hong kong waisikgwai
Friday, February 10, 2006
Lots of Red Tape 好多手續
今日我卒之交左我張學生簽證申請表. Today, I finally sent my student visa application out in the mail. To make sure that the Immigration Department receives my application safely, I sent it by registered mail together with the $135.00 HK application fee (see photo).
The visa application process turned out to be much more complicated than I thought. Not only were there many pages to fill out, but they also required supporting documents. For example, I had to send transcripts for my university and law school studies and proof of my bank account balance. I even was required to list a local sponsor in HK. Per the instruction sheet from the school where I will be studying--新雅中國語文研習所 (san1 nga5 jung1 gok3 yu2 man4 yin4 gau6 so2) the New Asia--Yale-in-China Chinese Language Center--I listed the school director as my local sponsor. It makes me feel like a child to have to list a sponsor, and it doesn't make much sense, especially when I probably make as much or more money than my sponsor.
The biggest hassle was paying the application fee in HK dollars. I had to order a foreign draft online, fax a check for $29.14 US (includes a $10.00 US service fee), and then wait five days for the draft to arrive. The service from International Currency Express was good. But it would have been so much easier and cheaper to have a friend in HK deliver the application form and pay the fee in HK dollars. Unfortunately, my HK friends have been pretty quiet lately, and I had no one convenient to ask. So I had to handle this myself.
It may take two months for me to receive my student visa, but I hope it arrives well before I leave on May 7. One thing that I'm still unsure of is whether I will need a separate China visa for our class trip to 廣州 (gong2 jau1) Guangzhou on July 8. I sent an email to the school to ask about this but have not heard back yet.
Besides my visa application, I have been busy with other trip preparations lately:
Plane ticket--Having checked many discount travel websites, the cheapest airfare that I have found is EVA and China Airlines. When I went to HK in 2001 and 2004, I took Singapore Airlines. This time, I'm thinking of taking Cathay Pacific to patronize HK's local airline. I wonder whether it's better to wait until closer to my departure before buying my ticket. That way, I might be able to find a last-minute special. On the other hand, with oil prices constantly increasing, prices could go up.
Housing--The thing that probably has me most concerned is housing. With help from E in HK, I have been checking some HK websites that specialize in 服務式住宅 (fuk6 mou5 sik1 jyu6 jaak6) serviced apartments. My best prospects are in 紅磡 (hung4 ham3) Hung Hom, 沙田 (sha1 tin4) Shatin, and (ma5 on1 shan1) 馬鞍山 Ma On Shan/Tolo Harbour. I also am getting some assistance from A, a friend that I met at a local market here. He has contacted a realtor who is trying to find me a place in 九龍塘 (gau2 lung4 tong4) Kowloon Tong. My initial impression, though, is that it may be a little early to find a place. It seems that most property agents and landlords won't know what's available in May until April or so. Yet it seems risky to wait that long. On the other hand, I have an "ace in the hole"--sleeping on the bathroom floor in E's place! That probably would be more fun anyway.
One thing is for sure. Making all the arrangements for my studies in HK involves a lot more work than I ever imagined. I hope it will turn out to be worth all the effort. ¶ 9:00 PM 7 comments
今日我卒之交左我張學生簽證申請表. Today, I finally sent my student visa application out in the mail. To make sure that the Immigration Department receives my application safely, I sent it by registered mail together with the $135.00 HK application fee (see photo).
The visa application process turned out to be much more complicated than I thought. Not only were there many pages to fill out, but they also required supporting documents. For example, I had to send transcripts for my university and law school studies and proof of my bank account balance. I even was required to list a local sponsor in HK. Per the instruction sheet from the school where I will be studying--新雅中國語文研習所 (san1 nga5 jung1 gok3 yu2 man4 yin4 gau6 so2) the New Asia--Yale-in-China Chinese Language Center--I listed the school director as my local sponsor. It makes me feel like a child to have to list a sponsor, and it doesn't make much sense, especially when I probably make as much or more money than my sponsor.
The biggest hassle was paying the application fee in HK dollars. I had to order a foreign draft online, fax a check for $29.14 US (includes a $10.00 US service fee), and then wait five days for the draft to arrive. The service from International Currency Express was good. But it would have been so much easier and cheaper to have a friend in HK deliver the application form and pay the fee in HK dollars. Unfortunately, my HK friends have been pretty quiet lately, and I had no one convenient to ask. So I had to handle this myself.
It may take two months for me to receive my student visa, but I hope it arrives well before I leave on May 7. One thing that I'm still unsure of is whether I will need a separate China visa for our class trip to 廣州 (gong2 jau1) Guangzhou on July 8. I sent an email to the school to ask about this but have not heard back yet.
Besides my visa application, I have been busy with other trip preparations lately:
Plane ticket--Having checked many discount travel websites, the cheapest airfare that I have found is EVA and China Airlines. When I went to HK in 2001 and 2004, I took Singapore Airlines. This time, I'm thinking of taking Cathay Pacific to patronize HK's local airline. I wonder whether it's better to wait until closer to my departure before buying my ticket. That way, I might be able to find a last-minute special. On the other hand, with oil prices constantly increasing, prices could go up.
Housing--The thing that probably has me most concerned is housing. With help from E in HK, I have been checking some HK websites that specialize in 服務式住宅 (fuk6 mou5 sik1 jyu6 jaak6) serviced apartments. My best prospects are in 紅磡 (hung4 ham3) Hung Hom, 沙田 (sha1 tin4) Shatin, and (ma5 on1 shan1) 馬鞍山 Ma On Shan/Tolo Harbour. I also am getting some assistance from A, a friend that I met at a local market here. He has contacted a realtor who is trying to find me a place in 九龍塘 (gau2 lung4 tong4) Kowloon Tong. My initial impression, though, is that it may be a little early to find a place. It seems that most property agents and landlords won't know what's available in May until April or so. Yet it seems risky to wait that long. On the other hand, I have an "ace in the hole"--sleeping on the bathroom floor in E's place! That probably would be more fun anyway.
One thing is for sure. Making all the arrangements for my studies in HK involves a lot more work than I ever imagined. I hope it will turn out to be worth all the effort. ¶ 9:00 PM 7 comments
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Princess Cake 公主蛋糕
今日係我0既生日 (gam1 yat6 hai6 ngo5 ge3 saang1 yat6) today's my birthday. To celebrate, I went out for dinner at one of my favorite Italian restaurants--Caffe delle Stelle in Walnut Creek. I ordered gamba d'agnello--roasted leg of lamb stuffed with feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and mint, topped with balsamic garlic and served with polenta and fresh vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots). The lamb, which was sliced thick like a steak, had a rich, complex flavor. But what really impressed me was the polenta--creamy with a flavor that reminded me of buttermilk. It's amazing how good a simple dish like polenta can taste when made by a skilled chef.
After dinner, it was time for cake. For a treat, I bought a Swedish princess cake, one of the specialty cakes made by Le Gâteau Elégant (The Elegant Cake). Here's the description from their website:
Rich vanilla genoise with velvety custard and sweet, red raspberry preserves then iced with fresh whipped cream and wrapped in marzipan. A house specialty done in the traditional style!
Although I had had one of these cakes before, I didn't remember the taste very well. The one I got this time was super fresh--light and soft. The thick whipcream and thin marzipan layers were especially tasty.
In the past, I have had the idea that Western-style 蛋糕 (daan2 gou1) cakes and 西餅 (sai1 beng2) pastries made by Chinese bakeries cannot compare with those made here in the U.S. However, the last time I was in HK in 2004, I was amazed just how good the cakes and pastries were. One bakery that especially impressed me was 君蘭餅店 (gwan1 laan4 beng2 dim3) Orchid Padaria, which specializes in Portuguese-style pastries. I became addicted to their 葡撻 (pou4 taat1) Portuguese tarts and 木槺布甸 (muk6 hong1 bou6 din1) sawdust pudding. Another bakery located near the 中央圖書館 (jung1 yeung1 tou4 syu1 gwun2) Central Library on 高士威道 (gou1 si6 wai1 dou6) Causeway Road made unbelievable mango cakes. And then there were the 芋頭酥 (wu6 tau4 sou1) taro pastries from 奇華 (kei4 waa4) Kee Wah Bakery. As soon as I arrive in HK in May, I plan to visit these and other bakeries to try more cakes and pastries. ¶ 9:00 PM 0 comments
今日係我0既生日 (gam1 yat6 hai6 ngo5 ge3 saang1 yat6) today's my birthday. To celebrate, I went out for dinner at one of my favorite Italian restaurants--Caffe delle Stelle in Walnut Creek. I ordered gamba d'agnello--roasted leg of lamb stuffed with feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and mint, topped with balsamic garlic and served with polenta and fresh vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots). The lamb, which was sliced thick like a steak, had a rich, complex flavor. But what really impressed me was the polenta--creamy with a flavor that reminded me of buttermilk. It's amazing how good a simple dish like polenta can taste when made by a skilled chef.
After dinner, it was time for cake. For a treat, I bought a Swedish princess cake, one of the specialty cakes made by Le Gâteau Elégant (The Elegant Cake). Here's the description from their website:
Rich vanilla genoise with velvety custard and sweet, red raspberry preserves then iced with fresh whipped cream and wrapped in marzipan. A house specialty done in the traditional style!
Although I had had one of these cakes before, I didn't remember the taste very well. The one I got this time was super fresh--light and soft. The thick whipcream and thin marzipan layers were especially tasty.
In the past, I have had the idea that Western-style 蛋糕 (daan2 gou1) cakes and 西餅 (sai1 beng2) pastries made by Chinese bakeries cannot compare with those made here in the U.S. However, the last time I was in HK in 2004, I was amazed just how good the cakes and pastries were. One bakery that especially impressed me was 君蘭餅店 (gwan1 laan4 beng2 dim3) Orchid Padaria, which specializes in Portuguese-style pastries. I became addicted to their 葡撻 (pou4 taat1) Portuguese tarts and 木槺布甸 (muk6 hong1 bou6 din1) sawdust pudding. Another bakery located near the 中央圖書館 (jung1 yeung1 tou4 syu1 gwun2) Central Library on 高士威道 (gou1 si6 wai1 dou6) Causeway Road made unbelievable mango cakes. And then there were the 芋頭酥 (wu6 tau4 sou1) taro pastries from 奇華 (kei4 waa4) Kee Wah Bakery. As soon as I arrive in HK in May, I plan to visit these and other bakeries to try more cakes and pastries. ¶ 9:00 PM 0 comments
Monday, February 06, 2006
Happy People's Day 很愉快的人日
Saturday was the 7th day of the Chinese New Year--年初七 (lin4 cho1 chat1)--commonly known as 人日 (yan4 yat6) people's day. Driving into Oakland Chinatown on Saturday morning, I wasn't aware that it was a special day. But as I parked the car and started to walk to the restaurant, I noticed that Chinatown was more crowded than usual and many people were dressed up. Within a few minutes, I heard the popping sound of 炮杖 (paau3 jeung2) firecrackers and saw several 舞獅團 (mou5 si1 tun4) lion dance troupes with their drums and gongs. 真係好熱鬧! The little kids were especially cute dressed in colorful New Year's clothing. What a happy, festive occasion.
My first destination on Saturday was Cafe 88, a Hong Kong-style 茶餐廳 (cha4 chaan1 teng1) cafe. I wanted to give their 早餐 (jou2 chaan1) breakfast a try and was planning to order 粥 (juk1) congee. But by the time I got there, breakfast was over, so I decided to 叫餸 (giu3 song6) order some dishes with rice. I picked 清真羊片 (ching1 jan1 yeung4 pin2) lamb slices stir-fried with leeks and 蒜蓉芥蘭 (sun3 yung4 gaai3 laan2) Chinese broccoli stir-fried with minced garlic. And as I was sitting at the table waiting for the food to arrive, I noticed someone pushing a cart of 滷水鴨 (lou2 seui2 ngaap3) brine-marinated duck out of the kitchen. So I quickly added a plate of that to my order. After lunch, I went next door to 甜甜屋 Sweet Booth for one of my favorite treats--薑汁撞奶 (geong1 jap1 jong3 laai2) ginger juice custard. They have the best 薑汁撞奶 that I have tasted in the Bay Area, especially when the 老品 (lou5 baan2) boss makes it himself. It will be interesting to see how HK 薑汁撞奶 compares.
Leaving Oakland Chinatown, my next stop was across the bay in San Francisco. Lately, we have had a lot of rain, and the ground is very muddy. That's when I like to go on urban hikes, which are done mainly on pavement. With San Francisco's steep hills, that's a good way to get good exercise and spectacular views without getting your feet muddy. My favorite urban hikes actually are like a treasure hunt. You print up the directions online and then follow them step by step. The cool thing about this is it takes you to some beautiful but out-of-the-way places in the city that you otherwise would never know about. It never ceases to amaze me how many hidden gardens, stairways,and alleys San Francisco has.
Walking through North Beach, I passed by two or three clubs that had cool, live music. One of them--Savoy Tivoli on Grant Street--had a band playing Dixieland jazz (see photos). They sounded hot and started to draw a big crowd, including a professional photographer. I could have stayed there for hours drinking and enjoying the music, but I had to get on with the hike.
After the hike, I celebrated my birthday by eating dinner at Maykadeh, an elegant Persian restaurant. An Iranian friend had recommended Maykadeh to me, and I had been wanting to try it for a long time. My companion ordered Khoresht Bademjan (lamb shank, baby eggplant braised with tomato, saffron, sun dried lime, Basmati rice), and I ordered Chelo-kebab Koobideh (skewered ground beef & lamb, onion, Persian spices, Basmati rice). The food was excellent--juicy, perfectly seasoned, large quantity--with a taste quite different from the food that I normally eat. The service and decor were elegant, too. What a memorable meal!
While driving and hiking around on Saturday, I learned a few new Cantonese words:
動機 (dong6 gei1) motive
關鍵 (gwaan1 gin6) crucial factor
口供 (hau2 gung1) testimony
千方百計 (chin1 fong1 baak3 gai3) to try every way possible
志同道合 (ji6 tong4 dou6 hap6) on the same path or wavelength ¶ 9:00 PM 0 comments
Saturday was the 7th day of the Chinese New Year--年初七 (lin4 cho1 chat1)--commonly known as 人日 (yan4 yat6) people's day. Driving into Oakland Chinatown on Saturday morning, I wasn't aware that it was a special day. But as I parked the car and started to walk to the restaurant, I noticed that Chinatown was more crowded than usual and many people were dressed up. Within a few minutes, I heard the popping sound of 炮杖 (paau3 jeung2) firecrackers and saw several 舞獅團 (mou5 si1 tun4) lion dance troupes with their drums and gongs. 真係好熱鬧! The little kids were especially cute dressed in colorful New Year's clothing. What a happy, festive occasion.
My first destination on Saturday was Cafe 88, a Hong Kong-style 茶餐廳 (cha4 chaan1 teng1) cafe. I wanted to give their 早餐 (jou2 chaan1) breakfast a try and was planning to order 粥 (juk1) congee. But by the time I got there, breakfast was over, so I decided to 叫餸 (giu3 song6) order some dishes with rice. I picked 清真羊片 (ching1 jan1 yeung4 pin2) lamb slices stir-fried with leeks and 蒜蓉芥蘭 (sun3 yung4 gaai3 laan2) Chinese broccoli stir-fried with minced garlic. And as I was sitting at the table waiting for the food to arrive, I noticed someone pushing a cart of 滷水鴨 (lou2 seui2 ngaap3) brine-marinated duck out of the kitchen. So I quickly added a plate of that to my order. After lunch, I went next door to 甜甜屋 Sweet Booth for one of my favorite treats--薑汁撞奶 (geong1 jap1 jong3 laai2) ginger juice custard. They have the best 薑汁撞奶 that I have tasted in the Bay Area, especially when the 老品 (lou5 baan2) boss makes it himself. It will be interesting to see how HK 薑汁撞奶 compares.
Leaving Oakland Chinatown, my next stop was across the bay in San Francisco. Lately, we have had a lot of rain, and the ground is very muddy. That's when I like to go on urban hikes, which are done mainly on pavement. With San Francisco's steep hills, that's a good way to get good exercise and spectacular views without getting your feet muddy. My favorite urban hikes actually are like a treasure hunt. You print up the directions online and then follow them step by step. The cool thing about this is it takes you to some beautiful but out-of-the-way places in the city that you otherwise would never know about. It never ceases to amaze me how many hidden gardens, stairways,and alleys San Francisco has.
Walking through North Beach, I passed by two or three clubs that had cool, live music. One of them--Savoy Tivoli on Grant Street--had a band playing Dixieland jazz (see photos). They sounded hot and started to draw a big crowd, including a professional photographer. I could have stayed there for hours drinking and enjoying the music, but I had to get on with the hike.
After the hike, I celebrated my birthday by eating dinner at Maykadeh, an elegant Persian restaurant. An Iranian friend had recommended Maykadeh to me, and I had been wanting to try it for a long time. My companion ordered Khoresht Bademjan (lamb shank, baby eggplant braised with tomato, saffron, sun dried lime, Basmati rice), and I ordered Chelo-kebab Koobideh (skewered ground beef & lamb, onion, Persian spices, Basmati rice). The food was excellent--juicy, perfectly seasoned, large quantity--with a taste quite different from the food that I normally eat. The service and decor were elegant, too. What a memorable meal!
While driving and hiking around on Saturday, I learned a few new Cantonese words:
動機 (dong6 gei1) motive
關鍵 (gwaan1 gin6) crucial factor
口供 (hau2 gung1) testimony
千方百計 (chin1 fong1 baak3 gai3) to try every way possible
志同道合 (ji6 tong4 dou6 hap6) on the same path or wavelength ¶ 9:00 PM 0 comments
