The Rumble Pack

After a month of trying to teach second graders the difference between “put away your book” and “take out your book” (we’re not quite there yet), I was certainly ready for a few days off. Unfortunately, when the Chinese National Holiday kicked off last week, I had a little paperwork to take fill out. Due to the huge backup of U.S. passport applications, I wasn’t able to get the necessary worker visa required for a year-long stay here. Ordinarily, it just takes a routine trip to the Shijiazhuang police station to straighten things out, but for whatever reason, my case was “special” and warranted a trip to Hong Kong. Though I wasn’t pleased about having a trip forced upon me so soon (we won’t receive our first paycheck until this upcoming Monday, so my budget was pretty meager), I decided to make the most of an initially unwanted opportunity.

Luckily, the actual business part of the trip was stress-free. Despite the long journey and expenses, I was able to complete all of my forms and drop off my passport within an hour. This left plenty of time on that first day to walk around the city. Compared to Shijiazhuang, Hong Kong is a sprawling metropolis, with tons of tourist hot spots and exciting night clubs (that I naturally ignored). It’s much like the difference between Cleveland and New York in that while both are technically cities, only one of them “never sleeps.” And in both comparisons, I’d take the quieter, less hectic cities over their hustle-and-bustle competition, at least for long durations of time.

Even if I do prefer Hebei, it’s much easier to be a nerd in Hong Kong, where computer and game retailers are easy to find. In fact, my very first stop there was at the Golden Computer Arcade.* This place isn’t exactly Akihabara, but it’s arguably the most famous outfit of this type in Hong Kong. Most games found here are American (ESRB-rated, official retail copies - there haven’t been any pirated games here for a long time), but a few Japanese oddities are present if you look hard enough. I picked up The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Daigasso Band Brothers, and Adult Face Training (above), which even includes the “Facening” camera. What can I say? I’m just a sucker for peripherals. I was also able to try out Crisis Core for a few minutes on the PSP before it was violently ripped from my hands. I guess I’ll patiently wait for the domestic release to get my button mashing fix. By the way, if you’re still searching for a Wii, there’s no shortage in Hong Kong.

A couple blocks away, I found an arcade that puts the one mentioned in my last blog post to shame. This is the kind of scene that I reminisce about when I think back to the arcades of my youth. Well, I suppose Milford Amusement didn’t have a horse racing simulation adorning one of its walls. While I’m sure watching virtual stallions appeals to some, I was more impressed by Sega’s Too Spicy, which I recently mentioned on our podcast. On a technical level, there’s a lot to dislike about this game - unwieldy controls, bland graphics, and a very obnoxious redneck as one of the playable characters. Even so, the concept, a competitive, light-gun fighting game, seems like one of those “Why didn’t someone think of this before?” ideas that I hope Sega returns to in the future. A few cabinets down was another big find, Mario Kart Arcade GP 2. This sequel includes play-by-play commentators (possibly a step back from Virtua Fighter 5) and a couple new characters (Waluigi and something called Mametchi from “Planet Tamagotchi”). In other words, you’re not missing much.

While my first day was mostly devoted to just walking around the city and appreciating my surroundings (I also searched for the famed Man Mo Temple, but it had closed by the time I had arrived), my second/last full day was devoted to all of the local museums in Kowloon. First of all, avoid the Hong Kong Space Museum at all costs. It’s a glorified IMAX theater with a few moon rocks scattered about. At only $10 HK, it wasn’t exactly a rip off, but it was still a waste of what little time I had. My next two stops, the Science Museum and Art Museum, were both closed due to weekly maintenance, so that just left the Hong Kong History Museum. Luckily, as a history major who spent the bulk of his last semester studying the Opium Wars, I really enjoyed seeing all of the exhibits on hand. Shortly afterwards, I visited the serene Kowloon Park.

That night, I was able to take a ferry from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island. The pictures I took didn’t turn out too well, but to actually be there on the water is breathtaking. Hong Kong is extremely expensive, more so than I had been led to believe, but this cheap ride alone made the trip worthwhile.

*Before you question my priorities (a rich, fascinating culture and I immediately hit up the video game store?!), I wasn’t able to venture very far in my first few hours because I had to stay close to the government building processing my Visa.

SODA WATCH: As many of you already know, dnL, the delicious green goo that’s been discontinued for over two years, has long been the beverage of choice for this thirsty blogger. Some might be content with Mountain Dew, but I still long for that legendary, heavily caffeinated elixir. However, a recent development has caused me to question all that I believe in. During my Hong Kong expedition, I discovered another 7up derivative on sale at a small noodle shop entitled “7up Bite.” I wasn’t expecting much, but this crisp, yellow soda won me over after the first sip. If you’ve ever had a lime flavored, convenient mart Slushee, imagine that in carbonated form. Yeah, that Poptart juice I mentioned last week is pretty good, but it has nothing on 7up Bite. On several occasions afterwards, I found myself running to Seven-Elevens in search of my next fix of Bite. Unfortunately, when I returned to Shijiazhuang, I learned that this soda wasn’t available in mainland China. Hell, it may not even be produced outside of Hong Kong. Even so, I can still fondly recall the taste. I have a new soft drink to dream about now.

Yeah, I don’t know what’s wrong with me either…