I’ve conceded that retail therapy would always make it to the plan. It’s impossible not to in a place like  this, where shopping constitutes its lifeblood. True enough, with no stringent itinerary, we found ourselves Lantau-bound once again, this time to the CityGate Outlets in Tung Chung. And, just a quick side note, it was the only time we took the subway in this trip. That felt strange for some reason.  

It all sprung from Mom’s sudden need for better walking shoes. Long story, best told verbally. And with “outlets” being the operative word, I knew weren’t going to leave with just one pair, or for that matter, with just shoes. Given how the store offered an automatic 50% off per marked item, when your purchase exceeds four pairs, well, let’s just say we left far from empty-handed.  

Well, afternoon coffee did eventually pep my mood. I figured, high time I updated my repetitive clothing choices. In that respect, it actually was a productive Friday. Anticipating that we were returning late, our dinner was an assortment of food court fare. 

We arrived in Wanchai past 8:30PM. Despite declaring that I was tired hours prior, I still found myself in a mad dash to catch certain stores before closing time. It was my final shot before packing for the following day’s departure.  See, this is the thing with Hong Kong, and I’m sure others can relate to a degree. Even at my most exhausted, the exhilaration never dies down. Such is the overall energy of the place. It’s hard not to be on your feet. And despite the general aversion to small talk, it feels like home. 

Setting the Bar

I will always bear April 2006 in mind. It was the final stretch of my life as an undergrad and not the most pleasant as I’d just lost the race to be our school paper’s Editor-in-Chief. It’s trivial in hindsight, but it was something I had to heal from up until I applied for graduation. The trip was timely*.  

I remember how magical it felt, to say the least. Outside of visiting family in the United States, I hadn’t done international travel – not in my childhood and not in my teens. I was a late bloomer in that department. So, just boarding the train from the airport for the first time already evoked such child-like wonder. That feeling amplified when we reached The Peak, where Mom’s friend, Tita Bebette** was based then.

It may have been a short visit that coincided with Maundy Thursday to Black Saturday, but it sure felt life-changing. Weeks before that, I was devastated. I had missed out on a goal that meant the world to me at the time and it put me on a month-long pity party until the start of summer. The trip, however, conveyed the message that there’s a bigger world to see, outside of imposed limits. I felt I found new refuge.

*- I didn’t exactly lose the photos from the first two trips. They’re in a hard drive somewhere.
**- Sadly, Tita Bebette passed away in 2020, at the cusp of the pandemic. It wasn’t due to COVID-19.

Imagine the elation when I had the chance to return for my birthday in 2009. That visit was highlighted by my first ever glimpse of Macau and a trip to HK Disneyland, which had only been around for three years. 

Pseudo-“Eat Pray Love” 

It took me another five years to return. And when I finally did, it was out of whim. I was grappling with heartbreak in mid-2014, the after-effects of a separation that happened in summer. Back then, I learned that one just doesn’t declare pain over, because it catches up. The trick is to take the time to process everything, especially when the core memories start popping up. That’s when I got in touch with Marion, who lived in the city that time. And in a couple of weeks, we found ourselves reliving our fun-filled weeknight sleepovers in Makati, but with Sheung Wan as our new venue. And it was my first time experiencing Hong Kong’s hot weather. 

No sight-seeing was imposed that weekend. It was just me incorporating into Marion’s routine and previewing life in his tiny 7th floor apartment accessible only through stairs. And as I finally unleashed the tears over Saturday coffee, he perked up the mood with his trademark punchlines: “Very artista iyong umiiyak ka na naka-shades. I love it!” (I love it, crying in shades is very celebrity!”). And as the rest of the weekend went by, I felt the expansion once again, especially when I met his local friends over drinks at Lan Kwai Fong and a Sunday excursion to Shek-O Beach. Returning to work the following week was like waking up from a dream, or rather, being awakened by the teacher from a mid-lecture nap and being told to recite the whole textbook as punishment.

It was a pleasant surprise I got to return six months later, this time with Marga as my travel companion. It was a comparatively more structured visit, highlighted by me introducing me to Ngong Ping and me introducing her to Macau. She’s a whiz at itineraries. Why she doesn’t run a travel agency yet is beyond me.

Much as early 2014 memories continued to haunt, some semblance of bouncing back had already commenced. I was inspired to see more places after. And that I did. 2015 was marked by me seeing Bali and Bangkok for the first time and finally experiencing Japan outside the confines of its airports. 

The ten-year gap that followed can be divided into two parts. The first half was devoted to other destinations, which evoked similar feelings as April 2006. The second half, as majority would remember, was spent in lockdown and the slow recovery that followed. It took me until early 2023 to finally exit Luzon again, once in Cebu and twice in Boracay. The overseas drought, however, continued to stretch. That was until the Year of the Snake beckoned. 

About Time

Fast forward to January 2025, and there I was at the tail end of our Macau-HK journey, my first visit in exactly a decade and my first international trip post-pandemic. It really was a long time coming, so I made every moment count. 

With our luggage packed and our hotel rooms now vacant, we continued to maximize our remaining hours. Lunch was with Tita Anna’s friend, Liezl, at a posh dimsum restaurant, where I had my overdue fill. That segued to coffee in a mini art gallery and anticipated Sunday mass. Since we have this habit of being at the airport at least three hours early, that’s where we ended the trip. It felt abrupt but it almost always is. 

Just like 2006, this trip came in opportune timing. I had just ended a consultancy that I initially had high hopes for. However, circumstances propelled me to look in other directions. Perhaps, I can astrologically attribute it to Pluto entering Aquarius. But even without that convoluted angle, a radical shift is overdue. Once again, it took a visit to this region to set the mood. And, refreshingly, the excitement overwhelms the dread. 

Come to think of it, I don’t always use the “Home Away From Home” tag. It puts undue pressure on the place. Plus, it’s tricky, when I know there’s still vastly more to see. One thing’s for sure, though. That feeling persists in Hong Kong – a place I somehow keep winding up in when I’m in need of healing.