My Life in Hong Kong: November 2009

It's just about crunch time...one more week of lecture before final exams...yikes! Having spent the last 3.5 years working, I'm feeling a bit nervous about the alacrity of my grey cells in the academic arena. Hopefully my years of powerpoint production and "best practices" research didn't completely erode my ability to critically analyze hypothetical situations and recite cases at the drop of a hat. Fingers crossed I do okay---otherwise I won't be landing a good summer internship!

Even with the rigorous studying and reading this past week, I did find time to do what I do best---EAT!

Who says there aren't any good bagels in Hong Kong? My tasty roasted turkey bagel sandwich and hot coffee combo at Harvest, on Lyndhurst Terrace, Central. p.s. They have free wi-fi here so it's a great study spot! The coffee is also cheap here at only $20 HKD for a large mug.

Squid stuffed with minced pork and corn at Golden Bull, Ocean Terminal, Tsim Sha Tsui. This dish looked a lot cooler than it tasted so I'd stick with the rare beef pho and stir fry dishes here.

Amazing homemade ramen and miso broth served with a side of fried chicken (with tangy dipping mayo and lemon). Best ramen I've possibly ever had...Sapporo near IFC in Central.

It's official...I've been in Hong Kong for over three months! I thought I should use my recent move from NYC to Hong Kong as an excuse to bring back my dormant blogging skills, long buried with the decline of xanga about four years ago (if you're Asian, you know what I'm talking about!). Needless to say, it has been a rough albeit rewarding experience shifting gears from being a busy consultant in the Big Apple to a lowly law student. I had a hard time adjusting to the no-income thing at first but I'm doing my best to reel in my materialistic urges and am spending more time cooking in the kitchen!

Some highlights so far:

- Living steps away from Tsui Wah in Central. Nothing beats a Portuguese bun with condensed milk and butter or noodles with fish balls and pig knuckle at 4 a.m.

- Living steps away from LKF and Soho: I feel like I moved to the meatpacking and soho of Hong Kong

- Amazing seafood, 24/7. I'm lucky to have had so many visitors so far so there have been some great trips to Lei Yue Mun

- Open air markets and CitySuper: I'm a total dork but I must admit, I love being able to buy my gai lan, cilantro, and tomatoes for $1 USD a pound! On the other side of the spectrum is the proximity of my favorite supermarket, CitySuper. It is waaaay better than Whole Foods!

-Trips to Thailand (can you believe my flight was less than $200USD?!) I LOVE the night markets in Bangkok, where you can find great clothes, knick nacks and food for super super cheap! See pics below =)

-Going to the beach every weekend until mid October. I've maintained a decent tan till now, which is crazy!

- New Friends: I was lonely for about all of 2 weeks after my mom left. I've been so fortunate to have made great friends in my juris doctorate programme and also fellow expats living in my neighborhood.

Well, enough about me! Here are some pics of my culinary adventures in Hong Kong and more!