Good News, Bad News 好和壞消息 I've got good news and bad news. First the good news. I received a letter from the Canadian government telling me that my application for a citizenship certificate has been received at the main office in Nova Scotia and is being processed. The letter says that I should receive my citizenship certificate in 5-7 months. That sounds pretty good. It would be wonderful if I could receive it before I leave for HK in May.

Now the bad news. Come to think of it, it's worse than bad news. It's shitty news! I just came from my health club, where M, the instructor of my cycling class, announced that she had gotten a fulltime job in the city and would no longer be able to teach her cycling classes.

This all started with my friend W, one of my best friends who really knows my taste in women. W talked me into joining 24 Hour Fitness--the same health club that he belongs to. Seeing that I didn't use the club very often, W knew that I needed something to motivate me. One day a couple of months ago, he came up with that motivation. With a big grin on his face, W told me that he had taken a cycling class at the club and that the instructor, M, was exactly my type--Asian (probably Chinese), young (20-something), unbelievable cleavage. W went on and on about how hot M was, how she wore a bikini top while riding her bike, and how she would drive me crazy.

At first, I thought W was joking with me and didn't pay much attention. But seeing how serious he was, I finally decided that I would give the cycling class a try and check out M. The first time I saw M, she was everything that W said and more. She probably had the best female body that I had ever seen (either in person or photograph)--about 5'6" tall, medium to large breasts (at least 36"), beautifully-proportioned abs and hips. But when M leaned forward on her bike in her bikini top right in front of me, her cleavage and movement were just insane. I literally could not concentrate on anything but M.

After one class, I was hooked and started attending M's cycling class every Wednesday evening. It was an intense experience in more ways than one. At the end of each one-hour class, my body and shirt were soaked with sweat from the vigorous workout, which included M's hip hop music. I wasn't the only one sweating. One time after class, I went up to talk to M, who was lying on her back doing stretching exercises. As I sat on the floor right next to M and she leaned her head back and smiled at me, I noticed that her body, including her exposed cleavage, was covered with tiny beads of sweat. It was an incredibly sexy, electric moment.

Through talking with M, I found out that she was a business student, was about to graduate, and was looking for a fulltime job. So I knew that a day could come when M might stop teaching her fitness classes (cycling, weight training, abs, and cardio kick-boxing). What I didn't know is that the day would come so soon.

As I ponder the thought that I no longer will have M and the cycling class to look forward to, I can't help but think of a sad Chinese poem:

去年今天此門中 (heui3 lin4 gam1 tin1 chi2 mun4 jung1)
桃花人面相映紅 (tou4 fa1 yan4 min6 seung1 ying2 hung4)
人面不知何處去 (yan4 min6 bat1 ji1 ho4 chyu6 heui3)
桃花依舊笑春風 (tou4 fa1 yi1 gau6 siu3 cheun1 fung1)

One year ago today, in this doorway
Peach blossoms and a person's face both shone brightly
I don't know where the person's face has gone to
But the peach blossoms, as always, are smiling at the spring breeze

Right now, I don't see anyone who could replace M as my fitness motivator. She single-handedly got me interested in my health club again. I thought that my abs were pretty good--flat, muscular, better than most men in their 30s. But when I saw M's awesome, toned abs, I knew that she could teach me a thing or two. I know that all good things must come to an end, but why did the end have to come so soon? With time, I'll probably get M out of my mind and find someone else to motivate my workouts or even my life. For now, though, I feel crappy.  ¶ 9:00 PM 0 comments

  Big-headed shrimp 大 頭 蝦 According to my wife, I am a 大 頭 蝦 (daai6 tau4 ha1) a big-headed shrimp. Either that or a 失 魂 魚 (sat1 wan4 yu2) a fish that has lost its soul. That's what she called me when I left the house without bringing my 手 機 (sau2 gei1) cellphone. When I asked her what it meant, she said that it's something like an absent-minded person. Like a big shrimp (prawn) that has a huge head with nothing inside!

Not long after being told that I was a 大 頭 蝦, I saw a real 大 頭 蝦 on TV. It was on 覓 食 新 煮 意 (mik6 sik6 san1 ju2 yi3), a HK program that features culinary treats from around the world. The 電 視 主 持 人 (din6 si6 ju2 chi4 yan4) program hostess was sampling freshly-caught seafood and tried 大 頭 蝦 and 拉 尿 蝦 (laai6 liu6 ha1), which literally means "peeing shrimp." Fortunately, peeing shrimp has another, official name--琵 琶 蝦 (pei4 pa4 ha1) pipa (Chinese lute) shrimp--which sounds better and a lot tastier. Anyway, the shrimp were huge and looked like small lobsters. Every time the hostess tried one, she said "甘 香" (gam1 heung1) sweet and fragrant=tasty! God, I envy her job.

Recently, I was with someone in a video store in Pacific East Mall looking at the TVB posters advertising the different programs that they have for rent. I noticed one with a group of fashionably-dressed HK music stars that said “不 一 樣 的 男 人, 不 一 樣 的 魅 力” (bat1 yat1 yeung6 dik1 laam4 yan2, bat1 yat1 yeung6 dik1 mui6 lik6) different men, different charm. As I pointed it out to my companion, she asked me, “邊 個 最 有 型?” (bin1 go3 jeui3 yau5 ying4) Who has the most style? Without looking at the names on the poster, I picked out a guy who was wearing a light pink sport jacket and dark jeans. It turned out to be 李 克 勤 (lei5 hak1 kan4) Hacken Lee, who is pretty popular in HK and is one of the male Cantopop stars that I like. I’ve got pretty good taste, don’t I?

To celebrate my finish in the Turkey Trot, I have posted a photo of the shirt and ribbon that I won.  ¶ 1:16 PM 0 comments

  Drunk Chicken Props Up Rice Lid 醉 雞 撐 飯 蓋 Not long after I started learning Cantonese, I learned 死 雞 撐 飯 蓋 (sei2 gai1 chaang1 faan6 goi3), a cute and interesting saying that literally means "the dead chicken props up the rice lid." When a dead, whole chicken is placed in a pot, either because of nerve reflexes or rigor mortis, it is not unusual for the legs to stick straight up, thereby propping open the pot lid. But of course, the chicken is already dead, and any kicking or propping by the legs won't do any good. So 死 雞 撐 飯 蓋 actually applies to a situation where someone already is a goner or in trouble and yet tries some futile move to avoid the inevitable. Something like grasping at straws.

Yesterday, I got to see 死 雞 撐 飯 蓋 for the first time. A couple of weeks ago, 星 島 日 報 (sing1 dou2 yat6 bou3) the Singtao Daily published a recipe for 醉 雞 (jeui3 gai1) drunk chicken by 曾 太 jang1 taa12, the wife of HK Chief Executive 曾 蔭 權 Donald Tsang. I decided to go first class and bought a freshly-killed 走 地 黃 毛 雞 (jau2 dei6 wong4 mou4 gai1) free range chicken. Following the recipe, I marinaded the chicken and then placed it feet up in a pot to steam it. That's when I saw the chicken's legs propping the pot lid open 死 雞 撐 飯 蓋! By the way, the 醉 雞 drunk chicken tasted great, better than the small, cold servings that I sometimes get at Shanghai restaurants. Love that flavor of 紹 興 酒 (siu6 hing1 jau2) Shaoxing liquor.

I just got an email from my health club, 24 Hour Fitness, telling me that I can use the California Fitness clubs in HK free for 30 days. That's because of a reciprocal agreement between 24 Hour Fitness and California Fitness. So that gives me at least one great place to work out when I go to HK in May. I will have to figure out which location is most convenient--Mong Kok, Hunghom (Whampoa Garden), or Tsim Sha Tsui. The real question is: Which one has the cutest women? It should be fun to compare the HK gym with my local gym and to take a few exercise or weight training classes. I wonder whether the instructors use Cantonese or English.

I have a legal calendar in my office that has daily sayings. Some of them are pretty funny. Here are my recent favorites:

Military justice is to justice what military music is to music. -- Groucho Marx

From Actual Court Records
Attorney: What was the first thing your husband said to you when he woke that morning?
Witness: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
Attorney: And why did that upset you?
Witness: My name is Susan.

In his will, German poet Heinrich Heine left his entire estate to his wife, provided she remarry, "because then there will be at least one man to regret my death."  ¶ 6:17 PM 0 comments

  Poor Man's Shark Fin 窮 人 的 魚 翅
In Cantonese, it's called 魚 翅 瓜 (yu4 chi3 gua1) shark fin melon. But I call it 窮 人 0既 魚 翅 (kung4 yan4 ge3 yu4 chi3) poor man's shark fin. We grow these melons in our backyard and use them to make a tasty soup with chicken and 蠔 豉 (hou4 si6) dried oysters. When the melon is boiled into soup, it has shiny, translucent strands that resemble shark fin. That's why it's called shark fin melon.

I have never seen 魚 翅 瓜 for sale in the market, either here in the U.S. or in HK. But judging from this HK government website, they must grow it in HK. The first seeds that we got were from a Chinese friend who got them from her relatives in HK. Whether the seeds came from HK or 廣 東 省 (gong2 dung1 saang2) Guangdong Province, I don't know.

Has anyone seen 魚 翅 瓜 for sale in HK? 我 出 年 五 月 返 香 港 0係 街 市 買 瓜 菜 就 會 特 別 留 意.  ¶ 7:00 PM 0 comments

  Mother Nature 大 自 然 I recently mentioned 順 峰 魚 村 (seun6 fung1 yu4 chun1) Asian Pearl, a restaurant located in 東 太 市 場 (dung1 taai3 si5 cheung4) Pacific East Mall in Richmond. It specializes in abalone, shark's fin, and distinctive cuisine from Guangdong Province and other places in China. Last week, while running the Turkey Trot, I saw my friend R from HK and, as usual, compared notes about restaurants. R said that he had gone to Asian Pearl for 飲 茶 (yam2 cha4) dim sum and that it was good. So I decided to give it a try on Saturday.

Two things impressed me about 飲 茶 at Asian Pearl. First, the overall quality of the 點 心 (dim2 sam1) dim sum was excellent--fresh and tasty, no duds. Second, the service was even better than the dim sum. Sometimes, it can be a hassle at teahouses to catch the waiter's attention to order things or to get 豉 油 (si6 yau4) soya sauce, 辣 椒 醬 (laat6 jiu1 jeung3) hot sauce, and other condiments. But this was no problem at Asian Pearl. Service was attentive the whole time. Anything I requested was soon brought to the table.

While all the dim sum was good, I was especially impressed by the 灌 湯 餃 (gun3 tong1 gaau2) shark's fin dumpling in broth and the 炸 奶 黃 包 (ja3 laai2 wong4 baau1) deep-fried custard buns. The deep-fried custard buns are difficult to find in the Bay Area. I hope that they'll be easier to find when I go to HK in May.

Most Cantonese teahouses don't do a very good job of making 北 方 點 心 (bak1 fong1 dim2 sam1) Northern Chinese dim sum. Asian Pearl definitely is an exception. Their 小 籠 包 (siu2 lung4 baau1) were excellent--quality filling wrapped in thin dough. As I left the restaurant, I noticed a chef in the kitchen who was making 東 北 餡 餅 (dung1 bak1 haam2 beng2) Northeast stuffed cakes and 家 鄉 蔥 油 餅 (ga1 heung1 chung1 yau4 beng2) home-style fried onion cakes. It wouldn't surprise me if he is a 北 方 師 傅 (bak1 fong1 si1 fu2) a Northern Chinese chef who specializes in making Northern Chinese cuisine.

My deer streak is still alive. Today, while jogging, I saw a doe with her tiny fawn, probably born a few months ago. And while biking a couple of weeks ago, I came across a large buck with two-pronged horns. One thing that I like most about exercising over lunch is the wild animals that I often see up in the hills. They make me feel like a part of 大 自 然 (daai6 ji6 yin4) Mother Nature.  ¶ 8:20 PM 0 comments

  School Application 申 請 入 學 Oh my aching body, especially my legs! Feels like I overdid it yesterday in the Turkey Trot race. I sure could use a good massage. Any volunteers?

My application to the 新 亞 中 國 語 文 研 習 所 New Asia--Yale-in-China Chinese Language Center is going out tonight. I'm on my way to print a photo to attach to the application form, and then it's on to the post office. The Center, which is where I'll be studying Cantonese from May through July, is located at 香 港 中 文 大 學 HK Chinese University in 沙 田 Shatin. Wish me luck with my application.

Several weeks ago, I submitted an application for a citizenship certificate to the Canadian government (I was born in Vancouver, BC). Within a week, I received a call from someone at the Canadian consulate asking whether my parents, who were Americans living in Canada, had registered my birth at the American consulate. When I answered "yes," the officer asked me to send the registration document to them, which I did right away. Don't know what this means, but I hope that it's just a formality and doesn't pose a problem for my application. It probably will be several months before I receive an answer from the Canadian government. In the meantime, I will think good thoughts and hope for the best.

Today, I had an interesting Chinese dish called 鹹 魚 茄 子 (haam4 yu2 ke5 ji2) Chinese eggplant stir-fried with salted fish. Yum!! Chinese eggplant is different from Western eggplant. While Western eggplant is short, pear-shaped, and deep purple, the Chinese variety is long, slender, and light to medium purple in color. Chinese chefs often cook eggplant by quickly deep-frying it, which can make it rather oily. However, the dish I had today was not oily and had a wonderful salted fish taste and smell. There used to be a time when I couldn't stand salted fish. I love it now. In fact, I enjoy walking through 上 環 (sheung6 waan4) Sheungwan, a district in HK that has lots of 海 味 店 (hoi2 mei3 dim3) dried seafood shops.  ¶ 8:45 PM 0 comments

  Getting Rich 發 達
E-X-T-R-A!! E-X-T-R-A!! READ ALL ABOUT IT! Hot off the press. I just finished the Turkey Trot, coming in 2nd place in my age group. My time was 15:57, which is 1 minute, 15 seconds faster than last year. But the best news is--我 得 0左 全 場 0既 第 八 名. 嘩! 真 係 好 意 頭. "八" 同 "發" 0個 兩 個 字 0既 音 差 唔 多, 所 以 代 表 我 會 發 達! Since "八" (baat3) eight and "發" (faat3) sound alike in Cantonese, that means that I'm going to 發 達 (faat3 daat6) get rich!

W, who is my regular jogging and biking partner and one of my closest friends, came in 1st, finishing 29 seconds ahead of me. W ran a good race, and I am happy to see him get 1st place. As friends, W and I get along well, partly because we have complementary tastes in women. He likes blondes, and I like women with black hair (shoulder-length or longer). So we're seldom in competition. In fact, W probably knows my taste in women better than anyone else in this world. He jokes with me about it, but when it comes to meeting hot women of the type I prefer, W has been a good luck charm.

As I was running the race today, I saw A jogging the other direction. She's a hot 25- or 26-year-old that used to be my occasional biking and hiking partner. I'll never forget the first time that I saw A on her bike. W was there to witness the whole thing, and he kidded me about not hooking up with her right away. Having been challenged, I went out biking the next day, saw A again, and traded phone numbers (we wrote them in ink on our hands). It was fun while it lasted, but eventually our outings became less frequent and then stopped.

While I am happy today, coming in second is the story of my life. As far back as I can remember, first prize always has eluded me. That's been true in love, work, and almost everything else in my life. Sometimes, when I'm in a rotten mood, I get to thinking 我 乜 都 係 "比 上 不 足, 比 下 有 餘" (ngo5 mat1 dou1 hai6 "bei2 sheung6 bat1 juk1, bei2 ha6 yau5 yu4"). That's a well-known Chinese saying that literally means you have less than the highest but more than the lowest. In other words, you're in the middle--neither the best, nor the worst.  ¶ 1:02 PM 0 comments

  Turkey Trot 火 雞 跑 步 比 賽 Thanksgiving, which is a big holiday in the U.S., is next week. Every year around Thanksgiving, my employer sponsors the Turkey Trot, a 2 1/4-mile (3.75 km.) run along the waterfront. I've been running it every year for the past ten years or so. The combination of beautiful scenery and fun with my friends is hard to beat.

Today, I did a practice run to see what my time was like. Actually, I ran the course twice--once at a slow jog and the second time at a fast pace. My practice time was 16:50, which is less than 8 minutes per mile and about half a minute faster than I did it last year. I feel good about my time, especially since I was tired and running 逆 風 (yik6 fung1) into a headwind. The actual race is Thursday, Nov. 17. I'll let you know how I do.

When searching HK webpages, I have come across some charity races and hikes. The most interesting one that I have seen is the 樂 施 毅 行 者 (lok6 si1 ngai6 hang4 je2) Oxfam Trailwalker--a 100-km., 2-day hike on the MacLehose Trail done in teams of four. That sounds like a pretty grueling distance (30 miles per day). But with the right teammates, it could be a lot of fun. When I go to HK in May, I will be looking for some fun runs or hikes to participate in.

Just down the street from where I work, there is a Cajun restaurant that recently has had some cool decorations for Halloween and Thanksgiving (see photos). I remember when I was in HK last December, there were spectacular Christmas lights and ornaments all over 中 環 Central. It really surprised me how much HK celebrates 聖 誕 節 (sing3 daan3 jit3) Christmas. What about Halloween and 感 恩 節 (gam2 yan1 jit3) Thanksgiving? I wonder whether HK has decorations for those holidays, too.  ¶ 9:00 PM 0 comments

  Out of Business 執 0左 粒 Recently, I went into San Francisco to visit a shop that has the best French pastries that I have ever tasted. I had been thinking about it for months, visualizing how pretty the cakes and pastries would look and imagining how good they would taste. Parking my car and walking up the street, I am stunned to see that the pastry shop is dark. 唉 呀, 死 啦, 我 最 中 意 0既 餅 店 好 似 執 0左 粒 (jap1 jo2 lap1)! My favorite shop is closed, apparently out of business.

I decide to go into the carpet store next door to ask about the pastry shop. The manager of the carpet store confirms the worst. The pastry shop has not moved to another location; it is out of business. :( But as I'm walking out the door, the manager says, "Someone told me that there's another bakery down in the Mission that's very similar to this one." I get the directions from her, but she doesn't remember the name, and I wonder whether this will be a wild goose chase. But within a block of where she sent me, I come upon Tartine Bakery.

Tartine looks like a cool coffee house but is packed with customers and obviously is very popular. One taste of their baked goods tells me why. The cakes and pastries are superb--fresh, buttery, complex flavors, etc. I fall in love with the bread pudding--a huge serving loaded with plums--as well as the frangipane tart (almond-cream filling with berries or currants) and the passion fruit lime Bavarian cake (coconut flakes outside, intense passion fruit flavor inside). So I'm a happy camper again. I thought I couldn't find another love to replace my first one, but I was wrong.

As wild as I am about 西 餅 (sai1 beng2) Western pastries, I also am nuts about Chinese bakeries. When I was in Vancouver a few months ago, I tried the cream puffs at 聖 安 娜 餅 屋 Saint Anna Bakery. They had lots of fresh whipped cream and were excellent. As soon as I get to HK, I will be looking for 聖 安 娜 餅 屋. But my favorite Chinese pastry has to be 蛋 撻 (daan2 taat1) custard tarts. There must be some great ones in HK, and I'm determined to find the best. When I was in HK in 2001, I liked the 忌 廉 撻 (gei6 lim1 taat1) cream tarts at 奇 華 (kei4 wa4) Kee Wah Bakery. But this time, I have another lead. 彭 定 康 Chris Patten, the last British Governor of HK, was known for his love of 蛋 撻. A few days ago, when Chris was visiting HK, he made a point of dropping by his favorite 蛋 撻 shop--泰 昌 餅 家 (taai3 cheung1 beng2 ga1). Recently, there had been sad news that 泰 昌 was going out of business. But it looks like there is a happy ending--they now have shops in 中 環 Central and 旺 角 Mong Kok. 泰 昌 definitely is on my list of places to try in HK. Will their 蛋 撻 turn out to be the best? I should know in a few months.  ¶ 9:00 PM 0 comments

  Twilight 人 約 黃 昏 後
This afternoon, I needed to get out of the house and was feeling in an artistic mood. Grabbing my backpack and camera, I headed out to Mitchell Canyon--a trailhead at the base of Mt. Diablo. My destination was Eagle Peak, a fairly steep 1,800-foot climb. The views on the way up were surprisingly clear. Not only could I see the mountain peak (see photo), but I also could see all the way to the Sacramento River and beyond.

As I made it to Twin Peaks (1,733 feet high) and paused to admire the panoramic scenery, I noticed that darkness was fast approaching and decided to turn back. Normally, there aren't many hikers on the trails late in the afternoon, and I usually have the trails pretty much to myself. But this particular day, there was something weird. On the way down, I ran into three other hikers, all of them headed uphill. By the time they made it to Eagle Peak, it would be pitch black. But seeing the rising moon, which was big and bright, I realized that they probably were planning to finish their hike in the moonlight.


The rising moon, the setting sun, and the tree silhouettes made a beautiful scene as I reached the base of the mountain. Hopefully, my photos captured the magic of that moment. When I take my camera to HK, I will be watching for other magic moments to capture.  ¶ 9:00 PM 0 comments

  Almost Mortgage Free 就 嚟 供 完 屋 Today's a holiday (Veterans Day) here in the U.S., and I have the day off work. Hooray! It's not often that I have a chance to 偷 懶 (tau1 laan2) loaf. I'm sitting at home right now blogging away.

When I was younger, every so often I would hear of people holding a mortgage-burning party. That's a celebration that people hold when then have paid off the mortgage on their house and no longer owe any money to the bank. But with the huge increases in home prices and mortgages, it's getting harder and harder to fully pay off a mortgage. For most people, it probably takes 30 years to do so. As a result, mortgage-burning parties are something that one seldom hears about anymore.

According to an Oct. 23, 2005 newspaper article "Mortgage burning in vogue:"

When was the last time you heard about a mortgage-burning party? How antique. How last century. Do homeowners actually pay down their mortgages to zero anymore, or do they simply refinance every few years until it is time to sell or die?

Actually, the article says that Americans are focused on paying down their mortgage debt, even if mortgage-burning parties are uncommon.

I just received my latest mortgage statement, and it says that I owe a grand total of $6,807. That means the day that I have always dreamed of is not far off. Within a few months--before I leave for HK next May--my mortgage will be paid off, and the bank will no longer own part of my home. What a happy feeling that will be. It definitely calls for a mortgage-burning party or celebration of some kind. However, I doubt that I actually will burn the mortgage or promissory note. Those are legal documents that should be preserved as financial records.

It would be interesting to know more about mortgages in HK. Come to think of it, I don't even know how to say mortgage in Cantonese. Here in the U.S., mortgages typically have a 30-year or 15-year term and require monthly payments. What terms are common in HK? Do most HK homeowners (flatowners) make monthly payments? I hope to learn more about this subject next year.

On Wednesday (Nov. 9), I was in San Francisco for a big meeting with our expert consultants in a major construction case that I am handling. The case is set to go to a 2-day mediation in January. During a break in the meeting, I got a chance to talk with S, my consultant friend who regularly travels to HK on business. I shared with him the happy news that I have gotten leave from work to study in HK next year and that my dream actually is going to happen. S told me that it looks like his HK construction case is going to settle, which means that he may stop going to HK. That's too bad--I was looking forward to running around with S in HK. I also asked S his view of whether HK is likely to have a financial crisis next year, as mentioned in a recent blog from amy_in a crazy hong kong. According to S, this seems very unlikely. S normally gauges the condition of HK's economy by what he sees with hotel rates and reservations. In recent months, HK hotel prices have risen sharply and reservations have become very tight, all of which leads S to conclude that HK's economy is strong and that a financial crisis will not occur anytime soon. That's reassuring!  ¶ 9:51 AM 0 comments

  Happy New Discovery 開 心 大 發 現 騎 呢 大 狀 返 到 嚟! Yeah, I'm back from my trip to the East Coast. I've been back for one week but have been buried with work. As soon as I get a chance, I will blog about my impressions from the trip.

Every Wednesday evening, I go to my health club (24 Hour Fitness) for a 60-minute cycling class. I look forward to it all week. Not only does the class have the hottest instructor that I have ever seen, but it also gives a strenuous but fun workout with cool music.

Before going to the class tonight, I went on the 24 Hour Fitness website just to be sure that the class had not been cancelled and that my favorite instructor would be there. Something caught my eye. It was a button that read "International Locations." When I clicked on it, the first country listed was Hong Kong:

Causeway Bay
B1-B2 Lee Theater Plaza
99 Percival Street
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2577-0004

Central
1 Wellington Street
Central, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2522-5229

Tsim Sha Tsui
G/F, Prestige Tower
23-25 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2366-8666

Mong Kok
G/F., Grand Tower
639 Nathan Road, Mongkok
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2522-1000

Wan Chai
88 Gloucester Road
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2877-7070

Whampoa
Shop G25, G/F
Treasure World (Site 11)
Whampoa Garden, Hunghom, Kowloon
Tel: (852) 2622 2228

What a great discovery! When I go to 沙 田 Shatin next year to study Cantonese, I should be able to use my existing membership to go to the clubs in 旺 角 Mong Kok or 紅 磡 Whampoa (Hunghom). That's almost like using them for free. I may even be able to attend some cycling, weight training, or other classes, which should be a cool experience, especially if they do the classes in Cantonese.

While I'm in HK for 2 or 3 months, I plan some outdoor workouts, too. I have made contact with a potential jogging partner who likes to jog barefoot. Supposedly, there are lots of jogging trails around Shatin. Then there's a hidden trail from 半 山 區 Bowen Road to 灣 仔 峡 Wanchai Gap that I would like to trail jog, at least part of it. The thing I don't know is whether the heat and humidity will be so intense that I will not be able to stand outdoor workouts. If so, at least I can work out indoors at the above clubs.  ¶ 9:00 PM 0 comments