As far as we all know, Hong Kong is a food paradise as much as Singapore is. But of course, we hail of different delicacies. While Singapore boasts of really awesome fatty goodness usually unseen (that is the oil and the lard in chay kuey tiao and what not), Hong Kong proudly presents authentic localised food like dim sum and the stall side eatery places that sells all parts of a pig. Of course, who can forget the ever famous milk tea and their creation of yuan yang by mixing coffee and tea together.
Yesterday, we four courageous girls embarked on our journey for good authentic food. Armed with recommendations from our local group mates, we made our way to Central, the business district of Hong Kong, rumoured to be really expensive with no possibility of dingy goodness. Or so they say. Then again, we learnt a lesson: do not trust every recommendation.
Our first stop is a small and dingy tea house place or more commonly known as 茶餐厅. It was highly recommended by our group mates who thought that the milk tea is awesome. We added our Singaporean critique to it and decided that it's not worth the walk and the price.
This average-looking cup of milk tea costs HKD$13 and HKD$15 (approximately SGD$3) for ice to be added into it. But then the tea house has a rule, which is that each person has to order a least HKD$20 worth of food or drinks. Which translates to HKD$80 since there were 4 of us. Alas we weren't able to just enjoy a cup of nice milk tea after walking such long distance. In order to appease that rule, we order french toast with kaya in them (contrary to the peanut butter filling available elsewhere).
The oily good french toast that could help us keep the price quota (HKD$14). After that expensive and unfulfilled episode, we decided to trust our local group mates once more and prodded to the second place of recommendation: 九记牛腩. As the name suggests, it's a place that sells only noodles with 牛腩.
Now this is a good recommendation! Although the bowl looks small but the portions are generous; the 牛腩 is really tender and the clear soup is super tasty. They gave you the choice of 米线，河粉 and noodles. I got the mee pok-looking noodles and it made me really happy (HKD$25).
Of course, what else to complete a satisfying food trip other than hk dessert?
So we travelled a few stops down to Causeway bay to taste this steamed egg and milk dessert. It tasted real good but you may get a little sick of it if you have too much of it (HKD$20). Again this shop has a weird rule: if you do not order anything, you still have to pay HKD$10 for sitting in there, which means if you cannot not eat in that place.
And so we ended our food day at Hong Kong Island. It also explains why I feel so bloated.
Week 11 into my study semester here! It's amazing to note that it's my 11th week here in hk already! (although i arrived 1 week before sem started, i went back for cny so it's considered the 11th week)
Anyway, since it's always so uneventful coz it's school week, (other than the fact we watched a porn film in class today all in the name of art. It's called "The wayward cloud". Really arty farty which I'm trying to figure out the true meaning of the plot) I shall post photos! Or rather, Polaroids(!) of people I love dearly and miss loads!
my besties
Wow, it has been 11 years of friendship! Come to think of it, at this time last year, we were wailing and sobbing about chang yang's impending departure. I remember going to the airport from boon lay just to see him one last time before he flew to the land of sakuras and awesome sashimi. Somehow, you look back and it doesn't seem like 1 year. Sometimes it feels like it's more than a year but sometimes it felt as if time has just flown past us. Then again, it didn't feel like 11 years of friendship; it felt like a lifetime =)
the yeo family
Now that I'm away from home, I realise what role I play in my family. Not that I'm boasting, but I've come to realise how important I am in my family, like how I can gel everyone together. The exasperation kicks in sometimes when your mum tells u to pass a message to your brother when she's physically closer to him but I do understand why and it pains me that I'm not there. Maybe it's the distance, but I do talk to my mama on a more regular basis here in hk, as compared to the times when I was staying in hall. Still I miss quality time spent.
sci friends
The resounding message from my awesome friends back in ntu sci are "killing workload" and "it's better to be overseas now!" Truth is, I miss slogging through deadlines and assignments with them, the constant crap and crazy moments in class, plus the ever-present need to search for good food during lunch time so as to make ourselves happy through the day. Come to think of it, we only have 2 more years left in school. (everyone says "awwwww")
sp friends
Okay, this is like a huge umbrella of people ranging from my dear JETA friends to gyl people to my supper/crap kakis above. I miss going crazy with people; the occasional dinner and supper dates. PLUS ultra crapping!
ohana
I wonder if there are ohana outings during the period I'm not there, and I seriously doubt there is any. Really miss meeting up for a meal or dessert with them, times with them are always filled with so much laughter. It's amazing to note that our average age is above 20 and we've known each other for more than 5 years. Can't wait for more white celebration!!
And I can't wait to return to Speedlight Worship team! Other than the fact that I'm separated from my piano, I'm also separated from a group of people who serves as a spiritual support and great musical friends. Can't wait to drill through music chords together, scrutinise mp3 and figure out certain riffs and notes and to pray for revival and change in SPD.
And I miss you. For just times together. I know exams are trying times, but silver that goes through fire gets refined. Hang on in there.
What an uneventful week here in Hong Kong, only to be flavoured with occasional kimchi.
The past week was the most hectic so far, with one mid-term that constitutes 40% of the final grade, one assignment deadline and a rush to compile a project/presentation that is due tomorrow. Yup,it was considered as "the worst"; something that is barely scraping the surface back home. So nope, I'm not complaining that I'm busy coz it's nice to have things to do once in a while. Not to mention my poor friends back in ntu are probably dying in the pile of deadlines and facing the impending doom of exams.
Anyway, the UP value of this week is the korean dinners we had! The first one was at Festival Walk (the atas shopping centre near my school). The Korean said it was good and who else to trust but him when it comes to Korean food.
Passion said I fail at mixing it well and he took over. Totally pro at mixing! And so my dinner turned out to be: Then last night, Passion decided to cook us dinner, real authentic Korean style! Although it was just simple kimchi fried rice and cha jiang mian, it was absolutely delicious. And you have to give him credit for cooking for so many people!
kimchi fried rice
cha jiang mian
the proud and happy chef
Add in 2 bottles of soju and 1 big bottle of mr.juicy = happy dinner and happy people!
It feels like NTU when workload starts to pile up. Like deadlines after deadlines, presentations to prepare for, tests to study for and the ever familiar feeling of sitting in front of your laptop staring at a blank Microsoft Word file, thinking how to start on your essay. Take the pressure for scoring an A and the self-motivation to maintain a certain GPA and you get what I have now.
Classes are similar to what we have back home. One-way lectures and occasional class discussions; readings to do which is not as required as we thought they are BUT here's the catch: some of my readings are in chinese! And profs and classmates can sprout out in Mandarin and/or Cantonese in class anytime! Sometimes I blank out in between rapid Cantonoese, but I'll try to follow the disucssion as best as I can. What a challenge it sure is.
Oh ya and the tentative timetable is out. I finish my papers by the third day of the exam period. Someone please tell me that it does not resemble my exam timetable in ntu!!!
Week 10 into the semester and counting. It's a busy week with a mid-term test coming up this Wednesday and preparations for a presentation deadline.
My friends here in hk say they live for the weekend. And thus, weekends are exploring days!
Presenting to you: 长州 I almost died in the ferry trip to and fro to the island. I've never been a fan of ferry rides but it's the only transport to the island. Thank goodness we took the "Fast Ferry" which halved the travelling time.
People say that the best thing to do there is to eat seafood. Well, in my honest opinion, there's NOTHING to do there AT ALL. We tried to take in nature by going on a hike. Mind you, we wore super thick clothing coz the weather forecast said that it'll be 13-17 degrees C with the wind going up to force 8 GALE but it was so hot and felt so bulky while we climbed the mini Great Wall so it wasn't that enjoyable. Not to mention that the view looks the same everywhere: sea and houses and mountains. And rocks. Did I mention that every path leads to a rock?
Happy pose with a rock
We saw rocks everywhere. Although they tried to make it different by naming their rocks, it does not remove the fact that they are just plain stones.
We had a seafood lunch. Contrary to popular beliefs, no it's not that cheap and no it's not that nice. Maybe it can be a nice treat after all the char siew and beef but you'll take your first bite into the food and the first thought is "I've tasted better".
crab
We also went cycling around the island. It is like the most famous activity for every visitor coz we really saw alot of cyclists! It was difficult navigating the narrow alleys but we survived well. Darn cheap too, cost SGD$4 to cycle for close to 3 hours.
sunset view
And so we ended our 长州 one-day trip. It's one of those places which you'll escape to from civilisation. Now that I've travelled there once, I guess it suffices to say that I won't be returning there.
if you have been to hk and have yet to try these little harmless balls, YOU MUST TRY THEM! coz they deceive you with their seemingly harmless appearance and name, BUT they are able to numb your tongue and mouth walls or anywhere that was in contact with their curry sauce! if you ask me, i think the whole fishball is filled with the curry sauce! like totally spurt out when you bite into them!
i love tuesdays. other than the fact that i do not have classes today, it's also the day i keep to myself most.
i love solitude. like the kind of silent, keep-to-oneself space i leave for just me and me alone. with so much time for myself, i get to finish up work, watch a few shows, sit and stone on my bed, and do self-reflection. and you wonder why people love crowds so much.
tuesdays are days when it's quiet. quiet outside and quiet inside. it's the day i set aside to get things right, to find back what i might have lost in the past week. simply put, it's time for myself. time with God, time without the hassle and bustle of everyday life .
ever since young, i love being home alone. just to coop myself up in my room and let the world pass me by. what great bliss it is to have my own space.
i can stay in the whole day but that just makes me a hermit. or a female otaku.
In my Asian film module, we'll be dedicating 2 weeks nearing the end of the semester to discuss Singaporean cinema and also be screening "881". For all those people who have not heard of Royston Tan before "881" and think that it was his first attempt at musicals, think again.
I missed home so much that I went to search for his short films that made me like him so much. A film is not just about aesthetics; it's about being critical of the society around you.
"Cut" is made in response to the 27 cuts made on his gangster-themed short film "15".
It should have been spring but it sure is a gloomy spring.
Today is the first rainy day I experienced ever since I arrived in hk. It feels really gloomy, like there's-no-reason-to-smile kind of gloomy. The sky turned dark at 2pm in the afternoon, as if it is 7pm at night and it started pouring. I hate it when the sun disappears. If you knew how I studied for my O levels, you'll probably know that I'm solar-powered. Which means I'm happier and usually more productive when the sun is up. It feels super depressing to have NO SUN in the middle of an AFTERNOON.
And so that starts the first week of March. The weather looks gloomy for the next few days. I hate sprinkle of rain. I rather it pours everything down, but provided that I'm cuddled-up and warm indoors. I'll totally hate it if I'm caught in the rain, walking those slopes up to old campus for class.
NTU stabbing which resulted in one death (the student) and another injured (the professor)! And you always want to see your university hit the headlines, just now in this way.
Oh well, I get my SG news from either Straits Times, my mother or my boyfriend. It goes figures how come I know of the merlion getting struck by lightning and this happening within minutes of them happening.
We went to Shenzhen yesterday! Yes! Amidst the gentle reminders from our family and friends, we went on a sightseeing and shopping trip up north! (So like our Malaysia trips!) Although we were slightly paranoid in the beginning, (read bag clutching, eyes shifting to look out for any suspicious-looking people) we had great fun breathing in chinese air and squeezing with LOADS of chinese people. Oh gosh, they're not called the highest-populated nation for nothing!
arrival at "window of the world"
sights of spring!
some cultural heritage place
Some updates about life in hk: I still haven't been able to sleep well. But camomile helps to keep me calm. So instead of crying in frustration or ranting out in anger at the inconsiderate people who yak till 3am downstairs, it keeps me relaxed and floatily happy. It also helps that I drift in and out of sleep as compared to staying awake in my bed for 2 or 3 hours. It has been getting better, thank you all for your concern. Thank you for your suggestions and prayers. I truly appreciate them =)
my besties
the yeo family
sci friends
sp friends
ohana
kimchi fried rice
cha jiang mian
the proud and happy chef
Happy pose with a rock
sunset view
curry fishballs!
arrival at "window of the world"
sights of spring!
some cultural heritage place