CHRISTMAS in HK

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So, this is all a bit belated but here's a quick run down on our Christmas festivities in Hong Kong.

To tell the truth it really wasn't much. Christmas isn't much of a big deal in Hong Kong. There is a tradition to countdown to midnight with friends on Christmas Eve. In fact, out in Causeway Bay and Central there were plenty of people flocking to the clubs and other such gathering spots to celebrate and ring in Christmas day.

I too went to Causeway Bay that night but relatively early - apparently missing the biggest crowds. However, already with so "little" people I felt flooded on all sides with people absolutely everywhere. The MTR train was packed, the streets were packed. Everywhere you looked there were just more people. I have no clue how there could be any more people as there was literally no room between each person to fit anyone else in!!

I ended up having a nice quiet time with cousins in the hotel (watching The Holiday on tv as per my usual Christmas tradition anyways :D)

Krystal however went out with friends to experience some Hong Kong nightlife. I gather she had a good time, but those aren't my stories to tell.



Christmas day was rather dulled. For me, we'd gone to sleep quite late the night before so merely slept and chilled for most of the day.

The fun came that night when our relatives had a nice Christmas party. The adults played mah-jong as we played Wii and then we had a nice little feast. We ended up with so much food, particularly dessert as Krystal and I had bought a cake on top of the already-provided dessert.

I'm not entirely sure how, but we ended up using the Christmas-decorated cake to celebrate my birthday as candles had been provided for us and my birthday was the closest out of the cousins. They all sang and I blew out the candle like it was a proper birthday celebration.

And then, we went on to celebrate each cousin's birthday, down to Krystal's July birthday!, everytime singing and cheering, relighting the candle and rearranging the cake so the photos would not show the slowly diminishing cake as we each cut a piece out.



Finally, Boxing Day. Krystal and I fit in some last minute shopping in our usual spots of Tai Koo and Causeway Bay. While at the Tai Koo shopping centre (Cityplaza), we were um...fortunate? enough to catch a show that some Australian group were putting on, singing and dancing about the Christmas spirit or something. To say the least it was...entertaining. Couldn't get the remixed version of My Heart Will Go On for quite a while after seeing the show.



At last, that night it was time to leave Hong Kong. We really did not have long enough in Hong Kong. Hong Kong airport boasted the best airport food in the world...and damn were they right. The variety and the good quality of the food was fantastic! I mean, even the McDonalds hot chocolate was really good.

At the end of our very short time in Hong Kong, I have very certain it was not nearly long enough. I don't know what it was about this particular trip but we had a wonderful time. The food seemed better with greater variety and value. The shopping was fantastic and again, very cheap. It was just generally a really good time.

I only wish we had come to Hong Kong last so we had the liberty of shopping even more and not worry about lugging all the luggage around Europe or running out of room.

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