Letter from Hong Kong - #16

A visit to the doctors office in Hong Kong is an experience, but of course not one I recommend simply because I hope, when you are here, you do not need a doctor. In any case I ate something that I should not have and everything that I put into my mouth for two days came running out of me within an hour or so!

Our hotel recommended a medical center here in the mall just outside our hotel. The lady indicated that many of their staff went their and were satisfy. The doctor I saw had a M.B. B.S. from Hong Kong University (HKU), which I think is a medical degree generally awarded to schools in the United Kingdom and countries such as Hong Kong and India, who were formerly colonies. The training for this degree, I am not completely sure, but I do not think it is extensive as the M.D. training in the States. I believe the M.B. B.S has about six years of training and some internship but not residency requirement.

Anyway the doctor I saw spoke very little English, which was surprising since I thought that the courses in medicine at HKU were giving in English. This gentleman was around sixty so maybe the requirements when he was in school was different.

Anyway the big, big difference in seeing a doctor here and in the States was getting all the medications as you leave his office and not have to go to a drug store with a prescription. Yeah, the doctor is a doctor and a druggist!

When I left I had four medications: ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic approved in 1983 by USDA but has some serious side effects (Tendinitis, sun sensitive to mention a few, but I guess all drugs have side effects),Dhamotil, Panadol, and Kaopectate. The total cost to see the doctor and for the medications: HK$350 which is about US$45.

Summation: I was very fortunate to have Jenny with me to translate or I would have been in trouble at the doctor's office! Today is the start of the second day after seeing the doctor and although I think my diarrhea is better I'm not out of the woods yet!

Letter from Hong Kong - #15

Yesterday was Chung Yeung Holiday or some call it Double Nine because it falls on the ninth day of the ninth month each year. It is the day that most if not all visits the grave of their ancestors. Jenny and I participated in this tradition with the family.

A shot from the Tsuen Wan Permanent Cemetery looking toward Tsing Yi.

Here is the family enjoying dinner on Chung Yeung Holiday.

More on getting around in Hong Kong:

Getting around Hong Kong is really easy if you don't mind taking public transportation. Since being here we have taken a bus, subway, light bus (a mini-van with about 14 passengers), ferries, taxis - water and land. In every case, except land taxi, we can use a smart card payment system called: Octopus. This Card was developed in 1993 by the five major transportation companies in Hong Kong. Today you can use this smart card not only to travel but to also buy groceries and in many shops. It is so convenient and reduces the amount of local currencies one must carry. Replenishing the card is very simple; it can be completed at any MTR station and also 7-Eleven stores.

Above is a shot of Tai O located on the Southeast corner of Lantau Island. To go from Hung Hum to Tai O using public transport it takes about one hour and forty-five minutes. Before the improvements in the MTR and roads on Lantau it would have taken, most likely twice that much time, if not more. Before 1997 the only way to get there was via ferry; now one has many other options with the MTR/bus being the fastest.

Letter from Hong Kong - #14

Tai O Island located just on off the southeast tip of Lantau Island has got to be one of my top ten places to see while in Hong Kong (maybe in my last post before I return to the States I will list my top ten). Tai O is an old fishing village and during the revolution war in China, it was one of the entry points into Hong Kong for people fleeing the war.

The bridge connecting Tai O to Lantau.

In about three hours, I took over a hundred pictures of Tai O, so I am having difficulty planning which ones to post. Also, Jenny took another one hundred plus!

Tai O is the home of the Tanka people who built their homes on stilts; these homes are inter-connected making for a tight knit family community.

Tai O Hertage Hotel , above, was once a former marine police barracks now a beautiful hotel about twenty minute walk from the village.

Sunset at the tip of Tai O adjacent to the hotel.

Letter from Hong Kong -#13

Hung Hom is just a short distance northeast of Tsim Sha Shui (TST) and is where the train station is now located. In 1974 the station moved from the TST Star Ferry area to Hung Hom because it was just too small. I'm sure I will take at least one photo of the old train station tower at Star Ferry.

The Hotel Metropolis is located in Hung Hom just a short distance from The Tsim Sha Shui Promenade, shown above. It is a great place to walk or run and scenery is beautiful.

As you might expect, walking around Hung Hom and seeing all the places to eat, it doesn't take long before we are sitting down eating some local cuisine. At this little restaurant, maybe 300 sq ft, Jenny had congee and I had jin doi.

This is what jin deui looks like. Crispy on the outside with sesame seeds and soft and chewy inside: love it!

The shop next door was the butcher in case you wanted to take some meat home for dinner!

Or some Chinese Medicine!

A shot from one of the pedestrian overpass.

 I took this picture in Hutchison Park then looked closely and saw all of these photographers with some serious cameras.

Serious equipment right? It turns out that these photographers were photographing a migratory bird, named Chinese Fly Catcher. I thought. But when I went on line to check it out, it was a different bird than the one we saw at the park. Anyway, they said that bird would only be in Hong Kong for three days before it migrated.

Back to the hotel in time for the sunset!

Letter from Hong Kong - #12

Next I would like to take you on a trip to the other side of Hong Kong Island to Aberdeen, a village on the south side of Hong Kong Island. Early 18th century when the first Gweilos (foreigners) arrived in Aberdeen they were told the name  of the village was Hong Kong. The visitors thought the locals were referring to the Island, so supposedly this is how the Island got its name. Later the "village of Hong Kong" was renamed to Aberdeen because it reminded the visitors of Aberdeen, Scotland (in Cantonese Aberdeen is Heung Gong Tsai- little Hong Kong).

 Picture of Aberdeen taken from Ap Lei Chau, an island just off Aberdeen. Aberdeen has always been a fishing village with many family living on their boats. It recent years that has changed and you find few boat people in an around Aberdeen.

Above picture shows a local lady buying her dinner from the fisherman and his wife. Talk about fresh! The man hoists the fish up in his net, the lady put the money in the net and the transaction is completed.

This is the taxi we rode to get from Aberdeen to Ap Lei Chau. There is a bridge connecting the two but the locals use boats to go back and forth.

We stopped in a couple of temples so Jenny could pray.

Of course the primary motivation for going to Aberdeen was to eat! To get to the Jumbo Floating Restaurant you have to take a ferry. Many years ago to get to the floating restaurants, there are two in this area, you took a junk which was more fun and authentic. When I was living in Hong Kong, we took our visitors, read bosses from the States, to the floating restaurant. It was considered at that time a tourist trap. Our daughter was here in Hong Kong several months back and attended a wedding reception at Jumbo's Top Deck. The Top Deck is run by Cafe Deco of Hong Kong who also has a restaurant at The Peak. Anyway the short of it is,  the Top Deck of the Jumbo is a great place to eat.

Here is our waiter taking our order from Jenny. We were the only ones in the main dinning room, although there were three other groups on the deck.

If you go down to the lower deck you find the "tourist". Chinese food is served here, which might explain why most tourist go there while on Top Deck European Cuisine is served.

This picture was taken on the Top Deck of the Jumbo; thirty years ago you would have seen mostly junks where the boat people resided.

I love this shot, also taken from the Top Deck: a sampan in front of these very expensive yachts.

Letter from Hong Kong - #11

You already know that we love eating and eating Dim Sum is a large part of eating here in Hong Kong.

Most of you also know Jenny likes the best! So it was off to Central to The Four Seasons Hotel for Dim Sum.

The presentation was great and food out of this world!

So, if one didn't like the food he would certainly enjoyed the beautiful views.

Closed-up shots of some of the major building in Central: China Bank Building on the right.

Major renovation project going on in Central along the South China Sea. This project was just beginning when we were last here. The foreground shows the park and promenade that will be on the waterfront when finish.

So, do you think Apple is popular in Hong Kong?

Another attempt to capture the view from our hotel. Not bad but I don't think I can do it justice: taking it through a window and with out a long zoom lens.

Letter from Hong Kong - #10

A little news from the China Daily. It appears that the local government wants to increased old age payments to anyone over 70 years to HK$2200, or about US$285. This payment is about double of the current payment. Also for the first time, the government wants to implement means testing. I thought this was interesting. I can remember when this payment to seniors didn't exist.

Now on the lighter side and a few more "walking around" photos:

Jenny buying lunch!

A couple of shops in Tuen Mun. I always amazed at what the locals can do with such small stores. These stores are about 200-300 sq. ft. Compared that to a Wal-Mart or Target store with thousands of sq ft. 

Shot in Tuen Mun from a pedestrian overpass.

A shot of an incoming light rail car. These electric cars run in the New Territories to connect with the MTR (Mass Trans Railway) and they are free, I think! I have never paid and no one as ever asked for payment. However, I think I see some locals paying! Haven't figured it out yet and Jenny doesn't want to know!

Letter from Hong Kong - #9

It seems as if I was eating all day yesterday. Just one of those beautiful day where you spend a lot of time with family and eat.

First, Dim Sum with Grace and Tony. This photo shows the first "serving". You finish these and more come!

After Dim Sum we went to the cemetery to pay our respects to Grace's brother and Jenny's nephew. 

Walking around one of the side streets of Central.

One of my favorite streets in Central in fact this scene is in our living room in a painting hanging over our mantle.

At Tai Ping Koon where we had our mid-afternoon snack; above shows us with the largest souffle I have ever seen! The beef curry was also delicious. 

After our tea time, we walked around Central some more. Above is the Former French Mission Building, now the Court of Final Appeal. Check the history of this historical structural. It has been used since the beginning of Hong Kong as a Colony of Great Britain.

Lippo  Building in the center with the Cheung Kong Building on the right.

Current Legislative Council Building and formerly the Supreme Court Building which is now located in the High Court Building on Queensway Street.

So, by now is is time to eat yet again! Some of the family at an Italian restaurant in Causeway Bay.

Letters from Hong Kong - #8

The weather seems to be getting a little cooler, but highs are still in the mid-eighties, which is a little too warm for me. With this warm weather comes foggy conditions almost everyday.

Yesterday we had lunch Le Solteil (the sun) in the Royal View Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui with Helen and Sister.

This is a shot of the restaurant in the hotel.

Helen gave this fan that she made to Jenny. It is a beautiful fan with beautiful Chinese Calligraphy. Helen and Jenny have been friends since grade school and still the best of friends, which absolutely amazes me. They live about 8000 miles apart and still managed to talk to each other on birthdays, holidays and other special occasions. Helen's kids, not kids anymore, call Jenny Auntie Jenny and our Peggy call Helen Auntie Helen. As you can see, they are family! 

Le Solteil is a Vietnamese Restaurant and a good one. This picture only shows the appetizers. Once I got into eating the noodles, spring rolls, and other delicious items I just forgot to take another pictures!

Another shot inside the hotel. Years ago the Family use to come here often to the Chinese Restaurant beside the scene above.

Another shot of the beautiful ladies beside the fountain.

As I was walking out of the restaurant I notice this case of Shanghainese Crab on display. This is the season for this expensive delicacies.