Come the end of semester and it is exam time. Since the administration placed my exams in an unfortunately manner, with 4 written finals and 2 group papers due within the 17th to the 25th of April and one single final on May 7th, I opted for a week of travel in South-East Asia in between.
Flying out of Hong Kong the day after my Chinese final, on the 26th in morning, I booked a return ticket to Ho Chi Minh City on May 3rd, giving me 7 days abroad and 3 days to study for the final. Since I was short on time, I booked the ticket without travel companions to not waste time, as most other GLOBErs either were done with finals and had planned a much longer trip or still had exams to come. Coincidentally, a large group of GLOBErs were flying into Ho Chi Minh City from Hanoi the same day, so I decided to latch onto their plans as much as possible.
Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City on the 26th in the afternoon, we planned to stay there till the 28th in the morning, where a coach would take us to Phnom Penh, the capitol of the Cambodia some 6 hours away. Spending a day and a half there, we would continue up north on the 29th in the evening towards Siem Reap, the gateway town to Angkor Wat. We would spend 2 days here, but while the group then heads towards Myanmar from the Siem Reap airport on the morning of the 2nd, I take a night bus back down to Phnom Penh the evening before, and make my way back to Ho Chi Minh City by myself. Then reality returns, and it is econometrics galore before my time in Hong Kong slowly draws to an end.
mandag den 30. april 2012
tirsdag den 24. april 2012
Sushi One
In a town full of deals, discounts and sales, the best one so far is at Sushi One. After 10 PM on weekdays, all sushi, sashimi and other combinations of seafood and rice is 50% off. So after having slaved away at a 25 page report all weekend, 7 of us headed for food that wasn't delivery pizza, cup noodles or fried rice.
As with all good deals, you want to get there early. By leaving around 8:30, we were standing in front of the restaurant at 21:00 in Mong Kok East. There was already a 12-person queue, so we would be in the first batch. Apparently the restaurant shuts down for all paying guests in the hour before 10 PM, in order to stock up and get ready for the 2 hours of sushi madness between 22:00 and 24:00. So we hung around, killing time by looking at the menu and filling out our order sheet + drinks (also half price for mocktails!). By 21:45, they let us in, took our orders, and the sushi started arriving before 22:00.
The deal is you have 1½ hours to stay, so to make sure you get enough, you often have to order up front what you want. Seeing as this was only my second time there, and with some of the girls pro sushi diners, I left ordering up to them. I contributed by stating that Kirin beer would be my preferred beverage, as well as remarking that plain salmon slices would be too boring. So when the flood-wave of sushi hit our table, I wasn't quite prepared. Apparently they had rationed 15-20 pieces for each person, seeing as 5 out of 7 were girls, but there must have been way more. I must have had at least 30-35 pieces, but after an hour there were still 29 pieces remaining. It seemed a waste to leave such good food, but I was done.
After paying my share of 190 HKD and crawling out of the restaurant, we took the MTR back to University. But with the last bus back to I-house gone, we took a cab instead of the 20 minute walk, as nobody could bear the thought of physical exercise after that much food. Great social evening, but taking gluttony to a whole new level.
As with all good deals, you want to get there early. By leaving around 8:30, we were standing in front of the restaurant at 21:00 in Mong Kok East. There was already a 12-person queue, so we would be in the first batch. Apparently the restaurant shuts down for all paying guests in the hour before 10 PM, in order to stock up and get ready for the 2 hours of sushi madness between 22:00 and 24:00. So we hung around, killing time by looking at the menu and filling out our order sheet + drinks (also half price for mocktails!). By 21:45, they let us in, took our orders, and the sushi started arriving before 22:00.
The deal is you have 1½ hours to stay, so to make sure you get enough, you often have to order up front what you want. Seeing as this was only my second time there, and with some of the girls pro sushi diners, I left ordering up to them. I contributed by stating that Kirin beer would be my preferred beverage, as well as remarking that plain salmon slices would be too boring. So when the flood-wave of sushi hit our table, I wasn't quite prepared. Apparently they had rationed 15-20 pieces for each person, seeing as 5 out of 7 were girls, but there must have been way more. I must have had at least 30-35 pieces, but after an hour there were still 29 pieces remaining. It seemed a waste to leave such good food, but I was done.
After paying my share of 190 HKD and crawling out of the restaurant, we took the MTR back to University. But with the last bus back to I-house gone, we took a cab instead of the 20 minute walk, as nobody could bear the thought of physical exercise after that much food. Great social evening, but taking gluttony to a whole new level.
fredag den 20. april 2012
Sculling
This morning's rowing practice took an unexpected turn.With an odd number of people showing up for practice, and nobody from my college, I was finally allowed to get a go at sculling.
After the Chinese University of Hong Kong College Championships, the rowing season slows a bit (helped a lot by exams) before cranking back up to 2 x 4 hour practices a day, 6 days a week, from early June to early August, where the Universities compete for Hong Kong glory. This, coupled with the exchange students' desire to not let any night go to waste and hence go out on the lash as often as possible, makes getting up at 7:00 to go rowing kind of lose its charm. But for me it is a perfect excuse to get away from my report-writing and get some exercise.
After an extensive introduction on safety (the Chinese, for some reason, completely forget that you have spent the last 3 months rowing, and find it imperative to repetitively tell you to not bash people over the head with your oar), I hopped into my single sculler and immediately almost flipped it. The boat, weighting no more than 20 kg, is only about half a meter wide, and until you get the feel of handling two oars instead of one, you want to refrain from sudden movements. My coach looked like this was the worst idea in the world, and from his aggressive Cantonese conversation and the excessive use of the word "gweilo" (literally "ghost man", a slang term for a white foreigner) did not sound reassuring.
However, after a tips and tricks, as well as a general understanding of the physics of the boat, things looked much brighter. The first 10 minutes were slightly shaky, but from then on it was great. It reminded me of bicycling in Denmark, alone in nature, just man and machine, with nothing to do, but to let your thoughts go. With a clear blue sky and a slight breeze, it was the perfect way to spend 2½ hours a Saturday morning.
søndag den 15. april 2012
Dim Sum
With Chinese culture being all about the food, it is extraordinary that I haven't mentioned dim sum yet. Perhaps I was saving it for a special occasion - which turned out to be a trip to One Dim Sum in Prince Edward.
Dim sum originated as a snack, not a full meal, and can be eaten at almost any time of day (most often breakfast / lunch). It refers to the style of preparing food in small, bite-size portions in baskets. Dim sum includes various types of buns, dumplings, rice noodle rolls, as well as specific dishes such as turnip cake and chicken feet. It is often eaten with tea, hence the Cantonese name for dim sum, yum cha ,饮茶, meaning to drink tea.
I have developed a fond acquaintance of dim sum, not least through breakfast at Chung Chi college three times a week. So I headed with three GLOBErs to One Dim Sum, a 2012 Michelin guide recommended eatery. Seating no more than 40 people, there are no table reservations, and the décor is nothing fancy. But the food is cheap and fantastic, with waiting time reaching an hour during peak lunch and dinner hours. We came in the late evening, so after a 20 minute wait we were seated.
Dim sum is, like all Chinese food, shared - so we ordered some 20 dishes and had a banquet. My favourite by far, cha siu bao, 叉烧包, is a bun filled with roasted marinated pork. Other classics are the shredded chicken rice rolls, the turnip cake, xiao long bao, 小笼包, which is a steamed soup dumpling, and prawn dumplings. Throw in the obligatory bok choy (a small Chinese cabbage), as well as a rice dish, and one has themselves a feast.
Dim sum originated as a snack, not a full meal, and can be eaten at almost any time of day (most often breakfast / lunch). It refers to the style of preparing food in small, bite-size portions in baskets. Dim sum includes various types of buns, dumplings, rice noodle rolls, as well as specific dishes such as turnip cake and chicken feet. It is often eaten with tea, hence the Cantonese name for dim sum, yum cha ,饮茶, meaning to drink tea.
I have developed a fond acquaintance of dim sum, not least through breakfast at Chung Chi college three times a week. So I headed with three GLOBErs to One Dim Sum, a 2012 Michelin guide recommended eatery. Seating no more than 40 people, there are no table reservations, and the décor is nothing fancy. But the food is cheap and fantastic, with waiting time reaching an hour during peak lunch and dinner hours. We came in the late evening, so after a 20 minute wait we were seated.
Dim sum is, like all Chinese food, shared - so we ordered some 20 dishes and had a banquet. My favourite by far, cha siu bao, 叉烧包, is a bun filled with roasted marinated pork. Other classics are the shredded chicken rice rolls, the turnip cake, xiao long bao, 小笼包, which is a steamed soup dumpling, and prawn dumplings. Throw in the obligatory bok choy (a small Chinese cabbage), as well as a rice dish, and one has themselves a feast.
torsdag den 12. april 2012
College dinner
With the semester coming to an end, my college held its semi-annual dinner for its sports teams. Being part of the the New Asia rowing team, I naturally paid the ridiculously cheap 10 HKD for the dinner and tagged along.
Located in the staff cantine at New Asia college, the scene was set for a feast. All colleges seem to have a regular and a staff cantine, with the latter serving food of better quality, but slightly more expensive. I had never been before, but 12 or so round tables were laid with bowls and cutlery for at least 80 people. From here on, it was one peculiarity after the other.
Firstly, the dinner time was set for 18:30. I show up at the stroke of half past, find my seat at the rowing table and patiently look around. No more than 10 people were present, and there was no indication that something was going to happen. The New Asia bigwigs (president, various coaches) didn't show up till 19:15, and it wasn't until 19:30 that everybody stood up and sang the New Asia song. The song was accompanied by a classical piece, mostly resembling La Marseillaise, and the pompousness and grandeur seemed completely out of place with 70 Asians quietly mumbling along.
Finally some waiters appeared. They brought large jugs, resembling ice tea, and with the weather being 95% humidity and 28 degrees, it was exactly what was needed. The jugs, however, contained coke, which had completely lost its fizz, so it was basically overly sweet suger-water, and after half a glass the sugar coating on my teeth deterred me from another sip. In the meantime, a middle-aged man, neatly suited up with a tie and sweating uncontrollably, took the microphone and proceeded to give a 15 minute speech.
Then came the food. In Asia, you know a banquet will be good, and there was an over-abundance of rice, noodles, chicken, pork, fried fish, squid, broccoli, spinach, a green chinese asparagus, and sautéed beef. Being a sport event, the meal was frequently interrupted by acknowledgements and rounds of applause for what people told me were VIP's (which, I later found out, they meant to be MVP's, not exactly the same), as well as charades and a (seemingly) hilarious role playing event involving reading from a jumbled up script. After the compulsory photo shoot, we were out of the door at 21:30.
All in all it was a great experience; cheap, delicious food and, thankfully, two other exchange students at the table who row in my boat. The main problem, and also the most interesting aspect of the evening, was that everything was in Cantonese. Even the programmes and the entertainment had no hint of an English word. For these reasons, it is hard to blame foreigners for grouping together - the Asians do it themselves. They obviously feel much more relaxed speaking Cantonese, and they seemed to really enjoy themselves, but for me and my two mates, we all agreed that it was a one-off thing for us. Shame.
Located in the staff cantine at New Asia college, the scene was set for a feast. All colleges seem to have a regular and a staff cantine, with the latter serving food of better quality, but slightly more expensive. I had never been before, but 12 or so round tables were laid with bowls and cutlery for at least 80 people. From here on, it was one peculiarity after the other.
Firstly, the dinner time was set for 18:30. I show up at the stroke of half past, find my seat at the rowing table and patiently look around. No more than 10 people were present, and there was no indication that something was going to happen. The New Asia bigwigs (president, various coaches) didn't show up till 19:15, and it wasn't until 19:30 that everybody stood up and sang the New Asia song. The song was accompanied by a classical piece, mostly resembling La Marseillaise, and the pompousness and grandeur seemed completely out of place with 70 Asians quietly mumbling along.
Finally some waiters appeared. They brought large jugs, resembling ice tea, and with the weather being 95% humidity and 28 degrees, it was exactly what was needed. The jugs, however, contained coke, which had completely lost its fizz, so it was basically overly sweet suger-water, and after half a glass the sugar coating on my teeth deterred me from another sip. In the meantime, a middle-aged man, neatly suited up with a tie and sweating uncontrollably, took the microphone and proceeded to give a 15 minute speech.
Then came the food. In Asia, you know a banquet will be good, and there was an over-abundance of rice, noodles, chicken, pork, fried fish, squid, broccoli, spinach, a green chinese asparagus, and sautéed beef. Being a sport event, the meal was frequently interrupted by acknowledgements and rounds of applause for what people told me were VIP's (which, I later found out, they meant to be MVP's, not exactly the same), as well as charades and a (seemingly) hilarious role playing event involving reading from a jumbled up script. After the compulsory photo shoot, we were out of the door at 21:30.
All in all it was a great experience; cheap, delicious food and, thankfully, two other exchange students at the table who row in my boat. The main problem, and also the most interesting aspect of the evening, was that everything was in Cantonese. Even the programmes and the entertainment had no hint of an English word. For these reasons, it is hard to blame foreigners for grouping together - the Asians do it themselves. They obviously feel much more relaxed speaking Cantonese, and they seemed to really enjoy themselves, but for me and my two mates, we all agreed that it was a one-off thing for us. Shame.
mandag den 9. april 2012
Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery
Hidden away in Sha Tin, two stops from the University MTR station, this place is a gem hidden away from the swarms of tourists in Hong Kong and a perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon in this part of town.
Founded in 1951 by the Venerable Yuet Kai, the monastery is located on a hillside in Sha Tin. With the idea of building a Buddhist college, him and his disciples took 8 years to complete the buildings. Located at the top of 431 steps, the path to the temple is lined with gold-painted wooden statues of Buddhas with various abstract facial expressions.
It is the temple at the top which gives the place its name. The walls are lined with 20cm tall Buddha figures, no two of which are the same, a total of some 12,800, made by Shanghai craftsmen and donated since the temple was built. The name does not refer to the exact amount of statues; the Cantonese phrase "10.000" simply means a very high number. It is also within this temple that the embalmed and masked corpse of Yuet Kai is seated, as he wished, within a glass box.
However, there is much more than the one temple. A large 9-story pagoda is visible from the bottom of the hill, half a dozen shrines with incense and statues of various deities, a great view of Sha Tin, and not least a tranquil place in a bustling city to enjoy a warm summer breeze and a lazy afternoon.
It is the temple at the top which gives the place its name. The walls are lined with 20cm tall Buddha figures, no two of which are the same, a total of some 12,800, made by Shanghai craftsmen and donated since the temple was built. The name does not refer to the exact amount of statues; the Cantonese phrase "10.000" simply means a very high number. It is also within this temple that the embalmed and masked corpse of Yuet Kai is seated, as he wished, within a glass box.
However, there is much more than the one temple. A large 9-story pagoda is visible from the bottom of the hill, half a dozen shrines with incense and statues of various deities, a great view of Sha Tin, and not least a tranquil place in a bustling city to enjoy a warm summer breeze and a lazy afternoon.
lørdag den 7. april 2012
MacLehose Trail
Running from Pak Tam Chung in the East to Tuen Mun in the West, the MacLehose Trail is a 100 km hiking route crossing the New Territories in Hong Kong. It covers some of Hong Kong's highest peaks, and has everything from challenging hikes to picturesque scenery.
Named after Murray MacLehose, Hong Kong's longest serving governor (1971 - 82), it is subdivided into 10 sections of varying length and difficulty. My girlfriend and I hiked the 13,5 km second stage, but in the opposite direction from Pak Tam Au to Long Ke. We thus hiked east towards the coast of the New Territories, situated on the Sai Kung peninsula, before turning south as we crossed pristine uplands, bays and peninsulas around Tai Long Wan (Big Wave Bay). Being Wednesday, the beaches were deserted - only a shark threat and a strong undercurrent deterred us from swimming. Instead we opted for lazing on the beach and enjoying a brought lunch, although the few restaurants there provide fine dining opportunities.
Getting out to the East coast of Hong Kong takes some time. Three stops east of Kowloon Tong on the Kwun Tong line, we took a 45 minute bus ride to Pak Tam Au. Hiking a big loop around the coast back towards Sai Kung, we grabbed a minibus the final 4 km into town, and then a bus back towards civilization.
Since we were feeling adventurous, we took a detour and headed up the Sheung Luk river. Some 3 miles up the river lies a dam at the top of a picturesque cliff, but the real fun was a really deep pool allowing for a 30 foot cliff jump. Adrenaline for free, although it was reassuring that we were not the only ones who had found the place. Once summer comes around, I am definitely going back - climbing Sharp Peak (the highest point to the left on the photo above), an outdoor barbecue and renting surf boards are still on my to do list!
Named after Murray MacLehose, Hong Kong's longest serving governor (1971 - 82), it is subdivided into 10 sections of varying length and difficulty. My girlfriend and I hiked the 13,5 km second stage, but in the opposite direction from Pak Tam Au to Long Ke. We thus hiked east towards the coast of the New Territories, situated on the Sai Kung peninsula, before turning south as we crossed pristine uplands, bays and peninsulas around Tai Long Wan (Big Wave Bay). Being Wednesday, the beaches were deserted - only a shark threat and a strong undercurrent deterred us from swimming. Instead we opted for lazing on the beach and enjoying a brought lunch, although the few restaurants there provide fine dining opportunities. 
Getting out to the East coast of Hong Kong takes some time. Three stops east of Kowloon Tong on the Kwun Tong line, we took a 45 minute bus ride to Pak Tam Au. Hiking a big loop around the coast back towards Sai Kung, we grabbed a minibus the final 4 km into town, and then a bus back towards civilization.Since we were feeling adventurous, we took a detour and headed up the Sheung Luk river. Some 3 miles up the river lies a dam at the top of a picturesque cliff, but the real fun was a really deep pool allowing for a 30 foot cliff jump. Adrenaline for free, although it was reassuring that we were not the only ones who had found the place. Once summer comes around, I am definitely going back - climbing Sharp Peak (the highest point to the left on the photo above), an outdoor barbecue and renting surf boards are still on my to do list!
fredag den 6. april 2012
Tea
Excessive school work and a visiting girlfriend has meant that my blogging has been non-existent these past 10 days. Now it is redemption time, and what better way than with tea? Despite a rainy day, said girlfriend and I went exploring to see what Hong Kong had to offer concerning the aromatic beverage.
It is no secret that tea plays an important role in Chinese culture and history. Legend has it that it dates all the way back to 2737 BC, and since then traditions and rituals have flourished. Tea has been used as acceptance for a marriage proposal, as betrothal gifts, for its antioxidants (and long list of medical benefits), as a social gathering, as art, and as signs of respect and hierarchy.
Tea has an (if not equally) important role in British culture, so it was fitting that the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware is the former residence of the commander of the British forces. Located in Hong Kong Park, it is a two-story colonial building housing an informative exhibition on the production of various types of tea, the etiquette and rituals of drinking tea, as well as 600 pieces of tea ware - and all for free.
Right next door is the Lock Cha Tea Shop. After wandering the first floor browsing an impressive Chinese seal collection, we headed to the tea shop downstairs. An extremely friendly staff-member sat us down, recommended two flavours, and showed us how to rinse the cups and brew the tea. The teapots used were about the size of a fist, the shape, size and material determined by what tea was to be brewed in it. Each pot could be steeped 5-6 times, and at 48 HKD each, it wasn't much more expensive than Starbucks. However, looking at the menu, some aged Pu-erh cakes (Pu-erh is a variety of tea from Yunnan Province in China, and is sold in cakes about a foot in diameter) cost 10.000 HKD, so one shouldn't just order anything.
It is no secret that tea plays an important role in Chinese culture and history. Legend has it that it dates all the way back to 2737 BC, and since then traditions and rituals have flourished. Tea has been used as acceptance for a marriage proposal, as betrothal gifts, for its antioxidants (and long list of medical benefits), as a social gathering, as art, and as signs of respect and hierarchy.
Tea has an (if not equally) important role in British culture, so it was fitting that the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware is the former residence of the commander of the British forces. Located in Hong Kong Park, it is a two-story colonial building housing an informative exhibition on the production of various types of tea, the etiquette and rituals of drinking tea, as well as 600 pieces of tea ware - and all for free.
Right next door is the Lock Cha Tea Shop. After wandering the first floor browsing an impressive Chinese seal collection, we headed to the tea shop downstairs. An extremely friendly staff-member sat us down, recommended two flavours, and showed us how to rinse the cups and brew the tea. The teapots used were about the size of a fist, the shape, size and material determined by what tea was to be brewed in it. Each pot could be steeped 5-6 times, and at 48 HKD each, it wasn't much more expensive than Starbucks. However, looking at the menu, some aged Pu-erh cakes (Pu-erh is a variety of tea from Yunnan Province in China, and is sold in cakes about a foot in diameter) cost 10.000 HKD, so one shouldn't just order anything.
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