Another incredible experience in Asia - Hong Kong! The USS GEORGE WASHINGTON had a port call in Hong Kong so I flew over to meet Shane for a few days! It was nice not only for the experience, but it also broke up the time that we have been apart. Since we arrived in Japan five months ago (can't believe it's been that long!), Shane has only been home for six weeks of it! So it was really nice that this trip (like Singapore) has allowed us to see each other at least once a month. Fortunately he's coming home soon and will be around for a while! Anyway, back to Hong Kong! I snapped the picture above when I took my first step outside our hotel and it's very representative of Hong Kong...crowded, shops on ground level, apartments above, and crazy signs that I can't read!
See the resemblance? This is the Giant Buddha on Lantau Island and yes it IS giant! It's the largest seated Buddha in the world - made of bronze and 26 meters (85 feet) tall - an incredible sight to see!
At Po Lin Monastary, Shane fought the dragon and the dragon won! We had a vegetarian lunch here that we were both a little skeptical about but it was actually really good - noodles and spring rolls were yummy! Dessert was interesting - chewy, dough balls of different flavors - we had one with bean curd, one covered in sesame seeds that's filling reminded me of dirt, and one with sugar and coconut.
Even though we didn't do anything to celebrate, I was happy to find that Hong Kong is into Halloween!! It was fun to see all their decorations. This was my favorite - it was in the mall by our hotel in Kowloon - a huge Pacman haunted house!!
A picture at the Golden Buddha in Wan Chai. HK is different from Japan in a lot of ways, some I expected and some that I didn't. I had a hard time with what I viewed as a lack of consideration for others. In the states and Japan people are generally pretty considerate with strangers - they wait their turn in line, try not to stare, try to walk with the flow of pedestrian traffic, and will generally try to make you feel comfortable...so it seemed a little chaotic at times when things didn't go as I expected. Looking back on it, I realize the things I was bothered by weren't intentional or personal - just different, which took me out of my comfort zone. It's one of the things I'm continuing to learn during our time overseas - it's THEIR culture, not mine which means I'M the one who has to adapt!
It was incredible seeing you Emily!!! For those who don't know, Emily is from east Texas too. Her Mom cut mine and Shane's hair for years (and still does when we go home sometimes!) It was incredible to connect with someone from back home and to share stories about our crazy overseas adventures!! Emily gave us a unique opportunity while we were there - a day in the life of a "local". We went to church with her, had a traditional Chinese meal (complete with yummy Dim Sum!), and then she gave us a walking tour around her area. I can't say thank you enough for such an amazing experience and hope we'll be able to return the favor one day!!
Construction was pretty interesting...this wasn't the only bamboo scaffolding I saw while we were there. Actually, I never saw any that WASN'T bamboo! On the right: hundreds of GOLDFISH!!! I've never seen so many in my life! The Goldfish Market was exactly as advertised...shop after shop with thousands of goldfish. I have no idea what they do with all of them - I can't imagine that they actually sell mass quantities, but who knows! We went to several markets while we were there and I even learned to haggle. Shane was a trooper and survived the Jade market with me, but after that we were both done with markets!
Since Shane was gone for his birthday, we decided to celebrate early in Hong Kong. His choice - an incredible steakhouse (surprise, surprise). This place was unique because you pick the steak, salt, mustard, wine, and steak knife from different countries around the world. A wonderful meal for a wonderful man! I love you Shane!!
If you'd like to see ALL of the pictures from our trip, click
here.
