HK OK

Having spent 9 days sauntering around the sights of Shanghai, it was time for the family to venture further afield.  A trip to Hong Kong, before heading home provided a change of scene and allowed me to join them to explore somewhere new to us all.

Upon our arrival, it all felt a little too familiar, I could read signs, as you would imagine everything is clearly marked in English and Chinese.  Everyone (or near enough everyone) speaks some degree of English.  Both of these things were a novelty for a short time, before the realisation that 90% of written and spoken English is unnecessary drivel – advertising and gossip.  Another reason I like working in non-English speaking countries – ignorance is bliss and you can easily block out and ignore foreign chit chat.

Anyway, I digress.  Returning to familiarity – everything was very British… except the weather of course: hot & humid is far from Brit climate.  The road signs, double decker buses, street names, high street stores such as M&S, Clarkes and Hush Puppies etc.  Brands and products were the same as at home.  Prior to taking this trip, I was of course aware of the 1997 handover, but still I expected the Chinese would have made more of a mark since.

Initially venturing out of the hotel and getting our bearings led us to the Avenue of the Stars, a short walk from where we were staying in Kowloon.  I won’t lie, most of the names I didn’t recognise, but Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee and Jet Li were a few I did.  Posing for a photo, placing my palms in the concrete casts of one Mr J. Chan, I can tell they weren’t accurate moulds.  I’ve yet to meet an Asian man with larger hands than mine.  I doubt Jackie’s really are – he probably wobbled the cement to give the impression his hands were larger (pun intended).  The Avenue of the Stars also provided a good vantage point from which to watch the sunset on our first day.
 

Venturing out of Kowloon we got the ferry to Hong Kong Island.  Having read of the stunning views the tram to Victoria Peak viewpoint offered, we were slightly worried the heat haze would detract from the experience.  Luckily, our fears weren’t realised and the views were as impressive as we had hoped.  Spending the day in the company of a lovely Australian lady we met on the bus journey provided a reminder of how different my lifestyle and career choices are from the majority of people.  If you’re reading this Marie, thank you for your company and for making me feel so special.
 

The next day saw us walking down Nathan Road, the main street that runs north to south down Kowloon.  Being asked every 20 yards became exhausting and the monotony of replying ‘no, thank you’ gave way to my playful side.  Instead, I adopted a different tact, choosing to question them, ask if they could repair my broken watch free of charge, or just providing compliments and enquiring how a man stays in such obviously good physical shape when his job merely requires him to stand on a pavement all day every day! I’m sure it brightened their days too.

Which brings me nicely to my favourite observation about Hong Kong – the men.  Most guys in Shanghai are fairly short (compared to me anyway) and rather effeminate.  Now I like a man to be fashionable and take care of his appearance, but when his shoe/bag collection is larger than you own, you have to start wondering…  Hong Kong, however, has a multitude of tall, toned, totty!  Men of all races and backgrounds who are fashionable and firm!  Men of Shanghai, ditch the Dolce and man up!

A trip to the jade market saw me walking away with some very reasonably priced purple jade earrings and necklace - more my style than the light green stuff traditionally worn in these parts and unusual to boot.  Telling traders you live in Shanghai always gains more respect and lower ‘special prices for you’ and they know you won’t budge from your original ‘best price’ offer.

Kowloon park was next on the agenda, with a Chinese garden, sculpture park and aviary amongst other sections there was plenty to see.  The highlight for me was ‘admiring’ the oversized statues in the Avenue of Comic Stars.  None of whom I had heard of or seen before, but I had fun posing with a few of them anyhow.

 

Our final evening saw us getting dolled up to take advantage of a generous gift.  A lush buffet style dinner inside a well known International hotel chain.  Trying my best to maintain the ladylike exterior was particularly challenging once faced with so many different dishes and foods not commonly found or eaten during my time in Asia.  Gorging on everything that took my fancy and opting for a large plate upon which to place my multitude of desserts no doubt left a few onlookers asking the eternal question: “where does she put it all?”
 

 

My verdict – a nice city break for the materialistic shopaholics and an ideal place to dip your toe in an Asian experience, but not somewhere a well-travelled culture-seeking sort like myself could see herself returning to.  Back to street food, chopsticks and incomprehensible Chinese chit chat for me – I’m sooooo Asian now!

 

A xx