When I look back on my week in Hong Kong - I was here for work after all - it is hard to imagine anyone accusing me of not taking full advantage of my time here.
In most of the cities I have visited this past year I have effectively gone from the airport to the hotel, the office (or training centre), and a couple of restaurants. I might have seen a movie in Columbus or seen my cousins in Fort Lauderdale, or had dinner with some of my students in Cleveland and with Microsoft reps in many of the other cities, and met with the user groups in many but frankly that was really the extent of it. I would generally fly in on Monday, teach Tuesday through Thursday, and fly home on Friday.
I first became familiar with Hong Kong - more than just knowing the name and what most people know - when I first read James Clavell's novel Noble House. I was not yet fourteen years old and it was way over my head, but it looked Oriental... and I had learned to love most things Oriental long ago. The story talked not only about the History, but about the geography, the people, the culture, and I knew that some day I would love to visit. This feeling was magnified by the mini-series based on the book starring Pierce Brosnan. (I reread the novel as an adult and enjoyed it so much more for having been able to understand and appreciate the stories within the story)
Some things have changed since I read the book - in 1997 the British lease ended an the colony reverted back to China; the city has grown more Chinese and less British, it is busier than it ever was - and more modern. Kai Tak is no longer the airport, and the city has a booming economy helped by its special status as a special administrative region of China.
As stressed as I always am at the beginning of any tour, I was also excited to be starting it in Hong Kong. Because I had a greater hand in planning this tour than I am used to I was able to schedule the bulk of my free time in Asia here because there is so much I wanted to do and see. It helped that the scheduling allowed for it.
Unlike every other city I have visited this year I was not given an automobile, and thank G-d for that. I am sure that one day I will try driving on the left, but it just wouldn't do for me to get killed behind the wheel at the outset of the tour because I looked left then right. I did make use of all of the public transportation that Hong Kong offers, starting with the train from the airport to the hotel shuttle, taxis of course, but after a couple of days as I got more comfortable with some of the geography I took the MTR subway to an from a few places, the ferry from Hong Kong to Tsim Sha Tsui (Kowloon side), the Peak Tram from Hong Kong Park to the Peak (previously called Victoria Peak), and finally a double-decker bus from Stanley Market back to my hotel. As well on Saturday I took the train from Tsim Sha Tsui East to the border of Mainland China.
On the first morning I was still jet lagged so I got up early and went for a swim, followed by a sauna and shower in the health club where I met an older British gentleman who worked for one of the local newspapers. I asked if he could recommend any good restaurants and he immediately gave me four excellent options - two Italian, one French, and one steak house. I listened obediently and thanked him politely. Of course that was not what I was looking for - I wanted local flavour, so I asked the concierge of the hotel, who raved about the restaurants in the hotel. Thanks but no thanks.
I got to do some amazing things in Hong Kong, try some very exotic foods, see some amazing sights, meet some amazing people. On Monday I ate hairy crabs and shark's fin soup. On Tuesday after setting up my class I took the ferry to Kowloon and literally got lost in a very authentic Chinatown. The area was bustling and everywhere you turned were another thousand of your closest strangers, and fifteen more stores trying to ply their wares. The following day I ended up back in Kowloon and watched as the chef got my dinner drunk in rice wine and then cooked them alive. On Friday I went shopping - there are some good deals to be had on jewelry if you know where to look - and then for dinner at a restaurant recommended by friends at home and locally. On Saturday I crossed the border into the People's Republic of China and spent the day exploring Shenzhen... along with doing more shopping than I ever wanted to do.
Sunday I played tourist again. After going for a walk through Hong Kong Park I caught the 
tram to the peak and did some hiking - I took a trail down towards the reservoir and only later remembered that what walks down must eventually walk up. No matter, it was a gorgeous nature walk along a trail that at times took my breath away.
Following a tram ride down I returned to my hotel to replace the battery in my camera, and then headed out to Stanley Market, another amazing array of stores and stalls that reminded me very much of the shouk in Jerusalem. I bought myself a magnificent bathrobe and some artwork, along with some trinkets for the family. When it was time to go home I realized that I had not planned for my return trip, and hoped for the best as I approached the bus terminal. Fortunately there was the 6X bus going to Admiralty station, and I hopped into the front seat upstairs on the double-decker bus. Most 
of those pictures will not come out well because of the reflection on the window, but it was an experience nonetheless.
Did I see all of Hong Kong? I am not naive enough to believe that I even scratched the surface. However I did cram as much as I could into the little time that I had, and I boarded the airplane this morning (after having checked my luggage at the train centre in town) with no regrets. Of course I would like to return someday - possibly with my loved one - to see more and revisit some of the highlights, but all in all and considering I was not there on holiday I am pleased with just how much I was able to accomplish while there.
My next stop is Malaysia - as I type this I am on the airplane about half an hour outside of Kuala Lampur. I doubt I will have more than half a day to do any sightseeing, but I am sure I will enjoy my stay there nonetheless. Unlike Hong Kong I know little about Malaysia - not much more than I was able to glean in twenty minutes on-line this morning. I am sure it will be wonderful, but I doubt it can compare to Hong Kong. We'll see!