Cordless

Of course of all things to leave in hong kong (besides my heart), I left my laptop cord. I was able to upload an hk video but forgot to post it here. Until I get to an actual laptop it's under my YouTube account (mshybiscus).

I've been feeling worse this past week, probably because i haven't had much opportunity to rest (and when i did sleep, my coughing kept waking up all night). Having completely lost my voice for a good 4 days was really frustrating. The dealbreaker that really made me go see a doctor today was how my throat really started to close up in a painful way.

Cuteness is International

I saw this puppy in HK and wanted to cuddle him so bad!  I apologize for all the squealing in the video, by the way.

Top Style Blogs

I thought this was pretty cool...for someone who loves to look at pretty clothes and interesting textures, I don't really visit style blogs...but wish I did.  I just get impatient with all the loading of images.  I guess I'm a die-hard online chatter.  What can I say, I like to keep in touch with friends, no matter where I am!

Top Style Blogs 

Obviously, we're not the cool kids

Above is a photo of the airport lines for Phuket departing to Singapore.

And here is a photo of the departure line from Phuket to Vietnam.  Obviously, no one likes the Commies.

Finally, Phuket

Ever since I studied abroad I've been wanting to go to Phuket (everyone and their mom went...except me.  I went to Tioman, Malaysia instead which was also extremely beautiful).  Irvin and his team happened to be going this weekend and so I had to jump on an immediate flight over when I landed in Vietnam.  I only got to stay a day and a half, but I was able to capture a few beautiful photos.  I think the one above is my best one.

If you go to Phuket, definitely eat seafood.  I swear to god if you eat Italian while you're in Phuket, you will be eating alone.

A few people have been asking me which was "better": Phuket vs. Boracay.  

Naturally, I was comparing Phuket to the other tropical places I've been to (Hawaii, Boracay, Tioman) since I've always had Phuket on this imaginary pedestal.  I've come to the conclusion that Phuket is extremely beautiful, but extremely touristy and a bit cumbersome to have to hire a boat to go to the various locations like above.  If you want a beautiful, picturesque beach with easy access to food and nightlife, Boracay is the way to go.  It probably has the clearest waters I've ever seen in my life but is very tourist-catered as well.  However, during low season it is very relaxing and the beach is quite long.  Phuket, while not as "crystal", definitely has a beautiful color to it, as well as prettier landscape with the jutting rocks.  Phuket has a bit more break to its beaches whereas Boracay is EXTREMELY calm.  It's really up to your preference but either way is a winning situation.

Travel Notes: 
We stayed at the Sugar Palm Karon Hotel and I was super happy with it.  They were reasonably priced and had great service.  The tour we booked picked us up from our hotel and there was plenty of food, massage and shopping around the area for the tourists.

It was super clean, modern and simple.  Just the way I like it.  It also had this cool thing where the bathroom was transparent...I guess it's made for couples.  So if you're in a group of friends, umm, might have to rethink this hotel.

I got to take a bubble bath like The Little Mermaid!  My favorite scene where she's blowing bubbles everywhere!

And then Irvin ruined it.

Intermission

I'm sorry, I know my posts are really mundane and extremely uninteresting right now.  I'm in a pretty down mood, which I know is inexcusable since I'm traveling abroad, but it's been affecting my sense of humor.  Please just look at the pictures and ignore any of my writing commentary.

Shout Outs

I wanted to give a holler to my awesome hosts who made Hong Kong an amazing experience.  I honestly had the best possible time!

Sam, for picking me up, housing me, training me the way of HK's transit system, exchanging my money,  taking me places to eat, having his friends take me around...just everything everything, Sam was there to help me out and then some.  Did I mention that he was working in China at the same time??  The guy is a life-saver as well as his friends Mandy and Kary.

I thought this photo was funny because I've never seen someone with a drink in the back of a taxi.  That's what happens when drinking in a car is illegal, I guess.  Anyways, David took me around to a few different places that I had never heard about along with a few historical anecdotes.  He also took me back to the airport, thank goodness!  I don't think I would have figured it out in time with public transport.

I found Spencer online one night and was like umm aren't you in HK and he was like uhhh yeah are you?!  And thus a happy story followed.  He gave me an intro to the expat life and so far, I'm liking it.

So to everyone I met in HK, SPANKS!  I will be back!

Expats and Foreigners

An expatriate (in abbreviated form, expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing or legal residence. (via my bible)

One of the aspects that I love is that Expats are so open to meeting each other here.  Sure the alcohol and music lend itself to facilitating that, but I find it to be even more so when you put a bunch of foreigners together.  

Denny's in HK

Again, I need to clarify what this place was called, but it was compared to being like "the Denny's of Hong Kong."  Everyone goes there to eat late at night after being out.  What I had were instant noodles (?) with some sort of beef, I believe.  Not bad!  We also ordered French Toast (I think) and some milk tea.  And who can say no to Milk Tea??

Yummers

On my last night in Hong Kong, a friend took me around some new areas that I never heard or knew of. Among the most interesting were, of course, food items!

Pidgeon.  Apparently, they are very well-known for their dark meat.  It was super delicious.  Nom nom nom!

I don't remember what this was...crab?  Dang, I need to ask him.

And a GIANT soufflé!  I've never had souffle, but it was like a big fluffy cloud that had been lightly baked!  So interesting!  David is in the background to show you how big it is in comparison to everything else.

Bedazzled FTW

Obviously, HK bedazzles everything from cell phone cases, to nails, to alarm clocks, to hello kitty calculators, but I think this one takes the cake.  It was just being displayed in a mall, I think, as marketing.  Not gonna lie, I like Mercedes even better now.

Good Morning, Vietnam

I'm currently in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.  It's my first day after a couple days in Phuket, Thailand.  I have a lot to catch up on with my posts and pictures so here we go.

Of course I would be

Sick as a dog. My body has decided to shut down on the one day I'm in Phuket, Thailand. I've been wanting to come here for the past 4 years and now that I finally am, I just want to curl up in my beautiful hotel room and sleep. Wah, right? Alright I'll stop complaining.

Brr it's cold in here

I went to my first ice bar! It was at "the Russian bar" on Lang kwai feng, the strip that is infamous as an expat watering hole and its night life. You got to pick your faux fur coat of choice and literally "chill," a mr. Freeze would say. Understandably, it's a popular spot in the summer.

In transit

I'm currently waiting in the Vietnam airport for an outgoing flight to Phuket. I think I like traveling but not flying.

Lit Up

Sadly, I didn't have my SLR camera when I finally went to see this view....instead I was trekking in 4" heeled boots so I'm thankful I made it to the spot at all.  It really is an amazing sight.  I wonder how much companies pay to have these locations.  You can see their names peppered among the skyline with all the lit up buildings.  

LKF

Lang Kwai Feng is definitely the hotspot for partying here in HK.  All the foreigners, expats, and gold diggers come here to party and have a good time.  And while I love everything about it, the place is absolutely crawling with ibankers.  Sorry, but as a stereotype, ibankers are creepy, crawly creatures.  They believe they can buy anything and anyone.  And as of right now, I'm cutting off ibankers.  Never again.

A Mom's Priorities

Facebook chatting with my mom.  I'm sure some of her fans will enjoy this one.

Me

hi mom!

i tried to upload a video but internet is too weak here

I will update more next week with video!

9:45pmMeiling

wow! be careful! there are people out there drug girls and harvest their kidneys in china

9:46pmMe

uhh

ok

9:46pmMeiling

love you!

when are you going to vietnam?

9:47pmMe

lol

sunday

but i will go to phuket for2 dys

and be back in vietnam on tuesday

9:47pmMeiling

when you have a chance next time. go to RC and okay my food trade

9:47pmMe

9:47pmMeiling

good! have fun n take lots of picture i bucket

9:47pmMe

lol ok

ok i will

9:49pmMeiling

I enjoy reading your blog. it made me happy and you are so good at that with a great sese of humor your mom gave you

9:50pmMe

hahaha

yeahh

I guess thats a side affect of having you as my mom

9:50pmMeiling

u are awesome

9:50pmMe

no YOU'RE awesome

9:50pmMeiling

side effect? I beg your pardon!

9:50pmMe

haha

9:51pmMeiling

that is a great trait!

9:51pmMe

haha

I knoww I love you!

Bigfoot Boys

Over a year later and I see a couple of my favorites from Bigfoot.  Mama Ken and Mighty Dwighty!  These guys were my rocks while I was in Cebu.

Of course, I wore sandels today

Even though I'm in Hong Kong, I'm still loyal to my roots as a Californian; I don't do rain. I was all set to go on my tourist excursion today with my backpack, map and giant camera...only to be foiled by the pouring rain. Every time I wear sandels it rains. Meaning, combined with the streets of HK, I'm pretty sure I'm going to catch a parasite on my foot. Good times.

So instead, I lingered around the MTR station and Starbucks for internet. Don't judge! I know you're all thinking I should be out there exploring but I have been for the past several days now! Instead, I'm hanging out in a friend's office space while borrowing his computer. I'm going to meet up with Dwight soon, though, so that will force me to leave this comfy chair I'm relaxing in.

I've also like to mention how I've given up on wearing makeup. I tried to come prepared with some powder to fend off the shine, but its just futile in this humidity. With all the Bonjour and Sasa stores around here (they are popular cosmetic stores that are, literally, on almost every block) you would think that the women would be wearing makeup to some degree. However, for the most part, most women don't bother. And I can see why.

Also, reading back on my typos and subject-verb (dis)agreements is driving me nuts. The iPod tries to "correct" my spellings but then doesn't correct it when I need it to. Oh well, this blog just makes my IQ look even lower.

Halfway Point

Holy eff, I'm getting some signal this morning!

Today I'm venturing out on my own again. This time I'll be attempting to take the ferry and go up to The Peak with my SLR camera. Three cheers for being a tourist! I'm not going to lie, I'm falling in love with the city and I wouldn't mind living and working here.

Yesterday consisted of a lot of eating and shopping...I won't tell you the damages but I will say that I ordered 4 pairs of custom heels. I really needed my mom or Kristy to guide me through the designs because too many options make me overwhelmed if I don't have a plan in place. In the end, I got mainly the basics:

1 pair of soft black leather heels (4")
1 pair of soft beige leather heels (4")
1 pair of black patent heels (4")
1 pair of soft pink leather heels (3")

I know they sound boring, but it's impossible for me to find heels that are comfortable for my narrow feet back home. So I justify these shoes with the classic argument: "They're an investment!"

I'm also eating my way to my stomach's demise. It started out with lovely items like Hainan Chicken and Doufu Fa (a tofu dessert), to being more adventurous with street food like grilled chicken wings and "lo lo lo" (which are cold noodles mixed with sauces and items like jellyfish, squid, cucumbers, etc), to just downright brash with grilled pig intestines. I am very much regretting the last bowl of noodles I had last night which, while delicious, consisted of pork stomach, pork skin, fish balls, and pork's blood. Again, tastey, but too rich or something awful for my body because it's wreaking havoc.

Ok, I will update with more photos when I get down to the city. For those who are unaware, I have to hover by a 7-11 or some place that has my wireless server in order to post blogs or email. Creeper status to the max. Or maybe just jailbait for legit creepers. Mom, I'm kidding. Seriously.

Bowl of misery

This was that bowl of regrettable noodles I had last night. To reiterate, it had pig stomach, pig skin, fish ball, and porks blood. I'm definitely paying for it today.

Sexy meat market?

There was one street that consisted of all butcher shops. Having a barbeque would be awesome. You would think they would have a few little grills around selling cooked meat as well but instead we got eye candy...har har har...

For the multitaskeri

I don't know which ones are cooler; this number or the ones I posted just previously. I mean, this doesn't have the face of a cartoon sheep but it does have:

A visor.
A sunglass shield that slides up into the visor (for when it's not so sunny).
A fan built into the visor for when it's too hot.

Which do you prefer?

Around the world

It's pretty amazing how you connct with people from around the world. But what I think is also amazing is kind of "running into" acquaintances from home abroad. Or just people who have mutual friends and acquaintances as you. Facebook has only made that so much more apparent. Typical cliche but The world can be such a small effing place.

Night at the racetrack

I haven't seen as many foreigners (ie. White people) as I thought I would have by now but it's apparently because they all go to the racetrack! I thought Delmars race track was fun but the nighttime experience was totally different. I mean, yes, you still make bets you don't fully understand and yes you still grab beers but really, the place was melting pot of every country. If I were to look for a rich husband, this would be the first place I'd go.

In other news, I totally had some beginners luck with my first bet. Basically won my money back (and Spencer a first place win) but my luck was only good for one round because I ended up being down by 60 (which is less than 10 usd). It's all fun and games until I realize I could buy another pair of shoes. Jk, shoes are still more expensive.

I is in disguise

You know how notorious those Asian moms are (I'm looking you, Monterey park) with their affinity for those visors. I get it. Dual purposes since they also snap down to be sunglasses for your whole face. Well now I've found the perfect blend of having shade and hiding from the paparazzi. Because these babies are both a visor and a boost to my self-esteem.

Tiny toilet

Self explanitory. I'm actually not sure if this was for children or little people...seriously. I know I'm not being pc but I've seen quite a few already.

Hectic awesomeness

I can't get over how many ppl there are swarming the streets every night... During the weekdays! The food, the energy...it's always bustling, always poppin'. People here don't waste time because time is money. And to live in hong kong you need a lot if it.

Happy feet

Dude, this is just unfair marketing becuase I'm a sucker for anything hello kitty. Beezy is such a sellout! I swear, crocs are trying to turn me.

Crocs are really working me

No joke. These are both the ugliest and most comfortable wedges I've ever worn. Dare I say...I want a pair??? In black, of course. I hate myself.

Perm?

Jk. He just curled it but my hair was nice for a day. Usually, the humidity just renders any hope for physical decency a complete waste of effort. Like today; no makeup. It was a bad day for both the mirror and the public.

iPod Blogging Glitch

If you can't tell by my poor typing skills, the excessively large photos and short posts, I've been updating my blog mostly from my iPod through an app. So far, I have a few bones to pick with the app BlogWriter:

1. Can't post more than one photo.
2. Sometimes it doesn't even post the photo! What gives?? I already had to take down 6 posts because it doesn't make sense without the photo.
3. When it doesn't post a photo, you can't go back and edit the post with an attached photo. You have to do it on the first shot.
4. Doesn't support more than one blog. Doesn't affect me, but I know if I kept up my Xanga that would be an issue.

Irony of shopping

...is that it can outshop me. Me of all people! There's always more and then more and then too much and then it's like get. Me. Outta here! It's a madness that is contageous for hk though. These corridors get swarmed with too many bodies!

View from my room

I was messing around my new t2i last night and was able to grab a relatively accurate shot of the view. And no, it was not on auto settings. I said accurate not amazing lol.

Mtr

I keep calling it the mrt since that's what it was called in Singapore but it's essentially the same thing. I wish california had this kind of public transportation! It gets packed and you know how I am around a bunch of sweaty people in my 3-foot radius of personal space...uncomfortable. Jk. It's awesome. Just like the rest of the city.

Starbucks

My green tea latte from starbucks. The advertisements had black sesame seeds on it but I didn't get any? Can't see how that would make the drink better though lol. It was aiite.

It's a sign

I saw this giant bilboard of Andy lau and a snow monkey, I believe. This is significant because:

A. Andy lau= brad Pitt of Asia and brad Pitt = love of my life
B. Steven calls me snow monkey

Therefore, that must mean that Andy lau is my future Asian husband. Solid assessment.

Gettin' ma hair did

I always love getting my hair cut in Asia because I feel like they know how to deal with my hair so much better. Also, they really seem to take their time and take care of you. I swear I wish I could make the guy who washed my hair my boyfriend. Best head massage ever.

The hairdresserbi also the best looking guy ive seen in hk. Too bad he doesn't speak enlish or I canto. You don't need words for love. Jk.

Ok maybe I will add more posts as he finishes cutting my hair.

Photos are too big, I know

Just checked my blog and if it's showing how my iPod is showing all the photos are way too big for the comfort of this blog. Way to fail. This blogger app is gettin more and more disappointing. Tsk. I'll fix the photos when I have access to Internet on my laptop.

Squid?

I didn't even know you could put these things in aquariums lol.

Supershrimp

These aren't shrimps; they're monsters! Keep in mind perspective; my hand is closer to the camera so the shrimp is even bigger than it looks.

Big fish

We didnt eat this one but dang! Big daddy got unlucky! I always kinda think that catching fish this big is a bit sad...they made it this far in life and now they're going to be eaten. I hope they had a chance to reproduce at least.

Not for eating

While at the seafood market, I totally had a split second thougt wondering if these cuties were for sale. Too bad they wernt. I kid!

Top ten restaurant in Asia

I was lucky to be able to go to dinner with sam and his parents at tuis seafood restaurant that had a gold plaque saying that it was among the top ten restaurants in Asia. It was pretty sick; you had to go through the outdoor section to select what fresh seafood you wanted. Then they bundle it all into a plastic bag for you and you handed it to the hosts in the restaurant where they cook it into something awesome. I'll post more pictures in following entries since I can only attach one photo at a time on this app.

Least favorite so far

I don't know what these are. Sam said they weren't snails so they must be some kind of shellfish right? They didn't taste like much unless I dipped them in a sauce and even hen I wasn't too wild about the texture.