Built-In Tour Guide

Taking a friend from Canada on a tour of Hong Kong over several days, I was struck by a comment she made about the experience: that I seemed to know what she would enjoy and that she was glad not to be stuck visiting just the typical tourist spots.

I only take partial credit for that, however. In the past decade I've been able to retain my sense of awe, wonder and amusement with Hong Kong's offerings while learning to view them from a local's perspective. Seeing both sides of the coin helped me be a better host, but I still felt compelled to ask whether she was having fun, because I wanted her to enjoy Hong Kong as much as I do.

But in no way do I consider myself an expert, and playing tour guide is exhausting, especially when the temperature at street level tops 40C. I don't mind hosting a friend, but I can't see myself trying to rein in a large group in these conditions.

That would be a little slice of Hell.

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