Friday Firsts: Grasshoppers

So since coming back to Hong Kong in January, I have been trying to do something new every week or every other week. I am going to write about them on Fridays – hence Friday Firsts. I have been a bit bad the past month or so and not keeping up with things, but this week was a week full of firsts! First training of the new teachers, first stay-cation, first time going out without makeup (thank you eye infection! If you knew me you would know going out in public without makeup IS A BIG DEAL for me!) However, I will get to those firsts another time. I know today is a Sunday, bare with me, but this first did happen on a Friday, so it still counts, right?

Sometimes my role involves subbing at some of the centers. I was lucky enough to sub at the Monkey Tree located just outside my apartment – wahoo! No long commute for me! One of the topics this month for a class is bugs, which got us on the topic of largest bugs in the world. One of the teachers is from New Zealand. Now, I have always wanted to go to New Zealand, obviously to see the hobbit-homes beautiful scenery. I’m scared to death of Australia thanks to the fact that everything there wants to kills me. Apparently, nothing poisonous lives in New Zealand! It was my new favorite place, until I learned about the giant weta, a bug that looks like a giant grasshopper.

Nope, nope, nopety nope! I think it looks like a grasshopper and lobster/shrimp put together. Imagine this thing flying into your windshield whilst you are driving?! What kind of damage will that do? Our if you are just sitting there, minding your own business, and plop right on your lap or head? No thanks, New Zealand! I will still be visiting you someday, but heaven forbid what happens if I catch sight of that!

After leaving work, still in shock of learning about this insect (you should see my Google history) I got ready to meet up with my good friend Emiko for dinner and a drink. We were celebrating my first Saturday off in over a year. My day off is typically a Monday, so being able to go out on a Friday is a rarity for me! We were in the “Soho” area of Hong Kong, which is located in Central. It is a lovely, chic area full of restaurants and bars ranging from French, to Argentinian, English to Chinese. It is a bit pricey, but the good food and drinks attract many westerners and locals.

We headed up the Central-Mid-Level Escalators, which are the longest, covered outdoor escalator system in the world, and got off at Staunton Street – one of the prime streets of Hong Kong’s Soho area, and it was packed! How could I forget? It was a Friday, a day I am not used to visiting Soho (Thursdays are another story!). People were spilling into the streets, the bars and restaurants were that full. We decided to take a chance and head to the right of the escalators down Staunton and came to a place called, “Club 1911.” I would definitely not call this a club, but a quaint Chinese-meets-Western bar/pub. It had rich dark brown wood, dim lighting, good music from the 60’s-70’s and SPACE.

I have passed it many-a-times on my way to Thursday Ladies Night and had never stopped in, but I am really glad I did! It has quite the selection of beer, wine, and cocktails all reasonably priced, and very nice servers. I started telling Emiko about what I learned at work today (Giant Weta!) and turned to the cocktails list and BAM! There was a drink I have been longing to try, since Raj on “Big Bang Theory” used to drink it. The Grasshopper. How apropos?! I had to try it and it was delicious! Emiko and I may have enjoyed a few of those that night. And, best of all? It wasn’t ridiculously expensive as other places in Soho.

I will definitely be going back and enjoying this type of grasshopper,  not the bug!