I tentatively walked into the packed, brightly lit Chinese restaurant. While I'm getting used to being the only Gweilo in the room, this was my first 'local' dinner with part of the Westin team and I was acutely aware I was stepping into unfamiliar territory. Busy, hot and noisy - the restaurant (which doesn't have an English name I can give you) was a nod to former Chinese leader Chairman Mao, boasting walls dressed with large pictures of the man they call the founder of the People's Republic of China. I could immediately sense a buzz of excitement in the air. A city embellished with pretty red lanterns at every turn, there was no mistaking Chinese New Year or as it's more commonly known up north - Spring Festival - China's biggest national holiday, was just around the corner. It was time to celebrate this significant occasion and the impending two week festive spell. I won’t lie, I was intrigued about what lay ahead.…not just for Chinese New Year but I was curious about the cultural differences that would translate over dinner. The hotelier had filled me in on nights like this before. I knew there would be a table laden with enough local fare to spice up a politician's election speech. And I knew there would be Baijiu! If you’ve never heard of it, please - let me enlighten you. Pronounced "Bye Joe," one swig and it's pretty much a "by jove!" affair. Baijiu translated, loosely means 'white wine' but let’s be crystal clear, this is not your average Chardy or Sav Blanc. A strong distilled spirit usually made of sorghum or other grains, this my friends, is hardcore. At 40 - 60 per cent proof alcohol it will surely knock your socks off (if you let it). Called the "Water of History" this elixir stems back thousands of years, some say as many as 7,000 years when generals and warriors waterproofed themselves with a nip of Baijiu before going into battle. These days, go to any restaurant or bar (day or night) in China and there are sure to be a few bottles stowed under the arms of patrons for good measure. You can buy it in restaurants and bars, but BYO is the preferred mode of consumption. Usually, this 'national drink' is served warm or at room temperature in small ceramic bottles and then poured into teeny shot-sized cups. So, on this night, there were four large tables of 'us' and in the middle of each, copious amounts of soft drink and large bottles of beer. I spied a few of the ladies on yoghurt drinks…which I soon found out is the acceptable way to 'line the stomach' in preparation for the looming Baijiu showdown. It's customary (and sensible) to drink Baijiu with food, so as soon as the sizzling and oh so spicy dishes started appearing on the table, the fancy red genie bottle transpired. With the early morning school run on my mind, I was hesitant to unleash the genie! Not a huge beer or coke drinker, I heard James quietly ask if they had Bai Putao Jiu (grape wine) on the menu (aka this western girl's best friend). He was met with a curt shake of the head and an abrupt no (followed by an "are you crazy" look)! This place was loud and lively and no place for sipping a crisp Sav Blanc, relaxing over dinner! So! What's a girl to do? Clearly, this was to be my initiation into the great Chinese thirst quencher, scarily known as "Firewater!" It's also the biggest selling spirit in the world (largely due to China's size and humungous population). It's a clear spirit yet tastes nothing like vodka or tequila and has no resemblance whatsoever to whiskey, rumbo or scotch. Apparently there are four different styles of Baijiu and it's all down to the fragrance - one of which has been classified as a "sauce" fragrance. I'm guessing it's not tomato! Ranging from around US$10 to $1000 a bottle the quality obviously differs and there are many many different brands. 'Baijiu Moutai' is China’s official drink - it's served at state dinners and often given as a luxury gift. It was served to US President Richard Nixon on his 1972 visit to China and to this day remains a staple at Chinese State banquets; in high and low-end restaurants across the country, and in convenience stores on the sides of remote, dusty routes. Known for its distinctive smell and unique taste, some foreigners have labelled it "paint stripper" and a "liquid lobotomy!" I'll admit my palette is not the most discerning, but it was surprisingly better than paint stripper(?) and definitely gives you that immediate warm and fuzzy sensation - which I might add is much needed up north in this winter 'never never land.' So with that in mind, I braved two shots. Before we go any further, you need to know, there's a whole bottle of table etiquette that goes along with this highly valued Chinese tipple. Chinese friends and business partners maintain the importance of drinking Baijiu together is to 'build trust and form a bond.' So that means falling down after one too many swigs is not frowned upon but rather, it commands respect! (Yes, you read that right!) The host is usually the one in the direct line of this 'fire' water. Guests will toast you (often one by one) with a single shot of Baijiu. If your boss or someone senior toasts you, it's considered the height of rudeness to refuse and in China, believe me, causing a person to lose face is not something you want to mess with. When your companion's glass is empty, politely refill it, always pouring your own last. When someone else pours for you, hold your glass up with two hands, one on the bottom of the glass. (Originally, this was a smart ploy to help anyone a little 'under the weather' avoid dropping the glass.) If you think you're too drunk to hold up your glass (even with both hands) just tap your fingers on the table. Easy done. Apparently?! And no one leaves until ALL the Baijiu is gone. Yep! Every single last drop! At dinner, I notice conversation is kept to a minimum and most people spend their time on their feet, filing from one table to the next looking for a "toastee" (more often than not, the target is my slightly nervous husband). Words of prosperity and good health ring out, followed by a few loud Gan Bei or Cam Pai's - the Chinese equivalent of 'cheers'. If this is said to you, don't dally around - it's well mannered to drain your glass in one hit! Did somebody say binge drinking!? Yes you need to toughen up princess 'cause they breed them hardy up north (let's not forget we are not too far from the vodka-swilling nation of Russia). It's nothing to knock back 10 or 15 shots over lunch or dinner. Whispers tell me foreigners have a few tricks up their sleeves to avoid the boozy onslaught, like filling your cup with water or accidentally tossing it over your shoulder as you appear to gulp back your shot; your (by now, tipsy) colleagues none the wiser. Feigning a bad stomach or allergy is also said to be a water-tight excuse. So, forget about three wishes, this is the genie in a bottle that keeps on giving. Although, the next day, you may wish you hadn't unleashed the genie! I'm told the aftermath can be harsh! An age-old tradition that's not disappearing in a puff of smoke anytime soon - at least not here in downtown Xi'an. Aladdin would be proud. This is China. … [Read more...]
When the Lights Go Out: Hotel Confessions
It was late afternoon and little Miss A and I were sitting in the hotel lobby bar having a spot of afternoon tea. (What's a girl(s) to do in a new city!) Ava was doing her best to entertain the staff….regaling them with tales about dad liking beer, mum speaking Chinese (I do?) and did you know I wore a purple wedding dress when I got married! (I did?) I was cringing a little at what might be revealed next, but just quietly, enjoying the peace -- when 'boom' the lights went off. Nothing too serious, we initially thought. Nothing to bat an eyelid over…naturally there was a bit of commotion, some surveying of the damage. Was it just in the bar or the was the entire hotel without power? Wait, we think it's the whole area! I casually queried whether this was a normal occurrence? There is apparently a government request for businesses and homes to reduce their power usage between 4 and 6pm but the staff were confident this wasn't the problem. In perfect timing, Ava needed the toilets, which of course happened to be in pitch black, so we called it a day on our fancy cakes and went upstairs to our room. By now the sun was setting and dusk meant it was getting rather dark. The hotel known for its vivid red glow was gradually becoming a shadowy figure of its former self. Given the small fact that candles pose an insurance liability in a hotel, I decided we had no choice but to head to the (conveniently located on our floor) 'executive club'. After all, what's a girl(s) to do in a power outage? A glass of red for me and apple juice for junior, that's what! Emergency lights kept things (like my wine glass and the all important fairy wings) manageable…...meantime, a frantic hotelier I know was in and out trying to ascertain the problem through various muddled translations from Chinese to English with his number two and the powers that be… (no pun intended). Generators were hastily arranged for and negotiations(?) on price underway. Meantime, irate customers paying through the nose, were clearly getting hot under the collar at the lack of five star facilities, naturally oblivious to the fact this 'unexplained event' seemed to be in no one's control. 10pm and still no one is any the wiser on why the power cut has occurred....(at least no one is taking ownership). For the frantic hotelier, answers are lost in translation and things are getting chaotic with the generators still no where to be seen. When they finally do appear, it seems they have come with the wrong bolts to connect these thick, rope-like cables that are now splayed out across the bowels of the hotel. (The hotelier's aware one wrong connection and it could go more than a little haywire!!) I can feel his blood pressure rising by the minute…… as he bids us goodnight to survey the scene - us tucked up in bed clutching our torches. I wake every half hour, the air now stifled with no air-conditioning, no clock or phone to tell the time….and still, no hotelier. He tells me later, there are frustrated guests lining up at reception in what is now the middle of the night ready to report the injustice of such an atrocity on social media the next day….then there's the drunk woman who's planted herself precariously on a chair in the lobby, too intoxicated to find her room. An Australian is checking in at 130am - behaving far more reasonable than most (go Aussies!) as he's told of the current dire situation. "Sorry Sir, this is not Fawlty Towers, yet." A few restless hours later, voila - it's 4am on the newly-lit clock and the entire room lights up, hell the door bell even rings, the air conditioning starts whirring….and we are back in business, my small person none the wiser. Phew. The hotelier arrives minutes later…. exhausted and still unclear as to what has just occurred in the last 12 hours. But for now the hotel is charged up! A few hours later, it's a new day, he's up and off to see the Power Bureau. Apparently a show of authority will ensure more efficient 'handling' of the problem at hand. We wait…. Mid afternoon and a damaged cable is found 120 metres from the hotel and things are hopeful of being resolved (provided the hotel agrees to fork out the cost of fixing the wayward cable) but not in any hurry... and certainly not soon enough for the enraged client who's holding a swanky corporate party in the sunken garden that evening, boasting enough lights to sink a battleship (or possibly a hotel)?! Who really knows….... The generators pump furiously through the day and night to keep the hotel in action but the luke warm water and intermittent power shortages are not enough to keep hotel guests from blowing off steam at any moment. The pollution in Xi'an is not the great at the best of times and now fumes from the generators are wafting through the atrium, guests now complaining they are suffocating. I think the hotelier is greying by the second. Another night and between 4am and 7am the power switches on and off several times, each time it does, the door bell rings. I'm starting to think maybe I really am in Fawlty Towers. After all, this is China. Basilllll!!! … [Read more...]
Living in China: Week One – One Foot in Front of the Other
You know the feeling when you visit a city you've never seen before? That dizzying anticipation, the unbridled excitement, the curiosity and wonder of what lies ahead? Well, can I just say - for the record - arriving in a city you've never seen before to live, is nothing like that! Ok, so maybe that's a little over the top. The lead up to moving to Xi'an, China was like that, but actually arriving in one of the world's oldest cities, home to eight and a half million people (the 12th largest city in China), I won't lie - my heart was in my mouth. It's a short two and a half hour flight from Hong Kong, but it also feels a world away in north western China. As we disembarked and entered the airport, my stomach was in knots, as I tried desperately to keep an open mind, at the ready to embrace our new home! I foolishly found myself comparing right off the bat. (Bad move!) The airport was significantly smaller than I'd expected for such a massive city and ever so slightly primitive (of course this is compared to Hong Kong's modern, state of the art, award-winning complex)! I later found out all entrants from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan (China's SARS) come to their own individual terminal, so what I glimpsed was just a minuscule part of the largest airport in the north west! I could feel myself ever so tentatively putting one foot in front of the other as I literally stepped into my new life, in one of China's 656 cities, no less! Driving from the airport was at best 'underwhelming' (apart from driving on the wrong side of the road) it was raining and grey as we sped through a maze of highways and concrete; a deluge of chinese characters beaming out at me in their neon, indecipherable glory! I'm not deeply religious but it was about now I silently had a word to God, hoping James wasn't having a moment of serious delusion when he'd excitedly told me the city was really "quite nice." Meantime, our little blondie Ava was oblivious in all her three year old naivety; her primary concern on the journey, the delightful hotel gift of rainbow-coloured macaroons and how many she could eat in one go! Oh to be so innocent. Approaching the hotel, my spirits lifted… despite the incessant rain, leafy green streets splayed out in front of me and there was a distinct buzz of activity with restaurants, bright lights and traffic mayhem! (We may be in Central China, but it was a comforting sign, I wasn't in the middle of no where, even if I was hanging on for dear life!) The hotel was impressive - it's four stories though, the 'chalk' to the W Hong Kong's 76 story 'cheese.' My grand entry somewhat stifled as Ava's prized macaroons promptly fell out of the car onto the wet hotel driveway and a toddler meltdown ensued. Welcome to Xi'an! We quickly dropped our bags off in what would be our home for the next few weeks (until the hotel residences are finished). A suite that can only be described as embracing the typical minimalist Westin decor brushed with an enchanting oriental flair! With James likely to be bunkered down in his new GM role the next day year, we went for a quick scoot around the hotel to acclimatize ourselves with our new 'home.' We probably could've done with scooters because it's ahem, bloody huge. Unlike Hong Kong, space is no issue here in Xi'an and it's spread out, from a luxurious Lobby Bar, to an intriguing museum (yes, Xi'an being one of the four oldest civilizations in the world means, monuments, relics and artifacts are scattered everywhere, even below this hotel!) - to a grand sunken garden swathed in red cloth. (It's lucky my favorite colour is red, because this hotel is literally bathed in a glow of deep red!) To the beckoning cake shop, the three very different restaurants, Chinese, Japanese and Western….and the (wait for it) Rolls Royce show room! (Ahem just quietly the owner has sold 70 of these babies in just two years! Oh how the Chinese looove their luxury!) So, let the week begin. I think I probably spent 24 hours in a 'blur of speechlessness.' It's fair to say the first week is probably the hardest when you move to a new country. I know I bandy about the term 'culture shock' on this blog on a pretty regular basis, but over four years in HK, even I had forgotten what it's really like. Really like to wake up and your husband is at work and you are staring out from your hotel window into the absolute unknown (rain not helping your imagination) it all seems quite surreal. This is your new life and you know not a single soul. There's no routine, no familiarity, you can't order a comforting Mint Mocha or get a blow dry because you can't find the relevant words and even when you do, they can't understand you. You don't even know what's across the road. It's a new beginning on almost every level. And I won't lie, it's bloody scary. Forget being a big fish in a small pond - you're a tadpole in a giant ocean! For the first few days and beyond, tears sit just below the surface, threatening to spill over at a moment's notice, but then you pull yourself together because you know it's not the end of the world and there is a big adventure that you have been waiting for, wanting for! All I can say, is thank God for technology, even if it is slow and more than slightly intermittent (and I may be on the verge of throwing laptop out the window), Facebook, What's App, Twitter, Email all allow you to stay connected (loosely) with friends, family and familiar faces. You'll be amazed at how comforting it is to know online, nothing has changed. (Thanks to a VPN of course.) What's a VPN? In layman's terms, it's a service you pay for monthly that allows you to download an app which makes it look like you are in another country so you can bypass security blocks and access the likes of Google, Facebook, even my own blog (all banned in China). So deep breaths all round, the key to being in a new city, is to get out! So once the rain calmed, first stop - the shopping centre directly across the road; a very westernized Starbucks with all staff speaking reasonably good English (no Mint Mochas though), a peek at the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, you really can't miss. This is what this area's all about and it's what tourists from around the globe flock to look at. A roam around the streets, laced with green trees, striking monuments and waterfalls….it's a little European infused with traditional Chinese architecture. On the way back from another local shopping centre (thankfully sporting Zara and a kid's playroom worth it's weight in gold) I spy a street called 'Bar Street' that we eagerly try out a few nights later. A quirky cobblestoned street reminiscent of a Phuket or Bali or even Melbourne with cute, cottage like bars, side by side…live music, humming with people. A day in the heart of the city, we explore the city centre with the world famous Bell Tower and the ancient city wall - a 14 square kilometre cobble-stoned wall that you can cycle along on tandem bikes or do it the lazy way we did (this time) and jump on a golf buggy and hurtle around the historic fortress looking out across a sprawling city. **Quick Fact: It's the most complete city wall that's survived in China and the one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world! We stumble across quaint markets down idyllic lane ways not unlike a slice of Europe with fascinating artwork and oriental trinkets on display. So far, Xi'an is well and truly surprising us on every level….and slowly but surely it's about putting the pieces together. Working out which way is up. (Map reading is not my strong point!) You start to recognize the occasional landmark, hotel faces, and even more importantly remember a phrase or two of mandarin. Nevermind, that I told the housekeeper to come back to clean the room at 13 o'clock. Better luck next time eh? So a week in, it's been tough and more than likely to get tougher, but it's also the beginning of a once in a lifetime adventure, we'll certainly never forget. She chants the mantra, 'one foot in front of the other……' Proud to share this post over on Seychelle Mama's site for her series #MyExpatFamily … [Read more...]
Singapore: Slick, Sophisticated and Sassy – but does it lack Soul?
As a certified 'virgin visitor' to Singapore, I had no preconceived ideas about the so-called 'Lion City' (aside from the rather titillating fact that 'Singapore Slings' would no doubt be a feature on the local cocktail menu)! Given Singapore lies within the heart of Asia and 75 per cent of its population is Chinese, admittedly I expected it would possess a touch of the orient (naturally infused with the west, given its colonial roots) so I was a little taken aback when my first encounter with the island had me immersed in a bubble of extreme 'westernisation' (at least at face value anyway). (I am also sure this perspective is clearly shaped by my frenetic four years spent amongst a culture of chopsticks, chicken feet and years of playing charades with non-english speaking taxi drivers in the mighty metropolis of Hong Kong!) After a four hour (slightly chaotic short-haul toddler tortured) flight south west of the Fragrant Harbour - I could almost fool myself into thinking I'd landed under the great 'blazing' southern sky DownUnder. (Yes! That's Australia!) I'm told 30 years ago, stepping onto the tarmac in Singapore I would have been met with a vastly different and definitely more oriental feel. Obviously the country's modern-day aesthetics play a huge part in this initial face to face meeting, but it had me reflecting back to my first rendezvous with Hong Kong almost four years ago. I realised just how foreign the 'Fragrant Harbour' really can be to an outsider from the West, with its eye opening and omnipresent Chinese influence... and of course how naturally ingrained it is in my psyche today (I think they call that acclimatization)! ;) Stepping out of a very English feeling Changi Airport - perhaps that's what threw me at first….the fact that all of the signs were in plain English only. Ignorantly, being in Asia, I had expected that much like its counterparts, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Manila, Vietnam and Taiwan, there would be a second, native language on display. A little research and I find out that more than 20 languages are still spoken in Singapore. (Malay, Chinese, Tamil Indian and English are the four official languages.) From there it was into a reasonably modern taxi (not so common in previous Asian cities I've encountered) where we cruised ever so calmly along a wide, spacious freeway (at a pace that wasn't verging on something out of 'Mad Max' - again a rarity in most chaotic Asian streets I've had the pleasure of 'cruising'). Leafy green trees boldly lined streets, in some places over-hanging the road resembling a lush tropical rain forest. Skies were bright, fresh powder blue with those puffy, cotton wool clouds that seem to sit ever so still above you. We emerged into a heat that was bordering on unbearable until a slight breeze wafted through for that perfect summery feel, but mostly it was bordering on oppressively hot! (I'm used to Hong Kong's intense humidity by now, but here…it felt like a double whammy - the harsh sunlight of Australia coupled with Hong Kong's summer sauna-like heat.) Reaching our hotel in the city - shiny, sleek high rises were the order of the day…. but unlike Hong Kong, these weren't the skyscrapers I've become akin to (butted together like dominoes straddling the city for an eternity). Nothing much stood higher than 50 odd floors, which to me, means a relatively mellow 'low rise' city. (I know! Like I said, my immersion in the skyscraper capital has given me a unique perspective on the definition of a bona fide "busy city!") What it was though, was 'futuristic' in style. Perhaps a little Dubai-esque? Buildings that were designed with more than practicality in mind, these babies were impressive works of art, sleek structures that defied the modern day oblong of ordinariness and made for impressive observation. The Westin Hotel still in its infancy at six months old was the epitome of suave sophistication. With a view out to Marina Bay, I was immediately conflicted by the scene. The colors before me had me in Sydney looking out across the harbour, while the seemingly infinite number of containers stacked on top of each other, flanked by untold container ships in the background had me back in Kowloon. In the spirit of delivering a few facts, the port is the world's busiest port in terms of shipping tonnage handled! Whenever I take these short trips I always feel spoilt for choice and utterly torn between being the intrepid adventurer wanting to explore a new city and the relaxed tourist wanting to do as little as possible (somebody bring me a cocktail ploise!) So with my travelling heart in two minds…we tried as best we could to do a bit of both, with limited time at our disposal (not to mention a very unpredictable small person in tow)! Day One: We did the obvious things expected of any tourist in the Lion City.(For the record, the term 'Lion City' is derived from the Malay word Singapura but it's thought lions never actually lived on the island, and the beast that founded and named Singapore, was indeed a tiger.) Go figure! Wild cats aside, our first stop - the MRT to the famous Orchard Road (NB: Just like Hong Kong, the train system is a dream) don't ask me why, but I expected to (rather naively) find an oriental stretch laid out before me, revealing old Singapore in all its glory, but instead, what I got was quite the opposite. Beautiful? Yes! Quaint? No! With its green foliage painting a picturesque scene along the stretch, before me was a modern day shopper's paradise (which I am, by no means, complaining about!) revealing a glossy portfolio of shops all in one easy, accessible spot!! With a scorching heat that threatened to turn us into crisps in a matter of minutes, we wandered in and out of the air-conditioned havens eyeing up the goods. (Well, I did anyway)…and naturally this sweaty stroll called for an ice-block pit stop! Like Hong Kong's summer, you can't stay out for long or you'll melt into the pavement. Later that night we made our way to Marina Bay Sands. If Victoria Beckham was strutting her stuff in this super slick spot (actually the world's most expensive building) then you can bet I was going to get in on the action too! (Thanks for the heads-up Instagram!) Arriving, we were met with another massive shiny shopping centre (also more glamorously known as 'The Shoppes') again filled with a plethora of dreamy designer goods on display, really not at all unlike Hong Kong's label-crazy retail nirvana, not to mention Macau-like casinos, a luxury hotel and giant convention centre. The atmosphere was buzzing inside, and little did we know outside as well! Disappointed to find the famous Marina Bay Sands roof-top 'vanishing edge' pool was only open to hotel guests, (sorry VB, next time we can swap fashion tips over a Singapore Sling) we ate inside in one of the French bistros with cosmos and burgers (how can you go wrong?) before wandering outside and discovering what was nothing short of a giant Darling Harbour. Hello Sydney! Bustling with buskers, night owls and a plethora of al fresco dining establishments, it was entertaining and a little bit electric. OK so by now I was starting to get what Singapore was about. Clean, sophisticated and oh so shiny… but the journo/blogger in me was craving a bit of Singapore's underbelly. With a few places on the agenda, we had to choose between Chinatown and it's famous Food Street, Arab Quarter and Little India. We figured as cool as Chinatown may be, coming from Hong Kong, we can see hawkers selling fish balls and waving-cat souvenirs anytime….so after um-ing and ahh-ing and a bit of inside knowledge, we ended up in Little India. I've yet to have the pleasure of visiting India, so perhaps this was a little taste? Originally a former settlement for Tamil convicts, its location along the Serangoon River originally made it an attractive spot for raising cattle and trading in livestock. Today, it's heaving with local Tamils and Little India, also known as Tekka, is clearly the place to gather for Saturday shopping,socialising and much eating! Horns rang out, bicycle bells were chiming and crossing the road was clearly a case of "in Little India, do as in Big India"- i.e. walk out in front of fast oncoming cars with a mere flick of the wrist to let them know to stop. Not something I was game to attempt! A vibrant and chaotic mix of shops and stalls selling cheap and cheerful Indian jewels, trinkets, textiles and homewares fringed the streets; Bollywood music was blasting out of old fashioned record stores; and flower vendors, spices and hawkers were selling authentic Indian food hide down side streets and alleyways. Let's just say, even as a 'Gweilo' - often more conspicuous than I'd care for in HK, this place was a little intimidating for us 'whiteys' who stood out like sore thumbs amongst the masses lingering in the streets. Undeterred though, we made like locals and squeezed single file down narrow footpaths, observing and photographing the mildly overwhelming scene. We ended up inside 24 hour retail hub Mustafa! I reckon you could just about find anything you wanted in here! Shelves upon shelves overflowing with pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, clothes and electronics. The mind was well and truly boggled! The intense heat adding to the authentic 'Indian' experience, but eventually bringing our adventure to a raging halt. Safe to say I'd had the adventure side of me satisfied, and like all good tourists, we hightailed it in an air conditioned cab to Sentosa! Hello paradise! An island literally a stone's throw from the city - once you cross through the tolls, you are in another world. A little island paradise. A British Military Fortress in World War Two, today it's tagged 'Asia's Favourite Playground' and there's definitely no shortage of attractions, including Universal Studios, the world's biggest aquarium, stunning beaches, bars, restaurants and several hotels! As we drove through, I felt like I'd left the big smoke of Sydney and headed north to Queensland's Gold Coast…namely Sanctuary Cove (complete with ride-on buggies)! Rolling out of the heat and into the W, had me at hello. The familiar quirky, funky and fun atmosphere taking me back to Hong Kong and as the W Hotelier's wife, our home away from home. This though was an idyllic resort and that meant we got to sit back, relax and rejuvenate. Heaven! Sipping my first Singapore Sling was nothing less than sublime to say the least! But it was definitely a case of so little time, so much to see! So, have you been to Singapore? What were your first impressions? Great holiday spot but am I a delirious expat who's spent far too long in China to see this city for what it really is? Shoot me a comment…. I'd love to hear your thoughts. PS… Thanks to being a part of the passionate and friendly blogging-world along with the vibrant and helpful Twitter community, I was met with some amazingly helpful Singapore residents online. If you're heading to Singapore anytime soon and want a more detailed (dare I say it 'expert' opinion) on the island city….check out the following blogs Expat Kiwi: Singapore and Beyond, A British Girl in Bangkok (and Singas) and My Life in Sin Cheers! … [Read more...]
Back to the Future in Kowloon, Hong Kong
Looking at Hong Kong with a bird's eye view, you'd be hard pressed to see how there's even the tiniest space in this jam-packed corner of the earth to develop any further! "Find me a patch of land, any land!" They roar. But that's where you're mistaken. You see I wake up (far too often for my liking) to the rather joyous sound of jack hammers jigging, bulldozers digging and cranes creaking -- which leads me to suspect, the spot where we live amongst the madness will look well and truly different in about a decade's time. Talk about a facelift! This spot is on reclaimed land (yes! I'm officially walking on water). There's a lot of that going on in Hong Kong (reclaiming land that is) in a bid to mitigate the limited supply of usable land. Since 1851 Hong Kong has seen more than 60 square kilometres of land reclaimed from the city's waterways, that's an area greater than Kowloon and nearly as large as Hong Kong Island. The West Kowloon Reclamation was completed in 1995 and was the largest reclamation ever undertaken in the urban area -- increasing the size of the Kowloon peninsula by one-third and extending the waterfront into the harbour by as much as one kilometre and today, well like I said, it is home to some fairly frenzied activity. They call it the 'Dark Side'.... this little slice of Hong Kong is still considered (and feared me thinks) by many as an unexplored entity, but let me, let YOU in on a little secret - it's one train stop from Hong Kong Island (that's ONE, you Hong Kongers). ;) Back in the day, the Kowloon Peninsula served as one of the first destinations for escape during China's dynastic times. (Why would you go anywhere else?) Apparently, the story goes: In 1287, the last emperor of the Song Dynasty, was fleeing from the mongol leader when he took refuge in a cave in the Kowloon peninsula. (Was that cave possibly WooBAR at the W?) Nope, just a twinkle in Mr Starwood's eye back then but today, the W Hotel stands tall and proud next to Ritz Carlton which occupies part of Hong Kong's tallest building, the International Commerce Centre. As the 7th tallest building in the world, this whopping skyscraper boasts 118 stories (some of which have a tendency to disappear into the clouds on those, err 'smoggy' days) and is part of the Union Square project built on top of Kowloon Station. Trivial ICC facts: It was meant to be even taller but the height was scaled back from earlier plans due to regulations that did not allow buildings to be taller than the surrounding mountains. The ICC is not without a dark past either and construction work was temporarily halted in September 2009 when an elevator shaft accident killed six workers. Kowloon Station and all that decorates it is a ten minute cab ride from the buzzing shopping hub of Tsim Sha Tsui and not far from mighty Mongkok, the busiest spot in the world. If you don't believe me...check this post out. With five residential blocks (each block containing at least two high-rises above Kowloon Station housing over 5000 units, connecting to the city's largest shopping centre, Elements (which includes an ice skating rink, the city's biggest movie theatre complex and over 20 eateries) plus an alfresco dining area flanked with international restaurants, Kowloon is becoming a force to be reckoned with...and naturally real estate has skyrocketed! Kudos to the smart ones who bought an apartment here when it was all beginning - now valued at on average HK$16-million!! And so now it expands...to the right of us West Kowloon Terminus is to blame for that constant thunder of construction - and I'm not just talking about a couple of cranes there and a digger here. There are actually 400 tunnel-boring machine operators carving out tunnel with an army of cranes and around 7000 workers on site....all this making up a constant drone hum in my day, which mostly and thankfully, I don't even notice anymore. (Panadol anyone!) West Kowloon Terminus is the terminus of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link set on 25 acres. Featuring 15 platforms, it will be set up with Hong Kong customs and immigration facilities for passengers to avoid stops at the border into China. The HK$66.9bn (£5.47bn) project will provide a 26 kilometre wholly underground link between the Kowloon terminus to Huanggang in Shenzhen, connecting in to the mainland’s rapidly growing high speed rail network. It is expected that by 2016, the West Kowloon Terminus daily number of passengers carried will be about 99,000 feeding into at least 16 major destinations in mainland China. Also good news for those retail outlets in Elements currently sitting idly much of the time. It seems there is a method to their madness. You can read more about that here. The terminal will extend into the underground area of the West Kowloon Cultural District (also under construction to the left) with extensive green garden and parklands stretching across the roof area of the station. With the first phase to be completed by 2020, and the second expected to be completed by 2026, it's hoped this new vibrant cultural quarter prominently located harbourside will strengthen Hong Kong’s position as an international arts and cultural metropolis. The largest art and cultural facility in Hong Kong, the park will include a 7,000m² area featuring a free space theatre, the music box, an outdoor stage, lawn, and art pavilions. The music box will have 150 to 300 seats and feature a bar and cafe with local live music. With seats integrated into the landscaped slopes of the park, the area will be capable of accommodating 6,000 to 10,000 people during events! It will also boast an M+Museum inspired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which was built on the waterfront of the Victoria Harbour. The M+Museum is expected to be completed by 2017 . The Xiqu Centre will be a world-class arts venue specifically built for Xiqu (Chinese opera) performances, and it will also serve as a centre for the production, education and research of this unique art form. The whole thing directly financed by the government with an upfront endowment of HK$21.6 billion for construction and operation! It seems there is plenty of light at the end of the tunnel for the dark side. See you there... … [Read more...]