Square:A building at the Heavenly Palace:Steam coming from the subway. It was close to zero F for most of our trip.

Street:
The airport a few hours before we took off on Monday. Those planes were boarding--not much snow removal.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T19:56:00.007+08:00

Christmas this year was very relaxed which was wonderful. I surely needed the downtime from the business of working two jobs. It was also nice not to rush off to a vacation like we did last year. We are going on a short trip to Beijing over New Year's weekend

For Christmas Eve, Erik and I went to an Irish pub and had a fabulous turkey dinner. Most of the restaurants in Hong Kong have special menus for Christmas which are very expensive and extravagant. It is similar to New Year's Eve in the US. We wanted something casual and enjoyed the pub. Christmas Eve night was super busy and was definitely a party night. We had a good time.

On Christmas day, we had brunch with Ruth and our other German friend Monika. All of us were feeling the effects of a raucous Christmas Eve, and we enjoyed a yummy brunch, went home and took naps, and then met up later in the evening. The small ball we are holding was a puzzle in the Christmas cracker. I was the first one to successfully assemble it. It was a running joke all day.

The weather was very warm as evidenced by our short sleeved shirts and enjoying the outside bar Christmas evening.

Here are some Hong Kong style Christmas decorations. I really don't understand this pink and purple fairies display, but people seemed to love it. They waited in line to have their picture taken next to it.

More tasteful decorations at the 1881 Heritage Building and the Peninsula Hotel.

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends!

East Asian Games

2009-12-20T13:36:00.004+08:00

Hong Kong hosted the East Asian Games in early December. For the week of the games, there was a boat parade each night in the harbour—beautiful. For the finale of the games, there was a spectacular fireworks display. We only found out about the fireworks show twelve hours in advance. We invited friends to join us for the show, and a few were able to make it. It was an enjoyable, impromptu gathering.

Ruth: A Good Friend

2009-12-18T19:32:00.000+08:00

Our good friend Ruth, who works with Erik and lives in the apartment block next to ours, is leaving Hong Kong soon to return to Germany. We are spending lots of time with her before she leaves. Ruth has been trying to squeeze in all the things she never did in HK, as well as, redoing her favorite things. We are happy to tag along, such as to dinner at Hutong where Erik and I went for his birthday.

Bling Bling Varoom

2009-12-16T21:10:00.000+08:00

As I've mentioned before, glitter, glitz, and everything sparkly and bedecked is super popular in Hong Kong. This Swarovski crystal covered Mercedes convertible is completely outrageous and beautiful. It is in the mall by our apartment, and I think it is being raffled off, although I cannot read the Chinese sign.

Bowl O Fire

2009-12-13T17:38:00.002+08:00

A few weeks ago, Erik took me to his favorite noodle soup place near his Hong Kong office. This place serves Sichuan-style noodles which means they are very hot. There are 13 levels of soup spiciness. The menu depicts levels 1-10 with level 1 being 1/10 of a chili pepper and level 10 being a whole chili. Even more hot than 1-10 are the levels low, medium and high spiciness. I should mention that Erik and I both like spicy food, and I think I can take it pretty hot. Erik warned me that his female colleague had ordered 1/10 spicy (the least spicy available), and she needed to order extra broth to cut the heat level. Erik proceeds to order medium, one step below the hottest available. I ordered one notch below him at low. I can honestly say this was the spiciest food I have ever eaten. I couldn't finish it. My eyes were streaming tears, my face was red, I was sweating, and my nose, mouth, and lips were numb. It was good, and I want to go back, but next time I think I'll order 6/10.

Sorry, I haven't posted in awhile. The past few weeks, I have worked harder than any time in my life. My new job is going great, but I am still freelancing at my old job. In essence, I am working two full-time jobs. I hope things settle down in January.

Joined the Cool Kids Club

2009-11-29T17:36:00.000+08:00

Since I use a Mac at my new job, it was mandatory that I get an iPhone. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Now I just need to convince Erik that I need a Mac Book Pro.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T08:29:00.002+08:00

We had a lovely Thanksgiving with friends. G out did herself and made an amazing meal. It was nice to celebrate on the actual day, unlike previous years. I am extremely thankful for the overflowing happiness my life contains.

More Dim Sum

2009-11-25T19:54:00.000+08:00

Have you had enough of posts about Dim Sum? Honestly, it is one of our favorite aspects of Hong Kong. It is a nice mix of socializing, ritual, and delicious food. The small portions allow you to try a bunch of different flavors. The Dim Sum restaurant in City Hall is very famous and a popular tourist stop, but we only visited it for the first time a few weeks ago. The hall is massive, maybe 400 seats, and there is always a wait. It is the very traditional style of Dim Sum restaurant where the ladies push carts of the various dishes. Delish!

Tea Time

2009-11-22T20:44:00.000+08:00

High tea is very popular in Hong Kong--a residual effect of the former British rule. I went to tea at one of my favorite hotels, The Mandarin Oriental, on Sunday with my good friend M. It was a fun was to spend a Sunday afternoon. Yum--scones, clotted cream, and homemade jam, what could be better?

Cambodia--Angkor Wat

2009-11-18T20:00:00.008+08:00

In Siem Reap, are the famous, ancient temples of Angkor Wat, the main tourist attraction of Cambodia. The temples are approximately 1,000 years old and are a mix of Hindu and Buddhist shrines. It is amazing how many temples there are, and they are quite spread out. For many years, they were hidden by the jungle, and some of temples are intertwined with the jungle trees. The vastness and ornateness is breath-taking. Most recently, Angkor Wat was where the movie Laura Croft Tomb Raider was filmed, and subsequently, Angelina Jolie adopted her Cambodian child.

As an aside, the poverty is pretty severe in Cambodia, and a disproportionate amount of the population are children. Kids are everywhere. Mostly, they are foraging for food, selling souvenirs, or just having fun. They certainly touched my heart.

We felt Cambodia was very easy to navigate, more so than North Viet Nam. I definitely felt safer, and virtually everything was priced in US dollars, so it was easier to gauge the markets. Neither of us got sick, even though we ate salad and fruit.

These girls are fishing in a ditch after school: Erik buys grilled bananas from a street vendor. Note how small the women are. The people seemed to be the smallest in Asia as far as we've seen.Erik and our driver who took us took us to many of the temples--see how small he is.

We had a fabulous time in Cambodia! Our next trip is to Tokyo for Christmas weekend.

Fun With Laura

2009-11-15T22:03:00.000+08:00

My cousin, Laura, spent the weekend with me before heading into China on business. It was great fun to hang out and show her the sights. I hope she is able to come again for my sake and for the great work she is doing to help our planet.

Cambodia--Phnom Penh

2009-11-08T20:19:00.000+08:00

We started the trip in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. It is a bustling south east Asia city with many motor bikes, hawkers and markets. The main tourist attraction is the Killing Fields where many of the two million Cambodians were murdered under the Khmer Rouge regime. It was incredibly sad, but I'm glad we visited it. In addition, we went to the Genocide Museum, S21, which was a school turned prison where 20,000 people were tortured and killed.

The Killing Fields: It is a large area consisting of big ditches where the bodies were buried.
The memorial tower at the Killing Fields. The tower is filled with skulls:
S21: Rack where people were hung and their heads dipped in filthy water as a torture devise. Another famous stop in Phnom Penh is the FCC (Foreign Correspondents Club) with a beautiful view of the Tonle Sap river.

We stayed at a very quaint B&B style hotel where we had a private pool, although it was too cold for me to go in all the way. This picture is the main pool.

The B&B didn't have availability for Saturday night, so we splurged on Raffles. It certainly lived up to its reputation.

The Royal Palace looked very similar to the one in Bangkok:

Cooling off with some Angkor beers, "My Country, My Beer":

New Job!

2009-11-04T20:10:00.000+08:00

I have a new job that I am very excited about. The job search has kept me very busy recently, along with currently working at both my old and new jobs. I will be transitioning until my replacement is hired and up to speed. My new role is as Marketing Communications Manager for a US based toy company. The position is much more creative than my former job. I am looking forward to working in a very fun and creative environment and with people who are focused on cool products. I don't want to be over zealous, but this new job is very close to perfect, at least as far as I can tell at this point. If you want to know the company, email me, because I don't want this post to turn up in a google search.

The Hong Kong job topic is rather an emotional one for me. Before we moved, I met with a HK recruiter and spoke to several locals about my ability to get a job as a foreigner. The responses were less than optimistic. The recruiter didn't give me the time of day and said it was close to impossible to get professional work here unless fluent in English and Chinese. More than one person suggested that the best job I could get was teaching English. I have prided myself in landing a full-time position in my field within 3 months of arriving in Hong Kong. Now, I have my "dream job" and landed it during a recession. A few months ago, I had another offer which I turned down, and recently, I was the number one candidate for a high-level, but not creative, position for which I would have likely received an offer if I hadn't accepted the toy job. I apologize for tooting my own horn, but it is satisfying to reflect on how far I've come from the day I left that recruiter's office being depressed.

I feel like singing, "If I can make it here, I'll make it anywhere!"

Busy Busy Bee

2009-11-01T14:48:00.000+08:00

Wow, I've been really busy. I have lots of blogs to post but can't seem to find the time to get them written and posted. Erik and I just returned from a wonderful, 9-day trip to Cambodia. It is an amazing country with a horrible past. I will post a full trip report soon. In the meantime, here are Erik's flickr pics:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eschrei/sets/72157622584296953/show/

Peak Hike

2009-10-16T21:38:00.001+08:00

The weather has been beautiful recently. Oct-Dec is the best weather in HK, because the humidity drops and the temperatures are mild (high 70s-low 80s). We took advantage of the great weather and hiked up to the Peak for the first time. The Peak is the area on top of the mountain on Hong Kong Island and is a big tourist attraction due to the beautiful views. It is an easy hike since it is all paved but is quite steep. It was a very fun day, and Erik snapped some great pics. This picture is good, because it shows how the trail runs right through the city.A beautiful old colonial home:The Peak tram used to be the only way to get up the mountain and is still in operation and a popular tourist ride.You can see how the city has developed all around the tram pathway:

Sue's B-day

2009-10-14T22:32:00.000+08:00

My friend Sue and her husband celebrated their 40th birthdays with a fun party at the Royal Yacht Club in Causeway Bay. The club is in a very cool setting, surrounded by tall buildings. Sue had a DJ, and we danced the night away. Great fun!

Me & Sue:Me & Kukka:Me & Aimee:

Famous Dim Sum

2009-10-13T22:23:00.000+08:00

On Friday, Erik and I took off work and went to a new, famous dim sum restaurant. Tim Ho Wan is owned and run by the former dim sum chef of the three-Michelin starred restaurant at the Four Seasons. Since it opened, this place is always packed with long waits. Supposedly, the wait can be as long as two hours on the weekends. It is a small (only 30 seats) hole-in-the-wall restaurant in the local area of Mong Kok. Fortunately, we arrived before it opened and got a seat right away. The food was fabulous, and we were stuffed. We paid only HK$128 (~US$16) and we couldn’t finish all we ordered. I can’t wait to go back.

Mid-Autmn Festival 2009

2009-10-08T21:23:00.000+08:00

Mid-Autumn festival was October 3 this year. We went to Victoria Park to check out the displays and see the childeren with their lanterns. On two stages were traditional Chinese opera and other festive entertainment. Many, many families enjoyed the day in the park with a picnic and lit candles and lanterns once the sun set. It was a cozy and peaceful environment.These two pictures are from the area near our apartment which was decorated for the holiday. You can see the full moon shining over our apartment building.

60th Anniversary of the PRC

2009-10-04T14:56:00.002+08:00

October 1, National Day, marked the 60th anniversary of the formation of the People’s Republic of China. There are always fireworks on National Day, and this year’s did not disappoint. Of course, we had a party to share the great view from the 67th floor. My friend commented, “This was the first time I ever looked down on fireworks.” Most of you in the US are probably aware of the PRC’s anniversary due to the media coverage of the Empire State Building changing its colors to honor of the day. All the celebrations in Beijing were televised. The holiday was on Thursday and all businesses are closed. Neither of us worked on Friday, so we enjoyed a long, relaxing weekend.

Great US Trip

2009-09-22T20:53:00.000+08:00

We are starting to feel normal again having almost recovered from jet lag due to our recent visit to the US. It was an excellent trip—very relaxing while still managing to see family, friends, shop, and eat. Our house and storage unit are in great shape which is a true comfort. Fall was upon the east coast and a refreshing change from the hot and humid Hong Kong weather that will likely be around through October.

While in the US, I reflected on the things I miss about the States and also the things I love about Hong Kong. Erik and I both miss fall. I am nostalgic about making chili or soup on a cool Sunday evening with the sound of football from the living room. Additionally, I miss my house. It is a great place. Of course, we miss our friends and family dearly, but I think an attribute of great relationships is when you feel like it’s been a week, not a year, since you last saw one another. Now that we’ve been away from the US for two years, I don’t miss some of the things I did when we first moved. I don’t miss TV. It is crazy that with about 200 channels, there is nothing decent to watch. It is better to have only 20 channels of crap. Even though we did buy a decent amount of clothes, I am comfortable with my limited choices here in Hong Kong. I definitely miss having a cat. It was a real joy to have my parents’ cat sleep with us each night.

I think I’ve commented before that Hong Kong definitely feels like home to me, and I hope we can remain longer than one more year.

I didn’t take many photos in the US, but did manage to capture a few highlights.

A fabulous dinner at the new Emeril Lagasse restaurant in the Sands casino which has inhabited the old Bethlehem Steel Factory. Erik and his friends—interestingly, these were his attendants at our wedding.

Want Some Watermelon?

2009-09-09T20:00:00.000+08:00

I’ve mentioned before, the grocery store in the mall near our apartment is quite fancy and features organic and high quality merchandise. There is a special produce section devoted to items from Japan. These Japanese items are always more expensive than the China grown produce and often more expensive than the stuff imported from the US, Europe, or Australia. That said, I was shocked to see the price of the Japanese watermelons this week. The price for a basketball-sized melon was HK$329 or US$42! Who buys these things, especially when the store had China watermelons the same size for about US$4.00. Fresher produce can be purchased in the street market for approximately half the cost of this high-end store. So the choice is an air-shipped US$42 watermelon from Japan, or walk 15 minutes to the street market and get a locally grown one for US$2.00 max.

Another Moon & Arch Pic

2009-09-07T21:43:00.000+08:00

There was a beautiful full moon in Hong Kong this weekend. The summer has been very clear, and recently, the weather has changed to be less humid. It is still hot, around the mid 80s, but it is bearable.

Apartment Touch Ups

2009-09-03T23:14:00.000+08:00

This week marks our two year anniversary in Hong Kong. Since our days in the apartment are limited, I wanted to put the final touches on it while we still had time to enjoy them. We acquired many wonderful items from my friend S who recently returned to the US. S has excellent taste. I would like to buy at least one more piece of antique Chinese furniture. Here are some of the recent additions:

Black Chinese boxes, antique picture, and flower pot from S. The plant is from another expat who returned to the US.

Chinese alter table and reclining Buddha from S. Erik's Beijing photograph I had framed for his birthday. Framing in Hong Kong is very inexpensive.Porcelain Chinese vase lamp from S. The little urn is from Bangkok which was purchased last fall. The Japanese block print is a few years old. Erik bought it on one of his first trips to Japan.Big, beautiful, carved mirror from S in our bedroom. You can see the Tibetan prayer flags hanging over our bed in the reflection. The prayer flags are from a sacred Buddhist temple we visited in India. On the dresser is an antique postcard from India with a handpainted image of Ganesh. In the guest bedroom, my sister's sketches were recently framed and hung over the bed.

Hong Kong Restoration

2009-08-31T22:50:00.001+08:00

A big criticism of Hong Kong is the lack of appreciation for history. The city gets lots of flack from the media for not preserving historical/old buildings, streets, stores, etc. Many say "old Hong Kong" is what makes it a cool city, and I agree; however, the current trend is to bulldoze everything old in lieu of making sparkling new buildings, streets, shops. There are virtually no thrift or vintage shops in Hong Kong. It is an aspect of the US I miss, rummaging through junk shops to find something unique and funky.

One recent departure from this trend is the renovation of the old Marine Police Headquarters (circa 1881). This building has been wrapped in scaffolding since we moved and is finally complete. It looks very cool with a mix of modern touches. I guess beggars can't be choosers, but I wish the building was being used for something other than luxury boutiques. Hong Kong is turning into one giant store with ridiculously priced merchandise. The Marine Police Headquarters is located near the harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui, very near the other luxury shops I blogged about here. When I was in this area over the weekend, I heard mostly Mandarin being spoken which indicates the shoppers are from mainland China. The well-documented rise of the Chinese middle/upper class is so apparent in this area and everyone is paying cash. The world economy is certainly changing.

Junk Trip III

2009-08-24T22:34:00.002+08:00

Another junk trip! This one was for Erik's colleague's birthday. We anchored in Sai Kung, and the water was amazingly clear. Many boats were cruising and anchored in this location. Even though it was a hot day, the sea breeze made it enjoyable. It has been an excellent summer, weather wise. Now, it is extremely hot, but the humidity is semi-manageable remaining under 90%. Will there be more junk trips this summer? There are none planned that I know of, but I'd be happy to join another one.

Good Bye Friends

2009-08-17T21:18:00.000+08:00

One of my favorite experiences as an expat is meeting tons of great people. I have so many friends in Hong Kong of varying ages, nationalities, and backgrounds. Moving to a new place forces you to make friends more readily than you would in your home country. In the US, I had only a few close friends, which was fine, but I really enjoy all my peeps in HK. I think living in a compact city makes socializing much easier and results in many more dinners, coffees, pedicures, etc. with friends, developing the relationships more quickly. The negative aspect of expat friendships is people move home. This weekend, I said good bye to two close friends. One was Erik’s colleague who has lived in Hong Kong for 7 years. The other is my dear friend S. I felt very sad when I walked past S’s office today and realized I wouldn’t be meeting her for any more lunches. In addition, I inherited some of S’s lovely belongings which will be a constant reminder of her. You will be missed.

Strange Company

2009-08-14T10:01:00.000+08:00

I was very startled by an uninvited guest this week. There was a 4" praying mantis on the dish rack. Reminder: we live on the 67th floor. How the heck did it get in our apartment? I put it out on the balcony. We rarely have insects in our apartment despite the absence of screens. Occasionally, we are visted by silverfish or a cockroach--that's it.

Junk Trip II

2009-08-10T21:54:00.000+08:00

We joined another lovely junk cruise to celebrate my friend K's birthday. The boat cruised to some remote areas of Hong Kong, and it was very quiet and peaceful. In one location, there were large schools of jumping fish. They were beautiful but hard to capture in a photo. We also saw a very large jellyfish, maybe 18" in diameter. I love a junk trip!

Fun Food

2009-08-04T20:44:00.000+08:00

The blog and I need a bit of fun. Here are two funny food shots taken recently. The first is of a small octopus that came free with our set lunch at a Japanese restaurant. Erik ate his in one bite, but I passed. He said the sauce was tasty, but the octopus was chewy. Isn’t it always? That’s been my experience. Recently, Erik ate raw, live and still squirming octopus on a business trip to Korea. It's a delicacy.The second picture is a gianormous zucchini that someone gave my parents. They received three this size! One was pawned off to my sister, and the three zucchini fed four people for two weeks.

Solar Eclipse

2009-07-22T22:53:00.000+08:00

This excellent picture was taken in Hong Kong by Ken Ken Ho, a friend of a friend. I was not adequately prepared with proper viewing glasses. I tried to see the eclipse, but the sun was too bright for only sunglasses. Many people left the office and gathered on the sidewalks to watch it. From inside the office, the sky got dark as if it was going to rain. It was cool to be in this part of the world to experience it. Here are some other great shots in Hong Kong on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24267703@N06/3744367813/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gresh/3744186985/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26907596@N05/3745510714/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hkdigit/3746598774/

Anticipation

2009-07-14T21:20:00.000+08:00

Sorry I haven’t posted in awhile. I have been preoccupied by some potential life developments and am anxiously waiting for news. All is well, and regardless of the outcome, I’ve enjoyed the ride. Hopefully, more information soon.

July 4th Celebration

2009-07-06T22:40:00.002+08:00

Erik's company was invited to a party hosted by the US Consulate to celebrate the 4th of July. Erik and I attended along with his colleague. The party was in Guangzhou, China, an industrial town, two hours from Erik's office in Shenzhen. It was an honor to be invited and attend. The party's theme was traditional American BBQ style, but it was mainland China so not 100% authentic.

After the party, we drove back to Shenzhen and spent the night. Erik went to work the next day, and I spent the day at the spa. The spas in China are quite an experience and much cheaper than Hong Kong and much, much cheaper than the US. That evening, we went to dinner with Erik's Shenzhen colleagues to a delicious Sichuan dinner. There were 8 of us dinning and some drank beer; everyone was very full. It was a very nice restaurant. The total bill was about $60. Two unique and fun days.

Sai Kung

2009-07-02T21:41:00.005+08:00

Wednesday, July 1 is Hong Kong’s Reunification Day; the day in 1997 when Hong Kong returned to China’s rule. It is a public holiday, and we decided to go to Sai Kung, a small fishing village in the New Territories. It was very hot, but the sky was super clear—a rarity in Hong Kong. We ate a late lunch at Anthony’s Ranch which is described by food critics as the best American food in HK. It was quite good, Texas style BBQ.

Computer Fixed!

2009-06-30T21:33:00.000+08:00

The home computer has been out of commission for about 2 weeks due to a nasty virus downloaded from Facebook. I tried in vain to debug it but finally called an expert. He had to wipe it clean. Fortunately, he was able to save all our files, especially the pictures. I am thanking my lucky stars and touching wood that I brought all the system and program discs to Hong Kong. This was something I labored about packing thinking I was being paranoid to bring them. Thankfully, they made the trip and have certainly saved the day. Blog posts have been light due to the computer bug, but now I’m back in action.

Happy Birthday Ruth!

2009-06-30T09:34:00.000+08:00

Greenpeace Against Air Pollution

2009-06-23T20:55:00.001+08:00

I've mentioned before the air pollution in Hong Kong, and most of China, is terrible. Here, it is reported everyday, unlike in mainland China. The API (air pollution index) is above 50 virtually everyday, and often it is closer to 100. The highest I've seen is 137. To put those numbers in perspective, in the US, when the API reaches 50, school children are not allowed outside for recess.

At lunch today, Greenpeace was having a demonstration against climate change and air pollution. It appeared they were "illegally" hanging a banner on a building. You can see the fire department is on scene with a large air mattress in case someone falls. The activists were handing out this sticker which blames Donald Tsang for the issues. Donald Tsang is the Chief Executive of Hong Kong which is similar to being the mayor.

I was happy to see more activism in Hong Kong especially about this issue since it so bad and effects everyone.

Happy Birthday Erik!

2009-06-16T21:55:00.000+08:00

We celebrated at a fancy Chinese restaurant, Hutong, overlooking the harbour. Best wishes for another great year!

Junk Cruise

2009-06-15T22:45:00.002+08:00

We joined a junk boat cruise on Sunday. These types of cruises are very popular in Hong Kong. A group of about 30 friends each pay approximately US$75 for a full day cruise including lots of great food and all the alcohol you want. It is a great deal and makes for a fun day. The boat cruises to a quiet spot and anchors for swimming. Hong Kong is in the middle of rainy season, and we lucked out to have good weather. The clouds were perfect at keeping the heat and sunburn at bay. Since the cruise was the day before Erik's birthday, we celebrated with cake and champagne.

Singapore

2009-06-13T14:24:00.002+08:00

In addition to Japan, we recently went to Singapore. We stayed on the nearby island of Sentosa in the Shangri-La resort. Normally, we don't do resorts, but it was nice to relax by the pool for a few days. That said, within two hours of arriving at the resort, Erik was eager to leave and explore downtown Singapore. Each evening, we went downtown to have dinner and explore the city. It was great not to be trapped at the resort. One night, we had a lovely dinner with our former Gore colleague and his wife who are also expats. Thanks Facebook for reconnecting us--it's a small world. Singapore is a melting pot of different races and cultures resulting in amazing food.

The resort:
Dinner in the hawker center: Erik had the famous chicken and rice. (I'm still waiting for my food in the picture.)Chinatown:Singapore is known for having very strict rules. Chewing gum is a finable offence. There were signs all over, like this one in the subway station, eliminating durian fruit which is incredibly stinky. Durian is everywhere in Hong Kong, and I gag when entering the grocery store when they have it.The river along which we had dinner with our friends:The famous Raffles Hotel where the Singapore Sling was invented. The drink was too sweet for me, but the hotel was exquisite.Luckily, we had lovely weather except for the heat and humidity; it is the equator after all. The only exception was an intense thunderstorm one morning which was beautiful to watch. Excellent shells in the tidal pools:The next trip is likely to be back to the US to visit the families. See you soon.

Kyoto: Part 3

2009-06-11T21:20:00.004+08:00

Heian Jingu Shrine was built to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of the founding of Kyoto.These papers are wishes or prayers.A traditional Japanese wedding had just finished when we arrived, but we were able to see the photographs. A tour guide explained that the bride's large, traditional head dress was to hide her "horns of jealousy". The groom wore a kimono as did many of the family members.In front of sake barrels:

Ginkakuji Temple has beautiful Zen gardens and is know for its Golden Pavilion. Picture request with school gals:

I'll end the Kyoto posts with some fun vending machines which are all over Japan.

Cup O Noodles:
Beer vending machine:

Kyoto: Part 2

2009-06-09T08:28:00.004+08:00

In Kyoto, we visited many historic sights and buildings.

Sanjusangendo Hall:Inside the main hall are 1,001 life sized wooden statues gilded in gold--stunning. No photography is allowed. This hall is the longest wooden building in Japan.Kiyomizu Temple:
Kodai-Ji Temple Zen garden:Small temple on a side street we stumbled upon: Yasaka Shrine:Kennin-Ji Temple is oldest Zen temple in Japan. Inside the main hall is a huge ceiling mural of two dragons.Nijo Castle is large and beautiful. The most interesting part is the wooden nightingale floors which squeak when walked upon, used as a means of defense against intruders.

Erik sampled the "strange" 4-flavored ice cream cone: mango, black tea, green tea, and vanilla.

Tiananmen Square 20th Anniversary

2009-06-04T08:17:00.004+08:00

I'm not sure how well the US media is acknowledging today’s 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. In Hong Kong, the newspaper has had front page stories about it all week. I will be taking a few moments of silence to remember the victims and hope for peace and validation for their families. This Bloomberg article is quite good at describing the harsh restrictions set by the Chinese government to avoid commemorating the event. I am happy to be living in the “Special Administrative Region” of China where we have freedom of media (relatively), speach and the ability to demonstrate.

In the evening, we attended a candle light demonstration commemorating the event. There were 150,000 people in attendance. It was a very magical and profound event--so happy I could be a part of it.

Kyoto: Part 1

2009-06-01T20:17:00.000+08:00

Our first trip was to Kyoto, Japan. Kyoto is an old and historic city, so we visited lots of temples, castles, and palaces. I loved the architecture and gardens--so orderly, serene, and peaceful. I accomplished two items on my life list by having sushi in Japan, and I also tried sake for the first time. (The sushi photo was my first bite, but we ate it several times--fabulous.)

The hotel we stayed in was part of the Kyoto train station which attracts tourist for its design. We did a superb job of taking the subway and buses even though there was virtually no English. As expected, Japan is super clean and orderly, but everything is ultra expensive. The attention to detail is amazing especially the packaging and food presentation; not just in restaurants, but also in the grocery store.

We were lucky to see one Geisha girl on the street, but it felt intrusive to photograph her. There were many women, and a few men, dressed in traditional kimonos.

Stay tuned for all the sights we saw.
Subway ticket machine:

2 trips in 2 weeks

2009-05-22T09:03:00.000+08:00

The blogging will be slow for the remainder of May. By an interesting turn of events, we are taking two small vacations in these two weeks. Check back soon to see where we went.

For all those in the US, Happy Memorial Day! Enjoy the long weekend.

3 Pretty Things

2009-05-19T08:07:00.002+08:00

Life has been moving along quite smoothly and steadily in Hong Kong. Today, I'll share 3 pretty things just because.

Modified pearls: I saw this great idea in a magazine. My pearls are too long for most of my outfits, but a simple knot turns it into a choker. I'm wearing them much more at this length. My orchid arrangement: in Hong Kong, the flower arrangements are exquisit, and pre-arranged orchids in nice pots are widely available but more expensive than doing it yourself. I am pleased with my first attempt. Beautiful animation I found on design*sponge:

Firekites - AUTUMN STORY - chalk animation from Lucinda Schreiber on Vimeo.

City of Life and Death

2009-05-12T18:54:00.000+08:00

We saw the movie City of Life and Death this weekend which portrays the Japanese massacre of Nanjiing, China, the former capital. This movie is supposed to be shown world wide, but I'm not sure how accessible it will be for those of you in the US. If you can, try to see it. As expected, it is brutal and graphic, but the cinematography and depiction of emotions are outstanding. Here is a review.

Happy Spring

2009-05-06T22:59:00.002+08:00

The weather has been so beautiful in Hong Kong recently--low humidity, in the mid to high 70s. Last weekend, we took full advantage of it during the 3-day weekend. On Friday, we went to Stanley and scored some good deals in the market and walked along the seaside. Sunday, was spent with our friend R hiking, beaching and eating. What other major city can you hike and go to the beach all within a 1 hour trip from the city on efficient public transportation? I heart Hong Kong.

Swine Flu

2009-04-30T08:12:00.000+08:00

I will preface by saying at this point, I am not concerned about Swine Flu, and there are no reported cases in Asia. The warning to avoid crowded places was rather laughable for Hong Kong residents considering how crowded the city and mass transportation are. That said, I was feeling very unsettled yesterday when I went a huge trade show attended by tens of thousands of people from all over the world. The large posters everywhere urging people who felt sick to go the First Aid room didn’t provide any comfort, nor did the plethora of hand sanitizer bottles.

It is very interesting to see and hear Hong Kong residents’ reaction to Swine Flu, because they vividly remember the horror of SARS. I have heard numerous stories of how truly awful that time was. People are stocking up on face masks and are anxiously watching the news. Actually, Hong Kong may be the best place to ride out the Swine Flu scare/pandemic, because the city has been there, done that. In Hong Kong, and especially China, it is not considered rude to cough or sneeze without covering your mouth, and public spitting is very common. So far, I’m feeling fine.

More Beijing

2009-04-21T20:38:00.000+08:00

In addition to the Forbidden City, we also visited the Summer Palace which was more enjoyable due to the serenity and natural beauty. Another highlight of the trip was having a Peking Duck dinner at Li Qun which is THE most famous Peking Duck restaurant. It is where Anthony Bourdain went when he visited Beijing. We made a reservation for 7:30, and when we arrived, there was a huge line of people. The hostess put our name at the bottom of a long list to which we argued that we had a reservation. She yelled back, all in Mandarin, that everyone had a reservation! We waited for almost 2 hours until we sat down. This is a rather typical scenario in China. It was worth the wait. I’m not a huge fan of duck, but Li Qun was excellent. (Note the cabinet full of ducks behind Erik) Before the Li Qun dinner, we had a bit of time to kill and got coerced into taking a rickshaw ride. It was the best turn of events for the whole trip. Li Qun is located in a Hutong, the old traditional Chinese houses of Beijing. Hutongs consist of small alleys formed by walled courtyards encircling several small homes. We had already seen some Hutongs the day before, but this rickshaw driver took us to some very private areas. At the end of the tour, he walked us into a Hutong where he knew the family. We sat around their dinner table and shared some food and beer with them. It was completely cool. This was an incredibly unique experience and one that would not have been possible if we didn’t know some Chinese. At the restaurant Source, we had a fabulous Sichuan dinner also in a beautifully restored Hutong. Of course, we visited the snack food lane where they have some bazaar treats. No, we didn’t try anything weird. Luckily, we were able to see the Olympic Bird’s Nest stadium and the Pool Cube from the highway on our way to the Summer Palace—way cool. We were very surprised by the funky little boutiques and coffee shops around the Bell and Drum Towers in downtown Beijing and bought a few unique items. As expected, the air pollution was horrible, except for the last day when the sky was actually blue. We could have used at least one more day, so it gives us a good excuse to return.

Beijing

2009-04-19T17:09:00.002+08:00

We went to Beijing over our 4-day Easter holiday. It was a wonderful trip and exceeded our expectations. The weather was beautiful, and the spring trees were in full bloom, reminding me of the US east coast at this time of year. Our Chinese certainly came in handy, and we did pretty good communicating with people, although Erik is much better than me. The highlight was of course seeing the Great Wall. We went to a more remote area called Simatai (over a 2 hour drive from Beijing) where the wall isn’t as restored as other parts, and it is less touristy. There was some fog and mist which added to the mystique of the place. Me and our "guides". These ladies latched onto us when we first arrived and followed us the whole time even though we told them repeatedly we did not want a guide or to buy the souvenirs they were selling. It is really impossible to shake these "guides", and it happened to us in India too. In the end, we had plesant chats with them and bought their souvenirs.
Tiananmen Square was viewed from across the street of the Forbidden City. There isn’t much to see at Tiananmen Square, but the Forbidden City, the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, is massive. There were tons of tour groups there. One of several requests to have my picture taken--I think it's the blonde hair.

More to come.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T06:57:00.000+08:00

Birthday Celebrations

2009-04-06T23:03:00.000+08:00

I succeeded in stretching my birthday celebrations over 4 days. Friday, I had a small party with my friends. I am truly grateful for all the great friends I have in Hong Kong. Sunday, I had an amazing spa experience at Bliss. On Monday, my actual birthday, Erik and I enjoyed a delicious dinner out topped off with two great gifts. Here’s to a great year!

Life List

2009-04-06T08:11:00.000+08:00

Life lists are not a new concept. I started mine a few months ago with the idea to list 100 goals to accomplish before I die. Since today is my 37th birthday, I decided to post the list as-is which is interestingly comprised of 37 goals. I plan to continue to add to the list. These are in no particular order. Cheers to me to make 37 the best year yet!

1. Complete a marathon
2. Take a class in Chinese painting
3. Learn 100 Chinese characters
4. Hike Kilimanjaro
5. See the big Jesus in Brazil
6. Go to Mount Everest Base camp
7. Hike the Appalachian Trail
8. Get a tattoo
9. Host a party for 100
10. Help my sister plan her ultimate wedding
11. Make more money at my business than I do at my job
12. Write a book
13. Paint another self portrait (maybe one every 10 years)
14. Go to an Abe-Hicks show
15. Paint a room red
16. Dance naked in the rain
17. Become conversationally fluent in Mandarin
18. Travel to enough places that I need to add pages to my current passport
19. Try Dom Perignon
20. Serve in the Peace Corps
21. Get married (remarried) in Las Vegas at a tacky joint
22. Have a bonfire on the beach
23. Go on a safari in Africa
24. Stay a night at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong
25. Have another cat
26. Own a beach home
27. See the northern lights
28. Go to all 50 states (38 down)
29. Hear the Dalai Lama speak
30. Be a mother
31. Successfully make French bread from scratch
32. Take a nap in a hammock
33. Do 10 pull ups
34. Hold a koala bear
35. See the pyramids
36. Eat sushi in Japan
37. Do a service project in the next 6 months

Snake Soup

2009-04-02T23:02:00.000+08:00

Traditional Chinese snake soup is thought to be warming and is eaten in the winter. The season is just about over, but we were able to have it this week with Erik’s colleagues. It was quite good and honestly tastes like chicken. The snake meat is finely shredded and was in a lemony broth with mushrooms. It was a very enjoyable meal. Here is a video talking about the snake soup tradition in Hong Kong. This is not the restaurant we went to, but it gives you a good vibe of HK and its small restaurants.

http://odeo.com/episodes/23689807-Snake-Soup-in-Hong-Kong

After the dinner, we went to see a movie as part of the Hong Kong International Film Festival. Night and Fog got good reviews and was directed by a local Hong Kong artist. Most of the film was shot in HK. The movie was very good but very depressing. It was based on a true story about domestic violence.

Two new experiences equal a fun night.

W Hotel

2009-03-30T21:17:00.000+08:00

The W Hotel is literally next door to our apartment. It has a very cool lounge/bar, and we seem to always gravitate there. We go so often that we have a favorite waitress who comps us shots. On Saturday, we went to hear DJ Ravin. Erik took this cool photo.