Monday, January 09, 2012

First post for 2012

We're back. Things were too hectic for me to sit down and compose a proper blog entry while we were in Hong Kong. Our vacation was so much fun and we all had a lovely time. I totally enjoyed the wintry weather and as I sit here drenched in sweat while I type this post, I utterly wished we had winter in this country. It felt so good to just walk around the neighborhood (even though we had to wear thick clothes) with cold air and pollution free climate enveloping you in its entirety.

But whereas the climate was such a refreshing change, the downside to our HK visit was our inability to communicate with the locals in their native tongue. They hardly or rather didn't speak a single word of English and would converse with you in Chinese!!! It was so difficult to even order a meal in a restaurant. WE had to ask for English menu then simply point at the pictures to get our orders in. More often than not, they would get the orders totally wrong so we end up eating some strange chow that wasn't to our liking. Blah.

We also managed to take a side trip to Macau and bask in its "sin city" splendor. Casino hopping was a charming way to explore this former colony of Portugal. And to rest our tired feet, we would sit and 'gamble' away at the very entertaining slot machines. After a few minutes of not winning or (hitting the jackpot) I eventually get bored so I would just wander around the massive hotels and explore it with my digicam.

22 days of 'vacation' time can be pretty tiring if you go out every single day and take public transport to reach tourist attractions and then queue for hours to get in. So unfortunately, it took its toll on my health and I had to nurse a bad cough, a stiff neck (this came out of nowhere!) and my monthly 'visitor' all at the same time. So the last few days was spent cooped inside my sister's flat with tons of medicines, tissue papers and a clogged nose for company. But by then I had basically done everything on my 'to-see' and 'to-do' list so I just rested and slept most of the time.

On that note, I still have to gather my thoughts on how to best blog about 'how I spent my Christmas holidays' post entries. Until then, I leave you with this stunning image I snapped of the IFC Tower taken during the New Year's Eve countdown and the fireworks display that ensued.

Happy 2012, everyone! =)

6 comments:

Kayni said...

glad to read you're back. i hope you're cold is gone by now. i can't wait to see your photos from your vacation. happy 2012!

Toe said...

Sometimes, we need a vacation from our vacation. :)

The IFC Tower is splendid!

Happy New Year Daphne!

Photo Cache said...

22 days vacation? with family? that's splendid.

happy new year.

D@phneL@ur@ said...

@Kayni I'm still nursing a mild cough which simply refuses to leave. Ugh!

D@phneL@ur@ said...

Happy New Year, Toe! :)

D@phneL@ur@ said...

@Photo Cache Yeah it was splendid, lovely and we all had a grand time. 22 days of bonding time! :)