Food Culture in Hong Kong

Food is a very important part of the culture in Hong Kong (and China)... and it's one of the reasons why I enjoy visiting. You can get anything you want in Hong Kong (except good Mexican food... they still haven't figured that out yet). However, my favorite thing to eat is the local food (dumplings, hot pot, seafood, noodles, fish balls, etc)... and I also like visiting the street vendors. I've been lucky enough to become friends with some locals and I've been introduced to a lot of amazing food places (except the stinky tofu place... I didn't like that).

In the Asian culture, it's a big deal when people invite you to share a meal with them... and I definitely appreciate the warm hospitality.

Raining In the City

A "rainy day" in Hong Kong isn't necessarily a bad thing (helps that you can walk almost everywhere underground or on a covered walkway)... the rain cleans the air, cools things down, and makes for great "photo ops". I love the reflections of the neon lights... it illuminates the city even more. These are a few photos I took while walking walking around Tsim Sha Tsui (in Kowloon) post-rain storm.

When in Hong Kong...

I'm not really a fan of umbrellas... however, in Hong Kong, the umbrella is part of the culture... and during the summer months, it becomes a necessity. You just have to be careful and protect your eyes when walking through tight alleyways. In the top photo, I was taking shelter under a bamboo scaffolding during the midst of a brief downpour (I forgot my umbrella and didn't want to buy another one... umbrella prices skyrocket when it is raining). I was probably getting in everyone's way, but found a good vantage point to take some photos of the bottleneck that was created when people tried to squeeze into the small space.

Kenting Market - "Massage Time"

Wherever I go in Asia, there seems to be an extraordinary amount of massage parlors (feet, back, neck, etc). Kenting was no exception. One of the creepier things I saw is featured in the top photo. There were several older guys (down a dark alley) sitting next to Hello Kitty chairs... and apparently waiting for customers to come by for a massage. I have no idea what the sign above them means... but I definitely did not want whatever it was that they were selling!

Be Like Water

Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.

Most people might not realize it, but Hong Kong has a thriving film industry. One of its icons was Bruce Lee. If you walk along the Avenue of Stars, you can see all of the famous Hong Kong actors immortalized with stars and/or statues (similar to Hollywood's Walk of Fame). Jackie Chan even has a star there as well.

This photo was taken around midnight on a foggy/rainy evening. It probably would have been a nicer photo had there been no fog (so you could see the city skyline)... however, it still came out pretty good. It took me about 15 attempts to get a non-blurry photo (very difficult without a tripod), but I think it was worth the effort.

Last photo in my Hong Kong series... hope you enjoyed!

Junk Boat Skyline

Walking along the Avenue of the Stars (on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong), you have an incredible view of the Hong Kong Island skyline. On this particular night, there was a "junk boat" wedged along the shoreline. I wasn't sure if it had gotten stuck or if it broken down? Nonetheless, it made for an interesting silhouette as I posed it with the Hong Kong skyline. On this particular night, there was a misty rain and fog was covering the building tops (was quite chilly and I didn't come prepared with a heavy jacket). The fog made the lights in the background glow a lot more than usual. 

Early Evening in LKF

If I would have taken this photo about 3 hours later, the streets would have been filled with drunken Americans, Aussies, Brits, some local Hong Kong people, and a few other random tourists. This is a popular party destination for westerners that are visiting or living in Hong Kong... and is known as Lan Kwai Fong. I wasn't up for a late night out on the day that I took these photos (early flight the next morning and had already been on a long trip). However, it's also not a good idea to haul around your camera if you're planning to partake in the festivities (easy to get lost).

Lan Kwai Fong is a "bar street" on Hong Kong Island (next to the Central MTR station). The bars close when the people leave (no set closing time) and you can take your beer wherever you want (no open container laws). Therefore, it's easy to hop from one bar to the next... or you can just hang out in the street. Lan Kwai Fong street is actually on a bit of a hill... so as the night progresses, you will see more and more beer bottles rolling down the street.

Vertical Space and Neon Lights

One very interesting thing about shopping in Hong Kong is you'll notice that retail space is vertical. Since Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, there is not much unused real estate. Therefore, if the stores want to expand, it needs to go "up"... and as you can imagine, if you don't know where you're going, it's very easy to get confused (I've had many of those "lost in translation" moments). Also, you have to love the neon lights!

Bright Lights and Motorbikes

My hotel room (at New World Hotel) had a beautiful view of the city lights (this hotel is where Bill Clinton stayed when he visited Vietnam). However, what you can't hear in this picture are all the motorbikes buzzing and honking on the street below. I guess it would have annoyed me more had I stayed there for an extended period of time... however, having to listen to it for only 2 days added to the ambiance of Ho Chi Minh City (actually kind of enjoyed it).

In these 4 images, I messed around with different shutter speeds and ISO settings... I think the fourth image in this series is my favorite (on the bottom)

Winter Nights in Vietnam

Street market in Ho Chi Minh City

When I first got to Vietnam, I was exhausted... it took me two hours to get through customs, I was still jet lagged, and I didn't have a moment to rest since I had been in Asia. Nonetheless, Ho Chi Minh is an awesome city... and when I got there, I wanted to walk around and explore (plus, it's a bit difficult to sleep with the constant motorbike traffic all night). These are a few pictures I took while wandering around the streets by myself that first night. The majority of the photos came out poorly because I was too jet lagged to pay attention to the camera settings. What made the evening even more interesting was that I got completely lost and had to figure out how to ask for directions without knowing Vietnamese. The area I was at was relatively safe though... so didn't feel too bad walking around. Plus, I was coming from a much colder climate... and the warm weather felt amazing!

Street food in Ho Chi Minh City... delicious, but not the most sanitary

Street market in Ho Chi Minh City 

Neon Lights in Ho Chi Minh City

Miami Nights

Some "bubbly" in plastic champagne flutes! Why doesn't any bar in South Beach use real glass?

Cruising the Ocean Dr. strip on a warm Saturday night in South Beach... lots of neon lights, palm trees, and interesting people in the streets. These are a few photos I took while there.

The start of Ocean Dr... beginning of the "deco walk"

One of the annoying things about shopping in South Beach, is that most clothing stores don't put price tags on the items. Although, I guess most people shopping in those stores don't need to ask what the price is.