Just Back from Hong Kong

by Dajana Acevska

I have to admit, I knew very little about Hong Kong before I received surprise news a few weeks ago that I would be flying there that same week. But there are always certain symbols associated with foreign places that one expects to see when visiting, and I suppose in the same way that some visitors to the great southern land are struck by the lack of kangaroos habiting in suburban backyards, for me the expectation was that upon opening the curtains of my lofty hotel window facing Victoria Harbour, I'd be greeted by the sight of many sepia coloured sails draping wooden junks just as I had seen in almost every guidebook on Hong Kong. I obviously overlooked a detail though - apparently there is only one remaining junk called the Duk Ling (how cute!) which now operates as a dining vessel.

 

Rather than re-cap all the places visited on this trip which you can read about in any standard guidebook - or better still, look up http://www.discoverhongkong.com/australia/ - there are a few observations that stood out which weren't mentioned in the guidebooks yet elicited some awe, a giggle or furrowed brow. Here they are in no particular order:

 

• Shopping - the most popular national pastime. On any given evening the $$$-Triangle between Tsim Sha Shui to Causeway Bay and Central is thronging with petit locals overloaded with an array of branded shopping bags. Fortunately for locals and tourists alike most stores are open to 10pm and some even to midnight, so what's a girl to do...
• Gyms - multi-level ones on the corner of every block. Fitness, it seems, is a popular national obsession.
• Musical and moving billboards - standing on a busy intersection one afternoon I could have sworn that Kylie was throwing an impromptu concert somewhere in the vicinity. I stood bamboozled for about 30 seconds wondering where the tunes were beaming from, as there were no crowds to indicate where she might be. I eventually looked up and realised that the broadcast was coming from a billboard advertising Nokia’s latest ring-tones … this was next to the Canon ad which had a giant 3D camera being hoisted up and down a rail – just in case you missed the 10m-wide camera…
• The ‘Best’ chain – I don’t know who owns the Best chain of restaurants, guesthouses, tea houses and any number of small businesses you can put a name to, but popping up in every suburb was a Best Restaurant, and hot on its heals is the ‘Very Good’ chain of restaurants, yum cha venues and guesthouses…
• Green – so everyone has seen an image of Hong Kong’s city skyline, but few images I’d seen had quite captured how dominating the stunning verdant backdrop is that encircles the skyscrapers on Hong Kong Island. Feng-shui at its finest.
• Speaking of Feng-Shui – I have some reservations about the feng-shui master who recommended the placement of large gun-like figures on the summit of one well known commercial building which were explicitly targeted at their rival – I always thought the principle of yin and yang was meant to extol harmony?
• The Li’s – Hong Kong’s Packer equivalent. Every guide has a story about the Li’s – Li Snr in particular. All of them will politely point out the properties and businesses they own, and wax lyrical about their community involvement, but only one guide we had was bold enough to air their dirty laundry quite like no other, which made for quite an amusing ‘Splendid Night of Delights’ tour!
• Repulse Bay – driving to Repulse Bay I was reminded of the time when I was in Majorca determined to find the way to the beach in Deia. I had read that the locals in Deia were so protective of their piece of paradise that they often gave foreigners misleading directions, hoping that in frustration the hopeful adventurers would retreat back to Palma or from wherever they had strayed. Even with this piece of information in mind, a very sincere looking gent mounted on his humble donkey managed to persuade us to take the path over the boulders of rocks which led us to nothing but scrub. Anyway, I digress – don’t be deterred by the name, the drive along the windy road to Repulse Bay is actually very scenic, and your guide will no doubt point out which of the homes perched along the cliffs belongs to Mr Li Snr’s first wife, second wife, third wife…
• Haggling – Repulse Bay is en route to the infamous Stanley markets. There are heaps of markets in Hong Kong, in fact I’m sure there was one in every district in the city, but I quite liked Stanley as you were guaranteed a scenic drive and a wide variety of ‘label’ merchandise. One thing that struck myself and some others on our tour as an amusing afterthought was how hot under the collar we could get when haggling with vendors. On one occasion we realised that we were frustrating ourselves over the equivalent of an additional 50c discount when an unrelenting vendor wouldn't budge on what amounted to be a $3.00 woven silk tie - which mind you would probably retail for 10 times that amount back home – some situations call for a reality check…
• Local delicacies – okay, I know I’m going to be unpopular with some conservation groups, but I wasn’t responsible for choosing the menu… on one evening we ate out at a venue which specialised in all manner of local dishes, including shark fin soup and gingered jellyfish. Surprisingly, the jellyfish was no big deal, but the shark fin soup - which in appearance was presented much like your mum might serve chicken soup - had the most awful consistency that I couldn’t bear to swallow a second spoonful regardless of its $90 a bowl price-tag…
• Cocktails – the bars at Lan Kwai Fong are a superb place to head for cocktails and spot of people watching after dinner. I can’t remember the name of the particular bar we chose to replenish at, but it was on D’Aguilar street opposite a bar called Beirut, and there I sipped on the most sub-liiiiime passionfruit cocktail on the planet.
• Horse-racing – another popular national pastime, and we were told that a good deal of the proceeds go towards funding community projects such as building schools and other infrastructure. I don’t mind a punt every now and then, but I was a bit miffed at the end of our night on the ‘Come Horse Racing’ tour, when without any qualified study of the form guide, I backed three horses each for a win which just happened to come in at exactly 1 st, 2 nd and 3 rd place...note to self… tri-fec-ta next time!!
• Yum Cha – how could I forget. Yum cha is generally served around brunch time, but many dining venues serve types of yum cha later in the day too. Personally, by day 4 of eating at least two yum cha meals a day, I was hankering for a fresh salad sub, but one place I’m glad I didn’t forgo a yum cha meal was on the little island of Cheng Chau where my tastebuds were delighted by the best (not to be confused with ‘Best’) pork bun I’ve ever had in my life. We subsequently learned that this island is famous for its annual week-long Bun Festival. No wonder these guys know their pork buns! Cheng Chau also boasts some great bakeries where you can sample delicious egg-tarts.
• Tai Chi – we joined the charming Tai Chi master Mr William Ng and his assistant Ms Pandora Wu on the waterfront promenade one chilly morning for some tai chi instruction. If you get a chance I’d highly recommend this experience, as trying to follow the slow studied movements of William as he announces his next bird-like manoeuvre from the mike suspended over his ear can make for quite a comical way to start your day. Set your alarm clock though..
• Victoria Peak – last but definitely not least, which ever way you make it to the Peak, be it by road or cable car, you will be rewarded with – if you have a clear blue sky week like ours - some spectacular views of the city skyline. Only in Hong Kong too can you find a multi-level shopping complex perched a top the mountain! The views are so amazing from Victoria Peak that the place warrants a second visit after dark, where if you happen to be there between 8pm and 8.18pm you get to see the city ablaze in the Symphony of Lights.

 

There are many more places and experiences I could list, but these I'll leave for you to discover for yourself.