First impressions. Everyone has them.In my teens, when I thought of Hong Kong, I didn't picture burnt-red sampans or jungles of neon signs jutting from restaurants, bars, and massage parlors. No, when I thought of Hong Kong back then, I thought of Connaught Centre, also known … [Read more...]
Argyle Street Camps
I love history. And when I've lived it, even better!In 1990, I saw a notice at my university in Hong Kong for volunteer English teachers at a Vietnamese refugee camp. Actually, it was called a detention centre.I wanted the job. Ever since my mom took me to a low-key, … [Read more...]
R&R at Kai Tak Airport
In the 1960s and 1970s, Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport teemed with soldiers on rest and relaxation from Vietnam.But there were others who traveled through Kai Tak on their way to or from Saigon.In the mid-60s, my uncle was at Kai Tak waiting for a flight out after a trip to … [Read more...]
Jimmy’s Kitchen, Hong Kong
When I lived in Hong Kong, I rarely went to Western restaurants. I was on a student budget for my first three years there and when I had the luxury of going out, it was to small noodle and congee stalls--the kind that cost less than $2 for a full meal.After I entered the … [Read more...]
The legend of the kingfisher
"You have to go to the Kingfisher," my grandpa told me before I moved to Hong Kong 20 years ago. "It's on Carnarvon Road in Kowloon.""It's the best restaurant in Hong Kong," my grandma added.So after I settled into my dorm at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, up in the … [Read more...]