I like surprises.

I wanted to blog the day before leaving, but at first there wasn't much to say and then there was too much to do! I had disastrous piles of stuff on the floor, my bedroom light went out (which I hesitated to have fixed as I thought could get everything done before dark... I was wrong), and there was just so much to do to get ready. I was actually able to fit everything into one large suitcase without expanding it, but it was overweight, so I ended up with a 10-lb. duffle bag and a very loosely packed suitcase. I also had to put the books in my carry-on into my duffle bag because it was overweight, so I didn't get to read a very helpful book on New Zealand on the flight. : /
So, our trip actually got off to a very interesting start: our first flight out to Hong Kong was delayed 5 hours, so after checking in, I went back home with my parents (and we pretended it was dress rehearsal for them taking me home from the trip), snacked and took a nap before going back to try again. Despite all the kids and babies onboard, the flight was actually bearable and my headphones were a decent enough escape to drown out any screaming. My only complaint was that my seat neighbor didn't seem to have the same concept of elbow room and personal space and the woman sitting in front of me put her things under her seat instead of the seat in front of her so I couldn't really put my things under the seat space I was supposed to have. I also spent all these years oblivious as to how to recline my seat until this flight, so I did spend a few pathetic moments trying to use brute force to recline my seat. I seriously thought that one's own weight was what reclined the seat and that being smaller than the average person must've been why I couldn't put my seat back. I sort of felt sorry for the person sitting behind me as my fight with my own seat must have been a bit obnoxious to him. I kept thinking that it would be great if only there was some sort of button I could push to put my seat back. And then I found it.
And that's only the beginning, my friends! With the 5-hour delay, everyone (including us) missed their connecting flights. I was looking forward to having a slumber party at the airport as I've always wanted to know what it was like to spend the night at the airport and have an adventure similar to that in The Terminal. That would've been cool, but what was cooler was that our airline put us up in hotel rooms next to the airport. Swathi and I got separate rooms and since it was 1 am, we had to walk back to the airport to the 711 for food since nothing else was open. There was something princess-y about having strawberry ice cream and sponge cake for dinner, but the fact that I was wearing the same 3/4-sleeved shirt in humid 80-something degree weather didn't make me feel so princess-y.
Since we didn't have our check-in luggage, I was stuck wearing said shirt for another day (in humid Hong Kong weather, mind you!) and I didn't have any of my toiletries. Needless to say, I did feel quite gross and couldn't help but make my complaints known every 10 minutes. Of course, Swathi was wise enough to have some of her basic toiletries and a change of clothes in her carry-on, so unlike her, I didn't feel so fresh and cute. Despite all that, we still had an absolutely mahvelous time in Hong Kong. Surprisingly, we were able to take public transportation on our own without getting lost both to and from the downtown area so we could do a little shopping. I'd been to the same area before about 3 years ago, so that helped in figuring out the trains and the area since a lot of the names, stores and places were familiar. We ended up going to the mall next to the Marco Polo Hotel (it helps that that was actually the hotel where I stayed in the last time I was in Hong Kong) and we also checked out Nathan Road per the suggestion of the concierge, but there wasn't much there so that, the heat and sporadic showers pointed us back to the mall. I think we spent quite a bit on food, although with Hong Kong dollars it's always confusing because the high numbers makes it seem like you're paying more. I kept wanting to pinch myself today because I couldn't believe that not only was I out in the streets of Hong Kong, but I was doing it all with Swathi. Sounds like a weird dream, right?
Anyway, I felt quite grown-up today being able to manage a hotel room all to myself and also being able to get around in Hong Kong. Sure, it really helps that all signs are also in English and everyone we've talked to spoke English, but Swathi and I were pleasantly surprised that we were able to get around without getting lost. I actually got a bit comfortable here so when Swathi really liked the view of the skyline from across the bay, I thought it was a bit disappointing that we wouldn't be around for the evening when there's a lights show with the skyscrapers.
Even though Hong Kong wasn't my first choice in destinations, I was still just as excited to be there as any other place. The little things like the traffic driving on the other side of the road, the way we saw a whole bunch of fans crowded on one side of a building, the MTR (it makes BART look primitive), and the unfamiliar shops reminded me of how much I love being out of my element in a different place, no matter what it is. It also reminded me of the things I look forward to being excited about when I live abroad someday. Passing by the non-Chinese people in Hong Kong that looked like they were on their way to work made me wish I was one of them. My dad would think pigs have flown, but I actually wouldn't mind living here because it is so different and I enjoy the familiar and unfamiliar aspects of it all. There were things I recognized and things that were still different to me so I was both comfortable and also still excited when I was here.
Not bad for our first day in, huh?