www.elahnzetlin.com
Jul 5

3 months after leaving Australia I have returned to cold and grey Melbourne! Awesome! Hong Kong humidity behind me I said my farewells to Jacob and chicken feet and boarded a Cathy Pacific plane for a 9 hour flight home.

P7021280

Sad me on the plane. Narrow seats and a large armed passanger sitting next to me. Dang!

The flight gave me time to gather my thoughts and take in the wonderful time I’ve had over the last 3 months, the places I’ve been, food ate and people met.

Some stats -

  • Planes flown in - 10
  • Beds slept in - 18
  • Countries visited (including airport stop overs) - 6
  • Oceans/bodies of water swam in - 5
  • Haircuts - 2

P7021285

Arriving back in Melbourne Dana and Russell pick me up from the airport. Dana, looking like she’s about to pass a bowling ball, and Russ looking like an excited expectant father drive me to Lara and Julians place where I finally take my shoes off to allow my feet to recover from the hundreds of kilometers walked.

P7021286

For now I’m happy to rest up and get back into a routine. I’m happy to be home and to be here for Dana and Russell’s new arrival (hurry up!) and to spend some time saving up money for my next big adventure overseas. But that won’t mean the end of my bloggin escapades. Be on the look out for my new site coming soon. It’s a surprise but I’m sure it will still entertain and educate. For now I call it “Chapter 2″.

Thanks to my blog commenter fanclub. You know who you are. At least 2 people were reading and cared. Either that or it was a slow, boring day at work. I think the later.

Elahn.

Jul 4

Ah…cloudy, rainy, hot and humid Hong Kong. So fun sweating my shirts 30 seconds out the front door. I love it. Really do.

NOT!

The food here is great. There is so much variety as long as you like Chinese food or anything else from Asia that makes use of the whole animal. You pick. Fish? Eat fish head soup. Like chicken? Then you can at least try chicken livers, necks and feet. I love chicken feet. Seriously, I do. Not many people do and complain that they wouldn’t eat them because they’ve been walking on the dirty ground. My response is always to ask them if they know where eggs come from.

chicken
I give you my feet. Eat them lovingly

So for lunch one day I ordered some chicken feet. The restaurant staff looked confused as to why a round eye like me would order something so “not western”. Eventually they came, along with my french fries, coke, vanilla thickshake and toy.

P6291205

Although the sauce was excellent, the feet themselves were small, cold and missing digits. Not like in Australia where when you order chicken feet at yum cha you get big, hot, flavoursome feet with all toes accounted for. The type of feet where you can picture this wonderful large beast walking proudly around the farm (free range of course!) clucking and pecking, laying an egg or 3, awaiting the farmers knife, giving of herself those yummy feet, complete with all 4 toes, large like a concert pianists fingers, like a ballerina’s dainty legs

P6291204

On another occasion cousin Jacob took his staff out for lunch to farewell his editor who obviously couldn’t handle toe-less chicken feet of substandard quality. In a show of oneupmanship dishes were brought out with increasing amounts of chili and hallucinogenic seeds

P6301215
Jacob and his adoring followers

P6301216
The dish that makes Marines cry.

Hanging out with Jacob was great fun. He’s a genuinely friendly guy who knows a lot of people and everyones loves having him around. He’s funny, good looking, social and connected. A lot like me really! He took me out to some of the best clubs, bars and restaurants in Hong Kong, always with some of the hottest model friends of his. It’s a tough life

P6301224

P6301232

P6301244

P6301255

On my last day in Hong Kong Jacob took me to The Peak where the view overlooking Hong Kong is amazing. As well as enjoying the sights we also got in some acting like silly tourists and taunting children.

P7011259

P7011261

P7011263
McDull on the peak. Whaa??

P7011265
Take that McDull! You stupid touristy icon of Hong Kong

P7011266
See larger

P7011267

P7011268

Jun 28
Hong Kong Synagogue and hot dogs.
icon1 Elahn | icon2 travel | icon4 06 28th, 2008| icon3Comments Off

Walked up to one of 8 Synagogues in Hong Kong today. Wanted to see it although it’s Saturday and would be shut after this morning’s service. Still, it was a nice day - only raining slightly and was only 95% humidity - and it was of great interest to me. Arriving at the Synagogue I took this photo -

P6281188

Just after I took the photo a security guard came up to me. This is the conversation we had -

Guard: Hello, can I help you?
Me: No.
Guard: Did you take a photo of the Synagogue?
Me: Yes.
Guard: Sorry, but you cannot take photos of the Synagogue.
Me: Why not?
Guard: It is private property.
Me: Yes, but I am on the public footpath.
Guard: But you cannot take a photo of it.
Me: That’s silly. There is no reason why I cannot take photos of it.
Guard: Are you Jewish?
Me: Would that make a difference?
Guard: If you are Jewish you can take photos of it.
Me: If I’m Jewish I can take photos of the Synagogue?
Guard: Yes.
Me: Well then, I’m Jewish.
Guard: Do you have any proof you are Jewish?
Me: What, like Jewish ID papers? I could drop my pants for you?
(We are both somewhat amused at this conversation and are laughing. The guard also fails to see the necklace I have on with Hebrew inscription)
Me: Yes, I am Jewish, from Australia. I cannot prove to you I am Jewish other than showing you my penis.
Guard: (a bit flustered) Anyway, Synagogue is closed. Will be open tomorrow. You can come then and take photos.
Me: It’s open tomorrow? I can take photos then? Even if I’m not Jewish?
Guard: Yes, anyone can come.

It does my head in sometimes. Probably not as much as seeing two huskies suffering the Hong Kong heat and humidty in full coats.

P6281189

I asked the lady why she doens’t shave them for the summer, keep them cool. Her reply was, “No, then they would look stupid”. Perhaps she needs to see the dogs in Israel. How stupid of her.

Jun 28
Mongkok markets.
icon1 Elahn | icon2 travel | icon4 06 28th, 2008| icon3Comments Off

I’d thought I’d seen it all when it comes to supersized shopping malls, retail outlet factories and basement bargains, but the shopping area of Mongkok takes the cake for looking most like Las Vegas for retail therapy.

mongkok

Getting to Mongkok is a simple train ride from Hong Kong. The MTR system is bloody brilliant and each station is huge, clean, well designed and easy to get in and out of.

P6271159

P6271161

In Mongkok there are several blocks lined with shops, food stalls and much more. Large flashing neon lights blink the latest mobile phone or designer shoe, ladies stand outside foot massage parlours (yes…just feet!), shop after shop of electronics, computers, televisions and stereos, clothing shops with good quality yet cheap shirts, jeans and acessories. Even the light rain and humidity didn’t keep people away.

P6271162

P6271164

P6271165Bargain shoppers can even find a boyfriend for the right price. 

P6271166Peggy. She sold me some shirts.

P6271167Apparently if you eat fried squid, lambs testicles and duck kidneys you can get a sixpack stomach like that dude. 

P6271169Hotels that rent by the hour for “business meetings”. 

P6271171

Â

Jun 26
Crazy Kong.
icon1 Elahn | icon2 travel | icon4 06 26th, 2008| icon33 Comments »

Writing this post from Jacobs apartment in downtown Hong Kong. Outside it’s raining, windy, humid and hot. Jacob, like me, goes through several shirts a day due to them getting soaked in sweat, usually his own, sometimes from spitting locals.

Mostly the Hong Kongians are friendly, sociable, honest and sincere. Everywhere I’ve been, in every restaurant and shop they are very welcoming, not too loud (like those Israelis!) and are surprised that a “round eye” like me has parents born in China. It blows their mind!

I’ve managed to spend some time with cousin Jacob and his friends and am having a great time in the process. There are many things I cannot write about here though but I’m sure to pass on some stories in private to some of you. The rest is pending a court order and possible fine for indecent behaviour!

P6241078The Red Lantern district of Hong Kong. Right next to the Blue Paperweight district. 

Read the rest of this entry »

« Previous Entries