Hong Kong And Back in 4 Days

So I’m back in North America again, and I’m happy to be back. I can honestly say that Hong Kong isn’t my cup of tea. While it was definitely interesting to visit, I’m not itching to go back. Perhaps I didn’t have enough time to visit more of the country, or maybe I needed a better guide book – but all in all, I wasn’t all that impressed. That said, here are some interesting observations.

1. The buildings are so tall and densely packed together, from the ground it actually feels like you’re walking around in one large indoor space. There was also a cloudy haze hanging low in the sky that defused the sunlight, making it feel like everything was lit from above by a single neon light. Yes, it was an odd feeling.
2. There are a lot of people there. To put it into perspective, you need to imagine that it’s the day before Christmas and everyone in the state of California is out trying to finish their Christmas shopping. At the same mall. At the same time. Walking in the same direction. Now, picture yourself at that very mall, trying to walk against the flow of people … and you stand about a foot taller than everyone else. That’s what it was like for me to walk down the street in Hong Kong.
3. Everyone seems to have a cellphone there – I know this because everyone hangs them on a string around their neck.
4. I saw 5 overweight people. Yes, I was counting.
5. Smoking is still very common there. In cabs, restaurants, hotel, busses… pretty much everywhere. You can’t avoid it. There’s a veritable atmosphere of cigarette smoke that lofted above the crowds – and being that I am at least a foot taller than most, I got to enjoy it firsthand. I now understand why a great number of people wear surgical masks. Actually, the best was when I saw a guy pull down his mask so he could light up a smoke. Classic.
6. Shopping appears to be the official pastime in Hong Kong. There are stores everywhere, and they were all packed with people. They don’t seem to have huge “shopping malls” as we know them here, but rather smaller “mini malls” – each with only a handful of stores. They do, however, make up the difference by having a different mini mall every other block.
7. The food is far more adventurous. I’m not sure what “bird nest” is, but it looked like a soup of sort. For dinner the first night, I had fish… but before it was presented on a plate, it was presented in a bag for my approval – flipping around violently, clearly pissed off that it was about to be steamed up. It doesn’t get fresher than that.
8. Hong Kong isn’t an architectural marvel. Sure, there are some interesting buildings there, but for the most part, it’s definitely quantity over quality.

So that was my trip. Hong Kong and back in 4 days.