outing

 Today I went on an outing with my dad （￣︶￣）↗　

We went to buy swimming goggles for our swimming trip on Friday! My father had recommended the sport to me because the water could release all that tension in my muscles, allowing to truly and completely relax. This was after I had ranted to him about my encroaching exam stress, how the big dark cloud was consuming everything I loved, including my social skills. I've just been feeling pretty detached from my friends lately, especially my close friends, which is sort of paradoxical. 

Anyways, before we set off to the faraway lands of Decathlon, I tucked into a deliciously warm butter and kaya-filled toast. The buns were warm and the fillings were generous, making me squirm in delight at the clash of sensations and flavours. Ooh, a fat slab of butter always does the trick! Of course, there's the thing about saturated fats causing high cholesterol, but let's not think about that right now.

When we arrived at Decathlon, a light grey pair of goggles caught my attention. There it sat, inconspicuously chilling in a black grilled metal basket. The colour was appealing and the price was amazing, so I scooped it up into my arms and said, "This is the one!"

Well, it didn't happen exactly like that, but you can envision my frustration as I struggled to pull the rubber clasp over my big rotund head. Sighing, I took it off and tugged on the adjustable straps in a bid to loosen the strap, but it wouldn't budge. The ridges just wouldn't budge! At this point I was nearly hopping mad, so I did the sensible thing and asked my dad for help.

That turned out to not be a sensible thing to do because my dad quickly gave up and went to get me another pair of goggles instead. Excited, he gave me a gigantic box with what looked like snorkelling goggles and asked me if I wanted it. Obviously, I said that they were too big. He retracted his offering with a deflated "oh" and put it back, before searching for other goggles that I did not want, because I wanted the light grey one.

Eventually he returned to the light grey goggles and tugged fiercely at the adjustable strap. And it let! I slipped it over my head, nodded and said that it was fine. After all, it was just a spare in case I really couldn't swim without goggles. I was pretty confident in my underwater vision abilities. Ignoring the pain from the suction of the goggles, I asked him to buy it for me and that was that. 

Well, not exactly. My father went to try on some swimming trunks in the fitting room because he apparently had none. And so I waited at the cash register, inspecting some of the equipment on sale. Hanging ergonomically on a wall were paddles, supposedly for pickleball, tennis gloves, shuttercocks and biking supplies. I was staring at a weird handphone bag designed to allow bikers to cycle and refer to Google Maps when my father suddenly spoke up, surprising me.

"Hey, you need anything?" He asked, and I shook my head profusely. I was very stringent with what I bought, because I'm a very thrifty person and hate buying things in general. 

After that, we bought our items and tuck them into our respective bags. As my gaze dizzily wandered around the exterior of the shop, I asked my dad if we were going home. "Do you want to go to the library?" He asked, and my whole face lit up.

There are few places that I love more than the library. Especially big libraries that I haven't really been to before, because most of the books there were new, the organisation was new, the people there were new and wow the novelty was through the roof. Plus, this particular library had a pretty big non-fiction section, compared to other libraries where I live. 

After spending a ridiculous amount of time scouring for two good books, my father and I went to eat some noodles. My dad told me that this particular restaurant made food that felt homemade, and that made me smile because my father always used to cook warm meals for me and my brother. So hearing him talk about someone else's warm homecooked meals was a nice parallel, a satisfying conclusion to that life we once had.

The noodles were good and the tomato soup tasted exactly like hotpot tomato soup, which was really, absurdly delicious. Really, more restaurants should sell noodles with tomato soup! It's so underrated. Also, we ordered a side dish of chilled tofu and century egg, which tasted amazing with the salty dried fish flakes they sprinkled on top of the appetizer. A really original dish that incorporated my favourite ingredients: tofu and egg! Additionally, the iced lemon tea packed a fruity punch and a distinct, slightly sour flavour. Actually, I'm drinking it right now as I type this. The company that made the drink is Lan Fong Yuen, and a quick Google search tells me that it is a roadside eatery in Hong Kong famous for its milk tea. 

For over 70 years, Lan Fong Yuen has been the reigning champ when it comes to Hong Kong-style milk tea. This legendary, old-time roadside eatery is absolutely a staple in the city’s culinary history, beloved by locals and visitors alike. Divinely rich in taste and silky, their signature milk tea is strained through pantyhose-like fabric. Pop by their iconic green stall fronting the eatery to grab a milk tea or a yuen yeung (coffee mixed with tea) to go. Craving something even more satisfying? Dine in and order their well-known pork chop buns to pair with your drink.

Source: Lan Fong Yuen | Hong Kong Tourism Board

Well, I'm not entirely a fan of milk tea, but their iced lemon tea sure is special! Honestly, everything about the stall is unique and something I never would've expected from an unassuming little stall tucked away amidst the hustle and bustle of a giant mall. Fortunately, now I know for a fact that there are still gems of amazing experiences out there for the taking, you just have to keep looking.