Getting high on… and in Hong Kong
August 28, 2003 | 12:00am
Hong Kong will always be my favorite destination because it’s actually stepping into a Wong Kar Wai film and indulging in a romantic life in an electrifying world made especially for dreamers like me."
I can’t believe this sentence actually won me a free trip to Hong Kong, but then again I was simply being honest. After seeing Wong Kar Wai’s Chungking Express, I saw Hong Kong in a whole new light. Maybe it was the offbeat story, maybe it was the jump cuts, maybe it was the quirky dialogue; in any case, that film made me want to walk around Hong Kong’s busy streets, not shop, and just lose myself in a world of dripping neon lights. Therefore, I made it my mission on this free trip to drown myself in the splendor of post-SARS Hong Kong. Although low on funds, what I wanted, money couldn’t buy – experience.
Of course, it’s no fun traveling alone, so I brought along one of my best friends, Anne Arcenas. I felt she would make an excellent traveling partner, and it was also my way of repaying her for sending me on a free trip to the US a few years back. Put together two gregarious girls with adventurous hearts on a 4-day, 3-night trip to Hong Kong and you get a weekend that was just too short for comfort.
My smile must have been up to my ears when I heard the words, "You’ll be flying business class," from Cathay Pacific’s Jan Te. As we took our seats in business class and sipped orange juice and an interesting coconut-kiwi drink, I tried not to get too excited. But, my god, I was a winner! All this from one little sentence! It was too cool.
Upon arrival at Hong Kong International Airport, we were escorted like real VIPs to our waiting limos, which took us on a 30-minute drive to The Park Lane Hong Kong. When Perception Inc.’s Marge San Jose told me we were staying at Park Lane, I had to look it up on the Internet right away. Oh joy! Five-star accommodations! I could already see myself lovingly cradled in the lap of luxury for the next few days.
But for all its comforts, I was not going to stay cooped up in the hotel. Once settled, Anne and I hit the streets and gave ourselves to the city. We were instantly attacked by the prospect of so much to see; we were like a two-headed monster fighting over which direction to head to. As we explored our neighborhood, Causeway Bay, we couldn’t help but notice how trendy Hong Kong citizens were. I felt like an outdated manang!
In spite of my "no shopping" stand, I bought the first item right away, a funky shirt for my sister. Then as we mapped out our surroundings, we found my ultimate goal – the food street. I don’t mean chi-chi cafes; I mean fishball stalls and fluorescent noodle houses with roasts hanging in the window. We picked up some siomai and tripe. After licking the last drop of spicy sauce from my lips, I had made myself at home in Hong Kong. We returned to the hotel with legs aching, but it was nothing a little sleep couldn’t remedy.
We stocked up on breakfast because this was going to be a full day. Our itinerary listed places I’d never been to on previous Hong Kong trips. The kicker was the helicopter ride. That was going to be a real first.
Another first was joining the guys from the TV show Roadtrip – Eric, Epi, and Ronnie Quizon, D-boy Trofeo, and Manong "Kaka" – Joseph Cortes of the Philippine STAR and our tour coordinator Bruce Wong. This group proved to be a hella lot of fun because they soon had Anne and me in stitches with their stories and hirits.
At Heliservice, our first stop, we were to take a 10-minute tour of part of Hong Kong Island. There were butterflies in my stomach as the helicopter lifted off the ground, especially since one of the doors had to stay open for Roadtrip to shoot aerial footage. As I looked through my own DV cam, I remained silently mesmerized by the view I was recording.
Heights seemed to be the order of the day as our next stop after the helicopter ride was Victoria Peak. This is the highest point in Hong Kong, and one of its most expensive areas. After taking in the view, we proceeded to Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. Here, the major "Please, take my picture" requests started coming in. Where else would you be able to pose with the likes of Gandhi, Mandela or a guy being strangled to death and the Beatles?
The rest of the day was free for Anne and me, while the media group continued with their coverage. You just gotta love a vacation! But I was also on my own work schedule to cover two kiddie attractions. So, Anne and I hopped on the MTR and crossed to Kowloon side to check out Teddy Bear Kingdom and the Hong Kong Space Museum. Of course, after work, we had the tiangge in Mongkok in mind.
Teddy Bear Kingdom is really kiddie heaven, especially for those who adore stuffed toys. The kingdom hosts a number of activities, from strolling through Teddy Bear Museum to making DIY bears, from playing arcade games to watching the afternoon shows. For her daughter, Adriana, Anne chose, stuffed, and dressed a teddy. The bear is now called Berry, and Adriana carries it wherever she goes.
Next door was the Hong Kong Space Museum. It has two exhibition halls and admission is only HK$10, a few extra dollars more to watch Imax shows. We weren’t much for the shows and toured the exhibits instead.
When the work was done, we took a breather by the fountain outside the museum. As we calmed our tired legs, ate ice cream and watched the crowds go by Salisbury road and up Nathan, I felt strangely at peace in the middle of so many people. You certainly can’t rest that way anywhere in Manila!
Once recharged, it was off to Mongkok for the famous night markets. On my last visit to Hong Kong in 2000, the night market was somewhat untidy, but now it was so neat and clean. In fact, every nook and cranny of Hong Kong was clean! It was such a relief to be in a place where I didn’t have to keep my eyes on the ground trying to avoid a puddle of spit or a pile of trash. According to our tour guide Bruce, the SARS experience prompted the city to clean its streets. Littering and spitting have been outlawed, and a fine of HK$1,500 is imposed on offenders. Trash is collected often and policemen patrol incognito to catch litterbugs and spitters. As I walked in my new pair of surf-style tsinelas (only HK$18!), the comfort in wearing them was doubled by the fact that I didn’t have to worry about what I was stepping on.
After going crazy over 3-for-100 shirts, we grabbed drinks at a healthier, more creative version of Quickly. Aloe jelly with mango and coconut milk has got to be one of the best concoctions ever! But this was just a prelude to dinner back on Hong Kong side at Hey Hey Restaurant, where we sat down to a large yet affordable roasted duck dinner plate. Why should I care about putting on more weight? I love to eat and I love to eat in Hong Kong.
This was the highlight of the grand prize, a fully-hosted day of touring followed by an evening of laser lights and award winning food, which was the "Hong Kong Welcomes You" banquet. By this time, I was fully into the Hong Kong experience that I dreaded going home.
Our morning schedule was a visit to Harbour City, the biggest mall in Hong Kong with over 800 shops. Just like the rest of Hong Kong, all stores dropped their prices by 70 to 80 percent, and come September, sales prices would hit rock bottom. I’m not much of a mallrat, so I opted instead to check out the big clearance sale at HMV where I got a great Finley Quaye single for only HK$5. Anne got a good pair of jeans on sale at Diesel, Joseph got his movies and books from Page One and HMV, and the Roadtrip fellas also managed to fit in a load of shopping in between shooting. After dim sum lunch, we were supposed to head for the tiangge area again, but we changed our minds and asked to return to the hotel instead. Yet, while passing Granville Rd., Eric Quizon piped in, "You know, this is the best place to go shopping." Ting-ting-ting! Our eyes lit up and like little kids we begged our tour guide Bruce to stop for a while. With 40 minutes to spare, the whole group went on the Amazing Race of shopping, entering every store and coming out with a bag or two. I have to say this method worked best for Anne and me because we were reduced to simple choosing terms: You see it, you like it, then buy it. Soon the bus was filled with additional pounds of goods and a bunch of happy people, some of whom felt that they were finally done shopping. Yeah, right!
In the evening, the whole Philippine group was dressed in Filipiniana (well, most of us) for the welcome banquet at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. International winners of the "Hong Kong Welcomes You" promo, along with guests and accompanying media, filled the HKCEC grand hall. The Hong Kong Tourism Board had a real treat lined up – Strato-Fantasia, a special laser show staged on the harbor, then a lauriat dinner of gold-medal dishes from top Chinese restaurants. I was eagerly looking forward to this attack on the senses.
Strato-Fantasia’s music pierced the night air and lifted spirits with its powerful orchestration. On the harbor, the Strato-Fantasia globe projected images into a mist, like a mirage on water. A green laser light danced in the sky, followed by a burst of choreographed pyrotechnics. God sure was good to Hong Kong that night by squeezing all the rain out that afternoon!
The show lasted about 20 minutes. Then it was back inside the hall for what was to be the longest dinner of my life. Nine courses! I was in Chinese culinary heaven. When the first dish came out, I devoured everything on my plate. But as the meal went on, I had to tell myself "Hinay-hinay lang." Yet when the fifth course, stuffed crabmeat shell, was placed in front of me, I scraped up every bit of it and took Anne’s share as well, since she was allergic to crab. Poor girl knew what she was missing.
Four hours into dinner, I was already up to my eyeballs in food. Although my mind cried "Stop!" my mouth and tummy knew I could handle it. This could be my one and only chance to sample such delicious meals! When it was all over, I could hear my comfy hotel bed calling me, and when we were back in the room, I fell straight into its loving arms.
Damn, is it Monday already? Oh well, all good things must come to an end. Kailangan ko na rin umuwi dahil ubos na ang pera ko!
We completed our leftover shopping missions in Central, ate our last authentic Hong Kong meal in a no-English noodle house, then said goodbye to all the luxury of the past weekend. Of course, we couldn’t leave each other without first taking a gazillion pictures in the hotel lobby.
As we flew home, I closed my eyes and played every event all over again in my head. The weekend was such a blur, truly like a scene from Wong Kar Wai’s Chungking Express. So many friends made, so many places conquered, so many things bought – it is Hong Kong after all – but in the end there is still so much more to look forward to. Hong Kong may be a dot compared to other places, but it is bursting with the energy of so much to offer. I eagerly await my next chance to savor this vibrant city that never runs out of things to be experienced.
I can’t believe this sentence actually won me a free trip to Hong Kong, but then again I was simply being honest. After seeing Wong Kar Wai’s Chungking Express, I saw Hong Kong in a whole new light. Maybe it was the offbeat story, maybe it was the jump cuts, maybe it was the quirky dialogue; in any case, that film made me want to walk around Hong Kong’s busy streets, not shop, and just lose myself in a world of dripping neon lights. Therefore, I made it my mission on this free trip to drown myself in the splendor of post-SARS Hong Kong. Although low on funds, what I wanted, money couldn’t buy – experience.
Of course, it’s no fun traveling alone, so I brought along one of my best friends, Anne Arcenas. I felt she would make an excellent traveling partner, and it was also my way of repaying her for sending me on a free trip to the US a few years back. Put together two gregarious girls with adventurous hearts on a 4-day, 3-night trip to Hong Kong and you get a weekend that was just too short for comfort.
Upon arrival at Hong Kong International Airport, we were escorted like real VIPs to our waiting limos, which took us on a 30-minute drive to The Park Lane Hong Kong. When Perception Inc.’s Marge San Jose told me we were staying at Park Lane, I had to look it up on the Internet right away. Oh joy! Five-star accommodations! I could already see myself lovingly cradled in the lap of luxury for the next few days.
But for all its comforts, I was not going to stay cooped up in the hotel. Once settled, Anne and I hit the streets and gave ourselves to the city. We were instantly attacked by the prospect of so much to see; we were like a two-headed monster fighting over which direction to head to. As we explored our neighborhood, Causeway Bay, we couldn’t help but notice how trendy Hong Kong citizens were. I felt like an outdated manang!
In spite of my "no shopping" stand, I bought the first item right away, a funky shirt for my sister. Then as we mapped out our surroundings, we found my ultimate goal – the food street. I don’t mean chi-chi cafes; I mean fishball stalls and fluorescent noodle houses with roasts hanging in the window. We picked up some siomai and tripe. After licking the last drop of spicy sauce from my lips, I had made myself at home in Hong Kong. We returned to the hotel with legs aching, but it was nothing a little sleep couldn’t remedy.
Another first was joining the guys from the TV show Roadtrip – Eric, Epi, and Ronnie Quizon, D-boy Trofeo, and Manong "Kaka" – Joseph Cortes of the Philippine STAR and our tour coordinator Bruce Wong. This group proved to be a hella lot of fun because they soon had Anne and me in stitches with their stories and hirits.
At Heliservice, our first stop, we were to take a 10-minute tour of part of Hong Kong Island. There were butterflies in my stomach as the helicopter lifted off the ground, especially since one of the doors had to stay open for Roadtrip to shoot aerial footage. As I looked through my own DV cam, I remained silently mesmerized by the view I was recording.
Heights seemed to be the order of the day as our next stop after the helicopter ride was Victoria Peak. This is the highest point in Hong Kong, and one of its most expensive areas. After taking in the view, we proceeded to Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. Here, the major "Please, take my picture" requests started coming in. Where else would you be able to pose with the likes of Gandhi, Mandela or a guy being strangled to death and the Beatles?
The rest of the day was free for Anne and me, while the media group continued with their coverage. You just gotta love a vacation! But I was also on my own work schedule to cover two kiddie attractions. So, Anne and I hopped on the MTR and crossed to Kowloon side to check out Teddy Bear Kingdom and the Hong Kong Space Museum. Of course, after work, we had the tiangge in Mongkok in mind.
Teddy Bear Kingdom is really kiddie heaven, especially for those who adore stuffed toys. The kingdom hosts a number of activities, from strolling through Teddy Bear Museum to making DIY bears, from playing arcade games to watching the afternoon shows. For her daughter, Adriana, Anne chose, stuffed, and dressed a teddy. The bear is now called Berry, and Adriana carries it wherever she goes.
Next door was the Hong Kong Space Museum. It has two exhibition halls and admission is only HK$10, a few extra dollars more to watch Imax shows. We weren’t much for the shows and toured the exhibits instead.
When the work was done, we took a breather by the fountain outside the museum. As we calmed our tired legs, ate ice cream and watched the crowds go by Salisbury road and up Nathan, I felt strangely at peace in the middle of so many people. You certainly can’t rest that way anywhere in Manila!
Once recharged, it was off to Mongkok for the famous night markets. On my last visit to Hong Kong in 2000, the night market was somewhat untidy, but now it was so neat and clean. In fact, every nook and cranny of Hong Kong was clean! It was such a relief to be in a place where I didn’t have to keep my eyes on the ground trying to avoid a puddle of spit or a pile of trash. According to our tour guide Bruce, the SARS experience prompted the city to clean its streets. Littering and spitting have been outlawed, and a fine of HK$1,500 is imposed on offenders. Trash is collected often and policemen patrol incognito to catch litterbugs and spitters. As I walked in my new pair of surf-style tsinelas (only HK$18!), the comfort in wearing them was doubled by the fact that I didn’t have to worry about what I was stepping on.
After going crazy over 3-for-100 shirts, we grabbed drinks at a healthier, more creative version of Quickly. Aloe jelly with mango and coconut milk has got to be one of the best concoctions ever! But this was just a prelude to dinner back on Hong Kong side at Hey Hey Restaurant, where we sat down to a large yet affordable roasted duck dinner plate. Why should I care about putting on more weight? I love to eat and I love to eat in Hong Kong.
Our morning schedule was a visit to Harbour City, the biggest mall in Hong Kong with over 800 shops. Just like the rest of Hong Kong, all stores dropped their prices by 70 to 80 percent, and come September, sales prices would hit rock bottom. I’m not much of a mallrat, so I opted instead to check out the big clearance sale at HMV where I got a great Finley Quaye single for only HK$5. Anne got a good pair of jeans on sale at Diesel, Joseph got his movies and books from Page One and HMV, and the Roadtrip fellas also managed to fit in a load of shopping in between shooting. After dim sum lunch, we were supposed to head for the tiangge area again, but we changed our minds and asked to return to the hotel instead. Yet, while passing Granville Rd., Eric Quizon piped in, "You know, this is the best place to go shopping." Ting-ting-ting! Our eyes lit up and like little kids we begged our tour guide Bruce to stop for a while. With 40 minutes to spare, the whole group went on the Amazing Race of shopping, entering every store and coming out with a bag or two. I have to say this method worked best for Anne and me because we were reduced to simple choosing terms: You see it, you like it, then buy it. Soon the bus was filled with additional pounds of goods and a bunch of happy people, some of whom felt that they were finally done shopping. Yeah, right!
In the evening, the whole Philippine group was dressed in Filipiniana (well, most of us) for the welcome banquet at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. International winners of the "Hong Kong Welcomes You" promo, along with guests and accompanying media, filled the HKCEC grand hall. The Hong Kong Tourism Board had a real treat lined up – Strato-Fantasia, a special laser show staged on the harbor, then a lauriat dinner of gold-medal dishes from top Chinese restaurants. I was eagerly looking forward to this attack on the senses.
Strato-Fantasia’s music pierced the night air and lifted spirits with its powerful orchestration. On the harbor, the Strato-Fantasia globe projected images into a mist, like a mirage on water. A green laser light danced in the sky, followed by a burst of choreographed pyrotechnics. God sure was good to Hong Kong that night by squeezing all the rain out that afternoon!
The show lasted about 20 minutes. Then it was back inside the hall for what was to be the longest dinner of my life. Nine courses! I was in Chinese culinary heaven. When the first dish came out, I devoured everything on my plate. But as the meal went on, I had to tell myself "Hinay-hinay lang." Yet when the fifth course, stuffed crabmeat shell, was placed in front of me, I scraped up every bit of it and took Anne’s share as well, since she was allergic to crab. Poor girl knew what she was missing.
Four hours into dinner, I was already up to my eyeballs in food. Although my mind cried "Stop!" my mouth and tummy knew I could handle it. This could be my one and only chance to sample such delicious meals! When it was all over, I could hear my comfy hotel bed calling me, and when we were back in the room, I fell straight into its loving arms.
We completed our leftover shopping missions in Central, ate our last authentic Hong Kong meal in a no-English noodle house, then said goodbye to all the luxury of the past weekend. Of course, we couldn’t leave each other without first taking a gazillion pictures in the hotel lobby.
As we flew home, I closed my eyes and played every event all over again in my head. The weekend was such a blur, truly like a scene from Wong Kar Wai’s Chungking Express. So many friends made, so many places conquered, so many things bought – it is Hong Kong after all – but in the end there is still so much more to look forward to. Hong Kong may be a dot compared to other places, but it is bursting with the energy of so much to offer. I eagerly await my next chance to savor this vibrant city that never runs out of things to be experienced.
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