After Guangzhou, our next destination was Hong Kong. We went by Express/Shuttle bus from Lido Hotel. Bus ticket can be bought from the Hotel, RMB90, 3 hours journey by pass Shenzhen. Carol had earlier on asked the bus driver if he could drop us OFF at or near St. Argyle Street. Ah Shan Guest Hostel is located here. Right in the heart of Mongkok, Kowloon district, which according to researched reports, the most densely populated city in the world - from day time to midnight. We stayed there-Cheap, clean, convenient, but small I mean Very SMALL-from its elevator-'lobby'-bedroom-bathroom-beds.
I tell you, our in-land journey to HK was quite 'chaotic'. One - was bureaucracy. You've to go through two immigration checks. You've to get down from the bus with your luggage. With army of people queuing, aching leg for standing too long, and only to be received by cold, unfriendly & grim looking official (esp. China's side), was really irritating. Don't they have this what we call "mesra pelanggan"? Ooops...I forgot. This is China (Main Land), Man in uniform = Authority = must act/look authoritatively, but a smile? or at least simple greetings not necessarily in English to tourists would help. Macam robot-they take your passport, & stamped it without making an eye contact.
HK Immigration - in the same building, ten steps forward. Carol, Me & Mehe (In order) queued in the same row, a counter manned by a lady, muka lawa tapi tawar..heheh. Really strict. Nel & Sitti were next to us. She looked at my smiling passport photo & me a few times. I smiled at her, I guess I don't look far different from that photo ( taken three years ago.. ehem!), I could see she almost wanted to smile!...... She stamped my passport & let me off, no query. Carol-she has to pull up her fringe a bit so as to resemble her (hair) in the photo. Moral - don't styled your hair to much for your passport photo, unless you could maintain the same hairstyle.. esp while you are travelling. It matters in HK...(or maybe cross-borders immigration ja kali).
Si Mehe was held up for while. 1st, for not writing down in full her surname on the declaration card (arrival & departure). Second-for an obvious difference in spelling of her half written surname. As per I/C, in this case as per passport bah Mehe. You are not in Malaysia where Mohammed can be shortened to Mohd. Third-she was asked to say her name (how to pronounce your name?)-MEHERUNNISSA BINTI MOHAMMED ZULFIKAR. Very tongue twisting name for them. With 38 letters + 5 for BINTI (altogether 43 letters), fancy for most Malaysian maybe, but cause you 'trouble' in this strict-authoritarian, not-practising romanised writing country. And fourth (my own aaar), with Shah Rukh Khan genes...& Kajol looks..you are 'alien' to them...hehehe. Jgn marah aar!.
Sitti-also with slight hiccup. Was it her name (SITTI MYRNAHIL)? or her photo vs in person 'look'?. I can't remember. Her wearing tudung, I say no problem. But maybe she looks different without tudung (her passport photo)..hehheheh.
Note-when you are done with immigration checking, you are really done. No waiting-waiting for friends. You are not allowed to stand waiting inside the building. Carol & I were ordered out by the 'security'?, Immigration 'police'?.."No waiting here".."wait outside there" he said pointing his finger to a direction where there were many people standing outside. So, we pun out la. Outside-I saw our bus driver waiting & waving at us. While waiting for them, Carol & I then came Nel- we took turns to relieve ourselves to the ladies- Very Clean & No Smell at all.
....to be continued....
I tell you, our in-land journey to HK was quite 'chaotic'. One - was bureaucracy. You've to go through two immigration checks. You've to get down from the bus with your luggage. With army of people queuing, aching leg for standing too long, and only to be received by cold, unfriendly & grim looking official (esp. China's side), was really irritating. Don't they have this what we call "mesra pelanggan"? Ooops...I forgot. This is China (Main Land), Man in uniform = Authority = must act/look authoritatively, but a smile? or at least simple greetings not necessarily in English to tourists would help. Macam robot-they take your passport, & stamped it without making an eye contact.
HK Immigration - in the same building, ten steps forward. Carol, Me & Mehe (In order) queued in the same row, a counter manned by a lady, muka lawa tapi tawar..heheh. Really strict. Nel & Sitti were next to us. She looked at my smiling passport photo & me a few times. I smiled at her, I guess I don't look far different from that photo ( taken three years ago.. ehem!), I could see she almost wanted to smile!...... She stamped my passport & let me off, no query. Carol-she has to pull up her fringe a bit so as to resemble her (hair) in the photo. Moral - don't styled your hair to much for your passport photo, unless you could maintain the same hairstyle.. esp while you are travelling. It matters in HK...(or maybe cross-borders immigration ja kali).
Si Mehe was held up for while. 1st, for not writing down in full her surname on the declaration card (arrival & departure). Second-for an obvious difference in spelling of her half written surname. As per I/C, in this case as per passport bah Mehe. You are not in Malaysia where Mohammed can be shortened to Mohd. Third-she was asked to say her name (how to pronounce your name?)-MEHERUNNISSA BINTI MOHAMMED ZULFIKAR. Very tongue twisting name for them. With 38 letters + 5 for BINTI (altogether 43 letters), fancy for most Malaysian maybe, but cause you 'trouble' in this strict-authoritarian, not-practising romanised writing country. And fourth (my own aaar), with Shah Rukh Khan genes...& Kajol looks..you are 'alien' to them...hehehe. Jgn marah aar!.
Sitti-also with slight hiccup. Was it her name (SITTI MYRNAHIL)? or her photo vs in person 'look'?. I can't remember. Her wearing tudung, I say no problem. But maybe she looks different without tudung (her passport photo)..hehheheh.
Note-when you are done with immigration checking, you are really done. No waiting-waiting for friends. You are not allowed to stand waiting inside the building. Carol & I were ordered out by the 'security'?, Immigration 'police'?.."No waiting here".."wait outside there" he said pointing his finger to a direction where there were many people standing outside. So, we pun out la. Outside-I saw our bus driver waiting & waving at us. While waiting for them, Carol & I then came Nel- we took turns to relieve ourselves to the ladies- Very Clean & No Smell at all.
....to be continued....
1 comment:
Found you! wakakak!
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