HK SNAPSHOTS

PITSTOP

On our epic 1 hour trek from village to village on Lamma Island (paved path all the way!) we had to stop and regain strength at a little roadside douhua vendor. Soft beancurd with a sweet syrup on top. Delicious, but you know how I love anything pudding.

INTO THE KITCHEN

While in HK we went to Da Ping Huo, a private dining room serving Sichuan home style cooking in Central.

Located in a basement, this husband wife run operation offers two sittings of a set menu each evening, cash only.

MERRY LAMMA CHRISTMAS

We spent Christmas day on Lamma island, a 30 minute ferry ride from Central, Hong Kong. An hour long walk from one side of the island to the other before the main event, lunch by the waterside at the Rainbow Seafood Restaurant.

OUTLETS

The Prada outlet opens at 10.30am, and at 10.20am this morning, there was already a substantial crowd. People from the mainland came armed with suitcases for all their purchases!

See us reflected in the window, in what is possibly our only family portrait from this trip!

THE PEAK

Conquered, with the help of the Tram of course.

Not as clear as it was in summer but pretty cool none the less. I love this city.

THE ULTIMATE WAFFLE

Butter, peanut butter (the crunchy type), sweetened condensed milk.

It shouldn't work, but it does.

AND SO IT BEGINS

photo: Thick toast with peanut butter and condensed milk

I arrived here in HK last night, too late unfortunately to go out and eat, but I have definitely made up for it today.

Up early to meet a friend from Taipei and hit the visa office. That sorted, we headed for a late breakfast at the classic HK style dinner.

I love these places, the east meets west, don't want to think about how much fat and sugar is involved deliciousness of it.

AU REVOIR TAIPEI

Off to Hong Kong I go!

I saw this movie last week, a cute rom com set in Taipei, it gives you a pretty good idea of what Taipei looks like - scooters, night markets, noodles etc. Just make the addition of constant rainfall and you'll have the Taipei I'm living in right now.

If you have nothing better to do then you can watch the full thing, but here are the first 10 minutes.

Au revoir Taipei, see you in a week (that is if C & G successfully manage to get me on the return flight back. I warn you now, you've got your work cut out for you!)

BACK AGAIN

This is where people who live in Taipei, only have one set of bed linen and no drier at home spend their Saturday afternoons. Damn this weather! It's actually taking over my life... all I ever seem to talk (or think) about anymore.

My apologies.

HALSTON

Looking forward to seeing this.

I love a good fashion documentary, there hasn't been anything for a while...

HAPPY FOOD

Today I visited my favourite vegetarian buffet for the first time in a couple of weeks, it was so good! I haven't enjoyed a meal (that was not of my own making!) this much in months. I think I was actually  grinning ear to ear as I was eating.... What has become of me?

Particular favourites here, the mushrooms (why do the Chinese do them so well?) and the imitation meat front and center, it tastes really good - now there is something I thought I would never say. I hate to think what the nutritional information is....

CRAVING SUMMER

I am so cold!

We are only experiencing lows of around 15 degrees, but it feels so much cooler with all the humidity, not to mention the constant rain.

None of the buildings are insulated, so my room the same temperature as outside, in fact sometimes, it feels warmer outside.

The photo above was taken at Shek-O beach in Hong Kong, it was about 35 degrees on this day, and possibly the hottest I've ever felt, the water didn't cool you down at all, it was like taking a luke warm bath. I kind of look back at this and wish I'd savoured the moment a bit more.

The grass is always greener I suppose.

POLAR OPPOSITES

Lately when discussing the weather with people here, everyone says that a good dehumidifier is a must for spending a comfortable Taipei winter. My AC has this function, but then it makes the room unbearably cold, I think I'd rather brave the elements than make the investment, unless my clothes start to suffer of course!

It's ironic that back in Lanzhou, we used a humidifier to increase humidity! A rabbit that emitted steam from it's ears! Only in China.

MV #2

Last Friday evening was spent freezing in an abandoned bottle top factory filming another music video. The concept was "it's the end of the world and you are the only ones left, you're sad.... but happy too."

I spent most of the time mucking around with Instagram... too addictive!

WEEKEND WARMER

This weekend has been deadly cold, one of those weekends that makes everyone rush out to the shops to buy more clothes. Case in point, the line outside Zara today stretched for 100 metres, no joke.

I spent my time far more wisely, eating.

THE NIGHTLIFE

The Taipei nightlife scene. I have gone out a bit but.... let's just say it's not Shanghai. At least they know how to make a good Gimlet.

CONVENIENCES

A new school term means a new textbook, way too heavy to carry in my bag everyday without the risk of developing lopsided posture.

Luckily there is a solution. For less than NZ$5, you can get your textbook cut into two or three volumes, rebound and covered for your convenience. I went for the two volume option, choosing blue for my covers because that is the colour theme inside this volume.

What a great idea, why don't we have this at home?

Unfortunately, this textbook isn't so great on the inside, the entire book is set in the US.... bizarre and unnecessary considering that we are in Taiwan - learning Chinese. Whatever. In a few months I won't have to deal with this crazy America obsession any longer.

Happy weekend!

ON THE ROAD

I have just discovered Instagram, why did I not know about this earlier? It is like photoshop for iPhone for technically challenged people. Very addictive.

This morning I woke up early and felt like a bike ride, a proper one. Out the door at 8am, I headed for the riverside bike path that Taipei is famous for... but I had yet to visit!

Goodbye gross traffic and petrol fumes, hello waterside, green grass and fresh air.

I HEART QUINOA

Inspired to cook at home this week. Quinoa is fabulous, so versatile you can put it with anything. I've taken to cooking it in big batches and keeping it in the fridge for quick meal prep. It refrigerates really well which I love.

I WANT

Unfortunately it isn't released until March 13th, I'll be back in NZ by then! What luck. 

H&M isn't in Taiwan yet but it is coming soon hot on the heels of UNIQLO and Zara. It is already in China and Hong Kong though... Perhaps a long weekend is in order?

STARTING AGAIN

A new school term requires a new outfit. Yesterday I stopped by UNIQLO to pick up a little something. A mens shirt from the Jil Sander collaboration +J.

I had very good reasons for buying - 

1. It's the last season that this collaboration is available.
2. When does a shirt ever go out of style?
3. It was on sale.
4. Jil Sander - enough said.

Off I go, to do it all over again. 10 weeks of class and then I will be homeward bound.