The bright Christmas lights around the city

HK is especially beautiful this time of year with all of the Christmas decorations up. I must have taken dozens of photos of the various decorations and displays around the city. Every year the malls and other tourists attractions try to draw in the largest crowds with the best displays. Here's around up of my favourite Christmas decorations for 2014.

#5 The LED maze at Shatin's New Town Plaza

Although not particularly a Christmas theme, these LED flowers(?) dangling outside of the maze are still very pretty (Photo: CathC) 

Hard to imagine this 8000ft^2 maze is actually on the roof of the mall (Photo: CathC)

#4 HK Skyline along the Victoria Harbour

The Christmas signage on the city's skyscrapers make the light show extra special (Photo: CharK)

#3 The multi-storey Christmas tree at Kwloon Tong's Festival Walk

You can take a photo with Santa Claus inside the castle at the base of this brilliant Christmas tree (Photo: Cath)

#2 Christmas Snoopy at Kwun Tong's APM

There are literally dozens of these life-sized Christmas Snoopy around the mall (Photo: CathC).

#1 The Christmas snow global outside Hysan's Place in Causesway Bay

The details on the house make the whole thing look so delicate (Photo: CathC)

Seeing these decorations make me extra happy during the festive season. Hope you've enjoyed them as well--Merry Christmas everyone!

Wandering around the HK brand and product expo

Today was my first time attending HK's annual produt and brand expo at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay. The fair gathers around 2 million people (according to an SCMP report) every year as people are eager to get deals on everything from groceries (e.g. shampoo, sauces, and dried seafood) to electronics and cookware. This year on opening day one local firm offered their air conditioning units for 1 HKD for three lucky buyers.

Although the line was constantly moving, I was still in line for about 30 minutes (Photo: CathC)

Aside from deals on groceries, I was most interested in trying some street food. Something I was not expecting was darian flavoured egg tarts. I've tried the Portuguese egg tarts and milk tarts before, but darian was a new flavour. It had a very pungent smell and creamy taste like the filling in darian pancakes. 

I liked the creamy Portuguese tart on the top was better than the smelly darian one (Photo: CathC)

After dessert I moved onto the savory X.O. sauce white raddish cake. Not surprisingly the crowds to these food stall were pretty large. By 3pm the rice noddles were all sold out at one particular food stall. I love the fact that street food is just grab and go, that with all the people there the wait for a snack is minimal.

Braving the crowds for the street food stalls (Photo: CathC)

Spicy white raddish cake (Photo: CathC)

After fueling up with this and other street foods like tofu skewers and green apple ice cream I was ready to walk around to do some shopping. I was impressed by all the shopping carts that people were lugging around to stock up on groceries. Chinese woks were another popular item that people were buying. I ended up getting a variety of Chinese soup mix bags and some Macanese peanut candy, which were about 10~ off. Even though this trip didn't end up being a big haul it was still a fun even to walk around.

Lots of local HK companies and manufacturers set up booths at the event (Photo: CathC)

It's a Snoopy Christmas

The malls are filled with Christmas decorations once again and the Snoopy Display at Kwun Tong's APM is my favourite so far. What's great about the display is that aside from Snoopy, his siblings; Andy, Marbles, Olaf, Spike; and Belle were also featured.

I thought the toddlers standing among the dozens of life-sized Snoopys made for an adorable photo-op--so did most of the families there. There was a constant stream of parents waiting to have a close-up of their kids and the Peanuts Gang.

Seeing these life sized Peanuts characters made my day (Photo: CathC)

I also liked the fashionable Snoopys and Belles that were on display. Famous designers like Nina Ricci and Enrico Coveri put together outfits for the famous duo. These outfits were so colorful and fun!

Snoopy and Belle are dressed by famous fashion designers (Photo: CathC)

Nearly 2-storey tall Snoopy Christmas tree (Photo: CharK)

In addition to the Christmas display, various Snoopy models were placed around the mall. I came across another one featuring Snoopy from different decades. I was surprised to see how different 1950s Snoopy was from the rest. He looks very young to me, almost like a puppy compared to the others!

Snoopy through the decades--1950s Snoopy looks so young compared to the others (Photo: CathC)

The Snoopy display was a nice way to start off the competition for holiday displays. Can't wait to see what else is in store for the reason of the season!

Hiking from Mui Wo to Discovery Bay

The sun was finally out today after a week long of gloomy weather so CharK and I took this opportunity to test out another hiking trail. This time we took a ferry from Central Pier over to Mui Wo to start out hike. We happened to catch the fast ferry and was able to get to the island in a little over 30 minutes.

A rare view of the front of a hydrofoil (Photo: CharK)

It's been awhile since I've been to a beach in HK and I've really missed watching the tides flowing in and out. It was so relaxing to walk along the Silvermine Bay Beach just enjoying the cool breeze and sunny weather. No wonder this island resort was so busy. It's literally beach front property.

This beach side resort has a beautiful view of Mui Wo (Photo CharK)

The sand on the beach was really fine but full of crab holes and empty shells (Photo: CharK)

 After the beach, CharK and I made our way up the mountain towards Discovery Bay. The hike up was all along narrow concrete steps. I was really amazed by the age range of the hikers--we came across grandparents with their toddler grandchildren as well as middle aged folks and teenagers. I'm glad I was only walking up the mountain rather than coming down, because it was a pretty steep hike on those narrow steps.

We walked well over hundreds of steps up this mountain between Mui Wo and Discovery Bay (Photo: CharK).

But the final view from the top of the mountain was well worth the hike. It was great to be able to see how far we walked from Silvermine Bay Beach.

The spectacular view of Silver Mine Bay in Mui Wo from the top of the mountain (Photo: CharK)

The other side of the mountain overlooks Nim Shue Wan and Peng Chau. The hike goes downhill from this point and it was a much easier path because it`s just paved paths rather than steps.

The small island on the right is Peng Chau (Photo: Chark)

 The trail towards Discovery Bay took me through an old village that's still inhabited by local residents. These are traditional type of single floor houses made of brick and metal sheets. Many of these residents grow a variety of vegetables like cabbage and other herbs. I've never seen papaya or pomegranate up close like this before.

The pomegranate and papaya tree were being grown in people's front yards (Photo:CharK)

The sun set by the time reached Discovery Bay so CharK and I decided to have dinner at Berlinger, a German Bar and Restaurant. Their schnitzel and Nuremberg sausages were delicious. I love the sauerkraut and mashed potato combo that came with the sausages. It was a great night to be sitting out on the patio. 

My new favorite beer is this blackcurrent flavored Weiss Beer (Photo: CharK)

Discovery Bay Beach was pretty empty except for a heart outlined by LED candles/(Photo: CharK)

Today's hike was great, because I finally remember to put on some mosquito spray. I really dislike the smell of this stuff, but it works so well. I didn't get a single mosquito bite! This Deet-free repellent claims it contains all natural active ingredients like wild tomato extract, eucalptus citriodora, and eucalyptus globulus. In past hikes to Victoria Peak Garden I came back with 10+ bites, and now with Dengue Fever being a concern in HK these days I'm happy this works so well.

An natural mosquito repellent that smells like Sandalwood soap (Photo: CathC)

Urban dining with a conscience

Sustainable dining is starting to pick up in HK with more restaurants selling the concept of local and organically grown food. Located at HK's Zero Carbon Building in Kowloon Bay, Kelly & Moss is good example of an "eco-cafe". 

I think one of the more effective designs is in how they use the outdoor space. I felt cool sitting under the patio umbrella and the fans were able to provide a decent breeze. The fall weather is great for sitting outside to enjoy the sunshine and cool breeze. Rather than styrofoam and plastic plates and cutlery,they opted for paper and bamboo ones. The typical polyethylene (PE)  take-away cups are even made from biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) instead. 

Lunch is served on a bamboo tray--Americano with a chicken and mushroom pie (Photo: CharK)

This is the tiniest picnic table I've ever seen--great for kids (Photo: CharK)

Their organic iced mocha was simple and refreshing, just coco powder and espresso. The only issue I had was the paper straw started to get a bit flimsy after awhile. The peach crepe cake was good too and the sweetness from the cake was nicely balanced by the sugarless mocha. Cheers to sustainable dining!

Cakes make the best lunches (Photo: CathC)

An epic trek to Kai Tak Cruise Terminal

The trek out to Kai Tak Cruise Terminal for this year's HK Wine and Dine festival was an epic adventure. I didn't realize that there'd be a such a large mismatch between the crowds and the number of minibuses available and ended up in a 2.5 hour line up for a minibus at the Kowloon Bay bus terminal. Then the ride over to Kai Tak itself took about 30 minutes (normally the ride is about 10 minutes). The security guard controlling the crowds at Kowloon Bay bus terminal said the crowds were like that since his shift started in the morning and largely due to traffic coming in from all areas on HK converging into the single lane leading into the terminal. He was right because stuck in the traffic jam were a number of taxis and buses (KMB & free shuttles) from the nearby MTR stations (i.e. Kowloon Tong, Ngan Tau Kwok and Lam Tian).

CharK and I left around 11;30 pm as the event was winding down. But most people opted for the KMB/minibus/shuttles so we decided to walk back to Kowloon Tong MTR station instead. The 35 minute walk was actually quite nice and the breeze off Kowloon Bay made the walk considerably more comfortable than waiting in line. It was pretty neat to see a couple hundred people all walking together along the former Kai Tak runway towards the MTR stations. The night view of the skyline made for some great photos too.

Waiting with the crowds at Telford Plaza (Photo: CharK)

A view from the former Kai Tak run way (Photo: CharK)

Overall I enjoyed the event and found there were more tasty food options compared to last year.  My top three favorites of the night were:

#3 Bejing Street Crepes' Original Jianbiang
A veggie crepe filled with eggs, cucumbers, green onion in a peking duck sauce

The chicken cartilage skewers were good but I couldn't bring myself to try the dried dophin meat that was also being grilled (Photo: CharK)

#2 The HK College of Technology Culinary Innovation Centre's smoked salmon and beef cheek cornet.

#1 Mei Tuk BBQ King's honey pepper beef cubes. The beef was juicy and the smoky smell drew me in while I was in line for food from a nearby stall!

They estimated less then 150,000 people would attend the 4-day event, But should exceed that number just based on the crowds from last night (Photo: CharK) 

Of course the wine was also the highlight of the event. Even though I'm not a big wine drinker I enjoyed trying wines that we don't find very often. My two favorites were the Georgian Valleys Alazani Valley Red Sweet and Calon Segur's Brazillian Rose. The Rose was particularly refreshing for a hot evening.

Aside from the food and drink I was drawned to the location of the event, being at the former Kai Tak airport. I was excited to be on an actual run way. But with all the food/drink booths and music stage set up, you can't really tell where you were standing. except for some remnant ground markings.

Lots of great jazz and Spanish music on the concert stage in front of the Kai Tak cruise terminal (Photo: CharK)

I think I'll come back for a visit during the day next time, and check out what this cruise terminal is all about. Apparently a rooftop bar will be opening up there soon!

Consulates and working abroad

Renewing government/official documents are normally a time consuming process. Throw in the limited embassy/consulate office hours and you can get a frustrating experience while working abroad. But surprisingly my passport renewal wasn't so bad. I managed to get my passport renewed after two trips out to the Canadian Consulate General in Quarry Bay.

The first trip out there was on a Saturday, which was great that the dropbox at their office is opened after hours. All I had to do was complete the simplified renewal form and submit it along with the require documents and fee. A couple of days later I received in the mail a notice confirming my application was received. Unfortunately they don't mail back the passports and you have to pick it up in person. 

The tricky thing about picking up the passports is that they have about a two hour window for passport pickups during the weekday (Mon.-Thurs.). Also, they really only let family members pick it up for you. Luckily I had some help from CharK :)

CharK also picked up poppies for the two of us from the Consulate: 

It's been awhile since I've seen a poppy in HK. So it was a nice to see the Consulate here is taking donations for Remembrance Day. 

Local fish and chips

I love living in TKO and being so close to nature. I have a beautiful view of the mountain (Sheung Yeung Shan) and walking distance to nearby hiking trails. But sometimes I get lost in the hustle and bustle of work and every day life that I feel like I'm stuck in the concrete jungle. 

So this weekend I decided to head out to Sai Kung for a change of pace. Aside from local seafood, Sai Kung is well known for its cafes and bars and other western takeout places.

Today I tried a British style fish and chip takeout place called "Chip In". The food is extremely fresh since they are made to order. Of all the snacks that I tried, the lime flavored deep fried fish skin (aka fish crackers) was my favorite. It was light and super crunchy!

Delicious Menu!

Assorted snacks (CW from the top): lime flavored deep fried fish skin; fish and chips; deep fried oreos; fried calamari

Another fun treat is the deep fried oreo. Apparently "Chip In" is the only shop in HK which sells this snack. For some reason the oreo reminds me of a donut/timbit

After the snack CharK and I had a nice walk around the beach. I was really surprised to see the leaves on some of the trees changing colors. You can see the leaves on this one here is starting to turn red:

Welcome to Autumn...

Eating from stall to stall

Street food has always been a part of Hong Kong's food culture. Just check out HK Magazine's A-Z list of HK's iconic street food and you can see the variety that exists. Individually, each is just a quick snack to eat while you're on the go. But together, they can make a delicious lunch of dinner. These snacks are sold across the city at various places, with minor differences in taste/size depending on a particular stall/cart/shop. Here are my top 5 favourite street foods.

#5 Peanut mochi

These nutty, chewy snacks are especially yummy. They are freshly rolled and  made to order, so they are nice and warm when you eat them!

#4 Pork and green onion pancake (燒餅王)

These meaty buns are juicy and filling. They are pretty much a combination of the Taiwanese pepper pork buns (胡椒餅) and a Dalang biscuit (武大郎燒餅)

#3 Deep fried ice cream

Cheung Chau's deep fried ice cream is fantastic on a hot summer's day. It's actually a very quick snack to make--a premade mochi ice cream is lightly battered and then deep fried.

#2 Wok roasted chestnuts

You can smell these sweet smoky chestnuts from down the street. They are roasted in a giant wok with sugar and has a unique taste that can't be replicated by a normal oven.

#1 Lee Keung Kee North Point Egg Waffle (北角雞蛋仔)

Egg Waffles can be found everywhere from supermarkets to MTR stations. But no other shop can replicate the same crunchy shell and fluffy centre of LKK's egg waffles.

So that's my 5 favourite street foods in HK. You're probably thinking that I've left out two iconic HK street foods--stinky tofu and curry fish balls. These are definitely popular snacks among both locals and tourists. But I think because they are sold at so many places that they often taste a bit mediocre. Regardless, I love wandering around the city trying new snacks. HK has everything from savoury to sweet snacks that there's something delicious to eat on every block.

HK's famous fireboat

I never really thought how ship fires were put out until today's tour of the Alexander Grantham in Quarry Bay. This fireboat was commissioned back in 1953 and was the primary responder to sea accidents in Victoria Harbour until it was decommissioned in 2002.  Today a number of different fireboats are operated by Hong Kong's Fire Services Department to respond to fires accidents in Hong Kong's water and shorelines.

My first time on board a fireboat--The Alexander Grantham (Photo: CathC)

I had fun wandering around the ship seeing what it was like to work and live on board. The crew slept in the lower deck on bunk beds while the upper deck contained the mess, office, galley, and an room for casualities. It is impressive to see the water canons up close. Looking at the gallery images, they seem to be able to spray water at distance that's least twice the length of the ship! There were about 8 canons on the deck and another one at top.

Water canons for fire fighting (Photo: CathC)

Check out how steep the staircase is to go down to the crew's cabin (Photo: CathC)

A view of the water canon from the upper deck (Photo: CathC)

Even thought today was a bit humid it was still a breezy sunny day to be outside. Not surprisingly we saw a bunch of sail boats and cruise boats were out in the waters. I think I've found a new favourite spot to relax on the weekends. It's a quite surrounding and it's a lot closer to to head to Tamar Park out in Central. The only thing missing is a nice cafe by the waterfront here!

A view of the old Kei Tak Airport (Photo: CathC)