Tag: Hong Kong

By Maya Haziza

Classified – located in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Island is the perfect place for a Saturday brunch with friends and family. There are tons of healthy options especially if you are vegetarian. I came here a lot when I wanted some good western style food or a quiet place to work with Wifi.

The Cupping Room Roastery – located in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Island is an amazing coffee shop with the best food. Similar to Classified but much quieter and less frequented. Great place to work on essays or come for an avocado toast.

Why 50 – located in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Island is a smaller coffee shop with amazing coffee. Similar style food to Classified and the Cupping Room, but a smaller space and dimly lit. Excellent Wifi.

Sweet pea – located in Central, Hong Kong Island this was my mom’s favorite café I took her to when she visted me and is also the best cakes in Hong Kong. This café is all gluten free and vegan. No wifi. Cash Only.

Pici – located in Central, Hong Kong great Italian style food when you are simply missing home and want some good pasta!

The Optimist – very hip and cool restaurant in Wan Chai. Try the tunatarte and enjoy the good vibes! Vegetarian friendly restaurant

The Pawn – best macaroni and cheese in Hong Kong! This restaurant is kind of hidden in the upper levels of the building, but is great service and very good food.

Winstons Coffee Bar – I stumbled upon this coffee bar one night after dinner and it is simply some of the best coffee I have had in Hong Kong and the people that work there are ridiculously nice. Located on Queens Road West.

Chom Chom – probably one of my favorite restaurants in Hong Kong. It is a very small place that does not take any reservations so you have to get there right when it opens around 5-6 PM to get a table. I would best describe it as gourmet Vietnamese food – so so good.

Ho Lee Fook – the best Asian fusion style food I have had in Hong Kong. A bit pricey, but well worth it. There were also plenty of vegetarian options here.

Mrs. Pounds – here is a restaurant that is a bit of a secret! From the outside it looks like a locksmith shop, but it is actually the best Asian fusion restaurant with plenty of vegetarian options. Located in Sheung Wan, good luck finding the way inside!

Man Mo Café – a French style restaurant that has brie and spinach dim sum, ratatouie dim sum, and a lot more. Great options for vegetarians or people who are interested in trying dim sum, but French style!

Seoul Bros – located in Central Hong Kong Island, this is the best Korean fast food I’ve had. Definitely worth the try.

Caliente – for when you are craving Mexican Food! This restaurant is located in Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) and has the best nachos ever.

Wooloomooloo – Go to this restaurant rooftop if you want to see the best view of Hong Kong and for the light show, every night at 9 PM! 

Browhaus –  for the ladies: go here to get your eyebrows down or for any other spa services you might need. It’s definitely hard to find a reliable place but I’ve done it for you!

Victoria Peak – it is as touristy as they say, but the view is remarkable. If it is your first time in Hong Kong – you must come here and eat at the café near by as well!

Dragon’s Back Hiking Trail – an intermediate style hiking trail with an incredible view of the ocean and of Hong Kong Island. There are many entrances and start points to this hiking trail so google the ones that are closest to you.

Happy Valley Racecourse – the legendary horse races that happen every Wednesday in Hong Kong. This is an event that is very unique to Hong Kong and is fun because you can go every week!

PMQ – a huge, semi-open building filled with artisan boutiques and cafes. I went here for a Coco Chanel exhibit at the beginning of the semester and it was absolutely amazing. They hold a lot of cool events worth checking out.

Repulse Bay – My favorite beach in Hong Kong, there are many events that go on here throughout the year and during April and May it is the perfect place to go for a quick sun tan.

Enjoy!

By Maya Haziza

I wish that I had done a solo travel trip sooner. Traveling alone is one of the most liberating and incredible experiences I have done while studying abroad. For one weekend I explored Taiwan and got to see the city life of Taipei and also the coastal town of Jioufen, Taiwan. The first day I visited Longshon Temple which is a famous temple that serves as a shelter for residents in Taipei to pray to over 100 gods on a daily basis. One thing I didn’t know about Taiwan before travelling there is that there are a lot of earthquakes and therefore many of the architectural plans of buildings and temples are created to support these structures in the case of an earthquake or natural disaster. In this temple people gathered around to burn incense, give fruit and flower offerings, and drop half-blocks that are supposed to signal a “yes” “maybe” or “no” from the gods in response to questions they come to ask. One funny thing I learned here was that Dutch people colonized Taiwan in the 17^th & 18^th century so then incense burners are pictures of them, and are meant to burn their butts for their occupation. The next place I visited was the Presidential Office which the Japanese built for their president at the time when Japan controlled Taiwan. The architecture of the building is not actually Japanese, but is western because the Japanese are highly influenced by western culture and preferred to build it in a Victorian style. I also visited the thermal valley of Taipei and Yangminshan national park in the northern part of Taiwan. It was a really interesting experiencing seeing the natural hot springs and steam in the middle of a city, while also smelling the heavy stench of sulfur. There was one hot spring where a bunch of elder people gathered around and sat to soak their feet – so I did too, but little did I realize how hot this water actually was. My feet and calves were bright red by the end of the soak, but surely felt so much better afterwards. This was a very busy day running between locations and museums, including Taipei 101 (the tallest building in Taiwan) and historical artifacts museum, but it really was the perfect way to see the city of Taipei in the most encompassing way. The following day was my favorite in Taiwan as I explored the coastal town and area of Jioufen, which was originally a place where gold miners were located to labor. The small town in the middle of the mountains of Taiwan is filled with huge natural waterfalls and orange colored rocks that you simply wouldn’t believe are real. When you go farther up into the small town, there are tiny streets selling street food and souvenirs and other kinds of local goods. I purchased some golden colored oolong tea that I am so excited to share with my friends and family back home. I met two girls who met each other in Bali on a yoga retreat and sat down with them for lunch (one was from the Philippines and the other from Vancouver in Canada). They said that even though they’ve known each other for such little time, they are best friends and feel so close to each other. The one from the Phillipines just recently got married and the woman she met was one of her maids of honor. The woman told me about her experience recently marrying a Chinese man whose family did not approve of his marrying a Philippine and did not attend the wedding because of this. This example truly highlights the traditional culture of marriages in Asia which I found really interesting to hear about directly from this woman. I finished the day at a really cool and trendy area in Taipei eating at a local restaurant and wandering the streets that were filled with Korean designers and Japanese vintage shops. Taiwan was an incredible place to travel to – from the city life to the coastal nature, the city is calm and people are very calm. I can’t wait to come back here at some point to explore more than just a weekend!

By Maya Haziza

Its crazy to think that I arrived in my apartment in Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong just 5 months ago. I remember sitting in the back of my taxi from the airport and seeing the city lights of Hong Kong from and feeling so much excitement about the unknown journey I was about to embark on. I have now visited so many countries in Asia, but there is something very, very special about living, studying, and now working in Hong Kong. Most people who are unfamiliar with China and Asia in general can’t exactly picture what it is like to live in a city like this and little do they know that Hong Kong is also an island. The reason I love this place so much is because it is the most fast paced, dynamic, disorganized, exciting, and beautiful place in the world. It was easy to transition to living here because most people in Hong Kong speak English in certain areas and the city is filled with expatriates living and working abroad. After noticing the amount of international expats who are now so synthesized into the city, it showed me that being outside of your comfort zone is sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself. Many people are not brave enough to pick up their things, move to a foreign country, and start their lives from scratch. But I think that this exact challenge is what makes the people in Hong Kong different than any other city. In Hong Kong – there is comfort in discomfort and there is a ceiling for possibility higher than you can imagine. I have met people from all over the world simply by sitting at cafes and starting up a conversation and even landed an interview for a company based in LA, when meeting someone in Hong Kong. The connections are endless and I strongly urge people studying abroad or planning to – to take advantage of every single moment of every single day and to talk to as many people as possible, no matter where you are. Casual and professional connections are the greatest assets a person can have and can get you very far if you are genuine and trust in people. Be kind to others and be open, because you never know where it will take you.

By Maya Haziza

I am now almost at my last week in my internship at a Hong Kong based fashion company. I am so glad that I decided to partake in an internship experience while living in Hong Kong because I believe that it is a unique experience that I might not be able to do for a while, or at least until I look for a job (potentially abroad). No matter where you are, I have realized that the best way to learn is by doing and this is exactly the mentality that I have maintained while working in Hong Kong. I am working for a company here in Hong Kong called AMENPAPA, a fashion brand and clothing company. Their clothes are sold all over Asia in countries like China, Japan, Korea, and more. My role at the firm for the 5 weeks that I am here is to focus on digital marketing efforts and build the company’s presence on social media and other digital platforms. It has been interesting to not only observe the nature of the company and its employees, but of how they do their marketing given their brand which is extremely unique. They are a fashion brand that seeks to synthesize spirituality and catholic teaching into fashion in order to empower people. As someone who is unfamiliar with the bible teachings and verses they print on their graphic items, it was hard to understand how exactly they market their products and communicate the brand story and the stories behind each collection. I have enjoyed our weekly meeting where the entire team sits down and shares something new they learned that week or a discovery they made. The team here has been very welcoming and I am grateful that I can now have connections in Hong Kong to the fashion business and industry.

By Maya Haziza

My trip to Japan was by far my favorite country I have visited during all of abroad. The cities that I visited in Japan were so special and dynamic, but none were like Naoshima Island. As an artist and someone who appreciates art, this place was literally made for people to recognize and intersection between nature and modern architecture. Only those hungry enough for the sacred art island will make the trip of 3 different trains, a ferry, and bus just to see the museums, art projects, and sculptures lining the island in the Seto Sea of Japan. During my visit to Naoshima, it was raining which I was originally sad about because I wanted the opportunity to bike through the island

By Maya Haziza

So, Bali has a very special place in my heart. I don’t even know where I should begin in describing the beauty of Indonesia and its people. Our first stop was Ubud, most notable for its endless emerald rice fields and feisty monkeys. Ubud was the perfect place for us to begin our Bali trip because it really exposed us to the Balinese culture, food, language, and people. It is needless to say that this place is as good and beautiful and people say it is, and exceeded my expectations. We explored waterfalls, rice fields, temples, and so much more in our first day. My favorite and most memorable experience in Ubud was hiking Mount Batur. We set an alarm for 2:30 AM to begin our hike up what is an active volcano and crater. As someone who has done many hikes before, especially in Hong Kong, this was twenty times harder than that and lasted 5 hours. The climb was insane in every way. As you climb up this mountain you see lava rocks coated in red and even using a staff to guide your way it is hard to navigate through the steep and slippery of the rocks. I will never forget how bright the stars I saw during this hike were – like nothing I had ever seen before. It felt like being underneath a dome of stars that I could reach up and grab. It was spectacular and I still can’t get over it. We finally reached the top of the mountain and watched the sunrise – another experience I can’t really put into words. We explored the top of the mountain which had natural steam from the volcano crater and saw monkeys running around grabbing hiker’s chocolate bars. This was an epic experience that made my time in Ubud so special. Next, we headed to Uluwatu which is in the southern coast of Bali -- known for the most beautiful beaches in the world, especially for surfers. The Balinese people were so kind, down to earth, and curious about my friends and I as we travelled throughout the island met new people along the way. The five days I spent in Bali were the biggest tease in the world, because this is the kind of place you need to explore for a month – at least. There is so much to see and so much to do and the beauty of the island is beyond stunning. Bali, I’m coming back for you – SOON.

 

By Maya Haziza

I am back in Hong Kong after spending a week in Japan with my mom and am still not over my experiences in Japan. This country and its people have exceeded my expectations beyond measure – in every way. We flew from Hong Kong to Tokyo for about 3 days and immediately felt the kind nature of the Japanese people and the beauty of the city. If I could describe Tokyo in any way, it would be organized chaos. After having travelled through China which is disorganized chaos, Tokyo was so drastically different. Even while walking in Shibuya crossing, the most heaving populated intersection in the world – there was a quiet harmony amongst the people. People in Japan are very formal and polite and do not waste any time on nonsense – they simply go about their days with order and peace and it is for this reason that the city feels so calm yet extremely dynamic. We began our first day by visiting the Mori Art Museum in the Tokyo Tower which had an incredible exhibit of Japanese architecture and also explored the helicopter pad view of the city. After that we went to the Tsujiki Fish Market and saw the fish auctioning and busy streets selling sushi and other street foods. I knew I was in a place with top quality sushi because even the fish market itself did not smell like fish. The sushi was as soft as butter and tasted so clean and fresh. Later that day we explored Ginza Area, Harajuku, and even went into a hedgehog café to play with them! The following day we explored Daikanyama, which is so peaceful and artistic with pop up vintage boutiques all over the area. One of my favorite moments was going to the Park Hyatt and seeing the bar where the movie Lost in Translation was filmed. The next city we ventured to was Kyoto, one of the older and more traditional cities of Japan. Kyoto was charming beyond words – from the golden temples, bamboo groves, picturesque nature, tiny little streets, and kind people, it was the perfect place to explore a place outside Tokyo. One of the most memorable experiences about Kyoto was sleeping in a Ryokan, on a tatami mat floor and futon bed. This is considered to be traditional Japanese hospitality and it was very unique that I got to experience this. This type of bed is surprisingly so comfortable. After spending two days in Kyoto, we took way 3 trains, a ferry, and a bus to arrive at Naoshima Island. This island is hard to describe in words because it is so special in every way. This island is a secluded island on the coast of Japan that is solely dedicated to art projects and museums beyond belief. This was my favorite day in all of Japan. I saw 5 museums that are purposed at being integrated with the nature of the island and this is what makes the island so special. There are pumpkins made by Yayoi Kusama sitting on the boardwalk in front of the ocean and museums overlooking the entire island. I saw a room filled with 4 paintings made by Claude Monet and I was shaking from how lucky I felt witnessing it on an island in Japan. My last day I spent wandering Osaka and shopping in Dotonbori. I am simply in love with Japan and can’t wait to travel back to this incredible country.

By Maya Haziza

It is amazing because I am sitting here writing this blog post after reading remarkable news about the first meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea in over 60 years. The two countries have entered a period of potential peace now and in the future and I am so lucky that I had the change to witness the unveiling of this political climate with my own eyes. For my 21^st birthday, eleven of my closest friends travelled together to Seoul, South Korea for 3 days. We landed in Seoul very early in the morning and headed right away to our Airbnb where we all took a nap because beginning our day later. I woke up to friends surrounding me and singing Happy Birthday to me while holding a chocolate cake. The entire apartment was decorated with streamers, glitter, candy, and gifts – what better way to spend your 21^st with friends in Korea? We got ready and headed towards Myeondong Street where we stopped at every boutique doing some damage and eating our way through the delicious street food. I tried almost everything I could that was vegetarian: kimchi fried pancake, potato chips on a stick, cotton candy, kimchi hand rolls, strawberry smoothie, and more. It was very difficult navigating our way through Seoul because none of us had any service and were thrown into a metro system ten times bigger than we are used to in Hong Kong. The locals were very nice whenever we had asked for directions but we soon realized how big of a city it actually is and would take us time to get from place to place. For my 21st birthday dinner we ate a Korean BBQ restaurant in Itaewon and it was delicious – even the vegetarian bimbimbap. The next day we headed to Gyeongbokung Palace, where we rented a Hanbok, traditional Korean dresses. We didn’t know this at the time we bought the outfits, but if you dress up while entering the palace – it is free admission and much more respectable than normal clothing. This was probably one of the highlights of my trip to Korea because it was just so fun to do something new and be fully immersed in a new culture. The palace itself was spectacular because you are inside of this ancient structure, while you are simultaneously facing a highly advanced and cosmopolitan city. The juxtaposition of the ancient and the modern is a trend I have noticed while traveling all over Asia and it is something that makes this side of the world so unique. After we finished in the palace we had planned to go visit the Samsung museum or another art museum in town, but didn’t realize we would be walking outside into one of the largest protests I have ever seen. This was during the time that North Korea and the U.S. were going through talks in regards to the North Korean nuclear weapons program. North and South Korea were also beginning the first stages of their peace talks and the South Koreans in Seoul were furious about these negotiations. Thousands of people marched on the streets of Seoul speaking out against North Korean negotiations. It is so interesting how the two countries originate from the same place however North and South are worlds apart in ideology, government, and economy. This was an incredible experience – witnessing the world change in front of my eyes and being there to read the signs and shouts of Koreans. My last day in Seoul was spent at a traditional spa, a famous activity to do while in Korea – as Koreans are known for their phenomenal skin care products and spa treatments. I went here with two of my closest friends and it was the perfect way to end the weekend in a relaxed environment. We got massages, rolled around in Himalayan salt rooms, and went into the pool there. My friends and I really took advantage of every moment in Korea – singing karaoke, wandering Hongdae, visiting Namsan tower and so, so much more. Seoul is a magnificent city and I can’t wait to come back in the future.