MY ORIGINAL PLAN TO POST WHAT I'M DOING EVERY DAY DIDN'T QUITE WORK OUT. I'VE BEEN WAY TO BUSY TO GET KNOW HONG KONG. NO TIME TO FIGURE OUT HOW BLOGGING WORKS. HONG KONG IS THE PROBABLY GREATEST CITY I'VE BEEN TO SO FAR. IT SEEMS AS IF EVERY REQUIREMENT I COULD HAVE IN A CITY I CAN FIND IN HONG KONG. METROPOLITAN LIFE IN CONTRAST TO NATURE, CHINESE CULTUE IN CONTRAST TO WESTERN STANDARTS.

I EXPECTED THE CITY TO BE LOUD AND CROWDED AND STRESSFUL AND IT CAN BE JUST THAT BUT ON THE OTHER HAND IT CAN BE PEACEFUL, PURE NATURE AND SOOO RELAXING.

SPACE IS RARE IN HK SO MY ROOM , THAT I SHARE WITH AN AUSTRALIEN GIRL CAN HARDLY BE USED FOR ANYTHING BUT SLEEPING. STORRAGE SPACE IS RARE AS WELL SO I AM HAVING A REALLY HARD TIME KEEPING THIS PLACE TIDY.

I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT 10 DAYS NOW AND IT SEEMS LIKE SEVERAL MONTHS. I MEET SO MANY NEW PEOPLE EVERY DAY AND HAVE SEEN SO MUCH SO FAR THAT IT IS JUST UNBELIEVABLE TO REALIZE IT'S ONLY BEEN 10 DAYS.

TO LET YOU IN ON WH

AT I'VE DONE SO FAR. (SHORTFORM OTHERWISE THIS IS GOING TO TAKE YEARS) HERE ARE SOME OF THE MOST MEMORABLE TRIPS:

SAI-KUNG--> ISLAND, BARBEQUE

FROM SAI KUNG WHICH IS IN THE VERY EAST OF HONG KONG WE TOOK A BOAT TO AN ISLAND(FORGOT THE NAME BUT I'LL REMEMBER SOONER OR LATER) THERE WE JUST HUNG OUT, HAD A BARBEQUE AND ENJOYED THE FACT THAT IT WAS RAINING IN CENTRAL HONG KONG. MOST OF THE BEACHES THAT ARE ACCECIBLE FOR THE PUBLIC ARE SECURED BY LIFEGUARDS AND "SHARK- FENCES" SO THAT SWIMMING DOESN'T TURN OUT TO BE THE LAST THING YOU'VE DONE IN HK..

THE WATER IS SO WARM THAT IT IS HARDLY REFRESHING.

LANTAU ISLAND-

-> BIG BUDDHA AND HIKING

I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY CONSIDER HIKING TO BE ONE OF MY FAVOURITES BUT I THAUGHT I COULD GIVE IT TRY AND MAYBE I'LL CHANGE MY MIND. SO I DECIDIED TO GO ON A HIKING TRIP WITH A BUNCH OF OTHER PEOPLE. I EXPECTED THE HIKE TO BE ABOUT 2 HOURS, EXHAUSING BUT WITH AMAZING NATURE. OUR GOAL WAS TO HIKE TO BIG BUDDHA, A BUDDHA STATUE TH

AT IS SUPPOSEDLY ONE OF THE LAGEST WORL WIDE. IN THE END THE HIKE LET ME SEE AMAZING NATURE BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE 4,5 HOURS INSTEAD OF 2 AND THE PROBABLY MOST EXHAUSTING EXPERIENCE I'VE MADE SO FAR. THE FIRST KILOMETER WAS STRAIGHT UP THE HILL. HIKING UP THERE COULD EASILY BE TITLED MOUNTAIN CLIMBING.. THEN I

T GOT LESS STEEP BUT THEREFOR WE HAD TO DUCK UNDERNEITH HUGE SPIDERNETS FROM SPIDERS THAT WERE ABOUT 10CM LARGE EVERY 15M. IF YOU D

IDN'T PAY ATTENTION CHANCES WERE VERY VERY HIGH THAT YOU'D WALK STAIGHT INTO THE SPIDERS NET. THEN WE CONTINUED THE NEXT TWO HOURS HILL UP AND DOWN AND UP AND DOWN AND UP AND DOWN. THE VIEW WAS WORTH IT BUT AFTER ABOUT HOURS HILL UP AND DOWN MY LEGS WERE SHAKING SO MUCH THAT I HAD TO CONCENTRATE VERY INTENSIVLY NOT TO TRIP.... AFTER ENJOYING PURE NATURE DURING THE TRIP THE BUDDHA ITSELF WAS A RATHER VERY HUGE TOURIST ATTRACTION, NICE TO VISIT AT BUT NOT NECESSARILY A SECOND TIME..

REPULSE BAY

IS A BEACH ON THE SOUTH END OF HK ISLAND AND PRETTY EASY TO GET TO. HUGE BEACH AND NOT AT ALL CROWDED. ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS ACTUALL BEACH WEATHER LOCALS AVOIDE THE SUN. I SEE MORE UMBRELLAS WHEN THE SUN SHINES THAN WHEN IT RAINS. STRANGE AT FIRST BUT A SIGHT YOU GET USED TO. THERE STILL SEEMS TO BE A HUGE CULTURAL AVERSION AGAINST TANNING. ALL LARGER COSMETIC COMPANIES THAT I KNOW FROM EUROPE HAVE SPECIAL PRODUCTS FOR THE ASIAN MARKET THAT BLEACH THE SKIN... WE HAVE SELF TAN THEY HAVE SKIN BLEACH..

ANYWAYS REPULSE BAY IS A GREAT PLACE TO HANG OUT EVEN IF IT IS JUST FOR A FEW HOURS.

SOHO

IT SEEMS AS IF THERE IS A SOHO I EVERY LARGER CITY. AND IT SEEMS AS IF IT'S ALWAYS ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING AREAS. IN HK SOHO IS JUST AMAZING. LOTS OF LITTLE BARS AND RESTAURANTS AND SHOPS. ALL VERY INDIVIDSUAL BUT WITH A STRONG MODERN AND WESTERN TOUCH. AFTER A WHILE (OR A VERY SHORT WHILE) I JUST CAN'T SEE ANY MORE CHINESE FOOD. AT HOME I LIKE EATING MEAT BUT ONLY IF IT IS COMPLETLY FREE OF ANYTHING THAT REMINDS ME OF IT'S ANIMAL ORIGIN: BONES, VEINS AND ANY SORT OF FAT. PROBLEM IS THAT ALMOST ALL CHINESE MEALS ARE WITH MEAT AND THEY DON'T JUST USE THE 'NICE MEAT PARTY' BUT THEY JUST CHOPP EVERYTHING UP INCLUDING BONES AND WHAT ELSE THERE IS.. SO I'VE STARTED AVOIDING CHINESE FOOD AND SOHO IS AN IDEAL PLACE FOR THAT SINCE IT'S MOSTLY WESTERN FOOD. GOOD QUALITY AND GOOD PRICE.

LAN KWAI FONG

CRAZY PARTY STREET IN HK. LKF AND SOHOARE BOTH IN CENTRAL SO IN THE NORTHERN PART OF HK ISLAND. IT'S A STREET THAT IS CROWDED WITH PEOPLE LOCALS BUT MANY MANY TOURISTS AND FOREIGNERS AS WELL. THERE IS ONE BAR NEXT TO THE OTHER AND AS MANY CLUBS. I GUESS CLUBBING IS ABOUT AS EXPENCIVE AS BACK HOME BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS SPECAL OFFERS AND 'FLAT RATE PARTIES' SO IF YOU STICK TO THAT GOING OUT CAN BE QUITE CHEAP.

LFC- ROOF TERRACE

WE JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS THURSDAY FROM A FRIEND OF EMILIE'S WHO'S BEEN HERE FOR A FEW MONTHS. IT'S A TERRACE THAT IS RIGHT IN CENTRAL AND OFFERS AN AMAZING VIEW ON ALL SKYSCRAPERS AND THE HARBOUR. THERE ARE BARS THAT YOU CAN GO TO BUT ALSO MANY ALSO ENOUGH POSSIBILITIES TO SIT SO THAT YOU CAN BRING YOUR OWN DRINKS AND ENJOY THE VIEW.