433 Race Course Road

I spent some time in the last fortnight looking at shophouses in the Farrer Park area hoping to find one suitable for my office to purchase.

My trip took me down a road which turned out to be quite interesting as it had three Chinese temples on it, at least two of which were buddhist and one of which I suspect was taoist. The street also had a hotel, eating houses, and numerous pretty shophouses many of which had conservation status. Altogether a street with plenty of character and surprisingly enough reasonably quiet.

I was in two minds about whether or not I really wanted to have my office there but in the end, the decision was not mine to make so the decision was made for me. I cannot yet decide if I'm relieved or happy and I think in any case I would have been sad. Either sad because I would have to leave my current office which is very beautiful and perfect in many ways, in Holland Village, or sad that I wouldn't be able to have this shophouse to play around with and turn into a permanent beautiful little space for my work. As it turned out, the sadness was for the latter and now I'm waiting to see if my office will renew its lease on my current office.

Miss Potter

I did read Beatrix Potter as a very young child but somehow didn't remember it well and other reading crazes at older ages left a deeper memory. So when the film, "Miss Potter", came out last year, I didn't bestir myself to rush to view it. More recently however, my sister lent me her DVD copy and I found it actually inspiring as a tale of a woman who was greatly determined, and endowed with high imagination, intellect and artistic skill. She was a woman who despite the Victorian constraints on a well off family managed to become a botanist in fact if not in name.

I also only discovered through this movie that she was also a conservationist in the Lake District area in England. I must have seen the areas where she walked and owned property and I must have even rambled across some of the land she bought up as farms and subsequently gave to the National Trust in England.

She also married late in life and only after achieving independent income and wealth and then became a farmer and I was thinking for a woman of her class and in her day, she really transcended class and gender.

Hats off to a very creative and strong willed soul who has given us not just bunny tales, but a whole tract of land to walk upon, not to mention her botanical work. "Miss Potter" is a movie I'd highly recommend that all women in particular and people interested in the Lake District, England, the English countryside, conservation and of course Beatrix Potter tales in general would most likely find enjoyable.

Love at First Bloom

This tea is called love at first bloom and it unfolds at the hot water cascades down the boom. The petals and leaves unfurl and flutter in the water and form a flower tea that is delicate in flavour. I've seen this served in Singapore in a restaurant at Raffles City basement as well, but of course couldn't resist ordering it with it's intensely romantic name in this Lock Cha Teashop in Hong Kong Park, Hong Kong. It did not disappoint but of course nothing beats the first time around.

Lock Cha Tea Shop, Hong Kong

Lock Cha Teashop is a traditional teahouse in the Teaware museum in Hong Kong. Near the Admiralty Area, the Teaware Museum consists of two main buildings which form Flagstaff House. It is set in the middle of a small but beautiful park and so forms the perfect environment for a teahouse.

The food served there is tim sum largely made by a monks in a buddhist monastary and is therefore vegetarian. We ordered a few dishes in slight trepidation thinking that monk's fare may be a trifle bland. But no, compared to the dish of pork dumplings which was made by the staff of the restaurant, the monastary made dishes were exquisitely blended in flavour and with delicate skins. Far superior in taste and texture to many other dim sum dishes I've eaten elsewhere.

Sadly I only remembered I should take pictures after eating half of the food with my friend, so rather than presenting you with half eaten timsum, here's a scene from the teashop. It remains a perfect place for a tranquil cup of tea and friendship. We were sorely tempted to come back on Sunday afternoon as there was a performance but did not make it. However it will be on the top of my list when I come back to Hong Kong.