M-whY

This seemed to cause her some concern, and she explained how it might be difficult to enter Hong Kong without proof of onward travel. She called over her supervisor and they discussed possibly having me sign a waiver before boarding the flight. This was all news to me. I was pretty sure though Hong Kong immigration wasn't so strict.

"Do you have a credit card?" she asked. This question I was able to answer in the affirmative. After some more discussion with her supervisor, they decided that it would be alright to give me my boarding pass. I went through Thailand immigration without a hitch, and at the designated time, boarded my plane to Hong Kong.

Entertained by an episode of The Simpsons on the TV and a decent inflight meal, the two and a half hour flight passed quickly. It was raining at our destination, and we endured quite a bit of turbulence during the descent, followed by a rather rough landing. As I thought, clearing immigration though was a breeze. They barely gave my passport a glance before stamping me a 90 day tourist visa.

Near baggage claim was a free phone from which I called my aunt from.

"[It's good to hear your voice,]" she told me (in mandarin), and gave me instructions on how to get to her home. "[It's really easy]", she told me. "[Just take the A41 bus to City One.]"

Almost everywhere in Hong Kong, messages are played in three different languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. Being able to understand two out of the three, it shouldn't be difficult for me to get around. At the proper bus stop, my aunt was waiting for me with an umbrella.

"[See how easy it is?]" she said. "[When your grandma comes to the airport, even she can get here by herself.]"

I don't recall the last time I saw Aunt Ping, but it must've been at least four years. During which I've gotten a lot bigger. (Some would say a lot fatter.) In the five minute walk to her apartment, she kept saying how much I've grown. Upon arriving, I met my cousin, Mei Mei, who had returned from university in America for a couple weeks. I can't even begin to guess when the last time I saw her was.

"[Have you eaten yet?]" she asked, after I dropped my bags in the room they had vacated for me.

I wasn't dying of hunger yet, having eaten a bit on the plane, so we ended up taking dinner late. The three of us were joined my uncle at the restaurant, where, ironically, we had Thai and Vietnamese food.

"[Just watch him eat,]" Aunt Ping, who was familiar with my appetite, said to Mei Mei. "[He can clear the table,]"

Never one to disappoint, I did exactly that.

It feels as if I'm entering the third stage of my trip, Australia/New Zealand being the first, followed by southeast asia. With the exception of Indonesia, travelling in southeast asia was incredibly easy. For the next few days, I'll be making base in Hong Kong while I obtain my Chinese visa, and then it's off to explore the world's most populous country. Up til now, english has been understood by nearly every person I've encountered, whether it's tout, guesthouse owner, or tour guide. I really have no idea what to expect once I cross into mainland China. Will anyone speak english? Will they understand my mandarin? And most importantly... In the rural areas, how easy will it be to find internet access to update my blog?!

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!