Hong Kong…now and then

It’s been over seven years since I touched foot on Hong Kong, and the time difference feels like seven decades. It’s still moving at the speed of light, money is everything, and tastes have changed. There are still vestiges of the past that I can cling to, but with bittersweet memories.

Crazy Rich Asian Food

Although I didn’t like the movie, I thought the title was very representative of the array of food choices in this city. Over the top, creative, and amusing! The deli dishes were from Fusion Deli, an upscale version of Harrods in Times Square.

the Arrival of Healthy Food–oh no!!
French and Irish Oysters of the Day?!? Wines only sold by the bottle

Transportation and Buildings are what define Hong Kong’s Speed and Efficiency-still some of the fastest in the world! Even though I worked on the HK Mass Transit Railway system before the lines were operational, I am proud of having contributed to a world-class system of two-minute headways.

The station passageways are used heavily and advertise refreshing Asian models

On the other hand, the tram line that plies between Sheung Wan and North Point are a throwback to the past. You can slow down your pace by taking a scenic tour of Central with plenty of people to watch, inside and out.

HK Trams

The High Speed Railway can whisk you into Guangzhou or Shenzhen in about an hour. You buy a ticket online, and ticketless entry simply keys your identity via passport to the trip. Terrifying and accurate. You need to experience it to understand its high state of the art and China’s ability to move over a billion people around the country on demand.

Smashing Villains

After three years, I wasn’t intending to reinstate my travel website. But I couldn’t resist sharing an amazing encounter of a third kind.

I’m currently on an extended trip to do family research in Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Zhongshan, China.

Arriving in Hong Kong after seven years’ absence has been an intense, overwhelming experience. I had not expected to see such refreshing changes, the exquisite sense of taste, (that has always been here), the sophisticated blend of Western and Asian culture.

My most curious adventure was about to begin!

Villain Hitting under Canal Road Flyover

Waiting for dinner buddy Peter in the lobby of the hotel where I am staying, I noticed a large, colorful, backlit map. It provided a good orientation to the Causeway Bay Area where I was staying. But a curious landmark caught my eye.

What was #2, the “Villain Hitting under Canal Road Flyover”??? In my seven years of living here in the late 70’s and early 80’s, I had never heard of it. The site was just down the road from the hotel, If anything couldn’t be more cryptic, it was this one.

Map of Local Landmarks in the Causeway Bay Area next to Hotel

Peter had no idea what this curiously titled landmark was either. After living in Hong Kong for over 45 years, He was just as baffled as I was. We agreed simultaneously to find out. We temporarily abandoned our dinner plans and made our way down the street under the concrete overpass. We arrived at the Canal Road Flyover, exactly where the location was advertised.

A hawker and group of women were busy welcoming guests. They asked us to identify who we wanted to purge and whether it was a male or female. We paid a fee of $50 (about $6 US) each. We randomly chose a purger who took our paper note.

The purger industriously used a wooden slipper to beat the heck out of the paper effigy
We were asked to bow three times as the purger purged the paper effigy some more.
Our lovely purger instructed us to put burning incense sticks in urns at the altar
We were asked to bow three times. No messing around, let’s just cut to the chase.
Drums and fire and brimstone to purge the unwanted
She stuffed the remains of purgee under the lion and burned the spirits away
Peter wanted to make sure that his mane didn’t fly away with the spirits
Voila. gone. Fait Accompli!
Amuses Bouches

On the left above, cool machines that dry your wet umbrellas

Right photo: Overhead lighting at pedestrian intersections make sure those reading their phones know it’s a red light!!!

Have you seen these anywhere else in the world?!?

Sensory Overload

Ah. Sublime food. Delicate flavors. Comforting set lunch of dan-dan noodles in curry, succulent eggplant appetizer with oyster sauce, lotus root with chicken gizzards for protein, and a side dish of fresh sautéed choi sum. Topped with warm or cold soya milk. Mwah!!