When

1. Passengers start unbuckling their seat belts immediately after landing despite the safety announcement telling them otherwise
2. You have to tell the two men in front of you off for cutting the queue

That's when you know you've arrived in Asia.

***

Transiting in Hong Kong feels weird after having stopped here for some time to teach English before continuing with my travels for the past two summers. I do miss it quite a bit. But no worries there, I'll be back here again before the end of summer.

***

It's weird. This feeling inside. I've lost all sense of belonging. Like I don't belong anywhere. I thought I'd be able to call Hong Kong my home after having spent more than twelve weeks here. But no.

Home in Kuala Lumpur isn't going to feel like home after what's just recently happened. It's a strange feeling this. Not very pleasant at all. But a bearable sort of unpleasantness. I've always thought being vagrant would be quite nice. Perhaps I was wrong?

Tai Wo III

Early celebration

Neway

Hong Kong Disneyland

Sleeping Beauty Castle

Fantasyland

Tomorrowland

Adventureland

Ticket reads:
Have a magical day!

Second Home Cafe

溝仔

Tai Wo II

Voilà

Sam Mun Tsai

Oyster-picking for hotpot.

Tai Wo

Outside, the rain lashes violently against the window panes. The wind screams shrilly through the gaps between them. The signal is raised to an 8. School finishes early so students can return to the security of their homes.

Inside, the tiles gleam green in the fluorescent light. They feel cold like jade against the skin and familiarly comforting on the fingers as they are washed with as much fanfare as possible. With a typhoon hurtling through the small island of Hong Kong and the possibility of being stuck indoors for some time, they begin to play into the long night.

Po On Commercial Association Wong Siu Ching Secondary School II

Royal Plaza Hotel

Team Sparkla's last social.

Festival Walk Glacier

Kowloon Tong MTR Station

You you were a friend you were a friend of mine I let you spend the night you see it was my fault of course it was mine

I'm too hard at work have you ever heard of anything so absurd ever in your life I'm sorry for wasting your time

But who am I to say this situation isn't great it is my job to make the most of it of course I didn't know that it would happen to me not that easy

Hey what's that you say you're not blaming me for anything well that's great but I don't break that easy does it fade away

See that's why I'm right here apologizing now for telling you I thought that we could make it I just don't get enough to believe that we've both changed

But who am I to say this situation isn't great it is my time to make the most of it of course I didn’t know that it would happen to me not that easy no no no no

When all along the fault is up for grabs why can't you have it if it's for sale what is your offer well I'd sell it for no less than what I bought it for pay no more than absolutely zero

Well neither one of us deserves the blame because opportunities moved us away it's not an easy thing to learn to play a game that's made for two that's you and me the rules remain a mystery see how it's easy

So who am I to say this situation isn't great well it's our time to make the most of it how could we ever know that this would happen to me not that easy no no no no

Well all along the fault's been up for grabs and there you have it well it's for sale go make your offer well I'll sell it for no less than what I bought it for pay no more than absolutely zero

~ Jason Mraz
~ Absolutely Zero

Po On Commercial Association Wong Siu Ching Secondary School

Festival Walk

The rain falls heavily outside, veiling the world in a mist of grey. Inside, children skate on the cold cold ice. The less experienced skate round and round and round the rink whilst the more experienced skaters attempt beautiful figures executed gracefully by professional competitors usually seen on television.

The rain looks like it's let up through the giant windows. The cold starts to get to him and he leaves.

Sam Tung Uk

There's evidence to believe that his ancestors come from Hong Kong. And before them, his ancestors' ancestors must've come from mainland China, most probably the southern provinces. 'The Hakka people came originally from the north of the Yellow River. A series of migrations brought them to the southern Chinese provinces of Fujian, Jiangxi and Guangdong.'

According to his reference book, there were mass migrations of Hong Kong people to other British colonies such as Malaya during the Qing Dynasty. He doubts his ancestors came directly from mainland China because circumstances - poverty and social immobility - weren't suitable for migration from there.

Visiting Sam Tung Uk village, a walled Hakka village, he learns of a Yeung Uk village of the Yeung clan. His ancestors must've been related to them.

There's nothing to be ashamed of. He comes of the Han Chinese, the glorious race of the Qin and Han. Of the founders of the Tang, Song and Ming Dynasties. He comes of the Hakka tribe, the 'Guest People' who strived to establish their niche in society. He comes of the Yeung clan of which there are several he can be proud of such as Yang Jian, first emperor of the Sui Dynasty.

Shau Kei Wan - Sheung Wan (Tram)

The tram trundles along the road on its own tracks. The wooden chairs and window panes rattle noisily to the shudders of the tram. Cool night air blows through the open windows. At HK$2 irregardless of distance, it's the cheapest and most convenient way of getting around the northern part of Hong Kong Island. Running on electricity, it's probably the most eco-friendly too. That said however, it's probably not very useful during peak hours. Where the tracks and roads overlap, the trams are probably also subject to traffic congestion.

***

55 minutes later, he's on the MTR. Emiliano Torrini's Heartstopper's still playing on his Shuffle and he gets lost in his endless train of thoughts. He escapes from them and gets annoyed at himself for not noticing an elderly lady in need of a seat just right in front of him. He gets up from his seat to offer it to her but she's already found one. His own seat is taken by a spoilt Hong Kong brat of a teenager, evident from his excessive attire.

Standing next to him now is a couple clinging to each other for dear life, as if the MTR would crash or derail at any moment and they'd lose their lives. He scowls at them detestably. Anyone this dependent should not be living. This is probably why he will never ever be attached to anyone. He can't see himself being dependent on someone nor anyone being dependent on him. He's a selfish bastard after all.

Tsim Sha Tsui - Wan Chai (Star Ferry)

Star Ferry Pier

Victoria Harbour II

Clock Tower