China Charm

One day last week Derek came home after work and asked if I had read the announcement board in our building lobby. I had not. So he sent me downstairs and told me to bring my camera. Was this really necessary? It was 10:30 at night, I was in my PJs.

And as I started shooting away, many of my Chinese neighbors who walked by probably thought I was nuts for taking a picture of the announcement board.

But it was worth it! Feel free to click on the image below if it's too small to read-in order to enlarge it.

The Jumbo Floating Restaurant

Aberdeen is an area located on the south shore of Hong Kong Island, and there one can find the Jumbo Floating Restaurant.

This famous eatery was established in October 1976 by Dr. Stanley Ho after four years and over HK$30 million were spent to design and build it.

The Jumbo Floating Restaurant recently underwent a major multi-million dollar refurbishment which transformed it into a theme park on the sea which includes dining, shopping, sightseeing and cultural attractions.

Stacey's Mom's High School

While visiting Hong Kong, Derek and I had the opportunity to visit my mother's old stomping ground. In fact, we even had the honor of running into one of her former teachers. It was great to picture my mom as one of these young girls goofing around with her classmates. However, my Aunt (who attended the same school--just on a different campus) informed me that their uniforms were much cuter and more fashionable back in the day. I wouldn't expect anything less.

Happy Valley Racecourse

The track was first built in 1845 to provide horse racing for the British in Hong Kong. Before it was built, the area was a swampland, but also the only flat ground suitable for horse racing on Hong Kong Island. To make way for the racecourse, the Hong Kong Government prohibited rice growing by villages in the surrounding area. The first race ran in December 1846. Over the years, horse racing became more and more popular among the Chinese residents.

On February 26, 1918, there was a tragic fire at the site and at least 590 people died. It is the fire with the highest casualties in Hong Kong history.

The track was rebuilt in 1995, and became a world-class horse racing facility. Several football, hockey and rugby fields are encircled by the horse racing track.

HK Markets

Victoria Peak

The following are pictures of Victoria Peak. Unfortunately, it was a hazy day.

Standing at 552 meters above sea level, the Peak is the highest mountain on Hong Kong Island and was a natural signaling post for incoming cargo ships in the nineteenth century. On those less hazy days, the Peak is renowned for its spectacular views of the city and the harbour. It attracts some seven million visitors a year, making it one of Hong Kong's top tourist destinations.

Here, Derek, Jackie and I queued for the tram which takes you up the peak. The tram is a double reversible funicular system (sounds complicated, I know).









The more privileged early Hong Kong residents found the Peak to be the perfect retreat from the island's scorching summer heat (beginning in 1904, it was designated an exclusive residential area reserved only for expatriates--although this practice ended in 1947). Below is a picture of one of these exclusive residences.

Thanksgiving in Hong Kong (we apologize for the delay).

Nov. 23, 2006-Nov. 27, 2006:

A very delayed posting!

Over Thanksgiving Derek and I ventured to Hong Kong. It is my favorite city because you have beaches, skyscrapers and mountains all packed onto one tropical island which never sleeps.

Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China on July 1, 1997, after a century and a half of British administration (as a result of the First Opium War, Hong Kong was "rewarded" to the British by the Chinese under the Convention of Chuen Pi in January 1841). Hence, although there is a strong western influence on the island, old Chinese charm is prevalent.

Situated at the south-eastern tip of China, with a total area of 1,104 square kilometres, "Hong Kong" covers Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula just opposite, and the New Territories — the more rural section of Hong Kong, which also includes 262 outlying islands. The city's population was about 6.88 million in mid-2004.

In addition, as of 2004, Hong Kong was the world's 11th largest trading economy, the world's sixth largest foreign exchange market, the world's 13th largest banking centre, and Asia's second biggest stock market.

We have many pictures to share, so more Hong Kong postings to come.

Below are pictures of Victoria Harbour:










Below: Two International Finance Centre was completed in 2003. Designed by César Pelli, this 415 m tall building is currently Hong Kong's tallest, with 88 stories (an extremely auspicious number in Cantonese culture) and 22 high-ceiling trading floors. The high-rise is designed to accommodate financial firms.

It should be noted that, however, the 88 stories do not comprise of an actual number of 88 stories. Some of the "taboo floors" like 14 and 24, which sound like "definitely die" and "easy to die" in Cantonese respectively, are omitted.

It is the third tallest building in the Greater China region and the 7th tallest office building in the world after:

Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan
Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Sears Tower in Chicago, USA
Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai, China
Burj Dubai in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The rankings are based on structural heights; by roof height only Taipei 101 and Sears Tower exceed it.



The Convention Center:



Kowloon Peninsula:

Central--Lan Kwai Fong

Central is an area on the north shore of Hong Kong Island. It is the central business district of Hong Kong, and many multinational financial services corporations have their headquarters in the area.

Lan Kwai Fong (Traditional Chinese: 蘭桂坊; pinyin: Lánguìfāng) is a small square of streets in Central. The area was dedicated to hawkers before the Second World War, but underwent a renaissance in the mid 1980s. It is now a popular expatriate haunt for drinking and dining. The street Lan Kwai Fong is L-shaped with two ends joining with D'Aguilar Street.

Repulse Bay (the name poorly reflects the bay's actual beauty)

Repulse Bay, located in the southern part of Hong Kong Island, is the most spectacular bay in the region. Its name comes from a 19th century battle in which the British army repulsed attacking pirates. Today, Repulse Bay is a luxurious residential area for dining, relaxation, and aquatic activities.





Below: Unfortunately, not a romantic picture of Derek and I. Instead, a lovely picture that Derek took of some other couple.

Happy New Year

For New Years D and I decided to fly down to Shanghai to ring in 2007.



We soaked up some jazz at Xin Tian Di.



And stood in line for 45 minutes in order to get Derek's favorite Chinese dish: xiao long baos (little dragon dumplings).



The minute we stepped off the plane in Shanghai, Derek was already talking about these steamed dumplings. He's becoming more Chinese everyday.



Here is a picture of the infamous Hyatt Hotel located on the Pu Dong side of Shanghai. The atrium/lobby is quite phenomenal standing tall at 33 stories (the entire building is 88 stories). In this picture, the hotel is getting ready for the New Year by preparing a drop of 10,000 balloons.



For the actual New Year celebration we hit a party on 3 On The Bund. Here's the view from their awesome balcony.



Another view from their balcony.



3...2...1...Happy New Year!



And then we got jiggy on the dance floor.