ur visit to the Philippines was cushioned on both ends by another set of islands, Hong Kong. After spending two months in China, it was interesting to see how different these two places were. 'Twas two days before Christmas when we sailed from mainland China to Hong Kong. As we approached the harbor full with the evening lights of a big city and dressed to the nines with Christmas decorations, we knew we weren't in the China with which we'd become so familiar.
e hooked up with Jill's longtime friend, Val, and headed towards her high-rise home. It was close to 9:00 pm on a school night and yet the hustle and bustle of the crowd seemed to be at its peak. People were everywhere - shopping! Where making ends meet is a way of life for many in China, conspicuous consumption is definitely a characteristic of this shopping mecca. Having not seen such availability and selection of goods for awhile, we even took our own turn at shopping enjoying the luxury of choice.
t was fun to have our friend as a tour guide in Hong Kong and we enjoyed seeing this place through the eyes of a "local". We also enjoyed having her free crashpad in a place where accomodations, like other things, are very expensive! Her local and expat friends warmly welcomed us into their circle, even organizing excursions on our behalf. As we celebrated Christmas with them, their open hearts and generosity made us remember all the people we care for back home. It was nice to feel among friends on this special day.
ur visit to the Philippines was cushioned on both ends by another set of islands, Hong Kong. After spending two months in China, it was interesting to see how different these two places were. 'Twas two days before Christmas when we sailed from mainland China to Hong Kong. As we approached the harbor full with the evening lights of a big city and dressed to the nines with Christmas decorations, we knew we weren't in the China with which we'd become so familiar.
e hooked up with Jill's longtime friend, Val, and headed towards her high-rise home. It was close to 9:00 pm on a school night and yet the hustle and bustle of the crowd seemed to be at its peak. People were everywhere - shopping! Where making ends meet is a way of life for many in China, conspicuous consumption is definitely a characteristic of this shopping mecca. Having not seen such availability and selection of goods for awhile, we even took our own turn at shopping enjoying the luxury of choice.
t was fun to have our friend as a tour guide in Hong Kong and we enjoyed seeing this place through the eyes of a "local". We also enjoyed having her free crashpad in a place where accomodations, like other things, are very expensive! Her local and expat friends warmly welcomed us into their circle, even organizing excursions on our behalf. As we celebrated Christmas with them, their open hearts and generosity made us remember all the people we care for back home. It was nice to feel among friends on this special day.
