Hong Kong

Of the few Asian cities I’ve been recently, Hong Kong made me happiest.

The plane that took me there. I prefer the plane that sent me back coz it is newer so the TV screen was much bigger.

Walking towards the Airport Express Train platform to take the train to Hong Kong Station. Saves a bit of taxi fare than taking the taxi from airport- HKD250 vs HSD35. The worse thing about Hong Kong is, its really crowded. I had to queue behind 100 people to clear immigration and 50 people to get a taxi at Hong Kong Station. And that’s only worse coz the worst thing is the bad air.

In the express train. Almost similar to KL one, just slightly older.

My tiny little room. Its the lousiest among all the corporate hotels I’ve stayed. I hate the toilet. But chose this 4 star hotel out of the rest 5 star hotel due to the ‘convenient’ location. My colleague just told me I should have stayed in the executive floor which is bigger and nicer. Nobody say so specifically when I asked at first, just tell me stay here. But now I know!

I finally settled down in the hotel at 9pm and ventured out to look for food. And realised the shops all close super late! I love the feel of the streets where it feels like daytime if you did not look up into the sky. It is super lit by many many many lights with so many many many people walking around.

Times Square is just a short walk away. I realised Hong Kong is really a very branded place. The branded boutiques are in clusters like each cluster will have the all the branded shops Prada, Gucci, Miu Miu, Bottega etc. And every 5 streets you walk, you will see the another cluster of the same branded shops. People must be buying to support them, otherwise the outlets will not be profitable and will close down right. So to have so many clusters means there are a lot of people buying. I was still in doubt till 2 days later, when I happened to walk along a marketing street (selling vegetables, meat, fish) and the aunties doing their marketing were mostly totting Guccis!

Oh ya, a group of girls came up to me and asked me where Times Square was in English. Think they thought I was local or something and was surprised when I could answer them so fluently in English. But the thing was I just anyhow walk, I don’t really remember how I walked there. So I pointed to them the direction I think best likely to be correct. Hope they find the place. I still find them asking me kinda odd, I’m too casually dressed to be a Hongkie coz most Hongkies usually wear quite nice.

Wanted to try something authentic so ate at this small little not-very-clean looking restaurant.

I love Xu Liu San desserts! Tried Mango Jelly with Mango Juice on the first night and Honey Jelly with Pomelo in Mango Juice the second night. Yummy yummy..
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I’m very proud to see many DBS branches there. My boss went to change currency from SGD to HKD and showed her staff pass, there was no commission and even give her staff rate. Good right! Sad to say, if the Hong Kong staff come to Singapore DBS branch to change currencies, we never give them staff rate. Actually we Singapore staff also never change at our bank even though got staff rate coz we can get a better exchange rate with the money changer directly. Yes, staff rate also very lousy.

I had to rise bright and early for my first appointment. A packed and fruitful day. The hotel breakfast was normal but the view was great.

Waiting for my first customer for the day whom was late, could have slept later. The view was even more fantastic at the 31st business level lounge.

I had my hair cut at a salon that the hotel and neighbouring building shopping boutique sales assistant recommended. It was quite pricey and initially felt it wasn’t worth it but I quite like the style now, a lighter long-short modern feel. Wanted this style but somehow my Singapore usual hair stylist couldn’t achieve the effect.

After a day of appointments, it was back to shopping shopping shopping again at Causeway Bay right at my hotel’s doorstep.

The streets are really so brightly lit it feels like daytime.

I really got the Singapore love-q-ing syndrome coz I saw a long Q thought got something interesting to buy or eat or see some star, then wanted to join the Q. So I walked all the way to the front (quite a walk lor coz its really long) and realised they are Q-ing for the bus. Heng never blindly Q as initially I was worried if I never Q first, later walk back to Q end up even longer Q and may not get to buy or eat or see some star when its my turn.

Rows of buses waiting. Like in Hong Kong TVB serials! Hee, cheap thrill of seeing it live. I think its really not efficient in Hong Kong. I can see long Q of people and long Q of taxis and it moves so slowly, a bit like our Takashimaya taxi stand but its everywhere there.

Dar’s favourite Johor Bahru KTV chain got outlets in Hong Kong. Or maybe it originated from there. Don’t know.

Like in Taiwan, Hong Kong shopping consists quite a fair bit of below shops upstairs residences buildings. The entrance to their home is between the shops. It looks kinda spooky inside like those Hong Kong ghost show. If the light flickers, I will freak out.

My dinner – instant noodles with luncheon meat! Taste so-so only but with the chilli, it is super nice! That’s why I got so sick after I came back – the hot weather and the hotter chilli.

I did not manage to try any street snacks. I was a little surprised that I did not see any of those push-cart kind of street snacks in Hong Kong like in TV but saw it in Taipei at Xi Men Ding during the Taiwan trip. The whole Taipei lot was even fleeing from the police, running so frantically with their carts, very drama and very dangerous, hot oil and all. Somemore, I saw this uncle walk back to pick up a hotdog that dropped from his cart when he was fleeing and put back his cart to sell! Gross.. So it feels safer to buy food from shops kind in Hong Kong, definitely more hygenic.

Really many branded shops, many SaSa shops, many Giordano shops, many G2000 shops and also many Jurlique shops! I was so upset with the stupid airport last month. I had a new tube of Jurlique rose hand cream, birthday gift from my sister. So luxuriously creamy and heavenly scented. I brought it to Taiwan without any incidents in July. Then on my trip to KL last month, the airport people confiscated and threw it away! The security says its more than 100ml. Then my kind colleague help me to argue “the container shows 120ml but she used left 80ml only so why cannot?”. Sighs, but the rule is if the container specify its more than 100ml, you can’t bring up the plane. I felt so upset coz nothing happen when I brought it to Taiwan, 4 hours flight somemore then KL 45 minutes flight, it got thrown away. My colleagues told me I should have squeezed everything out and start applying everywhere, haha. I consoled myself it could have been gone when I went for the Taiwan trip when its totally new, so be happy I managed to used 1/3 of it. Got some stuff for sister and Cal, don’t know cheaper anot though coz I don’t know how much is it selling in Singapore. I also wanted to get one from myself but decided to save the money, maybe next month.

I finally had some time to do some daytime shopping before my afternoon flight back to Singapore. Could have extended another day till Sunday but since coming back next month colleagues to explore best buys and bargains, so must conserve my ammo. Got a seat with a better view for breakfast. Really lonely to eat by yourself even though got nice view. Hong Kong was having a long weekend as the following Monday was their holiday so saw a lot of people waiting to board their yachts to go out to sea. Guess that’s why Hongkies are mostly very very tanned.

Took a cab to Central and shop at H&M recommended by my colleague. I like the upward slopping roads and shopping alleys.

The street where I saw the Gucci-carrying-aunties! I’m not going to buy Gucci anymore.

I think I saw this at some magazines or site saying ‘must drink stocking milk tea’ but I think it was not opened yet when I was there or nobody ordering so I didn’t really wanted to go ask too.

A very old shop with a very old auntie.

Hong Kong has a new-meet-old kinda feel and I really love it. I thought I will like Taiwan more after hearing so many negative comments on rude Hongkies but the ones I met so far were really nice and friendly. It has also been a long time since I walked till I can’t feel my legs. Good exercise! I can’t wait to be back next month with my office buddies! 🙂

18 September 2008. Photos.