karen in hong kong: Day 18 ~ A Walk

(I will continue to write the previous dates but I will back date them so they appear in order. You will get the full story... one day...)

I JUST finished posting the most recent journal entry when the cleaning people finally showed up. Although I had slept in until 2:30 and hadn't showered, was wearing no make-up, and 'technically' still in my pajamas, I decided it was time to vacate the apartment and go get some food. So I grabbed my purse as I was and headed out to McDonald's... again. (If I'm not 10 lbs. heavier when I get home, I will be shocked.)

Btw, let this be a lesson to all the people who work at McDonald's in Canada and the States... I eat there almost everyday and, even though they barely speak any English at all, they have not once gotten my order wrong. Today, I ordered a quarter pounder with just cheese and ketchup. I was worried. She looked like she didn't understand what I meant. But apparently she did. The only strange things I've come across when ordering is when I get my ice tea with one liquid sugar cup, I ask, "Can I have two (or three) more?" and hold up the corresponding number of fingers. They always give me one less than I ask for. So, I guess they think I mean 2 or 3 altogether... even though I specifically say "more"... The other thing is that they ask me "stay here or take away". Both times I said stay here, they packed up my food to go. Why ask?

Anyway, it didn't take me long to eat but I knew they'd still be cleaning, so I decided to go for a walk. I snaked up and down the streets in my neighbourhood and took miscellaneous pictures of things I found interesting for about two hours. (Thankfully it wasn't supergross out.) Wanna see?

some buildings just look cool

We seem to live in a metal-working area. There are a lot of "shops" like this.

The bar we went to with the turtles and jellyfish.

weird alcove

cat pet store place - although you aren't allowed to have cats here...

more metal guys - there were 6 of them working here, doing who knows what

|Ooh, I found another bubble tea place!

As I took a picture of this restaurant, the owner rushed out and gave me a takeout menu
and told me to come back. "We even have lamb burgers!" she exclaimed. Haha.

The Olympic MTR station I walk to and from everyday.

Olympian City Mall right near our place... which I have yet to explore.

prettiest parkade I've ever seen

I like the way the taxis look here.
(another view of Olympian City Mall)

Crossing the street here is a pain in the ass.
There are metal barriers surrounding the corners so you have to walk down the street 20 feet to get across.

Langham Tower in the distance

Tai Kok Tsui is the name of our area.

I live just on the other side of New Kowloon Plaza.

A huge indoor playground I walk above everyday that I never knew existed. Very cool!

First thing I see when I walk outside on my way home everyday.

Look up. Again, I walk past this every day and never noticed it had a second floor of shops.

RAMEN!!

A palm tree avenue lined with benches that are constantly occupied by
old people just hanging out - my street juts out the other end.

I like taking pictures of alleyways.

Langham Tower and Langham Place

I <3 Pet Pet :)

laundry day?

Another way you can tell Hong Kong values children - there are parks EVERYWHERE!

more metalworking... stuff

The brown one is the YesInn main building.

All the trees are labeled.

I think this man thought I was stalking him.

YesInn main building

bamboo scaffolding and wrapping the building - an Asian thing

Wifi booth. Coolest idea ever.

Maybe cock roaches wouldn't be an issue if people didn't do this!

7-11 every 50 feet. Awesome.

See the corner barrier thing? Irritating.

The Thai place we went to - where I ate only garlic bread.

Japan Home Centre - great place to buy whatever you need. Like a hairdryer or hangers!

the pizza place with the huge burgers

and another park

This matching grandmother/granddaughter was too cute to pass up.

Are there a lot of botany enthusiasts here?

Hong Kong Mini Bus

I frequent them often.

It just perches on points. How is that stable?

A kindergarten above a metal place. Seems odd to me.

Bought dim sum buns here once.

the bakery I went to the first night

"our" 7-11 and bank

I want to know what this building is! It's around the corner from my place and looks so secretive.

Fancy building that I see from my bedroom window - makes me jealous.

What I refer to as noodle street. Under the canopy part are 6 or 7 hole-in-the-wall noodle shops.
This is the street with the OTHER apartments (tumblr girl and her roommates, and our teacher.)