Nei Hou Ma?

I have some serious Summer travel ideas I'm throwing around this weekend, and one definitely involves Hong Kong.  Hong Kong.  The sound is romantic and at the same time familiar.  I'm looking to spend just 4 or 5 days there this summer.  Given that I live in Okinawa, Japan, Hong Kong is about 3 hours away by plane (1 hr to Taipei, 2 hrs to HK from there).  My son will be spending his summer in Hawaii with his Grandma, and the hubby and I want to go somewhere that doesn't involve anything kiddy.  

If you've seen my pic, you've probably wondered what my ethnic background is.  Well, I'm of Chinese, German and Hawaiian descent.  My father is Chinese-Hawaiian and  I grew up in a heavily-influenced Chinese household in Hawaii with my Popo.  She was old-school, to say the least.  I can't even pronounce a German word, and my Hawaiian sucks.  But I was surrounded with family members giving me lai-see (little red envelopes of money) on New Years (Chinese New Years, that is), being snobbish about where I bought my char siu bao and daan taaht, and laughing at movies like Joy Luck Club and Flower Drum Song, because I could relate (If anyone remembers Waverly in Joy Luck, that was soooo me.  Miserable yet venerated yet dependent on the veneration).  

 A literal hop, skip and jump away, Hong Kong literally feels like a home away from home.  The best roast duck.  The best food (& if you're truly Chinese, you care about the food.  You care about the food big time).  My command of Cantonese is terrible at best, but to go to HK and hear the cacophonous sounds of childhood... Though I've only been there once, it feels like I ought to be there. 

& there's so much to see!   On the first trip we took to Hong Kong last year, we had just a few days and our schedules were booked with itineraries set because we were traveling with friends.  This time, I want to see things that mean a little more to me.  J'adore Hong Kong!  As my travel plans come to fruition, I'll definitely keep an update on the blog to share what we plan to do or see.