Cherangsty: January 2014

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13th January-19th January

Second week in HK and school has started. Well, guess there are kind of less opportunities to explore places in HK. But at least I got all the courses that I wanted :) Clearing five cores/major PE fyeahhh and one UE. Woohoo. So glad that I managed to add Market Research :)

Shall just blog about the worthy mentions of the week.

Australian Dairy Company at Jordan MTR Exit C2

Life-changing meal hahaha. Best scrambled eggs in the world ^^ Because they used milk in their scramble eggs I think. Love how value for money HK meals are. 33HKD (S$5.50) for a bowl of macaroni with char siew, a toast, scrambled eggs and ham and milk tea! Quite filling. Ordered two puddings and two sets of the meal to share between three people. Love the milk pudding. AND SURPRISE, I even like the egg with almond pudding. I hate almond paste hahaha (but I love almond nuts, does it even make sense?)

Had to queue for a while and the service wasn't really good. But good food omnomnom. :)

Okay according to my research, there is some other shop that offers the same thing as Australia Dairy Company with shorter queue. I SHALL CHECK IT OUT TOO :)

Walked around Kowloon I think. There's this skyscrapper thing. Shall visit here when it is less foggy so I can get to see the entire HK island :)

Happy Valley at Causeway Bay/Wanchai

Well, I wanted to check out this place cause the orientation people had been exclaiming that the races are extremely exciting. Followed the angmoh exchange students to the place (cause they went there before already)

The atmosphere there was pretty cool/exciting but I won't really go there again. HATE SMOKE ARGHHHH MY LUNGS.

And bought my first bet and lost my money cause my horse didn't come in first LOL.

Look at the crowd!!

And I never knew Tsingdao beer is so cheap here! Like one dollar plus for a bottle!!! Okay I am sure it's even cheaper in like China itself (think it's like in cents according to my brother :O )

Dim dim sum &Argyle Centre at Mongkok exit D3

Headed off to Mongkok after lessons on Friday. Friday lessons are such a burden. One 50 min tutorial in the evening and hence I can't go exploring :(

First liushabao in HK. Pig shaped somemore so cute!!

Me like this bolo bun. There's like pineapple filling in it :)

Continue shopping in Mongkok and bought new shoes again. I can't wait till summer so I can shop for more clothes ^^

Lamma Island

Was supposed to sign up with the school for a tour to Lamma Island at HKD$120 (exclusive of HKD$32 ferry ride) but there weren't enough vacancies D: In the end, we headed there on our own.

Lamma Island was really quite pretty ^^

Normal looking tauhuay which tasted really unique in the good way :) Smooth and the sugar syrup contains ginger wow

Act like model only HAHAHA

Another panorama shot cause the view is too pretty

Pretty sunset. It's like one of the best things in life- sitting on rocks, listening to the waves and watching the sun set :)

The only bad thing about the day was the seafood dinner :( Most expensive meal ever eaten in HK and it just sucks. D: SIGH PAY LIKE $250+ for a meal only. Compare this to $120 the rest of the people pay. SIGH.

Dragon Back & Big Wave Bay

Hmm is this considered as hiking? Walked for like a few hours on the mountain/hill. The view was pretty amazing and we go to see people paragliding (?) Omg add to bucket list pleaseeee. So many things I wish I can get to do haha.

Halfway up! :)

Reached ^^

Pretty beach again with people surfing

Had a huge breakfast at around 1030am before we started and hike and at like around 4 in the afternoon we were famished. HAD THE BEST MAGGI MEE EVER CAUSE I WAS JUST THAT HUNGRY :O

Feelings

I know I probably really should hang out with locals (after all it's an exchange) but it's too easy to just stick with the Singapore students especially when they are pretty nice to all of us. Hmm. Anyway pretty glad that I am hanging out with them cause we always have a mix of activities :) Hike plus food plus shopping. I mean if I am alone, it will probably be eating and shopping only oops...

Really no mood to think of project ideas SIGH. K nightttt.

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6th January- 12th January

Woohoo first post in Hong Kong :) So I have been here for a week. Don't know whether to say that time flies or not. Maybe it's just cause I don't have much lessons yet..

So... I took the airplane to Hong Kong on 6th January with the rest of the NTU exchange people. It's really quite funny how we try and recognise one another cause the only form of communication we had was via whatsapp. Hmm.

Monday 6th January

Had my first meal on exchange... MACS BREAKFAST! They have soya bean milk here as an alternative to hot coffee and tea!! SO HEALTHY! Bummed around at the airport till 11am to wait for the shuttle bus, checked into hall and then headed off to IKEA at 2.15pm. Bought necessities like pillow, hanger, pegs etc. Went to Park & Shop at Shatin to buy more necessities like tissue paper, washing powder... NEVER KNEW THERE WERE SO MANY THINGS THAT ONE NEED TO LIVE ALONE OMGGGG. And the shopping mall near school was too atas and hence the supermarket has things that were overpriced. :(

Tuesday 7th January

Headed off to IKEA alone. Please clap for me leh! Okay, it's damn easy to get there but still... Went there to buy quilt cause it was so cold in the room. Lucky my roommate lent me her blanket on the first night :) Went back to school for talks etc and then... the guys decided that they need to go IKEA again omgggg. Okay at least we settled our SIM card and got to try some food place which was supposed to be cheap and good :)

Second dinner in HK: 大快活

Wednesday 8th January

Woke up early for my first run in HK ^^ Finally understood how it is possible to run in winter. It feels like an unique experience to run in winter without feeling sweaty and sticky.

Had my first breakfast in Hall Canteen. The prices were okay but the food wasn't that good :( What's with the siew mai and meat being separated?!

Headed to Mongkok for dinner. Mongkok has pretty good shopping I guess. Bought my first pair of boots for around S$30 hmm.

Oh what's Mongkok without trying street food right? Tried the curry fishball (鱼旦) and a few other hot dog related food. Ohhh and the pig intestine which we didn't like hmm.

And dinner was at this small shop that sells 车仔面. Oops I have no idea what it means but the noodles were like Singapore yongtaufoo style, which means the customers get to choose ingredients and noodles that they want and then pay for it.

车仔面

The beef ball was really quite good :) Along with the soup. Actually all soup taste awesome in this weather. Can't really get use to the cold #fail.

Thursday 9th January

Had orientation in school so we didn't really explore any places. Orientation was really freaking lame. Take photos at places in school whattttt. But the dimsum lunch was pretty good! I like the siew mai and the mango mochi dessert :) Didn't really like the har kow cause I find the skin too thick hmm.

Managed to find a new place to buy groceries at the housing estate behind school! Namshan estate!! Headed over there in the evening and we spotted this shop that sells good Bolo buns and eggtarts. Okay I bought laopobing which didn't taste good (again).

Had dinner at the area. The sweet and sour pork rice wasn't nice but the hor fun was pretty good :)

Friday 10th January

Hmm, I guess the main thing of the day was that I went to Victoria Harbour. The view was kind of pretty and I can't wait to go there at night to see the lights. And Victoria peak too hehehe.

Okay maybe my photography skills sucks. HAHA, it looks better in real life.

I can't really remember what happened but the next main thing was heading out for dinner to this place at Shamshuipo named 三哥 for noodles and some chicken wings with the NTU people and my roommate.

Saturday 11th January

One Dim Sum at Prince Edward for breakfast!! Omg the service was good, the food was good and the price is good as well. Singapore $7 wth where to find this in Singapore? And yes, this is one of the food on my list, so happy that I managed to give it a try :) Only bad part was that we had to wait one hour plus ._.

Here are some photos of the dishes I like better ^^

Chee Cheong Fun skin wrapped with you tiao.

Okay they don't call this that way and I can't remember its name. But this is interestingly good. Soft skin and crispy youtiao. :D

Me with the custard bun.

Okay, this custard bun doesn't flow out. But the milky custard taste was good too. AND THE BAO WAS BIG HAHAHA. Value for money teehee.

Then we went to Lantau Island. The last time I headed there in 2010, it was so freaking cold that I didn't bother going up. SIGHHH REGRETS. This time it was really warm. I am forever inappropriately dressed for Lantau Island :(

Along with the people I always hang out with :)

We managed to climb a little bit of Lantau Peak. And I managed to climb onto a rock woohoo. Okay I was screaming/whining cause I am a bimbo oops. But yaaaay, worth the climb. Nice view and I guess we will back here to hike :)

Amazing view that looks like it's photoshopped/googled but nope.

Left Lantau Island when the sun was about to set, so pretty :)

Then we headed there to Jordan area for dinner. Mak Man Kee noodles, another food ticked off the list! The wanton was amazing. Like seriously where can you find wanton with TWO prawns!!! LIKE WOW. The noodles wasn't great but the wanton was omg so damn freaking good. First meal that I finished everything on my plate!!!

Sunday 12th January

HAHA Sunday was supposed to be a extremely chill day but end up not very chill LOL. We went to Causeway Bay and guess what, I found HK's version of Lucky Plaza where the foreign workers hang out at!!! And they were having some form of flea market. Budget Cher likes this place hahaha.

Walked around and we saw a sign leading to Bowling. HAHA we wanted to exercise a bit and bowl but guess what... It was lawn bowl omgggg. Remind me of the GP tutor and my visit to her house hmm.

SUCK AT LAWN BOWL D:

Walked around Causeway Bay and there were quite a few shops selling cheap stuff :) Like nice long sleeve shirts for like what HKD$50!! Buy first, talk later (LOL)

Then we headed to Central (I think) and stopped at this food place. The prices were slightly higher but omg serving size of the meat. AND I SUPER LOVE THE ROASTED PORK AND GOOSE :D :D

It's called Yat Lok restaurant (一乐餐馆). Okay the chinese name isn't very accurate cause their words are in like traditional characters.

Then we headed to IFC for the toilet and the view hahaha. Stayed there for around 45 mins cause we realised it was too foggy/hazy for a good view of the lights.

First ferry ride in HK haha.

Headed to Yau Ma Tei for our dinner to realise that we were damn retarded on Saturday night. We walked along the streets to look at stalls from Jordan to Yau Ma Tei without realising we were at Yau Ma Tei and then walked all the way back to Jordan before going back hall LOL.

Had claypot rice and some other dishes. Omg I was so freaking happy to see broccoli cause I have been seeing kai lan every single day. :( I miss having a variety of vegetables to eat. SIGH PIE.

Ohhh then we had dessert at this stall which seems popular named Yuen Kee Dessert which was like opposite the place where we had our dinner. Black sesame paste :) Will definitely head back there to try more dessert.

Feelings

Well when the plane took off from Singapore, this whole idea of living abroad for four plus months feel really surreal. It felt like I was just taking another holiday trip with my friends and I will be in a week or so. I love it when planes take off (random) but I realised that I love it even more when planes land at Changi Airport cause I am back to where I am.

(Okay watched the popular/viral video about why someone is not proud of being a Singaporean) Well, I guess all the points are relevant but then I guess as cliche as it sounds, what really matters is the people in the place.

Hahaha I sound as if I want to be back in Singapore already. Confession time: Erm actually don't really look forward to be in Singapore right now because I am still having fun on exchange, not having to study yet (maybe should kind of flip through my notes) Okay I did miss home in the first few days cause I am so dependent on people etc but currently I am feeling pretty excited/happy to be on exchange :) Only worry now is my PA hmm :(

Hmm probably should make more friends with the local students... OKAY SHALL BE MORE SOCIABLE. Good nightttt world :)

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Things to do/food to eat:

Kowloon Area/Kwun Tong line:

One Dim Sum: G/F, Kenwood Mansion, 15 Playing Field Road (Prince Edward MTR Exit A), Opening Hours: 11-1am
Mido Cafe: G/F, 63 Temple Street (Yau Ma Tei MTR Exit B2) 油麻地廟街63號地下, Tel:+852 2384 6402 Opening Hours: 8:30am – 9:30pm
Argyle Centre Shopping Mall: 688 Nathan Road, Mong Kok, Kowloon (Mongkok MTR Exit D2)
Festival Walk Opening Hours 11am-10pm
Langham Palace Mall: 8 Argyle Street (Mong Kok MTR Exit C3) Opening Hours: till 11pm
Knockbox Coffee: G/F, 21 Hak Po Street Mong Kok, Kowloon (Nearest MTR: Mong Kok Exit E) Opening Hours: 10 am – 10pm
Star Café 星座冰室: 36 Basement Champagne Court Block A 16 Kimberley Road (Next to Mira Hotel) Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2724 4408
MTR Tsim Sha Tsui Exit B2 Opening Hours: 8:00am-9:00pm
Sichuan Noodles 傷心酸辣粉: 1/F, Dundas Square, 43 Dundas Street (Mongkok MTR)
Wai Kee Noodle 維記咖啡粉麵: G/F, 62 & 67 Fuk Wing Street / Shop D, G/F, 165-167 Pei Ho Street (Shamshuipo MTR Exit B3) Opening Hours: Mon to Fri: 6:30am– 8.30pm & Sat, Sun & PH: 6:30am-7:15pm
Mui Kee Congee 妹記生滾粥品: FA YUEN STREET MARKET COOKED FOOD CENTRE
Shop 11-12th, 4/F Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong.(written as 3rd when you see the signs) Opens from 6.30am until 3.00pm.
Exit at Mong Kok MTR B2/B3 exit, and walk on Fife Street towards Fa Yuen Street.
18 Grams: Shop B04, B/F, Gala Place, 56 Dundas Street Mong Kok (MTR Mongkok Exit E2 or Yau Ma Tei Exit A2)
Good Hope Noodle 好旺角粥麵專家: Shop 5-6, G/F, 18 Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok (Branch)
Or G/F, 146 Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Mongkok (a few steps from MTR-Mong Kok, exit B2) Open daily, from 12 noon until late at night
Kam Wah Cafe: 47 Bute St, Prince Edward (MTR Prince Edward Exit B2 )
Opening Hours: 6.30am – 12 midnight
Lao Dian Dian Xin 老店点心竹筒饭: 12-14A Yim Po Fong St ( Mongkok station, exit D3 and walk along Argyle Street. Walk until you see the Yim Po Fong street on your right. The restaurant is there) Opening Hours: Mon – Fri: 11:00am-4:00pm; 6:00pm-2:00am & Sat, Sun and Public Holidays: 11:00pm-2:00am

Kowloon Area/Tsuen Wan line

Tim Ho Wan 9-11 Fuk Wing St (Sham Sui Po MTR Exit B1) Opening Hours: 8am-10pm
Australian Diary Company: G/F, 47-49 Parkes Street, Jordan, Hong Kong (MTR Jordan Exit C2) 佐敦白加士街47-49號地下 Opening Hours: 7:30am – 11:00pm (Closed Thursdays)
Mak Man Kee Noodle Shop 麥文記麵家 G/F 51 Parkes Street Jordan, Kowloon 佐敦白加士街51號地下 (MTR Jordan Exit C2) Tel: +852 2736-5561 Opening Hours: 12:00pm-12:30am
Crumbs Dessert Station: G/F No. 53 Parkes Street, Jordan Opening Hours: 12pm-12am daily (MTR Jordan Exit C2)
Sun Wah Café: 334 Castle Peak Road, Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon, tel +852 2387 3698 (Cheung Sha Wan MTR Exit) Famous for egg tarts

Hong Kong Island/Island line

HK Zoo & Botanical Gardens (FREE): Albany Road, terrace gardens 6am-10pm, zoo&aviaries till 7pm, greenhouse 9am-4.30pm
Wing On Department Store: Wing ON centre, 211 Des Voex Road Central, 7th floor, Mon-Sat (Sheung Wan MTR Exit B3)
Greyhound Cafe: IFC Mall, 1 Harbourview St, shop 1082, 8am-10.30pm Mon-Sat, 11am Sun (Hong Kong MTR Exit E1)
Tsui Wah Restaurant 15 Wellington Street, Hong Kong Island, Hong KongTel: +852 2525 6338 (Nearest MTR: Hong Kong)
Rabbithole Coaster Coffee: 2/F, 26 Cochrane Street Central, Hong KongTel: +852 2581 0861 Daily: 11am – 7pm (Nearest MTR: Central)
Bing Sutt the Starbucks Concept Stall Central MTR
Butao Ramen: 8-13 Wo on Lane, Central (Central MTR, exit D2), Opening Hours: 11am-9pm
Luk Yu Tea House: 24-26 Stanley Street (Central Exit D2), Dim Sum served till 5.30pm
Capo's Espresso: G/F, 4 Gilman's Bazaar, Sheung Wan, (Sheung Wan MTR Exit E2), Opening Hours: 7.30am-10pm on weekdays, 11am-6pm on Sat
Book Attic: lower G/F, 2 Elgin St, Soho, bus 26, Opening Hours: 12pm-6pm
Victoria Peak Peak tram $40 for two way, from 7am-midnight, from 33 Garden Road, Central or Bus 15 from Central, below Exchange Square
Mak's Noodles: 77 Wellington Street (Central MTR Exit D2) Opening Hours: 11am-8pm

Hong Kong Wanchai & Northeast/ Island Line

Hong Kong Park (FREE) (Admiralty MTR Exit C1) Opening Hours: 6am-11pm
Via Tokyo: Shop nos. 1A-1B, G/F., Leishun Court, 106-126 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay (Causeway Bay MTR)
Lab Made Liquid Nitrogen Icecream: No 6 Brown Street,Tai Hang,Causeway Bay
Opening Hours: Monday off, Tuesday to Thursday: 15:00 to 00:00, Friday: 15:00 to 1:00, Saturday: 13:00 to 1:00, Sunday: 13:00 to 11:00
Capital Café 華星冰室: Shop B1, G/F, Kwong Sang Hong Building, 6 Heard Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong (10 min walk from Wan Chai MTR Exit A4?) Opening Hours: 7am – 11:00pm
Lan Fong Yuen 蘭芳園: 2 Gage Street Central, Hong Kong (MTR Sheung Wan Exit E2 or Central) Opening Hours: 8:00am – 8:00pm (Mon-Sat) Famous for silk stocking milk tea and pork bun
Honolulu Café 檀島咖啡餅:G/F & Mezz Floor, 176-178 Hennessy Rd., Wan Chai (MTR Wan Chai Exit A4) Opening Hours: 6:00am – 12:00am
Sang Kee Congee Shop: 7-9, Burd Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong (Sheung Wan MTR Exit A2)
Business hours : Monday to Saturday – 7.00am until 9.00pm, Closed on Sundays.
Lin Heung Tea House : 162 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong ( MTR Sheung Wan Exit E2)
Opening Hour: 6am-11pm
Kam Fung Cafe 金凤茶餐厅: 41 Spring Garden Lane, Wan Chai (MTR Wan Chai Exit B2, walk towards the direction of Johnston Road until you reach Spring Garden lane then turn left) Opening Hours: 6.45am-7pm, famous for chicken pies, bolo buns etc

Hong Kong Aberdeen & South/Island Line

Ocean Park Bus 6A, 6X, 70 & 75 from Central, 629 from Admiralty, 72, 72A & 92 from Causeway Bay, 973 Tsim Sha Tsui
Ho Hung Kee Congee and Noodle Shop 何洪记: 1204-1205 Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay Nearest MTR Causeway Bay Exit F (OTHER DIRECTIONS: turn right and you will see an escalator going upwards (beside the apple store). Take the escalator up and look for the express escalator and take all the way to the end, you will see a food court. Take one more escalator up. And the restaurant is located near the escalator)

Other places

Macau
Shanghai
Japan

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I like traveling so I thought I would love exchange. Exchange, living a life away from home for like almost half a year. But then I just realized I was home sick even when staying in hall. How is this possible? I also don't know. I don't know if I miss people or I just miss familiarity.

I really do enjoy traveling. All the trips with friends I really really love it. I love the independence I get from my parents when they let me travel with friends since 18. Okay maybe not that young but still. (Technically the first time traveling without them was 15.)

Just thought of the first time I spent a night without my parents. Or to be exact, two nights. P5 camp. I thought I will cry actually but I didn't. Okay this is a damn messed up post, cause I am just typing out what I thought. Just realized the first time I spent nights without my parents was like... When I was six?! Wow independent me rightttt. Like real. My dad was sent to Canada for like a month, brother was staying in the hospital and my mum couldn't look after both of us so I was sent to Malaysia with a relative :( Was crying on the journey to Malaysia I think haha. And I think that was my first time drinking Shandy. Alcoholic me oopssss.

I don't fear being forgotten. I mean, I think my close friends will not forget me and I trust that we will still be as close when I am back. Why care so much about people who don't care as much right?

I don't really fear that I will have no friends. Technically, I should have a few hi-bye friends from projects and classes. And all the Singaporeans in the whatsapp group. It shouldn't be that bad.

So what do I really fear? I fear that I will miss my family, fear that I won't be able to look after myself. All this time I am trying to tell others I am independent enough to realize I am not at all. Can't show how sad/scared I am cause I am the one who argued with my mum/fought so hard to go on exchange.

I even counted the number of weeks before I will be back. Nineteen weeks at most.

Don't even have the mood to source for PA :( why do we all want to go for an exchange programme?! I realized what I really want was chance to travel and explore the world alone not to live on my own. Hmm.

19 weeks. 133days. Around 3000 hours and I will be back.

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