Hongkong Post 香港郵政 2017
2/6-7
We're off to Hong Kong again! Our last visit was only ten months ago, but we're
attracted to this very complex, very dynamic city-state. Mostly, it's just exciting.
As our friend Bryan put it, "Hong Kong is the arc- welder of cities. The voltage passing through
it is amazing!" While we are flying west to the East, consider the fact that Hong Kong is also
very, very weird.
Hongkong Post 香港郵政 2017
2/8
We're settled into a cozy 2 bedroom
apartment (14th floor) in Hong Kong's Wan Chai neighborhood (Jaffe Rd at O'Brien). Why does it even have a
kitchen? Our block has 17 eateries on it, including 2 BBQ duck joints and an oyster house. Also
Pirelli Tire Co. So you can get a spare tire 2 ways. Commerce was blocked briefly this afternoon
when 2 lions and their accompanying percussion section stopped by to bless Curtain City. The wise way to start
the New Year.
Hongkong Post 香港郵政 2017
2/9
Followers of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism worship at Kowloon's Wong Tai Sin
Temple. Built in 1973 the large complex is beautiful and fascin- ating. L picked up some
good luck
from the Rooster, one of the Asian zodiac statues decorated for the New Year.
Passing the stairway dragon and entering the gate,
we were captivated by the aroma of incense,
the hum of prayers, the rattle of fortune sticks and beauty
here,
there,
everywhere.
Hongkong Post 香港郵政 2017
2/10
Lantern Festival, a tradition since the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD),
cele- brates the waning of winter's dark. It's marked at 1st full moon after New Year.
The Tsim Sha Tsui Clock
Tower (note full moon) is HK's
Festival HQ.
Lanterns, fabric
stretched across a frame
enclosing lights, once had riddles written on them.
This year an artisan built replicas of ancient lanterns.
We love this
festival,
as we did in Taipei & Auckland.
The lanterns can be as different as night and
day.
Hongkong Post 香港郵政 2017
2/11
America is - or soon will be - first. Holland and other EU countries vie to be No. 2.
Hong Kong is, without doubt, 0.5. Here's proof. People here drink from a fire hose,
sure, but it's filtered.
Gelato comes as a rose, as in Paris. Chips come with
chocolate sauce and soft ice cream, as in Sapporo. Donuts can be green tea or "Don
Mochino," as in Jakarta. And, hey, Seattle, where's your academic
Cupping Lab like
here and Shanghai?
"Hong Kong, China: Where walls are so 200 BC"
Hongkong Post 香港郵政 2017
2/12
It's a happy day! Brendan
and Melissa, heading home from Mumbai, stopped for a
few days.Today was 'HK markets day.' First stop, bird market. Enthusiasts
gather along Yuen Po
St to show off or buy avian
pets. The
flower market spans several blocks, where orchids
spill onto the street. The fish
market (for hobbyists, not gourmets) has
exotics. They also use a
'grab and go' pre-wrapped fish
technique. Eventually, marketing just becomes exhausting!
Hongkong Post 香港郵政 2017
2/13
Hong Kong may be about the most densely populated place in the world,
but it's easy to get close to nature: Take the escalator from the subway. Hong Kong Park is a
wonderful retreat from the city in large
and small ways. Our favorite feature
is the huge outdoor aviary replicating the rain forests of
Malasia with 600 birds from 80 species. Visitors stroll on an
elevated walkway, looking eye to eye at the birds, such as the Bali myna
[Leucopsar rothschildi] and
Java sparrow [Lonchura oryzivora].
Hongkong Post 香港郵政 2017
2/15
Like last year we toured the awesome Nan
Lian Garden. The Cai Lin nuns offer a vegetarian lunch. This year we had:
crunchy black jelly fungus w/
sesame sauce, spicy silver-ear mush- rooms & baby
cucumber,
braised white fungus thick soup,
deep fried termite mushrooms &
monkey head mushrooms, braised tofu patty w/ mixed
vegetables, braised
cauliflower mushrooms w/ tofu,
braised fresh
yellow jelly fungus with lily blub [sic],
yellow porcini mushroom fried rice,
fruit. Devine!
Hongkong Post 香港郵政 2017
2/16
Meet our friend Brendan,
a man who, recognizing his civic duty, steps up.
Off he went to "Rent-a-Granny" for a Villain Hitting Curse. Brendan
showed the villain and after hard negotiations, a price was set. (It was yuge, expect a Kickstarter.)
They lit the incense,
she wrapped the request in special paper and began
slamming it
with her shoe. Repeatedly.
Into pieces. Wrapping the pieces in tiger
paper, she set them afire, cleansing
the messanger's body with smoke
and hands with a prayer.
The curse was in effect.
Hongkong Post 香港郵政 2017
2/17
It's been lovely. Cherri-O.
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