Parents

Parents are great, especially when you have moved out and they only show up for shorter periods of time. One such time is now, when they are in Hong Kong for 8 days, and although they interfere with my daily blogging, they are a pleasure to have around.

One perk is payment - being a student on a limited income in a foreign country, and since they want to see as much as possible in the days they are here (and want me to join them), some social convention mean they pay for everything. Maybe it is a principal, but I can't even buy a 6 dollar ice cream without my mother swooping in to beat me to the cashier. I thoroughly enjoy it, but it reminds me of the debt that children owe their parents - a debt that can never be repaid.

A second pleasure is that since they want to experience events, places and culture, and they expect me to show them around everywhere, I get to see some sides of Hong Kong that I have not yet ventured to. One thing was the Star Ferry, which costs a measly $2,50, to cross the Victoria harbour, and a second was seeing Soho, the Midlevels, the worlds longest escalator that runs up there, and dining in a fantastic Indian restaurant. The place was located on the 4th floor of a small building, but it was exquisite cuisine and part of supermonday, a 2-for-1 deal that 20-something restaurants have every Monday.

At the end of the day, it is just nice spending time with your parents. I guess as you grow up you tend to see them more as experienced role models rather than parents, and although you are more equal, it is clear that they have a lot of experience and knowledge which often takes you by surprise. So I am thoroughly looking forward to tomorrows horse racing in Happy Valley, our Thursday night half-price sushi in Mong Kok, as well as hiking over the weekend.