EMMA HITS HONG KONG

Travel broadens the mind in an exciting way, both informative and, for the most part, non threatening. Living in the protected environment of Australia gives most of us a secure, free speaking way of life, comparatively speaking. I say 'comparatively speaking' because there would no doubt be a few individuals who might disagree or who might not find themselves in this situation, even in Australia. However, for the average Australian life is pretty good in comparison with two thirds of the planet. There is no social security or public medical system in most parts of the world. The poverty line is light years below ours in these places. Children grow up with few expectations. There are no wardrobes of clothes, boxes of toys to play with and sometimes little food on the table. Education is seen as a privilege not available to every child. Many are in the workforce at a young age, working long hours to just help put food in the mouths of siblings.

I feel very fortunate to be able to travel, to be able to see the wonderful diversity that different cultures bring to the globe, to eat a variety of foods, intereact with peoples of many nations, to meet interesting other travellers on the way and to come back to the quiet, uncrowded, clean streets of Australia - and rest.

I have always wanted to take each of my grandchildren on a one on one basis to somewhere non-threatening to experience something of an environment different to their own and to have some fun together doing just that. It has begun - the first of the forays overseas to show them a little smidgeon of the world.

The ideal age being eleven (old enough to appreciate it and young enough to be officially a child and therefore being able to access venues at child rates - in fact, with the next one, I myself will be able to access venues at 'oldies' rates, a bonus in itself), Emma came up for Trip No. 1 in March 2012. I chose Hong Kong, a city totally different to anything she has ever come across but a good deal westernised, safe and not too far away flightwise.
We left on a direct flight (somewhat inconvenient timewise, being well after childhood bedtimes at 11.15 pm) and arrived in Hong Kong early in the morning.

Unable to access our hotel room until the afternoon and fortified by a Mackers breakfast, we took off for the markets first up. It turns out that shopaholicism is genetic and, after looking at the budgies and other little birds in their quaint wooden cages at the Kowloon Bird Market, having accessed this by the lovely Flower Market street with its myriad of gorgeous orchids, we hit Ladies Market - a first for me too. At midday it wasn't anywhere nearly fully set up but a few purchases were made and we partook of lunch in a restaurant in the vicinity. The noodles didn't taste at all like the ones at home so this was the least successful of the mornings visits but the shopping had set the tone for the trip. A well earned rest was enjoyed on returning to the hotel.

Must have been enough to recharge the batteries, as we found ourselves at the Temple Street Night Markets after dinner in the hotel. This was a great hit, a place that we returned to a few more times during our stay, even trying some of the local fare later on in the trip.