Hong Kong Day 3

Central Pier, HK

Went to Tsutaya bookstore in Future City and the art section is amazing.

Some artists to look into

thoughts on spending + art

I went to get to the point of wealth where I can buy things without feeling guilty, yet still maintain gratitude for being able to obtain it. I feel like when you have a lot of money and you can afford everything, it no longer feels rewarding because it was so easy to get it, whereas now, since I can’t just but anything I want, and I have to actively and carefully filter out only a few, it has more meaning
Bought postcards of Hokusai and flowers for 217¥ , decided not to buy Hokusai’s sketchbooks Vol 2. whole earth because it was 180¥
Mom is asking a good question, why am I so interested in art, why was I not before? Was it because no one introduced me to it? I think it all started when I got the great wave tapestry. But what is my goal here with learning about art and being so obsessed with it, is it all just to feel nice? To study what makes it nice and try to recreate it? I think it’s a good way to be absorbing and exposing myself to all these styles so that I can develop my own maybe. Isn’t that what artists do? They gather inspiration and form their own by injecting their own personality, life experiences, and emotions
buying local snacks when traveling for coworkers and friends as a necessary practice and culture? Is it mostly a girls thing? Maybe it's cause I don’t have much friends in Malaysia and I don’t see a point, whereas my sister has work friends

back to HK

customs is even slower entering HK, had to wait in line twice, I like seeing different kinds of faces and accents in the foreigner line.
it's hard to get a taxi in HK, they have an app for it but the app is terrible
Bishop Lei International House has a great view, we got upgraded to deluxe twin bed rooms for free 1100 HKD for two rooms.
Got scolded by the bus driver, shouted at us and asked us to pay 9.5 HKD per person
Tried Kwan Kee Claypot rice (best claypot in Central based on reviews) and it was just ok, their sausage is weird it feels like I bit into a piece of coal, more bitter than savory. Was pricey too 100 HKD per pot
Got to experience the HK tram, only 3 HKD for any stop
Go to IFC mall with tram (north bound), and walk to the pier after claypot

Some building names I can see from pier no. 9 near the HK observation wheel in Star Ferry Pier.

thoughts at the pier

Lots of people jogging here at night
and of course lots of couples too, I saw two couples kissing like animals, I applaud the courage they have to do that in public
I feel like Howl in his green slimy state a lot of times, especially when I look bad in pictures, feel worthless a lot of times which is such a waste of time and energy, when I can just be happy and laugh about it
Feeling very melancholy when looking at the pier at night, La La Land and yellow was playing in my head. But the laughs and jokes with my family makes me appreciate that I have them in my life, and travelling with family, albeit comes with its own complications and frustrations, is something that is underappreciated and very temporary, soon parents will be too old to travel like this.
Taxi driver asked us why we never boarded his car (which was the first one in line), apparently it’s an implicit rule to do that here, in Malaysia we just get on any one of them
I waste so much of my time having the same thoughts over and over again and I can’t tell if they’re productive or not, it's something that I have to do it to know, and I keep imagining the outcome, playing that movie in my head whenever I have space to think. I wish I had better thoughts that were more useful and related to creating solutions for important problems.

thoughts while looking out the window from the hotel room

HK is like san francisco but you can build apartments, so it's hilly in central HK and you can find skyscrapers all cramped together, creating a cool effect.
house prices are definitely expensive, I saw a lot of foreigners while going out for claypot tonight, I wonder if they enjoy their life in HK, and why they chose to be here if it wasn't just for business
hard to buy anything here, my sister kept wishing to be back in shenzhen to buy more things, I'm still amazed by the $35 fake nike that I think costs >$1000 in StockX for the real one.
I checked my email after being blocked in China for a few days and I really didn't miss anything. It was a helpful detox from the things that filled up my time and helped me reflect on whether they added value to my life.

BENEDICT NEO 梁耀恩