The tale of two cities

When you’ve been under lockdown for a few months and things open up, there is a sense of euphoria unlike any other. You wake up with a renewed energy and determination to make the most of the freedom (especially when you live in a place where you have no idea when it will be snatched away). The last few weeks we have explored more of this beautiful country we live in more than we have in the months since we moved here.

Hong Kong is a city with many faces. While the first association with the city are the tall skyscrapers, the crowded streets and unlimited (well a bit more limited if you are vegetarian like us) food options, there is a whole other side to this city. A few weeks ago we visited Kam Shan Country Park, a hidden gem behind Shatin and Kowloon, a world away from the pollution and skyscrapers of the city. As soon as we emerged from our taxi, we were greeted by a group of monkeys. To my city born and bred kids, the site of monkeys freely roaming the streets was fascinating.

These monkeys were NOT shy. Before we even had a chance to set off on a hike, one had jumped down and snatched a cardboard telescope from one of the kids. After convincing the kids a battle with a monkey to retrieve a homemade cardboard craft was not a great idea, we decided to do the Kam Shan tree walk, a nice gentle trail past a beautiful reservoir. We had gone with our friends C and N, and their pack of 3 kids. The kids loved it, till one monkey, not pleased that one of the kids had pointed at it and said something, decided to jump on poor L. Needless to say she is not a fan of monkeys anymore, but on the bright side, the kids definitely learned a lesson about pointing and talking! I should employ a monkey to teach some more lessons!

Our recent months of lockdown and staying home has also motivated hubby and me to explore the gritty city sans kids. Leaving the kids at home has meant we can be a bit more adventurous with our food choices and expand beyond pizza and pasta. I have been wanting to try local Sichuan since we got here and we finally got the chance to burn our tongues at Nine Dragons. The food was fabulous and mouth numbing as promised. After our satisfying meal, we hit the streets and walked around Causeway Bay, the shopping mecca of the city. Here we experienced what one would typically expect, a throng of people - unlike anything i have ever seen in NYC or London. Just walking down a regular street felt like being part of a parade. For once words do not do justice, so I’m going to let the pictures speak!

As we were walking by, we saw a crowd of people taking pictures of a billboard- it seemed to just be a young man advertising something. We thought it had to be a 3D billboard or something given the number of people standing in sheer awe. As we walked further, we saw another crowd around a big cardboard ‘shrine’. Turns out it was the birthday of a young Canto pop actor/singer Keung To. Now I had my boyband phase as a teen, but I don’t think I’ve ever taken a picture with a board of pictures😂. There is even a fan club which funded free tram rides all day in honor of him turning the grand age of 23. Fan obsession on a whole new level! Stay tuned for more adventures from both sides of this fascinating city!