weekend easy

after a hectic weekday, i always make it a point to keep my weekend breezy.
nothing complicated. just a simple walk will do.
last weekend, i went around the sleepy fishing village of ap lei chau...a charming antiquity, a remnant of hong kong's past simple life, with splashes of modernity on the side.
amid old, crumbling buildings, hole-in-the-wall eateries serving roast pork and ducks, are the outlet shops of body shop, giordano.

yet, these reminders of modern consumerism don't seem out of place. they are part of the whole atmosphere. like they have been there for so long.

the streets are narrow, almost empty except for old people reading newspapers or having a beer after lunch. or just sitting alone, contemplating life (or what little is left) and the world around him.

charming!
at almost every corner are stalls manned by old people selling fresh fruits and vegetables, used clothing, dried fish, home made pastries, steaming tea of various kinds.

looking at the glassy windows at one of the small restaurants (noodle shops), i was lured by the sight of slices of pork lechon and whole roast ducks on display and ended up having late lunch. it's a steal at HK$28 (average meal in hong kong is around HK$150). the pork is crunchy and meaty (hahaha), the soup tasted like beef and the tea was so hot it nearly burned my hands and tongue.

this is what life should be. unhurried. uncomplicated.
then i boarded the sampan to aberdeen.

i walked around and found myself inside a barber shop. what the heck, time to trim my longish  hair.

after a few minutes and a few hand gestures (the barbers, mostly old men from the village, could not speak or understand my visayan-accented english), i ended up looking like an ex-convict:

the barber (his nameplate says number seven. so i called him mr. seven) misunderstood me and had a great time cutting my hair. i wanted to stop him, but i was afraid there could be further confusion and i might end up bald. afraid.

anyway, it was dirt cheap (HK$60 plus HK$10 tip. my former hair stylist charged me HK$250 excluding a HK$100 tip), so who am i to complain?
plus my barber was kind enough to pose for a picture. see that smile? priceless.

also, i made a friend out of that day's youngest customer. he cried at first when his grandfather let him sit on the barber's chair. but after some prodding and a dozen chocolates, he finally agreed to have his hair cut. this is him, still in his pjs, after the session with mr. barber.

i was just wondering how come his hair cut was better than mine?

*****
after i went out of the barber shop, i saw a mini bus going to stanley market. i was intrigued, so i hopped in, not knowing where it was or what awaited me there.
luckily, the view was stunning.

stanley is a seaside village, where a lot of foreigners live and tourists go to wine and dine. it has lots of nice restaurants and bars with outdoor tables for those who enjoy the sunshine. there are a few shops too selling paintings, pictures, tee-shirts and what have you.

it was a luvly afternoon, with lots of sun. great day for walking and sitting outside, gazing at the cuties passing by. or just savouring the beauty of the big, wide sea. i did all of these, by the way.

because it was a bit hot, this made a brisk business that day. it's a mobile soft ice cream vendor. luvly!

everyone was having fun under the sun. even kids. i mean, especially kids.

and a few bored ones.

tired, i decided to have an ice tea here.  yes, i luv the name too. so...intellectual..haha..

i sat at one of those chairs with umbrellas outside. reading a book. just to blend with the thinking crowd. hahaha.

as the sun sets, i went inside a temple and prayed. even if i  don't speak chinese, i knew the gods understood me.

it's one of the oldest temples in hong kong, apparently, built in 1938.

inside, it was dark, silent, smokey and smelled of incense. it was so quiet, i felt like god was talking to me. chos! no, i was not drunk when i went inside.

i prayed like i never prayed before, thanked the gods for being good to me and for all the kind souls who helped me in this journey. i also made a wish - keep my mother healthy and happy for the rest of her life. and a special one that i would like to keep for myself.

more walking and i ended up at a pavilion near the sea.

where a cute guy volunteered to take my picture. who am i to refuse him?

tired. i slumped on this very comfortable rattan chair, just outside of a coffee shop.

yes, i was so tired i had to stretch my long-legged legs. i nearly fell asleep.
then, like magic, he came along.
looking as gorgeous as the day he stepped out of a details photo shoot. shirtless and oh so damned...

we chatted for a while. he was a model vacationing from brazil.
wow. i was in a daze. i could hardly talk. i mean, just look how fabulous he is! we shared my cappuccino (i tasted his steaming frap and chocolate cheese cake).
we talked about the sights and flavours of latin america, the debt crisis in europe, elections in the u.s., natural calamities... and then before i could say more about the state of the global economy, he gave me a kiss. short, sweet, wet and so hot that it woke me up.
what a luvly dream!
i stayed for a while, enjoying the sight of families, friends, couples, tourists, locals, and two chinese celebrities shooting a teevee show.
then time to call it a day.
so i rode the mini bus back to aberdeen then the sampan on the way home to ap lei chau.
it was nearly dark and a bit chilly.
i luv the sampan already.

that's all, fairies, bitches, witches, princesses and wannabees!
happy holidays!