I could eat my body weight in dim sum

"You ordered this! You have to finish it!" -Jeff, throwing me under the bus at a family meal

The past 2.5 weeks have been awesome! Jeff's parents arrived in Hong Kong (from here on to be referred to as HK) for a 3 week vacation the same day I did, along with some family friends and family members, plus all the holiday get-togethers, which have made for nearly constant lunches and dinners out! I think there has only been one day when I didn't have either lunch or dinner treated to me and that was by choice! Everyone has been very kind to me and Jeff's aunt is even letting me stay in her apartment while she's off traveling around for work and pleasure! The apartment is a bit out of the way, but on the Northwest coast of HK Island in a really pretty hilly spot. The apartment building is right on the water and I can see numerous ships coming and going as well as the craggy coastline from my window! I keep meaning to take a photo of it...

So I take numerous buses to get to the various lunch and dinner plans I have :) and family obligations that I go to with Jeff. So far some of the highlights:

HIGH TEA AT THE PENINSULA HOTEL: This was with the Huey Family (practically the Wong Family, an ideal family combining brought to us by Adrian Wong who married Janice Huey), particularly Rita Renee, and it was awesome! Jeff and I were already dressed up for Denise & Ken's wedding and since I love tea, desserts, scones, fancy places and the Hueys, it was fantastic!

DRINKS AT PENINSULA HOTEL: After the tea we had some time to kill before the wedding dinner, so we went up to the top of the building bar that overlooks the harbor and had a drink. It was very swanky and again, was perfect timing since we were already dressed up. Plus, Mrs Huey had said how nice I looked at tea and my self confidence was pretty high :)

DENISE/KEN WEDDING: Iiinteresting affair. Wedding ceremonies in HK have traditionally only been a signing at an emotionless courthouse until recently. So the pomp, circumstance and romance are still lacking in the eyes of a North American. The ceremony was at one of the piers on the harbor (cold) and it was more like a wedding factory. Each couple was given an hour and then the next couple was scheduled. There was a wedding going on when we got there, one immediately after ours was leaving and then 2 brides arriving outside as we were getting a cab. The wedding march played on a continuous loop and the mc was akin to a drill sergeant on the microphone. i was also under dressed with no stockings. the dinner later was very nice, i was listed as "Mr Jeff Wong (Lover)", I won a Hagen Daz gift certificate, there was a live band but no dance floor, many people SANG (singing family apparently) and it was a full on very delicious Chinese dinner. They also had hundreds of very fanciful wedding photos...some with stuffed animals!

NEW YEARS EVE: Jeff's friend Steve is in town on business and was staying at the 4 Seasons (posh!), so we showed up there around 10pm with some wine and inadvertantly walked into the lobby where famous people were also entering the elevators at the same time we were! The camera flashes from the paparazzi outside were blinding and I'm pretty sure I was in some photos drinking a diet coke and eating a twix bar! So we stayed there for a little while with a great view of the harbor, then went to the IFC patio and saw the fireworks and countdown from the side of the IFC building where the fireworks were being shot off from. Unfortunately the view of the fireworks wasnt great from ground zero, but it was still fun. Then we walked to LKF- the bar part of town- which was less crowded since the countdown was over. We found a bar and drank there for a little while before cabbing it home.

DINNER FOR GAO-SUK's ANNIVERSARY: Dinner at Ho Choi, the seafood place I first met Stella & Patrick and Grandma & Grandpa, given by Michael and Eleana for their 29th wedding anniversary and Dr/Mrs Wong's going away party. Afterwards we went to Michael/Eleana's newly rented apartment and it was AMAZING. In mid-levels, 28th floor, 4 bedrooms, huge view, walk in closet the size of my bedroom at home...and $12,000 USD a month! Memorable, at the very least!

HOT POT with the HUEYS: think fondue on steroids

YUM CHA (DIM SUM): this happened about 12 times, all were very good, especially the cha xiu bah (bbq meat inside bun with sweet pineapple crust on top)

I'm sure there will be more than comes to mind, but let's keep going...