500 days of summer

(Tom, telling Summer off by angrily expressing how there's no such thing as true love)

Summer: You weren't wrong, Tom. You were just wrong about me.

departures - a few thoughts

"Departures" is a beautifully crafted film.

Watching it was what I'd imagine browsing a gallery full of my favourite art pieces to be like...serene, captivating, heart-breaking, and by the end of the journey, I wouldn't even recall that two and a half hours have passed by. It's about a cellist who finds himself jobless and falling into a much quieter line of work - preparing the dead for burial. To tell you more would spoil the film, but as you may expect, one of the most prominent themes in the film is one of life and death.

It left me thinking about how death can bring new life to the living. Death, according to the film, should be something that is honoured, as demonstrated its portrayal of the traditional Japanese burial process. The preparation of the body is like a swift dance, and although the body is dead, it is brought back to life through this ceremony. Beauty is restored to the deceased, and the utmost care is given to honour the individual. In a strange way, the process of death allows us to understand our own humanity - and if honoured properly, can bring hope to the hopeless.

snape, snape, severus snape

I've probably watched this video about...30 times. wormball and I can "sing" this song now...although it gets complicated after the hermione bit.

I never got into the books - just didn't get around to reading them, frankly, but I'm now officially jumping on the literary bandwagon (about 10 years too late...and I think the bandwagon has morphed into something else...related to vampire romances, I think - and crappy writing...). we didn't have a tv in HK, so all we did was read when we got home at night. harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban just happened to be around, and so I thought I would give it shot...a chapter in, and I was ready to surrender to rowling's magical universe. it's a great feeling to be able to be engulfed in a parallel world of wizards, spells, and flying broomsticks without losing greater themes of good vs. evil, redemption, and growing up. the books so far have made me feel like a kid again (well, a nerdy kid) - despite the potential for nightmares.

congee heaven - hk food porn

this was in Mei Foo before studying at the library - btw, the grand total of our food that morning (there's also a glass of soy milk you don't see) to $46HKD.

*Sigh*.

We had preserved egg + shredded pork congee, sampan congee, cherng fun, steamed radish cake, and the beacon of culinary hope that is the chinese doughnut - fried right on the spot. Another delicious detail - the minced beef (which is a combination of ground beef and fried vermicelli) was actually not completely cooked when it came to the table. similar to what you would do with pho, you stir it around in the hot congee for it to finish cooking. Oh man - just thinking about it makes me sad because I can never eat congee here with the same enjoyment again.

a whole new appreciation for shower curtains

I am back home and recently showered in a bathroom that was neither questionably clean/lacking shower curtains. hooray!

one of the first things I did was go out to yaohan to buy groceries and lunch from parker place (in my dad's words..."his stomach is empty and only rice can fill it up).
it's so strange to go from HK straight to the fahn ban version. things are so expensive in canada! I miss my $16HK fish ball rice noodle. and 3 Nissin cup noodles for $17.5! And the lack of tax and tip!

Pictures to come tomorrow. Which means...food porn.

the hong of the kong - friends

here are some of the lovely folks iris and I have befriended over the last little while:

1) Coconut man: Very hard-working man who makes coconut juice all day. Even for the famous Niki Chow (no relation). He is tall and has thick eyebrows. Wears a yellow t-shirt and a black apron. Very dedicated to coconut juice excellence and is located in the skywalk between Metroplaza and Kwai Chung Plaza in Kwai Fong (our hood).

2) Gai Jai (Chicken Boy): Very hard-working man. Chops chicken all day. Has scrawny legs covered by black shorts. Has lovely long eyelashes and attractive arched eyebrows. We like Gai Jai.

3) Fruit Stand man: Very hard-working man. Selling humongous mangoes. Never wears a shirt and is very tanned. Shouts to attract customers.

4) Evil dog: Suspected as a terrier. Barks like he has bigger balls than he ACTUALLY does. Located at the neighbouring apartment.

5) Daniel Wu: Ok. So we only see him in 2-D. He is still a fantastic advertiser for L'Oreal and Seiko watches. *Drool*.
p.s He should stay away from eyeliner and big hair. If you don't believe us, watch Shinjuku Incident.

Final note: We are attempting to take photos of all these friends for you to see (and as proof that we are not lying)

the hong of the kong - day 10

complaints:

1) Any bathroom situation where I neeed to squat. I will NEVER get used to squatting. And tell me, how does one easily maneuver pants in a squatting situation? I still don't get it.

2) The availibility of washrooms. Dining at a restaurant? Wanting to pee? It's not necessarily going to happen.

3) Iris says: "Going up to pay for the bill yourself." I do not mind this so much. I do mind it when the waiter comes over with your bill and WAITS there until you provide them with the moolah.

4) Annoying salespeople. It's a commission driven world! I just tune them out then life is dandy. Also annoying? The flyers people. They just stand at every skywalk waiting for you to pass by so they can harass you with paper that you'll very quickly shove into the garbage.

5) Iris says: "Special K cereal is expensive!"

the hong of the kong - day 9

one of the things my dad really wanted to do with us is take the tram up to hong kong's peak. this is probably one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city, and so you can imagine how busy it was on a given saturday. Ah yes - the feeling of being pushed and shoved to the point that you're not even bothered anymore - that is the essence of visiting a tourist attraction here (and pretty much everywhere else, actually).

what really astounded me was how badly commercialized it is up there - two huge malls with plenty of fancy restaurants for you to choose from...you'll find your name brand clothing just like anywhere else, and geez louise, there was a BUBBA GUMP SHRIMP up there. Very very eerie.

Thankfully, we also got the opportunity to hike down, thanks to my dad's friend mr.ma (they have been buddies since '72. yesterday was really just me and iris tagging along to their playdate), we took the po fu lam route down. it was beautiful and serene, and we even got to wash our feet in a stream 3/4 of the way down. it was a vast departure from the commercialized mess up on the mountain.

one more week in HK :) ocean park, macau, and cheung chau to come!

the hong of the kong - culture shock

I've had the fortune of visiting both Montreal and Hong Kong this year...both places where I've grown up. The funny thing is, they are DRASTICALLY different. Montreal is uber laid-back - most of my time was spent on patios with friends, having a beer, strolling around the old port, leisurely spending time. People are happy to spend their paycheques and splurge on good wine and good food - so even if you're not financially..."abundant", you still live a semi-luxurious life.

Hong Kong, on the other hand, is a city bustling with people trying to get to places...there is no stopping, no resting, and rarely do I witness people "enjoying life". Actually, I've just heard a lot of complaining about how mundane life is due to the busyness of work (pretty much all my relatives work on the weekends).
The most obvious example of this cultural divergence is the food industry. Fast food is dominant here in HK (but that doesn't mean that the food isn't good). Most culinary institutions intend for you to eat and GO (emphasis on the GO), and the lack of washrooms in most restaurants should be adequate proof for this. I love love love the food here, but I do lament the lack of time to enjoy it.

Anyways, just some brain farts all the way from Asia :) More to come!

the hong of the kong - day 4 (people edition)

We don't have a huge family here, and the folks we are closest to are on my dad's side of the family. here are a few of them (these descriptors have been written by my sister):

aunt kam, also known as "chau kam" for those who know of her. Hahaha. (youngest)

Aunt Kam is a sweet woman, one whom shares a few similar characteristics with my dad. First the famous Chau family nose in which I have inherited (but elaine has not) Second, the lack of cooking skills. Third, both are quite approachable and are I guess, considered "hao shun", loyal children. Appearance wise, she has short permed hair and natural eyebags under her crescent eyes. She likes to spoil. She is generous and always willing to help. Like a mother - except she's your aunt. (and she is a mother, btw)

uncle peter. (middle child)

sometimes, we worry about uncle peter. he's...stubborn, shall we say. it's funny because my dad is super stubborn too, but only with silly stupid things (like, hating a restaurant even though he's never had their food). uncle peter, however, is stubborn about ALL things. And he also thinks he's right ALL THE TIME. He likes to call himself the "only man in HK that is used to speaking english 24/7". He is the type of person who knows how to "heurng sau" or in other words, enjoy awesome stuff. He is also the type of person who looks into the mirror each morning and is satisfied with what he sees. Despite all his...unique qualities...he gets along well with my dad (I can't help but notice that my dad is DEFINITELY jealous of Peter's flat belly) And he's overall an okay guy, and can be really kind, when he wants to be. He carries a manpurse.

the hong of the kong - day 2

Greetings from humidity central!
After what felt like an eternity flying in the air, I am safe and sound in HK.
Who knew that I would actually enjoy 17 again? Apparently, being on a airplane does strange things to your taste in movies.

Some quick observations:
1) I feel a general sense of relief when I see white people.
2) Man! People here are RUDE. there is no end to the bitching when something is just slightly slower than usual...infinitely worse than New York.
3) This is good practice for my uber lacking math skills - I am converting all the prices I see into Canadian dollars.
4) I had all these fond memories of being on the mini bus...and let's just say my memories are way more idyllic than the reality.

here's wormball, she would like to say hello:
hello everyone.
special K cereal & ristorante pizzas are extremely overpriced!!!
HARRY POTTER IS COOL :D:D:D
&& also , khalil fong is having a concert in hk , very very cheap ! however no need to be jealous, i will not attend for i will already be in canada . . .