Ponyo, Ponyo, Ponyo!!!

Not what one normally expects
to see in a mall, right?

Here's a Ponyo, there's another Ponyo!

This has not been the best of the weekends. Part of it is because one of my least favorite days of the year -- one which makes me feel like I shouldn't be happy to be to be single the way I usually am most days of the year, for quite a few years now -- came again yesterday. Part of it is due to it having been gray, foggy -- due to weather conditions but also air pollution -- and humid for the past few days. Work-induced stress -- there's no denying that there's a recession on these days -- also has played its part.

But as I think that regular readers of this blog realize, encountering the kawaii can make my day as well as lighten my mood and bring a smile to my face. Thus it was that I felt whatever funk I had was lifted upon my unexpectedly encountering a large Ponyo On the Cliff by the Sea display inside of a mall in Mongkok this afternoon!

For fans of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli who have yet to see this magical movie, rest assured that it's one more cinematic gem that you will love. As for those who have yet to check out these anime giants' charming creations, I reckon that Ponyo... -- with its lovable as well as irrepressible main character and some truly cool supporting ones -- would provide a pretty good introduction to their amazing body of work; though, of course, you should never stop at viewing just one of their films but, rather, ought to then go ahead and check out the likes of the enchanting My Neighbor Totoro, sublime Porco Rosso, etc., etc., etc. :b

Nautical (This week's Photo Hunt theme)

I was born on an island (Penang) and currently reside on another island (Hong Kong). In between, have also spent several months on a third island (Zanzibar's main island of Unguja). These facts notwithstanding though, I've not been a person who's had much to do with things nautical for pleasure as well as work.

Thus, I've taken a cue from a few Photo Hunters whose bridge(s) efforts last week covered significant swathes of the area surrounding the ostensible focus of the Photo Hunt and opted for the above photos: ones that show off quite a bit of Hong Kong's (the territory as a whole, not just the Hong Kong Island) varied geography along with the different types and sizes of vessels that sail in its waters.

(And for those seeking details: the first photo was taken in Sai Kung and looks toward Ma On Shan; the second looks to Aberdeen Channel from near one of the entrances Ocean Park; while the third, of course, is from Tsim Sha Tsui looking across Victoria Harbour to Hong Kong Island.)

Another Lantau Island hike (photo-essay)

A couple of weeks after hiking from Ngong Ping down to Tung Chung Road, I returned to Lantau Island for another afternoon of hiking with a friend. This time around, the trail I selected took us from the village of Shui Hau (trans. "water mouth") to Shek Pik Reservoir (which, along with Shek Pik Prison, this Hong Kong movie geek will always associate with Herman Yau's affecting From the Queen to the Chief Executive).

Towards the end of our hike, I remarked to my companion that we had gotten a lot of bang for our (hiking) buck. She enthusiastically agreed that this was the case because this really was a very nice trail that, in a relatively short distance, offered up lots of varied and beautiful scenery as it led us to down a beach, back up to higher ground along parts of the coast and such as it wound along; something that I hope will be apparent when you take a look at the following photo-essay:-

Shui Hau village, a British army-built bridge
and some of Lantau's many mountains

Mountains, sea, greenery and mudflats
-- not what usually comes to mind
when people think of Hong Kong, right? ;b

A beach of sand rather than mud this time around

I know because the trail took my hike companion
(who also likes to take photos!) and me down there!

Just as I was thinking that my mother'd like this hike,
we came upon a series of steps up a hill... ;S

But, honestly, when they take you up
to places where you can take in
views like this one, it really can feel worth it! :)

Still, I didn't neglect to notice the flora --
but have to admit that I'm not sure if those
are fruits or flowerbuds of some sort!

As for fauna: lemme tell you from experience
how difficult it is to photograph butterflies,
especially a small one like this!

To be continued... but of course! ;b

The cute cat returns!

Hello Kitty (and friends) in the MTR once more!

Hello Kitty wishing people
a happy Chinese new year
on behalf of Hong Kong's MTR

I have to admit: the sight of this creation
left me speechless for a few moments! :b

Look away now, Hello Kitty haters -- because a new year brings... more Hello Kitty in the MTR! This particular display that I came across while walking in the underground area connecting the MTR's Central and Hong Kong stations looks to be festive-themed as well as connected to the on-going Hello Kitty promotion. Hence my thinking it appropriate to draw attention to it on the 15th and last day of Chinese New Year.

(And yes, I know that Hello Kitty is a Japanese invention -- and, in fact, Japan's current tourism ambassador to Hong Kong and Mainland China (even though she's supposed to be English). But believe me when I say that there are plenty of Hello Kitty-themed Chinese New Year paraphenalia to be found and also sights of such as Hello Kitty and Dear Daniel clad in traditional Chinese costume wishing people a happy (Chinese) New Year about in this part of the world!)

Bridges (This week's Photo Hunt theme)

When people think of bridges, chances are they're thinking of bridges over water. To be sure, Hong Kong does have excellent examples of these, including the Tsing Ma Bridge that is the world's longest-span suspension bridge with an overall length of 2.2 kilometers and nearby Ting Kau Bridge (that optical illusion has caused to appear to be the larger of the two in my photo of them in this blog entry).

Hong Kong being a vertical-oriented (no pun intended!) city though, it also has more than its fair share of overhead bridges over broad and narrow roads and streets, especially in high density sections of the territory like Causeway Bay. So I figured that my Photo Hunt entry would be incomplete without a couple of pictures of these pedestrian walkways, however modest looking they may be. :)

Street food musings

Street food, glorious street food! :b

Earlier this week, sbk posted an entry on her blog with a photo that got my mouth watering. Thus I was reminded of the power of pictures! Then this morning, a comment by Glenn on the comments thread of that same blog entry got me realizing that it has been a while since I last put up some food photos over on this blog. So here's remedying the situation this evening with another photo filled with what Hong Kong is really good at: fried street food; this one taking from an overhead pedestrian bridge in Wan Chai (hence the inclusion of the stall's colorful striped awning in the picture)! :)

On the subject of street food: I have to say that I can't believe that Hong Kong as well as Penang is not on a World Hum Eight Best Cities for Street Food list. Or, for that matter, Philadelphia (whose hoagies, cheese steaks, soft pretzels and hot dogs come with a choice of sausages, including Italian sausage and Polish kielbasas)! And this from someone who's lived in one of those cities (though "city" is rather generous to describe Zanzibar Stone Town!) as well as visited -- and eaten -- in two others (Berlin and Istanbul)!!

Funny warning signs!

Talk about a graphic sign!

And if the first wasn't graphic enough for you...! ;D

Last Sunday, while hiking along the Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail (listed in guidebooks as being 12.5km in length but if you count the distance to get to its starting point from the nearest bus stop and from its endpoint to a mini bus stop, it's a total of 15km!), I came across the flash flood warning sign pictured above that caused me -- and a few fellow hikers -- to double up with laughter. One day later, while looking at which photos taken during my hike from Ngong Ping downhill towards Tung Chung to include in a photo-essay, I came across a landslide danger sign that I must admit to having being amused by, only to save putting it up for another day.

Well, here's figuring that today is as good as any other to be that day! And while I do so, here's also going ahead and suggesting that there genuinely is humor to be found not only in signs that mangle the English language or those that point to the existence of different perspectives on how to lead life but, also, those that seem designed, in all seriousness, to really get messages across to people -- by being in not only one but two different languages and coming complete with expressive pictorials that appear to be designed to be understood by those who can't read either Chinese or English.

Maybe next up at some point: Hong Kong signs with surprisingly cute graphics... And no, I don't just mean those that prominently feature Hello Kitty (like the MTR poster and stickers) either! Wanna see them? I sure hope so since, as it so happens, I've been "collecting" photos of them also... ;b