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Monday, July 7, 2008

Being back, and all the bits and pieces I missed

I really really really cannot emphasis how much happier I have been the last day or so after being back in Asia -HK.

It's a good thing too that I am familiar with HK now and so its like a fish in water sort of feeling. Especially with such an efficient transport, I get to everywhere in a jiffy. No more lousy 10-15mins wait for the train as in Sydney. With the 1-2mins wait, I can now time my appointments accurately and plan my day activities in my head like clockwork since every thing runs efficiently.

Despite the wet weather, I no longer bear grudges about the HK small walking pavements where 50 over people squeeze with you at one time in a stretch. Even the tons of "murderous" umbrellas constantly poking at my face didnt faze me today. I was feeling chirpy being back, back to the land of civilization, high technology. Like I told my husband, I do not know how long this feeling of euphoria will last but I am relishing every single moment of it. It felt like a VIP upgrade being back in HK and far away from Sydney. I do not loathe Sydney, I just wasnt terribly impressed with the city which is really not very metropolitan no matter what they claim.

Even as i open the can of coke in the fridge from the hotel freezer, I didnt even blink or think its expensive. I was telling my husband. What is HK$20 as a hotel price for a bottle of coke when i have to pay more in Sydney on a normal days anyway. When we finished a huge meal of 3 main dishes at the thai restaurant last night, the bill came up to less than A$50 for the 2 of us. That is half the price of what we normally pay just for take away without service charge.

Today I headed out to my favourite Mi.Ne sushi at Causeway Bay. I LOVE and MISS my big fried oyster and foe grais sushi (menu) . Even my husband has to admit it was good. This is by far the best sushi place I have found in HK island. Funnily, i forgot Hk lunch hour is 1pm instead of the usual 12pm and so i made my husband appear at 11.45am because I wanted to avoid the Q. heee heeeee.

Mine Sushi.
address: 12 Pak Sha Road, Causeway Bay,HK
Business hours: 11:30~0:00 Last orders 23:30

Another funny thing to adapt very quickly was being back to using "Tap" card for the train. After having been forced to use the retard primitive paper train ticket in Sydney, I forgot for a minute that I didnt have to take the MTR Optopus train card out of my wallet. I smacked myself in the head when I was fumbling to take the card out of my wallet (like when i use to in sydney while on the escalator) when I remembered I am back in the land of technology. Haaa haaa. And the best is that both Sg and HK train station has a local map located at around the station to guide tourists or someone new to the area. We never figured out why Sydney train stations are so cheap and lazy that they cannot even do that. They do not fucking care if you get lost. They just assume u take the train because you know where you are heading.

My husband described it best today while we were riding the train to Mongkok to buy a camera. He said "In Australia, they pay heaps of money on tourism advertisment beautifying and drawing you to Australia. but once you get suckered into the country, they leave you high and dry with no guide or help to the tourists whatsoever."

I once told my friend that living in Sydney is like signing a contract with a bank offfering house mortage. The tourism board is akin to bank that is making a loan. They create a mirage of paradise and colourful promises but once you sign the deal to take up their offer (living there), suddenly the wool over your eyes is being pulled away. No more paradise baby. While its not a hell hole, but it sure isnt far from it leeching you dry bit by bit over time.

I went to citysuper supermarket last night to see how much my Hokkaido milk is now. Well HK$32. I was laughed when I saw the price tag. My husband asked me what happened? I said, "Its only $32 from $28previously a year ago. If you didnt tell me its inflation, I would just assume it was the supermarket trying to make a larger profit with its annual price adjustment"

It's terrible coming back from Sydney. because everything still seemed so cheap in comparison, you do not watch your spending EXCEPT the rental prices. In HK, its the rental price that EATS up a HUGE portion of your pay more than anything else.

A fruitful 2 days. Did many things, bought many things.
I'm feeling like paradise!

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