Promise and Landscapes You Like (This week's Photo Hunt themes)

Since moving to Hong Kong, Sundays have held a special place in my heart.  This is because Sundays are regularly reserved for hiking outings. And as such, they hold the promise of adventure and my getting to be out in -- and getting to view -- landscapes that I like. (How's this for combining Sandi's and Gattina's Photo Hunt themes not only in a single blog entry but a single sentence?! :b)

For those interested in details: the top-most landscape photo is of the summit of Tai Mo Shan, Hong Kong's highest mountain (which, yes, I'm happy to say that I've been up on).  The two other photos at the top of this blog post were taken on Lantau, Hong Kong's largest -- but by no means most densely populated -- island. 

To my mind, Lantau is one of those sections of Hong Kong that rank high in terms of hiking potential and promise.  I've already been on some really enjoyable hikes (including along the Nei Lak Shan and South Lantau Country Trails as well as sections of the Lantau Trail) on that island but there still are many trails that I've yet to go on -- and that I look forward to doing so before too long. :)

Hello Kitty X herbal drinks (and soups and jellies)

Hung Fook Tong's been Hello Kitty-fied!

As Chinese New Year approaches, 

the Hello Kitty at Hung Fook Tong is to be found 

in a more traditional Chinese garb :)

Close to a month ago Hello Kitty appeared on my blog for a Stellar Advertising Photo Hunt entry in which I discussed how many companies pay for Hello Kitty to advertise their products (as opposed to the cute cat's parent company, Sanrio, paying for her to be associated with those products).

 

Currently, there are two major promotions featuring the furry feline in Hong Kong.  One of them is the annual 7-11 Hello Kitty/Sanrio program that this time around involves a Sweet Delight collection of Sanrio figurines (which, incidentally, don't include any of Winkipinki *sob*).  The other is one that comes courtesy of Hung Fook Tong, purveyors of herbal drinks, soups and jellies.

If truth be told, I prefer to get my herbal teas -- including 24 herbs tea when I'm feeling flu-ish, five flower tea when I'm feeling fatigued and chrysanthemum tea in hot and humid weather (i.e., during the long Hong Kong summers) -- from individual herbal tea stalls and shops (like the one that prominently features in Herman Yau's under-rated Herbal Tea) rather than a chain store.

But Hung Fook Tong's not too bad in a pinch -- and their Mango Deluxe drink is pretty tasty (though, not as addictive as those at Hui Lau Shan!).  A warning for those who are tempted to try their cough relieving tea though: it's really strong and one should not drink the contents of one bottle of it in one go!  I fortunately was specifically told not to do so by the person at Hung Fook Tong who sold it to me but a non-Cantonese speaking friend was not told anything and lost her voice and felt even more ill when she did so when she came down with the flu and decided to try a Chinese herbal remedy to help alleviate some of her flu symptoms! ;b

From Sai Wan Pavilion towards Long Ke (Photo-essay)

The Maclehose Trail is the oldest and lengthiest of Hong Kong's four long trails whose various sections often can be separately completed. Opened in October 1979, the 100 kilometer trail consists of 10 sections of varying lengths.

One beautiful day in November 2011, three friends -- one of whom was making his first ever visit to the Big Lychee -- and I hiked along Section 1 and part of Section 2 in reverse.  Because Section 1 ends at Long Ke (where there's a beautiful beach but is quite a distance from any roads, never mind public transportation), it can't be done on its own.  So we tagged on the bit of Section 2 that's within walking distance from Sai Wan Pavilion (which itself is reachable via Village Bus 29R which one can take from Sai Kung town).  

The hike was a lengthy and tiring one -- but, as I previously noted on this blog, it made for a great day out.  And here's offering up some photos to prove it! ;b

 Sorry, but I can't resist putting up this photo 

of a couple of butterflies we spotted

going at it early in the hike! ;)

 One of our first glimpses of High Island Reservoir

  After getting on the Maclehose Trail, we were given

glimpses of beautiful Tai Long Wan

View from further south along the trail of Tai Long Wan

 314 meter high Sai Wan Shan was the highest point

we reached on this hike -- and there's a 

trigonometrical station on the hilltop to prove it! :)

From there, we descended down -- 

all the way to that beach in the distance!

 Another view of and on the way down

Another -- more impressive? -- perspective 

of the hill we were on and then descended down

To be continued... with at least one more photo-essay of this hike that I'm super glad to have gone on and completed! :)

From haunted mental hospital to community complex (and movie location!)

Photo taken back in August 2007 of the building in 

Sai Ying Pun known as the High Street Haunted House

Photo taken just yesterday of the outer corridor of the 

19th century Hong Kong building with a dark history

Nowadays, it houses the Sai Ying Pun Community Complex

and looks pretty spiffy to my eyes

After lunch with a friend in Causeway Bay yesterday afternoon, I decided to go for a stroll by myself in a part of Hong Kong that I rarely visit.  First, I checked out Centre Street, where I found men hard at work on the planned Centre Street escalator link that looks like it'll be similar to the Central-Mid-Levels escalator that I first caught sight of in (and will forever associate with) Chungking Express. Then, I ventured along similarly steep neighboring Eastern Street, where I caught sight of the eye-catching Grade I Historic Building on the corner of Eastern and High Streets.

The first time I had passed by the Old Mental Hospital building (back in 2007), I felt something eerie about the place -- and didn't tary in its vicinity.  And this despite my not knowing at the time of its reputation as a haunted location as well as of its history as a former psychiatric facility. 

This time around though, there appeared to be a more positive air to the place. So, emboldened, I ventured closer and discovered that it's now the location of the Sai Ying Pun Community Complex.  And, also, that its outdoor corridor area is a photographer's delight!

Upon further research, I've found that, sadly, only the exterior of this heritage building has been preserved since the interior had been damaged by two fires and gone into disrepair through the building having been vacant for a number of years.  On a brighter note, this Hong Kong movie fan was happy to also have discovered that its facade has appeared in at least two Hong Kong films: Wong Ching Po's Jiang Hu (2004) and Benny Chan's Invisible Target (2007).  The building may also have been used in a Soi Cheang movie -- but someone will have to confirm that this is so, and additionally provide the title of the film in question! ;b

Daub and Looking Out of Your Window (This week's Photo Hunts)

At Art HK 12, I came across an art work I found fascinating because it looked like the artist had started off by fairly randomly putting daubs of paint on his canvas, then turning them into the bodies of many different individuals to depict a colorfully clad crowd of people. 

Ironically, although I think the artist (whose name I unfortunately have forgotten) made it so that his work needs to be examined both from up close as well as from afar, and from the side (where the three-dimensional nature of his daubs becomes most apparent) as well as front, the exhibitor of his works at the Hong Kong art fair seemed most upset when people went about doing this! And I also didn't think that the American exhibitor -- a gallery from New York that was taking part in the art fair for the first time in 2012, if I recall correctly -- was prepared for the number of people going about taking photos of the art on show -- something that is expected behavior in click-happy Hong Kong, especially post the advents of phones that also have camera capabilities!

Hopefully the exhibitor as well as artist would be happy to know that viewing art works at art fairs like Art HK 12 (and, for that matter, Art HK 09, Art HK 10 and Art HK 11) can serve to inspire folks like me to look at the world through more artistic lenses when doing such as taking photos. As an example, here's offering up -- and yes, this is one of the biggest stretches I've made to combine Sandi's and Gattina's Photo Hunt themes into a single entry! -- an "artistic" shot of what I see when looking out of my window!

A story from the last time I went apartment hunting: many Hong Kongers aspire to have apartments offering up scenic views, especially of Victoria Harbour.  But as I told my property agent, I really am not one of those people.  The sad reason is that there are days when the air is so polluted that one can't see across the harbour. And like I told her, on days like that, if I wake up to such a view, I'd feel really reluctant to get out of bed!  

When the property agent showed me the apartment that I did decide to go for, one of the things she said about it is "No view!"  By this, she meant that it looks out to other buildings for the most part.  In all honesty, I don't mind at all -- and, in fact, find the views can be pretty fascinating -- and, best, of all, often make me think "my goodness, it looks like I'm living in the middle of a Hong Kong movie set!"  And a bustling, high density one that's typically alive with people and color at that! :)

Hanging food -- and other food musings

An octopus hung out to dry

Lots more squid (or are they cuttlefish?) 

also hanging out in the sun

Real -- not rubber! -- chicken hanging in a row

on Cheung Chau

A few years ago, a good friend -- and fellow Hong Kong film fanatic -- from Brooklyn came over to Hong Kong for a holiday. While looking about for a place to eat in my neighborhood, we passed by an eatery specializing in siu mei (various roast meats including char siu and siu yuk) that, like others of its ilk, hung its offerings near the window for all to see.  For me, the sight was very appetizing -- and it was only when my friend reacted with horror to that same sight that I realized that not everyone has the same positive reaction to it as me!

A couple of Sundays ago, I caught sight of of a large octopus and several smaller sea creatures (that were either squid or cuttlefish) hanging on lines at Po Toi's inhabited area, near the famous Ming Kee restaurant.  I found the presented vision to be fun(ny) and cool, and couldn't resist going up closer and taking photographs of the drying critters -- but I have a feeling my Brooklyn buddy would have wanted to steer clear of them. Ditto re the row of chicken I saw on a visit to Cheung Chau -- chicken which, more than incidentally, look remarkably like the joke rubber chicken that squeak when you press them that I've seen being sold in novelty stores at the upper end of Mongkok's Fa Yuen Street!

On a more serious note: I am one of those people who is happily an omnivore.  And I am okay with knowing full well that the meat I eat comes from actual animals that used to be alive before they were caught and killed for human consumption.  Also, the more time I spend living in Hong Kong, the more I've come to have a culinary preference for particular animal parts as well as particular animals. For example, I find that not only do I like pork, beef and mutton (be it the meat of lambs or goats) more than chicken and turkey but I also really love pork neck, pork belly and pig's ears more than other cuts of pork -- and oh, I do like duck's tongue and chicken feet too (and yes, I do reckon it's a cultural thing)! ;b

Central and southern Cheung Chau hike sights (Photo-essay)

One fall day some time back, two friends and I spent a day hiking around Cheung Chau.  We started off by heading up from the ferry pier to the northen section of the dumbbell shaped island.  Then, moving clockwise, we tramped down to and through the central, built up part of Cheung Chau, down to its southeast before heading over to the southwest and then back up again to near the hike start -- where we rewarded ourselves with a delicious and filling dinner.

And yes, there are those for whom a traipse around Cheung Chau doesn't quite qualify as a hike -- and I can see their point of view re this.  At the same time, I will say that the round island trek was quite the exercise -- not least since upon my return to my apartment, my pedometer told me that I had taken more than 30,000 steps that day! :O

The trail we followed took us past Cheung Chau's historic

Pak Tai Temple -- in front of which Shawn Yue and

Anthony Wong Chau San dueled in Just One Look :b

Another photogenic traditional structure 

located in the central section of Cheung Chau

A windsurfer making like the island's most famous daughter,

Olympic gold medallist Lee Lai San

A view from the southeast of the eastern side of Cheung Chau

A view of Vase Rock, one of many southeastern Cheung Chau

rock formations that have been given fanciful names

 

Southeastern Cheung Chau is rocky -- and also has many

scenic spots where one is tempted to linger and look out to sea

Shortly after passing by the Reclining Rock, 

we came across this danger sign

Rather than backtrack along quite a distance, we opted to 

scramble along the rocks -- and yes, that included the section 

that was underwater in the foreground of this photo...! ;S