TRAVEL | THINGS TO DO | Sky 100 at ICC / March 14, 2018 by Jenn Chan

South African Wayde van Niekerk is the current Olympic champion and world record holder at the 400 metre dash with a time of 43.03 seconds. Coming in just under 17 slower, a respectable showing, is the bullet-fast elevator at the Sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck. It covers the 393 metres to the top in 60 seconds flat. Take that Vin Diesel!

Once you exit the elevators into the 360 degree, floor-to-ceiling, glass-walled Sky100 the sheer elevation has been known to buckle some knees! On our visit a handful of tourists seemed more than happy to relax in the tables in the café noticeably avoiding approaching the glass for fear of plummeting to their death. Ya, it's high. Hong Kong is known for many things: delicious food, a bustling financial district, Disneyland, but with 7.3 million people living in an area the size of Vancouver, and its paltry 1.8 million people, there's got to be more of everything: cars, buses, planes, trains and factories. The result is smog. It plagues every major city on Earth and my beloved Hong Kong, sadly, is no exception. So what do you do when you run a multi millionaire business whose aim is to provide a view to its patrons when sometimes there just simply is no visibility? You install state-of-the-art virtual reality app and let people 3D their way around the view! I won't attempt to describe the effects, but, happily, on our visit the skies were clear and the views amazing! After a turn on the new virtual reality experience, hovering outside the windows of the Sky100, and a quick stop off at Café 100 by Ritz Carlton, the only establishment on Earth with the Ritz brand outside of their hotels, for some crêpes and a couple beers and we proceed on our photographer's dream walk. 2-3 laps around and 2-3 hours later with our cameras' memory cards full and our inner ears acclimated to Himalayan heights we descended the elevator. We'll be back I thought to myself. Probably every time we come to HK!

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

TRAVEL | HONG KONG | Disney Explorers Lodge / February 13, 2018 by Jenn Chan

When does Hong Kong feel like Cancun? Or Bali? Or Phuket? When you walk beside an epic pool, framed by the ocean in a carnival-like, jubilant atmosphere. I, like countless others, have happily been indoctrinated with Disney everything from a young age. Sunday dinner in the formal dining room watching the classics and feeling like you're in centre of the universe. Where else would anyone want to be? The 8 year-old mind cannot fathom it!

Regardless of your age the finishes and the sheer magnitude of the Disney Explorers Lodge will suffice for even the most amenity-crazed traveller. Pools, a spa, a gym, restaurants and a gargantuan lobby that stretches 50-60 feet into the air allowing for, during our visit, one of the larger Christmas trees I've been privy to, greet you as you enter.

Our room was lovely! Very modern and... wait for it... Disney-themed everything right down to the shampoo and conditioner! Two queen beds dominate the space and views across Discovery Bay and its iconic Plaza draw the eye out and the room immediately feels even bigger and fills with light and vibrancy. Outside our window a seawall offers paved walking and biking paths and cyclists, kayakers and murmuring families peddle, paddle, laugh and skip as they pass. The bathroom is very modern and spa-like and the toilet is housed separate from the sink and vanity to allow for families and couples to share the room without issue. We prepared ourselves a few coffees and watched as a family scrambled around the Disney surfboard feature in the gardens below our window. Caffeinated and bubbling with Mickey Mouse energy we set out.

The Chart Room Café was our first stop for some food and view over the gardens. Being after noon and being that I was on vacation I indulged in an icy cold Heineken and enjoyed a quick bite as children raced around the tables in feverish games of unofficial tag; the excitement builds as you watch them! A quick walk around the gardens to admire the landscape architecture, curse the pool's inactivity due to the season and an even quicker daydream about its potential and it's off to the Park. THE Park! The Happiest Place on Earth! I'm going to Disneyland!

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

TRAVEL | DRINKS | Ce La Vi Rooftop Bar, LKF, Hong Kong / January 29, 2018 by Jenn Chan

When you hear "c'est la vie" spoken in polite company it is usually with an exasperated tone and the words signal a kind of indifference as to the outcomes of the day as though they were completely out of one's control; "that's life". The Cé La Vi club lounge/ restaurant/ sky deck, in the decadent, vibrant niche of Lan Kwai Fong in the Central area of Hong Kong, isn't indifferent at all in their pursuit of creating a fun, plush environment to enjoy some pretty world class mixology!

Two words that instantly capture the attention of any photographer/ socialite; rooftop bar. You invite me to a rooftop bar you can be pretty well assured that I will be attending! The shooting from up top was amazing and the service was excellent! The cocktails were very imaginative and well priced compared to the incredible surroundings. Professionals in suits mingled with tourists in t-shirts and groups of ladies dressed to the nines. A birthday party was set up in the corner of the large 25th floor deck celebrating and cackling with that distinct almost musical flurry of giggles and feminine merriment.

After spending the better part of the evening enjoying cocktails and bottles of wine lavished upon us by some very gracious fellow patrons out celebrating... something... Jenn and I retired to the streets and went pub hopping with some of our new friends. As soon as the elevator doors open onto LKF, and it's pedestrian only roadways packed with revellers, it hits you. Cé la Vi is the best bar in LKF. And that is saying something! Tell them you read about it on Jenn Chan Photography and they'll take good care of you!

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

TRAVEL | THINGS TO DO | English Heritage Stonehenge / January 26, 2018 by Jenn Chan

Admittedly and, sadly, irrecoverably whilst I'm abroad in Europe I am at the mercy of my Global Positioning System (GPS). Satnav, if you're from these parts, but time, necessity and my own not-giving-a-mother-f'ing whaaaaa dictate that I'm not going to Google, or as Jalen Rose would say 'Goggle' "Satnav" to give that silly acronym any credence.

When you're prone in life whether it be: spiritually, financially or merely spatially your surroundings seem to push down on you from all sides trying to squeeze everything you have inside you outside of you. Satnav says you pop up out of this freeway on-ramp and when you're almost there your excitements mounts.

If Stonehenge is a term you recognise then Stonehenge is probably a place you put on your "to-do" list. That list that wanderlusters put, and rank, mostly mentally, the countries they can, will and must see. I'd put Stonehenge and it's pre-historic significance in my top five. It's a millennium old and it was made in that time where they didn't write everything down. Remains dictate Stonehenge started as a burial ground/ religious site and archeologists have found many remains to back up those facts. No one in this random enclave, in this unremarkable British countryside, has left word of their customs or intentions and it is all at once intriguing and remarkable. A puzzle which is insolvable and therefore there remains an appetite for the facts that is unquenchable.

For the first time in my life I saw a sign that warned "queues likely", but there it was. I thought "we have likely taken a wrong, dumb 'slip road' and now we're down a 20-minute-delay rabbit hole as we drive 10-20 miles in one direction and then flip the next roundabout and head back." Happily, this was not the case. The "likely" delay was, and will be when you visit, due to rubber-necking nincompoops who routinely drive past the 5,000 year old monument. If you're an office drone, à la Steve Carrell in the beloved American edition of The Office, maybe you slow to 5 MPH everyday, every week, on your commute to work and think about these Neolithic tribes traipsing across the countryside. Or maybe everyone sucks. Maybe when you're running late every freeway will have likely delays. If that's your mindset, I'm sorry... I love you, even as a stranger, and people still care.

When you're visiting a UNESCO Heritage Site you know there will be, at least, is going to be a vending machine. The commercial infrastructure is just there and, yes, there were several. AND a gigantic gift shop and delightful café/ bar. I partook, unabashedly, in a late afternoon Stonehenge Brewery lager. Twas good and twas adequately large so that when we boarded the shuttle out to the historic site of Stonehenge from the visitor centre I was still sipping it. A few pictures were snapped, Stonehenge lager in hand, of yours truly, astride the ruins. Whether this was once a religious centre, burial ground, community centre or just where the kids raved I did what I do; left no mark on the soil and only took the mark of the experience with me.

The Jenn Chan Photography blog is a viable, vibrant entity because of Jenn's humility and love of photography and not my narration, positions or hawkish entrepreneurism. The next time you're at the beach pick up a stone that looks about the size of your thigh. That's it. Everyone has a different sized thigh don't judge just grab it depending on your girth. I'd say definitely brace yourself. Get a wide stance and lift with your legs and not your back. Now picture that rock as the equivalent of 14,000 thigh sized, gargantuan pieces of stone laying in slabs 50 KM's away. What compelled these people? How many years did they study the stars before they calculated the exact angles where the sun on the longest day of summer and the shortest day of winter collide into its epicentre ? If you were left stranded for 100 years, be it on a beautiful, lush island or a cold tundra, could you ever make a device to send an email? Where would you start?

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

TRAVEL | FOOD | Mott 32, Hong Kong / December 21, 2017 by Jenn Chan

In 1851 New York's first Chinese convenience store opened at 32 Mott Street in Lower Manhattan. A tip of the cap to the nucleus, the epicentre, of what would become New York's Chinatown, Mott 32 makes a vast, subterranean former bank basement lush and inviting. Renowned interior designer Joyce Wang went all out creating unique dining areas and nooks utilizing the nuanced layout of the award-winning space. The frosted glass ceilings inside matching octagonal dining areas in the main room fool the eye and the mind into believing sunlight and views would be pouring through, even several floors underground, were there no need for privacy glazing; truly a feast for the eyes!

Even being a lunch engagement Jenn and I were in full vacation mode so we dabbled in a few of Mott's signature cocktails. Jenn opted for the The Milk Tram, a vodka, milk, matcha concoction that she really enjoyed and I tried the Hong Kong Iced Tea and the Blanco Avion Tequila gives it a really nice back, I'd recommend it! If you're in HK you're doing, or at least should be doing, dim sum. Translated it means 'touch the heart' in the way that food brings people together and parents nurture their offspring and give life with its sustenance. If you haven't tried it think high end Chinese tapas, each course is brought out piping hot in its own little, round picnic basket. Siu Mai is the 'gateway dim sum'; the non-offensive, Caucasian-palate-friendly offering which has been known to lead one to a life of harder dim sums. Without hesitation the Soft Quail Egg, Iberico Pirk and Black Truffle Siu Mai is the best I've ever tasted! The light, runny egg explodes in your mouth as you pop it in and the flavours mesh really well. Next they brought out a very nice dumpling comprised of South Australian Scallop, Spinach and Caviar. The freshness of the scallop and the ever so slight caviar tinge gives it a very complex flavour and it will certainly please most tastes. The Hot & Sour Iberico Pork Shanghainese Soup Dumpling rounded out the first delivery and its unique flavour survived through the cocktails and lingered, thankfully, until the next course arrived.

South Australian Scallop, Spinach, Caviar Dumpling

Soft Quail Egg, Iberico Pork, Black Truffle Siu Mai

Assorted wild mushroom in lettuce cap with black truffle sauce descended upon our table, ominous I know, accompanied by Barbecue Pluma Iberico Pork with Yellow Mountain Honey. So many different flavours going on in each wrap and to describe it would not do it justice. Jenn ate most of them and that's usually a good indication that it's excellent. Lean cuts of pork came alongside bathed in a sweet honey sauce; delicious! By the time the Signature Smoked Black Cod came out and its signature campfire presentation was wafting through the room I was near bursting, but for the team, for you guys, our readers, I soldiered on. You're welcome. The pine, hickory scent that was now permeating the room is infused, magically I'd wager, in the fish. Do you love the smell of summer and barbecue and campfire? Then this is a lakeside, catch and cook, fish plate that you cannot pass up on trying. I let Jenn handle the critique of her Wok Fried Cauliflower with Air Dried Szechuan Sausage because I was unable to go on and she gasped at the spice level of the sausage so naturally I tried it as well. Very, very tangy and a bit of a slow uptake on the heat, but it's coming baby! Jenn adores cauliflower so she went through it and really liked the freshness and snap of the different colours of one of her favourite plants.

Assorted Wild Mushroom in Lettuce Cup, Black Truffle Sauce

Hot & Sour Iberico Pork Shanghainese Soup Dumplings

Barbecue Pluma Iberico Pork, Yellow Mountain Honey (Limited Daily)

Wok Fried Cauliflower, Air Dried Szechuan Sausage

Dessert can either be your best friend or your worst nightmare. Picture a late night glass of champagne at an upscale lounge with your sweetheart. You're laughing, bubbles are flowing and you order a plate of strawberries and vanilla ice cream layered in whipped cream. How can you go wrong there? Impossible! BUT you put that same bubbly couple at the end of an eight course meal and bait them with Fresh Mango, Coconut, Glutinous Rice Rolls? It may end with a trip to the ER. Not unlike a previous HK dining experience I've had, but that's for another place. I mean the word glutinous and gluttonous are so similar, who's in charge of marketing 'round hurrr? I ended up eating most of it, but that's beside the point. When is manslaughter by food Mott? When? Top shelf, imaginative food, great service and award winning ambience. Safe to say that if you miss Mott 32 right by the Central MRT station you've missed Hong Kong.

DESSERT: Fresh Mango, Coconut, Glutinous Rice Roll — DESSERT: Fresh Mango, Coconut, Glutinous Rice Roll

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

TRAVEL | Exploring La Paz, Mexico / November 8, 2017 by Jenn Chan

Do you know that feeling when you're at home on your couch, petting your dog with the tv blathering in the background as you're chest deep in a series of degrading memes aimed at teen pop stars? How often does a notification pop up with an email inviting you to spend a week, all expenses paid, in a tropical paradise? Ya, so that happened to me a few weeks ago... It has happened before, but each time is special. You know like a snowflake or your first time with a fella?

Have you ever heard of La Paz? No? I hadn't either. Owing, in part I'd assume, to its seclusion and exclusivity. 2 hours north of Cabo San Lucas on the other worldly Baja California Peninsula you'll find her. If your public school hasn't failed you (geographically speaking) picture Mexico and imagine the large peninsula that dominates its western seaboard and that's Baja California. If you think the Americans didn't want this thing when the American and Spanish beef was popping off? Come on... They have sun all year round, palm trees, golden beaches, fish, gold, camels and elephants; the place is legitimate!

One of the first things you'll notice about La Paz is how friendly the locals are and unlike some other Mexican tourist destinations there won't be anyone coming up to you to sell their knick knacks, or their paddy wacks, and the vibe on the street is very mellow. There aren't any commercial chains like Walmart, Mcdonalds so, accordingly, there are fewer slack jaws in Yankees caps who look like candidates for My 600 Life. And shouts out to TLC for their quality reality TV. Please send a cheque. This and the tranquility of the resort really drove home that La Paz is very peaceful and a great place to tune out the world, take in the culture and just really relax.

Over the next few days our gracious hosts at the La Paz Tourism board whisked us away to explore the more adventurous side of the city. La Paz is known for its beautiful, protected nature preserves and the magnificent, no stupendous, Isla Espíritu Santo! Rightfully designated a UNESCO Heritage Site it comprises 6 islands each more beautiful than the last and each with its own cloak of mysticism and wonder!

So now picture you're on the bow of a great ship navigating the translucent blue waters beside this chain of islands so spectacular that an organization whose only mission in life is to identify, catalogue and strive to preserve all the wonderful places on this vast Earth has tapped it as one of those. All of a sudden you hear the whine of the engine turn into a whimper and then a whisper as you pull into a bay and are told to start putting on your snorkel gear because you're going to be diving with giant, prehistoric animals who weigh a ton and have gigantic fangs. Did I mention you're in their territory where they're capable of navigating 3D space and moving their humongous bodies at neck breaking speeds? The Sea of Cortez boasts some of the most beautiful water, but was this to be where I died? I look like a fish, maybe? Maybe the snorkel looks like a tail and they could make a mistake and bite my face off, right? Well they didn't and it turned out to be one of the most breathtaking moments I’ve experienced while snorkeling. Maybe in life... Being so close to death and yielding to a giant and trusting he'll leave you in peace is so freeing. We swam alongside their children and babies and it was absolutely mesmerizing to watch them move and play around with each other. Girthier cousins were content to lazily sunbathing and sleep on the nearby rocks. Male Sea Lions are known to be territorial and protective of their young and they stay perched high on the rocks to mark their territory. Snorkelling and exploring Isla Espíritu Santo is a must, and we did that with Baja Adventure Co. Fun fact: sea lions mark their boundaries by blowing bubbles :)

But wait, that’s not all! We also had the opportunity to snorkel with Whale Sharks, yes Whale Sharks! As we all jumped into the murky waters we almost immediately swam right into one. These mammals are about 6-13 meters long and have relatively poor eyesight. There were a few times when I was right above a gigantic whale shark swimming right under me. I don’t know about you, but my general thoughts of swimming with sharks basically leads to death. However, these whale sharks are absolutely harmless. Their “teeth” are basically little bristles off a tooth brush which they will use to filter out tiny fishes and shrimps from water sucked into their mouths to eat. If they accidentally had an apple in their mouths they would actually choke and die. Snorkelling with whale sharks was definitely one for the books!

I was very amazed and impressed with local efforts to protect biological marine animals, including Sea Lions, Sea Turtles, and Whales, as well as their natural lands and corals. Another region we got to explore was Balandra Beach, another naturally protected area. The government wanted to develop hotels around the area but local residents banned together to stop it. I’m so glad they were able to protect Balandra as it is absolutely beautiful! The sand is so fluffy, and it reminded me of walking in flour. I can do sand angels all day long there! There is also a short hike up to a lookout where you can gaze down at the beautiful beach with various shade of blue in the waters. You will often see locals and tourists kayak or stand-up paddle board through the Mangrove Lagoon, and onwards to the Heart of Balandra.

Of course, we cannot forget about the food. We went to a couple of local well known spots around Downtown La Paz. Some of the more unique and authentic dishes I had were: Botanero Campechano (selection of raw seafood, like snails, scallops, oysters, shrimps) from Bismark-cito; Chocolate Clam Chowder from Steinbeck’s; Cactus Quesadilla from La Casita (recipe passed down from Sergio’s grandmother); and of course Tacos from Rancho Viego. Tacos are usually the most popular food in other Mexican cities, however in La Paz it’s Hate (pronounced Ha-Tay) that is the favourite. Hate is essentially a hot dog with bacon and a bunch of different condiments which may include flag sauce, mayo, chili, guacamole, etc. You can often find locals getting into heated arguments about what should be in a Hate and where they can get the best Hate in town.

La Paz is a city you’d want to visit if you want the authentic Mexico experience, where you can engross yourself in their culture, surrender yourself with natural beauty, and experience pure tranquility.