The following post is a narrative. Do not read it if you don't like stories.

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away...

I came back from Hong Kong yesterday evening. It's nice to be back although part of me wishes I was still gazing out at the South China Sea from Ap Lei Chau.

It was good to be back in Hong Kong after 25 years. I don't have many memories of the time that I spent there as a newborn and toddler. Yet as I walked the streets where I used to live, and as I strolled along Queen's Road, I could not help but feel that this was all so familiar to me. Of course, Hong Kong's changed a lot in 25 years.

My trip began on CX 736 which left Singapore on the 6th of July at 10:25. About 3 and a half hours later, the plane landed at Chek Lap Kok airport. As the plane was making its descent into the airport, I looked out of the window and saw so many tall buildings which seemed to be packed tightly together. At the same time, I saw hills and greenery. This came as a surprise to me but then again, all I knew about Hong Kong up till then was what I had seen on TV and in movies.

As arranged beforehand, I took out my handphone, switched it on, and called Esther. But I couldn't get my call connected. More about this later. Anyway, I found the courtesy phone and used it. It was nice to hear her voice again. She told me which arrival hall to head for once I had cleared immigration.

Hong Kong airport is huge! Both in area and in height! It took a while for me to get to the immigration counters and I had to wait in a queue for some time before I could get to the immigration counter. When my turn came, it took quite a bit of time for the officer to wave me through as she could not figure out my name. But once that was done with, I was free to collect my luggage and enter the cavernous arrival hall. As I wheeled my suitcase towards the arrival hall entrance, I saw Esther. I waved to her and she waved back. As I approached she greeted me and welcomed me to Hong Kong. It's always nice to have someone welcome you as you enter the arrival hall.

We went over to the transport counter and she got me to buy an Octopus card. This is a card that is like a cashcard and ezlink card rolled into one. It works on buses, MTR, and even ferries. She said that we would take a bus to Hong Kong island as I would get to see more of the scenery along the way. So we went to the bus terminal at the airport and waited for the bus. When it came, I placed my suitcase on the luggage rack which was on the lower deck of the bus. Then we went upstairs and sat right at the front. Apparently this is Esther's favourite place to sit when travelling on double deck buses.

She was right. The trip to Central was rather long, but it was nice to ride along the highways, across bridges, through tunnels, and see so many things. Arriving in Central, we took a short walk to another bus stop where we would take a bus to the hostel that I would be staying at. On the way to the bus stop, she pointed out where she used to work as well as the hotel from which Leslie Cheung jumped to his death a few years ago. Another bus ride took us through Sheung Wan and past the places where I used to live. Then as the bus turned a corner, I got a first glimpse of Queen Mary Hospital where I was born! That's where we alighted because the hostel, Lee Hysan Hall, is right across the road! It felt so cool and so weird.

Queen Mary Hospital! Apparently it was a lot smaller when I was born there back in 1978.

Checking into the hall took a little while as they had assigned me the a room in a girls section. They had to find a new room for me and as it turned out, the only one they had was a double room where one person was already occupying. That would have to do so Esther and I took the lift up to the 12th floor. I was wondering, "What would my roommate be like?" Opening the door to my room, I met Dr Yang Kun. He's a doctor from Shanghai who is currently in Hong Kong for a conference. He welcomed me into the room and I settled in quickly. Downstairs there's a 7-11 so I bought a prepaid SIM card. It's really cool. Free IDD to many countries. Airtime only 25 HK cents per minute.

Then it was on to Causeway Bay for dinner. This is where a lot of people on Hong Kong Island go to for shopping as things tend to be cheaper there. My first meal in Hong Kong was roast duck and roast pork with rice. Then we walked around Causeway Bay for a while before Esther had to go for her flute lesson. Before that, she told me how to get back to the hostel from Causeway Bay.

After she left, I walked around for about an hour when I realised how tired I was. I had been on the move since 6 that morning. So I found my way to the bus stop and hopped onto the bus that would take me to Aberdeen where I would catch another bus to Queen Mary Hospital. This bus passes through the Aberdeen tunnel. It's really amazing. One moment you're at Causeway Bay, the next moment you're minutes away from Aberdeen. As the bus exited the tunnel, I was wondering. "How would I know when I had reached Aberdeen?" As it turned out, I got off at the right stop and successfully made my transfer to Queen Mary Hospital. So my first day in Hong Kong came to an end.

For a hostel that's 13 years old, it was actually quite comfortable. There are hot showers too and cable TV!

The next morning, I met Esther downstairs and we went for breakfast at the hospital. After that, we went to look for my old houses. After walking around for a while, I got what I needed. Then we went to the St John's Ambulance Brigade HQ where Esther picked up her First Aid Certicfication card. As it was beginning to rain, we took a cab to Admiralty where we took the MTR to Tai Koo. We'd be meeting Yvonne, a teenager Esther knows from her time in America. Yvonne's parents come from Taiwan.

Lunch was dim sum at Tai Koo Shing. Then we went off to Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon by MTR. It was raining again so we sought refuge in one of the shopping centres. Shopping in Hong Kong is alright though most things can be bought for less in Singapore. When the rain had stopped, we went to the rooftop carpark from where we could see Hong Kong Island.

Somewhere I belong! Me with part of the Hong Kong harbourfront in the background. The short fat building is the convention centre and it apparently looks like a turtle.

Then it was on to the Star Ferry. Before that, we went to the Avenue of Stars. It took us a while before we could find any stars that we were familiar with. But it was fun anyway. The ferry took us to the Convention Centre at Wanchai. We had a look around then made our way to Queensway Plaza where we met up with Hei. We had dinner then went to the Peak. Along the way, we walked through Hong Kong Garden and took pictures at a fountain that's there. At the Peak tram station, we decided that we'd visit Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum that's at the top of the Peak. The tram ride was alright and after a few minutes we were at the Peak. From there, we took in the beautiful night scene of the Hong Kong skyline with Kowloon in the background.

Isn't that a beautiful sight? Hong Kong in front, Kowloon in background.

Then it was on to Madame Tussaud's. As this is the Hong Kong museum, there were wax figures of stars like Andy Lau, Anita Mui, Jackie Chan, and the late Leslie Cheung as well as figures of people like Arnie, Stallone, Bush, Saddam, and others.

Me and Esther and King Henry VIII. He was the fattest king England ever had.

After an enjoyable evening, Hei and Yvonne took the MTR back to Tai Koo while Esther and I waited for a bus that would take me back to Lee Hysan Hall, and Esther back to her family's apartment in South Horizons on Ap Lei Chau. End of day two.

After a good night's rest, I took a minibus to Esther's place where we'd also be meeting with Yvonne. Esther lives on Ap Lei Chau, an island that is connected to Hong Kong Island by a road bridge. She lives on the 39th floor; from her living room you can see the South China Sea. Ap Lei Chau's a nice place; it's not what you typically think of when you think of Hong Kong. From there, we'd be taking a boat to Aberdeen where we'd take a boat ride around Aberdeen harbour. Now, for those of you who like boat rides, don't bother with the paid rides. Go at off peak times and take the free boat shuttle that serves Jumbo floating restaurant. But before that, we took a walk around South Horizons then we paid a visit to the medical hall that Esther's father operates. I met her father and Esther told him that I could explain some of the words on the label of a bottle of medicated oil that he had bought from Thailand. That was nice.

From Aberdeen, we took a bus to Repulse Bay. On the way, we passed by Deep Water Bay where Esther likes to swim. Repulse Bay is a beach shaped like a horseshoe. Things were pretty quiet when we were there. The three of us walked along the beach. The waves are pretty strong. I wasn't sure if I wanted to step into the surf but the waves made that decision for me. After washing up, we took another bus to Stanley. This is another beach but it's currently under redevelopment. There are lots of stalls selling T-shirts, art work, beach wear, and stuff like that. We were there for lunch at a Thai restaurant that's in a building which had been moved stone by stone from its original location in Central. Lunch was pretty good. Guess it helps that the staff there are actually Thai.

From Stanley, we took a bus back to Aberdeen, from where we took a minibus to Mong Kok. This is a shopping district in Kowloon. We would be meeting up with Emily who is another contemporary of Esther's from America. Emily and Yvonne would be watching Initial D. As I didn't want to watch that film, Esther and I went on to Sai Kung first. (We were supposed to have dinner together with Samantha, another of Esther's friends who studied in America.) On the way, we had a nice talk which continued when we reached Sai Kung. We had about 2 and a half hours to burn before Emily and Yvonne would arrive. So we walked along the seafront and talked.

Esther likes American football! Of course, she studied in America but not everyone who studies in America comes back a football fan! I'm a fan of the NFL, America's professional football league. It was nice to talk about American football for a while. Of course, we talked about other stuff too but that's something else entirely.

Samantha arrived around 8:45 and we waited about 15 minutes before Emily arrived with Yvonne. Emily's sister and some of her church friends also came. In Sai Kung, there are many seafood restaurants along the seafront. But apparently these are meant for tourists. We went to a seafood restaurant that locals ate at. The food wasn't bad at all and as there were 9 of us, we could order many dishes. We had pigeon, mini abalone, scallops, crabs, fish, razor shell, crayfish, squid, prawns, chicken, and the odd vegetable dish.

After dinner, we were all so full that we decided to give dessert a miss. So it was back to Mongkok. As Yvonne would be staying over at Samantha's house, only Esther and I went back to Hong Kong Island from Mongkok. End of day 3.

On Saturday, I was on my own for most of the day. I went to Causeway Bay again. I took a bus to Wanchai intending to walk on to Causeway Bay. However it began to rain and I took the MTR instead. Later on, I needed to find internet access so I found myself in the Hong Kong Central Library. There, there's free internet! Later I was told that there are many places where internet can be accessed for free. But the library is a nice place. It's opposite Victoria Park. At Victoria Park, there are five football courts for people to play soccer. Now these courts are huge, nearly as big as real football pitches!

Using the free internet, I checked in to my return flight. Managed to get a nice seat. Then I went to North Point by tram to buy some traditional sweets. The tram system is pretty cool. As I would be attending service at Esther's church later that evening, I decided to go back to the hostel to freshen up. By now, I was getting quite familiar with the Hong Kong transport system. Back at the hostel, I took a shower and changed into a fresh set of clothes.

On the way to Esther's church, I took the wrong bus. I didn't panic though. I got off at Aberdeen where I had something to eat before getting on a bus that would take me to the Wah Fu Estate where Esther's church is. She had given me the directions to her church so I found it quite easily. Esther's church is at the void deck of an apartment block. However, they've renovated it quite nicely. I was very impressed. As I walked towards the glass doors of the church, I saw Esther inside. She was beginning to make a call on her handphone. Apparently she was calling me to see if I was lost. Seeing me walk in, she hung up and welcomed me to her church. She introduced me to her pastor, fellow church workers, and some of her church friends.

As the service was in Cantonese, I had some difficulty understanding some of the things that went on. But I enjoyed it all the same. After the service, I had a nice conversation with Roseanna who speaks good Mandarin and passable English. Esther's parents, sister, and brother also attend that service and her father asked Esther to ask me if I was still hungry. As I had noodles for dinner, I was feeling rather hungry so I said yes. So he told me that he would take me out for supper with his family.

Esther's dad drives a Benz! Ok, it's a secondhand Benz, but it's still a Benz! We went to a famous Teochew restaurant in Sheung Wan. Many movie stars and singers have patronised it during its history. The food was quite nice and there were one or two dishes that I had not eaten before.

Jacky Cheung, Carina Lau, Andy Lau and other stars have eaten here. And now, so have I! Haha.

After supper, we all got back into the family car. Before heading back to the South, we drove around Sheung Wan and Central. Along the way, Esther's dad took me past the church where I would be attending an English worship service the next morning. Esther and her dad gave me very clear directions on how to get there. Then it was time for a drive past Lan Kwai Fong, the Mohammed Sultan Road of Hong Kong. We saw a lady throw up after having too much to drink. Esther's dad then gave me a lift back to Lee Hysan Hall. End of day 4.

Sunday came and I was beginning to feel rather melancholic. Nevertheless, I set out for the church that Esther had sourced for me. It's the Methodist Church, English-speaking. That's its actual name. It's in Wanchai. I got there without any problems and entered the church. There were a lot of Filipino maids at the service even though there was a separate Tagalog service. I was greeted as a newcomer and after the service, I spent some time talking to the senior pastor. He introduced a church member who lived in Singapore from 1964 to 1974, Mr Lam. I had breakfast with him and talked with him about life in Singapore. Then we said our goodbyes and I set off on my expedition along Queen's road. From Wanchai, I walked through Admiralty and Central, ending up in Sheung Wan. Along the way, I saw lots of maids who had gathered in the parks and pedestrian bridges.

I decided to take the MTR back to Causeway Bay as I needed to buy some local biscuits. I was feeling tired from walking all day so after buying the biscuits I decided to return to the hostel. I was supposed to meet Esther for dinner. I thought I could take a rest and that it would be easier for me to meet up with her as she would be coming from her church. On reaching Aberdeen, it dawned on me that I had forgotten to take pictures of her church. So instead of taking a bus from Aberdeen to my hostel, I took another bus to Wah Fu. The church doors were locked so I took pictures from the outside. Later, I was told that the doors were locked but the church leaders and Esther were actually inside having a meeting. I wouldn't have wanted to disturb them anyway.

Back at the hostel, Esther called. She had finished her meeting and asked where I was. She thought it was good that I was back at the hostel. We arranged to meet in Aberdeen from where we would go to Tai Koo for dinner. This was going to be my last dinner in Hong Kong and I was a little unsettled. So when I took the bus to Aberdeen, I got off at Tin Wan instead. Realising my mistake, I took another bus to Aberdeen only to get off too early. In the end, Esther figured out where I was and came to meet me. We waited quite a while for the bus to Tai Koo. The ride to Tai Koo was quite long but we got there. Dinner was at the Pokka Cafe. It was quite nice although the tea served at the end was rather strange to me. After dinner, I suggested that we go to have the dessert that we were supposed to have had in Sai Kung. She agreed and we took the MTR to Sheung Wan where a branch of this famous dessert franchise is located. Dessert was nice and we had a nice chat.

After that, we left to take a bus that would bring us back to my hostel and her home. It's 90B, from Admiralty to South Horizons. On the bus, we talked some more. She told me that she would be serving in the Philippines for two years before deciding what to do next. I realised that she had told me this before and I felt a little relieved. Anyway we said goodnight and I got off the bus.

I should have slept earlier but I needed to pack my bags and do some writing. I slept alright but I couldn't help thinking that this was my last night in Hong Kong. Oh well. End of day 5.

In the morning, I reminded my roommate that I would be leaving that day. He wished me well and gave me his namecard. He said that if I ever went to Shanghai, I could give him a call. Cool.

Checkout was at 10. I checked myself out and sat down in the lobby to read the newspapers. After a short while, Esther arrived and we went to take a bus to Central. From there, we'd be taking the MTR to the airport. At Central, we went into the International Finance Centre. There's quite a large shopping centre there and it's also where Hong Kong Station on the MTR is located. We had breakfast at McDonalds. Esther asked if we could drop by Zara before going to the airport. I said "Sure" and we spent about ten minutes looking around in Zara.

Then it was time to take the MTR to Tung Chung. A bus would bring us from Tung Chung to the airport. At the departure hall, I made my way to the Cathay Pacific counters. I must remember to use online check-in whenever I can.

Then it was time to say goodbye to Esther. I gave her a card and my HK SIM card and we got someone to take a picture for us. Then I entered the passenger gate and saw her no more.

One last picture. The similar colours were not intentional!

It was a long walk to Gate 63 as I had missed the sign for the airport train. By the time I got there, it was "Last Call". I rushed aboard and found my seat quickly. (It helped that I chose a seat in the first row of the economy section.) The Boeing 777 is far superior to the Airbus 330. I'll remember that in the future.

The flight was good. (I can't remember a bad flight on Cathay Pacific.) I had some wine with my peanuts and after my meal. I just needed to relax as I was on the verge of tears. I guess I should have known how difficult it would be to return to Hong Kong for the first time in a quarter of a century.

The plane touched down in Changi Airport at 5:40pm and my Hong Kong trip was over.

I'll surely go again although I don't know when.