The View from the Wall

NOW YOU SEE ME Looks like a good cast - the trailer has...

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:55:01 -0400

NOW YOU SEE ME

Looks like a good cast - the trailer has convinced me that this is a worthy watch for the movie list.

Another favourite GoT scene from this season: “Chaos isn’t a...

Tue, 14 May 2013 01:38:57 -0400

Another favourite GoT scene from this season:

“Chaos isn’t a pit. Chaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it fail, and never get to try again. The fall breaks them. And some are given a chance to climb, but refuse. They cling to the realm, or love, or the gods…illusions. Only the ladder is real. The climb is all there is. But they’ll never know this. Not until it’s too late.” - Littlefinger

Duck Tales

Tue, 14 May 2013 01:17:30 -0400

Before the rush off to New York for a long work-training trip, I wanted to get a real life glimpse of the giant floating rubber ducky in the HK harbour which has been clogging up my fb newsfeed with cuteness overload photos and comments since its arrival.

I knew that going on the weekend wasn’t going to be a good idea but I didn’t really have a choice. On Saturday, I took the ferry across to TST only to find the pier completely bursting at the seams with people (mostly mainland tourists), all the way up into ocean terminal. Yikes!! There was no way I was going to able to wrestle my way through for a good photo without getting frustrated, so in my lightbulb moment, I told D we should go to the carpark of the Hong Kong Marco Polo Hotel, where the annual bierfest takes place for a better view. There were a few others who had the same idea but it wasn’t too bad. I snapped the one photo I really needed. That of the “duck v. the people”. Rub-a-dub-dub!

Why is this duck so popular? The media has been all over the Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman in featuring his unconventional piece. Is it our love for bright, yellow bathtoys? A hark back to our happy childhood? Ernie certainly sums it up in the Sesame Street classic “Rubber ducky you’re the one” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh85R-S-dh8 . But as D mentioned when he had to queue up in the shop with tons of others who were buying little rubber ducky memorabilia – it’s all about commercialism in Hong Kong…

Summer 2008 memories. Great song and a fave oldie.

Sat, 04 May 2013 11:35:34 -0400

Summer 2008 memories. Great song and a fave oldie.

BADASS My favourite scene from Game of Thrones season 3 so far....

Sat, 04 May 2013 03:48:35 -0400

BADASS

My favourite scene from Game of Thrones season 3 so far. Daenarys has always been a top character for me. Maybe time to sew a new costume for this year’s Halloween?

condenasttraveler: New York’s Waterfront Revival | Kayaking in...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 13:13:36 -0400

condenasttraveler:

New York’s Waterfront Revival | Kayaking in Brooklyn Bridge Park

Could be something new to try!

Daniel Day-Lewis is OBAMA.

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 12:59:30 -0400

Daniel Day-Lewis is OBAMA.

FACING THE BRICK

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 12:53:37 -0400

Triathletes have a training regime called the “Brick”, which basically means training on two disciplines in a single workout. It’s especially important in their case since triathlons are a combination of basically three disciplines done back to back. By incorporating brick training into a workout session allows the body to learn how to most efficiently and effectively recover as it transitions into the next exercise. It’s intense and is usually a mix of two of the following: cycling, swimming and running.

I gave this brick concept a trial run by heading to the gym for a consecutive workout of TRX + Spin. Except, it wasn’t just the standard classes, it was TRX Super Circuit and Turbo Spin, which meant they were the hardest and most dynamic classes in the range. After 2 hours of a full body endurance workout my muscles were sore but not as bad as I thought they would be. Maybe I’m fitter now and recovery is generally faster, but I didn’t get hit the next morning or even the morning after that the way I would have been back in the day.

My view is that incorporating a brick during the week is definitely not a bad idea because it pushes the boundaries just a little bit more than usual as the body learns to sustain speed and power. I guess TRX + Spin may not be the typical brick combo, but hey, I think any alternative form of bricking it has its benefits. After all, it’s ultimately about going the distance and achieving your goals.

SWIM, SWAM, SWUM.

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:02:00 -0400

Apparently I saw the video of the shark circling around Hong Kong waters a little too late http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRYjj8aGP6g when I made my open water swimming debut with the Open Water Swimmers of Hong Kong group. Sounds hardcore? Well I’m not but they definitely are!

Since I’m still taking my April off-running break to ease my lower pack pain and let my legs and feet recover, I thought some swimming would be a good alternative form of exercise. Unfortunately, it’s been a fairly miserable April so far and the cold rain has kept me away from the tiny apartment pool downstairs. However, the last Saturday, we were greeted with an unexpected sunny HK morning. The first word that came to my mind was – BEACH.

I met up with PF just as it started to rain again and we could not believe our bad luck. We ended up arriving at a rather empty Deep Water Bay as a result of the sudden downpour, but miraculously, the rain cleared up just as quickly as it had come. As a further bonus for our commitment of heading to the beach anyways, the sun re-emerged, brighter than ever!

It was still only half one at this time and I hadn’t quite decided on whether I wanted to join the open water swimmers yet when this guy walked past us and said to me “hey I know you, you’re Hana’s friend!” It happened to be AF, whom I haven’t seen for quite a while. I was wondering why he had come to the beach by himself when he mentioned that he was checking out the open water swimmers for the first time too. How could that be such a coincidence? The stars had it all lined up for me already.

As we caught up and chatted, I was eventually persuaded to try out a swim with the group. What’s the worse that could happen? Sharks? Drowning? Jellyfish? So off I go in my fancy new 2XU tri suit (I love the almost weightless feel of the material and that it’s a zipless one-piece) to join the “B” group for newbies. Honestly, I was fairly intimidated by the fit looking crowd that regularly did this. Most of them were training for some sort of triathlon or aquathon race. On the other hand, I just wanted to challenge myself and maybe maybe try out a “Splash n Dash” race.

So it WAS TOUGH! The toughest swimming I have ever done in my life and possibly the furthest without being allowed to stop. The whole time we were either treading water or doing some sort of training exercise. It was quite the eye opener for me. I was critiqued on my form (my head was too far up in the water and I kicked too hard, therefore wasting more energy than required), instructed on how to do proper strokes, what to do when I got tired, how to draft and most of all, how to just keep going. I was the slowest in the group and I’m not exactly a poor swimmer. In fact, I had always thought I was a pretty strong swimmer. But the difference is whether you do any formal training. All the little tips improved my efficiency in swimming and that is what boosts endurance and speed. At the end of the class I was completely spent but also rather proud that I made it through. Some people are born to run, some are born to cycle, but I love the water and I love to swim. I’m glad AF came along and convinced me to go beyond my comfort zone that day because now I’m looking forward to pushing further and improving my swimming technique so I can easily compete in open water (sans shark). After all, there’s no point having awesome race gear if you don’t actually use it in a race, right?? =P Potentially looking at http://www.revolution-asia.com/Events/Compressport_Splash__n_Dash_Aquathon_Series/Compressport_Splash__n_Dash_Aquathon_Race_3.htm on June 23rd?

SWEET CHEESES!

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:23:31 -0400

Farmers markets, organic farms and cheese fests are a few things hitting the hot and trending thermometer in Hong Kong right now. This past weekend, there were two events worthy of mention, although I only managed to make a trip down to one of them (most unfortunate since I’m a huge foodie). The one I missed out on was the “Harvest Feast” – a gathering of several reputable chefs from various popular restaurants in the city on Zen Organic Farm in the New Territories to show their support for and promote local and organic farming and produce. I heard it was quite the artisan’s affair, and now that friends who have gone have shared their experience with me, I find it a shame that I didn’t splurge a little (it cost a hefty $1,488 to participate) and eat myself silly with the food made by those guest chefs. Now that I’ve discovered Home Grown Foods (http://www.homegrownfoods.com.hk/), the guys who led the charge on this event also run various organic farming classes and related farming activities for children, I’m hoping my reinvented charity will have a chance to work with them in the near future.

But on to the cheese festival – an event that I actually did go to! I had felt a little lazy about having to travel to the so-called “dark side” for this, but when my friend posted a photo on fb, the decision was made without further thought. PF and I, who had been hanging out in Deep Water Bay enjoying the rare burst of sun, packed up our beach bags and let our noses do the walking. The cheese fest consisted of a number of interesting cheese tasting and wine pairing events but my focus this time was on the cheese market, which we could already distinctly smell the second we stepped into Hullett House.

Set in the Mariners pub, it was an intimate but busy affair, with a rather impressive collection of allegedly over 300 types of cheese. The best bit was getting to try anything and everything before you purchased it. How often do you get to do that all in one go? So I milled around for a while, asking lots of questions and recommendations from someone with a French accent who seemed like a cheese connoisseur, while selecting the cheeses I enjoyed the most. It was like being in cheese heaven! Although it was a bit crowded, the transaction was surprisingly efficient, mainly because of the fact that the organizers (smartly) decided to make it a set price for all the cheese. You basically received a bag with your name, made your cheese selections and at the end of it all, someone weighs it for you and you pay. With the price tag at $55/100g for everything in the shop, it was a STEAL, and yes, I did go home with quite a stash!

When D got back from Taiwan, we made quite a sumptuous cheese and crackers dinner out of the $500 worth of yumminess I bought – brie, camembert, Roquefort, garlic goat cheese, parmesan…several others I don’t quite remember but bought because my taste buds said YES! The reality is, HK needs to have more of these events, maybe even on a grander scale, so that the city can permanently establish its own East-meets-west style of farmers markets for all seasons.

RUN4BOSTON A bit of a wet evening, but a determined group still...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:43:00 -0400

RUN4BOSTON

A bit of a wet evening, but a determined group still turned out for the HK Harbour Runners’ organised run on Wednesday night to show support for the victims of the Boston Marathon. Proudly wearing our freshly printed bibs, we stood around in a circle and bowed our heads for a minute of silence before striding out into the pouring rain to do what we were there to do - RUN.

QING MING

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:33:10 -0400

With the drizzly, humid grayness of April in Hong Kong, I’m reminded of the Tang poem by 杜牧 titled “清明”, which I learnt to recite when I was younger.

清明时节雨纷纷,

路上行人欲断魂;

借问酒家何处有,

牧童遥指杏花村.

It pretty much embodies what the period of spring rain is like – depressing. Everyone feels more lethargic, we’re kept from doing any outdoor activities, we (girls) worry that the rain will cause us to more easily slip on our heels and twist an ankle, we get angry when inconsiderate pedestrians poke their umbrellas in our faces and we get frustrated when we can’t get a taxi and traffic is obscenely bad.

However, at the same time, these long stretches of bad weather really make us treasure those rare days of clear skies and sunshine. This past weekend was one such example.

The Hong Kong observatory forecasts for the weekend indicating sunny intervals were tentative at most, but I was crossing my fingers and hoping the clouds would keep away so I could do some outdoorsy activities. Luckily, things proved to be extremely positive and we were blessed with an extraordinarily dry (and even rather sunny) Saturday and Sunday. It’s still surprising to me what a difference the weather can make to attitudes and spirits. For the entire weekend I was hyper and lively, ready to do a million and one things, which I sort of did, without exaggeration.

Saturday morning began with squash with NL for an hour (okay so this is indoors but it was a great energy booster to the day), followed by an afternoon of cycling in the New Territories from Tai Wai to Tai Mei Tuk and back. It was supposed to be a big group cycling trip but you know how it is waiting around for everyone to gather and get started. I had plans at 5pm to attend a free lap dancing class at PoleDivas rather than stay for dinner with the others so was eager to get on the road as soon as I could. Eventually, NL and I started before the others did and I was glad we made that decision so we didn’t have to waste time standing around as people got their bikes. The rental bikes were passable in terms of quality but I wish I had spent a bit more money getting a decent road bike, not that I really saw one. The bicycle rental shops in Tai Wai are pretty much a monopoly (ie run by the triads) so basically get whatever was available. I even had to ask three times before I managed to convince the guy to give me a proper sized bike as opposed to the ones they categorized for females, which had smaller wheels and felt tiny to sit on.

But once we were off it was fantastic. I felt so free riding along the well-defined bicycle lanes and it made me really miss having a bike as a mode of transport, as I did back in Chicago and Philly. The NT route is gorgeous to ride through, and despite it being a popular day for groups and families to cycle, it wasn’t overly crowded so we could still ride fairly fast and smoothly. We arrived in Tai Mei Tuk in about an hour an a half, having made a couple stops and diversions on route, and was ready to reward our efforts at a typical char chaan teng over wings, cold cokes and fried rice. I wanted to ride back to Tai Wai so decided to wait for the rest of the crew to arrive. Once the first group caught up, I joined them to head up to the reservoir before cruising all the way back with Christy. Almost 50km in one day, I have done that for a while that’s for sure! I believe the last time I was on a 3-hour bike ride was riding from Philly to Manayunk a couple years back, which was also a distance of around 50km. I was rather proud of what I managed until D messaged me to say he had just done 120km under 44 degree weather in Thailand…FAIL.

Saturday evening continued with a quick stop at MZ’s house party as she’s leaving HK soon to embark on new adventures (and married life) in Vienna, followed by some crazy partying with the HKTRs to celebrate AK’s birthday. What else can I say if the party included body shots, lap dancing and finished up in Wanchai dancing at Dusk till Dawn?

Despite a late-ish night, I managed to roll myself out of bed on Sunday morning in time for a trail running and yoga session run by the Lululemon studio. We did an easy 8k trail run along HK trail 3 before settling down to stretch in Wanchai Gap Park and I thought it was a great event to do. It was completely free too! What’s more, I ended up chatting and running along a girl who had studied at UWCSEA – what are the odds of that in small HK? After that, it was off to JLL’s for the day, chilling in his garden and gorging on tasty homemade pate and pies with the HKTR peeps who participated or supported in the Lantau 50/100 race. Mr. Rain stayed away the entire time and Mr. Sun even paid us a visit during the afternoon!

So there you have it, my very active weekend, brought to life with a burst of bright weather. This weekend isn’t looking so good, but then again, it’s probably time to give my body a break and enjoy some sleep-ins instead.

FLAMENCO FLASHMOB Being a flamenco lover, this was a really...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:19:30 -0400

FLAMENCO FLASHMOB

Being a flamenco lover, this was a really interesting write up by the BBC on how flamenco flash mobs have become a contemporary protest against banks and the economic crisis in Spain.

SOLIDARITY It is never pleasant to wake up in the morning...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:19:00 -0400

SOLIDARITY

It is never pleasant to wake up in the morning expecting to start the day as usual, only to hear that tragedy has struck. There are no words to describe how horrifying it is that a peaceful, international running event has been stunned by an attack, which has killed and injured a number of innocents. The Boston Marathon is renowned for being the oldest annual marathon in the world – a marathon that everyone aspires to participate in, not only because of its worldwide popularity, but because it is also a challenge to enter into due to its qualifying time requirements. For instance, I will need to have successfully completed another recognized marathon under 3 hrs 35 mins in order to qualify for my age group, not an easy feat at all!

Despite the despair and questions raised about humanity caused by this incident, I sense the reassurance of hope in the post-explosion scenes of people selflessly rushing to help others that were hurt or rattled by the shock. Every loss of human life is tragic and every innocent injury is unjustified, and I don’t have to be a runner to feel all the agony and sadness surrounding this event. But because I am a runner, the emotions run stronger and cut deeper.

Today I have once more been shaken to recognize the fragility of life and how often humanity hangs on a thin thread of polarities – Right v Wrong, Good v Evil, Rich v Poor, Power v Weakness.

April is supposed to be my time-off from running and racing but I’ve decided to make an exception. Tomorrow I will run, maybe even more than once. If there is nothing else I can do from this other side of the world, I would at least want to show that my heart is with those in Boston who suffer and whose lives will never be the same again.

Boston Marathon 2013 will always be etched in our minds as a day where bloodshed came to one of the most pacifist sports in the world. So I say runners unite and one day, when I do qualify for the Boston Marathon (if ever =P), I will REMEMBER.

hitrecordjoe: jaredgeller: <3 (image via...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:15:57 -0400

hitrecordjoe:

jaredgeller:

<3

(image via TheIlluminator)

For information on how you can help, please CLICK HERE

WEDDING KUNG FU With all the wedding invites piling up this...

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:00:14 -0400

WEDDING KUNG FU

With all the wedding invites piling up this year, I came across this photo from last year’s StarChi do. So. Much. Fun.

REASONS NOT TO STRETCH

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:45:00 -0400

REASONS NOT TO STRETCH:

Two new studies provide additional reasons not to warm up with a stretch. I’m all for dynamic stretching though!

HABEMUS PAPAM

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:20:00 -0400

I’m a bit behind on the news blogosphere-wise but things have been a happening in Q1 2013. From Benedict’s shocking resignation (he’s still Pope Emeritus anyways), the election of Pope Francis (the first chosen from outside of Europe), the induction of China’s new President (hailing the beginning of the “Xi Li era”), the death of Hugo Chavez (Castro is so out-living everyone), North Korea’s latest missile threat (anything new?) and fear of a new bird flumageddon (it’s been 10 years since SARs, time for another deadly disease outburst?)

The world is indeed an exciting place and it’s sometimes very interesting to step back and just see how all this is unfolding around my life, which comparatively would appear more mundane. Personally however, I wouldn’t think that about my life at all because my schedule has been packed to the brim with all sorts of events and activities.

Lots of friends have been bounding to exotic countries like Sri Lanka and Myanmar for the long Easter break, but D and I have stayed in town as his folks were visiting. The weekend before they arrived, D and I hosted one of our exclusive Sunday Roast dinners to celebrate St. Paddy’s, as usual with a carefully selected guest list =P. This time, D made an absolutely perfectly cooked leg of lamb, RP, who was responsible for appetizers, made potato scones (to fit the Irish theme) and N&J even had a cake delivered to the door (due to a couple hours of apparent drama in the cake ordering). Pairing my love of cooking with my love of hosting is so much fun, even if it does get quite stressful. Fortunately, D and I make a great team!

We enjoy the hosting game so much that we also had a little Easter Sunday Brunch gathering, although in this one, only the girls (KL and I) cooked. D requested fancy croque madames, which turned out to be fairly complicated to make for four people in a small kitchen, especially when KL was also there making pancakes simultaneously. Eventually though, everything turned out well and it was definitely far better that heading out to town for an overpriced Easter set lunch that pretty much all the restaurants were promoting.

In between all that, we also had, as some of the highlights, an over night Macau trip with D’s folks where we did some tour guiding and watched the brilliant House of Dancing Water, participated in a not-so-easy-as-it-seems latte art class, did some running/cycling races, met up for drinks with my friend YO from UWCSEA, whom I hadn’t seen since high school graduation and went on a cultural excursion to the Warhol exhibit at the art museum! Maybe it’s time to catch a breath, now that the big holidays are over until May…but first, D’s friend DB from Ireland will be in town from tomorrow till Tues…

A Thousand Years - Christina Perri Glee was on TV and this...

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 11:30:56 -0400

A Thousand Years - Christina Perri

Glee was on TV and this haunting song came on. It sounded familiar so I shazamed it to find out who the artist was - the answer, Philly native Christina Perri. I’ve always liked her song Jar of Hearts, which this song holds a similar vibe to, but it isn’t exactly a happy happy joy joy song, it’s actually the exact opposite.

However, maybe Hong Kong’s recent gray and miserable weather puts me exactly in the mood for these type of melodies. A Thousand Years does however provide a more soulful romanticism and this video definitely does it justice. (Note that I purposely did not use the link to the official video, but that’s because this song was unfortunately featured in the Twilight: Breaking Dawn movie and a scene from it with KStew just completely ruins the song for me…)

IT’S RAINING MEN Another often raved about show (mainly...

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 12:17:22 -0400

IT’S RAINING MEN

Another often raved about show (mainly by the ladies), is a Vegas show called “Chippendales”, featuring, well, hot bod men. Droooool….Although, I actually found the video I posted more interesting than the actual show itself.

To celebrate a few upcoming weddings and play out the fantasies of a number of gfs, we decided to organize a big dinner and show bash. First stop - Frites, so we can swig up on the aphrodisiac via pots of mussels, followed by a hunk fest at the HK Convention Centre. The Chippendales have been around for years, and have a huge international following, causing women to swoon the world over. I’ve been to a few male strip clubs for various celebratory events, but I’ve always thought that the whole “Magic Mike” fantasy thing is not really my cup of tea (unless one of the guys turn out to be Channing Tatum). I love the atmosphere of being there and having fun with my gfs, but the men and their shows are always so-so. High expectations? Perhaps. Anyways, with a bunch of twenty odd girls in the group, I knew it would be a wild time regardless of the show.

However, despite buying the pricier tickets, we were still pretty far back and the venue had a flat floor layout, which meant we always had to stand and try and look over bobbing heads and waving hands. I was also unfortunately seated a few rows behing a rather tall GUY that blocked quite a bit of my view as he insisted on standing most of the time!! Other than not having close stage action with rock hard abs, I also found the acts to be all very cheesy - Cowboys, Army officers, Men in Black, Hip Hop boyz from the hood….really? Plus there was waaaaay too much foreplay and not enough bare skin! Lame….I might as well pop in the Abercrombie store and oogle at the male models there everyday for free! Oh well, it was still a fun chicks night out and that’s really the point of it all! Hallelujah!