Cure me

Finally found some decent pork belly in Hong Kong. Which means it's time to dry cure the belly for some DIY Bacon. Dry rub some Pink Salt #2, Salt, Fennel, Brown Sugar and wait. Currently reading "Drunkards Walk".

Chinese New Year

Just started podcasting and reading again. Forgot about the simple pleasures of learning and imagination. I have a good feeling about this year.

Chinese New Year in Hong Kong - I don't really have any obligations when it comes to Chinese New Year. I'm not married so I don't have to hand out Red Packets. Although that being said I do give a red packet to my building concierge. 500 HKD for this year.

So what's my Chinese New Year for 2015?

Dumpling making and wine session with friends here in Hong Kong.

Life Goals

Every now and then, I have an aesthete moment. Like when I tried to pick up guitar, or the ukulele, or writing. This time I'm going for something with more flair. Salsa!

Update: I can't salsa for shit

Commute

Life in Hong Kong will never be the same! Gone is the 10 minute stroll to work. Our office has moved from Exchange Square out to Taikoo Place. I'll let that settle in, that's an additional 25 minute commute to work. You know you live in a bubble of convenience when a 35 minute, door-to-door commute provokes a new blog entry.

I still reminisce those times when weeks, nay, months that would pass without me leaving the 1 km radius of my comfort zone.

Js!

A&W

It's definitely the season for weddings, and this time the destination of choice is Koh Samui. It has been almost ten years since I last traveled to this part of the world and other than the upgrade in accommodation, the island of Koh Samui still has all the charm from the last visit. Cheap street food, suit peddlers, massage stores and the constant Muay Thai advertising.

The weather threatened all weekend and despite being the wettest wedding that I've attended it did little to dampen the festivities. 

'Sometimes'

The bubble has burst - My impression of Hong Kong being filled with debaucherous marrow where true love only exists between the hours of midnight and 6 am has finally been repudiated. Sure, I know married couples in Hong Kong, but, like the yeti or big foot finding true love IN HONG KONG is something that I have not witnessed. Call it sardonic, but up until now I have been unconvinced. In any case, I've been invited to my first Hong Kong wedding! The disclaimer being that the couple are both from Australia, but the real flesh of the story is that they met in Levels (one of Hong Kong's most popular nightclubs).

Funnily enough, I met the bride out one night and have honestly only seen her between the hours of midnight and 6 am. To say that I was surprised (and honoured) to be invited to their special day would be an understatement. My biggest concern? Which table I would be seated on? I could count the number of people I knew on one hand so the real excitement would be whether I ended up on random "Chinese Uncles" table or "Random LKF dude" table. The answer, I would soon find out would be "Table 27". A table consisting of Alcoholic Anonymous members and the very epitome of wonton, reckless abandon; affectionately known to the bride as "the fun table".

Despite my initial apprehension it turns out there were quite a few familiar faces. On table 27 was Tinder Girl. The MC of the event was an old Engineering classmate from USYD. In attendance was my parent's friend's daughter from Sydney. Plus a slew of random Australians and LKF-denizens. The world is sometimes a very small place.