Hong Kong Day 4 -7

Hong Kong and Singapore should really become sister/twin cities. With HK being the more street wise and sleazy of the two, and Sg the thumb sucking, wide eyed baby sister. I mean, same colonial masters translate into same name streets, like Connought Drive, Regent Road, etc. On the double decker bus, I realised that the scourge of TV mobile also originated from HK. They both show the same brain numbing re runs too! Incidentally, the double deck buses that are used in both places are of the same make, only differing in details like seat finishings. It's quite surreal hopping on the bus and then having a sense of deja vu as you realise, hey! this is exactly like in Singapore!

The transport system is a breeze, the day I was supposed to go to HK Island to visit Wolfie at HKU, I was repeatedly told that its a long way away, and my hosts were trying their best to give me directions, as it has dawned upon them that my Cantonese is useless, and god help me if I were to lose my way. I don't know why they were so worried. After all, putonghua or mandarin as we call it, is widely spoken. I had a copy of the street directory to boot. Wolfie told me that it would take approximately 1.5 to 2 hours to get to his lab, but efficient that I am, I did it in 1 hr and 15 min! Instead of taking the bus (970) at Mongkok, what I took was the minibus, which is known on the ground as 'the poor man's taxi'. This kind of minibus has no fixed route, and leaves from Sai Yee Street once all the seats (16) are taken up. For HK12.80 (SGD2.70), the Minibus (to Aberdeen) trundled across Kowloon, across the undersea tunnel to Hong Kong Island, and made a bee line for the uni. Total time, about 20 min.

Over dinner at Han Yang Xuan, I got to know some of Wolfie's friends, mostly postgrads from China. Seems like after 2 years, he still has not been able to fit in with the locals and is even regretting his decision to do his M. Phil at HKU. I guess I'll see more of him when he gets back to Singapore, and perhaps take up a postgrad course at NUS.

On Friday night, I met up with Elvin, friend of Alan's at Tsim Sha Tsui. With Elvin, I managed to check off all the must do attractions one does when in Hong Kong. Such as

• Walking down Portland Street at 3 am in the morning and amazed at all the people (some dodgy, most not) still up and milling around. (Those who watch Young and Dangerous and all other HK Ah Beng movies will know this one).
• Visting the site of another movie classic, Chungking Mansions featured in the Wong Kah Wai flick, Chungking Express. Its actually 5 blocks of really cheap guesthouses, with a shopping arcade on the first floor. It was late when we were there, but because I had company, we went in to nose around. Evidently, this is not the sort of place a single female would venture alone. Most of the people there consist of Pakistani, Indian, Negro men, and if they're not idling, they are busy touting to you in perfect, fluent cantonese. Its kinda strange hearing them.
  
• Hanging around the Harbour Promenade taking in a view of the HK skyline (this is really nice. And its not cliche at all...) and fending off middle age women trying to sell us flowers. One persistent auntie even resorted to telling Elvin, "guai, mai fah lah" which was so hilarious. She was telling him to be a good boy and buy some flowers from her for me! We had a good laugh over that.
  
• Taking the famous Star Ferry that has been plying between HK and Kowloon for 101 years. For a touristy thing to do, its surprisingly cheap too! Only HKD1.70!
• Yum cha at some chinese restaurant (I think better dim sum is to be had at Yan Palace, Singapore.)
• Having late supper at one of the numerous 茶餐廳 (cha can ting) in town. I must add that despite the foodie paradise tag that HK has, I still prefer Singapore chinese food. I guess if you're skint, you'll eat at all the bottom-of-the-barrel places, and they will all taste the same, no matter Singapore or Kong Kong. Dining in HK is in fact more expensive then in Singapore. A char siew roast duck rice in HK costs about HKD30 (SGD6.40)!!!
  
• Taking a tram which was also been chuggin along HK Island's main thoroughfare for a bloody long time (another cheap deal. Only HKD$2).
• Walked around Lan Kwai Fong and SoHo. But being a Sunday morning, all the pubs were closed and the very efficient street sweepers made sure that no one was left in their own vomit over night (things have really changed after SARS, it seems).

I even bough lao puo bing and egg rolls from some super duper famous bakery to be taken back to Singapore (cliche tourist thing). Took great care not to knock it too much carrying it around, and I almost did it. It eventually fell off my bag and onto the floor ensuring its deconstruction 10m from the arrival gate back in Changi. The look of disdain on my face was so apparant that two customs officers on duty that were standing near me actually asked if I were ok and if anything was wrong. :/ However, I was told by NNK upon my jubilant return to the lab that the above mentioned pastries can be bought at Great World City, Singapore. "-_-. Darn, I should have smuggled that roast goose instead.

Speaking of smuggling, my dear lab mate, THH rang me up on Friday, one day before my return to Singapore to help him bring back a fish, Channa nox. Alive. I did my best, but the poor fish died en route. Lack of air it seems. And the fish I got was not nox, but asiatica. I feel kinda bad now, because on hingsight, I did see a nox like fish swimming around, but the woman at the wet market was so surly that I had no time to look at it carefully.
More HK titbits to come soon, if I have time!

P.S. No pictures I'm afraid, and I'm really kicking myself for it. Need to get that camera fixed. soon.