*Sadly all the pictures in this post are not actual pictures that I took. My camera battery is dead, and I didn't plan ahead for HK outlets.
It's been three years or more since I had Triple O's -- but I tracked down the BC-based burger store here through some very foggy memory. Every bit as tasty as I remembered.
I've been staying with friends at Shiu Fai Terrace -- just down the street from where I stayed the first time I came to Hong Kong. The view looking out over Happy Valley toward Causeway Bay is amazing.
In the picture Shiu Fai Terrace is part of the small cluster of buildings on the bend in the road along the left side.
For dinner, I really lucked out: I just stumbled down the hill from J & D's place at Shiu Fai Terrace and found a great restaurant called Thai Hainan Chicken Rice -- or something like that. (Actually first I went up the hill as far as I could go on foot (before the sidewalke ended, then I turned around and walked back down toward Wanchai the way I have been walking to Central every day.) Now, searching for a picture for the restaurant, I see that it has received good reviews. But basically, I just went by the menu, the cool chairs and the fact that the place was mostly full. The restaurants namesake dish (Hainan Chicken Thai-style) notwithstanding, I got green curry (with those tasty little Thai eggplants), which was great.
Then, I followed it up with perhaps my favorite food of all time:
Well, mine had black AND white glutinous rice and the mango was cut differently. But you get the idea. Yum. And that's probably the only way to top Triple O's and good Green Curry.
No electric boots or mohair suit here. Quite the opposite. But, just in case, after Paul Potts, you still doubt that Britain's Got Talent is more . . . entertaining? inspirational? -- well, let me put it this way, a better talent search show -- than American Idol, do take a look at Susan Boyle.
(Embedding is disabled on all of the youtube.com clips that I have seen, so you'll need to follow the link)
So, this week I've been in New Orleans and Houston. When I told Jill that I was in the dirty South, she asked whether Houston counted. But after I told her I was in NOLA too, she agreed that New Orleans was both dirty and South enough.
In New Orleans I took out time for jazz, blues, po' boys (and several other shrimp dishes), gumbo, jumbalaya and lots of bread pudding. The chocolate bread pudding at Red Fish was almost too much to handle.
Now, in Houston, I've taken time for an Astros game, some good BBQ, pizza, a panini on Rice University's campus, the fine arts museum, the contemporary arts museum, another random art gallery, the hermann park, the theater district -- basically, I've seen a lot of downtown. And a lot of HBO, randomly. Yesterday, I watched What Happens in Vegas and then today I saw 27 Dresses, both of which I'm embarrassed to admit. Watching the second, I was reminded something that I learned last week: I'll explain. (It gets worses by the way, right now I'm watching some intolerable high school girl drama movie. Maybe I can watch the latest LOST instead.)
Last week, I was listening to the random 80s radio station that GF programmed into my car radio. Space Oddity came on. And, after listening to that song a thousand times -- knowing the tune for as long as I could remember -- I realized that I had never, ever listened to the lyrics. In fact, for that matter, I'd never even thought about the title.
Btw, the original video is really, really cool. Also, do compare DJ's teeth in that video to his present teeth:
Of course, the song on the radio was a later recording. But the lyrics remain the same:
Ground control to major tom Ground control to major tom Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
Ground control to major tom Commencing countdown, engines on Check ignition and may gods love be with you
This is ground control to major tom Youve really made the grade And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear Now its time to leave the capsule if you dare
This is major tom to ground control Im stepping through the door And Im floating in a most peculiar way And the stars look very different today
For here Am I sitting in a tin can Far above the world Planet earth is blue And theres nothing I can do
Though Im past one hundred thousand miles Im feeling very still And I think my spaceship knows which way to go Tell me wife I love her very much she knows
Ground control to major tom Your circuits dead, theres something wrong Can you hear me, major tom? Can you hear me, major tom? Can you hear me, major tom? Can you....
Here am I floating round my tin can Far above the moon Planet earth is blue And theres nothing I can do.
In 27 Dresses, there is a scene involving Bennie and the Jets -- it's cheesy, but I realized this was another song that I really love yet hardly know the words to at all. Do I just not listen? Or I do I not have an ear for lyrics at all?
Bennie and the Jets lyrics:
Hey kids, shake it loose together The spotlights hitting something Thats been known to change the weather Well kill the fatted calf tonight So stick around Youre gonna hear electric music Solid walls of sound
Say, candy and ronnie, have you seen them yet But theyre so spaced out, bennie and the jets Oh but theyre weird and theyre wonderful Oh bennie shes really keen Shes got electric boots a mohair suit You know I read it in a magazine Bennie and the jets
Hey kids, plug into the faithless Maybe theyre blinded But bennie makes them ageless We shall survive, let us take ourselves along Where we fight our parents out in the streets To find whos right and whos wrong
Lastly, was this song really written in German and I never realized it??? Seems like I must have known this before. It sounds so familiar -- but I was shocked to hear it in German again.
Hast du etwas Zeit für mich Dann singe ich ein Lied für dich Von 99 Luftballons Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont Denkst du vielleicht g'rad an mich Dann singe ich ein Lied für dich Von 99 Luftballons Und dass so was von so was kommt
99 Luftballons Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont Hielt man für Ufos aus dem All Darum schickte ein General 'ne Fliegerstaffel hinterher Alarm zu geben, wenn es so wär Dabei war'n da am Horizont Nur 99 Luftballons
99 Düsenjäger Jeder war ein großer Krieger Hielten sich für Captain Kirk Das gab ein großes Feuerwerk Die Nachbarn haben nichts gerafft Und fühlten sich gleich angemacht Dabei schoss man am Horizont Auf 99 Luftballons
99 Kriegsminister - Streichholz und Benzinkanister - Hielten sich für schlaue Leute Witterten schon fette Beute Riefen Krieg und wollten Macht Mann, wer hätte das gedacht Dass es einmal soweit kommt Wegen 99 Luftballons
99 Jahre Krieg Ließen keinen Platz für Sieger Kriegsminister gibt's nicht mehr Und auch keine Düsenflieger Heute zieh' ich meine Runden Seh' die Welt in Trümmern liegen Hab' 'nen Luftballon gefunden Denk' an dich und lass' ihn fliegen
