One day in Xiang Gang

Unless one is from a city of several million people--and I mean several more million than Kunming's approximately four-million people--one cannot appreciate the prospect of going into the big city for a day of shopping. During a recent trip to Xiang Gang (Mandarin for Hong Kong), many of KIA's Mandarin staff decided to allow me to join them for a shopping excursion of this grand city. After arriving via Shen Zhen on the mainland the night before, and having gotten a decent nights sleep at the Wu Kai Sha YMCA family camp (we actually slept in a sort of bungalow dormitory--men in one building and women in several others), women qu mai de dongxi.

As you can see in the photo below, the day started off with a ride into the city proper by way of the MTR. The experience was quite difference for us because the train was so empty. We have gotten used to Kunming busses--vehicles so crowded that the driver will often times not open the doors at a stop to let people on, or possibly not stop at all, if the bus is too full. In Hong Kong we enjoyed the uncrowded busses, and as you can see, our entire group was all smiles as we headed into town. From lower left to you see Jade, Vivienne, Angel, Serena, and, of course, Suli.
The first difficulty of a new city is getting oriented, and Hong Kong is big enough to force a person to pull out a map. Personally, I love maps. I loved being the navigator on family trips when I was just a boy. However, not all Chinese people are brought up with the same love of these navigational tools. After we had eaten a quick breakfast--noodles (some things remain the same)--and exchanged some of our renminbi for Hong Kong dollars, we consulted our maps. In the photo below, Jenny, the head of the Mandarin department, and Angel create our shopping agenda.

With Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok, the Island, the "Ladies" street, Nathan Street, and many more places to consider, we realized that our group of eight was much too big to try to keep intact. So we split into two groups, which eventually split into three with Suli and I sometimes by ourselves and sometimes joining Serena and Jenny. One thing that compounded the shopping fever was sales season in Hong Kong. Boots, shoes, clothes etc. were all on sale, and every shop supplied at least one salesperson at the door way to try and gain one's attention toward what the shop had to sell. Needless to say, we really did not eat lunch that day; we were too busy seeking out the best deals on items we just cannot find on the mainland--for me, my size dress shirts.

Of course, one must find time to just stroll around down by Hong Kong harbor, and Suli and I did just that. The skyline lights up at dusk and remains animated until the wee hours of the morning. However, we were in bed by eleven.
As many of you know, a day of shopping can leave one drained--physically, financially (for some), and emotionally. Between Jenny (on the right), Serena (not pictured), Suli and myself, we found enough deals that Serena actually bought a piece of luggage for us to tote about our finds. On this day, Suli still did not find the boots she wants so desperately, but she remains optimistic.
On the train back to the YMCA, the ladies slumped onto a seat together, allowing one another to doze while each one took a turn making certain no one tried to abscond with the day's purchases. Meanwhile, I watched to media screen and took in the highlights of the English Premier League. My feet hurt and my eyelids were heavy, but soccer always seems to invigorate me. I realize that the teachers pretty much used me as their beast of burden, but it was fun seeing generally subdued Chinese women get worked up about the deals they found. I actually enjoyed toting stuff around.