Alternative Weekends -- Hong Kong Bird Market

Hong Kong is one of the cities that can offer everything one is looking for in a city -- nice weather, easy access to beach, mountain, and chilling out islands, unique local culture, lively nightlife, bling-bling buildings, interesting people, and the list can go on and on. Although I do complain a lot about the life pace and narrow streets, I still enjoy it here.

Old Chinese wisdom has it that flowers are always more beautiful in outsiders' eyes. I think it is totally true. I am not local in Hong Kong, that is why I really appreciate the everyday life scenes here.

Here are the pictures from last weekend -- we took a little walk around the bird market, which is right next to the flower market and lady market in Mong Kok. This is one of the most lovely local neighborhood in Hong Kong. You will have to go there if you ever come to Hong Kong.

Happy Easter to everyone! Any plan for the holiday?

old-school ping pong table in the park

Chinese Chess gathering on Saturday Morning

Talking Parrot =) But no english

Do you have a secret box?

Do you have a secret box?

Where you hide all postcards, love letters and old pictures ... No matter how many times you have moved, from one city to another, you never throw them away. And sometimes you don't even remember they existed, but when you found them at the bottom of the suitcase under your bed, you will be so happy and just sit there and read and remember the good old times, don't even remember what you were doing before. It is like a magical time traveller's box.

I am glad that I have a box like that.

Crafts: old bottle truned vase



 

   

   After =)

      


Under the Sun

Happy Spring

The weather is extremely nice today in Hong Kong. I am trilled. After a long lingered gloomy cloudy winter. Finally, we see some sunshine.

And flower market is definitely among the first to feel this energy.



A perfect Saturday morning should start with sunshine and flower shopping, just like today.

Happy Weekend!

Easy and Yummy Eggs

Making nice food has always been a mind-easing activity for me, like painting nails. Yesterday was a tough day, and I very much needed something to empty my mind. So I did both.

My nails are pink now. And in terms of food, I made egg - simple but classic.
If I had a list of cheerful food, sunny side up eggs would definitely be on it. I love eating and looking at the perfectly made ones -- with perfect shape, perfect color, and the egg yolks have to remain runny. But much as I loved it, I always hesitate to make it. ( I am not super patient generally) So I was very happy that I did it yesterday, and it really cheered me up!

The recipe for the second "egg sandwich" is from this post in A Cup of Jo. I was totally tempted the first time I saw it. And especially because it looks so doable and friendly. So, I made it for my friend last night. She loved it. There is no real tips on making this one, the only thing you need to keep in mind is to eat it Right Away! Better eat it before serving. There will be melting cheese coming out! You know what I mean.

On the side, we had some grilled nuts, garlic baguette, fruits and vegetables.

Experiment with weird vegetables

Romanesque Broccoli -- if you google weird broccoli, you will find it too.

It is a rainy day here in Hong Kong, another rainy day this week, and we are staying in with some nolgastic music and casual readings. It has been a nice Sunday afternoon so far.

Sunday makes people lazy, so I am not going anywhere for dinner tonight. I am going to stay home and eat the dinosaur broccoli I encountered and bought yesterday. It looks so interesting that I had to buy it. I had no idea how to make it. Anyone?

Weekly dessert: Fluffy Earl Grey Cake

It’s Iris’s birthday today. She’s a very good friend of mine, a former college roommate and also one of the sweetest girls I know. So I decided to make her a special cake, one that goes well with her warm personality. What can be better than a classy Earl grey cake with white snowy frosting, I thought. So here it is – the fluffy Earl grey cake.

Well, we haven’t got a chance to taste the cake yet, as birthday dinner is tonight, in a Belgium restaurant where they make very juicy mussels and pig knuckles, and we will have the cake as dessert after. I am very looking forward to it.

The recipe is adapted from the Earl Grey tea cake from “the apron archives”

Ingredients:

4 Earl Grey tea bags
1 cup boiling water
1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups caster sugar

3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almonds (chopped)

A pint of salt

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 cup whipping cream 

2 tsp caster sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

coconut powder

      The cake

• Pour the boiling water over the tea leaves iand set aside to steep for at least an hour.  Strain the tea and discard the leaves.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cake pan with parchment.  Butter the parchment.
• In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating the egg into the wet mix.
• Fold in the flour, salt vanilla extract, and almonds.
• Finally, add the tea and mix everything.
• pour the mix into the cake pan and bake for one hour. Test it with a cake tester ( something long and very thin) until you feel the cake is all solid. 
• When done, remove from the oven and cool it completely. 

     Frosting

• Keep the bowl and beater in fridge for at least 30 minutes before beating the cream.
• Pour whipping cream in the bowl and beat at low speed until frothy. 
• Add vanilla extract and sugar gradually. Keep beating until frosting is stable. 
• Coat the cake with cream (important: wait till the cake cools down completely)
• Dust coconut powder on. Be generous!

Enjoy!

Delightful Discovery: album covers

                                   

     

Last night, the song I put on loop was "find love" by Clem Snide. Together with a wine/ coffee (depending on whether I need to work), they are my best company on those rainy nights in. I usually don't have a clue of who is singing the song and wasn't interested to be honset, but last night, I was very curious. So I googled them and found this delightful collection of album covers. My favorate is the top middle one, from their album "The Meat of Life". Check out the music as well, it is lovely.

Monday: Energy Music

Happy Monday.

This morning, I was surprised by how energetic I feel—like a little rocket, according to my friend. It is very rare for a Monday morning. As much as I loved this feeling, I wasn’t convinced, so I went on a long contemplation in search for a satisfactory explanation. At the end of my daily commuting trip, I found a possible answer to the question — I changed my morning make-up music.

Today, instead of listening to the “discouraging” songs (well, only on Mondays, on Sundays, they are the best) while doing make up, I put this song song on --- "RISE UP". This song is totally on my Monday morning make up music list now, with a five-star rating.
Don't you feel full of energy just saying the name of the song? Yes, you do.

Typical "discouraging" songs: Je Ne Veux Pas Travailler -- Pink Martini;
 Friday On My Mind -- Easybeats

 

"Rise Up!"--- Yves LaRock

I am very curious to know what other people listen to when they do make-up, or on their way to work. 

Money Money Money!

Weird enough, I have this song in my head all morning and can't get away from it. ( as I am not really a money-oriented person, so it is indeed very weird.) Does everyone have this kind of experience? Lots of my friends do, according to a poll we did the other day. And the same results for finding ourselves in a familiar setting that seems to have appeared in our dream before. Sub-consciousness is such a very powerful thing. At least for today, it reminded me the time to get the rent paid.

Also, I want to share another version of this song (which has more educational/ entertainment value I suppose) with all of you who are interested in Herni VIII, or men who has many wives.

Happy Friday to everyone!