Sightseeing and Night Eating

Since my first tumultuous day here in Hong Kong, things have evened out a lot, and along with figuring out class registration, the bus system and the magic of HK SIM cards (they don't work on my AT&T phone. Hooray!), I've had time for plenty of recreational exploring. Here's (quite) a few of my favorite sights over the past few days!

Tuesday:

Fiona and I went to HKU to finish our exchange student registration process. Though there was a lot of running around from office to office, it wasn't too bad (just remember to bring copies of your passport photo, passport info page, and visa page!) and we were done shortly before lunchtime. At this point, Fiona had met a German exchange student in her economics faculty, Tobias, who had just moved in last night as well. We all decided to go to Central to purchase towels and other necessities for the next semester.

The bustling streets of Central, complete with man on bike with basket.

The infamous wet markets! People buy everything fresh here instead of refrigerating!

After purchasing all necessary laundry detergent and towel items, we checked out Tobias' Lonely Planet guidebook for an idea of what to do next. We found a neat looking temple called Muen Mo Temple that was just a short taxi ride away, and decided to check it out! 

Outside view of the temple, complete with HK red taxi cab!

Coiled incense burns above the worshippers' heads.

The calligraphy brush on the right and the weapon on the left represent the importance of military and academia.

I was captivated by the way that Hong Kong people worshipped, but the fact that I'm an outsider to Hong Kong culture was once again made quite clear. I didn't know what anything meant and I felt very foolish getting in everyone's way. Ben, my HKU buddy, later explained to me that the massive amounts of incense and flowers and fruit left at different altars were gifts to the ghosts of your ancestors, so that they would not go hungry. Most of my knowledge of Chinese culture comes from Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and watching Mulan over and over as a middle schooler (I know it's not an accurate representation of history... I just wanted to BE A MAAAAN)  so this insight was quite enlightening. Obviously, there's a lot more to it than that but learning little by little works for me!

Next we explored Hollywood Road, right next to the Muen Mo Temple, where there are several small outdoor shops selling souvenirs and antiques. 

Buddhas and eagles and dragons, oh my!

I liked these lil' Maos.

Tobie and Fiona found a neat telescope just standing in the street to play with.

We didn't buy anything but it was fun to peruse. I loved the Chinese paper dragons that decorated the alleys, as well as the happy little snakes for Chinese New Year (It's almost year of the snake everyone!).

We didn't have much of a plan after Muen Mo temple, so we ambled about a bit more (to the Western Market, which really wasn't as interesting as it should have been...) before heading back to HKU.

Wednesday:Ben Chu had invited Fiona and I to try out some local food in his hometown of Yuen Long. Which to me meant lunch somewhere. Apparently, in Hong Kong, things work a little differently. Ben took us to several different food shops where we would order the specialty, eat, and then move on. We had no idea when it was going to end! I was quite pleased with this new culinary experience.

First we had pork and prawn dumplings, which were delicious. I ate them all and started drinking the soup. Ben told me not to drink the soup.

Beef balls were next. We each had three and then I started drinking the soup. Ben re-informed me that you're not supposed to drink the soup.

Next were fish balls, which were a lot more delicious than I expected. They had a soft, spongy texture.

Then we had beef brisket, which was just divine and this time I drank the soup when Ben wasn't looking :)

Ben then showed us to a local chicken skewer stand (apparently, this is where all the college kids eat).

I could see why everyone loved it so much.

After our long delicious food excursion, it was time for some sightseeing. Ben brought us to the Tang clan ancestral hall and several other historical stops, all the while explaining all the different cultural aspects of each destination. Just saying, having a local friend who studies history makes sightseeing just as educational as it is fun!

The ancient Tang Ancestral Hall, where several cars were parked and dogs were sleeping.

Kwan Yu, who represents good faith and loyalty. Fiona and I have seen this guy all over HK and we love his beard.

Once this was a walled fortress, but now it's a small housing area called a "Wai."

Here's where people would stick their weapons out to defend the fortress.

An inside view of the fortress.

Next Ben escorted us to a different part of town, where we would see Wetland Park, a beautiful nature preserve untouched by the city of HK. Unfortunately, it was closed, so we couldn't go in, but we were able to get a good view when we walked up to the top of a hill around sundown. And on the way, we passed Ben's secondary school!

Ben's school was decorated by cute anime posters that had inspirational sayings on them, which I found adorable.

The view of Wetland Park from the top of the hill.

When we turned around, the city loomed over us. It was amazing to see the difference between natural and urban HK.

Ben is always prepared for a photograph.

Sightseeing was great, but after walking around all day and getting gnarly blisters (I was wearing kitten heels, because I thought we were just going out to lunch, silly me!), I was ready for some serious dinner action. Lucky for me, Ben had a plan. And what a glorious plan it was!

...But first, desserts! The more I ate, the happier I was with this country.

This was a tofu dessert with yellow sugar on top. It kind of reminded me of oatmeal with brown sugar.

Next we had gelatinous bean cakes of some sort. They weren't incredibly sweet, and the black chunks are actual black beans!

Then it was time for dinner. Ben took Fiona and I to an outdoor alley restaurant to have some traditional food to share, and I was finally able to rest my weary soles! I was also able to order my first legal beer since the drinking age is eighteen in Hong Kong. For those who don't know, the drinking age in the US is twenty-one, and alas, my twenty-first birthday isn't until September. But in Hong Kong, I'm free and able to purchase alcohol like a real adult! Wow!

We shared eggplant, fried octopus and fried oyster cakes with our German beer!

An extremely excited Lauren drinks her first gigantic beer!

Ben was pretty proud of his beer too.

Thursday:
Several girls from my hall and I decided it was time to check our first tourist trap off things to do in HK, so we bit the bullet and headed over to Victoria Peak. We took a tram up and got to finally check out that beautiful skyline. And just a heads up, at eight o clock every night, the buildings actually perform a light show for your enjoyment! I got to experience firsthand what it feels like to be in a sci-fi movie . Let me tell you, it's pretty cool.

Patrick Manson Second Floor tour group (and Tobie)!

After staring at the skyline and saying "wooooow" for several minutes, it was getting pretty late and most of the girls were ready to head home. Tobie, however, planned to meet up with his local buddy, Vincent, for dinner after sightseeing. So when we heard that dinner was involved, the ladies and I changed plans and decided to tag along. Needless to say, Vincent was pretty surprised when his quiet dinner for two turned into an eleven person hootenanny. But he was a good sport about it!

Vincent and Tobie: Together forever.

No one really knew what they wanted and Vincent said he would take us wherever we wanted to go. So naturally, I begged Vincent to take us to hot pot. Hot pot is kind of like a communal soup where everyone throws in whatever they want (raw meats, vegetables, mushrooms, seafood, you name it), then fishes it out and dips it in a sauce of their own concoction to eat. In practice, it reminded me a lot of fondue. I had heard it was absolutely amazing and the thing to eat in Hong Kong, and lucky for me, Vincent was a fan too!

The fancy hot pot table! The hole in the middle is where the soup and meats are cooked.

Use these ingredients to make your dipping sauce. I used spicy ground up fish, garlic, green onion, red and green chilies and sesame seeds with soy sauce!

I was probably more excited than anyone else.

The meal was delicious (I was so hungry and so excited, I forgot to take pictures of the actual food!). I tried sea urchin, octopus balls, drunken chicken, and many other things I wouldn't have normally seen on an American menu. I also had beer again (because I CAN). After dinner, Vincent made sure to take us out for desserts. I wasn't sure I'd have room in my stomach, but let's just say it's hard for me to say no when dessert is involved.

Red bean rolls and mango with coconut noodles were probably the strangest desserts I'd had.

Everything was so delectable! In short, it's been a hectic and surprising couple of days, but I couldn't be happier with the friends I've made and the food I've eaten. Hong Kong has been nothing but good to me so far, and here's hoping my luck continues throughout the semester!

Also I met Bruce Lee :)