Wing On. Wing Off.
I wasn’t able to find the time to write in the past two days while wrapping up my assignment in Hong Kong, working at the Wing-On Center. I had an enjoyable close to my week, but I’ll get to that in a couple of minutes…
I’m having a moment, right this very minute while writing, where I’m feeling a peaceful calm. Lately, the physical process of traveling has become my own little fountain of panic and ill-content; where my miserably weak stomach and my propensity for nervousness and worry combine together to keep me feeling like I’m one claustrophobic flight away from a complete meltdown. But occasionally, I still have moments of calm. Pockets of smooth air in my otherwise turbulent prone life, as if an unseen pilot’s voice in my head says, “You can now unbuckle your seatbelts and you’re free to examine and marvel at the singularity of this day in your life…”
Right now, I’m sitting in the First Class cabin of Singapore Airlines flight 852, bound for Singapore. To my left, I’m looking out over the pacific and the occasional emerald green island below, white cloud fingers tracing abstract patterns in the air currents beneath us. I am aware of the wallet in my back left pocket and that it holds a flattened stack of American dollars, Japanese Yen, Hong Kong Dollars and India Rupees. A few moments ago, I took off my boots and slipped on the complimentary sock bootees they give you to walk around in. In Singapore, I’ll catch a flight to Bangalore, India where upon my arrival I’ll have a driver waiting to take me to an upscale hotel in the city.
How is this my life? I feel like an imposter of sorts, only because I never set out to get here, get this, or be this person. It just fell into my lap. Right place, right time, and right person I guess. It could happen to anyone. I can happen to you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for happening to me.
OK – back to the travel log.
Thursday after work, I caught the train over to Kowloon to pick up my CUSTOM TAILORED SUIT. I just love saying that! The suit and shirts fit great and after buying a few silk to ties to match, I can’t wait to find a reason to actually get dressed up. I left Bobby’s Fashions and took the train back to hotel, stopping along the way to pick up a quarter of roasted chicken and a rice and raisin salad for dinner. I camped out on my bed and just ate until I was comatose.
Friday, I only had to work until Noon. I think my classes went well and that everyone who attended learned something from them. When I left on the Friday, they had the software up and running, busy hatching schemes to sell software configurations to the nearest multimillion dollar Chinese retailer.
Friday afternoon was spent walking all over the city, shopping for souvenirs, small gifts and taking a few more photos. By the time 3:30 rolled around, I was soaked through from the humidity and grime of a hot overpopulated city. I went back to the hotel, took a later afternoon swim and then spent an hour or so repacking. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve left something in the hotel, so I get a little paranoid about leaving something like my passport or my iPod or my belt or my toothbrush or my laptop or my camera or my…. You get the idea. I repack very carefully.
To finish up my week in HK, I did a little night district hopping. I stopped by a few ex-pat sort of bar joints, listen to a little bad techno and moved on. I did a lot of wandering before I stumbled upon a Chinese Salsa band in a little lounge not too far from the hotel. For a Chinese Salsa band, these guys were damn good. Their Spanish was almost flawless and they even had the moves down! I hung out there for a bit, had fun singing along to “Guantanamera”, and then called it a night.
Closing thoughts on Hong Kong: This place crawls with manic activity day and night. This is a vertical jungle of glass and neon. The people are nice enough. You can get by on English no problem. Shopping is king. Well worth the flight over. I’d come back any day.