HONG KONG DAY 1.5

We had a stop in Chicago and were on our way to Hong Kong!  The plane ride (totaling about 17 hours) was not so bad.  Mr. Ho took a Xanax to calm his nerves and he was pretty much passed out the entire ride, thanks to his $80 pillow.  He kept his headphones on and jammed to his new red iPod.  He hardly talked to me, actually!  Which is a first, because if you know him, he is a leech for my attention :)  SIL and I kept occupied watching movies and eating everything they gave us.  I tried to sleep as much as I could on the plane to match Hong Kong time and I must have done a good job because I hardly felt jet-lagged while we were there!  

The first evening, SIL's in-laws met us at the airport and got us situated at the New World Apartments, which are beautiful service apartments.  Space/land is a huge commodity and we were very grateful for the spacious accommodations.  After unpacking, we ate at Golden Island restaurants, where we experienced Chiu Chau (that is phonetic spelling, btw) cuisine.  While everyone went to bed, Mr. Ho wanted to go on an "adventure" so we walked along the Avenue of Stars, where we saw the beautiful Hong Kong skyline.  Oh, this was the evening I ran into my long lost friend, Jason!  So random.  

The second day, Mr. Ho woke up really early and went on another "adventure."  He figured out the subway system and went over to the Hong Kong side, walked around town, and even had breakfast by himself.  I'm telling you, I could drop him off in the middle of the desert, and he could survive.  He came back in time to see SIL's family come over to present the Kwo Tai Lai, which is almost like a dowry presentation.  The groom's side gives gifts to the bride's side before the marriage - fruits, wines, flowers, jewelry, canned abalone, etc.  

After the little ceremony, we had lunch at Wu Kong Shanghai restaurant so I could eat my ultimate favorite xiao lum bao dumplings.  OBSESSED, I am with those!  SIL introduced me to my new obsession on this day - Hui Lau San - these really great mango infused drinks.  We shopped around Harbor City.  I was specifically on the hunt for an evening gown because I did not know I had to change before the wedding reception *ahem*.  I didn't find anything, alas.  

In the evening, we went to the Flower Market to buy flowers for SIL's in-laws.  They invited us over for a home-cooked Cantonese meal.  It was really delicious - shark fin soup, abalone, grouper, scallops, bird's nest soup, chicken, etc. - all Cantonese delicacies.  YUM!  SIL definitely needs to get me those recipes!  

I can't forget that this is the day that Mr. Ho started calling me "Baby BAHT JIAO YUE!"  Honky's (as they like to refer to themselves) have metro cards called BAHT JIAO YUEs (which means octopus - baht means 8, jiao means legs, and I forget what yue refers to... fish maybe?), which can also function like a college meal card.  Mr. Ho became really attached to this word and I became his baby octopus.