Nom Nom Nom

Eating your feelings?  Drink them, instead.

Insecure?

Feeling insecure?  Drink your way to confidence!

Curious George

Do people read this blog?  I have no idea who my audience is.  I sometimes wonder if I should make it really public (i.e. post the link on my facebook).  Not sure about that one.  Your opinion is welcome.

I did a semi-clean today.  Which basically means I didn't vacuum.  I hate pushing that sucker around.  I did Swiffer the floor and busted out my Swiffer Slippers.  Genius!  It is really hot in the house.  I guess summer is really kicking in full swing now.  I have a few things to knock off my to-do list.  Then Mr. Ho and I are going to go get Rocky some food and go grocery shopping.  I love my husband.  Have I said that recently?

So excited because DHuang will be in town this weekend!  I am SO SO SO happy about that.  I miss her so much.

Asian Invasion

I can't believe a Korean girl pop group is going to tour with the Jonas Brothers. Pretty amazing.

Did You Know...

That on July 8, 2009, 6 seconds after 4:05 AM or PM, it will be 04:05:06 07/08/09?  This won't happen again in our lifetimes.  WITNESS, bitches!

Today, is the first full day that SIL has been gone.  To think that she JUST landed in Australia.  Poor thing.  Mr. Ho is at football practice and I'm just shooting the sh*t.  Oh, my parents learned how to use Skype!  So it will be fun "seeing" them more often.  

I guess I should update on the no-buy.  I guess I didn't pull through.  I bought this one dress that I swore I was going to return, but I loved it SO much that I decided to keep it.  And I bought the Lady Gaga CD - only so I can email the songs to SIL because she's obsessed with her.  Oh, and Mr. Ho bought me 2 American Apparel deep-v tshirts today.  No excuses.  I suck.  I still will try not to purchase too many things, though. 

GLEE!

I was in Hong Kong when the pilot aired. I just got around to watching it on hulu. How have I wanted till this long?? I am so in love with this show. I can't wait for the premiere in the fall. Enjoy the best rendition of one of my all time favorite songs.

Another GLEE clip

Today

Today I feel annoyed.  

Pop Died

My favorite Michael Jackson song would have to be PYT.  Followed by Beat It, Bad, Thriller, Man in the Mirror, and countless others.

RIP King of Pop.

Dumb but Hot

I am obsessed with this dress.

A Good Night

Tonight was a spontaneous night for BFFF.  SIL and I took her away for date night and the three of us enjoyed dinner at Coastal Flats.  I also made them watch The Hangover.  This is the second time for me and it's still just as funny.  After I saw it the first time, I told Mr. Ho that I HAD to watch it again with BFFF because I knew she would die.  And boy, she D.I.E.D.  I didn't know if SIL would love the entire movie but I knew she would get a kick out of all the dental references.  It's such a fabulous movie.  Two thumbs up all around.

This is SIL's last week before her big move to Australia and I'm trying to usurp her time as much as I can.  We had a great heart-to-heart last night, thanks to some major champagne.  Today was a great pool day and date night.   Tomorrow, I'm taking her to Leah to get her hair cut and colored for an early birthday present.  Not sure about Thursday, but I'll be sure to be on her.  Friday, definitely doing the last supper at her favorite joint, Honeypig.  And Saturday, I'll be personally escorting her to the airport.  The dreaded day will be here before you know it, but I take comfort in the fact that she will return in 6 months.  And then another 6 month after that!

Good night!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

I must look EXACTLY like I did in high school.  Just like in the streets of Hong Kong, someone from high school spots me in a crowd of people.  We were walking downtown and an old classmate shouts out my name.

I welcome youth but I hope I look wiser/prettier/more mature than I did in high school.  

I don't know why I am not sleeping right now.

Where the Heart Is

Yesterday, I went back to my hometown to attend Chelle's bachelorette party.  I've gone back to Frederick to run a few errands, but have not gone downtown in a long time.  It was nice to be back - driving around route 40, down the dark-ass roads by Fitz's house.  I enjoyed walking around downtown and seeing how much the town has changed, and not changed.  Parts of downtown are so beautiful, but there are still ignorant jerks, but I guess you can find those anywhere.  It was fun running into people I haven't seen in years, but I think I will have to trim the fat on Facebook.  I figure if you can't say hi to me when you see me in person, then we shouldn't be Facebook friends.

Even though nostalgia hit me like a ton of bricks, at the same time, I felt like a stranger.  When I'm in the middle of my tight knit circle of girlfriends, I feel very much at home.  They are really the only reason I am still connected there.  But, I don't even know how to get around anymore - I thought Middletown was near Walkersville.  Most of all, I felt kind of out of place.  Even though it's home, it's not anymore.  I felt a sigh of relief when I got near Tysons Corner, a bit giddy when I rounded up Nutley Street, and elation when I got into my own bed.  

10 years ago, Frederick was all I knew.  I never thought I would let it go, but now I realize I have.  When did that happen?  I've come so far from where I was.  And I'm happy right here!

My MOH Speech

Hello.

My name is Mrs. Ho and I am honored to call SIL my sister-in-law.  I am also her matron-of-honor/wedding helper.

When SIL first started planning her wedding, I gave her some space and helped her with what you called “matron of honor duties” – dress shopping, bridal shower planning – little things.

But as time went on, I noticed she showed so much more enthusiasm for everything OTHER than wedding planning, including:  pulling weeds from my yard (we like to call that landscaping), cleaning out my basement storage room, hanging up pictures, going to the paint store 6 times to find the perfect shade of red for my kitchen, reading the entire Twilight series, eagerly anticipating the next episode in her Korean drama, wrangling me into watching 2 seasons of Dexter back-to-back, and when I thought she was doing wedding stuff in her room, I would come to find that she was actually finding ways to sponsor me in Mrs. Asia USA pageants. 

So I stepped in and we made a business deal that I would help her with the details.  When she sent me emails to add to my ever-growing to-do list, she would also add lines like, “I hope you will love me again one day.”

I would laugh out loud reading lines like that, because there is nothing that would keep me from loving her.  Even though I think she is crazy at times, she’s still my sister.

SIL has been living with us for the past year and I was definitely open to her moving in, frankly, because I knew I always had the option of kicking her back to her parent’s house.  We have had such an amazing time living together.  We’ve worked on our fitness with our personal trainer, my husband, Mr.Ho.  It’s so much easier to laugh when he yells at you for “deviating from the regimen” when you really just want to cry.  SIL would push his buttons by suggesting we do pull-up contests, and bench-pressing contests rather than follow his routine.

We successfully alienated my neighbors a little more.  Whether it be swigging champagne on the front stoop while their kids are playing outside or running sprints in the middle of the road with an unleashed bulldog while the neighbors are driving home from work.  Or when we formed an impromptu Neighborhood Watch Group called Crimewatch: Farrcroft! by ringing a neighbor’s doorbell at 1 AM to tell them their car had been running for the past 4 hours.

And at the same time, SIL has taught me things along the way.  Like her awesome new moves from her DanceJam classes, which I’m sure she will demonstrate for us later this evening.  Or how to make snackpaks by basically throwing in all leftover chips, cookies, and cracker crumbs into a ziplock baggie and keeping in my purse in case I get hungry on the fly.  Or the benefits of prophylactic drug usage.  I learned her favorite subject in school was pharmacology and she taught me that if you’re feeling sick, you better take that medicine, even if you’ve been drinking.  She’s my kind of doctor! 

SIL, the new appointed Poon-Tai Junior, I feel so lucky that I’ve had this past year with you.   I had the opportunity to get to know you so well.  And we have strengthened and fortified our relationship, our sisterhood for life.  Even though you are 6 months older than me, I have this strange urge to always take care of you – to feed you, to house you, to protect you from mean girls – like when you asked me to yell at the 12-year olds who were staring us down at the mall.  And now that you will be across the world from me, and not down the hallway, I feel reassured that you have BIL to look after you – to make sure you are healthy, happy, and entertained.

I’ve been married a little over a year, which obviously makes me an expert on marriage.  So I can tell you two to always confide in each other, to trust each other, to be honest with each other.  Even though there will be times you might want to hold a pillow over their face while their sleeping, you will never find a better friend, a BFF, than your spouse. 

SIL + BIL, I love you two so much.  Congratulations!  Cheers, everyone!

(FE)Male

Once upon a time, if you saw a man shopping in the women's section, you thought, "Aw.  What a nice guy.  Buying a present for a woman in his life."  Mother, sister, grandmother, daughter, BFF, whatever.

Now, you see the same man in the women's section, and you think, "I bet he's a cross-dresser."

My, how times have changed.

I saw a cross-dresser at Ulta today.  From behind, a beautiful blonde - perfectly coiffed hair, great sundress, cute wedge heels.  From the front, total adam's apple.  

SIL's VA Wedding

24 hours from now, I hope to be drunk and happy that SIL's wedding went without a hitch!  Please send me good vibes for my speech.  I'm already getting nervous!

I wore my Loubs for the 2nd time today.  I am in love.  They are amazingly comfortable!  Much more than the YSLs.

OK, need to stop procrastinating and go do an aspirin mask, take a shower, and get some beauty rest!

Will update later.

Goodnight!

My Debut

Watch the Wale video again and stop around the 2:29 mark.

I'm a video vixen.  Woot!

Netflix Update

The Reader - Read the book so I knew what was going to happen.  But didn't prepare me for the raciness when the book comes to life.  Thought they did a great job casting the young Ralph Fiennes character.  Mr. Ho noticed Kate Winslet's hairy armpits.  Of course.

Australia - I recall this movie getting panned.  Didn't it cost millions and tanked at the box office?  I thought it was pretty good.  Nicole Kidman's face looked weird.  Hugh Jackman, well, you can never go wrong with Wolverine.  And I knew Neil Fletcher looked familiar - Faramir from the Lord of the Ring series!  It was ridiculously long though.  I shed a few tears.

Today was a very productive wedding day.  I was sitting at the island, cranking away when I saw the storm a-brewin'.  And I will admit.  I was scurred!!  I saw the sky change, the trees look like they were about to be blown over, and the lightning strike.  I hate when thunder shakes the house.  Other than that, storms are pretty cool.

I can't wait to get the new iPhone!

There is no way I can post Mr. Ho's Dirty 30 video on here.  Youtube has a 10 minute limit on their site and this thing is a little over 16 minutes long.  Boo.

I really do try to read the news, but lately, I've been avoiding it.  Disappearing planes, journalists sentenced to hard labor, mom dead - baby taken out of uterus, american car industry going down the shitter...  it's so depressing.  I'd much rather immerse myself in Charm School and the Real Housewives of New Jersey.

You know what news coverage pisses me off?  The Jon & Kate + 8 crap.  I caught a few of the new episodes and I can't believe how much Kate has changed - high heels, pink sundresses, red leather jackets, skinny jeans, tanned, manicured, make-up done, hair done (if you call that backwards mullet, done)...  Seriously?  I miss her in sweatpants and when she had the belly of a dog's jowls, as she called it.  It's obvious her and Jon are so over.  Doing the past 2 seasons have completely killed their marriage.  They don't even do the interviews anymore.  How sad for the kids, who are still unbelievably cute!

And my last note of the day, I am so happy to announce the 2.55 is now in my possession!  WOOT!

Ramblings

I am totally procrastinating on cleaning our bathroom.  The rest of the house is clean (it is Monday Clean-Day afterall) but I really don't want to do our bathroom.  Today is one of those days where I need to bust out the Clorox and go over everything with a freaken toothbrush.  So annoying.  I really detest the smell of Clorox. 

The weekend was a lot of fun.  Friday night, Mr. Ho and I went to see Russell Peters at the DC Improv and we had such a great time!  The opening act, Mike Young, was so funny.  I think he's coming out with a HBO special soon.  But no one compares to Russell.  Mr. Ho feared he would recycle his old stuff, but he kept it fresh and hilarious!  He is so good at making fun of people in the audience.  I would definitely go see him again. You know why else this was a good night?  I got to wear my Loubs for the first time!  I wish the bottoms would never scuff.  

Saturday, Mr. Ho and I had dimsum with SIL, BIL, and Grandma Ho at Mark's Duck House.  Afterwards, we picked up Big A and took him to the Fairfax Fair.  I haven't been to a fair in so long and it just showed me how much I have aged.  Rides that I used to LOVE now make me feel so damn nauseous.  Heights that used to thrill me scare the crap out of me.  At least A had lots of fun!  We took him to eat at Todai and the boy ate 4 avocado rolls, broccoli, green hello, pineapples, edamame, and some grapes.  He is too funny.  We were exhausted after the day with him (babysitting is great birth control) so we just watched Bolt and went to sleep.

Sunday, we went to church and then went to DC to pick up crabs at the waterfront.  Mr. Ho had wanted to go to Orlando to celebrate our 1-year but I wanted to keep it low-key - crabs and beer!  Too bad Mr. Ho had a horrible allergic reaction and broke out in hives.  He took 2 Benadryl and passed out.  It was definitely a low-key celebration :(

I can't believe SIL's wedding is less than a week!  I'm so excited that DHuang and my parents will be in town!

Ok fine.  I'll go Clorox the crap out of my bathroom.  Later.

DC Love

I really love this song and it's on heavy rotation. Lady Gaga is so fun.

BEIJING DAY 5.5 + RANDOM THOUGHTS

The following morning, Mr. Ho and I walked around Wang Fu Jang again and bought some things in the malls and along the street markets.  The two of us ate some more xiao lum bao at the same Shanghainese restaurant.  

We watched The Hitcher in the hotel and then met the parents for happy hour.  We then took a cab to the acrobatics show!  It was no Cirque du Soleil, but it was good.  This was my absolute favorite part of the show - this FOB music finale!

  

The four of us ate noodles for dinner and then Mr. Ho and I had some drinks in the lobby lounge, where we reminisced about our trip, talked about how much we missed our dog-son, and discussed how the real world sucks, vacations rock!

On our final day, Mr. Ho and I went back to the massage place to get full body massages, cupping, and foot massages.  Check out our disgusting backs!  I was so fearful that these marks would be a permanent part of our backs but they started fading the next day.  The reason why we got the cupping in the first place was because the masseuse told me I had a bad lower back!  (Remember the wack doctor who told me the same thing??!)  I've never had a problem with my lower back, thus, I was so surprised to hear him tell me that, too!  Does that mean my womb really is cold??

 

 

The plane ride was long - a direct 13-hour flight from Beijing to Dulles.  SIL and brother met us at the airport, and I was so happy to be home.  Rocky was SOOO excited to see us!  I decided to unpack and clean-up, while Mr. Ho had the energy to go out with some friends.  

Here are a few facts/thoughts about Beijing:

1.  Bicycles everywhere!  No helmet law, either.  And they are just as aggressive as cars!  

2.  People are taller, bigger, and tanner.

3.  The city is just a lot dirtier.  Landmarks had litter everywhere.

4.  The people are just so crass.  They are REALLY loud.  Many of them have long fingernails that they use to pick at their earwax, noses, and whatever crevices they can get into.  And of course, then stare at the "treasure" they have found.  Let's not forget all the loogies I heard being hoked (how do you spell that word?) all around me.  SO GROSS.  Oh, and farting is just an open book there.  Fart here, fart there.  

I am so thankful for this trip.  I hope we are as fortunate in the future and have more opportunities to travel!  And then, my dearest readers will have more entries about the Ho's Going Global!

BEIJING DAY 3+4

We started off switching rooms because there was a weird smell coming from the mini-fridge.  I think I was the culprit when I blew that fuse.  Oh well.

The family took a taxi to Summer Palace and walked around.  This was probably Mr. Ho's favorite place.  It is an expansive area with temples, living quarters, a huge body of water, and lots of green.  Empress Dowager Cixi had this place built, I believe.  Now that is a HBIC if I've ever heard of one.  We took many pictures that day and I ate about 4 pineapple popsicles, because, you guessed it - it was so hot.  

We ate lunch at Shanghai Spring where they had even better xiao lum bao and then took a mini-break, where Mr. Ho and I watched With Honors on HBO.  We tried to make it to the changing of the guards at Tiananmen Square, but we were a little late.  We were going to eat peking duck/real Beijing cuisine at this restaurant inside the Grand Hyatt but they were completely packed.  So we had some drinks in the lobby lounge and had food at our hotel instead.

The next morning, we all hopped in a cab to

 Forbidden City, which is was the imperial palace for several dynasties (thanks, Wikipedia!).  This place was humongous!  After every temple/courtyard we went through, I was amazed at how many more we still had to see.  My favorite part of this place was the Imperial Gardens, where they had these really old trees that were gnarly and twisted.  My second favorite part?  Seeing ALL the tourists!  I love checking out fob fashion!  We then walked over to Tiananamen Square again.  It is literally a square, so not much time was spent there.  

Mr. Ho and I had some sushi at Wa Ki Zen where I got this huge meal for only $11.  We watched You Got Served back at the hotel and then met up with the parents to have peking duck at the aforementioned place, Made in China.  This was probably one of the top 3 meals I had on the entire trip.  It was SO Delicious.  The peking duck was SO tender and SO juicy.  That peking place in Arlington pales in comparison!  

There was a ridiculous wait for the taxi and when we got back, I fell asleep watching Moulin Rouge.  

BEIJING DAY 1 + 2

The next morning, we packed our bags and headed us to the airport.  The ride was only 3 hours or so and Mr. Ho and I slept for most of it.  After getting off the plane, we had to wait in this humongous line because security required every single person to get their temperature taken - thanks, swine flu!  The taxi to the hotel proved Beijing was a whole new world.  My mother-in-law was in shock at how horrible the drivers were.  I can't even describe how close they cut each other off.  

After checking into the Park Plaza, we walked around Wang Fu Jang, which is a shopping district.  Beijing definitely is not walkable like Hong Kong.  While they have a metro system, it certainly isn't as nice and things are much more spread out.  We ate hot pot for lunch and explored the area a bit more.  There was a street market that I really loved because they served beetles, scorpions, and mini sea horses on a stick!  

Our hotel offered a complimentary happy hour so we took FULL advantage of that!  We called it an early night - we were all still tired from the wedding.  I accidentally blew a fuse while plugging in the blow-dryer.  But they fixed it within 10 minutes and were asleep by 8:30 PM!

My husband is a lot like his father - each morning, my father-in-law woke up around 7 AM to go exploring by himself!  The next day, we took a bus tour.  Amy was our tourguide and we were with 2 other germans, 2 truckers from Ohio, and this other Mainland chinese girl who kept taking pictures of Mr. Ho and myself.  Not posed pictures, but of us walking around and stuff.  We thought she was going to tell people we were her friends - omg, we are mean!

We first stopped by the jade market and then headed to the Ming Tombs.  I was expecting something like the Terracotta soldiers, but it was just mostly a temple and some land.  

Amy then took us to this chinese medicine place, where they claim the "doctors" just have to feel your pulse on both hands, look at your tongue and eyes, and can tell everything about your body.  Mr. Ho went first and he got the 100% healthy pass.  I thought they would say the same thing for me.  But they told me I had low energy, low blood levels, a bad lower back, spent too much time on the computer, bad kidney yang (I guess the ying was fine), and here's the kicker - a cold womb.  WTF?

You know how people joke about 3rd world countries using holes in the ground for bathrooms?  This is no joke.  It wasn't like Slumdog Millionaire, but they had stalls with holes in the ground - and no flushing method.  My eyes were raped with old ladies squatting over these holes without closing their doors, and holes over-flowing with crap.  Ew, gagging right now.

Finally, we made it to the Great Wall!  I never thought in my life, that I would go there.  I was so very happy.  We took these scary-ass train/tram/roller-coaster up to the top of the Badaling portion (the entire wall is about 3000 miles long) and climbed the entire section.  It was HARD.  That damn wall has some really steep section and crazy stairs.  But the view and the mere history of the wall totally made up for it.  Oh, and this is where I got my first taste of awesome pineapple popsicles!  YUM!  

We made it back in time for happy hour and then finished the night off with even more amazing foot massages at Langzi.  All four of us were happy as clams.  We had a late night noodle meal and called it a night!

LAST HONG KONG DAY + RANDOM THOUGHTS

As I mentioned, I was pissed off pretty much all day because I thought I was going to lose my beloved YSLs FOREVER!  Mr. Ho tried to comfort me, but if you know me, if I'm upset about something and you can't change the situation, I'm still upset.  No amount of love, kisses, and sweet nothings will make me feel better.  Thank goodness, I found them.  And I was back to my lovely self!

We did laundry in the morning and then met up with one of SIL's dental school friends and walked around Mongkok.  It was a really chill day since we had to leave for Beijing the next day.  SIL's mother-in-law organized a farewell dinner at this restaurant at the Holiday Inn (yes, that Holiday Inn but about 10000x better - hello, crystal chandelier).  We ate some peking duck - again my favorite, and these really tender ribs, among other dishes.  Seriously, I have HAD IT with 8 course meals.  I felt like such a fatty McHo.

Ever since I landed in Hong Kong, all I wanted to do was a get a foot massage.  Massages are so unbelievably cheap and my friend had told me about these foot massages that I HAD To try.  So BIL's friend picked us up to take us to Fun Feet.  (I'll never forget when he told us he 

brought his "big car" and we all congregated around this van.  And then it turned out to be the M5 next to it.  I don't know why but SIL and I found this hilarious).  Mr. Ho got a full body massage but I got a neck/shoulder massage (forgot to mention I had awful neck/shoulder issues during the trip) and a foot massage.  I could have definitely fallen asleep if these two ladies weren't yapping away next to me.  SIL PASSED out.  It was really cute to see her dead asleep and this lady just workin' at her feet.

We had some drinks at BrSi and then called it a night.  

Here are some random facts/thoughts about Hong Kong, made by Mrs. Ho:

1.  Real asians (born in Asia) are truly short.  Mr. Ho and I even noticed the height of their stairs are even shorter than normal!  Mr. Ho tripped many times.  He, btw, was like the biggest asian there.  On to point 2...

2.  The men do not work out.  They are very thin and feminine.  And wow, some of them wear clothes tigther than Pamela Anderson.  Not a good look, dudes.

3.  Fobby isn't SO fobby when you're in fob-land.

4.  Louis Vuitton THREW UP on Hong Kong.  Every woman has the LV Neverfull bag.  I seriously saw it about 30 times a day.  It became a game - who can spot the Neverfull first.

5.  I made this point before, but everyone walks everywhere.  They make their kids walk too.  You don't see too many strollers.  And if you do, they are probably a tourist.  

6.  I really enjoyed not being able to understand the language.  I didn't really have to engage in conversation and could just live in my own head.  But I did notice that I can pick up context really well!

7.  Why do they leave the toilet seats up in the ladies bathrooms?

8.  Hong Kong is so clean.  There is no litter on the streets.  You'll get fined for spitting.  They make "please be hygienic" announcements over the metro airwaves.  They have plastic covers over elevator buttons that have a sign that says, "These buttons have been cleaned every hour."

9.  They have an entire universe underground with the metro system.  With classical music and everything.

10.  This is kind of mean, but the Indians there are like Mexicans here.  One Indian came up to me as SIL and I were walking and says, "Hello, Pussy.  How are you?"  

Overall, I really loved Hong Kong.  I will definitely be back!  

HONG KONG DAY 6+7

I did not get any sleep that night.  I kept worrying about Mr. Ho.  What if he got lost?  What if he got thrown in jail?  What if those boys took him somewhere shady?  I was scared and relieved when he walked in that door.  Thank goodness we had "separate" beds (they accidentally gave us one single bed, so Mr. Ho pushed his cot next to mine) because he smelled of smoke, badly.  You can smoke in restaurants and bars there, and it took 3 washings to get that smell out of my hair.

In the morning, we went to the salon for a wash and style in preparation for the wedding.  They gave me the most relaxing, most luxurious hair wash.  Girl made love to my hair follicles.  It was a great start to a tiring morning.  

SIL and I went shopping in Causeway Bay.  We had some really good sushi and then she had to leave me to do some wedding preparations.  I stayed by myself and shopping around.  I really relished the alone time and being able to go in-and-out of shops at my own pace.  

In the evening, SIL came over so the groom and bride did not spend the pre-wedding night together.  She kicked Mr. Ho out of my room and slept "next" to me - in her cot.  (Let it be known that I did offer her the better bed!)  Her auntie came over to do this special hair combing ceremony.  

The wedding day was such a blur.  Shirley and her assistant came over at 7:30 AM to do our make-up and hair.  The photographers and videographers shot us doing everything.  Right before we got in the elevator, the videographer pointed the camera to SIL and I and said, "Act cuter!"  I guess we were not fobby enough for him.  So we did the fob peace sign and called it a day.  A Bentley wisked us away to the cathedral. 

SIL was cool as a cucumber and not nervous at all.  She looked so beautiful!  The ceremony was so nice and I actually did not cry!  But I did have tissues on hand for SIL - she only needed it once :)  After photos, we all had lunch at the Banker's Club while the new bride and groom took portraits elsewhere.

At the Hong Kong Club, I helped SIL and mom get dressed in their traditional outfits for the tea ceremony.  Then helped them change again for the reception.  I was a crazy mess before the speech.  I was so nervous I could feel my heart jumping out of my throat.  I downed some wine and was definitely tipsy.  Definite evidence of tipsiness - I totally forgot which bags my stuff was in and my YSLs were missing for about 24 hours.  I was PISSED the next day.

Everything about the wedding was gorgeous - the venues, the flowers (especially), the food (foie gras, surf and turf, and I think mango cake), and of course the bride and groom.  I just realized I now have 2 brothers!  How fun.

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Poon!  Can't wait to do it again in a week!

HONG KONG DAY 4+5

I had a blueberry muffin the next morning, and boy, did it taste extra-delicious!  Mr. Ho had been bringing me these really good hotdog croissants but a pastry really hit the spot.  We met the in-law's and SIL's family up for dimsum at one of the original dimsum houses on the island - Luk Yu.  It was the BEST dimsum I've ever had.  SIL and her hubby-to-be gave us a quick tour of Lan Kwai Fong, which is pretty much the bar district.  We took the longest escalator ride up to the Hong Kong Zoological Center.  SIL wanted to walk back, but us Americans were so hot and tired of walking.  This is why asians are so small, people.  They walk EVERYWHERE.  Mr. Ho and the parents wanted to go back to the apartment, so SIL and I spent some quality time shopping and drinking more Hui Lau Shan!  We were so preoccupied that she "missed" her videographer appointment.  Oops.

Later that evening, SIL's in-laws picked us up to take us to dinner at this seafood market.  I

 forget what the restaurant was called - Saigong, maybe?  I don't know.  Each restaurant has a corresponding street market.  So after getting your table, you go down to pick out your dinner - all fresh, breathing creatures.  I was SO happy.  I love fresh seafood.  We had crabs, urchin, shrimp (actually called peepee shrimp), more fish and topped it off with mango pudding.  I was SO stuffed.  

Mr. Ho and I met up with a friend at a bar called Dragon-i in Lan Kwai Fong.  It was "model night."  Apparently, if you are a model, you get half-off drinks or something like that.  My question is, do you have some kind of special model identification card?  I could have claimed to be one of Tyra Bank's new short contestants on America's Next Top Model!  Or a Mrs. Asia USA contestant.  HAHAHAHAH!

Anyway, we met up with SIL, her fiance, and his groomsmen at Salon de Ning.  Everyone wanted to keep the party going so we transferred over to this place called Kamar.  

The next day, I went to the wedding rehearsal at St. John's Cathedral and stopped by the reception place at the Hong Kong Club.  This Club is so exclusive that they wouldn't let two of us go upstairs because they were in jeans.  Not even for 10 minutes.  I was really tired so I lounged around the apartment for bit and then went to Sam's Tailors with Mr. Ho.  He had Googled "best Hong Kong souvenirs" and custom suits was one of them.  Sam has done everyone from Michael Jackson, the Clintons, and many many other celebrities and foreign dignitaries.  His walls are plastered with these pictures.  Their labor laws must be very different from ours because Mr. Ho's 3 suits and 3 shirts were done in 2 days.  It took about a month for 1 suit and 1 shirt here in the states.  We decided this deal was too good to be true so we took our dad to get a suit and some shirts made too.  

For dinner, I demanded american food.  Mr. Ho took me to eat at the Intercontinental Hotel, where I chowed down on a caesar salad and a foie gras sandwich.  Chinese food is SO cheap.  You can get a huge bowl of noodles for $2.  My american meal was over $80!  Ridiculous, but I can't even tell you how happy I was afterwards.  Fresh veggies!  Not sauteed and smothered in oyster sauce.  Yes, I was a happy girl.

We met SIL at the apartment and went out to a really nice lounge called Sevva.  Their outdoor seating overlooks the city - very beautiful.  They took the party to this kareoke bar, where it's this one open room with different tables and where EVERYONE can hear you sing.  I did not sing, but boy, my SIL lovessss the microphone.  I was so exhausted and went home early.  But Mr. Ho stayed out till 6:30 AM.  Needless to say, he got a very stern phone call from me around 6 saying, "You better get your ass home before your father wakes up!"

Here is a video of my SIL serenading me.  She really loves me!

HONG KONG DAY 2 + 3

Considering I was living with the in-law's, I could not sleep in.  But I didn't need to because I was so excited to explore!  In the morning, the four of us took the Star Ferry over to the Hong Kong side.  We walked all the way to the Peak Tram station, and while it was nice to walk around Central, it was hot.  What am I talking about.  It was hot everyday.  Mr. Ho and I would shower twice a day - once after sight-seeing and again at night.  Gross.  We took this really steep tram up to The Peak, which may be the highest point on the island.  You can see the entire skyline.  It's so beautiful!  Let me tell you though, my mother-in-law's priority was Madame Tussard's Wax Museum.  I never thought I would ever step foot into one of those, but it was a lot of fun!  Kinda creepy sometimes because many of the statues are very lifelike.  

For lunch, we ate at Yung Kee Restaurant, which is pretty well known.  We had goose, 1000 year eggs (my fav!), duck, juk, and these weird pomelo things.  We then split with the parents and Mr. Ho and I shopped around Langham and in Mongkok.  There is a section of Mongkok called Ladies Street, where it's lined with little street markets.  We snacked on noodles in a bag (genius, actually), and I had Hui Lau Shan again!  

ANNOUNCEMENT:  I am in the land of bound feet, and I STILL could not find shoes in my size.  I was expecting to come home with a SUITCASE filled with new shoes in dainty size 34s.  But NO.  The CHINESE laughed at my feet.  Seriously, the irony.

Later that evening, SIL's fiance and father-in-law picked us up to take us to dinner at the Hong Kong Golf Club.  Hong Kong has several exclusive members-only clubs for the rich and mighty.  We were really lucky to have the opportunity to dine there.  We met more of her fiance's family and ate suckling pig, poon choi, and other really good dishes.  

This may have been the evening where I started craving american food...  

The following day, we were graced with SIL's presence in the morning.  The five of us went to eat at the Hong Kong version of Denny's or an IHOP.  I had some eggs with ketchup while the rest of the family ate macaroni soup with abalone.  Oh, SIL also introduced me to this sweet bun drizzled with condensed milk.  HEAVEN and probably about 1000 calories.  We took the subway to take the cable cars up to see the Big Buddha, but they were broken.  I think I was the only one sad about that - everyone else was relieved.  We shopped around the Citygate Outlet center - they actually had a DVF AND a Lanvin outlet store.  We decided to take the bus up to the Buddha instead, and Mr. Ho was NOT feeling well after that ride.  We climbed up the million stairs to see Buddha.  I've never seen anything like it. When we walked down, the in-laws ate this sweet tofu thing, but Mr. Ho and I refused when we saw how they were cleaning the dishes :(  After taking another windy bus ride down, we ate dimsum.  

SIL took the parents shopping while Mr. Ho and I took a delirious nap back at New World.  Mr. Ho stated singing the theme song to the old-ass cartoon, Gummi Bears.  And I sang SpongeBob.  Truly, delirious.  Later that evening, we all went shopping in Causeway Bay in search of that elusive evening gown and success was had!  Service is SO much better in Hong Kong.  I bought a dress that was way too long and alterations were included in the price.  And, everyone bargains.  I think I got 20% off the dress thanks to my mother-in-law's amazing negotiation skills.  Mr. Ho and his father sat across the street at this open bar while all this was going on.  We had dinner at another Shanghainese restaurant, but I hardly ate.  All I thought about was how good kimchee would taste with this food.  

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.