[ and it hasn't even been a month!]
-I enter a superstore, find my way around. As usual, I don't know what I want to buy - I will try to find out what I can buy. After a bit of roaming around, and very little shopping, I seek my way out. And then the trouble begins. The rows are circuitous and that smell of fish and other slimy sea creatures makes me a little dazed. I ask an employee and he seems to only half understand. He points towards the big escalator, and up there I go. Before I get off the escalator, I realise that I have just reached where I was 5 mins back. Then I ask the security guard, and she points me down the same big escalator. I go down. Meet the fellow again, who this time insists that I go UP the same escalator. I try to look around and happen to go near the office area and this makes the fellow nervous. Then he comes near and shows some sign which I take for money. I show him the bill and he apologetically shows me the way. Didn't know 'exit' is not a commonly understood word in Hong Kong.
-I am sleepy in the night, and the weather is warm. I take off my shirt and throw it. In the morning I put a 'Please make up my room' display on the door when I leave. In the evening, I can't find the t-shirt. I do my best looking around. I still can't find it. Then I remember - last night the t shirt landed on top of the lamp. Perhaps there is a signal in Chinese custom to put the clothes you want to throw off on top of your lamp? By the way, I am still looking around.
-You go to an electronic store, looking for a small item. The shopkeeper says 190. You think it is too high a prize, try to bargain. You bring the price to 150, by doing the trick of going away without buying. Even then, you feel suspicious. Next day you look up on ebay and find the quoted price is 70. Can I say more?
-I decide to go to Victoria peak, mostly to click some nice shots of the city and to also complete the ritual - many online tourist websites suggest the peak top as the must-visit place. I go to the ticket counter, and find around a hundred people waiting in queue. Phew. I must wait and that I do. At the top is a great view and a lot of people as I expected. I am not wearing a jacket and suddenly the temperature drops. I decide its time to go back, and go towards the embarking station. Phew. Another line, and this time I just can't seem to find its end. It goes on and on and on. After an hour of waiting, I get into the tram. Simple calculation shows there were more than 400 people in the queue ahead of me. :-O
-I get into a taxi and say, 'Macdonnell road'. The taxi driver gives a knowing nod and speeds up. On and on we go as I see that he keeps ignoring the diversions to the left that I understand must lead to my destination. At what looks like the end of the city ( in India, they put a board saying 'thank you for visiting us' at the end of city limits... here the city limit ends into south china sea) , he seems to want me to get down. I insist I will go to mcdonnell road. he turns around and traverses half of the city and I finally reach my destination. a trip of 20 bucks becomes a 75 dollar trip!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Purchase of a life time...
When I bought a digital camera 3.5 years back, they weren't such a popular item in apna desh. And they cost a lot. So I was very happy when I got what looked like a great steal. The model was this - seems like a dud by today's standards, but back in those days, when 3MP was the order of the day (like those gmail invitations! ) 3x optical zoom seemed to be indulgent. The 6-7xs were simply out of my purview because they cost a bomb. (Murgee chaap, sivakasi ke bagal ke gaon wala bomb). I must have clicked a couple of thousand photos, then the lens started creating trouble, battery went kapoot. I ditched my cam. Then one fine day, I was gifted a tripod, I bought a new memory card and battery. The lens started working by itself as if the earlier dysfunction was a protest against the miserly 16MB memory card and old batteries. My earlier penchant for photography re-arose. And then I came to HK.
The rest is history. Have bought a Digital SLR and a lens that is as costly as the camera itself. But the results are surprisingly good. And I hope to click better photos from now on.
--update--
I went to the victoria peak on saturday and a temple and flower market on sunday. If there is one point to see HK from, that must be the top of peak. Unfortunately there was so much pollution that visibility was low before sunset. The real view however sets in after the sunset. Its a splendid panoramic scene. Find lots of photos in the usual photoblog. The flower market was a complete riot of colors. Unfortunately, I didn't find the stares and glares of shopkeepers very welcoming. Add to that my stereotype of Chinese people being martial arts experts and you get the picture. I clicked a few though, thanks to the zoom factor in my camera. The temple was also very colorful. Brilliant red juxtaposed with bright yellow. Very eye catching. The priests sang in their native tongue and the whole atmosphere was filled with a religious feeling. I hated that my lens does not have USM (a mechanism for autozoom which is very silent). However, at times the sharp click of the lens makes you feel like a great photographer!
another major update:
I am chachaji now. The tiny angel is a darling of everyone of course. Its a pity I will only get to meet her in mid feb. She will have grown by then!
Another week has come and gone. With an agenda of doing at least something worthwhile this weekend, I didn't feel the luxury of an idyllic weekend. Anyway, it was only great that I managed to do all this considering that I was alone.
I have seen too much crowd here. A little more than Mumbai. Sundays are free for many working women (read: housemaids) and the main streets are bustling with hordes of them. At every traffic light you will find a mass. In weekends, every tourist destination is over crowded. When I was returning from Victoria peak, there were at least 400 people in the queue ahead of me waiting to get into the tram.
The tram by the way, is a technological marvel. It climbs at such a steep angle, you wonder for once if it will fall backwards. Sort of like a roller coaster at considerably slower speed (though faster than those hill queens of india).
Sometimes I wonder if my notions of relationships are skewed. Is it that I seek the element of perfection (sounds so CVish na? :D) ? I mean, I am like an open book. Should I stay that way? Everyone wants their space. Have I ever thought of how much space I occupy? In the physical world, that question has revisited me every time I try my recently-bought jeans that is now too tight. In the mental world, the thought is struck when I see people drawing lines that far outstretch mine. I should probably use the jostling tricks I learnt in Mumbai suburban trains and create some space around me that will be mine. May be I shouldn't always speak my mind. Earlier I used to write diary almost daily but soon the agenda was hijacked (by matters of the heart). I guess I need to confine the darkest thoughts to my diary. The human race doesn't deserve to be tortured by those.
Another weekend has come and gone. It has been 15 days since I landed in Hong Kong. Have enjoyed the comforts, but resented the crowded market place. Liked the taxi ride, hated the noxious smell of dried seafood. It has been a mixed bag - much like life has been.
...
Hoshwalon Ko Khabar Kya
Bekhudi Kya Cheez Hai
...
Hum Labon Se Keh Na Paaye, Unse Haal-E-Dil Kabhi
Aur Woh Samjhe Nahin Ye Khamoshi Kya Cheez Hai
...
The rest is history. Have bought a Digital SLR and a lens that is as costly as the camera itself. But the results are surprisingly good. And I hope to click better photos from now on.
--update--
I went to the victoria peak on saturday and a temple and flower market on sunday. If there is one point to see HK from, that must be the top of peak. Unfortunately there was so much pollution that visibility was low before sunset. The real view however sets in after the sunset. Its a splendid panoramic scene. Find lots of photos in the usual photoblog. The flower market was a complete riot of colors. Unfortunately, I didn't find the stares and glares of shopkeepers very welcoming. Add to that my stereotype of Chinese people being martial arts experts and you get the picture. I clicked a few though, thanks to the zoom factor in my camera. The temple was also very colorful. Brilliant red juxtaposed with bright yellow. Very eye catching. The priests sang in their native tongue and the whole atmosphere was filled with a religious feeling. I hated that my lens does not have USM (a mechanism for autozoom which is very silent). However, at times the sharp click of the lens makes you feel like a great photographer!
another major update:
I am chachaji now. The tiny angel is a darling of everyone of course. Its a pity I will only get to meet her in mid feb. She will have grown by then!
Another week has come and gone. With an agenda of doing at least something worthwhile this weekend, I didn't feel the luxury of an idyllic weekend. Anyway, it was only great that I managed to do all this considering that I was alone.
I have seen too much crowd here. A little more than Mumbai. Sundays are free for many working women (read: housemaids) and the main streets are bustling with hordes of them. At every traffic light you will find a mass. In weekends, every tourist destination is over crowded. When I was returning from Victoria peak, there were at least 400 people in the queue ahead of me waiting to get into the tram.
The tram by the way, is a technological marvel. It climbs at such a steep angle, you wonder for once if it will fall backwards. Sort of like a roller coaster at considerably slower speed (though faster than those hill queens of india).
Sometimes I wonder if my notions of relationships are skewed. Is it that I seek the element of perfection (sounds so CVish na? :D) ? I mean, I am like an open book. Should I stay that way? Everyone wants their space. Have I ever thought of how much space I occupy? In the physical world, that question has revisited me every time I try my recently-bought jeans that is now too tight. In the mental world, the thought is struck when I see people drawing lines that far outstretch mine. I should probably use the jostling tricks I learnt in Mumbai suburban trains and create some space around me that will be mine. May be I shouldn't always speak my mind. Earlier I used to write diary almost daily but soon the agenda was hijacked (by matters of the heart). I guess I need to confine the darkest thoughts to my diary. The human race doesn't deserve to be tortured by those.
Another weekend has come and gone. It has been 15 days since I landed in Hong Kong. Have enjoyed the comforts, but resented the crowded market place. Liked the taxi ride, hated the noxious smell of dried seafood. It has been a mixed bag - much like life has been.
...
Hoshwalon Ko Khabar Kya
Bekhudi Kya Cheez Hai
...
Hum Labon Se Keh Na Paaye, Unse Haal-E-Dil Kabhi
Aur Woh Samjhe Nahin Ye Khamoshi Kya Cheez Hai
...
Sunday, December 16, 2007
First week in King Kong...
Sorry, that is Hong Kong !
Its been exactly a week since I landed here. Thanks to a survivor-like experience on my earlier trips abroad, I did pretty well this time. Found my way to the hotel, found edible food to eat, called up home and all that. Luckily I had a batchmate here who helped me with the initial setup and first few queries.
HK is a city of sky rises. Now I haven't been to Shanghai or Chicago which have a similar reputation so I don't know how it compares internationally. But I guess there are more buildings with 20+ floors in my neighbourhood than the whole of Mumbai. My hotel has 32, my office building has 50. Oh and the building next block has 100+ !
It must be easy for HongKongese parents. When the kid gets pesky just say "Count the floors in this building". Agle ek ghante tak shanti!
HK is also a city of emigrants. People of all nationalities converge here which also makes it a heaven for international food. However I must confess that, without causing any offense, I do not like the Chinese food. The Chinese food, not the Indianised version of Chinese food one gets on Ahmedabad roadside and Mumbai restaurants which is about as Chinese as Mallika Sherwat in Myth. I am sure you must have heard about the Naga fetish for canine meat. And incidentally, I think dogs and Halley comet sightings are equally rare here.
Chinese food smells. Since I don't like the smell of sea food , and the food seems to consist of marine cockroaches, you can easily guess what the smell of local restaurant food does to my nose.
The two things I love about HK compared to Mumbai are the ease of (and comfort in) strolling around and the spacious taxis ! I mean, you could sit down, lie around or play ping pong. And the driver won't even know. Of course, every once in a while, I have to twitch my nose, think of Reshammiya and say Muck-donaall-rode ( all 'd's as in 'dil') when the address is Macdonnell road. And it takes some amount of time to get used to traversing the zig zagging flyovers.
I am still thinking about buying the SLR. With so many nomenclatures and stuff, I will be lucky to have one in my hand next weekend. Then I can click some better photos as I am already beginning to feel constrained with my point and shoot. And walking around with a point and shoot fitted on a tripod is funny to say the least.
Akele hain to kya gham hai,
chahe to hamare bas mein kya nahi ...
Its been exactly a week since I landed here. Thanks to a survivor-like experience on my earlier trips abroad, I did pretty well this time. Found my way to the hotel, found edible food to eat, called up home and all that. Luckily I had a batchmate here who helped me with the initial setup and first few queries.
HK is a city of sky rises. Now I haven't been to Shanghai or Chicago which have a similar reputation so I don't know how it compares internationally. But I guess there are more buildings with 20+ floors in my neighbourhood than the whole of Mumbai. My hotel has 32, my office building has 50. Oh and the building next block has 100+ !
It must be easy for HongKongese parents. When the kid gets pesky just say "Count the floors in this building". Agle ek ghante tak shanti!
HK is also a city of emigrants. People of all nationalities converge here which also makes it a heaven for international food. However I must confess that, without causing any offense, I do not like the Chinese food. The Chinese food, not the Indianised version of Chinese food one gets on Ahmedabad roadside and Mumbai restaurants which is about as Chinese as Mallika Sherwat in Myth. I am sure you must have heard about the Naga fetish for canine meat. And incidentally, I think dogs and Halley comet sightings are equally rare here.
Chinese food smells. Since I don't like the smell of sea food , and the food seems to consist of marine cockroaches, you can easily guess what the smell of local restaurant food does to my nose.
The two things I love about HK compared to Mumbai are the ease of (and comfort in) strolling around and the spacious taxis ! I mean, you could sit down, lie around or play ping pong. And the driver won't even know. Of course, every once in a while, I have to twitch my nose, think of Reshammiya and say Muck-donaall-rode ( all 'd's as in 'dil') when the address is Macdonnell road. And it takes some amount of time to get used to traversing the zig zagging flyovers.
I am still thinking about buying the SLR. With so many nomenclatures and stuff, I will be lucky to have one in my hand next weekend. Then I can click some better photos as I am already beginning to feel constrained with my point and shoot. And walking around with a point and shoot fitted on a tripod is funny to say the least.
Akele hain to kya gham hai,
chahe to hamare bas mein kya nahi ...
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