(This blog post is a reflection of events happened in the same week but of past years. What was I up to at this time of the year, every year, since 2005? You and I are about to find out)
The One With September 11th
Today is September 11. It has been nine years. The wound might have healed but the scar remains.
Do you remember what happened on this fateful day?
If you are not an American, you and I will not fully understand the repercussion of the terrible, terrible event which took place on Sept 11, 2001. When thousands lost their lives in the name of religion extremism, which cast a shadow over the entire civilised world.
The One With Ngau Kee – A Hong Kong Institution
Everyone seems to have slept through the thunderstorm that ravaged Hong Kong yesterday. Me, I stagger-slept for less than three hours. So by the time I hit the gym the following evening, I was hungry and sleep deprived. That can only mean one thing to compensate oneself after such a long day.
Food. Preferably something so tasty I can’t stop myself from having a second helping. Probably third. My answer: Ngau Kee Food Cafe.
Oh yeah, to hell to my diet (at least for today).
This rather nondescript Cantonese restaurant is located near my gym, and on occasion when I do walk past, there is always a queue of people outside. I was very tempted to try, but since I can’t read a word of Chinese (word on the street is that the entire menu, unfortunately, is in Chinese), I was way too intimidated to step in.
Tonight, I ventured in with confidence… because I have a Chinese-literate friend with me. Heh!
The One With The Day After Tomorrow The Movie (And Why I Love It So Much)
The Day After Tomorrow. I remember now why I love it so much.
It was in 2004 when I first caught the movie in cinema. I had always been a fan of the natural disaster movie genre (is there a term for this?), and The Day After Tomorrow (TDAT) definitely tops the list for me, with The Independence Day running a close second.
Over the years I have been watching the movie again and again, and every single time, I loved it. Call me a loyal fan, call me a fanatic, but with this movie the producers put together the perfect concoction of what a GREAT movie should be made of.
Why do I love it so?
The One With Frugality & Dieting Under HKD250 A Week
Yes, you have read the post title correctly. I have been wanting to write this post for some time now, and have been making notes over the weeks to make it useful to you.
This is for you who, like me, wants to be on a diet (in order to lose weight) and to live frugally (i.e. to spend only where necessary, when it comes to food) especially during the working week.
This is how you, my friend, can plan your meals for a week of five working days and spend less than HK$250. Yes, that’s two hundred and fifty Hong Kong dollars.
Breakfast – choose and eat wisely.
As the first meal of the day, you need that kick start your day right. We all know how important the first cup of coffee is, and what’s more wonderful than to hit up the nearest Starbucks or Pacific Coffee? But, be warned; each of those lovely grande-sized coffee sets you back at least HK$30 a piece. Doing that daily, even if only on working days, can make a sizable dent in your budget.
The One With Pho Tai – Healthy Vietnamese Cuisine
When it comes to Vietnamese food these are all I know:
1) They are healthy
2) They are soupy
3) They are usually cheap
Okay, these are not necessarily true, but for someone who is as novice to Vietnamese cuisine as yours truly, this is as good as it gets. So when I first moved into Sheung Wan and discovered that there is a Pho Tai Vietnamese Restaurant just a few steps from my gym (how apt, work your ass off and then haul it into a healthy joint), I made it into one of my frequent haunts.
Not a favorite, mind you, but a frequent one nonetheless.
The One With The Mecca Of Mooncakes That Is Hong Kong
Cream Custard Mooncake with Toasted Pine Nuts from Four Seasons’ Lung King Heen
Mooncakes. Ah, the bane of my life. I remember there were times when I consider myself a fan of mooncakes, having sampled a large variety back in Malaysia. Like, I can tell the difference between a double and triple and quadruple yolks (the answer lies in the counting, see?).
The One With The Weekly Time Capsule
(This blog post is a reflection of events happened in the same week but of past years. What was I up to at this time of the year, every year, since 2005? You and I are about to find out)
The One With Your Daily Reads & Changing Habits
You know how the say – “You are what you eat” – which of course refers to your physical appearance? I found another saying which goes:
You are what you read.
Which is true. Especially so when you make it into a daily habit. What you read most of the time, if not every day, will most definitely change your habits.
Take me for example.
I read The Simple Dollar every day; mostly not out of choice but the blogger writes two posts daily on how to live your life the frugal way to achieve financial stability. I am subscribed to his email updates hence his advices, thoughts and musings are part of my daily reads. Whether this is too much or not, I find myself to be more frugal nowadays, thinking twice before splurging on stuff I would have bought impulsively in the past.
The One With Honeymoon Dessert – The Real Hong Kong Dessert
Hong Kong is a dessert heaven. Even if you do not have a sweet tooth, like yours truly, it is hard not to be impressed by the array of desserts available here. Honeymoon Dessert is arguably the most famous homegrown brand of a chain of dessert house.
With one outlet located right below my building at Western Market, who am I to say no to the lure of all the things sweet thing which is just the right indulgence to pamper myself after a long hard week?