By deeptravel on Friday, April 13th, 2012

If you’re ever feeling hungry, there’s one place you’ve got to go: Taipei. Taipei is a city defined by food, with more delicious smells and tastes than anywhere I’ve ever been. It’s also a city full of incredibly friendly people who helped us choose what to order just about everywhere we went and made sure we had an amazing time. It’s a world away from Hong Kong and should never be confused with China. It’s Taiwan, and Taiwan is simply beautiful.

Lesson learned in Taipei: When you say thank you without regard, the world opens up all around you. 謝謝, Xie Xie, Taiwan.

If it’s on the street, it must be great.

Multitasking

Boba with Ryan’s parents who were also visiting Taipei!

Favorite taste.

謝謝.

By deeptravel on Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

Coming back to Hong Kong from the most spectacular and life-changing 10 days in Thailand has been a little tough.  It’s not just the mountain of midterms this week or that Hong Kong isn’t spectacular too (it is), it’s just that Thailand is HOT, and well it’s alive in a way that few places are. Or more realistically, I was simply open to noticing the life in Thailand more than I am when I’m at home or even in Hong Kong — places where I’m closer to comfortable. I never thought that being comfortable could be a bad thing, but more and more I think it can. It’s the numbness that being comfortable brings that’s the problem for me. I’d rather feel uncomfortable, sometimes even bewildered (ie. scariest hostel in the world the last night in Bangkok - only 3 out of 9 made it through), so that I can also feel totally alive. I guess that’s what this whole trip has been about for me so far. Learning to give up some of my control and in turn being able to really see what’s around me. It’s something that I think is possible anywhere (even home) but often easier to do when you’re far from it (across oceans). When my Hong Kong journey ends, I want to keep the gratitude going. I want to not take things for granted (even 7-11 is interesting here!) and pay closer attention to everything around me. I want to recognize how lucky I am. I want to bring my travel brain home with me.

Bangkok 

There were two people in this tuk-tuk not in the photo. THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A SECOND! :)

fruit everywhere

One of the toughest (and most non-English) yoga classes of my life on the 36th floor overlooking beautiful Bangkok.

Best Pad Thai ever. So great we went on the first and last days of the trip.

Wat Arun

Koh Samui aka Paradise & an infinity pool

breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Took a little break from our training…:)

best crepes!

Koh Phangan & Ko Tao

Just keep moving.

By deeptravel on Thursday, March 1st, 2012

It’s been a crazy few days, but reciting this in front on my Cantonese class is all that currently stands in between me and 10 days in Thailand:

daai gaa hou, ngo giu Andrew. ngo hai Mei Gwok jan. ngo gam nin ji sap seoi. ngo jau jat go go go. ngo go go gam nin saam sap seoi. ngo go go hai Nau Joek zou je. ngo ji gaa hai Hoeng Gong Daai Hok ge gaau wun hok saang. ngo hai daai hok duk gung soeng gun lei. ngo zyu hai gwok zai lau hok saang suk se. ngo ge hing ceoi hai haang saan tung tiu mou. ngo ji gaa hok gan Gwong Dung Waa. ngo dak haan zung ji jam caa tung teng jam ngok. do ze.

Let’s do this. :)

By deeptravel on Saturday, February 25th, 2012

Did I mention that dim sum is a food coma magnet?

Naw not for us.

After Tim Ho Wan I met up with my friend Lizzie and we went on a quest to find a climbing gym in Hong Kong. Lizzie is a hardcore climber, I’m a newbie beginner, but I think we found someplace we can both keep coming back to.

It’s a 5 minute walk from campus in Kennedy Town and it’s got some pretty fun bouldering and crazy music. I’ve got a ton to learn when it comes to climbing — but I really want to. It feels like such a great complement to running, and after seeing how amazing some of my friends in Berkeley are I have a lot of motivation to get some practice in here so I can go more when I’m back in Berk.

Did I mention that Hong Kong is a colorful place? :)

By deeptravel on Saturday, February 25th, 2012

Restaurants are a big deal in Hong Kong.

Duh right — food’s a big deal everywhere.

Naw, trust me — Hong Kong is a little different. Hong Kongers treat eating out like a sport, and I’m not talking chess or pool, think rugby. Eating out is done with a completely different intensity than it is in LA or SF. There is a best spot for everything, where locals wait hours for a table and yelling isn’t unheard of.

Today we put on our big kid boots and took on the ultimate Hong Kong restaurant challenge: scoring a coveted table at Tim Ho Wan.

What’s Tim Ho Wan you might ask? In Hong Kong foodie circles, Tim Ho Wan is a religion. The cheapest Michelin starred restaurant in the world, Tim Ho Wan is a 10 table hole in the wall in Mongkok that drives Hong Kongers mad.

It’s small, cramped, and chaotic — but it’s also a taste of dim sum heaven. The restaurant was born after famed HK chef Mak Pui Gor left his position at the Four Seasons’ three-star Lung King Heen to open his own spot. People haven’t stopped lining up since.

We were committed to experiencing Tim Ho so today Alex and I met a friend of her family’s who lives in Hong Kong, Pamela, at the restaurant at 11 am.

We didn’t sit down until 2, but by Tim Ho Wan standards that’s good. And you know what — the 3 hour wait was great. Alex and I got to know Pamela (the sweetest!) and got tons of invalubale travel advice for the mainland in May, and we even got to meet one of Pamela’s friends who came to join us. Not to mention we got to decide what to order.

Answer: everything.

Lo Mai Gai (steamed sticky rice with chicken in lotus leaf wrap) doesn’t look pretty. But just eat it — it’s amazing.

The fluffy egg cake is so simple it’s perfect.

And then there’s the BBQ pork buns. That’s why people wait 3+ hours.

Totally different than the conventional doughy HK pork bun, Tim Ho’s are crsipy, dense, and sweet.

In typical Hong Kong style, Pamela wouldn’t allow us to pay at the end of our insane Michelin starred meal. We insisted, almost begged, but Pamela insisted more. She said it’s “the Chinese way”, but I really think it’s just the awesome Pamela way. :)

We promised to take her out next time she’s in California and she agreed. The challenge will be finding a meal Tim Ho Wan worthy.

By deeptravel on Monday, February 20th, 2012