OUR TRIP TO HONG KONG! PART 1 : ARCHITECTURE

Last August Jake and I had the amazing opportunity to go on a vacation to Hong Kong! If you don't know where that is it is on the southern-most coast in China. Why you ask? Because our plans are to eventually move there. You heard me right, MOVE THERE.

Our first day in Hong Kong

BACK STORY

So why are two newly married kids planning on moving half-way across the world? Jake served an LDS mission in Hong Kong and has felt very strongly that we are supposed to go back and move there, at least for a few years. Sooooo, being the supportive wife that I am, I'm like: Sure! why not? *smile, smile*, while on the inside I'm like: oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no! *uncontrollable nerves*. Although, despite my fears I've always felt like it is the right thing for us to do. And I figure that while we are there I'll have some pretty awesome things to blog about! So Jake is currently working on his linguistics degree with an emphasis on teaching english so that he can teach english in the primary schools there in Hong Kong.

HONG KONG TRIP PART 1 - ARCHITECTURE

This is at the Nan Lian Gardens. It was raining warm rain, it was like we were walking through a magical and colorful wonderland.

The Big Buddha Statue. It was a little bit of a hike to get there. It's 268 steps leading to the statue. It really is an amazing view at the top.

As you can see from some of these pictures we were able to take it is no secret that Hong Kong is filled with a unique aesthetic beauty. Hong Kong is just brimming full of buildings both ancient and new. Many times we would be standing in a wise feeling old temple with sky scrapers rising directly behind it and a McDonalds that could be seen directly down the street. At first, I thought,  

What kind of place am I in? Don't they know that skyscrapers belong in big cities, temples belong in secluded countrysides and McDonalds belongs in a crowded mall with your food served by young teenagers in high school who don't know what's going on.  

(Just to note, I was once a clueless teenager with a fast food job.) 

If you are in American in Hong Kong McDonalds and 7-Elevens are GOLD. They are on EVERY street corner so you have no need to fear. Those places saved us quite a few times! Well I mean to say that it saved ME quite a few times. Jake was a stud. He would walk around talking in Cantonese like a pro ordering food, asking for directions and asking folks about their lives in Hong Kong. For me, I would just blurt out intense sounding comments with a loud voice saying, YOUR BUILDINGS ARE VERY TALL! and I WOULD LIKE THE SHWIENG WA NOODLES PLEASE! Which was awkward considering everybody there speaks english.

I challenge you to take time to really stop and appreciate either the subtle or not so subtle architectural detailings of buildings, parks, walk-ways, etc., on your next vacation. Those architectural details bring character and variety to what we see and are just one of those things that add more richness into our lives.