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Dinner at Cheung Chau
Red lanterns and 7-11'sIt's been while since the last time I updated this blog. So my experience in the past week in a nutshell:
Beaches, Bugs and Bras, Oh my!
Cheung Chau Beach is a complete 180 from what is traditionally thought of Hong Kong. When people (including myself) think of Hong Kong, they think big skyscraper buildings, glass and metal, developed roads everywhere and overpopulation. That's all true to a certain extent. However, I failed to realize the natural beauty of the outlying islands, all of which are still a part of Hong Kong.
Cheung Chau is one of these islands, small and quaint with narrow streets and alleys that barely have enough room for 3 European guys to walk side by side without pushing over some street vendor stalls. It's a beautiful island with one hotel, nicknamed suicide hotel on it with outdoor street vendors selling everything from seashell windchimes, board shorts, bikinis and stingrays for dinner. The sand is of a larger grain, but it sure beats sitting in wheat fields in Alberta (of course I don't do that!) The day ended with eating FRESH seafood from an outdoor vendor right on the promenade. Right around that corner was
a restaurant offering the use of a fire pit so customers can roast their own hot dogs and marshmellows. It's a really mellow place which I'm sure to return to again.
The restaurant (more like outdoor eatery) was very local indeed. The food was nothing short of delicious (razor clams, fresh fish (I saw the boat!), calamari, scallops with the shell, and broccoli?!) Are you salivating yet?
In the few days before school started, I've visited Lady's Market, Goldfish Market, Jade Market and Temple Street Night Market. I've included some pictures that speak for itself. These markets offer a plethora of knickknacks, ranging from fake red books from back in the communist days and alarm clocks with Mao on it, to pink, fuzzy, mesh underwear (please see the picture). Goldfish market had tons of goldfishes swimming (or more like boiling) in these little plastic baggies hanging on the steel rack outside the airconditioned stores. I feel for these fish considering I was sweating bullets.
I had my fortune read more for the experience than anything else. I'm a skeptic.
School has started and the language courses, I'm hoping will be invaluable for my trip to China.
I'm learning quite a few things, but I have yet to practice them. The Chinese Civilzation and culture classes are much more interesting. The professors are very knowledgable, talking about political systems in China, China's relation with the West, Taiwan, Tibet, Hong Kong, Confucianism/ Buddhism/ Taoism and tea. We even got to sample some Chinese "wine" (but more like whiskey) at the end of our classes today. I used my head and remembered all those other times in which alcoholic beverages are not quite favourable to my stomach and avoided it.
That's my week in a nutshell! We also did a 6 hour city tour and it was nice, but the time limits and restrictions were really a crux. My camera batteries also died on me so I have to revisit places like stanley, repulse bay, and victoria peak (none of which I would mind doing again)
Hope all is well! Enjoy the stampede (yeehaw!)
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kushshaka aka shak
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is it a good place to take my girlfriend ive been to china main land and loved it im from new york so i love big citys but she live in england with me shes only been to eroupe countrys and never been to aisa so what do you think shoud i go with her or not?