Hi,
Yesterday evening I arrived in Hong Kong. I took the taxi to my hotel which is on the edge of Kowloon, the main center of Hong Kong. Although my hotel is ok, the area is still 'developing'.:) The hotel is huge (more than 20 levels) and my room is on the 11th level. When entering the room, I was too afraid to look out the window. After a few minutes, I decided to go closer to the window: my feet and hands were on the ground...:))) God, it is SOOOO high! I decided to leave the curtains closed and took a look where the emergency exits are... I am not a fan of heights, but perhaps this is the only way to do it 'in the Hong Kong way': every building is here VERY BIG!
This morning, I suffered from the jetleg. I went to bed at 1am last night and was awake at 6am and could not sleep in anymore. It felt like the first days when I arrived in Sydney. So quite early, I had a continental breakfast in my hotel. Was really happy to see those sandwiches and coffee next to all those Asian food I really don't know! But the culture shock would not be inavoidable... All the people that I met from Hong Kong were like 'Hong Kong is very Western'. Well yes, the buildings are, but the mentality, the people are totally Asian! I saw police men armed with huge weapons on the streets. In the underground were SOOO many people so you had to push yourself in the metro! When I arrived in Tsim Sha Tsui, what is the main center, heaps of shops. Well, after Ebay there is Hong Kong: you find it all here as well! I got already 50 people started talking to me in order to sell. At the beginning I always reply with a laugh: 'No, thanks', than it is 'no' and than the third time: 'NO!!!". Lunch time was choosing between Asian food and the Scotish take-away 'McDonalds'. No fancy European thing here. I decided to take the Asian thing. First of all: food is here so cheap that I do not trust that it is very hygienically prepared... Anyway, I ordered some noodles with a Coke. I asked what meat was in it. It seems to be very long ago that this was a British colony cause the people here speak very badly English. The waiter did not understand so she got some help. I said:'Porc of Beef are fine, but no dog or cat please!'. I got an exceptional meal without cat or dog... I received a tea in advance. Apparently, that is how tradition in Hong Kong. I tried it, but then thought better not to drink it: you can not drink water from the tab neither, so it is better to be avoid problems!:)
After lunch I took the boat to Hong Kong Island: again huge buildings (but a little more modern) and more Western people are here in the streets, clearly working in finance. There were not so Western people in Tsim Sha Tsui, and if there were, they were American tourists. Prices in Hong Kong Island are also more 'modern'.:) Pedestrians walk here on the second levels of huge apartment buildings connected by tunnels... Very impressive to see all those people move and to see the constant traffic on the Ground. You can really smell the money here...
As you can understand: I find this very impressive and totally different from what I have seen before... But not everything is so nice: there is a lot of pollution in the air here. Some people are wearing masks. It is amazing how much I have to scratch my skin and also my eyes gets irritated when I do not wear sun glasses...
Time to go back to my eleventh level room, have a rest and then I can come back in the evening to explore Hong Kong by night... Tomorrow I want to go to Lantau Island to see a big Buddha and there should also be some typically traditional village...
Greetings from strange Hong Kong!
Ruben
Yesterday evening I arrived in Hong Kong. I took the taxi to my hotel which is on the edge of Kowloon, the main center of Hong Kong. Although my hotel is ok, the area is still 'developing'.:) The hotel is huge (more than 20 levels) and my room is on the 11th level. When entering the room, I was too afraid to look out the window. After a few minutes, I decided to go closer to the window: my feet and hands were on the ground...:))) God, it is SOOOO high! I decided to leave the curtains closed and took a look where the emergency exits are... I am not a fan of heights, but perhaps this is the only way to do it 'in the Hong Kong way': every building is here VERY BIG!
This morning, I suffered from the jetleg. I went to bed at 1am last night and was awake at 6am and could not sleep in anymore. It felt like the first days when I arrived in Sydney. So quite early, I had a continental breakfast in my hotel. Was really happy to see those sandwiches and coffee next to all those Asian food I really don't know! But the culture shock would not be inavoidable... All the people that I met from Hong Kong were like 'Hong Kong is very Western'. Well yes, the buildings are, but the mentality, the people are totally Asian! I saw police men armed with huge weapons on the streets. In the underground were SOOO many people so you had to push yourself in the metro! When I arrived in Tsim Sha Tsui, what is the main center, heaps of shops. Well, after Ebay there is Hong Kong: you find it all here as well! I got already 50 people started talking to me in order to sell. At the beginning I always reply with a laugh: 'No, thanks', than it is 'no' and than the third time: 'NO!!!". Lunch time was choosing between Asian food and the Scotish take-away 'McDonalds'. No fancy European thing here. I decided to take the Asian thing. First of all: food is here so cheap that I do not trust that it is very hygienically prepared... Anyway, I ordered some noodles with a Coke. I asked what meat was in it. It seems to be very long ago that this was a British colony cause the people here speak very badly English. The waiter did not understand so she got some help. I said:'Porc of Beef are fine, but no dog or cat please!'. I got an exceptional meal without cat or dog... I received a tea in advance. Apparently, that is how tradition in Hong Kong. I tried it, but then thought better not to drink it: you can not drink water from the tab neither, so it is better to be avoid problems!:)
After lunch I took the boat to Hong Kong Island: again huge buildings (but a little more modern) and more Western people are here in the streets, clearly working in finance. There were not so Western people in Tsim Sha Tsui, and if there were, they were American tourists. Prices in Hong Kong Island are also more 'modern'.:) Pedestrians walk here on the second levels of huge apartment buildings connected by tunnels... Very impressive to see all those people move and to see the constant traffic on the Ground. You can really smell the money here...
As you can understand: I find this very impressive and totally different from what I have seen before... But not everything is so nice: there is a lot of pollution in the air here. Some people are wearing masks. It is amazing how much I have to scratch my skin and also my eyes gets irritated when I do not wear sun glasses...
Time to go back to my eleventh level room, have a rest and then I can come back in the evening to explore Hong Kong by night... Tomorrow I want to go to Lantau Island to see a big Buddha and there should also be some typically traditional village...
Greetings from strange Hong Kong!
Ruben
2 comments:
Hey Ruben !
Stefan van Peer hier. Nog niet terug ? Of nog aan het recoveren van de jetleg uit Hong Kong?
Zit hier effe in de bibliotheek van Peer, en es effe piepen hier hé ? Had van de week nog es gekeken op het werk, maar wat er nu allemaal staat, had ik dus al es gelezen.
Heb nu ook een eigen e-mail adres op het werk : stefan.stinkens@cvkt.be, je kan altijd laten weten hoe het staat !!!
Grt Stefan
My turn now! This 5th November I'll be in Hong Kong :)
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