Lee's Garden

Krispy Kreme

I couldn't bring myself to be on the same side of the street even. I was afraid that I might be sucked in and will never get back out. However, I quite like the front design though, a little bit of retro America in the middle of Causeway Bay.

Star Ferry

There was once a KCR train terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui, right next to where the Star Ferry pier is. People could just walk off the train and get on the ferry and go to Hong Kong island. The terminal was as grand as any train terminals gets. At least that was how I remember it. I remember standing in the middle of the terminal hall, looking up at the high ceiling.

It is of course gone a long while ago, but at least we have the good sense to retain the clock tower. I am not sure if the same can be said of the recently demolished Star Ferry terminal on the Hong Kong side. I miss hearing the distinctive hourly chime. I kick myself for not having the good sense to record it. I looked on the web but can't seem to find anyone else who did. The hourly chime is such a huge part of Hong Kong. I hope we kept the clock and the whole chiming mechanism. How I wish I can hear it again!

Here's an article in the ArchitectureWeek about the Star Ferry. It's also where I took this picture from.

Matrix turtles

I walked through the park yesterday and noticed the turtles stacked themselves up and have their limb stretched out and frozen in "bullet time".

Terrific service

This time around in Tokyo, I was met with absolutely terrific service. Not merely the "well trained, company sponsored" type, but the type that truly comes from the heart. To explain things a little bit, I have to start with the admission that even after traveling to Tokyo for a few times every quarter for more than a year, I still haven't yet figured out how to walk from the hotel to the office through the Tokyo station underground network. So this time around, I asked the lady at the reception as to whether they have a map of the underground. However, as I suspect, the underground passageways are probably so well known and so easy to navigate to the locals that a map is not even worth the paper it's printed on.

I thanked her anyway. I mean, it's late (2300) and it's really not that big of a deal. Anyway, when I got up the next morning, I found an envelope slipped under my door. Inside I found a neatly hand drawn map of how I can walk from the hotel to my office via the underground. It's perfect since it's a rainy morning. In the note that accompanied the map, the front office staff even offered to walk me over to my office.

When I got downstairs, I thanked her but turned down her offer to walk me over. Sure enough, I have no problems finding my way, and here's the little map.

Saturday morning

Deep brown wooden tables and chairs.

Bright sunshine illuminates the grey sidewalks outside. Dark coffee shop, with four tables and a slow rock playing on the background. There's a cool breeze on this clear morning, autumn is definitely in the air. A double espresso sits together with my book on the table, listening to the steam hissing from the coffee machine behind me. Waving trees, baby giggles, a iPod nano plus a good pen, and yet the chatters of a jackhammer in the distance reminds me that I am still in Hong Kong.

Here's the other one ..

Hi folks, I started another blog a little while ago. You might notice a difference in style but I'd say it's still in the making. Here it is : http://koncasj.zaadz.com/blog

I fully intend to keep both blogs going. At the end of the day, they are very different (Pisces have split personalities .. and I am the worst!)

Let me know if you like it!!! LEAVE COMMENTS!!!!!!!

Gate 32, Changi Airport

"Please remain in the Lounge until boarding announcement is Mad."

These are the glass doors opening up to Gate 32 at Changi Airport (Singapore). In this supposely high security alert environment, the fact that no one notice it makes me nervous!

Singapore tit bits

Has another ever tired "Peanut Pancake"? It's a crepe filled with a mix of peanut bits, sugar and other stuff. It tastes great but feels immensely unhealthy.









That's a typical Singaporean kopitian (咖啡店) breakfast : two soft-boil egg, a stack of kayah toast and a kopi-c. The eggs are soft-boiled, so please watch out as it might run. The toasts boast a thick slab of butter aside from the kayah (don't think about it, just eat, it tastes great) and the kopi is very thick with a wallop of condense milk on the bottom.





This is the Millenium Walk. I usually eat my dinners at the "Silkroad", a Beijing/Szechuan-ish noodles place, right inside.