Arrival

“What happened to Thursday?”

That’s the typical question when you’re time warped a day in advance going from the States to Asia. This time it’s to Hong Kong and this time I picked the cheapest flight. The one that departs Wednesday night, technically Thursday morning. You know, the 12:05AM flight. All of Thursday in the good U.S.A. happens when you’re helplessly trying to fall asleep while you’re feet scream out in discomfort and your knees remind you how unnatural it is to be sitting there in economy class. Yep, the unavoidable beginnings to an overseas vacation.

Well besides all the flying madness, layovers, baggage claims, re-screenings, immigration, etc. there was jet lag. But in Hong Kong it isn’t so bad right? The city hardly sleeps. But I wanted to. This trip was aimed at finishing up some writing and getting some neglected reading in. (I started on Ender’s Game and now there’s a movie. Crap!) I’m not going to get proper rest without a normal schedule. So to give a sense of how successful I was in my battle with jet lag, it’s Monday and I’m finally writing about Friday. International flights can really do a number on you.

Anyways, you’re not here for that. Let’s talk about Hong Kong. A city I’ve been to numerous times so it’s not really an adventure. But I’ll do my best to fill you in on everything you need to know.

Today was all about… my food. The ones that bring back memories of my times in Hong Kong. Like Vita Lemon Tea drinks that no longer appear to be available in the paper cartons. These things were so good when I walked around this city in the squelching heat. It’s not that hot but it’s still humid here and sipping this stuff still does the trick. Then there’s Yoshinoya. It’s good here. Better than the LA ones yet not up to par with the Tokyo ones. Don’t know why they don’t have the pork options anymore. Those were good. However, the stuff that rocks is the poached egg. Oh so good. This place is such a guilty pleasure. Of course, this is about as bad as McDonalds. To my defense, I only tried it out because I saw the GCB, a sort of pork sandwich, and right now the McRib is out in Southern California. Yeah, I hope you didn’t mistaken me for a foodie or something. I’m not. And this GCB thing isn’t a McRib either. Not even close. I almost shed a tear eating this crap. Don’t fret! I’ll eat something more interesting my foodie friends. Don’t give up on me yet.

As for getting around, this is the best city to get to any destination. You’ll figure this out the instant you arrive at the airport. You got escalators and moving walkways to take you all around the terminal. Once you leave, there’s the Airport Express that will take you straight into town. And even in town you got your choice of the MTR (local subway system), taxis, buses, and even minibuses that are a cross between a bus and taxi. Imagine the Super Shuttle running constantly around your hometown. Of course, that means, mostly locals use it. They’d know the routes of these minibuses better than a tourist. Also there’s the age old trams. Almost as touristy as the cable cars in San Francisco. But not really. My recommendation, use the MTR. It’s crowded. Oh yeah, should definitely emphasize, it gets really crowded around the popular areas. Be ready to get up close and personal with the local people.