A Rough Start

Good-bye Japan.

Finally...after $250 in flight fees for trying to leave from the wrong airport in Japan, I arrived to Hong Kong International Airport. Misty, cloudy and humid...such a warm welcome to an already brutal start of my 2am alarm clock. My bad attitude was only getting worse. I was tired, sad to leave Japan and just all around negative. Remind me, why did I decide to do this? Well, to make things even more dandy, I began my dreaded trek out to my hostel in Causeway Bay...Strike 1: the bus only takes tickets, exact change or Octopus cards (ok desu, my fault for assuming they did it like Japan). After running around like a headless chicken trying to figure this bus system out, I barely make it onto the double decker bus. Just as I was settling into the somewhat long ride...Strike 2: I am yelled at in Cantonese by someone for sliding their luggage over to make room for mine. They clearly don't accept my apology and continue to glare at me the whole ride out. Ugh...okay, I brush it off to notice the real reason why I have come on this trip, the architecture. Hong Kong truly is the most impressive vertically built city. In fact, the high rise buildings are so tall and skinny that it doesn't even seem like the base of the building is even large enough to support such heights! But my favorite by far...bamboo scaffolding! Aaaahhh so cool!! I jump off at what I think to be my stop and boom...Strike 3: it starts to rain and I'm lost. I have no idea how to get to my hostel because nothing is clear. I charge through the stampedes of people with my over packed luggage only to find I am waking in circles and making no progress. Wang Fat Hostel? That's not what my reservation said, of course it would be unclear. I pass an unwelcoming "security guard" who was watching the oldest television set known to man, travel up in a 4x4 sized elevator to check in looking as if I arrived to Hong Kong by swimming with my luggage across the sea. A non-English speaking woman escorts me to my room. As I pass through the maze like corridors of Wang Fat, I can't help but notice the old odd colored painted walls, the poorly installed pieces of clear plastic paneling, and the randomly placed tile patches...man, does this place make me realize how made I had it made in Japan. Trying not to dwell on it, I throw my stuff into my dark, crowded room and change into dry clothes. Now what do I do? I am on 2 hours of sleep, do I stay in this dungeon to take a nap? Never! I head to the common room to find myself some friends...I need to laugh and be positive. I'm in Hong Kong for crying out loud!

Impressive