When I was living in Cape Town every single expat I met spoke about how living and working in Hong Kong was a must. Apparently it would advance your professional career faster there than anywhere else because all the major multinational companies had offices in Hong Kong and the international exposure was what anyone starting out needed, also, the expat life was amazing, a chance to meet and work with people from around the world. So when I got the chance, off I went, I wanted to see what it was like before I tried to work there and found myself heading there with mum during the festive season.
The one thing about Hong Kong that I had heard was that it was “like” China but it wasn’t, I wasn’t sure what this meant but it didn’t matter, we wanted to see for ourselves. I heard all about how the food was “literally to die for” as a foodie, who always said things like, “Oh I love Chinese food” I wasn’t nearly prepared and should have done a little more research in this department. We found ourselves at a food market, it didn’t look like a “wet” market and I am wasn’t entirely sure what the various options were but we tried congee, which looked like porridge and we picked the option with chicken and vegetables, let’s just say it really is an acquired taste and wasn’t for us.
Hong Kong was full of life, it felt like a city that never slept, with a high street with all your international brands and many outdoor markets where you could buy anything and everything, from clothes to bags to shoes to electronics, kitchen supplies, anything. We weren’t looking for this shopper haven side of it and we decided to head off to Victoria Peak, the highest hill on the island. I have seen many city views on my travels but this took my breathe away, it felt like being on top of the world. I feel that the trip would have been enough if this is all we saw, so beautiful. We took a lovely ferry ride from Victoria Harbour and saw the famous Jumbo floating restaurant, such a majestic sight. Our guide told us that getting a reservation could sometimes be tricky because the restaurant was so popular but my mum and I thought sailing past it was good enough.
The one thing I loved the most about Hong Kong were the people! Such warm, friendly people, who went out of their way to make us feel so welcome. I always say this when people ask about our experience. It would be walking down the streets and people saying hello and asking if we needed help with directions. What really left a warm feeling in my heart was when mum and I decided to take the subway to DisneyLand, which was in the middle of nowhere. The minute we stepped on the subway (going and coming back) someone immediately offered a seat for mum and reached over to take her hand so she wouldn’t fall when the train started moving. To some people this may seem small but it registered as such a kind gesture for me. Hong Kong Disney didn’t disappoint, the magic of Disney came alive in that park for us and it really lived up to its’ name, the happiest place on earth.
If I think of all the places I went to, I would honestly rank Hong Kong as one of the best experiences, it wasn’t the food but the genuine hospitality this nation awarded us as we made our way through the streets. I would love a chance to visit again, of course it would have to be with my mum:)
