Brain Dump - Full blogpost to come later:

I woke up early again and did some final prep for Hong Kong.
Online check-in for the flight: I found out I had to pay extra for a second piece of cabin luggage. Glad I checked in online, but still a bit stingy.
Had some more breakfast and did some planning for Hong Kong.
I forgot there is a Disneyland there. So maybe?
Checked out at a reasonable time and traveled to the airport, which was quite far away.
It was super busy, but check-in and security went fine.
I got to the gate about 30 minutes before boarding, which is how I planned it—less waiting for me.
On the plane I wanted to work on my blog, but I didn't have enough space with how the desk opened up. I didn’t have enough room, so I just napped and listened to podcasts.
I got off the plane and there was no line at immigration. Nice!
But I had to wait a long time for my luggage. Too bad.
I went to declare my medication, and when I showed him my pill bottle he said, “Just that? That is fine, just go through the green area,” like I was wasting his time. So much for all the paperwork.
After landing I knew I needed some lunch, but again I wasn’t feeling the menus they had at the restaurant, so I just ended up with some 7-11 snacks instead.
On to a bus taking me to my hotel.
On the bus I started reading the Wikipedia page for Hong Kong. It is insane. Some stats:
- With a population of 7.4 million, it’s the 4th most densely populated region (losing to Macau and Monaco, which both have less than a million citizens and are mostly gambling, so they don’t count. Actually 2nd behind Singapore—fair).
- Third-largest financial sector, behind New York and London.
- 4th highest number of billionaires of any city (according to Forbes).
- Most skyscrapers in the world.
I could see that traveling here. So many high-rises so close together. I feel like I arrived in “Ridleyville.” I can see the inspiration.
The hotel I got is pretty fancy, but I also paid a lot for it.
The room is nice, but the amenities are a bit lacking. The gym has just some dumbbells, one machine, a treadmill, and a yoga ball. I would have liked a bit more. No free breakfast, and the laundry service I thought was free is actually too expensive for what I need.
But let’s make the most of it!
They did receive my tickets for MAMA, and I got them right when I arrived, which was nice!

About MAMA

The MNET Asian Music Awards are a yearly event hosted by MNET, the Korean MTV that focuses only on K-pop content. They hand out awards, but they mostly feel fake to me. The best thing is the performances. All the most popular groups come, and they put on special performances of their songs with remixes. There are collaboration stages too between groups.

Think of it like a K-pop extravaganza. I booked my tickets to Seoul so I could attend it. But I knew it wasn’t in Korea, as the last time they were there was in 2018 (not counting the COVID years).

It turned out to be in Hong Kong this year, so that is where I went. I see this more as the cherry on top, not the main reason I am here (like I did with TWICE in Taiwan).

But there has been some concerning news lately about the giant apartment fire happening in the north of Hong Kong. Terrible news: 7 buildings caught fire, with loads of people still trapped inside. At the time of writing there are 94 confirmed casualties and 279 people missing. It is the only thing on TV when I turn it on.

Out of respect for the victims, the event will be adjusted. The red carpet (which is mostly just for the press) will not take place, there will be a tribute at the start of the show, and the performances will be toned down (no pyrotechnics). There are other things, like the group MEOVV being expected to perform, but they probably won’t play their latest song “Burning Up.”

As a fan this is quite sad, but I understand it considering the context. I am happy that they didn’t cancel it outright.

Dinner

I rested a bit and unpacked my stuff in my hotel room.

For dinner I walked to the nearby Temple Street, expecting to get some good street food. But the selection was quite limited.

I ended up walking the nearby areas until I found a place that looked okay. I ordered wonton noodle soup, the classic, by just pointing at the menu because the server didn’t speak English.

The dish was fine. The waiter pointed to some of the condiments, suggesting that I put them on the food, which did make it better.

I got back in bed on time to start the next day right.

Another day of traveling, but I am here now for my last stop. I have quite a bit of time here that I can spend how I like. Let’s make the most of it!