My friend Gabby and I hiked the Shek O area today. Shek O has the prettiest beaches in Hong Kong. We wandered around the mountain a bit then after a few hours went down to the beach. At one point we were alone sitting in a pagoda and 5 big dogs appeared. Gabby got nervous, she doesn’t like dogs, so we got up and walked down the path away from them, which put us on a new hike route. We had planned to hike the romatnically named Dragon’s Back (mountain) but after this detour we never made it. Instead, we hiked the Hong Kong Trail, which is cool if just for the name. There were very few people on the hike, it was so nice and peaceful.

We saw dozens of butterflies of all different sizes and colors, including a black one as big as my hand. It was 26C when we made it to Big Wave beach at Shek O. The beach has soft sand, perfect to walk in after a long hike (on concrete paths). There were surfers and wakeboarders there and a bunch of French couples. Two people were paragliding over the mountains and beaches.

It was such a great hike, the best so far, I feel just great… my mind is clear, and I’m hungry. I made Korean food for dinner–my favorite.

Juuuuust came back from a solo hike up Victoria Peak, aka The Peak. It was such a city escape, at times I couldn’t believe I was on Hong Kong Island. Pictures coming up soon…

Macanese calligraphy

Originally uploaded by Katharine C

Elise la quebeçoise was visiting from Taipei, and lucky me over my birthday too! We went to Macao on Saturday and *look* at this gorgeous Tang Dynasty calligraphy. I love the old stuff. This is my new desktop photo, reminding me of good times. Merci Elise!

Surfing ’round the Internet last night I found a great site, MapMyRun, and if one clicks on the various trails mapped out you’ll find routes on pavement that are skate-able. Check this one out: a skate path along a channel up north in the New Territories. I like the ‘Mixte’ option at the bottom of the map where you see the map and satellite imagery overlaid.
Magic Cucumber 10k
Find more Runs in Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Things are going alright in Hong Kong, although househunting is still a challenge. My department at the university is really swell, I have a great job. They are going to partially subsidize my doctoral class at the Open University Hong Kong, and I think I just secured my pilot study. Already! It looks like I can access my money, and I got an advance to tide me over while I await the 3-day wire transfer of ‘big’ money from Belgium. I found places to get nice hot meals of stir-fried tofu, vegetables and rice conveniently on campus for under E2. The department *might* have funding to cover my purchase of a Sony Flybook for use during my commutes. Now is that not spiffy? But I don’t have housing yet, that still must come.

Here it’s monsoon season and most evenings there are thunderstorms with flash flood rains. Last night I watched the rain pelt down on the ground, already flooded, silhouetted in lightning flashes and car lights from my room twenty floors above.

Still it’s lonely here, to be abruptly separated from loved ones. The languid sound of the tropics is calling me… This popped into my head and I can’t get it out.

dragonfruit_slices

Originally uploaded by Katharine C

4 dragon fruit: E0,80
3 star fruit from Taiwan: E1,10

Welcome to Hong Kong! It was delicious too.

If you know anything about me, it’s that I *love* Korean food with a passion. I lived in Korea from 1996-7 and picked it up there. As I type I’m devouring a delicious Korean salad, Kong na mool moo chim (Soy bean sprouts salad), that has been known to convert even non-mung bean spouties into sprout aficionados. It’s in Korean Kitchen under Recipes–>Vegetables. If I have any room left for dinner, I have neang myun on the stove, made in a non-traditional way with broccoli–perfect with the mustard oil seasoning!–and tofu, ‘cos I’m veg. Neang myun is a cold summer soup made with buckwheat noodles–delicious! The easiest way to make it is to buy the packaged noodles with packets of bouillion and tiny packs of mustard oil inside. It’s ready now so I’m signing off.

Whiskey tango foxtrot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Getting readyt o MOVE again! My brother gave me the book ‘Contact’ when I was at the Chicago airport, en route to my first foray abroad for my senior year in Korea. He deidcated it on 25 August 1997. Ten years and a day later I’m going to country number six! Sugar honey iced tea!

Freak-out stage is here. Going to calmly go upstairs now and do some work.

Last night it was a perfect night, with partly cloudy skies and a temperature somewhere between balmy and fresh. I went to the Grand Place with a friend and saw the Brussels Summer Festival there: a huge stage set up with a live band. It was very cool. Dozens of people lined up on the grand statehouse’s first floor outdoor walkway to watch the concert, with swirling lights washing over them like the reflections of water.
Lately I’m also listening to Depeche Mode, especially ‘Walking in My Shoes.’
My Asian dress isn’t working out very well in linen, which is a suggested fabric. It looks poufy over the bust. Luckily, the color is great on me–chartreuse–and it seems redeemable if made in a stretch cotton. Which I have set aside in the stash just for this dress.
I’m moving to Hong Kong in less than a WEEK! The plane leaves Saturday morning. Which makes me think of being a thousand seas between here and there: my favorite Laura Pausini song original video or.
and the HOT Cuban remix

I luuuuuuuuvvv Stevie Nicks remix’d; especially Deep Dish’s redux of ‘Dreams’
I heard this yesterday in Amsterdam at Claire’s jewelry shop and I can’t get it out of my mind. I heard it last summer in Arnhem (NL) too at home. Claire’s, you say? Yes, Claire’s! I used to frequent it at the Lansing Mall when I was growing up in Michigan. The store finally made it over to Europe.
Dutch do techno best, IMO; but my friend Bruno told me that Belgium invented techno(!)

From last summer in NL too: I heard a superb remix of ‘Stand Back’ but I haven’t found it again. It was probably just a dj spinning it live on the radio. Here’s a decent remix, tho’

In other news, it’s vacation and I have an upcoming international move (#6) in 6 days. THUS! It’s sewing time again! It would sure be swell to have some new clothes for Hong Kong. Burda 7937 made it back to the cutting board, re-traced to include sleeves (I caved), altered, cut out, and all edges zipped through the serger. Now. Onto more construction. If I play my cards right I *could* be wearing it tonight.
Going to play Deep Dish does Nicks again, for inspiration!