January 15, 2013

• Anticipating Hong Kong.

  Early flights always wearying me down. I never get a good enough sleep the night before I travel. And to top it all off with an early flight, well, I’m no Mary Poppins. I checked in online with Cathay Pacific the night before, making sure I get a seat that I prefer. Way at the back and by the window. I always let everyone out first once the plane lands. They always seemed to be in a hurry, and I hate to stand in line with those who have no patience. And so I almost always make myself the last to get up from my seat to exit the plane. This is why I prefer to sit at the back.

  The lack of sleep had me worried a little. I kept thinking of the fellow xangans I’ll get to hang with; Angel (@agmhkg), Chris (@christao408), Gary (@currypuffy), and Nick (@beowulf222), as well as Doris (@snowjunky8) and Kenny, a xangan who is no longer active. I needed to be all jolly good to enjoy the trip and so couldn’t afford to get sick. I asked the flight attendant for a glass of water, took out a tablet of vitamin C with zinc, plunged it in, and watched the tablet hissed itself to a smaller size and brilliantly colored the water with its bubbly blackcurrant flavor. I gazed outside the window and found the sky was clear, bright and full of promises, and thought to myself 'Yes, this is going to be a pleasant trip'.

  

  The landing was smooth. I was stoked to find Hong Kong airport provides free Wi-Fi. I checked my mails on my phone while waiting at the long immigration line. Gary sent me a welcome message. Knowing that he had made a dinner arrangement for us for that very evening, I got all excited. Chris texted me to say that he was already waiting for me at the baggage claim area. He was hard to miss, being so tall. Dressed in a nicely pressed long sleeve dress shirt, all tucked in, complete with a pair of dark jeans and dress shoes, he looked perfectly fitting for dining out at the notorious Peninsula Hotel. I felt somewhat embarrassed for dressing down in my t-shirt, cargo pants, and sneakers. Still, it was good to get a cheerful welcome from a friend, especially in a foreign country.

  We got ourselves some Hong Kong currencies and a HK$200 three-day pass that includes round trip express train between the airport and the city, as well as an unlimited use of the subway. What later followed that day and the next four-night stay in Hong Kong, surpassed what I had anticipated. Making friends with fellow xangans and their friends was only the tip of the iceberg. Between us all, we represented ten nations and eight languages. The trip was also too short to allow a sufficient exploration of all of the culinary gems the country has to offer, despite the full schedule of breakfast, lunch, afternoon-tea, and dinner, on EVERY SINGLE DAY of my stay. And I did have the stomach for it, glad to say.

  The food scene is worth celebrating by the locals and visitors alike. Just like the city itself, the food exudes richness in authenticity, flavors, and variety, with a perfect partnership of East meets West. From a hole-in-the-wall eatery to Michelin star dining, from milk tea to beer on the tap, from wonton noodle to scones, from monastery vegetarian fare to all-pork based menu joint, the city offers them all. Take your pick, go with excitement, and dine in glee. Hong Kong IS the place to be for hardcore foodies. I certainly felt very much at home there and wouldn’t think twice of the possibility of going back for a second culinary detour. I, for one, am hooked.

  There is so much to share on this adventure. It is impossible to describe each and every single happiness I got from a food coma. Believe me when I say I felt like I was in food heaven. There were many good memories. I remembered Nick and his handsome vintage Leica camera, the two and half hour long wait for a table at a dim sum place (thanks to Chris), the gondola trip up to see the Big Buddha, the sedative feel of a Chinese tea preparation, the many eye-popping and drool worthy selections of high-tea delicacies, and last but not least, the many happy smiling faces I had the privilege to get to know. Still, it would be rude not to leave a trail of pics. So here is a quick peek inside my memory of the trip…

  

  • 12:38 am
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