Homesick and a Little Bellysick in Hong Kong

Flew to Hong Kong this past weekend - traveled with two co-workers. Reminded me a lot of NYC with its frantic energy, old buildings, and diverse people. Walking around the city made me sort of homesick.

Here is a random listing of common sights/observations:
- The air-conditioning in Hong Kong is out of control.
- The Indian tailors have an eye for me. Got harassed for tailored suits repeatedly. Could see them coming from a mile away and what you would think would be annoying turns out to be amusing after a while.
- Local teenage girls love knee-high boots.
- Chinese men like to spit.
- People say the Americans are loud, and that's true. But we got nothing on the Chinese.
- When you're tired of local food giving you diarrhea, just visit McDonald's. There's one on every block.
- It's because of that last point that McDonald's now has a place in my heart.
- Something about the police in Asia scares me. In NYC, the police hang out and drink coffee, while posing for the occasional picture with a tourist. In Asia, the police just seem to pace and look, quietly.
- Print ads everywhere for breast enlargements at local "bust centers for women."
- A simple, easy-to-use subway system makes me finally empathize with all the foreigners who come to NYC and get utterly lost and confused.
- The jumbo-tron in the local Times Square switches to Obama's first press conference as President Elect and tons of people stop to pay attention.
- The old lady behind the counter at 7-Eleven and I have the following conversation:
Old Lady: Where are you from?
Me: The States
Old Lady: You like Obama?
Me: I love him.
Old Lady: Me too.
- The geography of the city is utterly amazing. Over 100 islands make up Hong Kong, and the mountains are beautiful. High-rise apartments are everywhere.
- That being said, 8 out of 10 apartment buildings look like utter slums. And some of those slums rest above polished high-end retailers like Vivienne Westwood - a very strange dichotomy.
- A 35 min. cable car ride amongst the mountains of Landau Island ends with the revealing of the largest seated bronze Buddha in the world. It sits on a hilltop, hidden by the surrounding landscape and when you're high-up in the cable car and it suddenly appears, the sight is absolutely gorgeous and humbling.