Hongkonged!

'Steep n tight' is my synonym for Hongkong. After spending last weekend there with Paris(cheers mate) and the Goans aka Diogo & Krishna, I insist that all city planners must definitely take a trip to HK before they can whine about their challenges. Its most definitely a city planner's nightmare.
One of the greater things is one can get from point A-B within a couple of minutes and on foot. Ofcourse at rush hour you will be rubbing elbows with many arrrmm.. most folks but still the ease of finding your way is refreshing.It may also be because Paris, our gracious host last weekend lives 5 minutes to town on foot:).... The availablity of public transport is a great point as well.
Unlike most places where all the funky looking buildings and seaside cafes form the front view of the harbour, some brilliant mind crammes the not so hot buildings on the island. By day the harbour appears rather dull but a transformation occurs by night, thanks to the odd construction and plenty of lighting hence one of the most amazing skylines I have seen yet.
The rest of the buildings on the island, mostly residential, have been carefully balanced on the steep inclines. I say balanced because not only are the residential buildings pencil thin but also appear to be reaching well into the heavens. Should any of the chaps living on the 40something flr of some of this places spotting none but a smile, they have only God looking right at them:)
Thankgoodness that its also escalator haven!
Its shockingly cold this time of the year, a temp that the SEA delegation were not anticipating and instead of brilliant blue skies and green blue waters we had biting wind,grey skies and cold grey waters.
Highlights:
1) View from Victoria peak(we hear its awesome-on the day we were there, the skies were so low we could barely see ourselves)
2) Walking about market street and central and feeling like you are in a Jackie Chan movie
3)Arriving at the efficient airport and being welcomed by a life size version of Jackie Chan
4) Pacific Coffee House -very very useful for the weather at the moment. They brew a mean hot chocolate
5) Walking around SOHO and feeling like your in another world...where were the Asians?
6) Australia day on DB-note to self, If I ever move to HK, I will not breed there.
7) Chinese tourists taking pictures of me and other foreigners. I used to hear that they do that, now I know for sure-been there done that.
8) Conversations about China, plight of developing nations, King Mswati with Paris and the Goans..... esp on the rooftop with a long island iced tea
psss: King Mswati just bought himself some major wheels using 1750 royal cows!!!!! yeih for Africa.........
9) THE BEST-BEING THE ONLY AFRICAN CHIC I SAW THE WHOLE WEEKEND!! It was like Halloooo Whoppie! I was this close to signing autographs:)

...so if someone loosely proposed a trip to HK , pack a bag quick, grab your passport and grab your sunglasses(be sure to go in the summer) oh yuh, and send us a postcard

Nevertheless time well spent in HK...if I had it in my pocket, id be heading there right about now for the Rugby World Cup!! Im sooo routing for Kenya!

Here's Krishna and I, reporting for the developing nations from the HK harbour...