Upon Arriving for the second time...

I believe in accepting indirect routes as opportunity for adventure.
For this trip out, I took a flight through Newark to Hong Kong via ATL.
It has been years since I have been in the Newark Airport. Things have changed.
The once thing I'm always wishing for in an airport existed here. The airport spa.
Last minute chair massages, nails or waxes! Yeah. I was really impressed with the changes. What I remembered of this place was something simpler, more streamline, and smaller. Just functional. Now, I might consider flying in or out of this place next time, considering LGA ultra short runway, and JFK's traffic, though easy to avoid with public transport.

15 hours after departing the New Newark, I found myself in New York time, but 12 hours ahead. I wound my watch ahead and tried to wrap my head around traveling 15 hours to get 12 hours ahead. The best part of the flight was watching Lost in Translation mins before landing. Laughing out loud at Bill Murray and the feeling of foreign-ness. It was a great place to put my head before landing.


Why I <3 Hong Kong ( <3 = heart )

I've only been here as a small child and had no memories. The only connection I have to it now, is that I have been dreaming of visiting with Henry there in his childhood place and thinking about how cool it would be to learn to sail and live by the ocean.
Hours before I left Atlanta to board my first plane, I got the dreaded call from Henry, saying that the earthquake news is keeping him at work and he would no longer be able to meet me in Hong Kong for our long weekend for our reunion tour! As an optimist, I decided to make the most of it and accept the things I cannot control. Life with a journalist. Turns out it was a perfect opp to remind myself how well I can travel solo. Besides, HK is about the easiest places to be. Arrived in the very well appointed airport. Put my extra luggage in lockers and took the airport express into Hong Kong! Super smooth. Easy to get a cab and was at my hotel in less than an hour door to door. I wouldn't know what the game plan was til I could check email and find out what Henry planned during my flight. Was ready to spend a couple days and take the train to Beijing, but luckily he booked me on a flight out the next afternoon, giving me enough time to do somethings in the city by myself.

Dinner in LKF, a touristy area I might have avoided if I had known what to expect, but it was good to see and have a quick Indian supper, fortunately just above street level that I could escape the frat party. After my delicious chicken tikka marsala, I strolled toward SOHO (South of Hollywood) and found the atmosphere there a bit closer to my taste in terms of a dinner date kinda feeling. Saw some commercial gallery spaces and photographed in the night light for a while. Then an early night at the Bishop Lei, which I would recommend to anyone looking for location and low key place to stay. Its connected to a Catholic Church and is run by the Archdiocese OF HK. Pretty rad story and all that you could need from a hotel, sans fluff. A rec from friends I really respect and know a thing or two about architecture.

Bright and early, I joined the hundreds of HK-ers strolling through the Botanical Gardens/ Zoological Park, which is free BTW and amazingly lush. I saw all the plams I could ever wish for and a beautiful Jaguar, baby monkeys, and so many birds. Photos soon to be on Flikr...Walked and found my way through to the Tram up to the Peak. Something all tourists do for the view of Victoria Harbor. Somethings are worth it, though you have to endure feeling like part of the pack. It was a great early morning thing to do. Then I had scoped out a dim sum place that I could go to before having to prepare for the airport again! Luk Yu Tea House, right next to the LKF area, but the streets are in use by cars by day and the streets feel more manageable. I tried three different types of dumplings (which rank up there as one of my favorite foods, by design and taste).

K- running out of puter juice, so TBC.

Later!

Please write to me. I miss ya'll already.

XXX
SJL