Hong Kong Humidity & Half-Remembered Dreams

okay, so hong kong. it’s…a lot. i’m a freelance photographer, and honestly, i came here chasing a feeling, not a specific shot. a friend of a friend said the light here is insane, and that the *street food scene is basically a religious experience. they weren’t wrong, but it’s also just sticky.

i just checked and it’s…like breathing soup right now, which is a whole mood. 24.32 degrees, they say, but it feels like you’re slowly dissolving into the pavement. the humidity is at eighty-five percent, which explains why my hair has developed a mind of its own. i swear it’s plotting against me.

i’ve been wandering around central, mostly getting lost in the maze of alleyways. it’s beautiful, chaotic, and smells like a million different things all at once. i overheard someone complaining about the tourists near lan kwai fong - apparently, it’s “just stag dos and overpriced cocktails” now. someone else, a really old guy selling dried seafood, warned me about the fake taxi drivers. “they’ll take you the long way, young man. always check the meter!” he said, winking. you can find more info on getting around on TripAdvisor.

i’m staying in this tiny apartment in sham shui po. the walls are paper thin, and i can hear everything - someone practicing the erhu (which is surprisingly haunting), a baby crying, and what sounds suspiciously like a very intense mahjong game. if you get restless, macau is just a ferry ride away, which i’m considering just for the sheer novelty of it.

i spent yesterday trying to photograph the victoria peak tram. it’s a classic shot, but the crowds are insane. i ended up getting some decent photos of the street art in sheung wan instead. it’s way more interesting, and you don’t have to elbow your way through a sea of selfie sticks. i found a cool local guide on Yelp.

i’ve been trying to find good dim sum, and i think i finally hit the jackpot at this little place near my apartment. it’s called “joyful dim sum” (i think - my cantonese is…nonexistent). someone told me it’s a bit of a hidden gem, and they weren’t kidding. the har gow were incredible.

i’m also attempting to learn a few basic phrases. “hello” is “nei ho,” and “thank you” is “m̀h gòi.” i’m butchering them, obviously, but people seem to appreciate the effort. i’ve been using italki to practice.

the pressure is 1009, which honestly doesn’t tell me anything. the ground level is 1005, whatever that means. i’m pretty sure i’m just making up facts now. i heard a rumor that there’s a secret speakeasy hidden somewhere in soho, but you need a password. i’m determined to find it. i’ve also been reading up on the history of hong kong on Wikipedia. it’s…complicated.

honestly, i’m exhausted. but in a good way. this city is overwhelming, exhilarating, and completely addictive. i think i’m going to need another cup of milk tea* and a long nap. and maybe a dehumidifier.

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