Melissa: Hong Kong

I learned that this did not post correctly the first time. Hopefully this makes it: 


  One of the first things I noticed about Hong Kong is that we once again had the crutch of English; English and Cantonese are paired on everything from menus to street signs.  It is a good example of the merging of Western and Eastern that characterizes the city.

         Hong Kong, under British rule until 1997, now stands in a unique position of partial independence, jointly ruling with China. This transition period will last until 2047, when Hong Kong will officially become part of mainland China. Will they change the direction of traffic? Will signs turn to just Mandarin? Will the currency change? The Hong Kong currency looks awesome--beautiful designs--it would be sad to lose it.

         However, none of this bothers Hong Kongans at the present. They continue on their way, eating and shopping (the two most popular activities I observed in the city). The shopping district seems endless, occasionally interspersed with soaring skyscrapers ad 200 McDonalds.

         In one of the most expensive cities in the world, we were still determined to live as budget travelers. Already adjusted to the cheaper prices of China, we balked at spending the equivalent of 10 USD on a meal! As such, we became frequent customers of the nearby McDonalds (the free wifi and 2.50 HKD cones—only a quarter in US—helped). We also found Subway and a swanky Pizza Hut. And I do mean swanky. What Pizza Hut in the states will serve shrimp pizza, calamari salad and tiramisu?! I was unadventurous (and thrifty), sticking with plain pizza, which I'd been craving.

         Perhaps my favourite restaurant find was the Irish Pub right next to our hostel. Pumping out Riverdance music, it served Guinness and advertised for the Hong Kong rugby team! Madison and I had a leisurely drink one evening so we could enjoy our little taste of Erie in the middle of Asia. Slainte!

         I mentioned the Irish Pub was near our hostel; such a hostel deserves its own blog post, but a paragraph or two will have to suffice:

         When I was given the responsibility of planning hostels for our two-week trip, I specifically avoided a place called Chungking Mansion. Housing multiple dozen budget hostels in one building, the internet was filled with travellers' horror stories: dirty, uncomfortable, smelly, cramped, etc. The multitude of complaints convinced me to steer clear of the place and select an alternative, only slightly more expensive place to stay. However, when Josh completed his task of actually booking the hostels I picked out, he changed our reservation to the cheapest hostel in Hong Kong, located in—you guessed it—Chungking Mansion! This is why research is important, folks! Please, take a moment to Google Chungking Mansions so you can have a picture in your head as you read about our stay.

         We arrive at the "Mansion" to find it a squalid, dingy apartment complex in a surprisingly nice part of town. Entering the ground floor, we were first met with the overwhelming conflicting scents of various types of curry, followed by the sight of a hundred small shops crammed together in an incomprehensible jumble. As the predominantly Indian owners hawked their curry and other variety of products (food, electronics, clothing, everything imaginable), we tried to maneuver to our hostel. After finding the right block ("A block"), we rode the tired elevator up to the third floor, only to be told that we had reached the management office and our actually rooms were on the opposite side of the complex ("E block," 11^th floor). So down we go, threading our way through the badly-lit maze. I decided on the way that it was possible to live without ever leaving Chungking Mansion walls; live upstairs, work downstairs, eat next door and buy everything you need at the shop four aisles over. Repeat.

         We made it up the security-camera monitored and officer-guarded elevator (I couldn't decide if that made me feel more or less secure than I already did), only to find that Josh and Drew had been given the wrong key. They headed all the way to fix the problem, while the remaining four of us decided to check out our room.

         It's a good thing we're all friends as the 8 X 10 room only had space for 2 sets of bunk beds and a small counter. Only one person could be in the space between the beds, while the others sat or climbed up out of the way. The adjoining bathroom couldn't have been more than 2 X 3; shutting the slightly see-through door allowed the luxury of going to the bathroom, washing your hands, and showering at the same time! Of course, this meant that everything in the bathroom was perpetually wet. At least the water was hot, thanks to a lovely switch down the hall that we could turn on and then wait for 10 minutes to get heat.

         I'm glad there weren't any (visible) bugs, but none of us really trusted the sheets so we slept on top of them. For half the room it was so hot that this didn't matter, but since I was on the cold side I slept under my towel. Sleep for our three-night stay was fitful, especially because of the lengthy parade of loud women that went by at around 6 every morning. Our paper-thin walls made us feel like we, too, had joined the parade. In short, it was the most uncomfortable place I had ever stayed in—and I lived for a month in a tent in the African bush!

         The good news about living in a horrid place was that it encouraged us to spend whole days in the city. We spent our time relaxing in a variety of parks, visiting museums (Art Museum and Teaware Museum were both excellent), and trying to barter at the night markets, as well as finishing scholarship essays with looming deadlines (Josh, Drew, and myself).

         On our last day in Hong Kong, we set off by metro and then bus to find a Taoist Temple and the neighboring Buddhist nunnery. The Taoist temple was an enjoyable, brief stop but it was the nunnery that turned out to be one of the best-kept secrets in Hong Kong! I mean that both literally and figuratively, as we actually had to ask 20-odd people for directions before finding someone who both spoke English and knew of our destination. It was well worth the convoluted directions and resulting long walk.

          At the nunnery, a square, walled courtyard has a gated entrance on one side and a pagoda-style temple on the opposite side. The center is filled with lily pad covered pools, while rock sculptures line the side walls. While peaceful and beautiful, the best part is the huge park right outside the courtyard. Around the winding walking paths, .. Nestled amongst the trees and striking water features are almost other-worldly rock formations. Polished until their intricate facets shine, they stand with unmistakable power, grace, and age. Some have been there for a thousand years, I learned. I actually am immensely curious about how such a large number of impressive rocks came to exist in one location; perhaps news got around that the nuns were collecting and people donated to the nunnery!

         There weren't any nuns to be seen during our visit, but I could imagine the silent nuns strolling along the paths seeking tranquility and enlightenment. The idea of taking a vow of silence seemed unachievable to me when I first heard about the nuns' practice, but after seeing the garden I understood more fully. There isn't a need to talk when appreciating the grandeur of the surroundings.

         Unfortunately, I had to leave my quiet oasis. I will remember it fondly, especially in times of stress. My mom's "happy place" is a stretching green landscape in Ireland. I have a sunny field in South Africa and believe I found another "happy place" in the lovely Buddhist nunnery.

         Oh, and upon returning to Chungking Mansions for our thankfully last night, we learned it is closing in a week to be remodeled. No doubt the city is anxious to rid itself of the building, rather like scratching an annoying itch; personally, I simply cannot imagine anything that could possibly be improved about such a wonderful mansion!