Allison Abroad: Weekend Happenings

I know I've been complaining how I want to just leave Hong Kong and get to the US ASAP already, but this weekend was wonderful. I managed to see a lot of friends before we all start departing for the summer, and I just felt very happy and content with my free time. Uneventful weekends are so sweet when you've had a long week at work.

Here are some things I did this lovely weekend.

Yoga

I went to a brilliant vinyasa 2 yoga class on Saturday, and the fact that it was at 9 AM shows how brilliant it was, because it takes a lot for me to wake up early in the mornings, much less on a weekend, much less to go work out. I wore bright purple leggings to try to cajole myself into the mood. The muscles in my back and sides are pleasantly slightly sore today - not so bad that it hurts to move, but just enough that I am reminded I worked out really well yesterday.

This teacher is one of my favorite teachers at Pure, and I have become a loyal devotee to her class more than to any other instructor that I've had in my time in Hong Kong. I love her precise instructions, which help me achieve more in each pose every time I am on the mat. I also love some of the tidbits that she throws out at the end of class, which is not at all the Sanskrit chanting that I neither understand nor know how to say, nor the trite poems that some teachers read, but rather truly heartfelt bits of advice or insight into parallels between experiences in the yoga studio and our every day life. That is the kind of inspiration I can believe in, and support.

Brunch

After yoga, I partook in one of my favorite activities, brunching, but only because of the optimal time of day. Clearly I'm not a morning person. I met up with a former colleague who has become a very dear friend. We bonded the way being the only two women in the senior trenches of Biglaw will cause you to bond. I was very lucky to have her as my office neighbor, good for a legal question or a sanity check or just for a moment of comedic relief. Seeing her now is always bittersweet, because I'm glad I met her but also feel a bit of a pang because I miss the camaraderie with her in the office.

Shoe Shopping

Is there anything better than shoe shopping? I think the only thing that could have made this better was if I had a big cup of creamy frozen yogurt (original all the way) with me while I was trying on the shoes. I bought two pairs of shoes, both on 50% sale plus an additional 15% off - and I really had to talk myself off of the ledge of a third pair (baby pink suede Vince block heels with a pretty ankle strap).

I got a pair of white leather perforated Vince slip on's (I already have a pair in gray, but I wear these shoes nearly every day and at this price, it was the very rare time when a product is cheaper in Hong Kong than in the U.S., thereby fully justifying my purchase). Since hopping on the slip-on trend, I find shoelaces so... tedious.

I also bought a pair of sandals because the colors and textures made me smile. They're also very comfortable. Schutz is a Brazilian label that makes pretty good quality, comfortable shoes. For these, I was willing to go with a shoe with a strap, which means I like them enough for the extra buckling effort/commitment (see sentiments above).

Packing

As referenced before, I have an insane dedication to packing my suitcase in the most beautiful and orderly way possible. I (sadly) do not have this predilection in any other aspect of my life (Why, Marie Kondo?). I was immensely satisfied to fit all of my outfits, toiletries, and shoes into one carry on, nestled into a bigger suitcase, with some clothes and shoes lined around the carry on. Not bad for a 3.5 week trip spanning city, home, beach, office, and negotiations (which means office wardrobe squared). I nearly always use the suitcase-within-a-suitcase packing for my trips home, because the idea is that I will fill the huge suitcase with everything I want to buy/stock up on in the US, and return with two fully packed bags.

Reading

There's nothing more lovely than sitting down to complete peace and quiet, with a big glass of lemon sparkling water, a big bowl of cherries, and a good book. There are so many good ones out right now - which reminds me, it's already halfway through the year!! (Gasp, how did that happen). My semi-annual reading post to come soon.

Blogging

Duh. Although I'll just say that I love blogging and I'm always surprised when I sit down at the laptop to find what pours out of my mind and fingers onto the page. Sorry if it's rambling and long-winded sometimes. It's like meditation for a person who can't meditate (I know, I know).

Art and Cultural Appreciation

I know I just blogged that Hong Kong has been so hot and sunny but this weekend it took a turn for the worse - hot and rainy, therefore incredibly humid and muggy. It feels hard to breathe and even my hair, which is like the straightest thing out there, was curling. Despite the rain, my friend and I headed out to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Sha Tin to check out the special exhibit, focused on some special pieces on loan from The Louvre. The exhibit was pretty small and I wasn't that impressed with the pieces they shipped over - all tiny prints and small to medium sized paintings, with lots of marble busts of old men. However, it was still great to get the chance to visit a new museum I hadn't been to previously.

The highlight for me was actually the exhibit about the Hall of Mental Cultivation, an area in the Forbidden City that was used and occupied by eight successive emperors of China, until the last one (Emperor Puyi) abdicated the throne in 1912. It's crazy, but that was the end of over 2,000 years of monarchical rule. Walking through the exhibit made me want to watch The Last Emperor again.

There was a Bruce Lee sculpture at the front of the museum, too. They were running a separate exhibit which we didn't have time to see.

Lunch at Hawker 18

I was so hungry that I couldn't really bother to be picky about where to eat - just wanted to go somewhere right by the museum that wasn't going to have a long wait (like Din Tai Fung) but that also was moderately healthy (so, no Triple O's). As with most things in the New Territories, we found ourselves in a mall - and, as a result, at a food court in the mall. My friend and I ate at the Hawker 18, sampling a Singaporean meal of seafood laksa, Hainanese chicken, stir fried morning glory, and roti with curry. The only thing that was really standout was the roti (and that's hard to mess up). Everything else was either kind of bland, or too salty. Plus, I just don't like sambal sauce that much, and this place seemed hell bent on dumping it into every single dish.

Nap

I took a nice, long nap. Because napping is very important. And because the walking and the rain made me sleepy.

Dinner

I went to Black Salt with another girl friend for a catch up and chat this evening. I had walked by this restaurant before but hadn't had the chance to try it yet. To my surprise, it wasn't a fish and chips joint or a bar but a cozy small restaurant serving a mix of small plates.

The food had Indian elements (home made paneer, vindaloo, and tikki masala chicken) but then it wasn't heavy on curry and actually introduced a lot of Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern flavors (liberal use of cilantro, tomatoes, salsa, couscous, pomegranate studded rice). It was intriguing, and tasty. I would come back here.