Hong Kong

Travelling during end of July in HongKong was a pleasant experience. Arriving at the airport I exchanged the remaining RMB I had into HKD at the airport. This is convenient for travellers however it is best to take out cash from the ATMs instead for a better exchange rate. I wanted to exchange my RMB because carrying extra cash around wasn't ideal. Getting to the city centre is convenient with trains and airport buses. Wanting to save money, I chose the bus option. The public transport card can be purchased at the airport and I was able to load some cash onto the oyster card before heading to the bus waiting area.

Buses in hong kong are equipped with wifi, and screens full of stops using mandarin, cantonese and english. Very convenient for someone like me. The advantage of taking bus is being able to get a feel of the city. I arrived at my hostel and was very lucky to find my roommate that was initially sharing my room did not show up so I had a room to myself for the price of one. There are random drips of water coming from the tall buildings occasionally due to the use of air conditioning. The area I stayed in was north point on hong kong island which is like a neighbourhood. The area had shopping, groceries, local food, public transport and is a very convenient location. I liked how eating for one did not make me feel self conscious. There were a lot of inexpensive congee and street foods. Even markets to buy fresh fruits and meat. It felt a little bit confusing walking around as many big stores have a small inconspicuous entrance point sometimes underground that made them harder to find. I felt safe and secure walking late at night. The city is very diverse and full of people from all walks of life from the very rich to the common person or immigrants who are working labour jobs.

Victoria peak is a beautiful site at night. And definitely worth going during the day as well as night time. Taking a bus up to the peak was convenient and filled with views of the city. There is a hiking trail around the peak where you can see a panoramic view of the city. It is a sight to sink in.

The second day I was able to take a walking tour of hong kong like I usually do with most cities I visit. The tour guide was a little strange and awkward. I felt myself not like my usual chatting up with fellow travellers and talking as much. The architecture of the buildings along the harbour front has many stories. There are little neighbourhoods within the city full of ethnic foods. Even though the city is very diverse, I did not feel like it was integrated as much as it could be. There are a lot of street foods to try out which I did not chose to try for health reasons. I did not tip as well as some of the other travellers on the tour and did feel bad when I compared myself to them. However I really was too tired and should not have expended that much energy and packed so much into two days. My attempt to slow down my pace was interrupted and I felt drained.

I was happy that I felt the most comfortable in hong kong as communication was good because I understood all three of the local languages. It was a very busy city but also a very safe city. The standard of living could be ridiculously high in terms of properly price and space, but it is also very affordable in terms of food, transportation and clothing. Overall I had a great impression of the city during the short stay there. People are generally very self assured and don't mind voicing their opinion instead of faking niceness. They could come across as a little impatient but it is also very straight forward direct communication which I appreciate. I will miss the cheap street food and stalls for clothing. I will miss the convenience of getting around. The dim sum served there is definitely better than what is available in north america. But I would say what I have tried before is not too bad. Anytime fresh ingredients is used makes a big difference.

Next time I would spend more time and reach out to some friends that are there. I feel uncomfortable and self conscious when reaching out to friends I haven't seen in awhile. Especially when I feel like I am not at a good place. Where I can't stop comparing or judging myself. Maybe I shouldn't be so critical of how I am. Because who I am has never changed. I can't help not trying in friendships these days. Because when you are down and oh so down and stuck in your head. I don't want to share this with others. Is it because I don't trust that others will be there for you. Yes. I don't trust they will be. Because I don't know how they can be when you can't take care of your basic needs anymore. I don't want to burden others.