Random Walk by David Kong: December 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

It's not one big theatre. The ones inside are smaller than Toronto equivalents - but they're all in the same place. And it's absolutely beautiful. The New Year's Eve concert was unfortunately a mishmash of popular overtures and some Asian music.

Country of excesses

This buffet is unbelievable. The perimeter is laced with offerings from both western and Asian cuisines in such excessiveness that each course is wrought with indecision and the lengthy circumnavigation restores your appetite for more (perhaps a flaw in their business model?). The western cooking is welcome, though the meats are as expected inadequate. However, the raw foods taste surprisingly fresh. A personal favorite is the all you can eat foiegras, all you can drink wine and beer, and all you can eat Haagen daaz! The price ($40) is justified.

Beijing is very much about food

"night" market

Friday, December 30, 2011

Shanghai pork buns

The one in Richmond hill is actually slightly better.

My EM Financiers

We have a couple (4) MD's albeit of the life-saving variety and an associate at barcap HK.

Fluorescent light is an Asian hallmark

In my kitchen (in Canada), there are two sets of lightbulbs. One set is for the real Asians, and they're fluorescent to mirror mental asylums, schools and call centers. The other set is for everyone else who thinks these bright white lights are glaring and keep you upright on you desk. But then again, anything for efficiency.

My aunts house has only one set. They are all fluorescent.

No seatbelts on Chinese taxis

But I do feel safer knowing the driver isn't wearing his either. Skin in the game.

Thomas Pink!

Where there's a 100% markup on NA prices.

Kobe beef Hotpot

Impressed by the beer selection. Not so much by the frozen Kobe beef.

Afternoon Tea

They know who queen Victoria is over here too apparently.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Warm Beer in a wine glass...

En Chine

The only way to post tofacebook appears to be via this blog. A few funny things. My grandparents/aunts house look...normal. And my first time seeing the new carbon $100 bill is halfway away from Canada. (but I noticed its only the Chinese that carry stacks of hundreds around). Screw visa/PayPal and its 2.9% transaction fees?

Canoe (part 2)

First time at canoe for dinner. Spectacular as expected. I personally had the duck. Nothing like duck (with a piece of foiegras) to make yourself feel diffinitively aristocratic (and by extension French).

Foreigner in china. Blocked from Facebook

Instant noodles were rolled out on my 13 hour flight from Toronto. Nothing like some mr. Noodle to get me in the mood for my upcoming 10-day trip to the mainland (with 2 days in hong kong). The new power plugs on the Boeing 777 made the thirteen hours bearable as I cranked out some exam blitz material. The Asians around me on the plane, now satiated by the instant noodles, pulled out their engineering/math/computer science degrees and evaluated my work from afar. I arrived in Beijing where the mob was divided between "foreigners" and "nationals". I went into the foreigners line.