sunday currently vol. 17

currently:
reading: still warsaw requiem, but have already finished the wrath and the dawn by renee ahdieh and another book. already more than halfway through the book though, and now i'm also reading, in turns, since i last saw you by alice ann kudd and the rose and the dagger, the second book by renee ahdieh. so weird to read two to three books at intervals, but it could be done. 

writing: this, and the last installment of my hong kong adventure. so weird that i could not string coherent sentences together. again! grrr. hoping to finish this as soon as i can so that i could start on my next travelogue. as to what's it about, just wait and see! harhar

listening: cosy in the rocket by psapp. yep, still on the loop. ;)

thinking: of how stupid i could be for waiting

smelling: nothing.

wishing: i have a spine

wearing: red t-shirt and... yes, cycling shorts. grrr lol

loving: grey's anatomy. haha!

wanting: to eat. still haven't eaten dinner.

needing: something

feeling: stupid

random thoughts on grey's anatomy

In a previous post, I mentioned watching the season 8 finale ("Flight") scene from Grey's Anatomy where Lexie Grey died from the plane crash. I was content after watching it. It satisfied my curiosity even if it left me heartbroken for a while. That was supposed to be the end of it.

But fate just had to play a hand in my TV habits. When I arrived home from an overseas trip in the wee hours of the morning, I turned on the TV in the hopes that I could catch a rerun of one of my favourite shows before settling in. Lo and behold, what should be airing on the channel I tuned in to but the rerun of Grey's Anatomy season 8, and the first episode, no less. If this was providence, I don't know what is.

So yeah, I initially tuned in to watch Grey's Anatomy season eight because I wanted to see Chyler Leigh play a different character, that is, Lexie Grey. Lexie's personality is somewhat dorky compared to the serious Alex Danvers in Supergirl. But as the season progressed, I found myself getting enamoured with the rest of the show's characters and their storylines. The show made me laugh and get teary-eyed at all the right moments all throughout. The writing was superb, and all the actors were amazing.

I particularly like Meredith and Cristina's friendship. Even after having seen it for just one season so far, I get why they're dubbed the twisted sisters. The way they tormented April, oh dear. I felt mean for laughing along with them. Miranda was fun to watch as she's this tough-talking doctor who is very good at her job yet gets all flustered when it comes to personal matters. Lexie had fewer appearances in the season so I might have to backtrack to the earlier seasons to be able to see her relationship with Mark Sloan develop.

When episode 24 finally rolled along, it was so hard to watch it even if I had a bit of preparation. Call me melodramatic, but not only did I feel my heart shatter into a zillion pieces over the doctors' predicament, I found myself wiping my eyes which I promised never to do again since I watched Prue Halliwell die on Charmed's season 3 finale. And that was a promise which was broken many times over. So as heartbreaking as "Flight" was to watch, I loved it. And since it ended on a cliffhanger, I had to watch episode 1 of season 9. And the one after that. And the next...

Ooh, I have some serious catching up to do.

Yep, Grey's Anatomy is officially in my TV playlist.

One more thing.

You're my person.

Now that is a #friendshipgoal for you. 

The theme is also a winner. Hit play!

Lost in Hong Kong: Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre

The Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre opened its doors to visitors back in October of 2005, but its history goes way, way back when Hong Kong was still a British Colony. Built around 1910, blocks S61 and S62 of the Whitfield Barracks was used to accommodate the British soldiers up until 1967, the year it was handed over to the government for public use. Today, the Centre occupies the two blocks and it houses magnificent permanent and thematic exhibition galleries, educational activity rooms, a lecture hall, and a reference library. Guided tours of the Centre are also available in English and Cantonese.

Let me just say that this is simply perfect for someone born with nerdy sensibilities. Like this silly solo traveller here, who first found the Centre a welcome respite from walking under all that heat. The lovely courtyard even earned only a slight glance as I came in. But it is when I reached the second floor that my sensibilities went haywire, I literally had to stop myself from giggling like a schoolgirl. I was that excited even if I was just by the exhibit's entrance, all because I saw the blurb "Explore Our Heritage". And so just like the little red hen who baked bread from scratch all by herself, I did! Explore Hong Kong's heritage, that is!

Simply amazing.

I wasn't able to catch the guided tour in English so I went on my merry lonesome way inside the exhibit. It is so amazing to discover that Hong Kong is a treasure trove of archaeological sites. Most dated back from the prehistoric period, and a lot of artifacts from China's dynasties were also on display. There is an  architectural exhibit as well which showcases the different architectural designs throughout history that could be found in Hong Kong.

I must say that I am awed at how the people of Hong Kong was able to preserve their historical and cultural heritage. The displays themselves speak volumes on how much they value them. Modern technology meets the traditional way in putting up the exhibit and everywhere I looked was a "Wow!" moment. There were times when I could not contain myself from marvelling aloud. I even jumped in excitement when I saw the Ming Dynasty display. And why wouldn't I, I haven't seen a museum yet in recent history that thought of putting up a display within the floor. The tourists there might have thought me crazy, all giggly and jumpy and excited and talking to myself. Haha!

The LED screen on the left is blank... until you place your hand on the handprint. :)

Pottery shards with different patterns

Audio guide to the artifacts display. The lighted button in the middle (green) is in English. The top and bottom buttons (blue and red, respectively) are for Chinese dialects, I don't remember which is which.

"Self portrait" on the Ming Dynasty display. I can't believe I'm standing on a museum display!

Well-preserved dishes from the Ming Dynasty

This Look and Turn display is within the architectural exhibit. As the name implies, people look in the small windows (there are three) to view the model of the featured historical building. And to see the model in all angles, one should turn the wheel at the base. This one is for the Tai Fu Tai Mansion.

And for the life of me, I cannot remember the name of this building is, only that it is a school. This view is from the bottom window of the Look and Turn.

After satisfying my nerdy cravings, I proceeded to the exit when I passed by an activity room where a workshop was ongoing at that time. The lovely lady at the doorway invited me in and I almost refused even if admission was free. I'm so glad I changed my mind in that nanosecond.

There were two college age-looking guys who were in charge of the workshop. One of them spoke to me in Chinese and he must have seen the confused look on my face so he switched to English. It was a DIY workshop in pen holder making, with emphasis on Hong Kong's archaeological past.

My map just made a cameo. Bwahahaha

The procedure was very easy: just colour the drawings on the sticker paper using markers, cut them out then stick them on the coloured paper. Don't mind the blue cardboard anymore; just put a strip of the double-sided tape on one end of the coloured paper and attach the other end to it, making sure that it will fit the base and the top ring once attached. And voila! Now I have a pen holder! (Not to mention a free souvenir!)

My very own pen holder! ^_^

 

I know I should feel awkward when I am the only adult among the throng of children making a pen holder, but I didn't. Not even when all the other adults in the room were helping their kids make their own pen holders as well as taking their pictures with the finished product. Making the pen holder was such a fun experience for me, it took me back to the time when I was a kid myself and enjoyed arts and crafts. I'm so proud of that pen holder that it has its own special spot in the house. :)

Visiting the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre is definitely a must when one is in Hong Kong. On my next trip there, when I am not so crazy as to go on a day tour, I'll be sure to spend more time in the Centre. In fact, it showed me how Hong Kong is more than just a shopping destination; it is a city very rich in culture and history worth learning. 

 

The Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre is in Kowloon Park along Haiphong Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. Admission is free.

Get lost with me on my Hong Kong adventures :)

A Primer

Kat Hing Wai

Rambling Around Kam Tin

Mong Kok

(Mis)Adventures in Kowloon Park

up next: photo essay, maybe epilogue. i dunno, we'll see. lol