Hong Kongese

Day 2
6th July 2007 10:35am
Wonderful, i'm well rested and have woken from my slumber at a rational time. My body and mind are working in unison. Feeling refreshed I decided to get my arse out of bed and step out into the big wide world; from ‘Yiu Fai’ – a ‘hostel’ where I parted with the equivalent of about £5 in return for a soft mattress and clean-ish sheets.
I felt like an outsider, people looking at me, staring. Then I realised that these staring foreigners were smiling at me some even bowing their heads in respect… maybe this wouldn’t be too bad after all. Needless to say I hadn’t practised my Mandarin in a while so it was a bit rusty. I approached a woman of about the same age as me and said:

‘’Hello, where can I find…’’

then stabbed my finger at a picture in my guide book. She looked at me bewildered and then it hit me. I realised what I had in fact done, I’d asked my question in English, but not as we know it. I asked the question in a language my mother calls ‘holiday English’, basically this means you mimic the accent of the person to whom you are addressing and slow it down by approximately 50%. I used hand movements similar to those when you swat a fly. Clearly this failed so I decided on just pointing (rather than stabbing at the picture) repeatedly and smiling; ias apposed to grimacing while trying to suppress my embarrassment. Luckily, it worked and i found my way to Sim-Lim square.

Yiu Fai - http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Yiu-Fai-Guest-House/Hong-Kong/18312
Din Tai Fung - http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g294217-d1582713-Reviews-Din_Tai_Fung-Hong_Kong_Hong_Kong_Region.html

5th July 2007 4:15am
Despite my body clock telling me i should be asleep my brain is doing quite the opposite. It’s shouting, no, SCREAMING at me
‘Charlotte! You’re on the other side of the world get up! Get out! EXPLORE!’’.

I contemplated for almost 10 minutes whether this was a rational thing to do at 4:15am in a strange place and with terrible jetlag. I came to the questionable conclusion that I would get up and go for a walk, whilst the air was still unpolluted and fresh. You know what they say; the early bird catches the worm. I went to open my eyes; they felt heavy, it was a battle between me and myself, between my mind and my body and this time my body was winning. Time for a good night's sleep. whatever this is it's totally ridiculous. 4:15am. That’s what this is. Goodnight Hong-Kong, or wherever the bloody hell I am. . . ramble ramble ramble (sorry about that) Over and out.

-On another note it's my best mate Emma's 21st birthday today , i'm feeling a bit lost knowing that she's probably out getting wasted and having a great time... I mean Hong-Kong's great but there's nothing like a night out in town with the girlies- Em, if you ready this HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

Day 1 … still.
5th July 2007 15:27pm
Well this is just ridiculous I seem to have slept through breakfast, brunch and lunch. Maybe I could catch afternoon tea? Scones anyone? No chance. After consulting my ‘Backpacker’s guide to Hong-Kong’ it clearly stated that the ‘Hong Kongese’ or whatever they are called have specific set eating times
• Breakfast – 6-9am
• Lunch-12-2pm
• Dinner- Unfortunately for me late, very late… 8:30-10:30pm.

Day 2 … just kidding. Day 1 again.

5th July 2007 21:03pm
Only moments ago I had a hard decision to make. I found myself standing half way across a pedestrian crossing with only seconds to make a life changing decision. On one side of the road was ‘’Din Tai Fung’’ a clearly family run restaurant where I would receive a warm welcome and authentic Hong-Kongese cuisine. On the other side of the bustling road decorated with neon lighting shining almost like beacon of hope and a reminder of my homeland was McDonalds. As a student far away from home it was a comforting sight. The sickening yet prodigiously delicious smell of grease was tantalisingly dancing around my nose, begging me inside. Just because something is chain run does it specifically mean it can’t be special… doesn’t mean it can’t be delicious? Why judge a book by its cover I thought to myself and that’s why I find myself here, in ''Din Tai Fung’’ full of local cuisine surrounded by smiles and having only spent the equivalent of 3 quid. Bargain. You know what they say, ''when in hongkong do as the chinese''. Amongst all the mandarin ‘squiggles’ on the wall I saw one phrase I am familiar with. A phrase that without I wouldn’t be able to write and update this blog, a phrase that instantly brings joy to any young traveller's heart; ‘’Free Wifi’’. Hallelujah.

Hong-Kong; a bustling city known for its exciting and ever evolving way of life. But there is more to Hong-Kong than meets the average tourist’s eye.

My name is Charlotte Crust and I’ve lived in London all 22 years of my life. Last summer I embarked on a journey of a lifetime intent on unravelling some of Hong-Kong’s hidden delights. Travelling with only a hiker’s backpack, a laptop and a limited cash flow I set off from Terminal 5 Heathrow, full of anticipation, excitement but mainly nerves. What would I discover? Who would I meet? Where would I end up? God knows.