Home Again!

K gosh, I don't know what font style and size you use but anyway here goes...arial, normal


Back in my house, with that familiar mixed feelings lingering in my mind. One part wishes that the holiday isn't over, because it's all back down to routines again, but the other is that perhaps it's just nice to settle back down. The sleeping patterns on the trip weren't doing much good to me at all, because I practically demand like 10 hrs of sleep a day.


Anyways, here's my 2 cents worth on hong kong. Firstly to make things clear, the cost of living there is definitely higher than Singapore. So all those "cheap" or even "dirt cheap" words I saw in the previous posts would probably raise a few eyebrows, especially mine. But ok, fair enough Citygate was really an eye opener with really low prices, with just outlet stores all just sandwiched into a single mall. I did have a good shopping experience there, and really had to remind myself of the trip's main motto "Don't force it" haha. So considering costwise, shopping was overall a pleasant experience. Food though, and transport, was just another issue altogether. I guess this was a first, where I went to a country for holiday, which had a higher cost of living than Singapore. So perhaps that did kill the enjoyment a little wee bit due to the constant financial strain, but nevertheless, I'd gladly pay for that experience still.


People say hong kong is all about food, perhaps so. I think we did experience a fair share of char siew (the fatty type of course, who the hell eats the lean type tsk), wanton mee, egg tart, and even the world renowned goose restaurant. Honestly speaking, yes the goose was worth the try, like my father said "it's expensive, but nevermind. Just eat". I guess as long as you did your research, or better still, have friends or relatives who could show you where the good food stalls were scattered about, you'd be having a blast in hong kong, and putting on a few pounds in the process. Another plus is that the stalls there tend to have longer operating hours, and a fair number of eateries are open 24 hrs, so there's really no problem trying to cure hunger pangs in hong kong.


On to clubbing, they have a district which is sort of like clarke quay, where it's just rows of clubs or pubs adjacent to each other. Pretty hip, BUT I'm proud to say, our own clarke quay just thrashes it hands down in terms of visual appeal. Well still, I had a really good time there, clubbed with a couple of friends who don't usually club with me, and of course I'd never forget the music. Best I've heard for....god knows how long I can remember. Just great song after another like Poker Face, Fire Burning, and for fucks sake, Linkin Park's New Divde just owns every clubbing song I've came across. Really went high upon hearing that one. Well, guess that's cos I'm a Linkin Park fan too haha. Ah, anyway I guess it was all possible thanks to a really friendly DJ who accepted every request from the birthday boy, Ms Wang SQ. Oh one thing though, the alchohol ain't gonna come cheap, at least it didn't from that 1 experience I had.


Hmm, what else? Guess we went to places like Shenzhen, Ocean Park and Macau. Ok Shenzhen? Total bull. Didn't like the place, haggling with the shopkeepers can be kinda tricky when they start to break into a sweat and get aggressive. And the place is just watch shop followed by bag shop, then watch shop, bag shop, watch, bag. You get the idea. All imitation, duh hah. Remember to train you bargaining power to push prices all the way down to 30% of the original.


Ocean Park, not too bad, the things that saved the day for me was actually the animal (racoons awww damn cute! pandas, the dolphin show) and the cable car which was really enjoyable. The rides were forgettable though (maybe because I've experienced better ones before in taiwan and was very comparative), except perhaps the raging river. It was funny because it was really a gamble to take the ride when we were obviously gonna get drenched in our bloody jeans and shit without any change of clothes, it was just a question of by how much. Guess I got away lucky, at the expense of Ms Wang who was seating in front of me, holding out against the full brunt of tsunamis haha.


Ok and Macau was nice. It was cool, but I'd keep that compliment for the night scene where the lights of the casinos all start to fill up the night sky, and the eyesores of the 4th grade apartments sink into the black of the night. It was my virgin experience into the casinos, and yep, it was pretty good to see everything. Asians are apparently very into this particular game called baccarat or some wtf I've never heard before haha. Zl and jon tried their hands out at the poker cash game tables. Kudos to them for their courage to just put hundreds of singapore dollars on the line. There was quite an itch in me to play, but I just thought twice, and didn't wanna risk it, because I don't really have much experience in poker. I guess I don't play dumb, but I really don't have much knowledge either, nor the willingness to sacrifice to much money. One place you can't miss is Venetia, the whole sight of the hotel, and the scale of it was just plain awesome. I just really wished that I didn't visit it as like 1am plus, where my body was just totally worn and weary. Really pretty pretty place. Casino wise though, the Grand smth is better. Omg forgot the name haha, it's the one beside Wymms. Oh yeah, I wished I could have seen the musical fountains at Wymms too, but it wasn't showing that night, so oh well, nevermind.


I guess in the end, holidays rarely ever fail, because of the company will make it all right. And I have my friends to thank for that. I guess there'd always be memories to take from this one. I'd say I loved taiwan better, but who would forget stuff like when the bloody tram broke down holding up the entire tram line for miles honestly,forcing us to walk instead. Or the slowest ever loop roller coaster, "The dragon" at ocean park, so slow that it actually made us all nauseaus, the fucking air-con water which just drips down from every impossible place, watching my friends winning/losing at the casinos.


I'll be looking forward to the gezillion pictures from qiang's camera and the remaining posts from Idiort aka jef (wtf? zzz). Good job with the blog so far haha, there's actually quite a few ppl reading it!! Haha. Ah well, what I written was mostly for the rest of us who went along the trip haha, cos anyone else may not really know what I'm describing and stuff. Well, of course everyone's welcome to read. Ok what a long post, so late at night already, geez, finally gonna have a good sleep on my ever so comfy bed,