Hong Kong!
I’m finally here… after 31 years away, I’m finally back in Hong Kong! I’m not sure why it’s significant for me to visit my birth place, but for some reason it is.
First impressions? Everything is really clean… and organized. The airport is monstrous and quite nice to look at. That said, I’ve spent enough time in airports the past 24 hours so I wasn’t keen on staying there. Other things that struck me? People obey traffic laws… it seems unusual to say that, but after being BKK, KTM, and Chengdu, it’s a very distinct and noticable change. Also, the appartment buildings are built on top of underground shopping complexes… which makes walking to everything you need quite convenient… within a few minutes walk from my aunt’s appartment, I can get pretty much anything I need.
It’s truly fantastic to see my relatives that I haven’t seen in over 10 years… 13 we figure… and my newest niece is super adorable… and hasn’t cried around me yet… woo! WOO!
I still can’t believe I’m here… after the past week, I figured all hope of me coming was gone… but here I am… and every time I stop and think about it, I can’t help but grin… not just smile… grin… like a kid who got something truly incredible… something far beyond what he could create or fascilitate himself… maybe I am that kid!
Tired
The thing about travelling is that you’re going hard every day, trying to make the most of your time abroad. But I’m tired… and that’s when you miss home the most… when you just want to sleep in your own bed, drive your own car, see people you know…
You get tired of people trying to sell you stuff, rip you off on cab rides, and those ladies all dressed up like traditional tribes women who follow you around with those stupid wooden frogs making that annoying chirping sound….
I miss my nieces a lot… Lani, who talks lots now…Hanna banana and squirmy monkey self… Mattea and all the little things she dreams about doing… Erica and her emo self… Manda, and her cleaver, “goo wat” smile… One thing I’m really glad I brought was my Ipod with pictures of them all…. gets me through the days…
Still it’s been a good few days… I did a cooking class yesterday… it was pretty relaxing…. ur instructors, “Meow” and “Yaow”... yes… actual names and spellings were pretty funny and entertaining… we basically cooked a little and ate a lot… and finished off the day with some sprite, Thai whiskey, and lime… good times…
Today I’m headed to the Philippines to meet up with Megan and Julia at the orphanage they’ve been working at since September. I’ve been travelling alone for a week now, and it’ll be nice to see familiar faces… loved faces…
Gotta go catch yet another flight!