I Get Around

You've probably guessed (or emailed) by now that we weren't affected by the earthquake three days ago. But you do have a different perspective when devastation strikes just next door. Killer snow storms in February, train wreck in April, earthquakes. It's been a rough few months for China. I feel fortunate to sit here and type up my silly little stories.

I haven't written as much recently because I've been doing actual things! I've met some people and have visited a few places nearby.

About a month ago, Paul met somebody at work who's also here from the Jersey City office, and he met his wife Kathy. They've been here for about 10 months so she was ecstatic to hear that I was also unemployed, child-free and available. She called me and we first met for lunch at a nice place between our two neighborhoods. They're only about a 10 minute walk away. The next week, she guided me to Stanley Market, about a twenty minute cab ride away.

Stanley is an area on the South Side of the island with a different feel from the city. It's basically a beach town but the big draw is the Market. It's a small maze of dozens of shops selling a range of touristy things like silk scarves and porcelain as well as some more practical stuff like casual clothes and sneakers. Quality varies. The cheap things are cheap. I, of course, went for the cashmere wrap, but since we both bought one, we got a better price. I contributed to bargaining after all.

They also sell a lot of knock-off bags and watches - if you know how to find them. My guide somehow knew who to ask, and the next thing I knew... well, I've learned that if you see a stall with a few bags on display, if you ask to see a catalog, you might be led down a couple of back streets to a big bin filled with the fake designer bags and down another street for the watches. For the Sex in the City watchers, it was a bit like Samantha choosing a fake Fendi bag out of some guy's trunk in the back streets of L.A. All in all, it's not really my thing.

A week later, Kathy had a friend visiting from home and asked me if I wanted to go along on the day she was showing him around so I did. I went with them back to The Peak, where Paul and I had brunch on Easter Sunday, but the weather was much clearer this time so the views were better. There's a 2 mile walking trail that we walked and then we had lunch at the same place. Then we took the Peak Tram down to Central and walked over to the ferry piers and took the Star Ferry to to Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon. It's a short ride, about 15 minutes, but it's a nice way to view Hong Kong from afar.

Kowloon is a crowded bustling place, a bit grittier than HK Island. Along the main street, Nathan Road, there are many people trying to hawk watches or tailored suits. We passed through the Peninsula Hotel where people were having high tea, quite a contrast to the surroundings outside. We walked all the way to Mong Kok where there is a market called the Night Market because they start opening at about 4 p.m. and I also saw the massive Jade Market. Sellers are pretty aggressive. We got a very enthusiastic and uninvited lesson on how you can tell real jade from other lesser materials, according to one seller who tried to show that her jade was the real stuff. Kowloon was generally unimpressive and I would probably need a reason to go back. I think there are a couple of good restaurants, so that might be an eventual reason... if we run out of restaurants on this side of the harbor.

This week, I went back to Stanley on my own and bought a couple of things, sandals and pillows for the new sofa. The real accomplishment was that I took the bus. Again, NYC should be ashamed. Transportation is remarkably affordable, efficient, and abundant here. First, there's this thing called the Octopus Card, which you can use to pay for all forms of public transportation. You can also use it and replenish it in supermarkets and 7-11's. Then, the web site for the bus system is so comprehensive that there are actual photographs of all the bus stops. So with a little research, I figured out that a bus stop was about 2 blocks from us. I paid barely $1 with my Octopus Card to ride a comfortable, air-conditioned, double-decker bus, and twenty-five minutes later, I was at the Stanley Market.

Depending on your destination, there are buses, trains, trams, or taxis. Each has its benefits. I had taken a tram once with the real estate agent when we were looking at apartments. They're kind of relics and they're not the fastest way to travel, but if you just don't feel like walking and you're traveling East or West, they get the job done. It costs about .25 to ride one, regardless of how far you take it and they virtually run from one end of the island to the other. Paul and I took one this Sunday into Central to get to a movie theater. They are also double-decker. We stood downstairs and Paul had to bend his head because of the low ceilings. We took the train once so far. Again, clean, cheap and easy. If you take it to the airport, you can even check your luggage at the Central Station, I think. Even the taxis are affordable compared to taxis in other major cities. You can get someplace about 10 minutes away for about $2-3 if you're not stuck in traffic. And of course there are several ferries to outlying islands. Getting around here is quite easy.

In the next episode, I'll tell you why I might pick up an English accent. And I'm looking into Thailand for our first getaway.

And one thing Paul didn't tell you about his tree planting excursion in his last blog: He also picked food from the garden, cooked it with the group, and ate it for lunch. We had a big dinner that night.