tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32892780002770191222012-01-29T02:46:15.274+08:00Weaving together various thoughts and musings -- usually pertaining to aspects of Hong Kong (life) but sometimes beyond.YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.comBlogger9111100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-60453699992732254842012-01-26T21:44:00.007+08:002012-01-26T22:36:53.084+08:00

A glittery sight on Chinese New Year eveFlowers for sale at the Chinese New YearFlower Market in Victoria ParkFestive decorations also were on saleat the Flower MarketKong Hei Fat Choi/Keong Hee Huat Chye/Gong Xi Fa Cai once more to one and all -- and for those who think I'm (too) late with my Chinese new year greetings, do please be informed that the Chinese New Year festivities traditionally

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-50910693812864031392012-01-24T19:46:00.021+08:002012-01-25T08:04:34.104+08:00

Before anything else: Kong Hei Fat Choi and Happy New Year of the Dragon to this blog's visitors, especially the regulars among you (regardless of whether you are the commenting type or not ;b)! And if you're wondering, yes, I have done some traditional Chinese New Year stuff like visit the Chinese New Year Flower Market in Victoria Park, have dim sum lunch with a large group (though, in my case

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-19486369629990231122012-01-22T22:13:00.011+08:002012-01-24T23:46:15.892+08:00

Cloudy (misty) view of Cloudy Hill as my regular hiking companions and I neared the top of itFortunately, the visibility began to noticeably increase a few minutes after we beganour descent along the other side of the hillWhile it was somewhat intimidating to see how far we still had to go to get down, it really was pretty nice to be able to have the splendid views we did from Cloudy Hill :)One

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-46832782086745929352012-01-21T10:02:00.014+08:002012-01-21T12:44:00.479+08:00

Do animals -- particularly/including insects such as butterflies -- feel bliss? And if so, when in particular do they feel blissful? This was one of the questions that Sandi's and Gattina's choice of themes for this Saturday had me pondering as I decided what images to put up for this week's Photo Hunt entry. With advance apologies to the more sensitive Photo Hunters: Going with the theories

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-81299901291001924342012-01-20T23:09:00.006+08:002012-01-21T19:01:09.015+08:00

My to-be-expected choice of best 2011 Hong Kong film viewed last yearThere's no two ways about it: 2011 was not a banner year for Hong Kong cinema -- and that might be putting it somewhat mildly. One gauge of this being so is that I don't think I've recalled another year since my return to Asia (where my access to Hong Kong movies new as well as old -- especially in cinemas, as opposed to "just"

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-66734087402717201002012-01-17T21:31:00.020+08:002012-01-17T23:01:16.655+08:00

How enjoyable can a hike in winter in Hong Kong be? One answer is: So enjoyable that rather than follow the originally planned route, one -- and one's obliging hiking companion -- can decide mid-excursion to extend it and go along a longer route just so that one can spend more time enjoying being outdoors in the Big Lychee's countryside. More specifically, that's exactly what my regular hiking

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-52538279127100924942012-01-15T22:16:00.016+08:002012-01-16T09:02:06.856+08:00

This foggy (as well as rainy) day shot of the Aqua Lunagets me thinking of the legend of the Flying Dutchman!Rain drops keep falling... including on this leafFor a few days each year, Hong Kong has weather that an English friend and I agree reminds us of the kind of weather -- gray (foggy even), cold and damp -- that used to get us down when we lived in England. Although my hiking companions and

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-81855432809972710392012-01-14T10:34:00.013+08:002012-01-14T23:07:41.982+08:00

A little less than a month ago, I wrote about my friend Joy for a tnchick-organized Photo Hunt entry in which I had also mentioned taking a mutual friend of ours and her family along a circular walk around Victoria Peak. But rather than repeat or elaborate on those subjects, I've elected to go another route for this Photo Hunt entry that once again combines themes for the week separately chosen

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-4548988019303888532012-01-13T22:59:00.009+08:002012-01-15T00:54:06.376+08:00

One of many photos I took over the course of that which I've decided was the best hike of my 2011This work by Takashi Murakami made me smile at that which gets my vote for best visual arts event of 2011 :)As I told a friend (who occasionally reads my blog) at dinner last night, one reason why I go about writing up my annual "10 highlights of..." posts is that the very act of doing so gets me

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-17804540027043305772012-01-10T22:39:00.015+08:002012-01-11T08:40:45.954+08:00

One gray December day, I took the ferry from Central to Mui Wo where I met up, as pre-arranged the day before, with my regular hiking companion at that Lantau town's pier. Although visibility was not as high that day as we would have liked, such as the cool (as opposed to cold) winter temperature was actually to our liking.All told, we enjoyed our 9 kilometer hike along Section 12 of the Lantau

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-65766194782714393272012-01-08T21:31:00.014+08:002012-01-08T23:28:18.042+08:00

Works on display at Wilson Shieh's studioat this year's Fotanian Open Studios eventOne of Chow Chun Fai's movie inspired works ondisplay in the artist's studio at the same eventIt's not glitzy and frequented by beautiful people like the Hong Kong International Art Fair. And instead of taking place in a centrally located landmark venue like the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, it goes

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-82414725328780753882012-01-07T10:33:00.010+08:002012-01-07T11:30:49.042+08:00

Talk about a challenge -- or two. This being a Saturday, I'm referring here, of course, the Photo Hunt meme -- specifically, the effort of coming up with a single entry that combines the themes for this week that have been separately thought up by Sandi and Gattina. For, truly, my first thought when seeing them was that they were worlds apart!An early look through my photo archive yielded

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-85546431511981037672012-01-04T21:35:00.020+08:002012-01-22T23:01:48.192+08:00

Oceans was one of a number of movies I viewedat the 2011 Hong Kong International Film Festival-- and checked out this past yearInterior view of Penang's E&O Hotel -- which those who have viewed one of the movies I viewed in 2011 (Road to Dawn) will be familiar!As the proverbial "they" say, time flies when you're having fun -- to which I'd add "...or when you're busy." In any case, can you believe

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-3121286442418757852012-01-02T21:49:00.013+08:002012-01-02T22:33:13.793+08:00

Considering that there still are plenty of hiking trails in Hong Kong that I've yet to go on, it might strike some people as a bit weird that I've already chosen to revisit a number of the ones I've been on. In some cases though, I have the ready explanation that I figured that a certain hiking trail's scenery will look quite a bit different at different times of the year. Then there are the

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-60445291221027853952012-01-01T22:17:00.019+08:002012-01-03T00:06:38.311+08:00

Is that a Grey Heron in the picture?Other birds spotted at the Hong Kong Wetland Park earlier today included ducks galore and also a number of what looks to me like Great Cormorants! :)For many Hong Kong residents, Tin Shui Wai has a reputation as the City of Sadness. And even though there's at least one movie (Ann Hui's The Way We Are -- which I included in my 100 must-see Hong Kong films list)

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-71372638496898530092011-12-31T09:33:00.014+08:002012-01-01T08:45:53.278+08:00

For those participants in Sandi's and Gattina's Photo Hunts (as well as general visitors to this blog) who have yet to do so, meet Ponyo -- specifically, my Stress Ponyo and Puppet Ponyo! :)Unlike the somewhat shy third Ponyo plush I have (who is known as either Pirate Ponyo (because she's actually a not officially authorized plushie bought for just HK$20 here in Hong Kong) or Muse Ponyo (because

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-12064599601665411972011-12-28T20:47:00.012+08:002011-12-29T23:01:49.946+08:00

The Hong Kong movie that is my favorite moviein the whole wide worldLast week, after I posted the Hong Kong Film Archive's 100 "must-see" Hong Kong movies list, I was encouraged by a number of friends and readers to write up my own 100 "must see" Hong Kong movies list. Although I am no where claiming to have the kind of authority that the six experts behind the Hong Kong Film Archive's list, I

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-65585065316648009262011-12-27T20:25:00.013+08:002011-12-27T22:34:49.279+08:00

As promised, I'm going ahead and continuing after a week's pause with documenting the hike in Hong Kong's second largest country park that my regular hiking companion and I went on one nice November day. More than incidentally, our trek from the Twist Management Centre to Tai Tong took on a trail that was paved from start to finish. So even though this 12 kilometer route had its inclines as

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-43626393566608885242011-12-25T21:38:00.013+08:002011-12-26T21:30:45.157+08:00

View while standing atop Boa Vista hill(in Tai Lam Country Park on Hong Kong Island)View from later along the same hike that includesBoa Vista (i.e., the hill on the right in the backgroundof the photo), from a bridge over Tai Tam Tuk ReservoirIn my final years in the US, I would regularly fly over to Los Angeles to spend the Christmas holidays with a good friend -- whom I got to know through our

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-43550857922546183412011-12-24T09:38:00.009+08:002011-12-24T10:46:01.322+08:00

To those Photo Hunters (be you taking part in Sandi's or Gattina's memes): surprise, I have indeed taken up the challenge of putting up a two-in-one entry that fits both the memes' themes for this week! In order to do so, I had to go back almost a year in my photo archive -- and with that, here's what may come as another surprise: in that these not particularly festive-looking photographs

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-76783873458969039212011-12-21T20:14:00.017+08:002011-12-21T22:46:04.813+08:00

One of the 100 "Must See" Hong Kong Moviesaccording to the Hong Kong Film Archive experts(and, for what it's worth, me too! ;b)A few months ago, the Hong Kong Film Archive announced a screening program of 100 Must See Hong Kong Movies (that will go on through 2014 according to an official spokeswoman). Upon looking at the list compiled by six people (Hong Kong cinema experts, for sure, but still

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-429489554202322022011-12-20T19:57:00.024+08:002011-12-21T21:58:49.908+08:00

For many people, the words "hike" and "Hong Kong" tend to conjure up images and thoughts of hiking either on Lantau Island or in Sai Kung. This is understandable on account of there being many trails through often quite breathtakingly splendid countryside in those two parts of the Big Lychee.At the same time, Hong Kong does have many other country parks besides the four that, taken together,

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-25099113008566727882011-12-18T21:12:00.016+08:002011-12-27T08:19:36.337+08:00

The Sir Edward Youde Memorial Pavilion located near the northern edge of Pat Sin Leng Country ParkThe more architecturally modest Spring Breeze Pavilion located near the more popularly traversed south-eastern corner of the same Hong Kong country parkEarlier today, a friend and I went hiking in Pat Sin Leng Country Park along a route that took us from near Bride's Pool to Luk Keng (located near

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-73742844386444519662011-12-17T10:14:00.015+08:002011-12-18T20:08:03.276+08:00

Funny but true: When I'm feeling good, I often describe myself as feeling happy, elated, exhilarated and even ecstatic but I don't usually talk about feeling joyful, joyeous or just being imbued with a sense of joy. Of course this is not to say that the word is not alien to me. After all, I'm familiar with the Joy to the World phrase and hymn.Still, the plain fact of the matter is that I tend

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-75365980303616887882011-12-16T22:50:00.011+08:002011-12-17T09:31:16.800+08:00

View in George Town that takes in a clan house as well asa newer (i.e., dating back only to 1960) buildingView from above of the ground floor at the China House established in the heart of George Town byAustralian developers Narelle McMurtrie and Alison FraserView that takes in part of the marina at Straits Quayout in the Sri Tanjung Pinang section of PenangThis time last week, I was back in my

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-65291071882939471072011-12-14T22:40:00.015+08:002011-12-14T23:26:41.281+08:00

For those who wondered: I'm okay, thanks. It's just that I was busier than usual this past weekend -- having a full day of work on Saturday, among other things -- as well as was away from Hong Kong between Friday and most of yesterday. And then when I got back yesterday, I was so tired that I called it a day several hours earlier than usual; so delayed putting up a new blog entry today...But

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-66655560070167960302011-12-08T22:24:00.013+08:002011-12-09T09:31:49.310+08:00

The Kadoorie Brothers' Memorial Pavilionlocated at the highest point of Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden lies 602 meters above sea levelView of Kwun Yam Shan (elevation 552 meters) and the surrounding countryside from the Kadoorie Brothers' Memorial PavilionIn a week when Beijing has been covered with "fog" (or, more probably, smog), here's going ahead and offering up visual proof that: a) the

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-57744123163631497272011-12-06T22:25:00.014+08:002011-12-06T23:09:00.991+08:00

A friend recently asked me if I thought the day would come when I would have covered every meter of hiking trail in Hong Kong. My answer was that I sincerely doubted it. For one thing, Hong Kong has hundreds of kilometers of hiking trails. For another, there are some hikes that I just don't think I ever will be capable of going on and successfully completing. And for a third, I've taken to

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-66916553402973235822011-12-04T21:18:00.013+08:002011-12-05T09:03:59.653+08:00

The simple but evocative posterfor Ann Hui's latest filmA Simple Life (Hong Kong, 2011)- Ann Hui, director- Starring Deanie Ip, Andy Lau, Qin Hailu, Paul Chun Pui, Anthony Wong Chau San, Wang Fuli, Hui Bik Yee, Hui So Ying, etc. Two Saturdays ago, Hong Kong's A Simple Life won big at the Golden Horse Awards held in Taiwan -- with its helmer, Ann Hui, and two leads, Deanie Ip and Andy Lau,

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-70692630702556635812011-12-03T09:38:00.007+08:002011-12-03T11:10:53.163+08:00

As I write this, I'm not sure if this will be my final Photo Hunt entry -- not because I don't want to participate in the meme any more but, instead, because I don't see any themes on the list on organizer tnchick's blog past December 3. I'm hoping that it won't be the case as this week's entry is the kind that makes Photo Hunt feel meaningful to me -- in that it got me hunting through my now

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-90769125624395945912011-11-30T22:38:00.019+08:002011-12-09T10:24:18.405+08:00

As regular visitors to this blog know, I think that Hong Kong rocks. Funnily enough, among the things I like about the Big Lychee are its rocks -- and so much so that I actually penned a feature article on them called Hong Kong Rocks a few years back!More specifically, I've been blown away by the rock formations I've seen in places like Po Toi (see also here, here and here) and the geology of Ma

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-54952194800706607442011-11-27T20:33:00.015+08:002011-11-28T00:15:38.518+08:00

Ha jie lo mien (shrimp roe egg noodles) -- the specialtyof Yuen Long's Ho To Tai Noodle ShopThe culinary holy trinity of -- from left to right --herring, sea urchin and salmon roe at Sushi Shin(with the sea urchin sushi being so good I had to have two)Uncooked mentaiko (spicy pollock roe) is great but grilled mentaiko cooked right is downright heavenly! :bEarlier this evening, my regular hiking

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-22486309901624796992011-11-26T09:21:00.014+08:002011-11-26T10:29:12.161+08:00

The longer one lives in Hong Kong, the more it becomes evident that for all of its official posturing about being Asia's World City, the Fragrant Harbour actually is a place where Chinese -- in particular, Cantonese -- predominates. Among the facts are these: 92% of Hong Kong's population is ethnically Chinese; and 89.2% of the population are Cantonese speakers.At the same time, however, it also

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-65001221399935031662011-11-24T22:41:00.007+08:002011-11-24T23:56:50.008+08:00

Egret spotted this fall at Hong Kong Wetland ParkEgrets and ducks spotted milling on a pond bankfrom one of the Hong Kong Wetland Park's hidesYes, the chances of spotting birds are higher when talking is kept to a minimum and the area is quiet!At lunch today, I was talking to a colleague about why I enjoy hiking so very much in Hong Kong. One reason is that it helps me get away from the madding

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-45316043658801299482011-11-22T22:08:00.016+08:002011-11-22T23:04:15.893+08:00

As regular visitors to this blog know, I like to hike in Hong Kong -- and so much so that, unlike many people who don't do so, will continue to hike in the hot and humid weather. Still, I do find myself looking forward to when the seasons change and the days get cooler and less humid -- so that on Sundays, I can go out longer and/or more challenging hikes than I would be comfortable with in the

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-64023885557895312452011-11-20T21:47:00.007+08:002011-11-20T22:47:18.804+08:00

Tempting? Husbands for sale for only HK$18 each!Not so enticing - a menu that includes XO sauce fried pork bacteria and mushroom soup cuirongnagin! :OEarlier this week, two friends and I went to Sun Chui Wah, an eatery located on the same floor of Java Road Market as the more famous -- and larger and more crowded -- Tung Po. Since it's a claypot rice specialist, we ordered two claypot dishes to

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-24346449392167057322011-11-19T09:58:00.004+08:002011-11-19T11:10:24.393+08:00

Hong Kong is a place where one regularly sees a lot of water about -- in harbours (such as iconic Victoria Harbour), surrounding islands (including Hong Kong Island and Lantau but also myriad smaller islands such as Cheung Chau and Po Toi), rivers and streams But as can be witnessed as recently as this week, it also is a lot of place where a lot of water regularly falls from the sky.Put another

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-56540338546199006882011-11-17T22:44:00.013+08:002011-11-18T22:45:54.937+08:00

Victoria Harbour sunset scene Sunset is one of those times when thelight on the water fascinates me as much as the Hong Kong island urbanscapeIn the past month or so, I've had two friends visit Hong Kong. One of them used to live and work here but shortly after getting her Hong Kong permanent residency, she was recalled to Germany by her company. The second is someone I knew from my time in the

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-80740203025127663312011-11-16T21:05:00.013+08:002011-11-16T22:40:06.613+08:00

"Focus on the journey, not the destination", advised a wellness expert named Greg Anderson. And although I would not always agree with another quote by him to the effect that "Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it", I do reckon that it can often pay dividends to try to enjoy the time one spends getting to a place rather than just fixate only on what's at a journey's end.At

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-25867057797227265732011-11-13T22:34:00.011+08:002011-11-14T08:18:55.811+08:00

Looking down at Tai Long Wan's Sai Wanand beyond from some 200 meters above sea levelView of part of the trail showing that one has to put in some effort in other to be privy to the scenic viewson offer in this part of the Sai Kung PeninsulaBut when a hike takes in vistas like this and avisit to the beach in the picture (Long Ke Wan), allthat effort really can feel very worth it indeed! :)

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-46309036191231964252011-11-12T20:05:00.009+08:002011-11-13T00:20:13.916+08:00

For those who're wondering why I didn't put up my Photo Hunt entry only now rather than earlier today: I goofed by preparing an entry for next week's theme and only realized that this week's theme was two rather than wet/rain after I had finished writing up what will appear on this blog next Saturday! In any event, for my regular Photo Hunt visitors, I hope that this entry will be one you'll

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-70865613114333873842011-11-09T22:48:00.014+08:002011-11-18T08:15:54.326+08:00

For those of you who haven't yet realized, I wrote my final entry about my Japan vacation this past Tuesday -- some 20 entries after the one announcing a temporary change in focus on this blog from Hong Kong to Japan. And upon looking at my blog records, I discovered that the last hike I wrote up in photo-essay form on this blog was that which took me from the greater Mui Wo area northwards and

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-73871261682133592202011-11-06T21:34:00.005+08:002011-11-07T08:15:08.249+08:00

A manhole cover in Kawagoe with an old city sceneon it that includes its iconic Time Bell TowerAn old kura (fire-proof warehouse) building that now ishome to a knife store in the old downtown of Kawagoe Puppet Ponyo considers where she wants to visit next in the historic town As many of those who know me well can confirm, I like to plan and follow plans -- at work but also in my leisure time. At

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-75010126068552574652011-11-05T08:52:00.011+08:002011-11-05T15:04:11.654+08:00

On my previous blog entry about my dining experiences on my most recent Japan vacation, I mentioned my having had dinner at Nagatacho Kurosawa -- the shabu shabu and soba specialist branch of the Restaurant Kurosawa Group established and operated by members of film-making great Akira Kurosawa's family -- and the experience having left my wallet a good bit lighter. Alternatively put: it was the

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-84154803226469666372011-11-03T22:37:00.015+08:002011-11-04T07:53:12.025+08:00

An unagi (freshwater eel), egg and rice dishI had in Kawagoe that smelt and tasted heavenly!Sashimi (and sushi) is expectedly fresh and good-- and actually pretty affordable -- in JapanSurely it's not just me who thinks this dish that includes a mentaiko center and tiny white fish on a bed of rice resembles the Japanese flag? ;OA couple of weeks ago (i.e., a couple of weeks into what has turned

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-55926619251192088522011-11-01T22:04:00.020+08:002011-11-03T08:04:07.672+08:00

Before I went to Japan this last time, I mentioned to a friend my intention of paying another visit to Kiddy Land. Shortly before I left, she -- who is well acquainted with my Hello Kitty love -- sent me a text message with wishes that I'd enjoy my visit to Kitty Land.In honesty, I actually had not originally planned on visiting Sanrio Puroland, the Hello Kitty-themed indoor amusement park in

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-61747053953400207982011-10-29T10:00:00.010+08:002011-10-29T10:49:42.439+08:00

Don't bother to look for cracks in -- or broken bits from -- the statues and figurines in the above photos taken at Kamakura's Hasedera Temple (the top most one) and Kawagoe's Kitain Temple (the bottom two). Even if you do find them though, they're not the point of this Photo Hunt entry. Rather, it's the broken hearts and dreams that are behind each and every one of the smaller figurines in the

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-82775517520574512642011-10-27T21:06:00.010+08:002011-10-27T22:12:36.822+08:00

An unexpected(ly) kawaii sight encounteredin the grounds of Hase Temple (Hasedera)Spotted on the road to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine:a general Studio Ghibli shop and one devoted solelyto fans of Kiki's Delivery Service (particularly Jiji the cat)!What do you think of when you see or hear the word "Japan"? For some people, it's Zen -- the austere aesthetics as well as meditative beliefs.

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-87710528672285316662011-10-24T21:00:00.021+08:002011-10-27T21:04:11.586+08:00

First, there was a Kamakura-themed Photo Hunt entry. Now, here's following up with a Kamakura-themed photo-essay. And lest there be any doubt: here's stating for the record that I not only enjoyed my (short) visit to the place but I also very much endorse this photogenic city's efforts to be given due recognition by UNESCO and placed on that United Nations agency's world heritage list:-Kamakura

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-43429380917752702532011-10-22T10:34:00.012+08:002011-10-24T21:59:09.298+08:00

On the 6th day of my recent Japan trip, I went to Kamakura. Located some 50 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, this small city that's filled with shrines and temples makes for a very pleasant day trip from the Japanese capital -- and I'd go as far as to state that I much preferred visiting it than the apparently more highly thought of Nikko.Although I only managed to visit five of Kamakura's 65

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-11436307763377058822011-10-20T23:14:00.008+08:002011-10-21T00:02:25.869+08:00

Spotted at Rikugien Garden: a moth (or is it a butterfly?)that one could easily walk pass by without noticing --but which I think it would have been a shame to do soAlso spotted in the Japanese stroll garden:a colorful dragonfly perched atop a rope barrierTaken too at Rikugien Garden: Photo ofa crow perched nonchalantly atop a tree branchAs the weekend nears here in Hong Kong this week, my

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-88945446053157207032011-10-18T20:54:00.022+08:002011-10-24T21:59:45.168+08:00

What with the weather being so pleasant (and the skies generally so wonderfully bright blue) for much of the time during my most recent Japan vacation, I couldn't help but want to spend a large part of it outdoors. Thus it was that on day five of my recent Japan sojourn, I ended up visiting not one but two Japanese stroll gardens: one of which -- the Rikugien Gardens in Komagome -- was

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-57650493097895960872011-10-16T17:19:00.010+08:002011-10-25T08:31:36.548+08:00

Watching baseball at Tokyo's Meiji Jingu StadiumFocusing on the visiting Hanshin Tigers' pitcher In the stands, the beer girls (and boys) alsoare frequently called to action Puppet Ponyo in the crowd and gamely clutching two baseball bats (that actually are more for making lots of noise than batting any balls) ;bBefore I left for Japan three Saturdays ago now, I e-mailed a friend living in Tokyo

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-11542125957452560342011-10-15T09:44:00.010+08:002011-10-15T10:58:32.429+08:00

As some of you may know, I'm a museophile with experience working in museums in the US, Britain, Malaysia and Tanzania. So it's only natural that when on vacation, I visit my share of museums -- with my recent visit to Japan involving not only a visit to the Edo-Tokyo Open-Air Architectural Museum in Koganei but also, a day later, the Fukagawa Edo Museum in eastern Tokyo.A small community museum

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-90663719739962490962011-10-11T23:01:00.021+08:002011-10-12T00:53:08.585+08:00

And so it goes: not just The Guardian's coverage of Japan in its Travel section (see here, here and here) but also my own over on this blog... After devoting much of the previous day to visiting sacred spaces in Nikko (and checking out Asakusa's Sensoji Temple), I decided I needed a bit of a break from visiting temples, shrines and associated places. Alternatively, my visit to Nikko's Tamozawa

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-43692659895611436942011-10-09T20:46:00.015+08:002011-10-09T21:51:31.067+08:00

The 107-room Tamozawa Imperial Villa is quite a bit bigger than it may look in this photoAlthough no where one tenth as decoratively elaborate as the Toshugu Shrine, the villa stillis not without its own ornamental touchesNestled amidst landscaped beauty, many of its windows (be they round, square or rectangular) offer up aesthetically pleasing viewsFor many people, Nikko's sacred spaces are

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-59799622774549225012011-10-08T09:36:00.008+08:002011-10-08T10:13:00.118+08:00

Message for those waiting for my Photo Hunt return: I'm back! And here's confirming that I was vacationing in Japan when the previous two editions of Photo Hunt took place -- and, also, that I had a great time once again in that wonderful country (which I first visited back in 1982!)!Those who regularly check out this blog know that this past week's entries have been Japan-focused -- and that a

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-52306311419598645602011-10-06T22:42:00.023+08:002011-10-07T09:03:14.899+08:00

Highly decorated roofing on some of the buildingsthat make up Toshugu Shrine in NikkoClose-up view of a gateway at the less elaborately decorated -- relative to Toshugu Shrine -- Taiyuin MausoleumOn the second full day of my recent Japan trip, I woke up early to beat the Tokyo rush hour commuter traffic and headed some 140 kilometers north of the Japanese capital city to Nikko. A temple town

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-4970028905537575452011-10-05T22:43:00.009+08:002011-10-05T23:09:13.371+08:00

Spotted in Asakusa: the towering Tokyo Sky Tree(which will only be completed in 2012) and,among other things, a rickshaw on the street along with more regular vehicles like cars and bicyclesEspecially for baroness radon: here's an addendum to my previous blog entry on my encountering the modern and traditional over a single day in Tokyo that comes with a photo that shows the modern and

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-86844736445118581722011-10-04T22:29:00.021+08:002011-10-05T08:06:59.361+08:00

Is it coincidence or what? One day after I wrote my first blog entry post my most recent Japan trip, The Guardian ran a travel piece extolling the virtues of traveling in Japan.While I wouldn't go so far as to say that I found any place I went "eerily quiet", it's true enough that I often got the impression that I was the only foreign visitor in many of the places that I went to on this recent

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-47152358309182116272011-10-02T17:58:00.013+08:002011-10-02T21:11:52.182+08:00

Conservatively color-attired people and brightly colored building in ShinjukuSerene scene at Rikiguen Garden later that morningPuppet Ponyo gets into the Hanshin Tigers-supportingspirit at a baseball game that eveningin the opposition section of Meiji Jingu StadiumA few months ago, I wrote a blog entry in which I mused about where I'd like to travel to for my next vacation. Even while I

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-70883052494534421082011-09-24T07:47:00.008+08:002011-09-24T08:20:44.066+08:00

A serene and quiet placeNature and culture get together to form an aesthetically pleasing spaceIf things go as planned, before the end of today, I will be in a country I last visited in 2008 enjoying my first long vacation of 2011. Looking back at my last visit to Japan, about my only regret is that I didn't take enough photographs on that trip. (I guess I was too busy exploring, experiencing..

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-9677857249044017482011-09-20T23:10:00.019+08:002011-09-21T00:01:06.703+08:00

In some parts of Hong Kong, place names abound that can make one think that one is on another continent other than Asia. (I think in particular of Hong Kong Island and its locations like Aberdeen, Stanley, Kennedy Town, Victoria Park, Mounts Davis, Butler and Parker, and Jardine's Lookout -- though it also is true that many, if not all, of these places also do have Chinese names -- such as Chek

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-55307946893414034902011-09-18T22:24:00.013+08:002011-09-20T08:08:48.168+08:00

It was festival time in Tai Hang earlier this weekStreet view of a section of the long creature which gets paraded through the neighborhood annuallyAnd if you didn't know or guess already: It's the fire dragon that's the center of all that attention!Years ago, when I was still living in Philadelphia, I encountered a Hong Kong fire dragon. To be precise, I came across a Hong Kong movie entitled

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-10237875633427608992011-09-17T08:37:00.012+08:002011-09-17T11:09:24.828+08:00

There is an area of Hong Kong known as Diamond Hill whose existence I first got to know about via it being the setting for movies such as Soi Cheang's Diamond Hill and Fruit Chan's Hollywood, Hong Kong. After moving to the Big Lychee, I tend to only visit it on the way to someplace else -- as its main bus terminal (at the base of Plaza Hollywood) is the starting point for buses such as the 96R

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-72251518127039774552011-09-15T23:18:00.010+08:002011-09-16T00:38:15.665+08:00

Freshly fried cucuk (AKA cucur) udang -- great withfried tofu, fish paste rolls and raw cucumber all dipped in a semi spicy, semi sweet peanut-y sauce...and even better in tandem with a shallow bowl of delightful Swatow Lane ais kacang! According to its Wikipedia entry, a certain American institution is the largest fast food burger chain in the world -- and serves some 64 million customers daily.

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-37964193500759255762011-09-13T22:42:00.018+08:002011-09-13T23:26:20.783+08:00

Early on in my time hiking in Hong Kong, I was wary of going on any hikes on Lantau Island on account of my having gotten the impression that Hong Kong's largest island only had super difficult trails. Upon getting more familiar with the Big Lychee's hiking trails though, I've discovered that not all of Lantau's hiking trails lead up (and then down) challenging peaks like Lantau Peak or Sunset

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-17157273040446249812011-09-11T20:41:00.019+08:002011-09-11T22:30:58.901+08:00

Fun flying objects spotted in the sky todayObserved while out hiking this afternoon: regeneration and growth from out of the ashesEarlier today, I went out hiking on Lantau Island with two friends. Although we all now reside in Hong Kong, on this day ten years ago, one of them had been living in Toronto, the other in Washington, D.C., while I myself had been living in Philadelphia. And, of

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-51872084262979505252011-09-10T08:53:00.009+08:002011-09-10T11:31:29.670+08:00

In the quiet village of Coloane down near Macau's southern tip, there is a purveyor of decadent edibles such as its trademark egg tarts that scores of people happily go out of their way to get their hands on the establishment's greasy delights. Although Lord Stow's Bakery now has branches elsewhere (including at the opulent Venetian Macao and outlets in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and the

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-46107555366850900482011-09-08T20:49:00.007+08:002011-09-08T22:53:11.894+08:00

A view of buildings that might not be out of placein Hong Kong (but, actually, are located in Penang)Alternatively, this view looks like what it is -- of a place that's thousands of miles away from the Big LycheeLate last week up to earlier this week, I was back in Penang -- where my parents still live (but not my siblings as well as myself). Although I was born there, I have spent more than

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-18498914091490070262011-09-06T21:37:00.016+08:002011-09-17T11:09:08.284+08:00

One of the reasons why I love hiking in Hong Kong is that it can often "fill in the blanks" in my imagination when looking at a map of the territory. Another reason is that it allows me to venture to parts of the Big Lychee which one can't if one were to solely rely on such as public transportation (or, in some cases, even private cars).And such was the case for the most part when two friends of

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-11457020971603038062011-09-03T08:19:00.022+08:002011-09-06T18:25:25.834+08:00

Surely there's something wrong with that sign? Put it another way: I'm far more willing to believe that something got lot in translation with regards to its English portion than that pedestrians and mountain bikes (the latter especially when just by themselves -- that is, sans riders) are really that scary, be it on a hiking trail or not! ;b(Also, no, there's nothing wrong but yes, this week, my

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-56890612316264252972011-09-01T21:53:00.009+08:002011-09-01T23:54:25.687+08:00

View of a night time association football game played on a lighted but grass-less Kowloon City pitch The first thing I did this morning after I woke up wasn't to go wash my face, brush my teeth or even switch on the electric water heater (to boil water for my coffee). Instead, it was to rush to my computer to go online and find out who my association football (soccer in American English) club

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-87439032299639878032011-08-30T22:14:00.016+08:002011-08-30T23:06:44.176+08:00

Before anything else: For those who didn't check out the comments thread of my previous photo-essay, baroness radon enquired why Ma Shi Chau (Cantonese for "Horse Excrement Island") was so named. My reply was that I had heard that "the island's shape is thought to resemble a heap of horse excrement when viewed from an elevated angle". However, sbk offered an alternative explanation to the

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-49193824348914902062011-08-28T21:42:00.014+08:002011-08-31T23:13:46.176+08:00

At the entrance to the Sanrio Robotics Institute (SRI) -- along with other Kitty da Vinki acolytes -- that has temporarily set up shop at Tsuen Wan's Discovery Park My own (small) Robot K -- see it? -- posing with a couple of (larger) Robot K prototypes awaiting attention at the S.R.I. Repair Department Inside S.R.I.'s aesthetically impressive -- and so it should be! -- Design Department

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-38865739712157878612011-08-27T10:35:00.011+08:002011-08-27T23:20:35.485+08:00

As those who regularly check out this blog (and not just its Photo Hunt entries) know, I have a fondness for photos of large spiders that I've come to realize is not shared by some of the blog's visitors. However, I'm actually not sure whether these people know that I also find the webs that spiders weave fascinating as well as beautiful. Maybe it's the symbolic anthropology training I

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-19254856131495656782011-08-25T22:11:00.013+08:002011-08-26T08:19:56.022+08:00

Rainbow-like spectrum created by sun rays shooting a cobweb Rainbow in the sky over Hong Kong Island on -- believe it or not -- a rain-less day! For the many people who still haven't realized that some three-quarters of Hong Kong is countryside (rather than urban concrete jungle) -- and that forty percent of the Big Lychee's land lies within country parks, it can seem ironic as well as

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-24317145669352131572011-08-23T23:43:00.016+08:002011-08-25T00:11:53.305+08:00

Why would one want to visit an island with the unattractive sounding name of Ma Shi Chau (Cantonese for "Horse Excrement Island")?! For those in the know, the answer would be "To see its rock formations of course!" For as it so happens, this island in Tolo Harbour which is connected, at low tide, to Yim Tin Tsai via a tombolo is part of a designated Special Area on account of its rich

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-77959772646738786242011-08-21T22:03:00.007+08:002011-08-22T09:01:34.415+08:00

Blue skies over Chek Keng Hau yesterday Blue skies over Ngong Ping (and some mist over Lantau Peak) this afternoon Just before I set out to Tung Chung to meet my regular hiking companion earlier today, I decided to check the Hong Kong Observatory's website one more time -- and was somewhat horrified to see a thunderstorm warning in effect. For those who are wondering: the two reasons why I

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-12177631467010375032011-08-20T09:41:00.007+08:002011-08-20T11:10:47.428+08:00

There's no two ways about it: I do like my drink. Contrary to what some people might think, however, I don't only care for alcoholic beverages! And it really is the case that I tend to choose what to drink based on the occasion but also, for meals, what food is being eaten. For example, on my German holiday last year, during which I ate much traditional German fare (like was the case when

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-48000539350213735632011-08-18T23:27:00.014+08:002011-08-19T08:15:22.967+08:00

View of part of the over 800 meter long Central-Mid-Levels Escalator A couple of evenings ago, I had dinner with an American friend who is visiting Hong Kong for the first time. Among the things she told me she had targeted to check out during her maiden trip to the Big Lychee was the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator. This was something that I thought pretty normal -- not least since one of the

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-8995406975843616302011-08-16T23:39:00.022+08:002011-08-17T00:23:00.945+08:00

As I mentioned last week, after my regular hiking companion and I completed the Fung Hang Family Walk one hot and muggy afternoon, we decided that we were game for more hiking that same day. So after green mini bus 56K dislodged us at its Fanling MTR station terminus, we made our way to Wu Tip Shan (whose name translates into English as Butterfly Hill), next to Fung Ying Sin Koon. If truth be

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-47261102987590629882011-08-14T23:00:00.011+08:002011-08-16T08:27:30.175+08:00

This shy dragonfly was not easy to photograph These pair of dragonflies, on the other hand, were far less shy and way easier to photograph! ...and lest it not be clear in the other photo what they were doing, this shot should be revealing enough! ;D Earlier today, my regular hiking companion and I hiked up (and then down) Mount Davis, Hong Kong Island's westernmost hill, on what turned out

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-48190708532039808192011-08-13T09:31:00.009+08:002011-08-13T10:36:28.544+08:00

This week's Photo Hunt entry is one of those rare ones for which I'm offering up just one photo. This isn't because I only have one suitable candidate of photo to fit the theme but because I thought one photo would be appropriate considering what this week's theme is. For those of you who'd like to check out some more photos, however -- and specifically for those looking for more proof that

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-45747133325595540272011-08-11T22:27:00.013+08:002011-08-12T09:02:10.038+08:00

At Lido Beach (underneath the Ting Kau Bridge) one weekend afternoon this summer View at one point in a hike up on the Ngong Ping Plateau last summer "What are you going to do this weekend?" is a question that my mother frequently asks me since I moved to Hong Kong. My usual response involves a combination of cultural activities (e.g., viewing a new film or an old movie, going to a

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-83106055155696420032011-08-09T23:08:00.012+08:002011-08-10T00:16:48.413+08:00

On one of Hong Kong's super hot and muggy summer days, my regular hiking companion and I decided to go for an easy hike: specifically, the just 2.25 kilometer long Fung Hang Family Walk up in the northern New Territories, near Starling Inlet (AKA Sha Tau Kok Hoi) and the border between the Big Lychee and Mainland China. As it so happened, we decided at the end of this family friendly hiking

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-55743138437880464002011-08-07T21:14:00.011+08:002011-08-08T18:51:42.407+08:00

The first of many lizards (particularly skinks) spotted while hiking in Tai Po Kau today A brown skink is pretty easy to spot on a green background (but less so in areas with lots of brown roots and twigs about) Continuing with my documentation of fascinating wildlife spotted while out hiking in the Big Lychee (N.B. Those interested can look here, here, here and here for some earlier examples!

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Around this time last year, I went to the Hong Kong Museum of Art to check out its special exhibition entitled Lofty Integrity: Donation of Works by Wu Guanzhong. Held between March 26th and October 10th, 2010, it featured 51 works by the Chinese painter, including several that he had himself donated to the museum.Sadly, Wu Guanzhong passed away in the middle of Lofty Integrity's exhibition

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-11764320568263679292011-08-03T22:27:00.011+08:002011-08-04T01:00:02.681+08:00

The Hong Kong-Mainland China martial arts drama thathad its world premiere at this year's Cannes Film FestivalWu Xia (Hong Kong-Mainland China, 2011)- Peter Chan Ho Sun, director- Starring Donnie Yen, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tang Wei, Jimmy Wang Yu, Kara Hui Ying Hung, etc.Before the 21st century began, if you asked Hong Kong movie fans who they reckoned was the filmmaker who was Shaw Brothers

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Before anything else: yes, I'm really behind in posting hiking photo-essays. To give an idea of how far behind I am: I'm only now posting a photo-essay of the September 2010 hike I went on in which I spotted these wild creatures I previously posted about!So without further ado... except to note that the day my regular hiking companion and I went on that hike was one of those beautiful "after the

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View of some of Lei Yue Mun's structures (and Devil's Peak in the background)Scenic view from near the top of Devil's PeakLei Yue Mun dwellings and -- to the right of the photo-- the Tin Hau temple by the water's edgeEarlier today, I broke one of the cardinal hiking guidelines I normally follow: "Never hike alone". I couldn't help it. Despite my regular hiking companion being indisposed (due to

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-191066811309598632011-07-30T10:29:00.015+08:002011-07-30T11:29:18.446+08:00

This time last year, I was absent for a couple of Photo Hunts due to my being away in Germany visiting with a German friend who I had met while hiking in Hong Kong -- and who lived and worked in Asia's World City (and happily got permanent residency status in Hong Kong) before getting sent home to Germany by her company.Before she left the Big Lychee, she invited me to visit her -- and I duly did

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-12982144777755081992011-07-26T23:03:00.017+08:002011-07-27T00:10:19.136+08:00

Close to the spot where I took the first photo in the following photo-essay, I heard a European visitor ask why there weren't more people at the beautiful beach that lay ahead. When told that many people thought it was too hot to go on such a long way to that location, he appeared flabbergasted.Even while I could understand his local companion's point, I also could understand why the European

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My favorite actress of all time in a scene from one of my favorite films of all timeDespite the "very hot weather" warning in effect these past few days, I've had one of those active weekends which saw me do such as viewing two movies at the Hong Kong Film Archive and also going on a 5 hour hike earlier today. But even while much of what I did this past weekend was enjoyable enough, the fact of

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As I outlined in last week's Photo Hunt entry, one is likely to encounter patches of local culture along with nature when out hiking in Hong Kong -- and as I think the snaps in this week's Photo Hunt entry clearly shows, the former sometimes can be quite whimsical as well as colorful in nature!More specifically, the photographs at the top of this blog post are of guardians of cultivated patches

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A delicious dish of clams offered up at Hong Kee Respaurant (according to its sign!) in Cheung ChauOne step up in clam quality:Razor clams at Tung Po in North PointGet a load of these babies! King size razor clamsat Rainbow Seafood Restaurant on Lamma Island :bBefore I moved to Hong Kong, I already knew about the culinary wonders of such as dim sum, siu mei (particularly char siu and siu yoke)

YTSLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289278000277019122.post-56810184017040025802011-07-19T20:26:00.017+08:002011-07-20T08:21:18.316+08:00

One very hot day last summer, a friend and I hiked to Sai Kung's Tai Long Wan (as opposed to those on Hong Kong Island (better known as Big Wave Bay, the English meaning of the Cantonese "tai long wan"), Cheung Chau and Lantau (of which there are two -- both of which are always known as Tai Long Wan rather than Big Wave Bay). So memorable was out of outing that I felt compelled to blog about it

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Spotted while out hiking today: A large female stink bug going and getting food (in the form of a centipede) even while a smaller male stink bug was stuck to her behind doing you know what! :OAdvance apologies to those blog visitors of a sensitive disposition who may be appalled by the sight of bugs and talk about s-e-x but I feel obliged to document and discuss a sight I came across earlier

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When out hiking in Hong Kong, one sometimes can feel not so much that one has gone back to nature but that one has gone backwards in time. This is because many a hiking trail doesn't just lead those who follow them out of -- and at times above -- the concrete jungle into the countryside and country parks but also sections of a more traditional, rural Hong Kong bordering, crisscrossing and

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The sequel to East is East -- released 11 years after it!West is West (Britain, 2010)- Andy De Emmony, dir.- Starring Aqib Khan, Om Puri, Linda Bassett, Emil Marwa, Ila Arun, Nadim Sawalha, Raj Bansali, etc."Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet," goes the famous line from Rudyard Kipling's The Ballad of East and West. Far less well known, however, is the same poem's

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