Getting Back in the Groove

I’ve been back in Hong Kong for awhile now, and I’m in swing of things again, as I head into the home stretch before moving to Singapore in December. I know these last months are going to just fly by, and I don’t think I’ve fully grasped the fact that I’m actually leaving Hong Kong yet. The good news, as I think I’ve mentioned, is that Singapore is only about a four hour flight from here, and my customers will still be split between the two cities, so there’ll always be a good reason for me to come back. And as Kevin is staying in Hong Kong, and we’ll be maintaining our office here, I can even come back to work from time to time, upgrading a mere weekend visit to see friends into a multi-week trip. I haven’t decided for sure yet whether or not I want to keep my apartment, although common sense seems to have me leaning towards giving it up.

My first few days back were harder that usual. You see, normally when I’m home, I’m working the graveyard shift to cover the Asian market from the East Coast of the United States. That’s why I’m usually thrilled to get back to Hong Kong and have a normal lifestyle again.

This trip, however, I only worked one time out of the Freehold office—my first Sunday night back—so the bulk of my visit was pure and leisurely summer vacation. Then, of course, came the whole Olympics extravaganza. So it’s only natural, then, that it was a little bit more difficult this time to adjust to a full working schedule mixed with Hong Kong’s frenetic lifestyle.

But it took less than a week for me to rediscover my Hong Kong groove. In fact, one of my first nights back, out for a late night American breakfast at the Flying Pan, I bumped into an old Villanova pal, Molly, who had just finished law school and was capping off her celebratory Asian tour in Hong Kong before heading back to New York to start a new job. The randomness of the meeting mandated a couple of drinks, so though it was late, we headed to Dusk till Dawn for some live music. Bumping into Molly was a refreshing and unexpected event that, in its own way, helped to reignite my love for this place. Now, I’m back to my old self, and I’m committed to savoring every last minute of my free time in this amazing city.

In a little over a week, I’ll actually be flying down to Singapore for a preliminary visit. My company wants me to go down and get a better feel for the place, and to explore housing options and perhaps office space. They’ve booked my trip from September 10^th though 16^th, and I’m sure this visit will help to get me excited for my big move. I’m staying in a hotel on Orchard Road, an area of the town I’ve left mostly unexplored during my previous two trips, so it should be interesting.

In October, another ‘Nova friend of mine is coming out to visit; November will be full of going away parties and “last visits” to various favorite spots; and then in December, comes the big move.

Last weekend, I basically took Saturday to walk all around Hong Kong Island's north side, roaming the colorful streets, teeming with life and full of character. I went from my apartment in Happy Valley through Causeway Bay and Wan Chai, all the way down Queen’s Road East into Admiralty and, ultimately, Central. I saw a French movie, Le Chef, in IFC, afterwards rode the Escalator up to Robinson Road, strolled down through the Botanical and Zoological Gardens and Hong Kong Park, and then walked back to Causeway, where I met Jamie in front of Times Square. We made a beeline to Wan Chai for dinner at my old favorite, Crystal Jade, before catching a late night screening of Woody Allen's To Rome With Love in Taikoo Shing. My feet killed me by day’s end, but this is such a great city to explore on foot, and it was a wonderful day.

Waiting for the movie to start in TaiKoo Shing, we stumbled upon this 3D painting.

Sunday, after church, I was supposed to go to Macau with my friend Silja, but she realized at the last minute that she had left her passport in her office, which is locked on weekends. We decided, instead, to go to Lamma Island, a sleepy hippy haven about thirty minutes away from Central, accessible via ferry. Jamie joined for the day, and it was another great one.

There are two main villages on Lamma, separated by a lovely hiking trail over the island’s mountainous terrain. Yung Shue Wan, the more Western of the towns, is where our ferry dropped us off. This side of the island is full of expat bars and restaurants, serving European and American-style food. Of course, there are Chinese establishments mixed in, but the overall feel is that of an uber-casual Western enclave.

Bookworm Café in Yung Shue Wan on Lamma Island

We grabbed a late breakfast—or early lunch, depending on your point of view—at a spot called Bookworm Café. And then we made the trek to Sok Kwu Wan, stopping for one waterfront drink on Hung Shing Yeh Beach.

Strawberry Daiquiri Face 

The island is hilly and dotted with massive boulders. There's plenty of greenery as well, and just before entering Sok Kwu Wan, the path winds past some old Japanese caves used during the Second World War. Near one of the caves, crossing a tiny bridge, we spotted perhaps the biggest spider I have ever seen in the wild in my life! (We later found out that the species sometimes even eats small birds!)

Massive spider we passed, near Sok Kwu Wan

Sok Kwu Wan feels like a completely different place than its Westernized counterpart. There’s a temple, some isolated houses and a waterfront lined with countless fresh seafood restaurants. The small harbor is chock full of local boats, and there’s even a floating fishing village, where workers harvest, catch and prepare the island’s most popular product. 

We had a light dinner at Rainbow Seafood Restaurant, Lamma’s most well-known eatery. If you enjoy a meal at Rainbow, complimentary ferry transport is arranged back to Central by one of the restaurant's private boats. So, after our meal we donned our “VIP” stickers and boarded one.

Sok Kwu Wan

The ride back was among the most memorable Hong Kong boat rides I’ve ever had, and that's saying something considering how much time I've spent on the water these past three years. Thanks to impeccable timing and a stunning sunset, the short jaunt from Sok Kwu Wan to Central will forever be ingrained in my memory. As we cruised pass massive container ships, ferries and pleasure boats, the sky kept turning impossibly lovely colors, as we got nearer and nearer to the iconic towers of the city skyline.

Container ship on the ferry back

Impossibly beautiful sunset on the ferry back to Central

Silja and I capped off our day with foot massages—definitely welcome after all the walking I’d done over the past two days. That weekend was all I needed to remind me why Hong Kong is one of the best cities on earth. I hope that each of my last remaining days here is up to the same high standard!