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July 27, 2008 – As predicted, the typhoon did indeed hit Taiwan (台灣) after my arrival in Hong Kong (香港).  Needing to kill some time while waiting for my flight back to the United States, I ventured out into the city. The subway took me to Mong Kok (旺角) Station, where the Goldfish Market (金魚街) is located. This specialized market is the preferred source for goldfish and many other kinds of exotic fishes, as well as aquariums, corals, and aquatic ornaments. While at the market, I learned that in Hong Kong, having an aquarium in your living room will bring you luck, and also give your room some natural beauty. Really fascinating!

Going out onto the street, I was stunned to see so many stores doing fish-based business. There were many plastic bags holding fishes, because the tanks were so full. I even saw some live baby turtles in some bins, too. My curiosity got the best of me, and I entered one of the stores. Boy, it sure was a sight I didn’t expect to see. There were live coral, baby giant clams, and even more exotic fishes. I’m a scuba diver, and I’ve dived off Fiji, in the Red Sea, and in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, along with some dives in the Caribbean Islands. We were taught to respect creatures like these, and never touch them, so it’s kind of amazing to me to see these stores sell them. There was so many shrimps, lobsters, and prawns that it made me think of setting up an “ocean farm” in my backyard, alongside my garden!

The next place I went to was a shopping center filled with only electronic stores. The sizes of each of the 200+ plus stores are similar to what we have with our Best Buy stores here in the United States. Pretty huge, huh? Different kinds of electronics are sold there, and the prices were dirt cheap, about 30 to 70 percent lower than back in the United States! The center’s hallways were very tight, however. It was incredibly packed, and the halls were only about 8 feet wide.

I discovered that it was time to meet some of the Deaf Hong Kong locals, so I left the arcade. We met at this old Chinese restaurant that served delicious dishes like dim sum (點心), chicken feet (鳳爪), rice noodle rolls (腸粉), char siu bao (叉燒飽), siu ba (燒賣), beef balls (牛肉球), and vegetables. Time passed by, about 3 hours’ worth, while we had our meal and some great conversation. Many jokes were shared, and we had a great discussion about different issues affecting Deaf people in different countries. We always talk about how we Deaf people should be working together to improve our standard of life, and not get sidetracked by the crab theory. But yet we do get sidetracked by crabs. Isn’t it amazing how we do face it everywhere we go in the world?

After the delicious meal, I returned to Mong Kok, searching out some toys for my kids. There were so many people out on the street it looked like all of Hong Kong was coming out to do their evening shopping at the same time. I stood in the middle of the street, looking up at the massive signs above me. I had read about the signs in the local newspaper, discussing the signs’ causing air pollution by blocking the flow of clean air through the city. The signs are really beautiful, but I think there should be more attention paid to having healthy air for everyone here. As for the shopping, it went on until 1 or 2 AM. Certainly unlike the United States!

It was a great feeling, exploring the street during this massive night shopping spree in Hong Kong. And it was certainly a surreal and gorgeous way to end the night, and my time in the Far East. Hong Kong should be the first place to visit on your list should you ever come out to explore Asia. Full of great and lasting memories and delicious Asian cuisine, I took my 16 hours-long flight back to the United States, looking forward to being on American soil once again.