City Hopper: Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong Skyline
My next stop on my trip around the world is Hong Kong. Hong Kong is located on China’s south coast. It is known for its deep natural harbor and its expansive skyline. Hong Kong has a land mass of 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) and a population of around seven million people and with that it is one of the most densely populated places in the world!
International Finance Center, Hong Kong
Some interesting facts about Hong Kong are that it is one of the world’s leading international centers and its dollar is the eighth most traded currency in the world. Also, because of the population and the lack of space it has turned into the world’s most vertical city. Another surprising fact is that according to both the UN and WHO 2012 estimates, Hong Kong has the longest life expectancy of any country in the world.
Signs can be seen in English here too.
Hong Kong’s official language is Cantonese but English is also the official language. You will find throughout the city signs in both languages and about 40% of the population speaks English on a daily basis as their second language. In secondary schools here the students are encouraged to be bi-lingual and even tri-lingual with Cantonese, English, and Mandarin being emphasized.
Beautiful Hong Kong by day!
Hong Kong is often referred to as the place where East meets West and that is because of the British influence and rule for so long. However many Chinese traditions still are very prominent such as the use of Feng Shui in buildings. It is thought that Feng Shui use in a business can either make or break that business and it is taken very seriously. Also, in buildings you will not find any floor with a reference to the number four due to the very close similarity to the word for ‘die’ in the Cantonese language.
Statue of Bruce Lee on Hong Kong’s Avenue of Stars
So what is there to do here? Hong Kong has many museums as well as the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra which has many performances to attend. You can also see a statue of Bruce Lee on it’s Avenue of Stars which pays tribute to its martial arts history.
Here’s a great little video that covers what to do and see in Hong Kong. I hope you enjoy it.
City Hopper: Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo, Japan
Since I am in Japan and have talked about the country (CLICK HERE for my World Travels: Japan blog) I figured I would give you a quick overview of Tokyo too! Tokyo is the capital of Japan as well as the largest metropolitan area in the world. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial palace as well as the home of the Japanese Imperial family.
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
The population in Tokyo is upwards of 35 million people and it hosts 51 of the Fortune Global 500 companies making it the highest of any city. Tokyo is also described as one of the three ‘command centers’ for the world economy with New York City and London being the other two.
The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation also known as “Miraikan”
So what’s there to do here? Well there are many museums like the Tokyo National Museum, National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, as well as the National Museum of Art. You can also check out the Imperial Palace.
Akihabara, A.K.A. Electric Town
A really cool place to go in Tokyo, especially if you’re a electronics person, is Akihabara. Akihabara is also sometimes called “Electric Town” and very popular with tourists and locals alike. Here you can find any kind of electronics you might be looking for as well as enjoy the lights and sights of the area or just duck into one of the many cafes and have something to eat.
Ginza, Tokyo
Another great place to go to is the Ginza area of Tokyo. This is where you’ll find Tokyo’s most famous upscale shopping, dining, and entertainment. It is also famous for its $10 cup of coffee.
On weekends Ginza becomes a pedestrian only zone!
On the weekends they close the main street here to facilitate a pedestrian only zone so if you’re going to go that might be a really good time to go as it makes it more pleasant experience. Another interesting fact is that one square meter of land here is worth over $10 million yen making it the most expensive real estate in Japan.
Japanese theater performance.
Tokyo has many festivals throughout the year and there are many theaters where you can see performances of modern and traditional music as well as traditional Japanese drama called Kabuki and Noh.
Vendor at the Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo
One thing that I feel everyone must experience when they come to Tokyo is the famous Tsukiji Fish Market. It’s truly an amazing ‘must see’! It is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world!
People, including me, queuing for breakfast at the fish market
It is a huge attraction for people from all over the world and the sashimi restaurants that are onsite there have people queuing from the very wee hours of the morning. In the above picture it was 8 a.m. and we were all waiting our turn to order from one of the many fish restaurants at the market.
If you’re looking for fresh seafood it doesn’t get fresher than this.
I was there one morning just after 6 a.m. and the line was already significant. When I was leaving at around 9 a.m. the line was over 100 meters long. All I could think was that it must be a hell of a sashimi place!
If you like a good meal the cuisine in Tokyo is world renown and critically acclaimed (CLICK HERE for my Culinary Experiences: Tokyo blog). In 2007 Tokyo was awarded 191 stars in Michelin’s guide for fine dining which is about twice as many as Paris. So you definitely want to check out the many different restaurants here.
Culinary Experiences: Tokyo, Japan
Sashimi: raw fish with soy sauce & wasabi, garnished with edible flowers, and served on a bed of ice!
I am here in Tokyo at the moment (CLICK HERE to read my World Travels: Japan blog) and wanted to write a quick blog about the food here in Japan. Now Japanese food is world renown for not only being healthy for you but also for looking more like a piece of art than food. The Japanese hold the art of presentation of your meal in just as much regard as what’s in it.
A quiet corner of the restaurant
The ingredients are top quality, the portion size is small, and the meal is well-balanced. Even children are sent to school with Bento boxes for lunch that look they belong in an art museum (You can CLICK HERE if you want to see more about that). The meals are based around rice and miso with an emphasis on fish and seasonal ingredients. This is their culture and it’s been that way forever.
A cool picture of the chef hard at work!
So now I would love to share with you some meals that I have eaten here in Tokyo. By the way, the very first picture is some beautiful sashimi that I had which is raw fish with soy sauce and wasabi, garnished with edible flowers and served on a bed of ice. Wonderful!
The appetizer or a painting?
This appetizer was really yummy but I can’t really say what it was. 🙂 The pink stuff was soft tofu, which was delicious, but I thought that this looked more like a painting than an appetizer.
Tempura
Tempura most people know well. It’s a thin egg batter over shrimp, fish and veggies and then quickly deep fried. It’s served with a tempura sauce with ginger relish and sea salt.
Grilled Fish
The photo above is a fantastic grilled fish that was done to perfection. It had herbs and veggies on the side as a garnish.
Braised beef
This braised beef was so tender that it could be cut with just my chopsticks! Amazing!
Salmon Nigiri Sushi & Crab Salad Maki Sushi
Above is Salmon Nigiri Sushi & Crab Salad Maki Sushi. The best drink pairing I’ve found for sushi other than green tea is beer. Asahi was my ‘catch of the day’ to go with this meal. Are you hungry yet? 🙂
Dessert!
For dessert a healthy piece of melon with strawberries and, of course, green tea.
My surprise meal!
Now at another restaurant I wanted some fish, chicken or beef to eat but as my Japanese was as good as the waitresses English (non-existent) I picked from the menu and got this. It seemed to be totally vegetarian – cold noodles with crunchy seaweed and a spicy soup. Never the less it was really good and in the end some locals invited me for a beer with them. It was lots of fun!
The menu!
I think you can see why I had no idea what I’d ordered. I am sure, however, that on that menu somewhere is the fish that I was looking for! 🙂
A wonderfully yummy chicken noodle soup!
Sake anyone?
The two pictures above were a great chicken noodle soup I had for lunch the other day and a cool picture of the bar at one of the restaurants. I am assuming that most of those bottles are Sake, a rice wine that they usually drink warm.
Menu choices
I couldn’t read the menu at the above restaurant either but at least they had ‘model’ food to point to and pick from. 🙂 Stay tuned for my next blog from Japan coming up real soon!
World Travels: Japan
This week sees me heading to Japan as I start the next section of my round the world tour. Japan is located in the Pacific Ocean to the East of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea, and Russia.
The Map of Japan
The characters that make up Japan’s name means ‘Sun Origin’ which is why Japan is sometimes called the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’. Japan has the 10th largest population in the world with over 127 million people and the Greater Tokyo area is the largest metropolitan area in the world with over 30 million residents.
The flag of Japan, known as the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’
Japan has the world’s third-largest economy and they are the world’s fourth-largest importer and exporter. Also, Japanese women have the second-highest life expectancy rate of any country in the world and it’s infant mortality rate is the third-lowest in the world as well.
The Shinkansen high speed train. What a beauty!
While in Tokyo most of you will get to experience the metro system like I did. It took me a while to figure out how that metro/train map worked but after being here for 6 days I think I could even explain it to a local. The ticket machine does indeed have an English button but I have to tell you it’s well hidden. 🙂 Unfortunately though the weather was too cold and rainy most of the time to allow me to make a longer trip outside of Tokyo or to see nature so I couldn’t ride the famous Shinkansen which is their high speed train that goes 250 miles per hour! I’ll have to do that the next time I return but I was able to catch one in the main train station and get a picture (see above). What a beautiful piece of technology!
Cherry blossoms at Hirosaki Castle, Japan
There are so many things to see here in Japan so where to begin is tough. If you want an adventure and you’re in Tokyo you can venture onto the mass transit there and see what it’s like to be among the crush of all those people. If you’re not that adventurous, no worries, there are many temples and castles to see such as Hirosaki Castle or Himeji Castle.
City view of Tokyo, Japan
The national sport here is Sumu wrestling so if you’re looking to experience Japanese culture that should be on the list as well as enjoying the local foods. Japanese food uses staple foods and it is based on seasonal foods as well as presentation. Japan has won more Michelin stars then the rest of the countries combined.
The Japanese diet is one that promotes longevity.
There are so many things to do in Japan from the traditional to the modern that you can’t possibly see everything. That means in most likelihood you’ll want to come back again. So here a just a few things that you could see while you’re here. If you’re not afraid of heights then you might want to visit the Tokyo Skytree that has two observation decks (one at 350 meters and the other that is at 450 meters). You can see the whole city from there.
Tokyo Skytree
If you want to check out some of Japan’s history then you might want to head to Kamakura where you can see ancient shrines, temples, and historical buildings. Also, popular is Minakami where you can relax and enjoy the mountains and hot springs resorts that are located there.
There are many historical things to see in Kamakura
Another great place to visit while you’re in Japan is Kyoto. This used to be the imperial capital of Japan but it is now the capital of the Kyoto prefecture and a huge part of the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe metropolitan area. It is home to almost 1.5 million people and is packed with temples, parks, business districts, markets and regal estates. Kyoto is one of the oldest and most famous of Asian metropolises.
Beautiful Kyoto, Japan
Kyoto became the seat of Japan’s imperial court in 794 and continued to be Japan’s capital until 1869. It was the leading center of Japan for over 1000 years! Due to the fact that Kyoto was spared much of the bombings during WWII it still has many prewar buildings and shrines for all to see and it is also the center of Japan’s television and film industry.
Geishas in Kyoto, Japan
And that’s just a small portion of the things you can do in Japan. So to cover a bit more territory I’ve attached a really nice video below for you to enjoy!
Charity: Be The Change
‘Be the change you wish to see in the world.’ – Mahatma Gandhi.
I would like to welcome you to my new category called ‘Charity’. In this category I will be highlighting some charities that I think are worthwhile and to which I, myself, donate. My hope is that you might find one or more that touches your heart and feel compelled to contribute and pay it forward as well.
Why am I doing this? Well, I have a great life that I love but in this world there are so many people, animals, and environmental causes that don’t have it so good. They need help and I want to do something about it. I also find that many times other people that I know want to help too but they don’t know which organizations to trust or which causes need the most help. So I want to do my part by sharing with you all the organizations and causes that I feel are worthy. Hopefully you will find them worthy too and will join in by ‘being the change you wish to see in the world’.
So with that said I will be posting a new blog in this category every month alerting you to a cause or organization that I feel is worthwhile and that can make the most difference in the world. I hope you enjoy this new category and I further hope that you will join me in this endeavor.
World Travels: Impressions From Mauritius
Here in Mauritius everything is so beautiful that I started snapping a bunch of photos to share with you all. I hope you enjoy my photographic journey!
There are so many great spots to relax and soak in the wonderful sun and atmosphere!
Check out that little red bird who’s checking me out!
These black swans are beautiful!
The food is fantastic and every meal was a reason to celebrate with great fruits, vegetables, and meats.
Well I hope you’ve enjoyed the photos of my impressions of Mauritius. I am definitely loving it here!
If you want to see my previous blogs from my Mauritius 2013 tour click on the following links: City Hopper: Port Louis, Mauritius Part 1; City Hopper: Port Louis, Mauritius Part 2 – Impressions From The Markets.
If you would like to see my Mauritius blogs from last year’s visit click these links: World Travels: Mauritius – Part 1; World Travels: Mauritius – Part 2.
The beautiful colors are amazing!
One of the many wonderful things about Port Louis, Mauritius is the wonderful markets filled with brightly colored fruits, vegetables, roots, and meats. In this photo blog I want to share with you all those beautiful sights. I hope you enjoy this little journey.
First, here are all the beautiful fruits and veggies! Spices and grains are plentiful as well!
And here are all the varieties of meats and fish you can get in the markets. Just about anything you want is here including fish and pigs’ heads, squid, and blood sausage as well as the usual beef, chicken, tuna, and snapper!
All of this meat and fish are sitting out all day uncooled in the hot, humid, tropical environment so I can only imagine that the bacteria present is incredibly high and having a field day. My guess is that the locals must have a really strong immune system and that if the meat and fish don’t kill you it must make you stronger! 🙂
If you want to see my previous blogs from my Mauritius 2013 tour click on the following links: City Hopper: Port Louis, Mauritius Part 1
If you would like to see my Mauritius blogs from last year’s visit click these links: World Travels: Mauritius – Part 1; World Travels: Mauritius – Part 2.
City Hopper: Port Louis, Mauritius
Sugar Beach
My next stop on my current trip is to Port Louis, Mauritius. Last time I was here I wrote a blog about the country of Mauritius so if you would like to read that too CLICK HERE.
Pool at Sugar Beach Resort
This time I am going to focus more on the Sugar Beach Resort (CLICK HERE to check out their slideshow) which is on the South-West of the island (which is where I am staying) and the city of Port Louis which is on the North-West side of the island. Here is also a beautiful video from Sugar Beach Resort that really shows you how wonderful it is here.
Port Louis is the capital city of Mauritius as well as the country’s economic, cultural and political center. It is also the country’s most populous city at about 138,000 people as of 2011. The port is named after King Louis XV.
The economy of the city is predominately supported by its financial center, port facilities, tourism, and its textiles, chemicals, plastics and pharmaceutical manufacturing sectors. It is the biggest port in the Indian Ocean region and one of Africa’s major financial centers.
Port Louis, Mauritius
One of the biggest and most popular events in Port Louis is the Thoroughbred horse races held at their Champ de Mars Racecourse. This racecourse is the second oldest horse race track in the world.
Champ Du Mars Horse Racing Course
So what is there to do here? Well, of course, there’s the beautiful beaches of Mauritius to take advantage of but if for some strange reason you get bored with that there is plenty to do here. One of the things one must experience is the Market Place most commonly known as ‘Bazaar Port Louis’. Here you will find everything from fresh spices, fruit, and vegetables to local handmade crafts and more.
Bazaar Port Louis, Mauritius
Other things to see are Mauritius Chinatown, the fort called La Citadelle, and numerous museums. La Citadelle is a fort built during the 19th century with the intention of providing security to the British Army from approaching enemies. Most tourist love La Citadelle for its majestic views of Port Louis as well as for the concert and plays that are now put on there.
La Citadelle, Mauritius
Below is a nice little video to show you around and teach you about Port Louis, Mauritius.
If you would like to see my Mauritius blogs from last year’s visit click these links: World Travels: Mauritius – Part 1; World Travels: Mauritius – Part 2.
City Hopper: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Abu Dhabi Skyline View
My next adventure takes me to the city of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. I am actually staying at the Jebel Ali Resort which is located between Dubai and Abu Dhabi but since I wrote about Dubai in one of my City Hopper blogs the last time I was here (CLICK HERE to read that blog), I figured I would write about Abu Dhabi this time around.
La Fontana Pool, Jebel Ali Resort
Abu Dhabi is the capital as well as the second biggest city in the United Arab Emirates in terms of population. The population of this city was 621,000 in 2012. It is the seat for the UAE government as well as a highly cosmopolitan city. The city of Abu Dhabi alone generated 56.7% of the GDP of the UAE in 2008.
Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange
You can find the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates and many multinational corporations in this city as well. Abu Dhabi is also one of the world’s largest producers of oil but has recently started to try to diversify its economy through investments in financial services and tourism.
Well manicured park in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is the second most expensive city for expatriate employees in the region, and the 67th most expensive city in the world. Fortune Magazine and CNN stated that Abu Dhabi is the richest city in the world. (source: Wikipedia) Abu Dhabi has over 2,000 parks and gardens and 400 km of beaches of which 10 km are public beaches.
Boracay Beaches, Abu Dhabi
So you might be asking what is there to do in Abu Dhabi? Well there’s actually a lot. When you tire of the beaches you can go shopping if you want to get indoors a bit or if you haven’t had enough of the great outdoors you can take a Desert Balloon Expedition, do some desert camping or…
Taking a Balloon Desert Expedition is one of your many choices of things to do.
even go sand boarding and skiing.
Have you ever gone sand boarding? It’s an option in Abu Dhabi
So as you can see there’s plenty to do and see here! Here’s a nice little video I found with some sites of Abu Dhabi. Enjoy!
Alps Poker Tour 2012 – Part 3
Recently I wrote about my adventures as part of the Alps Poker Tour 2012 (You can read Alps Poker Tour 2012 – Part 1 HERE and Alps Poker Tour 2012 – Part 2 HERE) and now it’s come down to the best 36 players from Switzerland, Germany, and Austria and I am one of them.
I am sure I don’t need to tell you all that it was a tough, tough line up! The tourney took place in the Poker Palace in Dietlikon and was 4 tables, deep stack and slow structure with the top 6 players continuing to the Swiss Championships. The top 3 didn’t have to play because they were qualified directly so in this tourney we were looking for just 6 players to complete the 9 player final table.
We all started with 20k in chips and I was quickly up to 40k after only an hour and a half of playing. After two and a half hours we were already down to the final table. The nine of us battled it out. I lost half my chips in a hand that I had my opponent brutally dominated in when my A-K was up against his A-Q. The flop brought a cruel blow with 10-J-K so I folded to his shove.
Emotions at the table were high as we got closer to the bubble and words were flying between the other players but the Swiss Rock remained cool and rock solid. The bubble was burst when the short stack had K-K which is an auto-shove which, of course, got a mandatory call from the BB who was also the chip leader. The chip leader won when his 10-8 made two pair! Nasty!!
That brought us to our final 6 players and play was halted to be continued as a side event at the Swiss Championships and a main attraction for the Alps Poker Tour Title! We all received the 3.3k Swiss Championship package for our efforts.
Unfortunately I will not be able to continue to play when the final table is played down in the Alps Poker Tour as well as when the Swiss Championship takes place due to previous life engagements but I am thrilled that I got this far.
I am happy to state that my style worked pretty well not only in this tough tourney but also against a softer field in a warm tourney in Baden that I played previous to this. Using this new style the tourney went smooth and relatively stress-free. There were some sticky situations but there always will be. That’s the nature of poker.
But these three rules (CLICK HERE to read my blog regarding these rules) make it pretty easy in the decision making process. They add a mechanical element to the overall chaos and reduce the mistakes one can make. It also makes your opponents perceive you as ultra aggressive (even if you’re not since you only do it in these spots) so they don’t play back at me AND, on the other hand, you get action if you have a monster. So it work really nicely for me.
Now I can proudly state that I am definitely ranked between 1-9 in the German speaking countries for 2012 and that is not because I got lucky in one tourney. It is because only the top 40 players out of the 14 tourneys that counted for the Alps Poker Tour 2012 were able to qualify for the final! I was one of those players and am quite proud of my accomplishments this year.
The Swiss Rock has come a long way this year. I am sure I could take it further at the final table but sometimes there are things that take priority in my life and for that reason I am content with my accomplishments for 2012! It’s been a great year! I am looking forward to seeing what I can accomplish in 2013!
CLICK HERE to read the article about it all. (I’ll warn you it’s in German but Google Translate can help with that 🙂 )
Back left L-R: The Swiss Rock, Markus Erlacher, Roberto Finotti; Front R-L Antimo Cammuso, Walter Blättler, Uzun Bülent
The Swiss Rock 