Falling in Love with China: Friday, May 21, 2010 - Arrival at Hong Kong International Airport plus a late dinner

7:10pm - Arrival at HK International Airport

I glad to complete that long plane ride; aside from the breathtaking take-off and landing, it was a largely painful experience and confirmed my fear of flying. Now that the plane ride is over, it’s time to head to my uncle’s place at Lai Chi Kok. Once I got off the airplane, a powerful blast of humidity and heat hit me. Why is NYC still 64°F while HK is a blazing 84°F?? Time to break a sweat.

With my Octopus card in hand, I board a bus to Lai Chi Kok with dad and relatives and realize two things – Octopus cards are 1000X better than a Metrocard and that Hong Kong bus drivers drive like mad. I almost flew out of my seat at every turn, and as my dad commented, “If these guys were in NYC, they would be fired!”

10pm - FOOD. What more can I say?

We had to walk a certain distance before we reach his place by the fire station. I was surprised that many shops were still open at this time and that people were hanging out even at 11pm at night. In NYC, 6-8pm meant closing and Chinatown becomes a ghost town after 9pm. The streets are brightly-lit and thriving, with large franchises situated next to smaller local shops.

The Chinese “say it with food” and when they mean dinner (or lunch), they mean going to a restaurant and ordering heaping portions of suckling pig, crispy golden-brown chicken, sticky rice on plantain, and steamed striped bass. Who cares if you are half-conscious from a long plane ride – we eat first, rest later. Prepare for some pictures of good food.