For Chinese New Year, the traditional thing to do in Hong Kong is have the family gather around and enjoy Poon Choi, layered goodness filled with picked vegetables and canto-style meats. 13 lbs of food enough to feed a family of 10. The weekend before CNY, a couple of the analysts and myself decided to order a set and try it out.
The delivery came cold... which was expected by me but disputed by others. As we tried to heat it up, I realized there was blood in the chicken! scary. I didn't really want to touch any of it afterwards. We separated the bloody chicken and all the other stuff the blood touched into a separate pot. When we finally managed to heat up the 13 lbs of food in a small hong kong apartment, the food actually was quite good. The tofu and duck with my favorite. There was plenty of lotus root and califlower to go around. Overall, a very delicious meal. I highly recommend it (except probably better with people who actually knows how to cook it.)
Monday, January 31, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Happy Valley Horse Races
Every Wednesday evening, there's a time honored tradition here in Hong Kong: the horse races at Happy Vally Race Tracks. If you want to understand how local culture combines with foreign influences, you need to look no further. First, the only way to get there in an easy fashion is taking a tram, a hong kong trolley on tracks that travels slower than pedistrans and costs only $2 for a ride (that's a quarter USD). The terminal station is the happy valley race tracks - a modern, football stadium-lit stadium that runs 8 races per week. Inside, the outside patio area is full of Brits and expats, mingling and drinking their way into a happy evening, placing the occasional bet or two. In fact, two of my friends betted HK$100 on a race and managed to win. All in good humor, nothing serious. Drinking and socialization is the focus, not the races themselves.
Go inside the actual stadium below the stands, that's where the hardcore betting take places. Instead of the staff explaining patiently to you how to place the bets, there are rows of automatic machines taking your bets. Hoards of people crowd around the TVs checking out which horses have won the race. It's not the race atmosphere itself, but the gambling that's the key for the locol hong kong participants (which seems to be all middle-age men from what I could tell). According to our friend, the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which runs the races, contribute a significant amount to the Hong Kong tax revenue per year AND all the remote locations around the island are PACKED every Wednesday for those with the need to bet on horses to gamble.
Gambling is quite a big part of Asian male culture. Macau, which is only a 40 minute ferry ride away, has multiple times the gambling revenue of Vegas. At the tables, there are only serious Chinese men gambling, putting down thousands of dollars per round. In fact, so many high speed trains goes to Macau now that China enacted laws limiting Chinese nationals from going to Macau in fear of the rampant gambling. Still, all the tables are always packed and casual gamblers are usually cautioned away. The horse races are the Hong Kong version of gambling.
Go inside the actual stadium below the stands, that's where the hardcore betting take places. Instead of the staff explaining patiently to you how to place the bets, there are rows of automatic machines taking your bets. Hoards of people crowd around the TVs checking out which horses have won the race. It's not the race atmosphere itself, but the gambling that's the key for the locol hong kong participants (which seems to be all middle-age men from what I could tell). According to our friend, the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which runs the races, contribute a significant amount to the Hong Kong tax revenue per year AND all the remote locations around the island are PACKED every Wednesday for those with the need to bet on horses to gamble.
Gambling is quite a big part of Asian male culture. Macau, which is only a 40 minute ferry ride away, has multiple times the gambling revenue of Vegas. At the tables, there are only serious Chinese men gambling, putting down thousands of dollars per round. In fact, so many high speed trains goes to Macau now that China enacted laws limiting Chinese nationals from going to Macau in fear of the rampant gambling. Still, all the tables are always packed and casual gamblers are usually cautioned away. The horse races are the Hong Kong version of gambling.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Worthwhile Hong Kong Food Experiences - aka Fatty Time
I have been a real gluttony the past few days, having too many awesome food experiences. Too often, I have been going to expat-centric dull food experiences that really became quite bland after awhile. This weekend, I am proud to report that all my food experiences have been quite worthwhile for the undertaking.
Friday evening, a group of us embarked on a journey to Dehli Club in ChengKing Mansion in TST. For those who live in Hong Kong, the address should immediately give away the experience. For those who do not live in Hong Kong, it is one of the shadiest buildings in Hong Kong. All sorts of people hover outside, soliciting and catcalling. The elevator ride itself could almost kill you. When you walk in, 10 Indian guys will rush over trying to take you to their Indian restaurant, whether its Taj Mahal Club or whatever. Delhi Club is one of the most famous one. Once you sit inside, the food is absolutely amazing. Some of the best Indian food I have ever had. You don't even need to order, just tell the waiter what you want and he'll bring it out. With plenty of beer and way too much food, we only managed to spend $150 (~$20US) each for a table of 10 people, which big groups always charge up a huge big. To top off the evening, one of our more color friends also brought a magnum bottle of champagne for the table. I think the bottle was worth more than the entire meal, combined.
On Sat Evening, I went to Sushi One in Mongkok, where if you go after 10PM, it's 50% off sushi and it's pretty good. The line is usually extremely long but our friend lined up at 8PM for us, so we managed to sit down immediately at 10PM. We ordered SOOOO much sushi, plate after plate it kept on coming. The mango salmon sushi was definitely my favorite but everything was great. We got so full that we felt terrible everytime a new plate came out. But the sushi was just sooo good that we couldn't stop eating. The quality of sushi is actually quite high. For all of that, we only spent $200 each (less than $30US). That was definitely a steal for the ages.
Friday evening, a group of us embarked on a journey to Dehli Club in ChengKing Mansion in TST. For those who live in Hong Kong, the address should immediately give away the experience. For those who do not live in Hong Kong, it is one of the shadiest buildings in Hong Kong. All sorts of people hover outside, soliciting and catcalling. The elevator ride itself could almost kill you. When you walk in, 10 Indian guys will rush over trying to take you to their Indian restaurant, whether its Taj Mahal Club or whatever. Delhi Club is one of the most famous one. Once you sit inside, the food is absolutely amazing. Some of the best Indian food I have ever had. You don't even need to order, just tell the waiter what you want and he'll bring it out. With plenty of beer and way too much food, we only managed to spend $150 (~$20US) each for a table of 10 people, which big groups always charge up a huge big. To top off the evening, one of our more color friends also brought a magnum bottle of champagne for the table. I think the bottle was worth more than the entire meal, combined.
On Sat Evening, I went to Sushi One in Mongkok, where if you go after 10PM, it's 50% off sushi and it's pretty good. The line is usually extremely long but our friend lined up at 8PM for us, so we managed to sit down immediately at 10PM. We ordered SOOOO much sushi, plate after plate it kept on coming. The mango salmon sushi was definitely my favorite but everything was great. We got so full that we felt terrible everytime a new plate came out. But the sushi was just sooo good that we couldn't stop eating. The quality of sushi is actually quite high. For all of that, we only spent $200 each (less than $30US). That was definitely a steal for the ages.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Working In Hong Kong
Several differences in working style in Hong Kong that has struck me in a significant manner.
One, in New York, as an analyst, we were absolutely NOT suppose to be doing any significant amount of thinking. Any use of creativity or deviation from what your associate/VP/MD drew up would be considered blasphemous. Usually, they would look at you strangely, wonder if you are not capable of doing the simplest tasks and ask (sometimes yell) for you to do what they drew up. Maybe because each level is staffed with enough personnel, there's always an associate or VP that double checks your work and making sure that you knew what you were doing. Any questions you had on industry, finance, etc. are not considered dumb and people explained what they expected to you be doing in simple manners as if you were a child. Basically, you were trained to become a "modeling monkey", very technically sound but not expect to actually think the way humans do. In Hong Kong, the complete opposite is expected. Instructions are far and few in between and you are expected to absolutely generate new ideas on your own, with very little guidance. You always knew if you were right or wrong in New York, in Hong Kong, you are constantly floating in a sea of gray. While it's good to be told to think about what you do, it's also very counterproductive in that you are not taught how to think. Without repetition, we're not trained into thinking about things in a methodical manner. It seems like this jumbo mess of ideas in your head that you're not sure what's right, wrong, or just downright stupid. With more autonomy, one can grow, but the growth seem to be wild without direction, with a strong likelihood of becoming a crooked tree.
Two, in New York, the noise levels amongst the junior level was always at a peak. Socialization amongst co-workers are expected and not talking will get you the name of the "quiet quad". Being anti-social at work is considered a significant taboo. Maybe I would not have been natural friends with the analysts and associates in the group, but after the intensity of work level, everyone becomes friends through a culture indoctrination of socialization and talking through work. Here in Hong Kong, being social is almost look down upon. People are silent during work. When you try to engage them in conversation, they are annoyed rather than welcoming. For here, having a positive social atmosphere for work is less emphasized and the appearance of working hard and not talking is strictly adhered to. We were just as productive back in New York, but worked in a feast or famine fashion where downtime is downtime and work time is work time. In Hong Kong, everything is semi-work time.
Three, meals are suppose to be quick. Order in, 10 minutes to grab lunch downstairs at Hale and Hearty or Bocca. Dinner is suppose to be seamless, delivery. Quick. Here in Hong Kong, every meal is an adventure. Definitely takes over 1/2 hour just to get lunch anywhere because the restaurants are far away. Dinner usually is a 2 hour adventure where everyone sit down somewhere and dine family style. Then, everyone complains about the long hours of work in Hong Kong. Why doesn't people just not take those long breaks and get out at 9PM instead of 11PM? Ordering in itself is also an ordeal, often taking more than an hour vs. the 20 minutes delivery you can expect from most nearby delis in New York.
Four, totally a different brand of politics in Hong Kong. Political correctness is often thrown out of the windows. Senior bankers are allowed to make racist, sexist, albeit funny comments at work. Some comments made on the floor of the office definitely would cause shock and awe in the politically-correct sensitive atmosphere in New York (and investment bankers in New York are considered one of the most politically incorrect profession in the U.S.) Really, one of the directors once told me I could be stoned for some of the comments I am making (because I am a girl). It wasn't offensive to me personally but I wonder should people of those stature really be displaying such manners of immaturity? It's so pervasive in the culture that there's even a "Black Person toothpaste" on the market in Hong Kong. http://www.danwei.org/advertising_and_marketing/whitee_and_darkie.php. I don't even know how I should begin to feel about that. As my friends who transferred from the New York office and I often joke with each other, there's really no HR or rules here in Hong Kong.
Five, the one thing I really like about working in Hong Kong is the independence. Fake deadlines exists, but so much rarer. Because everyone sits on the trading floor together, you know when projects are actually due. Because one works more independently, there's no you must finish this off tonight so I can look at it in the morning. It's more like, do what you can, I can look at it while you finish it off in the morning. There are a lot less down time during the day (especially mornings), and a lot less painful late nights because some associate or VP created a totally ridiculous deadline. Plus, there's no printing necessary in Hong Kong because all the regional offices print so no waiting for books! So key!
One, in New York, as an analyst, we were absolutely NOT suppose to be doing any significant amount of thinking. Any use of creativity or deviation from what your associate/VP/MD drew up would be considered blasphemous. Usually, they would look at you strangely, wonder if you are not capable of doing the simplest tasks and ask (sometimes yell) for you to do what they drew up. Maybe because each level is staffed with enough personnel, there's always an associate or VP that double checks your work and making sure that you knew what you were doing. Any questions you had on industry, finance, etc. are not considered dumb and people explained what they expected to you be doing in simple manners as if you were a child. Basically, you were trained to become a "modeling monkey", very technically sound but not expect to actually think the way humans do. In Hong Kong, the complete opposite is expected. Instructions are far and few in between and you are expected to absolutely generate new ideas on your own, with very little guidance. You always knew if you were right or wrong in New York, in Hong Kong, you are constantly floating in a sea of gray. While it's good to be told to think about what you do, it's also very counterproductive in that you are not taught how to think. Without repetition, we're not trained into thinking about things in a methodical manner. It seems like this jumbo mess of ideas in your head that you're not sure what's right, wrong, or just downright stupid. With more autonomy, one can grow, but the growth seem to be wild without direction, with a strong likelihood of becoming a crooked tree.
Two, in New York, the noise levels amongst the junior level was always at a peak. Socialization amongst co-workers are expected and not talking will get you the name of the "quiet quad". Being anti-social at work is considered a significant taboo. Maybe I would not have been natural friends with the analysts and associates in the group, but after the intensity of work level, everyone becomes friends through a culture indoctrination of socialization and talking through work. Here in Hong Kong, being social is almost look down upon. People are silent during work. When you try to engage them in conversation, they are annoyed rather than welcoming. For here, having a positive social atmosphere for work is less emphasized and the appearance of working hard and not talking is strictly adhered to. We were just as productive back in New York, but worked in a feast or famine fashion where downtime is downtime and work time is work time. In Hong Kong, everything is semi-work time.
Three, meals are suppose to be quick. Order in, 10 minutes to grab lunch downstairs at Hale and Hearty or Bocca. Dinner is suppose to be seamless, delivery. Quick. Here in Hong Kong, every meal is an adventure. Definitely takes over 1/2 hour just to get lunch anywhere because the restaurants are far away. Dinner usually is a 2 hour adventure where everyone sit down somewhere and dine family style. Then, everyone complains about the long hours of work in Hong Kong. Why doesn't people just not take those long breaks and get out at 9PM instead of 11PM? Ordering in itself is also an ordeal, often taking more than an hour vs. the 20 minutes delivery you can expect from most nearby delis in New York.
Four, totally a different brand of politics in Hong Kong. Political correctness is often thrown out of the windows. Senior bankers are allowed to make racist, sexist, albeit funny comments at work. Some comments made on the floor of the office definitely would cause shock and awe in the politically-correct sensitive atmosphere in New York (and investment bankers in New York are considered one of the most politically incorrect profession in the U.S.) Really, one of the directors once told me I could be stoned for some of the comments I am making (because I am a girl). It wasn't offensive to me personally but I wonder should people of those stature really be displaying such manners of immaturity? It's so pervasive in the culture that there's even a "Black Person toothpaste" on the market in Hong Kong. http://www.danwei.org/advertising_and_marketing/whitee_and_darkie.php. I don't even know how I should begin to feel about that. As my friends who transferred from the New York office and I often joke with each other, there's really no HR or rules here in Hong Kong.
Five, the one thing I really like about working in Hong Kong is the independence. Fake deadlines exists, but so much rarer. Because everyone sits on the trading floor together, you know when projects are actually due. Because one works more independently, there's no you must finish this off tonight so I can look at it in the morning. It's more like, do what you can, I can look at it while you finish it off in the morning. There are a lot less down time during the day (especially mornings), and a lot less painful late nights because some associate or VP created a totally ridiculous deadline. Plus, there's no printing necessary in Hong Kong because all the regional offices print so no waiting for books! So key!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Well-balanced life
I think living in Hong Kong has given me more of a well-balanced life despite working in banking. Here are a few reasons for it.
1. Because everything is so close to each other, one need less time and motivation and go out and do stuff. Sure, you got off at 10PM, but all your friends are just 5 minutes away and you can definitely still go hangout without problems. Just on Monday, I played scrabble with two of my closest friends in Hong Kong at the bar that is literally 2 minute walk from my apartment. We actually all live within 500 feet of this bar.
2. Going on trips are easier because there are so many places you can pop by for a day or for the weekend. Even the hamptons in New York was 3 hours away. For that amount of time, you can fly to Vietnam, Thailand, China, etc.
3. The novelty. Because everything is still so new for me here in Hong Kong, everything is a new experiences, which creates more balance compared to work. I'm actually excited doing a lot of the stuff after work/free time because it's never been done before vs. the same old things in the U.S.
4. Friendships are shallower, but easier to make. Hong Kong is a transient place, which means no expat has a set group of friends. Everyone is coming and going. We need to constantly make new friends because our old friends have left us. This makes everyone especially friendly and open to the idea of hanging with new people.
5. For me personally, for some reason, I have found it incredibly much easier to feel more for the world, for people, for everything. Maybe it's the fact I'm now out in the real world alone. Maybe it's the new place. I haven't decided if I like the ups and downs, but at least I feel like a real person again.
1. Because everything is so close to each other, one need less time and motivation and go out and do stuff. Sure, you got off at 10PM, but all your friends are just 5 minutes away and you can definitely still go hangout without problems. Just on Monday, I played scrabble with two of my closest friends in Hong Kong at the bar that is literally 2 minute walk from my apartment. We actually all live within 500 feet of this bar.
2. Going on trips are easier because there are so many places you can pop by for a day or for the weekend. Even the hamptons in New York was 3 hours away. For that amount of time, you can fly to Vietnam, Thailand, China, etc.
3. The novelty. Because everything is still so new for me here in Hong Kong, everything is a new experiences, which creates more balance compared to work. I'm actually excited doing a lot of the stuff after work/free time because it's never been done before vs. the same old things in the U.S.
4. Friendships are shallower, but easier to make. Hong Kong is a transient place, which means no expat has a set group of friends. Everyone is coming and going. We need to constantly make new friends because our old friends have left us. This makes everyone especially friendly and open to the idea of hanging with new people.
5. For me personally, for some reason, I have found it incredibly much easier to feel more for the world, for people, for everything. Maybe it's the fact I'm now out in the real world alone. Maybe it's the new place. I haven't decided if I like the ups and downs, but at least I feel like a real person again.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Machete
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0985694/
If you haven't seen this movie, go see it. Simply one of the most ridiculous movie I have seen in a very long time. Usually, I quite dislike ridiculous movies but this particular film also manages to hint at the social and political issues that are truly troubling the nation right now. Maybe it is especially fitting after the tragic shootings in Tucson but this particular film brought forth the immigration debate in a hilarious manner that truly mocks the realities today.
As a side benefit, there's like 20 superstars in the movie doing absolutely ridiculous things, including Lindsay Lohan in a nun outfit.
If you haven't seen this movie, go see it. Simply one of the most ridiculous movie I have seen in a very long time. Usually, I quite dislike ridiculous movies but this particular film also manages to hint at the social and political issues that are truly troubling the nation right now. Maybe it is especially fitting after the tragic shootings in Tucson but this particular film brought forth the immigration debate in a hilarious manner that truly mocks the realities today.
As a side benefit, there's like 20 superstars in the movie doing absolutely ridiculous things, including Lindsay Lohan in a nun outfit.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Should I stay or should I go?
On the beginning of what I hope will be a beautiful year, I am wondering. Am I stuck? Not stuck as in without a choice, but stuck in a pattern, unchanging, unmoving, unexciting. Yes, I have moved to a completely different city. But my life, has it really changed? I still hangout with a bunch of preppy bankers, granted now they carry different passports and speak in different accents. Our topic of conversation still revolves around FCF, Hermes ties, and expensive restaurants. My life still consist of massive amount of banking and drinking, with sparingly little in between. I still feel just as lost and confused as before in New York, except now with the added complexity of losing control of stability.
I have discussed this with my friend, who is an expat from Australia. Being in a foreign country, our emotions run wild. In New York, while I felt a wide range of emotions, the band and strength of them seems insignificant compared to what I am feeling here. Whether its anger and sadness or happiness and contentment, the range and strength of emotions I feel here is vast. In fact, I am afraid I have already lost control of those emotions on several occasions. Is it an adjustment period? Or simply because we're not home where our stability is?
I do like it here, but am I going anywhere? Is being here a lull into bland satisfaction? Do I take the courage to reach for something better and risk sacrifice what I know now? What should I do?
I have discussed this with my friend, who is an expat from Australia. Being in a foreign country, our emotions run wild. In New York, while I felt a wide range of emotions, the band and strength of them seems insignificant compared to what I am feeling here. Whether its anger and sadness or happiness and contentment, the range and strength of emotions I feel here is vast. In fact, I am afraid I have already lost control of those emotions on several occasions. Is it an adjustment period? Or simply because we're not home where our stability is?
I do like it here, but am I going anywhere? Is being here a lull into bland satisfaction? Do I take the courage to reach for something better and risk sacrifice what I know now? What should I do?
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Simple Living
After more than four months in Hong Kong, finally I managed to take care of key essential home items the past few days. I think my apartment could be almost complete.
1. Sheets
2. Towels
3. Silverware
4. Saran wrap and sandwich bags
5. Kettle
6. Spatula
7. Broom and dustpan
8. Tape and other things to help decorate my apartment (pictures are now up!)
9. Hand soap
Come visit! Finally, it's now ready to be seen.
1. Sheets
2. Towels
3. Silverware
4. Saran wrap and sandwich bags
5. Kettle
6. Spatula
7. Broom and dustpan
8. Tape and other things to help decorate my apartment (pictures are now up!)
9. Hand soap
Come visit! Finally, it's now ready to be seen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)