Greetings from Hong Kong!
Well, I've got a few moments right ebfore bedtime, so I thought I would drop in here, and drop a few lines... I'm still alive and kicking here... Hong Kong's been treating me well, even though if it's been a tad bit cold... It was like 8-10C the first week... and it's usually 20C or so... so there's been like cold weather warnings over town, and i've had to buy a poofy jacket to keep myself warm.
Like japan, it seems like all of Hong Kong is one huge mall! I don't think I'll ever really get used to the hyperconsumerism that typifies these cities... It's been seven years since I've been back here, and I feel like grown a lot since I was last here, just in terms of my ability to perceive the city as a whole... how people act, live, and love.
Perhaps a lot of this comes from the fact that even while I'm surrounded by people pretty much all day long, I don't really get a chance to interact much, and it's allowed me to just sit and watch people more... People aren't nearly as keen on making any sort of eye contact, or smiling... it could be a Canadian thing, but maybe it's simply a matter of being in such a densely populated place. I've also realized that besides the one call I had with Katie before new years(her time), I think I haven't had a conversation in English in almost a week and a half. I've watched TV programming in English, and written in English, but I haven't actually talked to anyone in English. Now that I really think about it, besides my same-age aunt and uncle that my family visited in China for two days, I haven't actually connected with anyone within 5-7 years of my age. So in a sense, it's been kinda lonely, because as loving as my parents are, and despite how much I know they care for me, they aren't the best people to have any deeper kinda of conversation with, which is what I think I need right now. But for the most part, I've been keeping busy enough not to really notice it too much.
Ironically, given my loneliness, I've also been feeling like I need some personal space and time, just because I am just used to having it for most of the year, and being in massive crowds by day, and with parents at night doesn't give me enough of it.
I think I miss all of my friends a lot right now... I was at dinner with my dad's friends the other night, and they started reminiscing about their past, and were talking about how long they've known each other... For some of them, they've known each other since grade 3 and 6... and they're getting into their 50s and 60s now... and I really hope that I can do the same when I reach that age.
I don't realy have time to blog all night, so I think I'll do a recap of the past week or so...
- I had a family reunion dinner with peeps on my dad's side. I was the youngest one there by like 8 years, but it was good to see all of them again, and I think I'm able to relate with some of my cousin's to some degree, so I'm glad
- My cousin Patrick just got engaged with girlfriend Ronnie of 2.5 years, and it's really interesting to see where I am in life right now, and where someone a few years down the line is at... I think I've also gained a better understanding of what a Chinese family is like, or just any family, and how they play into the marriage of two people.
- New Years was spent partying it up with relatives, at a yacht club my uncle is privy to, where I won a big bottle of champagne, to share with all my relatives, and we had a fancy buffet dinner, and where the DJ was this overly enthused middleaged caucasian, and prone to adding his own "touches" to his songs... like huskily saying "oh yeah" into the microphone during songs, and playing bad remixes of top 40 hits. His playlists were burned onto CDs, and it seemed like he had even included his vinyl scratches on his CDs... He was also a bit creepy... he kept telling "the ladies" to drink more champagne, and said stuff like "I was told this song was inappropriate, but I'm going to play it anyways", to Hot in Here, by Nelly.
- I went to Maoming, a city in the western side of Guangdong province, an 8 hour train ride west of hong kong, to visit my step-grandma, and her children (my aunt and uncle), and also, the resting place of my grandparents (on my dad's side). We had a "afterworld money" burning ceremony, to offer them money, and we burnt over like 15 billion dollars in afterworld money, as well as a couple blank cheques, and some ATM cards. we didn't do any blingbling cars or fancy clothes this time. heh.
- Unused to the use of animal oil rather than tamer vegetable oil, I got nice and sick right before we left maoming, and I expeled numerous times. Let's just leave it at that.
- Then we went to Shenzhen, which is the equivalent of Bellingham, for you West-coasters... and for you east-siders, maybe it's sorta like niagara falls? It's basically shopping heaven... You can get DVDs(pirated, of course), for under $2 a piece. I shoulda bought a bit more, but it's easy to get carried away spending, espeically when you have to convert back to Canadian... $180 RMB (Chinese dollar) is about $30... so it's not a whole lot, but when you kepe buying little things, it adds up quickly!
- I brought my camera in for repairs, and it cost me many a shiney dollar... But it'll have a nice pretty casing, as well as a full set of screws... huzzah!
- I also got my HK identity "smartID" card.. It's basically my form of identification when in HK. It's got like fingerprint information, holograms, and even a computer chip! tres Orwellian, but kinda nifty...
- I've been taking lots of pretty pictures, but haven't had the chance to download any to a computer, and now my camera's in for repairs, so no luck there either. I also brought my dad's shiny auto-focus SLR, and I've been playing around with the manual settings, and it's been a fun time with that as well! So no pictures for now... but as soon as I get access to my camera again... ooh, there's a chance I'll get my hands on my dad's digicam, and trade with him... it's the next generation of my camera. all spiffed out, and everything! funfunfun!
Anyways, it's late now... i should turn the lights out so my parents can sleep in peace.
Good night everyone! (or morning, depending on where you are) I hope you all had a happy new year!
