Unprecedented MTR-Free Day

The MTR map devoid of stations available so it was nicknamed the "Empty-R"

Late last night we went to bed with the news that the MTR would not be working in the morning.

Then we woke up this morning learning the MTR would be shut all day.

And shopping malls. And banks. And ParknShop, Watson's and Fortress (Li Ka-shing's retail arm).

Seems that either everyone was terrified of what would happen to their shops, or they were complying to the government's spin that Hong Kong is in fear of the rioting protesters and which led Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet Ngor to say, "Half the city is paralyzed."

Carrie Lam justifies the government's actions in a video

She made this remark during a five-minute video message that was suddenly broadcast on all the local channels. I know this because I was having dim sum with my relatives in Kowloon and the walls had various flat screens with different channels on them.

Looking grim-faced and her team standing blankly behind her, Lam said: "The extreme acts of rioters caused Hong Kong to experience a very dark night yesterday," adding people were worried and living in fear.

"The government will curb violence with utmost determination," she said. "Let's condemn violence together and resolutely disassociate with rioters."

But while she was saying this, hundreds of people gathered in Causeway Bay and defied the anti-mask ban and began marching illegally to Chater Garden in Central. The peaceful march was disbanded at the end point. However those who lingered were terrorized by a group of anti-riot police -- who were fully masked.

As she spoke, people marched from Causeway Bay to Central

Lam added: "The extreme violence clearly illustrated that Hong Kong's public safety is widely endangered. That's the concrete reason that we had to invoke emergency law yesterday to introduce the anti-mask law."

Really? It's the other way around -- the anti-mask law incensed people even more and vented their anger on the streets.

And anyway where were the police when the protesters were already out on the streets last night? Why did they let them destroy so much before stepping in?

Today was a strange day with the entire MTR network unavailable that most people are dependent on.

Last night's mayhem was caused by the anti-mask law

I just checked the MTR website at 11.38pm and there is still no word if the MTR will reopen tomorrow.

Meanwhile shoppers kept vendors in the wet markets busy today, snapping up vegetables, fruits and meats. Then there was word the supermarket chain Wellcome and 7-Elevens across the city would close at 5pm. Again there was another rush to stock up. Some bought essentials like cartons of milk, others chips, and in the case of a gweilo, cans of Tsingtao beer.

The government has created this unnecessary panic, but perhaps it's all part of a big scheme to justify  clamping down on the protesters by trying to blame them for shutting down the MTR and other essential services. There were hints that Lam will exercise greater powers if necessary, which could even include restricting communications and even curfews. Perhaps it's part of China's big plan on subduing Hong Kong once and for all.

ParknShops around Hong Kong were shut todayHong

But the way things are going, Hongkongers are putting up a fight and seeing through Lam's intentions that are hardly empathetic. Why would she call for dialogue and yet allow police officers to beat people up or fire live rounds at them? It's absolutely insane.

She wants to show the world how unruly the protesters are, but she is actually demonstrating how weak she is. If she had swallowed her pride back in June and withdrawn the extradition bill then, we would not be falling into this abyss she has created...

Germany's Basic Cuisine

This crispy pork knuckle in Munich was so good! The skin really was crunchy

When you think of German food, the first things that come to mind are sausages, pork knuckles, schnitzels and sauerkraut. Oktoberfest food!

A disappointing currywurst that was hardly fiery hot

You would be correct. Most of the restaurants serving German fare in touristy spots serve the above items. In big portions.

First we tried the currywurst and they are advertised on signs with flames to indicate how spicy they are, but it's a pathetic sham. Even eaters who can't stand a piece of chilli on their food can eat the currywurst because it's basically a boiled sausage with a kind of ketchup sauce with curry powder sprinkled on top of it.

Seriously it was really disappointing.

Then we tried roasted pork knuckle in Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich. The one in Berlin was tender but the skin was very tough and hardly crispy. We thought perhaps the Germans could learn a thing or two from the Chinese when it comes to roasting pigs to ensure a crispy skin.

A pretty bland sandwich of pickled herring with onion rings

In Frankfurt, the situation improved a bit, with the meat from the pork knuckle meat very tender, though the skin was less tough, but again not very crispy.

However, by the time we made it to Munich, at a German restaurant near our hotel called Munchner Stubn, we were surprised and impressed that the menu item "crispy pork knuckle" really was crunchy! It was probably deep fried, but the skin delicious and the meat was not salty either.

The schnitzels I tried were good, hardly tough, even though they were breaded and fried. The meat was very tender and the flavour was helped along by some freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Meanwhile I tried eat as much sauerkraut as I could as it's not often found in Hong Kong and I basically eat it once a year during Oktoberfest. We also liked the braised red cabbage, more on the sweeter side though equally delicious.

A hearty portion of schnitzel in Dresden

The potatoes are either boiled, made into a potato salad with a tangy mayonnaise, French fries, or potato dumplings, which are chewy in texture, but not very palatable!

My friend YTSL asked if I had tried pickled herring, but I didn't see it on any menus. However at a rest stop along the autobahn from Frankfurt to Munich, I did try a pickled herring sandwich for 4 euros, garnished with onion rings and pickles. It was on the bland side, but oh well. At least I tried some seafood!

Perhaps the bonus of coming to Germany in the late spring is white asparagus season! I sometimes get to try it at fine dining restaurants in Hong Kong (at inflated prices because they are shipped over), but in Germany they were very fresh and meaty, and not too expensive.

Some restaurants offered several white asparagus spears with a side order of say schnitzel or smoked salmon or beef. It was the perfect combination with schnitzel. However, in Dresden I tried the white asparagus soup and it tasted way too salty.

Fantastic white asparagus in season wit boiled potatoes

We had dessert only a few times. Once was at a cafe in the Palmengarten, or Botannical Garden in Frankfurt, where we each tried different desserts. My apple pie was pretty good, a hearty slice. However, we had a fantastic apple strudel in Munich (the same restaurant as the crispy pork knuckle!) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The strudel wasn't saccharine sweet, and was choc full of thinly sliced apples marinated in sugar and cinnamon and wrapped in several layers of pastry. Oh so good!

In terms of drinks we did try apple wine that was quite sour so it had to be paired with something sweet to eat, though the draft beers were refreshing, even the dark beer brewed with malt made from at least 50 percent wheat. It's easy drinking and doesn't have much of a bitter aftertaste.

Absolutely divine apple strudel with vanilla ice cream

We didn't just eat German food -- we did eat quite a bit of pasta thanks to a casual Italian cafeteria-style restaurant called Vapiano that seems to be a chain all over the country. It's relatively fast and good value for money.

In Dresden we saw a Vietnamese restaurant and decided to give it a try. The pho ga or chicken pho was basically rice noodles in a delicious broth, but with thin slices of chicken that probably came from a deli. There was way too much chicken meat in the bowl. That was the only Asian food we had the entire trip. And what was I craving as soon as I came back to Hong Kong? Soup noodles with vegetables!