More Food This Week

This week had more food involved in it with visitors.

Tuesday night was Hot Pot with the training team Gwen will be traveling with over the next 5 weeks.

Half the pot was Sichuan spicy and half was a milder egg based soup.

Soup ready - now bring on the food.

Here is the food - beef, dumplings, cheese balls, fried fish skin, squid, cuttlefish balls, lamb, and some vegetables.

Stephanie braved the fried fish skin first.

Steph liked it so everyone tried it also - and the consensus around the table that it was good - like a potato chip.

Here is Gwen's cheese ball.  This reminded the MN crowd of a Juicy Lucy - which we had to explain to Raj and Morag.

Stephanie's red face after Udon noodles from the spicy broth.

Patrick's red face after Udon noodles from the spicy broth.

The end

Michael & Raj

Morag & Patrick

One of many beers.

Gwen & Stephanie

 Wednesday lunch was at a local restaurant - Tsui Wah.

Stephanie, Carol, Esther & Morag.  Steph & Morag are drinking fancy iced milk tea. 

Gwen's lunch of Prawns on fried noodles.

Thursday night we took Stephanie to a vegetarian Indian restaurant - here she is eating a sweet dessert.

Thursday afternoon we had 'tea time' with the captains in the Hong Kong office working on our project.

Local egg tarts.

Here is a sampling of the treat - Taiwanese cookies, egg tarts, milk tea and another sweet (I can't remember what it was).

All the captains in the Hong Kong office.

Patrick arrived safely in Corolla, NC where he will be spending a week and a half with his family celebrating his parent's 50th wedding anniversary.

Gwen leaves on Wednesday for 10 days in Shanghai,China,  20 days in Seoul, S Korea and 7 days in New Delhi, India.  There will be lots of pictures taken, but not sure of the ability to blog.  So if I don't find a way - I will be writing again in September.

A week of food

Whenever we have guests in town there is always good food to try.  This week we hit some old favorites, and Patrick and I ventured out on our own for Moroccan one evening.

The true standby for anyone's first trip to Asia is Din Tai Fung - a Taiwanese chain known for their dumplings.  Here is a shot of the 'truffle pork dumplings'.

Wednesday night on our way home from work Patrick and I tried a Moroccan restaurant that we have passed many times, but it finally pulled us in.   It was very good.

Friday night was back to Hong Kong Island with Stephanie for Thai at Tuk Tuk Thai.  Then a beer at the Globe.

Curry for everyone.

Saturday afternoon / evening we ventured back to Hong Kong Island for the Lan Kwai Fong Beer and Music Festival with a little larger crowd.

Entrance

Stephanie and Gwen had a snack before meeting up with the crowd (Yes we started a little early).  We had nachos and wings while talking about our friends in Minneapolis.

Evening shot

The day ended with foot massages - every Saturday needs to end with a foot massage.  Here is Stephanie, Chandra and Gwen's toes wrapped in a towel awaiting to be rubbed. 

Sunday found Patrick and I at a local mall to make one purchase (see 2 pictures below), but leaving with a few bags.  While waiting for Patrick, I was watching the ice skating rink (there is one in almost every big mall).  There were at least 7 coaches with from 2-5 students in the picture with free skate happening around them.  We decided the ice was in great need of a Zamboni.

Gwen's purchase for traveling - iPad mini.

Patrick did do some photographing this weekend at the public golf course in Hong Kong.

Patrick heads off to the States next Weekend, and Gwen is off for her world tour on the 24th.   More to come.

Did not realize this did not get posted - so actually Patrick will be touching down in Tokyo in about 45 minutes on his way to the Outer Banks in NC.

Stephanie's 1st Weekend

Our friend Stephanie was with us this weekend to start her 2 month trip though Asia.  Gwen and Stephanie are traveling together for work.   So she will probably be in future blogs also.

We started the weekend off celebrating Chi-chi's Sweet 16 Birthday.

Friday Gwen and Stephanie went to check out the Big Buddha on Lantau Island.  Anyone following Facebook saw Gwen's toes looking at the water and trees in the Crystal Cabin cable car - so we won't post again.

Here is Stephanie on the cable car ride over.

The ride over was more amusing with the couple pictured below - they had 3 SLRs and 5 total cameras between them.  We decided we would not enjoy their family vacation slide show - they took more random pictures of other cable cars then they did of the Buddha.

Below are shots from our day.

Friday night we had dinner at a favorite Thai, Indian & Malay restaurant.  After work we relaxed with a new favorite beer - Grimbergen Dubbel, before heading home for some quality Rock Band singing.

Saturday was a Mouse day.  Stephanie, Patrick and I headed to Disneyland.

Patrick posing by Fantasia Mickey.

First ride of the day for Stephanie and Gwen was the carousel - short line.

Patrick's first nap of the day.

Picked up a Fast Pass to "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" then it was off to Toy Story Land.

Next ride was Toy Solidier Parachute Drop for Stephanie and Patrick.  It was not as bad as it sounded - Gwen should have rode it also, but then would not have the cool pictures.

Then it was off to Slinky Dog Spin.  While waiting in line - the rain came.  We rode Slinky in the rain - good thing it was short, but we were drenched.

By that time is was time for food.  Here is Gwen's Malay lunch.

We then rode Mystic Manor - a new attraction in Mystic Point.  Very cool ride.

As we headed back to Pooh we detoured to the Jungle River Cruise.

Tree House

Elephants

Hippos

Then finally back to Pooh

Hunny Pots we rode in.

Next was Dumbo the Flying Elephant.  A favorite of Stephanie's

At this point - Patrick was pooped and headed home.  Stephanie and Gwen kept go on.  Off to Fantasy Garden to meet and pose with characters.

Mad Hatter's Tea Cups

And it would not be Disney without It's a Small World.

Ended the day with Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster

Stephanie on the train to the MTR - it was a total Disney experience.

We then met Patrick for dinner - Spanish tapas.  Here is Gwen's Watermelon Martini - a perfect summer drink.

We had a great 2 days of fun and the next 8 weeks will be work, work, work (hopefully we will find some time on weekends to relax again).