Of chickens, eggs, and interesting déjà vu's

“A magnet for impossible relationships,” a friend used to call me. She is referring to the curious phenomenon of me still unattached at 30 years old despite the fact that you would be hard-pressed to find any point in my life from high school onwards where I am not in a close relationship with someone from the opposite sex. I had laughed it off then, like I always did – there are very few things we cannot laugh at, and this definitely isn’t one of them. But when history seems to keep repeating itself, a recurring déjà vu, if you will, it gets harder not to at least wonder why.

I’m something of what one might call “one of the boys,” and I’ve gotten along with them better than most girls for the most part. But for some reason, certain men are drawn to me stronger than usual, almost from the moment we first meet. Curiously, the one thing they seem to have in common is that there is always some reason or another why a romantic relationship with them is just not meant to prosper. Some reasons are glaringly obvious, others more subtle, but the bottom line is the same: every single one is a deal-breaker.

That is not to say, however, that these reasons necessarily preclude friendship, so that I have at least been able to form very dear friendships with some of these sons of Adam. (I love the way that sounds, “sons of Adam”. So regal. CS Lewis sure can write! But I digress...)

In any case, I’m beginning to wonder if this is some sort of a chicken-or-egg thing. Am I still single because I attract unavailable men, or do I attract unavailable men because I subconsciously choose to stay single? Hmm. I don’t know what good it would do me to ponder it, but it’s an interesting conundrum just the same. And I’m all about interesting conundrums. ;)

The great HK adventure part 3: Highlights

The entire trip was a blast, but these were the stars of the show:

1. The Octopus Card

I love, love, love this card - it's like a magic wand, haha! Load it with credit and it virtually replaces your wallet. It can be used on almost all forms of public transport (you can't use it on taxis, though, or on the Ngong Ping cable car either, I think), fast food stores (I bought breakfast at McDonald's with it!), convenience stores, telephone kiosks, vending machines... the list goes on. It can even be used in some stores in Macau and Shenzhen! Just hold it in front of the terminal - you don't even need to take it out of your bag or wallet if it's thin enough.

And this little wonder is smart, too. Because it works through a sensor, it automatically disables (for about 10 minutes, i think) after each transaction to protect against duplication of charging, in case it gets too near the terminal again. And, senior citizen cards automatically implement all applicable senior citizen discounts! The owner's age is programmed in the card and emits a different sound when it's used, so you can verify if the user is really a senior citizen. Awesome, isn't it?

Best of all, the cards are returnable, and the unused credits are refundable. They deduct 7 HK dollars from the refund if you return the card within 3 months of purchase, but since MTR fares are discounted anyway when you use the Octopus Card, it's really not such a big deal. I'd happily fork it over for all this convenience.

2. The public transport system

Amazingly reliable and efficient. You could set your watches on their schedule! If first-time visitors like me can find their way around enough to get to all the places I was able to go to entirely on public transport (and we only took a cab once, just because it was late and we were trying to make it to the cable cars), then I really don't know why anyone would bother to drive at all, hahaha!!!

3. Hong Kong milk tea

The first drink I ever bought upon arriving was a Black Tea Latte (I love Starbucks HK for still serving this!) and had milk tea every single time I could. I'm really gonna miss this...

4. Disneyland's AutoMagic entrance ticket dispenser

A wonder of convenience. Just insert the credit card you used to pay for the tickets you purchased online in the machine, and out come your tickets, just like an ATM! No lines, no stern-looking park officer asking for all sorts of verification documents -- just you, your credit card and the machine. I wanna go back to Disneyland just so I could do this again, hahaha!!!

5. Delifrance's Iced Apple Citron Tea

I first had citron tea in Korea while working on a project, where a client from Hong Kong introduced it to me. I immediately fell in love with it and brought two jars back home -- that was 2 years ago. I was planning on getting some while in HK but I just haven't had the chance to go hunting for it. Good thing Delifrance came up with this cocktail - at least I was able to have a taste of it before I went home. It was just heaven after all that walking and haggling at the Ladies' Market.

There you have it: the top 5 things I love about HK. Of course, not all of my experiences were as rosy, but that's for another blog. :)

The great HK adventure part 2: Island-hopping without boats

Day 1. Lantau Island - Hong Kong Island

From the airport in Lantau island, we took the Airport Express to Hong Kong Island Station, where a shuttle bus picked us up and dropped us off right at the doorstep of the Excelsior Hotel in Causeway Bay. After settling in and freshening up, we took the train to Central Station and walked down Chater Road through Chater Garden to the Peak Tram station. We then took the historic Peak Tram to Victoria Peak to enjoy the twinkling lights of bustling Hong Kong below us. Dinner was at Tien Yi restaurant - everything was yummy! And the waiter kept saying "Salamat" even when we were the ones who were supposed to be thanking him, haha! Then we went up to Sky Terrace and had souvenir photos taken with nighttime HK in the background. It was too late for Madame Tussaud's, though, which was a pity.

Dinner at Tien Yi: No table with a view for these walk-ins. Food was excellent though.

Day 2. Hong Kong - Lantau - Hong Kong

Wednesday was reserved for Disneyland, which is in Lantau Island. Again, we took the train to Central Station, then changed trains and took the Tung Chung line to Sunny Bay station. From there, it was a couple of minutes' ride on the Disneyland Express to Hong Kong Disneyland!

Mickey fever on the Disneyland Express

Day 3. Hong Kong - Kowloon - Hong Kong - Lantau

Our last day was pretty packed. We took the train to Admiralty station where we changed trains and took the red line to Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon. After walking a few blocks we decided to proceed to the Ladies' Market in Mong Kok, also in Kowloon, just a few stops away from Tsim Sha Tsui. After a bit of shopping, it was back to the hotel where we picked up our luggage and proceeded to the Hong Kong Airport Express station. We checked in our luggage and took the Airport Express to the Airport station back in Lantau and literally ran from the cab to the Ngong Ping cable car station ticket booth, beating the closing time by 5 minutes. We took the cable car to Ngong Ping village and took the last bus back to town, making it back to the airport with less than 2 hours til boarding time. Whew! Good thing we checked in our luggage earlier so we already had our boarding passes. That still gave me barely enough time to have our Octopus Cards refunded before we left for home (that was an adventure all by itself, haha!). By the time I got to our boarding gate, it was the final boarding call for our flight and my poor mother was worrying herself crazy.

Buy money to spend money

It's a Ladies' Market all right

Savoring the last few minutes of our getaway

Finally, it was back to reality in Manila. We got home around 1 am, where we gratefully took our forty winks before getting back to the salt mines in the morning. By sunrise, our planes-trains-and-other-land-transportation 3-day island-hopping HK adventure has faded into a dream.

Oh, well. What good is a dream anyway if you don't wake up every so often, right?

The great HK adventure part 1: Getting there

It was a day of firsts: it was my mom's first trip abroad, it was my first trip abroad with my mom, and it was our first time to go to Hong Kong. My headmistress of a mother is outwardly cool as a cucumber, but I know better -- the little things always give her away. These, however, will have to remain our little secret: after all, she does have a reputation to protect. ;)

Flying high with mah momma

The flight from Manila was pretty smooth. We landed at Hong Kong International Airport shortly before noon. Upon arrival, we bought Airport Express tickets to Hong Kong Island, where our hotel is (the airport is in Lantau Island).

Waiting for the Airport Express

The Airport Express was very impressive: comfortable, fast and efficient, it had ample space for luggage and, with a train departing every 12 minutes, had more than enough free seats for passengers. (I suppose it had better be, at 100 HK dollars per passenger for a 24-minute ride, heh heh!) The terminal was spacious and well-maintained. Plus, Airport Express has free shuttle services from the terminal to some of the hotels in the area, so getting to our hotel was no problem at all! (I'm starting to sound like an Airport Express ad, hahaha!!!)

All aboard the Airport Express!

Finally, at around 3 pm, we make it to our hotel. As mom and Ate Jenette napped while waiting for my brother to get back from his conference, I went downstairs and got us some ammo for our 3-day stay. I looked for the train station, got us Octopus Cards, scoped the area for places to eat, searched for directions to Victoria Peak and the Peak Tram station, looked for wifi hotspots, etc.

My reward: I found out that they still served Black Tea Latte at Starbucks! Gad I missed this drink. I got myself a cup and went back to the hotel, ready to lead our little band of 4. Not bad for the baby of the family, huh?

Week-long amazing race

They say we have to walk at least 10,000 steps a day to keep our bones strong. I must have walked a million steps this week – if only my bones would take a time deposit, I’d be a super grandma when the time comes, hee hee!

Monday, I was breaking in a new pair of shoes, 4-inch high (I think) almost-stilettos, so I took a cab to work. I also took the added precaution of wearing stockings to minimize friction burns, but as my shoes were peep-toes, my stockings have to be as well. Not even the promise of a billion blisters can make me wear full stockings with open-toed shoes (oh, vanity, you bane of fragile feet!) Sure enough, all it took was a walk to the mall for lunch and back for eight blisters to bloom on my sorry little toes. Thus began my week-long walkathon.

I had a million errands to do Monday night before my 3-day absence from Manila, so I brought slippers to wear for after work. I was all over, paying bills, picking up stuff and whatnot. I got home around 9, tired and hungry, and I haven’t even started packing.

Tuesday, we were up bright and early for our 10 am flight to Hong Kong. Airports always mean lots and lots of walking. And because I was traveling with my mom (a six-year senior citizen on her first trip abroad), that meant extra walking for the daughter-cum-mommysitter that is yours truly. We finally arrived at the hotel at around 3 pm. As my mother and my sister-in-law settled in and took a nap, I went downstairs and walked around Causeway Bay on a reconnaissance mission and basically armed myself for our 3-day stay. In an hour and a half, I was back at the hotel with Octopus Cards for everyone and information on where the train station is, where the places to eat are, what places offer wifi internet access, what the best way to Victoria Peak is, what time it opens and closes, what else we can do there, et cetera. Voila! Instant tour guide.

Wednesday was Hong Kong Disneyland day. We left the hotel at 9 am and got back around 930. That’s pretty much 12 hours’ worth of walking and riding. ‘Nuff said.

Thursday, we went to Tsim Sha Tsui, hoping to do some outlet shopping on Granville Road. After a few blocks we realized it isn’t what we expected, so back to the train and off to Mong Kok we went for the Ladies’ Market. We spent a couple of hours walking along the stalls and picking up interesting stuff. I must say that even after haggling to less than half the original price, Hong Kong flea market prices have nothing on Philippine bargains. But then again, that kind of thinking takes all the fun out of shopping. And shop we did. After a late lunch, we went back to the hotel to stuff our latest acquisitions into our luggage then hurried to the Airport Express station to take advantage of the in-town check-in facilities. With our luggage out of the way, we literally ran to the Ngong Ping cable car station. We made it with 5 minutes to closing time and had to settle for a one-way trip. From Ngong Ping Village, we were back at the airport after two bus rides with one hour til boarding time. After checking our boarding gate, I spent the next hour running around the humongous complex trying to find out where I can refund our Octopus Cards (it still amounted to around 300 dollars’ worth of credit for all of our cards together). Every person I asked gave me a different set of directions (and I must have asked 5 or so different people), so that by the time I reached our gate it was boarding time and my mother was frantic.

Friday was a little easier, with just a trip to the mall for lunch and office-supplies shopping then a return trip to the mall after work for personal errands. I was home by 830.

Saturday morning was spent in Intramuros, wandering the San Agustin Church museum and Casa Manila after a quick stop at the Manila Cathedral. After a big chicken barbecue lunch at the Aristocrat, we went back to Makati to spend the afternoon at the Ayala Museum. After saying goodbye to my travel companions for the day, I went on a side trip to Powerbooks to see if they already had The Host, which I’ve been wanting to read. Then I went to Greenbelt Cinema, hoping to catch the rest of the Spanish film festival, but the tickets were sold out for the 730 pm screening so I decided to call it a day.

Sunday was spent on a trip to Pampanga for my grandpa’s death anniversary. After the 1030 am Mass, we drove to Pampanga for a semi-late lunch and spent the afternoon with cousins and other relatives. Finally, at 8 pm, I was home sweet home.

Victoria Peak, Hong Kong Disneyland, Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok, Ngong Ping, Manila Cathedral, San Agustin Church, Casa Manila, Ayala Museum, San Fernando Pampanga... Whew! Next time I think I’ll join the Amazing Race instead. All those places to go... and it’s expense paid, hahaha!!!