The Fragrant Harbour on Day 50

I am on Day 50 of my adventure, and still here in Hong Kong. I am totally into this place. It really doesn't feel that different from hanging out on Dundas and Spadina. Every second shop sells mobile phones and camcorders and you can smell that infamous chinatown aroma at every street corner.

Today I spent the day at the Museum of History to learn the fascinating Hong Kong Story: the boat dwellers, opium, the Brits, opium, opium, opium again, the Japanese invasion and absolute desolation, the Brits again, typhoons, water shortages, the Chinese again. Its peculiar, this is a modern citystate with a breadth of history that seems to be lost. Since July 1997 Hong Kong is officially part of China again, but when I ask people what has changed since British reign, they are reluctant to say anything. Perhaps really it isn't that different? Though I always thought that Hong Kong was more British than Chinese. I was wrong. Malesh, here are some pics of the modern fragrant harbour. The pics from the market are when Martha, my cooking teacher, took me on a tour through the food market here in Kowloon. Chinese like to eat their animals fresh, so I saw a lot of chopping off of heads of chickens and fish to give to be cooked for the evening meal. I also saw the longest green beans; like seriously over 2 feet long, as well as eggs that literally just dropped from the hen. The last picture is from the jade market. Jade is thought to bring good luck and when Chinese people are brought into this world or celebrate an event such as graduation, childbirth or marriage they are traditionally given a piece of jade. The Chinese are incredibly superstitious and accordingly, because of the year I was born (pig), I am actually not in a good position to take risks at the moment. Hmmmf. Seems I have taken quite a few this year. Well I'll buy a piece of jade, eat some fish heads, rub a few yellow-haired monkeys and hope for the best.

Oh, and since I am at my half-way point of my adventure, I thought I should celebrate it somehow. But wasn't sure... do I do an assessment towards meeting my objectives (ha! a mid-term review!)? Lessons learned? Challenges faced? Most memorable moments? Then I thought, nah. I really am just going with the flow anyway and I really am not out to achieve anything, but rather to experience. I suppose the greatest semblance toward progress of some kind is that I am not smoking. Yes people, I am seriously not smoking. Okay, I had a slight lapse in Thailand one day with the rock climbers and then the next night while out drinking with folks; but since leaving Krabi a week ago, I have again been without nicotine. So yes, I have had more smoke-free days in the last 50 then I have had smoking. And now we don't need to discuss it anymore, we just know that Lor is a non-smoker. Yay. I will however commemorate the half-way point with a fine glass of red at the hotel's bar. I've just realized its happy hour. Happy happy :)