tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21624563557334007602024-03-05T14:26:09.007+08:00Hello Hong Kong! Bronwyn has landedA journal to share what I see and experience in this busy and exciting city.
Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-38096513700374622662013-11-23T19:22:00.001+08:002013-11-23T19:22:12.254+08:00Mount Davis hike<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Now that we are well settled into our new apartment it was time to finally explore the nearby hill called Mount Davis. J suggested we hike it this morning and after reading this very insightful <a href="http://gwulo.com/hong-kong-walk-around-mount-davis" target="_blank">entry</a> I was inspired to do some photo documentation of my own.<br />
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So we started from Victoria road near the West Island School and climbed up the path with a helpful sign to Mt Davis Road.</div>
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Starting Point</div>
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Strange little stone sign on the way<br />
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View of the Christian Chinese Cemetery </div>
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Walking up to Mt Davis Road<br />
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Looking towards the Peak<br />
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Pokfulam area<br />
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Pokfulam with sea view<br />
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Starting the climb up to the Water Reservoir<br />
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The views get better</div>
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and better</div>
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Peak view again<br />
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More views<br />
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At the reservoir.. strange sign - keep off the straight path because it is dangerous??<br />
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One of the old rings on the road, used to hold ropes for pulleys to get the building blocks to the top of the mountain to build the fort<br />
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Yup - it is still strong!<br />
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Top of Mt Davis - the fort ruins<br />
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There was some strange modeling going on.<br />
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And to balance that awkward encounter we met these B B Gun enthusiast<br />
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Walking back down to Victoria Road<br />
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Back on Victoria Road</div>
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This reminded me of Greece<br />
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Christmas Tree already out<br />
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Lovely!<br />
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View of victoria road and Cyberport<br />
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Watching the sunset from Sandy Bay</div>
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The end of a lovely day's exploring.</div>
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-29067047655065406842013-08-15T09:09:00.003+08:002013-08-15T09:09:39.714+08:00 Internations Expat Guide to Hong Kong <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was recently pointed in the direction of the<a href="http://www.amazon.com/InterNations-Expat-Guide-Hong-ebook/dp/B00DSR6DXK" target="_blank"> Internations Expat Guide to Hong Kong</a> and I was curious what it had to offer.<br />
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It does a good job of giving a complete overview of all the things you need to know about living in Hong Kong, eg getting a HK ID Card. However it might leave you wondering about the finer details and exact steps needed to do this. Also it doesn't have a 'personal' feel about it, as in writing from someone who has really been through it all and bumped their head. I would say this book decribes the 'correct' way of doing things but sometimes the experience can be more frustrating or exhausting than expected.<br />
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I would definitely recommend this for anyone who is new to Hong Kong and needs a solid introduction. But if you have found your way here for a while already it probably won't add that much additiona information.<br />
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-81838570767564708022013-08-06T22:03:00.000+08:002013-08-06T22:03:01.294+08:00Pretty City<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We flew into Hong Kong last night after a wonderful holiday in Greece and another wedding celebration in The Netherlands. We arrived in the afternoon and the drive home plus walking around today has made me realise that Hong Kong IS an attractive city. <div>
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The drive from the airport to the city I think is one of the best I've seen. I have travelled a fair bit and can't remember when I saw such interesting views in a 30min drive - city scape, mountains, interesting bridges, harbour views, islands, cute boats on the water all in. </div>
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And then today the mountains in Kowloon were peaking just enough through the buildings to make me think of Cape Town. And wow the sunset. The sunset in Oia, Santorini in Greece is meant to be the best but I don't quite agree. The Greek sunset is great, but Hong Kong provides a mood and setting that evokes something more in my opinion.</div>
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-37760619131882372612013-07-18T10:51:00.002+08:002013-07-18T10:51:42.613+08:00Beerfest<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Did anyone spontaneously catch up the LKF beerfest last weekend? So.Much.Fun. <br />
The fun part was going from stall to stall, trying the different beers (esp the craft beers) but then also looking at the 'deco' to match. Mostly beer girls of course, what else :-) We got a handful of fans, hats and other promo sheets. Fans were the most appreciated considering the heat. <br />
Whew it was waaay to hot for my liking.<br />
OK, I was warned, the HK weather broadcast even issues a very hot warning, but somehow I thought my South African experience would make me immune, guess I wrong.<br />
Oh and don't be alarmed by the interesting looking beer glasses, all the cool kids were drinking from them.<br />
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-25239487169659093142013-07-18T10:46:00.001+08:002013-07-18T10:46:14.977+08:00The Wedding<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I thought I would briefly share that the wedding in Connecticut was everything I hoped it to be and more. It was a PERFECT day, weather warm but not hot, limited wind, no rain. And there were no last minute emergencies nor stresses. The group size was just right, an intimate gathering like we wanted. Both venues were amazing, like from a story book. And the best part (besides marrying the Love of my Life of course) is that despite some scares about my DRESS not fitting at the last minute it fitted perfectly on the day and felt just right.<br />
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People are now asking how is married life going. Practically it is not that different besides not having to discuss wedding plans (for the USA wedding) and thinking more about moving logistics for next month, but on an emotional level it does feel different, nicer, life is just better and there is this warm tingling feeling deep in my heart. xxx<br />
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-81365337559295227812013-02-16T22:34:00.001+08:002013-02-16T22:36:57.246+08:00Chinese New Year and much more<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello again!<br />
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I've been back in Hong Kong for a month now and I can confirm that I love living here. The city has become small and cosy in many ways but still captures my attention with all its sights, smells and spectaular array of things to do.<br />
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Some highlights:<br />
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* Climbing to the Peak along the Old Tramway route and doing Hong Kong trail part 1<br />
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* Trying new cocktail hangouts with friends and on our own.<br />
- 001, a New York style speakeasy that is hidden away in Central<br />
- California Vintage in Wan Chai<br />
- Hyatt Hotel in TST (K11 Mall)<br />
and finding some new places to eat, high point was Sushi at Sushi Shin - so yum!<br />
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* Exploring the markets! Sham Shui Po, Mong Kok, Causeway Bay even and the great Shopping Mall displays.<br />
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* And of course Chinese New Year celebrations have been exhilarating The New Year started started Sunday 10 Feb, and festivities roughly ends 21 Feb. During that time you can find numerous opportunities to join in the fun: Lion Dances, Bamboo Theaters, street parades, fireworks and dragon mimes. Lots of free entertainment walking around this week. =D <br />
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This is the first month in over two years that I haven't travelled, but no need, the tourists come here for this :-)<br />
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-5016215570840036462013-02-06T22:48:00.000+08:002013-02-16T23:30:16.065+08:00Wedding Fever<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
What's been filling my mind the past week? WEDDING PLANNING! Wow, there is a serious business in this thing called a wedding and Hong Kong is no exception. In fact I would say they take it to the next level far more than I have ever seen it in South Africa or Holland.<br />
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There are wedding centres where all vendors collect and provide an easy place to shop for what you want - dresses (multiple), photographers, shoes, decorations, invitations. There is no ceasing. What I have discovered is that most brides hire a wedding dress from a package, which may or may not include a separate day for photos. If not, the the wedding photographer will hire out dresses.<br />
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But I am going with the simple approach of one wedding dress custom made. No frills and bows, quite simple and elegant. The chinese folk don't really understand me and want to get involved to help to dress it up. But for a simple wedding with around 40 people I don't need to be pimped out.<br />
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Another thing which is quite unique are the photoshoots before the wedding in their wedding dresses. Beautiful photos but not quite my thing. However I am dragging J on a casual engagement shoot around Hong Kong just because ;-)</div>
Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-61151567200858604752013-02-03T22:39:00.000+08:002013-02-16T22:41:50.880+08:00Kowloon Walled City<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A fascination with the old Kowloon Walled City has emerged this week, I stumbled upon these old German documentaries and am so grateful the scenes were captured in time. Some parts of Hong Kong give a faint whiff of times like this, but so far I haven't encountered anything quite like this.<br />
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-33847125721613866842012-12-01T02:29:00.003+08:002012-12-02T18:54:24.571+08:00Races and Farewell<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On Wednesday we FINALLY made it to The Races in Happy Valley. Apparently this is the thing to do in Hong Kong and sure enough there was a large crowd. The announcements were divided into language sections, which meant the English language area was an expat magnet. It was funny for me to see so many expats at one gathering in Hong Kong after living in Kowloon, it felt like being in London. =P</div>
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The beer and atmosphere were excellent, and in summary it is totally worth going for a fun Wednesday evening out. But rather eat before unless you are the betting kind, in which case the odds are not in your favour you'll be scoring with the food.</div>
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And the BIG NEWS of the week is that on SUNDAY 25th November J proposed and I said Yes!!<br />
We are ENGAGED! =D Here is a photo of us at the Races 3 days later.<br />
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Sadly this is my last night in Hong Kong this year, tomorrow I fly back to Holland for work and then we take a wonderful vacation in South Africa with my family. But I will return to Hong Kong! Next year starts a new chapter in our lives together and I can't wait.</div>
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The journey of discovering this city has been an elaborate and vibrant one, and in the end I can honestly say I like it here. J did propose at the right time since I will admit I had my doubts earlier this year about whether I could really live here. But through writing this blog and opening myself up to new things, I can see that Hong Kong has a lot to offer and I like to think of it as a prism - depending on what light you shine on it, you'll see different colour beams shining though.</div>
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This ends my formal blog quest of writing during my three months stay in Hong Kong. No doubt I'll drop a few nougats of information in the future as I haven't quite covered all ground just yet, but until then, FAREWELL.</div>
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-82543898396538366112012-11-25T01:01:00.001+08:002012-11-25T01:02:45.158+08:00Hiking through the Butterfly Park and seeing much more<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This week saw a fabulous combination of the work-hard, play-hard scenario. Monday to Wednesday were long hours in the office, only finishing around 1am and starting 9am. But then Thursday made up for it with a DOUBLE Thanksgiving celebration to mark the first time I celebrated this holiday. We attended one gathering in the afternoon and a second in the evening, both with a great mix of new and interesting people that intrigued the social side of me. And of course the food. Lots and lots of good food. Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, squash, mash potato, it was all there followed by perfect dessert items of cookies, pumpkin pie, key lime pie, pecan pie, apple pie, cupcakes, ice-cream. You get the idea. To compensate for this holiday indulgence another hike was in order this weekend! </div>
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Today we visited and hiked through <b>Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden,</b> aka 'the Butterfly Park', in the New Territories with friends. This is a park on one of the highest mountains in Hong Kong and we climbed almost to the top (to discover a very underwhelming statue I might add but of course that wasn't the reason for visiting). The park is a working farm on terraced slops, with green houses and orchids. Originally setup to provide for windows and the poor, it has pioneered productive farming techniques for the type of land, climate and steep slopes. It is also a sanctuary for wildlife that have been injured or have been imprinted. In all, a good day out with a good cause. </div>
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Photo impressions of the day:</div>
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A Muntjae:</div>
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Wild Boar:</div>
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The Hong Police take in snakes that are found:<br />
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Pink Flamingos:</div>
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Owl without it's wing:</div>
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The vegetation reminded me of what I used to see in my Grandmother's garden in South Africa.<br />
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Man made waterfall</div>
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-31724194236130054972012-11-21T12:28:00.002+08:002012-11-21T13:43:28.377+08:00Chaozhou Chicken-Feet cuisine and other usual weekday activities<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For the past weeks since I have returned from KL I have noticed a strange phenomenon: a week-day routine has formed. Even with our crazy hours/schedules and haphazard adventures, there is a thread of expected activity of work, shopping, clothes to laundry etc, which in my case is a good thing. My eyes are noticing the smaller details now during my walk abouts - a new dish on a menu, new dessert restaurant opening, even observing and learning some Chinese characters (I can read opening times- yay!). But even with the repetitiveness there are still interesting finds and delights, and this post is a collection from the past week.<br />
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1. Christmas decorations are appearing and Christmas jingles can be heard in the evelators and malls.<br />
So with that are the inevitable Christmas Gift options popping up. <br />
I saw this Marie Antoinette Action Figure in the stores this weekend. I like the originality but I can't see Barbie stepping aside just yet.<br />
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2. My favourite food item of the week: <b>Rambutan</b>. They are like a lychee inside, clear sweet juicy insides with a almond size pip. Good to satisfy my South African lychee craving.</div>
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3. For the street food sellers catering to Western tastes there are no waffles on offer but rather '<b>Checkered Cakes'</b>. And eggs soaked in tea. And egg puffs. Very logical names I'd say.</div>
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4. One of the delights of shopping these days is seeing how many <b>Happy Stamps</b> I will get after paying. Usually one loyalty stamp for 60 HKD spent and when customers collect enough stamps they get the prize indicated at the marker. Each store has a special collection brochure printed for this season and their own incentive prizes and goals... So far I'm collecting Welcome stickers for a Blender and MarketPlace stickers for a Backpack. But with only two in the house to shop for numbers are slow, and the question is will I ever reach the goal in time before the end of the year. Only 10 days left in Hong Kong this year for me... Eeek, probably not going to make it ;-)<br />
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5. And on the subject of food shopping... anyone with a craving for pumpkin? These beauties will surely do the trick. I just can't see them fitting into any Hong Kong sized kitchen though.</div>
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6. And last week we were treated to dinner out with friends, <b>Chaozhou cuisine style</b>. Pronounced 'ChowChu' to my ear, this cuisine is from a fishing area on the east coast of China directly opposite Taiwan. Surprisingly I enjoyed all the dishes!</div>
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On a side note: I say surprisingly because I will admit I'm not the biggest fan of Chinese food, sad I know considering I'm in Hong Kong. But my recent diagnosis is that I'm not a fan of Hong Kong style Chinese food. Eel, Jellyfish and Prawns with the shells on and then deep fried just don't blow me away like they seem to do for other foreigners. </div>
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But with the Chaizhou dishes I ate it all - Goose, duck, shrimp, even chicken broth with the chicken feet left in. Finally the noodle cake, with vinegar and sugar it was very more-ish.</div>
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7. Walking home one evening after sun set, the pink and yellow flowers with the streetlight shining through make a colourful composition. Some nature in the middle of the city.</div>
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8. And to end, Sunday's Cocktail treat with J at the Shangri-La hotel TST East. </div>
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I had the Pomegranate Pineapple Martini, sweet and refreshing.</div>
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Cheers!</div>
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-70177020948701490092012-11-18T00:30:00.002+08:002012-11-18T11:14:07.900+08:00Wilson's Trail section 1 + 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Saturday saw an adventure outside of the city to explore some of Hong Kong's great hiking trails. This is definitely one of the major plus points about Hong Kong, within 45mins you can enter a nature reserve and feel like the city is a million miles away. Ok, maybe not a million miles, but certainly far enough that you can observe it without feeling part of it for some time.</div>
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The plan was to hike <a href="http://www.canon.com.hk/en/club/article/itemDetail.do?itemId=10085&page=1" target="_blank">Wilson's trail</a> section one and two backwards from the Tai Kao MTR to end at Stanley beach for some R&R. Well the good news is we did make it to Stanley beach, but with a lot less time for R&R than originally expected. The hike was 12 km and took us 5 hours with a 30min pause in between to buy some water and snacks. Section 2 that we did first is marked Fairly Difficult and section 1 that we ended with (in the dark) is labeled Very Difficult. They got the ratings spot on.</div>
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Section 1, the last part, was tough. I'm no stranger to exercise, but I can say I'm glad I pushed myself on those squats during BodyPump recently. The number of stairs we climbed was more than I have ever encountered on my travels and my gym training paid off. Add to that rain and slippery mud slopes and trails that go up and down over many peaks covering over 1000 stairs. So yes it was an adventure, many fun memories and the views and surroundings made it totally worth the sweat and effort. </div>
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I found <a href="http://bluebalu.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/hiking-wilson-trail-stage-1-aka-the-twins/" target="_blank">this write up</a> that gives a good impression of what a hiker experiences along the way... the excitement, the relaxation, the exhaustion:</div>
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"The first peak was ok – especially as we could not see behind the first hill, so we did not know what was coming next ... many places along the way to the summit, the views of HK from atop the peak are simply breathtaking. It is like looking at a Hong Kong we’d never seen before. Lush greenery stretches out for miles together, only to be broken by splashes of pink, red and white. Blue waters beckon with lazy abandon near the reservoir. </div>
We walked down the steps of the first hill – knowing that we had to climb them all up again, and many more! The climb started off and after a few minutes, it hit us. The gradient of the second set of steps was really really steep. For most of the climb on the second peak, we had to bend our upper body forward just to maintain balance. And each and every step was an effort. There was no breeze, no respite from the heat and from where we stood, all we could see was a very steep incline with seemingly no end and just flights and flights of steep steps to negotiate. Simply put, the second peak is grueling. "<br />
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Finally we arrived at Stanley with relief to have made it just as it turned dark. The German calorie-packed dinner at the end was a great reward together with the good old feeling of 'WE DID IT'! Hopefully I'll get to return to Stanley and explore it more in daylight, from the little walk around it appears to be a calm with a well constructed seafront boulevoud.</div>
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Some visual impressions of the day:</div>
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The red trail on the island is the route we took.</div>
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Starting off with a foot massage done the local way - walking on pebbles.<br />
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Funny sign along the way.<br />
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Wartime outdoor stoves during the Japanese War 1942, never used though.<br />
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Tree taken over old building (toilet?):</div>
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Nature at its best.<br />
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Nature trail:<br />
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Still feeling fresh!<br />
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And the steep stairs start<br />
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We think we are doing pretty well, but had no idea what section 1 would be like at this point</div>
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And the stairs go on..<br />
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The views getting more impressive:<br />
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My local tour guide:<br />
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View of other side of island:</div>
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Did I mention there were stairs? The ones below were still the warm up. <br />
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We did get a helpful warning at the start of Section 1:<br />
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At this point we thought we were almost there. Not a chance. We still had to conquer both those hills up ahead, the 'Twin Peaks' they call them. </div>
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I didn't get my camera out for the real tough sections, my energy was all focused on beating those steps. During the late afternoon the rain started and we found ourselves walking in a cloud. A very special moment to be surrounded by misty mountains and not much else.</div>
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Finally reaching Stanley Beach at dusk</div>
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Our reward!</div>
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The surprise of the meal were the delicious Potato Cakes... we had the Duck Breast, red Cabbage and Apple Sauce, can recommend!<br />
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Another wonderful day in Hong Kong :-)<br />
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-20588677834100725582012-11-12T13:32:00.000+08:002012-11-18T00:44:58.747+08:00Weekend Indulgence<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another good weekend in Hong Kong, and some more experiences gained and smiled at.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Since this entry is rather food heavy let me start off by saying first up Saturday morning I enjoyed a double boxing class</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. Nothing quite like having a fitness instructor pull up her shirt half way to reveal a perfect set of abs screaming, 'Hurt me HERE', to target your kicks and punches and evaporate any tension. No need to go into detail but I needed the 2 hours after my Friday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Saturday morning's coffee and newspaper proved to be amusing - it highlighted the Dutch are now experiencing 'survival of the fittest' as apparently they are suffering from bicycle overcrowding. While I don't deny The Netherlands is packed with cyclists and bicycles, considering Hong Kong's population and overcrowding problem it seemed the least likely country to crique this problem.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What made it funnier was the same weekend the local social paper called HK featured the need for Hong Kong to use more bicycles and attempt to be a cycling city. Never mind about the lack of space and road etiquette, I'm thinking of the shocking air quality and guessing the health benefits of cycling will quickly diminish once that is taken into account.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And finally, imagine trying to cycle through this sea of people?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Moving along... this weekend I found a new food to try: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The humble <b>Persimmon</b> or Sharon fruit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I can't believe I have waited this long to taste it - it was much better than I expected. I somehow was thinking tomato flavour but it is sweeter, more like an apricot. Firm on the inside with three pips, I can see how this could be good in stews and cooking too. Also perhaps as a dessert sauce for ice-cream or brownies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While on the topic of food, my Dearest treated me to dinner on Saturday evening at <em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">Socialito, </em><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">Wyndham Street, the hippest new Mexican place in town that everyone seems to be talking about. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The outside lunch venue we had enjoyed before, it was relaxed, fun with some tasty food, so we entered the evening setting with high expectations. The inside dining area was more formal, had some well balanced deco of lights/wall fittings and friendly service. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But the menu was trying too hard. The drinks and food all had this intense musky overtone to them, and the options were too expensive for my liking. The food was good but very rich and the medium sized portions were the maximum that could be enjoyed. Below is the duck breast served on bread textured layer offset with black beans and corn. Oh and some pretty presentation for both meals and drinks.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Afterwards we hopped over to <span class="s1">Le Boudoir, a sexy little hideout on </span>Wyndham Street. The heavenly cocktails matched the swanky lush deco that I wanted to reach out and touch. The music and atmosphere were perfect. You know, music you can hear and still hold a conversation and vibey and enticing enough that I felt like bringing out my feather boa and moving the booty. And I did, my favourite 10mins of the week. Ooh la la. With cocktail in hand I observed that even the uptight types loosened within a few minutes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But the weekend wasn't over....after church on Sunday morning we took a stroll down Queensway Road and I couldn't help but notice the row of car show rooms lined up one after the other. And of course because this is Hong Kong, these are no ordinary car show rooms.</span><br />
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Rolls Royce</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Mclaren</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Mini</span><br />
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Sigh. But we did get another little taste of luxury later that day...</span><br />
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As if <span style="text-align: center;">Le Boudoir on Saturday night wasn't enough indulgence I was introduced to SIFT, the makers of the most perfect cupcakes I have ever tasted. I devoured a Red Velvet with cream cheese topping, 5 mins of pure bliss. The texture was such that it didn't stick to the wrapper, had a little bounce, was melt in the mouth, didn't crumble and fall apart, had a glowing aftertaste. </span><span style="text-align: center;">I will admit I was supposed to share the cupcake, but poor J got about a quarter. The price for this little piece of heaven matches the experience but was worth it, in fact I think it even makes up for the plane ticket to get here to experience this. If ever I am on a diet this is what I will break it for.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And finally because this is my blog and I can brag if I want to, I'll share that I have the most perfect boyfriend. Since I arrived back I have received a rose a day. This was Sunday's pick.</span></div>
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-51717620538993940122012-11-09T11:24:00.002+08:002012-11-09T11:43:37.716+08:00Healthy Hong Kong<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm back! After almost three weeks away on a business trip, I'm back in Hong Kong to start my 7th week exploring this city.</div>
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The time away has been good on many levels - connecting with colleagues and working with people in person again has been motivating on a professional level, seeing a close friend again after being away from friends since I arrived in Hong Kong was so refreshing I almost cried, and staying in a hotel surrounded by trees and birds and not hearing a constant drone of city noise was soothing. But no situation is perfect and I was ready to return to normal life on Wednesday evening. Things I missed about Hong Kong was the flexibility of using the MTR to get to work and not relying on taxi's, having access to shops and restaurants 24/7, a kitchen again to prepare my own food, and not living out of a suitcase. So I guess the usual experience for a business trip :-)</div>
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I have noticed the weather has got a little cooler, and the days a little shorter. Also with it I see the HK government have put up health awareness posters perhaps as prevention for any upcoming flu season. Fortunately they were also translated in English so I could understand:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd15I35NhD9wJk8XHBTdMxiDe1O4vbYUcGMOYiXJGoZDTXMYq9Pg9I8osxd-jt9gOlWxjVDGPI94fSuuhknnaAc8qzGYmAcpIFch8k2ACOlyBYgNgkWmedqyoT0VCJk40Wc2k-BdDLzBXw/s1600/IMG_2308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd15I35NhD9wJk8XHBTdMxiDe1O4vbYUcGMOYiXJGoZDTXMYq9Pg9I8osxd-jt9gOlWxjVDGPI94fSuuhknnaAc8qzGYmAcpIFch8k2ACOlyBYgNgkWmedqyoT0VCJk40Wc2k-BdDLzBXw/s400/IMG_2308.jpg" width="300" /></a>Maintain Cough Manners</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqxDvZKGzePtp0tV50im6opA6SqWMoake20qMeuKXPz2XTJySEbmxuo2zJ03dbmXlT3kkq2Be4Rwtu2qgXwaMTuzS3bgXXgUkntOASISDfwlsnyaWHx90yRjodzsy8YTuyY0avBUiGjM7j/s1600/IMG_2309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqxDvZKGzePtp0tV50im6opA6SqWMoake20qMeuKXPz2XTJySEbmxuo2zJ03dbmXlT3kkq2Be4Rwtu2qgXwaMTuzS3bgXXgUkntOASISDfwlsnyaWHx90yRjodzsy8YTuyY0avBUiGjM7j/s400/IMG_2309.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="text-align: left;">Washing Hands well</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUp3dHDUxYBVfpretbj4k10ygAnuKV94DfkWdYiYfnEZ4KVqAwxpydHXAzNBxexFDSOiPlel-WGswSyAe0R_Pe2P8TaQAlzMd2jhVkRly5geNEGKggFHfCbLb_D0QvnIY9OmPDAI6YpSK/s1600/IMG_2310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUp3dHDUxYBVfpretbj4k10ygAnuKV94DfkWdYiYfnEZ4KVqAwxpydHXAzNBxexFDSOiPlel-WGswSyAe0R_Pe2P8TaQAlzMd2jhVkRly5geNEGKggFHfCbLb_D0QvnIY9OmPDAI6YpSK/s400/IMG_2310.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="text-align: left;">And my favourite - Use Antibiotics Smartly. </span></div>
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On the topic of health, I have noticed that people smoke more frequently in Hong Kong than in Malaysia. Anyone who has been out with me will know how sensitive I am to smoke and that I will move seats in a restaurant several times to avoid it, even having left half way through my meal in France once because the people next to us were constantly smoking. If there is any topic that will get me fired up, it is the discussion of banning smoking everywhere in public. So let's see more of these posters to ' Enjoy a smoke free environment' please because in my humble opinion people smoke too much in Hong Kong.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltjxaAGACcTsxK0TCTfs48XOO9xq8h6QgxJnEwrgNWTy2rGpgeHUk9WmQjMRA6WZtyyfwH6_8Ivr8GsMkOWHuhq17nlrpwuJZWZjK2ErCtvojht1hkYuR7aQbAeWlqy_kDUlkGmDwfR_5/s1600/IMG_2311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltjxaAGACcTsxK0TCTfs48XOO9xq8h6QgxJnEwrgNWTy2rGpgeHUk9WmQjMRA6WZtyyfwH6_8Ivr8GsMkOWHuhq17nlrpwuJZWZjK2ErCtvojht1hkYuR7aQbAeWlqy_kDUlkGmDwfR_5/s640/IMG_2311.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Lastly, just a quick thought: How long IS the Angry Birds craze going to last? Today I saw this new display for limited edition merchandise. Surely everyone has conquered it and is ready to move on? I'm amazed at how marketing can drag things out, almost as bad as the USA election media coverage.<br />
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-71012775049731259582012-10-22T10:20:00.002+08:002012-10-22T22:52:26.065+08:00Pause<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'll be on a business trip for 2,5 weeks so will take a pause from my reflections about Hong Kong for a while. Maybe I'll post some thoughts and whimsy from my earlier visit in 2012 but until I return nothing new to report. <br />
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PS if you enjoy reading this blog and have a minute, why not let me know your thoughts in the comments field below. What kind of things do you want to hear more of?<br />
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Also if you want to contribute to a review of the blog, <a href="http://www.expatsblog.com/blogs/359/hello-hong-kong-bronwyn-has-landed" target="_blank">here's your opportunity</a>! =D<br />
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Finally, although I don't consider myself a 'proper expat', here is a little <a href="http://www.internations.org/hong-kong-expats/guide/recommended-expat-blogs-hong-kong-15672/bronwyn-hello-hong-kong-bronwyn-has-landed-6" target="_blank">Expat Interview</a> I gave for Internations, a good place to start networking. (You can click away the pop up box to read the page)<br />
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-51119633056047046442012-10-18T12:28:00.004+08:002012-10-22T10:24:34.802+08:00Starting my list... why Hong Kong is a good place to live<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A couple of posts back I referenced an article that claimed Hong Kong is the most livable city. Whilst I might not agree 100% with that finding, I certainly am seeing more reasons from my experience that gives it GOLD stars:</div>
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<b>1. Health Care + Service.</b> </div>
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My experience with the medical service has shown it is very accessible and efficient. For example this week I wanted to visit a dermatologist and after doing some digging around on Expat forums and other online sources I found one that had a good reputation and was in Central. I emailed to enquire about availability and straight away secured an appointment for the day I requested, at a suitable time. Impressive. And the cost was reasonable for an hour appointment with a copy of all the results on a CD. For reference, in The Netherlands I needed to do the same, and had to go through my GP to get an appointment and wait some weeks to see the specialist.</div>
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Also in general the service at restaurants and shops are excellent, but there are a few exceptions like at dinner last night we almost had to beg the waiter to take our order. I notice this is often related to the popular places that have the long queues outside. Be warned :-)</div>
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<b>2. Personal Safety (but not necessarily good Health and Safety standards)</b></div>
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Someone asked me whether it was safe leaving the office at midnight, or travelling around at night on my own. Personally I feel very safe in Hong Kong. I take usual precautions like in any country but overall I would consider Hong Kong a very safe place to live and don't feel nervous walking around on my own or going for a run at night through the park.</div>
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Although Hong Kong's affluence is not equally distributed and there are many poor people living in the city, I don't believe this increases crime in the same proportions as in other countries with the same wealth gap. Certainly not violent crime. No doubt there is petty crime, and there are the usual signs in crowded places to watch out for pick pockets and don't leave your luggage unattended. Many of the apartments I see have bars on the window, and when I ask the real estate agents they laugh and respond: 'it is just done but no one thinks about it any more'. I think the biggest thing someone would need to watch out for is scamming and buying a bogus apartment. </div>
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The police force on the streets is noticeable, when I walk home from the MTR to my apartment on average I see at least one police person patrolling the area. So yes, two thumbs up to Hong Kong for public safety. </div>
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Though of course the air pollution is a drastic thumbs down, yesterday the street lights were on because the air was so smoggy, and we have an air cleaner permanently running in the apartment.</div>
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<b>3. Shopping</b></div>
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I don't think I have to explain this one too much, from my earlier posts it should be evident that you have access to a wide range of retail stores from the high end brands to the local markets. All at your doorstep.</div>
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<b>4. It's a ROMANTIC City</b></div>
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Yes it is. :-) Ok I may be a little bias given my reason for coming here, but hear me out.</div>
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There are so many opportunities to go to a restaurant or bar with spectacular views, and it is a known fact that girls get a little giddy at a height, so hey I think guys have an easier job taking girls on special dates in Hong Kong since there is almost no limit to venues at a height.</div>
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Also the social norm of moving between venues on one night makes it a fun date culture.</div>
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And of course the range of activities available in Hong Kong means the standard movie date idea can be mixed up with all sorts of creative activities. My next hot date lined up: a night out at the races :-)</div>
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Finally, you would be surprised in this busy city just how many quiet spots for a stroll there are available, I have uncovered about five romantic walking routes already, but if I list them here perhaps they won't be so private anymore ;-)</div>
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<b>5. Public Order</b></div>
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Even with the crowds it is nice to see people queuing politely for the train, and waiting in line for a restaurant in a very orderly way. But let's not carry this point too far, people do have this awkward hap hazard way of walking on the side walk that can honestly drive anyone nuts in a matter of weeks. J first mentioned it before I arrived in Hong Kong as a negative point, and I confess I thought to myself how bad can it really be. But alas I now have to force myself to remain calm at certain moments while walking along crowded streets, and I hear from other expats I'm not alone.</div>
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<b>6. Food</b></div>
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Again probably don't need to state the obvious on this point, that there are a variety of restaurants in the city to cater for any cuisine craving at almost any hour. And a range of prices to go with it. You can eat really cheaply like the locals, or if you are in the mood to burn money on a meal there are plenty of opportunities to do that too. Usually these high end restaurants equate to really good food, but the ratio of money to quality is not always equal, so word of mouth or OpenRice app is the way to go.</div>
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<b>7. People</b></div>
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The people I am meeting here are all very diverse and interesting. I like that. Hong Kong is one of those special places in the world, like London or The Hague, that has become a melting pot of cultures and backgrounds. But what I really like about Hong Kong is that the people here are very friendly and open to meeting new people; there are meetups for almost anything (yes really. How many places you have you seen a meetup for those who have little dogs or those who like a certain author?) and they are always willing to accept new members. The thought of the opportunity to meet so many new and interesting people gives me a big thrill.</div>
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<b>8. Public Transport</b></div>
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I LOVE the efficient and clean public transport system called the 'MTR', with the added bonus that the transport card called the Octopus you can use almost anyway to pay for things, meaning less hassle of always having cash on you. [Remind you of another British based card system? Apparently the Oyster card in London was based on the HK Octopus card] </div>
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<b>9. The Weather</b></div>
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Hurray for warm weather. Finally I can walk around outdoors in October in a skirt or flip-flops without a jacket! </div>
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The downside: People apparently have a strong need to recover from this good weather and usually have the air-conditioning blasting so high indoors that I need to bring along my jacket for when I'm inside a building. The pricier the store the colder the temperature.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVKrHMU7Us0YPas_xPy2a0QQynOGVJLXvLjU0mXs6EF6wS3HsZlVv76sQi1GNgc0mKdOpWFRrpKztJ7MwuiGlyo4KbXBGCkrGmITIepbgFumKoTuKvcIr1krKND9l_5x2886LE3nrPzKF/s1600/IMG_1783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVKrHMU7Us0YPas_xPy2a0QQynOGVJLXvLjU0mXs6EF6wS3HsZlVv76sQi1GNgc0mKdOpWFRrpKztJ7MwuiGlyo4KbXBGCkrGmITIepbgFumKoTuKvcIr1krKND9l_5x2886LE3nrPzKF/s320/IMG_1783.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I found this weather forecast system in a building quite revealing. There is no option for HOT or WARM, since this is the norm, but they do have RAIN or SHOWER or TYPHOON as options for levels of rain strength. (it was on a mirror with the option lit up, pretty cool). </div>
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Anyone else have suggestions for why Hong Kong is a good place to live?<br />
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-21783205421671341072012-10-15T17:52:00.004+08:002012-10-16T18:49:18.679+08:00What good food should be like<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So this post will be about Hong Kong Central and a little shout out for two good food/drink finds in Hong Kong Central.<br />
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Saturday afternoon <strong>Sweet Chai Latte</strong> at <u>FUEL</u>, Landmark Mall Basement was a real treat, perfectly made in the right proportions. Only criticism was the cup was not big enough. The mandarin poppy seed cake was ok, a bit dry but quickly overshadowed by the Latte.<br />
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Saturday evening dinner was a pleasant surprise at <u>California Vintage</u>, an unique dining idea where you can order a range of Tapas style dishes and pair them with a wide selection of wines. The experience is interactive, wine sample selections are done using a 'charge card' system from stainless steel fine polished wine dispensers. And the food is fresh, generous and good. I was so inspired by the <strong>Watermelon Cucumber soup</strong> that I have new motivation to try more WATERMELON in food combinations.<br />
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Saturday was a special day spent with my love, but a topic for another day. Pictures and impressions from Central on a Saturday are below. In general I can say I am starting to feel a less lost, and a lot more happy and comfortable here, really enjoying the city in many ways.<br />
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Tourist signposts:<br />
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Old stairs off Lyndhurst Terrace:<br />
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Markets stocked with Halloween Decorations:<br />
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Dogs spotted in 7-11: :-)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCWmqdRT_KxNBEPb1bTXvljmZFjDCxWOQ5sfmecnBkpIhBiXxwIUpEl0xPP_Uq6_KUDLweyWT3gPaKXv6fT32PpfKpulN_zIzGQcwRXE7I6jRylUmF6GmsyPenNwb_norfL-eq_WlG4LX/s1600/IMG_1886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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These stairs in Duddell street are special since they host the last remaining gas lamps in Hong Kong.</div>
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-8042395984320124602012-10-15T00:31:00.001+08:002012-10-15T18:02:22.229+08:00Friday Night Meetup and Karaoke<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Time for a roundup report of the weekend in Hong Kong. In summary: Excellent - Weather Good. Company Fun. Food Excellent. Activities Ace. Pollution Average.<br />
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But first a zoom in on Friday night, my first real taste of the Hong Kong evening social life. I went out on my own to a Hong Kong Expat meetup since J and I agreed we should have some time to make our own friends/ meet people independently, so off I headed to embrace the social fabric of Hong Kong while J met up with some of his friends. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyi6Kmi7J02Qk6qhPnsB7hDiX0Z9Q1jOBcAa0JqAcvecZYtUar3yduNte94RUGG9lhXpNDYBscm90O8lMfEiSp2VPrutosJBkj0vdqRQ7AIgKQp7eMaCX534_6QsR3lzbC3zEwtxFz9r_/s1600/IMG_1836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyi6Kmi7J02Qk6qhPnsB7hDiX0Z9Q1jOBcAa0JqAcvecZYtUar3yduNte94RUGG9lhXpNDYBscm90O8lMfEiSp2VPrutosJBkj0vdqRQ7AIgKQp7eMaCX534_6QsR3lzbC3zEwtxFz9r_/s320/IMG_1836.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
At this expat event I was impressed at the number of people gathered at a seemingly remote location in Wan Chai. Granted, a place with lovely views over the Habour and City, and outside on a deck. But over 300 people? So goal achieved, great opportunity to meet a diverse spread of people also foreign to Hong Kong.<br />
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At one moment the group I was chatting with suggested Karaoke as a fun thing to do in Hong Kong, something I have never done before. Well right then and there, everyone agreed we should do Karaoke. No time for deliberation, contact numbers briefly exchanged in case we got lost and off the group headed via taxi to another venue that offered mostly English songs choices. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc6eR6VVe5gOKs-DNxmvBN3ct-z6UMtc4437-1DzFGFIwxRE2UCY_WpzNXjJDnvkx3mIK30j8Porfz4UIoNjDaQpIXAT2GPnV8JChUo4wkqaJk8EBOs17lmQzqFbJHQIvK52lOj0a4Vk4M/s1600/IMG_1852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc6eR6VVe5gOKs-DNxmvBN3ct-z6UMtc4437-1DzFGFIwxRE2UCY_WpzNXjJDnvkx3mIK30j8Porfz4UIoNjDaQpIXAT2GPnV8JChUo4wkqaJk8EBOs17lmQzqFbJHQIvK52lOj0a4Vk4M/s320/IMG_1852.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6A9N31CZVAIcOg4_jGh4XkgyZiW81JJzLiu5_ssxDdnoEyFRH06pBlOxoZ0oNpSgDWe0mp40QI9aehHikd3bnH8LdQWzGH8xBkZ6xJ-29rYLOHI9CdTu9_0klUgBqdr-OJEIZTGezjsO/s1600/IMG_1853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6A9N31CZVAIcOg4_jGh4XkgyZiW81JJzLiu5_ssxDdnoEyFRH06pBlOxoZ0oNpSgDWe0mp40QI9aehHikd3bnH8LdQWzGH8xBkZ6xJ-29rYLOHI9CdTu9_0klUgBqdr-OJEIZTGezjsO/s320/IMG_1853.JPG" width="320" /></a>Although I honestly cannot sing in tune, I can say the experience was great fun. The best part was singing the latest Gangnam song in Korean with a Korean.<br />
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Also what made it fun was the group was diverse, sample of countries represented: South Africa, America, Zimbabwe, Britain, Poland, Russian, Hong Kong, Korea, China. <br />
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Will I see these people again? I think two of the girls I will make an effort to see again and the rest I guess I will see at the next Karaoke </div>
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I discovered from my night out that people expect that you travel a lot or move quickly through the city, so are happy to make friends for the evening with no strings attached. Also people have the attitude of 'work hard play hard' so every day counts, and invariably the evening is made up of multiple 'stages' and activities. Most people counted at least one meetup before the Wan Chai venue and probably they headed for another after Karaoke But I didn't stay long enough to find out - by 1am this Cinderella was ready to see her Prince, and sure enough he was in a taxi and headed over to pick me up within 5mins :-)</div>
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Another strange phenomenon about Hong Kong social meetups is the unashamed exchange of Business Cards. In the 4 weeks of being here, I have used more Business Cards that during the 6 years I lived in The Netherlands. And the exchange is not done in a casual or flippant manner. Oh no, locals will hand you their card with both hands and expect you to receive it the same way. Do NOT show them the dis-honour of defacing the card in front of them (I usually write down where I met the person and the date, and some interesting detail about the conversation). </div>
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So last week I ordered some private cards online without my company details, I don't need everyone emailing me at work reminding me of the great weekend I had. :-)</div>
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-88696683331440810922012-10-11T16:18:00.000+08:002012-10-15T18:05:05.071+08:00Loving Hong Kong again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm happy to report that I'm back into the swing of things after the post holiday lull and enjoying life in Hong Kong again. Maybe it's because I can walk normally again after Sunday's military style BodyPump. Or maybe it's because I finally have my bank account sorted out. Either way, the spirits are on the rise and this morning's excursions provided some great fodder for today's post. In fact I'm so excited to share that I'm posting now even before the day is out.<br />
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First up, the customer service experience. I needed to return a long top that I had recently purchased, after trying it on with jeans I realised that my selection of size 'S' was probably a little ambitious. So back to the store it went, tag in place, confident I could get a refund after filling in the paperwork. The highlight of the experience came when I had to give a reason for the return. <br />
My answer: " It does not fit properly." <br />
With a sympathetic smile the lady nods and says, "Ah, you too FAT", and proceeds to write this down.<br />
Now that I'm fitting a UK size 10 jeans comfortably I'm the furthest from fat I have been in a long time, but hey, it was a case of pick your battles, so I gratefully received a fist full of cash and walked out.<br />
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Second up, exploring a new area of Hong Kong. Today's pick was Whampoa, a great little neighbourhood overlooking Hong Kong Island, buzzing with mom and tots in strollers, parks, and fountains nestled in between the high rise buildings to offset the constructions sites and mini vans zipping about. My favourite part was the Whampoa Mall build as a SHIP, in memory that this area used to be a shipyard. How fun. Can I say real life Disneyland? The public transport doesn't work out well for the work locations so a no-go to live though.<br />
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Thirdly, while pacing it to the office in Kwun Tong, I stumbled upon a shoe outlet and there was a SALE. I managed to steal a pair of burgundy (wine red) heels for just 100 HK dollars, original price 700 HK and I have seen the same shoes in central for 1200 HK dollars. The sweet taste of the saving is almost as good as wearing my new red heels!<br />
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And lastly, today's food item is the supermarket Tofu dessert Do Fu Fa. Only 8 HK dollars for 2, and 66 kcal for a tub, it is easy to satisfy my craving for this stuff, and somehow it has made it up there on my list of favourites with my papaya milk and egg tarts. And speaking of egg tarts I think I have found my favourite bakery for them, but more on that next time.<br />
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-21054514077767589272012-10-10T23:07:00.002+08:002012-10-15T17:59:44.019+08:0020 Men to Dig a Hole<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">Hong Kong often surprises me that in many ways it is a modern, forward-looking city, but perhaps in even more ways it is crippled</span><span style="text-align: left;"> by bureaucracy and inefficiencies. There is a process for everything, a long elaborate process in many cases that involves filling in duplicate paperwork and stamps. Take for example buying some cosmetics. Because I wanted the 'foreigners' discount (normal discount, not claiming tax back) I had to appear at three different desks to pay, sign four pieces of paper and finally go back to collect the goods. </span><span style="text-align: left;">No guessing this causes frustration for this just-get-it-done kinda person.</span></div>
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Although I have to say at times it does remind me of South Africa. For example today while heading to the office in Kowloon I came across a group of 20 men digging in the same street with supervisors watching. Though unlike South Africa, they all appeared to all be doing something, except the supervisors of course.<br />
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-19549200919543304922012-10-08T23:11:00.001+08:002012-10-15T18:00:46.388+08:00Ever asked what is THE most Livable City? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The challenge has been set!<br />
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Hong Kong has been declared the most livable city to live.<br />
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While I don't disagree it is a special place I wouldn't have considered it number one. So the challenge has been set for me to find out why :-)<br />
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http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2012/07/city-rankings<br />
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Food item for today: Did I already mention how cheap sushi is? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">2,5 euros for this:</span></div>
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-64646701776522598132012-10-07T20:48:00.000+08:002012-10-15T18:04:40.495+08:00Harbour City and Food Nationalities<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Harbour City is a mall on the harbour's edge Kowloon side where many tourists can be found arriving/departing, and as such there are many high end luxury shops catering for their shopping needs hoping to glean the last of their money. Although I'm told that some Chinese mainland tourists go there directly just to shop, even staying at the hotel in the mall, and indeed they seem to be the most frequent visitors. </div>
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Today's window display winner goes to Louis Vuitton with the plastic polka dot look.</div>
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Today's strange sight was seeing a bride and groom waiting in line for the elevator in another mall. Many couples have their photos taken before the wedding in remote or unusual locations, so perhaps they were heading to the top of the building for a backdrop of Hong Kong island.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And finally, today's yummy food choice is our shopping bag! </span></div>
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We visited four different grocery stores today (Great, City Super, Market Place, Welcome) and found we had a variety of nationalities represented looking at the imported foods we had bought. For fun we decided to count and totalled 26 countries and 6 continents in one go! Wahoo! [ Perhaps less of a wahoo when global warming is considered but for today we will say wahoo. ]</div>
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The photo below shows a selection:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bpAWcF_U0vgJmWixvcwqmOAaJ9V_gHtng4ZLM0r_JooAC_BLoIZX4P9wjC51hw_iou8-iiJ6nf3V-oU7O9uPl4oohLizO1D50qoHdXgw9xx1b_OO7JKV0-J2yRYGKvRCUjLcG8mCFYN8/s1600/IMG_1709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bpAWcF_U0vgJmWixvcwqmOAaJ9V_gHtng4ZLM0r_JooAC_BLoIZX4P9wjC51hw_iou8-iiJ6nf3V-oU7O9uPl4oohLizO1D50qoHdXgw9xx1b_OO7JKV0-J2yRYGKvRCUjLcG8mCFYN8/s640/IMG_1709.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<li style="text-align: left;">British - soup, cereal, peanut butter</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Scotland - Highland Game soup</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Koren - Cabbage Kimchi</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">New Zealand - Boysenberrry jam, Soups</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">USA - chocolate chip cookies</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">French - St Marcellin cheese, Goats Cheese</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Taiwan - Beef Jerky</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Italy - Ameretto biscuits, Lady Finger biscuits, Pasta, Mascopone</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Japan - Soba noodles</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Hong Kong - Humus, Do Fu Fa (made by Nestle - Swiss brand)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Thailand - 5 type rice, Okra</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Mexico - tomatoes</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Australia - Water Thin Crackers</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Singapore - Plain yoghurt</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Turkey - figs</li>
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Not shown in the picture since they were packed away already:</div>
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16. Dutch - Cucumber and Chicken</div>
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17. Philippines<span style="text-align: center;"> - bananas</span></div>
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18. China - Tropicana Orange Juice (USA brand), yams, </div>
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19. Greece - Olives</div>
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20. Belgium - Leffe Beer</div>
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21. Kenya - coffee beans</div>
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22. Ceylon - tea</div>
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23. German - honey</div>
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24. Vietnam - cashew nuts</div>
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25. South Africa - couscous</div>
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26. Peru - avocado</div>
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Repeat countries:</div>
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USA - Salad mid, Carrots</div>
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French - Norwegian Salmon</div>
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Korea - Hot Jam Tea</div>
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Australia- Spice Sauce</div>
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New Zealand - Sea Salt</div>
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Mexico - Corona beer</div>
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Unknown - nectarines, kiwi, apples, blueberries</div>
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WHAT IS MISSING? Canada! We have bought fruits and other products from CA before but just not today.</div>
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-67244923300720624372012-10-07T00:21:00.005+08:002012-10-15T18:06:41.225+08:00The mix of Hong Kong Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Today I'll post for Friday and Saturday a few random items; it was a good mix of city and new territory experience and a chance to catch my breathe. </div>
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Tram spotting in Central:</div>
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Paper Suites. Yes these are suites made out of paper for the purpose of being burnt as offerings so that people's ancestors can receive the real possessions in the afterlife. You can buy practically anything in miniature form - cars, watches, bags, phones...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8Kb-eqb-Bsx83boypY7YocU_y2CQljfE0e-NHG6U8IsoGnpu2Q8KOPCRwZfo1Lz9ilq1NApFQwxjW_123jDyyRidSQQWLF5eg025i32PwDncAsyxPOnlleY2uxMGZRvSp6BRUfae4iDF/s1600/IMG_1652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8Kb-eqb-Bsx83boypY7YocU_y2CQljfE0e-NHG6U8IsoGnpu2Q8KOPCRwZfo1Lz9ilq1NApFQwxjW_123jDyyRidSQQWLF5eg025i32PwDncAsyxPOnlleY2uxMGZRvSp6BRUfae4iDF/s400/IMG_1652.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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City of Wheels. There are several creative forms of transporting goods around including these trolleys, baskets and bicycles.</div>
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And my special find today - the Esprit OUTLET shop with a 40% sale!</div>
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This afternoon it was a trip to Yeun Long to visit one of the housing estates near there.<br />
we found a lake in the middle, peaceful even if it is man-made.<br />
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Taking a stroll with friends and their baby daughter.</div>
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And my favourite yummy food item for today is this Indonesian freshly made drink "Cendol" made with Tapioca, Coconut and Tandon leaves.</div>
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-58588200406925713462012-10-05T10:53:00.000+08:002012-10-15T18:07:43.422+08:00Getting back into the swing of things<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After any holiday getting back to routine of work is tough, like now, even with the intrigue of a relatively new city to explore. The past two days have been focused on reducing my pile of email and trying to get to gym, do some shopping and practice healthy cooking. The last three items seem non noteworthy except when I'm in Hong Kong they are tougher than reducing my inbox:<br />
Shopping = some ingredients are really tough to find in HK, this week after 1hour of searching between multiple shops I gave up on the key ingredient;<br />
Cooking = smaller kitchen than I'm used to means a real juggle so that it takes twice as long to prepare something with more than three ingredients;<br />
Gym = the gym near the office that I planned to 'pop in during lunch time' proved to be such a hike and bustle that by the time I got there it was time to head back. <br />
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OK OK, I'll stop with the Princess Syndrome, of course I do realise that if this is all I have to mention the past two days then life is pretty good :-) The key take away is that I have started to get under the hood of the practicalities and adjustments of life in HK.<br />
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The positive spin to my gripes above - putting together meals becomes a creative experience, I'm learning to use minimal number of ingredients in a meal, and gym becomes an outdoor rather than indoor experience.<br />
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South Korea has not left my memory just yet, and coming back I can't help but compare it to HK. I'm afraid to say Hong Kong doesn't shape up well. In my humble opinion Hong Kong is dirtier, noisier, more air polluted, smellier, WAY more crowded and unpleasant to walk around, grubbier, less fresh and crisp, dustier, and did I mention crowded? Apparently I still need to visit China, after which I'm told Hong Kong will feel like South Korea in comparison. I guess everything is relative.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">In case you are wondering what I'm going on about, the below photo is a snap I took yesterday during NON rush hour, I left the apartment 11am, and my journey time was 1hour 15mins of this.</span></div>
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This is my new 'comfort food' - Mango Papaya Milk - first thing I bought when I arrived back in HK - very yum.<br />
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PS Photos uploaded in previous entry on South Korea<br />
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162456355733400760.post-52450863491846149082012-10-03T12:12:00.001+08:002012-10-10T23:45:29.793+08:00Some Soul in Seoul<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
OK, I know this blog is about Hong Kong, but since I have just returned from a wonderful holiday in South Korea and my heart is warm from all the great things I have seen and experienced, I can't skip mentioning it here. So I'm thinking of this post as part of the experience of living in Hong Kong - in less than 4 hours you can visit many unique places in Asia.<br />
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So what is so great about South Korea, or Seoul in particular? Isn't it just like Hong Kong, another busy Asian city? Well short answer - No! It is very different and offers unique experiences for visitors. Of course there are many similarities but let me try capture a few of my impressions:<br />
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- Seoul is a Trendy place.<br />
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The fashion worn by locals around town look like they put effort in, often MEN more so than women. The jeans are the latest colours and styles, not just navy the blue kind, and I am sure their hair salon budget for the week is more than mine for the year. People blend in with the pin up adverts behind them. And yes, the people are also all beautiful. I know this might sound strange, but statistically there are often a few striking people that stand out, whereas here while walking around everyone has a picture perfect face. Unfortunately from the number of plastic surgery adverts around I'm guessing it may not all be natural. And then no need to mention the skinny look, which is standard in Asia. So in summary a country filled with beautiful, well-dressed people.<br />
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The thing I found quite liberating is that the cutesy girly style is all over and accepted by guys and girls alike, but not in a pansy way but in a fun, innocent way. So think Hello Kitty and spread it wider and further than what you have seen before, but also with the happy smiling attitude that goes with it. And then turn it up a notch with Koren Pop - or K-Pop - music style of Hip Hop dance that is playing in most stores and on the streets.<br />
In case you are not familiar with K-Pop it is a mixture of trendy Western music and high-energy Japanese pop and many K-pop music videos have colourful visuals and a catchy beat.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>Dance is an integral part of K-pop.<br />
Now personally I don't like Hello Kitty and overly sugary music, but I do like wearing pretty dresses, putting a flower in my hair, carrying a flower Cath-Kidston-type bag around and dancing when the music is right, which is most of the time in South Korea. Even the subways had this little jingle to indicate when the train was arriving that made me wiggle and smile.<br />
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In Seoul there is a balance of East meets West - The number of cafes and coffee shops selling copious amounts of coffee Starbucks style, including Starbucks itself, together with US ice-cream & food chain outlets on every street gives the impression that the US has (had?) a large influence in the country. There are of course the local eateries too but the US brands are almost never out of eye shot. Though I'm not sure which has the biggest influence - the US or France - since there were just as many French named bakeries and restaurants, though not French chains, just with French names and deco style.<br />
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The buildings and architecture offer interesting contrasts - there are many uniquely designed buildings from those that have a glass bubble popping off the side, to UFO-style bagel-shaped structure floating above it, to the traditional temple design and hanok style houses (houses are still being built like that today). The city felt modern and fresh but also hadn't lost the feel of its heritage.<br />
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That's it for today.. watch this space for further comments and pictures coming soon.<br />
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Photo Impressions added 5th October:<br />
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You too can learn K-Pop!<br />
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Street shot: a guy in his Capri Jeans waiting outside a coffee shop and a couple under an umbrella showcase the fashion<br />
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One of the funky buildings<br />
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Missing some Dutch coffee anyone?<br />
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Shopping street shot - people posing for a picture</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOu79y4OaMcCzL05qeswej4KKMrkXmHRxMyMTqW09Iy_FhRg_NgZayJuELbLlC8gDmwsgbYKnLI0d_XjFXwMTQDcWl2lg6eGzRHqhXlkbqAJ6c6l8zgjShyE4x2919DGgGFyK6euuV4_fM/s1600/DSC_1856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOu79y4OaMcCzL05qeswej4KKMrkXmHRxMyMTqW09Iy_FhRg_NgZayJuELbLlC8gDmwsgbYKnLI0d_XjFXwMTQDcWl2lg6eGzRHqhXlkbqAJ6c6l8zgjShyE4x2919DGgGFyK6euuV4_fM/s640/DSC_1856.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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Apparently the world's best coffee?<br />
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Even Koreans can be blonde now</div>
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Bronwyn in Hong Konghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087339276243922848noreply@blogger.com0