"Fresh Off the Plane"

My first hike in Hong Kong, Quarry Bay

        "Fresh Off the Plane" should really replace the washed up "FOB"term given to many new immigrants to a new environment. I doubt that I will be the first one to coin this term, but I am undoubtedly a FOP.  It suitably describes my current state of mind since my arrival in Hong Kong a few weeks ago. Everyone automatically speaks to me in English as though a foreign alien stepping off its spaceship with no real business here except to shop and eat.

        Speaking of shopping and eat, FOP conveniently rhymes with POP which, continuously remains the most sought after genre of music in the Eastern Hemisphere, and is conveniently played in most restaurants and stores all around Hong Kong. Once again putting me in the FOP category, I have been shopping and eating quite a bit since my arrival and even at some instances when my body is telling me that I shouldn't put that piece of food in my mouth, my curiosity tells me otherwise. Lo and behold, I got sick, not majorly ill, but I did learn a lesson to always listen to my body. Just a warning for other FOPs who have weak stomachs, there may be worst things than suffering from food poisoning, but you may just want to be more cautious of what you put in your mouth and wash your hands all the time. No one wants the bird flu around here! 

        Hong Kong in some ways was more welcoming to me than NewYork has ever been, but in some ways not so much. Having relatives here and able to speak the native tongue does have an advantage, but it still boggles my mind that people approach me speaking English even when I don't think that I look too different that the regular resident of Hong Kong. Also the idea that a blond hair blue-eyed individual having more opportunities here over a black haired brown-eyed person is still lingering in the post-colonial air even more than 15 years since the handover. No offence to the "gwai lo" (cringing as I write it, I apologize), I really do appreciate the multi-ethnic salad bowl here so I know that this is a culturally diverse city with many many open doors for me and others like me. 

       On a much lighter note, I am here for the food, we'll try to stay on the more healthful side of things, but I do believe that it is a wonderful thing to treat yourself to a full-fat or sugary delicacy when the time calls for it. It is also important to know that there are those special moments to work towards and there will always be work after that moment has passed. In terms of work, I mean keeping up with your wellness practices and physical activity. I didn't expect to see so much nature in such a crowded metropolitan city as Hong Kong, but thanks to my cousin I have. Stay tuned on my next post if you are not drooling now,  food will definitely be my center of attention. 

     

Trail over Quarry Bay