Asian Adventures Photostream: Hong Kong & Singapore

Posted on June 23, 2015 by crystalcarwin

What exactly does it mean to travel? Depending on the situation, travel can mean exploration, reconnection, growth, experience, relaxation or any number of things.

This past May, I spent three weeks in the city of Hong Kong with four and a half days in the middle touring the small island country of Singapore (it’s just 34 square kilometers bigger than Edmonton). Under any other circumstance, you would not find me traveling to Asia in the spring or summer. I typically find the kind of heat during that time of year – highs of 30 to 40 degrees Celsius including 80 to 90 per cent humidity – to be completely unbearable. However, in the name of family, I succumbed and flew with my parents to Hong Kong to celebrate my cousin’s wedding.

It’s unusual for me leave everything to others when I go on a trip, but I planned absolutely nothing. With all the family gatherings that would be taking place, I figured it would be pointless to get my heart set on anything specific, so I didn’t.

While we endured some flight delays, weather extremes and higher costs than expected, the holiday was still a success. A full three week break from my every day life was exactly what I needed. I visited with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and my little nieces. I got some new stamps in my passport (well, only in Singapore). I ate a ton of food. Too much food, really. I did end up doing some shopping, not just window. After all, eating and shopping are major pastimes in Hong Kong. You can’t expect to go and not do either of those things. That would be impossible. By the time the trip was over, I almost felt acclimated to the heat, too. One of the best things though? I finally had a chance to test out the Fujifilm X10 camera I bought a couple of years ago.

So, this post is going to be more like a pictorial journey of my vacation. There’s a lot of food porn. But, those of you who follow this blog would expect that. Otherwise, it’s a mix of everything that I saw or did during my time there. The majority of the photos were taken on my Fujifilm camera. There are also a few here from my HTC One M8 and my mom’s Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX80 (for those times when my camera battery died). I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Personalized cans of Coca Cola in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Observation Wheel across from the IFC

A view from inside IFC Mall – one of many shopping complexes in HK.

Sushi at sen-ryo

Look at all those plates for the sushi train!

Dessert at the agnès b. cafe

A store devoted to the beloved character, Totoro!

A gorgeous dress from Jessica

Lunch at a Zelo included this amazing smoked salmon from the salad bar

An interactive shoe exhibit inside Pacific Place

The department store windows of Harvey Nichols rivals what you’d find in NYC

Green Tea Listerine was a change

Lounging over drinks and cheese with my cousin

Hanging out at Repulse Bay for dinner

Pad Thai from Spices

Masala lamb from Spices

A view of the Hong Kong skyline from my grandma’s condo

A tree spotted while waiting for the bus

Stan Cafe in Stanley Plaza

My dad

Cheese platter at Stan Cafe

The view of Stanley (Chek Chue) from the 5th floor of Stanley Plaza

The Lovers’ Terrace at Stanley Plaza

Notes on The Lovers’ Terrace at Stanley Plaza

Another view of Stanley from the main waterfront with Blake Pier

McDonald’s Black/White menu seems to be an Asian thing from what I’ve seen

Dressed up teens everywhere! It must have been graduation time.

Outside of a temple in Stanley Plaza

A woman praying outside of a temple in Stanley Plaza

The boats in the main street waterfront at Stanley

The main street waterfront in Stanley. It looks like there’s lots of trash in the water, but there are two really nice beaches – one on the east and one on the west side.

Painting name cards – common in the markets, but never gets old!

Painting name cards

Traditional looking stamps at Stanley Market

Another view of Stanley

A view from Blake Pier in Stanley

My parents and their friends standing on Blake Pier

Lunch at Simplylife

This was kind of random, but I’m pretty sure this is part of a pet store.

Trying to capture a serious photo of these movers, but that guy in the orange caught me!

Kee Wah Bakery’s delicious cakes and sweets

A view of Happy Valley from my aunt and uncle’s home

A quote from the walls of Greyhound Cafe…so true.

More pad Thai

A leather embosser at Log-On

The shoe samples I loved so much that I had pairs custom made for me!

Here’s the damage from GiGi Shoes.

Back at the Hong Kong International Airport to catch a flight to Singapore

Seen at the airport book store. Still haven’t bothered to read these, but I guess they’re too racy to keep unwrapped.

A child eagerly awaiting his flight

Watching our plane being unloaded and cleaned before boarding

I love seeing the view during takeoff!

Flowing raindrops from the moving art sculpture, Kinetic Rain, at the Singapore Changi Airport.

A cartoon sign telling people what not to do with the Kinetic Rain sculpture.

Sitting across from a man at the Changi Airport. I liked his shoes.

Heinz Chili Sauce is “Asia’s Hot Flavour”

I never tried these, and I’m sad about it.

Outside the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

A jogger runs along the promenade outside the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands – crazy man!

Din Tai Fung is everywhere, but always busy. They’re apparently famous for soup dumplings. One day!

Inside the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

Lots of celebrity chef restaurants. Daniel Boulud was one of them. I know him from this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC4OqdZElX8.

Cut by Wolfgang Puck

An aerial view of the Gardens at the Bay from the top of the Marina Bay Sands hotel

A beautiful tropical tree

The Marina Bay Sands hotel is famous for this rooftop pool

The tasting menu of Ku De Ta, located on the roof of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel

David Beckham is a spokesperson for Marina Bay Sands Hotel

Flowers outside of the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

A promenade outside of the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

The serious sushi chef at HY California

Bento box at HY California

A lotus pond outside of the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

The Singapore Flyer

A reflection of the ArtScience Museum in Singapore

A view of Marina Bay Sands Hotel from outside the Shoppes

A bridge and the Singapore Flyer

Metal in Singapore

Another promenade outside the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. This one’s near the top floor.

Trees with giant pods

The Gardens by the Bay

The Singapore Flyer and the Gardens by the Bay

Tropical trees at Gardens by the Bay

The Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay!

Is this a baby pigeon? It kind of looks like one, but I might be wrong. If not, has one ever seen a baby pigeon?

Leaving the Supertree Grove to head into the domes at Gardens by the Bay.

Inside the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay

Inside the Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay

Lego plants!

Heading back towards Marina Bay Sands after our trek through the Gardens at the Bay.

The Supertree Grove at night

Singapore’s Chinatown

Apparently this Rucksack hostel is a really good place to stay in Singapore

Souvenirs at the market in Singapore’s Chinatown. That cutout near the bottom looks like me!

Restaurants and street food vendors in Singapore’s Chinatown

The market in Singapore’s Chinatown

The market in Singapore’s Chinatown and the temple next door

Outside the temple in Singapore’s Chinatown

Decorations outside the temple in Singapore’s Chinatown

Walking from Chinatown to Clarke Quay

I don’t remember what this restaurant was, but it’s apparently a must try.

Some of the buildings in Singapore are quite unique. I’m pretty sure that Park Royal is a hotel.

Locks of Love are everywhere!

Clarke Quay in Singapore

Lunch at Swissbake

A temple in Singapore’s Little India

Snacks at Honeymoon Dessert

Honeymoon Dessert in Singapore (better than in HK)

Art inside ION Orchard mall in Singapore

Art outside ION Orchard mall in Singapore

ION Orchard mall in Singapore

The start/finish line for a run at the SEA Games Singapore 2015

Singapore’s first sustainable urban farming project

Walking around the grounds of the Singapore Flyer

A view from underneath the Singapore Flyer

Fish pedicures in a spa at the Singapore Flyer

The bus driving up to Sentosa, an island resort in Singapore

We saw a Chili’s and it was Wednesday BOGO free drinks, but, man, they were expensive! More than double what it costs at home (their dollar is pretty much equal to the Canadian dollar).

On the grounds of Resorts World Sentosa

A fun version of Singapore’s mascot, the Merlion.

Ships displayed outside the S.E.A. Aquarium in Sentosa

Fish at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Sentosa

Fish at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Sentosa. This little guy was playful.

Fish at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Sentosa

Fish at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Sentosa. Dori!

Fish at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Sentosa. This one looks scary.

Fish at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Sentosa

Fish at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Sentosa. Nemo!

The hilariously playful divers inside the giant tank at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Sentosa.

Jellyfish at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Sentosa

An octopus at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Sentosa. Someone behind me used flash and scared him.

A happy sting ray at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Sentosa

A leafy seadragon at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Sentosa

A seahorse at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Sentosa

Seahorse with intertwined tails at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Sentosa

Back in the main area of Singapore

Dinner at Thai Express. This soft shell crab was amazing!

Sticky rice with mango from Thai Express.

The Singapore skyline.

A picture of a guy taking pictures.

The Singapore skyline as it gets darker

The merlion spouting water over the waterfront

More merlions

A night view of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Shoppes and ArtScience Museum before their (sort of sad) light show started.

Another night view of the Singapore skyline.

One of the bridges near the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore

Good quote at this bakery

Back in Hong Kong at another meal with several courses. These were just the appetizers.

At my cousin’s hair ceremony. This takes place the night before one’s wedding.

A pretty tea set

My cousin’s traditional outfit worn for the tea ceremony the morning of her wedding.

My uncle’s Picasso

All ready for the tea ceremony to start

My nieces

The bridesmaids waiting around

Games for the groom and his men

A good luck charm

The tea ceremony is underway!

Ready for the wedding!

High tea at Mango Tree

Thai style high tea

Thai style high tea – desserts

Thai style high tea – salads

Thai style high tea – meat

I want to say this was the Valentino window display at Elements

Shoes at Titikaka in the Olympian City mall

A view of Hong Kong from The Peak

Pastries at Simplylife

More Honeymoon Dessert in Hong Kong

More Honeymoon Dessert in Hong Kong – Strawberry Sago

Jewelry at the Homeless store inside the Eslite bookstore in Hysan Place

Midday sushi snack at Shiro in Hysan Place

Shiro is known for their Crystal Sushi, which incorporates flavoured jellies with the sushi

Midday sushi snack at Shiro in Hysan Place

The sushi chef creating a combination plate

Midday sushi snack at Shiro in Hysan Place. Our stack of plates isn’t that bad!

Shiro in Hysan Place

Just arrived at Hong Kong Disneyland

At painted wall inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel

A chandelier inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. Look closely to find a surprise!

Do I feel like a princess yet?

A child’s balloon in the halls of the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel

The grounds outside the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel

Dim sum at the Crystal Lotus restaurant inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel

Who knew about Mickey Mouse’s teddy bear?

The grounds outside the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel

The grounds outside Disney’s Hollywood Hotel. This makes up the lack of a photo of the real Hollywood sign when I was in L.A. this February.

A bird

A white butterfly

Mickey, Mickey, Mickey

Hong Kong Disneyland

Mickey riding the waves of a whale’s water spout

Thanks for visiting Hong Kong Disneyland!

Children playing with their Disney balloons

A handle on the train that takes you to and from Hong Kong Disneyland

A digital menu at Itacho Sushi.

Rolls at Itacho Sushi

Assorted sashimi at Itacho Sushi

Dinner at the Racing Club. Tasting menu by Chef Shaun Anthony.

Yupi candies!! Thanks to my uncle, I came back with a suitcase full of gummy worms and berries.

Our last dinner in Hong Kong, courtesy of my cousin Kelvin and his wife Kelly.

A pool of oil on a plate while having family lunch at the Jockey Club. Go figure. It looks like a horse head.

Lunch at the Jockey Club

Edmonton Restaurant Review: 97 Hot Pot

Posted on January 18, 2015 by crystalcarwin

Boiling our pots of soup at 97 Hot Pot.

As a Chinese girl who was born and raised in Edmonton by my parents, far away from the rest of our immediate family, we would eat Chinese food when I was growing up, but I much preferred things like pizza, pasta and the like over traditional Asian fare. I’d happily go to Chinatown to eat sweets like pineapple buns, and, of course, to shop for all things Sailormoon. That was pretty much the extent of it.

It has always been that way for me. If I ever had the option to have anything other than Chinese food, I’d take it. Yet, that mentality has changed over the years. By all accounts, Chinese cuisine still isn’t my favourite; however, I do love a good Peking duck, or freshly made shumai and cocktail buns at what I like to call “Asian brunch” as we usually partake in dim sum late in the morning and on the weekend.

So, now that I’m older and more willing to try everything, when my parents suggested going for a hot pot lunch on a chilly December day, I thought I had better give it a go. I really should refrain from being picky nowadays.

Raw chicken and pork slices, bean curd, dumplings and sauce.

Years since I had had that type of meal – essentially you get boiling hot soup and you cook raw veggies and meat at the table yourself (it actually sounds a lot like The Melting Pot from what I’ve been told) – I figured it was time to open myself up to my heritage. After all, hot pot is the Chinese equivalent of bringing family together.

We ended up at 97 Hot Pot, a somewhat newer establishment in the heart of Chinatown. The location used to be home to a small grocery store, but has been renovated into a spacious, bright and clean restaurant. Tables have individual hot pot plates built into them, so each diner can pick a soup base of their choice. The temperature settings of the heating plates can be changed (on a scale from 1 to 3), allowing patrons to adjust them as needed.

The interior of 97 Hot Pot.

They offer an all-you-can-eat option at 97 Hot Pot, but the lunch menu is more than enough for each person. At around $13 each, there’s plenty of food to ensure you don’t leave hungry. Using the paper menus, we checked off what we wanted, which includes one type of broth along with five entree items. All of us selected different things, but I went with the Szechuan Spicy Chicken soup, sliced sirloin beef, pork wontons, pork & vegetable dumplings, beef balls and vermicelli noodles. Another bowl of fresh veggies (lettuce, tomato, corn on the cob, enoki mushrooms, white button mushrooms and broccoli is provided as part of the price.

My Szechuan Spicy Chicken soup before it started to heat up.

A bowl of vermicelli noodles along with sliced sirloin beef, dumplings, wontons and beef balls.

First off, let me say that the Szechuan Spicy Chicken soup is SPICY! I love food with a good amount of heat, but, for me, this was more than I expected. On the one hand, I didn’t have to use any additional sauces to flavour my soup and food. On the other, it was spicy enough to take away some of my ability to taste anything else. This soup is made with a number of ingredients, many of which I couldn’t quite pick out, but can be seen in the pot. One flavour in particular was hard for me to pinpoint, but I’m sure it came from some sort of re-hydrated veggie or bean, which is often used in Asian soup bases, and not one I’m that fond of. Nevertheless, it was still yummy, and, if you have a penchant for extremely spicy food, this might be for you.

I liked that they didn’t skimp on the extra bowl of vegetables because it could be a meal in itself. Regardless, I’m glad to have the additional entree items. The sirloin beef slices were fresh, the beef balls had a nice spring to them once cooked, the dumplings were plump and juicy, and the vermicelli, which soaked up just the right amount of flavour from the soup, helped to fill my belly. The only misstep of my meal was the tiny wontons. Although several were provided and they were tasty, they were much smaller than regular wontons that are to be had anywhere else. Also, if I had a do over of my lunch, I would maybe have gone with the rice noodles instead. Thick, clear and kind of gelatin looking, I sampled one from my mom’s plate, and they were delicious.

My mom’s selection of rice noodles, sliced sirloin beef, shrimp, squid and fish.

With regards to the service, it was busy that day and they don’t have many people on staff, so I would say that they could improve in that aspect. Both my mom and I still had some food to cook, but our soup had boiled down until there was very little left in the pot and you could smell a bit of the food burning. We had to wave a staff member down to get them to add water to our pots before we could continue with our meal.

All-in-all, I enjoyed the food and the outing. It’s a fun, communal type of meal that is as traditional Chinese as one can get.

The Travelling Concertgoer: San Francisco Photostream

Posted on May 14, 2013 by crystalcarwin

Walking from the BART station to see the Rolling Stones at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA on May 5, 2013

I’m not sure about you, but I haven’t met anyone in my life who has said they don’t enjoy music. Most find a genre they like and the majority are pretty passionate about music in some form or another. Whether they’re a musician or just a lover of the lyrics, beats and rhythms that make up the variety of songs out there in the universe, there is literally something for everyone.

I’m one of those passionate ones. I find artists I love all the time and I remain a devoted fan throughout the majority of an artist or band’s career. The genres of music I listen to run the gambit. Everything from top 40 to rap to folk to country can probably be found in my playlist, so I’m lucky that I live in a city that has become one of the major stops on many a concert tour. However, there are still some artists that don’t quite make it to my city, let alone my country because they either haven’t managed to crack the North American market to the point that it’s worth their time to tour here extensively or they’re such bloody legends that they know people will follow them instead. I’ve travelled to New York and Montreal to see Kylie Minogue, Toronto to see U2, London, England to see Girls Aloud and this coming December to New York once again to see P!nk. But, just earlier this month, I booked a whirlwind trip to San Francisco to see the Rolling Stones.

Prior to the Rolling Stones announcing their 50 and Counting tour, they were still one of the bands on my musical bucket list, if you will. I admit when I was younger I wasn’t much of a fan. I never really listened to them much and wasn’t necessarily inclined to, but after about a year of working full-time at my first “real” job after graduating from university, in an effort to create a regularly occurring social event for my friends and I, I decided to start a movie club. One month, in 2008, we chose to see Shine A Light, a documentary about the Rolling Stones that was directed by Martin Scorsese. I went in excited to see it because it was a documentary about one of the world’s biggest bands seen through the eyes of one of the best filmmakers and I wasn’t disappointed. That was the day I fell in love with their music and the characters that make up this long lasting group that, despite the pitfalls that rock and roll has brought to others, has stayed together with its original lineup for half a century.

Last year when the Rolling Stones announced their November/December shows in London and New York I thought my chance was finally here. The last time they had come to Edmonton, AB was back in 1997, so I wasn’t holding my breath that they’d grace my hometown with their presence, but maybe they’d come to Vancouver? Well, it was a long wait before they officially announced cities and dates for 2013 and while the west coast of Canada didn’t make the cut, San Francisco did.

I was more than determined to see them. With Mick, Keith, Ronnie and Charlie between the ages of 65 and 71, this could very well be the last time they’ll perform on a tour like this and I couldn’t miss out. And, I wouldn’t call it fate exactly, but I do think it was by luck that I happened to come across the band’s $85 link on their website the morning the tickets for San Francisco went on sale. The catch with those tickets is that you could only purchase them in pairs and you wouldn’t know where your seats would be until you arrived at the venue and picked them up. That was perfectly fine with me! A chance to see the Rolling Stones at half the price of even their lowest priced tickets in the main sale meant I couldn’t go wrong.

The concert was superb. I loved seeing the crazy array of people at the venue. The audience was having such a great time, dancing like there was no tomorrow and Mick Jagger literally is more energetic at his age than I am right now. They played many of their hits, but with their extensive catalog, I missed hearing songs like Wild Horses or Ruby Tuesday. I can understand why people follow them around from city to city on their tours. They are notorious for changing up their sets every show, so they’re never exactly the same, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll hear your favourite song.

This is their set list from Oakland, CA on May 5:

“Get Off Of My Cloud”
“It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It)”
“Live With Me”
“Paint It Black”
“Gimme Shelter”
“Little Red Rooster” (with Tom Waits)
“Dead Flowers”
“Emotional Rescue”
“All Down The Line”
“Doom and Gloom”
“One More Shot”
“Honky Tonk Women”
“Before They Make Me Run”
“Happy”
“Midnight Rambler” (with Mick Taylor)
“Miss You”
“Start Me Up”
“Tumbling Dice”
“Brown Sugar”
“Sympathy for the Devil”

Encore

“You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
“Jumping Jack Flash”
“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”

Even after a 2 and a half hour show, I still wished it was longer. But, alas, I can now say that I have seen the Rolling Stones live. The experience was certainly worth the trip, and though they’re the reason why I booked a vacation to San Francisco, I do try to make the most of my time in the cities I visit.

Over my three days in the home of the Golden Gate Bridge, I visited the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero and perused the stalls at the weekly farmer’s market, walked the streets of Chinatown, shopped around Union Square, ate at Tadish in the Financial District (apparently the oldest seafood restaurant in San Francisco) and at Bask SF (only a year old), walked up Lombard Street, followed Columbus Avenue from California Street past North Beach and all the way down to Hyde Street Pier and then down to Pier 39 to see the seals. I regret the shoes I brought with me because I thought those flats would kill me by the end of the trip, but I made it and it was fantastic.

Another trip and plenty to document it! As my friend said, she knew I must have just returned home and finally gotten Wi-Fi because I started Instagraming one photo after another to share with everyone. She also asked me how long I was there for, and when I replied that I was only there for three days, she was pretty amazed at how much I managed to do in such a short time span.

San Francisco through my eyes is here for you to view. Hopefully it inspires you to visit, too. Maybe for a show, maybe not. Either way, it’s worth seeing and with many things within walking distance of one another, you can cover a lot more ground than you think.

View of the San Francisco International Airport from the BART station

The Ferry Building on the Embarcadero

A street performing musician and a tipper at in front of the Ferry Building

Flower stall at the farmer’s market

Inside the Ferry Building

Grow your own mushrooms kit at a stall inside the Ferry Building

Fresh oysters at a stall inside the Ferry Building

Father and son watching the boats from the Ferry Building

Lunch time at the Embarcadero

Embarcadero Center

Lunch at Tadish – ahi tuna and smoked salmon!

Makeshift shoe shine bench

Chinatown

Chinatown lanterns with shoes

A pile of pandas in a Chinatown shop

A Chinese musician taking a break

The Chinatown gate

The window displays at Farinelli

A fashionably dressed woman and her adorable dog waiting outside Cafe de la Presse

Flags

A gorgeous art deco building facade at 550 California Street

The beautiful Palace Hotel being set up for an event

A cool looking parkade with neon signs galore

Inside Cafe de la Press where we took shelter from the rain and ate brunch

Inside the Levi’s store at Union Square – the wall of past Levi’s jeans

Corner of Union Square

Dinner and wine in the parking lot before the Rolling Stones – apparently this is normal in San Francisco

The lineup ahead of me to pick up $85 tickets for the Rolling Stones

The lineup behind me to pick up $85 tickets for the Rolling Stones – I think they sold way more than 1000

The ticket table – those stacks of tickets are all random

The stage for the Rolling Stones’ show is shaped just like their lips and tongue logo

Kind of fuzzy, but Mick, Keith, Ronnie and Charlie are all there!

Mick Jagger

The bar at Bask SF

Ahi tuna at Bask SF

My view of Columbus Avenue through the window of Bask SF

Vesuvio – oft frequented by author Jack Kerouac

The alley wall of City Lights Books along Columbus Ave

A traditional Italian deli that I passed by along Columbus Avenue

Drinker in the garden found along Columbus Ave

Kitty standing guard at a house on the way to Lombard Street

At the base of Lombard Street

View of Telegraph Hill from the base of Lombard Street

View from the top of Lombard Street

A shot of Alcatraz as we walked down a steep street towards Hyde Street Pier

Cable cars

Cable safety tips – there’s definitely at least one that people ignore!

The beach next to Hyde Street Pier – people were swimming

Hyde Street Pier

Boats and Ghirardelli Chocolate in the background

A ship docked in Hyde Street Pier with the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance

Boats in Hyde Street Pier

The Hercules docked in Hyde Street Pier with Alcatraz island in the background

Kids going through boat training at Hyde Street Pier

Seagull on a boat – Hyde Street Pier

Boats at the pier

Fisherman’s Wharf

Giant seagull at Fisherman’s Wharf

At the Musee Mecanique at Fisherman’s Wharf

Signs at the Musee Mecanique

Rolling Stones postcards in a machine at the Musee Mecanique – too bad they were out as it would have been a good little souvenir of of the trip since I went specifically to see their show!