Chinese New Year!!!

This is my third Chinese New Year in HK. It is about the same each year. Food food food and more food. Plus all the food are pretty "hot air". I guess one thing I am still looking forward to is getting red pocket "lai see". But as I am getting older... people would say this is the last time of giving out "lai see" to you, you should get marry soon. I guess after I am married... there are nothing to look forward to anymore. Or be scared of it since I will be the one who is giving out "lai see" sad sad sad... should go out to collect more before that tragety arrived.

What did dEnNiS and I do in this Chinese New Year??? Let's see. There are some family gatherings... I think the highlight of all is we've watched a movie. <Night At The Museum> It is a movie that contains no thinking, you simply go in and laugh... There are a lot of kids in the theater... maybe it is a movie might to be for kids. Anyway what I want to say is: People laughs so loud and free in the theater. It's been awhile since I last experience that. People do laugh in some other movies but usually short and cruelly. And it will make you sound stupid or even insane to laugh too much if there are not much people laughing. So I can laugh pretty freely in this one. I think once in awhile I need to laugh like a kid. Let's talk a bit about the movie. It is pretty simple. A new graveyard shift security guard who works in a museum. Thought it is going to be easy but turns out that everything will come to alive at night. And they will fight each other and stuff. At first he doesn't know how to handle then start to get a hand of it and fight off the bad guys. Where the bad guys came from? They are the orginal old guards who are about to get layoff. They want to steal the piece of gold metal that make everything come to life... Because with that metal they can feel young and strong again. Of course it is a happy ending, the guard can safe the metal and everything continue to back alive at night. And every night they will have party.

Horse Racing - First time I gamble in horses. Bid 40 bucks... and I thought that would end up contributing on the laying grass on the Jockey Club. BUT I WON 500 BIG BUCKS!!! I guess it is a good start of the new year. I didn't study the horsing newspaper at all. I simply just pick the name that sounds good to me... I guess that is just plain luck!!! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

The last day before going to work. We got nothing to do and went to sing K with the badminton gang. It is really out of the blue. I sms cow mo and asked her what is she doing and somehow she is hanging out Angel at that time. Actually they are playing badminton without us... (so bad but oh well it is out of blue for them as well) so we meet up and sing K... It is fun. The K place (Neway) kicked us out at 530... Again we are wondering around the street and got nothing to do again. Suddenly I want hotpot for dinner... so that is what we were having that night. Hotpot!!! We start pretty early... around 7 I guess... and good that there a TV in the restaurant so it is like having dinner at home.

So that is pretty much my new year... as I said that is food food food and food. Good that I didn't gain much weight... Need to work hard on my yoga...

Huge Fight!!!

I think this is the major fight that we ever had. Usually will be just little argument here and there. But last night we are practically yelling at each other. Well to some extend maybe is more me yelling at him. Actually can't really consider that as yelling... maybe just saying things in a very strong tone. 

Well after all I think it is a stupid fight. I've tried not to make a big fuss about it. I've tried to control my anger. Maybe I had a rough day. Last night it just click. Little tiny things just get on my nervous.

The worst of all is that I felt there are no one I can go to when I am sad. I have no friends to call. Felt so lonely in HK. In Vancouver I can at least hide at home. But here I don't really get my own space. When I go home there are my grandparents, don't really want to talk to them about my love life. Well I don't think they will understand me.

Badminton Gang and Friends Dinner Gatherings~

It all starts with a bottle of ice wine. Got this bottle of ice wine about a month ago. Been trying to pick on an occasion that we can drink it. Finally last night is the night and it is close to end of the Chinese Year so we called it "end year dinner". There are suppose to be 7 of us. One couldn't make it till the very end and one didn't come till 8:30 due to work. But overall it is a night full of laughs.

We were dining in a western like HK restaurant. The setting is average. We had a table by the side with cushion seats. There is requirement for sitting at that table. That is you have to spend more than 800 HK dollars. Which is not that bad since we have 6 of us (one only join at the very end so didn't count she as diner) so that is like 133.33 each. Remember the wine, they are charging us corkage. When dEnNiS booked the table, he had asked about corkage fee. Unfortunately the waiter didn't do a good job on explaning. The waiter just said that there are no charge if we spend more than 1,000. What actual happening is Yes, there will be no corkage if you spend over 1,000 but that is only for the first bottle. If you want to open more then corkage will be in place. Well we end up paying 150 for opening two bottle of red wine that we brought. It is a bit unexpected.

Let's talk about the menu not what is on the menu but the actual menu itself. There are 3 of them as I recall. One is on a piece of cardboard with smoothly surface (this is the normal one); One is inside a clear file (you know those ones that you use at work) and the last one is wrap in a FUR frame. This is the one that I want to talk about. First of all of the menu are not very clean. Maybe they've use for a long long time. Don't want to touch them at the first place. The FUR ones... Oh My God... I can feel the FUR is peeling off and falling onto the table and into my stomach. If that is the marketing idea then for sure he/she makes me remember that piece of work but not really want to touch it. The FUR frame ends up on dEnNiS side and he has to hide it under the table. End up he had to read to us what is on it.

Time to talk about the food. I am a bit impress by it. Most of food that we've ordered is pretty tasty. Just the clams is over cooked. The sequence of how we ate is a bit abnormal. Well because we have to wait for the hard working friend who didn't make it till 8:30 (not blaming her at all) So we start with Casaer Salad with LOADS of cheese. Why that loads of cheese??? Because we are drinking red wine and I told one of them that the red wine will taste better and different if you have it with cheese. There are not a lot of cheese IN the Casaer Salad at the beginning so we end up ordering extra. The waiter brought us little bowl of cheese on the side. She ends up eating just the cheese alone. I think she did ask for a refill. It is just regular cheese... take it easy. Well she did say that she is very hungry afterwards. We finished more than half of the bottle before the hard working friend arrived. A lot of us are hell of a drinker. We also ordered two set dinner to share while waiting. In the set, we had appetizer, soup, entree, noodle and tea. The sad part about ordering set is we have to have the same entree for both of the sets. Don't understand why but this is how it goes.

The hard working friend came when we almost finish the sets. I think she got to try out a bit of the entree. Our actual dinner starts again when she arrives. We order 10 piece of oysters. They are pretty fresh and yummy. (But nothing is better than the one in North Vancouver, got to eat a lot when I go back) Casear Salad again and of course extra cheese. 2 more set dinner and one of the FUR set. So we have appetizer, soup, entree and noodle all over again. It was like having the second meal. It was a long hour dinner with a lot of food. Seems the food will just keep coming. 

Remember we have a friend that can't make it due to dinner with her family. Well SMS her and told her that we are having a such good time. She said she just finish her dinner so we asked her to come. Because we still havn't share the highlight of the night yet... THE ICE WINE!!! There are a side funny story on where she is when we sms her. Usually when you asked someone to come, the first thing you will ask is where are you. That is what we ask her but she didn't give us a direct answer. She kept saying that she is coming. I was like... if you are in canada you are coming too but where is she coming from. Seems that she doesn't know what we are asking her. Oh well she did come short afterwards. When she was here then we figure out that she was in TST too. The same area that we were in. No wonder she can come in a short period of time. But till now still not understand why can't she told us when she was...

In total we managed to finish 5 sets dinner, one clam and 2 Casear Salad. We really had a lot of food. But we didn't end there. We also had two dessert to share. (buy one get one free) and tea (which is a come-with with the sets) Finally it was time for THE ICE WINE. Had it pop open... we asked for 7 shooter glasses but only 6 came. They were all saying the shooter glasses are in sharp of a toothpick holder. The gal who came last complained that the waiter had forgotten her. The waiter then brought one over and it looks different. Then they all said now this is for sure a toothpick holder. All laugh our heads off. Hmm.. THE ICE WINE... is not what I expected. The taste was slightly off what I had before. Need to get more source from Vancouver to try out.

We are now planning for a Red Wine and Cheese night!!! With Chinese New Year coming... I think the earliest time we can make it is March... Oh my god the time do goes by quick. Now is mid Feb already.  

Rushing to grab a seat~

I have a very tight schedule last night. Getting off work at 530 and have to be in Shatin by 630 for a tutoring class. In situation like this I really wish I can fly... Heehee ^^ I am having the tight tight schedule once a week and by now I am kind of use to it. Just need to walk at the top of my speed and passing everyone that is in my way.

Something really worth me to write it down during my trip to Shatin last evening. As usual I need to take MTR from CWB to TST. Then I need to switch to KCR in order to reach to Shatin. It sounds a lot of work but believe me this is the fastest way to get there. Usually I can make it within an hour. Anyway... I was in the KCR station waiting for the train door to open. At that point people are uauslly really eager to grab a seat. They will rush in and bump into the messagers that is coming out. I am eager too but not for a seat instead I am eager to avoid getting bump by those who is trying to rush in. Yesterday was a bit better not much people is around me so that I can take my own time. And I can grab a seat easily. There are two people are trying to grab the seat beside me. But when the guy (let's call it "A") saw that the lady (let's call it "B") is going in the same direction, he just walks off. (What a gentleman) When the lady thought that she can grab the seat for sure. Out of the blue there are another lady (let's call it "C") who is running at the top of her speed towards that seat. She cuts in and kind of pushing "B" away. "B" was so shock and just stood there. Due to that shock mode, "C" TOOK the seat. "B" is staring at "C" and "C" just pretend nothing happen and sat comfortably.

Maybe "C" is having a super hard day and very eager to grab that seat. But I don't think I can do what "C" does even I am super tired. I mean if you really want a seat then maybe you should wait for another train. There a train every 3 or 4 mins. What is the rush? Even with the tight schedule as me I don't do that. Well in my case is a bit different, I am not eager for a seat but just eager to go onto the train and get to Shatin in time. I don't understand "C".

I think "B" is poor. There are nothing she can do. She can't yell at "C" but just give her a nasty staring. I can stand people rushing in and grabbing seat but this is a bit to extreme. Shame on you "C". What would you feel if someone do the same thing to you. You are the kind of person that we will make us look bad.

Maybe we shall line up in every transporation and people need to go in one after the after. Rules should be bind. First one would be: THERE ARE NO RUSHING IN. Still cannot believe a mid age woman will behave like a child. Now let's imagine what she will teach her children (if she has any). Should force these type of people to go into some manner training course. SHAME ON THESE TYPE OF PEOPLE!!!

Valentine Dinner on Last Friday

Valentine's dinner was great. It is relaxing and the most important it contains no crowds. We managed to put everything together. Well actually dEnNiS managed to get everything together. Me just watching TV while he is busy chopping and cooking in the kitchen. He loves to cook so mind as well just leave it to him. I will go in and bother him from time to time. Saying things like me starving to death how much longer it is going to take... Sounds like I am mean but sometime you really have to wait for a long long time...

Let's talk about what we actually have that night. Remember it was a Veggie Day. I contributed by getting the food from cItYsUpEr after work. Grab my colleague to go with me... poor her... ^^ I got three type of cheese, linguine, french bread, mushroom and zucchini. Here are what we had: Tomato Soup, Cheese with french bread, Veggie linguine. We have ice cream as well but too full to eat that night. We didn't eat the ice cream till now. Maybe we should plan a night just for that carton of ice cream.

To be honest: The tomato soup is slightly too sweet. We both have no idea where the sweet taste coming from cause we have add nothing onto it but only some cauliflower. Cauliflower shouldn't taste sweet maybe it is just the soup base itself. Veggie linguine is not what I imagined. I was thinking of tomato base source and cheese on top kind. Surprise to find the source is in the brownish color and with a tomato taste. Very interesting!!! dEnNiS said the linguine turn out not the way he wanted it. Maybe the source picked up the brownish color from the mushroom??? Well it taste different but not bad in a way, just not the type that we used to have. I cut up the cheese well and pick the right kind of french bread so that part turns out to be prefect. And we end up finishing all the cheeses. By the way we had cheddar, mozzarella and gouda (not sure about the spelling for the last one) Both cheddar and gouda are very tasty. Mozzarella I think it meant more for cooking since it got not much taste to it but just the gummy texture. We end up eating cheddar with mozzarella or gouda with mozzarella together but jsut not the mozzarella alone. We didn't have wine to go along with all the cheese but it turns out ok. Prehaps the cheeses weren't that strong.

Overall it is a very delightful and enjoyable dinner. Even there are no dim light (where you can't see the face of the person) or candle light sparkling (which make your eyes blurring or stars all around). Need no fancy setting or fancy gift (well once in awhile won't be a bad idea) but I rather spend the night with Mr. Right. Do you think I find my Mr. Right?