Sometimes - after returning from holiday - you need a good, solid week to collect all of your thoughts, recount new adventures, and, in my case, recover from a serious bout of jet lag.  I've been home from Hong Kong now for about 11 days and, supposedly, I should be feeling fully rejuvenated by tomorrow.  They (Who knows who "they" are, anyways - "travel experts," I suppose?) say that for each hour of time difference, it takes one day to recover.  So, with twelve-hours of separation between New York and Hong Kong, I'm only one-day away from normalcy.  Let's see how I feel tomorrow, shall we?

Hong Kong was everything - and nothing - that I had expected or anticipated.  From its efficiency, infrastructure, and sophistication - to its people, culture, and regional cuisine - my first experience in Asia was an abundant feast for each of my five senses.  I fell in love with, and left a small piece of my heart in, the glamorous Pearl of the Orient.

Here are some tidbits that I learned along the way, plus a couple of tips for any of you future travelers:

• The good ol' U.S. of A. is hardly the center of the universe. In many aspects, America is falling rapidly and dramatically behind.

• Not once did I see a single cigarette butt, wad of chewing gum, or item of trash on the busy streets of Hong Kong proper or Macao. Visitors, take note and follow suit.

• Subway stations and the trains, themselves, are spotless.

  • With digital time tables, riders know when the next subway is approaching the station - in every station.

  • At the Airport Express train station - in the middle of Hong Kong's Central District - travelers can check-in for outbound flights and drop their luggage at assigned airline counters before ever arriving at the airport! Trust me when I say that this is so much cheaper and more efficient than hopping in to a cab.

• I know that I'm going to get crap for this, but Portuguese food really sucks.

• ...however, the Macao Ferry Terminal has better Portuguese egg tarts (the only Portuguese food worth eating) than any free-standing restaurant in Macao.

• Speaking of Macao: if you plan to visit, bring your passport.

• At meals, tea - not water - is served. If you want water, you have to order it.

• If you don't know how to use chopsticks, you're screwed - unless, of course, you bring your own silverware.

• Shopping malls abound, literally. You can get your shop-on everywhere from subway stations, tourist attractions, and bank buildings.

• I have never seen so many 7-11 convenience stores in my life

• ....nor have I seen so many apartment building masses - outside of the Bronx - ever.

• Burping and loogey-hocking is perfectly acceptable in public. Men, you will be in heaven.

• On that note: while I love Purell just as much as the next guy, hand-sanitizer towlettes are great for many things beyond just hand cleansing: use them to wipe down tray tables, hotel room remote controls, toilet seats, etc.

• Hong Kong has quite the expat singles scene. Ladies, if you're in to the investment banker set, this is your city!

• Prior to your departure, find out which bank's ATMs are compatible/won't charge service fees to the debit card that you plan to use overseas.

And these, dear readers, were a few of my most favorite Hong Kong/Macao things:

• The view of Hong Kong & Kowloon's twinkling, urban landscape - as seen from Victoria Harbour

• Street food/drink, namely bubble tea and warm waffles lathered with margarine, sugar, and peanut butter

• All of the glorious, life-changing meals that I ate at Din Tai Fung

• Xiaolongbao / soup dumplings

• Ultra-luxe designer resale handbags at Milan Station. Think: Chanel, Hermes (Birkin and Kelly bags galore!), Louis Vuitton, Prada, Balenciaga, Bottega Venetta, etc. *Bargaining welcome: I talked the price wayyy down on my fabulous new Chanel.

• Gondola ride, over mountains and water, to the Tian Tan Buddha

• Experiencing the Tian Tan Buddha up close and personal

• Chinese architecture

• The people of China

• The Central-Mid-Levels escalators

• High-tea at The Peninsula Hotel

• Macao: truly, the anti-Vegas "Las Vegas of Asia." Imagine a gaming town free of Nascar t-shirts, mullet hair cuts, tattoos, and really bad blonde die jobs.

• (Doctor) fish spas: the very fact that this is allowed/considered hygenic blows my mind. But hey, when in Rome!

…

Until we eat again,

Lindsay, The Lunch Belle