February 13, 2008

Lantau Island (HONG KONG)

Another Tough Day: The Gym, Sauna, Indoor/Outdoor Pool, and a Shanghainese Dinner

Today really was tough: I couldn't just lie in bed all day like I wanted, but had to forcefully pull myself out from under the covers at around noon. Then, rather than relaxing in my bath robe watching re-runs of ESPN's SportsCenter, I threw on my work-out clothes, which hardly vary from my normal clothes, and headed down to the 3rd floor for a serious work-out. I had the gym to myself, and spent 40 minutes "battling my inner demons" on the treadmill before making repeated rounds on the various weight machines. I am not sure if weights will make me any stronger, but I will certainly be sore tomorrow because it has been nearly one year since my last trip to the gym - push-ups, pull-ups, and running are a far move convenient (not to mentioned cheaper) alternative.

Anyway, after the gym I grabbed a couple cans of beer (Asahi and Heineken), and headed down to the complimentary spa where I more than made up for getting out of bed this morning. The cool Hong Kong weather might have bothered me if it wasn't for the option of  alternating between the Miami-in-summer heat of the sauna and the cool waters of the indoor-outdoor pool.

Later, I met my father between his meetings for an afternoon snack (shown to the right because it was free and tasty), and arranged a rendezvous at the IFC (International Finance Center) building for dinner later in the evening. In the mean time, I rode the Airport Express into Hong Kong station, transferred through the underground walkway to Central station, and rode the Island Line to Causeway Bay.

I met a friend of mine named Eric (a Hong Kong resident who studies at Georgia Tech with me) for dinner at a popular Shanghainese restaurant near Times Square. We ordered the typical favorites like chicken in wine, wanton noodles, and steamed dumplings, but I also opted for a spicy Sichuan dish (the spiciest on the menu) that had me coughing/sweating/dying for the rest of the night. So much for my New Year's resolution to give up such spicy nastiness! Some people are smokers, others are degenerate gamblers, but me, I suffer from an inescapable need to try the hottest food on every menu. Who else on the planet travels with a bottle of hot sauce at all times?

After dinner, we stopped at a small shop offering a traditional Cantonese dessert that is basically curdled milk in a bowl (shown to the right.) I didn't want to offend Eric by not sounding enthusiastic about what is his favorite dessert, but a word of warning for anyone out there: this stuff might as well be vomit, and if it isn't, after you eat it you may produce some of your own.

My last stop of the night was at a steakhouse in the IFC mall near Central station. I was already full from my earlier dinner, but the opportunity to eat at a steakhouse is one I am not foolish enough to pass up!