Hong Kong

This past week I got the opportunity to go to Hong Kong. It sounds ignorant but I am amazed that I can easily go to a different country so quickly and easily. Back in Texas we had Canada (America’s similar but retarded obese brother.) And there was Latin America. I know I am going to sound prejudice and arrogant but, who wants to go south of Texas? Mexico is so dangerous and unattractive. I remember when I went to university in Guanajuato, I enjoyed it and it was beautiful but I never felt safe there. Maybe I was just being paranoid? And as a tourist, the rest of Latin America doesn’t seem worth the plane ticket to get there. (Except Machu Picchu. Number 2 on my ‘Bucket List”)
Enough justifying my statement. I can say whatever I want. Hong Kong was lot of fun. Naturally I didn’t plan well for the trip. I needed Mrs. Keys to daily remind/yell at me to prepare. I went with a co-worker from work since we had the same vacation time. We got off the plane and road the shuttle into town then aimlessly walked around, literally in circles, with all our crap in the humid summer of Hong Kong. Once we finally found the hotel and dropped all our crap we went out to find something to eat. I will admit, the food in Hong Kong was amazing. Everything I ate I enjoyed. Here in Korea there is a lot of hit-and-miss when I go out to eat. (And unless there are pictures, there is a lot of missing).
One of the biggest ‘touristy’ things we did was go on a sky-box trolley thing up to a monastery. It was kind of scary because I do not know the legal safety requirements for sky trolleys… However, I did read that there had never been any accidents resulting in major bodily injury. Everything was fun and pretty. I finally got my family a nice gift. Most of the stuff I’ve been tempted to buy them in Korea was extremely expensive or crap. We hiked up to see some ‘hugitus’ Buddha and a monastery/restaurant. I appreciate the design and architecture of the Buddha/monastery. But I had in my mind that this ‘Buddhism thing’ was a belief of the past. Then I saw people praying to Buddha. It was really depressing. It put me in an odd mood the rest of my time there. I thought, how useless, deceiving, and empty to pray to Buddha! Granted, I know many would believe the same thing about Christians praying to Jesus or God. But at least my Jesus is alive and has real power.
I think this is blasphemous but when I was younger I used to think that if I weren’t Christian, I would be Buddhist. As if I were picking my favorite ice cream flavor at Baskin’s and Robin’s. But Buddhism seems like a discouraging religion. I like the goal of desiring and working for nirvana. Planting good karma, avoiding bad karma… But I am a human and fail miserably at any attempt to be ‘good.’ Even if Buddha did figure life out, that still leaves me searching. As a believer in the true religion, I confess that I can’t reach ‘nirvana’ alone. My humanity traps me on a path bound for hell. But Jesus, completely God while also possessing the same humanity we all share, knew the only real way for man to be released from the chains of this world. Through His own sacrifice we are forgiven from failure and welcomed into an eternal nirvana.
…. So watching people practice Buddhism was not my favorite part of the trip.
I also, got to meet up with a friend-of-a-friend, Watchman. He lives in Hong Kong and we met up for dinner and he showed us around. Though I don’t think I did very much there I enjoyed my time.
Oh, on our way back to the bottom of the mountain with the Buddha and monastery we shared a trolley thing with a Chinese family. They didn’t even try to make conversation (and neither did we.) But one of the ladies got up and stood right in front of my friend and I while someone took her picture. Obviously, she just wanted a picture with foreigners but she didn’t even ask. Oddly enough, that isn’t the first time that has happened. Am I so intimidating that she couldn’t have made a hand jester insinuating she wanted to take a picture? Oh, if I had a nickel for every time someone told me I was scary… I would probably never learn who Thomas Jefferson was.
I also learned that you can go anywhere and have the time of your life if you are with friends. Bonnie, my travel partner, and I are friends and made good travel buddies (I think). But I kept thinking how awesome it would have been to be somewhere with my old Social Studies department or Jenny and Jason. With Bonnie I felt like I had to play the role of ’good travel buddy.’ But I thought that if ole Jonsey were with me I could give her a wet-willie and never think anything of it. Just laugh and wait till she wasn’t looking to do it again.

In .love.
Jp