Friday, August 20, 2010

Greetings from Hong Kong!

Good morning, friends and family!

It is 7:50 a.m. here in Hong Kong, and I have just awoken from a great night's sleep in the chic little flat I will live in for my first month here. Rob and I survived the 16 hour flight from JFK, which was not bad AT ALL, and we landed here last night at 7 p.m.

I was shocked at how quickly the flight went by. About 30 minutes before the plane landed, the Cathay Pacific flight attendants started playing calm Chinese music and offering the last round of hot Chinese tea. I indulged. The tea combined with the music really got me excited about the arrival. As we descended into Hong Kong, I looked out the window to notice that the terrain here was truly nothing like I have ever seen. The mountains rise out of the water in the most unique way--they are sharp but also graceful. It really was beautiful. I'll show you in pictures later.

Anyway, we landed, flew through customs and took a cab to the flat. In Hong Kong they drive on the left side of the road. The flat is located in Central, just near Lan Kwai Fong. I was very excited and probably was smiling the whole way into the city. The bridges that took us from the new territories to Hong Kong Island were beautiful--lots of lights, which highlighted their nimble design. Apparently the bridges can sustain winds of up to 350 miles per hour. Ultimately, the city by night is unlike anything I have ever seen. Some say it is like an Asian New York, but I wont simplify it like that yet. I will deconstruct the landscape near my apartment, though. The terrain reminds me of the windy old roads in central Mexico, sort of like in San Miguel. Up and down, round and round, cobble stone streets. The trendy bars and restaurants that line these streets remind me of some small English village or of the waterfront in Savannah or New Orleans--they are filled with pubs and people bursting out of them. I cannot wait to peruse the city tonight with Rob and see what it's like on foot as opposed to peering out of a taxi.

I am anxious to get out and explore the city today. Hopefully after today I will have a new Hong Kong cell phone number and a few groceries in my fridge. I'll sign out until then, but please drop me a line if you feel so inclined! I appreciate all of the words of welcome I received from many of you in the past few days!

XOX,

Lizard



Fresh on the ground in Hong Kong! First picture--view of the Cathay Pacific 777 that brought us safely to Hong Kong

Here I am (glasses and all) on the way into town! I really needed those glasses after 24 hours of traveling!





View of one of the bridges on the way into Hong Kong proper.


Kitchen/library area of my flat, which I adore!


Living Room


My Street--Wo On Lane

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