Goodbye letter

Dear Hong Kong,

I started on my adventure with an ode to the city I love most - Toronto - however I find myself now, writing to you, Hong Kong, my new love. You intimidated me at first...you towered over me like a giant, crushing me with your strength, confining me with your people. But then I began to warm to you. I have walked thousands of steps on your streets, through your alleys, up escalators, down escalators, across mountain sides, villages and beaches. My feet have grazed your earth, planted firmly, walking curiously to uncover you. And you let me.

I have sailed over your waters by ferry boat and by dragon boat. I have been continuously astonished by the magnificence of your skyline. I have been stifled by your humidity and heat. I have curled up cold in the winter months, firing up space heaters, wearing long johns because your buildings just don't have any heat. I have dined at your finest and dirtiest restaurants...crab, char siu, hargow, noodle this, noodle that, I have gobbled you up. I have an expanded waist line to prove my devotion to your cuisine. I have used you - I have. I used you to venture to other lands, and to plan trips, that were just not meant to be. "Another time" I think to myself, but the truth is, I don't know if there will be another time. It saddens me to say that, but such is the beauty and mystery of life.

I met your people...some that you raised, others you didn't. They became my friends, my family while I occupied my small place on your land. I lived a life that I never really believed could actually be mine. You showed me it was, and then let me live it some more.

You, dear Hong Kong, became my muse.

Ours was a one time love affair. Cut short by circumstance, but profound enough to last forever.

You're part of me now Hong Kong. I may leave you, but I don't think you can ever leave me.

Kathleen-

Pudge

Hong Kong has been carb heaven to me. It's not like I could avoid all of the noodles and rice here, and I wasn't going to limit myself on what I ate, so I gave up my vegetarianism temporarily, forgot that carbs make me fat and just ate my way through Hong Kong. I've gained about 15 pounds - I am totally serious. I'm not that worried about it to be honest. I know once I get home and am set into my routine the weight will come off. So in my final few days in Hong Kong I decided to indulge even more.

On Thursday I had the absolute privilege of having one of the best meals of my life. A friend of mine had made reservations at a restaurant called TBLS (as in Tablespoon). He had planned to go with a few people, but he had to travel, so luckily I was one of the lucky recipients of the reservation. I say lucky because you have to book at least a month in advance at this restaurant. Weekend reservations are months and months in advance. It's a set 6 course menu with an amuse bouche and palette cleanser as well. I won't pretend to be a total foodie and know a lot about food, but I know when something is good. And this was divine!

There is only one sitting and the restaurant can only hold a maximum of 18 people. The 'restaurant' is tucked away in a semi-run down building. You need a code to get in the door and once you're in, travel up to the seventh floor in a run down elevator. The kitchen is out in the open and the four or five tables are placed around it. They don't advertise...this restaurant is all work of mouth and apparently word is travelling fast.

If you are ever going to Hong Kong, be sure to make reservations here well in advance, it is worth it!

Here is a review and a write up. The blog post in the second link features some of the menu, although a few of the dishes were different for me. The three other people I was with at the restaurant have all made repeat reservations. Yum!

http://www.timeout.com.hk/restaurants-bars/features/31766/tbls.html

http://www.gastronommy.com/2010/02/tbls-kitchen-studio-by-chef-owner-que.html

Roll with it

Remember how I said that I needed to live in the present moment to fully enjoy this experience? Well it's a good thing I did. Work circumstances changed for me, and I am heading back to Toronto (no, I didn't get fired). I can hear the gasps now. The collective sighs from across the world. But don't feel bad for me...I feel great! I have had an amazing experience in Asia, and even though I thought I would be here for five months, three and a half months isn't that bad. It gave me a good taste of Hong Kong, of Asia, and luckily I didn't waste any time. I lived life to the fullest.

My trip to Tibet will have to wait. That was one of those trips that I am just going to trust the universe and say that it wasn't meant to be this time around. Maybe next time...

This blog isn't finished though...I still have a few days left in Hong Kong and I will be posting my final thoughts on this wonderful city very soon.

One Big a$$ Buddha

I have been tardy on my posts lately, I know. I think the reason is because life has become ‘normal’ in Hong Kong. I feel like I live here now, so what could you possible want to know about what I am doing in Hong Kong? I hang out with friends, go for dinners, and the gym, grocery shopping, work (notice how that is far down the list) and basically I live life. You couldn’t possible want to know about what I do on a daily basis do you?

Despite the new normalcy of my Hong Kong life, I did have a fantastic weekend. My friend Trevor was in town, back from his Vietnam adventure, and a work colleague (and friend) was also in town from Toronto. I have been saving myself for the Big Buddha for months—partly because the views are better when the weather is good and partly because I was waiting for my friend Trevor to arrive. Saturday was the (Big Buddha) day. I booked cable car tickets, just one of the many options to get to the Big Buddha and off we went. For those of you know me, you know that I have a minor obsession with all things Buddha. My mother thinks I have too many in my apartment (there are going to be more when I get home) and I have been flirting with Buddhism for years. I have become a bit more intense about it in the last few months in Asia, attending classes, and lectures here and there…so seeing the biggest seated Buddha in the world was a bit of a big deal to me.

The cable car took us high above the mountains, I don’t recommend this method of travel for people afraid of heights. The half hour cable car trip was stunningly beautiful and as we came around a curve, I saw him. Sitting high above the mountains and the South China Sea, he sat looking ahead. I couldn’t see his face yet, but his size and beauty left me speechless. The Buddha weights 250 tonnes and took 10 years to make. It has only been on the top of this mountain for about 10 years, but it looks like it was meant to be there. Once my speech returned the squealing started. After arriving on Lantau island, Jeff, Trevor and I climbed the 300 or so stairs to get closer to the seated wonder. I walked around him slowly and carefully, soaking in every detail of his peaceful face. I just love Buddhas…images of Buddha actually calm me. I’m not sure if it is because of what the philosophy (and religion) the Buddha represents, but it does. It calms me every time. No wonder I have them in almost every room in my apartment!

After visiting with the Buddha we headed to the Po Lin Monastery—also a wonderful piece of architecture--gorgeous painted roofs, huge bronse statues and the mandatory billows of incense. For lunch we sat down at the vegetarian only restaurant next to the monestary for a yummy meal.

The disappointing fact about the Buddha and the monestary was the fact that I felt like I was at a Buddhist Disneyland. While it didn’t ruin the whole experience for me, it did diminish the value of it. Sourvenir shops littered the grounds of the Buddha, not to mention the fake Bodhi tree by the washroom. The Bodhi tree is where Buddha (or Siddhartha) reached enlightenment. It’s a pretty important place—I don’t think Buddhists would appreciate a fake bodhi tree being next to the loo.

Overall though the experience was very worth while—the sight of the Buddha gave me butterflies and the memory of it will stay with me for a very long time.