Petite (Hong Kong) joys

Hello from Hong Kong!

I know, I know… I said I wasn’t going to be posting to the blog for a little while, but I’ve missed putting fingertips to keyboard and I’ve got a pocket of time this evening back at my hotel.

Being back in Hong Kong has been an absolute dream. This truly is the city that doesn’t sleep. Traffic light sounds ticking long into the night. 7-Eleven stores glaring across the road with their fluorescent lights. Minibuses racing around corners. The Star Ferry, faithfully carrying passengers to the island and back every couple of minutes. The wave of warm air that hits you as you head outdoors.

There’s a lot to be said for appreciating the smaller, not necessarily finer details of the everyday mundane. Here’s to another list of petite joys, the moments that’ve brought and woven poetry to my days, this week:

一. The almost-melodic tones as Octopus cards are swiped in the MTR stations.

二. Upgrading your meal to add a lemon tea for HK$18.

三. Holding on tightly as your minibus jolts around corners at the speed of light.

四. How safe and content you feel opening the windows to a wall of windows and flickering lights from hundreds, no thousands, of families going about their daily business.

五. Haggling at the Ladies’ Market. (A must!)

六. Finding new favourites amongst old haunts.

七. The neon lights! Although it is so heartbreaking to see the visual landscapes change by the day. This feature describes the neon sign culture well.

八. Trying vegan siu mai — SO delicious!

九. Super old-school lifts that require an expert operator to, erm, operate: two sets of creaky metal shutters later…

十. Market sounds.