Flying Solo

Michael went back to work on Tuesday so this is my second day flying solo in this big city. Yesterday, I went to the gym (California Fitness), met Michael for lunch, did laundry, ran to the store, and walked around our neighborhood a bit. We had dinner last night in Wan Chai at an Indian restaurant. There are 3 different sections of Wan Chai. We really liked an apartment complex on Star Street, but other than that street, the rest of the area is REALLY busy. We ruled out Wan Chai last night. Here are some pics on the terrace of the restaurant.

As most of you can attest, I am not independent. I would never use this adjective to describe myself, nor would my family. I hate doing things by myself: eating, shopping, watching TV, going to the grocery. Hong Kong is forcing me to step outside of my dependence on others and be solo. Today, I became brave.....

After the gym, I decided to take the subway down to Causeway Bay, which is the "Times Square" of Hong Kong. Maybe I was a little zealous, but I was enjoying my "Can Do" attitude on the subway. That is until I came out into a sea of Asians, all carrying their favorite Louis Vuitton bags and wearing their Prada sunglasses. My Banana Republic t-shirt and TJ Maxx shorts were just not cutting it. I took a deep breath and joined the school of fish anxious to find our first purchases.

Causeway Bay is filled with malls. You don't realize from the outside it's really a mall until you see the escalator that takes you up 12 floors. They have the high end brands in EVERY one (Louis, Gucci, Prada, Fendi, Chanel, Armani, etc, etc) and people are actually in these stores buying things. Other than these high-end brands, I didn't recognize a single one, except Polo. Pretty crazy. Here are some pics of a couple of the malls.

I walked around, sweating my face off, exploring different areas and shops. I wandered so much that I came upon this cute little park. I was so excited about my find that I had to set the camera up on a trash can to take a picture of myself. There were people jogging, homeless men laying around, and even a small pool for motor boat racing. Just a typical day in the Hong Kong Park.

Look what else I found...

So, after a couple hours of Causeway Bay and a new pair of Puma tennis shoes in my hands (I HAD to buy something)...and, my feet were killing me, I braved the subway again and headed home to go to the grocery. I survived. I didn't get lost, and I never even called Michael for help. (I made him leave me his cell phone today in case I needed it). This small suburban girl is going to be okay in this cosmopolitan city. It may take me a few more months to feel at ease walking around, but I'm putting myself in God's hands and letting him open my windows.


Tomorrow, I'm apartment hunting with our realtor again. We're narrowing it down, and getting closer. Will keep you updated on when we find the perfect place!