*As a note, I have very limited internet so this post has no photos...just jotted thoughts. I'll make shorter updates with photos with my ipod touch later today.
My first was pretty intense, especially just getting off the plane, but I’m super proud and happy that I made it through! I landed at 6AM and made sure my Amah made it to her flight before I headed out to collect my luggage. Seeing how I broke into a sweat told me that I had definitely overpacked. Seriously, thank god for Sam Lam. If he hadn’t been here to pick me up, I really don’t know what I would have done. I probably would have wandered about the airport for a good couple hours before accidentally figuring out what to do. Please don’t worry, Mom, I’m kind of exaggerating.
After dropping off my luggage and cleaning up a bit, we went to grab something to eat with his parents: dim sum! I couldn’t think of a better way to initiate myself into Hong Kong!
Afterwards, we trekked through the main parts of HK in a way that taught me to be more familiar with the different areas as well as the transportation system from his place (critical skill, indeed). With the combination of jetlag, little rest and my affinity to forget everything, I was jotting down notes and reminders all day so that I could go back and revisit the different areas we passed through. And I gotta say, I was pretty impressed with how patient Sam was with showing me around…he took me to all the main shopping areas! Gosh, way to my heart…!
I honestly started feeling the frenzied fever of contagious consumerism when I saw the clusters of small boutiques. I think I’m pretty good at retail self-control but when its so many pretty items jammed together, I tend to lose all sense of reason with,
“Well, I can’t buy this in the States!”
That thought process as well as the distracting glitter of shiny items makes me wish I could find more justifications in buying everything I want. I need to keep reminding myself that I will be coming back on the way home and that I should wait off on shopping so early on my trip.
I also bought this nifty wi-fi card that I have yet to test out. Since I have limited access to internet at Sam’s place, I can use internet in certain areas on my ipod touch! Seriously, what a great investment for this trip. So unless I take my laptop to a café somewhere, I probably won’t have any nifty video attempts.
The weather is much more pleasant than I expected. Luckily, I just missed the big storm and it was mostly overcast, drizzly and thankfully un-cold (yes, that is definitely a word). I don’t know how all the girls wear heels all day walking around here but I need to get with the program.
Sam also took me to this shop that sells: Abercrombie. I swear, I think AnF will forever be that sort of trauma that is stamped onto my soul. I find a sick humor to it. Anyways, I should have just brought over a bunch of AnF crap and paid for my ticket that way because there is a ridiculous resale value (at least 30% over the original price…and I know they bought that ish on sale).
One thing that I had forgotten about was my association of smells and memories. Asia definitely has a distinctive scent about it and I’m not making a reference to the garbage that some may joke about. Maybe it’s the humidity, but it brings about a certain smell that is both familiar and foreign to myself. I often find it in the homes of other Asian friends but can never figure out why MY house doesn’t smell similar.
Okay, time to get ready for day 2!
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