Clockenflap!

Yesterday Kelly and I went to day one of Clockenflap - a two-day music festival. Tickets are free, but you have to register well in advance because attendance is limited. After missing out last year, we registered as soon as we heard about it this year. So far, we haven't been disappointed. The music is awesome - Zebra and Snake have been the best so far, but tonight is the Cribs and Santigold, who should both be pretty good. The location is the promenade along the West Kowloon Cultural District, and it's gorgeous. Some photos:

Waiting to get in:

Me with my two favorite things - beer and Kelly:

Handsome men:

The harbour:

Christmas lights across the harbour:

After dark - cool weather and a full moon. Perfect:

And a brief video clip right after sunset during the Zebra and Snake show, just to get a sense of the venue:

Lots of fun, headed back today!

Our Epic Trip - The Movie!

Our epic trip from Hong Kong to Kazakhstan (by train!) has been made into a movie by the fabulous Happy Jellyfish Peoples Democratic Language Bureau. Not only does this film feature yours truly, but it contains all the information you need to make this epic trip yourself - Mando phrases, drinking etiquette, where to visit (and where to avoid), the best foods to try... even the proper backpack to carry! At $100 HKD, that's less than one HKD per minute! Check out the trailer, then head over to Happy Jellyfish to get yourself a copy.

Grocery shopping is never boring.

You can tell I shop at the classy supermarket because they only sell EDIBLE frog.

(Also, how awesome is it that I live in a place where they print the scientific name of the animal on the package?)

Hong Kong in 2x5 inches

My new iPhone cover, bought in Shenzhen. Louis Vuitton, gold, rhinestones.... the Hong Kongiest thing I've ever owned.

In other news, the new iPhone will be released in Hong Kong on November 11th. Families in Central should start sending their domestic helpers to wait in line right about... now.

Bunny transport

I take back everything I've ever said about Cantonese food.

Okay, not really. But holy wow - last night we had some amazing food.

We'd walked by the Hoi Tin Garden restaurant a few times and noticed a plaque on the facade proclaiming that The Wall Street Journal (that bastion of culinary discrimination) had called it one of the "Top 10 Restaurants in Asia." What? In Tuen Mun? So we had to give it a try.

It's located on a street full of shops selling seafood, so first you walk around and buy your victims.

"Today...you die."

You then carry the writhing, dripping bag into the restaurant, hand it to your waitress, sit back, drink a beer (okay, it was three beers. DON'T YOU JUDGE ME), and wait.

And then the food begins arriving. We started with a few non-seafood dishes. First, the best char siu pork I've ever had:

Roasted goose:

Then on to the seafood. Crab in curry:

Prawns with garlic:

Fish steamed in soy sauce:

Stop staring at me, fish! What did I ever do to you?? Oh... nevermind.

And razor clams with noodles:

I think there were some vegetables as well, but really - who cares?

Oktoberfest

We went to King Ludwig's BeerHall in Yuen Long last night. Here's how the conversation with the waitress went:

Me: I'll have one liter of blahblahlager.

Her: One liter?

"Yes."

"One liter?"

"Yes."

"One liter? You?"

"YES I AM A GIGANTIC WHITE PERSON NOW GIVE ME MY GIGANTIC BEER."

(I also had the pork knuckle, which the menu suggested was "for 2-3 people.")

And later I ordered another beer. That's right, waitress - I'm a gweilo and THAT'S WHAT WE DO.