29th December 2016: Wake up and smell the incense!

The first morning starts with the smell of incense wafting through the flat, filling the air with the sweet tangy smell. Well, that's romanticising it a little, as the day ACTUALLY started with my dear brother slamming on the lights at 6 AM. (He couldn't sleep, so cheerfully executed the decision that we shouldn't either). It didn't help that I had flung off my eye mask half way through the night, so there was no shelter from the rude awakening.

After a suitable amount of groggy complaining, I commenced the best part of every morning - breakfast. However, to my horror, "cereal" is not on an average Chinese vocabulary, so I was forced to forgo my usual ritual of seven-and-a-half bowls of cornflakes in favour of a fruit salad. I know, the ordeals I have to face on a daily basis....

So, on that first morning, I was decidedly not ready to face the day, but did so anyway, an epitome for bravery in the face of extreme suffering. That said, as soon as I flung open the doors to the crisp air outside, I was captivated. The delicious scent of street food sat on the breeze, incense swirled lazily into the sky and the day was fresh for exploration. My previous memories of Hong Kong flooded back, and my tastes for Chinese cuisine were whetted. I was anxious to start the day! Perhaps it wasn't such a bad start after all?

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Rachel