A trip down memory lane...

The memory lane, in this case, is Hong Kong. The last time I was there was in 1996, I think, almost ten years ago. Okay, not entirely true. The last time I was there was last year, where we stayed in HK for a total of six hours only, so I guess that shouldn't count. Hong Kong has changed so much. The MTRs now have glass doors to protect passengers from falling down the tracks. The malls have grown bigger and grander. Most of the establishments we used to frequent have either closed down or moved to a different location. But our favorite restaurants are still there. There's the old noodle place with the bestest wanton dumplings ever. Then there's Cafe de Coral, with the best chicken curry dish. My latest favorite is their baked porkchop. I will stop with the food posts now, because I don't want to drool all over my keyboard. :)

Since it's August, the whole HK is on sale. Sadly, even with all items discounted, they were still too expensive for us. Tsk tsk. I remember before how HK used to be our shopping mecca because items there were cheaper. I see all these women in shops, hoarding shoes and lining up at the cashier to buy pairs of shoes priced at $299!! That's almost P2,153!! Am I just barat? Because I felt that that was too expensive a price for a pair of unbranded shoes. Cheap for me would fall around the P600-P800 price range, which means that in HK dollars, they should be around $83 - $111. Harharhar.

And the airport's check in counter in Central... whoa! Passengers have the option of going directly to the airport or going first to their check in counter in Central. Their check in counter in Central is enough reason to go to HK. There are two malls beside it that houses some of the more popular brands in the international fashion scene. There's Zara, Mango, Lancel, etc. There are a few coffee shops, a juice bar, and a gasp.... cinema!!!! So, if you have a long time to go before your flight, you can go there, check in, watch a movie, then take the train to the main airport. The train ride will take only 20 minutes.

Which is why when we landed here, I felt disappointed comparing HK's airport to ours. Upon disembarking from the airplane, harassed passengers have to travel down a flight of stairs, go through this (useless) footbath, which, by the way, creates a bottleneck to the main arrival hall, and fall in line for immigration purposes. If the passengers arrive too late, they will have to stand on the stairs because the lines reach up to there. It's like, the architect who designed the airport just designed the floor plan without taking into consideration the comfort of the passengers using it. Haaaay..

But, I will focus on the positive side of things instead. I am thankful that we had a safe flight. I am thankful for the bonding moment with my brother and my dad. I loved checking out the new malls. I loved the new food ideas we saw at the food fair. I am thankful for the brief 3-day vacation from my "new" family.

I would love to see Disneyland when it opens!!