By Karolina Kopek, 6/01/2015. As ridiculous as this sounds, the past five days I have spent in Hong Kong were probably some of the best days I have ever had. All of my fears about sadness and loneliness disappeared as soon as I arrived at my hostel. They weren’t even options due to its small size and the family-like atmosphere. I spent my time sightseeing and talking to anyone I could, learning more than I have probably learned in a few years at school! It is mesmerizing what a few days by yourself in a foreign place can do to you – I already feel much more resilient and knowledgeable (and unbeatable, as I am still alive).
I have never known much about Hong Kong and its distinct separation from mainland China until now. The strong Western influence was definitely part of the reason why I did not experience difficulties in the city and it was a nice way to gradually ease into the Chinese culture. The public transit both in Hong Kong and Shanghai is simply heavenly and I wish New York’s MTA could be as organized and cheap.
I did not get to talk to many Chinese or Hong Kong natives at first, but I gained some interesting insight from as little as observing people in the metro. I noticed a pattern of behaviors that could be deemed “feminine” in the Western world across young local men such as contained sitting postures or even carrying small bags. My hypothesis so far is that femininity is not as ridiculously avoided here as it often is in the US by many masculine figures. I have also noticed a lovely phenomenon of couples wearing as many matching clothes as possible which would also be considered strange in the US. I am currently trying to seek out the dynamics within this phenomenon and see how gender roles, particularly feminine clothing, directly play into it.
I am attaching some photos of the spectacular things I have seen in Hong Kong. I feel like I had a love affair that was way too short but I am starting to enjoy Shanghai just as much as HK.
This is me after climbing up on Victoria Peak! I wore the worst hiking shoes imaginable but I made it. The mountains, the skyline, and the coast make the most interesting urban combination ever.
Wong Tai Sin Temple in Kowloon
The Giant Buddha at Lantau Island. I came too late and was sent back after walking up millions of stairs. I thought I was going to get stranded on the island because nobody spoke English and the buses stopped running but it would have been worth it… The island had spectacular scenery and gave me a small preview of mainland China might be like.
This is the monastery at Lantau Island next to the Big Buddha.
This is the huge observation wheel that I went on!
One of the 10,000 photos I took of the skyline on Hong Kong Island.