After much time doing it rough in middle-class Kowloon, Day Two was spent in Hong Kong Island exploring how the upper echelon lives.
Taking the Star Ferry from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island is like going down the causeway from Johor to Singapore.
If Kowloon is Petaling Street, the Island south of it must be the Orchard Rd and Bukit Bintang of Hong Kong. Life here is too fast too furious. Everyday tens and thousands of Hongkies commute from their suburban homes to this skyscraper jungle in central Hong Kong – the heartbeat of the SAR and home to towers after towers of multinational companies.
My first order of business was of course, FOOD.
According to the many magazines and tour guides that I read, City Hall Maxim’s Palace is supposedly the most popular dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong. Sure enough, when I arrived there on a Sunday morning, there were lines spilling out from the front. I had to take a number and come back again 30 minutes later.
By all means was this a typical dim sum fare held in a giant banquet hall with some aunties pushing their trollies round and round. Most of their dishes were nothing to shout about, but their har gao (prawn dumplings) was superb and the siu mai (pork rolls?) was similarly mouth-watering.
What sucks is that travelling alone means I can’t share my food with someone else like what a proper dim sum breakfast should be.
The bill was frightening when it arrived. HK$173/RM84 just for myself alone. That’s equivalent of 178 sio bee’s at the Kuching open air market.
In Hong Kong, every Sunday is the Filipino maids’ rest day. And every Sunday, these maids come out in full force.
I was quite taken aback to see so many of them picnicking in the CBD. Their picnic area literally stretch from the pier right down the underpass all the way up to the luxury shopping centres in central Hong Kong. It’s like a friggin’ Filipino Maid Convention over here. Seriously, I thought I’d accidentally taken the ferry to Manila instead.
They even set up a stage in the middle of the square. I don’t speak Tagalog so can’t make out what they’re saying exactly, but I’m pretty sure it’s got something to do with Filipino President Gloria Aroyo.
Alas, I doubt the mightly lady could hear them in Manila. So Gloria, if you’re reading this, Filipino maids in Hong Kong wanna tell you that YOU SUCK!
*cough* Just doing my part for the maids. 😛
A trip to Hong Kong isn’t complete without at least a tokenistic visit to The World’s Local Bank™.
Every HSBC Headquarters in the world has a pair of bronze lions guarding the front entrance. At their Hong Kong headquarters, these iconic pair were particularly legendary. When the Japanese occupied Hong Kong, the soldiers used these two poor lion statues as target practices.
Bullet holes inflicted more than 60 years ago are still visible on one of the lions.
Lunch was a lot better at this famous restaurant called Yung Kee on Wellington Street.
A reader of mine recommended them for their century eggs and roasted geese. I have no regrets following his advice.
Yung Kee’s expensive roasted geese (HK$100/RM50) are overrated, but their century eggs are the bomb. They cost HK$6.40/RM3 each, and are served together with sweet preserved ginger.
I ordered their super-delicious century-egg porridge and it sent me straight to heaven.
Then the bill came at HK$160/RM77 and it sent me straight to hell. 🙁
It was nearing sunset and I decided took the Peak Tram and rode up to the top of Victoria Peak.
The Peak Tram is this century old carriage that goes some 800m up the hill. The Madame Tussauds Wax Museum was there.
It is here that I had a bird’s eye-view of Hong Kong’s impressive city scape. I love how the vertical towers on the Island foreground contrast with shabby Kowloon in the smoggy background.
Speaking of which, there’s this myth going around on how Kowloon got it’s name.
Kowloon literally means “Nine Dragons”. Apparently some Chinese emperor travelled to the area centuries ago, counted eight mountains and concluded that there must be eight dragons living there. His servant, obviously trying to lick some royal ass, quickly retorted “but Your Highness, you are a dragon as well so this place must have nine dragons!”
Hence, the name Kowloon is born.
When I first heard that I story, I was like “Har? Liddat also can.”
If that’s the case, I can just anyhow go to Kuching, see no birds and say “There are no birds butI have one Big Bird. So I shall name this place 1Bird!”
Nuts.
Anyway, I made the foolish decision to walk down from the Peak after I spent enough time up there. It took me almost one whole hour to reach to the foot of the mountain. I ended up a sweaty mess.
Tell you don’t feed bird liaw you still feed bird!
Even more amazing was that there’s a couple of mainland Chinese guys following me, thinking that I’m a local and that I know the easiest way to get to the bottom. Halfway down the mountain, sensing something amiss, one of them innocently struck a conversation with me.
“Har! You mean you don’t know the way at all!?”
Oops. Shit hit the fan.
Before I call it a night, I made my way down to Lan Kwai Fong, the city’s party district popular with expats and SPGs.
For a city as big as Hong Kong, their nightspots were disappointingly small. It’s not even half the size of Shanghai’s XinTianDi. Maybe it’s a Sunday, and the crowd wasn’t too happening. I didn’t have the mood to drink that night.
Brides with tatts.
Around the corner, I spotted two young models in wedding gowns doing a photoshoot on the streets of Lan Kwai Fong.
I asked them for permission to pose for my camera and they were all too happy to comply.
I also spotted Frank Lampard (aka England’s Most Inaccurate Striker) in the background wearing his football jersey and carrying a woman’s handbag. The guy should quit football after missing so many goals at the World Cup lah.
Somewhere in the smaller streets, a commotion was erupting.
Looks like they were shooting a HK drama. A small crowd was gathering around the actors taking photos. The film crew had a hard time controlling the bystanders because some of them were using flash photography and ruined the picture on screen.
I managed to catch a glimpse of the actress. Couldn’t identify who she was though.
Any idea?
[Next Entry: Shopping in Hong Kong]
Some asscrack used my credit card while I was away and racked up almost RM1,000 buying a bunch of air tickets from AirAsia, including one from their Phillipines website. I know I don’t have to pay for unauthorised transactions. It’s just the hassle of disputing it with your bank and cancelling your credit card while waiting for a new one.
I hope whoever works for AirAsia nabs the guy when he tries to check in.
Oo oo, I get to be first
DISNEYLAND? OCEAN PARK?
wow..i feel hungry..the dim sam was nice…
oohh. that actress should be Sheren Tang.
Dem.. not the first.. but at least the first few lar 🙂
err.. wat’s d thing on the top right hand corner of hongkong’s bird’s eye view pic…. superman?
i think it’s Tang Lai Meng 🙂
was superman in HK the same time as you???
of course not tang lai meng lor…..it is an older actress i guess……the guy i know la…is Ng zhang Yu right??the actor who stars in “Fly up to the sky” who is the lead pilot ….ngek ngek ngek….watch lotsa hk drama last time…now korean……….haih.
LOLz that’s superman in hong kong! at first glance i thought it was like a spaceship thingy.
aiyah.. u go astro watch channel 34 “web of love” something like that.. in the drama her name is “moon” lohh..
Nice pics Kenny,.. anymore? I need to read your blog every evening,.. so keep on updating
Nice pics, will stick to dim sum in Malaysia though, London one is still best!
nice. Worth trying out the food…
Is it just me or was the dude in the car pointing at you, kenny, saying to the lady,
Man actor :”wah look at that, that’s the fattest man here that is taking our picture”
Lady actor :”Hmmmm…indeed.” *disgusted look*
who cares about the actress ??? looks more like old auntie than a lenglui(pretty lady in cantonese)
Should have added a few more pic of the pretty cute models ….
so cute that i can almost squeeze them,,,,
woo hoo !
P/S” i’m thinkin about their cheeks not tits ok ???
Not too sure, but I think the actor looks like Cheng Kar Weng (Awww man, if it’s really him, I’m jealous lah Kenny, I think he’s quite hensem leh :P).
The actress looks like Tang Lai Meng
I miss HK dim-sum, especially ZHA LEUNG (chee cheong fun skin wrapped around yau char kwai, dipped in sauce). Yummmm…. I could hardly find it here in KL 🙁
All wrong,not Tang Lai Meng is Chan Zhi San..
Hey, you should work for lonely planet, a good guide to Hong Kong. I agree that the nightlife in Hong Kong is pretty slow, especially compared to Singapore and Bangkok.
Shitty about your credit card, when my mom was in Kuala Lumpur 6 months ago her card was copied and used in Bangkok and London, 20.000 singdollar was lifted just like that. She didn’t have to pay, but it sucks because in the end the bill for all the abuse will be passed to all credit card holders. The bank told my mom that Malaysia and Thailand are notorious for card fraud. The lesson is to use the card as little as possible in Malaysia.
It’s not Cheng Yee Leng so it’s probably Tang Lai Meng.
All wrong,not Tang Lai Meng is Chan Zhi San..
Posted by: Blogger at 03 August 2006 2:23 PM
Who’s Chan Zhi San? Hehe, what series is she in? 🙂
Her name is Astrid Chan zhi ching.
I see superman!
gigi?
did you bring a tripod to take the peak night-time photo? or issit the need-to-pay professional photographers take for you…damn cool that picture.
i remember i took so long and tried so many settings to take a good picture there.
more of the bride pictures lei, glad you told me that you discover the girly lampa there.
shld have wave to superman mah!!
where got? i don c anybody’s underwear le…
yeah, agree, hk’s nighties no kick la… sg… woohoo!
Ya la, she is Astrid Chan Chi-Ching!
i dont knw the actress but i think i knw the actor. i think it’s ng sthg.. forgot his english name. i knw his face only hahaha
btw, whats that red thing flying in the bird’s eye view pic?
Looks like francis…
and
Astrid Chan.. don have ger pics ar… not really famous ler… she just act FORENSIC HEROS ler.. a bit nia..
Take this quiz… see which tvb actor are u..
here
I am Choy Zhi Kin. AAAHAAGAGAG.
I bird log is like One Utama logo?
The good thing about HK is that they still have their freedom of speech – at least enough to stage a public performance to tell some political leader he/she sucks. Good one, Kenny.
my plan of going to HK for holidays jus went down the DRAINS… I don think I could survive with that ass smackingly expensive food…
looks like Astrid Chan to me.
Well, I’ve never been to HK nor tried the dim sum there.. but I really love the dim sum in Foh San Restaurant in Ipoh (there’s one in PJ but I guess food is not that fresh by the time they got the food from Ipoh and it’s also more expensive). Over in Ipoh, you can see the people in the kitchen very busy preparing all the food. Started to get very crowded as early as 5 or 6am. You have to stand next to some tables before you can get the table. Same old thing like aunties with the trolleys.. I remember have dunno how much of dim sum.. till I very kenyang la.. for like RM60+.. summor with 6 of us leh!
Hey Kenny,
Are you still in Hong Kong, by any chance? I just updated myself with your latest blog entries and realized that you were/are in Hong Kong. I’m from KL, currently completing my summer placement here. Well, if you’re still here, we should meet up!
Cheers!
The actress looks like Tang Chui Man, coz she looks a little old, opps, mature.
Erm, ashley, u can find char leung in kl, i tried that in Ritz Carlton, Chinese restaurant name Li Yen. So far, that’s the best dim sum place I had in KL.
took a second look, i think she looks more like Chan Chi Ching.
Nice.. The bride at the left looks pretty.
Btw, you made some grammar mistake, Kenny.
“It was nearing sunset and I decided took the Peak Tram and rode up to the top of Victoria Peak.”
Err.. It’s supposed to be “..I decided to take the..”
🙂
Erm, ashley, u can find char leung in kl, i tried that in Ritz Carlton, Chinese restaurant name Li Yen. So far, that’s the best dim sum place I had in KL.
Posted by: Joy Joy at 03 August 2006 6:14 PM
Wahhh… no wonder I couldn’t find. LOL! I usually go to more economical dim-sum place =P. Li Yen is one of those fine chinese restaurants recommended by “Best Restaurant Guide”. Hehe, anyway, thanks for letting me know. I’ll try it one day 🙂
kah ying , you think you are so smart and so good in english,people sometime make a mistake also(may be a typing error)why you so kai poh always correct people mistake?if u thiink you are good and smart why dont u make u own blog?
wahh i like tht actor!!!!
the dim sum is damn expensive.lol.
p/s: nice meeting you 🙂
gwah the food’s soo expensive there! =/ and seeing actors is awesome…well, except unless u dont know them that is. ur wax figures are…funnyyyy 😉
*hugs*
good luck with the credit card mishap thingy .. *bleh* so mafan!!
also nice piccies 😉
give me a shout if u are in hong kong
http://www.littleblackbookmy.blogspot.com
WOAH. I damn like the look of the pei dan. the yolk looks just right.
that guy in the driving seat is Aaron Tan!!
yup..that’s me..Aaron Tan..
i was there shooting..and i notice Kenny Sia trying to take my picture..i was about to go over and say hi to him when he just turn and walk away…
vidar, dude. I can only DREAM of working for lonely planet. I relied on that book to get around Hong Kong. 😛
Leonard, a tripod is a must to take night shots. Otherwise, you can try balancing your camera carefully on some object like rocks or rubbish bin. 😛
naeboo, it’s a bird! it’s a plane!
suertes, now that you’ve said it…
Rachel_T, I wish I were in HK. But I’m so broke after that trip already.
KahYing, thanks for pointing out. I was damn sleepy when I wrote that entry lah. Yeah, I reckon the bride on the left is pretty too. She’s the one sporting the tattoo on her back.
Anonymous at 6:58pm, be nice.
That guy looks like Andy Lau! oh my god!
Yo sk,
He does not look like Wu Zhen Yu from “triumph in the skies”.
And its not what “fly up in the skies”..doink..and to think u watched lotsa hk movies. tsk tsk…just kidding
hey kenny
just wanted to say that in case u love HK enough to come back, do network more so u might have a true blue local to show u around. (i was tempted to call but frankly i am a rather detached HK-er, haha)
they say that Yung Kee serves better food the higher u go(the 4th storey is for celebs n such n they have an exclusive way out)=.=
not very nice, but…
men here are famed for their handbag-carrying antics =)
exasperatingly cramped HK might be, there ‘s alot more u might come back for in future, just notify readers longer beforehand XD
awww..i miss hk!! i remembered getting sick riding the peak tram..hated the upward motion..
but i love the view at the peak.. sigh.. have to go soon! agreed that lan kwai fong is nothing much..
did u go stanly market? or any of the beaches?
the driver issit Mm Chan Yu? I beri outdated cos too long nv into HK drama series ledi =s
yummy!!
yep the girl looks like astrid chan..
n kevin’s currently filming a new series called ‘Enjoyable Life’..she’s in this series too
someone saw them filming at lan kwai fong last week.
Super man in Hong Kong!! lolx Zoooom……
hehe i don’t know their names, but both the actor and the actress have been in a lot of tvb series. the actor very leng chai! hahaha
when i went to hk, i went down to lan kwai fong 5 out of 7 nights. didn’t manage to see anyone or anything happening, only saw stephen fung in cap. you went one night and saw hk drama being filmed 🙁 so lucky.
but your pics make me miss the time i spent in hk. esp lan kwai fong. i LOVE lan kwai fong. weekdays or weekends. hopefully i’ll go back there again one day =)
Regardin the person driving, he is quite impolite and snobbish,.. when ever he travels, inflight if u ask him a question, he would whisper to his wife and his wife would answer,.. do you think it had something to do with his english?
how does century eggs taste like? nice ar?
the actress is astrid chan, the guy looks like francis ng
I think she’s 陈åé’ (Or something liddat)
Food looks good!
no no…the guy is superman..the girl is lois lane…cannot see maH? =p
The guy actor is Kevin Cheng, 郑嘉颖
yups… definitely FRANCIS NG
hi kenny, i love the pictures you took. They are amazing. May I know the brand and model of your digicam? By the way did you use a tripod to take your personal pix or someone else take it for you?
kenny, i love yr reviews! simply the most amusing and most interesting!
OOOO Kenny, ur so cute, and u talking bout ur bird is so hot! Care for a blow?
LOL… ‘Hongkie’ 😀 Sorry, made me laugh.
In North America ‘Honky’ is a derogatory term for White folk, so if you decide to come to Canada/USA be sure not to get caught saying that in public… hehe 😉
y u never take photo with supermn one?
有冇人è¦åŽ» Hong kong ar?
呢個 8月23日～27日??
唔該想å•. Bingo有去 ar? 我有去 ar… hehe
Wah, the food is freaking expensive leh. You should try hawker food. Those kai ping food.
aiyah…..nehhh, she’s that actress in that hong kong series one!….
oh, freaking lame la me
i had my dim sum @ Maxim Palace too… @ New World Centre(?)
Kenny, you should go after 2.30pm! dimsum in hk is usually cheaper after 2/2.30pm… i only paid approximately S$9 for my dimsum lunch, hee… =)
The actress is definitely Astrid. I’m not so sure about the guy but he looks more like Cheng Kar Weng to me.
duh.. the guy is definitely zheng kah weng n the lao ee is chan zhi ching la..
its tun dr m and rafidah aziz!!!
After reading some of the comments posted here, I can only conclude that most chinese acotrs/actresses look almost exactly the same. Ha. Ha. Ha. *swt*
gahh!! u make me waan go back HK for holiday.
the actor looks familiar though. Dunno who the actress is.
Is it true that century eggs are made outta horse urine??????
Eh Kenny…got contest ar to GUESS who the Actress??? Seems alot of respond on that…Should come out with the contest lar …at least win something from ou OUT from HK…kakakakkaa
Kenny by the time u come back from yr holiday sure will pokai one.. lolz.. unless u r a millionaire of cos..
wtf wei i need to go to HK someday.. kenny liddat also can see them filming.. OMG!!!
HK – the ultimate place for HK/TVB star spotting 🙂
My, what delectable looking food.
yes…very familiar, but don’t know her name coz don’t watch TVBs that often anymore
lol hongkie. that’s cute. n frank lampard
1 bird is really creative… HAH
Anonymous at 03 August 2006 6:58 PM, what’s up with you? What if I correct some mistakes? Do you have to be that way? And what makes you so sure I don’t have a blog? Sheesh..
Btw, Kenny, thanks for sticking out for me.
All because of you loh Kenny,.. u see people upset because of your writing loh,.. good boy,.. write properly lah,…
He He He
(p/s I know you must be vry tired when you post that entry so that is why you simply type lah)
郑嘉颖!! kevin cheng ;D *drools
i guess you don’t watch much football, kenny. lol. frank lampard’s a midfielder, not striker. he missed shots lar btw, not goals =D
are you kidding me about the nightspots in hk?
I guess you just have no idea where to go and hence end up being stuck in one of those little pubs in lan kwai.
omg RM84 for dim sum, I can eat 4 times with my family with that money.. but theirs are really nice though, authentic.. heard from my friends who visited there
Finally, I manage to find the actor and actress in this movie…… the above image is comfirmed Cheng Ka Yee and Astrid.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c224/tvbsquare/blog/070906.jpg
cheers
lydia sum la
Kenny, Frank Lampard is a midfield lar not striker lar…
The actor is zheng ka yeng while the actress is chan zhi cheng, they are shooting for the HK drama Life Art
I think the show they are starring it is currently being shown on Astro Channel 311 ‘Life Art’ Mondays-Fridays 2130-2230.
That actress is Astrid Chan and the man beside her is Kevin Cheng. If I’m not mistaken, they were acting for a HK series called Life Art which also has Paul Chun and Gigi Lai inside. The series broadcasted on Astro Channel 311 (Wah Lai Toi) not long ago. I have seen that scene somewhere in the series.
The guy is Chan Ho laaa! in the movie moonlight resonance, with his ex-boss (in the show) – lai jie..i dont know her name though. remember? =)
P/S: yeah it was 5 years ago, but my trip to HK in Oct’11, so reading up your HK experience. =) Thanks!