It feels so alive with cold beer, warm sun and all-day music

Sitting on the boardwalk with beer and fries and listening to acoustic music

Outdoor concert is rare in Hong Kong, not to mention a free one. Thank God we are evolving and there is a two-day music fest Clockenflap in West Kowloon Promenade this weekend. A lazy Sunday with day-to-night music, sunshine, beer and chips. Mmmmm, this is my way of living. 

They divided the promenade into different areas, featuring two large outdoor stages, two electronic stages, an acoustic stage and a film tent. My friend, Gal, and I just grasped two beers and fries with excessive ketchup and mustard - my style. It will be perfect if they also have cheese and sour cream and avocado, but I guess I am asking too much. ("This is so Israeli!") 

Sitting on the boardwalk, listening to the acoustic music, sipping the beer, eating the fries under the sun beside the sea. If life is clustered with different moments, this is a moment I like to save and last. 

The acoustic stage at Clockenflap

The boardwalk, city view, sun and music today reminded me of the combination of so many different things - Central Park in NYC, Sunset in Santa Monica, laid-back boardwalk in Venice beach, and Spring music fest in USC. 

Today was like a getaway from the city though as a matter of fact, we were at the heart of the city. It felt like Central Park in New York except we were by the sea, which felt like Santa Monica pier. And music on boardwalk under sun felt so much about Venice beach. With the music from day to night, it reminded me of the Spring fest in USC back to 2008 where I was laying on the grass outside leavey library and listening to William Tell. I am not saying they are similar - It is just a feeling attached from one to another. All good old memories link with all good fresh memories, forming a new picture in my life album. Oh, this feels so alive.

(Left) Hong Kong city view from the Promenade. (Right) New York city view from the Central Park.

(Left) Sunset in West Kowloon Promenade, Hong Kong. (Right) Sunset at Santa Monica, Los Angeles.

(Left) Boardwalk in West Kowloon Promenade, Hong Kong. (Right) Boardwalk in Venice Beach, Los Angeles.

(Left) Performance by Nova Heart in Clockenflap. (Right) Performance by William Tell in Spring Fest USC.

Where: Clockenflap Music & Arts Festival

Address: West Kowloon Promenade, Hong Kong
Website: http://www.clockenflap.com/

Ms B's Cake, Ice-cream at Sunset, Wedding Dress: All Wrapped with Love.

Christmas window display in Lane Crawford -
"Wrapped with Love"

I had a hard time writing this entry. How should I wrap up for my discovery? Three completely different things, but somehow connect to each other and click with me. Not until I saw the Christmas window display in Lane Crawford in TST. Ding-dong. They are all WRAPPED WITH LOVE.

1. Cakes that make you fall in love: C'est la B

Patisseries from the brand new cafe, c'est la B

"Better than Sex" from Ms B's Cakery

Ms B's Cakery is definitely the most drop-dead-gorgeous cakes in town. The best is that they also taste superb! The only flaw was that Ms B's Cakery at Gough Street (Address: 39 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong) only offers take-away (No seats!) and the one in Sevva (Address: 25/F Prince's Building, 10 Charter Road, Central, Hong Kong) doesn't have the by-piece patisserie above. Here's the good news: Ms B's Cakery just opened its cafe-bar C'est la B in Tai Hang! Finally we can sit down for those patisseries!

I tried the Sunshine cake before (the yellow one at top left coner with a flower sugar garnish). It feels like heaven. I can't wait to visit c'est la B in the coming week and tell you how it is. Sunshine, Butterfly Kisses, Paradise, Madame Butterfly, Better than Sex. What more can I say? Better than sex? I see no reason of not trying.

Where: C'est la B
Location: Shop 3, G/F, 110-114 Tung Lo Wan Road, Tai Hang, Hong Kong
Opening Hour: Mon - Sun 1130am - midnight
Tel: 2806 8168
Website: http://www.msbscakery.hk/cestlaB.html

2. A getaway terrace from the crowd: Spasso

Sunset from the outdoor terrance of Spasso in TST, Hong Kong

A typical Saturday in Tsim Sha Tsui (aka TST) can only be described in one word - Crowd (or Crap). Or direct quote from my friend, Eric, "It's exactly like a Shanghai mall and you cannot hear any Cantonese; it's all Mandarin and Shanghainese." That's why I always try to avoid weekends in Tsim Sha Tsui. It's not fun at all to squeeze yourself in the crowd of tourists. I mean, there is a 30-people queue outside Louis Vuitton. What else can you expect other than people, people and people?

Pistachio I-Scream ice-cream ($34)

Surprisingly, Eric took us to a quiet getaway restaurant/bar, Spasso at the terrace of Ocean Centre. I never knew such place in the middle of hustling TST. We didn't make a reservation and just walked in. The outdoor terrace was lovely, especially in such a nice weather, feeling warm and chilled under the afternoon sun. I cannot make any comment on the food as I only had the I-Scream Pistachio ice-cream which was pretty okay. Eric and Stanley ordered the tea set for two. The price was reasonable ($138 per person) but I guess they were running out of the afternoon tea tray as it was served in a big plate. (Eric: What?) 

An urban sunset, an outdoor terrace, and an ice cream scoop. This is the romance of the city. 

Where: Spasso
Address: Shop 403, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, 17 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Opening hour: Mon - Sun 12nn - midnight
Tel: 2730 8027

Afternoon Tea set for you ($138 per person)

3. Once-a-lifetime wedding dress: Pronovias

You & Your Wedding (Dec 2011 issue)

As cliche as it is, I grasped a wedding magazine, You & Your Wedding, when chilling in the public library yesterday afternoon and was attracted by one of its ads. The Pronovias. It really is nothing about food here but I can't help mentioning it here as it was so dreamy and simply beauuuutiful.

With more and more weddings happening around (colleagues, college friends, secondary school friends, primary school friends, and I know it will come very soon - kindergarten friends), weddings are no longer inaccessible to be referred as a "They are getting married", "They are the bridesmaids", "They are sending invitations" when I was a kid. It's now more like a  "You are getting married" or "We are the bridesmaids". Well, it's still not a "I am getting married" or "You are my maid of honor". Still, it seems wedding is all around.

And I bet every girl has dreamt about her Big Day. Don't pretend to be cool and appear as if you don't care. You care. I care. (Don't roll your eyes, boys.) Wedding is more than a huge beautiful party with flowers and cakes. I hate to say there is a very good quote from the movie, 27 dresses. (I say stop rolling your eyes, boys.) "When the bride comes in and she makes her giant grand entrance, I like to glance back at the poor bastard getting married. Cause even though I think he’s an idiot for willingly entering into the last legal form of slavery, he always looks really, really happy.", says James Marsden in the movie. That is my faith in marriage.


Website: http://www.pronovias.us/

Pronovias ad on 2012 bridal collection

Pronovias ad on 2012 bridal collection

Pronovias ad on 2012 bridal collection