This year, my wife and I decided to take our summer vacation in Hong Kong and Macau. We're trying to take advantage of nearby and inexpensive Asian destinations while we still live in Japan, and this fit the bill nicely. Our trip was fantastic!!! The fates were with us, as we avoided getting stranded in Macau by a typhoon that hit us on the day we were scheduled to ferry back to HK, and didn't get caught up in the anti-Japan protests that were just getting fired up near our departure to return back home.

I took Rex's advice -- to have my tailor make me a new suit jacket every day I was there... Which isn't far from the truth. Actually, I really did spend a LOT of time in the tailor shop (almost daily, because of the different fittings, fabric selection and ordering), getting shirts, waistcoats, and a jacket made. When the occasion arises, the fruit of their labour will be revealed -- but probably not until the St. Andrews Ball in November.... Sorry.

However, I AM pleased to share a few pictures with all of you... I was kilted only a part of the time -- I like to vary my wardrobe quite a bit, and this was just a part of the bigger picture. I will, however say this about Hong Kong... The kilt is a distinctive garment. Far more than being simply unbifurcated (because I wondered around trouserless about 90% of the time), it's the kilt that captures attention, turns heads, causes whispers, smiles, comments, and photos...

Let me put it visually. Being dressed like THIS:



draws far, far, FAR more attention than being dressed like THIS:



When I walked around wearing my Kenyan kikoi (pictured above), or my S.E. Asian sarongs, I received nary a comment or question; I didn't even receive so much as a second glance! It was almost as though I were wearing the most common thing in the world!

As always, I have the entire photo collection up on my website if anyone wants to take a gander. http://zayith.com/photos/Hong%20Kong/#

Some highlights of our trip:

- Took a Vegetarian cooking course... How to make meat-free, authentic, restaurant-ready, Szechuan dishes.




Related to this, here's a photo of me just after we finished eating at a vegetarian restaurant in the New Territories. (Get it? Vegetarian? "Kau Yuk Road?" C'mon! That's funny!!!)



- The traditional, Portuguese-inspired architecture in Macau.




- The sights, sounds, smells, and overall atmosphere of Hong Kong!

Textile shop where my good wife must have spent our entire paycheques...


There is probably no landmark more iconic than the Chungking Mansions!!! (No, we didn't stay there)


On the Avenue of Stars, finding out that my hands are almost exactly the same size as those of Jet Li!


Loved it in Hong Kong! Can't wait to return there someday soon!