Friday, May 2, 2008
Hong Kong
Well, this is it. My last day in Hong Kong. Since Isaac and Sarah fly out today, we decided to enjoy our last breakfast feast together (have I told you how much I LOVE those eggroll thingies?). It occurred to me mid-meal just how much I’ll miss these two—exploring the city with new friends I enjoy so much has been a lovely, unexpected gift.
Said our farewells, got my bags packed so I don’t have to sweat it out tonight, then took off for what’s bound to be a cool day—figuratively speaking. The temp here may be comfortable, but the humidity is enough to wilt concrete.
Off to do my wilting, with a smile.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Macau
Pretty sure the sign written in Mandarin says “Wet Paint,” but could just as easily imagine it saying “Watch to see if some silly tourists touch this wet paint.”
Thankfully, I put my hand down on the platform before Sarah sat on it…in her white linen slacks. We did have a chuckle about the fact (a) the paint had set up enough to be tacky, not wet, and (b) whoever owned it would return to find my handprint and her purse indentations on the top.
Oops.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Macau
This pretty church sits on St. Augustine’s Square, notable for its black and white mosaic paved plaza and sidewalks. One of the oldest churches in Macau, it’s known for the gorgeous statue of Christ on the cross that’s carried through the streets of Macau every year on the first Sunday of Lent, with Stations of the Cross set up along the entire route.
In the 1700s, the anti-Catholic government of the time expelled the Augustine friars, and banned the Passos procession. Ironically, there was a sudden food shortage that the locals immediately associated with the action. After a loud outcry to resume the parade of “the man with the cross,” the government gave in, and reversed their original decision…and the food shortage ended.
Now, who can argue with that?
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Macau
Isaac decided to search Hong Kong Central for a Snow White costume (the sole request of his young daughter in Mexico City), so Sarah and I struck out for more distance environs, via the TurboJet ferry to Macau, an hour away.
This is an interesting city. The Portuguese influence is pronounced, given their presence centuries ago. From the beautifully tiled streets to Wedgewood-like building facades, it’s almost as if you travel from Asia to Europe in the span of a block or two…right before you run head long into Las Vegas. The number of American casinos that have sprung up on the island (where, unlike Hong Kong, this types of gambling is legal) is enough to make your head spin.
China celebrates Labor Day on May 1st, so the streets were jammed everywhere with holiday revelers. Must admit, it certainly added a party-like spirit to the day.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Kowloon
You know you aren’t at Denny’s when the specialty of the house is Chicken Feet, Duck Tongue, and Fish Intestines.
I opted for a slightly more mundane path Wednesday night, ordering stir fried chicken with almonds and a Tsingtao (beer, that is…pronounced ching-dow). And yes, it was terrific.
For a restaurant the size of my living room, lit by flickering fluorescent lights and with questionable housekeeping standards, there was no question the food would be good. Every chair was filled with locals. The 8-top table next to ours had ten senior-aged folks squeezed around it, passing dishes, sipping beer, and laughing as only life long friends do. One gentleman facing me was missing his top four center teeth. Every time he laughed, I smiled. As simple as it sounds, there’s something kind of reassuring about seeing life lived without hang-ups or vanity.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tian Tan / Lantau Island
Here he is—the big guy himself. The climb to get there is a killer; even the most fit were stopping to wheeze and gasp. It’s worth it, though; pictures don’t do justice to the sheer magnitude of this shrine.
Tian Tan winks at my next destination via a duplication of the Alter of Heaven from Beijing’s Temple of Heaven (the original Tian Tan) at the foot of the (killer) stairs. A couple of other things set this Buddha apart from the rest; firstly, he faces north, not south, which is odd for a Buddhist shrine. Secondly, he’s the largest outdoor seated Buddha in the world.
It wasn’t lost on me that the guy with the biggest love handles on earth sits at the top of a giant Stairmaster. Who knew?
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tian Tan / Lantau Island
Worth a second glance, and a smile. I’ll say it again: “Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tian Tan / Lantau Island
Tian Tan, for those of you who haven’t heard of it (like me, a month ago), is a village on Lantau Island, just off the Hong Kong coast. Its original claim to fame is the remote Po Lin Buddhist Monestary, then since 1990, the world’s largest outdoor seated Buddha. Once you survive the zillion step climb to the top of the shrine, the views are truly breathtaking (assuming you’ve still got some breath left). Sarah, Isaac and I got there just as a cloud bank was rolling in…beneath us. Pretty awesome sight.
Since the Ngong Ping 360 came along, however, the once serene village at the base of the Buddha peak has become home to not only our rotund friend, but an outdoor mall of Disney-like restaurants, gift shops, and Starbucks. One Italian eatery went so far as to paint a floor to ceiling mural of Saint Peter’s and the Vatican on the front of the restaurant.
A Catholic cathedral at the foot of Tian Tan’s Buddha? Sometimes, moving forward truly equates to two steps back.
