Life Digest. May 2024.
Taipei vs Hong Kong. And … food, food.
A belated self-guilty attempt to start journalling of my life whilst trying to avoid genre specific egotism and making it a practical guide for the readers.
JAPAN. LIFE.
Did not spend a lot of time in Japan in May as I was traveling through Taipei and HK, but early May was awesome, best season before the heat starts.
Yuko and I also managed to enjoy Swan Lake performance at Tokyo Culture Centre (Tokyo Bunka Kaikan). Fairy tale through the language of dance.
HONG KONG
It was raining the whole 10 days I have been here. So, during my free time, I endeavored to pause any serious hiking, and rather focused on some suburb hopping.
Tsuen Wan.
Spacious, restaurants with different cuisines, greener than central HK. I really like this kind of open squares…
Shopping malls a plenty.
Outdoor eating is definitely my cup of tea.
No need to worry about the rain.
Rest gardens.
But most of all I liked 2.5 km long Tsuen Wan promenade.
Should I stay here next time instead of noisy and crowded central areas (normally I would stay in Wan Chai, years ago- on Nathan Road and in Yau Ma Tei)? I thought so… Until I visited Tseung Kwan O next day.
Tseung Kwan O.
Often referred to as TKO, this is one of the so-called new HK townships built on the reclaimed land which emerged around early 1980s. The area administratively belongs to Sai Kung District, my favorite hiking area.
Again, it is not your Wan Chai narrow streets. Wide, green avenues with separate lanes for bikes.
Great views from the waterfront promenade again.
I liked TKO enough to decide to make a separate short post. Stay tuned. And… Next time when in HK I will definitely stay here!
Peng Chau.
This is a small island. Around 6500 people. Mostly flat. Main transport is tricycle.
Supermarket, community center, few eateries, no cars, beaches (not sure how clean, but people swim). On the very left is Sunshine Island which has only one inhabitant.
Rustic.
Could I live here? Probably a month or so. Calmness here is pressing down the shoulders. Relax, man.
Post to follow.
Taipei vs HK
I could not help myself from making first mental, then now written comparisons between Taipei and HK. Purely personal opinion, I might be wrong, as I never lived long in each place, but only visited 30 or so times in the past 20 years.
Walkability and hiking. Both have nice river promenades, but both are not too attractive for wandering around city centers (HK a bit better though). HK has more interesting hiking routes, often ending at the beaches, plus a lot of outlying islands which you reach by scenic rides on ferries. So, the winner is HK.
Food. Both are nice with Taiwan featuring numerous night markets and for HK- international food variety for all tastes. Coffees are definitely better in HK and good ones are easier to find. Taiwan although is much more affordable. If you are not on the budget, then the winner is HK.
Air pollution. I felt the air quality in Taipei is worse than in HK. However, the statistics shows opposite. May be all those motorbikes and scooters in Taipei, but the air differently feels heavier compared to HK.
Noise pollution, manners, utilities. In HK it is normal to listen to video or podcast through the speaker on a public transport or talk on the phone with other party being on a speaker (?!). I don’t remember this “trend”, say, 10 years ago. Probably it is coming from mainland, but not sure. Another level of civilization to me is easy access to public toilets. Many stations in HK don’t have them and definitely they are not in convenience stores. In Taipei people has much better manners, and toilets are within the stations and most convenience stores. By large, the winner is Taipei.
GOOD READS
Philosophical insight on the relativeness of wealth. Measure from zero.
When I lived in Australia ANZAC day was one of the public holidays. I did know that allied forces of Britain, Australia and NZ were fighting Turkish Ottoman Empire in 1915, but I did not know that British lost nearly 43,000 men and the entire joint force had to evacuate after 8 months of stalemate. The story about a hero. A hero not by circumstances, but by his own choice driven by ambition and personal target. The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia.
Lawrence was a good writer himself. Him talking about his friend Storrs:
I like his style. Should we travel to countries with oppressive regimes? Mark Jones.
GOOD WATCH
I think I have read or watched another version around 20 years ago. But truly nice movie. Forgotten Love.
GOOD BITES. TAIPEI.
Stinky tofu. Chou Dou Fu. When I’m in Taiwan I eat it daily in different variations. Most night markets would have it.
Congee Kingdom at Tianmu. I think it is a chain, but nevertheless delicious. 2, Tianmu N. Road, Shilin District.
環記麻油雞. Huan Li Sesame Oil Chicken. Delicious restaurant near Taipei Ningxia Night Market.
Ningxia Night Market. Taipei. At night markets I mostly stroll inhaling the mood, then have stinky tofu. After that I eat properly at the nearby restaurants.
Chicken soup with ginseng and steamed greens. 240 NTD= 11 AUD Liouduau Kitchen. When I lived in Sydney, occasionally I would visit Wei Long Chinese Hakka restaurant on Sussex Street. Here is another good example of Hakka food chain in Taipei. Delicious, healthy and nicely presented. A bit on a higher end with 28 AUD for lunch pictured below whereas normally I spend no more than 5-10$ (around 100-200 NTD) and full enough.
Double boiled chicken soup with herbs, pork with preserved vegetables and gourd salad, NTD 604.
GOOD BITES. HONG KONG.
Good place for morning congee or shrimp rolls in Wan Chai area. Address in a picture below. HK style milk tea buy next door (here they only serve sugary soy milk).
Feather and Bone. Australian butcher chain now in Hong Kong. I like it here for a meaningful breakfast to occasionally change my congee routine and especially after serious morning workout. Plus, sometimes I miss Aussie style brekkie. Few locations throughout HK.
They even sell here Coopers Pale Ale from Australia.
I know. Roast goose is not a very healthy food. But when in HK I have it quite often. Hay Hay Kitchen, 193 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai. Seating is comfortable enough, cards accepted, menu clear, food tasty.
Another serious player on European side of gastronomy is Passione on Amoy Street.
I even bought huge sourdough bread there before my flight to Japan yesterday.
EXERCISE AND HEALTH
I have been focusing daily on chin ups as there were plenty outdoor gyms during my walks in Taipei and HK. I made it back to my previous level of 10 continuous chin ups in one set. Hope to maintain (:
Commercial part aside, a good summary of what to do to enjoy healthy and long life. A bit overdone, but good as a guide. My roasted goose does not fit here. Things I'm Doing At 44 To Avoid Regret When I'm 74.
Unfortunately, Hong Kong currently seems to be stuck in a very wet and miserable weather system. Glad you explored away from HK Island, funnily enough, we in the New Territories rarely go there - only for hiking or to get a boat to elsewhere. Peng Chau is a lovely island evoking very much the Hong Kong of yesteryear. There is a small hill to climb (Finger Hill), not particularly challenging but good views from the top. The walk around the island is very pleasant and the small arty district is certainly worth a visit though it is not easy to find.
Hi Igor,
I didn't know you like Hakka food as well and there is one here in Sydney!