From Hong Kong to Phuket

And the day finally come where we are going to Thailand, Phuket for 7 days.
Since we aren't traveling in a typical vacation time, it's quite few people around the airport this time of day.

The Airport have put up some decorative from the old times in Hong Kong. So while waiting for boarding we walked around and looked.

Our gate to Phuket

Some decorative from the old times in HK

Pulled rickshaw - used for public transportation in 1898

A pulled rickshaw is a popular form for transportation for one or two people, where the runner pulled the cart. This kind of transportation were imported from Japan around 1880.

Standing in line for boarding

Last day in China, Hong Kong

Our 11 days in Hong Kong is nearing its end, and I have to say I am looking forward for our real vacation to start in Thailand, Phuket.

Since arrival we have been packed with activities and plans, so during a day we've been through 4-5 different places/districts. Everyday going all round Hong Kong city for visiting family and friends, and everyday we have to get up early to visit Grandma who have recently been moved to a nursing home in Ap Lei Chau.

All in all, this have been stressful and we are looking forward for a little peace and quiet time for our self.

So for the first time, we have spent all day in Tseung Kwan O (將軍澳), packing and sorting out our luggage, gifts and souvenir from friends and family. What to take with us to Phuket, and what to ship back to Norway. After several hours we went to the post office with 3, 5 kg packages to be sent back to Norway.

After the packages were mailed, it was time for a well deserved dinner. We ordered 5 different dishes and shared between us.

Sweet pork with rice.

Noodles in beef soup

Rice noodles soup

Lemon juice with honey and ginger

Sweet corn soup with eggs

Mint juice with gel and honey

Steamed fish

Candy Crush

No need to say that there is hell lot of people here in China, Hong Kong, and the one thing everyone have in common, when going from destination A to B, is that E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E, goes face down and looking at their screen.

In this short stay, I noticed one particular game that goes around and looks like everyone has on their phone, Candy Crush Saga, a puzzle game where you match three or more "candies" of the same colors, and you can download the app/game for free.

People are so absorbed in this, that they repeatedly forget to get off the transport or see where they are going. Two times, I have been witness that people went on the glass/sliding door because they didn't look up, one that almost got hit by a car for walking on red, and another who broke his phone because of rage - my guess he lost the game.

Never heard of this game before I came here, despite the fact that it came out sometime in 2012. So imagine how surprised family and friends are, each time they hear that I don't have this game, when they ask what level I have come to.

After hearing the same similar question for 50ish time of why I haven't I started or why I should start and all, I ended up downloading that fucking game. Now I regret it.

At the start it seems like a good way to get the time to go while waiting for MTR (Mass Transit Railway), buses or whatever transport I need to take to get from A to B. While playing I can understand how people get addicted to it... before I know it I was suddenly at level 35, and to my disappointing, this image came up...

Screw you Candy Crush!!!

Here I thought that I have found a game that didn't need help from others to keep it going, or connect/synchronization with other social network service.

Can't stop now, can I? (- _-")

Prince Restaurant (王子饭店)

Once again we are at Prince Restaurant, but this time with a different menu than last time, and it's a gift to Esta, my mom's childhood friend. Since we got to stay at her place for free, we wanted to thank her with a fancier dinner.

However, compared to last visit, this menu was kind of dull in comparing, it didn't give a special food experience. Don't misunderstand, the food was good, but not satisfying. I was expending more or something similar to the first time.

This time many of the dishes had poor/faint seasoning, some meat was chewy because of overcooking, and everything of service and serving took a very long time, we even got served wrong dishes. Because of this experience, I feel that the restaurant's standard goes a bit down when there is a lot of people to serve.

Our menu

Appetizer: Norway's smoked salmon

This time the salmon tasted more like those from Norway. They did a better job this time. Maybe the fish was more oily. Still a little hint of sweet aftertaste, the vegetables were fresh, tomato sweet, match well with the aftertaste. They used some kind of vinegar that spices the vegetables and gave it a sweet aroma.

Peking duck and pancakes

This is how you "set-it-up": 1. You add the vegetables around the middle of the pancake (in this case, cucumber and onion). 2. Add some hoisin sauce or sweet bean sauce 3. Add duck meat on top. 4. Fold and eat <3

Pecking duck and pancakes - step 3 add the meat

Pecking duck and pancakes - step 4 fold and eat

Noodles with lobster.

The taste was OK, the lobster was fresh and the sauce was not to strong, so you was able to taste the natural of the lobster sweat meat. However they have overcooked the noodles - maybe they were too busy in the kitchen.

Dessert

Gingerbread

Walked past a bakery and found these, couldn't resist, had to take a picture.

So cute <3

Chinese aphorisms

Prince Restaurant (王子饭店)

Because I have completed my BA, we wanted a small celebration, so before the trip we had already made a reservations at Prince Restaurant (王子饭店), where we had a 9 course dinner. Fancy place with fancy food to a fair price.

Our menu

Appetizer: Norway's smoked salmon.

This dish was nothing like the "Norway-way" of smoked salmon. The meat was fresh, but maybe the fish wasn't oily enough. The smoked salmon I am used to have a hint of smoked and it's salt, and yet you can taste the natural flavor. This one was sweet, maybe too sweet after my taste. However it's was very good, you got a little hint of salmon aftertaste,  the vegetables were fresh, tomato sweet that match well with the aftertaste. And they used some kind of vinegar that spices the vegetables - gave it a sweet aroma, maybe too sweet.

This dish was special! It's was so simple and yet nothing I have tasted before. White fish, lightly fried, with a sweet orange sauce. Powerful taste.

Peking duck

Dessert:

Dessert:

Dessert: 

At the hair salon

Two layers, so when I get tired of long hair, just put it up in a pony-/rat tail and I have short hair again. 2 in 1 hair style <3

Cut and dyed.

Temtations

I am a weak person...

Today's dinner

Duck, Fish, some Chicken and Seafood nest.

At the dentist

For this Chinese New Year I made some traditional Chinese New Year snack, Sweet Egg Twist (蛋散, dansan), and gave it as a present to my parents. So when my old man in good faith put his teeth on one, the snack that I made, kind of broke his tooth... we heard a cracking sound...

So that brings us to where we are now, and it's confirmed that snacks has kinked my old man's tooth.

Note to self - Next time (if there is a next time), remember to use butter and eggs 🤣

Visiting Grandma

I have from the start of this trip said "vacation", but the main reason, or the main factor I decided to take some time free from my studies, is because of Grandma. She is hospitalized for stroke.

She have been hospitalized since Sunday, 13th January, at that time they didn't think she may survive, but against all odds, she is recovering. She have in 2 months been exercising and got acupuncture, and can now move her right hand and foot. However, the left side and the ability to speak isn't quite there yet.

After a one-sided conversation with Grandma, the doctor informed that she is well enough to be moved to a nursing home at Ap Lei Chau, the district where she lived before the stroke. She will be staying at the nursing home around 3 months, give and take, before she can go home to Grandpa.

We chose the nearest nursing home so Grandpa, who also are poor in health can easily visit her. We hope this will give more motivation for Grandma for quicker recovery and set her mind at ease, since hospitalized she only have been worrying for Grandpa and wanted to go home.

China, Hong Kong

We have finally reached Hong Kong! 🙌🎉 After arrival we were welcomed with a heatwave of 21 degrees. OMG! So lovely! Going from -2 to 21 <3

After we got our luggage, we were welcomed by my mom's childhood friend, Esta, who will be our host for our stay this time. Her apartment is in Tseung Kwan O (將軍澳), about 45 km away from the airport.

We arrived before the traffic jam started, so 1 hour after departing from airport we have already started unpacking our luggage before meeting up with some families and had dinner.

Chicken

From the top to right: Vegetables, Peking duck and pancakes, Sweet /Sour pork and Chicken.

The hardest part of the journey

We are now at the final step of the journey before we reach our destination, but it's also the hardest and most abrasive part of our traveling. Our flight time from Amsterdam to Hong Kong is 11 hours. We are going to fucking spend fucking 11 fucking hours in this fucking plane. If that isn't the hardest part I don't know what it then.

Luckily each of us have a mini screen in front of us where we can see the flight information or keep us self entertain by playing games, watch movies or listen to music/radio, look at the menu for dinner and breakfast or even take some beginner language courses (think it's for children).

Starting our journey to the East

Finally my long awaited vacation is here! Heading to China, Hong Kong for 11 days, and then Thailand, Phuket for 7 days.

The journey itself is not too bad, but with all the waiting and boarding at airports, and not least the time difference, this will indeed be exhausting and boring till we arrive our final destination. 

For now, we will depart from Trondheim to Amsterdam at 17.15, and then hopefully 4 hours and 30 minutes later, we will depart from Amsterdam to Hong Kong. 

Our taxi to airport arrives around 15'ish... best to get ready <3

18 days in Asia

From 05. March to 23. March 2013, I will be in Asia, there the travel destination is China, Hong Kong for family and relatives in 11 days and then 7 days in Thailand, Phuket for just fun and a well deserved vacation.

Never been to Thailand before, so really excited and looking forward to that. Planing to take the scuba dive license for Open Water. Much cheaper to take the course there than here in Norway.

I can feel the need of this vacation. The past year has been filled with so many changes and challenges. Once the plane have taken off, I'm gonna leave my worries behind, and I am gonna renew my spirit and give my mind and body the needed breaks from everyday stress.