It’s been over 200 days since I quit my job, packed my life inside my old DofE rucksack, and got on a thirteen-hour flight to move to Hong Kong (I’d hoped to move to Spain, so already we were veering slightly off course). I met my new housemate (and now other half <3) for the first time at the airport and, after a disgusting number of hours spent on netflix and just a few hours of sleep between us, we arrived in Hong Kong – in the middle of typhoon season.
The journey to our new apartment was, without sounding too negative, horrific. The rain was unrelenting, our navigation skills post-flight were at an all-time low, and that bag is actually the heaviest thing I have ever carried on my back. We arrived in our new home and spent three days repainting, going delirious, and trying to figure out whether we were actually allowed to leave the house or not.
Since then I’ve experienced Hong Kong’s hardest hikes, a level of humidity I never thought possible, a newfound love of trail running, incredible beaches, Disneyland!!!, monasteries, waterfalls, wet-markets, islands, scuba-diving, sunset swims, and SO much joy exploring this incredible city.
#JustHongKongthings that I didn’t anticipate…
- Hong Kongers love not-so-sweet desserts with tofu, black sesame or red beans (I’m trying to get a taste for it) and air-con, a lot of air-con. It is colder inside buildings than it is outside, even in winter. (But you’ll soon, unfortunately, become addicted to it too <3)
- You are going to get lost in nearly every mall you enter. They are inccredible, but SO disorientating and over-stimulating.
- You will make daily eye contact with the Peking ducks hanging from hooks in shop windows, slightly unfortunate as a vegan, but fascinating nonetheless.
- You will learn not to wrap your christmas presents in paper you found at the local market. You haven’t found a crafty alternative to wrapping paper, you’ve actually covered your secret santa present in traditional chinese joss paper, or “ghost money”, which is burnt in temples as a sacrificial offering to ancestors. Your colleagues will be horrified and you’ll literally want the ground to swallow you up at the work Christmas party.
- You get free vegetables at wet markets! Don’t be shy! Befriend all the lovely local aunties!
- You are going to become addicted to omusubi, the stores are everywhere, and the words ‘I’m just gonna get a rice triangle’ will leave your mouth on the daily.
- If you go solo beach camping, you’ll nearly die hiking your stuff there, and you’ll probably be woken in the night by a pack of wild boars trying to join the party.
- It will get freezing in winter (contrary to advice that “it’s never cold in Hong Kong”) and your apartment won’t have central heating. Expect to wear your entire wardrobe of clothes to bed, inc. hat, scarf and gloves.
- Your octopus travel card (and the constant battle to keep it topped up) will rule your entire life.
- Fitness is big here, people in their eighties have six-packs, and everyone is exercising, everywhere, all the time. Public stretching is serious business and the elderly excersise parks are popping off 24/7.
- You can’t eat on the underground. That’s why you were getting weird looks stuffing your face with a rice triangle on day one, get a clue.
- Hong Kong scaffolding is made from bamboo, so buildings under construction somehow look more beautiful.
- Many streets and paths are hand-swept every morning, with the most beautiful (bamboo!) brushes, which means everywhere is so wonderfully clean. Small villages and communities really take pride in maintaining beautiful spaces.
- Jaywalking (while avoiding the £200 fines) and nabbing seats on the MTR are Hong Kong’s most formidable sports.
- Products are confined into particular areas – if you need a button, head to Button Street in Prince Edward, if your shoes have gone mouldy, head to Sneakers Street in Mong Kok.
- Speaking of mould, everything goes mouldy. MY ACTUAL shoes went mouldy. Books go mouldy. I bought a new scrabble set (in full plastic packaging) and the inside was like a petri dish. Not fun.
- Because it’s so hard to fight the humidity, people dry their entire wardrobes, underwear and all, across public bridges and walkways. It’s actually kinda sweet.
- Chinese ‘tapping’ (hitting points of your body to improve your health) is very popular here, and before long you’ll be sat on the sofa with your housemate, watching MIC, hitting yourself to oblivion. It’s called integrating.
- It feels so safe, you have so much freedom to go wherever at whatever time, which is so bloody lovely. (Ok this was written before some unfortunate run-ins, but I will say the police force are excellent).
- Hong Kong and hiking really do go hand-in-hand. It’s going to become your life. And you will buy a running vest, wraparound glasses, and start voluntarily spending Sundays slogging your body across the mountains in 30-degree heat.
- The sunrises and sunsets here are just the best. Who knew Hong Kong had such incredible nature (I didn’t, when I decided this was the place I’d be spending a large chunk of my twenties).
- The bread is awful. The people are wonderful. Victoria Harbour at night. That is all.
Thanks for the first 200 days, Hong Kong. Here’s to another 59276902 xo
