Hong Kong....PHOOEY

I just got back from Hong Kong this morning, October 7th, 2006, at 8:30 in the morning. What better way to be welcomed back than two classes with little time to prepare. Alas, sometimes that's how it goes here in Fuzhou, but the classes went well. My older class particuarly enjoyed learning the game "Simon Says" which might be a Godsend game to teach some action verbs to children trying to learn an second language (L2).

While in Hong Kong, I actually stayed in what I'd like to call the 'hole of Hong Kong' otherwise known as Little Pakistan in Kowloon City. The first day I actually hated 'Hong Kong' because I thought I was in the middle of it and I saw more Indians and Pakis than Chinese people. I stayed at a not so lovely place called the "Shaker House" in a slightly run down shopping center called Chungking Mansion (Mansion???)! With an insect here and a smelly guy there it was home for a couple of days. There's a pictures of the building it was in here, though you don't really get the full effect of the shady-ness. Other than this general area Kowloon really wasn't that bad. And all the people in the area behaved kindly towards me. It's when you go to a little stand and see flies crawling all over the food inside a glass case, you get a little grossed out.

I worked out all my visa troubles so now I am legal to teach for a year in China. I am amazed at how everything has worked out without major problems. Though on this trip there was only a slight hitch to make note of: I came to Hong Kong with a little under 700 RMB (almost $100 USD) and someone forgot to tell me that the working Visa would cost me around 850 RMB. To get a full feeling of how I felt my first day in Hong Kong: after visiting the visa office and getting a hotel room I was 500 HKD (Hong Kong dollars somewhat interchangeable with RMB) in debt to friends that had made the trip for visa purposes as well. I knew I'd be well over my head if I didn't get help. I emailed my father to help bail me out just a little. I'll share with you the email I sent my father:

I am going to call you in a few minutes, but I thought I would try here first. Hopefully if calling fails (Because I am at a public place) you will get this and this will work somehow. I came to hong kong with the best intentions of only spending what was absolutely necessary. I wanted to save as much of my paycheck as possible. I left over $200 (USD) on my dresser back in Fuzhou and within an hour of being in Hong Kong I realized that was a mistake. I had a little bit under $100 in my pocket thinking that I'd get a visa, bus ticket, hotel, and have just a tiny bit to shop on (after all I could probably do that for at least a day and a half in fuzhou). The visa office wanted over $100 for a visa and the hotel cost another $20...it's a bit of a hole but it's not too bad. I ate two chicken kabobs, two snickers, and a coke for about $8 earlier (thats about the best food I could find that I was willing to eat, I am staying in little Pakistan).

I have about enough money to get a bus ticket and go home tomorrow. I was almost content to let that happen when I had the lights out in my room and trying to go to sleep and just forget about this stupid trip to Hong Kong all together. Then I realized that despite how much I sincerely dislike little Pakistan and the almost US prices for stuff I could get for Chinese prices not an hour away, I still need to go out and do a little something.

All that story just to ask to see if you could loan me $50 to put in my checking account (you knew this was coming didn't you?). That is over $400 in Hong Kong dollars and would allow me to spend just a couple of bucks this evening to go around and take a couple of pictures, see part of this town that isn't little Pakistan, and still buy a bus ticket and have just a little bit in case of emergency. I am about to call you and tell you the abbreviated version of this story. I hope you can help me out just a tiny bit!!

Well the good man that dad is, he put some money in my checking account and I was able to have a western meal at the grocery store at the mall in Hong Kong (does a grocery store in a mall sound funny to anyone else?). I bought him something small but decent while I was there.

(to others who are expecting gifts, if you want something specifically from Hong Kong let me know cause I might go back, but otherwise expect something more Chinese)

And I also bought a birthday present for my newest family member, Maya, my 4 day old neice! I am so excited to have another wonderful neice/nephew. I think being the "cool" uncle is one of the joys in life (theres always that occassional 'weird' uncle that you pray really isn't doing illegal stuff). I will miss the moments of being an Uncle for the next 11 months (my I'm already on my 4th week here!). To Paris and Pierce: I miss you guys a bunch! I hope you both are enjoying school!

One of my favorite activities in Hong Kong was telling off the street salesmen (who tried to sell everything from fake rolex's to women). I wasn't too rude, but here were my top 5 favorite ways to say "No" to Hong Kong salesmen:
5. "NO NO NO NO and NO, get your hands off me thank you very much."
4. MEEEHHHHHH (Sounds like a goat)
3. Voluntary bodily functions, like not paying them any attention and burping the other way or fake coughing to drown them out.
2. Singing classic country music to myself so they could hear
1. "No hablo ingles! Hablo Espanol!"

Here are a couple of other pictures of Hong Kong:


On the morning of arrival, after my first experience on a "sleeping bus", where short Chinese people sleep comfortably, but very tall Americans lose circulation in their limbs.

Outside the Bank of China Building, National Day was the reason I had a few days to go to Hong Kong.

A cool looking Building (I believe this is the Hong Kong/Shanghai Bank).


The Hong Kong Skyline in a series of pictures.

The official Mascots of the 2008 Beijing Olympics (I'm pretty sure they are multi-colored Pandas).

The tallest building in Hong Kong (sorry I am not sure on the name).



Me on the way back to Fuzhou. I actually took this picture so I am not asleep, but I look like it.


One last thing: At a resturant in Hong Kong we had a small meal and after the meal the cups on the table began acting very strange. Instead of explaining it, check it out here.

In the next blog I'll post pictures from the local town on the east coast of China, Mawei. I went there before Hong Kong and I have a couple of pictures and reflections from there.


That's all for now, I hope you enjoyed your visit to Fuzhou (and Hong Kong), come back soon!

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James L. Goode