Hong Kong Day 2
Our first full day in Hong Kong started off a bit rough. The air quality here is poor and that, combined with constantly going in and out of a/c buildings and having fans blow on us at night, has made for several of us having sore throats, stuffy noses, and dry coughs. It isn’t surprising when you see many billboards advertising throat spray and nasal treatments around here.
My most prevalent thought today while walking around was: Hong Kong is not China. It isn’t just that there is a lot more signage written in English, or a lot more diversity in the people, but it is also noticeable in how they act. It is much more the feeling of a big, crowded, and busy city and that is why it feels foreign, not because it is China. One example: they don’t move the same way here. In China, no one hesitates when walking, crossing streets, or driving. Motion is constant; there is no giving way when two people are approaching the same space, or even when a car and person is approaching the same space. They just adjust effortlessly and keep moving. Here, people hesitate, give way, take precautions, and generally move in a more (what I would call) Western style. It is funny because, after spending so much time in China and studying the way they move there, it feels less efficient and more stressful a system here. A couple other early observations – the cities we visited in China were very clean and well maintained; Hong Kong isn’t that way, though there isn’t a lot of rubbish, it doesn’t seem as clean (maybe just because it isn’t as new). I also haven’t noticed any homeless people on the streets, and have only seen one beggar. Finally, while there are several parks in Hong Kong, in the areas we’ve visited it seems there are less public spaces than in China, which means people can’t as easily get out and exercise or socialize. No bouncing grannies here, at least not yet.
The pace of Honk Kong notwithstanding, we are on a very leisurely family pace here. The first full day’s agenda was to check out the longest escalator, which is really a series of 20 or so escalators. After a slow and lazy morning, we went back to the subway and now, after only a couple uses, we’re all pros at navigating the turnstiles and the fare… that’s how easy it is. We found the area and headed up the escalator, spying interesting shops, restaurants, and apartments along the way. After some touring around, we headed back down (via stairs) to find lunch. Many of the lunch places here have a set menu and they cater to the local business people. It would be fun to try many of the places if it were just Amanda and I; but, as a family of six, cost considerations play a big factor. We ended up settling on some slices of pizza, which were just right.
I realize the above doesn’t sound like a lot, but we are amazed at how much time we spend out and about. We stop at shops, wander around, and take in the sights. For instance, on the way home we went to the Wan Chai Computer Center, which is a large mall full of technology. Of course, we had to wander through there. The prices weren’t any better than what you’d likely find in the states, but it is fun to browse through all the different gadgets. By the time we finished that tour, it was late in the afternoon and everyone was ready for a little recuperation. We went back to our flat to relax a bit, play some games, and reenergize.
We discovered that there was an IKEA nearby our apartment. For some reason, that became our destination for the evening. I’m not sure it was because of the talk of Swedish meatballs with our guide Michael, or just the fact that we don’t have one in Alaska, or what; but, that’s where we headed for our evening adventure. Google maps said it was just a couple hundred feet from our flat, so we got the address and headed out. Of course, Google was wrong and there wasn’t an IKEA there. So Amanda started asking people. We got directed toward Causeway Bay and thought we were in the general area, as there were a few home improvement shops and we saw an IKEA truck. However, still no IKEA. A Brit overheard us, and offered to help. He gave us detailed directions and explained it was hard to see, but we were close. We walked some more and soon I spotted a woman holding an IKEA package, so I knew we were on the right path. Geronimo! We found it and headed in. It was a pretty standard IKEA, but everyone was just lounging around, sitting in the furniture, hanging out. I swear people were having their dates there (and not shopping dates). We ended up buying a few things, got a bunch of meatballs, and headed back to our flat for some snacks and a movie night. It was fun navigating without the phone and having to rely on locals; everyone was friendly and eager to assist, even when their English wasn’t that good.
