HK + China Trip

Hello again, faceless friends of the virtual world! Sure feels awesome t have a break.
Sorry I disappeared like that but well, hope the suspense was terrible and it lasted (or so I like to think) {:

Was in HK and China (which I didn't know of till only like 4 days bef. the trip) and I am so thrilled at least to be able to finally go forth and proclaim that I went for a freaken holiday!
HK was very much like SG, just a lot more populous and cramped.

Guangzhou on the other hand, also touted as their 'tourist destination of China' *coughs*, was TERRIBLY polluted. I. could. not. breathe. without. pausing.
Nahh, I'm kidding... only about the breathe-without-pausing part though :|

Oh and yeah, this time, only mother & I travelled - free and easy. \m/ champion I know right.

(Though she was being stressed like 2/3 of the time, I had to constantly tell her to chill cause "we're on holiday yknow mother", which obviously resulted in her chiding me "So what! It's because of nonchalant tourists like you that make us potential pickpocket victims!" and I'd shuttup and walk as fast as her. No not kidding.)

So, like how all travelling posts start, a photo of the 'picturesque' view out of the plane's window pane. I remembered I didn't sleep well the night before bec. of last min. packing (what's new?) and turning in only about 2am. Woke up @ freaken 4am last Wed for this flight okay. See how much I sacrifice just to leave this place.

Took a bus from the airport - which is an island by itself away from the main city of HK (bet you didn't know that!) - to the stop nearest to our hotel, and I think I shall reiterate a few more times after this reiteration (HAHA) that we travelled alone. Heh!

^ Freaken cramped okay, freaken.



Checked in yadahyadah and also because HK is really modeled after the British system, so everything's familiar and easy. Traversed to the different parts of the city mainly via their trains - which is called the MTR there, otherwise known as our MRT. (zomg, how ingenious.)
And they also have their Octopus Card, otherwise known as our EZlink card...





^ But why do their train stations look so much nicer with their chic-looking coloured tiled walls?
Okay, HK 1 : SG 0





^ Mother, you're so cute ♥
HOW CAN YOU GO HK AND NOT DRINK MILK TEA RIGHT.
Almost every drink stall we see there sells milk tea, and it was the only thing we drank.

(Even mum, who can't really take caffeine (sad I know))

Truth be told, and I am so ashamed to admit, we drank it everyday. Even in freaken China. (yeah the milk tea trend has caught on there as well)
I KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES OKAY, FFFFFFFFFFFFFATS.
And for the record, their milk tea > sweetalk, again, HK 2 : SG 0
BUT, not better than Fullhouse/Koi! But but but, theirs is cheaper and much larger in quantity so...
I don't drink sweetalk any longer anyway, ever since they'd struck it rich and started being stingy w the pearls and tea itself, those idiots.

^ This was new, they sell firearms in HK!?




^ Parking metre in case you were wondering.





We also met up w Mother's never-before-seen-in-person HK based friend from work.
So it's like meeting your penpal after so long kind of a meeting hahaha.
And foolishly, I took photo of the food and not of us, for memory's sake etc. :\
She recommended this korean eating place for dinner and the beef. The beef.
The beef. Was the bomb. (Y)





^ At the entrances of some train stations were these Braille maps, how awesome huh.
AND IN CASE YOU THINK WE'D SUPPER (We were having a holiday, but not pigging out, there's a difference), this was for lunch the day after.
HOW CAN YOU GO HK AND NOT HAVE ROAST GOOSE RIGHT?
But it wasn't very easy to find a store that sold goose instead of duck btw.
Though the search was totally worth it, as the pictures shall prove to you hahahaha.
Succulent meat with the heavenly combination of a mildy sweet but savoury sauce which matched my plate of rice so well. Not forgetting their special mix of paste-like chilli to along with! (Y) I totally digggggggg this.
HK 1 more point!





If my memory doesn't fail me, I think we spent the entire 2nd day shopping.
Or window shopping ): Because what a disappointment that HK was not like what we've heard.
Didn't like most of the clothes there (because they too spar-ke-ling, me don't like) and the prices were comparable to SG, so no point.
But we bought a truckload of food products, mostly chocolate, from this little wholesale shop in one of the malls. Supa cheap, for eg. Rittersport but in the square size of A5 & packs of Twix. I freaken adore twix, so obviously! <: (and I don't see twix often anymore either) And I remember waking up on 2 different days asking mother what day it was because you don't take note of the day when you're away righhhht. 3rd day as I recall it, we visited tourists attractions.

Visited its famous Victoria Peak via the Peak Tram which we searched over the whole of HK for. "Ahha, the adventures of getting lost in a foreign country!"
Alas, mother wasn't amused. -_-





Oh Madame Tussauds was at the Peak but we weren't interested enough t pay for it because mostly hk stars & I only wanted to see Angelina Jolie or Johnny Depp right?

But anyways, they'd these 2 wax figures outside so pose anyway! *Shutter*





AND HOLLYMOLLY, BUBBA GUMP SHRIMP CO.!!!
I was so freaken excited. (Despite my aloof posterior, mother knew I was too, and always had the impression I was too sentimental anyway, but that's not the point)
Like I just watched Forrest Gump on cable recently to refresh whatever childlike memory I had of the film and y'know how smth makes so much more sense, makes you feel so much more differently now as when you first got to know it?

^ So kewl- the bench, the suitcase, the chocolates and his sneakers ^^

Anyway I bought some mementos from the souvenir shop - 3 postcards w quotes from the movie, I like.

^ the sight at the top was pretty magical, hahah like christmas, almost.




Returned to the area called Central, which is akin to Sg's CBD and because the night was still young, we continued street shopping.
And at where, I saw Mr.C of econs, rofl.
He prolly didn't recognise me, or ignored me but I knew we saw each other bec I turned and looked right at him hahaa, what a small world.






We bought takoyaki balls which were like 6 balls for the same price in SG.
and their roadside eats that came along w curry. (The same one which a particular store in Bplaza tried t imitate but failed miserably and has since shut down)
Okay the former, its flour tasted oddly fishy, so (N), but the curry dish (Y)!

Day 4;
We travelled up to Stanley Mkt, which is like travelling to genting highlands but far lower in altitude. Apparently, it's an expats place because houses look grander and more spacious and well yes, many expats around.
The scenery is so pleasing to the eyes also, let me live here already.








^ OH AND WORLD CUP STARTED WHEN I WAS AWAY.
AND I SUPPORT ENGLAND/SPAIN BTW <:

^ and lo and behold, the shot of my trip, I like to think ^^
Redhead in a striking yellow polka dot dress strutting amongst the rest of us commoners.
She was really conspicuous! I like how the background makes the picture seem like it was taken in a westernised place. Like I said, many caucasians.

Even on the bus down, 2 girls beside me, prolly my age, 1 pan-asian and a redhead.
I eavesdropped on their conversation the entire journey hahaha how rude.
Only cause they were telling the whole bus about it and the ride was freaken 40mins long.







And upon arriving we'd meet up with another of mother's friend, who was from Macau.
She'd taken the ferry down here just to meet us in Hk, how nice (:
She brought us some local delights and most of all, the ORIGINAL PORTUGUESE EGG TARTS. \m/
Had Japanese food w her. And it was quite peculiar that both mum's friends should bring us to eat jap and korean food instead of letting us sample their own local fare haha.






^Kaka btw

And like I said World Cup fever everywhere ^ Gerrard \m/
Too bad they didn't have Torres.






^Random set of TS3 in one of the malls.
(I've never watched TS anyway, what's the fuss about it??)




We headed down to the South End of the area where were staying called the Avenue of Stars in the late afternoon. They'd this lasershow by the Harbourfront showcasing their city's landscape which we were told to be 'spectacular'!




^Save for that woman w the pram, this picture is nice okay.
That statue actually looks familiar...




^ These are the mindblowing glorious tarts of joy. *enlightenment*
Another relishing moment for this ass who knows she needs to run asap.
I hearts eggtarts as much as I hearts subway cookies, nom nom.



Whilst waiting for the laser show, we just took in all the sights and sounds of HK by the bay.
How peaceful ~




And there were many strange things on the sea that night,



^ Like in a flash, this Junk in brilliant red sails sped past me from the left. (Good photo opportunity missed tsk)



^ And the Cruise ships, which were HUGE alright.
Oh and look at the lighted-up building behind, they were part of the laser show later on as well.





And then the most mystical thing ever!
A FREAKEN PIRATE SHIP, HELLLLLLLLLOO??
It was so surreal I swear. Tai piao liang le.




The next ship or wtv it is, gave me the creeps however.
It was decked with a lot of adornment and looked carnival-ish yknow.
It looked kinda empty, which totally means I'm logical to think its a freaken ghost ship of sorts.
Agree?
Like the kind of ships I associate with funeral rites and such.
I know I am so queer, but I hate clowns. (so carnival = clowns) They're efffffffing sinister looking, eww. :\




AND ENOUGH ABOUT STUPID CLOWNS AND CARNIVAL SHIPS, THE LASER SHOW FINALLY STARTED.
The street lamps also multifunctioned as lighting and speakers for the commencement of the show, how surround sound indeed {:









I know the pictures don't tell much.
It was just buildings shooting off lasers into the night sky, and supposedly in accordance with the symphony which was playing on the speakers. The show was about 15mins, and that costs much $$$ huh. But it was nice to soak in the atmosphere anyway (:
After the show we walked around the area where a lot of their other places of interests were situated as well, so you've all the museums as usual etcetera.






That was like the last night in HK before heading off t Guangzhou.
Which is so accessible cause we went there by this express train that joins the 2 countries tgt!
Okay, is HK a country!? Whatever.
So just slightly less than an hour and 1/2 and we were in CHINA. Hollycamolly!




And the view from our hotel (which was unfortunately much lousier than our Hk one tsk) showed the foreigner (aka me HAHA) that her impression of the powerhouse was correct.
SE ME LAI DE!
Still giving them the benefit of doubt, I queried if it was mist. (Afterall, c'mon China is further from the equator)
Then the better sense in my head mocked 'Can you not smell the shit'. (Yes, it's the horrid air pollution alright, sigh)



The smoke in the air was so thick, even the mere view across the river of the other side was blocked. Wthiow. Yo, Peter Chow says y'all gon' die soon here, die soon.
(Sorry I'm being so anal of the shyt there, pun intended)





^ And I even kid with mother how we were really not smiling inside after viewing the photo. (HAHAHA)
And, then! we spotted a Dalmatian. Rare sight! (Photo opportunity!) *Shutter*





^ And rofl, the highlight of the above is not the dog. Neither is it my mother (but she could have been anyway). It's your aunty in her pajamas strolling along the city's street.
LOL is the only apt expression, kthxbai.




In China also, I didn't take as much photos because like mama said,
"So what! It's because of nonchalant tourists like you that make us potential pickpocket victims!" and this time I listened hard.
The locals stared at us like we were aliens. I mean we were, (what! of course we were!) but it was as though they could tell we were not from the motherland. Phew. HAHAHAH

China was basically everything you think of it to be, imo.
Its DIRT(Pun intended)CHEAP too! (This is the only point you scored China)
EVERYTHING WAS SO CHEAP WE COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.
So thanks to China, we were able to haul home many bags of purchases and actually feel good about spending (oh the joy!).






^ Dim sum in this place which was surprisingly awesomeeeee.
Even as I heard how china food taste like, well y'know.
(I don't even know why I took this above picture, i mean I don't even like too sparkling blings like that ew)
OH, and just when you thought you could get a respite from all the gas bombs (cars and the works) outside, you've mistaken honey.
They freaken smoke indoors as well. Moronzzzzzz. :@
To the 2 chinese men who shall not be named, double shit you for not letting me savour my food cause I'd t rush off to leave before I choke to death.
It's one thing to look good with opiates tumblr style, it's another thing to inhale secondhand smoke. Dudes you're so not cool. (N)

^ You should know mother and I gave each other the knowing look and gawked at their incredulously disillusioned campaign ^^


^ You look v scary actually Mr.China C.
I am so tempted to name him after the animal but I shall refrain from doing so.
Why the makeup? Then, why so serious?




^And I totally have to tell you China is 100% non-halal. (Because we saw a malay family in China during one of the nights and our brains began barking madly thereafter, 'WHY ARE YALL EVEN HERE!?')
The meat they use in Macs is Pork and I was so mortified.
I was having Macs bfast on the last day at their airport before flying back and as I took a bite into the familiar sausage mcmuffin, my face went :O
The pork smell/taste was a tad too overwhelming for my liking pfft.
I don't really eat pork anyway. Unless its Bak Chor Noodles.
Don't like the smell/taste :\







Some advertisements on the airport boards, and I thought the ones for the Guangzhou Asian games later this year was pretty kewl. Ripping muscles the girl.
Reminds me, I need to run, terribly :|





^Meanders meanders! -_-





^ Okay, a hunch that this is NZ. Was taken as we were nearing SG hence the guess.
And I think it is so, because I googled and NZ looks like that. Hah, maybe not?

Touched down, ate some laksa and died of dehydration back home.
Pfft killjoy really. Had fever and sore throat can you imagine the heat here!
(And then the floods tday!)
Approximately 1+ week left, this is quicker than I imagined, darn.
I want to do so many things still.
And I also realise that I write differently in this post, I am so sure it is because I just completed reading Jonathan Safran Foer's Everything is Illuminated, please pardon my weird sentence structure and style etcetera.

This is a part of what I mean when I say books can corrupt.
Hell, I am so damn impressionable.