Hong Kong and the Philippines

Me in Tsim Sha Tsui, Feb 2013. 

I seem to have a strange affinity for these mirrors in the sidewalk...

 here I was at them in March 2010 with Henry the XSI. 

 In love with this tree at a park in downtown Sai Kung.

Pleasant (and immaculately clean) park. 

 Downtown Sai Kung

 The view from Doug and Kathy's balcony

Doug and Kathy: the Scottish/Hong Kongese godparents I never had

Chuen Kee Seafood Restaurant with mainland-esque looking apartments above

Evening overlooking the water in Sai Kung

Elodie's Village - Kei Ling Ha San Wei, if I remember correctly

 View from what is essentially Elodie's front yard -- not shabby

On a stroll around the beach in Elodie's village

Beautiful day

 Can you spot the needle?

Crowds gather to see the fireworks -- our view was not exceptional, but the fireworks were.

View of the crowds and Hong Kong island across the water from TST

Fireworks. Skyline of Hong Kong island visible on the left.

 

Arrival in the Philippines. Look at that lack of air pollution... I had culture shock just staring at such a blue sky.

Nighttime in a neighborhood of mostly military families

Taking a ride in a Tuk-tuk 

View from the side car

People wearing flip-flops (proof this place is nothing like China)

Jeepney -- the California

Inside a hot & stuffy Jeepney

Personal fave -- the Lady Alma

Nerdy me went to the Mind Museum and found this exceptional plaque. Encouraging. 

Geeking out with a (replica) skeleton

Gotta love giant, plastic neuroscience for kids

In my head, the 12-year old next to me is saying, "I'm so done with this" while I stare at myself befuddled in the mirror. 

View of the neighborhood surrounding the museum in Taguig. Clean and modern.

 Outdoor area of the museum

And again

Creeping on a security guard

View of a neighborhood in Pateros from the highway

 Nighttime. Pops Sullivan in the middle.

Dawn near the airport, where land formerly reserved for military bases is now being sold & developed for commercial purposes.

 Good morning Manila & McDonalds

On the runway

Farewell, Philippines

 And bye bye stunning blue skies

After traveling Hunan province, Elodie and I flew to the Shenzhen (深圳) airport, from whence we took a bus directly to the border of Shenzhen and Hong Kong (approximately one hour) and crossed through immigration into Hong Kong. Since I posted about Hong Kong back in 2009 and my opinion of it has not changed much since then, I will let the photos do most of the talking. First, however, an entertaining tidbit about Hong Kong. There is now a law in place that only permits a person to carry 19 cigarettes with them when going through immigration into Hong Kong. Although this law is not relevant to me, I do find it peculiar when traveling to Hong Kong, a smoker with a brand new pack of cigarettes must take one cigarette out of the pack before lawfully entering the region.

As usual, Hong Kong was clean, civilized, beautiful, and incomparably more Westernized than the mainland. Going to the grocery store almost felt like being back in the States. I had milk and cereal for the first time in months, and it was glorious. The only downside was my general inability to communicate when going out due to the fact that Mandarin is not popular in Hong Kong. Got by with English in museums, some restaurants, 7/11, etc., but had to learn a few words of Cantonese for use on public light buses and at more local restaurants.

Because I was staying with family friends Doug and Kathy, who live in Saikung (simplified: 西贡) in the New Territories (新界), I got to explore the Saikung area a bit more. Saikung is a charming fishing village with a lovely downtown area where one can find anything from slice-by-slice pizza to authentic Cantonese dishes. I noticed a large population of British families with children in downtown Saikung this time around as well.

On the third day in Hong Kong, I visited the Hong Kong Museum of History, which gave a very thorough view of the history of Hong Kong from how it formed geographically to the Japanese occupation in World War II and beyond. The museum is located in Tsim Sha Tsui (aka TST aka 尖沙咀) and can be easily found by following signs from Hung Hom subway station. I spent 3 hours there but could have easily stayed longer. Admission is a whopping 10 HKD.

One other notable outing included my first time eating at a Western vegetarian restaurant (of which it turns out there are many) with Elodie called Life Cafe on Hong Kong Island (Central). They have a tasty set lunch and even have a small store on their first floor where Luna bars may be purchased. Nearby we found an Organic grocery store and a delicious froyo place among other shops that will make you think you're in health heaven.

Because it was the Chinese New Year, we got to see the fireworks set off over Victoria Harbour as well. However, we were not in the best place to view them, so in my photos the fireworks are occluded by a pedestrian bridge.

Last but not least, I got yet another ear piercing, which in general I would not recommend doing in Asia if one has access to a Western nation. Elodie and I found a piercing place online, and while it was not a complete disaster, I would say the man who pierced our ears was neither as experienced as ones I've found in the States, nor did he give us proper care instructions. Dad
, sorry to drag you to the event and make you photograph, but thanks for the moral support.

On to the Philippines... our trip was very short due to my Dad's limited vacation time, so we only visited Manila. My first impression of the country: While both automobile and pedestrian traffic is just as chaotic as in China (possibly even more), it is a significantly more Westernized country due to influences from Spain and the U.S. This includes a democratic government, English spoken everywhere, loose gun laws, the presence of Dunkin' Donuts, popularity of Christianity, etc.

One of the most fascinating things to me about Manila is the lack of public buses. Replacing government-provided public transportation were colorful, decked-out "Jeepneys" (see photos) as well as small motor-bikes with side cars called tuk-tuks, which are prominent all over south-east Asia. From what I could tell, there is no way to know the routes of the Jeepneys, or where their stops are, without asking a local or shouting to the drivers. Inside a Jeepney, there are two benches parallel to the direction of travel, unlike public buses in China or the U.S. Because the highs were in the 90s Fahrenheit, the inside of the Jeepneys were hot, sweaty, and smelly. Nevertheless, riding in them was certainly an experience.

Two other interesting things. I found it peculiar that although Manila is only a two hour flight from China, the food at "Chinese Restaurants" in Manila was just as unauthentic as in the States! Regardless, the Filipinos seemed to enjoy it. The native Filipino pancit was tasty, but served in such small portions that I always found myself wanting more. Mangos, coconuts, and Filipino soybean milk bought on the street were cheap and delicious.

The last thing I wanted to mention was "Filipino time." I know that the Philippines are not the only nation where things seem to happen in a slow-motion, completely disorganized and unplanned fashion, but it was my first exposure to such an extreme. If dinner was planned at 6pm, it would not happen until 9pm at the earliest. Planning and events seemed to be done with a "we've got nowhere to be any time soon and no reason to rush!" attitude, which, in the eyes of a UChicago student can sometimes be rather trying. Stalling seemed common for no apparent reason. I'm sure if I were to relocate to the Philippines, I would have no option but to become a much more relaxed, spontaneous, and easy-going person. Ha.