Dim Sum Good Stuff

Today we found the elusive Dim Sum at a fantastic building in Hong Kong Central. The restaurant is located on the second floor of an old tea house in the heart of the city. For those of you who are not familiar with Dim Sum, it generally consists of a wide variety of dumpling like orduevres served piping hot and made-to-order. Each dumpling is accompanied by several sauces and spicy pastes to dip them in, which only adds to the already spectacular flavors in every bite. The drink of choice is green tea and our waiter made sure to keep our supply hot and plentiful. It was, in a word, perfection.

After breakfast we took a famous tram that was built in the late 1800s up the very steep slopes of Hong Kong Island to its peak. The views from the peak were stunning, but I had this slight feeling that it was all some sort of tourist trap. I can't quite put my finger on it, because the modern shopping mall equipped with McDonald's, KFC, Starbucks, and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. all seemed authentically Chinese. Oh well...

After our slighlty faster descent, Mariana and I walked through an older market filled with old Mao paraphernalia and intricate images of Buddha...totally cheesy when compared to the sweet shopping mall on the Peak. We also found our way to one of the oldest Buddhist temples on the island where you can meditate on the thoughts of your ancestors and make offerings in their memory. Typical protocol allows for the burning of incense and various other offerings meant to honor those who came before you. The respect for ancestors and elders that Eastern philosophy demands is both inspiring and enlightening.

I finished the day by buying a 12 pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer and a bottle of Pearl River Bridge's finest Sancheng Chiew.

*International translation - "A Well-Aged Delicate Liquor" = "Distilled Toxic Waste"

Soup for Breakfast

Mariana and I woke up very early for the second day in a row thanks to the 14 hour time difference between Hong Kong and Texas. The city is quiet and the harbour is peaceful as older generations of Chinese men and women slowly twist their bodies through the graceful movements of Tai Chi. Their ability to focus fascinates me as they are seemingly unaware of their surroundings. Nothing distracts them from the exact precision of their incredible choreography. As the sun rises, so do the bustling masses of this enormous metropolis. Mariana and I decide to venture outside in search of the traditional and delectible breakfast known as Dim Sum. Not learning from my experience a mere 18 hours ago, I daftly suggest that we enter a nearby market and attempt to locate a restaurant with local flavor. The market is teeming with Chinese men and women who all seem to be over the age of 60. We walked around aimlessly for 20 minutes gawking at numerous restaurants and stalls, before we finally realized that we were in way over our heads and probably needed to look elsewhere for food. We knew that we had made a wise decision when Mariana was nearly struck with a freshly butchered leg of a cow as it flew out of the bed of a truck.

Walking along a main street known as Tai Ho, we discovered a slightly less intimidating shopping area filled with my favorite style of restaurant (outdoor, communal, and local dining). Thanks to some kind of divine intervention, we decided on a restaurant that roughly translates as "The Noodle House". We are, yet again, the only westerners in sight, but the waitress was kind enough to try and walk us through the "English" menu while speaking Cantonese. After a little finger pointing and a few head nods, we ordered noodle soup with beef satay, cubed spiced pork, fried pork chops, and bok choy. Ten minutes of incessant slurping later, I dropped my chopsticks and did everything in my power to not get up and give our waitress a big kiss on the lips. She was so nice and helpful, and the soup was the most incredible breakfast that I have ever had to date. Her kindness was a simple reminder that although people do not always understand one another, they generally have an inherent desire to assist those who need it the most. We returned to our hotel after breakfast, packed up, and grabbed a taxi to our next hotel.

*Important observation: If it was once ALIVE, the Chinese WILL dry it and they WILL eat it.

Minority Report

Imagine if you will...You wake up in a beautiful hotel room with all of the modern amenities a person could want along with a spectacular view of a harbour filled with ships of trade and busy ferry traffic. You make yourself a cup of coffee or tea, take a shower, get dressed, and head down to the lobby. An eerily cheerful man at the concierge desk greets you in English and quickly supplies you with a map and two tickets for the airport shuttle in to downtown. Upon arriving at a shopping mall flaunting shops like Gucci, Prada, and Tiffany's you walk down to the subway terminus and buy your tickets from another English speaking attendant. The maps are easy to read and the trip to your destination is smooth. You exit the subway car, walk up the stairs to street level and SLAP!!!!!!!!!!! Asia hits you in the face. A car almost runs you over because it is mistakingly driving on the wrong side of the road, people are speaking in a language that sounds strangely fictional, and you are the only westerner in sight.

Welcome to Hong Kong.

There is nothing like a simple trip to the local market to remind you that you are not in Kansas anymore. Numerous vendors line a maze of streets and alleyways slanging all sorts of delicious treats for their loyal customers. Vast varieties of unidentifiable marine life flap around in shallow pools of water, fresh carcasses hang outside ready for made-to-order butchering, and a seemingly endless supply of exotic produce sit in cardboard boxes awaiting purchase. The conversations between the vendors and the patrons are so animated that you wonder if they are arguing with one another, simply doing business, or both. These sites and sounds are so distracting that you don't realize that people are staring at you with wonder and curiousity. Simply put..."What are you doing here?"

Mariana and I of course knew nothing of how to purchase any of these items, so we exited stage left and sought out a much less intimidating city park. The parks are incredible in Hong Kong, as they provide beautiful garden landscapes, world class sporting facilities, and traditional activities like Tai Chi and "pebble walking" to its many citizens. We opted to participate in a "pebble walk", which simply put, entails walking barefoot along a path of pointed rocks. The path naturally applies pressure to various points along the bottom of your foot providing a greatly appreciated foot massage and momentary meditation. After exploring the park, we scarfed down some wonton soup and headed to the Hong Kong Museum of Art. The museum hosts an exhaustive collection of incredible Chinese art and boasts a breath-taking view of Victoria Harbour.

A long subway ride later, I scarfed down some shrimp flavoured chips from the local 7-11, two Tsing Tao beers, and drifted off to sleep fully content with our first day.

Back to the Future

Time travel is not something that should be taken lightly, especially when it means that you have to spend over 18 hours on an airplane. That being said, I am sitting in the San Francisco International Airport terminal setting my watch 14 hours ahead in preparation for our trip to Hong Kong. This is the second time that I have been brave enough to travel in to the future, so I am unfortunately completely aware of what lies ahead. Aside from my fear of the mundane insanity that a long flight entails, my excitement of embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime trip with a once-in-a-lifetime love is what captures my focus. Mariana is so beautiful and elegant when she travels. She creates a calm sanctuary by expressing love and patience to a person who knows nothing of the latter when travelling. For this I am extremely grateful.

After boarding the plane and taking my seat, I naturally scanned the in-flight selections of movies, games, and most importantly alcoholic beverages. Everything seems to be in order except for the fact that they do not have any prices listed on their drinks menu. I await eager and hopeful that Cathay Pacific does in fact provide their adult patrons with free spirits.

Goodbye to the simple comforts of home...hello to the crazy adventure of the unknown.