Posts in China

Beijing by Happy Larry’s Kosher Beijing Tours

Beijing March 27, 2015

Saturday morning we woke up early, grabbed breakfast, and went down to the lobby to meet Larry. From the minute we first shook his hand, I just new we were going to have an excellent time together!

Renaissance Hotel Breakfast — Good morning from Beijing!

Happy Larry Travel—Kosher Beijing Tours — Happy Larry Travel aka. Kosher Beijing Tours

We went outside and got into the car (a black VW with a driver that spoke no Engrish—“Ni-HOW!… No Hello”) to drive two hours to The Great Wall. During the ride we drove past the Olympic Village and saw the Bird’s Nest and the Cube (or the “Blue Bubble” as Larry calls it). During the long drive (as a result of traffic so intense it made Los Angeles look like rush hour’s not so bad) Larry gave us a bit of an education. We learned that:

Beijing is known for it’s insane traffic (especially this weekend and then next tree weekends because this is a period known as Weeping Day, where people drive all over the city to pay respects to their ancestors grave sites).
People worship the heaven and their ancestors here
Beijing has 56 nationalities, 16 districts, 22,000 people, and is expanding in size rapidly
The one child policy is still in effect, but the policy is stricter depending on where you are from (city or countryside), and your socio economic status—you have to pay the government a good chunk of money if you want to have a second child
Larry on the cultural perspective of child rearing “boys are construction banks and girls are money trees”. Back in the day people only wanted to have boys because boys take care of their parents during their old age. However, to raise a boy you must work your entire life to provide well them (the mentality is you want them to have what you didn’t). You have to buy them a nice car, a good apartment, and be able to supply a good resume for them (regarding information such as family status, familial accomplishments, number of properties, etc.) when it comes to finding a wife—by the way, everything you do to provide for them, is all done with the intention of finding them a good wife. Additionally, when you find a suitable wife for your son, you must pay your future mother-in-law a significant sized dowry in cash (in addition to proving that your son has a good resume, a nice car, and a nice apartment/property inheritance)—hence the expression “boys are construction banks”. Without a good enough dowry the mother-in-law can block the marriage. Thus, they say “girls are money trees” because they make their family lots of money in the form of a dowry and inherit property from both their own family as well as their future husbands family.
“Marriage is just marketing and PR” according to Larry. Love is involved, but that’s only once child and parents do a good enough job of marketing their children to a suitable match.
There are lots of TV shows that focus entirely on dating. I’m not talking about The Bachelor here—this is more like a legal TV auction that people op-into. They go the show, provide information about themselves as well as their contact information so that people watching the show can call in and become potential suitors. So interesting.

After a very educational car ride we eventually arrived at the Huanghuacheng section of The Great Wall. We bought tickets and started our very long and steep climb up the stairs–there were steps of all sizes, some of which went up to the height of my knee. As we ascended the steps we were quickly winded, at some points we were climbing at what felt like a 40-degree angle (but then again I didn’t do so well in geometry, so I’m not really sure what I’m talking about). At one flat part of the steps, some boys approached Daniel and asked if they could take a photo with him, then a girl snuck in and did the same. I don’t think Daniel has ever felt more famous or cooler in his life–he was absolutely beaming afterwards… I guess flattery is the way to his heart. We were the only white people at the wall that day, and apparently quite a source of fascination for many of the Chinese people from rural parts of the country who had traveled there and never seen a white person before.

The Huanghuacheng section of The Great Wall of China — Us posing with a great Han warrior at the bottom of the Huanghuacheng section of the Great Wall.

Huanghuacheng section of The Great Wall of China — The Huanghuacheng section of The Great Wall.

The Great Wall of China — One of our favorite signs on the way up the wall; “please bring your own child”—fail blog submission.

We took lots of photos and videos at The Wall— I think Larry had a little too much fun directing the shots—and eventually found a place where you can pay to get dressed up in traditional Chinese garb and take more photos. Of course, there wasn’t a question of as to whether or not we were doing this. We walked into the alcove where you could pick your outfits and before we know it five Chinese ladies wearing dental hygiene masks were aggressively tying gowns and hats and sashes onto us—they chose the emperor and empress costumes for us (good choice). Larry took a bunch of photos of us (at certain points random people would just come up and pose with us, or take photos of us on their own cameras—so strange) and then we headed down the steps to get back in the car.

Dress up at the Huanghuacheng section of The Great Wall of China — The beginning of being swiftly dressed into an empress costume.

Jumping Jaxy—Great Wall of China dressed up in traditional empress garb by 5 Chinese ladies wearing dental hygienist masks.

The Great Wall Camel — I admit I wasn’t supposed to take this, because you have to pay for the photo, but still, have you ever seen such a fluffy camel before?

The Great Wall of China Signage — A totally ridiculous sign that clearly must be in China for a reason, informing people not to use the site of the Great Wall as their public bathroom.

For lunch we went to a traditional Chinese restaurant called “Wan Rong Seafood” or “Seafood and the Duck” (which sounded more like “Seafood in the Dark” with a local accent). It turns out we arrived right as a massive party was ending—at the other tables there were super drunk men with very red faces stumbling around and intermittently being escorted to the bathroom to vomit. Larry told us that in China men drink alcoholic spirits with 56% alcohol because it’s considered macho, even though it burns their tongue and throat when they drink it. The prices at the restaurant were super cheap so we assumed that all of the dishes were tapas, unfortunately, we were very wrong and ended up with a massive order of all vegetarian food. Between Larry, the driver, and the two of us, we couldn’t even begin to order the feast we had in front of us. We left the restaurant absolutely stuffed and the wreckage left over from the party was like nothing I’ve ever seen before (I took a photo of one vacant table to give you an idea).

Wan Rong Seafood Restaurant Beijing — For lunch we went to a traditional Chinese restaurant called “Wan Rong Seafood” or “Seafood and the Duck” (which sounded more like “Seafood in the Dark” with a local accent).

On the car ride to The Summer Palace I took a bit of a nap due to my food coma. I woke up feeling super groggy, but the newly famous face of Mr. Daniel got me through the rest of the afternoon. Larry showed us a map of The Summer Palace grounds, which sits on 300 hectors of land—massive. We walked around, went by the river (but it was so old and windy out that they cute little boats weren’t operable), and learned about the Chinese government.

The Summer Palace Beijing — Us in front of the Summer Palace in Beijing

The traffic on the drive back to the hotel took forever! When we finally arrived, we did laundry, and then went upstairs to eat dinner. We sat with our new friends Ervin and Fabritzio and exchanged funny stories about the day, before going downstairs for a quick swim and jacuzzi.

Sunday morning we woke up at 7:30 AM and soon after received a call from Larry to inform us that we should dress warmly because it was “chilly cold” outside (42 degrees Fahrenheit). We met him in the lobby and drove to the Temple of Heaven (273 hectors of land). The park surrounding the temple is unlike any place we had ever been before; it is filled with senior citizens doing every kind of exercise (in large groups) imaginable—weight lifting, Kung-Fu, Thai-Chi, Tibetan dancing, Chinese body slapping, aerobics, jumping, etc. Due to Larry’s incessant encouragement, Daniel and I joined in on a few exercises—mainly Tibetan circle dancing—of course Larry joined in also (see video).

Park Outside Temple of Heaven — The park surrounding the temple is unlike any place we had ever been before; it is filled with senior citizens doing every kind of exercise (in large groups) imaginable.

We went to the southern part of the park where Chinese parents go to match make for their children. Apparently marketing your child takes up some serious real-estate because people mark off their areas with newspapers and rocks. The parents bring a resume (that includes information about their child’s accomplishments, family history, family worth—e.g. number of properties—etc.) as well as a bunch of photos of their child in various life stages and situations. Then they wait to interact with parents of similar status who have children that might be potential matches for their own. If they have a good interaction, the parents will bring their children to meet in the park the following weekend. We met an older Chinese man and I took a photo with him. He spoke no English, but told Larry that he would be my Chinese-father-in-law after I married his 31-year-old son who Larry referred to as “Chinese Mr. Right.”

Temple of Heaven Beijing China — We went to the southern part of the park where Chinese parents go to match make for their children. Apparently marketing your child takes up some serious real-estate because people mark off their areas with newspapers and rocks. The parents bring a resume (that includes information about their child’s accomplishments, family history, family worth—e.g. number of properties—etc.) as well as a bunch of photos of their child in various life stages and situations. Then they wait to interact with parents of similar status who have children that might be potential matches for their own. If they have a good interaction, the parents will bring their children to meet in the park the following weekend. We met an older Chinese man and I took a photo with him. He spoke no English, but told Larry that he would be my Chinese-father-in-law after I married his 31-year-old son who Larry referred to as “Chinese Mr. Right.”

As we walked through the park we saw hundreds more senior citizens gathered around a large structure playing various games (dominos, Chinese checkers/chess, cards, dice, some we don’t have names for) and instruments on wooden beams. We also found an area where a woman with a Madonna microphone was signing surrounded by a crowd who brought their own music books in order to participate. It’s amazing how the Chinese people make such an effort to keep their minds and bodies sound even in old age.

After spending a fascinating and freezing morning in the park we eventually saw the Temple of Heaven, which has three levels (the highest one to represent heaven, the middle one to represent humans, and the lowest one to represent the earth). The architecture was magnificent, but eventually it got so cold we decided it was time to end our outdoor morning excursion.

The Temple of Heaven has three levels (the highest one to represent heaven, the middle one to represent humans, and the lowest one to represent the earth).

Temple of Heaven Beijing — OK but for real—Larry wanted a serious photo in front of the Temple of Heaven.

Next we went to Hongqiao Market aka The Pearl Market for a little bargain shopping. Unlike the Ladies Market in Hong Kong, the people in the Pearl Market are all over you from the second you walk onto the floor. Daniel’s first purchase of the day was a cell-phone (not actually for him) which cost him nothing. Then we went to another area of the market to a place called Steven’s Shop where Daniel scored with more gadgets and electronics. While he was doing the electronics thing, I went into a costume shop with Larry. I tried on some furry white snow monkey costume and later realized (long after I took it off) that I looked like a yeti because it had shed all over me. Larry found tape and helped me stick all the fur off in the middle of the electronics store—quite the spectacle. For lunch Daniel and I went to Subway, while Larry and the driver found a Chinese restaurant. I tried my first hot milk-tea (very good) and then ran back into the market to buy a ring and got over excited and bought a ridiculous silicone cell phone case.

Next we headed to Tiananmen Square, which we learned is the biggest public square in the world (more than 44 hectors). We passed by the Chairman Mao mausoleum in the middle but were unable to enter because it’s closed on Sunday and Monday—Daniel suggested that it is because he is sleeping. We walked around the square and tried to replicate the same photo my parents took when they were here visiting exactly a year ago. Then we crossed the street, and ventured into the Forbidden City—this place is gigantic, 170,000 people can fit inside. We learned about the emperor and his 300+ concubines, saw the different areas of the grounds and eventually found our way to the emperor’s quarters. I pushed through the sea of people and made my way to the front and center so I could take a photo. As I was taking the photo the man behind me put his elbows on my shoulders and used the top of my head as a tripod—I was so shocked by this I couldn’t do anything but laugh—ridiculous!

Tiananmen Square Beijing China — We walked around Tiananmen Square and tried to replicate the same photo my parents took when they were here visiting exactly a year ago.

The Forbidden City Beijing — Forbidden City—this place is gigantic, 170,000 people can fit inside.

Forbidden City Love Trees — The hugging love trees in the imperial garden. Smooches.

When we got back to the hotel Larry had a few questions about his website for Daniel—the next thing I knew Daniel was building Larry a brand new site and I was adding copy and photos. While website construction was going on we had some appetizers with Larry and he arranged for a driver to take us to the airport the next day as a thank you. Just wait until you see the promo video on Larry’s site Kosher Beijing Tours!

Monday morning we packed up and left for the airport. Beijing International Airport was the first place in a while where we were able to seamlessly check into our flight without a problem. Part of the reason we were able to check in could be because All Nippon Airways (ANA) is not a Chinese airline; the other part could be attributed to the fact that Daniel called United Airlines the night before to confirm. The security at this airport is the most ridiculous and unnecessary waste of people and time I’ve ever seen in my life. They have multiple security check points, scanners and wanders. I was wanded for a good two minutes until the security chick discovered a cellophane mint wrapper in my back pocket and questioned me about my intentions with it (Wait what? Is this real life? Welcome to crazy China). Then they took our portable China because they thought it was a bomb. They showed us some print out in Chinese after they took it that they claimed said it we weren’t allowed to have it. Daniel told them that in America they would consider this stealing.

Beijing International Airport Security Line — Security Line at the Airport. This man refused to accept that there was plenty of space around him and instead decided to become my shadow. If he could have fit in my bag, I’m sure he would have climbed in. This is apparently normal here.

We tried to find a quick restaurant to eat at before boarding the plane, but were weirded-out to learn that the only restaurants in the terminal were gourmet other than Pizza Hut (but for them to make a pizza takes 40 minutes). We found a poor excuse for an Irish Gastro Pub and begged them to make us French fries in ten minutes. Then we rushed to our gate to board the plane.

Aside from the airport, we had a fabulous time in China. Now off to Japan!

Beijing Bound

Beijing Shanghai March 25, 2015

Friday was our last morning in Shanghai. We started off our day with a trip to McDonalds, so Daniel could get his egg McMuffin, and then took the train to the South Bund Soft Spinning Fabric Market to pick up our tailor-made goods. Daniel tried on his two shirts, which fit perfectly (thank goodness) and I tried on the jumpsuits Wu Quin made me. I love them—he did such a great job.

McDonalds Shanghai — Daniel’s last egg McMuffin breakfast at McDonalds in Shanghai.

South Bund Soft Spinning Fabric Market Shanghai — South Bund Soft Spinning Fabric Market— Wu Quin and I.

On our way out of the market Daniel decided he wanted to buy a “real Samsonite” suitcase from same man I bought one from the day before. To our delight, the man proceeded to do the same “jumping on the bag test” as he did the day before to prove how sturdy it was. [Don’t worry, we got a video of it this time and we highly encourage you to watch it now before reading the rest of the post.]

He’s so theatrical. Aren’t you glad you did that?

We got back to the Sheraton and were met with a level of unnecessary security (eight guards standing outside the building, a metal detector and x-ray machine at every entry point, and four security guards ‘wanding’ people) because of the world “water skating” aka figure skating competition occurring in Shanghai—this city is super serious with their security. We went up to the room, packed up and taxied to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (a 45 minute drive compared to a two hour subway to train ride).

It was about 11:00 AM when we arrived at the airport for a 1:30 PM flight to Beijing. But, as our travel luck in China goes, the lady at the Shanghai Airlines desk told us our tickets weren’t open and we couldn’t board or check into the flight. With no cell data or call time, paired broken wifi at the airport, we couldn’t call United Airlines. We went to the ticketing desk where they were unable to do anything so we missed our flight. Daniel managed to get the guys behind the ticketing desk to let him use their phone and called United in Asia (he waited on the phone for 45 minutes until he finally got an agent). In the meantime, I looked at the Hello Kitty food and got us Subway for lunch. By the time I walked back to the ticketing desk around 2:15 PM, Daniel was already checking in our bags. We were immediately escorted through two security points, the terminal, and up to the gate to make a 2:30 PM flight. It wasn’t until I was sitting on the plane that I realized we were flying China Eastern airlines.

Hello Kitty at Bread Talk in Shanghai Airport — Hello Kitty cakes at Bread Talk in the Shanghai Airport.

Daniel and I were seated separately on the plane so I got really bored really quickly. I amused myself by taking selfies amid the sea of passed out and snoring Chinese men surrounding me until the flight attendant told me it was illegal to have my phone on during a flight in the Republic of China. For the remainder of the flight I watched the man across the isle compete with himself to see how far he could stick his index finger up his nose. When it was finally time to get off the plane I was body checked so hard—by a man resembling Jabba the Hutt—that I fell back into my seat. Manners are very different here.

China Eastern Airlines flight to Beijing—amusing myself by taking selfies amid the sea of passed out and snoring Chinese men surrounding me.

When we entered the Beijing Capital International Airport we went straight to baggage claim—we were the only one’s waiting there (so strange). My bag came off of the conveyer belt fairly quickly but there was no sign of Daniel’s. We waited for a while until eventually a distressed airline employee led us over to the oversized luggage corner where we found Daniel’s bag completely unzipped with the lock still on. Clearly we had purchased a high quality bag (thank goodness, nothing fell out)—we managed to fix the zipper so it zipped properly.

Baggage Claim at Beijing Airport — Daniel waiting in the VIP Sky Priority area at baggage claim.

Fail Blog Chinese Signs — One of the many confusing Chinese signs (the second one) hanging on the bathroom wall with nothing to help contextualize it. Fail blog submission.

After the bag fiasco, we found an information desk and asked a woman who spoke about 3.2% English if she could write down the name and address of our hotel for us in Chinese. We boarded the Airport Express train towards our hotel and took it to the first stop where a woman in a yellow jacket, with a Madonna microphone strapped to her head, crammed us into an elevator with 12 other people. When the doors opened, we found our way to the exit and decided to film a quick “Welcome to Beijing” video when a local taxi driver approached us. He said “taxxzi?!” in very broken English and Daniel confidently answered “I’m from South Africa” (apparently he thought the man asked if he was from Australia). Daniel showed him the paper with the address of our hotel in Chinese (from the woman at the information desk in the airport) and he looked confused. It turned out that all she had translated was the word “hotel”—so that got us nowhere.

We got directions, took two subways, rolled our bags for ten minutes down the street and finally arrived at the Renaissance Hotel. We had a delicious dinner upstairs, made friends with two guys who work for SAP (one from Valencia and one from Bosnia—but they both are based in Dublin), and headed down to the hotel pool (and jacuzzi!) for a swim.

Swimming and playing with the GoPro (Daniel's favorite activities). — Swimming and playing with the GoPro (Daniel’s favorite activities).

After we got out of the pool Daniel called a local guide named Larry, who his cousin Lorin had recommended we use. Prepare for Larry because this man is my new obsession (more on him in the next post).

Sayonara Shanghai

Shanghai March 22, 2015

Thursday we spent the morning working on the blog because I’ve been having schpilkas about getting so far behind with these updates… With the last week of our trip almost fully recapped, I felt a lot better (but I think Daniel was annoyed because we missed the 10:30 AM McDonald’s egg McMuffin breakfast deadline—sorrrrryyy).

Shanghai Subway—advertising in the tunnels.

We grabbed some snacks from a convenience store to tide us over until lunch and took the train to the Jewish Refugees Museum—so crazy to think that this existed in China during World War II. The museum refers to Shanghai as a “Noah’s Ark” from 1933 to 1941, accepting around 30,000 Jewish refugees running from the Holocaust in Europe. We went through a few exhibition halls, read some individual survival stories, and saw the former site of the Ohel Moshe Synagogue—one of the only two synagogues in Shanghai built by Russian Jews. It was a great experience and it didn’t take a long time to see the whole museum.

Jewish Refugees Museum in Shanghai — “The past is in the present, but the future is still in our hands.” —Elie Wiesel

When we finished up at the museum we took a taxi to find some lunch in the area of the Jade Buddha Temple. We attempted to eat at the vegetarian restaurant—which we found on a local website—but it turned out the the restaurant was located on the temple grounds for the Monks. So, we decided to wander around the area until we finally found Tsui Wah Restaurant, aka the only place with English on the menu. All you need to know about this restaurant is that you shouldn’t go. No bueno.

Not such good food in Shanghai — This is not actually the food from Tsui Wah Restaurant, but this should give you an idea of what it tasted like and what the service was like. [This picture was taken outside of an outdoor restaurant—seems to be where people throw their leftovers #nomnom.]

Post lunch we went to the Jade Buddha Temple and checked out the amazing and ornate statues of different deities and Buddha’s. We even snuck onto the back of an English tour to hear a bit about the history of the temple. The Jade Buddha itself was magnificent, definitely worth seeing!

Jade Buddha Temple Shanghai — Jade Buddha Temple—absolutely magnificent, definitely worth seeing!

On the way to the subway station I saw Coco, a milk tea place, and had to stop to get one. The people behind the counter spoke zero English so we decided to have some fun with them. When they handed the tea over the counter, Daniel proceeded to ask them—in some strange question arrangement—”This is Taylor Swift’s favorite drink for summer?” Obviously, their answer was “Yes Yes.” I love milk tea.

Coco Milk Tea Shanghai — I love milk tea!

Eager to go to my first fitting at the South Bund Soft Spinning Fabric Market, we took the subway to meet up with Wu Quin. I was absolutely amazed to see how quickly he was able to produce such well made clothing! After discussing a few more alterations, I told him I would return Friday to pick up the finished products. At the same time, Daniel tried on his shirts and then gave his tailor some feedback—she didn’t seem to take his request for alterations too well (rather she defended all of her work wholeheartedly until another tailor in the market finally came over to agree with Daniel). Nonetheless, everything worked out for us.

On our way out of the market, we glanced over at a suitcase. The man selling the suitcase (“this real Samsonite suitcase”) then gave us the performance of a lifetime—chasing us around the market with a calculator, and jumping on the suitcase to show us how strong it was, all while screaming out “Hoooi! Heeeyah! Hooooi!”. Absolutely HILARIOUS! We bargained with him a great deal and ended up buying it. We inquired as to if he could get us one in a color other than “electric vomit” and he pulled out a black suitcase with some strange name on it. We asked him if this was the same suitcase as a Samsonite, and he proceeded to tell us it was a Samsonite—then he pulled out a silver Samsonite luggage logo, popped out the one that was currently sitting in the suitcase, and replaced it. I mean, it doesn’t get any better than this. Just way too funny.

Back at the unnecessary Sheraton business suite we were delighted to find that many of the socks we purchased from buyers at the Sock Expo had arrived. We went through the socks, made some calls, and did some work on Say it with a Sock (very exciting).

Say it with a Sock socks — Socks from the sock show arrived at our hotel!

We went for dinner at 9:45 to a highly rated Italian restaurant on The Bund called Goodfellas (yes, like the movie). The owner of the restaurant, Marco, welcomed us with Prosecco and delicious bread. We ordered wine, delicious minestrone soup (this was the best one I’ve ever had), and pizza. The food was unreal and the service was fantastic!

Goodfellas Restaurant Shanghai — We ordered wine, delicious minestrone soup (this was the best one I’ve ever had), and pizza. The food was unreal and the service was fantastic!

After dinner we walked down the Bund, took photos with The Bund Bull sculpture (which Daniel grabbed by the horns—get it, he grabbed the bull by the horns), watched a few local women running along the promenade in high-heeled Nike’s and matching Juicy terrycloth outfits, and even found a man running backwards in jeans (interesting). What a faboosh day!

The Bund Bull Shanghai — Photos with the Bund Bull sculpture on the Bund.

The Bund in Shanghai — Last night in Shanghai. Selfie with a skyline from the Bund overlooking the Huangpu River.

Shanghai Sock Conference (CHPE)

Shanghai March 22, 2015

Wednesday morning we woke up at 8:00 AM, walked to McDonalds for another authentic Chinese breakfast, and took a cab to the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Conference Center for the Hosiery Conference for Say it with a Sock (our sock of the month club). We spent seven hours walking around the conference learning everything you could possibly imagine (and then some) about all aspects of socks (thread, needles, materials, sublimation, digital printing, manufacturing, packaging, etc.). It was both fascinating and hilarious for many reasons. There were almost no westerners at the conference, not that it mattered, but it was not what we expected.

Morning Fog in Pudong Shanghai — Morning view with a side of fog.

Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Conference Center hanghai World Expo Exhibition and Conference Center — At the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Conference Center for the Hosiery Expo Conference. So corporate.

Hosiery Expo Sock Conference in Shanghai - CHPE. — Kids socks at the Hosiery Expo – CHPE

Fully socked out for the day, we headed back to our unnecessary suite at the Sheraton to work on Say it with a Sock and relax for a bit. We went to Time’s Square mall to go to a an all vegetarian Chinese restaurant for dinner. The place was awesome, however, no one spoke English. We were handed an iPad for a menu full of photos of different dishes accompanied by Chinese descriptions. A waiter from India came over to help us—he pushed a few buttons on the iPad after admitting in broken English that he also couldn’t read any of the Chinese descriptions on the iPad. We ended up with six delicious dishes (which was about four dishes too many), but the meal was amazing and this whole night was definitely an experience.

Times Square Mall Shanghai — Times Square Mall—where we found the all vegetarian Chinese restaurant.

Vegetarian Chinese food in Shanghai — We went to an all vegetarian Chinese restaurant for dinner. The place was awesome, however, no one spoke English. We were handed an iPad for a menu full of photos of different dishes accompanied by Chinese descriptions. A waiter from India came over to help us—he pushed a few buttons on the iPad after admitting in broken English that he also couldn’t read any of the Chinese descriptions on the iPad. We ended up with six delicious dishes (which was about four dishes too many), but the meal was amazing and this whole night was definitely an experience.

As we went to leave the mall we saw a line of people inside trying to wait out the pouring rain. We made a mad dash for the subway and navigated to a stop on the other side of town to go to a night market/bar. We weren’t quite sure which of the twenty four subway station exits to use so we guessed. Turns out we were very wrong, because we ended up walking about thirty minutes to Dada Bar (a cool dive bar with games and local artisans filled with expats). We ordered some beers, chatted with a few vendors and then left.

Dada Bar in Shanghai — Dada Bar—a cool dive bar with games and local artisans filled with expats.

It took us about twenty minutes or so, in the pouring rain, to finally find a taxi that would take us back to the Sheraton—and when we got one, we were beyond relieved…. Shanghai is freezing!

Silly in Shanghai

Shanghai March 21, 2015

Happy Saint Paddy’s Day to you!

Tuesday morning we woke up to the sound of incessant car horns. We opened the curtains to a grey sky, but we were pleased we could see more of the neighborhood we were staying in (compared to last night’s visibility). For breakfast we went to McDonald’s where Daniel had an authentic Chinese Egg McMuffin (minus the ham and mayo).

View of Pudong, Shanghai — The view from our window—hello Pudong.

McDonalds in Shanghai — Daniel’s had an authentic Shanghai breakfast—McDonald’s egg McMuffin.

We took the subway to the South Bund Soft Spinning Fabric Market to check out the market and the tailors. Thanks to Trip Advisor, we found Wu Quin, a lovely man who makes custom women’s clothes. We negotiated a price, went back and forth on a fitting schedule, and picked out fabrics together for something I wanted to get made. Then he measured me every which way, while we communicated—mostly though hand signals—about how things would work. In the meantime, Daniel had two custom shirts made at the stall next door. Satisfied with our sessions we decided to leave after being told to come back Thursday for a fitting.

Wu Quin’s stall at Shanghai South Bund Soft Spinning Fabric Market.

We took a cab ride to the center of Shanghai to The Bund (a waterfront area). We walked down the promenade overlooking the Hugangpu River and saw the city’s spectacular modern architecture. We also saw over twelve couples taking weddings photos (not sure if Saint Patrick’s Day luck of the Irish means much to them here, but I honestly can’t fathom that a Monday in the middle of winter equates to a perfect day for photos, but then again, who knows…).

The Bund Wedding Photos in Shanghai — One of the many new couples we saw taking wedding photos at the Bund.

We took a quick tour of The Bund History Museum—I say quick because there really isn’t much to see. The architecture of the building itself was awesome, but the contents of the museum were nothing special. You can tell that they used translation app on the computer to write out the English descriptions of everything, because they made very little sense.

The Bund History Museum Shanghai — The Bund History Museum—the architecture of the building itself was awesome, but the contents of the museum were nothing special.

We decided to take a hop on hop off bus to check out the city, but decided to go for a quick authentic lunch at Subway. We got onto the hop on, hop off bus starting at the Peace Hotel. Once thing we noticed after just being on the bus for just a moment is that everyone honks their car horns …all the time! It doesn’t matter if there is a red light ahead, a person in the street, or a complete lack of traffic ahead—people simply love to hear their horns make noise. So we drove down the streets at a clip pace, listening to the bus tour amid the ongoing not-so-melodic car horns, and got off in the old city at Yu Garden. From the moment we stepped off the bus, a woman wearing light up, clip-on roller skates approached us trying to pedal her goods. We looked at what she was selling out of interest and then continued on walking, while she shouted 180 Yuen from behind us. She continued to discount her price (without us saying a word or turning around) until she dropped the price to 50 Yuen. At such a ridiculous price, we decided, why not, lets do this—so we bought them.

Subway Shanghai — An authentic Shanghai lunch at Subway—we’re really branching out. Daniel enjoying a local soda called Coke.

City Sightseeing Hop On Hop Off Bus in Shanghai — Us just trying to blend in and be local on the hop on hop off bus in Shanghai.

The old city streets were awesome and Yu Garden was absolutely magnificent. We saw rock structures (which they refer to as “rockery”), bonsais, 1800’s teak structures, and ponds full of more koi fish than we knew existed. After walking around for quite a bit we decided to hop back on the bus and head to the next destination.

Shanghai Old City — Exploring the streets of the old city in Shanghai.

Jumping Jaxy—in the walking streets of the old city in Shanghai near Yu Garden.

Welcome to Yu Garden Shanghai. This rock is older than all of your ancestors.

The Tea Garden at Yu Gardens in Shanghai

Koi Fish Yu Garden — More Koi Fish at Yu Garden.

We got off the bus near the Shanghai Museum, but had to figure out how to get across the street, since all of the sidewalks are above street level. We asked two elderly Chinese women (who spoke no English whatsoever) how to get across and they basically laughed at us until they gave us some kind of directions in a Chinese dialect. Realizing they couldn’t understand us, Daniel said “Thank you, you smell beautiful” and we walked towards the museum. At the museum we checked out a few Chinese historical exhibits including: (the Chinese seal exhibit, the ancient Chinese ceramics gallery, the Chinese minority Nationalities’ art gallery, the ancient Chinese jade gallery, and the Chinese Ming and Qing furniture gallery). When we left the museum we put on our roller sakes and went pretty much nowhere (the skates didn’t work that well—aka they didn’t work). We had a silly time attempting to skate around the front of the museum for a bit, all while gaining a few spectators. Eventually we gave up and decided to leave them for people who might know something we didn’t about them.

Shanghai Museum Interior — The Shanghai Museum. You’ve never seen so many security guards in your life as in this museum.

Locals enjoying the art at the Shanghai Museum.

Roller Skates in Shanghai — Eventually we gave up and decided to leave our roller skates for people who might know something we didn’t about them.

We walked around the city for a while until we found a milk tea stand. Stupidly, I ordered a large size only to discover that a large here is basically a bucket. So we walked around enjoying a bucket of milk tea until we happened to stumble into The French Concession (which is where we wanted to go anyway). The French Concession is amazing! It kind of reminded us of a more European version of the hipster parts of San Francisco. We walked up and down the streets checking out the shops and restaurants until we found Dr. Wine (a restaurant and wine bar). We ordered wine and food and headed back to the Sheraton.

Tea Time Milk Tea in Shanghai — Stupidly, I ordered a large size milk tea only to discover that a large here is basically a bucket. Not mad.

Enjoying a bottle of wine at Dr. Wine in the French Concession of Shanghai.

At midnight we woke up because our room was boiling. We tried to turn on the air conditioning but had no luck. A hotel technician came up to the room to clarify for us that cold air does not in fact come out of the vent and told us a fan could be delivered to our room. Thirty minutes later and after two phone calls to reception there was still no fan. Daniel called down to speak to the night manager and the next thing we knew we were told to move to the room next door which happens to be a suit. Half-asleep we didn’t quite understand why we were moving, especially since all we wanted was a fan, which they brought to the second room anyway. #ThisIsChina.

Sheraton Four Points Suite Room in Shanghai — Our totally unnecessary business suite at the Sheraton.

All else aside, we had an amazing day here!

Shalom Shanghai

Shanghai March 20, 2015 1 Comment

We’re definitely not in Kansas anymore, because we are most certainly in Mainland China. Shanghai is freezing (low forties Fahrenheit), and it’s kind of creepy because you can’t see anything due to the intense grey fog.

The moment we stepped off of the plane we got onto a bus to take us to the terminal. For reasons unknown, the driver seemed to be doing donuts on the tarmac before eventually dropping us off. The Shanghai Pudong Airport pales in comparison to the one in Hong Kong. After going through customs, we tried to acquire SIM cards, but felt strange when a man with a printed sign of a telephone company told us he could give us one for a random price that he entered into a calculator. He didn’t speak great English, and there was no plan booklet to look at, so we decided to skip out on his offer. We went to an ATM to withdraw money (they use Yuan, no more Hong Kong dollars) only to find the ATM was out of money. We missioned around the airport until we eventually found another ATM on the third floor.

We had the option of a taxi or a train, and we decided to take the train, which connected us to a second train, and then eventually to a third train. We bought our first train tickets, put our bags through security (even though the station was in the airport) and boarded a 6-minute train to another station. At the second station, we bought another ticket, put our bags through security again and arrived at the third station—it was around here that I started to get over schlepping my backpack and going in circles with directions.

At this point, we had one massive issue—we had no cell phone data and the screen shots we had taken of our transit plans from Google Maps, didn’t extend this far. Thus, we couldn’t take a third train because we didn’t know which stop to get off at. All we had was a print out Daniel made, which included the name and address of the Sheraton Four Points hotel (in both English and a Chinese dialect). We decided to forget the third train and just find a cab. But, for some reason all seven cabs in the taxi line refused to take us even after looking at the paper (and unfolding it which only reveled information about our dietary restrictions). Extremely confused we found a guy at a food stand down the street and asked if he could help direct us., surprisingly, he spoke some English. While he was trying to help us a guy passing by stopped to ask where we were trying to go. As he and the food stand owner were working it out, a third guy stopped and took out his phone to help us look up where we were going. The short version of the story is we eventually got in a cab that took us to the hotel, but both of us were so touched that people took time to help us. Truly, it was a kind of culture shock I hadn’t expected.

Chinese Translation Print Outs — Our English translation print out which included the name and address of the Sheraton Four Points hotel (in both English and a Chinese dialect), the Convention center address, and our dietary preferences. [Everything below the fold really confused the taxi drivers.]

The Sheraton Four Points is a very old-school corporate hotel. I’m sure in it’s time it was quite fancy, but now it just seems a little tired and full of smoke (everyone secretly smokes in the bathrooms off of the lobby). Starving, we went up to the hotel restaurant called Panache for dinner. All I can say is the meal represented whatever the stark opposite of the word Panache is. I got a very cold soup , which they took back to the microwave to warm up, with french fries and Daniel got a very interesting interpretation of a penne arrabbiata, which he ended up wearing all over his shirt. I think we’ll have to find some vegetarian Chinese food, cause Western clearly isn’t working. After dinner, we walked across the street to the local convenience store, got some milk tea and decided to call it a night.

Panache Restaurant in Shanghai — The meal that represented whatever the stark opposite of the word Panache is—cold soup, “penne arrabbiata” and fries.

Lobby of the Sheraton Four Points Shanghai.

Panache Restaurant at the Sheraton — Daniel’s very interesting interpretation of a penne arrabbiata, which he ended up wearing all over his shirt at Panache Restaurant.

Travel: Sometimes Things Don’t Go Your Way

China Hong Kong March 20, 2015

Monday we slept in and ran down to breakfast just in the nick of time. Then we packed up, checked out, and took a taxi to the MTN station (to go to the airport). When we got to the station we noticed that you could check your bags in straight to the airport (at the corresponding airline counter). According to our tickets we had a flight leaving at 2:35 PM on Hong Kong Airlines, however, when we got to the counter they told us that we were not on the flight and to speak with Shanghai Airlines. Annoyed, we ran over to Shanghai Airlines, where they told us our ticket said Hong Kong Airlines. We went through a whole rigmarole with them only to get sent back to Hong Kong Airlines, while on the phone with United Airlines. After an hour of back and forth, we left on the MTN to the airport, with our bags, unsure of which airline we would be flying and what flight we might be on.

At the Hong Kong International Airport we went to the Hong Kong Airlines counter where we were told that we were not confirmed on the 2:35 PM flight. It seems that our airline tickets were booked but never issued. We were then directed to the United Airlines counter, where they got on the phone with the people from the desk at the Hong Kong Airlines. United Airlines told us we needed to go back to Hong Kong Airlines because they might have room for us on the flight. We explained to them that we were just there, and that there was no room for us, but after more back and forth we went back to Hong Kong Airlines, only to hear that we were now confirmed to definitely not be on their flight. So, we went back to the United Airlines counter where they then offered to help us. One of the women managed to find us a 3:10 PM flight on China Eastern Airlines to the Shanghai Pudong International Airport (closer to where we are staying than the airport we were meant to fly into). Delighted to finally be on a flight, we went through security, grabbed sandwiches and boarded a bus from the terminal to go to the plane. China Eastern Airlines was definitely not as nice as any of the Thai airlines we had flown but it got us to Shanghai, so we were happy.

Finally on the China Eastern Airlines plane headed to Shanghai!

Flight from Hong Kong to Shanghai — Window views by Daniel—on the flight from Hong Kong to Shanghai.

I Left My Heart in Hong Kong

Hong Kong March 19, 2015

Sunday morning we woke up early and took a taxi to the top of the Hong Kong Peak (Daniel’s father gave us this advice to avoid waiting in a two hour tram line). Unfortunately, when we arrived, the fog was so thick that we couldn’t see a thing. We figured that maybe if we waited an hour visibility might get better, so we headed into the shopping mall and found a local attraction known as the Trick Eye Museum. The “museum” was basically a few interconnecting large rooms filled with different paintings, illusions and props on the walls and floors where you can pose and take awesome photos. Now I know that the expression goes, “the early bird gets the worm,” however, we were there so early, there was no one else to help us take photos of ourselves. So we posed solo for many of these scenarios until we found someone to snap a few photos. I should probably be embarrassed to admit this, but I absolutely I LOVED this place.

Trick Eye Museum Hong Kong — Things are a little different here in Hong Kong!

When we left the museum the fog was still there and the visibility was still pretty much non-existent—but we figured we’re here, let’s take the tram down to Central. We bought tickets and hopped onboard with zero wait time. The tram went down the peak at a 45-degree angle. It was pretty cool, but it seems like a more serious version of being a tourist and riding a San Francisco cable car.

The Hong Kong Peak Tram goes down the peak at a 45-degree angl±

When we got to the bottom we walked to another famous attraction called PMQ (Police Marital Quarters). PMQ is where Hong Kong used to house police families, but now it is more like a artsy/cultural center. There are plenty of cool café’s, dining spots, shops and local artisans selling goods. Even though it was a Sunday, it wasn’t yet 3:00 PM, so many of the shops weren’t open. We decided to grab lunch at a place called Wilbur’s Burgers—Daniel got a Happy Hippie Vegetarian Burger and I got a poor excuse for a vegetarian burrito before leaving. Daniel always seems to have better ordering luck here.

PMQ in Hong Kong — PMQ—Police Marital Quarters.

PMQ Hong Kong Art — Art in one of the tiny shops that line the rooms in PMQ.

Wilbur's Burgers in Hong Kong PMQ — Lunch at Wilbur’s Burgers—Daniel got a Happy Hippie Vegetarian Burger and I got a poor excuse for a vegetarian burrito before leaving. Daniel always seems to have better ordering luck here.

Wilbur's Burgers Hong Kong — My poor excuse for a vegetarian burrito although it was quite picturesque. It tasted more like Peruvian food than Mexican.

We walked down Hollywood Road for some window-shopping and navigated some side streets to check the trendy gadget shops. We went to Elephant Grounds, one of Hong Kong’s most highly rated coffee shops, and then walked over to Art Central to check out the local exhibition. The place was super cool, but couldn’t have been more crowded. We spent an hour looking around, had a glass of wine, and left. We walked through Hong Kong Park (it kind of reminded us of Dolores Park in San Francisco) which was full of people picnicking, kids playing, and even a random performance, to get to the MTN station, which we took to get to the Ladies Market in Kowloon.

Elephant Grounds Coffee in Hong Kong in the back of a little store on Gough Street.

Art Central Hong Kong — Abusing our selfie stick outside of Art Central in Hong Kong.

Art Central Art in Hong Kong — Silk wrapped Buddha’s in meditation poses at Art Central.

The Ladies Market, and its surrounding streets and shops, is not for the faint of heart—this area is hustling and bustling. The first thing we noticed when we got off of the MTN was that there were seven Nike stores (all selling “real” Nike shoes and apparel, of course) within a block and a half of each other . Then we went to Mong Kok Computer Center aka heaven for nerds aka heaven for Daniel. I’ve never seen him so truly happy to be in any type of shopping environment before. He lit up as we walked through the four-story electronic mall—each shop selling different varieties of the same of phone cables, computer parts, GoPro accessories, security cameras, selfie sticks, covers, cases dangles, dongles, etc. We bought a few things there and then headed out to take on the Ladies Market night bazar.

Stereotypical posing outside on the street of the Meng Kok Computer Center near the Ladies Market.

The Ladies Market was filled with all of the usual night bazar things you’d expect to see—mainly fake bags, wallets, glasses, jewelry, watches, wigs, kitchen appliances, man-thongs, woman-thongs, bras, traditional Chinese attire, etc. Sometimes the people who run the different booths—under their breath—will approach you and say things like: “I can find you Rolex watch”, “I sell you real designer handbags,” “I sell real nice wallet just for you, good price”—so funny. We found few things for ourselves, but mainly gifts for other people. At one point a man who I’ll refer to as Peanut (because of the large gold peanut charm he wore on his necklace) chased us down the road until he had my attention. When I looked at him, he smiled like he knew me—but when he realized I was confused he asked me if I remembered him. Obviously, I said “Sorry, I don’t know you” at which point he proceeded to pull out his phone and go to his photos, while telling me he saw me at his shop. For a moment I figured he might have had a really good memory, because it is entirely possible that I did see him in a stall somewhere. He then showed me a photo on his phone of him and a girl wearing a similar blue shirt with brown hair in a bun… definitely not me. Then he seemed a bit embarrassed, apologized, and told me it was confusing for him because lots of American’s look the same. Such a funny stereotype reversed.

Real fake everything at the Ladies Market in Kowloon (not our photo).

Ladies Market Kowloon — Elephant man-thongs at the Ladies Market. As to why they sold these at EVREY stand, I have no clue. I mean, would you buy this?

Exhausted from being on our feet for twelve hours, we took a cab to Elements Mall for dinner, found a Japanese restaurant called Sen-Ryo, which turned out to be the most delicious authentic conveyer-belt sushi ever! I’m not exaggerating when I say that it put most sushi we’ve had to shame. We felt like we couldn’t have had a better end to the night… but then we decided to go to Ozone Bar, the one at the top of the Ritz Carlton. Ozone bar is the tallest bar in the world, sitting on the 118th floor of the hotel. We went up, checked the view, took a photo, saw the drink prices, and turned back around to leave. What a busy day!

Elements Mall in Hong Kong — This is Elements Mall—the mall where we found Sen-Ryo conveyor belt sushi. Good things happen to those who follow the rainbow and the fake sheep covered in cheery blossoms.

Sen-Ryo Japanese Sushi Bar conveyer belt. Such a delicious meal!

Sen-Ryo Japanese Sushi in Hong Kong — Sen-Ryo sashimi and edamame. There was even a personal hot water tap at each seat to make green tea.

Ozone Bar Ritz Carlton Hong Kong — Selfie in the glass reflect at Ozone Bar—what a great view!

Living La Vida Hong Kong

Hong Kong March 19, 2015 1 Comment

Saturday morning we had breakfast and took a double decker bus to Stanley Market. The bus felt like it came out of Harry Potter—we moved so fast, managed to fit on roads, and around curves that seemed way too narrow, and met a warlock (well he never claimed to be a warlock, he just wore a hat that resembled that of a sorcerer, a long robe, and carried a cane). We sat in the front row on the top level and were able to check out Victoria Harbor and all of the massive fancy homes on the hillside. We spent about an hour walking around Stanley Market and then headed back to Central Hong Kong to grab lunch. We went to Oliver’s Super Sandwiches where we shared one of the worst sandwiches we’ve ever had. Then we went to check out the Peak Tram only to find out that the wait was over two hours, obviously we didn’t do that. We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around Central (a part of town) before returning to our hotel to get ready for the evening’s festivities.

Stanley Market Hong Kong — Us at Stanley Market in Hong Kong.

Driving past the Hong Kong Cemetery—this is one of the early Christian cemeteries in Hong Kong dating to its colonial era beginning in 1845. It’s absolutely massive.

We headed to the Empire Hotel to pick up passes for Art Basel (thanks to my godmother Ellen) and then to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center to check it out. The show was incredible and we had an amazing time!!!

Art Basel Hong Kong — Us in front of a Keith Haring at Art Basel in Hong Kong.

We could have spent hours there, but left to go to dinner at The China Club with our friend Justin’s father (Robert), sister (Carly), and family friend (Amir). Daniel and I arrived at the Club, which is modeled to look like a 19030’s Shanghai, and were blown away by the exceptional art collection. We were escorted upstairs to the bar where we met Robert, Carly and Amir before heading to the main dinning room for dinner. Dinner was delicious beyond explanation! Robert ordered food like a world-class champion, and we were treated to the most fantastic Chinese food dinner either of us had ever tasted.

The China Club in Hong Kong — The China Club and just some of the massive art collection. Not our photo.

The China Club Hong Kong — Traditional noodle making dinner show at the China Club.

After dinner Carly took us out to Lan Kwai Fong (LKF)for a night on the town with some of her friends—Daniel’s friend Darren from South Africa and his girlfriend also joined us. We started out at a vibey, local, hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant/bar called Brickhouse—the place was awesome and served some seriously strong drinks. Then we wandered along the densely packed streets filled with people drinking and socializing until we ended up at one of the oldest streets in Hong Kong, Lok Hing Lane. We spent a while longer drinking there before retiring.

Out in Shanghai with Darren, Ali, Daniel and me.

Lok Hing Lane LKF Hong Kong — One of the remaining old streets in Hong Kong, Lok Hing Lane. (Day time shot).

Howdy Hong Kong (and Kowloon)

Hong Kong March 18, 2015 3 Comments

We arrived in the Hong Kong International Airport Thursday night around 8:30 PM and were quite relieved to learn that China’s firewall didn’t extend there (aka we could use the internet freely). We took their subway system, the MTN, from the airport to Hong Kong island, and then a taxi from the MTN station to our hotel. The MTN is unbelievable (it incredibly quick, clean, cheap and gets good service. The taxi ride to the hotel was awesome, we got our first glimpse of the city in all it’s night light glory—buildings piled sky high, each one bigger and more modern than the next—quite a contrast from the simplicity of Thailand.

Hong Kong AIrport — Hong Kong Airport—a love affair at first sight.

Around 10 we finally arrived at the Ovolo Southside, a brand new hotel in Hong Kong’s up and coming arts district. When we walked inside we were absolutely stunned by just how beautiful the place was. From the views, to the service, to the art (and there was a lot of really amazing stuff) we couldn’t have been more excited. We met the hotel’s manager, Cliff, who gave us tickets to Hong Kong’s Art Central (a local exhibition for up and coming artists that they were sponsoring), and a bunch of recommendations for what to do around the city.

Art in the lobby of the Ovolo Southside Hotel in Hong Kong.

Exhausted and starving, we were shown to our room—a small, but modern/industrial space filled with simple and elegant furniture on the sixteenth floor—and directed to CIRQLE (the hotel’s restaurant) for dinner. The food was outrageously delicious (pasta with truffles, a Moroccan baked eggplant dish with hummus and rice, and truffle fries) and the ambiance was awesome. After dinner we went up to the hotel bar, ABOVE, for a quick drink and to check out the city’s notorious skyline (I got a Prosecco and Daniel got some spicy tequila drink that they pour from a tea pot into a glass with a mint leaf). The temperature in Hong Kong was in the ehigh forties/low fifties (Fahrenheit) that night and both of us were absolutely freezing, especially after being in hot and humid weather for the past month. We decided to hit the hay around 1:30 AM, after coming to the conclusion that we were obsessed with Hong Kong and could see ourselves living here (even though we hadn’t yet left the hotel).

Ovolo Southside Hotel Room Hong Kong — Our room at the Ovolo Southside—a small, but modern/industrial space filled with simple and elegant furniture on the sixteenth floor.

Ovolo Southside Hotel — Wall decor inside the Ovolo hotel.

CIRQLE Restaurant for dinner—pasta with truffles, a Moroccan baked eggplant dish with hummus and rice, and truffle fries (not pictured).

Above Bar at Ovolo Hotel — The logo for ABOVE—the rooftop bar at the Ovolo Hotel.

Friday morning we woke up and went down to CIRQLE for breakfast (a delicious spread) and then took a double decker bus to Kowloon. We started off on Nathan Street looking for Sam’s Tailor, but were informed that we didn’t have enough time in Hong Kong for fittings—womp womp. Afterwards, we went to Victoria Harbor City mall (which we thought was called Victoria Habba due to local accents) to get Daniel a pair of nice pants and grab lunch. We ate take-out sushi in the food court and it was absolutely delicious (but next to impossible to get a table).

Fresh sushi in Hong Kong for lunch straight from the take out counter. Just kidding—maybe…directly next to the fish tank is where the sushi is….very fishy.

Ready for a day of exploring shops (or shopping) we headed to Granville Road to check out the local attire. We later learned that aside from the malls, most shops here don’t open until around 3:00 PM—not quite sure why this is, but we thought it was pretty strange. We meandered down the street and found that most of the tiny shops you see street-side actually extend several stories up into massive buildings—very unique to Honk Kong. When more shops started to open, I stumbled upon a random entrance to a nine-story “shopping mall” filled with about thirty 8×8 foot stalls per floor. It felt like we entered some secret realm that kept unfolding. I found a few things to buy and then we left.

Grandville Road Hong Kong (not our photo).

Later on, Daniel went to get a haircut (he’s never looked better) while I went to some huge mall where they refer to everything as “THE _____” (e.g. The Fashion, The Food, The Beauty, etc.) Eventually we took the bus back to our hotel, showered, changed, and went to an Italian restaurant called Sepa. The place was beautiful, the food was incredible, and the service was horrible (I think we waited over an hour and a half for our first dish to come). Nevertheless, that didn’t seem to matter as we made friends with a local couple at the bar (Dheeraj and Rada) and spent three hours drinking and eating together. We really enjoyed their company! After dinner Daniel and I walked down to Long Kwai Fong (LKF) to check out the nightlife scene and eventually went back to the Ovolo to pass out.