Blogs from Kowloon, Hong Kong, Asia - page 105

Here are some pictures for y'all hope you enjoy!... read more

I like Hong Kong. Maybe it's because I view it as a safe haven before we head to mainland China or maybe it's because it reminds me of London. Staying in Kowloon - surrounded by shops and "copywatch" salesmen - we often made the trip across to hong Kong Island by the famous Star Ferry. This busy, no frills commuter service, with choice of upper or lower deck, was one of the highlights of my trip to Hong Kong. Providing David with 7 minutes to complete the Sudoko puzzle and me 7 minutes to catch up on world news, we felt like locals. We haven't felt like locals since May. Hong Kong's skyline by day or night is dramatic. From the building work that seems to be going on on every street corner, the obsession for ... read more

English Names Most Chinese, apart from their original names get English names while in their teens. They expect non-Chinese to be unable to pronounce or retain their names (I try but full names are hard). The other day, a friend of mine explained that it was his English teacher from Australia that gave him his name “Lackla” after a lake in Australia. So everyone introduces themselves to foreigners immediately by their newly selected English names: Candy, Sincere, Nicole, Joy, James, etc; At one of the cultural events, some one pointed out that my name said in Chinese (the sound pronunciation: SinDiAh) meant “Elegant Angel”, I’m loving this culture more and more…. The Buzz Hong Kong, which use to be Asia’s #1 trafficking spot for opium, is a huge region, with all the 200 islands around, but ... read more

We’re here…our last stop before returning to the states. Our journey from Guangzhou to HK, a total distance of about 100 miles, took 7 hours from door to door. If my math is correct, that’s about 14 miles an hour. We could have almost biked it faster. The flight itself was only 40 minutes. The rest was traveling to, from and waiting at the airport. One of the nice things was having limousine service from HK to our YMCA hotel. Well, it wasn’t exactly a limo, but it was a nice Toyota minivan that I’ve never seen before in the states. We had purchased a bus shuttle transfer to the hotel, but when they took a look at Sarah, the manager said, “For you, Mr. and Mrs. Hom, we have a limo waiting for you!” Ha! ... read more

I know I know, this has taken me awhile to post, but that's just the way it goes okay?!!? Having survived the miserable (with a cold) flight from Johannesburg I was blown away by the sight of Hong Kong-even from the plane!! I was expecting a culture shock and it certainly hit me! I made my way from the airport to the YWCA in the Kowloon area. As I paused to check on the map if I was walking in the right direction, a local decided to look over my shoulder. He figured it would be best if he walked me there as much as I insisted it wasn't necessary. So we talked with theatrical hand gestures along the way, and finally after12 blocks we were at the front door. He wished me good fortune in ... read more