hong kong revisited

(a panoramic view of the city from the victoria peak on a bright and sunny summer day.)

the former british colony is full of contradictions. sleek, modern, high-tech steel and glass skyscrapers compete for limited space with old buildings that don't even have a lift, buddhist temples where the faithful prays and offers fruits, parks where tired yayas bring their wards to play while they get busy texting, a barbershop, and even wet markets.
where high-end shopping malls such as the landmark and ifc co-exist harmoniously with street vendors selling the cheap knockoffs of signature items (lv, gucci, coach) such as wallets, bags, suitcases (and even pirated movies on dvds) from china or anywhere else.
it is a city where the rich and the poor congregate. where the richest man can afford to buy the most expensive art in the world, while an old woman can be seen looking at trash bins for something that she can sell afterwards.
it boasts of the most expensive and chic restaurants and bars owned by renowned international celebrity chefs, yet cheap but delicious eats likewise abound.
maybe because of these contradictions, the city is one of the most exciting places to live this side of the globe.  aside from that, it has also one of the best public transport system (underground train) in the universe: affordable, convenient, efficient, clean.
the city is a cacophony of different sounds, tastes, colours, smells. it's a melting pot; a place where dreams, both elusive and within one's reach, are made and lost; where memories, happy and sad, are woven together on an old pair of jeans and never forgotten.
here are some snapshots of hong kong, a favourite destination for filipinos to unwind, relax, shop, eat, see and be seen, work, live and even die.

(the rooftop bars and restaurants at ifc, a favourite expat hang out especially after work.)

(a favourite neighbourhood place at midlevels to unwind, where cozy coffeeshops, antique stores, galleries cater to a small clientele.)

(office towers at central)

(the pier at the central where people take the ferry to discovery bay, lamma and lantau islands. i usually come here here on early mornings on weekends, drinking coffee bought from cova, reading books, magazines and newspapers under the splendid sun. on cold winter days, i would still come here wearing thick jacket and scarf, sipping hot cappuccino or beer. just looking at people in their holiday's best hopping in and out of the ferries.)

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(an apartment building at the midlevels. no i didn't live there. right next to it.)

(inside one of the temples at the central.)

(the reliable small boats that ferry passengers to and from their flats.)

(a fruit stand right next to tall office buildings in central.)

(a friendly barber right in the bustling central. despite the skyrocketing rent, small businesses like a barbershop, a tailoring shop, a noodle stall, still thrive in the cramped city.)

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where on weekends you can hop on a ferry and after half an hour, you would be transported into another world -- a fishing village or two, a beach, where life is less harried, less stressful, less crowded.

(a couple selling fresh fish right from their boat that also serves as their home.)

(a woman selling fresh fish at a tiny fishing village on one of the islands near central.)

where people walk or ride a bicycle instead of expensive cars. in fact, there are villages that prohibit the use of cars on their narrow streets.

and in some cases, the motorized bancas traversing the shallow rivers.

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while the sand in its beaches is not as refined, as white, as in boracay and where the water is certainly not as clear and blue, for a tired city dweller these beaches are good enough just to escape hong kong's crowded, highly-pressurized, exhausting every day life.

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just like any city in the world, hong kong has lots of places to dine, wine, see and be seen. from the expensive michelin rated joints or those run by celebrity chefs to cheap dim sum places and other eateries that sell rice toppings and seafoods. there are french, italian, thai, malaysian, singaporean, vietnamese, korean, japanese restaurants, and a hole-in-the-wall filipino eatery in wanchai. there are buffets, sit-down, fast food, or just take away places.

or if eating out is not your thing (because you are anti-social, afraid of eating out lest the food may not be clean or cooked to your liking, or just trying to save some money), you can just go to the supermarket (or wet market), buy fresh vegetable, fish, pork, etc and cook at home. go hotpot. share the food with friends.

that's all! babush!

(if you like this post, this will have a part two where i will post more hong kong photos. you want?)