E V E R Y D A Y . B E A U T I F U L . P U R P O S E F U L
November 16, 2010 Leave a comment
(Photo Taken: Christmas @ Times Square, Causeway Bay – This year’s Christmas Deco Theme “Crazy X’mas” was created by a very famous Hong Kong’s graphic designer, Michael Lau. See more of his works here: http://www.michaellau-art.com/intro.html )
November 16, 2010 Leave a comment
After bidding farewell to our 108th visitors (Auntie Fong and Cousin-in-law Carrine), we welcome our 111th Hong Kong Visitors today! Meet my cousin Alvin and my very very young Auntie Yin San & boyfriend, Aron!
And our latest 112th visitor (my ex-client from Singapore) – Jenny! We haven’t meet each other for almost 5 years! Thankfully, Jenny is the only nice visitor who didn’t comment anything about my obesity. Unfortunately, she is the first who bluntly commented “您老这么多”!
November 14, 2010 Leave a comment
After last week’s hike down the Peak, we are all looking forward for another exciting hike this weekend. This time, we decided to explore the iconic 92-year old Tai Tam Tuk Reservoir. This reservoir which was built in 1912 and completed in 1918, is classified as Hong Kong’s Grade 1 Historic Site. The giant reservoir dam, the “castle-looking” Valve House and the bricked Masonry Bridges are key (pre-World War II) attractions of this heritage trail.
We took Bus 14 (which is just below our block) and alighted right after crossing the Tai Tam Tuk Reservoir Bridge (midway to Stanley Market). This trail offers hikers many different routes. The southern route leads us down to Stanley, the western path ends at Happy Valley and the northern path takes us to Quarry Bay. As the sun was setting, we chose the shortest route around the circumference of the reservoir. (See our “Red Path” here: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=883640)
We picked a relaxing scenic trail which comprises a good balance of trees, streams, lakes, rocks and heritage attractions. Hidden inside the lushly forests, there are 4-5 barbecue sites where we saw a lot of people having picnics. From where we alighted at the bus stop, this looked like an isolated trail. However, once we ventured deep inside, I was surprised to see many hikers (family, kids, old folks, dogs, students, lovers, young topless macho joggers, anglers and babies on strollers).
The entire loop is about 3.4km and we took less than 75 minutes to complete the hike. All of us managed to get out of the forests 30 minutes before the sun set.
November 13, 2010 Leave a comment
Thanks to the new PS3 MOVE! Yes, I am finally getting into sports. Answering to my Auntie Amy’s constant nags, I am sweating it out almost every night playing highly competitive sports. Last week, I nearly suffered a heart attack by competing 24 rounds of table tennis matches! Tonight, I invited 2 other “obese” buddies of mine to sweat it out at my house. Watch their game of beach-volley ball. Trust me, we take our sports very very seriously. (For those who think this is just a dildo-looking gadget, I dare you to try 1 hour of intense limb moving acts without perspiring. The sports games are highly entertaining and exhilarating. It is a good start for weak lungs like us!)
November 13, 2010 Leave a comment
Spending time and “growing up” with my little boy makes me wonder about my own childhood. It is indeed Déjà Vu watching Elkan’s little acts. Like father, like son – Elkan reminds me how similar we are. Of course, I don’t have his good vibe and features. Software-wise, I believe he can do more “impact” than his old dad.
Last Monday, I started giving him “pocket money” and taught him the concept and value of money. Like any first-timer, Elkan was superbly excited.
“You mean I have money everyday now? Like Mummy?” he asked. I told him that he will be attending school and he needs to be responsible and mindful about his money. Elkan stared at the note with his big bright eyes for a long time. It was like seeing a HKD20 note for the first time. Not believing this is a real deal for him, he asked again, “Are you sure this is mine?”
For a father, I was very eager to see his first reaction and how he would spend his first pocket money. Instead of thinking what to buy with this new found “material”, Elkan asked me a second question.
“Mm..Daddy, what about giving me a wallet too? So I can be like you… keeping the money in the wallet,” he requested. I suggested he should spend his money on his own wallet. He quickly answered, “No! If I spent my money on the wallet, then my wallet will be empty. Urghh…nevermind, I will keep my money now and wait for someone to give me a wallet.” It was such a comical moment and I was speechless. Later, Felicia asked him if he likes the “Toy Story Buzz” wallet. Elkan insisted he wanted the “leather wallet”.
Somehow, he wasn’t used to the concept of carrying or spending money. It is a totally new life routine for him. Day by day, he locked his daily pocket money in his candy box. He knows the money is precious but I was very curious why he hasn’t show the urge to “spend it”. I decided to play the devil and “tempted” him to buy his favorite things (like toy cars, fries, soft drinks).
“Daddy, I was thinking of buying my classmates food and drinks like how you always treat your friends… but you told not to show off my money… I think I better keep it for myself,” he said. I asked him why he wanted to treat his classmates with food and drinks. He said, “I wanted to be like you ah…”
“Don’t you want to buy games or toys or even books with your money?” I asked. “Or buy me or mummy something special?”
“Yah rite… You won’t allowed me to buy those things. Better keep my money,” he said. My god, my son sounded like an adult! And he went on to ask me how and when I will increase his pocket money. He questioned “You mean if I do more spelling and maths, I will get more money from you? Like you – you work a lot and you got more money, right? Then where Mummy got her money from? She is not working?” I wondered if I ever give my old folks such hard time when they gave me my first pocket money.
2 days ago, Elkan came to me and reminded me that I forgot about his pocket money. I quickly took out the note and handed it to him. He then said, “Daddy, I have a better suggestion. Why don’t you give me a credit card? In this case, you won’t need to give me the money everyday. And I won’t need a wallet and keep counting these notes.”
November 13, 2010 1 Comment
After a 2-month absence, the visitors are coming back! This week, we welcome our 108th Visitors – Auntie “Cookie” Fong and cousin-in-law Carrine! We are expecting 2 more new “relative” visitors (Auntie Lee and Cousin Alvin) tomorrow and Monday respectively.
November 7, 2010 Leave a comment
We are running out of islands to explore. We decided to go hiking at Pok Fu Lam Country Park today. With the help of the iPhone and its GPS, I am able to record our trail (photos, speed, distance and timing) on the “EveryTrail” application. This is just so amazing. Looking on the published map and the trail we recorded, we are able to trace back our trail and see those “landmark” shots which we took with our iPhone. For those who are into hiking, this is one handy iPhone application you can’t miss! (Click here to see our interactive map: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=876456)
We started our hike up at the Peak. According to my “hiking application”, it took us exactly 1:28:27 to hike down the 3.1km forested path. That is an average speed of 2.1km/hour! Thanks to the nice weather and the gentle-down sloped man-made path, this hike is not as strenuous as the ones we had on Po Toi Island. It is a breeze for us! (We were walking downhill. It will be tough if we are going uphill) There are a lot of hikers along this trail. And there are also “rest-stops” (sheltered pavilions, toilets and benches) along the track. This trail is very family-friendly for starters (with kids and old folks like us).
To satisfy Elkan’s desires for some wild and raw exploration, we went off the track to explore the rocky ripples and the reservoir lake. My little boy prefers the rough dirty tracks. To him, a hike is not complete without entering the “forested areas”. One minute, he was pestering me to bring him into the forest, the next he was running away from those “new” insects and muddy tracks. It was really funny to see him both excited and scared at the same time. We were worried for his safety too – especially when he likes to go fast and solo down the rocks. Well, Elkan loves an adventure but he is also one “careful explorer” who will bail out anytime when he is unsure.
October 31, 2010 Leave a comment
(Photo Taken – Our Halloween Lunch – Thanks to Chef Bobo, we were served “Spidergetti” and “Red Devil Pepper”.)
October 31, 2010 Leave a comment
The cool season is here. Blue sky, warm sun and cool breeze. This is the perfect time to go trekking and island-hopping. We decided to explore Po Toi Island today.
Po Toi Island (located south of Stanley) is a pretty quiet place – ideal for those who love wilderness and nature. We took a 20-minute ferry (HKD40 Return) from Blake’s Pier (at Stanley Market). The island houses a very small population so do not expect a lot of shops and restaurants like the Tai-O or Cheung Chau Island. There is a seafood restaurant near the pier but it closes at 5:30pm. It is advisable to bring your own snacks and drinks for I didn’t see any drink stalls on the island. There is no road signs inland to guide you where to go. We have to explore our way to find the hiking tracks.
According to the websites, Po Toi is more well known for its 2000-year old wall cravings, rock formations and haunted house. Like other ancient wall cravings in Hong Kong, these monuments are usually very small and faint. No one knows exactly who made these cravings and why. The hiking tracks are narrow, rugged and “wild”. It seems like very few visitors come here to hike. Tall grasses overgrown on both sides of the tracks. I have to use a bamboo stick to “open” the path ahead. We didn’t have time to explore the entire island as the last ferry leaves at 6pm. Elkan was disappointed that he didn’t do much “rock-climbing”. Well, at least the sunset view was breathtakingly beautiful.
October 31, 2010 Leave a comment
(Photo Taken – Jetty at Po Toi Island, Hong Kong – A portable “catch container” with battery-operated air pump to keep the catch alive. This is certainly refreshing for non-fisherman like us. It is kinda small though.)
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