Full Circle

On January 1, 2007, I was sitting here, at my grandma's house, thinking and blogging about the road ahead. Now I sit here, in the same exact place, thinking of the road I just travelled. Here are some lessons that I might never have learned otherwise...

We all play small parts in a very big world.

Being a foreigner has its perks. Being ignorant does not.

Reality TV still uses cue cards.

Travelling by yourself makes room for lots of thinking.

Working with 1400+ teenage girls evokes a plethora of emotions.

School uniforms reduce mufti mishaps.

Tom Joel plays a mean guitar.

"Everybody Dance Now" is the unofficial national anthem of New Zealand.

Living near a Cadbury factory is a dangerous thing.

The only thing that can kill you in the New Zealand wild is your own stupidity.

Escaping the city for a weekend is sweet as.

Pavlovas explode.

Sometimes the students you shake your head at the most are the ones you can never shake in your heart.

Driving on the left-hand side of the road isn't so scary -- even in a bite-sized Suzuki!

Living near the sea is the best way to re-charge life after being drained.

Surfing is not so easy...but falling isn't so bad either.

Latimer Square is a very dodgy place.

Text messaging can become all-consuming.

Not checking my inbox for a few days is okay.

Asian countries are same same...but different.

A smile goes a long way. Sometimes it's all one has to give.

People change your life -- sometimes in the most unsuspecting ways.

Riding a tuk-tuk at 2:30am in Bangkok is a terrifying experience...so is Pat Pong Street.

The smell of a durian fruit can knock a person out cold.

Flush toilets are a luxury to be celebrated. So is free toilet paper.

Sandflies are the devil incarnate.

Motorbike is to Asia as mini-van is to North America.

Ceramic tiles during the rainy season are a death trap waiting to snap.

The only saving grace to an 18-hour night bus ride is knowing that the person next to you won't care if you drool on her because she'll probably do the same.

Abandon all practice of the "10 Second Rule" while traveling in Asia.

Setting, living, and reaching a goal is one of the most rewarding experiences.

Counting calories in Thailand is as useless as a Dong in Hong Kong.

A Coke can has many uses.

Being a millionaire in Vietnam doesn't get you very much.

Tailor-made shopping is a lot of fun.

The best person to travel with is a best friend.

Things happen for a reason.

Home isn't just one place.

Being missed feels good...but coming home feels better.

Thanks for following along. Until the next adventure...

L.

Holla from Hong Kong

View from The Peak

Diana and I at the MRT station

Good Feng Shui

Faster than the blink of an eye...an accurate cliche for both the pace of life in Hong Kong and the amount of time I spent in this booming city. After spending time in so many Asian cities I thought one more might steal my soul...but Hong Kong kind of regenerated my spirits and eased my transition back into modern life.

I was really fortunate to be able to stay with my friend's mom, Sandra, who lives in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island. She greeted me at the airport and helped me cart all my bags to her place on the uber-efficient MRT train and City Flyer bus. Such a treat to be back in the groove with decent public transport. We visited the wet market in Wan Chai and had some Chinese food to start the day. It's awesome to tour around with a local who speaks the language, because already we've been in restaurants that don't even offer an English menu so it's all a leap of faith!

Sandra and I headed into Mainland China for some much-anticipated shopping that culminated in a 2-hour full-body massage for $8 (there are definitely some redeeming features to the hustle-and-bustle!) Nearly missed the last train back to Hong Kong, but arrived to a deserted Wan Chai at about 1am.

As fate would have it my friend, Diana, from university accepted a teaching position in Hong Kong and was arriving in the city this week to start getting settled and organised for the upcoming school year. We got to spend some time catching up over a cold frappucino and a round-trip on the Star Ferry. Also caught the latest Harry Potter movie at the flashy IFC Centre in the financial district.

Caught a magnificent view of Hong Kong from The Peak -- the viewing venue at the top of Hong Kong Island with a commanding view of the Kowloon side, plus the south side of the island where the smoke-stacks stand as a tall reminder of all those tags that say, "Made in China."

Not too sure what to expect on my budget flight home, but at this point I'm just ready to grab a pillow and slap on my eye-mask for a much-needed snooze. Getting really excited to see the smiles waiting in Vancouver...

Thanks for reading,

L.