Image Courtesy of Sally Cronin
In Aberdeen, the ferry driver burned more stinky gas turning the boat (40 – 49 capacity) out of the parking slot at Tai Pak Marina than the amount it took to get to the floating Cantonese restaurant. I expected the restaurant to rock due to the rolling waves due to boat traffic, but it was rock solid firm. The huge open space hummed like a beehive and didn’t feel like a ship. The male servers wore microphones with coiled phone wire tucked behind their ear like secret servicemen in the movies. We’d heard Cantonese people like to eat out and this being Easter weekend proved it. Every table was filled. I counted 36 tables and each appeared to be set up for 10 guests. We were served on the third floor.
Lunch:
- Sweet and sour sauce
- Chili pepper sauce
- Soy sauce
- Steamed shrimp in rice paper (rubbery)
- Shrimp wontons
- Steamed fish balls
- Pork balls with cabbage (?) (tasty)
- Steamed sweet dough wrapped pork (?)
- Noodles with curry shrimp, green peppers, and egg
- Fried rice with shrimp peas, corn and green onions on noodles with ginger
- Jasmine tea
- Coconut Jello (but not clear like Jello
This was a long affair from 12:55 to 2:10 p.m. When we arrived, we waited longer than usual for the food to arrive. Again, everyone in the restaurant had the same food. I thought I was smart when one of the ladies wanted more tea, but couldn’t catch the server’s attention. I lifted the teapot lid and replaced it at an angle, not snug into the opening. Another of our group waved the waiter down to ask for more tea and he showed her the same thing I had ‘invented’. Am I brilliant or what?! I have no clue how I came by this idea.
After lunch—what a treat—a surprise visit to Dynasty Jewelry Manufacturers in a-last-stab-effort to our lined tourist pockets. We English 8, too few to bother with, the presentation transpired in French only. Right. Though the jewelry was magnificent, who walks around with the kind of money for such purchases without forethought? Bored and poor, though I’m attracted to sparkly things, I wandered around shadowed by a clerk who didn’t even pretend he wasn’t stalking me. After all that, I’m not sure anyone in the French Group purchased anything.
© Used by permission of RJ, a member of English 8. All Rights Reserved.
© Used by permission of RJ, a member of English 8. All Rights Reserved.
Next, we climbed a steep, serpentine road to Victoria Peak. I held my breath as another bus passed us traveling in the opposite direction, grateful we were in the inside lane. We passed breathless views for perfect picture-taking, but photo opportunities came and went. There wasn’t room to pull over and we’d likely be killed crossing the busy two-lane road. If we beat traffic, someone might fall over the edge. From the bus, the city gave the impression of a toy city.
Our destination: The Peak for picture taking and The Peak Galleria (the mall for shopping). We had to go inside and up escalators to the third floor, then outside to the extensive viewing platform for spectacular views of the city and Victoria Harbour. Because of the distance, my photos were small. With more time to kill, I checked out the mall. Actors dressed in rabbit costumes put on a show for shoppers’ children, this being Easter Saturday. I wandered into a drugstore and bought nail polish for our last dress-up dinner before heading home. Two tiny bottles (about half the size we usually see at home) cost a grand total of $2.00 total.
Quick Facts
- 1,800 square foot = luxury apartment
- Condos at Repulse Bay under $20,000 USD per month
- Visiting Businessmen are put up in these type condos
- Usual apartment rent around $1,300 USD
- If cannot pay, government subsidises at $300 USD per month
- Long wait to get subsidized apartment: 4 to 5 years
- A car traveling to Hong Kong has two license plates: one for Hong Kong and one for China
- No casino allowed in Hong Kong
- If one travels to Macau, must return home 5:00 p.m. like from work
- Hong Kong 93% Chinese + Pakistani Indian
- Has 272 islands
- West Hong Kong is new
- Have many temples, mostly Taoist
- 150,000 immigrants arrive every day
Dinner choices made by members of English Eight at an Italian restaurant (paid out of pocket):
- Risotto
- Pizza
- Lamb
- Fettucine Bolognese
- Linguine with Clams
- Octopus Ink sauce (for pasta)
- Octopus Ink dinner rolls
- W.i.n.e.
© 2015Tess @ How the Cookie Crumbles. All Rights Reserved
Additional information about Hong Kong:
Taken by Jacek Zarzycki
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Next on January 26th – Packing Up and Homeward Bound
© 2018 Tess @ How the Cookie Crumbles
FYI: This is a re-blog of the best parts of my trip in 2014
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I am currently on an unplanned sabbatical but hope to visit here before the end of the month. Many, many thanks for your supportive reading, re-blogging, and tweeting. Your continued follows are immensely appreciated. XX
How the Cookie Crumbles 
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