I have a ticket booked to Hong Kong at the end of November. I’ll be staying there for a little under a month, during the Christmas season when the entire island looks as if it’s one big ornament from the sky, a giant floating decoration. The best weather of the year is in December, when the temperatures drop to a reasonable warmth and one can actually walk around with a coat on.
I’ll be trying to learn the subway system for the first few days so that I can get around on my own. I’m going alone so I’ll probably be living with my uncle most of the time, and staying at my grandmother’s on the weekends. I’ll be going home first and staying there for a few days, then flying to Hong Kong, then flying back and staying home for New Years. I’ll meet up with Ken the day before I depart from Hong Kong, since he’s flying up from Ohio.
I can’t wait to get back to the busy markets, taste the Chinese food, browse the endless shops. I want to ask my grandmother so much, and celebrate Christmas with her. I wish there was something I could give her that she could keep, similar to the jade necklace she gave me that I’ve almost never taken off ever since I received it. There’s an almost ineffable feeling that’s conjured up in my mind when I think of the modern skyscrapers, the crowds of people, the very ethnic faces. Some of my best memories are from being in Hong Kong during Christmas, when there’s an almost mystic feeling in the air and everyone is in good spirits.
I’ve been wanting a vacation, from both the good and bad in my life, for so long. Just to get away from absolutely everything going on right now would be beneficial, almost like a self-imposed exile. I’d be able to distance myself from things and gain some perspective, something I usually believe I’m able to do until something drastic happens that changes the way I view things.
I’m not really sure what to expect from my visit, although I think that I’ll be changed ever subtly, maybe subconsciously. One can rarely walk away from such things without being affected in some way, perhaps both Tina and Em would agree. I just don’t know how this may change me. I don’t have any questions. I’m not looking for answers.
I’m just waiting to find out.