Gung Hay Fat Choy Part 1: Fireworks [Chinese New Year, Hong Kong]

Happy Chinese New Year!
新年快樂! (Happy New Year)
恭喜發財! (Good luck and prosperity!)
身體健康! (Be healthy!)
萬事勝意! (Hope everything goes well!)




We ate this on New Year's day. They are sweet, sticky cakes. This is 年糕 (nian gao) and 馬蹄糕 (water chestnut cake). Very traditional things to eat for new years!I don't know how to describe the texture...it is very dense, sticky, and chewy. Chinese like this texture but some people might find it offputting.

The excitement for New Years is mounting! So many stores are selling good luck decorations of red and gold. Seeing those stores on the streets seems so bright and happy! Just seeing all the red and gold makes my heart feel happy!
Everyone's houses and doorways are overburdened with decorations saying new year's greetings and showing cute pictures for longevity and prosperity.
The whole town is dressed up! There's so many lights and decorations everywhere!


Even the buildings are all dressed up!
We went to the flower streets in search of flowers! Look at how many people are buying flowers too!
My mom always told me stories about when she was young and living in China. New Year's was a really, really happy occasion. Not only did they feast and get to eat foods that they normally cannot eat (now we are so lucky, you can eat anything all the time! But back then, sometimes it was hard to get meat and they very rarely got the opportunity to eat sweets), but this was the one time of the year that got new clothes! They would get new clothes and shoes and put it under their pillow until new year's day; like putting Christmas presents under the tree! But my mom always said the happiest thing is going out to buy flowers and bringing them home.

I wanted a chance to experience this happy feeling! I am carrying some flowers home to my Great Uncle's house, so pretty!



Mm this is my 叉烧麵 (bbq pork noodles) from a 茶餐厅, (tea canteen) a very popular kind of restaurant in Hong Kong. Doesn't it look tasty?
The day after new years, the city of Hong Kong put on a fireworks show. We tried our best to leave early, but I guess it wasn't early enough. As you can see, we're behind a lot of people. You can still see Hong Kong's beautiful skyline!
Fireworks are high in the sky, so you can see it from anywhere, but I can only imagine how beautiful it would've been if we were in the front row, with nothing but the water and the skyline in front of you, the fireworks bright and large above the vast emptiness of the bay.

Haha look at all the things obstructing my view! That is the Tsim Sha Tsui clock tower.






After being out in the cold to see the amazing fireworks, we came home to hotpot! Nice and warm and delicious!

So far, the new years in Hong Kong wasn't too eventful. I think a lot of people go to mainland to visit relatives for the new years.

After the fireworks, we quickly went home to 拜神 (i think that is the right character...) or pray. We were burning incense and paper "gold bars" ...indoors...inside the apartment... I, for one, was very scared. I thought the fire alarm would go off or their very crowded apartment would catch on fire since it's a fire hazard. I wanted to take a picture for you guys, but this isn't really a picture appropriate thing.
They had a little home shrine with buddha figures, pictures of ancestors, fresh fruit, and incense. Additionally, we set up a little table in front of it, with three tiny shot-glass sized cups with rice wine in them, with three pairs of chopsticks. Also, we put out food like glass noodles, barbequed pork, and more fruit. We'd each get a couple sticks of incense and pray for good luck in the new year. This is very traditional and important; my family does this at home every Chinese new year too.

I haven't seen any lion dance yet =( But I've heard that it's usually businesses and malls that commission them...so it would be hard to predict or find them. I guess I'll just have to hope I'll get lucky!
I should have bought some lion figures/puppets when I was at flower streets for new years! But it totally slipped my mind! now I probably will not be able to find it... =((

There was a new years parade, but I had heard it wasn't too good/mostly for tourism, so instead I stayed in with my relatives with a warm hotpot and watched it on TV. Better than being cold outside standing for a long time!

While Hong Kong is pretty quiet for new years...the fun is yet to come! =D

Incapcitated [Food Poisoning]

Ah, what is a trip to foreign country without a little bit of food poisoning!

No interesting pictures for today. I spent all day half in bed and half in the bathroom. Not fun times.

No more Mong Kok street food for me =(

The First Shopping Excursion! [Temple Street Night Market, Ladies Market, Mong Kok]

After class today, Jenny, Virginia, and Anthony invited me out to go shopping!

First we went to the Temple Street Night Market. It's special because it's open late at night, but I find they don't have the selection that Mong Kok has. I think this place is more for tourists.


Our friend Virginia haggled the most, using Mandarin Chinese mostly. Sometimes the vendors had a hard time understanding, since people in Hong Kong speak Cantonese most of the time. My friends asked how come I wasn't doing all the haggling since I was the only one who could speak Canto, but I must admit the truth.

I cannot haggle.

First of all, despite my speaking skill, they can see my white, American face. They're determined to suck all the money out of me, so they usually jack up the price for us gullible, gullible tourists.

In addition...I am too excited! They can sense my enthusiasm and desire that I just cannot contain! When I really want it, they can see it on my face! I need to practice pretending like I don't want it, haha. STONE COLD LAURA. By the end, I shall have haggling skills!
While on the plane, I watched an episode of this HK tv show that was about the top 100 food places. One of the foods they mentioned was 鱼肉生菜, or fish meat and lettuce. I had never heard of it or seen it, so I had to try it!
The fish and lettuce was SO GOOD! The fish was really soft and tasty. You better believe the broth was hot and savory! The fish cost me HK$14 and the pearl milk tea was HK$13! Such a great snack for barely $4! I am just constantly amazed by the prices here.

Poor Anthony. He was the only guy in our little group, so you can imagine that he was pretty bored trailing behind us as we shopped. Sometimes while Virginia and Jenny were haggling and fawning over cute purses, I hung back a little to talk to Anthony. He's such a good sport.
We're indecisive! =D


So many neon signs!

The busy streets of Mong Kok!

Mong Kok is a really busy street area with markets and malls on every corner. This is where the locals come, especially young people!

I know for a fact that my "cousin" Bonnie comes here every weekend to buy clothes and 唱K!


Mong Kok has a lot of street performers!

And delicious street food!
Nothing is better on a cold day than a hot roasted sweet potato!

Even after all that street food, we wanted to eat something substantial. We were hungry and our feet were tired, so we settled on this random street restaurant since it was cheap enough for us.

Again, I couldn't read what was important on the menu. I knew this dish had pork chop and rice, but that's all I could get from it. This restaurant had Thursday specials, and I asked the waiter which of them was the most popular. He said #6, the pork chop. I did not get what I expected!



This pork chop and rice was actually covered in tomato sauce and cheese! While it was not what I expected, it was delicious! I actually really like to eat this kind of thing. It cost HK$29, which is almost $4. This is the kind of thing I like to eat in Hong Kong especially; it is a true fusion of Eastern and Western foods. And so delicious to boot!
Famous dessert place!Mmm mango sago!

I think the person I miss the most would be my brother, Alex. A lot of times I really wish he was here. This is our town! I remember how much fun we had together last time we were in Hong Kong together, going to Mong Kok everyday to walk around. We enjoyed the citylife, while trying different boba places and getting lots of mango desserts! It was perfect, because we wanted the same thing from Hong Kong.
I don't think the other international students have the same kind of awe and amazement for the city like we do. They just don't understand.

They don't understand how I'm in love with this city.

The Wild and Crazy Night [New Year's Fair, Racetrack, and Ladies Night]

Well, this wild and crazy night went off with a bad start.

Tonight was the night of the Chinese New Year's dinner for students, mostly aimed at the international students I think.

I had class until 5 tonight, but the dinner started at 6. There were a bunch of people on my floor that were going, so I rushed home so I could quickly change and go with them to the dinner. I can be ready in a matter of seconds; I'm not one of those girls that takes forever to change and get out the door.

But the girls were already leaving. My roommate hesitated, but when I said that she could go if she wanted, she was gone in an instant. I appreciate that she hesitated at least.
It made me all the more aware that it's every man for himself. No one has to care about you. I felt pretty bad that they all left me behind. I'd like to think that I'd never do that to someone; I always try accompany people if they have to stray from the group.
I was out the door in five minutes, but they were long gone.

And if that didn't feel shitty enough, approximately seven buses passed me by, completely full so I couldn't get on. It was making me super late and I was getting pretty distressed.

There was a girl who was waiting there before I got there, but she kinda positioned herself in a bad way, so when the first bus with a single vacancy came, I was poised to seize the spot.
But we had both been waiting for the bus for so long, and her even longer than me. So even though I could've gotten on the bus, I let her have it.
I don't know why I was so stupidly nice. Being late to the dinner made me feel terribly anxious and lonely, and I had to wait for yet another bus. Curse me!

I finally got on a bus, got off at the school, and walked to the hotel restaurant by myself. I arrived late, everyone else seated, eating, and the food was growing cold. The waiters found me a spot at a table, and luckily there was people I knew sitting there. From then on, things started looking up.




They gave us 红包! With a...chocolate euro in it?
We were carted off on a bus, told we were going to the "flower market."

This is Otti and Vivian, Otti's local "buddy." Otti has the best buddy! My buddy didn't come to the dinner with me because she was so slow to respond =(
But actually this flower market was a fair! I did not expect what came next.


Wow so many people! This "flower market' was actually a huge fair with tons of goodies to buy! To think I started out having a bum night, but this totally made up for it!
I felt like a little kid having fun at a fair. There was so many things to look at; I was so excited running here and there to join in, with a huge smile on my face. I think the new friends I was walking with thought I was weird because of it, but I'm in HONG KONG BITCHES, I do what I like! And I'm going to have a good time if I want to!

Virginia, Jenny, and I!

And so many snacks to eat!


Mmm eggettes! 蛋仔！So good! I love these.
I like them extra crispy!
Funny story about the eggettes.
My friends and I approached to order, and the guy making them made a joke to Vivian, to which I smiled knowingly because I could understand the bit of Cantonese. Then the guy (he was a 26 year old Portuguese-Chinese American or something) turned his attention to me, realizing that I was hapa and that I could understand Cantonese. He proceeded to say 亮女亮女 kind of stuff, saying that I was such a pretty girl, that a lot of guys must seek me out/ask me out, etc etc. So embarrassing! And then he was like "I'm handsome too, right?" Ahh so awkward and embarrassing!
...and i had to just take it because he was making my eggette!
He kept saying that it was going to take a little longer because he wanted to make it extra crispy for me...but I think he was just trying to keep me there. But the reality is that I like it extra crispy, so I just had to wait! I JUST WANT MY EGGETTE!
Vivian was cracking up the whole time, trying to explain to Otti what was going on. Oh my dear.

Frozen yogurt!
Okay, so you know I said I was acting like a little kid? I bought that pinwheel for $3 from a vendor. Not only does it have a little windmill, but it also has bells and plastic ribbon on it. It's kinda obnoxious, but I was having fun running around, holding it up to let the wind blow through it, and eating my eggettes. Remember this pinwheel, because it will come up again.


The city skyline over the fair!



After we were done with the fair, we took a cable car to Happy Valley! Why were we going to Happy Valley? Tonight there were horse races!We had a lot of fun riding the cable car! Also it was so cheap!
Did you forget my pinwheel? No? Well, keep remembering it, it's going to come up again!
Riding the cable car!

Night race at the race track! Free admission, too!

I had never been to the racetrack, but it was pretty fun! While I didn't bet, Otti did, and she won! The horse's name? Happy Yeah Yeah. Best horse name every, I think!

Every time a race started, people started cheering, and you could just feel this SURGE of excitement throughout the crowd. It was really exhilarating! Above the racetrack is the city! It's so surreal, being in such a big venue but still seeing the skyline above it, like a huge backdrop.
Haha, I think this beer had a funny name. I got a cup of pisswater for HK$34 and nursed it almost until it got warm. I don't drink very much or very often so that one beer was more than enough for me. Enough to start my Asian glow too.

I spent most of the time talking to Vivian. I really liked her! We talked about local life and boyfriends most of the time.

After the racetrack, a bunch of us headed to Wan Chai to the bar streets. Why go to a bar on a Wednesday? Ladies night!

Us girlies got free admission, and free drinks! As many as you want! Any kind you want!

We went to this bar called Mes Amis. Unfortunately, there are no pictures to follow, because what happens in Wan Chai, stays in Wan Chai. No tacky club photos!

Walking into the club with all the loud music and flashing lights made me feel like I was in a movie. I was following my friend Lyn/Lin in. She was pushing through the crowd, looking back at me every once and a while to make sure I was still there. Following a beautiful blonde Swedish girl into a club amidst the music and lights felt like a cinematic dream.

So, you remember my pinwheel, right? Well that didn't magically go anywhere when I stepped into the club, so I had to bring it in with me!
Well, I had bought it and had to carry it like a scarlet letter of shame all night. Not that I was ashamed, mind you. But it did really get in the way of my dancing. You can only imagine how ridiculous I looked trying to dance in a club holding that ridiculous pinwheel. By ridiculous, I mean ridiculously awesome. (The pinwheel, not me. No, no, I was truly embarrassing.)

On the taxi ride back, the girls were all talking about another girl who will go unnamed. But they were talking about how annoyed they were because she would text them out of nowhere to ask what they were doing for the New Year's and where they were going.
Girls are pretty mean, I think. I could sympathize with that girl, because I imagine if you didn't have a group to go with, it'd be really hard to reach out to find a group to travel with. I mean, what else are you supposed to do but text random acquaintances to try and find somewhere to fit in? I hated that moment when they were talking about her, because this is what I'm all too aware of, and what makes me scared to make friends sometimes. It's scary knowing that your honest, friendly intentions will be ridiculed by a group of girls in a taxi.

I fear that kind of sentence as well. I was being very childish and bright-eyed at the fair, and I just wonder what they will say about me (and my pinwheel) later. I hate that too - there is this giant pressure that I feel from a lot of people where it's "not cool" to get excited about things. I honestly don't understand this. We're studying abroad in HONG KONG. What's more fun - complaining about how lame things are OR running around acting excited like a kid on Christmas day?