Sai Kung, my favourite place in Hong Kong
How fast a year has gone by. Today I leave Hong Kong on an evening Singapore Airlines (of course) flight back to Singapore after what has been an absolutely fantastic year in Hong Kong. For a person who’s been in Hong Kong for just one year, I think I’ve been really good in making an effort to know the city. I’m leaving Hong Kong with mixed feelings as I actually can’t bear to leave it. If I loved my job more in Hong Kong, I’d probably have chosen to stay awhile longer. But there’s something I need to do at the moment and I want to do it in Singapore, so back I go. Hopefully I’ll return to Hong Kong to live one day. While I’m away from Hong Kong, here are the things I love and will miss about one of my favourite cities!
FOOD
1. I can get food at any time, anywhere!
2. Whatever the size of your wallet, you can always get good food.
3. Dai pai dongs
4. Fantastic Cantonese food
5. Tasty and great variety of dimsum
6. The great variety of food – Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Italian, French, German, etc
7. The shops – 凉茶铺 – that sell traditional herbal teas that are in every other street corner
8. Good patisseries
9. All the dessert shops (糖水铺) selling traditional Cantonese desserts
10. High tea at the Intercontinental – fantastic view from the dining area (I think it beats The Peninsula)
11. Freshly baked egg tarts of traditional bakeries at every other street
12. The wet markets with all the fresh vegetables and live seafood
13. Citysuper supermarket (especially the one in Causeway Bay ‘cos it’s the biggest!)
14. SOGO’s supermarket
15. Vegetable farms in the New Territories
16. 飲食男女 － the very well-written and well-researched weekly food magazine which comes with the trashy tabloid 忽然一周. I buy the latter just to get the former – really.
17. Jenny’s Bakery – love their pineapple tarts and butter cookies!
TRANSPORT
18. Star ferries that ply the harbour and the outlying islands
19. Trams in Hong Kong Island, more affectionately known as the ‘ting ting’ by the locals
20. Efficient and well-run MTR train system
21. Mini-buses, even if the drivers drive like maniacs
22. The frequency of buses and its comprehensive network
23. Octopus cards that can be used to make payment at all major shops, car parks and even vending machines
24. Chep Lap Kok international airport
25. The Airport Express – the best airport commute in the world
26. Taxis – you can flag one down easily any time, anywhere
PLACES
27. Tai O fishing village in Lantau Island for the unique lifestyle it offers Hong Kongers
28. Central (中環) for its little alleys and mix of modern and old-styled shops and restaurants
29. Hong Kong skyline as you look at it from the Kowloon side
30. Victoria Harbour
31. Victoria Park (just a five-minute walk from where I live)
32. Mong Kok’s madness and quirky streets like Goldfish Street
GEOGRAPHY
33. Dragon’s Back hiking trail – one of the best urban trails
34. Sai Kung for all the outdoor activities it offers – hiking, coastal trekking, stream trekking, wakeboarding, boating
35. Lantau Island for similar outdoor activities to Sai Kung that it offers
36. All the hills in Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories that offer numerous hiking trails
37. Mild winters – I can’t deal with harsh winters and Hong Kong’s winters are perfect for me!
38. Proximity to China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and South East Asia
SERVICES
39. Efficiency of the immigration department
40. Efficiency of services – time is money, so people do things fast!
41. Laundrettes that are everywhere and provide cheap laundry services
42. Traditional Chinese Medicine physicians are recognised and allowed to give out medical certificates
43. Being able to hire a junk boat or yacht for an affordable price, for a whole day and with food catered! Makes going out to sea a very accessible and affordable activity for the masses – fantastic!
PEOPLE
44. The cosmopolitan and international mix of people with a respect and tolerance for people of different races, creed and religion to co-exist
45. Tradition and modernity co-exist in this cosmopolitan city
46. People can protest and take part in demonstrations without getting arrested. People actually make the effort to take part in a demonstration / protest for a cause they believe in.
SHOPPING
47. My favourite lifestyle shop G.O.D
48. H&M – I never walk of the store empty-handed
49. Cheap tickets for concerts staged by Hong Kong artistes
50. Cameras are relatively cheaper – I love my new waterproof Pentax Optio!