Day 4

Sunday is crazy here in causeway bay.  Aside from the massive amount of people, there were protest going on with the election that is about to happen in HK.  So I decided to go to make my way to Kowloon and try the only bike trail in HK since doing running and hiking is just too hot.  I made my way to Ma On Shan. With so many expatriots here, it is really pretty informative if you search online and venturing out to the unknown.  I renting a bike for 70 honkies and a free bottle of water.  It was surprising very scenic and very long ride.  It takes you multiple parks, bridges, and eventually end and a hard across from science park.  I have heard of the area, not after going to it felt like I was in Silicon Valley.  Buildings were so new while new offices are being constructed.  You have your choice of western and eastern food at the multiple building.  There was a festival for mommies to teach there kid about green energy and craft.  Meantime ther are loads of people also riding bike, have brunch, or just strolling through the complex since there is a long fountain that stretched in the middle.  It is completely not like Hong Kong and yet it still is if you ride further out.  But one thing for sure is that it is cleaner, mainly for kids to learn to ride and walk.  I also forgot to mention the 5 hour ride consist of ridding along the ocean and eventually go to tai po reservoir as well as a sail park where people fly kites because of the wind usually higher around that part.  It was a surprisingly nice ride and I predict in the next 5 years that place will be booming especially when HK continue to invest in technology and the plan to complete the bridge.  One thing I made a mistake is that I was not ready for that long of ride, my behind hurts from sitting on the hard seat.  But nice to just be able to get some exercise and be outdoor.

The nice thing about exercising is that I don't have to think.  Nap and be awake, eat and then go back to sleep. But reality need to be faced.  I can not continue to be in limbo since time is passing and life always bring unexpected things.  Is it fear or is it just me u know what.  I am so tired of having internal conflict and the need to act what is rational and consider consequences.  Even though that is what adults do right, or is it.  There is always two sides right?

Day 3

Who provides the most service and goods to society?  Yesterday evening I went to my favourite place, Gao's.  I tried to look for my usual massage person, but he was apparently already booked. And even if I waited, I needed to wait for a few hours later.  He is that good and there are that many repeated customer.  Looking around the staff is almost completed new except him.  Then it got me thinking, wow he really stuck with this place, even though he is that good.  If I would to think a bit deeper, he really provides some much good to so many people.  Imagine the amount of people that needed his service and the escape he provides to so many people over the years.  If you look at how he work,  you soon to appreciate the detail and the care he has in what he does.  So this service he provides to this world in my opinion is greater than any banker or politician or consultant and with so little demand from all of us.  Later that night I ate 1kg of beef jerky and ate some vietnamese food which has changed.  No more soft shell crab, but their 5 spice pork was very good.

Wow just now I saw an old lady next to me chasing down a group of people because one of them left their cell phone.  She was old and yet still ran.  Pretty cool to see that.

Oh so today was a day to battle the heat by doing some shopping.  In HK me emotion has its highs and lows.  I am never too sure whether I like or dislike this place.  That emotion can change by the hour depends on what I do.  I decided to let my friend know that I am in town, which kinda broke my rule for this trip.  But honestly it is tough not to talk to someone besides strangers.  They took me to a new bar/restaurant that is hidden from plain view.  In order to get in, you need to press a button that was made out of those old chinese stamp.  Then the two doors open and you enter with utter shock by the decor and the food.  There were a lot of tapa style fusion Asian.  One that stood out the most was the bun rendang which was amazing.  After a few beers helped with the taste, but truly it was good.  Another worth mentioning is crafty cow where they do microbrew and some good fries.   All this is in my old neighbourhood.  If only I had enough money to buy a place there.

So far for the pass 3 days it is fill with just going around the HK side.  Hopefully the weather gets cooler so that I can make my way to Kowloon and New Territory.  So far I continue to struggle with which place feels most natural to me versus what is best for the future.  The point is, and maybe I yet believe whether there is ever an answer.  It is about making a choice and then see what happens.  Or it is not about whether it is right or wrong, it is actually about which will give you.....I don't know what that one word is.

Funny things is that I thought the others table was mainland Chinese.  They start talking about how much they spend and how cheap things are.  Then of course 99 percent talk is about money and 100 percent talking louder than it need to be.  So 20 minutes later they talk in English and then the Singlish came out. I was like wow how can I tell the difference with now everyone in Asia travelling all over the place.  Well my 3rd night in this crazy city.  One moment I say what the f, then the next moment cool.

Day 2

Wow it is hot in HK right now.  It reminds me the first time I came here as a tourist and just in shock at a place like this.  Its utter chaos and things wiz by you where you don't have a chance to get adjusted.  The thing about this place is that you can never be comfortable because it does not allow you too.  I thought yesterday there were less people and then today a wave of people came out of what ever rock, boat, or plane they were hiding.

Today I decided to do some shopping and visit the old neighbourhood.  You get some much done in a vincinity that it forces you to keep going.  What is a luxury here is to find place to sit and to spend a moment to just recollect.  So as for the neighbourhood it has changed so much from new salad locations to grocery store for the health nut that's willing to spend the extra dollar.  What is cool to see if the mixture well better the swirl of culture and races.  You have the typical HK run down buildings to the old people walking with their grandchildren.  They you get the other spectrum where foreigners bring in their Mexican food toa new store concept that as you were back in Europe or the US.  It is much like everyone is independent people with completely different back and really does not have a care for you but yet allow to just be.  To be what you can be in the mist of this chaos.  The neighbourhood is same same but different.  Once I was a resident, now I am a foreigner.

So another reason I decided on taking this trip is to put myself in an experiment because truthfully I have the least amount of idea about me.  It is often to pin down and sometime what is now is not tomorrow.  I can be fickle and I can be practice or I can be lack an ounce of attention to utter recklessness.  There I find myself to be the most difficult person to be in a relationship with.  The way I am on that topic is better discribed like this.

So I use to love being on boats.  My very first favourite toy was a die caste battleship where I clutch in my hand everywhere I go.  I saw something in the complexity in the design of the boat. When I saw boats on the ocean it always hit a special feeling and spot in my heart.  I loved how it moves across the ocean and in relation I began to love how the wave travel and carries it.  So my love for water and boat continue to grow with very little afterthought or restriction to who I am.  Then later on in my adulthood I had a traumatic experience on a boat where we battled through 10 feet waves and I thought I was going to die.  People were puking, screaming, my head in spiral and the spirit in such distress that I wanted to just ask God to end me quickly.  During that moment, I felt I understood and also disappointed at myself how fragile I am.  For me, my pride and the notion of me not able to handle the boat that I loved so much crushed me.  Ever since then, I never can enjoy going on boats.  In fact i tried to tell myself it was just that one time, but once the boat starts going and the waves start rolling, then my spirit clam down. I tell myself to look at the horizon.  I pray for a renewal and I seek a bit of difference from within.  Or even I tried to distract myself so I can complete that ride just for that time.  It those futile attempts I tried to look for a place to hide and at other time just wanting to get off the ride. That is when I am full of emotion as to how much am I really in control and question what is my DNA.  In the end I still have the same question, how do I have the same feeling of boats that I once did because although I got through one trip, it is not the same and not being me is also not being able to give the real me to those on that boat with me.

Day 1

Trying out having nothing planned or know what to do for a week.  My first day back in HK where it is partially familiar and a whole lot foreign to me.  For sure there are less people than before and change again is felt everywhere as I walk through some of my usual paths.  This place is complex because you can never reach a conclusion on whether it is good, bad, peaceful, or chaotic.  You will not know what will happening a few months from now and people continue to find there own way to reach their own conclusion.  For instance I walk through Tin Hau and now there are property stores specifically to help you own or invest in Japan.  While on the other end you have advertisement about stay in Hong Kong and make it better.  It is that chemistry of emotions, opinions, change in economy, and overall social dynamic that makes this place like no other.

My taxi drive struck a conversation with me from where I am from to how HK's new generation is defining the next HK to how singapore is a place that really protect its people to how I should check out LKF to how I don't speak like a Singaporean.  The last part caught me off guard and I quickly clarify  my background.  That was a 15 minute cab ride.  In the end I tried to give him a tip and he said no need and instead tried to give me a 20 cent change.  One interesting fact about our conversation.  He said the average monthly income a graduate makes is about 7 to 9k.  It they were to get a 10% raise every year, they still will not be able to afford their own place of a shoe box of 320 sq feet.  I didn't ask, but I wonder why people stay in HK.

Well that was my morning and off I went to eat some dumplings before I check in.