Friday, January 13, 2012

IMAGES OF HK: TEMPLE STREET circa 2011

Last Christmas 2011, we stayed in Jordan and one of the interesting places in Jordan is Temple Street!
We see Mc Donalds... we are now approaching Temple Street...


This is one of the souvenir shops as soon as we enter Temple Street.
But of course, there are also lots of souvenirs in the night market just a few meters away.

This is Temple Street as described in Wikipedia.
Temple Street is a street located in the areas of Jordan and Yau Ma Tei in KowloonHong Kong. It is known for its night market and one of the busiest flea marketsat night in the territory. The night market is in the Yau Ma Tei, Jordan part of the street and not the Mong Kok part of the street. Popular with tourists and locals alike in the evening, it is common to see the place crowded at dusk. It sells cheap merchandise and food items. The place is sometimes known as Men's Street.


This is another description of Temple Street from: http://www.time.com/time/travel/cityguide/article/0,31489,1850110_1850124_1850397,00.html

HONG KONG: 10 THINGS TO DO by LIAM FITZPATRICK

This rowdy thoroughfare in central Kowloon starts at Temple Street's junction with Jordan Road, terminates five blocks north on Kansu Street and looks like every B-movie director's dream of Chinatown. Under the glare of bare light bulbs, hawkers flog everything from bizarre patent medicines to counterfeit watches. Prostitutes work the low-rise tenements, fortune-tellers cluster by the multistory car park and impoverished Chinese opera troupes busk for a few dollars just outside the public toilets. Outdoor food stalls display still-twitching, unnameable crustacea and old men and junkies gamble on games of Chinese chess in the concrete square outside the eponymous temple. Ghetto heaven. (Nearest MTR: Jordan or Yau Ma Tei)



Night market at the background

just like our "tiangges"
The night markets really look like our "tiangges" and you can haggle in these places. But for me, haggling is someone else's talent! 
Especially, if you are haggling with someone who doesn't understand your language!
Just make sure you know the base prices of what you want to buy... in the Philippines and in Hong Kong, then, make your move. And of course, be ready to BUY, after all the haggling!
  

But, we really did not go for the night market! We went to try out the well known Chinese cuisine, hawkers style, just like in Malaysia, where we ate at the side streets.
We saw the sign Temple Street Spicy Crabs!
You would be amazed at how many people go there to eat... for tourists and even for HongKong people. 
And they usually have a large beer with their meals, even for the ladies in the table near us!


We waited for our table in the middle of the street
from Wikipedia:
The night market is famous for its snacks and roadside dining, which serves local street cuisine. It sells a wide range of delicious local delicacies.
There are also lots of restaurants selling seafood. These hot pots can be perfect for an intimate dinner. They are delicious as well as cheap. All of these culinary delicacies represent Hong Kong's traditional and unique food culture.
So, we sat and chose our food. Since we were all new at this, we decided to check out what the other table ordered, and also what sounded familiar!
see the large beer bottles in the table near us...
and also in the other tables at our back.

of course, use chopsticks!





So, I just want to share with you what we ate here in Temple Street.
Clams in oyster sauce 
Chinese vegetables

Beef with vegetables

Fried Tofu

Chili Prawns

just a close up of the chili with the prawns!

If you are not into the hawkers type, the surroundings of the place wasn't that good, BUT, the food was reaaaalllllly GREAT!


As they say, to have the ambience of a Chinatown, as in the movies, Temple Street is one place to be in!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

IMAGES OF HK: BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL BUILDING FACADES circa 2011

Hong Kong is known for its skyscrapers and symphony of lights, where building participate in the play of colored lights and lasers!

But, even the buildings and show windows in Tsim Shat Sui and Central show how "techie" and ultra modern Hong Kong is! Its facade ranges from huge TV screens to interesting patterns and pixel plays to light assisted designs... some classic, some golden, some magnificent and some whimsical!

Here are some of them:
ESPRIT. The whole wall on both sides is a gigantic TV screen... so "techie"!




















DIOR. With interesting classic black and white patterns...


CHANEL. The signs itself catches the eye.


LOUIS VUITTON. With similar play of patterns and black to white lights as Dior...notice the pixels...


the Chanel logo reflects on the Louis Vuitton wall.
















COACH. In Central, I had a hard time taking a picture because of the backlight... as lights line the coach logos!














MCM. Also in Central, another classy and ritzy facade...




Louis Vuitton. The other Louis Vuitton store in Central...classy golden vertical waves. 
(I initially thought the LV sign was YSL becuase it had a very different look from the one in Tsim Sha Tsui)


Adidas. Back to Tsim, three stripes and giant neon shoes catch our eyes.








LCD ADS. LCD Billboard advertisements are a common sight.


GUCCIThe golden Gucci...
Tiffany & Co. At Heritage 1881 in Tsim, I was in awe with glass and bars... I was intimidated to enter the store!

Emperor. Also at Heritage 1881, traditional but elegant show windows displaying beautiful jewelry... no close-up shots of the jewelry pieces!
Lane Crawford. Across Heritage 1881 in Canton Road, just glittering and so Christmas-sy as it says "WRAPPED WITH LOVE"!












Tsim Sha Tsui and Central in Hong Kong houses most the high-end name brands and we can say they all have eye-catching, ultramodern and high-tech facades and windows... all head turners and great photo backgrounds!!!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012: ZAMBOANGA CITY PANORAMA

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011!

This message touched me and so I lifted this from a friend's FB status as he greeted the New Year!
When God increases your blessings, it is not meant to be a reward.
It is a call to do far greater things as worthy tenants of His vineyard.
Do not simply thank God that you are blessed so much. 

Thank Him because He has chosen you to be a channel of His blessings to others.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!



Zamboanga City banned firecrackers this year and only pyrotechnics are allowed.
The City Goverment presented pyrotechnic display to welcome 2012 at midnight!


Here is the aerial view of Zamboanga City panorama as it welcomes 2012!
P.S. These are less than perfect shots since they were taken handheld but I still think enough to depict the welcome to 2012!
before the fireworks started


Zamboanga City showing Veterans Avenue for the vertical lights
and Camins Street for the horizontal lights.


the oblique lights on your left hand side is Nunez Extension









from Paseo Del Mar






nice pyrotechnics away from Paseo Del Mar... maybe from West Min Com?

from Paseo Del Mar
from Paseo Del Mar




more fireworks all over the city

more fireworks all over the city




from Paseo Del Mar












the haze during the fireworks displays cover the city
the red flare is actually from the Basilan Island fireworks across the Basilan Strait
the fine lights at the upper part of the photo is from the Basilan Island fireworks celebration


after the fireworks at about 1 a.m.  
MAY EVERYONE HAVE A 
PROSPEROUS, HEALTHY AND SAFE NEW YEAR!!!