Kowloon and the Ladies/Night Markets

So, I apologize about my lack of writing as of late.  I had an entire post, carefully written and thoughtfully composed, ready to set free on the world when a mix up with a wireless signal jettisoned my words into oblivion.  Needless to say, I was fairly annoyed. And to punish the vast world of the wide web, I took a nap, read a book and took a shower.

Unfortunately, I cannot remember all that the post entailed, but I can start a brand new one.  I'm sure I will eventually remember, or rediscover rather, everything that I found of consequence to mention.  Tonight, I begin with the Night Markets.

Being a Friday night in Hong Kong, Nicholas and I really didn't want to stay in and watch another movie.  We've been laying low all week and were ready to let loose and get some of the city pumping through our veins.  Hopping on the MTR, we headed to Kowloon. Destination: Night Market and the loads of fake hand bags within.  I will also mention that on a Friday night in Hong Kong all 9 million people that live in this city are out and about and in the way.  I have never seen so many people in one place in my entire life, and I hadn't even made it to Times Square (the mall across the street where my MTR entrance is.) Seriously, more people than live in the entire city of Cincinnati were on the streets within a block of my building.  Moving on.  Two MTR transfers later, we emerged in the middle of Kowloon, the shopping center/flea market of Hong Kong.  Weaving through throngs of people, we finally found our bearings and headed to the Ladies Market; a stretch of streets, several blocks long, dedicated to bric-a-brac, knock-off bags, watches and sunglasses, and charms for your cell phone (my favorite being the lucky waving cat attached to chili peppers.)  Stall after stall held cheap knick knacks that any tourist would be shocked and awed at.  One of my favorite stalls, although unfortunately I wasn't allowed to take photos there, offered naughty costumes for both ladies and men.  Among the usual outfits such as the French Maid and Naughty Geisha, there stood out from the rest, the Elephant... This one most certainly being a costume por homme sported elastic butt straps and the smiling eyes and ears of an elephant; his nose, obviously a roomy encasement for soon to be happy male genitalia.  I almost bought one to send home, as a joke, to my beloved father, a pastor.

The Night Market varied only in people, although the same types existed in both.  If any interest was shown in a hand bag or keychain, the stall proprietor leapt to your side, ready to offer any color you could want and "wholesale" prices.  I also feel that I should mention the unbelievable amount of us gwailos present at the markets.  I completely enjoy being a minority for once in my 21 years, and find it funny that I now notice the amount of white people I run across on a daily basis and can usually count them on my fingers and toes.

After the markets, healthy appetites were worked up.  Wandering the side streets and following our noses we finally found ourselves across the street from the most divine of smells: meat... sweet grilling meat.  Hello Sichuan Barbecue joint!  Unbeknownst to me, Sichuan barbecue means meat on skewers (or at least it did in this case.)  We were handed a menu, much like a sushi menu, listing the types of meats and skewers and other side dishes offered.  In turn, we were supposed to list the number of whatever items our hungry stomachs desired on the order sheet and wait till the food was brought to our rickety makeshift table set out on the sidewalk.  Of course we had to order the pork jowl (a new favorite of mine,) and the black truffled wagyu  could't be passed up either.  Rounding out our meal was the grilled garlic skewer and the plate of chicken steak.  Oh. My. God.  This food was food for the gods!  The wagyu melted in our mouths in an earthy spicy way from the truffles.  The pork jowl was marinated in a lemon pepper something and the fat had soaked up all those happy flavors.  Chicken here, for some reason, just tastes better.  The flavor is full and fresh and the texture is meaty, while still being succulent and juicy.  One can't go wrong with garlic, so I wont mention the happiness our mouths experienced upon its entrance into them.  We literally could have spent $1000 HKD at this place but, unfortunately, the night had to end at some point.

Neons

Chicken steak and steamed rice

Pork Jowl

Truffled Wagyu

Chopstick Master

After dinner, a refreshing walk to the closest MTR station had us reveling in our good fortune at finding such good food on such an untrodden side street.  We passed a model train store, which reminded me of the Krohn Conservatory during Christmas time.

Nicholas with a Carlsburg in front of the trains

Finally, to finish off the night, we stopped at McDonald's (because, while dinner had been excellent, it had not been completely filling.)  They serve breakfast all day long here so I was stoked to finish my night with a sausage egg mcmuffin. Mmm, Hong Kong.