The Hong Kong flu

When i was growing up Hong Kong was spoken about often in our home with fond memories and interesting anecdotes. When he owned a successful, Sydney based advertising agency back in the 70s and 80s my dad used to do a lot of business here - flying over often to wine and dine and to be wined and dined. 30 years ago, give or take 9 months, Mum decided to go along with him for a little holiday. She spent her days mozying around the city, shopping and having tea in the Penninsular Hotel, before being whisked off to meet dad and his clients for dinner. Needless to say they lived a little more of a high flying lifestyle than we are now but it's fun for me to imagine them here 30 years ago...loving the city so much that they seriously discussed emigrating here until mum went to the doctor one day back in Sydney complaining of the 'Hong Kong flu' that she must have contracted whilst on holiday and found out that actually she was pregnant...with me....I guess, in a way, this is actually my 2nd time in Hong Kong!

I wonder whether mum and dad ever made use of the 'Free Wednesday' days at the museums....? perhaps not, but, as the cheapskates we are, we did today...cruising round the interesting History Museum with its exhibits explaining the evolution of hong kong...from prehistoric nothingness to thriving, cosmopolitan city via wars and opium, colonialism and chinese handovers...it was very interesting since I had never really understood how the british managed to acquire hong kong in the first place (a very long and sordid story involving the importation of drugs....) and the exhibit explained a lot about the layout of the city and the psyche of its people. Next was the science museum...much like the one in london (though admittedly i've never been to that one!) Matt was as enthralled as the 10 year olds around us as he played with the exhibits. Even I was rather taken with the hall of mirrors (particularly the one that makes you look tall and thin!) and the optical illusion exhibition.

All museumed out we trudged across town looking for food...a bowl of wan ton noodle soup later and we were in the midst of the Temple Street night markets - stall after stall of chinese kitch, jade, fake handbags and souvenir t-shirts. since arriving in asia I have been checking out the handbags - waiting for the right ones to jump out at me...and finally i found them - a Jimmy Choo and a D&G - how true they are to the originals Im really very doubtful but they're still rather nice i feel...

it's been a long day. i'm finding the city exhausting after spending the past couple of weeks in quiet, sleepy laos...the bed in our closet sized bedroom calls and tomorrow is another day...hopefully this time we'll actually make it on to the ferry and over to Hong Kong Island itself.

stay tuned. xx