Hong Kong: Part I

I've been getting so lazy with blogging, but I wanted to write about my experience in Hong Kong! It was a great first experience in Asia, and I also appreciated that it forced me to use my Cantonese. Maybe I'll be fluent after a few more visits? Ha! There isn't a particular order to my ramblings. I'll just be posting tidbits of my adventures in HK and splitting it into multiple posts so it's not too long!

Everyone says that December is THE perfect time to visit Hong Kong. It was definitely jacket weather, but all the walking around and switching subways warmed us up, so we were never too cold. I did buy a nice fall jacket at UNIQLO (when in HK - do ALL the shopping) since my coat was too heavy, and my bomber jacket was too thin - I'm obviously very sensitive to temperature. 

What surprised me the most the first day were all the neon signs in small streets... in some areas, you couldn't even see the sky because of the concentration of signs.

Almost every day, we woke up pretty early (6-7am). We learned quickly that nothing is really open that early in Hong Kong, but seeing peaceful streets was always a great, refreshing start to the day. AND it helped us beat long lines for dim sum and desserts!

Before the crowds

Tim Ho Wan's famous baked BBQ pork bun

When we travel, we normally want to try at least one Michelin starred restaurant. We were set on Tim Ho Wan - dubbed the cheapest Michelin starred restaurant in the world! We arrived after a couple, who tried to open the door to no avail... we were 10 minutes too early. We had gotten lost on the way, but we still arrived JUST in time because not a minute after, the line behind us was long enough to fill the whole restaurant.

Their delicious baked BBQ pork bun dish is about $2.50 USD for 3 pieces. We had stacks on stacks on stacks of dim sum, and the total was about $12 USD/person. In Dallas, it probably would have been $80/person for how much we ordered!!

I've lost Jean behind these skyscrapers of dim sum

The image above just kept repeating itself as they took away baskets and replaced them with more.

I could go on forever about food (maybe in the next posts), but let's skip to an adventure: riding the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car to Tian Tan Buddha! Definitely get the Crystal cabin pass - you get a clear floor and you get to skip the standard line. It saved an hour of our time when it was time to get off Lantau Island!

Worth it

My favorite moment of the cable car ride was when we saw a jogger resting below us, and 2 wild sleeping dogs were a few feet away from him. It was a surreal experience passing over them. I wish I could have gotten a photo, but I was just in awe.

Met up with Chris's friend Doug

Lantau Island was very relaxing (besides walking up 268 steps to get to Tian Tan Buddha). I really enjoyed walking around and seeing the animals, temple, and scenery.

Walking around the top of Tian Tan Buddha

Cute dogs everywhere. It made me miss Mika!

U.S. entrance form: "Did you touch any livestock?" ... *thinks* ... ... ...

View from the temple

I got yelled at for taking this photo. Life of a photographer.

I didn't take as many photos as I liked because I spent a majority of my time just enjoying the experience. It was really a relief to just be in the moment instead of thinking, "I need to take a photo of this! THE perfect photo!" I still had those moments of course (Ngong Ping cable car ride - we were ready to kick some children), but not as much as I normally would :) Finding a balance...

Stay tuned for part II!

Cleveland

This past weekend, Brian and I flew to Cleveland to visit his dad and stepmom. We got in Friday morning and went straight to the museum after dropping off our stuff. The Cleveland Museum of Art is one of the best museums I've visited in awhile. It's huge and has some great collections! I loved the art and their atrium.

In the afternoon, we got coffee at Pour Cleveland and caught up with one of Brian's old childhood friends.

Saturday morning, we started bright and early at West Side Market. They have lots of meats, veggies, spices, coffee, and other shops in this old building. Super cool.

A lot of the shop employees were also super photogenic. I wish I could have captured them all on camera, but it's so busy in the market that it's hard to get a clear shot of anyone! People are squeezing by all the time.

Outside of West Side Market, there was a group of people protesting dog & cat meat. I felt a little embarrassed to take the photo and tried to keep my head down in case they judged me for being Asian. It didn't help that Brian's stepmom laughed and said, "Do you think they're talking to us?" But that's a cultural conversation for another time.

We ate brunch at Townhall, a really great restaurant with healthy options. I wish we had one in Dallas. Their breakfast and juices are no joke. Get the Full Monty (beet hash, brûléed thick-cut bacon, sweet potato purée, poached egg, and caramelized Brussels sprouts).

Ran into this group on our way back from brunch. West Side is super busy!

Then we went to Brecksville Reservation to walk around a bit. I took some photos for Just Porter, an awesome backpack company that I've been working with. They go beyond giving back 1-for-1 when you purchase a backpack from them. Check them out to learn more!

Stylish Brian goes stylish hiking

I also needed to model my Granola hat. I was never one for bright colors, but I love this hat.

First attempt at a jumping shot went very, very wrong. Or did it go very, very right, Brian...?

Success!

Then we drove 2 hours to Columbus to visit Brian's aunt and the newest addition to the family: Brooklyn! She is SO adorable! I miss her already.

Not much happened Sunday since almost everything was closed for Easter. We ate brunch, visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and then just took it easy before our flight back. It was a much needed, relaxing weekend overall.

San Francisco 2015

I took a trip with Brian to San Francisco for my 26th birthday. It was our first time traveling with just the two of us since July of last year. It really made me realize how compatible we are when it comes to travel plans!

On the morning of my birthday, I had envisioned a sunrise photo, either on top of a hill or on the beach... we opted for the beach since it was closer. Even though Brian isn't very experienced with my camera, he was patient and captured a great shot of me with the Golden Gate bridge in the background.

One of my favorite photos on the beach was of the Golden Gate bridge right as the light hit it. It was pretty cloudy the whole morning, but when the sun peeked through... the ridges in front of me just lit up. I turned around to see if the light hit the bridge, and yep... there it was.

The weather the rest of the trip was on-and-off rain. Everyone kept telling us we came at a terrible time. Gee, thanks. But I had a great time nonetheless. It was great catching up with a few people who have either moved out here or were also visiting at the same time. We had lunch with one of my high school friends, and coffee/dinner/dessert with a couple of college friends I haven't seen in years.

Anyway, here are a few more of my favorite photos from the trip!

Sutro Baths

Bernal Heights Hill

Another view from Bernal Heights Hill

Surfer

Reevaluating my footing...

Thanks so much to this man for making my birthday trip so great :)