Things are expensive in Hong Kong but some things are worth it. Like sitting on the Pier in Kowloon drinking a beer and watching the light fade and the sky scrapers on Hong Kong island light up. Some would watch something like this with despair at the city's carbon footprint but I can’t help but look with pride that our civilisation created such an amazing spectacle.
Today was mostly about shopping or at least window shopping. My favourite was the ‘craft shop’ full of useful trinkets for about £20,000. I could easily have filled our flat with Mammoth Tusk sculptures and Jade Dragons but, given that our flat is less valuable than most of the items on sale it would have felt silly buying anything. Then the night market full of useful trinkets for about 20p. Too far in the other direction for me.
Hong Kong is a strange place. It should be remote and exotic and in many ways it is. Walking through the centre of Kowloon down Nathan Street last night felt like being in dystopian sci-fi movie.
Yet everything still feels oddly familiar. I've travelled to a few countries and, although I've often enjoyed it I've felt very British and glad to be home afterward. Even in America I felt like the Sting song “an Alien in New York”. I also don’t really like big cities – I've always though that London is a squalid place in parts – yet Hong Kong seems dirty, smelly, busy but also exciting and welcoming. Which brings me to my final point. I visited Hong Kong Uni this morning and was given strong encouragement to apply for a job and...to my surprise...I'm seriously considering it.
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