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Steiner · Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Posts: 573 Location: Hunan China

I've just returned from a ten day trip to Hong Kong. It was my second stay in the city.

The first time I was there I stayed for three weeks and hated it. It seemed polluted, crowded, and pedestrian-hostile. I had just finished living in Taipei.

This time, Hong Kong seemed beautiful, clean, easy to get around in, and friendly. Nobody paid any attention to me. I loved it, even though I spent an afternoon in an emergency room after being attacked by a dog. Stupid dog Evil or Very Mad

It was a great vacation after living in mainland China for the last six months. It all depends on where you're coming from, I guess.

The question: have any of you visited the same place more than once and come away with two completely different impressions? Stories or comments, please.

Shonai Ben · Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Posts: 617

Steiner:
Are you ok man?You got attacked by a dog?? Shocked

Tong Dawei · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 215

I just got back from the intervention on bahalf of CS. Too see the difference in his eye now compared to when he had both but spent most of his time with a lamp shade over his head. Gives a guy a heart wrenching sense of... Hey, unpacking suitcase where's my tooth paste?! Oh man!

Yeah anyways, the biggest difference now is that there are not so many wild animals running and scurrying about his house looking for food and nesting materials. Laughing

Steiner · Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Posts: 573 Location: Hunan China

Thanks for the concern. Really it wasn't that bad. The dog (it looked a little like a border collie) sunk its teeth into my left leg just below the knee. I was certainly startled. I had just said hi to it and was still about five feet away when it lunged at me. I must have inadvertently used the Cantonese for "Attack me now!" It'll be a nice scar to show off (it's very symmetrical), and I didn't have to get rabies shots because they have the dog for observation.

Interestingly enough, my wife had been bitten by another dog a few days earlier while were at a friend's house, but it didn't break the skin. Just bit her ankle as she walked past. So our perception of Hong Kong dogs has worsened, but we like the rest of the city better.

baby predator · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2003 9:15 am Post subject:

Stein,

I've visited London about 20 times now I guess, and each time, I come away with a different perception of the legendary place.

First went when I was fifteen, assuming I'd love it. The place depressed the hell out of me and I was gutted. I'd previously thought my destiny lay there, and I had to reluctantly abandon my Dick Whittington fantasies and settle for living in far more beautiful, far more pleasant Edinburgh.

Now though, I'm starting to appreciate its randomness and sheer variety far more. Or perhaps it just looks so much better in comparison to Shanghai Rolling Eyes

London has an edge that many cities lack. It feels like a good place to have an adventure.

I've never been attacked by a dog there, although I will testify that the Kentish Town tube station escalator is a good place to get attacked by doggish men. Twisted Evil

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

lucky you! Got bitten by a xenophobic dog?
The worst xenophobic dogs are roaming Tibet, and they probably have a lot of pent-up bad feelings about non-TIbetans.
Those in HK are tame by comparison. I suppose, you got attacked by a dog on order from its Chinese owner. There is now anti-racism legislation in place that gives any non-Hongkonger a handle against those boorish and overtly racist Hong Kong natives, but if you can't prove ownership of a dog by a CHinese you can't take the dog to court. .

I did not find HK particularly welcoming last week - business as usual!

Dr.J · Joined: 09 May 2003 Posts: 304 Location: usually Japan

I went back to London myself recently, and was surprised at how nice the tube looked, and how the trains seemed to be running on time. Seriously! Lived in Edinburgh too, but it seems smaller now.

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

richard ame · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 319 Location: Republic of Turkey

Hi folks I'm back

I went back to the place of my birth, the channel island of Jersey just off the French coast after a 20 year absence and to say the place had changed a lot was a bit of an understatement. A lot of new buildings and a pretty dead atmosphere was my lingering impressions of the place this time,few of the people I had worked with or gone to school with or just generally hung around were still there ,most of them were in other places and staying there for good . Maybe it was always like that but I never saw till now, perhaps thats what travel does for you, brings you down to earth with a bump.
Needless to say I won't hurry back there but I will go back sometime to bury the rest of my family ,depressing or what !!!!