Now that I've settled in after about two months of living in Hong Kong, I've decided to start a blog! With some encouragement from Dr. Lewis and advice from my roommate, Sara Beth, I will share my experiences for all to see. Soo much has happen in the short period I've been here and I will give a brief run down on some of the more memorable events. My grammar and spelling my not be perfect but I hope the stories I share will give some insight to my life in Hong Kong.
First Impressions: I arrived in Hong Kong August 20th after spending a wonderful two months in New Zealand. Only one word can describe my first few days in Hong Kong: overwhelming! The city seemed massive, my 450 square foot apartment was claustrophobic, and the humidity surpassed that of Columbia, SC. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into! The first few days Hong Kong seemed like New York on steroids. I was thankful that Maggie, my boss, helped all the teachers and I settle in; setting up Internet, phone and housing which would have been an overwhelming task in itself.
Mong Kok: Maggie escorted us to Mong Kok ( the most densely populated place in the world) in the middle of the day with temperatures soaring above 100* for the essentials but I also discovered the everything else I could buy. If I felt the need for a pet fish, all I would have to go is walk down Goldfish Street for not only goldfish but also dogs, cats, hamsters, turtles, and snakes. For flowers to spruce us the apartment, I headed to the Flower Market. The Ladies Market is perfect for not only the ladies but also for anyone in need of cheap souvenirs. My phone, that closely resembles an iphone and aptly named the 'phone,' was found amongst hundreds of other electronics. Pretty much anything you would want to buy, you can... You just have to shop with 130,000 people per km2 in over 100* temperatures to get your purchase. While Mong Kok seemed like my personal hell in the beginning, I am now braving the streets of Mong Kok as if I were walking down King Street in Charleston. After getting over the initial shock of actually being in Hong Kong, I began to take in the sights, sounds, and sometimes unpleasant smells of the city.
Macau: In order to get a Hong Kong visa validated, one must leave Hong Kong. On return, your visa will be stamped by immigration verifying that your visa is acceptable. So off all the teachers went to Macau gaining my second passport stamp of the South East Asia countries. At 8am on my first Sunday in Hong Kong I boarded a jet ferry to make the two hour trek to Macau. This country is know as the Las Vegas of Asia so of course we made a stop at the Venetian Casino to do a bit of gambling and escape the heat. I'm not sure if you call putting $20HKD (2.5 USD) in a slot machine and blindly pushing buttons gambling but Sara Beth did come out the big winner with a winning of $2.10HKD! After our attempt to earn a little extra money, Maggie took the crew to the world famous Fernando's, a Macueses (part Macau, part Portuguese) restaurant with a great ambiance but no air conditioning. We had a smorgasbord of food including fish (head included), pork, beef, veggies, and topped off with a nice cool, refreshing glass of sangria. Eating in sweltering heat has never been a favorite of mine but the food at Fernando's was worth every bead of sweat. Still sweating, the group made our way to see the ruins of the church of St. Paul, considered to be one of the greatest monuments to Christianity in Asia to help the illiterate understand the Passion of Christ and the lives of the saints. Seeing the ruins of this church was truly amazing! By this point in the trip the heat was starting to take a toll so a few of us decided to move the remainders of our sightseeing inside. We headed for the Macau Tower, home of the highest bungy jump in the world! My hopes of jumping on that particular day were crushed by wardrobe choice of a dress but I have a feeling I will return to Macau to jump of the tower one day soon!
Hong Kong Island: I once heard someone say that Hong Kong is 100% Asian and 100% Western. I didn't understand what they were talking about until I made my way over from Tai Kok Tsui to the other side of the harbour. It was in Central Hong Kong that I saw the 'Western' side of the city. Restaurants' names started becoming 'Taco Loco' 'Just Salad' 'TGI Fridays' and many other familiar names. Main Street Deli and Fat Hamburger was a nice change of pace from the food close to my apartment where everything is very local to say the least. Hong Kong Island is where most of the expats and tourist live, work, and hang out. A typical night in Lang Kwai Fong would rival a night out in Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
The best part about Hong Kong Island, besides the food, is the light show. The Symphony of Lights is presented every night at 8pm where the skyline is illuminated with lasers, flashing lights, and music; it is considered the "World's Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show" and involves over 44 buildings! You can stand on either side of the harbour to watch the buildings come alive with the lights that are accompanied with music to match the show. It's an amazing view that will forever remind me of Hong Kong.
