Saturday, December 18, 2004

Hongkong!

I shall continue my blogging on HK! *beams* Not like I've written anything beyond the two sentences on Kungfu, but hey, I'm not bothered. Hee.

Oh! I digress for a while to stick up *yet another* pic from the quizzes I-so-love-to-take. Lookie all:

Chamomile Tea
Chamomile Tea...
You are Chamomile Tea.
Your an original! Helpful to anyone in need and
always willing to lend a hand, you take action
but not through violence, people listen to you
for you have a knack for giving wonderful
advice! Many look up to you and you try your
best not to let them down. You have many
friends steadfast or no who consider themselves
lucky to be near you. You may have been hurt in
the past but you dont let that stand in your
way! You have a wonderful outlook on life and
try to see the good in people which is an
awesome gift!


What type of Tea are you? {-With Anime Pictures!-}
brought to you by Quizilla

I am chamomile tea? Ugh, what's that?? Came-a-mile tea? Come-on-mild? Calm-and mild? *shudders*
Anyway, as appeasement, it has the nicest picture out of all the others.

End digression!

Yay! Let me continue my HK rhapsody..

Hong Kong is, in a word, beautiful. All places are good to look at I guess, but I think what really makes a place stand out as beautiful in my mind is the variety of sights that are available; the kind of thing that just makes you want to turn the next corner, and the next, and the next ad nauseum because you don't want to miss the next, priceless scene / slice of life. Like a tiny temple tucked away up on a hill, facing only the sea; old people playing mahjong in the front courtyard just off the main shopping street; a full-fledged Italian restaurant hidden in the maze of alleyways; dai pai dongs with enough space to seat only four on the single table in front, so on and so forth. Photographer's dream. And with the winding coastline, you simply want to shoot every vista you can, because you know that a different scene, in a different light, waits round the next bend. And the mountains! Hills, really, by any but Singaporean standards, but as you wind up and down the hillsides on their *really non-straight roads*, there is so much of a sense of being on an island, because the water's visible everywhere. Not like good ol' home, where you have to practically be ON the beach before you even know we're surrounded by H2O, and to all intents and purposes no one cares for the experience. Have I mentioned the buildings? Impossibly thin buildings rise to an incredibly tall height, each different from its' neighbour but yet so close; it gives the idea of a mishmash amalgamation of many peoples' visions and dreams. I just want to stare at each, from every possible angle, till the uniqueness and character of each structure becomes intimately known. But they pass along, like sunlit shadows (ok, oxymoron) in my dreams, as the car/ tram / whatever I'm in whizzes by. The alleys that run in between the buildings look dark and forbidding, but I cannot wait to traipse (knowing me, more like trips, however) down one and see what remains out of sight of the world in general. By the by, it is a mistake and a folly to simply remain at ground level in HK; every floor of a six-storey building might have a different experience to be discovered. Stanley, for instance, has a second, parallel and more relaxed bazaar above and behind the one at the foot of the hill. To al you lucky souls who are in / going to come to HK, things off the beaten track but not to be missed:

1. Stanley Market! This is so NOT HK-like *especially if you squeeze into TST/Mongkok before* because it's relaxed, laid back and on the waterfront.

2. Star Ferry rides! Whether it's just across the harbour from HK to Kowloon, or to an outlying island, the ancient ferries and docks will see you immersed in a sense of nostalgia. Each ferry has a different name, proudly printed in English and Chinese on its' prow; like Twinkling Star, Glowing Star, Shining Star etc. Sorry, this is SO not "off the beaten track" as promised, but it MUST be tried!

3. The Peak! And you MUST walk the Peak Road! At 2 miles, it's not too long but you get a fantastic view of HK. Go in the afternoon, walk till sunset, then take the Peak Tram down; although it runs two ways, down is definitely the scarier. And, if you can, squeeze into the first row from the front for a view you will *not* regret. Believe me, there is a reason for sure you descend backwards by building the seats that way; sitting facing down would be an oxymoron cos you'd fall out of the chair the moment the tram begins its' heart-stopping >45 degree descent.

4. Eat supper at Hor Hor (Ke3 Ke3 in Chinese) in Sheung Wan (I think). Both sweet and savoury foods are to die for, and the fried-egg-chee-cheong-fun and almond paste deserve special mention. Yum. Open from 6pm to 3am. The newspaper vendor outside also has THE cutest dog. =)

More? Sure, after my next few days. Tata for now, for I want to stick myself on a ferry and float to the outlying islands! Yay!

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