islands in the stream (hong kong)
My apologies to those of you whose phone numbers I know. Yes, that was me. Fortunately, 2am here is 1pm there. Or, rather, unfortunately, as I imagine my inebrieated ramblings were somewhat less endearing at lunch time than they may have been at bed time. Point taken.
What a lovely and strange place this is - reminiscent of familiar downtowns and Chinatowns "back home" and at the same time an utterly fresh experience.
Lush and wild greenery bursting from every unpaved surface, huge skyscrapers on the main island, a cacophony of lights on Kowloon island, with modern ferry boats and traditional fishing boats sharing the waters inbetween.
What's been unsettling (to me) is the deference of employees in the service industry which I always associate with former colonies and am yet never quite prepared for. Having a total stranger carefully attend to my every anticipated need (a napkin on my lap, more wine in my glass) with their eyes cast downwards makes me desperately uncomfortable.
Yesterday my reason for being here had its grand closing, followed by the usual suspects (read: Dubliners) dragging we few innocents (ha!) to the kind of place I always try to avoid: The "Irish" Pub. You know the place - kind of an Epcot Center version of the real thing. But (this is the important bit) they had beer. And so did we.
Evening totals
Glasses of cava: 3
Glasses of pinot noir: 4
Pints of cider: 1
Pints of unknown beer: 2
Times I was called "the Yank": 3
Times I name-checked Declan MacManus: 5
So am I a lightweight now, or can I still blame jet-lag after a week here?