In the three seasons I have been lucky enough to visit Hong Kong, I have discovered that there is a trick to getting around here: move very quickly and with a great deal of confidence. This isn’t because you’re in any particular danger, the risk of being pickpocket etc is not really any greater in Hong Kong than in any other major city in the world, it’s simply that if you move too slowly you run the risk of getting swept up in a crowd and ending up what feels like miles from where you intended!
Hong Kong is crowded and fast paced, walking along Nathan road is like making your way through a swift-moving slolam course, especially when you’re a naturally fast walker. Somehow I always get stuck behind the little old ladies who manage to take up an entire sidewalk even though they’re just small.
There is also something to be said for avoiding eye-contact. This isn’t North America (particularly Canada) where you are almost expected to smile at people in the streets. The less eye-contact you make, the more stares you avoid. Also, the less pieces of useless paper advertising massages, watches and heaven knows what else you end up with.
All that aside, I love the place.
I mean really where else will you find a mall that has a store dedicated exclusively to Barbie themed kids clothes! Not that I want or have any need for such a thing, but it exists which just made me laugh hysterically the first time I saw it. That said, Burbary for Kids just made me shake my head in bewilderment.
Three seasons along I still haven’t figured out the significance of the ever-changing display at 1881 Heritage, which this year was themed around the ballet. Last year it was some kind of garden, and the year before that it was Cinderella’s carriage, or at least that’s what it looks like.
There is so much of Hong Kong I haven’t seen. Assuming that I’m fortunate enough to be requested back to the Flagship in January (yes it’s been offered and I’ve accepted but until the contract is in my hand anything could change…unlikely but possible), I’m going to spend an entire day of our three days here just visiting all the museums and things that I haven’t seen.
In the meantime, since I had only a few hours off today (not enough to go out to HK Disney, which would be my normal practice), there was something to be said for a relaxed afternoon walking in the sunshine. Since I’m running over budget for this month, my only purchase in Hong Kong this year were two bottles of Vineyard Peach shower gel from the Body Shop…good bye strawberry shortcake, hello Georgia peach. Don’t ask, strawberry has been ‘my’ scent for as long as I can remember, for more than one reason it was just really time for a change.
I am truly amazed at how quickly this contract is going. At only two and a half months it’s the shortest I’ve ever done. It feels like we’re just getting started, but in reality we’re close to half-way through…
Soon we’ll say farewell to China altogether and it will be on to Singapore, Vietnam and finally we’ll get to say g’day to Australia…