Life after dim sum

After being in Hong Kong for about 5 weeks, you start to get the hang of things.

The streets and lanes worth exploring and those that are not.. you kinda pick them out real quick.

Most may not know that Hong Kong is divided into two parts.. Kowloon (a.k.a the real Hong Kong that we know from Young and Dangerous 1-7.. and don't try to tell us Malaysians otherwise..) with delights such as Chou Tofu (Smelly fried fermented beancurd), Curry Fishballs (which I finally mustered up the courage to try and loving it!), Egg balls (:/) etc..

And then there's MY Hong Kong (a.k.a. Hong Kong Island).. there's Central where I work and live.. more like expat central.. which can only mean lots of bars, pubs, restaurants and cafes (a.k.a. Nirvana.. or is it..)

The question is.. being a song-spoilt Malaysian, and let's get past the art of dim sum shall we..

I've found that Hong Kong lacks.. believe it or not.. variety.

Strings of shops serving local far in Central, tiny as they may be.. boast a reputable portfolio of celebrity patrons.. only to sell.. the exact same things.

Noodle shops: wanton, beef brisket and/or innards, dumplings, stewed pork

Roast meat shops: cha sio.. siu yuk, siu kai.. siu ngap.. siu ngor

Aiyo.... and then also got Dai Pai Tongs a.k.a. Dai Chow places.

Some dirty as hell, food so-so la. and some with more established premises.. so so la.. pork ribs with black bean sauce is king!

Don't get me wrong, I've had some fab eats around here. at once in a while patroned specialised restaurants..Teo Chew, Thai, Korean, Shanghainese, Indian etc.

Food here is of standards and of course, you pay for it.

And btw, Malaysians, Kim Gary is a LIE! There is no Kim Gary! Let alone Mr. Kim Gary.. whom I don't recognize nor understand his over-expressions of new cheese baked seafood items on the menu..

It was merely a concocted concept to fool poor souls like myself who dream of watching triads in action, scantily clad woman smoking cigarettes and opium dens where u sit and drink tea all day while enjoying a view of a bay with junk boats surrounding tall buildings and eating dim sum while happily slurping my borsch soup and tucking into typhoon shelter noodles.

Sigh.. bring back the HK malaysians know and love..

Lai Liu Ngau Yin (Pissing beef balls) and Sek San (God of cookery)!!! Where are you?????

True ka?

This reading is based on —
Birth Name: Victoria Ting Bao
Birth Date: 10/13/1985 (October 13, 1985)

Your Inner or Soul's Urge: This is spiritual and emotional expression more than physical. It is your heart-felt desires, your incentive, how you look at life. Here are your areas of personal satisfaction.	Number: 5 You yearn for personal freedom in every direction, including expression of free will; for change, variety, and constant new opportunity; and to learn about life in all its phases. The new, the unusual, the progressive -- these are where your enthusiasms are. Waiting around, being stuck in routine, and petty details are personal agitations. Because of your desire to experience everything in life to its fullest before you let it go, you may tend to overdo sensual experience such as sex, alcohol, drugs, and food. Instead of formal education, much of your wisdom comes from your tremendous range of activities and your contact with people of many classes and races and walks of life. This can put you in great demand as an alive and witty lecturer or teacher. You tend to be flexible, progressive, and restless. You can enhance your life experience even more by increasing your sense of loyalty and your patience, better defining your purposes in life, and not scattering your attention so much by going too many directions at once.
Your Personality: This is physical expression more than spiritual or emotional; your outer self, the way you express when meeting others. It may or may not be the real you.	Number: 7 You appear dignified and poised, intellectual, and somewhat aloof. When first meeting someone, you appear hard to know, but are friendly and a good talker when better acquainted. You emit a strong sense of self-knowledge. While discussing familiar topics, you are convincing and appear at ease. However, in unfamiliar areas you can make statements you later regret. Your personality gains when well-dressed and groomed; good style with straight lines and touches of color and sparkle, possibly of expensive materials.
Your Quiescent Self: Stripping away all outside influences, aspirations, ambitions, "shoulds", and "shouldn'ts" -- this is you when you are alone; just you and your dreams..	Number: 7 You have a cosmic connection with spiritual wisdom. The Ancients are no stranger to you. In fact, you share their knowledge. You are known for who you are, and people seek you out to hear your words of wisdom. You live in an old, beautifully restored house; your library is full of precious and rare books and your study is adorned with classic art. Your thoughts and pleasure are meditation on the philosophical and spiritual wisdom of the masters of old.
Your Destiny or Ultimate Goal: This is your desired lifetime accomplishment. It is a key to a useful and happy life, and to feeling fulfillment during your latter days.	Number: 3 Your destiny lies in areas of creativity and its use to help people find inspiration and joy in living. As you express your artistic talents, your beauty, and an optimum mix of sincerity and joy, you come closer and closer to fulfilling your destiny -- which also includes popularity, personal happiness, romantic love, and money. You have integrity and are kind, patient, cheerful, artistic, creative, and a constant source of pleasure. And use your inspiration and imagination to spread your happiness by direct people contact and by writing, speaking, music, painting, decorating, or acting. You are a social person and enjoy entertaining and being entertained -- talkative and usually well dressed.
Your Life's Path: Here are clues to what fate has in store for you. It indicates the type of encounters, events, and opportunities you are likely to experience along your physical life path.	Number: 1 Your path is along the lines of expressing self-reliance, individuality, and the proper expression of will. You may have been born into a family with domineering, interfering, or unyielding parents. Be that as it may, there probably was tension and conflict of will during your growing up years. Your life is strewn with challenges and opportunities to express your will, your independence, and your initiative. You are a leader, strongly individualized, and demand the right to think and act according to your own ideas and convictions. Originality, invention, will power, and courage are native to you. You have keen perception and good concentration. Be wary of any tendency to start a project, then becoming bored with it and starting a new project before completing the first. Develop your body, mind, and spirit to the highest point of efficiency. Refuse limitations. Cooperate without losing your individuality. You seem to complete tasks better when left alone. Promotion to positions of leadership come easier to you than to some people, especially if you make yourself invaluable wherever you find yourself. Ambition is a significant driving force.
This Year's Path: Here is what you are likely to encounter this year -- your feelings, your predominant perspective, and the type of situations, circumstances, and opportunities you tend to attract during the calendar year.	Number: 7 This is your year for personal reflection and perfection, a year of introspection. You feel like analyzing everything you have been and are doing. You think about beauty, love, perfection, and what life is all about. You spend a good deal of time alone, getting acquainted with yourself and your new inner power. This year you gain a better understanding of your emotions and your spiritual nature. Take time out to rest, study, read, and travel, and to look at life from a different angle. Find outlets for personal creative expression. If you have psychic, spiritual, new age, or mystic interests, this is the year to pursue those studies. Quality is your standard.
Next Year's Path.	Number: 8 This is your year of achievement, your year to make great strides in business, employment, promotions, monetary compensation, and/or the accumulation of possessions. It is your harvest time. You feel ambition stirring, a desire to better your financial condition. To accomplish this, it is necessary to be businesslike, efficient, and practical all year. Many opportunities present themselves. To gain your rewards, move forward in a businesslike manner and with sustained effort. Your state of mind, mental capacity, education, experience, and self-confidence are all part of your success and financial advancement. You feel desire to make a special effort to improve or bring to a successful conclusion some of the ideas and dreams of the past years. This is a year of action. Place your abilities on the market with a sense of self-confidence and authority.
Last Year's Path.	Number: 6 This is a year of service for you, a duty year. You feel you're assuming new responsibilities. People make more demands of you this year. You are needed in many directions. Warmth and good will toward others, along with love and harmony, will make everything worthwhile. Justice, fair play, and honesty are important. It is a year for unselfish service. Take care of your health because without it you cannot help others. Find time for rest and relaxation. This is a year to be thorough and conscientious about everything that you do. It is a year of fine and friendly influence for marriage, tranquil home conditions, and traditional family activities. You may feel a strong desire to get settled.

A whale of a time

Okay.. so there weren't actual whales.. not even whale sharks.. or sharks or green turtles.

Damn.

Tajang & I gracefully stepped into the Land Below the Wind on the 29th of Dec 2008.

Painful goodbyes were said at Kuching International Airport as we boarded our fully occupied flight to Kota Kinabalu.

My passion for animals has always been fired by the National Geographic, Discovery Channel and my own self-exhuberating love for creatures preferably with less than 4 legs and who cannot take flight (i.e. insects).

Marine life on the other hand, is a whole other chapter. I am captivated by the kooshkin jelly-like organisms that are perhaps more complex than we'd like to think.

Fishes, jelly bugs and coral I saw in a whole new light.. amidst the stingings from little jellyfish that didn't really pose much of a threat.

These communities that were once confined to me by the telly or salt-water aquariums became within inches of me.. and between the bubbles from my exhaling breath, I was hooked.

Our lodge was a quaint B&B. As claustrophobic as it was, it was nice and pleasant. Tucked away in a red-light district, next to a clambering of seafood restaurants was were we called home those 6 days.

The KK Waterfront proved popular with tourists, like yours truly and we were treated to a New Year's celebration amongst expats and locals alike. Sunset..AWESOME.

BTW, One Borneo was utterly disappointing.

Don't go there.

Nuff sed.

The jetty at Sutera Harbour already sparked my enthusiasm when I saw a small reef inhabited by fishes and sea urchins caught my eye amidst the sparkle of the clear blue waters perched by the rocks.

The moment I stepped onto the island, I was in love.

Again. Nuff sed. This time on a good note =)

Our instructor: C.J.

The dive course was straight to the point. No beating round the bush.. and in 4 days..5 confined water sessions, 4 open water sessions including a boat dive(!) and a full day classroom session and written exam (of which I scored 94%!) we were PADI-Certified Open water divers!

The weekend was fueled by gynormous amounts of alcohol and great company courtesy of Ann and Claudine.

We were brought to their favourite waterholes featuring one of the best live bands I've seen in my life. Oh yea.. we also did the tourist thing where we went to this big open air seafood restaurant with cultural performances and ok ok la seafood with a tourist price twist!

The nightlife in KK is hoping at hotel pubs like Rumbar (Le Meridien) and Shenanigans (Hyatt)

Standing on its own, Razzmatazz in the middle of nowhere-atazz is a hoping establishment playing sounds alike to that at Supper Club Singapore with a local twist.

BTW, did you know slot machines are legal in Sabah?!!!!

My ultimate fav Cai Tsen Dao machine was in operation!!!

After winning, losing then breaking even, we decided to call it a day.

Winning ingredients for a mega-fun gambling session: Good Company, Tong-ing money together and continuous chanting for Cai Tsen Dao, Ingots and Gold Coin formations!

BTW, we won one of those lucky lucky draws where they take pictures of the screen and give you cash on the spot!! (not much la RM200 nia)

Sabah.. two thumbs up.

Bigger, blacker than ever, I was devastated to leave.. but duty calls..

Sipadan.. I'll see you soon.

Of beer and peers..

Consider my previous blog entry void.

My trip to Kuching consisted of food food food, booze booze and more booze and most importantly friends and family that I hold so dear!

Trips back home are always too short as there rarely seems to be enough time to do EVERYTHING!

I had to compromise on KY kolo mee, open air market and Tu Ka Peng... but was compensated with many bottles of Tsing Tao and Tuak.

I had a friend who happened to be down on business and she joined Tajang & Co. the day before I came and subsequently joined in on the festivities when I arrived.

She was somewhat taken aback by the closeness and the hospitality that we are made up of. I wish she could have stuck around for the festivities but she had to return for a family affair.

I like to take pride and will toot my horn whenever and wherever possible of my group of friends.

Different ethnicities and races know no boundaries as we are brought together by a closeness not many people will ever know.

I had to reassure myself before going back that I may not be expecting the bond we all shared to prevail.. but my sleight of judgement proved me wrong!

And I am glad it did.

Being back in JB and even spending New Year's away from them almost killed me.. but I got to spend much needed time with the Jungle Boy.. but that's another story to tell.. of KK!

In less than 3 weeks, Kuching will be shaken by my returning wrath!

And I am so looking forward to it! Even though it might mean not taking leave for the next 6 months.. I don't care!

I'll be home =)