The Wonder Fish

When most people come to visit Hong Kong I take them to the typical tourist attractions:
1. The Peak
2. The Markets in Mong Kok
3. High Tea at the Peninsula or Four Seasons
4. A Trip to Stanley Market and the surrounding beaches
5. A stroll through the different neighborhoods like Central, Soho, and the Mid-levels via the worlds longest escalator.

And the list goes on......

When my friend P told me she was coming to visit me (2 weeks before she hopped on the 16 hour plane ride) I knew she would be up for deviating from the "typical" tourist activities.

P is one of my more adventurous friends. I know many of my friends would be up for a massage and a pedicure at a spa any day. P's spa day, however, was on a totally different level.

Last week we took a trip to a spa called Wonderfish. When we arrived at the spa the assistant first prepped P for her pedicure.


Now this wasn't your typical pedicure preformed by a trained technician. This pedicure....was preformed by hundreds of Garra Rufa fish.


Garra Rufa Fish, also called doctor fish, nibble fish, and little dermatologists, suck at the hard, dry skin on your feet. They leave your feet feeling soft and smooth. I was told it feels like hundreds of fish giving you a foot massage. P would beg to differ. If you happen to be ticklish on the bottoms of your feet, like P, this may not be your thing.

After a few minutes of squealing and a few tight squeezes of my hand, P looked like she was in paradise. Actually, she looked like she was ready to kill me for telling her this was a great way to spend 20 minutes.

Never the less, P stepped out of the pool with silky heels, toes, and calves. Now that was some healthy looking skin!

My next visitors are arriving later this week. The spa day is has already been added to the itinerary.

Spring Cleaning

Last Tuesday was a holiday here in Hong Kong. D and I were thrilled because we both were off from work that day. (Yes, I work on Tuesdays!)

So the question was, what holiday were we all celebrating? The Qingming Festival of course. Qingming Festival is also known as All Soul's Day or The Grave Sweeping Holiday. On this day Chinese families visit the tombstones of their ancestors. First they pray and the sweep the tombs clean. Then people pick out the weeds that have grown up near the stones. D and I are expert weed pullers. Every year we plant flowers in my mother's garden for Mother's Day. I'm not quite sure however that we would have blended in with the others in the cemetery.

Families then offer the deceased food, tea, wine, chopsticks, and paper accessories. They burn the food and paper accessories (money) so that their loved ones with have everything they need in the afterlife. I must say I've actually witnessed this paper accessory burning first hand at my friends grandmothers wake. I folded lots of gold paper so that J and V's grandmother would be very wealthy in her next life.


Many children bring flowers to the graveside, especially Chrysanthemums. I was told by some of my students that the holiday also symbolizes Spring and nature. Many modern families have picnics, fly kites and enjoy other outdoor activities.

This holiday really gives a new meaning to the phrase "Spring Cleaning!"

The Chinese Wedding...A 10 Course Meal

Last night D and I attended out first official Chinese Wedding Banquet. When I told people I would be attending this event, friends gave me some advice.

Those who didn't know my eating habits told me to:
1. Wear a dress with an elastic band
2. Skip lunch
3. Bring home my leftovers!

Those who knew my eating habits told me to:
1. Eat dinner before I went to the celebration

When we arrived at the hotel check in, we didn't even have to say our names. "Welcome Mr and Mrs. Fishman" the lady behind the table announced. I guess it wasn't hard to pick me out of the 400 guests who were attending the dinner celebration, since I was the only Caucasian female there.

We walked in to the Lego themed room which was filled with large round tables. There were large screens on every wall of the room flashing photos of the bride and groom. We had entered the dining room of the King and Queen.



When we reached our table, I took a quick glace at the menu. We really were going to be served 10 courses! When I eat out at a restaurant, I can usually only eat half my main and a little dessert. When I do start with an appetizer I usually complain I'm full before my main course even appears in front of me. How was I going to eat 10 courses?

I know most of you are thinking, Marisa won't eat half of the things on that menu. True True. But I must say I had to take each dish from the Lazy Susan in front of me so most things did make it to my place mat...or at least into D's dish. The lady sitting across the table from me was watching me and laughing at my every move. I kept sneaking things onto D's plate. One of my dumplings accidentally popped into D's bowl and then onto the table. D put it back in his bowl. The lady was laughing and explaining what had happened in Chinese to the other guests at the table. At least we provided good entertainment!


Everyone tells me that Shark Fin Soup is a must at a Chinese Wedding, so I got the courage to try a few sips. It actually tasted pretty good, in a sharky kind of way.
By the time dessert rolled around, I had my fair share of traditional Chinese cuisine. Then my hot sweetened red rice and sweet corn cream arrived so I just had to have a few sips. It was actually quite good although a piece of chocolate cake would win out any day.


Overall, our first Chinese Wedding banquet was a great experience. We left with full stomachs and doggie bags of oranges and chocolates. The bride and groom had several outfit changes during the course of the night. We too were ready to change...into something with a little more breathing room!