A Light Show to Remember
Twenty six floors above ground and thousands of miles away from home, the reality of my situation simmered in my body. A sense of accomplishment and pride inhabited me. All the planning, talking, preparing, interviewing, emailing, and dreaming had come to this moment. My sunburnt skin erupted fields of goosebumps all over my body as I tossed open the curtains. I sat in my very tiny room looking over an electric skyline. My AirBNB hosts were out for the evening. I was staying near Tsim Sha Tsiu, the belly of the metropolis beast, with an amazing view of the city on both sides of the bay. Delicately clamping the top of my wine glass, I strolled around the porcelain floors in my bare feet. Shut the lights off. Took a long, dramatic sip of the cheapest red wine I could find at the shop downstairs. The darkness inside made everything glow. My attention was then drawn to the ICC tower, one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world. There was digital clock at the top counting down from 10, 9, 8 β¦ * It has been four months since that moment I first saw the Hong Kong light show. There isnβt a very good excuse as to why I haven't written anything about my experiences living here yet. But just for shits and giggles here is pretty good one: I am an English teacher at a Learning Centre and summer school is the fucking worst. But I do have so much to fill you in on! In short, the past three months have been amplifying. The basics: hiking is more fun in the dark, junk and ferry boats are the new normal, stairwells in the subways have become my new favorite place, I have eaten strange things like ox tongue and fish balls, I live with some amazing people, and I have made some pretty wonderful friends. Oh, and I have a whole new appreciation for personal space. My entries will be more frequent as I keep track of the insanity. Going from living in a mountain town of 20,000 people to a crammed city of 7 million is a recipe for culture shock and adjustment issues. Throw in being on the other side of the world from all the people you know and a sizable language barrier, and youβve got yourself a good olβ fashioned What the Fuck fest. Hong Kong is an energy all its own. This city is not for the faint of heart. The vibe here is fast paced and unforgiving. Far from anything and everything comfortable. But, clearly, I didn't do this to be comfortable. * β¦ A half smirk crept on my face as I gazed out at my new home. All the thoughts in my head had dissolved down to one: Holy shit. I moved to Hong Kong. I fucking did it. 3, 2, 1β¦8:00pm. The already bright lights kicked it up a notch. Spot lights, search lights, laser beams illuminated everything from the hovering clouds to the water below. Skyscrapers, over 1,000 strong, glittered in the late spring night. My whole damn life was about to change. I bought the ticket. It was time to ride the ride.
