Alas with some technical difficulties on my part there will be limited pics for this post. Note to self: don’t turn on computer and reboot whilst in a haze from just waking up and not back things up!!
Argh…so in my technical handicaps I’ve accidentally deleted all my pics thus far, HOWEVER in receiving a link from a friend and with the help of PC Inspector Smart Recovery I am getting the majority of them back! Yipee, all is NOT lost ~whew~ learned yet another valuable lesson on my journey!
Finally with much more of a delay than I expected I will be off an a train and on my way to salad rolls and Pho. It’s a two day trip boasting of excellent scenery and hopefully comfortable soft sleepers. As long as I remember to take my memory card with me from the transferring and recovery of my pics!
Although my trip was delayed I’m quite happy it was. I’ve met some more wonderful new friends, strengthened some great existing ones, and spent some more valuable time with family. Things always happen for a reason and I’m finding the silver lining!
Although I love my people in HK I think I’m definitely ready for something new. New food, new culture, new sites and new friends. I love the convenience of many things here but at the same time I’m missing a lot of the North American conveniences as well. With traveling to new countries brings the immense appreciation for all the things you take for granted. For example; driving my car, having my own space and singing at the top of my lungs albeit out of tune and I probably am not even singing the correct words, but, there’s no one around to stare at you with sideways glances or questioning eyes. ALSO another top one would definitely have to be the smell of clean air, without wafts of…mysterious intoxication’s, and I’m not implying on the ones you see on TV where the women walks by a man and her perfume grabs him by the nose and he’s suddenly stricken to follow her. I’ll be kind and leave out the descriptions of what I do smell. Let your imaginations run wild!
I am also very much learning a lot about myself. I never regarded myself as a person with narrow views on many topics, but I suppose living in a city for ten years does that to a person. I don’t necessarily mean that I am narrow minded but I guess I was a bit of a curmudgeon and had my ways of dealing with things and my understanding on how things in life should be. Turns out there is NO absolute right way to deal with matters however as long as you’re open to new suggestions and input you can’t make a wrong decision. Tucan Sam says follow your nose…or your heart with a combination of your head and you’re sure to make the right decision regardless. It’s amazing the views of so many different people from so many various places in the world with such vast cultural differences. Exciting to learn and hear about them all BUT – ok Canada just kicked butt in Hockey in the Olympics IN Canada so here’s my shout out to my favorite place in the world, but I am biased just like our parents or you as parents have a favorite child, don’t admit you don’t!!!
Of course what’s my blog without some food references! In my extended stay I’ve also attended another three to five (five too many) family meals all inclusive of the famous ten course meal served at so many restaurants all across HK. I never thought I would ever bore of food but c’mon people SOME variety?? It’s the exact same ten courses at each and every dinner…starting with roast pig, then some crab claws, some shark fin’s soup (don’t hate me, all you animal lovers I try to avoid eating it when I can!) and finally ending with some noodle and rice dish, with sweet buns, oranges and red bean soup for dessert.
I have to rave about Mon a Japanese restaurant across from Sogo in Causeway Bay. This place was delectable! My cousin, her husband and her daughter had taken me and wanted a visit before I left which was to be in a few days. The food was amazing. They skewers of chicken and beef were just the right amount of spicy. The sushi was extremely fresh, and really compared to that of the sushi you can get in the west coast. I also had one rack of lamb (one piece) and it was cooked to perfection. Nice and tender, while there was an outer crust of seasoning and not gamey at all and lamb is hard to perfect. We started with an octopus salad. The octopus was dipped in what seemed like tempura batter and served crispy a top the salad with a light balsamic vinegar dressing. The crispy octopus was just the right balance with the fresh mixed greens with just a small tang of acidity that balanced out the flavors perfectly. I also ordered a grape shochu, which seemed like a great idea, grape is my favorite – yes I’m still a kid at heart, however it didn’t taste so good. I still drank it anyway, can’t waste liquor, I think in Canada it’s called liquor abuse. I then ordered a lychee shochu which was by far more tasty. Stick with flavors the Asian culture has mastered.
What I found interesting is that my cousin’s daughter who is 2-1/2, loves sushi. Her favorite is Fish Roe sushi. We called it boh boh’s, which translates to ball ball sushi and I suppose as a kid if it’s crunchy, pops in your mouth or otherwise fun to eat they’re going to like it! I was amazed. I was thinking back to when I was a child and certainly don’t recall liking sushi, however being brought up in Yellowknife (another story), there wasn’t sushi, so it’s all conditioning and what’s available. Sorry mom, it’s YOUR fault I only took up sushi so late in life! Haha..
Another big revelation I never was conscious about was the impression you leave on people. Sub consciously I am of course aware you leave an impression on everyone you meet. At least I suppose you do, or perhaps on some occasions I feel as though I’m not making any impression at all which then turns out to be the exact opposite.
I went down to block to pick up some nasty herbal medicine drink for my aunt who was sick. She had it brewed at the herbal store, which was next to her fruit stand for many many years. She no longer has her fruit stand and is retired. Digressing…so I walked in and asked for her ‘tea’ and the woman behind the counter asked when I came back from Canada, and that I was the daughter of my aunt’s oldest sister right?! I was quite amazed these women remembered me and after all this time. I hadn’t really been here or to see her in a long time, and I must not have really changed look wise for her to remember me. We chatted a bit more and she couldn’t believe that I was an adult now and that she remembered me when I was knee high to a grasshopper (OK, no jokes, I know I’m only barely taller than that now) and that we use to visit my aunt a lot in the summers with my two brothers. Amazing, an impact you make on..someone you thought was a neighbor or complete stranger.
The next account is at my other aunt’s spring dinner. This one owns a uniform store. So she has staff that sews the uniforms and she provides them to the schools. We arrived at dinner exactly the same time she had with one of her staff that they call ‘see foo”, which is master translated. Someone you would call if you were training under them for some martial arts or someone who’s mastered something, in this case, sewing. She looked at me in the elevator and said this must be Tai Yee Ma (Big Auntie) daughter. Wow, again made some impression as I haven’t seen this lady in more than just a few years.
Where I’m going with this is that I’m amazed at the impressions I leave on people without knowing that I’m leaving on others. It’s the same with myself, it’s unexplainable, and perhaps at the time we think it’s meaningless, but I have always viewed meeting people for a reason. There is always a reason for meeting people along the way. It’s just a matter of being cognizant and aware of why you are meeting them. Perhaps they had a need that you fulfilled, or perhaps you had a need they needed to fulfill, either way it’s never a coincidence. Having the insight to understand why you met them when you did is really the light bulb turning on inside the brain….
With that being said I am meeting many people who have given me other views in life. Hopefully for those I have met you have decided to give my blog a read and know who you are! I’m sure at the time they may not realize that they are leaving an impression however that is the best way to leave an impression, be yourself and someone will find value…hopefully….!!