Tag Archives: Asia

Baskin Robbins

This is the ice cream store that inspired me to go to one of the world’s 10 largest malls, Berjaya Times Square in Kuala Lumpur. I’d just finished lunch and I didn’t have a lot going on and I just decided it would be nice to go to the mall and get some ice cream. I had lunch in the central market and there weren’t a lot of ice cream stores there. I spent about three hours in the mall after I got my ice cream. It seems they had a lot of stuff there. Not that I need more stuff, I just like to look at and gloat about how good it feels to have stopped buying so much of it. Significance? The majority of the 10 largest malls in the world are in Asia. What does that say? It says that Asia has a lot of people and that consumerism is alive and well all over the world. I would say that Asians will be the next great wave of consumers, surpassing even the United States in their ability to purchase worthless, needless junk to fill their homes.

Hong Kong Apartments

Notice the apartments? How could you not notice them. They were everywhere. They were large. They are the kind of place that makes me worry about the future of mankind. Will our species someday be all about living in little structures shut off from locations where the buffalo roam and lions wander about? Probably. Significance? Look at those things. In Asia they’re everywhere. I can understand them, I’m just not sure I like them. I could never get my wife to even consider living in one. Me? I could deal with it, but I think I‘d miss my Lawn-Boy.

Hong Kong From The Peak

This is Hong Kong from Victoria Peak. It’s not a very good shot. The weather has never really cooperated with me during any of my stays in Hong Kong. One thing I will say is that I’ve decided to make Hong Kong the World’s Best Skyline in my list of places in the world to visit. Victoria Peak also becomes one of my Top 100 Places to Visit in the world. Of course I haven’t actually made a list, but if I had one this place would definitely be on it. It might even be on the Top 10 list, but I’d have to say this view would be in a pretty tight race with the view from the Empire State Building if only because of Central Park in New York City. Significance? Huge urban cities like this are the future for mankind in the next hundred or so years. Hong Kong is, at the very least, interesting. I’m glad it’s a gateway city to SE Asia. It gives me the chance to get back to the city for a couple of days when I go to the continent.

Egg Tarts – Macau

These are egg tarts. They are available in many places in SE Asia. They are especially prominent in Macau. They are, also, especially good in Macau. I had one. Or more. They really are good. Will they ever replace really good French flan as my favorite form of custard or custard-like substance? No.

Macau Wedding

I’m not absolutely sure what was going on in the picture, but, it appeared that a young couple was getting some pictures taken for their wedding album. The church facade in the background is what is left of the Church of St. Paul. The church was, at one time, the largest church in Asia. It was built in the 17th century by the Jesuits. The church is considered to be the most visited tourist attraction in Macau. Outside of the gambling casinos, of course.

Fish Balls – Hong Kong

They’re called Fish Balls. They put them in soups. They’re put in the soups with noodles. The noodles can be of a particular type, as long as they’re noodles, I don’t think it matters. I ate these fish balls because they were listed as a "signature dish" on the menu of a restaurant that was recommended to me. There are lot of restaurants that use the term "signature dish" on their menu in SE Asia. I think I’ve seen it so many times now that the term has lost any significance for me.

Hong Kong Walk of Stars

It was the Hong Kong Walk of Stars. This is a picture of Bruce Lee. He, I recognized. I also saw a nice presentation of Jackie Chan. There were, however, dozens of stars that had stars on the walk much like the stars that are found on Hollywood Boulevard in the U.S. Trouble was that most of the stars in SE Asia are just that – stars in SE Asia and I’d never heard of them. The Walk of Stars is, however, located in a really great place with really great views and all the local people seemed to know who all the stars were.

Dunkin Donuts

You can get your basic Dunkin Donuts at the Puduraya bus station before you catch the bus. They’re a little pricey for SE Asia, but they’re still pretty good.

Ten Dollar Room

It’s quite Spartan. There are no fills. A bed and a nightstand. There is one electrical outlet with one receptacle. I guess you could say that the size of it is about the size of a prison cell, maybe a little less. But, it’s clean, it’s cheap and it’s home. Significance? In Asia, as well as some other parts of the world, I’ve stayed at many places like this one. Looks depressing doesn’t it? It’s not, at least not for me. It reminds that I don’t need valet service. I just need a place to put my head when I get tired. It reminds me that my sojourns around the world aren’t all about luxury, they’re about learning.

Curry and Fresh Fish

I was having my usual, some form of curry, at lunch and I decided to add a new wrinkle to my lunch – fish. It was something I usually didn’t eat. But, I thought, why not try it? So, I did. To be truthful, there wasn’t much fish there. What there was, was tasty. And, you can’t get much fresher than the fish in the picture. It was probably harvested the day before. Foods in SE Asia are much, much fresher than in the United States.

Rolling Okie

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