Hi everyone, I'm back from Hong Kong. Let me first say that the trip was a blast. I really enjoyed myself and accomplished so many things and I find I don't have enough time - if I had half a day extra or could shift time around. I have met my dear friends there and made so many unique and special experiences that I will treasure. I have seen things that some hongkongers themselves have not seen before. Thanks friends for making the days great, thanks Mummy and Daddy for permission and funding, and must not forget, thanks be to God for making everything turn out right and good.

I have spoken and heard more cantonese ever in my life in these past 7 or 8 days. Previously I always heard it on TV or in conversations the generation older than me have with my grandmother and occasionally when XL talks to Billy. I've been to Hong Kong before when I was secondary one but I just follow along and let my uncle, auntie, grandmother and grandauntie do all the talking. Now, people talk to me in cantonese, thinking that I understand it - maybe thinking I am a hongkonger, and usually if they are instructions like "please walk this way", or "please stand clear of the doors" I can understand and comply, but anything more complicated than that I have to say "sorry, i don't speak cantonese", or "ngo mm geng gong dong wa." Ocean and Shuk Man taught me the finer points of when to say "mm goi"/"mm goi sai" and "dor zhe". I also know a few phrases like "___ gor yan", "yo mo yan?", "mm goi, mai dan", "lei gei ye" and "pang yao". respectively they are "___ number of people", "anybody there?", calling for the bill, "your things" and "friend". It has really been a test on my canto, especially on the 18th when I visited my very dear primary school friend - fortunately they all can speak putonghua and converted to it for my sake. This is for a half-canto who doesn't know canto. I'm like connecting with my culture now - learning a language I'm already supposed to know.

I've seen the beautiful nature of hongkong thanks to friends. Uncle Mike is a native hongkonger friend of my Singaporean family friend based there. He led us on a 4 hour hike from Tung Chung to Tai O (not including break) that made the arriving and time spent at Tai O more sweet than if one took a bus, and the hike showed us a few gems, like we helped this old man pluck lychees off his trees and we bought some from him - they were delicious and apparently are of the variety considered the queen of lychees, we saw a rocky beach, I learned of the stories behind the building of the data/telecom wires on lantau leading to the airport. He also brought us to Pui O and Mui Wo where the beaches, one was beautiful and popular with campers, and the other a community beach that is beautiful in another sense, where I swam in the warm waters that are less salty than Singapore's seawater. Then my Singaporean family friend took 4 of us in total including her on a stream walk, where I climbed steep soil, root and rock slopes, and walked on the boulders sitting along the river, framing the river, and at one point jumped from one rock to another.

I also met MT's exchange host sister Ocean, whom we hosted in Singapore as well, and went Ocean Park with her, as well as my JC friends, SM and Lynn. So cool all of us 3 together. Lynn was on holiday with her family; I joined them at disneyland yesterday.

And do not fret, I did my shopping. Tung Chung factory outlets are fantastic! They give what are real sales. For example, buy 2 items get 20% off, 3 items 30% off - at Puma I got 20% off for 3 or more items, and for Esprit, many things went half-price. At H&M, many things were going for 50% off, so I got a shirt under HK$100 (in fact, i got it for hk$49.50, which is less than $10) and a belt for less than S$30 or even s$20 - hk$69.90. rocks man, and H&M clothes look so leng. XD XD it rocks man. Singapore sales are fake - in Hong Kong, when there's a sale, it is really a sale.

I also learnt this advice from my family friend, and observed from her over the days this: "The map is on your mouth." In other words, don't be afraid to ask for directions.

It's been enriching and fun, and I've built friendships and made memories I will treasure in my heart. I hope I'll dream of them tonight.

Now, it's back to real life in Singapore. hai... Summer term part 2 has started before I came back, but now got this self-quarantine thing and I'm confused - is it compulsory or optional? It's not HQO you know.
At least, here it rained today and there's the breeze hongkongers say they don't have (it's equally humid or more humid in hongkong but there's no wind to dry the perspiration off, so it makes things uncomfortable). It's a comfortable cool temperature now, but for the bugs flying in... welcome home to Singapore.^-^

Happy Birthday Celeste :)