Hong Kong: Milk Tea, Tai Kwun & Victoria's Statue...

Insomnia reared its ugly head, on holiday? No, I was not having any of it! Meeting with my friend Kelly was just the tonic, we shared a wonderful if not drizzly Hong Kong morning together. Milk tea and toast for breakfast was just the HK style home comfort I needed! Yes! Of course, I wanted to see that former police station over on Hong Kong Island! Sure, there's more! 

It was pure joy to be reunited with Kelly, we had gone through university together and had last met in Hong Kong during 2016. Life had changed a lot for both of us since that first HK meet, our lives at university seemed a long time ago but our friendship kept that magic! Kelly had been dealing with a nasty bout of COVID-19, so I had reassured her that her health took precedence. Kelly assured me that she would be well enough for our morning out, we kept it simple without the need to climb many stairs. I hate stairs, that sounded like music to my ears! Breakfast was enjoyed at a local Hong Kong diner, we both enjoyed something lovely to eat for our morning meal. I ordered a hot cup of Hong Kong Milk Tea with the Butter Toast, no lie those choices were good ones because that culinary ensemble reminded me of Mother England. Served with a Hong Kong twist, there's nothing quite like a hot cup of tea with a slice of warm buttery toast! There's no better competition on a rainy day! We had a lot to talk about, breakfast got that started! Yes!

Was I the stupid one or what? That Hong Kong style diner was located around the corner from my hotel, I had literally walked past it the previous day. The weather forecast really didn't fill me with confidence but Kelly had her HK sense of direction at hand to speed things up, I was in very good hands. Our breakfast chat was off the chain, as we sipped our tea you already know that the last three years gave us a lot to talk about. We do communicate through WhatsApp but we both like to tell the truth, speaking in person really allows us to keep things real, like really real! The diner that Kelly found was a ten out of ten, our fellow patrons enjoyed their HK inspired breakfast just like we were doing. I loved how that sense of Britishness filtered through to that fusion Hong Kong moment, it served it the best of both worlds. Sure, our Milk Tea had been pulled and of course I knew what that meant, I stay ready with the facts! Were we stressing? No!

Travelling across Victoria Harbour was what we needed to do, making those necessary moves allowed us to arrive at Hong Kong Island's former 'Central Police Station'. I had caught this gem online and had suggested to Kelly that I wanted to see some former 'Colonial' points of interest that morning. The wide courtyard served a sense 'Cocktails At Noon' vibe with that iconic Victorian British architecture present in abundance. I was schooled about that a certain tree, apparently it was quite dangerous to stand underneath it. No, that open space that acted as a cultural square was the former 'Prison Yard', hailing back to the 1840's there was a major infusion with the towering skyscrapers that overlooked 'Tai Kwun'. The former 'Central Police Station' sat within a revitalised arts and culture complex, further meeting past with present. Oh, you already know that Queen Victoria had her own prison in Hong Kong that was named after her! 'Victoria Prison' would be on our list, first we chose to visit the former 'Police Station'. Go!

Brought back to life, the exhibits shown to us within the police station put the fear in both of us! The British weren't playing games when they operated this police station, the decor and feel of the cells really didn't leave much to the imagination. It was amazing to learn about the police force in Hong Kong, to see how it was operated during British Rule and thereafter. There was a real sense of decoration, it served Victorian Overness with a few similarities when I thought about HMP Wormwood Scrubs amongst others that I have seen in documentaries. I have never been arrested nor done time in HMP's house, purely that Hong Kong visit was enough. The fact that the buildings within Tai Kwun were used right up till 2000 for whatever purpose really made me wonder. Present day, Tai Kwun has changed the way Hong Kong's former 'slammer' operates as a mixed use art gallery, museum with fancy food and drink establishments to boot. Hong Kong Island kept me fed, I was impressed with that former Colonial reminder. Let's go! 

During our 2016 day in Hong Kong that we spent together, we had both passed 'St. John's Cathedral'. I have to admit that I didn't pay enough attention to that place of worship because I never bothered to take a photo of it! Absolutely not, I refused to make those same mistakes again because this blog depended on me being on my game! Myself and Kelly took a seat outside of the cathedral, it was a lovely setting for us to continue our conversation. After establishing its first congregation pre-1849, under the 'Hong Kong Colonial Chapel' was founded under the 'Diocese of Victoria'. It was only consecrated as 'St. John's Cathedral' in 1859, a whole decade after that founding 'House of God' had been originally founded. Now, I am not interested being religious but I do find it interesting to see how certain religions gain a presence in unlikely places. There are no secrets that Missionaries travelled to Hong Kong as the Colony was being established, a certain Christian presence became part of everyday religious life. Sure, this stuff fascinates me! 

Baby, those heavens opened and when I say that I mean it because that downpour was torrential! Running for cover, me and Kelly made way for the entrance of the cathedral so we could stand under that covered area. Before the rain made an appearance we noticed that a large proportion of the congregation were made up of Filipino OFW's. Of course, without the presence of a Catholic place of worship, the accessibility of St. John's in Hong Kong made for a reasonable connection. Oh, that rain! Those few minutes when we were stood under than blessed roof, we were able to see inside the cathedral with a glimpse caught for certain! Making things right, I took my sweet time to snap that photo of St. John's because you know that it will be featuring in a future 'Like A Prayer'. Our morning outing was slowly turning into an afternoon affair. Regardless of the rain, we were going to make it to our final destination! 'Lan Kwai Fong', don't deny it because I saw you in broad daylight! I needed to schedule a nap before nightfall! Jesus! 

Vicky had her own statue in Hong Kong? Sure, that former British monarch had a park named after her in Hong Kong! I have mentioned Queen Victoria several times during my Hong Kong blog publications because she's undoubtedly the most relevant queen when Hong Kong's 'British Colonial Era' stands. Taking the tram from Central over to Victoria Park was such a thrill, Kelly took the lead and showed me how easy it actually was to scan her Octopus Card once we exited from the front door. To be honest, I was really excited to take the tram because I had chickened out the previous time in 2016 and had waited for my morning with Kelly during that 2023 return. That 'Statue of Queen Victoria' had been through the mill, certain opposition had spilled red paint and chipped her face in retaliation to Hong Kong's references with it being a 'British Colony'. That individual was charged with vandalism! You know that we love pomp and procedure! The statue that stood before us, it wasn't the original 'Pimlico, London' cast feature. 

Give us a smile, Vicky? That's never going to happen! I was really surprised to see the statue in real life, for now Queen Victoria's own statue remains a firm part of Victoria Park on Hong Kong Island. During Hong Kong's Japanese Occupation the 'Statue of Queen Victoria' was taken to Japan to be melted down, much like other statues that had been removed at the same time. After conducting more reading about this statue, I found out that this statue once took pride of place in 'Statue Square' in the 1930's onwards with the former 'HSBC Building' in the background. Regardless of those who have ill feeling towards this statue, I say take it at face value because 'Queen Vic' doesn't have any weight in Hong Kong anymore, nor do any member of the 'British Royal Family'. Taking the 'Star Ferry' over Victoria Harbour to Tsim Sha Tsui concluded our morning exploration around Hong Kong. After we had said goodbye to each other, you know that pre-night out nap was in order! Kelly, I will miss you but we will see each other again soon! 

Nap Well Deserved! 

Desperately Seeking Adventure