Flying Curious

Sometimes Paul and I sit back and have a chuckle about how silly and amazing our lives are here.  Today was one of those days.  But we'll get to that when we get to that.

Thursday I left work early for a French wine tasting at the Mira hotel.  I only had time to try a few of the hundred or so wines offered, but a couple of the Muscadet Sur Lies from the Loire stood out and stuck on my tongue for hours.  Wonderful and not your everyday wines, and if you haven't had one, I totally suggest you seek one out for summer. 

Grabbed a handful of cheese on the way out to 4 back to back interviews.  They were all very positive for very different companies, and 2 of which are very very interesting to me.  Hopefully I'll hear something soon.

Louis de Sacy Champagne at the American Club

Then ran out of the last one after an hour and a half of chatting to hit up BFelix for a wine pop up shop with one of my favorite wine companies, Amorosso Fine Wines.  Brilliant idea.  Wine shop in a furniture shop for a limited time only.  Alison was there pouring our some lovely Rioja whites and reds, and my Spanish wine friend from the Island East Market was serving some amazing Spanish ham.  Paul was there chatting with Ali (WineTimesHK) and Alison, and new friends who have just left Korea to travel the world.

Red Head's Barrel Monkeys

Friday ran out of work for a Cru Magazine/Bacchus wine tasting at the American Club.  I got to catch up with my wine friends, Gerrie, Stephen, Jon, and Simon, and met some new wine enthusiasts and negociants.  There were some amazing Champagnes, great young Bordeauxs, but my favorites of the night were, for sure, the Red Head wines from Australia (Whip Hand- aaahhhhmazing), and the Barbera, Nebbiolos, and Barolos from Pelassa.  Divine.

View from the American Club

Saturday Paul worked in the morning while I went to the pool for some laps, the library for some research for my diploma case study (if anyone has any insight into the convergence of supply and demand for wine using the 2012 harvest as evidence, contact me!), had an interview, then met Paul for an Indian buffet lunch. 

We head home to unload before hiking and it dumped rain.  Dumped dumped dumped. And then all of the sudden the sun shone and life was good again.  So we head to the Dragon's Back for a wonderful hike with Nina, Kenny, Katie and Lisa.  Nice breeze, clear blue sky, and a non-strenuous workout.  Totally typical day that couldn't possibly be recreated anywhere else.

View from the trail post storm

Post hike Nina and Kenny introduced us all to a new favorite; Ben's Back Beach Bar in Shek O.  We've been coming to Shek O for 2 years and had never been to the back beach.  How could this be!?   It's quiet and has this islandy-almost-Thailand feeling bar, Ben's, where you can chill and have a Brooklyn Beer!!!  Or two.  And some yellow, two blue, and a  black, if you know what I mean.  If you don't know what I mean, I mean Lays chips.  But seriously, how did we not know about this sooner?

Paul, Kenny, Nina, Lisa, Me, Katie at Ben's

Post brews we went through some creepy alleyways, which again, we had never ventured down before, past some cats, a lot of cats, to Black Sheep.  This is a place I'd been hearing about, but the one time previous Paul and I attempted in, it twas full.  This time it was not.  At all. 

Sarong covered tables.  Disco Ball solar systems.  Fish tanks.  Awesome.  We had a fantastic pizza dinner and made it home at the ripe old hour of 11 on a Saturday night.  Perfect!

And now the clencher parte uno to The Best Week Ever.  We went flying with Kenny!!!  In a tiny little Cessna that seats 4.  I don't think I've ever seen a plane this small, much less been in and flown (for like a second with Kenny's hands still firmly on his control).  We flew out of a Chinese air force base, through the New Territories, down by Sai Kung, through the Harbour right by the ICC (right by!), around the Southside, back through the NT to the base. 

So small

Captain Kenny

Greenery

ICC

Totally surreal, and totally amazing, and totally made our week/day/month!  We hit some bumps coming through the mountains but had an ultra smooth landing.   Kenny is an amazing pilot and made us feel totally comfortable the entire time despite the fact that half an inch of 30 year old tin stood between us and the Pacific Ocean.  Well done, Kenny, well done, indeed.

Foodie Event at Sal

We topped the day off with brunch at Sal Curiouso.  Paul and I went to a Foodie event last month at SC and had some truly clever and tasty cocktails, which resulted in us walking away with a buy one get one brunch coupon.  Sarah, Will, Nina and Lisa joined us for what turned out to a totally tasty Sunday afternoon.

Buffet

Starts with a coffee/tea and a buffet; hummus/guac/salsa, squid salad, tortas, Iberco ham, salmon, chorizo and sardine salad, gazpacho panzanella salad, cured duck, tuna, and I'm sure much more I'm forgetting. 

Then the chef himself, Chris Woodyard, (who turns out to be the father of one of Paul's students from Tutor Time!) came and presented us with course after course of absolute deliciousness.  Lisa our resident veg, made vocal her contraints, and Chris was all too accommodating.  Started with a Turkish egg dish, followed by pork sliders, followed by suckling pig and pears, followed by tuna and squid over chorizo deliciousness, followed by Portabello over curry-ish chickpeas and peas, followed by scallops over avocado salasa, lamb meatballs, veg and non veg jumbalayas, and finally ribs.  Every single thing that came before us was delectable.  There was no 'meh' in the entire (ridiculously massive) menagerie of courses. 

Food.

To really finish it off right the dessert course was comprised of 2 dishes.  One with churros, cheesecake, chocolate crumbs, rockyroad fudge and chocolate whip cream.  The other with grapes, fruit rope, mango sorbet, and a rocky crumb cookie-ish thing.  Amaze. Amaze. Amaze.  2 and a half hours later and we were finished. 

Chris came back at the end with his son and daughter who said a very polite and heart melting, 'Hi Mr. Paul' and twas time to go.  I should mention Chris is also the owner and chef of Madam Sixty Ate, and it's no surprise as they are both spot on fantastic.

Now time to blog, answer emails, pretend to wedding plan, and finally watch SOMM.  Life is beautiful.

2 weeks til freedom-> Shanghai->Seoul->new job, I hope.