Last week we, the HK Chefs Association (www.hongkong-chefs.com ) and the US Potato Board had organized a seminar about US potatoes, with 10 Invited HK Chefs, 10 from Malaysia and 10 from Singapore. Additionall at the HKCA we had about 12 Chefs put together recipes, pictures and demonstrations put together to give at the seminar. it was a 2 day event which was a great event I have to say it was interactive, hands on and educational. Demo’s were given, recipes supplied and then the same dishes had to be re-cooked by team participants!

a fun few days it was, here are the images and some of the innovative recipes!

Mr. Potato Head Dim Sum

Potato Quiche as Appetizer

Yellow Potato and Tuna Salad

Potato Salad

Potato Dumplings (Dessert)

Potatoes used

Chinese Baked Potatoes with Mickey Mouse Logo

Sweet Potato Brulee

Tuna and Steamed Potato

Gnocchi

Roesti

Acuatico Main Building

My wife booked us for one night into Acuatico Resort a bit south of Manila, about 3 hours drive, I saw images before and so was expecting quite something. however 10 minutes before arriving i realized the road had ended in only dirt, so i was getting well worried, however once the gate swung open all my worries disappeared. Acuatico is a great little gem with 3 different level pools plus a huge jaccuzi, great little condo’s with sea and pool view, although the family suite bedrooms are a bit tight they are well equipped.

Most enjoyable was the hospitality of the staff, it was clear they were not that experienced, however that wasn’t important as they were so friendly and helpfull.

Only – point if you ask me is the food, although they have a bar they have no snack items, when i asked for a snack i was given the sandwich menu……a sandwich to me is hardly a snack anywhere in the world.

Food was mainly Philippino with some western dishes thrown in which i did not try, the philipino food was great though.

The Pool with the Bar

View from the Bar

Reflected Houses

One of the things I am not too comfortable with (amongst many others) is lighting…..so I set out today and wanted to do some new things or try at least. least to say a self portrait is hard to do because you have to focus etc and do everything while you are behind the camera…its really a lill nightmare, what to focus on, is the light in the right direction, wait let me do a test shot…..sit down…stand up, review……imagine model sitting down etc.

anyhow a lot of my self ones were total off focus….great shots etc but so soft they were useless…..shame have to do that again! but 2 were ok, plus i ended up with some very cool pics of 2 of my 3 kids!

Aberdeen Seafood Market (Hong Kong)

Officially you have to apply for a permit to shoot here and that will cost you HK$ 4500 for ½ a day…..how tourist and people friendly Hong Kong is you cant believe, just like around my home my children are not allowed to play ball, bike, fly kite, fish etc etc. Admittedly its a wholesale trade only market and I can imagine why they want to keep people of property, or you’d end up with everyone going there to try and buy direct etc.

Anyhow so I knew if I wanted to smuggle myself in I had to somewhat blend in, erh you may wonder how a fat bald white guy blends in to this market, not easy I tell you!

Most important thing, just dont use flash, so at 5 am with virtually no light, only the lightbulbs, you have to resort to high ISO.

Most guys were good sports here, just a few grumpy old farts who tried to shoo me away.

Its a colorful market, Asia’s fish and seafood is a lot more interesting to look at then say European fare, as its tropical and colorful.

Wikipedia has an article about Aberdeen here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberdeen_(Hong_Kong) but it toitally fails to even mention the Seafood market which I think is absurd

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Hong Kong keeps amazing me, even after 15 years here! where ever you go how many turns you make thats how many sights you can expect.

A lovely building, a old lady working hard collecting papers, a building almost collapsing, a pink building, a blue one, someone cutting a blister or corn on his foot on the streets with a hobby knife, a barber shop for HK$ 25 hair cuts, yes HK$ 25 hair cuts, I should have tried and would have if I had any hair on my head!

Here i show you some random images from my stroll today:

Here the Museum of Medical Sciences, website (with some amazing old pictures) : http://www.hkmms.org.hk/English/main.htm

Museum of Medical Sciences

Museum of Medical Sciences

Museum of Medical Sciences

Museum of Medical Sciences

The Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences, established in 1996, is an unique institution charting the historical development of medical sciences in Hong Kong. The Museum occupies 10,000 square feet, comprising 11 Exhibition Galleries, 1 Gallery for Tai Ping Shan View, 1 Library and 1 Lecture Room, each presents in a variety of ways to arouse interests and to help members of the community know more about health and diseases, including past conquests, current developments and future challenge of special relevance to Hong Kong. It also explores the interface between Chinese and Western medicine and encourage research in this area. It intends to serve both as an educational venue and to restore and conserve medical objects of historical value. As such, it is the first of its kind amongst medical museums in the world!

History

The Old Bacteriological institute, established in 1906, was the first purpose-built medical laboratory in Hong Kong, situated near to the site of Tai Ping Shan plague outbreak. Originally, there was the main building and two subsidiary blocks – one designed to accommodate the attendants, the other as an animal house containing stables. Over the years, the Institute played a significant role in the development of Hong Kong’s medical service. With time, its role changed as did its name, becoming the Pathological Institute. It continued to be used as a laboratory until the 1950’s. Ever since Government declared it a listed building, the Hong Kong College of Pathologists, knowing the building’s potential and the importance of public awareness of the history and development of medical science in this region, petitioned for its uses as a museum. The Hong Kong Government agreed, and the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences was founded.

The Building

The building is a British architectural design, drawing references from the Edwardian period, and representing Hong Kong architecture in the first decade of the century. It was transformed to suit tropical conditions, with expansive balconies and well-placed windows to encourage cross-ventilation. The use of Chinese roof tiles is probably due to the sensitivity to the local materials and deference to the local culture. It is interesting to imagine that in order to encourage the creativity of the exploring pathologists, the architect’s impulse allowed a folly of obelisks to sprout forth from the top of the building corners in stoic formation.

Another Gem on my way today, the Young mens Christian Association (we all know that means YMCA…erh….thank you darling!)  a beauty of a building in HK I would say but all I can find is Chinese language only website info about this…..but what a nice building it is, and that in concrete jungle!

YMCA Sheung Wan

YMCA Sheung Wan

YMCA Sheung Wan

From wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Festival

The Ghost Festival (simplified Chinese: 中元节; traditional Chinese: 中元節; pinyin: zhōngyuánjié, alternatively simplified Chinese: 鬼节; traditional Chinese: 鬼節; pinyin: guǐjié) is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday, which is celebrated by Chinese in many countries. In the Chinese calendar (a lunisolar calendar), the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month.

In Chinese tradition, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month (鬼月), in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm. During the Qingming Festival the living descendants pay homage to their ancestors and on Ghost Day, the deceased visit the living.

On the fifteenth day the three realms of Heaven, Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased. Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is ancestor worship, where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths. Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mache form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors. Elaborate meals would be served with empty seats for each of the deceased in the family treating the deceased as if they are still living. Ancestor worship is what distinguishes Qingming Festival from Ghost Festival because the latter includes paying respects to all deceased, including the same and younger generations, while the former only includes older generations. Other festivities may include, buying and releasing miniature paper boats andlanterns on water, which signifies giving directions to the lost ghosts and spirits of the ancestors and other deities.

The Ghost Festival shares some similarities with the predominantly Mexican observance of El Día de los Muertos. Due to theme of ghosts and spirits, the festival is sometimes also known as the Chinese Halloween^{[citation needed]}, though many have debated the difference between the two.

In order to read more about this event, click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Festival

Lighting Incense

Bun Tower

He ddint look happy

Overview