HongKong - Thru My Eyes

Minutes before we landed in HK, roughly before 10AM, last 10th of September 2011, I breathed out a silent prayer of thanks for having a safe flight. Though we’ve talked about all sorts of enjoyable and near-death experiences we’ve encountered, my comic seatmate resisted my gratitude and mentioned “Too early to be thankful”.

Agree. I cannot blame anyone part of this trip to have second thoughts of visiting HK. After a year of the scandalous HK tourists-hostage-taking in Manila, there have been various talks searching for justice and peace. But while I’m writing and posting these photos now, I feel earnestly sorry the victims and their families. However, we don’t have to generalize – time and unforeseen occurrences befall us all. True enough, these issues were forgotten and a new story began as the plane touched HK’s airport.

HongKong - from a Cantonese name meaning "fragrant harhour"

We arrived at L’Hotel Nina, a 5-star hotel situated in Kowloon and checked-in.

Being nested on the 51st floor gave us a view of the harbor

and the breathtaking skyscrapers outside.

A little fast forward. Since the trip was settled thru a corporate agency, we didn’t have any problem going to our destination. However, being a bit adventurous during our free time, we ventured throughout the bustling streets of the city and that’s when we were exposed to HK’s real world.

A tourist has an option to ride the MTR (HK’s version of a railway transit) and independently express bravery in a Cantonese-speaking world, or simply ride a cab. Oops, not “simply”. Every ride is a challenge since most of the drivers cannot understand English. The strategy is to show the Chinese characters (request from tour guide/hotel) of your destination. And remember, don’t block driver’s view of the side mirror unless you want him knocking on your head and getting your out of the way.

Avenue of Stars - honors celebrities of HK film industry

Jackie Chan's handprints

HK's version of the Statue of Liberty :P

Jumbo Floating Restaurant

Victoria Peak view

Shopping is one of the most-loved activities by tourists in HK. I am not a fan of their MongKok night market, but admittedly the shops in the malls offer less expensive branded products than in my hometown. If you want to go shopping for branded items, explore the shops! :D

Overall, I admire HK for being an independent city-state of China. It truly is an "East-meets-West" place reflecting perfect mix of Chinese and British cultures.

Mh-goi HK!

Loving a Flower

"We say we love flowers, yet we pluck them. We say we love trees, yet we cut them down. And people still wonder why some are afraid when told they are loved." - Anonymous

When Photoshop Fails

I am avid fan of Photoshop and other photo-editing software tools. However, when integrity is at stake, that’s the time we have to acknowledge boundaries of digital manipulation.

Though for the past years Photoshop has became popular and has evolved into a “verb” (edit and enhance) and a “skill and talent” applauded by many, today we are faced with a brouhaha of how Photoshop can damage integrity.

This is the controversial photo of DPWH officials on their Facebook page.

It may look ordinary at first sight, but controversy has shown us that this is not the real scenario. A “proactive” DPWH employee ‘photoshopped’ and posted this on DPWH’s Facebook page (at his own risk). People reacted at these manipulated photos and even tried to spread more enhanced photos of the officials in different scenarios. (Courtesy of Yahoo News)

The “artist’s” wishy-washy job teaches us some lessons:

1. Be careful of things you post, especially when it involves other prominent individuals.


2. Do not underestimate the power of proofreading/checking.


3. Never ever publish a lame creation.

Hong Kong Food Trip

From street-style comfort foods to rich king's meals, we roamed the bustling streets of Hong Kong looking for the foreign taste that will satisfy our palate. Here are HK edibles that fulfilled our cravings.

Fishballs, etc.

Who says street foods are dirty? You’ll forget about this when you tried HK’s fishballs – noticeable for their firmness. For almost every street that you’ll see, you’ll find a shop that specializes in this beloved snack. And if you’re really desperate, go to Tsim Sha Tsui, a major food district in Hong Kong. Enjoy the HK version of fishball sauce - intense curry flavor.

Egg tart

Though egg tarts may only be considered as snacks, they may be eaten any time of the day. Be it a breakfast starter, dessert after lunch or as take home after dinner, egg tarts can be seen around HK and the ones they serve have been adapted to local Chinese tastes. We were able to taste two varieties of egg tarts - one with a flaky puff pasty shell and another with a sweet shortbread crust. The former was from a local bakery and the latter was from KFC. Both are filled with a rich custard that is eggy and creamy.

Milk tea

It's love at first sip. You could argue that milk tea is a tool to intensify your tummy’s activity, but it’s all worth it. A good milk tea in HK is a bit bitter, full-bodied and velvety smooth. It can be served hot, but a cold glass after a long tour will healthily quench your thirst. Too bad, they don’t offer it bottomless in HK.

Noodles, etc.

Be it wonton, egg, seafood or rice noodle, the taste and texture makes it special. Noodle shops in HK have been in business for various decades. Never miss a noodle meal in HK, together with fried rice and other Chinese viands.

Moon cake and other mini cakes

Just in time for the mooncake festival during our last visit, these cakes are indispensable delicacies on this occasion. May sound weird, but it tasted like the Filipino ‘hopia’ for me, but richer in flavor. And oh, thanks to my sweet friend for her mooncake souvenir. :)

McDonalds

Oh well, the famous fastfood chain is (as usual) present in HK. What’s different from the branches in the Philiippines? The jam, some a la carte and the price. Haha

Proud to see the Filipino's "Love Ko 'To" tagline displayed with English and Chinese.

Other must-tries: Congee, Peking Duck

Suggested Restaurant:

Chiu Fat Restaurant

G/F 48 San Tsue St. Tsuen

Telephone Numbers: 26122787

Scavengers

In a series of events around the globe, there is a surge of natural disasters; which includes great floods, devastating tsunamis, tornadoes and uncontrollable weather instabilities. After these disasters, affected people became clad in a dramatic stress and then media proactively presents the occurrence to the whole world.

However, silently being established, there is one career that goes skyrocketing. The leaders of it are the scavengers. When nothing is more important than survival, there are people who think outside the box and surprise us with their acts. Although a scavenger is originally an animal that searches for dead plants or animals on which to feed, an individual becomes a scavenger once he possesses the human behavior to roam and scour the streets looking for something beneficial for him.

A barefooted old man collects items which will provide his family days of survival.

A young boy smiles proudly as he quantifies his precious collections to his ‘colleague’.

This “career” has no age requirement, pre-requisite course nor any overwhelming qualifications. The only important thing for an individual to enter this business is perseverance, determination, a strong cause why to scavenge and a conscience to know when lines should be crossed.