Back

So we got back Monday evening in Toronto at around 18:15. The flight was ok, we slept through most of it anyway. The picking of the movies was quite slim aboard, I ended up watching "Justice," a documentary about a jurisprudence course offered by Harvard University on utilitarianism and cost-benefit analysis (something relating to my work), and stomached "Bad Teacher," a mediocre comedy starring Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake. We were supposed to catch a connecter flight at 22:10. Thank goodness, we managed to get on an earlier flight, and the airline was kind enough not to charge us the $150 (CAN) re-booking fees. The only setback was that we got separated from our luggage. No sweat, the luggage was ultimately delivered to us at our doorstep the next day at no cost. With our luggage returning to us, the trip has come to a perfect conclusion.

If it wasn't SL MMXI, we wouldn't have planned our trip to HK in 2011, let alone in September, when 30-some degrees Celsius could easily feel like 42 at times. That being said, stormy weather and humidity aside, we had a blast. We enjoyed every step of our trip, from the most touristy sightseeing routines (the Peak, Tsim Sha Tsui, Temple Street) to re-visiting innocuous places where I used to live in Happy Valley, Wanchai and Taikoo Shing, the experiences were poignant, captivating and hypnotizing. I did visit more relatives than initially planned, which allowed T and my extended family to get to know each other in person for the very first time. Credits are due to both sides: my uncle, aunts, cousins, and their kids were very supportive, who welcomed T with open arms. T also enjoyed their company at dinner gatherings and struck up polite chats with my relatives in English and Mandarin. I am positive that he won them over with his sincere and natural charms effortlessly.

Last but not least, we would like to extend our deepest thanks to many of you (in alphabetical order): Artman, Fun, Linus, NaRuTo, Ogake, Simon S, and Wordy, for taking valuable time from your busy schedules to meet with us, to bring us out, to play badminton, and, most importantly, to make us feel welcomed and spoiled. People in HK are not as distant and aloof as they may have thought. We were completely embraced and moved by the warmth and vibrancy of both friends and places alike during our stay. This is truly a trip to remember, which I will recount in greater details over the days to come whenever I have a chance. Although not knowing exactly when and for how long, we will definitely come back for another trip (T said so!). We are positive that next time our trip is likely to take place during the "winter" months. Just to be on the safe side that we won't attract any more typhoons and cause any further inconvenience to the locals.

Until next time! Hong Kong and our dear friends, you will be sorely missed.