June 24/25 - June 28

It’s been six years since I last visited Hong Kong, so seeing change isn’t surprising at all. Currently there’s a new Tung Chung Line Extension that’s being built right next to the Yat Tung Estate. No longer will residents need to take the short bus ride to City Gate in order to board the train. I have to say, I’m sad to see the trees and shrubs gone along with some of the small buildings and shacks that I can only assume were related to fishing, but it looks like they’re minimizing the environmental impact which is nice to see.

We arrived in June to the typical heat and humidity of Hong Kong. Thankfully there was usually a decent breeze to help make being outside more bearable. However, if I stayed outside too long it was inevitable that I’d end up becoming a sweaty mess. I tell myself that my body has become acclimated to the chilly Pennsylvania winters, but the reality is, I need to lose some weight.

As I walked around the Yat Tung Estate I saw some of the older retired men staring at me. It seemed I stood out as a foreigner in this particular area of Hong Kong. During my time at the Yat Tung Estate I only saw one other Gweilo, and I believe he was just passing through. Some of the old men’s expressions could be interpreted as unwelcoming or unkind, however, I choose not to interpret it that way. Although I couldn’t blame them if they were feeling unwelcoming since I always have my camera in my hand and that might look suspicious given this was in a residential area. I did make an effort to make the camera obvious so that I didn’t look sneaky in any way.

One of the men stared at me with what seemed to be a disapproving expressing as I passed by. Then, all of a sudden, he smiled and waved me towards him. He had a ring in his hand that he wanted to give me. I wasn’t sure if it was a gift or if maybe he was trying to sell it. I politely refused and he continued to insist that I take it. Eventually I won the battle and he asked me where I was from with an accent so strong that he had repeat the question three times and spell the word FROM, also with a heavy accent, before I finally understood him. I answered him to which he responded that he was from Shanghai. I can’t remember what I said after that but I asked if I could take his photo, to which he refused. I smiled and told him it was nice to meet him and have a great day. I’m not sure how much he understood and it made me feel stupid for not taking the time to try and lear more Mandarin Chinese before this trip.

The morning after we arrived, I headed downstairs to go get some breakfast. As I exited the building, I saw the same man painting that I saw so many years ago. The last time I was there, I remember seeing him a few times, however this time I would see him almost every morning. Unfortunately Kim wasn’t with me to translate as she would always eat breakfast at home. I don’t know any Cantonese other than “Do you speak English?”, so I pointed to his painting and gave a big smile and a thumbs-up. He, in turn, smiled and said something to me to which I didn’t understand. I told him “I’m sorry, I don’t understand” then gave another big smile and thumbs-up and went on my way. Several days later I would be fortunate enough to have one of his friends translate for both of us so we could both learn a little more about each other. He was excited to show me more of his work that he had photos of on his phone.

As I walked around the area near the Yat Tung Estate I noticed more cranes. I was told by one of our taxi drivers that there are plans to build more residential areas. During the train rides from Tung Chung to Hong Kong Island I would see lots of construction just east of the area we were staying. Apparently there’s plans to build another train station and a new estate that look very similar to Yat Tung Estate. Government housing I was told.

There are parts of Yat Tung Estate that never seem to change. The Hong Kong Market on the ground floor of the shopping center is still very alive and well. Much to my surprise, this market can be found on some websites as a tourist attraction. Just search for “Hong Kong Market Yat Tung”.

For the first part of our trip we only stayed in Hong Kong for a few days before we were off to Japan for nearly a week.