Fresh seafood, Rugby 7's means packed bars

This weekend was crazy busy at first then extremely relaxing.  Overall so quite good!  Last Thursday evening we had a nice dinner of dumplings, ribs and veggies at Shanghai Lane with Jean Pierre before he left for Malaysia, and then attended a bar fundraiser at Joyce is not Here pub; 50% of proceeds went to the Earthquake via Red Cross. 

Then on Friday evening after a long day of customer meetings and conference calls, we went to Prive - a club that was packed 10x over!  Its the Hong Kong Rugby 7's where hundreds of thousands of british colonies expats are drinking like mad and dressed up like characters (I saw Angry Birds and SpongeBob - its practically hallowe'en... heard that may be 10% of people watch the sport match!)

Luckily my friends got us past the line to a private table. 4am rolled around, we ate McDonalds and surprise surprise, I couldn't wake up for my 8am dragon boat practice. Rough week needed a relaxing end on Fri/Sat!

The rest of Saturday was spent in Cheung Chau island, a seafood island with a pretty beach and nice hiking trails. Its known for their bun festival in April. We had a 4 course dinner for $188 HK (great deal, approx $25 USD) of fresh oysters, crab, fish and veggies then headed back to Hong Kong by ferry boat.  Worked out at the gym and watched two pretty good movies downloaded at home. Nice and relaxing.

As with our typical Sundays, we usually brunch with friends. Of course after the previous evening of gym workouts, we stuff our faces - this time at Wagyu Lounge, where my big breakfast of sausages/bacon/eggs is in a bun sat in my stomach ALL DAY!

Now... back at work after a busy morning of conference calls with customers, and lunch at Simply Life IFC with Domina.  Brown rice and fish and pumpkin soup. Not bad, but not great.

This week...off to Beijing and Taipei. Back on Friday. See you soon!

We live in WAR/CONSTRUCTION ZONE...with no salt

My building is too cheap to have double pane glass windows.  Effectively we live on the 40th floor near Central, with 2 bedrooms. The intent was for me to work from home as needed. However there is CONSTANT, all day BANGING of a construction site down the street; they are pounding / digging into the ground at a non-stop rate.  Seriously I have a major headache and actually cannot work at home.  Its unbelievable to me why on earth they need to bang so much! I want to file an official complaint but don't know how.

As for the SALT comment, HK seems to have a herd mentality. When the rumor starts that SALT will reduce your chance of radiation effect (via Japan)... its all sold out in the supermarkets!

This weekend is Cathay Pacific / Credit Suisse Hong Kong Rugby Sevens. A big drinking fest over a very British sport... i only know they cannot throw the rugby ball forwards (only backwards)!  Maybe we won't partake. I recall being in LKF last year for the 7's and it was sheer madness!

When every waiter is your waiter...the service sucks

I finally have to write about the terrible hospitality and restaurant service in Hong Kong.  We all got a sense of this, even eating at Asian restaurants in North America. Waiters for the most part are rude and in my own experience, Hong Kong people care a bit less about ambiance and service than most. However, I'm now convinced that one of the main issues is that EVERY WAITER IS YOUR WAITER.  do you know what I mean, people? That anyone who walks by you can serve or help you. In theory this is good because someone is always walking by.  HOWEVER it means no one has the X on their back or owns your overall dining experience. And in the simplest explanation, people forget things, or never come back! Argh.... i guess no 'tip pooling' and restaurant management getting the fixed 10% service charge does not incent waiters to care as well.

This was precisely the experiences we have had at low end and high end establishments in Hong Kong.  For instance, we went to The Square - a fairly high end Michelin star rated restaurant in Exchange Tower area.  Same issue - every waiter forgot or tried to help then never came back. Today, had lunch with Jean Pierre and Stephen at IFC Cafe Costa (patio view of harbour, inside Lane Crawford). Same issue. Asked 3x for butter, then they screwed up our order so often.  Also, for consistency, at Sevva outdoor patio, same issue.

Given the high price tags and fabulous venues, you would think a bit of "Service 101" is taught. I guess not!  In some cases the happy (or at least efficient) waiters at Tsui Wah or Dai Pai Dong restaurants is more ROI on our time and expectations!

Peking duck pizza, charity billiards and dai pai dong

Except for Paisano's pizza, the Italian food in hong kong so far has been terrible! We went with stephen's cousin, his friend from France, Bikky and Ivy to check out Pizza Express. Of our 4 pizzas to share... Peking Duck was the BEST... A good spicy kick plus the duck itself incredible. Far beats the peas and corn pizza in Taiwan Pizza hut, and last week's HK pizza hut (too little sauce, sweet pasta weird)!

Then we went to Peel pub for a charity fundraiser for Japan. Played pool. Four hours later I somehow emerged with $700hk in winners coupons. Fun times. Then Street Food in an alley near central... Hot pots of eggplant/pork, fish/tofu and veggies. Guess we should have been hungry since stephen took his cousin for an intense gym workout and i had a 2 hr boat practice and beach jog that morning. Oooops i forgot to mention our dim sum feast and dessert in between exercise and pizza. All Tasted good. Still full this morning! So, why are we going out for brunch now!? Instead of Lamma hiking today we shall stay in town. Soccer for stephen and maybe haircut for me.

I also called home, which is not often enough for me. Miss u all!


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Location:Hong kong

Japan crisis - felt around Asia

There was an 8.0 earthquake/tsunami near Sendai/north east in Japan last Friday.  So scary. Two close calls:  my colleague Patric who shares my cubicle flew out of Japan the day prior to the earthquake.  Stephen's cousin Jean Pierre from Paris had been living in Tokyo for months, dropped by Hong Kong then (thankfully) decided to go to Korea for the days before the earthquake.  Finally my classmate Yas is safe in Japan as well... wow life is precious!

Additionally there is a nuclear radiation leakage from several plants in Japan.  Expats get evacuated but Japanese must stay.

Finally on the response effort, Japan is a first world country. 2nd or 3rd largest economy, intricately linked to the Western world but retain own unique culture.  Needless to say, help is coming to Japan faster than Haiti or Indonesia.

Be safe everyone, and count your blessings!

Visitors in and out of HK....

I forgot to mention that my dearest friend Domina Park was in town this weekend (her hubby Billy is working in HK for 1 month). We did dim sum, a bit of shopping at Sasa, (average) dinner at Shanghai Xiao Nan Guo on Friday then Sevva patio.  On Saturday, after dragon boat then after a great mediterranean tapas meal w/ Stephen, we met up at Sift for dessert (too sweet for me) and then Elgin Nine for some more drinks. It was relaxing; lots of story sharing with others and meeting some mutual friends. I wish Domina and Billy move here to Hong Kong... fingers crossed.  In-laws left town last Friday after 7 weeks in Asia. I think they were finally enjoying themselves too!

Dragon boat. A truly universal sport with roots in Hong Kong

Dragon boat racing is pretty universal and a great way to meet friends.  Irene (me) joined the BGC Stormy Dragons team a few months ago and raced for the first time in Hong Kong this weekend in Shatin.  Great times but tiring. Besides attending Catholic Churches around the world, I'm convinced Dragon Boat racing is fairly universal and almost standardized. There are subtle differences in the stroke, lingo ('point' not 'pacers') but generally quite universal. Mind you, I've now only paddled in Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Portland, Boston, Singapore and Hong Kong. Anyway pretty draining weekend which included 10 person small boats, 200m courses (its usually 500m) and 2km circle races. All the best to my dear niece Mia who has surgery on Monday. Be brave as I know you will be!

Enjoy Sunday everybody!

BBB: Babies, Beijing and Bedrest

Its a time for babies!  Not me.  But my sister in law Janne just had her baby shower (she's due in May). Sad to have missed it but we sent over some Babies R Us registry gifts to Toronto.  Additionally my other sister in law Tanya and my OWN sister Christine are all expecting in July.  Finally I just spoke to my new friend Veronica Lin who lives near ICC and she gave birth 4 days ago.  Wow!

This past week I went to Beijing - for one day.  Yikes its a long 4 hour flight + 2 hour taxi door to door - too much for one day in my opinion.  Tiring but productive to see a customer.

Finally needed bedrest. I'm a bit sick.

See you soon!

Short but fun weekend in HK. They do protest here which is refreshing

Having returned only on Saturday morning to Hong Kong from Shanghai... did I mention the taxi drivers in Shanghai are very honest. He got lost then proceeded to refund me half my fare. Whoa.

Surprisingly on Saturday, I was still full of energy trying to maximize my weekend in HK. So Yang in-laws, Stephen and I ate at Tasty Congee in IFC.  The meal was good, clean and simple.  Then parents headed to Shenzhen for a 1 night trip, and we proceeded to do a bit of shopping at IFC.  Later we had decent thai food at Chili Club in a seedy area of Wan Chai. The reviews write: "walk upstairs NOT downstairs to find the restaurant" (downstairs is a strip club).  Nonetheless the food was spicy and decent; we'd go back.  The only part that pissed me off was the host looked right over me to an expat patron before I interrupted him that we were there first, and had reservations. Argh!!

Thereafter met up with Nancy at The Pawn - a converted pawn shop into 3 storey lounge/pub. Billy & Ivy joined us after their Faye Wong concert - wow lucky...

Next day we woke up for a brunch with Saima and Usman who just returned from Niseko Hokkaido Japan for skiing/snowboarding!  We ate at Sashay Cafe in Soho - I ordered way too much meat "the Works".  Headed up to Bowen Road - this time with Billy & Ivy, we ran up to the start (instead of taxi). Quite hilly!  Wonderful weather, maybe 18C, with good breeze and managed not to stop the entire 4km... 

On the way back, we literally got caught in the HK Government Protests by social groups/teachers who were picketing near HSBC in Central.  Apparently the HK government gave back too much surplus to its residents instead of spending on good programs. (Personally I am glad to see residents speaking out in HK, since my view was they were only about making money and not promoting social welfare issues here). The street protests seem organized and peaceful with policemen everywhere - but at least allowed UNLIKE in Mainland China...

Finished off the weekend by cooking dinner at home and eating with my in-laws before sleeping for 12 hours. Nice. Now back at work today , caught up with my parents by phone after several weeks, then working :(

Have a great weeke everybody!

In Shanghai (hotel) after Frankfurt airport shooting

I arrived at and departed from Frankfurt airport the day before and after a shooting murder there of two U.S. marines.  I feel blessed.

Having been awake for two days straight now, flying redeye to Shanghai for meetings stuck in office and hotel... - then arriving when they booked me at the wrong hotel... man!  I really can't wait to go back to Hong Kong!!!  Getting home sick.  Pounding headache.  Ready to end my workweek (its 1am Saturday morning, argh). Please make this pain end.

See you soon Stephen and Yang parents! Be back in 12 hours.

2 hour taxi queue in Hannover Germany

I infrequently correct myself.  Sorry for expressing frustration on my last blog about slow taxi queues in Singapore... yes they're slow, but NOT nearly as slow as here in Hannover Germany.  Yesterday I waited 2 hours for a taxi!  And we booked it.

I'm now at CeBIT Germany, a trade show for technology professionals.  Hannover is a small town that has hosted this show for years.  In fact all of its residents left their homes this week, and rented out their bedrooms to strangers for 'home stay'.  There are insufficient hotels in Hannover, although the convention center is gigantic.  Fortunately for me, AMD booked us into Mercure Hotel, so no home stay.  Some clients told me they had to share ONE outlet in their bedroom home stay, that was shared between mobile phone chargers, laptops AND the room light!  Can you believe....

Anyway I connected here via Frankfurt two days ago, and have been slammed in 20 hour days of meetings with customers based in Europe.  I've been through Frankfurt a few times before, last time on my way to Greece, where I recall being delayed for 6+ hours.

I don't like the food in Germany too much, and the culture is definitely 'beer centric'.  I fondly recall the gigantic Munich Beer Hall where the average person drinks two steins of beer per day!  And they eat cold cuts for breakfast, hard boiled eggs, sausages.  Their coffee is very tasty though.

Have to wrap up meetings shortly then heading to Shanghai tomorrow (all day flight) arriving 8am Friday morning.  Great.

Miss you all!  Keep in touch!