Month: May 2017

BUTTERFLY PEA

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I love HONG KONG.  It’s been on the radar since my paternal grandmother came to HK in 1970’s on   JAL airlines where you walked on the tarmac and up the stairs. I remembered it as “the Orient”.  Of course its  a shoppers’ paradise with  nearly endless food choices.   But It is the lushness or as  my travel buddy puts it  “Its like I’m living in a Bonsai tree” that did it for me. I Thought HK was just about vertical monstrosities and very little room…its not.  Green everwhere and although  mosquitoes got the best of me  I thought of pick up line for daters. “Wanna see my latest bite?” British reminders are subtle “mind the gap”.  Subway transit times and stops are announced in a lovely UK voice.    Local merchants start their day around 9ish.  Didnt catch glimpse of Nawaz Sharif staying at same hotel x 3 days but the massive security and pop up metal detectors let me know the Prime Minister of Afghanistan was here to finalized the “Beltway initiative” or also known as the Silk Road revisited. A new friend suggested that next time  I “go to Shanghai New Delhi then come here to HK” .”  oh you mean to say the Orient.   Sounds good to me.  Ziajian. 

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KOWLOON OVER THE MOON

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2O HR FLIGHT FROM LAX.  NIGHT AIR INDICATES AIR  MUGINESS TO FOLLOW.  I’M NOT THE PREPARED TRAVELER ALTHOUGH I SHOULD BE.  NO SHANGRI LA SHUTTLE AS PROMISED 0100AM TAXI 280 HK DOLLARS=40.00 DOLLARS. AIN’T COMPLAINING ONLY EXPLAINING.  FIRST THING I NOTICE IS THE LENGTHY HORN HONK WHICH IS NEW YORK STYLE MINUS THE FINGER.  14 TONE CANTONESE PUTS MY 7 LAYER MANDARIN TO NO USE. MA MA FU FOO. QUICKLY LEARN MONEY CONVERSION SO I CAN WHEEL AND DEAL FOR A TAILORED BLAZER.  “DI TOU ZUO” REIGNS  SUPREME. EVERYONE’S HEAD DOWN ON THAT DARN PHONE. ITS MOTHERS DAY SO I TOOK OUT THE SPECIAL  LITTLE LADY FOR DIM SUM AND A COLA.  BACK TO HOTEL BCUZ HER FOOD COMA AND BITCHIN TV FROM AROUND THE WORLD GONNA BUY ME SOME FREEDOM TO ROAM.  NO HIGH PRESSURE HUSTLE FROM THE  STREETS  WHICH ARE ALSO SURPRISINGLY CLEAN.  KOWLOON FEELS RELAXED EVEN THOUGH YOU TUBE VIDEO STATED A FORM OF RUDENESS OF THE PEOPLE  BUT IT’S MORE LIKE THEY SKIP THE NICETIES.   I LOOK ACROSS THE BAY AT HONG KONG ISLAND AND IT’S A SAN FRANCISCO ON STEROIDS.  I PURCHASED AN  OCTOPUS CARD TO GREET THE  VERTICAL MADNESS.  THE METRO TRANSIT R PASS.  STEAMING BOILING EGGS REPLACE THE PICKLE JAR AT MANY A KIOSK.  HAVENT SEEN ANY HOMELESS PEOPLE OR BEGGARS. THIS 6.5 ACRE IS DENSELY POPULATED. AN EQUIVALENT TO 3.2 MILLION PER SQUARE MILE ACCORDING GOGGLE.  THIS MIGHT  EXPLAIN THE LENGTHY HONKING. ZAIJIAN