Ika 6 ng Marso 2009: Rediscovering HK on our Second Day

This is not my first time in HK. In fact, this is my fourth time...... and I am still as poor as ever in direction...... to think that I drive too. ED is just like me..... MD is like hubby who remembers places well. Me and ED finding our way is like an exercise in futility..... I can't even be a tour guide to my friend and her friend, both first timers in HK. Anyway, now at least I know that Nathan Road stretches right down to Tsim Sat Tsui...... the end of which would be Salisbury Road..... where the Ocean Terminal is located.........that is if one is going at the right direction. Caught in the middle of the road, I could hardly tell which direction we were going..........

We set out early morning and rode the MTR on the way to Hong Kong side. We went to IFC Mall, the newest and most impressive mall in HK .... think Podium. IFC Mall is in the area where HK's commercial district is located.......... like Makati, only far too impressive. Here the shops are more expensive than those in the Kowloon where we are staying. Kowloon is the business area........ it's like a better looking Avenida......

My friend would buy her cousin's perfume that is only available in the elitist Lane Crawford at the IFC ..... Here, you find shops selling signature brands...... My friend bought Creed spray for her cousin. Samples are available if one asks. Of course, we did and even ask for a bag to put the samples in to have a feel of being LC shopper.

After shopping, we decided to go back to the other side. Then the rains started once again... ruining our picture taking session as we were crossing Victoria Harbor via the star ferry going back to Kowloon. With the hazy skies, the pictures appeared blurred. As soon as the ferry docked, we went out and headed to Harbor City right at the Ocean Terminal. My friend's friend was thinking of buying shoes at Puma where Dayap works....... I borrowed Dayap's employee's discount card which entitles bearer to a huge 30% discount at dinner last night..... so we could use it. We looked for the Puma shop at Harbor City. I called Dayap from the the shop as my friend and her friend scouted for shoes. I also looked around.... searching for shirts, jackets, bags, and shoes...... that I would ask from Dayap's as future birthday, Christmas, New year. Valentine, Holy Week, Independence day gifts or plain pasalubong......

After shopping for shoes, we planned on going in Mongkok. But first, we had lunch at a chinese resto.... Again, we experienced the problem of not knowing what to order and Chinese waitress who can't speak English. As usual, the pictures proved helpful. I ordered beef brisket rice topping while my two friend's ordered noodles.

After lunch, we went to Mongkok via MTR once again. We seemed to be getting the hang of it. Mongkok is a largest shopping area in Kowloon where one can go bargain hunting. The name in Chinese means “flourishing/busy corner”. We were looking for the Ladies' Market but found ourselves in a tyangge. We looked around and soon was haggling with the vendor. We bought pasalubongs for our expecting loved ones and friends as well as bags for ourselves, same color and style. Good thing that we live far from each other. We thought we bargained well. But at the end of the road, we found another shop selling the same bag we bought. I didn't want to ask anymore but my friends did. The vendor noticed our luggage and looked into it. Then, she quoted a lower price which went down further as we were leaving her shop.

We looked through more shops as we went back to the hotel which is just walking distance from where we are ....the items on sale lured us ...... but after sometime, we were so tired we thought it best to go back to the hotel and unload. We would just come back and resume our shopping. We were planning to meet Dayap again that evening to find a suitable eating place. I would also sleepover at Dayap's.

We reached the hotel and went to our rooms unloading our stuff. I freshened up and prepared clothes I'll bring for my sleepover. I went to my friends' room. We discussed what to do next. They no longer want to travel far from the hotel and decided to just take their dinner nearby and resume shopping. They want to go back early because of our Macau trip tomorrow. I bade them goodbye to meet Dayap.

Dayap met me at the Shamrock Hotel along Nathan Road. I have more confidence this time wallking the road as I seemed to familiarize myself with the area. Reaching Shamrock, Dayap was nowhere to be found. I waited for sometime. Then, Dayap emerged clutching a small shopping bag. It's probably for me, I thought. I said I wanted Indian food which she was suggesting on our first night in HK. Dayap's hubby has been raving about the biryani and I want to try it. Unfortunately, my friends do not fancy Indian cuisine.

Dayap knew where to bring me..... but there is one problem. She doesn't know if the place still exists. We went through the streets and back again but couldn't find it. Giving up, she brought me to the India Palace As soon as Dayap recognized the waiters, she knew that is the right place. The name changed....... Again, I left her to decide on our meal being the resident HK food enthusiast. She ordered chicken biriyani, curry okra, curry mutton, and roti bread complimented by a pot of steaming masala tea. Both of us like spicy food.... and the food was truly great .... love it! As usual, the conversation liven up the dinner.

The shops were closed by the time we finished dinner. Dayap said we should take the MTR going to her place. She stays in New Territories, HK's residential area. We were so full that Dayap decided to stand up in the MTR to probably aid the digestion process.

Reaching Dayap's place, I was ecstatic to touch a laptop....at long last, access to technology....... I turned on the laptop and started checking my email. I also blogged a little.... while I can still remember the day's events...... Dayap prepared tea and gave me a cup. She freshened up. After her, I also freshened up and changed. She took over the laptop. We set her own blogsite. We would switch places from time to time.

As we were doing all of this, we were also catching up as we ribbed each other as usual ....... We were also watching Pretty Woman , a .... Julia Roberts and sexy Richard Gere starrer, the film that catapulted the young and pretty thing to stardom.... Julia plays a hooker who found love and life in the rich, bored businessman played by Richard. In the end, it was Cinderella living happily with her prince.

Around midnight, my eyes were dropping. Dayap must still be reeling from long days and nights as well. She played hostess to her sister and cousin who just went home that morning ... We called it a night and retreated to each room....

PS: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr..... ang ginaw..... bababa pa raw ang temperatura. bakit nga kaya napakalapit ng HK sa Pilipinas pero ibang-iba ang klima?