Monday, November 30, 2009

Hong Kong 2009 Day 7

Decided to just slack around nearby for today. Basically just walked aimlessly around Causeway Bay, Wan Chai and Central. Had lunch at the roast meat shop (the one selling skewered sparrows).

We could not deny that their roast meats are fabulous

Religion vs capitalism

In Central

Went rabid at the HMV in Central, sweeping DVDs of old-school HK and banned films into my arms. You could hardly get such films like 阴阳路, 精装追女仔, 龙凤茶楼 etc back home, including a rare find - BEYOND日记之莫欺少年穷 casting Beyond, which thrilled Slug and me. Now couldn't wait to return home to enjoy a film fest of all these films.

Chanced upon a 翠华 outlet along Wellington Street, and the taxi driver's rave reviews yesterday motivated us to go in for afternoon tea. Slug was ultra pleased with their pork cutlet bun, and now it was his turn to keep on raving about this renowned cha can teng.

Our afternoon tea of soup noodles

The pork cutlet bun tickled his tastebuds

It was on to Mongkok after that for a last visit to the bustling markets, shopping malls and Temple Street. Was hustled by an old lady waving a large board advertising manicure services up 信和中心 upon exiting the MTR station. She had pushed me a pamphlet and from the glazed look in my eyes while staring at the advertised promotion on gel nails (they were seriously cheap), she knew I was on the hook.

I was then led to a small pink store, where I spent the next 3 hours there doing my nails and watching TV. The first episode of 巴不得爸爸 was showing and Slug and I were already in love with the drama. After a while the old lady who had brought me there came in, left the pamphlets and board in one corner and left after receiving her wages from one of the manicurists. Just as I was raising an eyebrow at such a bizarre situation - an shabbily-dressed old woman promoting manicure services, I was also raising my other eyebrow at the male manicurist. A male in this feminine industry!

The finished artwork made me smile - these manicurists here are professionals in painting! For half the price of what I would have to pay in Singapore for this, I could get a better drawing standard too! Now I wish I never have to remove these delicate pieces.

The 3-hour wait was worth it!

Supper at the dim sum eatery at Temple Street (again) with Slug gorging on his favourite salted fish and minced meat pie with rice.

What a lavish spread

Walked along a dim alley after supper and wanted to steal one of the many posters promoting Ekin's concerts pasted on the building walls, but the hookers standing there were watching me. Shouldn't they just mind their own 'business'?

I was still hungry

Packed and got ready our luggage before we went to sleep. It was weird, but somehow I missed home - the clean fresh air, the green trees and my cats.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Hong Kong 2009 Day 6

To Macau today! Despite having been fooled to part with our money on the gambling tables for two times now, we were still going to Rio to try our luck. This time it was just a day trip there rather than staying overnight.

We had breakfast at KFC in Windsor House at Causeway Bay and we were quite horrified to see almost every table there filled with maids (nationality undetermined). Sunday was their rest day. You could see the wild side of them - with sexy clothes and heavy make-up, and quite a number explicitly dressing and behaving like lesbians. Suddenly it felt scary to be a minority.

Grilled chicken parts, crisscut fries and a flaky Portugese egg tart

My heartthrob Ekin making a comeback with this Stormriders sequel and a concert on 19th Dec (what a bummer to miss it!)

We took the MTR to Sheung Wan and took the ferry at the terminal to Macau.

At Causeway Bay MTR station

We gambled and had dinner at our usual cha can teng.

Seafood noodles and xiao long bao

I could not help but spend 1 full minute laughing at the menu. I can forgive them for spelling 'fried' as 'fired', 'luncheon' as 'Inueheon' and 'macaroni' as 'maeatoni', but their English names for their dishes are largely inaccurate. The last translation was a hoot - 'The pig digs up the toast or the few buffalo and cow horns package'.

Very bad English translations here

We flitted from the jackpot machine to the Sic Bo table to the baccarat table, and so on. I shall not elaborate on the details but we were foolish enough to lose all our Hong Kong Dollars plus virtual dollars from the ATM. We were really depressed and decided to leave Rio at about 1+am. We were once again angry with ourselves - why couldn't we just keep ourselves away from gambling?

We caught the midnight ferry back to Hong Kong. It was a breeze going through the customs - no queues! As we took the cab back to our apartment, the friendly and bald taxi driver chatted with us in quite fluent Mandarin about Singaporeans often coming here to gamble, as well as to Malaysia and cruise ships. For once, an accurate perception of us coming from a foreigner! He could not stop raving about his favourite cha can teng named Chui Hua. His passionate " 他们的早餐 ... ... very good ah!" kept resonating in Slug's head on the way back and got his stomach curious.

We had a difficult night sleeping. Our heartaches kept reminding us we could afford another long trip back here if we had not gambled our money away.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Hong Kong 2009 Day 5

Slug was dissatisfied for leaving the fishing ground empty-handed yesterday, so today we went fishing again, at another more professional fishing ground in Tin Shui Wai (another 1+ hour by train again). It charges only SGD13 for whole-day fishing (from 10am till 9pm), cheap!

I love today's tasty lunch - salt and pepper chicken with rice

At Tin Shui Wai again

We took a cab to the saltwater fishing ground, 鴨仔坑釣魚場, somewhere deeper inside Yuen Long. It was remote, quiet and forested like Lim Chu Kang.

Another fishing ground opposite of the one we went to

鴨仔坑釣魚場

The owner of the fishing ground handed Slug a bucket of smelly little fishes and prawns (for bait), and we bought some cool drinks and relaxed by the pool. What a great way to idle the afternoon away.

Patting a stray dog that the owner kept

Slug casting his line

Relaxing to our hearts' content

There was this pair of guys at the other side of the pool who were really getting good value out of their money - they were practically landing a catch every 15 minutes! After waiting for about an hour or so, Slug finally caught a fish which we thought was a tilapia. It was thrashing about when I tried to hold it, but it soon went limp. I decided not to stress it further by keeping it in a basket dipped into the pool.

It was frightened

Very slimy and left a fishy smell on my hands

Evening was soon approaching

Slug suddenly felt revitalized and was hoping for another catch

I sneaked out and went exploring the area nearby. I noticed a number of locals walking towards the bushes and decided to follow them. It was a pain fumbling through the thick bushes and walking on the uneven terrain, but at the end of it, I came to face with a stunning smoky sunset.

It was a part of the coast named 下白泥, and from here, we could see neighbouring China on the horizon. I was amazed to see many locals gathering there, armed with cameras and tripods, to take pictures of the sunset.

Minibus #33 is the only public transport access here

下白泥

Industrial development encroaching into Nature's territory

Eager photographers shooting the sunset

China in the distance

Sunset at 下白泥

Smog a pervasive problem in Hong Kong

We left the fishing ground in the evening, but not before releasing the fish Slug caught back into the pool. We actually had no intention of taking it away, Slug just wanted to enjoy the process of waiting and reeling in a catch. It was sad to know even if we did not eat it, others would, or it might eventually die if it could not adapt to the water conditions of the pool.

We travelled all the way to Sai Kung for a seafood dinner at Chuen Kee. However, we were greatly disappointed with the indifferent service and drastic drop in standard of the cooking there. The servers were cold and curt, and the food looked hastily prepared. There was a table with ten over patrons that had an elaborately-garnished lobster sashimi served to them. We started to suspect we were being discriminated just because the money they made from the two of us was peanuts to them.

No trip to Hong Kong is complete without savouring some delectable milk tarts

Lobster ee-fu noodles that did not look very appetising

Stir-fried flower crab with ginger and spring onion

Baby abalones topped with spring onion

Steamed garoupa Hong Kong style

Anti-drug campaign in Sai Kung

We returned to Causeway Bay feeling so bloated, and came across filming going on at a quiet back street. In the scene, Charmaine Sheh was in a cab, which after turning around the corner, she alighted and walked a few steps while gazing longingly upwards at a building. I was so mesmerized by her beauty that I could not take a picture of her in time. It was not easy for the film crew - a lot of time was spent waiting for the traffic lights, coordinating with the actors and taxi driver, and yelling at us onlookers not to use flash when taking pictures, for a scene that barely lasted half a minute.

Filming

The chilly nights were so good for a comfortable snuggle in the sheets and a peaceful slumber. Sigh ... ...

Friday, November 27, 2009

Hong Kong 2009 Day 4

Visited the Hong Kong Wetland Park at Tin Shui Wai today, a town in the northwestern part of the New Territories. This new town was so far away from the vibrant central of Hong Kong that it took more than an hour to get there, even by MTR (and we had to transfer across 4 rail lines). This town has been unpleasantly dubbed the City of Sadness for its many social issues - suicides, domestic violence, homicides, illnesses etc. Among the many tragedies was one involving a mother suffering from mental illness tying up her children and throwing them out of the window from their 24th storey flat, before jumping to her death. Various causes had been suggested - remote location, high unemployment rate, inadequate security and social services, and even the influx of immigrants from mainland China. This town is so notoriously known that two local movies were made based on it.

We finally arrived at Tin Shui Wai after such a long journey.

View from the Tin Shui Wai MTR station

School buildings here six storeys high on average - do they have lifts?

We had a really cheap lunch at YLK in Tin Yan Shopping Centre. Seriously could not believe set lunches here (complete with soup, bread and drink) cost only SGD$5+, half the price of those found in the central areas on Hong Kong Island. And they weren't of an inferior quality.

At Tin Yan Shopping Centre

YLK (what a weird restaurant name)

Slug enjoying his pork curry rice

To get to the Wetland Park, we took the Light Rail, their means of commuting between the housing estates in the the town. As the LRT took us through the dense housing estates, we did not get really good vibes. The towering grey housing blocks and the hazy surroundings somehow gave a gloomy feel even in broad daylight.

At Tin Yiu LRT station

#705 to get to Wetland Park

Uniform-looking housing estates along the way

The Hong Kong Wetland Park is an educational facility that aims to conserve the marshes and prevent its destruction from further development of the town. Here, visitors can catch a glimpse of the native flora and fauna, learn more about its ecological biodiversity and understand the importance of conservation. It comprises an exhibition hall as well as many trails that allow visitors to explore the marsh and lake and appreciate the interactions between nature and wildlife.

Wetland Park LRT station

Crossing the overhead bridge to get to the park

View from the overhead bridge

At Hong Kong Wetland Park

Map of the boardwalk trails inside the Wetland Reserve

Slug the nature photographer

Exhibits and animal enclosures in the exhibition centre

Lifelike models of animals

We also came to the enclosure of a crocodile affectionately known as Pui Pui by the locals. It became well-known after appearing in the Shan Pui River and then evading capture for the next few months, but from there, it also raised awareness towards wildlife conservation. Previously housed at Kadoorie Farm, it had been moved to settle here so that the public can take a look at her.

Pui Pui the crocodile

Inside the park

More nature photography from Slug

Directions to the various boardwalks

At the Mangrove Boardwalk

Birds feeding at the exposed mudflats during low tide

Slug took this picture through a telescope

Peaceful lake with a beautiful reflection

Evening approaching and it was time to go

Tin Shui Wai in the evening

Air pollution from a nearby factory

We completed all the boardwalk trails just in time before they closed at 5pm. Then from there, we took a cab to 有叉用烧烤乐园, a barbeque buffet eatery in Yuen Long. Maybe we reached there a little too early, because when we got there, it was so quiet that we suspected it had closed down. We expected that at 6pm, they would be busy with the dinner crowd. A young chap whom we believed to be a helper there led us to our pit, gave us our tray of food and barbeque necessities and collected money from us. For about SGD13, we could have an endless supply of meats and vegetables to barbeque for 5 hours.

He (Slug and I felt that he looked as cute as a beaver) then proceeded to light up our BBQ pit using some superpower torch which got the charcoals flaming within 5 minutes. As we sat there and started barbequeing, we were getting increasingly spooked - dim lights, dark forest in the background, wild dogs barking and just the two of us. We could not help but ask Beaver if we would be their only customers for the night, and he said that the dinner crowd would be streaming in after 9pm after they had knocked off from work. We were really looking forward to some noise and human presence soon.

Beaver setting up the pit for us

Slug seemed a little disturbed by the silence

Oh, never mind, eating was more important

They use pitchforks for barbequeing

Halfway through, Slug went off to fish at the fishing ground nearby in the compound while I continued barbequeing. I had a newly-discovered passion towards grilling honeyed corncobs. Spreading on layers and layers of honey did the trick, which created a thin crunchy caramelized coating on the corncob infused with a burnt aftertaste. Happily savoured 5 corncobs.

Yummmmmmmmm

Meanwhile, Slug was chatting with Beaver and getting to know more about each other's hometown. Beaver was puzzled why two tourists would venture to such a farflung place like Tin Shui Wai, and lamented that the immigrants from China had caused much conflict and unhappiness in this town because of their mannerisms and the competition in the labourforce (we could empathize with him). We also found it amusing when Beaver said he had never considered visiting Singapore because he thought smoking was banned in the country. How on earth did he get such a mistaken perception of Singapore?

Slug at the fishing platform

Housing blocks in Yuen Long at night

A quiet frog hiding in the toilet cubicle and scaring me

Slug did not catch any fish throughout the night, although there was really a huge one that got hooked (but managed to escape because it was not even a proper fishing rod). Later in the night we then realised why he had not been able to catch any - Beaver feeds the fishes in the pond the leftover meats from the barbeque every night!

The barbeque place

We left at about 11pm, and it was so dark and quiet on the way out to the main road that we had to call for a cab. I could not stop thinking about the honeyed corncobs on the way home.