Hong Kong: Day 1

Day two in Hong Kong has reached its end and all I can say is that the jet lag has finally set in. My body is begging me to sleep so it’s been a huge struggle to stay conscious. My body feels exhaustion because it’s not only lacking sleep, but it’s walking around in sauna-like weather. So, forgive me if this post starts to make absolutely no sense at some points. I really am getting quite delusional without sleep.

We started the day pretty lazily. I woke up too early and couldn’t sleep so I wrote the last entry on this blog. After that I attempted sleep again but couldn’t pass out because I kept thinking of all the things I’d need to do before we left for the day. So I woke up, took a shower, packed my purse for the day, and got ready. We left our hotel room for breakfast in the hotel which consisted of sweet steamed bread, vegetarian tater tots (do they come non-vegetarian?), boiled eggs, sticky rice, chickentail bun (gai mei bao or cocktail bun if you’re not from our family ;D), sui mai, and jok!

Sorry the lighting isn’t very appetizing. 

I had Katy take a picture of my food for me with her iPhone ^__^

After brekky we got ready then left for the grandparent’s place. We walked around the shopping places around their apartment and then went to yum cha (literally translated, “yum cha” means “drink tea.” It’s a meal where people push around carts full of yummy things and you pick out what you want and they stamp a card indicating how much you owe at the end). We went to a place where my Ye Ye is a regular. They even kicked people off their table just to accommodate us! My dad said that my Ye Ye loves coming to that place because he feels like he’s king. And it’s true! Everyone knew him and said hello. When they said hello he’d point to Bot and me and say that we’re his granddaughters from Meigwok (the U.S.). Every person was really nice and said that we were, “Hou leng” (very beautiful). It was a nice little ego boost =).

King of Yum Cha

Bad picture of "Maggot" noodles

Pig feet

The big tea pot. 

Seriously. That thing was huge.

Tea that tastes like drinking perfume.

Yum.

Another picture of the pots. 

I was kind of obsessed & Katy obliged by

taking photos =)

After that we came back to change for church. My dad decided that we would walk, because he thought it was only 2 blocks from my grandparent’s place.

WRONG.

It was sooo hot walking all the way to church in my heels and it was further than 2 blocks (okay don’t think me wussy but it was about 4 . . . still, the heat was killer). I got blisters . . . from the heat and from my shoes too.

Church’s highlights?
- There was a little kid who stood at the door and shook everyone’s hand, said, “Jo sun,” and then pulled them into them sacrament meeting room with a surprising amount of force.
- During the meeting, everyone sang really loud. Even though there weren’t many people there it sounded like a full fledged ward!
- I think they owed a lot to a little kid who sang super loud during hymns. He was louder than everyone. On the last song, he didn't really know it, but would belt out the chorus that he knew.
- We saw our cousin Bonnie!!! She’s as gorgeous as ever. What I don’t understand is how her skin is so perfect in this humid weather! I wanted to inherit some of that awesome skin.

After church we went back to the grandparent’s house and took a break. I was feeling tired and needed to get a little more life in me. I wanted a 15 minute nap but Bot reminded me that, when I’m tired and take a nap, I tend to never wake up again. So we just sat in my grandparent’s A/C’ed apartment and drank some water. After the break we left for the markets. Our goal: chicken tail bun, fish, lettuce, and DUCK!! We walked all around the shopping centers and did a little window-shopping, which made me realize how little I was going to end up buying. The things I wanted were so expensive! We got to the food market and I just wanted to take a million pictures! But I didn’t take a single one. Hahaha! Funny how that works, a photographer surrounded with opportunities but I never really take them. Curses.

Dad went around looking at fish. At one point Katy and I were standing looking at a fruit stand and a fish in the stall next to us did a flip in his container and splashed us with his gunk. We may or may not have done a little girly freak out. I think, in the near future, I’m going to need to get over my germ phobia if I’m going to travel to 3rd world countries. I guess it’ll come with time.

When my dad finally found the fish he wanted Katy got a bit squeamish when it came to gutting/killing the fish. She couldn't watch when the fish twitched in the bag, even though it's brain had been pulled out. I was just excited to eat such fresh fish!! Yum yum yum!!

I have to admit that buying the duck was the part I was looking forward to the most.

I love duck and dad had told me that the duck in Hong Kong was about 1 million times better than the one’s in SLC. When the guy hacked the duck up juices flew everywhere. With a single duck he filled up TWO BOXES!! In SLC one duck will get you one box. I was impressed and more than excited to eat that junk!

Like father like daughter. The funny thing is

that they didn't even mean to look the same.

We grabbed all the things we needed, but by this point the jet lag was hitting me upside the head. I needed sleep or A/C; both if possible. We headed back to my grandparent’s house and gave my Ma Ma the fish, lettuce, and duck. She worked in the kitchen while my Ye Ye pulled out little tissues and meticulously cleaned the floor where people had dripped water. Ah. OCD cleanliness. How entertaining you can be!

By the time Ma Ma had finished cooking my eyelids felt like they weighed about 4 tons. Bot had already signed out in their spare bedroom (so much for not napping), but I wanted to eat Ma Ma’s home cooking like no other, so I forced myself awake.

Good eats.

I wasn’t disappointed. The fish was amazing and the duck was the same. I can’t really tell you if it was better than the duck in SLC, just because it’s been so long since I’ve had it, but I can tell you that it’s one of the most amazing meats you will ever eat. Seriously. Eat some duck. It’ll change your life.

After I had my fill my eyes couldn’t stay open any longer. I needed sleep and I needed it immediately. I went to the spare bedroom and passed out next to my sister. We slept until I woke up a few hours later. I walked out of the room and woke up my dad and told him we should head back to the hotel. And we did. Now I’m sitting in my bed ready to pass out.

Hopefully I’ll get enough sleep tonight that I won’t be as tired tomorrow.

Love you all and hope you’re safe!

Becks.