Seemingly Everyone Likes the Zebra--An Ode to Hong Kong

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Okay not really an ode in the literal sense of the word. More like my effusive love for this city that inevitably manifests when this particular island comes into conversation. I had the pleasure of two, four-day weekends in a row and, as I needed to add more pages to my passport anyway, used my need to visit the American Consulate as an excuse to laze away a perfect day alone in one of my favorite cities. Not that I was actually alone, you can never really be alone in China, whether you're on the mainland or the SAR. Wanting to get as much time as I could catching up with the city, I awoke early to get to the border crossing at Futian Kou An, even though my appointment at the embassy wasn't until 1:30 pm. After a hassle free hour and half on public transport and going through customs, I finally emerged on the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbor and walked toward the ferries, the skyline of Hong Kong island ever growing as each impatient step erased more ground between us.

I don't care how many times you've been to Hong Kong. Whether you grew up there, you happen to find yourself living near it for a time, or you're a first time visitor, there's nothing like seeing that skyline from across Victoria Harbor to make you think about what an absolutely stunning and inspiring city it is. I can never get enough of it, nor would I want to. All frustrations of mainland China/teaching/CTLC simply melt away as if they existed in another lifetime and all that endures is your time in Hong Kong. After taking the bus to the embassy, I had a couple hours to kill. Lucky for me the consulate just happens to be a 10 minute walk from the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens. Also lucky for me, the zoo and botanical gardens are more like a city park in that they are absolutely and amazingly free of charge. You can walk in off of busy Garden Rd and let the city sounds fade into the background as you watch lemurs and orangutans do whatever it is that they do. Some of you may be thinking "Free? But zoos take a lot of money to keep up and run. And the HK zoo is an impeccably well-kept establishment. How can this be?". Let me answer that with a resounding "I have no idea". It again is just one of the many wonders of this city. Somehow, magically, it works.

Across a footbridge from the zoo is a grocery store so upon arrival I promptly strode across it to pick out my lunch among the multitudes of western goodies I have been so deprived of these past 4 months. Not an easy task. I literally spent 15 minutes in front of the cheeses marveling at how many varieties the world offers and which to take with me. I finally decided on bagels with cream cheese, REAL orange juice (something non-existent on the mainland), and salt and vinegar Kettle chips. I settled onto a bench in front of some exotic looking birds to dig into the feast I'd procured for myself.

The rest of the day, as could only be expected, went by without a single hitch. The consulate was incredibly easy and helpful and I was out within 30 minutes. I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around downtown window shopping and people watching. It was a prefect sunny day in the mid 70s and I ended it by taking the Star Ferry back over to Kowloon and eating dinner on the viewing promenade, gazing at the city. I was sad to leave it at the end of the day but was instantly brightened when I remembered the many months ahead of me in which I can visit at the drop of a hat.

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