November 6, 2003

        I havent been to Hong Kong for 6 years, and returning feels simultaneously like I never left and like I arrived in a whole new country. The flashing lights and bustle remains the same. So does the dramatic divide between rich and poor, from old ladies begging for change with their foreheads touching the ground in supplication to the plethora of silver Mercedes. Within an hour of arriving, however, I noticed something dramatically different. There was no trash on the streets. In fact, not only is everything nearly spotless, but there are also people spraying down the streets, scrubbing on their hands and knees, and polishing banisters and glass windows EVERYWHERE. It feels sort of like Hong Kong was an absent minded college kid who was too busy to clean her room. One day (well, the one day being the SARS outbreak), the kid decided to clean her room and did one of those complete whirlwind clean everything until you drop numbers. Thus, Hong Kong became as spotless as it is efficient. Q.E.D.

        Having always visited Hong Kong expressly for the purpose of seeing family, I never really got to do the super touristy things. Fortunately, I met a nice woman named Simone who is from Brasilia but is getting her PhD in Sapporo, who I befriended at the Sapporo airport and convinced to ditch her hotel reservation and to stay with me at my grandparents apartment in Shau Kei Wan on Hong Kong Island. She wasnt, however, very difficult to convince given that shed be getting two nights to stay with a real Chinese family and a personal guided tour around the city. I always wondered how people stumble on good hospitality but now realize that anyone is capable of providing it- hey, I did and I dont even live in Hong Kong! Simone made the perfect travel partner and together, along with my uncle or my grandparents, we visited Victoria Peak, otherwise known as The Peak with a capital P. After a steep ride up the mountain on a trolley car that has been around since the 1880s, we did the 2.6 kilometer walk around the circumference of the mountaintop through tropical growth and marveled at gorgeous panoramic views of Hong Kong harbor and the surrounding islands. For lunch we visited a famous beef noodle place called Ong Lei where we slurped down steaming bowls of egg or rice noodles topped with beef stewed in Chinese fivespice either drowned in a clear beef broth or with a steaming bowl alongside. Ong Lei is a small chain of restaurants that actually started in the Shau Kei Wan area when it was still at the waters edge before the land was reclaimed. In fact, we ate at the original joint today, a crowded tiny little place with an open kitchen where you can see the speedy process by which these famous noodles are prepared. One guy is responsible for the final composition of these magnificently simple bowls. He grabs a handful of noodles, throws them into a bowl, arranges some steamed vegetables and beef or fish balls on top, ladles on the boiling hot soup, then finishes off the masterpiece with a hastily added scallion garnish. A steaming piece of heaven.

        In the afternoon that day, Simone and I went swimming at a lovely beach named Shek 0 on Hong Kong Island, a short bus ride on the number 9 bus away from my grandparents apartment. The thing that throws me off about Hong Kong beaches is the shark netting marked by buoys around the bays. Shark nets are there because there are sharks. There is no wondering whether there are sharks or not. There are. I have to wonder about how secure those things are. Sharks are smart. Surely they could find holes in this netting. When we were there, there were about 4 lifeguards for a total of 3 or 4 swimmers. At least there is relief in the thought that you will be rescued immediately should anything happen. Simone and I swam out to one of the three floating platforms near the shark nets- we carefully chose the one closest to the lifeguard and his paddleboat. Other than sharks, the beaches are quite nice indeed with white soft sand, rather warm water, and gently swelling waves.

        The trendy area of Hong Kong is centered on SoHo, a bustling night club-ey area south of Hollywood Road (thus, the name). Simone and I went to Georges Bar on a Monday night and were surprised to find it amply populated, mostly with over made up Chinese women obviously looking to be picked up. We did spot George, however, though it really wasnt as exciting as I would have liked to write about.

Hong Kong is like New York on speed. People always seem to be on the move, well into the we hours. I have a friend named Wai Tim who works out here for an investment company. He works over 100 hours a week doing the sort of slave labor us Harvard types sign onto upon graduating. I almost felt guilty telling him about what I am doing this year, given that fact that he slept about 12 hours in the past 5 days and regulary works nights and weekends. I am not sure I would choose that sort of lifestyle at any salary.