A Taste of Asia: A Lashing of Hong Kong (Part 1)
May 25th 2008 14:47
It was mid-2004 and I had had it with Australia. I had just under $1000 and I was looking for the right destination but I couldn't make up my mind about where to go. I had already tried to move overseas by landing an English teaching job, and I had greatly overestimated my ability to fit in in Poland that time, so what was I to do now? Was I capable of making my living as an English teacher in vastly different surroundings, in places I had never test-trialed or been to before? I did have quite a bit of optimism with me, and was trying to choose between places in Asia, most notably China. My pleasant memories of Shanghai beckoned to me, and I expected a second trip to the country to offer me just as much stimulation and satisfaction.
Hong Kong was a place I was strongly considering for the start of my new, economically independent life. In a way, it sounded like paradise... The part of China most open to Western influence, retaining Chinese characteristics while being more international than Shanghai. My decision was made when an author I contacted who just happened to be based in Hong Kong turned out to have an aunt who was looking for English teachers. What's more, this aunt was gay, which I thought would create a welcoming work environment. So I sent my resume to Wanda at her firm MediaPower's email address, and she expressed an interest in me. I badgered my parents into using their points to get me a one-way ticket to Hong Kong, and off I went. I figured that if it didn't work out I could travel around China a bit before deciding on a place to settle down.
On the plane I witnessed one of the most beautiful sunrises I had ever seen. The sky was filled with crimson, orange and gold, caressing my bleary sleep-deprived gaze and made me glad I was still awake, after all. We landed in Hong Kong's new international airport on Lantau Island, I exchanged my Australian dollars for Hong Kong dollars, and was excited to find that the 20 cent and $2 coin had curvy edges! It made up partially for the overwhelming heat and humidity. I had been wearing a long-sleeved shirt on the plane which was making me sweat incredibly.
We had booked a hotel before I had left, and I took out the piece of A4 paper on which I had written the address, and I noticed that sweat from my fingers and palms was staining the page. By the time I got to Nathan Road several parts of the sheet were unreadable due to the absorption of moisture over the print. But anyhow, I found a bus that would take me to Tsim Tsa Tsui, the centre of town and a popular spot for foreigners to take up residence. The bus driver was most unfriendly, but I figured out that you had to have the exact change for the bus to place in the machine slot at the beginning of the vehicle. No change was given. I somehow managed to find the right coins and gratefully sat down.
Lantau looked like a peaceful, rural place from my window. It couldn't have contrasted more greatly with Kowloon. It looked like a run down, Chinese version of New York (or, rather, my perception of what NYC would be like), with really tall buildings everywhere, shops and people crammed together and no green spaces in sight. I was a little intimidated by this place. I should have guessed that Hong Kong was bigger, more commercial and more post-industrial than Sydney, especially after visiting Shanghai, but I was quite unprepared for this bustling metropolis.
I couldn't find my hotel so I looked around for another one, and had an Indian family show me around their tiny rooms. I was happy to leave my suitcase behind, get back on the street and ask Zara (my writer friend) to come join me. As I walked around the road I was asked to come into a tailor's shop run by a guy from the Indian sub-continent, and I had a brief chat with him. I had read that there were a lot of Indians in Hong Kong, and the clothes-making business seemed to be popular amongst these immigrants. Back outside, I saw an African guy reclining against a shop front and said hello. It struck me that he was one of the few African people I had ever met, coming from Australia where the black people were usually Aboriginal Australians, and the main source of immigrants was Asia. Apparently Asia was closer to Africa than Australia was, or at least Hong Kong more easy to get into (every visitor gets a 30 day VISA, and all you have to do is to go up to Shenzhen SAR (Special Economic Zone), for which you don't need a Chinese VISA, and back down to get another 30 days. A lot of business people depend on this tactic to keep their businesses going).
Zara, a thin native Hong Kong-er who was studying Linguistics at a university in London and had travelled a bit in continental Europe, welcomed me to the urban jungle of HK by taking me shopping. She was happy that I had expressed an interest in her work because she didn't seem to know a lot of people who she could talk to about what she was writing, which was a love story between Viggo Mortensen and Orlando Bloom (classified under the no doubt niche category of 'Alternate Universe Lord of the Rings Real Person ViggOrli Slash', hehe). I don't usually do Viggo/Orlando, because I'm not a fan of OB at all (and why Viggo, who speaks seven languages and publishes books - check out the fabulous Perceval Press, on which he posts interesting articles about everything from American politics to New Zealand's environment, and throws in the occasional poem - would be interested in someone who can barely finish his sentences I don't know), but this story was cute and quirky: the two met over an Oscar Wilde quote and a blueberry muffin. We giggled over cool, refreshing drinks as we debated various topics of interest.
I admit I would have been more interested in visiting a temple, but I could appreciate that, for some, Hong Kong's shopping malls were a religious experience, and a major tourist drawcard. The place is known for being materialistic to the point of soulless, after all. At least it was air conditioned, and very modern.
A few hours later, Zara had bought an accessory for her mobile phone, and I was feeling a bit dizzy from lack of sleep. She decided to go somewhere, and I went back to my hotel. I discovered the joys of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR), a metro system so efficient and tidy as to shame the Sydney Train experience. Every carriage was crowded, but I was usually not boarding at peak times, so I got to stare at the map. The train stop names struck me as very revealing about Hong Kong's past as a British colony - a random selection of connected stops reads: Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, Tin Hau, Fortress Hill. English and Cantonese names co-habiting the same line on Hong Kong Island, working together to provide the Hong Kong experience. No wonder 'fusion' was a word often used to describe this intriguing blend of cultural legacies.
I honestly don't remember for the rest of the day. Perhaps I slept?
Anyway, find out what happened when I started working for MediaPower in Part 2...
Hong Kong was a place I was strongly considering for the start of my new, economically independent life. In a way, it sounded like paradise... The part of China most open to Western influence, retaining Chinese characteristics while being more international than Shanghai. My decision was made when an author I contacted who just happened to be based in Hong Kong turned out to have an aunt who was looking for English teachers. What's more, this aunt was gay, which I thought would create a welcoming work environment. So I sent my resume to Wanda at her firm MediaPower's email address, and she expressed an interest in me. I badgered my parents into using their points to get me a one-way ticket to Hong Kong, and off I went. I figured that if it didn't work out I could travel around China a bit before deciding on a place to settle down.
On the plane I witnessed one of the most beautiful sunrises I had ever seen. The sky was filled with crimson, orange and gold, caressing my bleary sleep-deprived gaze and made me glad I was still awake, after all. We landed in Hong Kong's new international airport on Lantau Island, I exchanged my Australian dollars for Hong Kong dollars, and was excited to find that the 20 cent and $2 coin had curvy edges! It made up partially for the overwhelming heat and humidity. I had been wearing a long-sleeved shirt on the plane which was making me sweat incredibly.
We had booked a hotel before I had left, and I took out the piece of A4 paper on which I had written the address, and I noticed that sweat from my fingers and palms was staining the page. By the time I got to Nathan Road several parts of the sheet were unreadable due to the absorption of moisture over the print. But anyhow, I found a bus that would take me to Tsim Tsa Tsui, the centre of town and a popular spot for foreigners to take up residence. The bus driver was most unfriendly, but I figured out that you had to have the exact change for the bus to place in the machine slot at the beginning of the vehicle. No change was given. I somehow managed to find the right coins and gratefully sat down.
Lantau looked like a peaceful, rural place from my window. It couldn't have contrasted more greatly with Kowloon. It looked like a run down, Chinese version of New York (or, rather, my perception of what NYC would be like), with really tall buildings everywhere, shops and people crammed together and no green spaces in sight. I was a little intimidated by this place. I should have guessed that Hong Kong was bigger, more commercial and more post-industrial than Sydney, especially after visiting Shanghai, but I was quite unprepared for this bustling metropolis.
I couldn't find my hotel so I looked around for another one, and had an Indian family show me around their tiny rooms. I was happy to leave my suitcase behind, get back on the street and ask Zara (my writer friend) to come join me. As I walked around the road I was asked to come into a tailor's shop run by a guy from the Indian sub-continent, and I had a brief chat with him. I had read that there were a lot of Indians in Hong Kong, and the clothes-making business seemed to be popular amongst these immigrants. Back outside, I saw an African guy reclining against a shop front and said hello. It struck me that he was one of the few African people I had ever met, coming from Australia where the black people were usually Aboriginal Australians, and the main source of immigrants was Asia. Apparently Asia was closer to Africa than Australia was, or at least Hong Kong more easy to get into (every visitor gets a 30 day VISA, and all you have to do is to go up to Shenzhen SAR (Special Economic Zone), for which you don't need a Chinese VISA, and back down to get another 30 days. A lot of business people depend on this tactic to keep their businesses going).
Zara, a thin native Hong Kong-er who was studying Linguistics at a university in London and had travelled a bit in continental Europe, welcomed me to the urban jungle of HK by taking me shopping. She was happy that I had expressed an interest in her work because she didn't seem to know a lot of people who she could talk to about what she was writing, which was a love story between Viggo Mortensen and Orlando Bloom (classified under the no doubt niche category of 'Alternate Universe Lord of the Rings Real Person ViggOrli Slash', hehe). I don't usually do Viggo/Orlando, because I'm not a fan of OB at all (and why Viggo, who speaks seven languages and publishes books - check out the fabulous Perceval Press, on which he posts interesting articles about everything from American politics to New Zealand's environment, and throws in the occasional poem - would be interested in someone who can barely finish his sentences I don't know), but this story was cute and quirky: the two met over an Oscar Wilde quote and a blueberry muffin. We giggled over cool, refreshing drinks as we debated various topics of interest.
I admit I would have been more interested in visiting a temple, but I could appreciate that, for some, Hong Kong's shopping malls were a religious experience, and a major tourist drawcard. The place is known for being materialistic to the point of soulless, after all. At least it was air conditioned, and very modern.
Giant labyrinths pulsating with people
A few hours later, Zara had bought an accessory for her mobile phone, and I was feeling a bit dizzy from lack of sleep. She decided to go somewhere, and I went back to my hotel. I discovered the joys of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR), a metro system so efficient and tidy as to shame the Sydney Train experience. Every carriage was crowded, but I was usually not boarding at peak times, so I got to stare at the map. The train stop names struck me as very revealing about Hong Kong's past as a British colony - a random selection of connected stops reads: Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, Tin Hau, Fortress Hill. English and Cantonese names co-habiting the same line on Hong Kong Island, working together to provide the Hong Kong experience. No wonder 'fusion' was a word often used to describe this intriguing blend of cultural legacies.
Click to enlarge
I honestly don't remember for the rest of the day. Perhaps I slept?
Anyway, find out what happened when I started working for MediaPower in Part 2...
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