Japanese Style Garden

Inspiration for Japanese style Garden

60 Hours around Hong Kong

Before You Arrive, Download these apps.

Open Rice

Hong Kong Tramway App

Hong Kong Island Walk App

Hong Kong City Walk

Get An Octopus

Octopus is a transportation pass accepted all over Hong Kong. Use it for transportation and parking, at retail outlets, convenient stores and vending machines. You can get one in the airport information booth, 7-11, or anysubway station. Charge it up once you get it. I suggest putting $200 HKG in the card. You will be able to use it immediately for the Airport express from airport to Central station.
There is type of Octopus pass specially designed for tourists, as the remaining balance is refundable. If you ever need more $$ on it, charging station are available in the MTR (subway, tube) station.
Learn More

Grab a bite in the airport

If you are famished by this time, there are quite a few authentic eateries in the airport, and the quality is generally acceptable despite the slight wait. For some typical Hong Kong Style or Southern Chinese style food:

• Crystal Jade (Signature: xiao long bao - Soup filled dumpling; Lai Mien - noodles) 
• Tsui Wah Restaurant (Local HK Cafe food: King Prawn on Noodle, Hong Kong Style Milk Tea, Crispy bun with Condense Milk, Malaysian Brisket Curry)
• Maxim Food2 (anything here is typical HK peasant food)

 

A. Leave your luggage and explore Central, maybe even the peak

Since the last stop of the airport express is in Central, another option is to skip the meal in the airport and head to central directly. Leave your luggage with the train station's left luggage service. Treat yourself to a good meal at IFC Mall or more eatery at the Airport Express Central station. Here are some of my choices

• Afternoon Tea at the Four Seasons (3pm - 6pm)
• Tasty Congee and Wonton
• Wagamama Japanese
• Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao 
• Palace Cafe
• Lei Garden (Unfortunately their last order for lunch is 2pm) 
• or refuel at City's Super (grocery store with cooked food section)  

From this point on there are a few fun things to do: 

1. Shop and browse in IFC
2. take a walk at the SOHO area, Hollywood Road, and Gramham street along the Central-Mid-Level escalator (don't go beyond Cain Road, it is mainly residential)
   There are lots of small shops, vegetable market stands, bars, pubs, local eateries and food stand along the way.
3. take the minibus from IFC to the peak.
   *for minibuses, you need to know where you want to get off and scream out your stop to the bus driver, in this case, thank goodness, is terminal to terminal
4. explore the peak. 
5. (before 4pm) Take a walk at the "Hong Kong Trail" natural walk, it is a approximately 1 hour walk
6. Try one Tai Cheong egg custard tart, a typical HK snack
7. Dine at Cafe Deco, around 5pm-6pm ask for a window seat if they can entertain that, they have a beautiful night with with no extra cost. Take a picture of the stolen Art Deco light from the buffalo train station.

When you are done, take the same minibus or taxi back to Airport Express Terminal. Hop on a taxi to get back to your hotel. (You can use your octopus card again on minibus, but not taxi)

 

B.  Causeway Bay, Northpoint and WanChai

Eat a light meal in the airport. After dropping off your luggage in the hotel, take the MRT to WanChai area. In WanChai, you can check out the following places:

1. Computer Center above the MTR station (Exit A4), the place sells any phone, digital camera and computer gadget you can imagine. 
2. Vegetable and Meat Market in Wanchai. Walk from the MTR station (exit A3) through Tai Wo Street or Tai Yuen Street towards Hopewell Center, you will find one of the oldest vegetable and meat neighborhood street market existing. They also sell jade ornaments, and other nig-nags
3. Take the Tram (use the Tram App!) from Wan Chai to Causeway bay. Unlike any other public transportations, you pay when you get off. Go to the second floor and pick a window seat towards the front. The view is good up there. 
4. Get off near sogo department store. 
5. Go to Haysun Place Mall.  There's plenty to shop, including a huge art book store on the 9-11 floor. 
6. Grab at snack in Cafe Habitu on the (8th floor) or the authentic Honeymoon Dessert (11th floor). Get the Mango pancake. 
7. If you are ready for a chinese meal here, try the "Dining Room" or "Red Almond" Restaurant, or Ho Hung Kee for a light meal. The food court is also quite good.  
8. Or you can wall around some more. In the nearby Time Square, the top floors are all restaurants. I recommend the Lei Garden Restaurant, another international cuisine SML is also fun. 
9. If you enjoy the Tram trip take it all the way from causeway bay to North Point.
   
   

Other Activities

Lamma Island

A rather tourist friendly island fairly close to the city. You can take a ferry from Central Pier near IFC. 

Must see: Yung Shu Wan Main Street and Tin Hau Temple

Jumbo Floating Kingdom

Floating restaurant with a lot of history. Located in Aberdeen. There might ferry going from Lamma to Aberdeen.

Wendy Lp Font - Beautiful handwriting font

http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/adobe/wendy-lp/

Starbucks $1 Off Coupon, Yaye! I hope it works!

"Hallelujah" The best link to send when you are done with a tough project

http://www.hallelujah-chorus.com/download/mp3.html

3 Days in Hong Kong on the cheap

3 Days in Hong Kong
Hotel Recommendation (Under $150 USD)

Causeway Bay/Wan Chai/Happy Valley Area

• Emperor (Happy Valley) HotelNo.1 Wang Tak Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
• South Pacific Hotel
  23 Morrison Hill Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
• Best Western Hotel Causeway Bay
  38 Bowrington Road, Causeway Bay, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
• The VELA Hong Kong Causeway Bay Hotel
  84-86 Morrison Hill Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
• Gloucester Luk Kwok Hong Kong
  72 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
• The Wharney Guang Dong Hotel
  57-73 Lockhart Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
• Empire Hotel Hong Kong Wan Chai
  33 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
• Empire Hotel Causeway Bay
  8 Wing Hing Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
• V Wanchai2
  139 Thomson Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
• The Fleming
  41 Fleming Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

From Nest to Yoky Matsuoka

From a email report sent by "Nest" -- the company that makes the most popular smart thermostat, I started reading about "Yoky Matsuoka" who currently serves as Nest's technology director. This master mind behind many neurological and robotic innovations is definitely my inspiration of the day.