In the Orient, Jan 11-24
I joined Mike on a business trip to Southeast Asia, starting in one of the world's smallest countries, Singapore. Next stop Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region of China since the handover in 1997, and finally Tokyo, Japan.
SINGAPORE
Singapore (from Singapura meaning 'Lion City') is an island nation with Chinese, Malay, Indian and Western cultures. Singapore's official history begins in 1819 when Sir Stamford Raffles arrived and turned it into a British colony. It became a self-governing state in 1959 with the election of its first Prime Minister, and has been independent since 1965.
Drinking alfresco with Patrick and Miki on Saturday afternoon.
The Fullerton Hotel, a converted 1928 post office, and the Central Business District as seen from the Marina Promenade, near where we dined on delicious seafood that night.
Situated just north of the equator, between Malaysia and Indonesia, Singapore has a tropical rainforest climate, with no distinct seasons, characterised by uniform temperature, high humidity and abundant rainfall - so don't go out without your umbrella!
Ciara Dunne, holding the Chicago snow globe given to her by Uncle Mike.
Mike and Pat met up with Dave Jones in Holland Village, while Miki and I had some Chinese foot reflexology nearby.
Ciara played with Dave's youngest, Sonia, while the grown-ups had a curry.
Exploring Little India, where I continued my souvenir shopping with the purchase of some incense sticks.
Now a flourishing Indian cultural centre, this neighbourhood was originally a European enclave.
Tucked away on a side street is the Abdul Gaffoor Mosque, completed in 1910 and recently restored. Above the main entrance is a sundial; the sunburst has 25 rays decorated with Arabic calligraphy denoting the names of 25 prophets and is the only one of its kind in the Islamic world.
Back on Serangoon Rd is the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, built by Bengali labourers in 1881.
Brightly-coloured Kampong Glam is Singapore's Islamic quarter.
Renovated shophouses and palm trees on Bussorrah St.
The gold-domed Sultan Mosque on Arab St is named after Raffles' friend, Sultan Hussein Shah, and accommodates 5000 worshippers.
What better refreshment than a Singapore Sling at the Raffles, where it was invented circa 1910. (I drank it inside at the Writers Bar: in its heyday the hotel attracted colonial literary giants such as Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling and Noel Coward.)
A survivor of Singapore's colonial past, adored Singaporean institution and refined architectural landmark, Raffles Hotel started life in 1887 as a 10-room bungalow. Once the main building opened in 1899, it soon became synonymous with Oriental opulence. The Japanese took over the hotel during WWII, and then it became a transit camp for liberated Allied prisoners.
Surrounded by lush greenery outside the hotel's Billiard Room
(beneath which the last Singaporean tiger was shot in 1902).
Looking across the Padang's manicured lawns to the Singapore Cricket Club (founded in 1852).
The Old Supreme Court Building, in front of the Padang, was the last classical architecture building to be built on the former British colony.
Looking across the Singapore River from the Raffles Landing Site to Boat Quay.
Previously a swampy riverbank, by the 1860s three quarters of Singapore's shipping business was being transacted at Boat Quay. By the 1960s it had sunk into disrepair, only to be revived in the 1980s and 90s with touristy pubs and restaurants opening in the 1930s 'shophouses'.
The Merlion (half lion, half fish) is Singapore's water-spouting icon, seen here through the rain with the new Esplanade arts and theatre development in the background.
Birthday presents for soon-to-be-five-year-old Ciara.
The girls on Orchard Rd, Singapore's shrine to shopping.
Our last night: a gig by English band Muse in Fort Canning Park.
HONG KONG
After the Opium Wars in the mid-1800s, China ceded Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon peninsula to the British 'in perpetuity'. The New Territories were obtained on a 99-year lease in 1898 (to gain possession of the hills and thus enable the defense of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon against attack), which led to the 1997 Handover, overseen by the last British governor, Chris Patten.
One of Rick's recommendations: Bulldog's Bar in Lan Kwai Fong.
At the beginning of my long walk along Queen's Road Central.
The Bank of China and Cheung Kong Centre tower over the Legislative Company Building and Former Bank of China, as seen from Statue Square.
Looking across Queensway towards Hong Kong Park and Victoria Peak, which towers above the commercial district of Hong Kong Island.
Coils of incense at a roadside shrine.
After a delicious Indian buffet we met up with Alex Hill (an American acquaintance from Mike's previous trips to Hong Kong) in SoHo.
Hollywood Road and its side streets, including Upper Lascar Row (above), are filled with shops selling antique furniture, ornaments, statues and curios - a few of which I bought as souvenirs.
Also on Hollywood Rd is Man Mo Temple, which certainly is "one of the most atmospheric places on Hong Kong Island". Dating from the late 1840s, it is still a very popular place of worship.
The temple is dedicated to Man, the god of literature and civil servants, and Mo, the god of war - allegedly they were real men, who were deified by later emperors. Among the offerings of meat, cheese and fruit was a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates - which, I later discovered, is a very popular gift in Hong Kong during the holidays, especially Chinese New Year (the Chinese associate the gold foil packaging with good fortune and wealth).
From Sheung Wan (above) on the west of the island, I caught a tram to Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, where I walked amidst the stalls of Bowrington Road Market, selling fruit, vegetables, and live seafood, fish and poultry.
Mike and I took the Peak Tram (a funicular railway) up to the Peak, the most sought-after address in Hong Hong because of its spectacular views(?!) and milder temperatures - and one of the most expensive places in the world to buy property.
This is a view of the lush vegetation on the south side of Hong Kong Island.
As the smog cleared we were able to make out Victoria Harbour and Kowloon beyond the towers of the north side of the island. (On a rare clear day the hills of the New Territories are visible.)
We ended the evening with Pat and Tim in Lan Kwai Fong, an area devoted to eating and drinking which comes to life with expats after work hours, particularly on Fridays.
Taking the Star Ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui at the southern tip of the Kowloon peninsula.
The northern shore of Hong Kong Island as seen from the harbour-front promenade in Kowloon. (The weather let us down in terms of the view: isn't the Peak supposed to be there somewhere?!)
We visited the elegant lobby of the Peninsula, Hong Kong's grandest hotel, whose neo-classical exterior looked completely out of place amongst the hideous new structures housing the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the Museum of Art and the Space Museum (it was too depressing even to take a photo, so I found this one later on the internet!).
Densely packed with shops, hotels and housing, Kowloon is both "grittier" and "more Chinese" than its cross-harbour neighbour. Nathan Road, its main thoroughfare, and the surrounding streets are lined with electronics stores, jewelers and tailors.
Back on Hong Kong Island, we rode the Mid-Levels Escalator, a 792-metre-long escalator between Central Market and the residential area of Mid-Levels, which was opened in 1993 in an attempt to ease traffic congestion.
On our last night in Hong Kong, we dined with Alex and Nancy at the Royal Yacht Club.
TOKYO, JAPAN
About 12 million people (ten percent of Japan's population) live in Tokyo, and about 35 million live in the Greater Tokyo Area, making it the world's most populous metropolitan area, having overtaken New York in the 1960s. I first visited Tokyo about eight years ago for Vincent and Keiko's wedding in the nearby port city of Yokohama.
We stayed in Ginza, an upscale district with glitzy department stores, where I spent the first day.
Pat and Tim playing poker at Propaganda, a bar (which I remembered from my previous trip) in Roppongi, the nightlife district favoured by Western tourists and expatriates.
With Mike's friend and former colleague Justin, an expat from London, and his girlfriend.
On the second day I went to Shibuya, a trendy shopping destination famous for having the world's busiest crossing. Located in front of Shibuya Station, the crossing is overlooked by three large TV screens mounted on nearby buildings and one of the world's busiest Starbucks - and it was featured in a scene in Lost in Translation.
On our last night we had dinner and sake with a couple of Pat's friends at Justin's favourite sushi place (we just had to do it while in Japan!), followed by a trip to a pool hall.
Flying above the snowy peaks around Seattle, where we stopped on our return to Chicago.
