HHow I met your city: December 2012

12/18/2012

The Hobbit

www.herr-der-ringe-film.de

A little bit off topic, but its just too good for not mentioning it. 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' has hit theaters and it most definitely is worth watching. R. J. J. Tolkien's tale, on which the movie is based, tells the reader the story of what happened before the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy is taking place. In his novel we get to know how the dwarfs lost their kingdom and fought to get it back from dragons and Orcs. Most importantly for the trilogy however, is that the hobbit Bilbo gets in the possession of Gollum's 'precious' ring. To find out whether young hobbit Bilbo, who travels with the dwarfs and seeks to help them get back their gold and ultimately their kingdom, will succeed you will have to wait for the next movies..

http://screencrush.com

Peter Jackson has followed his tradition of overlong movies with a lot of action and picturesque scenery. In his opinion, there simply is too much going on for one movie. Although some critics state that he is overusing battle scenes and extending the plot far too long (Tolkien's Hobbit is only about 300 pages long, but there are three movies that have well over 120 minutes), all people I've asked thus far have told me how great it was. So I guess we all have to check it out ourselves and make up our own opinion about the movie. If you do not want to have to listen to voice overs, you should make a trip to the Streit's movie theater at Jungfernstieg and make it soon for the theater will be closing next year.

www.bild.de

12/12/2012

Shop and chill at the Europa Passage

Outside view of the Europa Passage

Christmas is coming! For all those who once again forgot to get presents early this means stressful gift shopping. Or does it? Although online shopping definitely is another alternative, you might like to try things out before actually buying them. The Europa Passage offers the perfect shopping experience. Whether you prefer clothing, groceries, shoes, jewelry or food, you will find all this and more here. With 120 stores distributed on 5 stories you will certainly find an excellent gift for your loved ones. If you want to relax, you don't have to go far away. Actually, you won't even have to leave the mall. There is a food corner on the underground level and several coffee shops or ice-cream venders all around the mall, so you can enjoy the food of your choice. The Europa Passage definitely is the mall with the best location in Hamburg. It is directly next to the Binnenalster, the town hall and central station so it is easily accessible for everybody.

Enjoy the pleasant atmosphere

Be charitable - make a donation

Right now the entire mall is decorated and you can stroll along enjoying the Christmas spirit. Every year there is the charity “Ein Herz für Kinder”, which collects gift donations and distributes them among poor children afterwards. Be sure to donate a small gift and fill a little heart with joy. The booth is on the ground level, so if you have a coffee break at work or are already planning on getting your Christmas gifts at the Europa Passage, you really should not miss this opportunity.

12/05/2012

The Lion King

Nants ingonyama bagithi baba. Nothing will truly amaze you like your fondest childhood memories. The Lion King Musical will surely remind you of those cheerful days of your youth when everything seemed so much easier. With its astonishing stage design you will feel like you are on a safari in the beautiful Serengeti. The music composed by none other than Elton John and Tim Rice will clearly blow your mind. Just take a listen and enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrvE4MufZ9c

Excited to see one of the most beautiful musicals ever written?

Located in the heart of Hamburg, the harbor, Stage Entertainment's The Lion King Musical has daily screenings and on the weekends there are two shows per day. Starting at € 49.95 the tickets clearly are affordable and most certainly worth the price. How often can you see a Broadway musical for such a great deal? The musical follows the storyline of the movie. So first little Simba lives the life of a prince, but once his father is murdered by his uncle, Simba is convinced that he is guilty and leaves his kingdom. His uncle Scar believes that Simba is dead and ascends the throne. Once Simba is reunited with his childhood best friend Nala, he learns of the ill fate of his kingdom and decides to leave his 'hakuna matata' way of life to fight Scar for the throne. Will Simba defeat his evil uncle and bring peace and prosperity back to the Pride Lands? Come and find out at The Lion King Musical.

12/04/2012

Boat trip

View of Blankenese

It's one of the last nice days outside and you want to enjoy a nice walk, but don't want to freeze too much? A trip along Blankenese, one of the most beautiful parts of Hamburg, most definitely is an option. Ferry line 62 is famous for the trip along these shores, a must do for anybody visiting Hamburg. With the close connection to the sea, most people from Hamburg feel a little bit like sailors, and this is the perfect opportunity to feel like one as well. The harbour itself should already be part of any sight seeing tour, so while you're there, be sure to take line 62, located directly at the Landungsbrücken, the pride of the harbor.

Hadag ferry

Along the trip there are several sights to enjoy. Not only can you see the shore of Blankenese, but also is it possible to visit Finkenwerder, see container boats and if you're lucky you can also ride alongside majestic cruise ships. Another advantage is that you are allowed to drink a nice refreshing beer or, especially during this time of year, a warming cup of mulled wine. So, if you want to enjoy a nice boat trip, which is included in the public transportation ticket offered by the HVV, you should most certainly check this out.

You like Asian food? Check this out!

If you fancy real Hong Kong style food (one that actually holds true to that name and promise...), you should definitely give 'Din Hao' a try, which literally means 'good restaurant' (and it really is one!). It is located next to an Asian supermarket called 'Vinh Loi', which has nearly everything you crave for if you like Chinese food and beverages, and is on the opposite of the 'Markthalle'.

Who wouldn't want to have a bite of those?... I certainly do!

Char Siew Fan
© Thepayut T.

A great diversity of authentic Chinese food awaits you, from simple fried rice and noodle soups to specialities such as fried porkbelly ('Sau Ro Fan') and Chinese BBQ pork ('Char Siew Fan') - of course there is also plenty of dishes for vegetarians. The dishes are best mixed with genuine homemade Hong Kong chili, which gives Hong Kong styled dishes their distinguished flavor.

Noodle soup with chicken breast
© Dávid C.

Although it is a bit pricier than the usual Asian wannabe-restaurants, it is totally worth it and one should have tried it at least once, just to have tasted authentic Chinese food as it is supposed to be and not those fake dishes that are especially made to please European taste. Another great thing about Din Hao, which I personally cherish about restaurants in general, is, that the dishes give you a good kind of being full: not too much, not too little but just right. In addition to that they usually serve your order in under 10 minutes. If you are one of the suspicious type and afraid they might add some weird stuff (no they don't eat dogs..), you can actually observe them preparing your dishes, so that no sneaky attempt of smuggling some chicken feet (yes we do eat that...) into your rice bowl will remain undiscovered by your eagle eyes... not to say that they won't even try to do so.

So if you are a fan of genuine cuisine or just love to eat or just want to try something new, go to Din Hao.