-Do and Don't- from Hongkong with love.
Srrrt.....srrrrt.....
Dusting....dusting.....
I am back. I am back. I am back.
Phew.
Where do I have to start to tell you about Hongkong?
(this is not post card,just so you know.LOL)
Hongkong is the real deal for someone who look for the sun and off from the screen, tell you. Well, while we all not that crazy for the tan, we could not avoid it while hopping on and off the games in Disneyland and Ocean Park. 35degree C is perfect to dry clothes, pillow, mattress, salted fish, 'kerupuk', but certainly NOT human being. And compare to the coziness 26degree C in our home town, Bandung, it just make the kids (and mom, and dad) get even crankier. *Sigh.
I am so glad to be back to our normal celsius.
As a first timer in Hongkong (yes, we wait until the kids are old and wise enough to go on a 4,5 hours flight without making the whole passengers in the flight hate us once we get off the plane and we wait until Adam is tall enough to get inside many games at Disneyland and Ocean park to avoid the sad face appears), we embraced everything new without any schedule strictly planned, we found many good surprises together with not so good surprises....so if I have to share the story of this Hongkong journey with you, who are interested, I will tell you in the "do and don't" ala our family. You certainly can agree with us, or not (since every families are having different personalities and secrets), but I hope the story will help somehow if you plan to go there in near future for the first time.
Are you ready?
Do go to Disneyland or any theme park available in the world just before or slightly after the peak holiday season pass. We are lucky enough to get different time for back to school day so we can go just after the local school starts. I am sure that choice of timing will lessen the long of queue by half or more, will not torture the kids too much, and will decrease the frequency of yelling, telling the kids to stay close, crying, loosing the kids, and head ache.
We were informed from several friends that go there before us that the place is hot as hot can be (which it is), so we only bring summer clothing. The morning on the bus to Disney, I met one lady from Bandung too, who went to Disneyland just the day before and she said, yesterday there was hard rain started from noon till night. She said better get the umbrella and raincoat ready. And I go, "What?" Turn out that Hongkong is alarmed to get hit by typhoon next week, so the weather started to switch. Oh, boy. Lucky us, we spend shiny (very very shiny) days in the next days till the day we go to airport to fly home, it started to rain heavily and didn't stop a bit even the plane delayed about 30 minutes to take off. And yesterday, when we all safe here in our home, Hongkong was hit by tropical storm from Chanthu. Oh, my.
Do stay at Disneyland Hotel instead of Hollywood Hotel (both are located inside the park), the first place is cozier and less crowded, as many tour's group stay at Hollywood for slightly cheaper price. We go by bus to Hollywood hotel to check out the place before we go to the city on third day, and crowded tour's group means crowded check out lines and crowded breakfast. We like the breakfast though. With Mickey waffles and Mickey potatoes, and Mickey onion ring. Definitely too much Mickey.
Do stay at Disneyland Hotel instead of Hollywood Hotel (both are located inside the park), the first place is cozier and less crowded, as many tour's group stay at Hollywood for slightly cheaper price. We go by bus to Hollywood hotel to check out the place before we go to the city on third day, and crowded tour's group means crowded check out lines and crowded breakfast. We like the breakfast though. With Mickey waffles and Mickey potatoes, and Mickey onion ring. Definitely too much Mickey.
Do become excited with the cartoon characters together with the kids. Don't say such line like,"Why should we bother to queue this long just to take pictures with Mickey or Minnie or Buzz Lightyear?" Just don't. It will hurt their feeling.
Don't say this line too : "Why we should queue 45' to get into this roller coaster game that last only 5'?" Because....if the games is more than 5', you'll throw up. So, don't wish to have longer game anyway.
Don't say this line too : "Why we should queue 45' to get into this roller coaster game that last only 5'?" Because....if the games is more than 5', you'll throw up. So, don't wish to have longer game anyway.
Do go for animal. Animal attractions, animal sanctuary, animal preservation tank, animal museum, anything with animal in it will delight the kids and the cool air conditioner inside will cool off the parents. Win win solution.
Do talk to stranger (especially while you queue) so you can know more about the place you are going to. Do ask for direction instead of go back and forth with less and less energy and patience. Do read maps. By doing this, you are giving the kids good example for life that they won't get from any book (maybe not even from school), because they learn more from what they see rather then what they are told to (so I read).
Do enjoy the present time to relax, with the kids. What's the point to go miles away from home and you do the same thing you did at home with all the internet, or chat with friends that you still can catch up after you get back.
Don't go to SOHO with lots shopping bags and over heated kids who also starving. Not nice. SOHO is. The other things I mention are not. I will be back to SOHO with my husband in the afternoon, without the other things I mention, and scroll the place up and down as we pleased. Yeah, someday soon.
Do go to The Peak. I suggest you to go around 5 in the afternoon. With all that queuing time, you will be at the peak just about sunset with that amazing glow, and you don't have to wait too long to see the city lights start to spark. Double view, I said. And the time when you say enough for the scenery, it's perfect for dinner. And ice cream. Yum. (We skipped the Madame Tussauds, sorry, we just thought that mom and dad will be thrilled to see Nicholas Cage or Angelina Jolie, but the kids won't know who are the most person there, so they won't be that excited. Just keep it for their own adventure in the future.)
If you are happen to be a member of a book worm's family like ours, do go to places like Book Buddy at Windsor House or Stanley Plaza, Page One at Times Square, and Kelly & Walsh at Pacific Place. The price of books in Hongkong are making us crazy. We first think Bangkok has the cheapest books. Boy, we're wrong.
Do go to Stanley Market. After considering which one to choose on the last day, Mongkok or Stanley, me and my husband decided to go to Stanley. The fashion and bargain lover may choose Mongkok, but with tired kids and else, we pass Mongkok this time. May be on the other journey. Stanley is a good place. And not too crowded. And we find a small but unique book shop (again) inside the market with air con. Nice escape.
If you are an IKEA lover like we are, maybe you do have to consider to stay at Park Lane hotel. IKEA just one elevator down from the hotel. Amazing.
Do check for some HMV store if you need some muse.
I do the journal with the kids every day. You may remember I am still in the process of doing 'a month to play, a month to learn' journal album, so I take the pages there too. Even if you are not know how the album will be recorded for the journey yet, I say you better make the journaling each day on the spot. Fresh vegetables, remember?
Do collect all of these for your future references, mini albums, scraps layouts or just to drive your husband nuts.These are only from day one and two. *grins
Last but not least, everywhere you go, do look up.........
and do look down too.......
because you just may find beauty and magic,
right there.
I end my story here.
Thank you for reading until this point,
I wish you too will
Have A Magical Day.
ahhh, do love ur story, better read this before go to hk :)
Posted by
patricekur |
July 24, 2010 at 6:11 PM
oh my..HK..love ur post about it..
I do love the photos expecially do look up and down..(*langsung merinding..pengen ke sana..)
Posted by
Ami |
July 24, 2010 at 7:04 PM
waa... i wanna go to disneylandd :))
jadi kangen hongkong mba, i used to live there for 5 years and yet i didn't learn to speak cantonese hahaha
thanks for sharing all the pretty pics mba ri. and once again, welcome back! :d
Posted by
Dee |
July 24, 2010 at 10:54 PM
top notch photos!! oh, real candy to the eyes..
Posted by
Riana Ambarsari |
July 25, 2010 at 11:22 AM
I always love when you travel...the pictures always impressed me >.< Glad you and family had fun..and back home safely...XOXO
Posted by
ALICE WAHYUNI |
July 25, 2010 at 9:54 PM
aiii fotonya kerreeen! betul banget tuh ri ttg anak2, apalagi kl udah bete kecapean hahaha, salah semua deh jadinya.. :D
Posted by
Eugenia Gina |
July 26, 2010 at 2:35 AM
makasih yah cerita liburannya..sungguh informatif..
moga2 bisa nyampe kesana juga suatu hari nanti..
Amin
Posted by
Dian |
July 26, 2010 at 9:03 PM
Whee! How fun! Someday you all must come to Disneyland over here!
Posted by
Cassy |
July 30, 2010 at 8:46 AM