Vivienne Timchenko – A Notebook and I Traveled the World – Hong Kong
HONG KONG: THE CITY OF OPULENCE
In the budding of March, Hong Kong smells like the steam from fresh sui mai and the lush jungle, puffs of minty tobacco, and sweet milk bread waiting to emerge from the oven.
Hidden in every clear sky is an army of rainclouds waiting to emerge, pushed by the salty breeze of the sea. Water is not just expelled from the sky, but the walls and floors too. Hong Kong is overstimulation dressed in fine opulence, and a city within wilderness at the same time. Each and every little thingis lavish, bonsai trees are seated in vases meticulously carved with murals and Chinese characters, and art installations twin the ocean’s glitter. Each and every little space is utilized, shops, cobblers, and fruit stands fill impossibly small spaces. Shrines bearing offerings sit on unassuming corners, yet the nature is somehow far more dense. The city cannot escape from its encroachment, with vines snaking down and across the asphalt, and palm trees stretching to the massive heights of their man-made partners.
Amongst the flurry of skyscrapers and unfamiliar languages, I would have never expected to meet so many familiar people in Hong Kong. I had formed many biases, unconscious or not, about Hong Kong, thinking I would have to guard myself from glowers and tourist prices. Yet, from the artist who painstakingly explained her unique craft after noticing my admiration of her quilted leather bags with Chinese buckles, to the two-man band my friend and I joined for a night steeped in conversation and dance, Hong Kong left a flavor on my soul as rich as a cup of oolong tea. After first arriving to Hong Kong, I soon noticed that each interaction I had, or was a witness to, was generously seasoned with hospitality. Each day of my trip was a holiday within itself, with each little detail of the day folded in the greater harmony of Hong Kong, just like the stuffing of a dumpling.
One day during my trip, after eating buttery salmon nigiri and washing it down with salty miso soup and matcha, for a matching delectable price of €10!, I wandered around Central. Hoping to find myself in a park, are there are many in Hong Kong, a testament to the city’s self-integration with the elements, I found myself in Hong Kong Park.
~ I feel as serene as the sunbathing turtles, watching brides, grooms, school children, and photographers immersed in their own stories in the park. I have found a few types of beauty on my stroll thus far, from the exotic birds in the aviary to the tenderly nourished tai chi garden. The humidity furls up into my hair, as a simultaneous breeze tickles my neck, carrying the smell of the ocean and mosquito repellent. Through the lone forest, I can glimpse the famous buildings that comprise Hong Kong’s skyline.
105 steps later and my view has changed, standing in the observation tower, now able to peer through the buildings and see the harbor in the near distance. Eye level with the palm trees, I can appreciate the vastness of the island, and can wonder… how many people live here in harmony?
7.4 million.~
ManicWorld Magazine 