Since it’s Valentine’s Day I thought I’d indulge in a little bit of romance. Since I’ve been in Asia the most romantic thing that’s happened to me is having Ruchi’s legs rub against me in the middle of the night. Luckily her roaming limbs are nothing new and it’s not a lesbian invite either (sorry to disappoint any readers, you didn’t really expect me to go down that road did you?). In our friendship group we’ve all at least once been awoken by her (prickly) legs at some point during the night. Sadly I think it must be a repressed childhood trauma she still hasn’t come to terms with yet, and as such, it manifests in these overly friendly legs that come looking for prey in the middle of the night. The poor girl, or should that be poor me?
As annoying as being awoken in the middle of the night can be, I have to say I’ve been missing Ruchi since she left me just over two weeks ago. I’ve realised that as much as I like solo travelling, it cannot beat the company of sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly with someone who ‘gets’ you. The ten hour bus journeys we endured in Burma would certainly not live on in our memories with the warm affection it has, had we not had each other to lighten the mood. In fact I imagine I probably would have called it quits as soon as the baby on the back of the bus started crying to the high heavens.
After Burma I went back to Malaysia for a few days to hang out with some family and friends and then I booked an impromptu trip to Hong Kong. I was starting to find the heat in S E Asia a bit oppressive (and I still am) so I wanted somewhere cooler and being just under a four-hours flight away, Hong Kong was the nearest place I could go to cool down. I think all of my recent visits to Scandinavia in the last few years have made me mildly allergic to high temperatures. Anything above 22 degrees and I’m breaking out in hoards of sweat like an obese guy at bootcamp training.
Unlike many other places, I wasn’t running on a treadmill of excitement to get to Hong Kong, some of my friends had said it was nothing to write home about, and others who loved it also loved Dubai, a place I have absolutely no desire to go to. In the end, I’ve come to realise it never matters that much about what other people say about a place, we’ve all got different preferences, so the only way we can make up our own minds is by going ourselves. Plus, I wanted to feel cool air against my skin goddammit.
Apart from one terrifying night in Chungking Mansions, which for the record is THE place to go to buy drugs and sex, my time in Hong Kong was awesome. It surpassed my expectations of little more than a concrete jungle and a shopper’s paradise. Two things I can do without when I’m travelling. And whilst Hong Kong can be described as both those things, it is soooooo much more.
Catch the Star Ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central at sunset.
If someone were to ask me to describe Hong Kong in a sentence I would say it’s ‘the Asian equivalent of London’. Only Hong Kong has many beaches, so if you happen to be one of those deranged, London-hating-people then don’t give up on Hong Kong because you can still go sunbathing, surfing, hiking, and even paragliding! And for a stark cultural change, visit the village of Tai O to see authentic stilt houses.
Head to Shek O for hiking, sunbathing on the beach or surfing!
The reason I think it’s like London is because it has an incredibly sophisticated transport system, and instead of the Oyster card they have the exact same thing only it’s called an Octopus card – funny, huh? The similarities don’t end there, the busy tempo, skyscrapers, and excellent museums and restaurants all had me thinking I could be at various settings in London. However, the skyhigh cost of everything was the biggest factor, London can be cripplingly expensive and it’s exactly the same for Hong Kong. I wanted Ruchi with me if only to split the cost of accommodation. That way I probably would have never ended up sleeping in the notorious ChungKing Mansions! (If you’re reading this Ruchi, you better feel guilty girl. I could have been sold off to a Nepalese pimp).
There’s a place I love to go in London, and that’s at the top of Greenwich Park to see the city’s skyline. It’s a sight that everyone loves, and judging by the couples who hang out there on an evening, I’m not the only person who finds it one of London’s most romantic spots. It’s a place I miss, but I was pleased to find several areas like this in Hong Kong. There is something incredibly peaceful and contemplative about finding a spot to see the whole city from, I don’t really know why these kinds of city views evoke a sense of romanticism but they do, especially at night. Maybe it’s the possibility of the unknown that makes the imagination soar.
Hong Kong’s Victoria Peak at night.
Seeing all the apartments and buildings and wondering what everyone is getting up to naturally brings us to think about our lives and how we fit into this big, wide world. Does the person you’re meant to be with live in one of the buildings in one of those apartments? Could you find love in this city? Or is there someone you’ve left behind at home? Has time apart made you realise you never stopped loving them?
Or maybe it’s simply finding your haven in a city full of strangers and traffic. Romance, in any form is a type of escapism.
Romance can be about finding that view, not just your friend’s lesbian leg.
8 Responses
Well, they used to be part of the UK until 1997, I guess they haven’t had enough time to be China-ized (if that is a word) yet, so the place still retains an English feel to it.
I’m interested to know what you think about the level of spoken English there. I always thought even us Malaysians speak better English than them in Hong Kong (this is in no way a compliment to Malaysians), which is quite surprising to me. I would’ve thought people from somewhere which until recently was a direct UK colony would speak great English.
And, it seems that Malaysia will not be a place that you will be settling down. Can’t blame you. I actually think you came at the worst possible time. The weather for the past month or two has been uncharacteristically scorching even by our standards.
It’s interesting that you ask about people’s spoken English in Hong Kong, I would have expected a great command of the spoken language considering it was under British rule until quite recently. On a few occasions when I tried to ask for help with directions more often than not I was greeted with a ‘I don’t speak English’ response, and even then the vocabulary to say that was absent as well. However, some also spoke good English so I can’t make a true judgement just on my experience, only an observation.
However, in terms of how the city operates, and its appearance for me, at least, feels closer to Britain still than China. I visited the newly opened 4th June Museum (all about the Tianamen Square massacre, and it showed to me that Hong Kong is a million times more politically progressive than China. In fact, if anyone wants to learn about truth of China’s politics then they should go to Hong Kong as it’s much easier to get information there! Ironic isn’t it?
The older people in Malaysia speak great English don’t they? But I heard the government stopped making English language learning compulsory so the younger generation as a result don’t possess the same skills. However, the government realised their astounding error of doing this and recently made it compulsory in schools again didn’t they? (I hope so!)
Well, Malaysia is indeed too warm for me but I’m loving the time I’m spending with family over here, and of course the food is some of the most varied in the world! Can’t wait for Chinese New Year now – I hope you have a fabulous time celebrating!
What?! No pictures of legs? 🙂 Dang it. I like what you shared about the things to do in Hong Kong that are “off the beaten path” so to speak. Yikes on the ChungKing Mansions! I’m not into torrid humid places but I definitely want to go to Hong Kong at least once someday. That skyline is amazing. Interesting about the locals speaking/not speaking English too. Happy Valentine’s Day to you, Shing 🙂
Haha, remember, I did pre-modify legs with ‘prickly’ so be careful what you wish for 😀
Let me tell you, Chungking Mansions was an experience I won’t forget any time soon! Hong Kong is such a super city, so diverse, and well that skyline is a vision to behold, I really hope you get to visit some day!
Happy Valentines Shing ! Beautiful post ! You’re such a romantic 😉 ! You are one of the most incredible spirits I know, and when you take me on a visual (and mental) adventure, I love it ! Brad in San Diego
Hi Brad!! Hehe, I know, a hopeless romantic – NAWT! Really happy you enjoyed reading it, and thank you for the kind words, they really mean a lot! I hope you’re enjoying your days in San Diego very much!
That is a superb photo of the Star Ferry at sunset – let’s hope Rolling Stone magazine come calling again!
I went to HK in late February which was winter, but it seemed pretty hot to me. I remember seeing locals with coats and scarves, while I was in my shorts and a vest like a true Brit abroad!
The locals said they were having unusually cold weather, but i welcomed it, I’ve realised I am waaaay more productive and eager to go sightseeing when the weather is cooler! Haha but as you mention, it could have been 10-15 degrees hotter and the locals would probably have still been in their woollies! I don’t think you’ll be acting like a true Brit abroad in Iceland though 😀