Maggie + Colin in HK: Part IV

We spent most our time on Hong Kong Island, so we made sure to dedicate at least one full day to Kowloon. Here's the dynamic duo in front of the historic clock tower in TST.

We braved the long line for breakfast at the Australian Dairy Co. It's very similar to Capital Cafe, but much more crowded. Maggie and Colin couldn't decide which one was their favourite!

We walked around Mong Kok one morning. I know it would have been better to go later on in the day, but time was running out. I'm glad I got to check it out anyway, since the last time I went was easily over 10 years ago.

Here fishy, fishy, fishy! Maggie and Colin wanted to bring a goldfish home to their friends.

Deal hunting for souvenirs. Don't underestimate their cuteness! These monsters know how to bargain.

We ate ridiculous amounts of Hokkaido milk ice cream. This one was from Milk Top, in the basement of Sogo (Causeway Bay).

Taking the Airport Express on our last day. It was really nice to check-in to our flight downtown, to minimize our time at the airport.

It was a blast, Hong Kong! Thanks for the memories and good food!

Maggie + Colin in HK: Part III

I've been to Hong Kong a few times now, but never to any of the outlying islands (except Lantau). Maggie and Colin thought Cheung Chau would be a cool place to visit. The ferry ride there was less than an hour.

Here's the main drag. There's no cars allowed on Cheung Chau so bikes are plentiful for renting. We decided to explore on foot.

It seems like fishing is very popular here. We ate a lot of seafood (in snack form). Everything was delicious!

It was a little too cold to take a dip at Tung Wan Beach. Plus, Maggie didn't want to get her hair wet.

Late one night, we ventured to a tiny dessert shop under a bridge close to North Point. This black sesame tong yuen was fantastic! Thanks for the recommendation, NK!

Here's Maggie and Colin on the Dragon's Back in Shek O Park. You can't really tell from Maggie's hair, but it was extremely windy at the top!

Following the leader!

We took the Star Ferry as much as we could during our stay. Here's us returning to the island from TST. Again, that view!

One more blog post to go!

Maggie + Colin in HK: Part II

Alrighty, on to the second installment!

Maggie and Colin visited the Man Mo Temple in Sheung Wan. After checking out the area, we walked across Hollywood Road until we ended up in Central.

We took the mid-level escalators for majority of the ride. The grandma in front was a bit confused why two monsters were following her.

The pals had a delicious pear pastry at Joel Robuchon's tea salon in the Landmark.

We also met up with friends for dinner at APM - a mall that's open until 2 AM every day. There were Snoopys and Christmas trees everywhere!

Maggie and Colin are posing in front of a local eatery, well known for its milk tea and egg tarts. If you're in Wan Chai, go!

Another day, they had a hearty breakfast at the cha chaan teng, Capital Cafe.

Here's the duo at the World SME Expo. We walked away with bags of free stuff!

We made a dedicated mission to Din Tai Fung for Shanghainese soup dumplings. The restaurant has a Michelin star!

The shopping in Hong Kong is first-rate. Causeway Bay has heaps of malls and boutiques.

What a view from our bedroom! We could see the Symphony of Lights show from both the island and Kowloon.

Even though I was conferencing for the first half of our trip, Maggie and Colin got to explore a decent amount. For such little guys, they covered a lot of ground in a short time!

Maggie + Colin in HK: Part I

Maggie and Colin are excited to share photos from their trip to Hong Kong! It was their first time overseas. On day one...

...they ate pineapple BBQ pork buns - not the easiest thing to find in Toronto.

They had an afternoon nap to help recover from jet lag.

They shopped at swanky department stores, including Harvey Nichols...

...and Lane Crawford (they're like the Holt Renfrews of the UK and Hong Kong).

They occupied Central (really Admiralty, despite what all the news said).

They brushed up on their Chinese reading skills. I think they're better than me!

And they occupied Central some more!

More photos to be posted soon!

The Last Leg of our Asian Adventure

There is no airport in Yangshao, so we had to drive back to Guilin to catch a flight to Shanghai. We were in transit for most of the morning. I caught up on a lot of sleep.

As soon as we arrived in Shanghai, we did scenic cruise along the Huangpu River. I like the Lotus building in the middle of the photo.

Look! It's Haibao in the distance!

Nanjing Road is one of the world's busiest shopping streets. We held back and only bought a few things, knowing that we were going to Hong Kong and Shenzhen later on.

When we got to the hotel, the Quatchis helped me figure out a game plan for the next night. Q is pointing to where I was going to meet my friends for dinner and drinks. The Mins is pointing to our hotel.

The next morning, we visited a silk factory and the Shanghai Museum. We had to cut our visit short in order to cross something off of my mum's bucket list...

...afternoon tea at the Peace Hotel! The spread was really, really, really impressive - really.

Our next stop was Old Town. The best soup dumplings are from here. It is also a great place to buy souvenirs. I used my very preliminary Mandarin skills to ask around for a Chairman Mao teapot. My mum collects teapots and has been looking for one with Chairman Mao on it for a long time. Some stores had one kind, but it was way too big for us to bring home. Alas, our search for the Chairman Mao teapot continues!

Before meeting up with my friends, I walked along the Bund to enjoy the night view. The Oriental Pearl Tower is to the left. Like the CN Tower, it is a TV tower. It may be more flashy, but ours is taller!

After Shanghai, we flew to Guangzhou to meet up with my mum's siblings and my brother. We then drove a few hours to Nam Hoi to visit a memorial hall to my mum's great great grandfather.

The Quatchis adore my mum so they were glad to visit this place with her. The same great great grandfather used to write Chinese characters on small things, such as rice. Some of his stuff is at the Guangzhou Museum. Unfortunately, we couldn't check it out because they just changed the items on display a few months ago.

The building above is my mum's ancestral home. It is now a museum. It looks quite Western on the outside, but the decor is quite Asian inside.

The Quatchis at the ancestral home.

After our grand tour of China, we spent a week in Hong Kong to visit family and friends. The Quatchis have already been to Hong Kong so I didn't take very many pictures this time around. We escaped to Macau for a day with my aunt and a family friend.

We had a three hour lunch at the Dome au Robuchon (three Michelin stars!) at the Grand Lisboa. The Quatchis liked their appetizer - mini wagyu beef sliders. We were in foodie paradise!

We also went to the House of Dancing Water show at the Galaxy Resort. It's similar to Cirque du Soleil. We were sitting in the fourth row so we got a little bit wet. They gave us towels to block some of the splashing. Overall, it was a very entertaining show.

I can't believe I've been to Asia three years in a row! Q has joined me each time, and the Mins for the last two. We're hoping to do another big trip next year. Any suggestions?

Happy New Year, friends! We wish you the very best of everything in 2013!

From Taiwan to Hong Kong

Taipei is a beautiful place! I really want to go back one day. Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall was very cool. Too bad we missed the changing of the guard!

One afternoon we visited Bo-Pi Liao. It consists of well-preserved streets and traditional shop homes from the Qing period, as well as buildings from the Japanese occupation and early post-war periods. The Quatchis took time out to play a game with my friend, Ben.

On our last night in Taipei, we did what the Taiwanese do - KTV!!!

We sang from 11 at night until 4 in the morning!

We stayed in Hong Kong a few days after Dragon100 to visit friends and family. We really lucked out with the weather. It was hot and humid, which is standard for Hong Kong, but it didn't rain once. I love taking the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour! I have done it many times, but it never gets old.

The Quatchis in front of the Clock Tower in TST, Kowloon. It is the only remnant of the original site of the former Kowloon Station on the Kowloon-Canton Railway.

At the National Palace Museum in Taipei, the prized artifact is the Jadeite Cabbage. Everything in the gift shop replicates the cabbage. I even bought my brother a cabbage bottle opener. My friend, Yik, purchased a plush cabbage which he fondly named, Cabi. She quickly became friends with the Quatchis. They all joined us for dim sum one morning.

Q has been to Kuntsford Terrace but Mini Q has not. We grabbed an ice cream to cool off.

We are so thankful for the Chan fam for letting us stay at their condo while they were here back in Toronto. The Quatchis have never slept in such a big bed! Thanks again, Aunt G and Uncle H!

Overall we had a fantastic trip to Asia! We will be returning soon, I'm sure!