First impressions

1982 was the very first time I set foot in Hong Kong. We were going back to Manila after spending 10 years overseas. So they (my parents) thought it was a good idea to stopover in Hong Kong for a few days before we headed back to 'home base'.

It was the month of August in the year 1982, Hong Kong was sweltering in the summer heat. Ergo, my very first impression of this city state wasn't very pleasant. I remember sweating profusely due to the humidity (big adjustment as we had just come from Europe) and the very warm summer weather. The place where we stayed was small and dusty and it was located in some dark alley. The streets had this distinct "oriental" flavor/odor that was quite revolting for someone who was raised in Europe. Kadiri talaga!

Fast forward to 2009. My sister and I were planning a trip for our parents 41st wedding anniversary. She suggested Hong Kong. I said sure why not? We availed of a package that included airfare, accommodations, HK city tour + a day tour to Macau. We only spent 4 days and 3 nights in a three star hotel in Kowloon during the winter month of February. But I tell you, it (the short trip) completely and utterly changed my whole view about Hong Kong in a heartbeat!

2011 - my sister got a new job and had to relocate to Hong Kong. Her flat isn't as big as her 2 bedroom unit in Singapore but we (all 5 of us) managed to fit in nicely. Her 8th floor studio was fully furnished with all the basic necessities. Her Bathroom Floor Tiles were a sparkling shade of grey. The flat itself is in a building that is centrally located in the dried goods district of Hong Kong. All modes of transportation were easily within reach of her front door. But by far, our favorite means to get around to explore Hong Kong was the double decker tram. Cheap, comfortable and quite cute! :D



I'm glad that I had a chance to erase my horrible first impression of this city state. I saw with my very own eyes how much it had progressed since 1982 and I fell in love with its enticing charms.

Stanley, Hong Kong (December 21, 2011)

My sister has been so busy in her new job that she barely finds the time to explore Hong Kong. She told us her list of places to visit was quite long. Besides it ain't really fun to venture out to new places by your lonesome self.

One of the places in her (long) list was Stanley. This waterfront town located in the southeastern part of Hong Kong is a favorite hang out for the locals and expats. A peaceful and serene environment along with the fresh sea breeze are its main attraction. The journey aboard a double decker aircon bus is a scenic route through narrow zigzag roads. It offers a fantastic view of the whole of Hong Kong island especially if you sit on the upper deck. You pass by posh bungalows and towering condominiums in the Aberdeen area. You also get a panoramic view of Repulse Bay with its pristine beaches.

Once you reach Stanley, the must see places are the Stanley Market, a bazaar (tiangge), the Murray House ( a Victorian era colonial building that now houses various fine dining restaurants), the Stanley Plaza an upscale mall. It also has a waterfront with a wide promenade. A nice place for a date or a pleasant venue to simply soak in the fresh sea breeze.

HK Day One (December 17, 2011)

The eve of our departure I was so tired I could barely sleep. Our flight was at 5:40 AM but if you live in this fair metropolis, you would know that you need to make sure you got ample time to make it to the airport. The airlines demand you be there 3 hours before your flight. So by 2:30 AM we were on our way to the airport. There was a slight drizzle when we got out of the condo and it became heavier as we approached the airport. There were long queues everywhere. At the entrance to the airport, at the X ray machines even the the check in counters. It seems everyone was leaving on that day for the holidays.

But eventually it was time to pass by the immigration counters. If you have ever gone through the customs/immigration counters at our local airports, you'd know it's best you have all the necessary papers/documents to be shown upon their request.I was well prepared. I had photocopies of my passport, our return e-ticket, my credit cards as well as my sister's HK identity card. The exchange was pleasant enough. It was like small talk, she asked where D worked, what I did for a living, asked us if we were going for vacation, how long would we be away etc. She stamps our passports and we were off to the security check counters when suddenly I heard someone say 'excuse me' twice.

I turn around and it was the immigration officer who wanted to clarify something with us. She was addressing D: "Excuse me po, di ba state U ang PUP?" We nod, yes. "Kung ganoon po eh dapat meron kayong travel authority kasi government employee po kayo." At this point, I must have turned pale as my heart sank. This is the first time (since we got married and we've traveled together) that we were asked to produce this document. D looks at me and shrugs. Since we didn't have this document, we were asked to seat down while she went to verify this requirement with her superiors.

At this point, D tells me if he is prevented from leaving that I should just go ahead and he would re-book and just travel the following week. I was livid, I told him I wasn't leaving without him. This was preposterous. Travel authorities are only required under martial law. D was trying his best to calm me down. To make the long story short, she comes back and tells us: "Sige po sa ngayon makakaalis kayo pero sa susunod po kailangan meron kayo travel authority kung may biyahe overseas." We turn around and almost ran off lest we were prevented from leaving. :D

D kept laughing during the flight as he recounted how I seemed like I was about to faint and/or cry when we were questioned. I admit I was aghast. Then I was angry. Then I simply chalked it up to some nuisance or 'aberya' that people in 'high' places do to harass people from leaving. Not fair at all but it happens!

Anyhoo! Onwards to our first day in Hong Kong. Here we are on the Airport Express. A super efficient train that transports you from the Hong Kong International Airport to the city in just 20 minutes. It was clean, it was fast, it was cheap and a very convenient way to get to the city. Fabulous, I'd tell you!



After we dropped off our luggage at my sister's flat, we were off to explore HK. After a quick lunch at the HK Convention Center, we took the star ferry to cross over to the Kowloon side. Our first stop (on foot, mind you!) was the 1881 Heritage.



This majestic mall is located on Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. This area of 130,000 sq ft. features a shopping mall, a heritage hotel, and an exhibition hall.



The original site of 1881 Heritage was the headquarters of the Hong Kong Marine Police from the 1880s to 1996. The buildings' unique Victorian architecture epitomizes its rich colonial background.







It was a weekend so I believe most of HK was out shopping. Nathan Road was jam packed with people so we entered another mall to escape from the crowd.
K11 is a shopping mall with 6 floors and it is located beneath the Hyatt Regency Hong Kong in Tsim Sha Tsui.



It is described as the world's first art mall. There are artworks everywhere. The venue also plays hosts to several foreign film festivals. This Mona Lisa mural is made up entirely of loaves of bread.



Their Christmas decor was themed Renoir Christmas Dance which featured the setting of the masterpiece "Le Bal au Moulin de la Galette" by the leading French impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir.



Then we walked all the way from Tsim Sha Tsui to the Avenue of the Stars. This waterfront promenade offers a fantastic view of the skyscrapers at the Hong Kong island side. This also features the hand prints of famous Chinese stars like Jet Li, Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan to name a few.



It was late in the evening and temperatures were starting to drop. So it was time to put on my woollen blazer and my hoodie to protect me from the strong winds. It was chilly but I loved it.



The view across was fantastic especially when darkness set upon us and the building were all lighted up for the Yuletide season.

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! =)

Happy Holidays

Hectic with a capital "H" is the word I would describe these past few days but we finally managed to do every errand within the nick of time.

We're off shortly to the airport for our early morning flight. D & D are off to a land where Disney, dim sum and delightful weather reign supreme! So we wish you and yours a wonderful Christmas filled with much food, laughter and love. =)

Last minute plans

It was already the first week of November when my sister informed us, she won't be able to come home for the holidays. For one, she just started a new job. Secondly, she has to travel for a trade show mid January 2012.

My mother was sad but accepted it. Until. I suggested that it would be a good idea if they (mom and dad) would spend the holidays in HK. Mom immediately approved. Dad was worried about the financial aspect. I robbed a bank. Then I booked their airfares, online. I wasn't able to avail of the promo fares since it was already peak season but nevertheless it was imperative that bunso won't be alone during the holidays.

They got all excited. Mom got really busy with her list of things to buy, things to bring, things to pack. I was resigned to the fact that D and I would be having a simple noche buena for two. Anyways, we would just 'skype' each other.




December 2, D announces he has a plan. We should just go there and surprise them. I panicked. I am not a last minute gal. I make arrangements at least 3 months in advance. I wasn't warming up to the idea. Are you mad? I said. How do you expect us to reach bunso's flat? I don't know my way around HK. It is too late. The ticket prices would be exorbitant. Well, he had this look on his face that meant he was serious and that I was to just make it happen. Bahala na raw ako.



To cut the long story short, my parents are leaving tomorrow afternoon. We will 'show' up on Saturday morning. The logistics have been mapped out. Everything is set for the traveling part.

But I haven't packed. Most of my 'winter' clothes are in the condo. I have yet to sort them out. But I can only do so once my parents leave. I got all cranky that we are leaving in 3 days and we haven't done anything. Last night, D comes home and folded all the clothes he was bringing. I got more upset because apparently his bulky clothes would fill up the entire luggage. But he kept asking me 'how many socks?', 'how many tees?', 'how many sweatshirts?' I answered and now I've ran out of space in the luggage so I guess I'm to blame ha?

In the meantime, there are other things that need attention. I believe we are running out of time to complete all the tasks. But D keeps telling me to relax and stop stressing out. But I can't help it. I don't do good under pressure. I even snapped at him that he bought groceries when I was trying to clear the ref of any perishables. I better relax before I blow a fuse. I will try to get excited about the holidays. Although I am already really tired just preparing for the trip. Phew.

Happy Feet

I have no idea if these Humboldt penguins know how to sing and dance like their counterparts in that highly successful animated movie but they were certainly cute to ogle at.



When we entered the room, I thought they were part of the display, it was only when one of them moved that I noticed they were real. I was a bit disappointed that you cannot see them at eye level, they are contained inside a glass enclosure which I assume is air conditioned.











But I'm still glad I saw real penguins even though we live in a tropical land. :D

Yuletide cheers

December is upon us! As well as the horrendous traffic jams, the frenzied shopping sprees at the crowded malls. But this cutesy song with a meaningful message by the Jackson 5 is my current favorite Christmas song. I keep humming the tune to keep myself upbeat during all the hectic rush.