Hong Kong

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season and is settling back well into a regular schedule (assuming you haven't frozen yet). I stayed in Korea for Christmas break this year, and, so that I would have something to do during my three week break, I took a trip to Hong Kong. I was there for about a week, and I did a mix of relaxing and sightseeing. It was fun to play the tourist for a few days. It was also nice to enjoy some warmer weather, only occasionally needing a sweatshirt.

But first, a little history and geography lesson to get started. The territory of Hong Kong is located in southeast China in what is known as the Pearl River Delta. It has a tropical climate, including a hot and humid summer. It has four distinct seasons, and the temperature when I was there was mainly in the 60s. It doesn't really get any colder than that there. What is now Hong Kong consists of Hong Kong island, the tip of a nearby peninsula with areas named Kowloon and the New Territories, and many outlying islands. Hong Kong became a British colony in the 1840s after winning it from China in the First Opium War. Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997, meaning it is a blend of Britain and China. Tourists don't need to apply for a Chinese visa; they simply get a small slip of paper in their passports upon entry. Because it was a British colony, English is one of the official languages. Cantonese is the primary language spoken in Hong Kong; Mandarin is a minority language. It was during its days as a British colony that Hong Kong emerged as an important port. Now, it is a bustling metropolis and popular tourist destination.

While in Hong Kong, I stayed at Bethany Ministries, which is a missionary guest house on Cheung Chau, one of the outlying islands in Hong Kong. It was nice because it was outside the city and therefore a bit quieter. It can only be reached by ferry. Cheung Chau is a quaint little island with fishing as the main industry. There are no cars on the island, only a few motorized carts that can only be operated on certain days. You get around by walking or riding a bike, adding to the peace. Also adding to the peace is the fact that Bethany is on top of a big hill, complete with steep winding paths you have to climb to get to the top. While the hike up wasn't nice (especially pulling a suitcase), the lack of cars means that not many people hike up to the top. Breakfast and supper were provided, along with the chance to meet other people ministering in this area of the world. I enjoyed the opportunity to talk to other missionaries while I was there and hear about the kind of work they do. I mostly met people who work in mainland China, although many of them used to live in Korea or had other connections to Korea.

I arrived Thursday just in time to get settled into my room before heading to dinner. I spent the evening relaxing and talking to others. I met one couple, Gary and Peggy, who teach English in China. They were in Hong Kong to get their Chinese visa renewed (they had to leave the mainland). On Friday, I went into the city with Gary and Peggy. We didn't leave until the afternoon, so we only had a few hours to sight see. After we picked up their visas, we went to The Peak, a lookout point on top of Victoria Peak. From there, you can see the whole city. We got up there in the late afternoon, so we stuck around to see the lights of the city. Once we saw them, we headed to Victoria Harbor (between Hong Kong and Kowloon) so that we could see the nightly light show. All of the buildings on the waterfront are lit up, some with different designs. Then, they add some lasers and other lights, making it a spectacular sight. We took the legendary Star Ferry to cross the harbor to get a better view of all the lights.

On Saturday I stayed on Cheung Chau and explored the town and spent time at the beach. I read, prayed, journaled, and wrote poetry. It was a nice relaxing day.

On Sunday I went to Hong Kong Disneyland! My first Disney experience! I had a great time riding the rides, even though I was by myself. The single rider line is amazing! It allows you to get on the roller coasters much faster than standing in the regular line. They pair you up with others who don't have someone to ride with (either other single riders or groups of three) so that the ride is full. I wouldn't have had to wait very long to get on the rides anyway; the longest the lines ever got were about 40 minutes, and that was only in the middle of the day when the park was the busiest. Funny, but January isn't a popular time to go to Disneyland. So much the better for me!

On Monday I went back into the city and got a chance to really explore Hong Kong. I was finally able to get on street level and really get a feel for the city. I started by having an early lunch on the waterfront and then I went to the Ladies' Market to do some souvenir shopping. The market has clothing, handbags, toys, and souvenirs. I could tell you what I bought, but that would spoil the surprise for my family. They'll have to wait until summer to find out what they got. ;)

After finishing my souvenir shopping, I went to the Hong Kong History Museum. I always like to find out about the history and culture of a place when I visit a place. The history museum traces Hong Kong history throughout geographic history through the Chinese dynasties to the British colonial period to the present. There were a lot of good displays and excellent information throughout the museum. I learned a lot about the history of Hong Kong and a little about Chinese history as well. Definitely a worthwhile stop if you're ever in Hong Kong (assuming you like history museums).

I spent my last day in Hong Kong (Tuesday) relaxing at Bethany. I read for a lot of the day and then packed so that I could leave the next day. I read a total of 6 books while I was gone, and it was very nice. Unfortunately, school starts in just a few days (Jan. 13), so that means an end of most recreational reading.

Overall, I really enjoyed my trip to Hong Kong. However, I discovered something. While I am an introvert and like doing some stuff alone, I prefer traveling with other people. It's more fun to do all the sightseeing excursions with others. My trip to Hong Kong did not go exactly as I had planned (I was planning on doing a bus tour), but I adjusted my schedule and kept it flexible so I could at least do some things with others. And I'm glad I did. It's a good thing the next trip I have planned will be with my roommates. Hooray for good friends!