Trying not to blow our wad (of cash) in Hong Kong

After traveling for a while, it’s great to visit a familiar city where you have family. My father is from Hong Kong so we stayed at my grandmother’s house and caught up with relatives. I gotta say, it’s really nice to be treated to a fancy dinners after subsisting on cheap meals for 4 months (thanks uncles!). It’s also wonderful to stay in a cozy home and not a hostel for a change.

Personally, I think Hong Kong is one of the most dynamic and exciting places in the world. Imagine a cosmopolitan Asian city, one part New York City, one part London. Owning to its status as Asia’s finance capital and former British colony, Hong Kong is teeming with expatriates (some making boatloads of cash). The inhabitants range from rich finance dudes who drive Masaratis to old grandmas who play mah jong with their friends daily. It’s a very, very interesting blend of lifestyles and cultures in a small, densely populated area.

As a side note, can I express my undying love for HK’s fucking amazing and efficient public transportation? You can get anywhere on an endless system of buses, subways, trams and ferries. There are even moving sidewalks and escalators, which connect Central to the Mid-levels for those too lazy to walk up or down hills. Plus, they’ve got the Octopus card which you charge up like a credit card for use on all transit. You can also use these to pay for shit at McDonald’s, 7-11 and practically any other shop or restaurant. Love it.

The only slight drawback is that money is king. So if you’re visiting HK, it’s best to remember the wise adage from the Wu Tang Clan – “Cash rules everything around me, C.R.E.A.M., get the money, dolla’ dolla’ bills y’all.”