Kyoto

There's an old Wayne and Shuster routine about Julius Caesar and the Ides of March, where his grieving widow says "I told him:  Julie don't go!" (about half way through the youtube link).
I kept thinking about that routine (apologies to the non-Canadians and younger generation who unfortunately missed W&S) as Jeff and I boarded the plane to Osaka a few weeks ago.  Many of our friends and family (especially my dad) had tried to convince us that due to the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster Japan should be off-limits.  Cathay Pacific also phoned to offer a full refund.  We deferred to Julie (not Caesar), who, with her scientific knowledge and common sense, told us it was safe to go, as well as the Canadian Dept. of Foreign Affairs, which only advised avoiding northern Honshu.
Fortunately, our trip went well, and we experienced no adversities.  On the other hand, it was a great time to travel, since there were very few tourists, other than Japanese school groups and seniors.

Our first day in Kyoto we awoke to blue skies and cool weather.  The nice concierge at the Westin Miyako directed us to the bus stop nearby and told us where to alight (a Britishism that we've picked up living in HK) for the southern Higashiyama walking tour (courtesy of Lonely Planet Japan).  Unlike HK, which is so tourist-friendly, we found Kyoto a challenging experience.  When we got off the bus, there were no signs pointing to Kiyomizu-dera, a UNESCO World Heritage temple.  Thank goodness we noticed groups of high schoolers walking up the hill - we followed them straight to the temple's entrance.  (And we continued to follow school groups all weekend.)

Japanese temples are magnificent wooden structures, many built on hillsides, with spectacular views of the surrounding hills and the modern city.  Because they are built of wood, they tend to burn down every few hundred years, so the oldest structures we saw only dated back to the 17th century.  I love the simplicity of the temples - very little glitz and ornamentation.

While we were walking around the Kiyomizu-dera grounds, we noticed a shaded area with small stupas (gravestones) decorated with weather-worn aprons.  We are still scratching our heads at the significance of these structures, since there was no explanation in any language; nor was there an English-speaking person in sight.
Welcome to Japan!  Lots of smiles, no English!  Speaking of no English, five teenagers in school uniforms approached us and handed us a letter from their teacher.  They were encouraged to practise speaking English with Western tourists.  They gave us peace poems as well as their names and addresses.  We had an interesting chat, and promised to write to them (one of these days ...)

We continued our walk through lovely streets with old wooden houses, stopping to look at a few other temples along the way.  Most of the attractions charge hefty admissions, so, being cheap, templed-out tourists, we took photos at the entrances and moved on down the road.  When we arrived at Chion-in, a beautiful Buddhist centre, there was a spiritual convention taking place.  Thousands of devotees filled the main hall.   As they prayed together, they rang small, individual bells.  It was mesmerizing.

Outside the prayer hall, calligraphers were very busy writing scrolls (Marion would've watched them all day!), and along the corridors monks rang enormous bells.

Further highlights of our first morning:  spotting our first Japanese Buddhist monk (and remitting a few yen for the privilege of taking his photo), and our first geishas (well, sort of - they were models being photographed in front of a shop!)

After lunch we visited To-ji temple.  As luck would have it, we were there in time for the monthly Kobo-san market.  Lots of mystery foods, bonsai trees, and assorted tchotchkas.  The street food looked yummy, especially the fish-shaped waffles!

Unfortunately, the sunshine only lasted one day.  We awoke to steady rain and cold (12C) for the next three days.  It didn't stop us!  We bought a day pass for the MRT (subway), and began at the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji), another temple on the UNESCO list.  In 1950, a crazy monk burned down the original (14th century) building.  The present structure was rebuilt in 1955.  I was disappointed that we could not go into the building, but merely take pictures of it across the pond!  The temple grounds are magnificent, and the flowers looked even more vibrant with raindrops on them.  That afternoon we made our way to the Imperial Palace.  As we started following the guide, I realized that the tour was strictly outside - and it was pouring - and I was wearing sandals - and my feet were cold and wet!  So I hobbled back to the reception area, and waited for Jeff to complete the tour.

It continued to rain heavily the next day, but we were more prepared (i.e. I was wearing proper shoes and socks -  although around noon I stopped to buy a dry pair!).  Thanks to the Bills' suggestion, we went to Arashiyama, a very charming suburb in the hills overlooking Kyoto.  The Tenryu-ji temple is set in a gorgeous Zen garden.

After leaving the temple grounds, we walked through the bamboo grove to Okochi Sanso, the villa built by a famous silent-screen actor.  At the entrance to the villa and its gardens, there's a lovely tea house where we enjoyed a bowl of tea and a small green cake.  After touring the gardens, we strolled through the village, and ended up buying a hand-painted cherry blossom wall-hanging at a local shop.  The artist was sitting in the back of the shop, busily painting umbrellas.  His artwork adorned all of the walls, and there were also racks of painted raincoats.

The rain let up temporarily the next morning, giving us enough time to enjoy Nijo Castle.  Three pretty girls dressed in traditional kimonos let me take their picture (they were carrying designer handbags!).
We headed to the colourful, upscale, and very pricey Nishiki Market for lunch and window-shopping.  Egg tarts cost three times as much as HK.  There's even a specialty knife shop called Aritsugu, with the best (and most expensive) kitchen knives in the world.

Other than tempura and yakitori, Japanese food continues to disinterest me.  A bowl of soba noodles with vegetables and beef (Japanese version of Chinese dumpling soup) cost $10CDN - about four times the price of the HK equivalent.  I know, I know - it's beautifully presented, and served on lacquered dishes, but other than Kobe beef, most ingredients are local, readily available, and cheap.  So why are restaurants so costly?  My other beefs (pardon the pun) with Japanese food are that most of it is green, much of it smells like seaweed, and most of it leaves a fishy aftertaste.  My clothes even smelled like seaweed.



And speaking of green - the Kit Kat chocolate bars are green tea flavoured!

On our second evening in Kyoto, we walked around Gion, the charming entertainment district filled with  restaurants in old wooden houses along the river.  We had dinner at Ozawa, where the tempura was served one vegetable or prawn at a time!  The fellow sitting next to Jeff was from Paris, so we spent an hour chatting in French.  He's a Japanophile, and his wife sent him to Kyoto as a birthday present.  (Hint for Jeff - send me to Bhutan for my next birthday).

Some other observations:  Young children travel unescorted (but usually in groups) on the metro to and from school.  Unlike HK, where the domestic helpers carry both the backpacks and the kids, the young Japanese were refreshingly independent.  They reminded us of the little girls in Bemelmans' Madeline books.

And speaking of the metro, it was very easy to navigate - especially since there were bilingual signs, as well as announcements in English and Japanese.  No food or drink is allowed on HK buses or subways.  Japan goes one step further: no cellphones.

Another observation:  I know that Frank Lloyd Wright had an impact on Japanese architecture (and vice versa), but I wasn't aware of the Japanese influence on other artists, for example Piet Mondrian or the cubists.  The photo on the left was taken at one of the palaces.

It's been a while since I've included strange signs in my blogs, but I couldn't resist these.  The one on the right sums up how confused we were some of the time!





We came home from Japan.  We are not glowing in the dark, but we are glowing with wonderful memories, and look forward to a return visit.

The Royal Hoo-Hah

Everyone in HK was hyped for The Wedding.  Pottinger Street (where one buys costumes) was so busy with customers buying everything British or royal.  Marks and Spencer's food hall was crowded with people buying cheese, crackers, dips, and bubbly.  I met neighbours in the elevator carrying take-away bags of food to bring to their various parties.  What fun!

Joan and Ronnie hosted.  The women (Susan, Alex, and I) arrived at 5 p.m. and watched the guests making their grand entrances into Westminster Abbey.  We had all dressed up - especially Joan, who looked resplendent in her pink chiffon ensemble (even though she was barefoot!).  We munched on olives, hummus, and crudites and drank wine and Pimms while commenting on all the outfits and hats.  Alex remarked that she would have been dismayed to be seated behind a guest wearing one of the flying saucers.



Until Fergie's daughters arrived, everything and everyone was tasteful.  Perhaps this was their mother's revenge!  One website described them as young and funky.  Our take was GAG!!  One blogger has called them Princess Moosehead and Princess Fat-Blueberry.
The bride and her family stole the show.  Kate will certainly improve the royal gene pool.

Joan set a lovely table and served delicious British fare.  Amazing what she was able to turn out from her tiny kitchen!  We began with smoked salmon (mmm - from Chez Patrick Deli), followed by bangers (from Oliver's), mash, and brussels sprouts.  Cheese and salad followed.  And more wine!

Susan's trifle was the piece de resistance!
We drank champagne and toasted the newlyweds, wishing them well.

No, this isn't William - it's our very own Andrew.  He's also known as PGPW - the "poor girl's Prince William".  He says he'll settle for Pippa Middleton!

Hikes, more visitors, and a Passover Seder

Before we moved to HK, I thought we would be heading to a densely crowded, polluted metropolis with no green space except "The Peak".  What a wonderful surprise to discover that over 60% of the territory is national park - mountainous, green, less polluted, and full of hiking trails for all levels of exercise (yes, the other 40% is densely crowded and polluted, but full of character).

Jeff and I have tackled some of the easier trails - Lamma Island, Aberdeen Reservoir, and parts of the Wilson Trail.  I've also started joining the AWA adventure hikes (for those who like a real challenge).  Unfortunately, the AWA hikes are always scheduled on Wednesdays, when I have my English conversation volunteer commitment at King's College.  However, at the end of February, we had a break from tutoring, so I quickly registered for the biweekly hike.

That day, I donned my hiking boots and zip-off pants, and joined the hike up Sunset Peak (Tai Tung Shan) on Lantau.  I was a bit intimidated to start, since Kathy, our fearless leader, had grilled me the day before to make sure I was fit enough to climb. Of course I was the oldest in our group (Charlotte is 9 years younger!), but that didn't faze me - I managed to keep up with everyone, and stayed as close to the leaders as I possibly could.  We began the climb somewhere in the middle of Lantau Island.  Sunset is the second tallest peak on that island - 869 metres high.

There are 2,300 steep steps leading up to the top, where the 360 degree views are spectacular.  The hardest part of the hike was the descent, since the path was uneven, and I resolved to buy a walking stick for my future hikes.  The reward at the end of the 3.5 hour hike was lunch at Bahce, a yummy restaurant along the ferry pier in  Mui Wo.  One of those "pinch me" moments - I couldn't believe that I was in HK, had just completed one of the hardest climbs, and was sipping a lime soda in a Turkish restaurant by the beach!

On Sunday, April 3rd, Jeff and I hiked from Discovery Bay (DB) to Mui Wo with the Y girls.  DB is a residential community on Lantau Island that reminds me of Aventura Florida (minus the Mall!).  It is mainly an expat enclave, and caters to young families.  Rather too Western for my tastes, but I do see the appeal of the open spaces, no cars (only golf carts), and larger apartments/town houses.  We were a fairly diverse group - Sarah and Justin (and three-year-old Jemima and 6-month-old Olivia in the baby pouch), their Swiss friends (with two children of roughly the same age), Claire, Lindsey, Jeff and me.  Because of the little ones, we walked slowly, savouring the flowers, the views, and the scenery.

As soon as we left DB, we walked along the beach road - lots of garbage (flotsam from the harbour) had washed up along this beach.  We passed a ramshackle village where live-out Filipino domestics reside.  There were also organic vegetable gardens, and lots of papaya and banana trees.  Not sure how effective this makeshift scarecrow was!






As we started climbing away from the beach, we passed an historic relic - a British army jeep circa WWII!  I am still puzzling over a) why it is there and b) how it got there (although a jeep can climb up anything).  A few minutes later we reached the Trappist monastery - a quiet, shaded respite, where we stopped to wait for the little ones and their parents to catch up.  The welcome sign, Pax Intrantibus, means Peace To Those Who Enter.  Jeff is posing with Lindsey near the blue bridge entrance to the monastery.

Jeff and I were very impressed that Jemima, the three-year-old, walked the entire 6 kilometres without whining!  (A lesson for our grandson, Kyle, the notorious daycare whiner).  Baby Olivia slept the whole way, with one or two bottle stops to avoid dehydrations.  (She's pictured on the left with Sarah, her mom, and Claire).  In the photo on the right you can see the bottom part of the trail leading down to the water, with Mui Wo in the distance across the bay.

We met Lysette, David, and baby Tycho at Silvermine Beach in Mui Wo.  Our "Y girls" family has really grown in the short time we've all been here.  FYI - this is the group of women I met at the YWCA "at home" course in January 2010.  Since then, Lysette, Sarah, and Nesrine have all had babies, Lindsey has gotten married, and Nesrine and family have moved back to Oslo.  Our next milestones will be Monique's thirtieth birthday next week (best wishes Mo), and our new grandchild (due in three weeks - most probably on Uncle Andrew/Great Uncle Shelly's birthday, the 21st)

My good friend, Doug, arrived for a week's visit on April 9.  He had spent the previous three weeks in Cambodia, and was templed-out.  Since Doug has been to HK many times, we spent the week doing things that expats do.  On Sunday, Jeff, Doug, and I walked the Lamma trail (about 4 km), ending up at Yung Shue Wan, the main population centre on the island (6,000 inhabitants).  Doug couldn't resist wading in the South China Sea.  The next day (30C, no clouds), we walked through the zoo to HK Park, the teaware museum, and Wan Chai, stopping to meet my friend, Susan, for lunch.

We spent the following day at the Chi Lin Nunnery.  I hadn't been there since January, 2010 (blog Feb. 3, 2010).  There is piped-in chanting throughout the temples - really adds to the atmosphere!  No monks or nuns roaming around.  We had a decent (but unexciting) lunch at the Buddhist vegetarian restaurant on the grounds - a very popular spot.

Doug and I ferried to Macau.  We walked through the UNESCO heritage sites, and had the very best egg tarts on the main street near the ruins of St. Paul's.  Unfortunately, there were thousands of tourists (mainly from the Mainland) congesting the town.  We breathed a sigh of relief as we left the crowds and walked through quiet, historic streets on our way to the old Ah Mah temple.  The main stress of the otherwise interesting day was hailing a taxi to take us back to the ferry dock.  After waiting patiently on the sidewalk, we ended up running into the middle of the very busy road to wave down the only available cab.  Living in HK, I take the availability of taxis for granted.

The DB to Mui Wo walk has become one of my favourites.  Ursula, Doug, and I tackled it the day after Macau.  The day was very hot, and Ursula used her umbrella to keep the rays at bay.  Lunch at Bahce was our reward before taking the ferry back to Central.

Bill and Bill overlapped with Doug for one day.  Jeff asked if I was planning a library convention, since Doug, Bill, and I are all members of that noble profession!  The Bills arrived at our apartment at 6:30 a.m.  No rest for the weary!  We shlepped them through Central, Sheung Wan, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon Park, and the flower and bird markets, before they started looking cross-eyed with fatigue!  After their naps, we took the gang to Wan Chai for a good Thai meal, and then walked all the way home, checking out the night scene in Soho.

I'm always discovering something new - on Sunday, after Doug left for the airport and Jeff headed to the office to catch up on paperwork, the Bills and I took the bus to Stanley.  We discovered a newly opened walkway leading to the Pak Tin temple, and wonderful views of the water!  Bill looked very professional lying on the rocks with his camera - I wonder how his photos turned out!  We had a good walk, and made it back to Central just before the storm (amber alert) hit!

This year's Passover seder was a disappointment.  It was held at the same beautiful venue as last year (blog, Mar. 30, 2010), but somehow it didn't gel.  We really missed Hanora and Ed, the New York friends we made at last year's event (they returned to Manhattan in February).  Our table was great - Joan and Ronnie, Barbara, and five others, but unfortunately, the children were running wild and screaming throughout the seder and the meal.  Speaking of the meal ... it was absolutely awful.  The chicken soup was clear water with some herbs, the matzoh balls tasted and looked like they were made of buckwheat, the gefilte fish had the texture of crushed bones, the chicken was overcooked with no salt and pepper whatsoever, and the dessert tasted three-days-old.  Oy vey!  I got bored midway through the Haggadah, and started taking "still life" photos:

Jeff reminisced how his grandmother used to keep live fish in their bathtub in preparation for making the gefilte fish.  None of us believed him, so midway through the meal he called his mother in Montreal to confirm his memories!  Ah, the good old days.
I've decided that if we are here for Passover next year, I will try to make my own seder.  If Ellen can find a brisket in Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan, then I should be able to get all of the necessary ingredients (or reasonable facsimiles) in HK.

Thought I'd end this blog the way it began - with my second AWA adventure hike (Wed., Apr. 27).  We ferried to Mui Wo and climbed and climbed (up and down) for 2.5 hours until we reached Pui O.  I met two other Canadians (from Oakville and Calgary), a few Americans, and a (very lucky) couple who split their year between HK and Davos, Switzerland.  Although the hike wasn't as strenuous as Sunset Peak, I found it harder because of the 30 degree weather.  I did remember to coat myself with 45 sunblock, and also with bug repellent.

While waiting for the bus in Pui O, one of the wild water buffalo moseyed across the main street.  These animals are harmless and non-agressive.  However, a few weeks ago, a group of kids was taunting one of the herd, and the buffalo attacked a man who was passing by.  The HK police responded by killing three of the animals.  (The article in the paper didn't say if the mischievous boys were punished.)



AWA hiking season is now officially over until the fall.  Time for us all to slow down in the heat, and to enjoy the beaches.