HK and Singapore

Yooo,
So last week I went to Hong Kong and Singapore for a little over a week and here's what it looked like:

I first went to Singapore to visit my dad for a few days. In keeping with one of my new years resolutions (hang out with nature more), I went to this small island off of Singapore, Pulau Ubin and hung out there for a day.


Bike that I rode around the island with. fyi, I rented it from an old guy who was getting no business (or so I thought, and thus felt kind of sorry for), and this bike, as like chill as it seems, was shaky (in a not good way).


A few dogs running around the island. I almost ran over a lizard with my bike as well. Almost!

Note to self and anyone who walks around in Singapore for more than 10 minutes: wear sunscreen and a hat or have a sun-burned face and have all people in Singapore look at you weird because Singapore Asians do not get sunburned (they know better than to walk around in the sun all day unprotected, or even, at all).

Then I went to Hong Kong and stayed with my aunt on Discovery Bay:

Discovery Bay is...from what I can see, a place where all the somewhat rich to very rich and lots of non-chinese people live in. It's an "environmentally friendly" island. Meaning that no one on the island is allowed to own a car (kind of impressive). They are however, able to own a golf cart. My aunt said, the golf cart only costs 100,000 (or something like that) Hong Kong dollars (HK dollar to 1 CDN dollar roughly: 7 to 1). But that the licence is 1 million Hong Kong dollars. 1 MILLION HONG KONG DOLLARS?! And apparently also the golf carts, at least the newer ones, are solar powered and don't even go that fast. 1 millon dollars to hang around the island on a golf cart. My cousins (the sons of my aunt) said that a few years ago (they are in high school), would sneak out at night and steal these golf carts (apparently it's really easy because the owners leave their keys in the glove compartment) and ride around the island on them and (I am directly quoting them) "drift". lol.

Okay. Went to Ocean Park. This trip to Hong Kong for me was definitely the most tourist-y I've been in all the times I've been to Hong Kong. Usually I just hang out with family, shop, and eat, but I dunno, I did that last time and got sick of it fast (the shopping, eating part), and there's a few tourist things in Hong Kong that I haven't seen (i.e, the pandas in Ocean Park), and I am there, so might as well. And, haha, erm this is a benefit of being me on my dad's side of the family, I am the only girl cousin/niece, and I am one of the youngest, and so my older cousin paid for Ocean Park (which, is eep, like 30 dollars to get into). Thanks Alvin!


A big reason why I went to Hong Kong. To see my cousin get married. It was interesting, the first wedding I've been to ever. I didn't really understand what was going on because it was all in Chinese, but I am glad I got to see it.

Got peaceful on my last day in Hong Kong. Tian Tan Buddha. The first time I saw a large scale Buddha was in Nara with Jane (here). I think I was only really interested in going to Nara because of all the deer running around and seeing the Buddha was kind of an afterthought. When I saw it though, have to say, it's quite moving. Instant calm and humbleness from standing before something just so massive both literally and metaphorically. I am not really much of a religious person and I never really think much of monuments, but once seen in real life, it's like oh, man, yes.

Then I went on a plane where I sat next to a baby who kicked me periodically and liked to play with stickers and stick them on her mother and on my tray.

Ones with little happy faces on them.
:)