Suddenly sad to be leaving Hong Kong

Wow,  today it finally hit me, that I am leaving Hong Kong for good! Ken and I went to buy Halloween costumes and start to say goodbye to the people I have come to know and like and it hit me, I am leaving Hong Kong! The place that I have come to love and hate, the place that has had me so conflicted for ten months and today was no exception. The headline in the paper today, 27 million dollars of Elephant tusks seized by customs! One of the living things I most admired in life, Elephants, slaughtered and destroyed for what? For some short lived gratification! Just like shark fin soup! Really, WTF is wrong with these people! More than 5 million elephants in the 1940's to less than 1/2 a million elephants today! The same thing happens to Rhino's for their horns, to Tigers for their pelts and elephants for their tusks. Really!!!!!!!!!! You cannot imagine how incensed I am about all of this and yet what is one to do? What is the answer to stop these crimes against things that do not have a voice and cannot defend themselves against guns, fishing nets, and humans getting paid to kill them.  On our walk today we found (of course two days before we leave) a great little restaurant, La Piola, a wonderful Italian restaurant, great music, fantastic food and good service. Next to us, a Chinese guy and an American girl, they ordered pasta, when it came, he slurped his and in five or six GIANT slurps he was done! His girlfriend is shaking her head no, and says to him "you must be really hungry" and he slurps. I dropped my mouth in horror and Ken is telling me to just focus on him because he knows I am going to blow a head gasket any minute. I can hardly contain myself from saying something. Judging by the size of intake with each bite, I knew it would not be long before the slurping was over.  This has to be one of my biggest pet peeves! This drives me absolutely mad!!!!!! I would of loved to have had a video of him and her and the difference in eating habits, two totally different eating styles, same type of food! I wonder if he even notices how awful he is when he eats! We then walked to the paper store which was also closed and finally when we made it home after a brief stop to buy a hat, I was greeted by Wai, one of my favorite people at Pacific Place. These guys greeting you with a smile and giant hello's every time you come in and leave, is one thing I will miss for sure.  So here are a few photos of the things I have come to love and hate about Hong Kong. Of course Wai said to me, the weather has finally changed last week, no more heat, no more sticky and now we have blue skies. Who knew I would have to wait for ten months until I saw nice weather!

                                             I will miss the walks in the parks

                                              I will miss the crazy styles

                                         I will miss seeing the Philippine  women on Sundays

                                       I will miss seeing the Philippines rallying for their causes

I will not miss seeing everyone on their cell phones, holding up traffic

                                        I will miss not giving a sh.. of what people think and do what I want.
                                        I think I will take this one home with me, but I think I might of brought
                                        it her with me... :-)
               

                                           Most of all I will miss Wai and the other group of thoughtful, friendly
                                            and efficient staff at Pacific Place!