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Published: April 8th 2011
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Hey Everyone!
I figured this would be the best way to fill everyone in on my travels rather than having to repeat the same stories over and over again!
Well, my flight over was great (well as great as 15 hours stuck on an airplane can be :-). Luckily I was sitting in the middle three seats with no one to my right and the aisle was to my left, so that gave me the ability to stretch out a little!
Arrived in Hong Kong at 5pm Wednesday, April 6th greeted by my WONDERFUL parents! We came back to their house and just cooked some salmon for dinner. During this dinner I was greeted by an old friend from the USA.... PBR!!! Never would have thought that the beer that college kids drink when they cant afford Bud Light would be found over in Hong Kong! And with Chinese characters on the bottle. After that long flight I was pretty exhausted and went to bed shortly after a discussion of what I'm looking to find during my travels and where I want to go.
Thursday morning (April 7th) I woke up and saw my dad off to work and then got to work unpacking. Mom had a dentist appointment in Mong Kok at noon so we made our way there utilizing the sometimes scary Mini Bus and highly efficient MTR systems. In my vacations to Hong Kong before I never realized how different I look (with my blonde hair and blue eyes) but today it was painfully obvious :-). The dentist office is in a incredibly tall sky-scraper with an elevator that I would have probably spent close to an hour trying to figure out if it had not been for my mom being with me. Okay, lets see if I can explain this... In order to use the elevator you must key in the floor that you wish to be brought up to on a pad outside of the row of elevators. You are then instructed as to which elevator will take you there (ie. A, B, C, D, etc). After your elevator arrives, you simply board the elevator (which only has close/open door buttons inside) and are swiftly taken to your destination. The dentist visit took all of 20 minutes with a wait time of about 2!!! (Practically unheard of in the USA). We then took the elevator back down (utilizing the key pad, once again) and found our way over to Telford Plaza to meet my dad for lunch.
Lunch was another chance for me to see how inefficient the US can truly be. First off, all the waiters/waitresses had ear pieces in so that they could communicate with one another. Hot tea is promptly served as soon as you are seated and a waitress comes back to take your order after you have beckoned them. A receipt is then printed out for the table that lists (in Chinese) exactly what you ordered. As each dish is brought out the server crosses it off on the receipt until you have received all of your food. Once you have finished enjoying your meal and are asking for your bill, the server asks for it over the headset and a differently dressed person brings it to your table and waits until you have gotten out your money. Tip is included on the bill and so none is required after the meal is paid for. All in all, a quick, efficient, and might I say EXTREMELY delectable meal!
After we had sufficiently stuffed our bellies we went off in search of a place to get a passport picture taken so that I can apply for a Chinese visa. There are a ton of foto places to get pictures developed and get passport pictures taken all around the city so finding a place wasn't that hard. What we found; however, was pretty interesting. It was a little shop (no bigger than my last walk-in closet probably) in a crowded building and there were two people in there. One was processing film on what looked like a scanner and the other was "helping" customers. After we finally got across (through hand gestures and pointing) what I needed, the man went back and pulled down a white screen (that was tattered and torn all around the edges) he then pulled up a stool and motioned for me to sit down. After taking my picture with a regular camera that had a piece of white paper to the right of the lens (high tech way to block out the light) he told me 10 minutes and my picture would be ready... Fastest passport picture I've ever gotten!!! (And BTW they came out perfectly!).
Next on our agenda was to find a Sim card for my new iPhone my parents are letting me use while I'm here! An easy task right?!?!?! NOT SO EASY it turns out! Getting the Sim card was okay; however, trying to get one with data was a nightmare. Turns out (after my dad spent alot of time trying to figure out why it wasn't working) that they don't make Sim cards that also have data. Sooooo decision was made to just buy a minutes/texting Sim card and a wireless card so that I can pick up PCCW wifi whenever I'm near a hub (ie. a circle K, 711, etc.). While my dad was trying to figure all that out, my mom and I had to run to our massage appointments :-0 (Yes, I know I'm extremely lucky!)
Now for all you massage enthusiasts out there, you think you know, but you have NO idea! :-) We decided to get a Thai massage, which is probably nothing like any massage you have ever experienced. First of all, the place that we went to get our massages is in Central and is in a dingy looking building that I would have NEVER ventured into thinking that I'd get a good massage. You have to be buzzed into the place and then they sit you down until they're ready for you. We were pointed into a "room" (a raised platform right next to the front lobby area that is only separated by a curtain. We had change into linen pants and a t-shirt provided for us and then the fun begins! Basically they stretch you and massage you but with their elbows & knees. You are manipulated and moved around alot (which is pretty hard with the language barrier and involves alot of "This way?" and hand movements). The result; however, is exceptional and even though you feel like though your muscles are being tenderized and kneaded to a pulp, I feel AMAZING today!!!
After our massage experience we came back home and had a low-key steak dinner and watched an episode of Six Feet Under. Two melatonin and a comfy bed sent me straight to sleep shortly after.
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Brittany Dismuke
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It sounds like you are having a fantastic time!!! :D