A Journey to a New World: Hong Kong

I liked the ride to the airport. It was smooth-sailing, without any of the hue of jumbled jeepneys and cars trying to weave their way in streets only intended for two-way traffic just like in the Philippines. But it wasn’t even 6 in the morning and dampness trickled down my back. I could feel it. That’s how hot it was the day I left Singapore for Hong Kong. Hot enough to start making my palms and feet sweating profusely. It felt good washing up before leaving for the airport but the fact that I had no choice but to use my sneakers still reeking of yesterday’s sweat made me want to throw them out the taxi window and bravely take a walk or run in only my newly-washed worn-out socks once we get to the airport terminal. But the acrid stench of my sweating feet may just cause the taxi to veer off course and cause an accident. I wouldn’t want that to happen. Ever. It’s embarrassing enough that my feet stink when it sweats excessively. It would be even more embarrassing that it could cause a massive accident. And I didn’t want any of that to happen. I don’t really want to hurt anyone. Ever. So I thought we all survived the ride. Thank God. Although I don’t really know if Mng. Apple and the taxi driver were just holding their breaths. Hehe.

Overlooking Changi's check in counters

Singapore’s Changi Airport was as breathtaking in the day as it was at night. I liked the set-up better than the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The Philippines only allows airline passengers to enter the terminal. The families and friends would have to say their goodbyes outside the terminal as no one could just get in. Security was that tight. I still roll my eyes over that fact. But in Singapore, family members sending off their relatives could enter the airport up to a certain point before the immigration section. You could even wave goodbye after checking in. I was nervous enough so it was a good thing that Mng. Apple accompanied me inside. First thing we did was to pick up my boarding passes. The airport personnel, a lady in her twenties with her hair tied up, was kind enough to inform me that all my luggage will be well taken care of until I reach my destination. So I needn’t worry about going to baggage claim during the layover at Hong Kong and Vancouver. That’s what she said. She was a bit unsure but her supervisor cleared up that uncertainty. So I had my bags tagged and checked in. And I had my boarding passes with me, all three of them – for this flight, for the flight out of Hong Kong, and lastly, one for the flight to Edmonton. I was set and rearing to go.

My flight was at 10AM but we arrived a little over 7AM. We haven’t had breakfast at home so with that much time, we went to fill our grumbling stomachs. I sat in one of the empty chairs overlooking the terminal. Mng. Apple was gone for quite a while so I took pictures of my boarding passes, my passport, the table I was sitting on, the place I was at. The great view of the entire lower floor, at least from my side of the terminal. I was taking a likeness of pretty much everything seized in a second. By the time I was about to take my own photo, Mng. was already heading my way with two full cups of steaming coffee with the distinguishable pleasant aroma of blueberry muffins catching my senses. Yum! It was a great way to start the day – with a cup of coffee, and muffins that just melt in your mouth. By the time I downed about half a cup, I started to feel a bit of a caffeine buzz. I’m nervous enough now thinking about doing the rest of my travel alone. I think I’ll get even more nervous, later in the day, with way too much coffee in my system.

The flight to Hong Kong was a bit turbulent. It seems like I could feel the air tossing about at the plane’s belly. It was like a bus ride to my hometown Sagada, a bit bumpy and zigzag-y. From the plane window, I could see the plane tip from one side to another and tilt here and there in its weak attempt to find better weather conditions.

For the first 30 minutes of the flight, I had my window up and all I could see was a sea of clouds. So this was how it was to be flying above the clouds. It felt like somehow gliding on those fluffy cotton-like puffs. I could imagine bouncing from one to the other. I knew it would be a feeling ingrained to my brain for all the years of my life. I reached out to somehow feel the cotton-candy distinctive impression of the clouds with the tip of my fingers. But it collided with the pressurized window, unfortunately. Oh, well. I tried at least that much. And then it got hazier and hazier and then I couldn’t really see what’s going on except that we were inside the clouds. Now bored of the foggy disposition of the atmosphere, I tugged the window shade shut, made sure I was belted-in tight, and looked out for something to occupy my mind to shut out the edginess I felt due to the turbulence. But it didn’t last that long. After a few seconds of shaking, a calmness ensued as the plane navigated itself to clear skies and a sunny milieu.

Everyone had the luxury to ask for drinks so I took advantage of that, stretched out my legs. It was a four-hour flight, mind you. So I thought of watching a movie. But I was a bit baffled as to how I would do just that. I started to pore over what technology it was in front of me. Remember, I was a first-time flyer. So I had difficulty maneuvering myself inside a plane. I tried my best figuring out what’s what without the passenger next to me noticing. And I think I’ve succeeded in deceiving him that I was a frequent flyer. Lol.

Anyway, without anyone getting the picture I painted myself in, I was simply looking over how the other passengers were faring on their technological know-how. I became ‘somehow’ adept at such technology just by looking at them that I browsed through its programs and breezed through the movies the airline had in store. I found Gags but I really didn’t find any of it funny. They were just silly at best. And some of them, rude. I found a great Jet Li movie though. I couldn’t recall the title but it was one about a dragon warrior or something to that tune. I think it’s never been shown in the international arena. Maybe it was just for local showing in cinemas. It was in Chinese. It was seriously an action-thriller movie but it came to a point that I held my laughter in. I was already bubbling inside. Jet Li speaking their local language had me cracking up. His voice, I mean. I was literally writhing in my seat as I was seriously trying to hold my laughter in. I had to let that movie go or I’d just embarrass myself. I’ve kept myself entertained for the rest of the flight browsing through movies and programs and before I knew it, the captain was announcing our impending descent to Hong Kong International Airport.

I couldn’t see much difference of Hong Kong in the day as it was for Singapore at night. Hong Kong was a speck of brown and green and white in the atmosphere. I couldn’t see much of it. Funny enough though, I started looking for a sign or something that would stick out and show me which way was DisneyLand. We were closing in and I couldn’t see much of anything so I gave up on that feat.

Over my musings, little did I know that the uneasiness I felt upon my last goodbye wave to Mng. Apple has started to creep back in. The fear of not knowing what to do or where to go or how to get my luggage upon leaving the plane cabin has settled in once the captain gave his final landing instructions. Now, I’m really a stranger in unfamiliar territory. Alone. With just my trusty handbag and a phone that’s not much use anymore since the battery is running low. Despite my worries, I still enjoyed the view of the airport from the heavens. They say that Hong Kong’s airport is the most beautiful airport in the world. I couldn’t see much of it in-flight but upon leaving the cabin, even the tarmac was immaculately constructed just like Changi’s. And there were airport personnel welcoming us. I’ve read before that they were called airport ambassadors. I tried asking them where I should go next. But it seemed that ‘Welcome to Hong Kong’ were the only English words they knew. My anxiety shot up a notch so I took a deep breath, thanked them, smiled, and went on my way with them still whispering among themselves and wondering what the heck I had just asked them. And that realization really hit in. From here on out, I am on my own. I started to worry even more. It felt like I was, at least for the moment, homeless. But I had to keep my mind alert since I had no one else to turn to. I followed the other passengers. And once we cleared the gates, Oh my Lord! My discomfort was eased even by just a small measure but I indulged in that feeling of comfort. I pushed all the bad stuff out of my mind.

Wow! This looked much larger than Changi’s. I looked left and right and behind if anyone was near me but all the other passengers went their own way. Once again, fear settled in. I took a lot of deep breaths. That’s all I did in Hong Kong – taking a lot of deep breaths. The air was a bit different. The fresh and clean air Singapore has dispatched in my system seems to have registered well enough for me to distinguish quite a difference with the air I inhaled in Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s air was somewhat more dense and tainted.

I somehow found my own way to the hurly-burly scene of passengers frantically rushing to and fro while some passengers sit back to digest a scrumptious luncheon; airline personnel walking from end to end, effectively giving a hand to and enthusiastically responding to stumped passengers such as myself; airport security doing their rounds; and a cacophony of kids flailing about causing earsplitting noises, some of them holding on to their mothers’ legs, getting callously dragged as their mothers try to find their boarding gates or whatever destination they had in mind.

First thing I did was to seek out the boarding gate for my next flight. I took flyers from the information stand near the arrival lounge to guide me on my way to the departure area. Now, this is where schooling pays off. You’d have to know how to read the maps and signs so you know which way to go. I had a lot of flyers tucked under my arm which I had to flip through over and over to determine where I was and which way I had to go. But it was of no use if you don’t know which way was north, south, east or west. I’ve had a bit of difficulty getting through the map. I had to figure out which terminal I was in first and which concourse I was in, for that matter. And the airport personnel earlier were of no help at all. So I just worked my way through with just the overhead directional signs to the departures level for boarding gates. My first goal was to reach the departure hall.

It was a good thing the layover was for a good 5 and a half hours. I spent half an hour navigating through the terminal, and going through security checks. Another half an hour looking for the boarding gate for my flight. I thought that was the rest of the terminal but as I tried to understand the map once more, I felt like I would faint ‘coz it took me an hour to walk through just the East Hall Departure Area. I didn’t bother going to baggage claim since I was on transit. I was confident enough that my luggages were sent to the next plane just as what the airport ambassador in Singapore has said. So supposedly, all luggages are forwarded to the next airline carrier. And so I set my sights on exploring the departure hall of which my eyes was made full to bursting with all the sparkling decorations and a lot of shops do visit.

While I was walking around, with my handbag in tow and important documents in a safe place, I met a Filipino couple who came from I think it was Cambodia, they said it was. They were bound home to the Philippines. I’ve actually overheard them speaking in the local language. My heart skipped a beat. I felt a bit of pride that Filipinos are really everywhere – all over the world. So then that distinct feeling of being alone has been somewhat staved off by the presence of Kababayans. It just so proves that a Filipino, no matter how lonely he is a traveler, will never be alone. There will always be a Filipino you could meet, one way or another. I’ve overheard this couple being confused as to what time their next flight would depart and what gate they should board in and why their flight doesn’t show up on the bulletin boards. So I introduced myself and tried to unravel their dilemma. We exchanged travel stories for a while. And as the minutes ticked by, I wished the conversation would not end. But I had to find my own boarding gate. Ironically, I helped them find their way easily but I couldn’t find mine just yet. I was good at directions. Just not that adept in handling maps and such.

Anyway, I found my boarding gate at last after getting lost a few times but I still had a lot of time in my hands so I decided to make the best of the remaining hours. I would have loved to go out of the airport and see the sights and Disneyland. I’ve always wanted to go to Disneyland. Yes, even at my age. But I was a bit concerned that I wouldn’t be able to get back in time for my next flight. Knowing that I had to be at the boarding gate 45 minutes before departure, I took it to myself to explore the rest of the terminal. I found a money changing station while walking around so I tried to sell some of my pesos for Canadian Dollars (CAD), Hong Kong Dollars (HKD) and Singaporean Dollars (SGD). I still had some of our local currency with me tucked safely in a folded, worn-out newspaper. It’s lying safe right now in my handbag’s secret pocket. I had to buy an adaptor for my charger since my phone’s battery life has already given up. It cost me 299HKD. After walking around, I got thirsty and the water bottle I had when I left Singapore has been confiscated when I was clearing security so I had to go to the trouble of exchanging currency just to buy a cola which cost me 24HKD. Oh my God. I still had that receipt tucked in a piece of something, somewhere. And I wasn’t able to finish that damned cola. I had to throw it out when we landed in Vancouver as we passed through security checks. But it was a cool experience having to feel how it was to travel out of your own country, having to buy things at a whim knowing you only have just the right amount of currency to get you through your destination. It was a feeling I would welcome anytime, but to a certain extent. I had to make sure I still had enough money to get me home.

Hurray! My boarding gate! Wheee! At last!

As I soared from one shop to the other, I noticed escalators leading to passenger lounges while I was walking around and I just had to check it out. I didn’t know these were VIP lounges until I saw a sign upstairs that a card (that only eligible members of The Marco Polo Club, Cargo Clan Elite and Oneworld Emerald & Sapphire members have) was needed to pay for services rendered. For a reasonable fee (accordingly), you can relax in comfort in one of these pay-in lounges before boarding a flight or during transit. You can enjoy hot showers, all day food and beverage buffet, internet and email access as well as live CNN news feeds on TV, magazines, newspapers, massage chairs and seated massage. It’s a perfect place to freshen up after a long and tiring flight. There are shower rooms, hair blow-dry rooms and resting area. Oh my God. I was so enchanted that I still proceeded to explore the upper floors despite myself being discovered and to peek at each room that had access. I could have knocked but I was worried they might chase me away once they find out my identity. Haha. I was like a female James Bond that time or someone else. I was like the heroine in a Brad Pitt movie. This time, no Angelina Jolie. I was ‘the’ Mrs. Smith.

After a rush of adrenaline from masquerading as a well-heeled individual with wallet bursting with cards and cash in different currencies, I found that there were these escalator-thingies except for them being flat on the ground (looked more like a conveyor belt for people), which takes the passengers from one end to the other. The whole time, I didn’t ride it because I thought it would lead to someplace else. But it wasn’t only when I reached the end that I realized, it was there for that very purpose of transporting passengers so as them not having any difficulty with walking around, their luggages and all. With that said, I rolled my eyes and called myself stupid.

So the next platform, I tried getting on it. It even welcomes you once you step over it and advises you to watch your step at the end. Oh my Lord! For the rest of the ride, I just stood there enjoying the ride not knowing really how to describe my emotions at that very moment. It’s not like the feeling you get when you ride those stairs or escalators going up and down. If anything, I felt free. It was only after I stepped off it that I realized I was grinning like a kid eating ice cream on a hot day after a fun adventure at the amusement park. So I simply rode on another to get me to the other end. I think I enjoyed it too much that I kept riding it back and forth from one end of the terminal to the other without any purpose as to where and what I am after. All this while, I tried so much to hide my look of excitement and enjoyment but it was a bit hard when you’re enjoying yourself and your emotions are at the brink of breaking out. And I was alone. So yes, the people around me must have thought that I’ve lost the last of my wits.

Anyway, I kept on walking around. By the time it was time to board, I was done exploring the nook and crannies of the airport. It was finally time to go. I tried not to look back. But I’ll admit, I looked back once.

I had never checked-in in an airplane alone before. There never had been a need. But I didn’t want anyone to know that. So I just listened too attentively to what the ambassadors were saying as well as read all the signs and searched the internet. There’s free Wi-Fi and I had my phone charged in one of the phone charging stations of the terminal at no cost at all. It would have cost me Php30/hr back home.

Once on the plane, dinner was served. I was scared to order something out of my comfort zone but I wanted to taste their congee. I thought it would be the authentic one since China or Hong Kong is known for their porridges and noodles. I have to tell you, I didn’t really like it. I could have had a culinary orgasm to our very own arrozcaldo when compared to the congee they served. Yuck! I would have tossed it out the plane window, if it was even possible. And with that, I just took out the Monde muffins Mng. Apple offered me before leaving the house. It had that lip-smacking goodness despite its dryness but I would welcome anything else rather than having that bowl of goo chugged down my throat. Then I got to bed, if you could call the seat of an airplane that. It was comfortable nonetheless.

So that’s most of the excitement I had in Hong Kong. I promised myself to visit Hong Kong Disneyland one of these days. I hope Hong Kong would be willing to welcome me back.

So I had to take something else with me...