Dispatches from Hong Kong: Part 6

Potpourri

(Taking in the museum on my visit with CG)

So, my approach to these dispatches thus far has been to write them in narrative fashion in order to give you a sense of how these events unfolded in my thoughts and how they unfolded in real life. The problem with this approach, however, is that many stories don't fit into the narrative. They're just funny, interesting things that happen as one-off events. So, this post is going to be a catch-all for some of the funny moments that have happened this summer.


My first trip to the CGR (Consul General's Residence) for an event for folks in the social enterprise world. In the pic below I am meeting a nice gentleman from JP Morgan.

Me: Oh yeah? JP Morgan?  I used to wok for them, I did mortgage underwriting for about 18 months there. What do you do for them?
Him: (trying his best not to laugh). I, um, run it. 

Turns out he is the senior country officer for JP Morgan in Hong Kong. The big cheese. Everyone in the room knew who he was except me. But in the end I think he found it refreshing to get to explain his job to someone, I don't think he gets that opportunity much. At least thats what I tell myself...

(JPMorgan Boss and me)

(Lady tryna shake my hand while I'm eating, come on man...)

Below picture is at the going away party for our departing Information Officer/Spokesperson, Scott Robinson. It was great getting to work under his leadership for 2 months. Fun fact: He will be starting language training for his next job at the Foreign Service Institute the same day I start there for Foreign Service orientation. So, we'll be reunited again on campus. He's promised to come haze me, as is tradition...

I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to go out to visit some historical districts in Hong Kong with CG Hart. Before our visit, we went to sample some local delicacies. Word to the wise: if you want to eat well, hang with the CG. 

After the meal we went to visit a museum and a center for disadvantaged youth. 

We also had the opportunity to do come community service by going to Food Angel, and organization that provides meals for the elderly. CG and I got paired up for the entire day and we got to swap stories while making meal boxes. He and I have similar personalities so we were laughing the whole day. 

(Perfect microcosm for the day: spoon in hand, head thrown back in laughter.)

July 1st is an annual protest day in Hong Kong. This is a unique event in all of China because this is the only place allowed to protest openly. I went out with one of our Political Officers to observe the protest so we could report back to DC what happened. Usually, nothing happens, but you need people on the ground just to make sure. These are some of my favorite shots from the day:

(ever seen 30k people flood the streets? Its quite a thing)

(These guys had a puppet show going mocking local politicians)

(A full marching band was marching in the demonstration)

For 4th of July weekend I hopped on a plane and went to Taiwan to enjoy Taipai for 48 hours with my friend and colleague Tara Lewis. Tara is in my Pickering cohort, so we've been on the same life path for the last couple of years. She's doing her internship in Seoul, so we decided to meet in the middle to take on the town. 

(At the top of Taipei 101, the 5th tallest building in the world)

            

(They have a mirrored floor at some parts of the observation deck. Ladies in skirts beware!)

The 101 from about 5 miles away. 

We stayed in a nice hotel with free breakfast and a disturbingly helpful staff. But the most amazing thing about the room was the emergency exit. In case of fire, you're instructed to strap yourself to this hook and Batman yourself down the side of the building to the floor! We were 10 stories up! The thought of trying to learn this contraption while simultaneously trying your best not to be engulfed by flames was one of the funniest thought experiments I'd conducted in a while. 

(Totally realistic, right? Ha!)

(Tara and I at the National Palace Museum, one of the finest collection of Chinese antiques in the world)

(The garden of the museum) 

One of the highlights of the trip was the visits to the night markets. The sights, the smells, the bubble tea! These were exactly what you're looking for in an international experience. So much culture on display...

(The night markets were humming with activity)

(Couldn't read the Mandarin to figure out what these were but this much is clear: They're fruit flavored, they're edible, and they're shaped like penises.)

(Random Picture: everyone in Taipei rides a scooter. Everyone...) 

Those of you from the pacific northwest will know about Voodoo Doughnut. I had actually never heard of it until listening to the Rachel Maddow Show the week before my trip. She used is to make sense of a news story out there. Then when we get to Taipei Tara asked me if I'd heard of it, turns out they opened a branch in Taipei. So we had to go...

(The famed Voodoo Doll doughnut and the glazed with bacon...nomnomnom)

The final fun activity we had was a trip Maokong Gondola. It gives spectacular views of the city and they have nice shops and restaurants at the top of the mountain. So we enjoyed those. 

    

                                 

Our delicious bubble tea with cat cookie

Fresh strawberries, fried doughnuts, whipped cream? Yes please...

When I got back from Taipei my roommate had finally arrived. Bella Fernandez is her name and she and I get along well. We live and work together, so we see each other a lot, so it is a plus that we mesh. Here are some pics from our outings. 

(Us in the office making our 'gangsta face')

(Near The Peak after leaving CG's house)

(Found a burger joint)

One night I wanted to go see the famed Avenue of Stars and the Symphony of Light. I called my buddy Elizabeth and she agreed to be my guide. 

                                     

(We found this guy riding this inexplicable contraption while walking the town)

(Avenue of Stars)

(Most names I didn't know, but we found Jet Li)

(Bruce Lee is a legend around here)

(This skyline is peerless in the world. Simply stunning)

The light show was quite a thing. Better in theory than in practice, but it is an ambitious project. All the buildings on the other side of the harbor have lights on top, there is narration and music synchronized with the show on the spectators side of the harbor, so it was probably a huge logistical challenge to get it set up. I heard there used to be fireworks every night, but that got pricey. So, it falls a little flat, but is still worth seeing once.

This mall had a giant Where's Waldo exhibit which they inexplicably called "Where's Wally?"

(My first trip on the famed Star Ferry)

One of the best things about being in the consulate is that when CG doesn't want to go to events he's been invited to, sweet tickets sometimes fall into your lap. The US women's volleyball team , current world champs,  was in town playing a tournament. I went the first night with Derek, our Economic Officer, and had such a good time that I came back the last night with Elie, one of our Consular officers. 

                                                                                (Point for the US.)

(They hired cheering sections for each team. For the next match, they just gave the new signs and the same people were cheering for a completely different country)

(Me and Derek) 

(Beautiful view from outside the arena)

(Intermission)

(Elie and I)

(Started from the bottom...)

(The US cheering section. Not one American among them.)

I heard from my colleague, Samson, that Hong Kong had a 4DX movie theater. 4D enhances the typical 3D experience by adding moving chars, water, air blasts, scents, and track lighting to the movie experience. We watched Jurassic World. It was quite amazing. The theater was in the biggest mall I've even been in, we just kept ascending higher and higher...

(Escalators for days in this place...)

(Those two black dots on the chairs are where the air came from. Great for getting the effect that a dinosaur is breathing down your neck)

(Tau, Samson and I.)

The Carnegie Hall group came through with the US National Youth Orchestra, the best 16-19 year old musicians in the country. They were breathtaking. Before the concert we had dim sum overlooking the harbor. 

One night the local interns, Elizabeth and Sylar, decided to show the American interns another side of Hong Kong. We went out to a Chinese restaurant and then to a local dessert shop. 

(The tables have live goldfish swimming inside them)

(The intern crew)

(Peking Duck, boyeeee...)

(Walking through Times Square to get to the dessert spot)

(Believe it or not, these are all desserts. And, yes, mine has a boiled egg in it.)

The Consulate has a soccer team, Tau and my buddy Alex are on the team, so I went out to support them a couple of times.

This is my final week in Hong Kong. Its amazing how fast the time seems to have gone. We will have one final Dispatch once I return to the States to sum up my time here.... Until then...