Rainy Days
I am writing in the infamous Chungking mansion in Hong Kong. I was looking for an Indian place to eat but I think I need to go up another level. It is nice to get out of Korea, see the world a little bit but, since it has been raining heavily everyday, it has been hard to see Hong Kong. I have not gotten a chance to go hiking but because my hiking boots are Gore-tex they have come in handy nonetheless.
On Sunday I went to Central and ran into the largest group of Filipino women this side of Manila. Being a maid in Hong Kong is the "it" job for them and Sunday is their only day off. They all come to go to the English church service and meet the other Filipinos (who are sometimes family). I don't think I saw any Chinese people the whole day. Every place to sit that was protected from the rain had a group of women eating together and playing rummy. In Hong Kong park, after seeing the walk-through aviary, I ducked under a covered area in a playground to wait out a bad cloudburst (I forgot my umbrella) and ended up talking with some Filipinos who were waiting there and had always "wanted to have their picture taken with an American." they were interesting to talk to. The "spokesperson" had "only" been there 4 years. Her mother had been there 14 years.
Hong Kong is a strange city. It is kinda of a generic Asian city. I don't mean that as an insult but rather there are so many influences that they all cancel each other out. Since no other city I have been to is like that it's generic-ness is actually quite unique. I still don't know what to think of it and that is no doubt that my plans have been entirely circumscribed by the rain, but I still have over a week to check things out.
I also found a new novel by one of my favorite contemporary (and fellow Mainer) Richard Russo called Bridge if Sighs.
On Sunday I went to Central and ran into the largest group of Filipino women this side of Manila. Being a maid in Hong Kong is the "it" job for them and Sunday is their only day off. They all come to go to the English church service and meet the other Filipinos (who are sometimes family). I don't think I saw any Chinese people the whole day. Every place to sit that was protected from the rain had a group of women eating together and playing rummy. In Hong Kong park, after seeing the walk-through aviary, I ducked under a covered area in a playground to wait out a bad cloudburst (I forgot my umbrella) and ended up talking with some Filipinos who were waiting there and had always "wanted to have their picture taken with an American." they were interesting to talk to. The "spokesperson" had "only" been there 4 years. Her mother had been there 14 years.
Hong Kong is a strange city. It is kinda of a generic Asian city. I don't mean that as an insult but rather there are so many influences that they all cancel each other out. Since no other city I have been to is like that it's generic-ness is actually quite unique. I still don't know what to think of it and that is no doubt that my plans have been entirely circumscribed by the rain, but I still have over a week to check things out.
I also found a new novel by one of my favorite contemporary (and fellow Mainer) Richard Russo called Bridge if Sighs.