Hong Kong Hong Kong Revisited

If I could take only one thing with me on a desert island it would be Hong Kong. The city has everything I could ever want–it’s near enough to allow spur-of-the-moment trips; it’s easy to move around; the shopping and eating are first-rate; and when I am very lucky, I can even find shoes for my big feet.

I must have been about 11 years old the first time I went to Hong Kong. I remember choosing a cotton knit striped outfit of matching t-shirt and skirt and white sandals for my very first encounter with a city that I have visited quite a few times since then and which has become my favorite destination. As we descended into Kai Tak International Airport I stared out the window in awe and excitement.

It has been 22 years and many things have changed. Instead of Kai Tak we now land in Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong’s International Airport which has been hailed as the world’s best airport for the third straight year. But one thing that hasn’t changed is that my pulse never fails to quicken every time my plane is about to land.

My relationship with Hong Kong is almost like that of a marriage–for richer for poorer, in good times and in bad. Unfortunately, we have had to draw the line at "in sickness and in health." My family and I spent last Christmas in Hong Kong and we were looking forward to going back in May. But sars reared its ugly head and we had to postpone our planned trip. Luckily, we went on a totally unplanned, spur-of-the-moment 3 days/2 nights trip last February. And when the World Health Organization declared Hong Kong safe, we were quick to make plans for a trip in July. Friends of friends who were quicker on the draw returned to Manila with tales of fantastic sales. I couldn’t wait to go back and see for myself what post-sars Hong Kong would be like.

The Hong Kong that we love is waking up after sars and is almost back to the way it was when we left it last February. We were happy and relieved to see that our friends at the Hyatt Regency–our home away from home–were safe. They never fail to take excellent care of us every time we visit and this time was not an exception. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that we would be getting one night free, and we could get another night free next summer. Kudos to General Manager Juergen Wolter and the rest of the hotel’s very able staff. We were equally glad to see our various sukis–Philip, Tara and Karen at D.Y. Kee Jewellery at The Hyatt Regency Shopping Arcade were just as attentive and quick to produce an item I was in search of; Merlino Co., a maker of leather bags and shoes at The Kowloon Hotel, was doing good business exporting its wares to Japan.

Despite decreased business, it was good to see that the sars-induced downtime was wisely spent. Store owners used the time to spruce up their shops in preparation for the return of the tourists. And it was good to note that, sars or no sars, the stores know that the show must go on–I walked into Gucci and drooled over the Fall/Winter 2003-2004 bags that were already on display; I marveled at the new Cartier, Celine, Dior, and Fendi boutiques on Peking Road.

The tales of mega sales proved to be true. Manolo Blahnik, Lane Crawford, Vivienne Tam, Giordano, U2–sale signs were in abundance. But what I find most amusing is that some of my favorite purchases this time were Old Navy boxer shorts found at one of the stores on Granville Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. I couldn’t resist the cute prints and the HK$19 price tag. The even funnier part was discovering that some of them were made in the Philippines.

Just for kicks, we went to Hermès to see if the outbreak of sars in any way affected the availability of the covetable Birkin bag, We were curious about the model in Amazonia rubber. No, it wasn’t available. No, we couldn’t even place an order. The boutique told us that they don’t take orders as it can take up to six years for the bag to be ready. How silly of me to think that a six-month wait would be possible. At the most, I thought it could take up to two years. The store was right–six years is way too long. So many things can happen. Whoops, there goes the rubber bag.

When one isn’t shopping in Hong Kong it could mean that he is either sleeping or eating. One of our favorite Hong Kong treats is enjoying a scoop or two of Häagen-Dazs ice cream–perfect after a whole day of shopping and walking. Though we didn’t do that this time, we discovered Beard Papa–a shop at the Hyatt Regency’s shopping arcade that makes one of the best cream puffs I’ve had of late. Warm and crisp on the outside, these dreamy delights have a cool, creamy filling that’s sweetened just right.

Though we saw only a handful of people still wearing masks, there are indications of what Hong Kong has just been through. Our suki money changer on Lock Road, Tsim Sha Tsui seems to have closed shop. Hopefully, they will re-open soon. The airport is no longer a ghost town but traffic isn’t back to its pre-sars volume. Some malls have installed alcohol gel dispensers for all to make use of. And passengers’ temperatures are still taken, albeit discreetly via what appear to be heat-sensing cameras, upon arrival and before departure.

There is something about Hong Kong that makes shopping even more of a thrill. Maybe it’s the bargains that can be had. Maybe it’s the abundance of high-end luxury goods. Maybe it’s the combination of both. If shopping truly is an addiction–and I am a confirmed addict–then Hong Kong would be my favorite fix.

The city never fails to take my breath away, its energy and vibe always put a spring in my step. I always want to stay an extra day, and I will always want to go back. Hopefully, I will be spending Christmas there this year. Hopefully, New Years’ Eve too. And, hopefully, if I am very, very good, I will manage to sneak in another trip between now and then.