Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Ocean Park ~ Feeding the Penguins

Hey Everyone,

This past week I had the pleasure of being invited to Ocean Park to... drum roll please... FEED THE PENGUINS!!!

The Entrance ticket to Ocean Park
 too bad my finger is on the logo!

I did not know that there was such an activity available for visitors, but one of the daughters of the family that invited me had done it before. On the morning of, they picked me up from the Admiralty Station (MTR) and we all drove down to Ocean Park, which was located in the Southern District of Hong Kong. When we arrived there were a lot of people present, but since we were there relatively early, we were able to take the cable car up to Ocean Park's second level, The Summit.

A small section of what The Summit looked like
from an amusement park ride line

The Summit was where the amusement park was located and featured 20 rides, which included four roller coasters. The Summit also housed 11 animal exhibits such as the aquarium, jelly fish house, and giant panda exhibit.


One of the giant pandas that was eating bamboo shoots.
The way it was chewing the shoots made it look like
it was eating an ice cream cone.

We visited the pandas first, and then made our way to the roller coasters. We eventually headed towards the Penguin House for our penguin feeding workshop. At the entrance of the penguin exhibit we were greeted by a very cheerful tour guide. She led us around the penguin exhibit building and we entered through one of the side gates. When we were seated, we listened to a small presentation of the different types of penguins that were featured in Ocean park. We soon learned that there were a total of three different types: the King Penguin, The Southern Rockhopper Penguin, and the Gentoo Penguin. After learning the types of hardships penguins faced after being born and maturing toward adulthood we were brought jackets, pants, and rubber boots to prepare us for temperatures inside the exhibit.

I love it how I'm on the other side of the world
 and can still be excited to gear up for cold temperatures
Reminds me of home :)

After gearing up, we were taken to another back room where a group of trainers demonstrated how they trained penguins, and performed their medical check ups. Afterwards, we were led to the exhibition to pet the penguins and feed them little fish. It was so much fun, and a little alarming as we walked out, because we became part of the exhibit. There must have been a few dozen cameras flashing away by other visitors as we stepped out. I'm sure that there had to be a few dozen photos of me somewhere on people's cameras... oh well! The penguins were hilarious! They remind me of little children, running around in every direction. The reason I say this was because like children, you had to be careful not to step on them because they were unpredictable! They would run around, run into you, and try to grab the fish out of your hands if you held them too low.

Yes, this is a REAL penguin, and yes
I AM TOUCHING IT!!!

Feeding the penguins was certainly an experience, that if given a chance, you should most definitely try yourself.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Boat Cruise

Hey Everyone,

I'm playing a little catch up here, but I did not want to miss the opportunity to share with you my first boating day experience in Hong Kong. I was invited by Aunt M and her family to join them on their boating day trip. To be honest, I did not know what to expect. They had described the event to me as a "boat cruise," but coming from Winnipeg, a "cruise" could be defined as the little paddle boat that runs up and down the Red River, like "boat cruise" we booked for grade 9 graduation. Anyway, I was told to pack for the beach, and even then I had to think twice about what I had to bring. I was excited and nervous but it was definitely a great time and a new experience.


All the boats that were heading out at the same time


When we arrived in Sai Kung, the weather did not look at all pleasant. It was grey, cloudy, and threatened to rain. When all the boats took off together, it was like being part of a fleet. It seemed as if they were heading to the same place, but one by one they branched off. The further we travelled away from the pier the more the sky started to clear up. It started looking like a beautiful day. We finally stopped along one of the islands and dropped the anchor. This was where we were going to stay for the rest of the day.


The clouds cleared and the sun came out


There were quite a few families on the boat, all of them Aunt M's friends. Everyone was very nice and we all had a fun time. There were a few activities that were available to us, one of them was riding a banana boat. When it was first described to me, phrases like " it looks like a banana" and "you try to grab on and not fall off" as well as, "you can sit on it," did not help my understanding of what it was exactly. Sadly, I had so much fun that I forgot to take a picture of it, I'm sure I'll be able to describe it better... maybe. The banana boat ride is very similar to tubing, except that instead of an inflatable donut, it's a raft that is shaped like a banana with two pontoons on either side to allow your feet to rest and you sit on it. The banana boat has three seats. So, as you straddle the raft and grab the holders the motor boat takes off, dragging you and two of your companions along, until one of you wipes out and brings everyone down with you.



Chilling with everyone in the shade


Swimming in the ocean was also fairly new to me. One of the first things I did was canon ball off the boat edge into the water, and surprise, surprise, it was VERY salty. It was so salty that I didn't even need to tread water and I would float. It was nice not having to work for it, but keeping it out of your eyes, nose and mouth proved to be a challenge. I'm sure when I got of the water salt crystals started forming on my skin! Another one of the options was fishing. The appeal for sitting in a boat hours on end did not particularly catch my fancy, so I didn't go. The people who went on the second round in the afternoon managed to come back with quite a haul. There were so many types of fish, I'd be lucky even to identify one!


I wish I could say that I caught all of them
 but I didn't... these lovely fish were divided
and will be showing up on people's dinner tables


On the way back to the pier, the view was stunning. We passed a lot of boats on the way back, many like the ones you see in the picture below. Everyone was so tired after a long day in the sun that I'm sure half of us dozed off on the way back. I know I did. I'm just glad that I woke up half way; enough to see this beautiful scene.


The view on the way back to the pier

Okay, so I'd had a wonderful day. The weather held up, the sun came out, I swam in the ocean, and learned what a banana boat was. But what really, REALLY made my day was what I saw next...

WILD COWS!!! I know this may not be a big deal but it was so different! In Winnipeg, we have random: ducks, geese, deer, squirrels, turkeys, gophers.... but COWS?! I was told by Aunt M that because grass was really sparse, the wild cows come up to eat the grass. There are no regulations, and if one just happens to be on the road, you have to wait... and wait... and wait, until they get out of the way. I expect this maybe in Dublin or something like that but I was really surprised to see them in Hong Kong. Maybe because its so hard to find beef in local stores that I really didn't expect to see it walking around.


Cows along the boulevard

Note: Make sure to put sunscreen everywhere and double check next time.... Somehow, I managed to miss the same spot three times while applying sunscreen... and of course this happens just after me saying that I'd never been burnt before. Figures!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Book Fair



Hey Everyone,

Today, I went to Wan Chai again for the Hong Kong Book Fair which was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. I had gotten wind about it yesterday, and decided that I would take a look since I'm such a book worm. Let me just say... WOW. There were SO many books it was unbelievable. Upon entering, it was sort of like that moment where Disney's Belle was surprised with the library... except, of course, that there were a lot more people. 





After having lunch, I meandered my way to the Exhibition Centre. I knew where I was going but not exactly how to get there (there are way too many non-pedestrian friendly streets, so having to navigate overpasses and their stairwell openings led to me climbing up and down a lot of stairs... A LOT). I was following signs that pointed to the book fair but it felt like I was being herded along with the rest of the crowd, who I assumed were also heading to the same destination. Now, there were a few people around me that were holding tickets, and I did not see where I could get my hands on them so I asked. The guy next to me didn't know either but we decided to follow the crowd and see where it would take us. A couple of minutes later, an old man who had overheard my question pulled me aside and gave me an extra ticket. He said he got them for free so that I could have the extra, sweet! 


Free ticket!


There were so many people at this book fair, and even more books. I'm positive that I wouldn't have been able to read more than half of the titles. The entire thing was a family affair. They had authors, whose names I haven't even heard of give talks and and autographs. It was really neat. I was astonished that even going in the middle of a working day, that it was completely packed. Normally, I insist on walking with a two foot bubble around me, but the people and the noise, I loved it!

Only one small area of the English section.


Tuesday, July 16, 2013

LEGO is BACK!

Hey Everyone,

Occasionally, I'll walk through a toy store and laugh. A lot of the things that I used to play with, are back on the shelves and are now labelled "new". Are they kidding? Ideas are constantly being recycled and sometimes even butchered to fit the interest of kids and franchises today. Take for instance the Going Fishing Game; where the kids have tiny magnetic rods, and they try to catch fish as they open their hinged jaws, rotating on a circular platform... makes sense right? Fishing? BUT what I saw, which was, in my opinion a horrible remake to a perfectly fun game was the exact same concept but crane lifts and opening and closing car tires! (the Disney Car franchise) OH! I forgot to mention the girl version of the game; which was a lovely shade of Barbie pink and fishing for rotating jewels... Seriously!? What happened to LEGO, Jenga, Connect Four, toy cars and non-animated dolls?

So as I walked through the malls, and there are plenty here in Hong Kong, I notice kids playing with video games, looking bored and throwing hissy fits when they can't push the button quick enough. Sometimes I wonder; have we seriously deprived kids of this generation to think for themselves and consider the possibility of having an imagination? Well, its an interesting idea to ponder on a rainy day, and there are a lot of rainy days here, but I wanted to write about how an exhibit I saw in the mall may have converted a few of those video gaming children to take up Lego instead, which I feel should be acknowledged.

The other day I went with Aunt P and cousin N in Cityplaza, Quarry Bay, HK. While we were waiting on one another, we entered the "Piece of Peace ~ World Heritage Exhibition Built with LEGO Brick" The exhibit was a collaborative effort between a Japanese organization Piece of Peace and UNESCO Hong Kong Association which was to promote cultural world treasures from twenty-five countries. I only posted a few of the pieces, but as you will see, the detail on a lot of the exhibition pieces were amazing.
I mean, look at them! 

Hiraizumi - Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites
representing the Buddhist pure land
(Chuson-Ji Temple)

India's Taj Mahal
Lego Pieces: 8,000

China's Mogao Caves
Lego Pieces: 50, 000

Spain's La Sangrada Familia
Lego Pieces: 25, 000

Mexico's Historic town of Guanajuato & its Adjacent Mines
Lego Pieces: 10, 000


Italy's Colosseum
Lego Pieces 7,000

Athen's Acropolis
Lego Pieces: 3, 000

Paris's Eiffel Tower
Lego Pieces: (haha can't read my own handwriting)

Italy's Tower of Pisa
Lego Pieces: 2, 000

Brazil's Brasilia Cathedral
Lego Pieces: 10,000

Sydney's Sydney Opera House
Lego Pieces: 12, 000

It's refreshing to see how your childhood toys are able to grow up with you. Looking around, there are hundreds of people taking pictures. The are dozens of children asking what the buildings are, where they are, and wanting to see them in real life, which I think is great! How inspiring is it to have that curiosity and wanting to experience things first hand. Can't wait for my next trip, but I think I should probably explore more of Hong Kong before planning my next trip!

Keep your inner child alive, have fun, and take care! Until my next post!




Sunday, July 7, 2013

Mail ~ Beth



Hey Everyone,


I got this is in the mail today! I'm super excited to get this from my friend Beth, who is not in Winnipeg, but travelling the world. Thanks for thinking of me. When you finally get back home, forward me your final address and I'll write you back. You'd better be taking many photos, eating lots of amazing food and writing down all those wonderful moments. Take care and safe travels!


Note:

Its hard to find stationary that is not pink, frilly, cartooned, bedazzeled or bejeweled... If you find a ridiculously sparkly envelope or letter, it will most likely be from me :)




Saturday, July 6, 2013

Market Place

Hey Everyone,


I guess I'm a little late in posting this but...Last weekend I stayed at my Aunt S's place. She, and my cousins J and V live in Tai Wai. I haven't seen either J or V since the last time I visited Hong Kong and that was five years ago! Holy cow did V grow... it hurts my neck just thinking about it. Anyway, I spent the day with them, and it was quite enjoyable. I'm a couple of years older than they are, but let's just say, being an older sibling, you learn to go with the flow. Not that they were immature or anything!


Dinner was delicious and there was a variety of foods to choose from. Look at all the dishes that were prepared!


There was: Eggplant, Shrimp, Fish,
three different types of Veggies, and soup

After dim-sum the following morning, we all went to "The Market". This was the first time I had experienced a full blown produce market here in HK. It was amazing; just to walk around and look at everything. I couldn't get enough. I haven't come across something that feels anything like it, but I'll try to depict it for you. How do I explain this... hmm, well the market place is not like your typical grocery store where everything is pre-packaged and refrigerated. It feels more like the Farmer's Market plus a Fish Market and a Butcher Shop on steroids, rolled together and stuffed in a warehouse. It's a good thing! See for yourself...


There were so many vegetables available,
and all of them were fresh as if they had been
picked earlier that day


The produce found in these market places are less expensive than the ones you find at a Wellcome (no I did not spell that incorrectly) which is a popular grocery store chain here in HK. I was told that a lot of the produce came straight from the farmers and were sold the same day, if not the next day. Compared to the grocery store which was overpriced and their produce having sat there for who knows how long, plus poor selection, I've found myself buying more of my groceries from these side shops and markets rather than the grocery chains. The reason I say more rather than all is my hesitation at buying the meat. I haven't quite gotten used to buying meat off the street, I'm sure its perfectly safe and sanitary, but I haven't grasped the concept that the meat that I see available isn't refrigerated! I mean, its 30 degrees Celsius, and most of the butcher stands
open just have their carvings hanging there... I think that I'll keep going to the
grocery store for that.


Picture of woman re-filling the bins with seafood
Yumm!

Okay, so my story about the market:


I was with Aunt P on Thursday and we had visited one market close to her apartment in North Point. I was still fascinated by all the things that were made available. I'm sure that I looked like a complete foreigner gawking and everything, but how could I not!? I mean, they were selling fish which had been decapitated and their heads were all in a row, still spasm-ing as if gasping for air and waiting to be sold! I've seen this before but it still fascinates me how they're still so animated when you know they're dead. 

One of the fish vendors that was selling assorted fish
 I couldn't even identify the names of any


Anyway, We were specifically looking for sea food and you guessed it, of course there were fish that were still swimming available. Now, these fish were not dead as seen above, nor in a tank, but rather shallow buckets. And of course, one was skittish when I walked by (believably so) and jumped, splashing me! I wasn't too impressed... I mean, I wasn't even there to buy and eat it! (I totally should have though!)


Okay, so that was another story, but what I wanted to say was:


Aunt P bought the seafood and we were about to leave. I offered to carry her grocery bag for her since I had my hands free. I hadn't paid attention to what she had bought, but as I was walking with the bag back to her place IT MOVED! I'm not kidding you, I thought we had bought clams and shrimp... it was the shrimp! The whole way home the bag jerked every once in a while.... they were delicious but <shudder> that feeling of a living thing moving for freedom... it'll take some getting used to. I think I may prefer my lunch/dinner already dead before I have to take it home and cook it.

The place were one of the fish splashed me

Note to self:   Don't walk too close to the fish next time






Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Storm Warnings

Hey Everyone,


I would like to say that I've had my fair share of storms, but after a week or so here in HK, I'd like to take it back. Don't get me wrong, I love walking in the rain, but there's something quite different when someone refers to a rainstorm as a hurricane, and tells you that you've just arrived for hurricane season... wha?

The skies were blue just moments before
and then it started pouring out of nowhere.
Thank goodness I carry an umbrella in my purse!
Location: Water Street

Before I left Winnipeg I was quite nervous when I heard stories of "black rain" and people not going out at all. I thought to myself... "Oh no! I'm going to end up being the stupid one that misses the warning and hikes it all the way to school only to find that I shouldn't have come out at all!" Which may have very well been the case if it were not for my handy app "My Observatory"... thanks cousin N, except for the fact I don't know how to read the warnings!

Here's how my cousin A explained it to me:

There are three signals for a rainstorm:

Amber Rainstorm Warning: Heavy Rain which may develop into the other warnings
Red Rainstorm Warning: Miserable, primary and elementary schools students don't need to go to school
Black Rainstorm Warning: Miserable, Stay Inside, day off for Everyone

Um... okay? How miserable is miserable? Anyway, this is how wiki explains it:

Amber:  Heavy rain has fallen or is expected to fall generally over HK, exceeding 30mm/hour, and is likely to continue

The Amber signal gives an alert about the potential heavy rain that may develop into RED or BLACK signals. There will be flooding in some low-lying and poorly drained areas.

Red: Heavy rain has fallen or is expected to fall generally over HK, exceeding 50mm/hour, and is likely to continue

The Red signal gives alert about the potential heavy rain that may develop into BLACK signal situations. All students are to remain at school unless there is a visible risk to staying in the building.

Black: Very heavy rain has fallen or is expected to fall generally over HK, exceeding 70mm/hour, and is likely to continue.

When the BLACK signal is issued, HK will be at a complete standstill. Schools will not dismiss their students unless there is a risk of staying and everyone is recommended to seek immediate shelter. Buses and other public transport may be halted depending on the risk of the rout, and the MTR will be suspended because of the risk of flooding.

This was much more definite in its criteria but that doesn't put into any perspective what that actually means. Well maybe the following photo will help. This is what I found just as I was coming up from Water Street... lovely right? 


This was the result of just an Amber signal...
I would hate to think what a Red or Black one would look like.

All I know for now is, I won't be caught up in a Rainstorm or Wind storm any time soon... at least not if I can help it. As a side note, my shoes were completely soaked... and I think it may be time to invest in some crocs <shudders> maybe they'll have cute ones?



Monday, July 1, 2013

Visitor From Home

Hey Everyone,


Breakfast with MC
 Chinese buns toasted with sweetened condensed milk, and hot milk tea 


A few days ago, a friend from Winnipeg messaged me on Facebook saying that she was in Hong Kong, as well. I was surprised since we never hung out before, but honesty, I loved it! I had met MC only a few times before, years ago even. We had never hung out together since were both busy with school, and had different groups of friends. Both of us were with the mentality of "what the heck? why not?!", and so we decided to meet up before she left. MC and I met this past weekend at Mong Kok Station, and walked around. We found a place to grab breakfast while the shops were opening and ordered pretty much the same thing. We both found similar experiences in Hong Kong that differed from living in Winnipeg.


A few of the things that we learned from one another while exploring here were:



1. The water that dripped from the buildings was built up condensation from the AC,
     at least you HOPE its condensation from the AC and not someone who spat
     out the window

2. We apologized when we accidentally bumped into someone, but when bumped into...
     we still apologized!

3. There was such a thing as a First Class Train Car in the MTR... people did check to see if
     you had paid to be in there, and you WOULD be fined if you're not supposed
     to be there.

4. Squatter toilets were unpleasant to use

5. Finding a bathroom in a mall was difficult, but standing outside a locked bathroom
    door and waiting for someone with a key to walk in and out worked well



I just wanted to say thanks MC for reaching out and contacting me. I hope we'll stay in contact! Travel safely and I'll make sure to look you up if we're ever in the same city.

To those who find themselves in Hong Kong in the next couple of years, make sure to let me know! All the best!