The Trip Within the Trip (Part I)
Posted by Afrojew2 | | Posted On Thursday, December 31, 2009 at 12:44 AM
I’m going to Hong Kong. Fuck money, right? As the infamous Zero Mostel said in one of my favorite movies, “If you’ve got it, flaunt it, baby, flaunt it!” So I’m going to Hong Kong. Financial stability be damned. Student loans, I piss on thee. Big trip that I’m trying to save for, I bit my thumb in your general direction… with a little less contempt. Three days off work for Christmas was a welcome break, but I caught a glimpse of what life would be like if I stayed in Korea over my long 18 day winter vacation: episode after episode of Dexter, with a few friendly visits sprinkled in. And probably a lot of drinking and spending money on drinking. On Monday, back at school, after a five minute walk in -10 degree C weather (that’s about 10 degrees F for you US folk) with the added comfort of an ever present wind, I decided it was better for my mental health to get out for a while.
Top choices: Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand. Too expensive. Second choices: Philippines, Shanghai. One was too expensive, the other requires a visa I don’t have time to get. Also, it’s cold in Shanghai. Then I stumbled upon Hong Kong. Having its own government, Hong Kong does not require a visa for entry, and neither does this interesting looking Portuguese settlement nearby called Macau. I had talked about Hong Kong with a friend I used to work with long before leaving, and I remembered thinking it sounded cool. Bonus, or should I say, determining factor: it’s about 60 degrees F there at the moment. And there’s beaches. And mountains. And islands. Not to mention a bustling commercial center around which live seven million people. Oh, and the flight is cheap.
It was not easy to book the flight. Air China’s website wouldn’t work, the Air China office in Seoul closed 15 minutes before I got there (after over an hour on the subway). But finally Expedia came through for me. I’m leaving in four days and I’ll be gone for ten. This is definitely going to be the most spontaneous trip I’ve ever taken. Let’s hope it turns out well.
Top choices: Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand. Too expensive. Second choices: Philippines, Shanghai. One was too expensive, the other requires a visa I don’t have time to get. Also, it’s cold in Shanghai. Then I stumbled upon Hong Kong. Having its own government, Hong Kong does not require a visa for entry, and neither does this interesting looking Portuguese settlement nearby called Macau. I had talked about Hong Kong with a friend I used to work with long before leaving, and I remembered thinking it sounded cool. Bonus, or should I say, determining factor: it’s about 60 degrees F there at the moment. And there’s beaches. And mountains. And islands. Not to mention a bustling commercial center around which live seven million people. Oh, and the flight is cheap.
It was not easy to book the flight. Air China’s website wouldn’t work, the Air China office in Seoul closed 15 minutes before I got there (after over an hour on the subway). But finally Expedia came through for me. I’m leaving in four days and I’ll be gone for ten. This is definitely going to be the most spontaneous trip I’ve ever taken. Let’s hope it turns out well.
Happy New Year Seth! Have a great time in Hong Kong! Be safe and Skype when you can. Love, P and C