HK: Almost, But Not Quite

Go Away Rain! Please?

• Climate: Hot, almost humid
• No. of Days: 4
• Travelling with companions: No _ Yes X;  a) If yes, how many? 13 (ominous, right?)   b) Family or friends? Family
• Mood while travelling: wary BUT hopeful
• Stress level: Off the charts (pls. refer to question 3.b.)
• Learnings: See bullet points below.
• Health: Recurring gastric disturbances (emergency room two days prior to flight)

Now you know that you can't ask me what I think about "authentic" Hong Kong cuisine, or if I have any cute photos of me me me in earmuffs, in a fur coat, in knee-high boots, or if I was with somebody "special" (a la Angel Locsin/Phil Younghusband in Hong Kong, 2011) during my birthday week (yes, we left for HK a day after my birthday). Because that would put me in a really bad mood. 


On with the story.

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Hong Kong was next on my Asia travel checklist. Having been to Singapore last year, I looked forward to the Hong Kong "vibe" — as one of my closest friends (now living in SG) described the city-state's (this term is so pol. sci., by the way) je ne sais quoi.  Singapore is perfect, but bordering on "sterile." True. But (the deeper) truth is, I really appreciated the Singapore paradigm when I was there. Manila can (strive to) be like that. And much as I was looking forward to Hong Kong's vibe, vibe I can find in Manila. Interesting, warty, smelly, fun, exasperating, maddening Manila. But as one world-weary, lipstick-smeared, once-beautiful-now-what streetwalker differs from the next, I was interested to get to know Hong Kong up close and all that. 


I guess I should have introduced myself to her in November–February, when I could walk around the city without blinding my eyes with sweat (okay, exaggerating, but this did happen to me in Disneyland and Ocean Park).    


But I really didn't have a choice in this matter, did I? My aunt, who was to spend for the whole trip, decided that we tour Hong Kong from June 6 to 9, 2012. Beggars, as the saying goes, have no right to be choosers. 


***


I am very fortunate to have a magnanimous (generous is too puny a term) aunt. An aunt who wouldn't blink twice in splurging for 11 adults and three kids. So when my Mama asked me if I could take a few days off from work to go to Hong Kong with them, I enthusiastically said sure! I also wanted to spend some time with her. And I still felt guilty for not having attended my uncle's (husband of magnanimous aunt) funeral last April because of an asthma attack. 


***


The trip was off to a bad start without us even trying. Just a few weeks prior to a trip, my mother and her sister (not the trip sponsor) engaged in a very shameful gladiatorial activity in the province (I am not exaggerating). They were scheduled to meet at the barangay to either settle the problem or elevate it to the courts just a week after the trip. I don't know why they decided to go to Hong Kong anyway (with that ocean of enmity between them), but they did. I assume it was because all-expense-paid trips don't come knocking on your door every day. 

***


Enough of the "context." Here's the Experience. In bullet points.

• It is best to travel to Hong Kong during the cool months. I'm of course speaking for many Filipinos who think that they would rather stay in the Philippines rather than spend money travelling to a country with an identical (hot hot hot) climate to theirs. Amusement parks (Disneyland, Ocean Park) are no fun when you wipe streaming sweat off your face every few minutes. Maybe Hong Kong has some charm during the hot months, but I was too busy looking for inexpensive bottled water to combat my impending dehydration to notice. Which brings me to my next point:
• Hong Kong IS expensive. We had to pay an average of HK$70 for each meal. Maybe we just ate at the wrong restaurants, but my stomach was then too delicate to explore the adventurous option of sampling hole-in-the-wall or street fares (mea maxima culpa). But food aside, I felt that my pockets had holes while we were going around the city. Expensive, I tell you. And the tiangge-style Mongkok (where you could supposedly buy cheap stuff)? Divisoria is waaaaaaaay better. 
• The locals? I had this impression that they are still mad at us for that hostage incident two years ago. The vendors, the cab drivers, the waiters and waitresses, even our tour guide (who made a lot of money from us tourists, particularly my sponsor-aunt) were annoyingly churlish (adj. marked by a lack of civility or graciousness). After four days in Hong Kong, I longed to see my countrymen's helpful, accommodating manner again (I could do with the insincerity of a few Filipinos—at least you could see some effort to be polite!). Don't expect smiles from these seemingly tourist-weary natives, you'll be in for a major disappointment (Disclaimer: I'm only speaking for those HK residents I encountered. I am pretty sure there are still many of those who would give their country a good name). 
• Please don't ask me about my Disneyland/Ocean Park experiences. If you've been to other amusement parks in other parts of the world (or even in your home country i.e. Enchanted Kingdom), then you know the answer to your question. Oh, just one thing: our own Manila Ocean Park has a better variety of sea life than theirs. And please, our dolphin show in Subic will mop theirs to oblivion (in Filipino: Ilalampaso ng Subic dolphin show yung HK Ocean Park Sea Dreams). With all due respect to the HK dolphins (I love all of you, regardless of nationality, color or species).
• Please do not take the city tour package (?). They will bring you to places that will take too much of your time (and make you spend for things you don't really need). And I've told you about the tour guides (The best tour guides are still Filipinos, in terms of attentiveness, thoughtfulness and politeness. I speak without bias). Explore Hong Kong on your own. 
• There WERE great (and unforgettable) things about Hong Kong: the beautiful view of the city from Victoria Peak, the tram ride, Disney Hollywood Hotel, the double-decker buses, the ultra-fast train ride, the underground tunnels (how on earth were they made?!), children in their "Sailor Moon" school uniforms, and of course,  the indescribable city "vibe."

Hong Kong is worth going back to, with all its possibilities. I just hope I get to see the day when it finally lives up to its potential. Crossing my fingers that I'll get a better "second" first impression next time.