From Changi to Chek Lap Kok

Greetings, dear reader

I had been meaning to get this post up for a few days now but just haven't had time to get around to it. I am now in Hong Kong, and after a chilly first few days, the weather is starting to warm up. Now I'm just hoping that the fog will lift so I can go visit the Peak before I leave next Friday!

I have a lot to cover so again I'll try to keep things brief. Chinese New Year (coinciding with Valentine's Day) was fantastic, meeting up with aunts and uncles and cousins whom I hadn't seen in a while, and getting lots of lai see (New Year money). In the evening, I went with some of my cousins to Kluang Mall, an impressive shopping complex opened in December 2008. I'm sure Mum will be keen to check it out when she next goes back to visit.

On the second day of Chinese New Year (初二), it is customary for wives to visit their parents. So I followed Auntie Chia Eng (my 阿妗) and the family to meet her mother in Muar, about two hours drive west of Kluang on the way to Melaka. Auntie Chia Eng's mother reminds me very much of my grandma - they are both in their mid-80s and still physically active - and I understand now where my 阿妗 gets her drive and energy from!

The following day, my last full day in Malaysia, my Third Uncle (三舅) held an open-house banquet for the entire family at his place. Unfortunately, the caterers arrived a little late because they got mixed up with another street of the same name! But eventually the food arrived and we all had a good time.

I was driven back to Singapore after lunch the next day. The trip was surprisingly smooth and I arrived back at my cousin's flat earlier than expected. I was thus able to contact Auntie Irene and arrange for another get-together dinner with the Singapore relatives before flying off in the morning. Since they are related to my grandpa, who is turning 100 this year (according to the Chinese calendar), I'm hoping some of them can make it to Australia for the celebrations later this year.

The trip to Hong Kong was a little more crowded than the flight to Singapore, and I was in for a few surprises on the landing. The first was the announcement that the weather outside was only NINE degrees Celsius, which had me panicking as I had not packed much warm clothing. Auntie Patsy has since joked that I brought the cold snap in with me! The second was during the landing itself. Because the main runway of Hong Kong's airport juts out into the sea, I did not see any land until a couple of seconds before we touched down and seriously thought for a moment, "Are we going to land ON THE SEA?"

Hong Kong International Airport (also known colloquially as Chek Lap Kok Airport 赤鱲角機場) is one of the busiest airports in the world, but fortunately navigating my way to immigration and baggage claim was quite easy - just follow the big crowd and the signs. And of course, Auntie Patsy was waiting to pick me up at the arrivals gate.

Getting to Auntie Patsy's place from the airport was quite a journey. With Uncle Eddie at the wheel, we crossed three bridges, passed under two tunnels and - once on Hong Kong Island - went up a series of steep, narrow and winding roads until we arrived at Fairmont Gardens on Conduit Road.

In my next post, I will catch up on what I've been up to so far. In general, my time in Hong Kong will be spent sightseeing, shopping, and inquiring after English teaching positions. It's not exactly going to be an idyllic vacation, but it will definitely be a fruitful one, especially if I can land a job before I go back to Melbourne.

Cheers and God bless

Jeremy