Passing by Hong Kong

Homecoming (3)

Hong Kong, Hong Kong, this is a place that is a bit familiar and a bit scary to me. She has a strong sense of history and a sense of distance from reality. In my mind, she is like a rose, very beautiful but with a little thorn at the same time.

The process of our arrival was a little awkward. The first thing was the difference in payment methods. When we got out of the MTR, we found that we had not been back to China for many years. There was no Alipay or WeChat Pay. We couldn't make a payment at all with a VISA card that was supposed to be accepted around the world. When I got to the taxi, I was extremely grateful to UBER. It still has services in Hong Kong. Then there is the language barrier. Then there's the unsuitable weather. Late at night in early August, the moisture in the air seems to clog the pores of the skin. Physical discomfort makes falling asleep difficult. Finally, at dawn in the morning, I looked out the window and discovered that our room was facing the corner of Victoria Harbor. Looking out to the right, we could see an old man doing morning exercises on the terrace near the harbor, and freighters and cruise ships were passing by. The window on the other side faces the gap between the two buildings in front. At the end of a long vertical space is a light blue canvas. The copper-yellow glass on the exterior wall of the building, like two metal plates, looks radiant under the morning glow. I finally got rid of my depressed mood and looked forward to going to the beach to admire the row upon row of buildings.

When we came out of the hotel, we ran into people squeezing the subway to work, and the whole street was packed. Everyone's faces were in a hurry. This scene was very Hong Kong style in the news or TV series. Fashionably dressed young men and women with delicate faces and carrying bags. A series of words such as white-collar workers, office workers, urban elites, etc. appeared in my mind. There was a movie called "Singles" more than ten years ago, in which the financial company employee played by Gao Yuanyuan seemed to be one of them. At this moment, I had a sudden realization, as if the film and television were reflected in reality.

The hotel is close to Kowloon Park. We first went to see the flamingos in the park. I actually discovered the Hawaiian Yellow-necked Brent Goose. It was a real surprise to meet Ne Ne again. When we were hiking in Maui, Hawaii, we met two Ne Nes, begging us for water. They swayed as they walked, which was very cute. Perhaps because Hawaii is not far from Asia, Hong Kong has also introduced this unique Hawaiian bird population for viewing. Passing through Kowloon Park, we walked through two blocks. The first floor was full of shops, offering breakfast, pastries, Chinese medicine, milk tea, and more. It's close to Tsim Sha Tsui, so business must be good. Turning forward, there is a white six or seven-story building with The Peninsula Hotel written on it. My mind immediately flashed to the scene in Lust, Caution, where several ladies were playing mahjong, seemingly chatting about domestic matters, and mentioned the Peninsula Hotel. I can’t remember the specific plot, but once again there is a connection between the actual situation and literary and artistic works. Still a wonderful experience.

Passing through the busy streets, a narrow double-decker bus passed in front of us. I sighed again in my heart, wow, it turns out that the scenes in TV/movies are like this. Walking further towards the water, we arrived at the "Avenue of Stars". The statue has the same shape as the Hong Kong Film Awards trophy, and the handprints of movie stars are embedded on the handrails. I found Paw Chi-ching and Ann Hui, and thought of "Days and Nights in Tin Shui Wai". I found Wai Ying-hung, and thought of "Blood Guanyin" (although it is not Hong Kong movie), found Ip Tak-han, and remembered "Sister Tao". Opposite are the skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island. Seen from a close distance, they don’t seem so spectacular. They look like a barrier growing out of the turquoise sea between the mountains and the sea. Victoria Peak is clearly visible. The sun had just risen at this time, and there was a slight wind blowing on my face. I looked ahead and looked around. The twists and turns of the previous night had become footnotes to this city. Ah, this is Hong Kong, I thought.