Hong Kong Highlights

Finally! I'm back to my blog! Can't believe it's been more than a week that I haven't posted anything..:p

Well, the HK trip had been great but time somehow passed too fast! Before I knew it, I was packing up for my journey home.

Yes, I ended up shopping again although I won't classify this as a shopping spree holiday. In fact, due to the size of the stuff I bought (like shoes with huge shoe box and bags) I ended up with an extra luggage home.

Coz while shopping was nice, the highlight of the trip was definitely the Alan Tam concert on Monday night at Hong Kong Coliseum, AND meeting up with a few good friends and former classmates from more than two decades back!

A rundown of my HK trip, with some photos to accompany:

SUN: Since I arrived late on Saturday, my program only began on Sunday. We had dim sum for brunch and originally I wanted to take my eldest nephew Edgar to The Peak but after we went there, we only found out that the places we wanted to go ie. Peak Explorer and `Believe it or not?' were closed for renovation! Edgar was disappointed and so was I. So the highlight for the 7-year-old and his aunt was the peak tram journey down the hill and instead, my sis and me headed to the harbour and went for an afternoon island excursion to Cheung Chau.

What was once and still is a fishing village has turned commercial! There were rows and rows of shops and stalls and well, for tourist like me and urbanite like my sis, we were not complaining as we did find some cheap and pretty good stuff there! BUT, the heat was overwhelming and I felt dead tired already on the ferry coming back.

MON ( the `BIG' day of the concert) : I took the MRT to Kowloon early to do somemore cheap shopping at the famous street market Mongkok area. Bought gifts for everyone at home including Jojo and Jelly! I had a hard time hailing a cab to Ho Man Tin, where my sis' mother-in-law lives. She cooked another nice dinner (she also cooked dinner on Sunday night) then we were all prepared to go the concert with me together.

Unfortunately, she fell quite ill with food poisoning after we entered the stadium and she had to leave after the second song. Poor thing, she rested at home the next day too. Well, I didn't really mind watching the concert by myself since I'm kinda used to it anyway due to my work nature. But as the concert progress, I just felt it was such a pity she misses it!

Yes, it was a GREAT concert - in terms of the production - stage, repertoire, music as well as Alan's performance! You can call me bias but I can back up my claim (but i won't bore all the non-Alan fans here) At the end of the three-and-a-half hour concert, I felt my RM200 tickets (which now I probably can claim back from my company as I reviewed the concert and submitted the story from HK) was well worth it, and even worth the air-ticket coming all the way to Hong Kong!

But if you think I'm a die-hard fan, there were many more of his crazy fans around! At least I won't endanger myself by squeezing through bodies just to touch his hand. Afterall, I have `close encounters' with Alan before even taken a couple of photos with him. Thanks to my job again.

TUES: Morning and early afternoon was spent writing up my review. Hmmm.. Then, I went to Causeway Bay, another shopping haven and walked so much till my foot hurt. My wallet hurting a bit too. In the evening, I met up with my HK friend Pat for a sumptuous but eXpensive Japanese dinner. I was so full but she still wanted to eat dessert, so we had the famous HK steamed milk custard.. lovely. ;)

WED: Had lunch with Yar Huey at IFC (International Finance Center) and then made my own way to the Malaysian consulate at Wan Chai to collect a document for my sis. Almost couldn't do so because they closed early for Merdeak too! After that, went back to IFC (where my sis works) and in a way, to prevent myself from spending more money, spent two hours watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was fun, interesting and quirky and Johnny Depp was simply brilliant.

For dinner, sis and Doug brought me to this `Little Fat Lamb' (literal translation) place for Mongolian steamboat and it was really tasty and spicy! At night I was crazy enough to contemplate watching Alan Tam's concert again on Thursday (my last night in HK) but finally decided not to because I had made arrangement to meet up with Angie and Wai Sum for dinner. After all, it has been a few years since I last caught up with them, especially Angie and it would be lovely to see them again.

THURS: I had lunch with sis and family friend Linda at a Teochew restaurant and had something lighter after the heavy meal the night before. Then, Linda kindly helped me scout for a `red, white, blue' bag to fit all my shopping back home! After some leisure time (mainly window) shopping in IFC and Central area, I headed to Lan Kwai Fong, the drinking hole and night spot area of Hong Kong. It has been years since I've been there. We had a drink at Dolce Vita and then had a late dinner at Post 1997. It was real fun catching up with old friends whom you know way back when you were still a gawky teen. We ate, drank and chatted till almost midnight.

FRI: since my flight was 3pm, I had not much time as I couldn't rise early so need the one or two hours to pack. Checked in at the Airport Express Rai station then met up with sis for lunch and then took the train to airport. No time to do anymore duty free shopping as time was so tight. I think it was enough shopping for the week.. :p

After three-hour plus air journey and another almost 1-hour car ride, it's home sweet home. And it was double sweet to be welcomed so passionately by Jojo and Jelly. :)