This is my fourth time in Hong Kong and I’ve run out of ways to explain why I keep coming back. The urban jungle, the mess, the noise. None of it sounds like a reason when I say it out loud, least of all to my mother.
It was her first time. We’ve taken four trips together since she got her passport about a year ago, and the one before this was Taipei, which was more her speed. I worked through that trip the way I worked through this one, so she had her mornings and afternoons alone, and in Taipei she would stroll the neighbourhood by herself, among just as many tourists and locals who spoke little English and were friendly about it.
We gave it ten days. Half in Sheung Wan, half in Tsim Sha Tsui. After being in this country for more than once, I’ve learned that the Hong Kong Island and Kowloon sides offer different experiences and vibes. She felt no difference. She said the people were cold and walked too fast. That the city lacked soul.
Taipei’s laidback atmosphere and friendly people who spoke little English encouraged her to explore the city. Despite being just as tourist-heavy as Hong Kong, this wasn’t the case for her in this trip.
We both loved the HK-style french toast here
The night before was Mother’s Day, so we had dinner at Terrace Boulud at the Mandarin. It was a Sunday evening and Central was still busy below us as Victoria Harbour glittering past it, and for once Mama and I loved the same view.
The next day we went up to the Peak and then walked Lugard Road for forty minutes, which is not something either of us usually does. We did it anyway.
Part of the trip went to photographing my husband’s best friend and her fiancé before their wedding, up and down the hills of Central under a sky that never once gave us sun. I bought my first Ricoh in this city a few years ago, and it still feels right to have a camera in my hand here. Although for this photoshoot, I was using a bigger Sony and a much larger lens.
