The John Denver Tree, Confusing Milk Tea, and A Walk Down Memory Lane

TL;DR:

• I encountered a tree planted by John Denver
• I didn’t buy bizarre milk tea
• I attended a concert by my old community band

Life Update

While walking through Hong Kong Island on the 6th, I noticed a tree planted by John Denver back in 1994. Since I had no idea that it existed up to this point, the tree was honestly a pretty cool find. It just goes to show how much there is to discover throughout Hong Kong’s urban fabric, even for a local like me.

During a shopping trip on the 9th, I came across a rather strange product: a bottle of Hong Kong-style milk tea produced by a Japanese company for Japanese consumers, now being sold in Hong Kong. With actual Hong Kong milk tea literally available at most restaurants in the area, and being sold for way less than the Japanese version, you have to wonder who the target audience for this milk tea is in Hong Kong. Maybe curious people like me? (Common sense ultimately prevailed and I did not buy it.)

The 11th was a particularly special day for me, as I attended a concert featuring the O Wind Ensemble, the community band I played with during most of my time in secondary school (or high school in Canadian English). While this was the first time I went to one of their concerts since I left for Canada, almost everyone I played with had unfortunately left as well, including practically the entire brass section. Still, I managed to give my regards to a couple of people I recognized, thanking them for being part of the environment that helped me develop my musicianship, and half of the programme being comprised of music I once played with them really brought me back.

Even the music I hadn’t played with O Wind was enjoyable to listen to. Whether it was the jazz-like melodies of Frank Ticheli’s Blue Shades, the traditional Japanese atmosphere Yoshio Matsuo’s Warabe-uta Fantasy evoked, the folksy feeling of Dwight Bigler’s Three Appalachian Songs, or the epic and melancholic harmonies of Steven Reineke’s Fate of the Gods, I was constantly left at the edge of my seat with each new piece.

However, experiencing what I once played with O Wind again was truly a walk down memory lane, especially now that I was in the audience. While I never actually performed Itaru Sakai’s Tanabata - The Seventh Night of July when I was in O Wind, it being the first piece I recognized instantly sent me back to those Saturday evenings I spent rehearsing this piece with them, which was where I got many opportunities to build on my skills as a musician. Satoshi Yagisawa’s Hunting Scenes only intensified this feeling, as I performed it multiple times with O Wind and rehearsed it even more, including for my first overseas band competition more than a decade ago (God I feel old now).

Ticheli’s Vesuvius was another competition piece, with similar memories of rehearsal and performance, although it also holds the distinction of being my favourite piece of his (with Angels in the Architecture coming a close second). Having played more than enough Star Wars/John Williams medleys to last a lifetime, The Phantom Menace medley evoked the unforgettable experience of playing these sorts of popular pieces during the annual A Band Xmas Christmas mass band concerts, with Victoria Harbour and the Hong Kong skyline as a backdrop. Last but certainly not least, the encore Yagisawa’s Memories of Friendship was another mass band piece I have fond memories (pun completely intended) of, and I’m grateful to have played this piece both with O Wind and at UBC.

As I head to the UK to begin my masters studies, the opportunity to revisit my musical roots like this really reminded me of how far I’ve come. Even now, I still remember stepping into an O Wind practice session for the first time as an observer and being overwhelmed by the medley of Titanic they were rehearsing for the Christmas mass band concert, the very same event that would come to define my teenage December months. What I experienced that fateful day might’ve very well changed the course of my life, as if it wasn’t for my time as a member of the O Wind Ensemble, I highly doubt I would’ve been able to study music at UBC and the RNCM. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you to the O Wind Ensemble for being one of my most important musical homes. It’s been a pleasure playing with and now listening to you, and I hope to come back again someday!

Baked Pork Chop Rice Review

This week, I’ll be reviewing Sheung Bun’s take on the dish. While it’s one of the restaurants I live close to, I mainly go there for dinner, so this is the first time in a while I’ve had their baked pork chop rice.

Sauce: 2/5 - Rather flavourless, tasted a touch salty more than anything else.

Rice: 5/5 - Excellent base of fried rice. Strikes the perfect balance between being mushy and grainy.

Pork chop: 3/5 - Aside from it being sliced, nothing much to write home about, although I did need to cut some of my slices further.

Additional toppings: 2/5 - At least I can see the fresh tomatoes in it.

Portion size: 5/5 - Pretty good value for money, especially if you go during teatime like I did.

Total score and final remarks: 17/25 - Considering that Sheung Bun’s main specialties are its dinner offering such as chicken and fried oysters, their baked pork chop rice certainly punches above its expected weight, especially for its teatime price. However, I may be being a bit charitable with my rating here, seeing as it’s one of my frequent haunts.