I just got back from another Saturday night out, from party to party, drink to drink, senseless soul to senseless soul.
Do you sense the cynicism in that? I wasn't even in the mood to dance.
Went all the way to Tai Koo Shing to catch I am Legend in the only cinema that wouldn't force us to sit in the front row. Tai Koo Shing looks so much like Singapore, it's freaky. It's food court which it strangely a very Singaporean Food Republic, complete with Bread Talk, Hot and Cold drinks station and Teppanyaki Express made me feel sort of right at home. Just that everyone spoke Cantonese.
Had desert at the Western Market which looks like a miniature of Pasar Seni (one of my childhood Sunday afternoon favourite hangouts).
Anyway, Hallowe'en photos below have been updated. Time to fall into complete inebriated sleep.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Sunday, December 02, 2007
It's getting CHILLY in here!
My reason for returning to Asia to work because the weather would always be temperate has quickly been debunked!
As I stepped out of my apartment, one glorious morning, a great gust of wind blew into Hong Kong and I found myself shivering at the bus stop thinking how stupid I was to laugh off my security guard's advice to wear something warmer. 4 years of living in London and I'm shivering in Hong Kong?
Admist the gawdy and downright garish Christmas deco (down to the fake Christmas trees which the Gwai Los abhor), you can almost feel that Winter is upon us - especially when you wake up to 13 degrees mornings and think - this really can't be right! I want my 27 degrees Malaysian Christmas! I've had to rummage through my old London clothes for sweaters and scarves and although I feel it's a little ridiculous to be wearing my woolen jacket in 20 deg weather... well in Rome do as the Romans do. And in Hong Kong - you wear fur coats and boot even when the sun is shining.
I don't mind any of that. What I do mind is Landmark (home to Hong Kong's Harvey Nichols) playing Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire over and over and over!!!
As I stepped out of my apartment, one glorious morning, a great gust of wind blew into Hong Kong and I found myself shivering at the bus stop thinking how stupid I was to laugh off my security guard's advice to wear something warmer. 4 years of living in London and I'm shivering in Hong Kong?
Admist the gawdy and downright garish Christmas deco (down to the fake Christmas trees which the Gwai Los abhor), you can almost feel that Winter is upon us - especially when you wake up to 13 degrees mornings and think - this really can't be right! I want my 27 degrees Malaysian Christmas! I've had to rummage through my old London clothes for sweaters and scarves and although I feel it's a little ridiculous to be wearing my woolen jacket in 20 deg weather... well in Rome do as the Romans do. And in Hong Kong - you wear fur coats and boot even when the sun is shining.
I don't mind any of that. What I do mind is Landmark (home to Hong Kong's Harvey Nichols) playing Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire over and over and over!!!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Hallowe'en Hong Kong Style
This is a work in progress... no need for words, the photos will be shocking enough...
Update (Dec 14) - Have added more photos. Looking back at October , those were ker-raaaaay-zey times!
Update (Dec 14) - Have added more photos. Looking back at October , those were ker-raaaaay-zey times!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Sights, sounds, smells... and sighs
Since roommate #2 bought his membership at Prive, nightlife and Lan Kwai Fong has never been this exciting. The fact that roommate #2 only brings me along because I will be sober enough to remember which girls he has pulled, what they look like and their names is not the point! Roommate #1 on the other hand doesn't really need to trawl Lan Kwai Fong anymore, but that is a story to tell if you catch me in a gossip mode.
Most Friday & Saturday nights (when I can get off from work before 12) have been spent shamelessly at Prive, Prive and Prive. Once in awhile we stop for drinks at Azure or Mint (where there are Jellyfish and Sharks which some environmentalists tried to save).
Them lil' jellyfish dancing away
But sooner or later we'll end up at our old haunt. I can't put up any photos of Prive. Personally I'm actually hoping they've been burnt and their ashes scattered into Repulse Bay.
The streets in LKF are forever crowded with drunks and drinks of all kinds and the smell of alcohol is much too alluring.
And it's not long before you turn into this:
God help me and the crowd I hang out with!
Most Friday & Saturday nights (when I can get off from work before 12) have been spent shamelessly at Prive, Prive and Prive. Once in awhile we stop for drinks at Azure or Mint (where there are Jellyfish and Sharks which some environmentalists tried to save).
Them lil' jellyfish dancing awayThe streets in LKF are forever crowded with drunks and drinks of all kinds and the smell of alcohol is much too alluring.
And it's not long before you turn into this:
God help me and the crowd I hang out with!
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Designer's Paradise
...and this is all only just a few steps away from my office
Sometimes the extravagance is all a little bit hard to swallow. To be repeated ad nauseum "Thou shalt not swipe thy credit card".
Saturday, September 08, 2007
It's Friday Night!
And I've survived my first week back in Hong Kong! Go me!
By surviving, I mean...
... I left my phone in a taxi and although I nearly cried at the thought of the 4 years worth of phone numbers and sentimental text messages I had kept in there, I made myself happy with thoughts of the new phone I would be getting the next day.
... I got a new haircut and was told by my hairdresser that there was no way to save my frizzy hair that even the straightening perm I got 2 months ago could not hide. I'm doomed to have coarse, wavy hair forever! But again I didn't cry, and instead toyed dangerously with the idea of cutting it really short... which I didn't. Relax!
... I walked most of mid-levels searching for a flat to live in and I don't know how we fell into such great luck, but after seeing about a dozen flats we found a suitable flat, close enough to work, large enough to not feel boxed in, high enough to not hear the traffic, and with a swimming pool too!
... I've gone one week trying not to miss everyone, and although it's hard to not think about it sometimes, I have such great friends here it makes up for most of it. I still miss you guys.
Alright. It's half past midnight. Time to hit Volar and drink the night away!
By surviving, I mean...
... I left my phone in a taxi and although I nearly cried at the thought of the 4 years worth of phone numbers and sentimental text messages I had kept in there, I made myself happy with thoughts of the new phone I would be getting the next day.
... I got a new haircut and was told by my hairdresser that there was no way to save my frizzy hair that even the straightening perm I got 2 months ago could not hide. I'm doomed to have coarse, wavy hair forever! But again I didn't cry, and instead toyed dangerously with the idea of cutting it really short... which I didn't. Relax!
... I walked most of mid-levels searching for a flat to live in and I don't know how we fell into such great luck, but after seeing about a dozen flats we found a suitable flat, close enough to work, large enough to not feel boxed in, high enough to not hear the traffic, and with a swimming pool too!
... I've gone one week trying not to miss everyone, and although it's hard to not think about it sometimes, I have such great friends here it makes up for most of it. I still miss you guys.
Alright. It's half past midnight. Time to hit Volar and drink the night away!
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Welcome back
It's been awhile, but nothing's really changed.
As I made my way through the sea of Chinese to Immigration and Customs, at least everything felt familiar. Until the immigration officer took a look at my passport and said, "You passport, it expire 23 Aug? No extension?"
I gave her a baffled look as she pointed to the 23 Aug 2008 date on my passport. Surely I was allowed to travel on a passport that expires in a year's time!
"Yes, 2008" I emphasised, "NEXT year" for better clarity.
"But your work visa is twelve month visa"
Again I gave her the same baffled stare as she proceeded to call other officers over and pull out other forms. As they stood there discussing the difficulties of my passport expiring 7 days before my work permit would, I tried to explain that I would be going back to Malaysian in the next 6 months to renew it but they didn't seem to hear me.
After what seemed like half an hour, and several thoughts of what the detention room might look like crossed my mind, the officer agreed to benovelantly stamp my visa and stuck a big green sticker on it that would allow me to remain in Hong Kong until the 16th of August, a week before my passport expires. So much drama, for such a small matter. That's the way to enter Hong Kong!
As soon as I could check into my hotel and dump a few weeks of dirty laundry at the launderette, I proceeded to Soho with my friends to enjoy the wholesome goodness of Hong Kong food in all it's ajinomoto glory. Asian food never tasted better, except that it could do with some sambal belacan.
A short walk to IFC mall later, and I realised how much I missed grand air-conditioned shopping malls and bars which you needn't have to bribe the bouncer to get in. This is just one of the reasons for returning to Asia. After watching a movie (at the ridiculous price of 4 pounds!) and sitting at Isola's bar overlooking the dazzling harbour skyline, it felt great to be back in Hong Kong. Clubbing later at Dragon I till 4am in my birkenstocks and t-shirt and jeans (and the bouncer even let me in for free!) I could feel all the adrenaline of the city pumping into me... that's until I wake up the next morning wondering why I have a headache and drawing my curtains to keep out the sun glinting on the skyscrapers surrounding my windowed bedroom.
It's good to be back. Come visit me soon!
As I made my way through the sea of Chinese to Immigration and Customs, at least everything felt familiar. Until the immigration officer took a look at my passport and said, "You passport, it expire 23 Aug? No extension?"
I gave her a baffled look as she pointed to the 23 Aug 2008 date on my passport. Surely I was allowed to travel on a passport that expires in a year's time!
"Yes, 2008" I emphasised, "NEXT year" for better clarity.
"But your work visa is twelve month visa"
Again I gave her the same baffled stare as she proceeded to call other officers over and pull out other forms. As they stood there discussing the difficulties of my passport expiring 7 days before my work permit would, I tried to explain that I would be going back to Malaysian in the next 6 months to renew it but they didn't seem to hear me.
After what seemed like half an hour, and several thoughts of what the detention room might look like crossed my mind, the officer agreed to benovelantly stamp my visa and stuck a big green sticker on it that would allow me to remain in Hong Kong until the 16th of August, a week before my passport expires. So much drama, for such a small matter. That's the way to enter Hong Kong!
As soon as I could check into my hotel and dump a few weeks of dirty laundry at the launderette, I proceeded to Soho with my friends to enjoy the wholesome goodness of Hong Kong food in all it's ajinomoto glory. Asian food never tasted better, except that it could do with some sambal belacan.
A short walk to IFC mall later, and I realised how much I missed grand air-conditioned shopping malls and bars which you needn't have to bribe the bouncer to get in. This is just one of the reasons for returning to Asia. After watching a movie (at the ridiculous price of 4 pounds!) and sitting at Isola's bar overlooking the dazzling harbour skyline, it felt great to be back in Hong Kong. Clubbing later at Dragon I till 4am in my birkenstocks and t-shirt and jeans (and the bouncer even let me in for free!) I could feel all the adrenaline of the city pumping into me... that's until I wake up the next morning wondering why I have a headache and drawing my curtains to keep out the sun glinting on the skyscrapers surrounding my windowed bedroom.
It's good to be back. Come visit me soon!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Akan Datang...
Coming soon... to a blog near you...
Dim Sum Girls return to regale you with stories about a city (or two) that never sleeps... cradled by the wind, raised on noodles and soars high with its sky scrapers.
Watch this space!
Dim Sum Girls return to regale you with stories about a city (or two) that never sleeps... cradled by the wind, raised on noodles and soars high with its sky scrapers.
Watch this space!
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