Wunderlust: Cycling Again

I’ve been cycling to and from my workplace nowadays. It takes me 30min because of traffic by family-happy cars.
It’s not easy doing it again – especially with the long layoff working in an ad agency – and the fact that my legs are gimpier than before.

But I really want to go on a cycling trip again. Quite likely a return to Desaru (like this One man’s Ride from Singapore to Desaru).
Desaru is nothing much. A beach, a couple of resorts and that’s about it. But the point isn’t  sight-seeing or shopping. It’s to exert, ride and unwind. Just what I need.
I think I’ll stay at Penggarang this time round.

View cycling to desaru in a larger map

Maybe during late December when I have time off?
But first, get strong, overhaul the bike and ride.
Preferably into the sunset

Hunan Food in Beijing

This is a long overdue food post about Hunan food in Beijing’s Sanlitun district. Hunan food is spicy like Sichuan food except that the spiciness is far more poignant and less slathered in oil.

It’s my first time eating Hunan food. The flavours escape me now, as I try to remember, but hey if I ever make it back into China, I’ll head out for some Hunan street food.

Restaurant interior.

Piss poor appetizer

Cabbages with chillies. The oiliest of the lot.

Lamb with cumin and spices. Only two pieces though.

More lamb with cumin and spices.

Tofu slices.

Scene: Macau…Sin, Almond Biscuits & Painters

“What’s there to do in Macau?

“They come to gamble and to womanise. If you don’t gamble, there are women for you everywhere! A handjob costs $200, anything else – $800 to $1,000. And that’s for one session.

“Since you’re here, you should visit Bai Fong. You know, it’s an old ruined cathedral where only the facade was left standing after a fire. It’s popular amongst the tourists. You should take bus 3, it’ll drop you nearby.

“I have a kid. She’s six years old. The men come to Macau to play with women. It’s just a need that they have. Her father played with women, so I left him and started work. It’s been five years since.

“There are so many Mainland Chinese now! They gamble with so much money! Everywhere I turn, it’s Mainlanders here, there, everywhere! Sometimes a gwailo comes in here, that’s when I charge him $500. But those from China, or Hong Kong, or Macau, it’s just $200.

“So, how about it?”

Images of Macau

Scene: Hong Kong (Cheung Chau)

Cheung Chau is quite possibly Hong Kong teenagers’ most favourite resort island. Like Lamma Island, one can reach it from Central Pier by 45-minute boats that ply the route every half hour. It’s also home to many villagers and fishermen.

Unlike Lamma Island, it’s Chinese-oriented. While the signs are still bilingual and everything’s nicely paved, I was hard-pressed to find a gwailo in the thronging masses of lovey-dovey trishaws, 

causal weekenders in the marketplace,

and meandering corridors flanked by close-knit buildings.

Part of Cheung Chau’s charm is its throwback feel to a village stuck in ‘70s where the pace of life is much slower,

where bicycles – not flashy cars – are the main mode of transport,

and sea-wise folk eschew brightly coloured boats for a surfboard and paddles when fishing for seafood.

When night falls, hunger pangs drive us to search for food. There are many stalls along the main stretch. They’re just right to feed a platoon of emaciated soldiers with its mounds of fried rice, heaps of clams and mussels, and tangles of vegetables. Everything fresh, hopefully.

But if you’re just one – like me – then try the stall at the very very end, past the main strip. It’s run by a family where the women deep fry stuffed vegetables, blanch che zhai mian, and bake egg rolls under a canvas awning. Enough for a modest and quiet meal next to the sea.

Regardless, Cheng Chau’s best feature is the sea. A  wide expanse of green against grey fog and relentless splashing. Enough to lull a wide-eyed insomniac into slumber.

Images of Cheung Chau

Scene: Hong Kong (Lamma Island)

Hong Kong is more than just a city of scurrying money suits, gwailos, and overly tall skyscrapers. There are also nooks where time slows down, and people are friendlier… oh you can leave your doors unlocked here as well.

This is Lamma Island. A tiny patch of mountain in the sea where foreigners congregate to escape from the madness of Hong Kong. There were plenty of gwailos and laidback Hong Kongers.

Lamma Island’s best activities include: hiking up and down mountains, seafood dinners, and bars for conversations.

I loved the oldness and rot in abandoned temples and homes.

Even this boat was a token of wetter times while the boat people of Hong Kong lived on their sampans and canvas-roofed shacks.

Scene: Hong Kong (Death Edition)

Being made up of mostly Chinese, Hong Kongers have a fascination with death. No doubt they speak of the dear departed in the past, but at the same time, it feels as if they are taking a long hiatus at a holiday chalet.

These tomb plots are considered to be “landed property”,

while urns of ashes in sealed cubicles are akin to Hong Kong’s high-rises.

Paper money, clothes, shoes, cars, a number of credit cards and whatever else is wrapped and lettered with the recipient’s name.

Delivery by fire.

Light a joss swirl and leave your wishes in the temple.

Scene: Hong Kong

I’ve been to Hong Kong many times, and it strikes me as a place where anything can be done. And if you look hard enough, sleaze, love, bling and coolness can be found side by side by side.

The best foods are usually hidden within alleyways and people love to queue up for their wanton mee.

Street scenes

Art in Hong Kong

Graffiti is surprisingly rare in Hong Kong. This one’s a poster advertising some new joint.

But if you walk through Shueng Wan, you’d find plenty of art galleries selling their wares and artists.

Buildings & High Rises

The average Hong Konger lives in a shoebox apartment in one of these high rises.

On any fine day, bamboo sticks appear and clothes get hung out to dry.