In the Busy City

It's been almost a full week that I am here at the Chinese University. I finally figured out the university's shuttle system: something of a feat considering the number of routes and the fact that I have yet to see a map showing where the bus stops actually are. I did it the old fashion way, by taking each of the different routes at least once. On one occasion, it took me almost an hour to go from my office back to the iHouse. To put this in perspective, I went from iHouse to Thim Sha Tsui in less than 45 minutes. To put this in even more perspective, a taxi would charge you $10 for the former route $10 (or not take you at all) and around $200 for the latter.

All of this was an introduction so I can say that I finally went to Hong Kong Island. But first, I met up with my friend Christy and her friends Benson and Eva in a Korean restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui (part of Kowloon just opposite of the Hong Kong Island). We had Korean grill,

 and the meal could not help but be amazing. The table had a built-in gas grill in the middle, so once given the ingredients (4 different kinds of meat), we did the rest. The meat was accompanied by various side dishes, including shrimp cake, black beans, kim chi, tofu, sweet potato, and some "specy" (not my typo) Korean vegetable and beef soup, which ended up not being so spicy after all (perhaps because I was panicking in front of the waitress while we were ordering). 

Following the dinner, we hopped in a cab, and went to the Hong Kong Island side. 

We went straight to Lan Kwai Fong, a central district famous for its nightlife. Lan Kwai Fong is essentially 2-3 blocks of streets open only to pedestrian traffic, brimming with bars and clubs, which are in their turn overflowing with loud customers having a good time. Unlike in most of Hong Kong, there it is not difficult to spot foreigners, as the ratio of locals to Gui-Los is about a half (it's close to 1 elsewhere). After having a drink in Balalaika's famous ice room (seriously, they even have an arm chair made of ice) we gathered enough courage to go back out into the heat, and try to find a place quiet enough for a conversation. This proved no easy task but eventually we settled in California, a jazz place with a live band. There, we enjoyed chatting for a while, trying to be louder than the music, getting to know each other and comparing different cultures. It turns out that the family values are mostly universal across nations, which is a nice thing to know.  

Realizing that the rest of my experience that night (Haagen Dazs ice-cream and a taxi ride back to CU) is not that interesting, I am tempted into making something of a conclusion. Being in Hong Kong (whether it is Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, or Central) is an amazing experience. The sheer number of people, the rush, the noise, the neons is enough to make one's head spin. However, having only had two meals and a few short walks in this city, I still can't say anything specific other than: you should definitely come and see this place for yourself. I hope to wonder around the city many more times, hopefully even today. Christy invited me to the traditional Sunday Dim Sum with her family tomorrow, and I look forward to that (and so do my taste buds). And this weekend, the Gods of rain decided to take a break.