Day 1 - Hong Kong

5/28/08 6:15pm HK Time (UTC+8)

Hong Kong is humid. There was no wind in the air, only heat and humidity welcoming us to the Pearl of the East. Nonetheless we were excited. We got on the A21 bus that would take us to Kowloon, where our hotel is located. Sitting on the first row seats on the top deck of the A21 bus, there was no obstruction to the views. I saw familiar HK images, skyscrappers standing tall next to the triangular lush looking mountains. It was exciting to see the familiar postcard images right in front of your eyes. It was then that I realized that I wam in Hong Kong, and that I have finally (and really) started my backpacking trip across China. I am in a place where merely only one day ago, was just a point on the world map, and a place where I've heard about over and over again, and finally I am here. I am here and I have all the time in the world to discover it as best as I can manage.

Tsim Sha Tsui

We spent the first day in Kowloon. Our hotel is located on the Golden Mile of the Nathan Road. It's known as the Golden Mile because of the sky high real estate price as well as the ample income from the tourism market. After settling in our hotel, which I was pretty satisfied with for the amount we paid, we ventured out to try some real HK DimSum, at a restaurant recommended by the hotel manager, that offers stunning harbor view AND DimSum at half price (!!!! 1/2 price before noon on weekdays). Food was very good. We liked most of the dishes. Shrimp Dumpling, Shrimp Roll, Roast Pork, Chicken Feet, Spare Rib, and Pumpkin Dessert. Spare Rib and Pumkin Desser was alright, other dishes were far superior. We sat at a table facing the harbor - beautiful view. (Restaurant i is on 10th FL in One Peking Rd.) We also made friends with four lovely midage ladies, two HK residents showing their family members around HK. They were really nice, gave us their business card and said we can call them anytime if we run into any problem. She said that she knows many people and has many connections, that Cathy and I should careful traveling around by ourselves. I gave her my cell and my email address. They are wonderful ladies, although in the back of my mind, there's always that looming suspicion of any hidden malicious intentions.

Later we walked down Nathan Road, saw Tsim Sha Tsui, walked to Yau Ma Tel, then further down to Mongkok. Nathan Road is a busy street. Full of shops. It was shopping, shopping, and more shopping. Walking down the main streets of these 3 area, I really couldn't differentiate them, to me they are more of the same thing - shopping and more of it! It was like Canal Street in NYC extended a mile longer. It was merely 2pm when we walked down Nathan Rd, but there were already people bumping shoulder to shoulder.

My first impression of the city of HK: crowded city streets, congested traffic, jam packed shops, and dusty air! If HK were only made of Kowloon, I wouldn't want to live here. It's just another jam packed city.

One thing that struct me is the juxtapose of the old and new via the building in Kowloon. Many buildings, even on the main streets are very run down. Facades of the building were dark and dirty, no matter what color the buildings were originally painted in. Contrasting these building to the bustling street full of modernly dressly people with seemingly endless desire and economic prowness to purchases goods, I find it fascinating to see the new and the old in the same place. We're moving forward economically as a society, but our past will always be around the corner of our eyes to remind us of where we came from and what we were made of.

My biggest realization from day 1 of the trip, is that life is hard and I had it easy. Seeing the street shop owners setup shops, attemp to attract customers, then dismantle the shop every day to get ready for next day, is a drastic contrast to the life I led. I had an office job, working in a modern building with free facilities to use. A 9-5 office job where I don't need to raise a finger to do an ounce of hard labour, and get paid a good amount of money (compare to these white collar labourers). I had it easy. I had taken life for granted. Day 1 of HK didn't impress me much, but it made me realize that I need to work hard in life, for now and for the future.

Day 1 of the trip, I already started to miss Huy.

Annie @1am, hotel lobby, sitting behind the reception area with borrowed laptop