Hong Kong

"Wow this kinda looks like a big Chinatown," was the first thing I said as I sat in the back seat of an air-conditioned taxi next to my sister and my mom, staring at the world outside.  There were Chinese signs with English translations, bakeries with delicious looking foods, run down shops, and both Mandarin and English being spoken.  So there I was, staring at a whole new continent, and the only thing I could think of was how much it looked like Chinatown.

Almost everything I imagined Hong Kong to be was exactly the opposite.  I thought it would be a poor not-so-modern city, but the tall glass buildings and banks proved me wrong.  I thought it would be crowded with not an inch of space to yourself, but the streets proved otherwise. While crowded, the streets are not uncomfortable.  I thought there would be little to no cars.  But the stores filled with Ferraris, Rolls-Royce's and Cadillacs proved me wrong.

I've only been here for a day and I'm looking forward to the arrival of my American cousins, meeting my Chinese cousins, hiking on Victoria Peak, and taking the bullet train to Changsha.