What's On The Menu: Hong Kong Part I

A highlight of this newest adventure was to eat my way thru hong Kong and China. Thus far my tastebuds fancies have delightfully been tickled.

My oral exploration began with my first bowl of noodles and wontons not long after landing. A great way to start any asian adventure.

Day 2. We visited the best dim sum restaurant EVER (According to my humble guide. Having nothing to compare with I am therefore inclined to agree with her to date).The restaurant with the red door, Lin Heung Hau, was everything I'd been told it would be. Ascending up into the heavens, we entered a massive room filled with large round tables, and covered in tea. Not as dramatic as you'd think, more like an Asian diner that's had pale weak tea spilled ALL over it. We quickly joined a family and Jenn wasted no time in getting the meal underway. She ran around hecticly chasing the slow moving women wheeling carts of various dim sum around the restaurant. She even made a special trip to the kitchen to request special steamed buns. All the while the staff and our dining companions marvelling at her excellent Cantonese (Jenn is 5ft, red haired, energetic, and has lived here for 4 yrs now).

Our meal consisted of shrimp then ham & veg steamed dumplings, cooked pork bits (watch out for bone), sauteed greens (choi sum), topped off with bbq pork steamed buns. All washed down with Iron Buddha tea.

Dessert was found elsewhere at a famous little pastry shop selling the best egg tarts in town. Followed by a freshly squeezed mango juice, we fund ourselves rolling around town the rest of the afternoon happily glowing in satisfaction.

Day 3. Day trip to Cheung Chau Island. Buns for breakfast is a wonderful way to "get up and go". Spicy beef and sweet corn was my preferred wake-up call that morning, followed by another steamed bbq pork bun. With fine items like this to choose from I think I may be able to survive quite easily without my eggs and toast. Although the "coffee in a can" pales in comparison to my sweet's "alongé's" with soya milk back home.

We explored part of the island, offering me my first lesson in temple "know-how". 3 incense sticks are good. 4 are BAD (4 is a number equal to death). Proper 3 bow technique were shown me and I made my prayers to unknown gods for their protection in my upcoming mainland travels. I hope that dragon does his job! We wandered along the waterfront past restaurants, and found ourselves meandering upwards to find a pagoda effering excellent views of a new bay begging exploration. Hunger finally took over and we headed for our promised feast.

Down along the waterfront we found a restaurant, or more like the hostess found us, convincing us that hers was where we needed to be. Mobile phones were pulled out, calls and text messages made and sent, and an extra table and chairs were arranged for our party.

Amid pleasant conversation and more delicious tea, we feasted on the following: Scallops & Brocolli, Salt & Garlic Prawns, Mixed Fried Rice, Mango & Chicken, Steamed Fish, Spicy Snails (complete with wooden scewer for extraction), and Garlic Scallops.

The ferry ride home had part of our group doing a quick "teach and learn" salsa lesson. To burn off extra calories for the next round of food. Did it work? Only time will tell if my pants finally start feeling looser after weeks of this diet. Guess we'll know in 2 months time!

Bumpy ride in a rusty tin can

Journey from Montreal to Hong Kong

Point form of the images and situations that stuck out along the way:

* The first bus taking me to the airport is the 211. It was replaced by... the "Special" bus. Come On!

* Citrus fruit and customs do not mix. Woops! And since when do we have to take our shoes off to go thru the detectors? No wonder the floors look so well buffed. The "electronic passports" sign made it feel more futuristic.

* Detroit airport. A cool fountain shooting "water worms" thru the air, and a sky tram moving people around. The futuristic theme continues.

* Northwest Airlines Part 1: Detroit to Tokyo. Oh my! The airplane looked a bit worse for wear as did the crew. They appeared to despise us & took great pleasure in sarcasm. Headache from hell complete with mysterious nausea, added to the pleasantness of the experience.

* Tokyo-Narita airport. Cleanest toilet stalls in the world (you notice these things as you slowly become convinced you're dying). The Public Lounge has amazing leatherette reclining lounge chairs, I finally can sleep horizontally, Score! My first siting of the mysterious "Pacori Sweat" softdrink, sold in vending machine. Should you really name a drink with the word sweat?

* Northwest Airlines Part 2: Tokyo to Hong Kong. The staff change and become Asian, attractive, and friendly. A Huge thumbs up to the lovely older japanese lady that was serving our section. Beauty, grace, and all smiles despite her misfortunes with drinks and meals.

* Landing in Hong Kong, my exhausted and now even more than usually warped mind decided that all the look-alike apartment buildings look like grain silos...for people. Pods. How odd.

So after 24hrs of journeying and feeling at deaths door for part of it. I arrived safe and sound to be greeted by my friend Jenn. All smiles and energy as always. Quickly fell into our theme song for this journey "Jump In The Line (shake Senora)", and off we went. My first bowl off noodles and wontons, and a quick visit to Jenn's local, d'Apartment, followed by a nice walk with my guide pointing out architectural and historical, as well as mythical, wonders, we finally made it home for good. To Jenn & Christina's very own silo pod.

Aaaaah. Sleep.

New Year's Resolution... Learn More Mandarin!

Wishing each and all a happy beginning to 2007.

Safe travel to all, be it around your own town or city, or abroad in lands faraway.


No matter where you find yourselves, remember that adventure and travel bliss surround us all. It’s all in perspective. And sometimes it’s as close as just around the corner.

Keep posted for new travel tips, and the joys, trials, and tribulations of planning for “China 2007”. The latest traveljulie adventure to hit the internet-waves.

Hui tou jian folks!

Singing the Back to Town Blues

I don’t know what saddens me more (amongst other things).

Being back in the city? Or slowly washing the campfire smell out of the clothes that came along for the adventure?


I haven’t decided yet.

*** Photo found on www.phoric.org. Don’t know what his name is, but he’s the type of cute backcountry boy I’d love to cross paths with. As I keep saying, I am such a sucker for facial hair! haha

Grey Day

I find it fascinating how a combination of tactile past memories, fast approaching future, and imagination can transport you.

This weekend has had intimate flashes of this No. 1 Special Combo.

Dry dusty heat, blinding sun, sweating from new pores, the familiar “face sweats”. I found myself walking along in a familiar “dead zone”, with highway looming in the sky, when suddenly through squinting eyes, I felt myself in Africa. Trudging along a busy road, dust hovering as I imagine it will be. Now this of course is imagination of future, as my memories are of roads in Cambodia and Laos, but tales from friends allow me to feel that this is what awaits me.

Today I am enveloped in grey and mist. I went for a walk and again my eyes softened their focus. The shade of the light, the brick buildings blurring into one color and ongoing dimension, I found myself in Britain. Wandering to parts of town that I used to loved exploring, allowing my feet to take me where they would.

Itchy feet? What is this unsettled feeling? Is it time to run away again?

No, it’s just a grey rainy day, and I sit in my Candyland kitchen allowing my thoughts to drift where they will. I softly smile at the past, cheekily grin at the future, and feel content with the present.

*** Photo found on www.pbase.com, in Werner Eickenscheidt's gallery .

Tuesday's Travel Tip : Tired? Yes... of waiting!

Hmmmm. Well then, shall we just ignore the last tip?

Flying is fun. Waiting for hours in airports, wading in the negative energy of a million other people in a hurry is not.


So let’s make this week a short and simply one. Don’t bring liquids and gels. Keep your hand luggage to a minimum, but don’t forget to pack extra patience.

In the meantime click *here* for current updates on flying brought to us by Consular Affairs – Canada.

Tuesday's Travel Tip: Man! Your Arms Must Be Tired!

I love flying. Always have, always will (even despite British Airways).

But as with anything, there are always tips to make life easier. Some flights are straight up then down…some will have you squirming to find that “comfy” position (Don’t be afraid of it. It might look ridiculous, but sometimes you have double digit hrs to kill).


Either way, here’s my little routine:

1. I request a window seat, because *my* comfy position requires one.


2. Take all the necessary in-flight *tools* out of my carry-on. (When you’re in a window seat, you don’t make friends by having to climb over people every 2 seconds for that “thing” you forgot in the overhead locker.) My carry-on then goes up and out of the way, and I’m left with the fun stuff. See tool-kit details below.


3. Take off my shoes (Trust me on this one)


4. Pop in a piece of gum to chew (Helps your ears pop with the change in pressure at take-off. Repeat at landing)


5. Check out the Airline In-Flight Magazine in the seat pouch in front of me to find out what the movie is going to be, and then decide whether I feel like the meatarian or vegetarian meal.


6. Sit back and enjoy.

My *tool-kit* always has the following:

• book (novel and / or guidebook)
• headphones (even if it doesn’t *fit* the plug, usually halfway in will get you both ears. Shhhh!)
• MP3 player or Discman for the old-school like me (don’t forget your cd wallet)
• eye drops
• moisturizer (good for hands and face, and sometimes staticky hair)
• bottle of water (flight attendants are busy people)
• sweater
• Chapstick
• for longer trips : ear plugs and deodorant

For longer flights I also make sure I have the cute airline blanket and pillow, but if I’m feeling extra splurgy, I’ll have brought my inflatable neck pillow and a light sleeping pill (anti-nausea’s are a good choice for most people as they offer the double whammy of keeping your flight food down and knocking you out) (I’m kidding, I actually enjoy flight food. Sometimes it’s an adventure, and sometimes it’s actually really good).

Although I’m a hypocrite and actually NEVER do the stretching exercises that they show you in the video, I think they’re a really good idea. I myself rely on the fact that I have a 3 yr old girl’s bladder, and hence get lots of leg stretching via repeated trips to the bathroom, haha. (Hmmmm, maybe window seats Aren’t the best thing for me)

For a more clinical approach, Air Canada has quite a lengthy read on the subject.

Wikihow.com "Be-Comfortable-on-a-Long-Airplane-Trip", has some good tips, and some downright anal tips. I highly agree with the wax earplugs (God’s gift to light sleepers), and WetOnes for longer trips.

So go forth, fly high, and create your own checklist. And don’t forget to comment and tell us…what’s YOUR can’t-live-without-when-flying?