Mondo
25-02-2008, 14:33
Got home last night from a week in Hong Kong and thought I write something to remember the week by.
First of all, it wasn't a holiday, I moved here about 17 years ago and this was the first time i've been back. First time to see cousins that were just born when i left and some were born after i left. Most of all to see my grandmothers who are both in their 80's, so most of the trip were actually spending time with them but i did get to do some touristy stuff and some stuff that tourist will never see because they simply won't go to or know where to do or scared to go.
I have over 900 pics over the week and these are just some of them.
So we left at 2:30 English time, didn't really do a direct straight line flight, more a little curve and missing India and coming in from China so flew over the Himalayas at 37k feet.
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/9536/img3931fw1.jpg
Drove to my nan's (mun's mother) who lives in a little strip of land between Hong Kong and China that is the size of most city centers kinda like no man's land (think Guards on both sides and you need special ID to pass which took an hour to get at a police station, only people get to get the ID's are people who lives there or relatives living there) and then practically head straight to dinner, the uncle owns a restaurant so he went a bit OTT with the food, there's a whole chicken chopped up on the table, sweet and sour pork, Roast Goose (bottom right), and lots of other random nice stuff, actually ran out of room on the table for food, all went down nicely with a glass of cold lemon tea.
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/5196/img4003lq8.jpg
Next morning, we went to see my dad's mother for the day and visited the local market where fished get sliced down the center leaving the heart still beating (to show that it's fresh), other fish kept in shallow waters with a air pump into the water, meat hang on a hook, live chicken in cages, RSPCA will have a field day but it's everyday life over there.
http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/4112/img4110kt6.jpg
One of the thing i missed in living in England is food, and the bakery is the best example. Every bakery can knock out cakes like these, no matter how small and they are like £7/8 each for the large ones, something i've not seen here unless i went to Fortune & Mason and it'll cost like £50 in there. I find it ironic that Chinese can bake better than the English.
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/5251/img4127qv3.jpg
Next day we went to apply for my ID card, HK runs an ID card system and with it a star rated system. 3 star being the highest and you have full rights such as voting, benefits...etc, since i was born there I am eligible for one and spent the better part of the morning doing that, later that day we went to Kowloon and found my first Starbucks ! I was so happy, even ordered the drink in English as I have no idea what Caramel Frappucinno is called in Cantonese lol
Then we head for Lunch (btw, all through the week, that seems all I did, go here, eat, head over there, eat...repeat). We went to what I can only describe as a Chinese/Hong Kong Version if McD's went Chinese food. It's fast food that you pick up from the counter and self serve. But the prices were silly, my sister got Roast pork with veg, rice with soup and a drink for about £2 ! The pics here shows the menu which changes literally all the time as they are just plates hang on the wall and the prices goes up for evening service by about £1 per meal.
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/9436/img4220nr3.jpg
(exchange rate is about $15 to £1)
After that we headed to or stumbled upon Harbor City, what I can only describe as the poshest shopping mall in the history of mankind, it feels like you'll need a mortgage just to set foot in there. Shops by Vivian Westwod, Jimmy Choo, Jean Paul Gaultier, Versace, Dior, Prada, CK, Gucci, D&G, Louis Vuitton...etc, just designer boutiques everywhere, and a food hall that supercedes M&S's and then mix it with lots of Asian designer shops plus lots of little gift shops and small food and cafe shops all spread the bottom 2 floors along buildings on the length of a street. Hong Kong Malls are mostly build like that, the skyscrapers at the top for offices or flats and the bottom 2/3 floors are shops, you can spent you entire day shopping without setting foot outside on the street and then back home/work, even across the streets are linked with enclosed bridges all with air con.
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/4450/img4246hi5.jpg
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/1038/img4265wh7.jpg
We then checked into our Hotel for the night, The Royal Gardens, bottom 3 floors are the lobby/suit tailors, they seem to love their tailors in hotels here, they must think businessmen travel without suits and the 4th floor up is the rooms/restaurant and what a view it is !
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/4647/img4281mp0.jpg
First of all, it wasn't a holiday, I moved here about 17 years ago and this was the first time i've been back. First time to see cousins that were just born when i left and some were born after i left. Most of all to see my grandmothers who are both in their 80's, so most of the trip were actually spending time with them but i did get to do some touristy stuff and some stuff that tourist will never see because they simply won't go to or know where to do or scared to go.
I have over 900 pics over the week and these are just some of them.
So we left at 2:30 English time, didn't really do a direct straight line flight, more a little curve and missing India and coming in from China so flew over the Himalayas at 37k feet.
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/9536/img3931fw1.jpg
Drove to my nan's (mun's mother) who lives in a little strip of land between Hong Kong and China that is the size of most city centers kinda like no man's land (think Guards on both sides and you need special ID to pass which took an hour to get at a police station, only people get to get the ID's are people who lives there or relatives living there) and then practically head straight to dinner, the uncle owns a restaurant so he went a bit OTT with the food, there's a whole chicken chopped up on the table, sweet and sour pork, Roast Goose (bottom right), and lots of other random nice stuff, actually ran out of room on the table for food, all went down nicely with a glass of cold lemon tea.
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/5196/img4003lq8.jpg
Next morning, we went to see my dad's mother for the day and visited the local market where fished get sliced down the center leaving the heart still beating (to show that it's fresh), other fish kept in shallow waters with a air pump into the water, meat hang on a hook, live chicken in cages, RSPCA will have a field day but it's everyday life over there.
http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/4112/img4110kt6.jpg
One of the thing i missed in living in England is food, and the bakery is the best example. Every bakery can knock out cakes like these, no matter how small and they are like £7/8 each for the large ones, something i've not seen here unless i went to Fortune & Mason and it'll cost like £50 in there. I find it ironic that Chinese can bake better than the English.
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/5251/img4127qv3.jpg
Next day we went to apply for my ID card, HK runs an ID card system and with it a star rated system. 3 star being the highest and you have full rights such as voting, benefits...etc, since i was born there I am eligible for one and spent the better part of the morning doing that, later that day we went to Kowloon and found my first Starbucks ! I was so happy, even ordered the drink in English as I have no idea what Caramel Frappucinno is called in Cantonese lol
Then we head for Lunch (btw, all through the week, that seems all I did, go here, eat, head over there, eat...repeat). We went to what I can only describe as a Chinese/Hong Kong Version if McD's went Chinese food. It's fast food that you pick up from the counter and self serve. But the prices were silly, my sister got Roast pork with veg, rice with soup and a drink for about £2 ! The pics here shows the menu which changes literally all the time as they are just plates hang on the wall and the prices goes up for evening service by about £1 per meal.
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/9436/img4220nr3.jpg
(exchange rate is about $15 to £1)
After that we headed to or stumbled upon Harbor City, what I can only describe as the poshest shopping mall in the history of mankind, it feels like you'll need a mortgage just to set foot in there. Shops by Vivian Westwod, Jimmy Choo, Jean Paul Gaultier, Versace, Dior, Prada, CK, Gucci, D&G, Louis Vuitton...etc, just designer boutiques everywhere, and a food hall that supercedes M&S's and then mix it with lots of Asian designer shops plus lots of little gift shops and small food and cafe shops all spread the bottom 2 floors along buildings on the length of a street. Hong Kong Malls are mostly build like that, the skyscrapers at the top for offices or flats and the bottom 2/3 floors are shops, you can spent you entire day shopping without setting foot outside on the street and then back home/work, even across the streets are linked with enclosed bridges all with air con.
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/4450/img4246hi5.jpg
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/1038/img4265wh7.jpg
We then checked into our Hotel for the night, The Royal Gardens, bottom 3 floors are the lobby/suit tailors, they seem to love their tailors in hotels here, they must think businessmen travel without suits and the 4th floor up is the rooms/restaurant and what a view it is !
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/4647/img4281mp0.jpg