Big White Guide
It's fun meeting cool people from all over the world.
This time, I dragged a couple from New Jersey about Kowloon, mixing well-known destinations with a taste of Hong Kong that isn't in the tourist guides.
Frank and Lois have been here many times, but they wanted to get away from the usual haunts on Hong Kong Island.
I took them to a couple of places with few tourists: Chi Lin Nunnery and Kowloon Walled City Park.
Along the way, like salmon swimming upstream, we ran a gauntlet of dozens of small children pouring into their school from nearby buses. Once clear of the munchkins, we stopped by the ancient Hau Wong Temple, built in 1730 to honour Yang Liang Jie, a general loyal to Ping, the exiled boy-emperor of the Song Dynasty.
After a stroll through the park, we explored the streets in Kowloon City, including a visit to the local wet market. They weren't even put off by the rows of pig feet we found lining the dirty tiles on the second floor.
From there we adjourned for afternoon dim sum before heading to one of the busiest tourist spots in Hong Kong: Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok. There I got a lesson on how to haggle: Lois is a master at driving a good bargain. Should they ever immigrate, I won't go shopping without her.
Frank, the computer expert, got to experience the insanity that is the Mong Kok Computer Centre.
Before leaving for their hotel and a much-deserved rest for their tired feet, they let me take them to a Chinese dessert shop, where we discussed the merits of turtle jelly versus sago with mango.
They had the mango; a wise choice.
As we travelled about, I suggested a number of places to visit they haven't seen yet, which they were game to explore. They love Hong Kong so much I wouldn't be surprised if they moved here.
I'd welcome them if they did; they've reinforced my perception that folks from New Jersey are among the nicest on the planet.
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