Sunday, May 31, 2009

My very first visit to Lamma Island

After several days of non-stop raining, it is time to get out of the house and get some fresh air (or at least what 's left of that in Hong Kong). My friend invited me for a little outing to Lamma Island and I accepted without much hesitation. The following blog focuses on the non-food aspect of my trip and if you are interested in what we ate, check out my other blog @ http://jason-bonvivant.blogspot.com.

It was my first time to Lamma Island and I was both nervous and excited about what is there to eat and how many mosquito bites I am going get. We started out trip from the Yung Shue Wan (榕樹灣) towards the direction of Sok Kwu Wan (索罟灣). Soon after we started, we encountered something unusual and funny: a cat on a leash! Not only was the cat on a leash, it meow-ed (and scared) away the dog 6 times its size. It was quite a scene! I am surprised the owner would actually do that to a cat, funny indeed. About 15 - 20 mins into the walk, we came by a dessert hut famous for its Tofu Fa called Kin Hing Tofu Dessert (建興亞婆豆腐花). The tofu fa was disappointing indeed as I mentioned in my food blog so we moved along the trail towards our next destination.

For those who don't know, there is actually a wind turbine in Hong Kong and it is located here in Lamma Island. It is called Lamma Winds. If you ask me, it is more like a tourist attraction than a actually energy generating infrastructure. On the day we visited, there were no wind at all as you can see from the display at the kiosk below the turbine; but it was the turbine was turning still. Maybe it is the momentum or maybe it is not running by the wind but on the reserved battery. How ironic ! In any case, it was a nice scene especially with many flowers all over. Some teenagers enjoyed the surrounding so much that they jumped out of fence to take pictures in the middle of nowhere.





By the time we were done walking up and down the hill on a separate path to the wind turbine station, we were sweating quite a bit already. It was a good time to take a little break and hence we sat down for a drink at Concerto Inn (浪濤軒) situated right at the Hung Shing Yeh Wan (洪聖爺灣). It was a nic sitting in front of the beach, watching kids running around enjoying the lovely Sunday afternoon. Just before we were heading away from the beach, we saw something surprising, something we rarely see in Hong Kong. It is a little plantation with a cozy hut where people relax and have tea. It is called Herboland 香草原 and there were all kinds of herbs being grown there. My guess is that the public can pay a monthly rent for 1m x 1m soil to grow whatever herbs desire.





The remaining walk was mostly uphill and my pace started to slow not because I am getting tired of course but the steeper path. On our way to the so-called peak / highest point, we saw a couple sitting way out into the edge of the mountain side, sitting back to back, looking up into the sky aimlessly. Whatever they were searching, their sitting posture and location successfully attracted our attention.



As we arrived at Sok Kwu Wan (索罟灣), it was only around 6pm and the staff at the different seafood restaurants there pissed me as I mentioned in my food blog. Therefore, we went back to TST and had a delicious Indian dinner at Chung King Mansions. I am usually not an outdoor person especially where there are alot of flowers and grasses but it was certainly a very relaxing experience and nice to get out of the house for some fresh air and most importantly some much needed exercises.


Thursday, May 28, 2009

Ella In Hollywood

While looking for some newly released movies at HMV tonight, I can't help myself but to take a look at the Jazz / Classical section. I am helping my friend to find an album by vocalist Eartha Kitt but so far no luck. I think it is time to move to other specialized stores. Instead of heading back to the movies section, I got drawn to Ella Fitzgerald's section. After going through the available selections, I pick this one to enjoy. Ella's voice just makes you want to drop everything you are doing and listen with your eyes closed. A very satisfying purchase of the day !



photo from http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Generation Z?

I read this article from The Standard talking about internship opportunities in Hong Kong for university students. Many students are complaining about the job nature of their internships and how boring their work are. The author mentioned a hilarious story which I captured below. I do not doubt that it is indeed a true story because I have personally encountered a few internship students who were stumbled by similar tasks.

When students say clerical work is dull, it reminds me of a true story. One day my friend handed an intern a document to fax to a client. Half an hour later, the client called, and angrily demanded to know why the document had been sent more than 20 times.

My friend checked with the intern, who said: "I didn't know if the fax machine was out of order. Every time I keyed in the fax number and pressed the start button, the document just rolled out. So I tried again and again."

This student thought that the document would be sent out only if the fax machine swallowed it.

I can't help but laugh at this story. Unfortunately, one should feel sad indeed. Maybe this is one reason why most employers in Hong Kong prefer to hire people with years of working experiences plus an exact skills set match instead of investing in potentials. These potentials would require alot of investment indeed. 

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Shirley Returns 雪莉 《歸來》

Shirley's fifth and newest album is out and it is titled Shirley Returns 雪莉 《歸來》. Ever since I picked up her Blue 《蓝 album a few years ago, I have been one of her fans. She has a very unique jazz vocal that somehow captivated my undivided attention no matter if the songs are in English, Mandarin or Cantonese (as well as Japanese in this album). She is a unique jazz vocalist in my opinion.




I found this album in a boutique music store hiding behind some stalls near SOHO area during my lunch break. I have been trying to find her older albums such as Red 《红》 and The Very Shirley 《非常雪莉》 but no luck so far. I guess I have to enjoy her newest addition for the time being.


Pic from: http://www.hifi-cd.com.cn/upload/product/200941443850437.jpg
Distributor: http://www.hifi-cd.com.cn/

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Marley & Me

There is nothing better to do on a rainy day then to spend the afternoon at home watching a movie. Intended to brighten up my day by watching a romantic comedy, Marley & Me surprised me with watery eyes. One will find the movie fairly entertaining and might even find their life experiences rather similar to the couple especially how they settled for a status quo less than that of their dreams due to certain events or complications in their lives. I guess the point they are trying to deliver is that you have the rights to complaint all you want on how much you have sacrificed (or opportunities forgone) but after all, it is a choice you made and a choice you decided to stick with. Don't get me wrong, I complaint a lot of myself but maybe it is a good time and good idea for me to think about the decisions and choices I made in recent years so end up with less complaints and frustrations.

Anyhow, that wasn't the part of movie that surprised me, it was the ending. Not intending to be a spoiler, so go find out yourself on the details. What's worth mentioning is what John Grogan (played by Owen Wilson) said at the end of the movie: A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water log stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if your rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his. How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?

Indeed ! How many people (as in human beings) can make you feel rare and pure and special? Can your other half make you have such feelings all the time? It is easier said than done. We all have our own convictions in life and there is nothing wrong with that. I guess it is all a matter of balance! This topic is worth our thinking.

Photo / Picture by 20th Century Fox