sunsetwanders

[sunsetwanders]

Left my heart in Hong Kong

31 December 2016:

It was only on the plane back to Sg and having a conversation with my cg member during thanksgiving that I realised that being in Hong Kong has probably changed me. Maybe it is just a “holiday effect” and me having withdrawal symptoms (I really, really miss HK), but I seem to have become more “I” hahaha. I realised that being abroad alone had forced me to step out of my comfort zone to socialise more, perhaps for fear of missing out. Even though I was really tired on some days, had a lot of work to do, and just felt like crashing on my bed, I forced myself to hang out with my friends/colleagues when they called me to. I am a Cantonese but I could barely utter a word before I came to HK. But being around my HK colleagues and hearing them speak in the office also forced me to try speaking a bit of Canto e.g. when I am ordering my food which really helps!  And when my friends back home asked me what was my favourite part of the trip, I replied, “The fellowship - to just hang out and spend time with people.” 

I didn’t expect myself to say this, but I think my priorities have changed greatly compared to when I went for exchange in Europe two years ago. Back then, I was an Asian in Europe, and wanted to travel to as many places on my bucket list as possible. I had many regrets, because I stayed in my comfort zone of Singaporeans and did not hang out much with the locals or other foreign students. This time for HK, I had wanted to whack some travel destinations such as Korea, Taiwan, China, etc. But somehow, I estimated that I did not have a lot of weekends in HK (about 7 or 8) and that was my only free time since there’s work 5 days a week. In the end, I chose quality over quantity and decided to spend my days here exploring HK thoroughly. I am happy to say that at the end of my trip, I forged many friendships and built rapport among my colleagues. Indeed, there was a lot of favour and opportunities from God in my work, and I am so blessed beyond measure by His grace. I hung out a lot with my colleagues, and managed to find out what they are like, how is their way of living, how different our cultures are, etc. I explored so much of HK, but there are still many, many more places that I want to go but have not had the chance to; as well as a lot of favourite places that I will like to visit again.

I remember when I first arrived in November, I was a little skeptical of HK, as it was so crowded, the stalls were so squeezy and crowded, hygiene standards were not that high, the streets were kinda dirty, etc. It was only in December when I really started to appreciate HK for what it was and what it boasted. I remember on my 3rd last day, I went for a hike to the Twin Peaks all by myself. I was smiling to myself when the taxi took me up to Parkview via Wong Nai Chung Gap Road. I used to be skeptical of going up the mountains in order to get to places like Repulse Bay because it did not seem safe and was a little inconvenient without the MTR. But that day, I was so happy because I could get away from office life and the bustling city into somewhere further away and enjoying the heightened view of the urban landscapes as I continue up the winding road. It was such a wonderful feeling, and I really began to appreciate the allure of HK. I enjoyed the hike to Stanley so much because it was so quiet and therapeutic, where I felt I could detox and straighten out my thoughts. Also, the adrenaline probably made me happier and I felt sooo good after the hike. I was glad that I did not go to Dragon’s Back the next day which will probably be flooded by tourists, where I did Jardine’s Lookout instead which was definitely much less crowded. 

I never knew HK had so much to its name. It has always branded itself as a place for eating and shopping (mai dong xi, chi dong xi) and I was quite sick of going to HK after visiting my brother there thrice when he was still working there. This time, I discovered a different side of HK which I loved, such as the hikes, the beaches, the nightlife, etc. Like what my colleagues say, maybe I have turned a little more blue blood when I came to HK i.e. start to like the sun more and go for hikes and to the beaches, start to drink more when I have colleagues constantly feeding me wine and cheese (the amount of wine and cheese I had on this trip is probably more than the amount I have had in my entire life), enjoying LKF, etc. But it is also because of my colleagues that I had so much fun on this trip: People in Rabo HK office are more vibrant and they have more social activities e.g. Friday night drinks below office, hiking trips, organized dinners and outings, and their dragonboat team in the first half of the year which I wished I can be part of!!! 

Hopefully, I have also discovered a different side of me when I was in HK, and I hope this will stay in me now that I am home. I think I like this person more.

Lastly, I thank God for His grace and favour upon my life. I am so blessed in many aspects (housing, friends, colleagues, work, opportunities) and have found so much favour in the workplace that it is indeed the work of God :’) I thank God for His presence with me as I am in HK, that He is always with me :)

[sunsetwanders]

Shanghai nights

It’s been 13 years since I last went to Shanghai, that was in 2004 after my PSLE. How much has changed since then, it is quite modernized and clean now and prices have also increased. Thank God for this opportunity where I can go to Shanghai for training and have some time for R&R :)

11 October 2017, Wednesday:

Checked in to Sofitel Shanghai Hyland and it was so convenient in the heart of East Nanjing Road, the shopping belt of Shanghai, which is also very near the metro. 

Took a walk down to The Bund which was a short 10 minutes away. 

12 October 2017, Thursday:

After training, we went to Xintiandi, a former French Concession place. The area is quite well-preserved and very European. It was a place filled with restaurants and bars, mostly international. We managed to find a nice hotpot place, Good Hot Pot, and it was really yummy, as the name suggests! The pork bone soup was very good, but we found out that this is a HK-style hotpot. 

After that we went to People’s Square to have a look, but could not find the actual square with the museum, plus it was too dark and a little rainy. We just walked around the area with shopping malls and walked back to our hotel.

13 October 2017, Friday:

View from my office’s pantry: Jin Mao Tower and Shanghai World Financial Centre

And they have Pret A Manger here at Shanghai!! Too bad they don’t have the soup option, I miss having it, my usuals at HK office. This is the crayfish avocado salad, with Green Lightness aka apple, celery and orange juice. Ahhh love it~ 

After training, we went to the basement of Shanghai Science and Technology Museum to shop. It is a bit like Platinum with the shops selling the same things. I only managed to get a pink underarmour shirt for a cheap price haha. After that we went to Century Avenue to have Beijing roast duck at Quan Ju De, a famous restaurant. Their other dishes were yummy too!

14 October 2017, Saturday:

15 October 2017, Sunday:

Flight got delayed back to Sg, so we spent time at Innisfree Cafe which comprised of 3 storeys! Loved the green tea desserts and drinks, and there was also a VR station which brings us to Korea with Lee Min Ho.. ;)

[sunsetwanders]

Lee Tung Avenue

Went for C3 church service at Yau Ma Tei with my new found friend from church last week where I can sleep in a little more. 

After that I headed to E’s house for a cookout where the Italian is gonna make us lasagna!! 

His apartment is really lovely, right in the heart of Wan Chai and near the MTR, i.e. at the “Europe street” which we pass by every morning on the way to work. Super convenient, if I am an expat I will gladly stay here instead of at Repulse Bay/Stanley. And he stays at the 43rd storey, check out the stunning view from the balcony!!! I was told it looks like the beautiful view from Wooloomooloo Steakhouse.

Somehow what turned out to be a cookout in the morning for lunch led us to staying at his place till like 10 or 11pm?! I guess by the time I reached his place it was already 1 or 2pm, and we ate the lasagna at about 3pm. Went out to his balcony to chill and talk, and watched the beautiful sunset. Then his friend Gloria came after that where we talked and I found out more about her life as a local here. She left at about 8+ and we continued chilling by the balcony. Then E’s uncle and aunt came back, and we started another round of dinner and talking. By the time we finished it was already 10 or 11pm. But this day was so memorable because it taught me sometimes we really don’t need to pack our schedule with agenda and it was nice to just do nothing while spending quality time with people talking and chilling. And somehow the day flew past and we ended up leaving his place much later than expected ;) after that, M brought me to check out the red light district at Wan Chai but I think we were at the incorrect lane so it was just a lot of nightclubs along that stretch. 

[sunsetwanders]

Stanley

Slept at 5+ am after LKF and could not really sleep well for some reasons. Awoke at 7+, then around 9 and lazed around my bed, before going out to meet my newfound Singaporean friends. 

Lunch at Lan Fong Yuen, which is kinda famous I guess since there was a queue. They are famous for their pork chop maggie mee and milk tea hence I tried them. Not bad, but as you can tell, it is not the most healthy thing around haha. 

Went to Stanley and looked around their German market and their generic market but it wasn’t particularly exciting. I think I prefer Repulse Bay in terms of vibes as it was a beach area with some nice cafes/restaurants. We also went to the Stanley prison museum. 

After that I headed to Sheung Wan on my own to check out the street with antiques and bars. Explored a little of the traditional chinese medicine street and it reminded me of where I stayed with my family back in 2011. Then I went back home for an early night since I did not sleep much the night before. 

[sunsetwanders]

Annual Dinner - The Carnival

16/12 Friday: Dday! 

It was a cold day, only 11 degrees C. Bought curry fish balls for breakfast since J and I have always wanted to try all the many stalls that we walk past on the way to work. Also wanted to capture our daily walks to work, and the fact that I don’t have much chance to wear a coat and scarf on a cold day like this! 

Had a short meeting with the Fun Club and we were still finalizing the game even on the day itself -.- Skipped lunch to prepare for the presentation at 2pm i.e. rehearsing it in the quiet room (first time since SMU days when I am so unprepared because I did not even practise out loud). It went pretty ok and I’m really thankful for M for guiding me all these while :) B gave me permission to help the committee at 3pm to set up at Parkview so I did since I did not have much more to do already. 

Took a van up to Parkview and helped to set up the place. It is a hotel ballroom but rather small as we only had about 15 tables and it was buffet style. 

Changed into my costume, got my make up done, with my prop... TA-DAA! 

Despite helping out with the run down of the program which is a little ridiculous since I am after all a guest, I still enjoyed myself a lot. And definitely much more than the Sg D&D. I had about the same amount of alcohol (which is very little of course) but the people here just made the atmosphere much more fun! A lot of them were very game on about the programs, dressed up, participated in the carnival march in, and cheered and made a lot of noise during the games! Even though things were a little messy and less professional since we did a lot of coordination ourselves, everyone was really enthusiastic and we all had such a good time :) and lucky me won HKD500 vouchers at Park & Shop, of which I spent all on wine as gifts for my colleagues. We stuck well to the timeline (we barely overran!) and before we knew it, the dinner was over, and it was time for the after party at LKF! 

Some of us decided to go in our costumes and make up and it was really a sight as we walk up to LKF, definitely got a lot of stares along the way. Went to Malcolm’s first, a Dutch bar (lol), then to Bungalow which was really packed at first and we could not get in initially because the bouncers claimed that some of us were in very big costumes (the Venetian ladies haha). Stayed till 4.30am and Bungalow was quite empty already. 

M asked me on a separate occasion which was my favourite moment in HK, and I could not decide because there were so many. She suggested the annual dinner, and I couldn’t agree more. It was really the best night of my life, such an awesome party with awesome company!!! :D 

[sunsetwanders]

Week 7

My second last week here but the most crucial one as I had to prepare for my presentation to big big big boss on Friday 16/12 and also the annual dinner which I was helping out for happened to be on the same day! To make things worse, my macbook air crashed on me after 5 years so I had to scramble to try to fix it on Tuesday and Wednesday after work.

Mon 12/12: 

Had a discussion over lunch regarding the annual dinner and I was craving for Kam’s Roast Goose so I decided to take the tram myself there after the discussion to dabao some roast goose rice. It was like half the journey back to my apartment as it was quite a distance away (about 600-700 metres). There was a long queue for people who wanted to dine in since it was a one-michelin star restaurant but thankfully, I only had to wait about 5-10 minutes for my takeaway. 

This costs me about HKD70 including the cold milk tea which was reasonable for HK one-michelin star standard I guess. Kept it for dinner as well because I could not finish it for lunch. 

Went home to gym after work. This is actually my second time at the gym (once in my first week in Nov, and once in my second last week in Dec) even though I have access to it everyday right at my door step. Looks like my exercise regime failed in HK. Nevertheless, it was a nice and quiet place (not too many people are here) and the amenities are good even though it is small.

Tue 13/12:

J and I on the way to work!! Wanted to capture this to remember our morning walks to work everyday and trying out different stalls for breakfast (think curry fish balls, siew mai, Macs macaroni soup, Tai Cheong egg tarts, bread, etc). 

Had lunch at Star Street which was just beside our office. My colleague asked me what I want to have and I said something local so he said try this noodle place which is pretty nice. Not sure if we stumbled upon this place by chance - it was rather unassuming, like the Killiney eatery at Purvis Street but smaller and air-conditioned. Opened the menu and got a shock because the cheapest main there was a bowl of noodles for HKD150 :O my colleague recommended the beef tendon noodle so I got it. It is actually pretty good, the soup base is of good quality and the beef tendon was nice. But paying like SGD28 for a bowl of “Nam nam looking” noodles just didn’t really make much sense... Which reminded me when M treated me to lunch on my first day at Star Street at a ramen place, the cheapest thing on the menu was HKD120 and I ate wagyu beef ramen for HKD168 lol...

Went to Apple at Causeway Bay after work to fix my mac but to no avail because it was too expensive. The guy recommended me to go to Wan Chai/Sham Shui Po or even Shenzhen for a cheaper price. Walked around the mall and came across a Line store so I bought some souvenirs back. Couldn’t resist a few pictures with the characters ;)

Found this famous milk tea at 7-11 and I like it!!!

Wed 14/12:

Lunch at Yat Lok where we had roast goose, roast pork, char siew and vegetables. It was yummy but we had too much meat and oil after a while. It was also quite funny because the 4 of us were squeezed into a tiny room (meant for 3) where we sat in one row facing the mirror. Quite a typical meal in HK because it was so cramped lol. Total damage was HKD170 per person :O

M then brought us to one of the biggest and nicest Starbucks in Central after which we walked back to PP3 via Hong Kong Park. 

Went to Sham Shui Po after work to try to fix my mac with my colleagues... Still quite expensive and may not be able to fix it in time before I go back to Sg so I did not. Here’s us with our ovaltine macs ice-cream.

Thu 15/12:

T-1 to my presentation! Wanted to get breakfast from Fairwoods beside Hopewell Centre but somehow I didn’t go to the right floor and could not find it. Decided to grab a caramel latte from Pacific Coffee which was HKD35. Angmoh coffee at HK is really expensive... Think Elephant Grounds, The Coffee Academics where one cup can cost almost SGD10.

My Italian friend E had like 20 abalones from his aunt’s Chinese clients and they don’t like abalone so I opened up my place for some abalone party for dinner. The tricky part was removing the shell, which requires us to boil it in water for about 1-2 minutes then the shell will come off easily. Credits to M for doing most of the cooking... We had abalones with all kinds of ingredients that we had e.g. abalones with tom yam sauce, abalones with dark soy sauce and black pepper, minced abalones in dumplings, and minced abalones in meatballs LOL.

Luxurious meal indeed. And I am finally putting my nice and well-equipped kitchen to good use by whipping up such a meal. (The irony is that I wanted to cook here with such a great kitchen, but then again this is HK and I had my whole bucket list of food places to go to... E saw my empty fridge and said it was pathetic, to which I replied, “But we are staying in HK!!”)

Check out all the empty abalone shells!! We each kept 1-2 for keepsakes hahaha.

I decided to let my two blue blood friends try the preserved eggs with ginger slices from Yung Kee. I think they were a little intimidated by its sheer black colour hahaha.

Then I helped them to translate their names into Chinese and got them to try writing the Chinese characters.

And then they discovered my costume for tomorrow which was lying on my couch. Had a good laugh while they tried it on and helped me to stretch it a little. 

Overall, it was such a greaaat night spending time together, cooking and eating yummy food and laughing about our cultural differences. Was a little reluctant to do this at first because I wanted to run through my presentation for tomorrow... but so glad it happened, and wouldn’t trade it for anything else! 

[sunsetwanders]

This is why I still journal

http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/social-media-broke-the-narrative-of-my-self

Especially when I travel, to remember moments.

[sunsetwanders]

Sham Shui Po

I could not really wake up in time for C3 service at Sheung Wan so decided to go to the later one at Yau Ma Tei instead. Reached earlier and had the chance to make some new friends there who were Singaporeans. Had lunch at Satay King nearby and I had this Tom Yam vermicelli which was quite good.

I wanted to go to Sham Shui Po to have a look because I heard it is quite a local place and more ghetto style. They were really nice to accompany me and we walked 3 MTR stops worth (30 minutes) to get there. Things there were much cheaper than what we see in Mongkok so I guess it’s more of a local place.

It was a great time of fellowship and really thank God for letting me meet so many kind people and make good friends while I am in HK!

[sunsetwanders]

Cheung Chau

It was Saturday and I decided to go out to Cheung Chau island which I have been wanting to. Took the slow ferry from Central Pier because I wanted to save HKD5 and it was moving so slowly for the entire 55 minutes o.0 

Greeted with this famous sight when I arrived! Love how HK has these islands and their small towns for a getaway from the busy city. CC was a serene island with great views of the sea and some paths for trekking to a famous cave and view points.

Instead of renting a bike which was recommended, I took a long walk along the pier. It was such a nice feeling because the sun was up and the weather was about 20 degrees C. It was also a good time and place for me to get away from the city to straighten my thoughts and spend some time with God. Stopped by and sat on a bench to read my book before continuing on to find the cave. 

Didn’t go into the cave because it was too much of a hassle. I tried CC’s famous delicacy which was the mango mochi and it was so yummy!!! Then I took the same long walk back to the pier and went to explore the other side of the island from the pier. 

Took a 20-30 minutes trek/hike up to the North Pavilion lookout which was the highest point in CC as it provided a scenic view point. Totally worth it because the view was so beautiful!!! 

Took a different route back down to the pier and walked along a small beach. Bought some souvenirs from the shops near the beach and managed to catch the fast ferry (30 minutes) back to Central. Took a tram back home and crashed.

Really treasure days like these where I can easily take a getaway to a serene island and have some quiet time on my own. Spending time to hear from God also requires us to be away from distractions and seeking Him in a secret place. Will always remember moments like these fondly! (: 

[sunsetwanders]

Week 6

A less eventful week but the most emotional one. 

Monday 5/12:

Started the week at work with fire drill. I think I managed to siam or chao geng twice in Sg and avoid going down 32 floors of stairs. I thought I could do the same for HK since it is not even compulsory for all but somehow Bernice called me along and I had no choice but to go lol.

After that, a few of us headed for a drink at Ollaa before going back up to work hahaha. 

Went to meet my Sg friends for dinner at Hung Hom. YH brought us to a famous burger joint that apparently was around before Macs came. 

Then he brought us to a crab porridge place which was quite good, but it was located in the middle of 4 funeral parlours >< oh gawd, the smell of all the fresh flowers... :O 

Tuesday 6/12:

Went out earlier for breakfast with J since we always walk past a lot of eateries every morning. Since our stint in HK is coming to an end soon, we decided to start trying out new breakfast places, will share the food pictures along the way ;)

Decided to try macaroni soup at Macs and she was so amazed by how we can eat pasta for breakfast?! Personally, I like the macaroni soup in tomato base at KFC more as it was more flavourful. The plain soup macaroni at Macs was too plain, it just feels that they added salt + water + macaroni. Same as that of Australian Dairy Company lol. 

J was so amused by how happy I looked with my breakfast!!! Hahaha.

Then I had dinner at Cafe de Coral where I tried their hotpot. It was quite affordable at about SGD12 per person. 

Wednesday 7/12:

We had lunch at Tamar Park which was about 10 minutes’ walk from office. It is near Admiralty MTR and overlooks the sea. We bought takeaway and ate at the park under the sun. I was telling them if you do that in Sg, people will just say you are qi xin... Hahaha.

For dinner, we bought a deal from Chope at HKD150 per person where we can have an all-you-can-eat buffet and drinks at selected restaurants (about 8-10) at Central LKF area.

1st stop: An American restaurant at level 29 (I think) with dark beer and 2 burgers.

2nd stop: Another American bar with 2 more burgers and potato sides. I was so sick of burgers and full already by then.

3rd stop: Bungalow where we had drinks and some snacks and J did temporary curls for free.

4th stop: A Thai bar with drinks and snacks.

5th stop: A Japanese bar with drinks, skewers and edamame.

Quite a filling night!!! But fun with my colleagues :)

Friday 9/12:

Had a huge get together with colleagues from our side of the office and some others for Christmas. It was a HKD150 lunch set at Darcy & Liz at Star Street beside the office.

My well done beef!

Baileys cheesecake

[sunsetwanders]

Causeway Bay Fashion Walk

After going out for long hours for 6 consecutive days, I decided to KO in my beautiful apartment while the rest of my friends go to Ocean Park. And also because I have been there before in 2007 hahaha. Slept in and watched service online where Sun preached a powerful and touching word. 

Then dragged myself out of bed to lunch at Yee Shun Dairy Company at Causeway Bay. Tried the pork chop macaroni soup and the milk pudding. The macaroni was not bad, but I did not really like the milk pudding since I am not a big fan of milk. 

Met up with the dept ladies to source for costume for the annual dinner at Causeway Bay and at Pottinger Street but did not find anything suitable.

Bernice then brought us to Causeway Bay Fashion Walk (MTR exit E) and it was such a nice place!!! It is so different from the usual CWB which was flooded with people. This place was quiet, not crowded and a good environment to chill over dinner and drinks with fairy lights. 

We had some beer, skewers and some snacks at a Japanese restaurant. It was such a good, good dinner because we were talking about our feelings and sharing our deepest thoughts while chilling outside the restaurant where there’s fairy lights along the whole place. I really, really enjoyed the dinner with them so much and so amazed by their friendship, because we were having htht and going beyond superficial talk as colleagues. It was just amazing, I think all of us left the place feeling quite happy that we have one another as good company ;)

We also had dessert at Lady M! Their cakes were good! Check out my chocolate checkered cake ^^

I so wanted to come back to this place again! (But of course, I didn’t get the chance to. I have always said I want to go back to xxx place in HK because I like it so much, but there was simply no time to as it was too short!!! Yes, 2 months were far too short!)

[sunsetwanders]

Shenzhen

Took a day trip to Shenzhen! We got a good deal as the MTR ride on that day costs us only HKD10 to get from Causeway Bay to Lowu where normally it will cost about HKD40. Met up with Caitlin finally! The last time we met was in Cambridge and in Singapore :)

Had lunch at Nanjing Da Pai Dang, which is one of the popular food chains in China. We ordered so much and it only costs us about SGD10-15 per person. One of the highlights of the meal was letting our angmoh friends try smelly tofu!!! The expressions on their faces were priceless ;)

After that, we headed to Shenzhen Bay Park. We wanted to cycle along the park initially but in the end, it was far too crowded so we decided to walk a little. 

Then we headed to Seaworld at night to catch the water and lights show and had some drinks and dinner. 

We actually did not explore much in Shenzhen but it was a longgg day as we spent a lot of time on the train. Didn’t managed to go to any theme parks but it was fine, enjoyed the company! 

[sunsetwanders]

Week 5

I think the weekend of the Sg D&D marked a turning point in my HK trip, because that was when my schedule started to pile up and I started to really enjoy HK and appreciate it for all that it offered (: Previously in November, I had some free days to myself and I would skip dinner because I was not hungry or because I had spent too much for lunch. But in December, considering it was my farewell and my colleague’s, and for fear of missing out, I went all out and really enjoyed myself thoroughly in terms of social activities and spending time with people :)

Monday 28/11:

Farewell dinner for SF at a Cantonese restaurant in TST. 

Us at Admiralty MTR during rush hour --> look at the crowd!!!

Had suckling pig and roast duck. 

Then we went to 1882 Heritage to catch the beautiful Christmas decorations.

Headed to Aqua at level 28 of UBS building for some drinks with a great view of the TST promenade. Personally, I feel that the view is nice but there were some window grilles and the tables by the windows were all occupied so it was average only. 

Tuesday 29/11:

Had lunch at a local Cantonese parlour which was relatively affordable.

Had birthday celebrations for the November babies at Skybar after work.

Went hiking at night to The Peak!!! Thank God we had Micky around to navigate us as we walked from office along Bowen Road to find the trail up to the Peak. Breathtaking view of the HK skyline and the promenade, love it!!!

Wednesday 30/11:

Had lunch at Dam Zai at Wan Chai area. Turns out it is a popular place as it was quite cheap and they sell Sichuan spicy noodles. The concept is a bit like yong tau foo noodles with bee hoon but with the mala soup. We got some sides to share as well, such as the century egg.

Farewell dinner part 2 for SF at a steam pot restaurant. It was really cool because they put the uncooked rice in the pot and we steamed our dishes above it where some of the sauces of the dishes will drip down to the porridge.

Drinks part 2 at Ozone at the Ritz Carlton/ICC which is at level 118!!! I really like this place much more than Aqua because it was partially open roofed and we had a better view :)

Thursday 1/12:

Had lunch at New Life cafe, a social enterprise, at Wan Chai area. Tried the ox tongue baked rice, which is kinda chewy.

Went for night hiking (again) with 11 other colleagues to the Twin Peaks!!! Finally tried it, and it was sooo tiring omg. There were 1,200 steps up and it was quite tiring for me where I had to stop every 10 steps along the way. Not much of a view at night as it was pitch dark and we had to wear a head torch. Asked my colleague about it and she said the vibe is different when hiking at night, because it is more serene and quiet. So we cabbed from office to Parkview and then hiked up to Violet Hill, in order to hike up the twins (first peak was 900 steps, second peak was 300 steps). This area bypassed Repulse Bay and we climbed down 1,200 steps to Stanley area. Caught a bus to Stanley market for dinner. 

Friday 2/12:

Had drinks with colleagues after work at Slims/Olla below our office where there’s tons of SocGen people as well. Drinks after work on Fridays are a norm for Rabo HK office, which is so different from Sg.

Was at Slims then headed to Olla for dinner and drinks till like 11pm. Jacobo wanted us to go to Central with him as some of the colleagues were there, but I really couldn’t because I went out every single day after work and was really tired. And I was going Shenzhen the next day early in the morning. Now on hindsight, I probably should have joined him, would have been a lot of fun!

So yeah, this is the end of my super eventful week, and more to come in the next few weeks. Indeed the turning point of my HK trip where I started to go out more and really enjoy HK for what it is :)

[sunsetwanders]

Sg D&D

Back home to enjoy the fruits of my labour! It was nice seeing my Sg colleagues again and spending some time with my family and friend over the weekend. The D&D was quite good in my opinion and the event concluded successfully. Finally, we are done for the year! 

[sunsetwanders]

Week 4

Week 4 was kinda busy rushing for the India presentation slides and had to fly back to Sg on Thursday night. So here’s some of my foodventures photos!

Yung Kee’s signature liquid century eggs

Tsui Wah’s lunch set: Maggie mee with pork chop and scrambled eggs and toast

Beefy Hotpot near office

[sunsetwanders]

Macau

My first trip to Macau! Took the ferry from Sheung Wan for about an hour and reached Macau. 

First we went to the older casinos area such as Lisboa and went to look around inside. 

Their street names are all in Portuguese and some of their streets look like Europe! 

Here’s the famed St. Paul’s ruins~

Then we went out to explore the old town and trekked up to the viewing point.

After lunch, we headed to a hiking trail along the sea at the cliff. Heard that it was a trek that they went to for the offsite. The view was so beautiful!!! Cannot believe that I am in Macau (:

At night, we headed to the newer casinos and tried our hand at roulette. J and I won!!! The hotels/casinos here were so grand e.g. the Parisian and the Venetian, etc.

After dinner, we went to watch the dragon show and light show, which was quite spectacular.

What’s Macau without Portuguese egg tarts?! It was yummy!

[sunsetwanders]

Repulse Bay

The last time I went to Repulse Bay was probably in 2011. Took a bus from Central Exchange Square Bus Terminal and went up the winding roads from Happy Valley and then down to the beach. It was a nice chillax place to be at, especially in the 20-25 degrees C weather.

Our lunch at Sing Heung Yen before we arrived. This is a famous place among the locals probably because of its affordable price (averaging around HKD30). It is a dai pai dong (street stall) where their specialty is macaroni / maggie mee in tomato soup.

Had dinner at One Dim Sum at Prince Edward, which I thought was quite ordinary for a one-michelin star restaurant. Perhaps it was because I was too full, but their siew mai is really yummy!