I'll be honest, China scares me a bit. Maybe more than a bit. It's just so BIG and has so many people and is kind of a mystery to me. My only interactions I've had with native Chinese citizens is mostly limited to my time traveling through Asia. Many times I've come across throngs of Chinese tour groups laden down with the biggest and best photography equipment pushing to get to the very best spots of (insert any major landmark here). Pushing. There is always pushing. I even witnessed one tour group in the airport once rush to a section of four empty immigration lines as if their lives depended on being first, despite the fact that ONLY their own tour group was lining up. I put a great deal of effort into not judging others, and especially not stereotyping a whole race, but these situations made me hesitant to ever put myself in the throngs of China.
However, as most people know, there is China and then there is Hong Kong. Although I don't fully understand the politics of the relationship between the two, I know enough to say that China and Hong Kong are separate entities that have their own governing systems and policies. So when the opportunity came up to do a Professional Development workshop in Hong Kong I was hesitantly excited for my first bite of China.
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I am happy to say that I not only did not get trampled by crowds, but I managed to have a lovely time in the "Pearl of the Orient." Hong Kong is a HUGE bustling city of 7.3 million people that is known for shopping with it's hundreds of malls. It is popular as a modern Asian city for both expats and locals living fast paced, big city lives.
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As always, Kim, myself, and my friend and colleague, Sara, enjoyed wandering the streets, tasting the food, and soaking in the sites. We had Chinese dim sum, noodle dishes, chicken and rice, and so many other street treats. My *hands down* favorite find though was Nan Lian Garden. It is a public park adjacent to the Chin Lin Nunnery, both built in the style of the Tang Dynasty. As I wandered though I couldn't help but closely relate it to a Japanese garden where each and every item within the space is specifically chosen and placed. The walkways wind unevenly through to encourage a slowness and watchfulness in the experience. I had learned about these creations in college and it was a surreal experience to finally be meandering my way through one.
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| All in all, I greatly enjoyed my time in Hong Kong, it was high energy matched with peaceful moments, it was an overload of flavors and colors and lights and sounds. It was wonderful. Thank you Hong Kong for being my introduction into China, I'm looking forward to visiting again sometime!  |  |
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