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Wednesday, January 6, 2010

HK Trip Pt. 2: Peak-nic

IMG_5088 After the first day in Hong Kong I forced my dead body out of bed the next day feeling self harassed! But having come from a family with gastric bloodline I’m pretty much in need of a decent morning meal everyday!  After simple pickings of bacons, hash browns, omelette and juices for breakfast, I was my usual energetic self once again.  The breakfast @ Stanford Hotel was ok ok only! They serve the same thing every single day so you can expect to get bored after a few days!  Imagine me staying there for 1 week =.=!! But even though the food is the same, a light one before a good brunch wouldn’t hurt ahah.

After pampering myself by lazing about the hotel bed for awhile, it was time to move on!  The objective of the day was to visit one more tourist spot in Hong Kong!  Our choice was the Peak located somewhere on HK island I think :S! We took a train all the way to Central and from there we walked to the tram station which heads towards the peak.  The ticket which includes a return ticket to the peak as well as entrance to the observation deck costs us about 40 HKD per person.
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IMG_5077 I was amazed by how modern the place was.  Never would have expected a well done up building.  But I guess this is Hong Kong after all.  It isn’t a super city for no good reasons ahah.  The tram stop was located in a large multi-storey complex which has lots of place to dine, chill and shop.  But of course, everything here is a rip off! We had a drink which was crap and costly at the same time!! (+ no good view)

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While the place has quite a fair bit of stuff to do, the main reason a tourist would all the way come up to the Peak was to experience the modern Hong Kong city view from a high vantage point.  The view from above was awesome but sadly, was compromised by modern day pollution derived from the smoke churning factories of the Mainland China.  But I’d believe this is what’s keeping the well-heeled wealthy!
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The impressive modern facade of Hong Kong from the Peak.  It’s amazing what you see from higher ground because at the bottom it would be impossible to view much without straining your neck (not an exaggeration) =P!!

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My sister!

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Me!!! I asked my sister as much view of the city as she could but instead, she got me the view of the fence. Nice one sista!!!

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Mom and dad + Haze ahah.  My dad looks like a little boy in this picture! So funny ahaha.

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Old Hong Kong lady embracing the sun @ the observation deck.  Having the glamour shot of her life HAHAhaha.  She resembles l some old actress :S!  Maybe it just her pair of bug-eyed sunnies!

It was almost half a day gone by the time we finished going about the Peak.  And that’s excluding the nature walk which only god knows where it would lead us to.  We got back on the tram and was en route to Central once again.  In Central we went to a couple of shops including Comme De Garçons, BAPE Flagship, and Neighborhood.  Filled with plenty of life luxuries, this place is truly for the wealthy.  They even have an Armani Cafe I think @@.  My sister got a tee but nothing there was for me.  CDG PLAY was selling for 900HKD a piece which is not what I was willing to pay!  Also we went to a mall called The Landmark which I was supposed to get my jeans but failed to in the later parts of my trip!! Nudie jeans where are you in Hong Kong? :(!! And also no Marc Jacobs limited tee! Supposedly HK is not licensed to sell it =.=!  Lunch was up next in some Hong Kong fast-food place called Maxim’s MX.  Maxim’s supposedly has a chain of food subsidiaries and that includes the infamous Maxim Cake found inside MRT stations.
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Sister’s roast duck noodles which was a flop because the soup was tasteless and the noodles were half cooked!

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My safe bet! The tea set which consisted of chips, fries, jelly, mash and French toast.

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Roast Meat Combination and Rice for parents! The duck here was pretty good according to them.

After having our meal, we went back to the hotel to chill until evening because there really isn’t much to do in Hong Kong if you’re not shopping or eating ahha.  And because I said so, the next thing we did was eat dinner =.=”
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Chinese anyone?  The only thing I see is the understand is the name of the restaurant and coca-cola ahah.  This place is often seen crowded with people eating their famous “Pou Chai Fun” which I think should mean Clay Pot Rice.   Since it takes awhile to get the rice cooked by traditional fire, we had ordered a quicker dish which help hold our hunger still.

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More delicious wantons!!  Sometimes when I think of it, the wantons have not changed at all.  Perhaps it is just me getting used to the crude large sized dumplings served in Australia :S

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Chicken Riceeeeee in Clay Pot with some mushrooms! It was really tasty hoho! And for that we must thank the sauce which the restaurant gives to mix with the rice. And the picture below is the veteran handling the burning clay pots.

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We walked around town again until we were in the mood for dessert:
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Hui Lau Shan dessert which claims to be healthy ahah.  Not too sure about that but anyways it was time to get inside and try gain greater understanding about the whole dessert fuss in town.
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The Set Menu alongside all the other menu available @ Hui Lau Shan

We ordered the two sets out of the 4 available for X’mas.
Set 1
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Sister’s mango + glutinous rice ball drink which also came with:

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Radish Cake with XO sauce which I have no idea how to associate XO with the radish cakes in anyway once I tasted it.

Set 2
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This was pretty much the same thing I had the other night except this time we had half a serve of coconut milk with it =.=! So “healthy”

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The chicken wings with came in my set ahaha. NO WAY IS THIS SET HEALTHY at all.  But the wings were aweeesome!!  Even my dad agreed it was very tasty.


After supper we went back home to sleep haha. Damn piggggggg! But it’s holidays and I likey sleep! No wonder I gained 4-5KG in less than 20 days ahah.  Time to shed those fatsss away!!

More updates soon!  Time to get ready to sleep and go to work again!

WenY

Monday, January 4, 2010

HK Trip Pt. 1: To the Fragrant Habour!

Oh I just got back from work! So freaking hot dammit!  I wish I was back in Malaysia, its like the air conditioner was the fan. There is not chilling in Aus! Even at 12am the mercury was still high in the 20s’! So energy suckin! Gahhhhh! But ok enough ranting for the day, this blog post will be the first part of my trip to HK! :D


The sun was still asleep the moment my databank woke me up, but it was ok because I knew another eventful day is about to begin.  At half past five in the morning, my bags were neatly packed and the Lees were ready to head out.  My uncle came in his new car making us look like VIPs @ the airport hoho!! Feeling so super hungry in the morning (YES! I’m a breakfast person) we headed to the airport canteen after checking the luggage in.  The food was OK but I loveeeee Nasi Lemak! 

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My kakak in HK airport!

It didn’t take too long and before I knew it, I was already in Hong Kong! Not without a sore back that is.  I totally despise sitting the airplane and that includes MAS! When you’re off in HK the first thing you need to do is get your OCTOPUS CARD. It’s a “Smart Rider” or “Touch n Go”
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Octopus card! You can even buy food with it :D!!

Our hotel is located in Mongkok which takes FOREVER to get there with the bloody airport shuttle which cost us 80HKD per head! It was a big mistake because taxi only costs 230HKD for 4 people!  One the way to the hotel!:

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Crossing through the tunnel!!

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The port!

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In Mongkok area after like err 45 minutes?

We checked into the hotel about late 4 or early 5 in the evening, this hotel seems so damn familiar! Mom and dad said it was the same hotel we lived in when we came HK two years ago!
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Quite neat but it was pretty small!

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The view from my hotel room =.=!!

But don’t worry, got cool stuff to see also hehe :D!
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GT-R

We were femished by the time we settled in the hotel.  Sister totally hated the food on the airplane.  MAS served her Omelette with Salmon >.<!  It did not take us too long to decide where about to eat because on the way to the hotel, the bus driver pin pointed us a place famous for its wanton noodles!  When I saw the name I was pleased because I’ve seen someone blog about this place before :)!
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The moment we stepped in we were greeted with a smile by the ah sou’s there because seeing the way we were dressed there was not chance to mistake us being locals.  They knew we were tourists ahah.  O well, who cares the food price is fixed.
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The typical Chinese shop setup!  The chilli oil is ridiculously spicy FYI.  Not like those in Perth that was is usually tasty!

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Wanton noodles without wanton.

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Don’t be fooled by this BRAIN looking dumpling. It taste hell good!  It tasted better than the ones I had in HK before this!

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Both my dad and sis had this beef brisket noodles which was so nice because the beef meet was super tender and well cooked!

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This place did not lack publicity for sure!

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Not like I understand wtf they’re blabbing about ahah but yeah, there is definitely some review happening there ahah.

After having a good meal my thoughts that HK food is shit was totally overturned with newer thoughts that the food is actually pretty damn good…. which I was indeed mistaken to have thought the food in HK is good…..(to unfold later) @@ :(!

The HK streets are hectic beyond imagination.  Their mouths would not close even just for a moment.  The streets are dirty too aha.
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This was done on a 1/500-1/800 exposure.  People here just don’t ever stop moving =.=! *help*!!

After walking the insanely busy streets of Mongkok, I bought myself a 2 shirts from G2000! Super cheap aahah.  But walking the streets for hours comes with a price :)! A thirsty throat and an unhappy tummy ahahah! Time to fill IT UP! Rwarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
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Gong Cha bubble tea! It seems popular judging from the queue that formed outside the counter!

The food to go along with these are no stranger to the locals.  It has got to be none other than the SMELLY BEAN CURD and Curry balls! hohoho!
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I come to this stall almost every single NIGHT :)!!

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Curry fish balls ahah!

Walking walking walking walking walking @@! That’s what I did in HK! The first day mall was Langham Place which had H & M! A UK clothing brand which is similarly priced to Top Man but the clothes are nicer haha.  Dinner was up next which was.. disasterous :(!

The Good:
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Sister and Dad!

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Mom and I

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HK serves pretty good milk tea wherever you go! So there is no hesitation when ordering a thirst quencher! :D!

The Bad:
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Cold, Oily, Expensive, NO THANK YOU!

I guess next time I should not expect too much from food in this kinda of area because there were like brothels on its left and right ahha. Dammit!

Our night did not just end there! We finished up we a scenic walk along Kowloon area facing the Hong Kong island!
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From HK Island from Kowloon side!

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API > 100 every single day :(!

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Mind the blur photo! Not everyone has steady hands ahaha.

It was almost midnight if I recall correctly! Such a late night and we were on the way to the hotel to sleep until we saw a dessert place haha.
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Just opposite the hotel!

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Hak Lo Mai $18

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Tong Yuen filled black sesame in ginger syrup!

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My Mango with Dragon Fruit with Pamelo fruit all swimming in a mango slushie ahha! ($35)

Okla been typing too much ! Damn sien already!

More updates soon :P

Regards,
WenY