And "Yay How" from the New Territories in Hong Kong. Yet another month yet another destination. Since my time in Australia came to an end two weeks ago, Hong Kong has been my 'rest' period. Lucky you, they say, having a break from all that strenuous travelling by having a rest in Hong Kong. How lucky indeed.
I've been living with the old man for the past two weeks now, and its been nice to have my own bed, my own room, and some control over the temperature that surrounds me. Hong Kong y'see is like a second home. Even more so the more I return here. The streets are familiar, and I seem to learn more about it everytime I come back. I am neither a tourist, nor a local in these parts, when at times I feel that it would be better to be either/or. A local would know the lay of the land, have a network of paces and people to see. A tourist would head straight for the juggular of the City and experience eveything for the first time, uninhibited and excited by the unique ferocity that HKG undoubtly holds for any new person here. Still, I cannot complain. In fact I am blessed with the lay of the land and culture, yet still have the capacity to have revelations made about this very unique place. Having met up with a friend who worked here, it was hard not to envy the lifestyle of work and play in Hong Kong, something I am sure to have to work on upon my return to the UK.
So, while these two weeks have acted as a buffer between my Australasian and South East Asian legs, I have been using it as a welcome break. My sleeping patterns reverted back to how it was when I was unemployed and uninclined (doing nothing to show my father that much has changed since I started to wander the globe- Honest dad, I rose for sunsets in Australia all the time). I have been eating without regard for neither my wallet nor my health (the former through the patronage of an equally food addicted father, the latter through a thankfully youthful metabolism). And shopping. Ah, the favourite passtime of Hong Kong. I must admit that I have fallen foul of mere windwow shopping and indulged in the purchasing of a pair of wonderful Puma Sneakers(they were cheap, honest). I customed them with a pair of green laces:
You see, shopping here is a bit mental. Correction- The shopping assistants are a bit mental. It's like having a personal stalker for the duration of you stay in the shop. It always starts off with a mechanical utterance of a greeting. Typically: "Welcome to our store. Please have a look at our produce". Patron nods, and proceeds to 'look at the produce'. Then out of no-where the assistant will siddle up to you and announce a special: "Did you know that if you buy this item you can receive a free gift" or "Please try this item on, we have it in a variety of colours, sizes and fabrics". Note that they are still two paces behind you- if you haven't washed that morning then they would know about it. There was once a time when they followed me wherever I went and I took it upon myself to do two figure of 8's around the shop floor eagerly followed by the commission waged worker. So when you buy something, theres always an uncertainty in the exchange of money and goods. I always hope to God they never say too much about gift vouchers, credit/debit cards, paper bags, or refund policies. Mainly because I don't want to look like a spastic when I don't know what they're talking about. In anycase, its hard not to notice the little smirk on their smug faces as you leave the tiny store onto the next encounter of the third kind.
Now I have itchy feet. Two weeks has been long enough, and though my cousins arrive on the 17th of October for another 2 weeks of shopping, partying, and eating, I find myself unable to hold for them, eager to head out to start my final leg of the journey- South East Asia, starting in Singapore in 2 days. I can't wait to get back onto the circuit in a different atmosphere, and soak up what SEA has to offer. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Lao, Cambodia and Vietnam. Time to get mistaken for a local once again. Its a tough life, readers, that I can assure you. Travelling's awful, don't do it whatever anyone says ;)
Speak soon
Love,
Michael xx
ps- Shout out to my man, Michael Murdoch, living La Vida Loca in Hong Kong. Glad to see you for that completely aimless walk to discovery bay see u in 2008, HKG ;)
