Pirates, tea and foot massage (HK 2&3)

Foot massage is a normal nightlife activity here. Last night, we sat in a pleather comfy chairs with huge orange pillows in a row to wait for and then receive our massages. They bring you a cup of tea to drink. They put your feet into a bucket of tea (or at least it looks like tea), then they rub your feet and calves. I could have gone for more feet rubbing. Today I have big bruises on one of my calves.

Juliette loves tea. From our comfy chairs, I commented: one sure does drink a lot of tea here – you chose well for yourself.
J: Because of the tea? Welcome to China.
OK, my comment was stupid. But her tone was pretty funny.

After our massages, she tricked me into getting a drink. That is, she said we were getting one and then ordered an ice cream. Under her advisement, I got a Singapore sling. We sat outside in a narrow passage decorated with xmas lights at a bar called the Baby Buddha in SoHo.

Hong Kong isn’t very big. It is very 3-dimentional. It’s a tall Seattle but narrow between the mountain and the water; so, there isn’t much room to build. They expanded up these steep steep hills, and I imagine this area originally offered cheaper land that was close but work to reach. As the area developed further (with more 30+ story buildings!), the city added the escalator increasing the value of all the properties up here. Juliette added that the escalator also created this very trendy neighborhood along side it. I think that’s sometimes called gentrification.

It’s very Rear Window here in the apartment. I just realized that the hugantic building across the way has ledges and spent some time imagining how I would handle it if I got stuck on one. Existential anxiety be damned. I solve problems. It isn’t enough to believe for a moment I have thrown myself in front of a train or gotten my self stuck on a ledge. I want to figure out how I would get out of a situation like that. I might have to break a window even if I couldn’t climb inside it. Anyway, someone from a nearby building would definitely see me and call for help….

I saw a bus today in need of a wrap. The copy said something like: “Get your message moving”.

I’ve had trouble getting fruits and vegetables here, but not today. The tap water tastes like dirt. I keep walking on the wrong side of the walkways. Boarding the metro is standard (boarders at the sides, alighters in the middle) but I’ve been having trouble even remembering that. About half the highrises are painted pink.

Today, I went to the former pirate island of Cheung Chau. That’s where I found all the bikes! I even saw several grown ups riding bikes with training wheels. I hiked around and saw a “cave” (really just a gap in some boulders) and a “leaning rock”, jumped from rock to rock over waves, ate fish for lunch, and explored the little town. Photos will tell more.

Once I’d pretty much worn myself out, I headed back to the ferry terminal. I had 10 minutes to kill; so, I decided to get some cake for the ride. I read in the guidebook about giving people things (business cards, in the guidebook) with both hands and bowing a little (good manners, HK style). Last night at the massage place, I noticed this is how J gave her person the tip. So, today when I received my change and cake from the little bakery man, I gave it a shot. It shot through me. Receiving that cake and change felt like a profound experience, like a real “namaste”.