After a month of soul-searching...

I'm sitting here tapping away on my Macbook (which by the way, is definitely contributing to a relapse of my carpal tunnel) at the Red Carpet Club in the Hong Kong airport. The sun is gently settling into the horizon, and outside the window, cars and trucks zoom in and out in between glistening planes, loading and unloading bags and meals, and who knows what else.

It's strange and yet somewhat comforting that most of my trips end in Hong Kong. There's a certain sense of cyclic, full-circle-ness that comes with stopping at my birthplace each time I travel abroad to Asia. And yet, it's the same repetition that reminds me that this isn't really "my place" any longer. I've realized that the reason that I always feel so antsy after spending more than a few days in Hong Kong is that it is no longer my home. I may be born here, and I have relatives here, but I am no similar to the local people as other foreign expats are. I speak their language, but I don't sound the same. I have the same skin colour, and yet I don't look the same. Hong Kong, like many global cities, is a gateway -- which by definition, is a place that takes you to another place. But it's not really a place that you stay for long.

As I traveled from place to place on this trip, I've found that there's one commonality -- in each place I visit, I've always rejected the facades and asked for the real deal. The real people behind the tourist facades. The real history behind the sights and sounds. When I pick my tour guides, I always ask them to take me to places that's off the normal circuit, or tell me stories about how the local people really live. Perhaps it's the desire to really understand the place and its people, or perhaps that's what I'm missing in my life: a sense of tradition that is historic and authentic, as opposed things that are always shiny and new.

And after traveling to four countries in four weeks, I can say that I've learned a lot about myself. And yet, none is it is really anything that I didn't already know. I've learned that I can be independent and curious, adventurous and yet a homebody at times. I know that I'm still seeking "home" and a sense of belonging, but that San Francisco is the closest thing I've got at this point. (And it's a pretty darn good home.) I guess my point is, despite the soul-seeking nature of a long trip abroad alone, I don't have any seriously deep conclusions, and I'm okay with that. I took a trip of a lifetime, and saw beautiful things and met really nice people. The sights and sounds will remain in my mind for a long long time, and I'm blessed to have had a chance to see so many new places.

But now, it's time to go home. At least the place that I call home for now.

P.S. I just had my first Starbucks almond soy latte in over two weeks. It was heavenly.

But what about the food? (part 2)

From Macao and Hong Kong, we went to Thailand -- where a bounty of yummy foods awaited.

Thailand
I think I enjoyed the food in Thailand more this time for a couple of reasons: 1) I finally took a class and understood the ingredients and how they contributed to the overall flavours of popular Thai dishes, and 2) my recent increased tolerance for spicy foods allow me to at least sample many of the spicy flavoured dishes, which I must say, are much better than their de-spiced versions!

Most memorable meal would have to be a tie between lunch at the Blue Elephant (probably because I cooked the whole meal myself), and the traditional Royal Thai meal at the Sala Rim Naam at the Oriental Hotel. I still have dreams about my favourite Thai dessert of all time -- coconut sticky rice with fresh mango. The rice part may sound a little fishy, but all together, it's definitely a winning combo! As always, I'm still a sucker for lemongrass iced tea, which I tried to have almost everyday. :)

In Chiang Mai, I was also impressed by the calibre of non-Thai dishes that were available at the hotel. For example, when we arrived late on the first night, I ended up order pasta from room service (you know, comfort food) -- the squid ink fettuccine was cooked perfectly al dente, and the seafood flavours spot on!

Cambodia
I'll be the first to admit...I had very low expectations for Cambodian food. Not because I didn't think that they had a big food culture (because all Asian cultures have big food cultures!), but I just didn't think that I would like it that much. And in the end, the local food "won out" -- all of the western food that I had was pretty greasy and tasted slightly funny (even the eggs at breakfast), while the Khmer and Asian foods were generally okay. Rice is also a staple in Khmer food, so I always had enough to eat. :)

For my last dinner in Cambodia, I got a free Khmer tasting menu meal at the hotel's restaurant, Meric. I remember a lot of it tasting very similar to Thai food, but the dishes that really caught my attention were the green mango salad with dried snake (yes, SNAKE), and the fried frog on a stick. Well, they had a nicer name for it, but it was literally an entire frog battered and deep-fried and served on a stick. And yes, it did sort of taste like chicken. Let's just say I ate a lot of rice that night.

Vietnam
Oh I do love Vietnamese food. From their super strong coffee to the simplicity of a good bowl of pho, the Vietnamese food in Hanoi was great. I have to admit, I didn't really eat off the street that much -- I really tried, but every stall I stopped at, I managed to see where and how they washed the food and the dishes, and then very quickly lost my appetite. So in the end, I stuck to Vietnamese restaurants, where at least I couldn't SEE the kitchen. Besides the ice cream, the pho and the spring rolls, I have to say that the French food in Hanoi (at least at the Metropole) was pretty spectacular. I had some macarons that would absolutely divine, and a beef tartar (prepared 3 ways) that I had was also quite yummy. My reco's for the city: Fanny's for ice cream, the Sofitel Metropole for French food and pastries, and Pho24 for hygienic but yummy pho. Also, check out Au Lac Cafe for coffee, and Bobby Chinn for a dose of other-worldness in the midst of the chaos of Hanoi.

And as for all the meals in between (as in, in the air)? Let's just say that I'm sad that I didn't fly Singapore or Cathay Pacific this time. Thai was tolerable, but everything else (Vietnam, Bangkok Airways, and United), you're better off starving.

Halong Bay and other final Hanoi-an thoughts

Today I made the 3-hour pilgrimage to Halong Bay, which is not only now UNESCO protected World Heritage site, but also the backdrop for one scene in the James Bond flick Tomorrow Never Dies. Alas, the weather sucked today. And by suck, I mean it really sucked. Almost zero visibility with a layer of haze wherever you looked. I must admit that that my camera skills are definitely not to the point where I knew how to deal with this yuckiness...and so there are very few photos from today's journey (scroll to the bottom for Halong Bay in grey ;)).

But nonetheless, Halong Bay, with its 2,000 limestone islands and green waters was still a sight to behold. I hope I'll get a chance to revisit one day when the weather is better. Although I have to say, it did remind me a lot of Langkawi, a trip for which I also don't have any pictures. Perhaps limestone islands and I were not meant to be.

And with that, my trip to Hanoi draws to a close. A few final Hanoi-an thoughts....

-The ice cream is really really good here. Try Fanny's (oldest in town, I think) for the "Com" or young rice (when it's in season), or right here at the Sofitel Metropole for their cinnamon or sapa honey flavours. Delish!

-Hanoi is charming. I can't really describe it. It's probably some combination of the colonial architecture mixed with the crazy chaos.

-There are no Starbucks here. Or McDonald's. The people of Hanoi just wouldn't stand for it. They'd rather sit around little tables on the street drinking and eating with their friends as they have for decades. Something about that is cool and admirable. Sucks for the Canadasian chick who likes soy almond lattes though. :(

-The coffee that they do have here, though, is great. And they like their coffee strong. If you think that Vietnamese drip coffee back in the US at your favourite pho joint is strong, think again. They use about 1/3 of the condensed milk and probably double the grounds. The result is an awesomely yummy, excruciatingly buzzing caffeine infusion. Gotta love it.

And now, it's time to pack for the journey home.

I'm a millionaire...in dongs

...that's Vietnamese dongs, the local currency. But I got your attention, didn't I? ;)

Today was my second full day in Hanoi, which means I've been successful at dodging an untimely death by Hanoi traffic for two days in a row now. I can't even begin to describe the traffic conditions here. I've been to a lot of places in the world where there's a lot of traffic congestion (Bangkok, Los Angeles), bad drivers (Delhi), and even non-law abiding drivers (Beijing), but Hanoi has got to be the first that has a wonderful, um...synergy of all three.

First, there's a LOT of traffic. And I mean all day long. I'm not sure how there can be so many people on the road at all hours of the day; perhaps nobody actually works and just drives around all day long?

Second, the traffic lights do not work, and/or not obeyed on the side streets. That means if you were standing at the crosswalk waiting for the light to turn green, forget about it. Because it's never going to turn green. Because it's never going to be turned *on*, period.

Third, the "rules of the road" (both written and ad hoc) are not obeyed in any way. For example, no one actually follows the traffic lights (see above). Also, all one-way streets can be two-way streets when necessary. Which means at any given time, on any given street, motorcycles, mopeds and cars can be going every which direction they please, regardless of what the arrows on the road indicate.

Fourth, Hanoi was not designed for pedestrians. (See aforementioned points about lack of traffic lights and compliance.) Nobody ever slows down for someone crossing the street, even if you technically have the green light, and/or are standing at a crosswalk. The only way you'll ever cross the street is to weave in and out of MOVING traffic. Some mopeds will also speed up on purpose when they see that you are trying to cross in front of them. Like I said, I'm grateful to still be alive.

I wish I could capture the cacaphonous soundtrack that is Hanoi in words. Everywhere you go, there are bikes, street vendors, pedicabs, mopeds, motorcycles, and cars. They're all honking and shouting, giving you a distinctly disturbing feeling that you are about to be run over at any moment. And yet, there's something very energizing about all of the craziness -- the city feels alive an buzzing throughout the day. But perhaps the "buzzing" could also be a result of the copious amounts of Vietnamese coffee I keep drinking all day long.

Yesterday, I walked around the Old Quarter and experienced the 36-street retail phenomenon that has been around for years, with each of the streets specializing in a particular product, ranging from silk to motorcycle seats to religious worship implements. Then it was a quick stop into SF-chef Bobby Chinn's restaurant for some good ol' American food before heading to local favourite Ipa-Nima for some retail therapy.

Today was my official "tourist" day: I hit up the Temple of Literature, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & surrounding complex (alas, Uncle Ho was not available due to renovations and annual maintenance), and the Ngoc Son Temple on Hoan Kiem Lake. I even managed to sneak in some pho bo, and more souvenir shopping in the Old Quarter.

And tomorrow I'm off to the legendary Halong Bay, rounding out my 4-week sojourn. In some sense, it makes sense that my last full day will be on the water, having visited so many places on this trip where life evolved around the water. More overall trip thoughts will come in a couple of days -- from my favourite "trip-summing-up" place in the world, the Hong Kong airport. (All roads do lead to and from Hong Kong, don't they?)

Until then, bring on more spring rolls and coffee!

Update: "Cacaphonous soundtrack" of Hanoi captured here in a video. Thanks to Debbie for sharing her own same mind-boggling experience. ;)

But what about the food? (part 1)

Besides little snippets about my adventures in Thai cooking, or my first day in Hong Kong, I realized that I've spoken very little about all the food that I've devoured on the trip thus far. Food, of course, is a huge part of the attraction traveling to Southeast Asia. Everything from sketchy street food to hometown favourites to extravagant feasts are all available easily in Macao, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, and maybe even Cambodia. On this trip, I've learned a lot about the actual authentic "version" of many foods that we're familiar in the west. I can honestly say that I've developed a greater appreciation for foods that I used to shun, simply because I've had a chance to taste the real thing, and not some watered down, Americanized (Canadianized) version created for the western palates.

One good example is Thai curry. They come in a myriad of "colours", generally indicating their level of heat and spicyness. From yellow to red to the spicy green, I've always dismissed Thai curry as being very coconut-y and spicy but without much character beyond those two dimensions. On this trip to Thailand, I finally went through the process of learning how to make red curry paste from scratch (all Thai curries start from a paste, which is then mellowed out by the addition of coconut milk and other spices as necessary), and learning the contents and taste of each underlying component of the paste. I also learned about a tell-tale sign of whether or not a curry is well made -- the layer of red oil must be present (and distinct) on top of the curry to indicate that the curry paste itself was well-cooked before coconut milk was added to the curry. Many restaurants outside Thailand change or rush through this step in order to prevent the red oil from floating to the top as to not offend or scare away health-conscious diners.

Some food highlights from the first half of the trip:

Macao
Hands down, the Portuguese egg tart takes the prize for most memorable food. Although sold in a lot of places, Lord Stow's Bakery is supposedly the place that actually invented them, and sells the best tasting ones in town.

Hong Kong
My favourite non-Chinese meal has got to be the one from Amber at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel (thank you, Olivia!). Although we skipped the 10 course tasting menu, we did end up picking the highlights recommended by the server. We knew the meal was going to be different when the amuse bouche consisted of not one but three dishes, one of which was a foie gras bite that required a plastic pipette of raspberry sauce to be "squirted" into the diner's mouth once the foie gras was in your mouth. (And I won't go into the phallic presentation of that particular dish!) The Iberico ham appetizer, served slightly warmed on a "pyramid" (more like a tangine stove with a tea light inside) with toasted bread and a white radish salad was a winner. As were the braised beef short ribs (served boneless), and the john dory in a surprisingly light tomato broth with aubergine stuffed calamari.

Dinner at Opia was also pretty good -- the seared foie gras with chocolate mousse was the most memorable dish from that meal!

As for Chinese food, I could go on and on. However, this time around, I definitely found that I leaned towards more casual, "street" food that's usually harder to find in Vancouver or North America, for that matter. Hand made fish balls in rice noodle soup, hand-wrapped sticky rice with dried pork, warm egg tarts and pineapple buns fresh from the oven, stewed cow tripe, and freshly made tofu dessert make me salivate just thinking about them. The sheer accessibility of good, cheap food in Hong Kong never ceases to amaze me.

Only food regret from the Hong Kong leg was the lack of roasted goose (my favourite from the venerable Yung Kee). Due to reports of avian flu in mainland China, goose imports were halted temporarily for precisely the one week that we were there. *Sigh*

All this talk about food is getting me hungry...more on the 2nd half of the trip's eats another day!

Cambodia and the "Angelina Effect"

Ask anyone in the Siem Reap if they know who Angelina Jolie is, and their faces will light up as they share their own story about an Angelina encounter (or two). The Cambodian people like the pouffy-lipped actress so much that they granted her Cambodian citizenship (good luck traveling with that passport). You can argue that she has singlehandedly increased awareness for Cambodia, both its plight and its cultural riches, more so than their tourism board or government could ever hope to. Indeed, the two temples that were featured in the first Tomb Raider movie, Angkor Wat and Ta Phrom, are now the two most-visited places on the Angkor temples circuit. In addition, she has also donated $1 million towards conservation and preservation of natural areas in the southern part of Cambodia. $1 million dollars in a country where the average monthly salary is $30 is a whole lot of money. While in Cambodia, I must admit that I, too, have been impressed by the "Angelina Effect", and have to tip my hat to Ms. Jolie for her generosity and humanity.

Yesterday, I visited a few more temples: Angkor Wat (again, but just for the sunrise), Beng Mealea, Bantaey Srei, and the aforementioned Ta Phrom. Beng Mealea was definitely a sight to behold -- almost completely run over by the jungle, the temple was "discovered" only ten years or so ago, and hasn't really received any funds to be restored. As a result, the place feels like a lost city, with piles of rubble from parts of the temple that had collapsed, and vines and tree roots twisted everywhere. At the same time, the place also had an eerie sense of calm. Fewer tourists come to this part of the Angkor temples, as it's at least an hour's drive outside of Siem Reap, so I almost had the whole place to myself.

Bantaey Srei was an interesting contrast because of both its appearance and its scale. The entire temple was really small (the doorways were barely as tall as me), and the entire place was made of pink sandstone instead of the grey sandstone used at all of the other Angkor temples. It was also extremely well preserved, and the intricate carvings were absolutely beautiful. Of course, I was partial to the apsaras carvings. :)

And last but not least, Ta Phrom. It was the last temple I visited yesterday, and also the last one on this trip. And there's definitely some truth to leaving the best for last. Like Beng Mealea, Ta Phrom also looks run over by the jungle -- mostly the local "strangler fig" trees who, well, strangle the buildings with their roots. Ta Phrom is also home to what's probably now the most photographed tree in the world -- the one that was featured in Tomb Raider from which Angelina plucked a flower before falling into the "tomb" (which was of course, a set). Ta Phrom was also really beautiful -- I'm glad it was the last temple I visited since it's probably hard to top the views and beautiful weather (and hence lighting) that I saw there.

Tonight, I bid adieu to Cambodia for the last stop on my trip -- Hanoi, Vietnam. Thanks for the memories, Cambodia. It's been fun.

Siem Reap, Angkor Wat, and deja deja deja vu

I'm sitting here sipping an iced coffee at the Cafe de la Paix at my hotel. As I stare outside the "rush hour" traffic is rushing by: cars, bike, trucks, and the local motos, all getting people home as they would in any other city anywhere in the world. But as I've learned today, Siem Reap is not just any city. As the closest town to the current hottest tourist destination in town (that's the Angkor temples, in case you were confused), Siem Reap has experienced a tourist boom and an onslaught of foreigners in this once sleepy countryside neighbourhood.

And yet, there are things about Siem Reap (and Cambodia in general) that continue to shock and surprise me. The country and its people are poor, very poor, and yet, everyone I see has a cell phone (usually a very trendy one), and there is an amazingly well-connected mobile network even when electricity supply is often spotty. We often get power surges at the hotel, and yet, I was able to check my email and send text messages right in the middle of Angkor Wat. Go figure.

The US dollar is the unofficial official currency here. When I went to "change money" at the front desk with a $20 bill (everything is very cheap here), the hotel clerk simply broke my 20 into smaller US denominations. I looked at him confused, but he shrugged and said that "we use US dollars here." And true enough, everyone from the Angkor tourism office to the little lunch stand on the side of the road had their prices in US dollars.

"It's like Venice, but not..." -- it's the 4th time on the trip that I've said this. This time, it's referring to the floating village of Chong Kneas, where there is literally an entire village of people who live on the water in house boats, stilt houses, and just plain boats on the Tonle Sap Lake. Even schools and hospitals are floating, and every year, the entire village migrates around the lake depending on the season. When the dry season arrives, they move further towards the centre of the lake since the water level can drop by several metres. The reverse happens when monsoon season comes around.

My hotel is another anomaly in this city. Operated by the trendy company that brought Bangkok's Bed Supper Club, the Hotel de la Paix is something of a modern oasis here in Siem Reap. Although nearly 100 hotels have sprung up in the area in the last few years, the de la Paix is probably the only one that will make you think that you are in London or New York the moment you step inside. The lobby is a public-space-slash-art-gallery-cum-bar-lounge that houses modern Khmer and Cambodian art work. The rooms are equipped with iPods and speakers -- the iPods even have preloaded podcasts of Angkor temple e-tours.

And of course, how could I not discuss Angkor? The temples at Angkor are really an amazing sight. Today I visited the main Angkor Wat temple (Angkor Wat, by the way, only refer to one temple -- the largest one -- in the entire Angkor area), and the ancient city of Angkor Thom. The symbolism used throughout the buildings were definitely deja vu; everything from Hindu influences (the 5 Angkor Wat towers were built to represent the three Hindu gods and their consorts), Buddhist elements, and the universal concepts of heaven and hell are repeated over and over again.

For example, the heaven and hell bas-reliefs in Angkor Wat reminded me of the Judgment Day depictions on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Beautiful apsaras (celestial dancers) figures adorn all of the temples, not unlike sirens or faeries in western mythology. As the largest Hindu temple in the world, the structure of Angkor Wat, with its giant moat representing the ocean, Naga bridging the ocean and the land, the concentric galleries the mountains, and the towers which represent Mt. Meru were consistent with the structures that we saw in Chiang Mai.

I think Bayon at Angkor Thom is probably my favourite temple so far. Built in a slightly different style from Angkor Wat, Bayon has an eerie mystical aura which remind me of a lost city.

Tomorrow I am off to attempt to see the sun rise at Angkor Wat. And then...more temples, including Ta Phrom, now better known as the temple that has the tree that was in Tomb Raider -- I guess that's all part of the legacy that Angelina Jolie has left for this country. *sigh*

And in case you missed on those "contextual" links, the photos from today are here.

Benevolent Bangkok

My second trip to Bangkok draws to a close. I must say that Bangkok has definitely come a long way since my first trip 2 years ago. I can't believe all of the new buildings (including the new airport, of course) that have sprung up over such a short time. Bangkok is really coming into her own as a world class city.

This time around, I did a little less sightseeing and a little more cultural exploration. Yesterday I took a cooking course at the venerable Blue Elephant (its restaurant is something of a Bangkok institution). Our instructor took us on a tour of a nearby market and explained various Thai spices and foods that I've never even seen before. Did you know that it takes about 50 fish to make one kilogram of base for the yummy Thai fish cakes? Or that supermarkets in Bangkok charge 2 to 3 times as much for exotic (to us) / local (to them) fruits such as dragon fruit and rambutan?

In my class, we learned how to make: a) Yellow Curry with Prawn, b) Spicy Chicken soup, c) Cashew chicken stir-fry, and d) Deep fried sea bass with green mango salad. All yummy Thai goodness, I tell you. Did you know that yellow curry is actually just red curry paste (which is less spicy than green curry) mixed with curry powder? We even learned how to make red curry paste from scratch -- during which I learned that if I were Thai, no one would marry me because I pounded the pestle too hard while grinding the chili. Go figure. ;-)

In short, I was once again struck by the awesome friendliness and kind hospitality of the Thai people. Everywhere you went, people smiled and bowed their heads, greeting each other with their palms held together and saying "sawatdee kaa" (if you're female). Everything is ridiculously affordable, yet western amenities are still widely available. If it weren't for the weather which kicks my ass (90% humidity all 4 days we were here), I would definitely come back more often (17 hour flight from LAX bedamned). Thailand rocks! (That, and staying at the Peninsula and getting upgraded to one of the presidential suites doesn't hurt either. ;))

My parents are safely headed home via Seoul, and I continue my journey solo. Tonight I head to Siem Reap in Cambodia, where three days of Angkor Wat magic await me. Khop khun kaa, Thailand.

Chiang Mai - Lanna, elephants, and paradise found

Today is our last full day in Chiang Mai. Tomorrow evening, we pack our bags once again and head into the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. It's been an absolutely amazing last few days. Not only is Chiang Mai lush and green, but I've also learned a lot about the people and culture of Northern Thailand. Some highlights:

The Lanna vs. Thai
Everywhere we go, there is the talk of Lanna people and the Lanna culture. After taking the cultural tour at the resort on the first day, we learned all about these people of Northern Thailand. The Lanna originally ran their own kingdom which was centred around Chiang Mai. They were subsequently threatened by various conquerors and also fell into Burmese rule for a period, which led to the Thai king proposing marriage to the Lanna princess so that the conquerors would be kept at bay and the Burmese pushed out. As a result, Lanna became a part of Thailand, and its people forced to adopt Thai culture and language, as well as the educational system. A big part of this resort's goal is to preserve the Lanna heritage, and educate guests on their culture so that it will not disappear in Thailand.

Elephants
They used to work in the forest for hours on end and were treated poorly. Now various elephant "training" camps have been set up in the area to domesticate elephants to serve as a tourist attraction. Yes, it's still exploitation, but at least it guarantees that the elephants get fed well, and receive all the medical attention that they may need. The elephants at the Chiang Dao training camp that we visited today only work half day -- they start by going into the Ping River for a bath, then do a short demo [will post video shortly] of the work elephants used to do, and then take visitors like us for a 30-minute trek through the forest to a Lisu tribe village. A short rest later, the elephants bring us back to the original camp. Truckloads of food are then brought in for their food at noon (when they stop working), and the elephants are allowed to roam free in the forest after that.

Lush lush lush
And no, I don't mean drinking. Chiang Mai is such a lush place. I've decided that this is definitely one good mock-up for heaven or at least paradise. The Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi is top notch, and I think the best part is that it's a resort that's also steeped with local culture and a desire to preserve the way things were (hence the rice fields on the property, as well as local architecture). It's definitely a great place to visit, and I'll definitely come back (mosquito bites notwithstanding). :-)

There's a lot more I've missed but I'm exhausted so that's all for today! Links to photos here.

And on to Thailand

This morning we left Hong Kong for the next stop in our trip: Chiang Mai. After a quick 3 hour flight, we spent nearly a third of that time hiking across the entire Suvarnabhumi airport in Hong Kong to get to the domestic transfer area. Can we say, someone build a subway?

Anyway, the news in Asia is dominated by all the terror that's happening in Myanmar. I recently read in a local blog that the junta has now cut off all internet access in that country so it'll be even harder to find out what's really going on there. We'll have to see what the international community will do about all of this. *sigh*

Last thoughts on Hong Kong --
Every time I come back, I feel more and more disengaged from the place. I remember thinking that there was a strong emotional connection each time I visited, but I must admit that I didn't feel the same this time around. The people, the place, and the psyche of it have all changed, and I'm not sure that I would want to ever be there for an extended period of time again. At least not in the short term. It makes me somewhat sad that I've come to this conclusion, especially with all of the family and relatives that I have there. But at the end of the day, I know that blood ties will always run deep, no matter where in the world I may be. You don't need to be in the same place to feel the connection, just as sometimes you could be in the same place and still feel completely disconnected.

And with that, we're out. Sawadee ka, Thailand.

It's sorta like Venice, but not...and other Hong Kong musings

It's been just over a week of my Asia trip. We're only two cities in (Macao, and now Hong Kong), there's one phrase I've already heard over and over again, strangely enough..."It's like Venice [Italy], but not." First, they said that about the Venetian Hotel in Macao, (it's more not, in my opinion), and today my tour guide to Lantau Island said the same thing about Tai O, a small-and-now-defunct fishing village.

Tai O should have been a great place. Located on Lantau Island, the village enjoys a prime spot where the Pearl River meets the South China Sea -- in another words, loads and loads of fish. However, years of aggressive fishing have depleted all the fish stocks and now the fishing village imports all of the fish and seafood that it then dries or cures to sell to tourists and Hong Kong locals (a little known fact -- the importing part). Another unique feature of Tai O is that many of the houses are built on water, hence the comparison to Venice. However, all of the village's fishing glory has disappeared and it's now one of the poorest areas of Hong Kong. Sad. :(

Today I also visited the Tian Tan Buddha -- the largest outdoor seated Buddha in the world. I must say it was extremely serene yet impressive to see this bronze statue halfway up on the hills, surrounded the greenery. The beauty of the whole surrounding environment took my breath away. Link to more pictures

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Every time I come to Hong Kong, I'm struck by how different things are, and how fast things change. Hong Kong's probably one of the few places you could visit year after year and notice significant cultural and social changes in that short period. Some thoughts on this trips observations:

It's all about thin...
For women that is. "Slimming" services and companies make up the majority of all popular advertising, promising guaranteed results in ridiculously short time frames and without any effort on your part whatsoever. Most "case studies" show women losing 10-20 pounds (often 20 to 30% of their total body weight) in 14 days, using scary looking space capsule type machines that dehydrate you (literally) and pinch your fat until it falls apart. And no, of course the results don't last. That's how these places suck you in and continue to make money off you.

...and pale.
But only for your skin. While Americans are obsessed with teeth whitening, the Chinese (and Asians in general) are obsessed with skin whitening. Today I walked by a billboard with an ad for some skin whitening product, and noticed that like the teeth whitening chart, this product actually came with a colour strip so you can measure how many shades you've lightened your skin. And here we are fussing about our tans! Craaaaazy!

The flip side of efficiency is laziness
Hong Kong people are crazy efficient. The take-out service of any restaurant is faster than that of McDonald's, and the transportation network puts almost all other international cities to shame. And yet, I suspect that the true reason behind all the efficiency (other than to save money, or to make more of it), is that people here are lazy. Case in point, in one of the MTR (subway) stations, there are 3 exit escalators since there is so much traffic. This is very efficient, except for the fact that everyone only uses 1 of the 3 escalators. The reason? Because you have to round a corner to reach these escalators, and only the one on the right is the fastest and closest one, and walking three extra steps to reach the other 2 would be, well, a waste of steps. Or people are just plain lazy.

We are in China after all
Forget the promise of no change in 50 years by the Chinese government. The reality is, Hong Kong has changed, and we are now in China. Mandarin is now spoken as common as English, and the Mainland Chinese are everyone. Walk into any nice store, and they're usually the ones actually buying something. (The locals will go to look at the latest styles so that they know which fakes to buy.) Go to any restaurant, and the loudest table will be filled with Mandarin conversations, not Cantonese. Today I saw someone empty their nostrils onto the side of the street, China style. (Yes, directly without using a kleenex. It's too gross to even describe.)

Tomorrow's my last full day in Hong Kong for this leg of the trip. Friday we are off to Chiang Mai!! :-)

Raining in Hong Kong on Yom Kippur

I know I'm not Jewish, and Yom Kippur's not really related to the weather, but those were just the two things that came to mind today. I suppose technically it's already Sunday here, but my post time still says Saturday so the Yom Kippur reference still stands!!

What I did yesterday...let's see...had brunch with my uncle yesterday, did some shopping at Landmark, and then met up with Olivia for dinner at Opia. I could have sworn we were in New York the whole time. Dinner was a yummy tasting menu; it's sort of a blur now, but the stand-outs were the oyster shooter (raw oyster, sake, wasabi, something sweet, all with a soba noodle sushi roll chaser), seared foie gras with chocolate mousse (yes chocolate), pear sorbet served with a caviar spoon (meaning it was made of mother of pearl), waygu beef cheek, and pavlova for dessert. The best part of all this is that the restaurant was supposed to be Australian influenced -- that part was lost on us. ;-)

All I did was eat today.

And yes, I feel fat. But a good fat. We got into Hong Kong just before 2pm. After a somewhat convoluted trip to get to our hotel, we ventured out for our first HK "meal" -- iced milk tea and Hong Kong style egg tarts, chicken pies and "pineapple" buns. With our tummies half full, we went out to Stanley to stroll along the water and visit the somewhat famous Stanley Market. There we found this crazy (sketchy) hole-in-the-market noodle joint famous for their fish ball rice noodle soup, all washed down with classic glass bottle of Coke. Mmm...doesn't get much better than that. ;-)

Until of course, you get to Sai Kung and pick your own seafood out of tubs in front of restaurants and have them cook crab, scallops, fresh abalone, and crawfish to your liking. And then for dessert, some cold tofu dessert with red bean soup. Day one in Hong Kong was pretty sweet. And filling. And now I need to go on a diet. Or not. ;-)

The rest of today's pics - link

It's great as long as long as your stay away from the hotel

A little sightseeing around Macao today...

The Venetian Macao sucks

Yes, whine whine whine, complain complain complain. But it's really that bad here. Other than the free wireless internet and the really large (and new rooms), this place has serious issues. Here's the full text of my review that I just posted on TripAdvisor:

I am writing this review bearing in mind that this hotel opened fairly recently and must be still working out the kinks. Even still, this place is so awful (for its price point and supposed hotel class) that I am writing my review while I'm still here. If you are expecting the Las Vegas Venetian quality, forget about it.

My family and I checked in yesterday -- we had booked their "Suite Specials" off their website directly which included breakfast and a dining amenity. When we arrived at around 4pm, our rooms were not ready. We had to wait until almost 5 pm to get our rooms. Then, they messed up our reservations and said that they didn't have any of the package amenities included. My mother had to negotiate with the manager for *AN HOUR* before they acknowledged the package amenities.

There are no active bellmen at this place. At least not obviously so. Like many visitors, we had taken the shuttle bus directly from the ferry pier. The shuttle buses arrive at a completely separate entrance from the main entrance, and when we got off, there was no one to help with luggage. We are traveling for several weeks so we had about 5 pieces of luggage and a golf bag with us, and the staff that were "greeting" the shuttle bus made no attempt at helping us, or calling for any luggage help. When we made it through the check-in line, I proactively asked the front desk if we could get some help with luggage, and their response was: "Uh... we could call for help, but it will probably take a long time." Emphasis on the word "long"...given that we were tired after a 14-hour flight + ferry, we gave up and carried our own luggage...across the entire casino with no baggage carts.

My toilet got clogged this morning. I called for help and no one came for an hour. I had to call again and it took another hour before anyone arrived, even though they said that they would send someone "right away".

The concierge is also hopeless and useless. I went and asked for a local map of Macao and she handed me a casino map. Then when I explained that I was looking for a city map, she said that they didn't have any and that I should go to a store to buy one. When I asked for recommendations on the best place for Portuguese egg tarts (a very popular and common local food), she said she didn't know of any, even though she was supposedly a local Macau resident. I finally got an egg tart recommendation from someone who worked at *jewelry* store in the casino.

Later today, I got locked out of my room because my key just stopped working. I was able to flag down a staff member in the hallway, who then told me that he would go and call security, which is pretty standard procedure at a hotel. I waited for about 5 minutes until he came back, but he then told me that *I* had to go call security myself from the house phone located at the elevator bank. I saw that he had a walkie talkie on him, so I don't understand why I had to call, but I did trudge down the hall anyway. The operator put me through to the front desk, who didn't pick up the phone. I tried again, and this time, they said: "Actually, security is too busy. You should just come down yourself to the front desk." At this point I was fuming. I was dressed in hotel slippers (I had just gone down the hall to get ice), and I had to hike across *the ENTIRE hotel and casino* just to get to the front desk. When I arrived, I immediately asked for the manager, who listened pretty apathetically and then just issued me a new key. I then walked back across the whole casino -- in my slippers.

I think a large part of the problem here is that the staff are extremely undertrained and have poor language skills. Since there is a lot of Mainland China clientele here, a lot of the staff supposedly speak Mandarin, or English or both, while the local language is Cantonese. I personally speak all three languages fluently, and yet none of the staff I have spoken with (except the manager) seems all that fluent in any of the hotel's official languages. It's a frustrating game of multi-lingual charades every time you need to ask for something.

In short, I will never come back to this hotel. Even if they comp me.

Enough said.

Update: They did end up comping us for the second night for all the "inconveniences." While a nice gesture on their part, I'm still not coming back.

It's like Vegas...but not

Just arrived in Macao after taking the "fast ferry" (not that fast) from the Hong Kong Airport and transferring onto the hotel shuttle bus. The next couple of days, we're calling the brand spanking new Venetian Macao home. They all say that Macao is like the Vegas of the East, except gambling revenues are supposedly now exceeding those of Vegas itself.

But in my short 1.5 hours in town, here are some observations on the ways that Macao is NOT like Vegas:

1) Nobody actually spends money here. Except for on gambling. Case in point -- hotels. I took the free shuttle bus from the ferry pier to the hotel, and the entire 30-something person bus was full. Yet there was only *ONE* person who had luggage of any kind. And yep, that person was me. Not one single person on that bus was planning on actually staying at the hotel. They were just there to gamble overnight and then leave in the morning. As an added bonus, the majority of the people on the bus were swearing profusely the entire ride to the hotel.

2) In order to get to my room, I had to walk past the usual slew of restaurants and the casino. At around 8:30pm, there were a grand total of about 2 tables seated at each of the 3 restaurants that I walked by. Just in case you were thinking it's not a busy night at the casino-hotel, the casino floor was packed. So why no diners? Please see point (1).

3) There are no bellmen readily available in the lobby. When checking in, I had to ask the front desk for help with luggage, and their response was: "Oh. If you want help, it's going to take a while." I look around the lobby and there were no luggage carts, no eager bellmen. Nothing? Why? Refer to (1).

4) There's no such thing as recreational activities here. The complimentary "local" shuttle buses only take you to another casino (the Sands), and the concierge don't actually know of any restaurants outside the casino. In fact, their primary job responsibility is to convince you that you should put down $100K in chips and be part of their VIP club. Riiiiiight.

Ok time for a little shuteye. Hopefully I'll see more of the non-gambling side of Macao tomorrow.

All roads lead to Hong Kong...

Or maybe I should say all roads lead from Hong Kong. I just arrived after a surprisingly painless 13 hour United flight. Hanging out in the transit area now, waiting for my "fast ferry" connection to Macao. It's so weird to be back...in Hong Kong that is. It's like everything has changed and nothing has. The smells are the same (not fragrant, in case you were wondering), the people look the same, but the sounds have slightly changed. There's more Mandarin in the air -- and "in the air" as a nice way of saying they are super f-ing loud. Peachy. Now I remember why I don't actually like coming to Asia that much. ;-)

In funnier news, one of the flight attendants asked me about 10 hours into the flight: "I've been meaning to ask you...are you a celebrity?"

To which I responded: "No...have I been rude to you or something?" ;-)