Prologue


AND SO IT IS….
AUGUST 1, 2007 5 AM
MANILA, PHILIPPINES


I was sick and out of sorts, but nothing bar severe illness could have stopped me from dragging my sick self to the airport and flying off to spend, spend, spend in Hong Kong, land of massive shopping, dining, and sight-seeing opportunities.

Nikki, Melissa, Camie, Franz and I comprise the jolly little group who undertook this five-day, four-night adventure (Is it still an adventure when it’s just nearby Hong Kong?) in one of the world’s most vibrant, accessible, and tourist-friendly cities.

The idea for the trip was birthed last January in Dark Grounds on our way to Serendra. We decided to arrive in August just in time for the sale season or so some of us thought at the time (Sale season actually starts as early as June but goes full-blast by July until August.) There were to be more of us, but only five made it past the boarding gate. I of course obsessively planned for the trip—searching online for shops to hit, ym-ing people for recommendations, reminding all to bring an umbrella, figuring out how to get to our hotel, etc. I even went shopping to go shopping in Hong Kong—for a big bag to put in all the essentials and cardigans just in case it got cold. No wonder I fell sick! As a consequence, I was forced to miss our informal going-away party with the rest of the gang the Monday before we left at Starbucks Binondo.

Nikki and Franz took care of the tickets and hotel accommodations. We rode Philippine Airlines and stayed at the Regal Hongkong Hotel in Causeway Bay (CWB). There was a short discussion on whether we should stay on HK Island or Kowloon. I insisted on staying in Causeway Bay and got my way. For scrimping purposes, we all squeezed in 1 room as per testimonials from people that the rooms in Regal were bigger than normal HK hotels and justification that we were only going to sleep and bathe in the room anyway. How Franz regrets it so.

Melissa, Nikki, and I arrived at Terminal Three on a dusky morning with 2 hours to spare before our 8am flight. Camie was already there with her dad who was going to Singapore on a business trip. Her dad was gracious enough to help us check in early while we waited for the F who was still sleeping when we got to the airport. I was particularly proud of how small my luggage was! In fact, mine was the smallest of them all. I daresay it was a big improvement from when we went to Taiwan last year where I had the most challenging time maneuvering my monster luggage.

The airport brings out particular emotions in people as it symbolizes a lot of things. The airport can mean escape, opportunity, or in the Philippines’ case, possible massive government corruption. For Camie, I have to assume that the airport brings out her inner tour guide. Camie herded us all through immigration and beyond. Nikki and F even got scolded when someone went ahead of them in the immigration line. They were too busy figuring out what to put in on the occupation field. Put anything there, for Pete’s sakes!

We dawdled in the waiting area while the harsh sunlight penetrated the glass walls and made air-conditioning in the terminal irrelevant. We attended to some last-minute concerns like calling up Globe to ask about call and text rates. As we were boarding, Mel realized that I had left her research on must-see places on the chairs. Nikki and I went back out and luckily found it. Else, Mel’s efforts would’ve been wasted.

Nikki and I sat next to each other as no one else was kind enough to sit next to the one who will possibly barf. I plugged in my headphones in my cellphone to listen to music, and soon we were off.