bits of hongkong

again, a long overdue post..hayyy...

Reasons for going

This was a trip that almost never took place. So many hassles but it was finalized nonetheless. I was hesitant to go because the trip landed on my birthday weekend. But I still went because:

1. the trip cost was slashed into half (buy one take one promo);
2. cousin Ana needs her passport to be stamped and someone had to go with her; and
3. I needed to buy some medicine for the beauty center.

Preparing to get there and getting there

Last I heard, HK was getting quite weird weather. And that it would be a cold weekend when we fly in. So I bought a couple of sweaters, knowing that I can't stand the cold. Turned out the sweaters weren't enough. It was 10 degrees celsius when we got there. Ana and I had to walk for four hours just to look for a nice pair of gloves each (our companions left us to ourselves and we were kinda clueless where to go. good thing I can read maps! hehe). I also got myself a scarf (just one for the whole duration of the trip because one scarf cost HKD30! Kuripot din pala ako! hehe). We stayed there for three days and two nights.

Oh and by the way, I loved the feeling of travelling without anyone taking care of me. I had to face immigration and customs alone, hold on to our documents for checking, tipping Ana on what to do, etc etc. I mean how cool is that?! For the first time in my "travelling" life I felt that I am needed for advice and guidance. There was no mommy or ate or kuya to turn to. I felt so adult and grown-up!

People I met

Tommy - He was our tour guide from Ann's Travel Inc.. He was just awesome! He most certainly loves what he does for a living. I've learned more from him than any other person I've spent half a day with, honest! He had so many stories to tell, feng-shui tips and even jokes (punchlines of which were kinda blah but funny just the same!). He even claimed (or bet for a cup of coffee) that his hand print is amongst those found on the Avenue of Stars with Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeow. There was a 'Tommy' all right but the family name was different and Tommy the tourguide claimed that was just his screen name. Of course we did not believe him but his excuse was good enough. Wink! He was not, however, able to collect his cup of coffee. Hehe.

Martin - He was our jewellery store guide. Definitely Chinese but speaks fluent Tagalog. He was apparently brought up in Iloilo. He was really patient with questions and parted knowledge on gold, both white and yellow. He gave us a short lecture while touring the place that is partly (a big bunch at that!) owned by Jackie Chan. And after that he let us "get lost" in the wonderful room called The Showroom with lotsa glass cabinet filled with jewelry offered at half the price!! For a girl who adores pieces of jewelry, that was a great place to get lost in. Teehee! Martin was there to help us haggle. :-) It was even nice to know that the jewelry they offer are lifetime guaranteed!

Mabel - She was a Marketing Executive at Jenny College where I got some medicines for the Salon. I was corresponding with her via email even before we got there. It would have been nice to spend more time with her but I was in such a hurry (Hotel check-out in about thirty minutes!) she looked disappointed. I would have discussed with her some business opportunities but I didn't have the luxury of time. Sayang!

Rina, Bianca and JV - They are my mother's amiga's children. I normally like children but these three kinda sucked the energy out of me. Three days were enough. But I liked the food sharing part. :-)

HK Trivia
1. Jackie Chan is being driven around HK in a white Mercedez with plate JC1. The plate was a gift from the jewelry store partner and was said to have cost a fortune.
2. The new condominiums units are smaller than the old ones but there's not much price difference. The tenants of the old condo units are healthier than the ones living in the new condo units -- there are no elevators in the old buildings!
3. The Intenational Finance Centre (IFC) Building is the tallest building in HK with 88 floors and third tallest building in the world. The top of the building, from afar and on all sides, looks like 2 hands clasped together (as explained by Tommy) but when I look at it, the hands have more than five fingers each. Anyway, the design was said to show the relaionship of Man and God.
4. The Convention Center is similar in design with the Opera House of Australia.
5. The city streets look like the streets in Binondo. hehe.
6. The Floating Restaurant docked in the Aberdeen could seat at once thrice as much guests as that boat docked in Manila bay. Both are owned by Stanley Ho.
7. The Cable cars in Ocean Park pass a total of 17 high rise metal structures before getting to the other side of the park. Yup! I counted! And I survived the rides back and forth, whew!
8. The Panda Sanctuary of Jai-jai and An-an cost around HKD80M to build. Jai-jai and An-an are said to be richer than most locals.
9. Land in HK is very expensive that a cemetery plot cost around HKD300-500K depending on the spot (a plot facing the sea and in front of a mountain will produce better chi for the bereaved families). Even the richest man's house is small.
10. Electrical sockets in HK are different. I can't describe it but ask me when you're about to visit. I'n thankful though because my camera and mobile phone have chargers compatible with the sockets. :-)

There is just so much to share. But it took so long for me to even compose this post, I've alreaday forgotten some details. I knew I should have written in my notebook, sheesh! Anyway, this has been a long post. I hope you liked the facts. :-)