Apologies!

The Kid lost in Hong Kong got lost in too many things happening in his life.

So now you gotta wait till this kid gets lost once again. ;)

Thanks for reading and hope to have you back again!

DAY 22

A hot and sultry Sunday. Naah, it wasn't so bad, but I made the day so hot in my mind, that I just couldn't muster enough strength to get out of my room. So I stayed indoors, far from the sun and watched the Star Wars series for probably the umpteenth time. And surfed away. Well, I mean the net surfing. Remember, I didn't step out of my room!! ;)

Enjoyed the funny feeling freedom, because being cooped up in a room all day is not exactly my kind of freedom or is it?

But that was the wrap on the day's events. Nothing much, but still great fun.

The long delay! Hmm

When life begins to fly,
And time just seems to go by,
Many changes have taken place,
And millions more are yet to show their face.
Some things just can't change,
And some things just don't remain.
The world seems rather strange,
No happiness nor pain, just an unusual strain.
Where am I headed, I know not at all,
But the fear is gone, to face a fall.
I start afresh and renewed,
But that is actually the way it is viewed!!

DAY 21

The days have turned very humid and its rather stuffy outside. After hours of deliberation on a wonderful Saturday afternoon, a mysterious force urges me to get out of the cool room that I have. I head out searching for the Zoological garden.

I cross the road over the foot bridge and a small board beckons me. The words on that board: "Welcome to the Hong Kong Botanical and Zoological Garden". I stand stunned for a while, thinking that I have been living next to the zoo and had been searching for it everywhere other than this location.

Today I was out to go to the markets on foot, but the zoo has made me take a short diversion.
Well, just as usual the short detour, turns out to be the new destination.
First, at the Botanical centre, a charming bouquet of flowers await me. But, for probably the first time, the flowers were pushed to the back of the mind, while certain thoughts that were more closer to the heart ran in the fore.

But most certainly the flowers were beautiful and they infused a certain energy, much required to move around the park on a day like this.

After a whole lot of flowers, I headed to the aviaries. That wasn't really a crowd puller because the aviaries were somewhat stinky. But this was perhaps the first time I was seeing so many birds in this city. Such multi-meshed enclosures made for poor photography as the camera focused on the meshes more often than the birds. Bird watching ;) was not too much of a fun in the zoo!! :P

Walked around numerous other enclosures and saw lion tailed macaques, a marvelous gorilla (somehow the similarity was striking!! ;) ), a cool porcupine, an aardvark sort of animal, baboons, lemurs and plenty more of small animals. A certain set of monkeys reacted rather funny when I was clicking them. Which ever angle I tried to capture them, they'd rotate their faces out of view. Were they camera shy or human hurt?? Just couldn't help thinking and wondered for quite a while after that.

The Reptile Enclosure was fun yet almost a disaster. With the so called enclosure, all they had were two crocs and one Python. Well the python looked majestic, though its difficult to spot in the picture due to the funny enclosure design.

Up ahead, the zoo changed into a wonderful park with a terrific and unique view of the buildings around and the lush green surroundings here, were unmatched for any place in HK. The concrete jungle probably has this as its lone oasis and a smashing one at that. Had just been out for about a couple of hours and my shirt was so wet with sweat that I could wring out at least a litre!! ;) Or maybe that was a little over exaggerated, but I guess you get the idea.

Back at the room, I cool down for a while and give up plans for further roaming around. The last bit of money in my pocket is spent on groceries in a little while and one could safely say that I am broke with just about HKD 15 in total change.

The rest of the day is spent watching TV, with no one to get me off the hook!! :( But yeah, this is fun!! ;)

Am thinking hard about tomorrow. Will I be out or am I gonna sit out a Sunday in my room at Hong Kong? ;)

Now its fun all the time. Not just out on the streets but in the room all alone too!! :P

DAY 17, 18, 19 and 20

Aaaah!! Four days in one post. Trust me, it wasn't that boring niether was it that there is not much to write. But most of the things that did happen are not meant to be written!! ;)

Though, I had some bad experiences with food and shifted to the trusted Mac Donald's, but I like failing again and again, so I was back to another interestingly bad experience. Well, all these are related to food and specifically non-vegetarian food. That's the reason behind the veil.

OMG, there are too many things behind the veil when it comes to me!! ;)

But yeah, I am steadily running out of money and I am at my loser's best. I had given the company a wrong Bank account number!! Luckily, people here are polite and nice, so I didn't get clobbered, which I was totally prepared for.

The buildings still awe me as they have been doing since I have been here. But now I am heading into the completion of the third week of stay. It just couldn't have been better. :)

The fun never really sets here!! ;)

Hope you are having fun too!! :P

DAY 16

A lovely day. It has been two weeks in this new city and now it doesn't seem as alien as I expected. In fact, it didn't seem alien since I have been here, except my expectations!! ;)

I somehow realize that the common line I had heard that people are not polite is somewhat incorrect. At least, considering myself, everyone is a lot more polite than I have ever been. I doubt my definition of politeness ;). But it isn't that bad getting around. They actually try to understand the English I speak and some do say that please speak a little slowly so that I am able to catch all the words. I was all smiles!! :)

Just the food seems to have gone a little awry. I just had a true HK dish and decided not to try to lower the amount of torture I am subjecting my taste buds to. My staple drink is now Coca-Cola Light (Lemon). Low on calories and high on caffeine. Quite an ad, I make!! :P

Am I working hard, or hardly working?? I'd personally prefer the latter, though I really couldn't figure out which side I was in. Well, if looking around for hours together is work, then I'd be working really hard, but if it isn't ………….!! :(

Hey, have I started to lose MY touch at writing crap??

Oh, gosh too many questions to disturb my puny mind!! What do I do?? :)) Another question!

Anyways, a week full of office=>not much of fun outside the office. So I pack up some real interesting stuff at office. But that is supposed to be confidential!! ;)

Don’t bother with the details, you wouldn't find them interesting. It is just my way of having fun, when I shouldn't!! :P

Ciao!

DAY 15

Days spent outside tend to be longer than the ones spent indoors. Or is it the opposite? Well, I guess the mood has got a lot to do with that! ;)

Today, back to TST and headed to the Science museum. Am quite late in the day, but it isn't raining as yet. Just as I am within range of the Museum, rain strikes in all its fury, but now having learnt the HK ways, I take shelter in a Mall. Its pretty nice to look around, but the tech shops are closed. :( Never mind I roam about here and there for about an hour and find an umbrella seller. Well the lady wasn't like the Umbrella Man. ;) Sorry for that, but it jus came to the mind. For the uninitiated, "The Umbrella Man" is a nice short story by Roald Dahl. Find it and read it!! :P

So I got an umbrella, went out in the rain, sloshed around a bit and reached the science museum.

My museum pass got me instant access to the Dino Exhibit and Wow!!

It was like an unbelievable experience to be seeing Dinosaur fossils in real life. I presumed they are meant to be only seen on TV. But there I was in front of live fossils and wondering how did luck bring me to this! It was seriously exhilarating. The adrenaline rush consumed all the other thoughts and reactions for a while, as I strolled the area all stunned.

After that experience, the remaining museum just looked nice. Well, it had plenty of stuff to be enjoyed practically. It wasn't worth taking pictures of those things and spoiling the feel. Went into quite a number of things but then it was enjoyable to see kids. Yeah, kids younger to me enjoying the stuff. I, for once, felt a little grownup to try some stuff, but most of the things were fun to do.

Some interesting features were an exhibit dedicated to Telecommunications and awesome practical systems to explain concepts of sampling and various other techie stuff. Well, sampling was by far the best model I have ever seen. It required one to rotate a lever and listen to the song being played. If you rotate the lever slowly you jus hear a small piece and if you rotate it very fast you'd be able to hear the full song. Sampling is reading a signal at some time. The faster you read it, the better picture of the signal you obtain. Hey, forget this. I am sorry for the crappy stuff that I got into. But the live demonstrations of basic concepts was super cool.

Sat for a live demonstration session, but it was totally in Cantonese, so didn't catch a word and the demonstrations were kinda stupid, so moved off from there and roamed about for a while in the illusions arena and freaky health zone, where you had to do funny exercises and points were given. Couldn't get to do all the exercises. But one was about how high you can reach when you jump and then how long can you balance. You have to do these to know what these are. They were real fun. Then headed out and went over across the street to the History museum, but it was already 6pm and the museum shuts down at 6:30pm, so I decided to be back to the History museum sometime later. And headed for my favourite dinner spot - Café de Coral. Had some stuff there, which I wouldn't like to describe here for the fear of getting that disgusting look on the faces of some readers. But yeah, it was good and filling. :)

And then back to the MTR station headed back to Admiralty. Yeah, I have shifted my destination of getting lost. Now, I alight at Admiralty and not at Central. And at Admiralty, I just get out of the station, land at the bus stop, sit inside a bus and get dropped straight at my apartment. :) Neat.

Soon am preparing for my next day!! Rather I am prepared just like always!! :P

Ciya after another long day at work!!

DAY 14

All's great with the world or so I assume as I head out of my room for an exciting day. Well exciting because its gonna be my first real day out in the concrete jungle. I am heading out to Tsim Sha Tsui (TST), where there are museums galore. ;)

I know I am a freak to have headed out to museum on such a lovely day. But that's how I am. And now that I have my best friend - an understandable guide map, I am seriously going places. The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) or Metro is cool. Only the exit points are confusing and you mess with them and your life is all messed up. So I get out of one exit, don't understand where it is pointed to and am back on the Metro station. Have been lost before, but it wasn’t so exciting that I could do it over and over again. So I choose my exit carefully and then head out to the nearest museum-the Space Museum. But next to the Space Museum is the Art Museum and somehow I can't find the entry to the Space museum, so I just head to the Art Museum.

Here's a tip. If you enjoy going around the museums and would like to save on the entry fee, which is btw quite low, but the stingy guy that I am, I intend to save that too!! ;) And the tip is to keep your Student's ID card, I mean the College ID. It comes handy often and can sometimes get you 50% discount. Atleast, it does so here and for the first time I realise that the card indeed has some value.

Now I have a 6 month pass (though I am here for 2 months) to seven museums and entry is free to all. The net cost is HKD 25 while entry to one museum is HKD 10. So now, I have a place for shelter whenever it rains and am out in TST!! ;)

A Hong Kong Art Museum was really enjoyable with their various exhibits. Best of all was that photography is allowed in almost all areas, except some special exhibits where there are ancient scrolls and paintings, which maybe affected by the extreme light of the flash. I was allowed to photograph even those exhibits until my flash went off!! :(

After a 3 hour stint in the Art Museum, I did say that I'm loving it and headed out to catch some fresh air. Hmmmmmm. The air was fresh but it was the sea breeze so the saltyness or whatever that smell is, was quite obvious. Never mind. The view of the Hong Kong Island was so beautiful that I just couldn't contain myself and off went the clicking.

Took a stroll through the HK Cultural Centre and a standup comedian was entertaining people. Unfortunately the stuff was in Cantonese, so my only source of amusement was the laughing faces of zillions of people. Again am out and roaming the ocean front and watching the ferries go and come.

Soon I am headed to the Space Museum, but the exhibits aren't as absorbing as the Art ones were. I just pass by snapping randomly and reading some stuff. But none of it was too impressive, except perhaps the spacecraft made by lasers. It’s a pic where there is a rainbow coloured spacecraft (as a friend quoted).

That was perhaps, the only display that was awesome. No. I forgot. The Moon Walk. A saddle in which you are strapped into and then you walk around on the floor and you experience a sixth of the gravity on earth. Oh, that was the high point in the journey of the day. Leaping around, though it wasn’t much of a leap being constrained to move along a line, but it felt great.

There are numerous shows in the Space Museum, but the one about to start while I was there, was "Mystic India" and that too in Cantonese. I decided to pass the show. Will catch it some other weekend. Now it's almost 5 and I decide that I have had enough of the space museum. So I charted a course to see where the Science museum is located. That is tomorrow's destination. So I wander through the map to land up in front of the science museum and then walk through the Avenue of Stars and cross numerous buildings and the view of Hong Kong is great.

Some interesting food stuff was also available, but I still haven't been able to bring myself to try it. Maybe in due course of time, I'd make up to it. You'd know, when I succeed. Walked all the way to the place where the Science museum should be there, but no museum. There are too many buildings before me, but on the map there are just three, so that tends to be comfusing, when you can't be sure of your orientation.

Never mind. Now that I am hungry, I don't have an option to continue the search, so I now try to locate a place where I can have a good meal. I do find one, and have soemthing hot and nice. Well, nice => consumable :).

Back on the road, headed to the MTR station, I find myself lost a little, but my friend helps me get out of a dangerous situation and am at the station in about 30 mins. At the station, in a train, at the destination, out of the station and lost again. The same place where I got lost last when it started to rain. I pull out my guide, but there are way too many roads now. So I walk and I walk till I gain some orientation of the city. (Now am not running around in circles) And finally reach the bus stop. But a new whim. I decide to chuck the bus and walk to the next bus stop. Well I didn't know that I could get to my room on foot, else that's what I'd strive for.

Now I realise this isn't as pedestrian friendly city as it earlier seemed. To cover a distance of about a kilometer and a half, I end up walking close to 6 km and then I realise that just the previous Metro station is where I should have alighted, 'cause that's where I have come walking. I catch a bus, head to my room and phewww. My day is on the verge of ending. Though I don’t end it so soon. I watch TV, chat on the net and finally watch more of TV. :D What a life! ;)

Off to bed, ciya tomorrow!

DAY 13

A New Day, a New Beginning. And after an awesome holiday, this new day was to bring a new beginning to a certain hollowness in the heart! ;)

But no, it wasn’t that bad. I seem to have somehow overcome my fear of myself.

Btw, this is the 13TH day in HK and it passes with not much pain or difficulty. Got up as I ought to and was out on time. In the bus, on my to the office, I couldn't help notice, how stupidly disciplined are the drivers here. No one changes their lane without giving a blinker and they move in straight lines. How boring? No car I have seen has dimples of any sort and traffic police are more concerned with parked cars than the ones on the road.

The maximum pollution in this city, I assume is due to cigarette smoke. The AC buses seem to be running on air, 'cause they just don’t have any emissions nor do most of the cars. Smoking in buildings and cars is prohibited and attracts a penalty of HKD 5000. Cool figure. Almost every stupid offence has this common fine value. Though I am yet to see someone being caught for something wrong and being fined!! ;) Evil me!! :D

(However, I hope I never land up in that category of fine payers!! :P)

And yeah, I finally realised that we aren't suppose to press clothes, but iron them!! :)) That's because, after numerous attempts to explain my apartment's room service that I need a press, to press my clothes, the person at the other end said, that we'd suggest you one for yourself, because we don’t have it in our inventory. It then struck my mind that the press in my language is the ubiquitous iron. ;)

Heights!! In Delhi I have been to heights of 7th floor and 14th floor and likewise and they were high. Here I live on the 14th Floor and it certainly doesn’t seem high. Now picture this. I work at 40th Floor and choppers fly past the building. It hardly seems too high and neither does stuff seem out of place. How regular!! ;)

The flat rate buses are one thing I hate the most and the metros are just too quick. It seems I have got plenty to make you feel jealous for!! ;)

One realises his/her stature when you stand on an open road overlooked by numerous tall structures.

Ohh, now I know, why did I notice so much in one day. Today was sandwiched between two holidays and that certainly doesn’t make things good!! ;) But not too bad either.

I like some days off between too much of fun! ;)

Hey, it's not over yet. Will be back to describe the peak again!!

DAY 12

My first public holiday in Hong Kong. A showerless weather prediction. Boy, am I excited!!!!!! :)

Its Buddha's Birthday here, and I celebrate it in my weird style!! ;)

Slept late last night, got up late in the morning. Switched on the net, spoke with my parents and bro. Got off the net and lazed around for a while. Watched TV for a while and then realised that I had to wash a few clothes. So did that and had my breakfast - an assorted meal of cereals with milk nad biscuits and Strawberry jam filled cake! Ooh, how I love to make you jealous!! :P

Still feeling lazy but finally I got ready by 12 and went out. It was really humid and sweaty!! :( And worst, my digicam's battery was rather low and I had just gotten started out. So I packed for the while and returned back to my base. Charged the cam's battery for about two hours, logged onto the net and read a mail that put me into a shock for a while and it suddenly felt that the whole day was spoiled. But. And that's a real big But!! But, life's not the same anymore. I make the choices now. ;) So, I decide that it's time for some fun. At 3, after a stupid lunch I was out on the roads again. Determined to have an adventure, I leave the road and climb down stairs (probably the longest stretch of stairs I have seen in Hong Kong). Well there were steps leading upwards as well, but climbing down is easier!;)
Before you jump to too many conclusions, my plan was to reach the Tram station and then upto the Peak via the tram. So I climbed and climbed (down) and reached the station comfortably. Got a money-scheme (whatever that means) to view the Madame Tussaud's look alike at the Peak. Took the scheme, got my tram ride for free and the tram ride was really exhilarating especially when you standing and the tram goes upwards at an angle of 70 degrees. Well, that's quite close to going vertical. And at that point, the view of the city was something which is engraved in the mind forever. You gotta experience it to know. The thrill just can't be vicarious.
Up the hills, to the Peak, off we went in the beautiful tram.
At the Peak, a new world awaited. The height over a high rise city was mindblowing. And the view was marvellous. But wait, the Madame Tussaud's museum was great too. Pierce Brosnan welcomes you with his Bond attitude ;) and then u enter the museum with a welcome by none other than Jackie Chan. It couldn't get better than this. Inside you have an exuberant display of real looking wax statues of celebrities (though I didn't know most :P).
There are also the statues of political leaders and Madame Tussaud herself. Well, the display was worth the amount they charged for it. Tiger Wood's and Mohammad Ali looked so realistic, that I had to actually touch them. But as much as the skin looks real, it feels awkward.
Outside the museum, is a wonderful mall. Great smelling food but on the expensive side.
I headed to the viewing terrace and it was a stunning scene. One could get lost in the view for hours together, but then all alone it isn't the best place to be. One would miss a partner in the adventure for sure. ;)
All over the terrace and views in all the directions. For the first time, the 88 storey IFC 2 looks small!! ;)
I stay on for a whopping six hours determined to capture the city in the glowing lights as night approaches. I succeed pretty much and a beautifully lit night city gleams before my eyes.
Now time for adventure!! Am gonna, go back to my room walking. That's rite. Am over 88 storey's high up on a hill and I plan to trek to my room which is some place lost in the building ridden city!!
I start and am already lost. Thankfully there's some help and am on some track. The track forks up into two and I most certainly choose the right one. Ohh, the right one was the one on the right hand. Though it turns out to be authentically wrong in the end, when I land up on a new street. But I don't give up easily. I struggle on the paths, begging for directions. Right, left, up and down. I have moved in the directions and now my legs are aching and finally. Pheww, finally I find another fork in the road!! ;)
But I do recognize the fork. I know which road leads to my destination and in a couple of minutes I am back in the room to conclude my day of adventure for the Kid still lost in Hong Kong!!

Another pause!!

It's been a while and posting was suddenly seeming a chore. I hate chores!! ;) The lazy guy I am. But then another U turn has brought me to a land where I'd love to belong to.
Some special people appreciated the effort and it suddenly seems worthwhile again!! The chore is out and fun is in! :)

So where was I? Yeah!! The boring wednesday got over and came over a Thursday which was quite a DAY!! :)