2011 :: A Merry Chapter

I really really really love the year past and all of its blessings in my life. It's been wonderful. I end the year with no regrets, and a sackful of gratitude, happiness and contentment.

Thank you and goodbye, 2011.

Fondue Love

The drive to the friends' beautiful home was accompanied by a spectacular sunset. We paused, pulled over to the side of a quiet street to take in the splendid colors to the west of the horizon. Many tweets in my timeline displayed gorgeous photos of the same view from different angles all over the island, from different heights. The sun went down really fast, and in a matter of minutes, it became a memory.

Totally pampered by the friends this season. Fondue on the menu. Appetizers of bread and dukkah, tomatoes and homemade pesto. Plenty of dips available, homemade too. Woah. Spicy wasabi, butter, mayo...but my favorites were the dips of dill and anchovy. Fabulous stuff to go with the carrot and celery sticks.

The hosts took my dietary preferences into consideration, and were most sweet to split the food into 2 pots- one for meat and the other for seafood and vegetables. There was grapeseed oil for the meats and a light wine broth for the fish and prawns. Cubes of tenderloin. A huge plate of those. Broccoli. A whole seabass and a fillet of cod plus 2 kinds of prawns. Tons of food. We ate them all. The food cooked fabulously in the oil and broth. YUMMY. I definitely over-ate.

Those fondue pots were awesome. Unlike the traditional steamboat/hotpot, we needn't even top up the broth. Well insulated cast iron pots and fuelled heating gel ensured everything was cooked really quickly. All the flavors mixed into the final concoction and of course we had to have it. It was a wonderful heady soup that was a winning end to the meal before adjourning for dessert and drinks.

Roast Turkey Number-I-Forgot-How-Many!

A wonderful convenience that the beer companies continued delivery over the festive season. We ordered crates of happy awesome beer or easy fruity wines by way of gifts to the hosts of each party we crashed. Often, we skipped the whisky if we know the hosts share our inclination. It means there'll be plenty of different flavors to taste!

At the friends', we were most thrilled to be able to help out in the kitchen. I went a-stirring the sauce for the lamb to reduce it, and the man went to stab some pieces of meat. There were other giant slabs of succulent lamb and meatloaf for the hosts to tackle and eventually place on the dining table for the hungry humans.

The host was a little upset that her turkey was a tad salty. Nobody minded that really. It simply meant that no additional sauces or whatever was necessary. It also meant that it went well with the other food items which weren't at all salty. The man said this was probably the best turkey of the season. Prepped over 3 days and sufficiently soaked in brine before roasting, the host put in major efforts to make sure this turkey stayed moist. We made fava bean dip really quickly to contribute and bought tortilla and pita chips for it. There was plenty of good cheese and fruit.

The table resolutely ignored the cats that were lurking around looking cute and hungry. None of us fell into the trap of feeding them. Ha. Taboo was played in the most impossible way tonight. It wasn't about winning. It was about scoring the lowest points in the middle of all that 'disruptive' shouting at the players-partners. The hosts had the newest version of the game which included some really Singaporean terms that I didn't really know how to express! Mad fun and laughter.

Have A Blessed Christmas

May your Christmas be filled with the richness of the intangibles, the joy of true friends, a loving soul and the wisdom to make choices in your life to warm the heart, even if there would have to be some not-too-painful compromises in realizing those dreams.

Christmas, Babies!

The friends are very clever. They made a date way before I flew off to Perth. Even with the last minute trip to Hong Kong, I made it home in time for Christmas tea with them.

Saw many favorite little tots today who gave me enthusiastic hugs. Luckily nobody asked if I brought back a koala bear for them! Because I didn't! No soft toys for children simply because they accumulate dust mites the little tots are allergic to. In fact, when it comes to Christmas presents, I'm probably the most boring 'auntie' ever to the kids. I never give anything fun. Bleah.

We stayed in at the lovely host's. Dainty teaware and Christmassy colors. A happy afternoon. The host prepared lots of savories and muffins, and umm...fishballs for me. No fishballs for the little tots lurking around because they're full of preservatives, salt and MSG. Only freshly handmade ones would be suitable for younglings. They were pretty happy with yoghurt popsicles, grapes and strawberries. Whewww.

After the initial wide-eyed 'where-the-heck-are-we?', 'mommy-I-want-to-go-home', the younglings went off to play together. No idea what they did, but it gave the adults a chance for a chat. One teeny one couldn't quite play with them just yet. But she definitely knew where the 'fun room' was, and kept crawling in and pushing the door open to join her older friends. Woot. It was hilarious how the clever little one knew her way around the rooms!

So very difficult to get little tots to not open their presents till Christmas. Every brightly-wrapped package got ripped once presented to them. I kept addressing a little girl as 'baby' until she adamantly stated that "I'm not a baby!" Muahahaha. Okay, funny one, I shall call you 'little girl' then, the one who doesn't want me to take photos of her face, but readily showed me her hands when I promised her "no facial shots", and demanded to view the photo after.

Thanks for a peachy afternoon, ladies.

What Cheerful Blooms!

I was surfing around for gift ideas and realized that a friend, Fern knits (okay...crotchets) these cheerful corsages. It could be a brooch or something to hang off a bag. To me, they're ideal accessories to go with gifts to the friends! Especially to those whom I know will appreciate these handmade beauties, and who won't have her creations. For those of you who know her, you'd already have seen (and probably own a piece) her work.

Totally thrilled that she agreed to make me 15. Woot! It was a fair bit of effort, and done during a crazy couple of weeks at work, and through a vacation. (Thank you babe!) When I got home and looked at them in earnest, I realized the girl didn't even put a stamp of ownership on those corsages! She doesn't do this for a living, and certainly not as a paid hobby. It's absolutely sweet of her to do this favor for me!

As I was thrown into the silly frenzy of having to wrap presents, I decided to make a tiny card to complement the corsages and give Fern due recognition because each roseate bloom is totally worth its weight in gold and more. Of course I'm not showing all of them here. Keeping secrets and sorely tempted to keep two for myself! Aren't they simply adorable?

Nasi Lemak Power!

I don't function very well without spicy sambal. For the past few weeks, I haven't had a touch of sambal-anything. Once home, a slight twang of missing the spices ballooned into an insane craving that required instant satiation either through a meal of nasi padang or nasi lemak.

It was too late for nasi padang. So it had to be nasi lemak at either ends of the island. I nearly killed the friend who dared to suggest having it in a hotel. NO! That would so suck. It's gotta be something less atas from a non-airconditioned stall with real cooks. The friends mentioned their favorite supper haunt during university and National Service. I remember, vaguely, having that once or twice a decade ago. So a couple of us trundled all the way to Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak.

We arrived slightly before midnight. The queue was short- there were only 8 people in front of us. The friends eagerly ordered paru belado which apparently went great with the rice. All I wanted, were ikan bilis, a fried egg, begedil and tons of sambal. Got it. Man, it was awesome. I was so happy to fill the tummy. After that, the man simply nodded off to sleep. Lazy bugger. I went for a dip in the freezing pool (in half darkness) to work off some calories before hitting the sack in the wee hours.

Bye Hong Kong!

Again, I didn't get to get out to the islands. But it's nice to have gone walking. I've seen the blue of the sea a number of times, be it from a hill or at along the waterfront promenade. We didn't check out the exciting private kitchens because those slots were allocated to cosy dinners at home with the friends. Next visit, perhaps. If these kitchens aren't too anal about accommodating our dietary preferences.

I love 18 Grams which serves up brews that hit a spot. But I wasn't able wander in daily. So we had to make do with commercial chains. While I'm not deprived of caffeine, I'm a little desperate for a good brew.The aroma of home began inflight. (Although Singapore isn't a city known for great coffee, but we'll get there.) It's been fun, Hong Kong. I enjoy peeling away the layers and discovering new things about you. Always good to see the various facets of the city through the friends' eyes.

'The Isle'

I wasn't exactly hot about highly lauded Hong Kong playwright Paul Poon's 'The Isle', simply because of its storyline of (never mind the island) lovers and promises and whatnots. Not enthusiastic about books, movies (rom-coms be damned) or plays with romantic love as the central plot. But this play is presented in a new interpretation by theatre du pif (進劇場最新製作，潘惠森的《小島芸香》), so curiosity about the city's theatre scene won over skepticism, and I went.

Staged in Cantonese, I'm fairly pleased at not needing to refer to the English subtitles. See. Learn a language in its academic structure and one is all set. There was a substantial amount of conversation between the actors, most of it intentionally flowery and poetic to bring out the full power of metaphors and the resulting imagery. So is this play about the search for love and the ideal of romance, or is it about the usual meaning of life? (Think along the lines of 'no man is an island'.) I didn't dwell on those themes because I wasn't watching for that. I could talk about it, but why should I? As a newbie to plays staged in Cantonese, I was watching for the flow, the subtle differences (if there are) between an English and a Cantonese play, as opposed to English versus Mandarin. Through 'The Isle', I also sought a superficial understanding of the company's reputation for reinterpretation through its strong artistic directors Bonnie Chan and Sean Curran. 

I never watched any other interpretation of this play and thus there isn't a basis for comparison. The acting was enjoyable. While the storyline still gets my goosebumps and hackles, it was a good evening at the theatre. Of course having a chat with the friends about the play and its background, provides more insights to the context. Given the chance, on a future visit, I'd like to see other intriguing works staged by theatre du pif.

Macarons In Hong Kong

The boys were the ones who had this craving for sweets and we ended up at Le Goûter Bernardaud. The other friend's wife and I glanced at each other and rolled our eyes. She doesn't bake and isn't into desserts either, and would rather go round the corner to take photos of that decrepit building that seems out of sync amidst the gleaming glass and steel. I would be happy to tag along. We were fully intent on slipping away and leaving the boys to do their own thang. But the boys insistently pulled us into the mall. GROWL.

They ordered 3 cakes. 3! We (the girls) declined bits of it. No sweat. The cakes were still polished off. Then they bought 2 macarons to 'try'. That 'try' turned into 6 macarons. There were a couple of flavors but they declared that LGB did a pretty good rose. I really couldn't tell if the macarons were good. But the boys were of the view that the commercially available macarons in Singapore that are of some decent standard can't compare to LGB's bite and taste. They liked it. I was forced to take a bite. I made a face at them. It was just sugar, sugar, sugar and nothing else. Well, the colors were cheerful. Anyway, I didn't really care. I had my cup of tea, and that was sufficient.

The sweets evidently made an impression. Each (boy) bought a pack to-go and gleefully declared, "Munchies in the room!" With very benign smiles, we (girls) didn't raise our eyebrows, and instead, nodded indulgently. Yes, yes, dear.

Went To Smell The Flowers

Thumbing through the schedule, I realized I wouldn't be able to get out to the coast or the islands. I'd have loved to see the places dimsumdolly swears by. Still, I was determined to shuffle stuff, swop certain activities to do some walking. It'd be a total waste if I didn't get out to at least one trail in this awesome weather. Dumped the camera (too heavy), suited up, grabbed a bottle of water and the windbreaker and it was off to an easy stroll along the Dragon's Back at Shek O. It's an urban trail. No way to get lost. It was refreshing walking without a backpack. Essentials went into the pockets.

Before getting onto the trail proper, we passed by many cemeteries that I oohed and ahhed over because of the grandeur of the tombs and how they've been cut into the hillside. Then we rounded to the back of the Sai Wan War Memorial and Cemetery that's the resting place of many British soldiers who gave their lives for the cause in World War II. I'm not completely fascinated because their headstones are not the intricate Chinese types. The view of the sea is always breathtaking. The air was crisp. There's something soothing about looking to the horizon from a height, into and across the sea, the miniscule buildings nestled amidst greenery. Today, there were paragliders, and I was insanely jealous that I didn't have the guts to do that. Bah.

This is precisely what I like about Hong Kong. It's an urban sprawl of 7.06 million on 1076km² of land area, and it's blessed with natural scenic trails (typhoons are a minor inconvenience) for jaded humans to get away from whenever needed. It's such a competitive city, yet out in the islands and the coastal regions, there's a palpable slowing down of the pace of life. There're pockets of places that have been locked in time. There's the inclination to stop and smell the flowers.

These Boots Are Meant For Walking

This year, I oddly didn't know what to pack for leisure trips. It's like, I've been so conditioned on the 'uniforms' (typically black dresses with a colored belt, and suits. Black denims and never blue) required for work trips that I forgot how to pack for leisure jaunts. Packing for a destination in a city or tiny town is an absolute breeze for me, and I can still do it under 20 minutes.

On this trip, I packed a ton of black staples. My wardrobe is mostly filled with that! Yes. I like black very much. It works very well in Hong Kong because I've got a bloody bright fuschia poofy down jacket from Adidas Originals given by the bff for a laugh. I've no friggin idea how to wear it besides with monotones and solids to avoid looking like a ditzy fashion victim or total boondocks bumpkin.

I've this odd love for boots, Mary Janes and quirky heels from Doc Martens. I've showed great restraint in buying their boots because I haven't had many chances to wear them in Singapore. It's just too humid for high-cuts. These boots work for me in all other seasons except summer in the tropics.

I've got ahemmm...a few pairs of high-cut boots. Weight concerns, so one pair is enough for any trip. So the only decision I had to make was which color to bring along. Once selected, the trusty boots went everywhere and stood up to the test of endurance and comfort, especially through 6 hours of standing at gigs, and hours of walking to everywhere in Oz and Hong Kong. Those air soles, my gawwd, are totally da bomb. Woot. Of course the colors were totally complementary with my (black, grey or blue) clothes.

Beef Brisket Noodles (牛腩面)

Aside from the hunt for beef pho in certain cities, the man is also eager to get on the trail of beef brisket (and beef whatever and all) noodles (牛腩面) in Hong Kong and London. The man's thrilled with the wide selection available in Hong Kong. We don't have a list to check off and simply pop into one whenever convenient. It doesn't even have to be say for lunch or dinner, or breakfast. It has been done between meals as a snack. Heh. I guess all the walking has made the humans really hungry.

We've gone into the various eateries at the different areas of Kowloon for him to try each stall's special versions and flavors. He's particularly pleased with the innards and all. While the cuts of beef differ in quality, I suppose the gems are found in the soup, gravy and whatnots. He doesn't have a particular favorite stall and none of us bothered to remember which specific stall to return. The fun's in checking new ones out. There hasn't been one that serves up a shitty dish. The stalls can generally really cook a mean version of beef brisket noodles. The man and the friends are definitely happy campers.

Herbal Tea Shops

Passing by the medicinal halls and herbal tea shops in Hong Kong, I paused more than once to stare at their wares in absolute fascination. We still have these in Singapore, but I haven't really noticed them much. Plus Chinese herbs and herbal teas don't feature in my diet, so they're always a source of wonder and fascination, along with the idea of treatment of ailment by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). I don't subscribe to TCM though. Of course I can't tell you if this is still so if I'm stricken with a terminal disease, but it won't be my first choice of treatment.

I remember the grandmothers faithfully followed the advice of their mother-in-law to boil 'cooling' herbal drinks for the family, and also use herbs in savory soups and desserts. But when I came along, they had to boil a separate special portion for me because I reacted to most herbs except snow and black fungus, gingko nuts, wolfberries and bird's nest.

I avoid bamboo shoots because the first time I ate them, the skin, eyes and airways swelled, and that, was excruciating painful. Till now, when the friends forget and add ginseng or some cordyceps thingy into savory soups, and I neglect to ask about the ingredients and merrily ingest a bowl, hives invariably break out within 2 hours. Ugh. Not all teas are good for me either, especially kuzuyu and lapacho Sometimes, I'm even a little suspicious of that rather yummy longan and red date tea.

Congee!

(Closed as of February 2013)

No visit to Hong Kong is complete without tasting its congee, either in the restaurants or the streetside eateries. Although I very much prefer the restaurants because then, chances of the porridge being cooked in a non-meat stock are higher. Often, the restaurants produce really delicate and dainty versions of congee which I really love, like with scallops or fish slices with no bones.

The friends swear by the dependable Lee Yuen Congee Noodles (利苑粥面專家) for an authentic feel of Hong Kong street eats and Cantonese congee, chok. They even suggested shopping at nearby Sogo to work up an appetite. At my look of horror, the group decided it would be better to split- half to shop and the other half to explore the area on foot. Yes. Much more palatable. Why would I want to be indoors in a mall when the weather was so good for walking around outdoors without breaking into a sweat?

As we walked into the tiny shop, we were all riveted to the ancient cash register on the counter. It apparently still works! How very quaint. Darkened and probably rusty with age, the color kinda matches the ummm...dirty ceiling and greasy floors. Authenticity? All checked. None of us dared to take a photo. Woman manning the cash register looked fierce.

I was pleased to find plain congee on the menu. There was fish porridge too. But I suspect they've all been cooked in pork stock rather than vegetable stock. That taste of pork was unmistakable. Okaaay, never mind, screw it. Not bothered to clarify. Wrong setting for it. I might even be scolded for being 'troublesome'. A couple of mouthfuls and I chucked the porridge. Then I turned my attention to the century eggs. Those were pungently acrid and piquant. Perfect.

Lee Yuen Congee Noodles
539 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
利苑粥面專家
銅鑼灣駱克道539號

Under Bridge Spicy Crab

We were taken out to supper at Under Bridge Spicy Crab to try its famous typhoon shelter crabs (避风塘炒蟹). I've vaguely heard of it, but never tried it. So I was quite curious about it. But this was like...a few hours after dinner. I certainly didn't have space to put away more food! The friends were enthusiastic about it and declared they could eat many items. Okkaaay.

So the name of this dish originated from its strong flavors of garlic, scallion, red chilli and black beans, preferred by the 'typhoon shelter people', or 'boat people', who live in the typhoon shelters in Hong Kong, a stark contrast amidst the swanky yachts. The fried garlic bits were awesome and really spicy! Quite appetizing. However, frying the crab in this style made it dry and flaky, so the taste of the crabs was lost and the seasoning overpowered everything else.

The rest of the 'typhoon shelter cuisine' leaned towards spicy as well. There were also clams and mussels on the table. Some tofu thingies and claypot stuff. The only few dishes that weren't spicy were the green vegetables and fried rice. Quite an interesting change from the usual Cantonese and Shanghai cuisine widely available on the island.

After supper, the group wanted desserts for a 'cooling' effect. The crabs, spices and all were apparently 'heaty' for the body and could induce sore throats and whatever symptoms of 'heaty-ness'. I was like...whatever. I wasn't going to touch anything herbal, ginseng or cordyceps or whatever. Chinese herbs induce boils on my body and they don't sit well with me, especially things like herbal tea and soups infused with herbs. I promptly break out in rashes or fall ill.

Anyway, we ended up at a supposedly good dessert place that had a friggin long queue at this hour. It's clearly popular with the locals. The friends ordered many items off the menu. It was great that there were many people to share in the many desserts ordered. Things that I really didn't like- steamed milk, coconut something something, whatever. Too sweet, too sticky, and generally I'm not hot about it. But the shaved ice, I like. Especially the mango flavored shaved ice. I've never seen it or tasted it! I was totally mesmerized by the texture. It was ice! Thin sheets of ice that seemed like a super light chiffon cake. It was surprisingly not too sweet if the peripheral random items were pushed away. Cold desserts work fine by me.

Mango-flavored shaved ice.

Japanese Food In Hong Kong

Itacho Sushi.

We've had a fair bit of Japanese food in the city. We skipped the tried and tested Inagiku and went for Sushi Hiro. It has been around for some time and we've hopped in a couple of times. On this trip, we ended up there by pure chance instead of planning a meal. I love it. It's dependable, consistent (for the duration of our meal) and surprisingly traditional. I've heard mixed reviews from friends, so my guess is that we went on a good day.

We also hopped into Itacho Sushi to see how it would be, and it was a pleasant discovery to find that it didn't suck too badly. The sushi rice was decent, but of course at the prices, the cuts of fish left much to be desired. But for a chain, the food's surprisingly edible. Some loved how the oyster sushi. Hmmm. It wasn't exactly raw. More like...marinated well. Tasty, they said. The onsen tamago was impressive. Nicely done.

There was a visit to a casual and authentic izakaya- Kyozasa. The table was thrilled with the menu of umm...everything. Grilled, baked, steamed or otherwise. Plenty of choices for everyone. There was also a huge bottle of sake which was easily polished off towards the end of the meal. I found an attractive crunch in a beautifully steamed kinmedai (or alfonsino). I had that, and a bowl of rice, and found it immensely satisfying.

Kinmedai at Kyozasa.

Kyozasa
20 Ashley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
T: +852 2376 1888

Hello, Hello Kitty

Desperate for caffeine, we made a detour into Langham Place to grab something from (unfortunately) Starbucks. Groggy and not too alert, I was just spacing out till the man poked my arm and asked me to go take photos of the Christmas display to send to my bff. I was like..."Why?" The man pointed, "See, Hello Kitty."

I turned. OH MY GAWWD. JUMPING HULA HOOPS. There were MANY life-sized Hello Kitty lounging around, ready and able to have human arms wrapped around them for photos. It was very difficult to get a shot of the toys without humans, but not impossible. It's amazing how many humans were eagerly posing with the toys. WOAH.

In the night, I immediately uploaded the photos and shot them off to the bff. Yes, she's got this thing for Hello Kitty, even at this age, still. I don't know what to say! I can't say anything because I talk to bears! Hurhurhur. She loved the photos and almost wanted to fly in to hug the toys. I'm immensely tickled.

A Bit Of Dim Sum

Of course there would be a meal at my favorite-est Chinese restaurant in the whole wide world- Lung King Heen. I'm not bothered about trying out dim sum restaurants or other good ones with Cantonese cuisine, really. I've found this and am sticking with it for a long time till its standards slip. Each time I'm in the city, I must have at least one meal here, and remember how delicious its vegetarian shark's fin soup is.

We were taken out to a dim sum lunch at a restaurant somewhere in Kowloon, of which I forgot its name. I simply followed without bothering to notice my surroundings. It was 'Royal Palace' or something similar. Not bothered to google even. I was grouchy from the lack of good caffeine. Thankfully, other members in the group were late and while waiting, some of us went out for a caffeine fix. After downing my cup of Starbucks double macchiato, it still didn't feel like kicking my ass into gear. No oommph. Mehh.

The restaurant's chandeliers and opulent decor in a crass Renaissance style are staggeringly blinding. But the food wasn't too bad. The friends declared that the char siew (honeyed barbecued meat) and siew yoke (roast pork) were yummy. There were tiny plates of chicken feet that were proclaimed nibble-licious. Unfortunately, they didn't serve porridge. Anyhow, the prawn cheong fun was good! Considering how I'm not keen on the rest of the dim sum menu, and this is about the only thing I don't mind eating, I ordered one serving for myself. Freshly steamed, its balance of flour and water had been properly done. That was impressive.

Steamed rice noodle rolls with prawn.

At The Wet Markets

Outdoor wet markets Asian style are interesting to me simply because it's chock-a-block of colors, sights and smells. Oh those smells. They can either make my hair stand or induce a serious food craving sometimes. Generally, the smells don't bother me too much, especially not in winter and at this comfortable temperature. I wore boots, and the splashes of water didn't matter. I put aside the general pain of watching a live creature die (some say vegetables scream too, in the form of an electrical pulse), and headed out to the not too shabby wet market in Mong Kok.

I saw snakeheads being chopped up, live chickens squawking in a panic as their throats were slit. There were slabs of meat, lots of pork and the most intriguing display of large pig's ears. I saw oysters being dried in the sun, and 2 black dogs casually lounging next to it. Fairly certain that they were guarding the the precious stock. It was awesome to linger, stop and stare at the wares at each stall. But the shopkeepers were probably not too happy that I was browsing so intently, but not buying. I had to tuck the camera away and sneak these photos without incurring their wrath.

Rounding the corner to the streets, there were lots of stalls selling dried seafood for soup, flavoring in dishes and medicine. Lots of salted fish hanging out with that familiar pungent smell. Waxed duck abound too, along with other unrecognizable (to me) bits and pieces of some animal or insect.

There was nothing to buy here that we couldn't get at home. The man didn't want extra bottles chu hou sauce ( 柱侯酱) for his Chinese beef stew. There're 2 more bottles in the larder. Nothing else needed since we wouldn't be cooking or hosting any parties this festive season. He was totally enthralled browsing through the area of offerings at the wet market, many of which he had never seen in his life. Stuff at Tekka Market doesn't count. Our 'wet markets' have been sanitized, in a good way for hygiene, and in a diddly, lost part of their kaleidoscopic identity.

Can you see those huge pig's ears? 

The Pawn

On this trip, our hotel and social engagements, and Clockenflap are mostly in Kowloon. We had earlier done a walking tour of the heritage buildings, derelict and charming residential estates and old shops. It was A LOT of walking. Fabulous. On a previous trip, I've seen the area briefly, but that wasn't enough. This jaunt provided a closer look. After 4 hours, I could feel the thigh muscles protest in a familiar and not unwelcome burn.

The sights and roads seen were charming and provided much food for thought. We didn't go on this tour without prior reading up (or refreshing the memory) on Hong Kong's housing policies, urban development and conservation trends. None of us wanted to just walk and go ooh and ahh. We wanted to be able to discuss, to a certain depth and link what we were seeing to the direction of social and political developments.

Come 7pm, the friends decided that it was to be a night out at the The Pawn. We had a pretty good meal at its restaurant off the Christmas menu. My carrot soup with ginger and honey and a main of watercress risotto were fairly decent. After that, we adjourned to the terrace for dessert and drinks. Lovely weather to be sitting outdoors. I chucked aside the sweets and opted for dessert of traditional potted Clawson Stilton and port with walnut bread. Rather satisfying.

There were plenty of pear ciders going around. Almost refreshing. I stuck to beer. Yummy beer. Bottles of Fuller's Organic Honey Dew were so welcomed. Especially after the crappy beer over the weekend. The other choices were shitty pre-mixed canned cocktails full of sugar. Eeeeks. Its full-bodied London Porter packed a punch for the later half of the evening when I wanted something stronger. Oddly, no one had whisky tonight.

I'm secretly glad that this gregarious group is so cool. I'm usually not too hot about meeting new people. Common interests don't necessary mean shared values on certain fundamental views. I'm not inclined to engage in a heated debate to reach the point where we agree to disagree. Let's just say that I instantly love them for opening the conversation with, "What have you been doing these few days besides turning up at Clockenflap? I hope you didn't just eat dim sum and shop." Tonight, I've met a couple of new acquaintances who might eventually become friends. Candid and witty, their words were a pleasure in a conversation, especially when it came to our opinions about the eternal comparison between Singapore and Hong Kong, and in this context, Baybeats and Clockenflap. Anyway, politics and parochial conversation aside, it'd be great to see them in Singapore in mid January when they hop in for The People's Party at *SCAPE.

Day 2 :: Clockenflap

So for Day 2 of this not-for-profit event, knowing that it wouldn't be overcrowded and hence be denied re-entry, we went off for meal breaks in between. I was so NOT queueing up for 40 minutes for crap food that I didn't want to eat.

Yesterday, we hung out for almost 9 hours and got blown to bits. How's that for dedication? Very few seats around, so the floor space would have to do. No shelter from the sun, so sunscreen or a big hat would have to be brought along. Though we could always return to the hotel room to rest the legs, we didn't. Luckily we were in very comfortable shoes and all. Still, attending full-day outdoor gigs require some amount of fortitude, stamina and preferably a set of strong lower back and calf muscles.

We looked at the poor bushes. The festival brochures and banners exhorted humans to take care of the plants and that "Believe it or not, an unhealthy percentage of the entire festival budget is earmarked for bush repair!" Well...I guess everyone tried, but still, the green got flattened in many portions. The already wonky boardwalk got even more holes dug out somehow. Oh dear, I hope the parklands authorities won't give the organizers grief after the weekend's ahemmm...rampage.

We had to come see folk rock band 'Noughts and Exes' on their home ground. Today, they had an afternoon slot for a short set, and did most of my favorite songs. They were brilliant, as usual. Always a pleasure to hear them live.

'The Cribs' were horrifying. At least to me. Their stuff sounds fine on the stereo. Tonight, the singers were totally out of tune, and at some points, not even carrying a tune. We moved around, trying to catch the area with the best balance of sound. We didn't move to the front. We had enough of having beer flung all over. Since when did it become fashionable to hurl streams of beer at strangers at gigs? It's so not cool. We didn't bother to wait for 'Santigold'. Dinner beckoned. But we hung around to catch bits of quirky synth-pop 'French Horn Rebellion'. I'm not sure I know how to dance to neo disco.

Clockenflap 2011 has been quite alright. Rowdy at times, but all in the name of good fun. I suppose it could be said that the audiences are less regimented and know how party hard and get the groove going, drunken flailing around notwithstanding.

Well done, Clockenflap. I know how tough it has been for the organizers to get around the red tape and bureaucracy to organize this, hoping it would turn out awesome (it is!) and wonder with trepidation if it could endure for another year. I salute the organizers for their commitment and persistence. I believe the Singapore indie music scene empathizes and shares their angst, pain and optimism. The music portion helmed by The People's Party is nicely curated. There's something for everyone. Nobody ever minds diversity and more exposure across genres of independent music. And you must have heard of this by now- The People's Party is coming to Singapore. :)

'Noughts and Exes' at the main stage.

Day 1 :: Clockenflap

A couple of months ago, we promised our friends to visit them in Hong Kong at some point. It might as well coincide with Clockenflap. The first outdoor indie music festival held over 2 days at a beautiful venue. It's grown from strength to strength, but this year, the focus is on music more so than film and art installations. It isn't a Glastonbury or Coachella or a Reading. No matter, Hong Kong should enjoy it for the next three decades before the political system changes.

I like how they sorted out the matter of the tickets. It's a free event, but registration was necessary, and the download of a printed ticket or a copy in your phone was essential to gaining entry as the door lines scan the QR code on the copy of the ticket with your name, and a photo ID. The organizers were pretty anal about matching the names to the tickets.

The venue at West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade boasts a splendid view of the Hong Kong skyline across the Victoria Harbor. Apparently this space is earmarked for the building of an arts complex. So this space might as well be utilized now. The beautiful blue of the cloudless sky meant a sunny day with a to-die-for 15-degrees celsius temperature.

Dentist and frontman of pop rock 'Hungry Ghosts', Luke Chow has taken a sort of sabbatical from the full-time job to devote a couple of months to his art, and took the stage with a bassist on the acoustic stage for some grooving. English singer-songwriter Benjamin Francis Leftwich set the mellow mood for the afternoon.

'9 Maps' at The People's Party Stage.

There were good bands, and there were really bad out-of-tune bands- foreign and local alike. I enjoyed 'Poubelle International' and '9 Maps' quite a bit. They were tight and pretty good. I came to satisfy my curiosity about the indie scene in Hong Kong, and it's really cool to see the tunes produced.

Those portaloos had attendants periodically wiping down and cleaning throughout. It made heading in there less of a nightmare. However, I'm really unhappy with the ONE choice of beer (San Miguel), and for people who want to stay and party on throughout, the food is spectacularly crappy- long queues of at least 40 minutes for the cold half-cooked burgers, with falafels and pita running out always, horrid siew mai and fishballs. Lousy hot drinks. Organizers shouldn't disallow 'outside' food when the quality of the food available was questionable, and the worst bit, the stalls' stoves broke down and they ran out of food, leaving on burgers. Let's just say that there was nothing for me to eat. A hungry imp is an angry imp.

I didn't really care about the electronic pop and DJ sets. Oops. Sorry lah, not in the mood to be dancing like a robot. There were films too. But let's just say the films were disappointing. More attention could have been paid to the film tent programme, even though it's Vincent Moon who helmed the films and the Q & A session. As the sun set, the wind rose and the temperatures plummeted. Luckily we brought sweaters, so when it went down to a merry 10 degrees celsius, we were well insulated.

'The Pains of Being Pure at Heart' at The Harbour Flap Stage.

Granted, the set-up of amps and speakers wasn't as fantabulous because it would involve alot more money and this festival wouldn't have half a million dollars to spend on the main stage. It did make the not-so-tight bands sound poorly. 'The Pains of Being Pure At Heart' sounded so much better when heard on a cd. They were really messy during their set.

It's just a tad annoying because even though the parklands are meant to be smoke-free, everyone lit up everywhere, even in the midst of the crowds during a gig. Kinda annoying to have smoke blow straight into my face in the middle of my face. At least it's an open-air venue. Oh, I definitely smelt weed in the air. Unmistakable. Ahhhhh. I even saw the humans smoking it!

When night fell and we were hungry and cold, the only thing that kept us standing was 'Bombay Bicycle Club', and watching the total lunar eclipse that was startling clear in the dark parklands. The band didn't disappoint. Playing to the magical lunar eclipse right above the stage, the band compensated for the sound, and showed us exactly how tight the band is. Jack Steadman's powerful voice held true. They're an amazing live band.

Headliner 'Bombay Bicycle Club' at (main) The Harbour Flap Stage.

Bye Brisbane

You've given us decent weather that isn't anywhere near hot. It's been a lot of fun checking out the hip and happening events in town, as well as see the marked growth that has taken place in the past decade or so. We didn't exactly bother to head out to Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast. Perhaps on the next visit. You've got amazing coffee and cool cafes. I'm in love with them.

Queensland Ballet And Theatre

The man and I have rather separate interests as well. Luckily for us, we've friends in Brisbane who're just like that. And we're the type who could walk into a bar on our own to watch gigs, or stroll into the concert hall for an evening of opera or dance. The man has always leaned towards watching stage performances rather than dances. Hurhurhur. We're both not into musicals, so 'Rock of Ages' is a big no-no, especially when it contains greatest rock hits of the 80s.

Swan Lake

Since I was curious about Queensland Ballet and they were performing the quintessential 'Swan Lake', I might as well watch. Choreographer François Klaus has given it a new twist in the narrative by using Mathilde Kschessinska and her doomed love affair with Tsar Nicholas II to parallel Swan Queen, Odette and Prince Siegfried. (Background by The Courier-Mail here.) I wasn't impressed. I like the interpretation and artistic treatment more than I like the dancing.

Fractions

I was lured to Marcel Dorney's 'Fractions' staged by the Queensland Theatre Company. (Read reviews in The Brisbane Times and News Brisbane.) It got me at Hypatia and the Library of Alexandria, and her male nemesis Kyril. Beautiful costumes. How could one not like those flowing dresses and luxuriant hairdos? I chose not to interpret this in anyway to the idea of the male versus the female. I soaked up the portrayal of the utopian pursuit of knowledge at the expense of everything. I couldn't avoid reflecting on the notion of the lack of Christianity versus atheism versus scientific ideals. It's a rather lengthy play and feels kinda draggy. Many scenes could have been shortened and the portrayal of Hypatia could have further explored and reflected upon by both director and actress.

Waterwheel & Taking Flight

Had a lovely conversation with the friends who're members of the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts. So glad to be able to catch Suzon Fuks' 'Waterwheel'. An interactive installation, An exploration of water issues, you'll either go WTF, or hmmm. Even better, I was quite impressed by 'Taking Flight', which is a showcase of modern dance by graduating students from the Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts. These dancers are very good.

*********

A pity the season's over for La Boite Theatre Company. I'd have loved to see their works. It was very fun to randomly mosey along to Roma Street Parkland Ampitheatre to catch a bit of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' as part of the University of Southern Queensland's festival 'Shakespeare in the Park'. Quite a hoot. The weather totally cooperated for the evening. I've really enjoyed Brisbane.

Desserts For The Man

I don't bake nor exhibit an interest in sweets and sugary desserts. Chocolates are fine, but even so, I prefer the dark bitter ones. The man is a fabulous cook, but can't bake to save his life, and loves his sweets. The poor dude doesn't get to have much dessert when we dine out. He'll always want to share because he thinks eating a plate all by himself is too sinful, and I'll never want to eat more than a bite of it, unless it's an apple-pie/crumble/tart or it's made with minimal sugar or zilch.

The man is most thrilled when we eat out in groups. It means that he could possibly get to order a dessert to share, or even two or three. Same here when we dine out in Perth and Brisbane. Brownies, sticky date puddings and all those sticky sugared creations have been ordered, shared and put away by the man and the friends. He managed to find a good bakery that does a mean peanut-butter chocolate eclair and tapau-ed 2 pieces back to the room to have it for breakfast. Ughhh. He is most pleased.

Stocking Up DVDs!

The man knows that if I want to go shopping for girlie items, I'll say it, and we'll make arrangements for that. But I'm not keen on it at all when there're other exciting things to do with my time. There's nothing I want from the stores. The few items I want are from Purely Merino at the airport. Those can be sorted out later in a matter of 15 minutes. So I don't mind tagging along with the man to browse through guitar stuff and music gear. 

We were rushing about in Perth and didn't hop into the music shops. In Brisbane, we made sure to allocate time to pop into a couple of shops to check out their wares and peer hard at the upcoming gig posters pasted all around. Cool art in there. Apparently the stuff at the shops didn't excite the man enough to make major purchases. Ah well. At another big chain, I also took a walk at the big orchestral section and found a couple of fun scores.

A must-stop is JB Hi-Fi to stock up on dvds, cds and whatnots. While we buy music off iTunes and rdio, we still like the music hard copies once in a bit. Singapore record stores sell them at ridiculous prices. While we don't mind paying for originals, I refuse to pay the prices our stores demand for blu-ray films and import cds, and vinyls. Especially vinyls. So Amazon and trips to these overseas stores come in real handy. My box set of Bones S1-S6 has been scored at a great price!

Cup & Bunker

'Cup' at West End

We didn't bother to opt for breakfast at the hotel. There're tons of cafes around for good chow. I love them eggs. Like I said, not all eggs are equal. I've been quaffing eggs sunny-side up on a daily basis.

In trendy West End, Cup is fairly spacious, does breakfast food and it's pretty packed on a daily basis. At Cup, their seasonal blend is sweet, but I prefer the oomph-packed single origins to try. They're roasters and also sell their coffee to many other bars. Famed Blackboard uses their beans too.

Food at Cup's quite tasty. Eggs galore. But no freshly squeezed juice. Simply bottled without preservatives. It's been my default breakfast venue so far. The good coffee is the fantastic bonus. :)

I give you my favorite coffee joint in Brisbane city- Bunker. Literally a hole in the wall with no tables and only a couple of stools, this local joint in Milton is hugely popular. We like sitting around for a bit, spilling out into the sidewalk or driving by to grab a to-go before running off. Mostly, we like to hang out and chill. In the middle of a quiet suburb, this is by far, to me, emanating cool vibes without being branded as trying-too-hard.

'Bunker' at Milton.

Blackstar Coffee

It's such a relief to know that Blackstar Coffee serves food, and it's open on Sundays! Not mind-blowing good food, but decent bites using fresh ingredients. Open for breakfast and lunch, I've been making this another alternative brekkies joint as well. I couldn't really stomach much in the mornings beyond eggs, so coffee is really the main thing. At lunch, I could wolf down sandwiches. My eggplant parmigiana looked like crap for the both times I ordered it, but it tasted great.

I love their piccolo latte (otherwise known as 'caffè macchiato' outside of Oz). Their flat whites are robust, but I'm inclined towards their piccolo latte. It also depends on the barista for the hour. I've swung by a couple of times with 2 different baristas and the taste of the coffee varies even with the same beans. It gets really busy at lunch, and weekends.

Ugees Espresso & One Drop

'Ugees' at West End.

The coffee scene in Brisbane is booming, and definitely gives Melbourne's a run for its money. I've not been disappointed with the cafes and it's been awesome checking them out at various times of the day.

I've been hopping in and out of these 2 coffee bars either before or after lunch, so I didn't notice if they serve food. Cakes and muffins, for sure. Savory filling light lunches, not sure. All I know is, the body's receiving an overdose of caffeine. HOWEVER, I could strangely still conk off soundly by midnight or so and wake up between 6.30 to 7.30 in the mornings.

I don't mind grabbing a takeaway from the superbly consistent and dependable Ugees Espresso (80 Boundary Street, West End, QLD 4101). It's a hole in the wall joint and it's frequented by regulars and curious visitors alike. That unpretentious vibe and a great cup make a lethal combination that makes me return repeatedly.

The beans offered at One Drop is comfortingly single origin. Their baristas have never failed to serve up a good brew. They only open on weekdays to cater mainly to the office crowd, so we've got to make some effort to catch them before closing time. One afternoon, we were running late and decided to take our chances, turning up at 3.45pm. The baristas frowned at us, but nevertheless good-naturedly made us our flat whites. Woot.

'One Drop' at St Pauls Terrace, Fortitude Valley.

Late For The Silly Season

Sorry folks, your presents and cards are going to be really late this Silly Season. (Especially for those not living in Singapore) I haven't done any sort of shopping or written any cards. I've also royally neglected to send out birthday cards for party people this month. Though wishes have been sent through text messages and emails.

If I'm actually on time (i.e. on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, and not within the Twelve Days of Christmas), you can be sure it's either you mean helluva lot to me, or it's because I'm forced by circumstances to get you a random no-choice-must-present gift or mall voucher that I don't really give a shit if you like it. And this would be because I've told you to stop buying me useless gifts, and instead, get me something handmade by independent crafters, or a damn gift voucher to Kiva or World Vision or something similar, and you haven't listened.

The Gunshop Cafe

I'm completely disinterested in gourmet dining or progressive cuisine in Perth and Brisbane. So no The Loose Box, no Balthazar, no Star Anise, no Restaurant Amuse, no Aria, no Urbane, no Alchemy, no Malt. But that doesn't mean I'll settle for bad food. I did say yes to Friends and Organic Char!, and a couple of others. I'm specifically looking for indie cafes and casual-chic eateries which pack a punch.

In Brisbane, I've popped into The Gunshop Cafe thrice because they do such fun food with a lovely range for choices for all dietary preferences. Located at the trendy West End where plenty of good coffeeshops abound, I see very little reason to travel further for dependable food, unless the friends want to take a drive.

I smirked when I saw halloumi on the menu. Practically every modern Australian cafe serves that now. It's the tastiest and the easiest thing to do. Not all halloumi is equal, so I like the less salty versions grilled in the simplest way with the best grade of either avocado or olive oil. It's most delicious when done so.

Excellent service! *happy sigh* This is the one thing I miss in Singapore. Good friendly servers who know their stuff are so hard to come by. There isn't a tipping culture here, but our experiences at The Gunshop Cafe have left us with a more than generous inclination to leave a tip by way of appreciation. The servers noticed our enthusiasm and to the delight of the man and friends, we've gotten complimentary desserts on the second and third visits. :)

Flame Trees

We've plenty of things to do, but there's always time for a coffee and to stop and smell the flowers, so to speak. We've been taking long walks to everywhere and anywhere. It's not quite possible to get lost when our phones are 3G-enabled with the GPS maps functioning brilliantly.

We walked through the residential areas and public parks in Perth, noticing the cool Jacarandas in full bloom. The washes of purple could be mistaken for blue in the distance. On an evening stroll to dinner, our friends pointed out that the Jacarandas are their favorite trees. We stood for a while to admire them.

In Brisbane, Jacarandas are aplenty. But that striking crimson of the still flowering Illawarra flame (I assume it's that) trees dotted the city mostly. They're everywhere. Early summer. Quite a sight. Many of my photos of the quiet streets contain their lovely crown.

Remember Cold Chisel? (They're still around!!!) They did 'Flame Trees' in 1984. A classic rock piece. Do ignore that it's about an ex-lover, and I'm looking at it more with a view of how these are familiar hometown sights to the band, evoking nostalgia no matter at which phase of your life.

Halloumi At Home

It's really delightful to sit down sit down with the friends for a good chat. Even though we kinda ran away from them to avoid imposing on their space after work hours, they still insisted and took the trouble to host us for meals, be it at their homes or at the restaurants.

I protested loudly when there was to be a dinner at China House Seafood Restaurant. Really? A$19 for a white bait omelette at such an unappetizing, greasy chak-chak eatery in an area (although it's in the Valley) that's kinda gross? Anyway, I lost that vote, and it came to pass that the Oz friends (old and new) seem to be able to use chopsticks (in the proper way) with absolute ease.

At S & G's beautiful new home for lunch, they put out the grill for a sackful of Moreton Bay bugs, giant prawns, squid, lamb and beef, peppers. Hummus, pita bread, guacamole, nachos and fruit salad were served as sides. We told them to skip the wine and we brought beer. The bottle shops in Australia are so fun. The craft beers are awesome. This trip, we picked out lots of James Squire's beers. Their 'The Chancer Golden Ale' goes down so easy. The stout noir is rich, malty and sweet. Cold beer goes beautifully with barbecues.

Then, next to the well-thought-out platter of cheese on the long patio table, I was most tickled to see grilled halloumi. I hollered, "Didn't you say that cooked halloumi isn't real cheese?" G was a little further out at the yard and yelled right back, "Whatever! You said you like it!" Ahhh...friends. I love them.

Fast Food, Mexican, Rocks

As far as fast food goes, I always appreciate Mexican. However, we've quite crap ones in Singapore. The only restaurant I'm rather fond of is Casa Latina. In Brisbane, I've totally fallen head over heels in love with fast food joint Guzman y Gomez. The man and I, the friends and us have been back many times not just for a meal, but for snacks and takeaways. Muahahahah. People who have seen my usual portions of food of late, will be extremely impressed by how much I can eat here.

The quesadillas make a good snack. But they're enough for me for a meal. The quality of that cheese could be improved, but that's just me. The burritos are da bomb. Thick and heavy, they pack a punch. Black beans, Mexican rice, loads of filling of your choice, with either beef, chicken or barramundi, and of course vegetarian. I LOVE the veggie burrito. Mouthwatering goodness.

3 choices of Tabasco, as well as heaps of sliced jalapeño in vinegar at the side for your picks. They do a mean guacamole. The friends and I love it for the healthy quotient and the man just likes being able to choose a wheat tortilla too. Us suckers will pay an extra A$3 for that extra tub of yummy guacamole that we could just scoop and eat on its own. I foresee many friends loving this joint. There're now many outlets in New South Wales and Queensland. If this is indeed coming to Singapore next year, I'll be friggin' thrilled.

For A$10.50, this is the nachos you get. No bullshit- proper corn chips, enough cheese, plenty of caramelized onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, lentils and guacamole. Mmmmm.

Beef Pho In Oz

At 'Saigon' in Northbridge, Perth.

I don't get the man's obsession with beef pho (phở bò). He has to hunt them down in each Australian city for a meal. There's enough of decent pho back home, although the flavors and styles differ. But I'm like, whatever. As long he gets to satisfy his cravings.

(Note, this is separate from his other must-hunt of beef brisket noodles while in London, US and Hong Kong.)

In Perth, he dragged me into 'Saigon' for pho. Staring at the menu, I ordered a random soup and asked for only fishcakes and eggs. A crappy mish-mash of things floated up. Oh whatever. He didn't mind his A$11 bowl of pho. Rather herbal, but the meat was of a shite quality.

In Brisbane, he made time to have a meal in their supposedly good eatery 'The Vietnamese'. He didn't quite like this pho and thought it wasn't authentic, although he still doesn't know why. It's not as if he's been on a pho discovery trip to Vietnam. I wasn't about to try the bowl of noodles to ascertain the how and the what! I was busy with my fresh rolls, and hoping that their kitchen would be cleaner than the steady stream of cockroaches lurking around the shopfront.

The saving grace in these Vietnamese restaurants is in their fresh Vietnamese spring rolls. They're usually rolled with prawn and pork. If the latter offends you, feel free to ask them to remove the meat. I like mine with only prawns. There's usually a vegetarian version available as well. The rolls are good. But the dips aren't fine enough. It's a very strange odd version. It's disturbing when there's an equal mix of ethnic groups in the restaurants. I've no yardstick to gauge if the general public thinks the food is authentic or dependable.

So far, he has proclaimed the Vietnamese food in Melbourne the tastiest. Okaaayy.

At 'The Vietnamese' in Chinatown, Brisbane.