Serena’s account of her visit to Hong Kong

Posted on November 26th, 2014 by Debbie

Visiting HK Oct 2014
The last time I went to HK was the year before the change over from British to China 1997.
So when the opportunity to travel with kim came up I couldn’t refuse.
My first impression since I last visited was the vast amount of buildings that have popped up and so tall and how much busier the streets were.

This was a unique time to visit because the democracy protests were happening. They were scattered in a few locations around HK. They had started in September 2014.
On our 1st evening, we went with Becky (another adoptee who lives in HK) to Occupy Central Admiralty and were amazed at the amount of people present and no trouble. We were impressed with the organisation, they even had volunteers sorting recycling, delivering donated food & water and of course famous umbrella symbols (called the Umbrella Revolution because umbrellas were originally used to stop tear gas falling onto the protesters). In Mong Kok, Nathan Road which is a major street in Kowloon with lots of the shops, Occupy Central has blocked it off from traffic and is now full of tents and people but no vehicles to be seen. Very surreal!

Had a nice swim in our Grand Hyatt pool, very nice although a bit chilly for Becky. The sea near Stanley Market was lovely and a bit warmer when Becky and I went the next day.

It was great to be in HK when Debbie’s SCMP newspaper article came out and we could grab a hard copy.

I managed to see some tourists things in between press and TV interviews. Went to Ocean Park to see live pandas one of my wish list things to do. The park was more quiet than usual, due to the Chinese government had stopped Mainland Chinese tourism into HK because of the demonstrations.
I visited the Big Buddha on Lantau Island. The cable car ride there and back is amazing, not for the faint hearted but great views.
Riding the tourist junk boat around the bay was very relaxing.
Lamma island and Stanley Market was also very interesting and fun.

I enjoyed the food, Dim sum in Fanling and vegetarian Chinese at a restaurant near the YMCA in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Another highlight was going to see the place I was abandoned 3 Hing Hon Road. We met Mickie who lived on right side next door to the building where I was found. He was age14 at the time. The Landlord of the building where I was found at was very secretive and went to work early 5 am and then came home at midnight or later. He was very wealthy. Back in the 60’s a lot of rich Chinese people emigrated which may be the reason many babies were abandoned in this rich part of town, so that we would be found. I was very touched when Mickie gave me handmade jewelry that he’d made himself. Then we went to the Chuk Yuen orphanage location where I was placed after I was found before being adopted to UK.
It felt strange but happy that I could see/visit a part of my childhood history, it wasn’t very emotional for me, due to I don’t remember anything and that I had such a happy childhood with my adopted family. I couldn’t have wished for a better life.

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