我去香港了！！

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At 7:30am I rose, drank coffee, and was out the door by 8am. I met Stacy. We proceeded to take a bus, 2 metro trains, a visit to customs, a walk on an enclosed bridge over a shark-infested moat, and had another visit customs. Guess where I am! If you said, "You went to Hong Kong!" give yourself a pat on the back for either being perceptive or being able to read the title of this entry. If you said Alcatraz, take away 10 points and no dessert for you!

After clearing Hong Kong customs, we took another train for about 45 mn to the end of Kowloon Island, to Tsim Sha Tsui. This is where yo utake pcitures across Victoria Harbor of Hong Kong Island. It's also the one of the most photographed skylines--you'll be sure to recognize it, despite the fog's best efforts to ruin my photography attempts.

It was interesting and refreshing to be somewhere that I could read the signs and get around easily. It was a bit odd to realize that while the people looked the same as those in Shenzhen, they could understand me on the subway. I kept my mouth shut.
There were a lot of non-Asians. I saw white people speaking various languages, Indian people, and those of African descent. I think I've seen a total of 0 whites who weren't speaking English, 0 Indians, and 5 of African descent in mainland China. It was different, but nice, too. Really makes you appreciate Hong Kong's internationalism.

After that, we headed shopping. I was in need of shoes. Still no luggage, and it's been over 2 months. My fake crocs have the traction of an ice skating rink and I really think they're ugly. Besides, "winter" is coming and I'm sure to want shoes that I can wear with socks.

We headed to Marks & Spencer, where I got one pair of really boring, black shoes. There are job interview boring. But they'll work with both skirts and pants.

Then we headed to TFIFridays. I have never so throroughly enjoyed this restaurant. I had tomato basil soup, topped with garlic toast and feta cheese, a chicken sandwhich topped with Monterrey Jack cheese and honey mustard, served with a side of cheesy mashed potatoes. Quick, guess what food I've been missing the most! If you said, "cheese!" give yourself (another) pat on the back. If you said, "chocolate cake," well, you're close. You get a half-pat.

After that we headed to another mall (Festival Walk, Stacy's favorite, simply because they have everything). We first went to Page One, a bookstore full of books. In English! So books were not on my shopping list, but when you find titles you tried to read in the US before you left, and then you discover one of your favorites now has a sequel... yeah. Good luck not filling up your hands.

By then it was about 4:30pm. I went in search of shoes. I had one pair, but they were dull. (For those of you who don't know me, I LOVE shoes.) And I'm not sure how comfortable they will be to wear EVERYday. So, noting one of my dad's favorites on the directory, I headed to Rockport. I recalled that they got smart a while back and realized that people want to look good while they're comfortable. I was not disappointed. Higher quality shoes, in my price range (Jimmy Choo, sadly, is not), that are cute, practical, and comfortable. I got one quasi-European looking black pair and one purple pair of tennis shoes.

We then left (before I could spend any more). The train and customs back took a while. I was really nervous that there might be some problem with my visa that no one caught (because that would be my worst nightmare), but there wasn't. On the way in to China, we noticed a blonde girl, probably about 12 or 14 years old, traveling by herself. From my understanding, you can't cross the border if you're under 15. Then we noticed a white man off to the side with a stroller, watching and waiting. We also saw him holding a Hong Kong residence card. If you have residence in Hong Kong, you can go back and forth as much as you want and you get your own, lightening fast, line. So the daughter had come to visit for a while, we guessed. On the other side we saw them talking to a Chinese woman... holding a baby. She must be the mistress; if she were his wife, she most likely would also have Hong Kong residence. And yes, Hong Kong business men do often tend to have mistresses in Shenzhen. It's more normal that anyone wants to admit.

Got home around 8:30. I can't wait to go back. There's much to see and there's just something about the city that I'm drawn to.

I'm tired and dying to crack open a book. Oh, the choices...

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Photos

Olympic Fever
Still rampant here, too.

I have no idea
I just like it

Holy Batman!
Don't I wish.

"It's Jackie Chan!"
as Homer Simpson says.

Festival Walk Mall
I just love the fluidity and lines of this arcitecture.

Comments

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