If you are looking to take a trip overseas, I highly recommend sitting through the 15-hour flight to Asia it will be well worth your time and money. I recently visited the “Pearl of the Orient,” the place where East meets West – the cosmopolitan city of Hong Kong. This bustling city will be liked by anyone who is adventurous when it comes to food, interested in experiencing a new culture and likes to shop.

A few quick tidbits about Hong Kong – the official languages are English and Cantonese; the currency is the Hong Kong Dollar; Hong Kong spans approximately 420 square miles and consists of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories, and more than 200 offshore islands, which are separated by Victoria Harbor; Hong Kong was originally settled by Britain and has many British influences as a result.

If you find yourself in Hong Kong...

Try authentic Cantonese food!

Like fish? Visit any of the local fishing villages, including Lei Yue Mun. Here you can choose any fish or crustacean from the individual fish vendor stalls, and your fish will be hand-delivered to your restaurant for the chef to prepare to your liking.

For a fancy night on the town, try The Four Season’s Lung King Heen, the only Chinese restaurant with a three star Michelin rating. I suggest splurging for the chef’s tasting menu where you can try everything from shark’s fin to abalone to wagyu beef. The menu changes seasonally, so make a reservation and look at the recent menu before your visit.

Bring your sneakers, and pick up an Octopus card!

Like many big cities, Hong Kong is a place best explored on foot. You can walk to most places or enjoy the efficient train system called the MTR. Pick up an Octopus card and save yourself the hassle of buying train tickets each day by prepaying the fare. The train system is easy to navigate and you can use your cell phone underground – just be sure to keep to the right on the escalators.

Visit the Central area for an extensive array of shopping at the IFC Mall. As you make your way to the shops, you will see many of the towering skyscrapers that dot the city skyline. 

Next, set your bags down and head up to The Peak. For a good work out, walk up the windy path to the top in about 30 minutes or take a tram to the summit.  From The Peak you will see views of Hong Kong that are unmatched anywhere else!

After your day of walking, relax pier-side in Kowloon, located directly across from Hong Kong Island, for the best view of the city skyline. The laser light show was named the "World's Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show" by Guinness World Records. This attraction is free and runs on the hour.

The tourist hotspots are endless!

Depending on your length of stay, additional activities and locations to visit while in Hong Kong include:

- Happy Valley horse racing

- Lantau Island cable car ride to a giant Buddha

- Shek-O Beach for surfing

- Mongkok Hong Kong markets

- Lan Kwai Fong for nightlife that stretches far into early morning

- Museums in Tsim Sha Tsui including Museum of Art and Museum of History, Space Museum and Science Museum

There is so much to do in Hong Kong that I recommend you stay for at least 5 days. Find out more from the Hong Kong visitors center.

路順風 (Have a safe journey!)

Rebecca

Memorial Day weekend is thought by many to be the unofficial start of summer, and if the weather cooperates common celebrations include hitting the beach or hosting a barbeque.  Three friends and I took a different approach to the long weekend, however, by embarking on a road trip that took us from Seattle to Los Angeles over the course of two weeks.

Some noteworthy stops along the way included:

- Seattle’s Pike Place, known to many as the home of the original Starbucks and site of the famous public market

- The Gorge in George, WA for the Sasquatch Festival, which is definitely the most beautiful concert venue I’ve ever been to

- Portland, OR, where we fell in love with the Ace Hotel (which became our home away from home) and took a side trip to Astoria where The Goonies was filmed 25 years ago

- Traversing the Redwood Forest, where we almost took off a side mirror in our attempt to take a Chevy Tahoe through the famous drive-through tree

- Wine tasting in Sonoma Valley, complete with a picnic lunch

- San Francisco, where we successfully fit a week’s worth of activity into two days thanks to our dedicated host/tour guide, Brant

- Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur along Route 1, which featured breathtaking scenery for miles

- Los Angeles, where we managed to visit Hollywood, Venice Beach, Santa Monica and Hermosa Beach when not sitting in traffic

We also used our trip as an exercise in social media by group tweeting along the way (check out our feed at http://www.twitter.com/thebrodyjenner - our account name is a long story!).  Our friends and families were able to view photos and read trip commentary instantaneously while we created a digital journal that we can return to for years to come. 

We came to a realization during our trip that eventually became our unofficial motto: it wasn’t a vacation, it was an adventure.

Kaitlin

In just a few short hours, millions of soccer (or should I say football) fans across the globe will tune in for the kickoff of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. With more than 136,000 U.S. fans in attendance, we’re sure to hear rousing chants of U-S-A circling the stadium.

To give soccer novices a little background, the World Cup is held every four years and is undoubtedly the most prestigious competition in the world of soccer. Over a one-month period, 32 teams will compete to claim the title of World Champion – not to mention, major bragging rights!

The festivities begin tonight, the eve of the opening match, with the Kick-Off Celebration Concert. The show starts at 2:00 PM (EST) and VEVO is planning to webcast all of the action, including performances by Alicia Keys, The Black Eyed Peas, John Legend, Shakira and more. Don’t forget to tune in to ABC on Saturday, June 12 at 2:30 PM (EST) as Team U.S.A. squares off against England.

New Yorkers in search of places to watch the games can check out Metromix New York’s “Where to Watch” list.  

And, if you’d like to do your homework before the games begin, refer to “The top players to watch in South Africa” list on the NY Daily News website. 

Jennie Long

Through the years, American Idol has provided the country with countless hours of entertainment. We were moved watching Kelly Clarkson’s tearful victory in season one. We laughed (and some of us cried) watching the tone-deaf stylings of William Hung. From the train wreck beginning auditions to the now-famous confetti showers on finale night, Idol offered something for everyone in its first eight seasons. And then season nine rolled around.

From the moment it began, season nine felt different. A few too many crazies in the beginning episodes? Nah, that’s normal Idol fodder. The real problems began when the folks that were supposed to be the actual talent started singing during the live voting rounds. Sure, Tim Urban’s pearly whites and delicately quaffed hair made millions of geometry students cheer, but nice features does not an Idol make.

Then there was Andrew Garcia, the early frontrunner who wowed the judges with his acoustic rendition of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up.” It wasn’t long before the other shoe dropped for (or on) Mr. Garcia, and viewers realized that he straight up stunk.

The weeks went by and more and more viewers slipped away. Sad. I still watched, though. It’s a fact I’m not particularly proud of, but what can you do? We all have our things.

Finally, the season of sadness came to a close last week, as Lee Dewyze was named the ninth American Idol. I actually quite like Lee, but his victory alone is not enough to salvage a season of poo poo platter after poo poo platter, disguised as a singing competition.

Here’s to a season ten that isn’t run by middle school girls and the cell phones they are too young to have, anyway! In other news, this year’s winner bears a striking resemblance to one of our very own Hunters (Danny Palestine). Dontcha think?

Michael