Part 3: "OH NO... I destroyed your love planet!" -Hong Kong

Hong Kong: a dream of Manhattan arising from the South China Sea.

Hong Kong: a city severely Chinese and yet, not at all.

Hong Kong: How on earth could I have been prepared to meet with you?

Hong Kong blew my mind and my senses. I think my most uttered word in that city was a breathless "wow". As soon as we walked across the border from Shenzhen I knew we had walked across the border to another planet.

An island of the lushest green I had seen since leaving North Carolina out of which is birthed the flash and glitter of thousands of neon signs and steel sky scrapers. The zoom and bustle of constant motion from the subways deep beneath, to the ferries littering the bay, to all manner of automobile, to trolleys and gondolas slowly dragging masses to new heights made the whole city feel like it was on the move and gave one an acute, but untraceable, sense of motion sickness.

The streets were packed with an alarming diversity of people all the time and yet I couldn't remove the distinct sensation that they were all alone. Not one looked up, not one made eye contact, not one glanced toward their neighbor.

A trip to Hong Kong Disneyworld (whose claim to fame is that it's the least you'll pay to go to a Disney park) with some new friends turned out to be extremely satisfying, mostly due to the company. Perhaps the most memorable moment, however, came when the park was minutes from closing and everyone who had come that day filed dutifully into the souviener shops to spend absolutely outrageous amounts of money on trinkets and clothes with a Disney character stamped on the side. It was breathtaking to stand at the side and watch consumerism at its maddening height.

Hong Kong, two days was enough of you. I'll take my modest apartment and simple needs over you any day. Shame to leave the dim sum though...