Darn....it has been such a long time since my last blog, almost a year! I can only blame it on my indisputable laziness....yikes!!
This was the second time I set foot on Asia's Pearl of the Orient - Hong Kong, one of the SAR of China. I'm recalling well the very last time I wrote about my first trip to this place (about 3 years plus ago), it was a not-so-pleasant experience. See here. I pointed my fingers at the tour company's arrangement, and indeed, I was not off-centered. This time around, it turned out to be quite a fun and enjoyable ride, despite the weariness of having to walk miles of road (it's a backpacking trip after all). But, here's the catch - I can't completely deny that travelling with friends and travelling with family DOES differ a lot!! :p
The itinerary was simple:
Day 1 – Roaming the streets of Hong Kong and Avenue of Stars + Symphony of Lights
Day 2 – Disneyland
Day 3 – Lantau Island
Day 4 – Ocean Park
Day 5 – Macau
Of course, I've been to these tourist attractions, but it was never been as fantastic and laid back as this time. At least, I got to taste some of the infamous Hong Kong cuisines and snacks, a few to name actually – Curry fish balls, congee (艇仔粥, 肉丸粥), dried shredded squid, red bean pudding (砵仔糕), eggette(鸡蛋仔), sugar cane dessert (蔗汁糕), toasted bun with butter and condensed milk (奶油豬仔包), pork chop bun (猪趴包), stinky tofu (I still can't believe I ate that @__@”’), wonton noodles (this bowl was really worth the pay, about RM 10, four big succulent wontons, you'll never get that in Malaysia), HK-western style breakfast and etc.
Another thing that I must commend on is the public restrooms. Oh, did I mention this before? Oops, I did actually, but I can't help it, because they are way too clean not to be mentioned……XD. Firstly, they have janitors to keep those lavatories spick and span at all times and the floor is always dry, most are installed with automated flushing and hand washing system, soap dispensaries are provided, toilet papers are well-supplied and in some shopping malls, they even have plastic sheet covers and antibacterial disinfectant wipes provided. And the most important of all, it's free!!! Not a single cent has to be paid for all the facilities. Ask any Malaysian, one is sure to reply that toilets that has somebody bugging for payment before entering, is surely the dirtiest and stinkiest of them all. I hate to say that though, but that's the truth……>_<
Perhaps, that is what we call the cultural practices and the mentality of the people. Look at the restaurants and cafes around Malaysia, let alone hawker stalls; wherever there is food, insects and pests are sure to come along. Houseflies are some real menace, but you can't see them anywhere in Hong Kong, even in food outlets. Yes, and you can actually eat in peace without those irritating bugs. There are people in Hong Kong that smoke too, but they are somewhat more obedient to abide by the rules. So you can actually sit comfortably in your non-smoking zone, without having to endure the puffs from the cigarettes or be a passive smoker. In open-air places, as long as there is a non-smoking sign, nobody breaks the law. Malaysia-wise, slow slow wait lah………wait for miracles to happen. In fact the law enforcers themselves are smokers too, so just shut one eye and close another lah. Period.
I've just read in the newspaper today, reporting that the government wishes to inculcate reading habits among the citizens. It says that RM 1 million worth of reading materials would be distributed to 1000 schools nationwide, and even suggested to place books inside buses and stations for commuters. The problem is those books will either be vandalized or vanished in no time. Perhaps, we can emulate Hong Kong, whereby there are free distribution of selected newspapers (very much like The Sun, but there are tons of copies available), usually near the MTR stations. Anyhow, I think on the average, commuters in Malaysia prefer to either sleep or wander around rather than holding a book and read. That's the Malaysian culture after all, but can we really change that?? Uh……erm……hmm…………
On the last day, we embarked on a journey to another SAR of China – Macau, a former Portuguese colony. Here, we visited the well-known St. Paul ruins and head on to the gardens of Mount Fortress (Fortaleza do Monte). When night fell, we roamed the streets of Macau, entered a few casinos (Lisboa, Wynn and MGM etc.), grabbed a few bottles of free mineral water, and headed back to our hotel. For us, there wasn't really a night life in Macau as the real night life is in the casinos. But the flashing and running neon lights illuminating the buildings of casinos were really some fascinating sights, in which also signifies a city that never sleeps.
That's it. 5 days 5 nights in Hong Kong and Macau. Time to get back to my humdrum life in Nibong Tebal. My next trip: Where? When? Haven't got a clue… ʘ_ʘ
