the first time i went to hong kong was either in ’96 or ’97, some time before hk returned to china and i haven’t been back since. given that it has been some 13 years, i have absolutely no memory of the place, save for a vague recollection of some fun times in ocean park.

therefore i can’t say for sure that this was a ‘rediscovering hk’ trip, but i think it is safe to say that i have fallen in love with the city.

bad air quality aside, i love its character, style and vibrancy. it feels alive, something which singapore is definitely not. and it is very, very different from the other city close to my heart – seoul – and so i love them both for different reasons.

seoul is like an old friend – familiar, safe, reliable.
hong kong is like a new acquaintance – novel, exciting, full of promise.

as we were walking along mong kok, i told alvin that i loved how all the old buildings stood aside the new(er) ones, which was what made hk so full of flavour. i love the huge billboards, the neon signs, the chaos of it all.

the first night i stayed with lx at her service apartment in central, then moved to her new place at olympic for the rest of my stay.

i love her apartment – beautiful bay view.

this is what she sees before she sleeps;

and what she sees when she wakes up

given that it is so much cheaper to fly to hk, it may just overtake seoul and be my new favourite destination.

(i want to learn cantonese!!)

(c2mments.)

Tags: hong kong, hongkong, pictures, travel