HOORAY IN HONG KONG

A CONTINUATION OF THE " GO EAST YOUNG MAN!!! JIMITHEGREEK GOES TO CHINA" SAGA ( WILL IT EVER END?)

GOT BACK TO MY HOTEL SUNDAY (JUNE 10) AROUND 1PM AND JUST KIND PASSED OUT. WOKE UP IT WAS AFTER 9:00PM, WHAT TO DO? WELL THIS IS HKG, THE PLACE NEVER SLEEPS AND THERE ARE ALWAYS PEOPLE ABOUT SO I WENT FOR A WALKABOUT. HONG KONG IS A BUSTLING YET SIMPLE CITY. THERE ARE SO MANY STORES FOR SHOPPING AND RESTAURANTS FOR EATING!!

YOUR SENSES ARE A BIT OVERWHELMED AT FIRST BUT AS YOU WALK ALONG FAMOUS NATHANS ROAD. THE BRIGHT LIGHTS, THE COLORED NEON SIGNS AND POSTERS EVERYWHERE. PEOPLE HURRYING ABOUT & THE STORES SELLING EVERYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE. ELECTRONICS/CAMERA STORES, CLOTHES STORES, FOOT MASSAGE SHOPS, JEWELRY STORES, FOOD, RESTAURANTS, ELECTRONICS STORES, FOOT MASSAGE SHOPS, RESTAURANTS, CLOTHING STORES, FOOT MASSAGE SHOP.....THERE MUST BE MORE"SHOPKEEPERS" IN HONG KONG THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD.

THE ASSAULT ON MY LARGE PROBOSCIS OF CIGARETTE SMOKE, FOOD , INCENSE, CLOVES, SEWAGE, FISH, PERFUMES, MEATS, DIESEL/CAR EXHAUST SOMEHOW MADE ME A LITTLE HUNGRY (WHOA?). THE SHINING GLITTERING JEWELRY, ELECTRONICS / WATCH SHOPS ALONG WITH THE BLINKING SPARKLY NEON SIGNS MADE IT FEEL A BIT LIKE TIMES SQUARE! THERE ARE LOCAL CHAINS LIKE GIORDANO'S, HANG TEN, & SPAGHETTI HOUSE AS WELL AS THE USUAL SUSPECTS LIKE STARBUCKS, MCDONALD'S, GAP, ETC. RUMBLING UP AND DOWN THE STREETS THERE ARE UBIQUITOUS WHITE AND RED TAXICABS OF KOWLOON EVERYWHERE!

SO ANYWAYS, AFTER WALKING MILES AWAY FROM THE HOTEL AND GETTING MORE HUNGRY. I NOTICED A SMALL NOODLE TYPE SHOP THAT WAS PACKED WITH LOCALS. SOMEHOW I ELBOWED IN AND MANAGED TO GET A BOWL OF NOODLES WITH MYSTERY MEAT BALLS. A FELLOW ASSURED ME IN HIS BEST CHINGLISH THAT THEY WERE THE BEST BEEEFYBALLS IN HONG KONG. OH WELL, BELIEVE IT OR NOT THAT BOWL OF NOODLES WAS DARN TASTY AND SATISFYING AND FOR ABOUT TWO BUCKS!!! AS THEY SAY ON DELANCY STREET...."SUCH A DEAL!"



NOW I WAS READY TO GET GOING BACK TO THE HOTEL. DARN LONG WALK AND MY FEET WERE STARTING TO GET A LITTLE TIRED, SO I DECIDED TO CHECK OUT SOME OF THEM FEET MASSAGE JOINTS. THE FIRST COUPLE I WENT INTO WERE JUST A BIT SEEDY LIKE, SO I SKEEDADLED OUT OF THERE PRONTO! AS I GOT CLOSER TO THE HOTEL THEY IMPROVED AND I NEGOTIATED A HKD80 ($10) FOOT MASSAGE. NOW LET ME TELL YOU FOLKS, THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE BEST TEN BUCKS I HAVE SPENT IN A LONG TIME. MY FEETS FELT DARN TOOTIN AND I WAS OFF TO THE HOTEL WITH A FULL BELLY AND FLAPPY FEET!




YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE IT BUT AS I GOT CLOSE TO MY HOTEL, I HEARD SOMEONE CALLING JIMMMI GLEEEK JIMMMI GLEEEK IN A DISTINCTIVE CHINGLISH ACCENT! WHAT THE, WHO COULD IT BE? IT TURNED OUT TO BE AN OLD COLLEAGUE COMING FROM DROPPING SOMEONE OFF AT A HOTEL. WE USED TO CALL HIM DANNY FIVE FINGERS FONG! WE EXCHANGED PLEASANTRIES AND HE INSISTED ON TAKING ME TO DINNER OR LUNCH THE FOLLOWING DAY AS I WAS OFF TO BEIJING THE DAY AFTER....WHAT TO DO I WAS HAVING LUNCH WITH THE CHINAMAN TOMORROW SO IT WAS DINNER AT SIXTHIRTY WITH OLD FIVE FINGERS. HE PROMISED TO TAKE ME TO ONE OF THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN HONG KONG (THAT'S WHAT THEY ALL SAY!!)

STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT INSTALLMENT: GASTRONOMICAL GREATNESS AT GADDI'S