Hong Kong, We Meet Again

Hong Kong is one of my favorite places in the world. Not that I’ve been to many, but whenever I ride the airport express into the city, the colors and pleasantly cluttered skyline greet me with an overwhelming sense of comfort. There’s something about this island that I find familiar, close to home. It’s no where near like the places I’ve grown up in (one could argue San Francisco but even then, that’s just Chinatown); but yet, I feel safe within the uniquely-crafted contours of this city.

My four days in Hong Kong were sleepless, but in the words of Feist, that’s what our youth is for, right?  Wandering the rarely calm and empty streets at 6am was absolutely surreal. You could literally feel the city slowly wake up–the early birds greeting each other with enthusiastic hellos, the sudden, loud rumbles of steel doors being pulled open at shops, the occasional taxi driving by and the buses and trams preparing for their daily routine of keeping the city’s gears in motion.

Hong Kong’s crowded. It’s disorderly, yet efficient. People march forth yet avoid collisions. They’ve mastered the art of weaving all while carrying on conversations, viewing the sites around them and even savoring the last bite of a late afternoon snack. This place is good for the lonely soul. It stimulates the mind and drowns out unwanted voices playing loudly in your head. All you take note of are the faces that pass you by–new and exciting, but not enough to keep you staring for more than a few seconds. Even in a brief glance you feel the mystery is solved quick, unintentional labeling. At the same time, you realize the potential of each individual on the street. They make choices and act on their desires as much as you do. Perhaps that’s one of God’s gifts to us–innate commonality. No matter how much you try to avoid your emotions, inner desires and the warfare within your head, it’s a requirement for humankind.

Light determines so much–our mood, actions, thoughts, and so on. The day revives our souls with a refreshing start, but the night revives our spirit as the after hours make us feel as though we were truly living up to every word from the phrase “when in Rome.” When the sun sets and the night comes, we switch gears to move onto our other list of adventures. So far, Hong Kong’s provided the longest one.

Here’s to you, Hong Kong:

Thank you for making it so easy to be with friends and enjoy life. I look forward to meeting you again.

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~ by hutammy on June 5, 2010.