M-whY

Some time around noon, Aunt Ping took me to Mong Kok (pictured above), via the convenient public transportation system. Unlike many parts of the city that have been overun with glitzy shopping centers, towering financial buildings, and high rising apartment complexes, Mong Kok still boasts a scene much like what you'd find in an old Hong Kong flick. Only a couple of blocks from the KCR stop was a branch of the Chinese Travel Service. We were assigned a number and took a seat in the waiting area. A large family was being serviced by the only attendant - the rest were probably on their lunch break - and it was a while before it was my turn.

While waiting, I noticed the HK$20 bill in her bag was different from the HK$20 in my wallet.

"[How come mine is different from yours?" I asked.

"[It depends on the bank that prints the note. Each bank prints its own.]" she said. She produced two more HK$20 bills, both with different designs, bringing the unique total to at least four.

"[Doesnt that make things confusing?]" It wasn't like this the last time I was here. (About five years ago?)

"[At first, yes. But now everyone's used to it.]"

As someone who enjoys collecting currency from different countries, this was all very intriguing to me.

Finally, our number was called. I could only guess what my aunt was saying as she chattered away in Cantonese, but fortunately the application was in english. I filled it out to the best of my ability, answering 'student' when it asked my occupation (I don't think 'unemployed', would sit too well with whichever officer granting me my visa) and naming Shanghai and Beijing as my destinations (even though I intend to visit Tibet before I reach those cities). One section asked for my place of birth, another for my former nationality (if I had any). I put down 'Taiwan' for the former and left the latter blank, and was a bit amused when the man filled in the empty grid with 'China' instead of 'Taiwan'. I guess the mindset that Taiwan is part of China is genuinely ingrained in the minds of the people here.

I applied for a dual entry visa, each allowing me a stay of 30 days, giving me a total of 60 days to travel China. This means that at some point, I'm going to have to leave the country and re-enter. Right now, the most logical exit-entry strategy would be to fly from Shanghai to Japan and then to Beijing, possibly touching down in Korea in between. Of course, all this hinges on whether my application gets approved. My aunt inquired how long the process would take. Next day service was available, but the more time we allowed, the cheaper the fee.

"[As slow as possible then. Students don't have much money,]" Aunt Ping said to the attendant, even though it was she who paid the fees for me.

We were given a claim ticket for pick up three days later, and having taken care of that, it was off to take care of the second most urgent thing on my list. Getting a new camera to replace the one that was stolen.

"[It's hot here, isn't it,]" asked Aunt Ping as she led me down the street to one of the dozens of electronics stores.

"[I don't think it's that bad actually,]" I replied. Having spent time in smog congested cities like Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok, Hong Kong actually felt clean and comfortable.

I guess I'm fortunate to have lost my camera right as I was about to enter Hong Kong, as electronics purchased in places like Thailand and Vietnam aren't exactly good deals. My previous experience with Pentax was agreeable, and being accustomed to the Optio model interface, decided on something from the same line. Again, my aunt offered to pay for me.

"[An early birthday present,]" she explained, and presented me with a brand new Pentax Optio WP.

Later that evening, while I was toying with new features that my older model didn't have, Aunt Ping came to see how I liked it.

"[Want to take a picture of me?]" she joked.

"[You sure you don't want to dress up first?]" I said.

"[No, that's okay. Let everyone see me in my natural state.]"

And so here's a picture of the person who has made images once again possible on my blog!

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