A HONG KONG KIND OF JANUARY
Kicking off 2019 with fitness-focused resolutions, cultural delights and healthy feeds
IT’S JANUARY. WHICH
means we’re filling the time between Christmas and Chinese New Year indulgences with health- conscious resolutions. Luckily, there’s plenty going on to kick-start your new year goals.
Looking for fitness gains? Dust off your trainers for the
Gurkha Trailblazer (1) (12 January): a trail run covering either 12 or 26 kilometres over the hills of the New Territories’ Pat Sin Leng Country Park. Or jump in the deep end – literally – with the Cold Half, a 15- kilometre winter swim from Stanley to Deep Water Bay (26 January). Too much? Just doggy paddle the 1.5- kilometre Cold Plunge instead…
Alternatively, challenge yourself to conquer the 934- metre Lantau Peak (Hong Kong’s second highest) and finish with a visit to Ngong Ping and the Big Buddha (2). Other trails lead to Tai O fishing village for a rewarding seafood dinner in the stilt village’s restaurants.
Perhaps you’ve resolved to learn new skills in 2019, in which case, don your chef whites for a Gaggenau Culinary Masterclass (3). January sessions include Chinese cooking lessons with Mott 32 chef Lee Man-sing and Lau Chun from Kin’s Kitchen. Or get inspired by pole artists in the finals of
Pole Theatre Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (20 January).
Seeking inner peace? Drop in for mindfulness practice at the new Enhale Meditation Studio in Central. Cultural immersion? Head to the Hong Kong Maritime Museum’s (4) The Dragon and the Eagle exhibition, which charts the development of SinoAmerican maritime trade from 1784-1900. Looking to expand your musical tastes? Viva Tango! (24 January) presents an evening of Argentinian tango and music at Hong Kong City Hall in Central, or drop by the newly opened Xiqu Centre at West Kowloon Cultural District – a modern gateway into the ancient art of Chinese opera.
Keep that healthy eating resolution on track with a guilt-free Mediterranean feast at Artemis & Apollo, a new Greek taverna in Wan Chai; or treat yourself to grilled meats and seafood at recently opened izakaya Mokutan (5) in Tsim Sha Tsui. For a dose of theatre with dinner, Cantopop star Hins Cheung’s Junon (6) in Wan Chai’s Hopewell Centre combines a curious Oriental Express-meets-yourgrandmother’s-house aesthetic with exquisite French fine dining and live entertainment.
又到1月。聖誕節剛過，農曆新年尚未到來，夾在兩大節日的吃喝玩樂之間，正好趁機立下新年志願，重拾健康的生活習慣。本月有不少相關的活動和好去處，令你順利實踐新年目標。
若想認真地強身健體，不妨找出你的跑鞋，於1月12日參加Gurkha Trailblazer越野賽（ 1）；這項賽事分12或26公里，跑手要跑過位於新界八仙嶺郊野公園內的遠足徑。不喜歡上山，可以下海，參加於1月26日舉行的Cold Half游泳比賽。這項冬泳比賽全長15公里，以赤柱為起點，終點是深水灣。若覺得泳程太長不勝負荷的話，可以參加1.5公里的Cold
Plunge短途賽。此外，不妨嘗試征服934米 高的香港第二高峰鳳凰山，再到昂坪去參觀天壇大佛（ 2）。或者踏上另一條遠足徑，前往大澳漁村，飽覽當地棚屋風光後，再在村裡的餐廳來一頓別具風味的海鮮大餐。
若你打算在2019年學習新的技藝，可以參加Gaggenau Culinary Masterclass烹飪大師班（ 3）。1月的課程有中菜大師班，可以跟隨卅二公館的大廚李文星及留家廚房的劉晉學習中菜烹調技藝。或者於1月20日前往香港演藝學院欣賞世界級專業鋼管舞比賽Pole Theatre
Hong Kong總決賽內多位鋼管舞者的出色表演，說不定會令你生起興趣，決定學習。
也許你想尋找內在的安寧，可以到位於中環的全新
Enhale Meditation Studio學習如何保持正念。想接受文化薰陶的話，可到香港海事博物館（ 4）參觀《花旗飄洋— 1784至1900年遠航來華的美國商人》展覽，了解昔日中、美海上貿易的歷史。要喚起內心澎湃的熱情，可於1月24日前往中環大會堂，欣賞音樂節目《情迷探戈》為你演奏節拍強勁、熱情洋溢的阿根廷音樂。西九文化區的戲曲中心剛落成啟用，不妨前往這棟時尚建築參觀並欣賞傳統中國戲曲表演。
在灣仔全新開幕的希臘餐廳Artemis & Apollo為你奉上口味清新的地中海美食，讓你保持健康的飲食習慣，或者到尖沙咀最近開業的居酒屋黑木（ 5），一嚐燒烤肉類和海鮮的美味。如想在晚餐時欣賞現場音樂表演，就要到位於灣仔合和中心的仙后餐廳（ 6）去。這家由粵語流行歌手張敬軒開設的餐廳，佈置復古懷舊，氣派華麗；以高級法式美食奉客，並有歌手在現場演唱，氣氛一流。