Still Got My Sea Legs

I spent today on a boat. [PICTURES HERE]

Hong Kong's corporate junket normally includes some kind of a company yacht, or in this case, a "Chinese junk". Before you conjure up images of majestic sails fanning out and the theme from Tai Pan playing in the background, these days a "junk" really means a retrofitted trawler with some kind of "Chinese" wood (I think teak? not sure).

So a friend was able to get his paws on one of these tubs, boat is named "Basic Law" (haha - friend is a lawyer). After a round of frantic emailing, a group of 14 trooped onto the junk this morning, with the intention of setting out to Cheung Sha beach, southwest coast of Lantau Island.

Snacks galore - home-made dip, veggies, cheese, crackers, chocolates, cookies, grapes, lots and lots of chips. U2 Greatest Hits 1980s-90s blasting away. Lying in the sun. Gossiping and chatting. Snoozing with one ear open to catch the lastest gossip floating by. Sun rays tempered by the slightly cool air. Trying to not roll from side to side as the boat rocks with yet another wake. It was beautiful - even when the waters got remarkably choppy and some people were starting to regret the momentary forgetful lapse that made them leave their dramamine at home.

But when we got to Lantau, it was too choppy for the boat to dock at Cheung Sha beach. So we made a slight u-turn to Cheung Chau instead, where we were still keen on a seafood lunch, a walk around the place, and hunt for a bakery that was supposed to sell some of the best custard tarts in town.

Cheung Chau is one of the most populated outlying islands in Hong Kong waters. There are loads of bicycles carrying locals and tourists alike, struggling to make way through the narrow lanes. The fisherfolk are well and alive here, some living on boats, others might as well be. What's left of the day's catch that is not sold is now drying in the sun, haphazardly placed anywhere, on the sidewalk, on a stool by a tree. Impromptu barbeques pop up sporadically - a family brings out a steel barrel, lights up a few pieces of coal, sits themselves down on several foldable stools, fish-cakes and chicken wings on wooden skewers, and there starts a round of "keng gai" (chatting).

There is a lot here that is reminiscent of life in simpler, older Hong Kong. Houses, shops, people, all seem to be living in a village 20 years behind. THe only jarring effect was the Park&Shops (Hong Kong's largest supermarket chain), Watsons, 7-11s and (god forbid) a McDonald's. The administration is expanding the current ferry terminal where Central boats would stop - so there's a lot of construction going on, an ominous forewarning that there'll soon be more commerce here than life.

Missed photo opportunies (sniff. Sometimes I just want to rub salt on my wounds.)
- A stray mongrel with a mouth restraint trotting after Ophelia's gently bred city-dog Pico. [Oh the horror!] Reason for MPO: Camera stuck in bag, wasn't quick enough.
- 6-7 middle aged men lunching at a table, all on their feet, avidly staring at the big screen TV in the restaurant broadcasting a tense moment in the horse races. Hands raised, all of them with a finger pointing at the TV, cigarettes hanging from their lips. Reason for MPO: Batteries died. Forgot to charge them before I left the house.
- Old grannies gathered around in tables of 4, playing a local version of cards which were red and blue, smaller than your average players. Intense look of concentration over the coins they have on the table, pot of hot water on a little stove on the floor, ready to make more tea. Reason for MPO: Old ladies immediately protested by covering their faces with their hands when they saw me with my camera.

We got lost several times, hunting for the perfect egg tart. We didn't realize the first bakery we stopped into was not it - but we were so excited to see freshly baked tarts we didn't care - and gleefully munched into them. The amount of street snacks we consumed - the boat must have sunk a little lower when we got back on later that afternoon. We DID find the correct egg-tart place, and with a little arm-twisting, made room for some more. After all, desserts go into a separate stomach.

The boat had some challenge docking when picking us up. Since we didn't have a first mate, Kintun and Brandon were called upon to perform some acrobatic feats... not with rope, but with some desperate yells of "catch! catch!" and a grappling pole. To those who haven't seen landlubbers in their late twenties-early thirties precariously balancing on the edge of the boat while trying to not let the grappling pole drop a second time, with the rest of us laughing hysterically rather than concerned for their safety, check out THIS PICTURE.

Set off home slowly, with the sun behind us, the rocky coast of Hong Kong's green islands backlit with a rich orange hue, a slight chill in the wind.

Another satisfied day of the Good Hong Kong Life. :)

Memorable quotes:

"Wait, I haven't had that much wine - why is everything moving?" "Cos you're on a BOAT."

"Are we there yet?" "See boat here. See land there. See water in between. NO."

"Doesn't mushroom stock taste like beef stock?" "I think you need to get a different brand of mushroom stock."

"Can Pico eat [fill in the blank]?" (repeated MANY times that day)

"Can Pico swim?" "All dogs can. Here, let me prove it right now."

"Lai Niu Har translates into 'Pee-in-the-pants Prawn'." (Only people that speak Cantonese will get this.)

"The captain must be laughing at us." (when we got excited over the boat riding some large swells and it felt like we were on a roller coaster)

"Wow, he can really parallel park!" (one of our party who shall remain nameless, when the Captain was trying to dock the boat)

Thanks to: Kintun for organizing the boat, everyone else for bringing food and wine, Kitty and Brandon for communicating with the captain, Cindy for the egg tart place, Ophelia for bringing Pico and letting us make fun of you being a vegetarian - we love you anyway :), Eric and Tseyi for ordering lunch, Kelvin for letting us crash and watch DVDs at your place after on your big projector screen (even if it was some dumb horror movie and we all got freaked out at every little sound from your rear speaker), and Jin Ne, Susie, Gerald, Kelry, and Coral for making the day fun.