Our first Travel Blog
Trip Start
Unknown
1
2
Trip End
Ongoing
Hong Kong,
Hong Kong
Monday, July 17, 2006
It is Father's Day too! Lord, I am so blessed with a beautiful and loving wife and kids. My Father's Day starts with... you guessed it! The Stanley Cup Playoffs!!!!! Wooohooo! Go Oilers!!!!!
I planned to watch the game at The Keg in HK, but it wouldn't be right seeing a delayed telecast. Instead, I am listening to the game via NHL Radio and Pronger has just scored 13 seconds in! God is good! My Father's day is really off to an awesome start! While I am here in HK, the coffee shop that I manage along with four wonderful, smart and capable girls is being tended to for the first time without my presence for a whole month. If you are ever in Edmonton, visit Shangri-La Juice, Tea, and Coffee and say hi to Taya, Kora, Shai, and Rachel. Four of the most awesome coffee baristas you will ever find (I am so proud of them - and grateful... They really help make my shortcomings as a coffeeshop manager go overlooked). Stop by for a bubble tea sometime!
Anyway, our first day in HK we arrived at 7:30pm. We were picked up by my Mom and went and shopped for some fruit. After getting to the house, the kids got into their bathing suits and went straight for the pool. We ended up in bed by about 1:00am. We were tired and excited at the same time.
June 16, 2006 - Me and the kids woke up at about 5:30am (only 4.5 hours sleep!) Our day started with alot of deliberation on what we would do that day. We decided on Dim Sum and we ended up in Mong Kok at my Grandma's favourite Dim Sum place, Maxim Palace.
Now, at Maxim Palace, we had a crazy awesome Dim Sum. I think everything we eat for Dim Sum in Canada is a few shades short of the quality of food in HK, overall. While we were waiting to eat, I took the kids into the mall and tried out a luxury massage chair. This thing was unbelievable! It measures and analyzes your body and shape and chooses a massage routine for you. Cost: $46000HKD = $6500CDN
After breakfast, we went to Fa Yuen Street for shopping. My two girls bought two turtles (each!) at the aquarium street. My son picked up a japanese model and boy was he excited!
Next we went with my Grandma back to her place and my Uncle Albert was there watching the World Cup. We sat for a bit and then took off to go visit my in-laws.
We got to my in-laws' place and spent most of the time listening to Daisy (my wife) talk to her parents. Unfortunately my kids take after me in terms of pure Cantonese language ability, so we usually just smile and nod alot when we encounter Chinese people who speak no english. Yes, we are Chinese rednecks from Edmonton (sigh, my Grandma is so proud...not)
After sitting with my in-laws for a bit, we went for dinner at a Hong Kong style buffet restaurant, where we hooked up with Daisy's sister Cora. I spoke with Cora's husband Ah Seung in my gutteral Chinese and did alot of hand motioning-slash-miming. After all my hard work I found out that he is a general manager of an engineering firm that does install work for some of the major railways in Hong Kong and China. He is a great guy and works hard to support his three kids while being a partner in his firm.
Now, this Buffet Restaurant was something else. In Edmonton, I am pretty used to what the term "buffet restaurant" implies. Usually, alot of perogies, potatoes and beef ribs. Now that's okay for some people say...heart stroke recoverers, but me, I like a little more variety. This place had alot of cool stuff like sushi and sashimi (nothing great and pretty sloppy work, but hey - variety). They had alot of Chinese courses made in bulk - which was interesting. One thing@I really looked forward to was the crayfishC which are like mini-lobstersB But the sauce they coated it with was pretty horrible - some sort of sweet gelatinous gravy - can you imagine?
After dinner, we headed home on the MTR and hit the sack around midnight again. Tiring, tiring, day.
June 17, 2006 - Happy Father's Day!
My Father's Day started out pretty nice. Since this is a family site, I will just say that my wife is such an incredible lady and I feel like the million dollar man. We have been going through a rough patch as of late, but there are days like these when I feel like the luckiest man alive!
So, fast forward to the G-rated portion of my journal. I went to the kids' room and woke them up. Chelsea remembered it was Father's Day and let me know that I'd be getting the same thing Mommy got for Mother's Day except it would be green and would be waiting for me in Edmonton because she forgot to bring it. Awwww, how sweet. Well, it's never really about the presents anyway, did I mention how unbelievable my wife can be?!!!!
Go Oilers!!!!!! At this moment it is Oilers leading 3-2 over those dastardly Carolina Hurricanes! Ciao for now!
