I chose the road to....Po Fat

My first view of Hong Kong was from the plane and it was breath-taking. Unfortunately the cell phone pics don't do it justice. The view on the way down to Lantau Island was simply amazing. We flew over the most beautiful mountains I've ever seen in my life. I wish I'd had a video camera!

Upon my arrival I was met by a lovely woman by the name of Sol, who would soon become my saving grace/tour guide/grocery shopper/mother/you get the idea :) !!

Sol took me and my over-weight luggage onto a transit bus from Lantau to the Kowloon side of Hong Kong. I was overwhelmed with visual stimulation. SO MUCH TO SEE! The buildings here are so tall and so close together and if you aren't paying attention they can all begin to look the same.

After a jostling bus ride we found our destination, my soon-to-be new home in Jordan on Temple Street. As I desperately tried to keep up with Sol, whose little legs carried her awfully fast, I was nearly hit by a bus. Yes, that's right, only a few hours into the country and I almost met my maker. Thankfully it wasn't my time. Sol came rushing to my aid apologizing profusely for not realizing that she had led me onto an unforgiving street while the crossing light was still blinking red. As my heart rate began to settle, I had my first and only hint of doubt since arriving here in Hong Kong. It has now long since disappeared.

As the heat and humidity took its toll on our bodies we trekked on with my luggage as I began to regret every last book and shoe I packed in those God-forsaken bags. When I thought I couldn't walk any further Sol cheerfully announced, "We're here!!" And so I looked up to nearly collapse in laughter at the Po Fat Building, my new home.

I hope everyone finds the humor in this, I still laugh every time I go home.

Here is a video walk-thru of my little flat on Temple St in Jordan on the Kowloon side of HK.

So I made it to my flat and decided that even though I was delirious from lack of sleep and extreme jetlag I should go ahead and try to stay awake until bed time in Hong Kong to be on the correct schedule from day one if possible. Sol and I decided to go shopping for bed sheets, towels, and toilet paper to distract me and keep me awake. Just the basic necessities to get me through the night and into the next day. I found pillows and towels and then she helped me bargain for my bed sheets and find the right sizes because of course they don't say TWIN, FULL, QUEEN...they say numbers like 36 and 54 , & 60, ect. Needless to say my sleep deprived brain was so lost by the time I tried to figure out how much money I was spending in US dollars I surrendered my VISA card more than willingly and smiled at Sol and said let's go home.
On our walk home she insisted we pick up a few more things I would need such as fruits and bottled water. I do have running water in my flat but it is not safe to drink unless I boil it first so I must keep bottled water to drink. I am so grateful she was with me because I would have had no idea what to buy and I have already been through all of the water that we bought.

So back at the homestead I put the sheets on the bed, took a shower, and crawled in for my first night at home in my new bed, in my new flat, in my new world (for now), in Hong Kong.

The following days have been filled with exploration and adjustment. The jetlag sort of comes and goes. I get tired in the evenings but feel pretty vibrant in the mornings. My supervisor is out of the country at the moment so I have about a week on my own to become acclimated with the area and enjoy myself, which is exactly what I intend to do. I went to a Birthday Party Beach BBQ yesterday and had a lovely time. To get there we rode the Mass Transit system which is super impressive. It's so efficient and clean. I'll write more about it later. Enjoy the pictures.

Me & Rey at Deep Water Bay

Little Girl Swimming -Deep Water Bay