Due to jetlag, I ended up waking up a lot earlier than usual. Once my girlfriend got up, we took her dogs to the nearby dog park/walled garden for a sniff walk. Due to it still being before 8 AM (and a school day/work day for others), there was no one here. Her two dogs had time to casually stroll around, sniffing the place. After a while, we headed back to her place and got dressed. Her parents were up, and thus we headed out for breakfast.
We stopped by the commercial district (I believe it was the commercial district) and found a restaurant to eat breakfast. I got an instant noodle dish, topped with a piece of lettuce. For sides, I had eggs, sausages and a pineapple bun filled with butter. The pineapple bun was the star of the show, for it was extremely crispy and the pat of butter made the centre creamy. After breakfast, we headed to a nearby mall to stop by an optometry centre.
Her dad needed a pair of glasses. As we were waiting, I got the chance to check out the store. Unlike optometry centres in Canada, it seemed like all the sample glasses had anti-reflective lenses built in. It was a nice touch, for I feel it gave potential clients an idea of what these glasses would look like when you get them. Once her dad was able to get his eyes checked, and glasses ordered, we headed off to complete some more chores.
Once everything was done, we were going to head to another district. However, due to the traffic jam, and with my girlfriend having an appointment in a few hours, her dad dropped us off at a train station so we could head back to the district we started from. With a bit of time to spare, we stopped by a Hot Star, a chain that specializes in Taiwanese fried chicken. Instead of getting chicken though, we got some sweet potatoes coated in the same seasoning they use for their chicken. It was so good that I regret not getting another batch. We then entered another mall for her appointment, but before that, stopped by a small candy store inside for some snacks. The mall itself reminded me of the New Horizon Mall we have here in Calgary - it was filled with small stores. Once we found the spot for her appointment, she sat down and got her nails done. I was able to sit and watch throughout the hour long procedure. It vaguely reminded me of detailing my own car, in that what seems to be a straightforward and quick process actually has a lot of steps involved. With her freshly done nails, it was time to head back home.
But of course, grab a snack (egg waffles filled with egg yolk) at Mammy Pancake. We were fortunate enough to get a ride from her dad, in which we stopped by a BYD dealership nearby. I never seen a BYD car before, so it was neat to see the SUVs they had on the show floor. We even got free water bottles as we strolled around the different cars. Once we saw enough, we headed back home.
I had time to lay around for a while before it was time for dinner. We went to some sort of Chinese restaurant that specialized in a certain type of chicken. We started with a appetizer of squid, which was not chewy, like most squid I've had in the past. There was some sort of bread crumb like seasoning that was extremely tasty, but extremely salty. Then the main course arrived - two roasted/bbq chicken. Unlike North America, the heads were still attached, which I think make it look more complete. The skin was crispy, as if I was eating Peking duck instead of chicken. The meat underneath was extremely tender as well. A very hearty chicken, and perhaps one of my favorite chicken dishes ever. Once we were done with the main meal, we had two more appetizers: one was, I believe, shrimp & cashews with leek. The other one was potatoes and beef. Both extremely good! As I was starting to feel quite full, we had one more plate of fried rice. I'm not sure what was in it, but it had a delicate flavor that I usually don't associate with friend rice. Feeling quite stuffed now, I had a bit of room for dessert. It was some sort of ginger milk pudding. The sugar and spiciness from the ginger was an interesting mix that warmed me up. I should mention, that despite being in a covered tent, we were technically eating outside. I believe it was around 20 degrees Celsius, but it was starting to feel a bit chilly.
With dinner completed, we headed back home. It was time to walk her dogs, but she was busy with some tasks she needed to complete. I ended up walking them with her dad instead. He showed me a route that I wasn't familiar with, which allowed me to see another section of her neighborhood. Despite it being somewhat late, I felt relatively safe walking at night in Hong Kong. After coming back, I took a shower and crashed. Jetlag was hitting me hard.
Despite staying in one district mostly, and not seeing touristy things, it was a very productive day. Productive, yet relaxing at the same time.
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