Getting Run Over Just By Standing
Tips for Hong Kong:
- If you’re Asian, speak English, not Mandarin. Apparently since the ’97 deal, there were a lot of mandarin speaking people who snuck in from China, took many blue collar jobs from the local HKnese. Since they can’t tell apart mandarin accents from one place to another, not like they welcome Taiwanese anyway, speaking mandarin usually get the “mmm, ah, yea go over there” sort of answer. But by speaking English, I get an empathetic smile and several different ways to show me how to get to where I want to be.
- Majority of the 7-11’s doesn’t even have doors. Closing is not an option.
The ice cream truck’s name is “Mr. Softie” (awwww…although the guy doens’t look it)- There are “street auctions” selling God knows what, and it’s filled with old people
- There’s no food or drinks allowed in the metro…and I thought they were starring at me because I had tourist stamped on my forehead.
- And I wasn’t suppose to talk to the bus driver (even though he was at a stop light) either. Yikes! Breaking rules everywhere.
My parents lived in Hong Kong before I was born and we took several trips there throughout my childhood. But other than small rooms and shining lights, I don’t remember much. This will be a whole new experience for me.
How the HK sausages get their unique flavors?
Twenty-hour flight and a brief stop in Tokyo later, I was greeted by buses, lights, and the lady hanging sausages out her windows. It was everything you’d expect from a city — never ending street shops, cars and people in constant motion, and fashionably dressed youngesters with hair cuts that bring them 2 inches taller. Within moments of arrival, I decided that people watch will be the highlight of this trip.
Luckily my cousin came to pick me up from the airport as I was overwhelm by everything I see, and the airport was about an hour from the city. She lives in Yu.Ma.De, a 5 minute walk to the metro (which they call MTR) and 2 mins to a 24/7 7-11. Actually pretty much everything is 2 mins from a 7-11 there. Once we got settled in, I begin to draft a tentitave itinerary for the rest of the week (thanks to the time difference, I was ready to roam but it’s midnight in HK).
The next morning I woke up energized and ready to tackle my top 3 tourist hotspots: The Wharf, Victoria Peak Tower, and the Tsim Sha Tsui district.
A random harbour in Hong Kong
The view is breath taking and mighty crowded. You can also peek into the nearby billion dollar homes!
The wharf was awesome…I wish someone went with me so we can order a massive amount of food, but since it was just me I resorted to dimsum.
The city on water. Some was born on a boat and lived there ever since.
The next few days I roamed around during the day while my cousin went to work and she took me to the local areas (or where locals think tourists will enjoy), such as the night market that sells….
What the city in Hong Kong looks like at night. This isn’t the night market! Just a regular street.
For those looking for ‘special deliveries’.
My favorite part of any night markets.
Before I wrap up with Hong Kong and head over to Taiwan, this is one of the most pleasant surprised since I stepped out of the airport:
A McDonald that serve burgers with RICE BUNS!!
It was delicious.