Happy Weekend!

It's been awhile since I was here.

Well, it's been a busy month and I just came back from a 4-day vacation in Hongkong-- my very first international trip. I'm not happy. I'm ecstatic! I thought Basyang would ruin my overflowing excitement as she was not only here two days before my flight but was also heading Hongkong and was due to land there at the height of my trip! I'm not sure what happened, but I didn't feel her there. There were frequent rains especially during the late afternoons but that was it, nothing close to Ondoy.

So how was my experience? Simply great!

When we landed in Hongkong, I couldn't believe what I was seeing! Chinese people everywhere! I was an instant foreigner since I didn't look and speak local. It felt so good. Hahaha!

I walked everyday I was there. I memorized the routes of the subway and the streets around Hongkong's shopping district. For a highly urbanized and modernized city, I find it amazing how clean the place was! Makes you wanna wish you live there!

Contrary to the claim that English is widely spoken in Hongkong, I found it very difficult to communicate with the locals. Very few people speak English. Some don't even know how to read the English alphabet. When I asked for water, rice and ice, nobody understood me. They gave me spoon and milk instead. :D I didn't shop much because prices are almost, if not the same here in Manila. Some goods are even better here.

And the people?

I don't know if Cantonese were really born/raised that way, but most of those I've encountered, i.e. servers, taxi drivers etc. were very impolite. I think one can only experience an unparalleled hospitality in the Philippines.

I love Hongkong but my heart belongs here. I am so happy I'm home now! :)