Hong Kong: Little London.

It wasn’t until I landed at the airport that I found out my destiny for Hong Kong. I knew I had the choice of staying with Takahiro for the second and third night of my 3 night stay, but the first night was still uncertain as I boarded the plane in Seoul.


The best offer I managed to get from my emergency couch request was, you might say, a bit odd. It came from a French-English gent called Laurent, who was on the Island for business staying at a hotel. He’d seen my dilemma posted on the forum and was eager to help me not fail my mission (which is of course to make it around the world without paying for accommodation).


So, in a friendly, yet somewhat awkward ‘I’m not gay, nor a nutter’ message, he’d offered me to come and stay with him in his hotel room. I think it was just the fact that it was a hotel room that made it slightly odd. I mean, I’d stayed with Bina in her 1 room studio in Seoul, with 3 other people in a studio in Yokohama, so why was this such an awkward situation? Perhaps because we were two single males, but also perhaps because we were both Western European – it’s one of those cultural things that comes as strange to us. We are a people who like our space, and have strict personal boundaries, especially us Brits.


But thankfully for me, Laurent was also well travelled and open-minded culturally, and so after thinking about it I found nothing odd about the situation at all and I snapped up his offer to share his free room. Of course, the English in me still found it appropriate to make ice-breaking jokes about getting drunk so we could gloss over the situation. You can take the boy out of England.

Couch 27.

So I met Laurent, who’d been hanging out all day with other CS members in Hong Kong, a group who’d met up to go on a walking hike that day. Since Austria I’d steered away from such group meetings, but it felt in Hong Kong that they use them in the ‘right’ way. During my time in HK we also attended one other meeting, a first for me (isn’t that what travelling is all about?) – a poetry reading by a US poet called Hawal.



By going I decided that poetry really wasn’t my ‘bag’, but it wasn’t as awful as I thought it might have been. True, I did have to hide a giggle or two so as not to offend any of the ‘poets’, but they were doing something that means something to them. After all, perhaps people feel the same about my writings here in this blog, who am I to make fun of others? So it was good to see a positive use of Couch Surfing meet-ups other than just as one big singles/swingers get together, as I’d seen take place in other countries. I’d have been even happier had the meet taken place in a venue that served alcohol, but that craving was appeased after the meeting with an excursion to a nearby café bar.


Another night, after I’d moved to stay with Takahiro, I also joined up with the same group of people to check out the view from ‘The Peak’, which really was something. Hong Kong’s lights really are a spectacular sight by night.

Hong Kong skyline.

The 'Batman Building', aka The IFC.

Staying with Laurent was a prime example of how wonderful some people in this Couch Surfing community can be. Prepare yourself, I’m about to go ‘Hippy’ again. The generousity for him to offer me this situation – while at no financial cost to him (Laurent’s employers were footing the hotel bill) to intrude into his hotel, to break the cultural taboo of two male strangers sharing a hotel room, was above and beyond the norm. It was yet another eye-opening moment of mankind’s ability to be charitable.


In the morning I left the hotel with Laurent as he went off to work, and joined two of the CS members I’d met on the night I arrived as they were planning to make a day trip to Macau. When I agreed to go with them, I’d really had no idea what Macau is – it turns out it’s the Chinese version of Las Vegas. An island province off the coast of mainland China, it’s reachable by an hour long ferry journey from Hong Kong. Macau operates with different laws to the rest of China, where organized gambling is illegal. Had I known I might have declined the offer (I don’t have any money to lose in casinos!) but it turned out to be a fun day anyway, and the history of Macau is also quite intriguing. Plus, it got me another stamp in my rapidly filling up passport! Much like Vegas, outside of gambling there wasn’t too much to do in Macau, but we filled the 6 hours we were there with sightseeing, walking, eating and catching (usually the wrong) buses.

Even in Macau there's an Irish Pub.

The Macau Wynn - one of the Vegas style casinos.

The ruins of St Paul's, built in 1602.

After I got back to HK I went to find my next Hosts place. Takahiro would be host 28 and was a pilot with Qantas. Finally someone who spends more time on planes than me! Taka’s place was a very modern apartment which had a great view looking out to Hong Kong Island. He was very curious of England and in particular the class system and had many questions, so throughout my stay we traded information, taking it in turns to find out about each other’s culture. Taka was most certainly the most inquisitive Host I’ve had to date and conversation rarely waned.

Couch 28.

Together we went out to eat (food is such a social thing, this trip has really hammered that home), we sampled some great Dim Sum and Yum Cha – and discovered the much confused difference between the two. He was able to tell me some of the history of Hong Kong, how it was largely formed from reclaimed land and the affects of the handover from British control back to China.

Dim Sum.

It turns out that many Hong Kongers had been in fear of the change, and many in fact fled the country just in case. As it has transpired there was no need to fear anything, and life there has continued much the same, on the surface at least. As with every other former British colony, I (somewhat nervously) brought up the subject of the British rule, but from what I understand from Taka, there was very little (if any) animosity towards the British. Of course, asking one person’s opinion is hardly a great cross section, but I stressed to get insight into the common opinion rather than just my Host’s objective view, and he assured me that, recently at least, people were never really at odds with our occupation. Perhaps for some it was more the devil you know.

HK streets by night.

There are still plain to see elements of 'Britishness' around Hong Kong, in particular the overall feel of the place. At one point I was on ‘Queen Elizabeth St’ outside a generic US coffee shop, which was next to an Irish pub, waiting for a double Decker bus. I could easily have been on any road in London. The only thing that was missing was the red double Decker buses; because here the double Decker buses (since the handover in 1997) have been repainted gold.

They don't take Oyster, but a close relative - the Octopus card. 

So while I found Hong Kong different, it was far from exotic. I’d been excited about it mainly I suppose, from film, the most recent footage of the City I saw was from ‘The Dark Knight’, a favourite of mine that I’ve sat through many times. The Cityscape at night is really rather special, but in the short time I was there I didn’t really get taken away by it. It never grasped me like I thought it would.

I think if I’m honest with myself I know that my heart wasn’t in Hong Kong. I was ready for Australia, for family & familiarity. Travelling in Asia had been amazing and no mistake…but it can also be hard work. Being constantly without a clue of what’s going on can take its toll. Inability to communicate can be stressful at times and a while the adventure of being in such an alien place is the real joy of travel, after a while you can find yourself pining for home comforts. I’d tried to stem the desire for home by travelling with the essentials – my preferred brand of tea bags and Marmite which I’d packed as essentials.

Love it or hate it, a taste of Home.

Not only were these great for me personally (whenever I felt I needed a piece of my old life I’d boil up some water and pop some toast on and instantly feel at home, wherever I was), but Marmite especially was a great social experiment, and my only real chance to share some of my ‘Britishness’ with my hosts. I tried to get all my hosts to try Marmite, partly as a chance to ‘share’ my culture, but also for the fun of watching them reel in disgust as it hit their taste buds. As the advertising campaign goes, you either love it or hate it, and only in Asia had I found any of the former. The taste testing had, until then, produced 100% of the latter. Most of the Easterners who tried also commented that it was familiarly salty, a common feature of many Asian foods, perhaps a reason for their acceptance of it.

On the one hand I was happy that I’d found some kindred spirits, and like an apostle I felt I was spreading the good word of Marmite around the globe…but I was also secretly enjoying when people DIDN’T like it. There’s nothing more amusing than watching someone try Marmite for the first time, and absolutely hating it. If you know anyone that’s never tasted, and need a laugh, give it a go. The odds are 50/50 you’ll get a good laugh.


But the temporary relief I was getting from tea & toast only went so far. In Australia I’d be amongst family, and be spared the repetitive life story spiel that I was having to go through every 4 or 5 days to every new host, asking and answering the same questions over and over. Also, the stress of finding somewhere to sleep would be solved for a little while too, and that issue in particular was beginning to grate on me.

Laurent, flame worshiper.

Me & Taka, hitting the streets of HK.

So I left Hong Kong a little angry at myself for being so forward looking and vowed not to make that mistake again. I should have given more of myself to experiencing things there but I let myself be distracted by desire to reach my next destination. Don’t get me wrong, I still had fun and met some lovely people – Laurent and Takahiro especially – but I was ready for Melbourne. But was I ready for a hot Christmas? We shall see.

Seoul Man.

Almost the first thing I saw in Seoul (mere seconds after the smile of my new Host Bina), was 4 costumed Super Heroes, performing an elaborate dance routine set to music on in the entrance to the subway station. Straight away I had a feeling nothing I’d find here would be ‘normal’. What a welcome!

My welcoming committee.

Not sure who the guy in white is supposed to be though.

Bina met me on this platform, and the first thing that crossed my mind (after 'what the hell was all that dancing about) was how much taller she looked in person than in her profile picture on the Couch Surfing website. The second thought was how daft that first thought was – after all, said picture is only of her head.


I was to discover in time that Bina is a student at University in Korea, originally from a small town outside of Seoul, she was training to become an elementary school teacher. Sometimes when you meet students it’s difficult to place them in the profession they’re actually training for, but with Bina I could tell straight away what a great teacher she could be.

Bina's unique teaching methods. You won't find them in the text books!

Almost reserved to the point of shy, Bina has a quiet, unassuming way about her – the kind of girl who wouldn’t say boo to a ghost. She would in fact charm it into becoming her friend within minutes, with her cheeky smile, mischievous giggle and humble humility. As we chatted over dinner, the extent of her kindness became clear – she’d already told me she’d be unable to spend much time with me during my 5 days there because of University and she had exams coming up…but she didn’t tell me that they were as near as the NEXT DAY.


I felt both humbled and slightly guilty that she’d agreed to take me in at this point in her academic calendar – surely having a stranger come to stay with you during exams must make revising and concentration difficult. It would be made even more difficult by the fact that Bina actually lived in a studio (as we call it in England) apartment. A studio, if you don’t know, is an apartment that (usually) combines all the elements of kitchen/living room/bedroom into one, a multipurpose living space. As far as studios go, it was reasonably spacious, but even so for me it raised certain concerns for how Bina was using this CS network – primarily, was she being safe?

Couch 26.

As I’ve mentioned early on in my blog, there are possible issues with Couch Surfing & Hosting, the most worrying being the safety element of it. I’ve never been concerned with my own safety, nor that of Merlin or any of my ‘stuff’ in London while i hosted or whilst on the trip, but my worries instead are for single females who might be putting themselves at risk needlessly.


Somewhat ironically, I felt it necessary to mention the safety issues to Bina of hosting like this – ironic because I was the beneficiary of her taking this ‘risk’ as I called it. In fact, when I brought up the subject, she mentioned that the last person to come and stay (who was also her first guest & experience in Couch Surfing) had been a single German male, who had in fact come on to her one night. She had turned him down and felt uncomfortable enough to ask him to leave, but he proceeded to beg her to let him stay, that he was sorry & it was a mistake. Even though she still wanted him to leave, she didn’t want to exasperate the situation, so allowed him to stay one more night.


That is precisely the situation that should never happen, and it’s my opinion that it’s just one of the many risks you would take by hosting or surfing as a single female. Thankfully for Bina, the night passed without incident and he left the next day, but she should never have been made to feel uncomfortable in her own home. It’s something to be thankful for that it didn’t escalate – it’s not worth thinking what could have happened.


But I digress. As soon as we left the subway after meeting, I took my first breath of Korean air, exhaled…and watched as my breath took on a life of its own, the kind of breath that imitates smoke. As it exited my mouth it casted a warning of impending illness. I’d had a hard time surviving in Japan at -2 C, with the temperature hovering at around -8 C, I was totally unprepared for Korean winter. My brain processed all this information before my body had time to understand, but within minutes it had caught up, and I was shivering uncontrollably.


Not that it was strictly my lack of research that was to blame – it would prove to be the coldest winter in Korea for almost 40yrs. Great time to be a tourist. A tourist with only 1 pair of jeans and 4 pairs of shorts, and most significantly, no jacket up to the task of, well…keeping me alive.


I’d been (and would be after Seoul) ‘chasing the summer’ as it’s called, hitting all my countries at some point in their summer – with the exception of Japan & Korea. Not normally one for the warm climate, I really didn’t think the cold would affect me so much, but after the first day of being a tourist in -8C my vulnerability became (painfully) clear.


To the rescue came Jeong Eun. Perhaps the credit could go to Jeong Eun’s Father, but it was Jeong Eun that borrowed his coat for me to stave off the inevitable hypothermia that would befall me should I continue to spend time outdoors in Seoul. Jeong Eun had been one of my first Couch Surfers in London, (number 4 to be precise) along with her sister Soo Yeon and friend Junghwan. As she lived with her parents in a small house unfortunately she was unable to offer me a place to stay, but was more than happy to be my tour guide for a few days, and so on my first day she, Soo Yeon and I spent the day walking around Seoul, testing our resolve against the elements and taking in the City sights (few of which can be found indoors…tourism is a summer sport in Seoul so keep that in mind if you ever plan to visit!) and frankly, freezing.

Seoul Tower.

Suicide Jumper art.

City View.

We did manage to get around some places before hypothermia set in completely, stopping now & again for food and warmth. First stop was Seoul Tower for a wonderful aerial view over the bustling metropolis, reached by cable car. As well as the great view, at the top there was also a great Christmas tree and a fence completely covered in padlocks. Left by lovers to signify their unbreakable bond, there are literally thousands of these padlocks and it’s some sight indeed. If you ever make it to Seoul Tower, it’s certainly worth seeking this display of love & commitment out, and even add your own should you wish. I just wonder if when those couples break up they actually come to retrieve their padlocks?

Love Locks.

The 'bike chains of race hate' must be somewhere else.

After the tower we headed for lunch to add spice & warmth to our stomachs, before hitting a preserved old Korean Village called Namsan Gol Hanok to show tourists how Seoul used to look in the past. Then we hit the palace, an impressive example of Korean architecture and sought refuge from the cold in the museum. The cold was beating us.

Hanok Village.

Korean Kitchen.

The sisters play Old Style.

Not wanting to let the cold ruin my stay, I vowed to fight against the cold, but felt so sorry for Jeong Eun, my suffering tour guide. Soo Yeon fell victim after the first day of sight-seeing, developing a cold immediately. The sensible thing would have been for me to bow out gracefully and pay homage to the elements that had clearly defeated me…but I’m stubborn. And who knows when I’ll get to see Seoul again? Admittedly, it probably was a big mistake coming in winter, but I’d rather be there in the winter than never at all!

The Palace.

And again.

The front view - you can see more appropriately dressed tourists. Clever people.

Thankfully Jeong Eun shared my attitude and selflessly accompanied me around Seoul the following day too. This girl went above and beyond the CS code, and I hope I was able to convey how grateful I am to her. We were also joined by Jungwhan for another wonderful Korean lunch, followed by a trip to the Blue House where the President of Korea resides. Apparently he hadn’t been made aware of my presence in Seoul, because there was no invitation for tea, but I understand.

 Outside the Blue House, wearing almost every item of clothing i have.

That evening, after I left Jeong Eun & Jungwhan, I attempted the impossible. To cook some British food for Bina. Again, with it being an ‘Asian’ style kitchen there was no oven, ruling out some 90% of British dishes, most of which (that I can cook from memory) are pie style or roasts. My hopes to whip up anything else British was hampered by impossible to find ingredients, and my visit to the ‘world foods’ aisle resulted in nothing more than mild confusion.


I settled in the end for cooking something European, trying to at least come close to Britain in a geographical sense if not a culinary one. Italian, although not really close to England is at least tasty. So, to give Bina a flavour of ‘Europe’ I took on the incredibly simple task of knocking up a Spaghetti Bolognese (or Spag Bol to those in the know). Of course, a basic, easy dish that almost anyone can make. But in Korea it’s not the making the dish that’s tough, it’s the eating it.

Metal chopsticks: Infuriating. 

If you don’t know, metal chopsticks are all the rage in Korea, though I’ll never understand why. Unlike more common Chinese or Japanese wooden sticks, the stainless steel Korean versions are longer and flatter, with a width of just a few millimeters. I was unable to find anyone who could explain why they are so different to the rest of Asia, especially in terms of them being metal, but one suggestion is that they are simply cleaner and more hygienic.


Hygienic for sure – you can’t grip anything long enough to eat, therefore they never make it into your mouth! Being metal they have a considerably awkward inability to grasp anything at all (which I consider an important facet of an eating utensil), resulting in even the simplest of foods a complex struggle raise to the mouth without dropping. Whereas solid foods are difficult, it turns out eating Spag Bol with Korean chopsticks is IMPOSSIBLE. For the first time in Asia I felt myself yearning for a fork, or even better, a spork.


I like to think I’ve mastered the use of chopsticks – but this was a new challenge indeed. If Mr. Miyagi thought catching a fly with chopsticks was tough, he needs to try a minced beef sauce and spaghetti in Korea. Bina seemed to enjoy it though, although the pleasure she was emanating could well have been just laughter at my expense as I struggled to eat, splashings of red Bolognese sauce patterned all over my t-shirt.


Eating utensils aside though, the (Korean) food I sampled in Seoul was absolutely amazing. I was happy to get some Spice back in my life after the great, but somewhat bland foods of Japan. Korean food always seemed to have two major qualities in its favour – 1) it was spicy 2) there was always LOTS of it. Korean BBQ especially is a must if you like meat & spice. If you’re unfamiliar, its served up to you at your table in a huge wok, and you and your fellow diners fire up a flame on your table and cook away to your hearts content. The main body of the meal is a soup, and you can add as many ingredients as you wish, cooking the meats & vegetables in the soup. If you’ve had Chinese steamboat it’s the same philosophy I guess.

Chef Jeong Eun does the honours.

Korean BBQ pre cooking.

Different style, but same. This one's been cooked.

Chicken Soup with half a chicken in it...awesome.

I knew I’d like Korean foods before I got here, but the stuff I’ve had before in London obviously wasn’t a patch on the real thing. Again, like the rest of Asia, eating in Korea has a very social feel, a style which I’ve grown to love, where many dishes are dumped on the table and everyone shares a communal feast. If the cold had me regretting choosing Seoul as a destination, the food (and the company of Bina & Jeong Eun) certainly made up for it.

Peace signs all round. Jeong Eun, Sooin, Bina & Soo Yeon.

Kang Nam St.

Jeong Eun in particular was able to fill me in on a lot of Korean history, which really intrigued me. Because of the USA’s selfless ‘help’ in liberating the South from the dictatorship of the North, it appears they now partially control South Korea, especially in political terms, almost dictating their international policies. I understand that now it’s dawning on South Koreans that although they are grateful for their independence, all they seem to have done is trade one dictatorship for another. Sure, they now have Seattle-style coffee shops and disgusting burger restaurants to show for it, but to some that’s just not enough. I’m going to steer away from this political minefield though, as my knowledge about the situation is far from expert, but on the surface it looks like another case of the USA playing the saviour before becoming the tyrant.

Jeong Eun cautiously crossing the Cheong Gye Cheon river.

Proof of the COLD!

Bina’s apartment floor is also well worth a mention when I talk about my experience of Seoul. But “a floor is a floor” I’m sure you’ll say. Well, this isn’t a normal floor. Bina’s ingenious floor was not only a place to stand, it also provided the heating to the apartment. No heaters on the walls, all the warmth comes from below your feet, and it’s a truly remarkable system, heating the room from top to bottom. If the cold became too much, or on a return from a bone chilling Seoul walk for example, I’d simply collapse down on the marvelous polished oak and warm myself. Of course there is the drawback that you can’t leave any drinks or snacks (especially chocolate!) on the floor at any time, but that’s what coffee tables were invented for.


I may have cast a dismal view of my time in Seoul, whining about the weather and highlighting a floor as something of note, but it wasn’t all just about survival. My last night in particular was an especially good evening, mainly due to Fulham’s mighty triumph over Manchester Utd at the Cottage for the second time in 2 years. This year it was a considerably stylish victory, hammering them 3-0. Bina graciously accompanied me to a bar showing football, and her company helped stave off feelings of homesickness, as I wished for the first time that I was back in Fulham with my good friends Adam & Iain watching our beloved Cottagers. Aside from Merlin (my cat) going to the football was possibly something I missed the most about being in London, especially on days like this.


Whether it was the cold, Christmas approaching, stress about finding a Couch in HK or missing Fulham demolishing Man U, I was starting to feel like I needed a break from Couch Surfing. As I prepared to leave Seoul, I was having serious issues finding a ‘native’ to stay with in Hong Kong, my next stop. My policy of only staying with the locals was causing problems again in finding a Host, so once more I was anxious about arriving in a new city with no knowledge of where to stay. I’d lined up a potential host in the form of a half Japanese/half Hong Konger, but their offer was limited to only 2 nights and he couldn’t help me for my first night. Here we go again – another emergency request posted. I’m hoping the stress won’t last, and I fall on my feet again, but as I say I’m really feeling like I need a break.


To be honest, I’d rather just head straight to Australia, to be with my cousin & family, to be somewhere warm where I can totally relax and not go through the whole ‘get to know you’ shtick as is necessary when Couch Surfing. I don’t mind it at all, and I love meeting new people, but I’ve been doing it now for 3 months and I need a rest. It can actually be exhausting, this business. But, I’ve always wanted to see Hong Kong, it’s always been an exotic, mystical place I’ve long desired to visit.


Also, it’s only 3 nights, and Hong Kong is certainly a lot warmer than Seoul (though I think there’s very few places that AREN’T right now!). Just got to suck it up, and get through the next few days and look forward to Australia.


As I leave Seoul, the promise provided by the cold has delivered – the snowstorms begin. Perfect timing. I bless the weather gods as I see the first flakes descend as I arrive at the airport, cautiously worried that it could hamper my departure – but then I remember this is Korea, not Britain. They must be more used to dealing with snow than my home country. Word is, back home is under snow themselves, perhaps even a White Christmas on the cards. Myself, I’m arriving in Melbourne on Christmas Eve for what I’m sure will be a very memorable Christmas indeed – but seriously doubt I’ll be seeing any snow…it’s summer there after all.


Here I come Hong Kong, ready or not.

My tour guides, Jeong Eun & Soo Yeon.

Bina, Sooin & Me.