new territories adventure 2!

49 days in hong kong, i think where i went to today was the furthest i've ever travelled so far (and alone). i went to Clearwater Bay, somewhere in western Sai Kung. purpose: to feature a sport known as remote control (RC) soaring. in the next issue of the campus paper (they "killed" my first article by the way), i've been assigned to the "life" section, so i was surfing the net when i found this activity. i thot it has some value cos it's not that common in hk. and so i contacted the relevant people, arranged to go down and watch them fly their gliders today - most of them gather on sundays. the venue they fly depends on the wind direction for that week.

i underestimated the time needed to get to the flying site - the bus ride alone was supposed to have taken 48minutes (i found out online). i only got out at about 110pm, when the meeting time was 2pm =/ i had to first take 3 stops on the MTR to Diamond Hill, then transfer to bus 91, and walk slightly uphill for 10mins upon reaching the terminus. i finally reached at about 2.45pm. the photo above was taken while waiting for the bus at diamond hill terminal - the place felt a little odd cos of the lighting, made me feel like i was in some tunnel, and there weren't many people around.
this was the uphill i walked upon alighting at clearwater bay terminal. seriously, bus drivers here go very fast, and the 40-minute (faster than what it was supposed to take!) ride made me so dizzy i felt like puking -_- and i thought i was being smart by following 2 guys who were carrying planes, but they headed to the toilet! fortunately, i dint follow that closely so i could stop and walk the other way without being too paiseh! LOL.

the bus ride allowed me to see parts of hk i wouldnt have seen if not for this. seriously, everything is an experience when you are on exchange. the further the bus went, the lower the buildings. i saw those well-spaced out, 3-storey houses with satellites on the roofs that you see in tvb dramas. later i was told the rich reside in the area - big houses facing the seas, fresh air etc. and i passed by the TVB studios - i only saw the signboard and the building, in case you are wondering. and i saw funny place names like五块田 (5 pieces of farmland) and两块田 (2 pieces of farmland). haha =P

and so this is where the enthusiasts will gather to fly their planes. yup, right by the roadside! most of them have cars so transport isn't that much of an issue.

this is how the planes look like when they are in the air. they actually look like the birds that are often seen in the area. these planes don't have motors, they are controlled by radio frequencies, and they fly using natural forces i.e. wind. the wind coming in from the seas will hit the slope and blow upwards, hence lifting the planes. this is known as slope soaring, the more common type in hk.

this is Ken, chairman of the RC society who helped me with the questions - his is a super big plane (it's just one of the few that he has), but he couldnt fly it today because the wind was too strong. the pressure might cause it to crash (i think this was what he said =P).

the guy with the white jacket is the trainer. they call him sam gor（三哥） and he is the one who guides newcomers, including people like me. =P actually, it's really quite easy to get the basics. i could guide the plane to go where i wanted it to in an hour. there was once when i flew it quite far away that he joked, "you want to fly back to singapore is it??" there were times my concentration lapsed, and i got confused with left and right (he speaks canto, the only english is "very good") then he would laugh. then there was this time i took my eyes off the plane and couldn't find it later (i only looked away for a second!) when he laughed and pointed it out to me. lol =P there were a couple of times that he saved my plane from crashing too. =/ it was about to hit the trees / disappear from sight but he somehow miraculously got it up and flying again! it was quite fun i must say. haha =P

i think i better show you his face, doesnt do him justice if i just showed his back. LOL =P
oh, can i just say that the place was freeeeeeezing cold?! although it's good there was wind and okay weather (it rained lightly for a while) cos that meant i could get my story done, it was really really really cold! my hands were numb, and writing was difficult! and i was shivering! reminded me of the hike up and abseil down sunset peak, but minus the fall into the hole. =P it's nv glam to take photos at these places i realise, but hey, i dun think i'll ever go back to this place anymore so must have sth as keepsake mah!

and can i also say that i'm glad for opportunities like this cos it allows me to practise cantonese to a certain extent (thankful again for being able to understand cantonese) and makes me travel to the "unknown". i guess then, this is what i call exchange. =)

i think unknowingly, i've gotten used to this place called hong kong. perhaps i still can't live like a local, but i know i definitely dun feel like the usual tourist anymore. i'm beginning to like staying here. i'm glad i straightened out my thoughts. and thank goodness for technology. =)