瘋狂的生日週末 (Crazy Birthday Weekend...continued)

Well, you know, with this being my 27th birthday on the 27th of August...I invented the term "double birthday" to rationalize pulling out the stops this year, as it had been quite a while since I had thrown myself a party. Well...in true Hong Kong style, this year was one for the books...

Friday Aug 26th
The festivities began at club DAP in Tsim Sha Tsui (the neighborhood near my hotel) where I shared an exclusive birthday party with a friend of a friend named Spirio. Open bar, designer decor, beautiful people, cake, and some karaoke thrown in for good measure. I must admit to enjoying a round or three of a local concoction deceptively dubbed "Nothing." Word to the wise for the Hong Kong Visitor: while nothing comes from nothing, "Nothing" on the rocks kicks a good buzz. (wink) The birthday was officially rung-in at midnight, Hong Kong time. Let the festivities begin!

Saturday Aug 27th
For the official date, a small bunch of my Hong Kong friends and I headed to Shek-O Beach on the opposite side of Hong Kong island. I wanted to have a very "Hong Kong style" birthday activity, and nothing is more Hong Kong than enjoying the lush natural landscape that flanks the bustling metropolis. We huddled around a fire pit to barbecue hot dogs, chicken wings, pork chops, and steak fillets. My best friend Coco surprised me with a beautiful cake, and my other friend Yanki surprised me even more by eating half of it! (he may be slim, but that boy can eat!) We took a swim, walked along the sand, and otherwise had an unfortgettable time splashing in the cove, nestled amongst the island peaks.

Sunday Aug 28th
As Hong Kong is a full 12 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, and the 28th here is still the 27th there, I thought it appropriate to stretch out the event another day. This time, I traveled from Hong Kong island to nearby Lantau island to visit the Great Buddha.
The bus careened through the switchbacks of the island's lush hillsides, climbing towards the sky to the Po Lin Monastery. There, reverent visitors climb a few hundred stone steps to reach their metaphysical destination: the largest outdoor seated bronze Buddha in the world. It was a moment of reflection, gazing out across the skyline, walking amongst visitors and locals alike, passing secondary statues posed in perpetual offering to the Enlightened One. Enshrined inside the base was an actual relic of Gautama Buddha himself. A profound visit for this humble traveler from across the globe.

That evening, I embarked with my friend Yanki on the most ambitious part of my birthday weekend: a trip (via hydrofoil) to the small neighboring country of Macau. Aside from the promise of even more stamps for my passport, Macau boasts a unique draw as a historic territory of Portugal. Although now a "Special Administrative Region" (SAR) of China, it enjoys a relatively independent existence combining the cultures of both SE China and the Iberian Peninsula.

Monday Aug 29

My day in Macau included multiple walking tours of the fantastic european architecture and historic districts. I also sampled the local cuisine: portuguese pecan pastries, bloody duck, seafood rice (similar to paella), portuguese sausage (similar to chorizo), and egg custard (similar to creme catalan). The heat was swealtering; climbing to the highest peak of the peninsula felt like the sun was resting on my shoulder.
In addition to being a unique european oasis in an eastern land, Macau also boasts legal gambling, and so no visit would be complete without a visit to one of the many bustling casinos on the strip (which included a Grecian Palace, the Venician Sands, and a man-made volcano under construction...). All will be happy to know that my visit was merely for visual interest - I did not wager any of my precious few remaining HKDs (Hong Kong Dollars)...

Well, that was my amazing 27/27 Double Birthday. I am glad to say that it will go down as one of my most memorable birthdays ever. I have a small album of photos to upload and share with you soon. (yes I know...I still have to upload Thailand). And to all those who sent me birthday greetings, ng koi sai! (thank you very much)!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME
happy birthday to me
happy birthday in HONG KONG
happy birthday to me!



My 27th birthday on the 27th of August...DOUBLE BIRTHDAY! I've got a lot of celebrating to do, so I gotta run. Don't worry though, I'll keep my camera with me at all times!

AUTOGRAPHS FROM ACADEMIA




The synchronicity of Hong Kong continues to amaze...I recently had the honor of meeting Prof. John Heskett, acclaimed design historian and author. His comprehensive book "Industrial Design" served as my first introduction to ID back in 1998, when Yale taught its first course in Industrial Design. We recently met at a dinner party hosted by Lorraine Justice, the Head of Design here at the Poly. His conversation was even more fascinating than his text, a distinguished British accent flavoring his commentaries on Hong Kong civility, world politics, and the future of design. Despite the distance of 5 years and thousands of miles, I suddenly felt I was back in the bosom of mother Yale...how things come full circle here in Hong Kong!

CHRISTOPHER WALKEN IS MY NEW HERO



All you need to know is that in 2001...unbeknownst to me...Fatboy Slim and Christopher Walken collaborated on a music video. This video would feature Walken's little known skill as a ballroom dancer (from his Broadway days, you understand), set to the techno rhythms of "Weapon of Choice."

Click above and see for yourself, why Christopher Walken is my new hero.

Well I've been here for 2 months now, and even if I can't get into the Karaoke scene, I think this trip is having a permanent cultural impact...in fact, I've started to list the effects in a posting called...



YOU KNOW YOU'RE A HONG KONGER WHEN...

10.) You change your shirt to match your flip-flops.
9.) You carry a pocket umbrella wherever you go.
8.) Your American friends ask you to translate all Asian characters (even if it's not Chinese, which you can't read anyway).
7.) To get anywhere, you consider whether to take the MTR, KCR, Bus, Minibus, Tram, Taxi, Ferry, Tunnel, or just walk.
6.) You consider 90F and 80% humidity a nice, cool day.
5.) You drink sake like the Japanese meant you to drink it - toss it back like a shot!
4.) You wear your cell phone on a cord around your neck.
3.) You link your Octopus card to your bank account.
2.) You request extra sea urchin with your sashimi salad.
1.) You tell the cab driver "Haa-baa See-tee" because you know it will get you to Harbor City faster.

RENDER WHILE YOU WAIT

Hello everyone! After a whirlwind meeting yesterday with our Shanghai client, I find myself back in mainland China again - this time at a digital rendering "farm" in Shen Zhen. In designing the monorail system, we decided it would be helpful to have an animation done of the route, from the rider's point of view, so that we can optimize the sight lines and overall impact of the experience. It's so amazing to have these sorts of resources available, here in the far east! After handing my file over to the renderer and describing what we needed, I asked my translator "what day will the animation be ready?" After a few words in Cantonese, he responded "one hour."

More from the mainland soon...looks like a trip to Shanghai is in the works!

NO KARAOKE FOR ME

After a few earnest efforts, I've decided that Karaoke is a lot like weed: everyone else seems to like it, but it just doesn't do anything for me.

It comes as a surprise, considering that I like music, singing, and drinking...but somehow the odd permutation of the three that is so prevalent in Hong Kong does not jive with this guy. It works like this: you enter through a technicolor neon facade, past a cashier, down a dark questionable hallway that smacks of a renovated brothel. Off the hallway are many doors that open to small, private performance rooms that are just large enough to house a sectional sofa, big screen TV, and coffee table. (sense the brothel atmosphere?) You are assigned a room, and so your friends all pile in and they shut the door.

Sounds good? It gets better. My Hong Kong friends place the drink order: an odd concoction of Chivas Regal whiskey and green tea. Flipping through the menu screen I quickly discover that the english language selection has been reduced to such gems as "The Greatest Love of All" and "These Boots Were Made For Walkin." (to confess: I made an attempt at the latter) Although watching my friends belt out the latest Cantonese megahits was fun, the karaoke experience as a whole must be categorized as more a spectator sport than anything else. Maybe I should have made a better pre-game drinking effort... Oh well, thanks Coco for all the good times!

[Aside] To dispel the "Asian Alcohol Syndrome" myth, my three little Hong Kong female friends finished off TWO 750ml bottles of Chivas in one night! Amazing!

PHOTO EXTRAVAGANZA

Updated my online photo journal with four new albums under the "Hong Kong" section: Factory Tours, Victoria's Peak, Super Typhoon, and Final Farewell.

Remember that you can make comments on the photo pages, as well!

Next images to upload: Thailand!

HOME SWEET HONGKONG

After returning from Thailand, we American designers continue to work alongside our Hong Kong colleagues to tackle "phase two" of our assignment. Things just aren't quite the same around here, now that our friends from Holland, Korea, and Sweden have headed home, but we're eager to move forward with our designs. Tomorrow I'll be meeting with a new client, who is interested in potentially applying some of the public transportation solutions we developed for Hong Kong to a site in Shanghai. With new design briefs and new teams come new accommodations, and after a few days of bouncing from place to place, it looks like we'll finally be settling into a nice hotel just a few blocks from our workplace. Time to get settled and get back to work!