HK: I Heart Hong Kong!

I was a bit unfair when I first arrived and grumbled about how there is little to do in Hong Kong other than shop and eat. While that is still true to some extent, I have adjusted nicely to life here - spending quality time with my favorite uncle and little cousin, making new friends, being accustomed to ubiquitous conveniences of modern technology, getting to know my way around, and learning a lot about my birthplace. It also explains why I am the way I am – impatient and efficient – because that’s how everyone here operates. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, as the time has come for me to leave due to some business I have to take care of back home which requires my immediate attention.

During my last night in HK, Uncle Raymond and Aunt Rita took me and YoYo on a cruise tour around Victoria Harbour (see pictures) to experience HK's night view which is ranked one of the top five in the world. Every night at eight o'clock there is a 20-minute laser show called Symphony of Lights accompanied by theatrical music along the waterfront that can be viewed from many different locations in HK (their government has that much money to pay for something like this every night year round.) It was quite enjoyable except for my nausea and sea sickness from the cruise but I was able to hold in my barf. What a memorable way to conclude an already fabulous trip!

Looking back, our entire Asia trip did not turn out as expected since we didn’t get to visit Thailand or the rest of the SE Asian countries on our list. With foregone flights and dashed dreams, maybe I should have taken that high-paying job at Gap Corporate in San Francisco…Or maybe I should have traveled with someone else – someone who’s not balding and would have taken me to Thailand instead of deserting me in Asia (haha just kidding. well sort of.)….But bygones are bygones and I have no regrets. After all, this journey has bestowed upon me a once-in-a-lifetime experience and taught me a few lessons – especially that nothing ever goes as planned and you just have to go with the flow. (Well, I guess I should have learned that nothing in this world is certain when Pluto got demoted as a planet and Cookie Monster no longer eats cookies.) But it also opened the door of opportunities to me. After leaving Tokyo, I wanted to move to Hong Kong but didn’t bother trying because I thought it would be impossible to find employment. Now I know that's far from true: a couple days before I left, I turned down an interview at Morgan Stanley for a corporate trainer position in HK, but I realized it was that easy to find work. Furthermore, throughout our entire Asia trip, I met so many people from all over the world who are just like us - people who are looking for something that they can’t find by staying where they are, people who have followed their hearts and made a new life in a foreign country. I now leave Hong Kong with nothing but fond memories and optimistic hope for what’s to come.

So it’s goodbye for now as I will be taking a hiatus from this blog for the rest of the year and tend to my business back home. Reflecting on 2007, even though we did not get to finish out our Asia trip (hey, Asia will always be there), I have already been exposed to countless experiences that I otherwise would have missed out on had I not met Justin. He has made me a part of his world, bringing me into such microcosms as winter wonderland of Colorado, bear country wilderness of Wyoming, fanatical Steeler Nation of Pittsburgh, his beloved homeland of India, and a spiritual journey within ourselves - all of which couldn't be more different from the other but seem to fit us in their own way. I, on the other hand, have introduced him to the wonderful world of men's fashion (a little more Banana Republic and a little less Backcountry.com), and he has done an impressive job learning to play the role of a doting boyfriend (as in, god he's so whipped!) As for December, instead of meeting up with my parents in HK, Justin is taking me to Cabo and San Francisco for a mini-vacation and then we'll spend Christmas and New Year's in Colorado where his cousin and my cousin are flying in to join us.

As for my blog, well, I'll definitely be back, because I was pleasantly surprised, more like flabbergasted, when I learned that my blog gets over 1,000 hits a month according to Google AdSense. I thank all five of you for clicking on my website 100 times a day! Nonetheless, even though I'll be taking a break for the next month, please check back in January for a whole new year of misadventures as we finally look for employment somewhere around the world! For those of you who have been reading my blog, please take a minute and leave me a comment. I'd love to know what you think about my blog so far and any suggestions for next year. Thank you and have a great rest of the year!