Hong Kong Trail

It's been a bit of a quiet week, so I'm sorry for the lack of posting. Monday we started hiking the Hong Kong Trail. It consists of 8 stages, totalling 50 km. We're hiking two stages each week for the next four weeks. Like I said earlier, there are so many trails in Hong Kong, so we're slowly going to work our way through them. Enjoy some pictures from stages 1 and 2 of the trail!

Have a wonderful Halloween weekend! We're going to a Halloween party Saturday night and then out in Lan Kwan Fong where the scene is supposed to be crazy. I'll be sure to post pictures. Thanks for all the costume ideas! We have decided on our costume, but I'll keep you in suspense until after the pictures are taken. BOO!

xx,

Lauren

Tennis Showdown in Macau

Today was a bank holiday, so yesterday we went to Macau for the night. Agassi and Sampras were going head-to-head in a tennis match, so of course, we, along with the other hundreds of ex-pats flocked across the Harbor to check out the American showdown! It was so great---Sampras defeated Agassi 3-2, and then he won again in doubles. The doubles match was played with 2 junior players, one being, an American, Ryan Harrison. The doubles was the best, as they both were wearing microphones, so we could hear the banter back and forth. Agassi chose to trash-talk, while Sampras preferred to mock Agassi's serving routine. It was hilarous and we were laughing throughout the entire match.

Afterwards we had dinner with some friends and then tried our luck at the tables. Macau wasn't as nice to Michael this go-around. I keep telling him he's losing my Bali money (we're going for Christmas), but he's still playing with winnings, so he's says it's okay. I lost $13 on the slots. It about killed me. I hate the slots. I will never play them again. I'll stick to watching alongside the Blackjack table.

Hope ya'll had a great weekend! Halloween is pretty big here, so if you have any easy and cheap costume ideas, send them our way. There's no "Party City" so we have to get creative :)

xx,

Lauren

Nothing a little hike can't fix

My dear grandmother turns 80 on October 30. A surprise party was a must, so my mom planned one for Friday night at the club. Family drove in from Pittsburgh and friends flew in from Florida. It was going to be a pretty big shin-dig, so of course, I wanted to be there for the surprise! We decided I would get up Saturday morning around 8:00 am to Skype in for the party. I really was so excited! I got up early, put on a fancy shirt, a bit of makeup, and even brushed my hair for the occasion. After waiting 45 minutes for my dad to log onto Skype, I arrived (fashionably late, but nonetheless!)

Oh, I lasted about 5 minutes. As soon as I saw everyone in the room, I just lost it. I proceeded to sob for the next 10 minutes on the computer. My hair was a mess, my makeup was off, and my eyes were puffy. It was a hard day. Email, blogs, Facebook, and Skype make it feel like we're really not living in Asia, but special times like 80th birthday parties are a harsh reminder of how far away we really are. I miss you all so much...our daily/weekly chats, meeting for dinner, going for a walk, fall football weekends, complaining on the phone about how "nothing is new". We are so grateful to be living in Hong Kong and are just loving it, but we do remind ourselves that we are giving up alot by being here...weddings, Thanksgiving, Christmas, time with our new nephew, special family get-togethers. I think some of those feelings just hit me at once while seeing my whole family together. Amanda is coming at the most perfect time and I can hardly wait! A little bit of home is exactly what will do the trick...that, and a hike!

After my sobbing fiasco, Michael and I went to hike the "Dragon's Back". There are so many hiking trails in Hong Kong, and now that the humidity is dying down a bit, the hikes won't be so unbearable. Here are some pics from the trail...it was just beautiful!

xx,

Lauren

First trip to China

No, it wasn't as glamorous as Beijing or the Great Wall, but for any woman who loves to shop, it was pretty amazing...Today I ventured with 5 other girls across the border to Shenzhen. I've been hearing about Shenzhen from the day I got here: "you've got to go", "just buy it in Shenzhen", "handbags galore". I don't think I fully understood how amazing this place was until today. All I can say is that I won't buy one more thing from Hong Kong during my time here.

Posing with my new $7 Ray Bans

Once off of the MTR, we walked into a shopping mall of five floors. There are shops around every corner that sell anything you can think of: beautiful silks, cashmere pashminas, mink, fur, leather, beads, pearls, shoes, sunglasses, watches, polo shirts, tea, duvets, sheets, custom made draperies and pillows...I could go on and on. There are tailors that will copy anything you like, or make you something new. I saw DVF fabrics, Channel fabrics, and the fabric from a JCrew skirt hanging in my closet. Honestly, I just walked around with my jaw wide open. How much for a hand-made dress? Oh, $30. A men's suit? About $70 including fabric. WHAT??? I KNOW.

Having a tea lesson and sampling white tea. Delicious!

You name it, they have it. Want a handbag? Name which one and they'll find it. Better yet, they'll pull out the catalog for you to browse through. Are they fake? It's up for debate. I would say yes, but the quality is unbelievable. A girl from New York was with us, and all she kept saying was how much Shenzhen puts China Town to shame. It really is unlike anyplace I've ever seen.

We went to the "warehouse" of one of the shop owners. We phoned her, and discretely followed an employee out of the shopping mall into another building, up 12 floors and into a small apartment. Upon walking in, you immediately smell the leather and then you see the goods....the most beautiful handbags and wallets. I did buy one or two :) But I won't tell you what...I'll leave you in suspense until you plan your trip to come and visit me!

Barb, all I could think of was you when I got to the jewelry. Bring an extra suitcase for the beads when you come.

I can't wait to take you! Just make sure to get a Chinese Visa before you get here. I snapped a few pictures, but it's so hard to even describe it. I can't wait for you to see it for yourself!

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

After a taxi to the airport, train to the gate, flight to Singapore, ferry to Indonesia, and a bus to the resort...we made it!

Indonesia is only an hour ferry ride away from Singapore, so we spent the weekend at Bintan Lagoon Resort. The weather was beautiful and the scenery picture perfect. We spent our days reading, swimming, relaxing, and jumping off rocks. I enjoyed taking lots of individs of Michael...I need some more visitors, as he's getting quite sick of my experimental photography attempts. Enjoy some shots from our weekend in paradise.

xx,

Lauren

Sweet Singapore

Michael had a conference last week in Singapore, so I left my day job for a few days (ha!) and joined him. As he was slaving away, Miss. Independent was out exploring. Singapore is beautiful...much more green than Hong Kong, beautiful trees hang over the streets, and lush flowers are everywhere.

Here's a run-down of my Singapore adventures:

On Thursday, I hit up Orchard Road....shops, shops, shops, and more shops. I was exhausted by the end of the day. I was so excited to find a GAP, as it was one of the few stores I could afford. I bought myself a new pair of skinny jeans. If it ever creeps under 80 degrees here in HK, I'll bust them out. That night, we went to the Raffles Hotel. Michael was fond of the Long Bar...where you eat peanuts and throw the shells on the floor. He enjoyed his Tiger Beer as I sipped my Singapore Sling. We wandered along the Clark Quay waterfront taking in the sights, restaurants, and people mingling about.

Michael's co-worker Nic, is from Singapore. His family still lives there, so his mother, Mrs. Lee offerred to show me around on Friday. She was so sweet to spend the day with me, and took me to many hot-spots in Singapore. We went to Boon Tong Kee for Chicken Rice...a favorite meal of Singaporeans, to see the Fullerton Hotel (an old post office), the Malay Village, little India, and to the famous fountain, Merlion. The Merlion is a hybrid of a lion and a fish. The lion head alludes to the fabled beast that once roamed the island, while its fish body symbolizes Singapore's origin as a prosperous seaport.

After a whirlwind few days in Singapore, it was off to Indonesia for the weekend...

Did you rub his belly?

I told my mom on Skype tonight that we went and visited the Big Buddha today. The first thing she asked was, "Did you rub his belly?" The Buddha is big. Really big. I could not reach his belly and clearly, there was no way I could rub it. I think she was a little disappointed!
The Big Buddha is in Tung Chung, about a 30 minute MTR ride away. It's a must see when you come! First, we'll hit up the outlet mall (inside a great DVF, and Kate Spade outlet awaits us), and then we'll take the cable car up to visit the Buddha. He's amazing, and the cable car ride is breathtaking. The Buddha was built in 1992 and took more than 3 years to build. He sits on a hill above the Po Lin Monastery at the top of a steep stairway. There is a platform encircling the Buddha with six more statues offering gifts to the Buddha.
It's a beautiful place...serene and grandiose. You have to remind yourself that the skyscrapers, airport, and pounding of construction are only a far cry away. You'll love it!

xx,

Lauren

La Fete

Saturday night we tried out another private kitchen, La Fete. It was a French restaurant and I liked it much better than the Yellow Door. We were one of two parties inside, so it felt like we had the place to ourselves. The food was delicious! Here are some pics from the evening.

Seafood by the Sea

Last night we went with my "rent a friends" to Lamma for dinner. Lamma is an island about 20 minutes from Hong Kong Island accessed only by ferry. It's a small island, loaded with seafood restaurants. No cars are allowed on the island, so it's quiet...except for the Chinese bachelor party that was happening. Every 5 minutes a group of men were standing up, shouting, and toasting. Actually, we're not really sure it was a bachelor party, but when the guy got off the last ferry, we hoped it was some kind of celebration for him, as he basically had to be carried off to throw up over the side. Poor bachelor.

After dinner, we headed to Totts, atop the Excelsior hotel. They have a rooftop bar, so I had to snap some quick pics because the view was great. There was a Canadian band playing, so we danced into the wee hours. Yes, I did stay out past midnight...a surprise to many, I know :)

Have a great weekend...we'll be cheering from afar for the Heels, Panthers, Bama, and Elon! Can't tell you how much we miss Fall football weekends.

xx,

Lauren

Ladies Day Out

Yesterday, Hayley, Ripa, and I went to the Kowloon side to have a look at some of Hong Kong's tourist traps: The Ladies Market, Goldfish Market, and Flower Market. We didn't check out the Bird Market...we'll save it for another day. The Ladies Market is just like China Town in NYC. We strolled through and didn't buy a thing. You better believe I'll take you here when you come though!

The Goldfish Market consists of 2 streets of just pet stores. Mostly, fish stores, but there are pet stores with puppies and kitties. I couldn't stay in those...It was breaking my heart. I wanted to rescue all of those sweet animals in the windows. Aquariums and fish are thought to bring luck to those in Hong Kong.There is no shortage of luck to be had on these 2 streets! Check out these monsters below:


The Flower Market was incredible. Rows and rows of flower stores...orchids, lilies, roses, sunflowers, hydrangeas, you name it. AND CHEAP! I can't wait to go back for some orchids once we have some places to put them.



After the Markets, we went to the Peninsula Hotel for afternoon tea. This is a MUST when you come to visit...all the tourists do it, and it really is not to be missed. You feel pretty special as you sit in the grand hotel, drinking your tea and eating your scones. I promise we'll go when you get here!