On my flight to Hong Kong yesterday, I wore shorts and boots.

It’s winter in Hong Kong. So, Kay said, “You’re wearing shorts? You’re going to freeze to death when we make our way to the hotel.”

In my defence, I said, “I have a coat!

“And furry long boots!

“Plus it isn’t all that cold in Hong Kong.

“And you won’t make me walk all the way to our hotel from the airport, right?”

 

 

I was right, almost.

It wasn’t too cold, about 14°C or thereabouts. But he made me walk about five minutes from the MTR station to the hotel as we dragged our suitcases along narrow, uneven pavements.

The exertion helped make the cold non-existent and Kay had to concede that I had worn the right outfit after all.

Well, except my boots with narrow platform heels, which aren’t too comfortable walking long distance in. Not that five minutes is any distance at all.

Anyway, we received a rude shock at our hotel, Mingle by the Park. It’s six storeys high and there are no elevators. Only stairs. And we were given a room on the topmost floor.

 

 

So, basically, we had to lug all 35kg of our luggage up six storeys worth of narrow steps.

By the time we arrived, I began to wish that I had worn a bikini.

Exercise is always good, though. So I’m not too put out by the climb we’re going to have to make all week.

Mingle by the Park, if we can even call it a hotel, is one of a chain of five or so hotels, and is decorated in 60s Chinese style.

 

 

Fortunately, because the decor and props are mildly amusing and quaint, they suitably distracted us from feeling claustrophobic in our pea-sized room.

Well, they’re not really props. For instance, the archaic telephone and the archaic teapot are actually functional.

But I should have said pseudo-archaic, instead.

The antique rotary phone is actually a push-button one.

 

 

And the antique-looking teapot is an electric one.

 

 

The chamber pot is very authentic, though.

 

 

But why we need a chamber pot escapes me.

The bathroom is, like, one step away from the bed, in case you’re in the mood for a midnight piddle.

There aren’t many steps you can take in this little hole of a room.

 

 

I’ve saved the best for last.

The closet is literally the size of my coat.

 

 

LOL.

Still, the room serves its purpose. After all, when you’re on a holiday, all you need is a reasonably comfortable bed without bed bugs to sleep on at night, right?

I’m only worried that my luggage is going to grow from 20kg to 30kg by the time I’m done with my holiday and I’d have to lug that down 12 flights of steps.

It’s in a good location, though. Five minutes’ walk from Wan Chai MTR Station, which is smack in the middle of wherever’s worth visiting in Hong Kong. Fewer minutes if you’re a fast walker.

Our first meal was in a Hong Kong cafe (what they call cha chan teng here). Neither Kay nor I are big fans of Hong Kong food, to be honest, but he insisted on having local food on our first night.

 

 

He ordered roast goose rice, which he said was sucky and not worth eating but didn’t regret ordering because it’s just a thing you have to do, make your first meal local.

 

 

I love dim sum, but I don’t like the ricey, noodley stuff in Hong Kong. They don’t pour any yummy sauce over the meats and the rice is always bland, and the noodles always have that disgusting processed taste which is almost like ammonia but not quite.

Most of the time when I go to a Hong Kong cafe, I order sandwiches or french toast. (But I love the Hong Kong cafes in Singapore. They have food there more catered to my taste.)

So, my first dinner in Hong Kong was a luncheon meat with egg sandwich, which was mildly disappointing because Hong Kongers boil their luncheon meat instead of fry them. Why, I don’t understand. What a waste of luncheon meat.

 

 

But don’t y’all worry. We will definitely have some good food here before we’re done. The main purpose of my trip is to visit my dearest friend, Elyxia, who works here, and also my dearest cousin, Monster, who also works here.

(Her name is really Faith, but we have been calling each other Monster since we were kids.)

We’ll also be meeting up with Kay’s niece, who is studying here on exchange.

With three “local” hosts taking care of us, I’m sure our meals will get better!

There’s a 24-hour McDonald’s just across the street from our hotel!

Okay fine I won’t eat at McDonald’s. It’s not the same without our garlic chilli sauce, anyway.

Oh dear. I miss Singapore food already.