Why I don't want to leave here: I love this city!

Even though I still feel a little weakish, I decide that I should go for an excursion at 8:30 pm, in particular in view of the fact that I slept all day.

First impression while still in the hotel: Middle-aged men like me (Hell NO)  being accompanied into their rooms by young Asian women and quite a number of lost-looking young white and Asian women taking up the elevators to date destinations presumably only known by room numbers.  I refrain from asking any of the business and other travellers whether their wives know.

Things quickly pick up when outside the hotel. It is completely dark outside now. Even though this is a high-density residential area in addition to being the dried-seafood-wholesale centre of the city I am pleased to notice that the grey-blue flicker of emotional death emitted by televisions is utterly absent.

 (Oh, didn't I mention that I'm an opinionated bastard?)

Another reason for the numbers of people on the streets might be the small sizes of their apartments and the balmy 20 degree weather in the streets.  People meander in an out of grocers, bakeries, restaurants and sit on chairs in the streets in front of the tiniest establishments.

My first stop is my local not-quite-super market. Kinder Chocolate,white wine, and some chocolate chip cookies should fix me up!  One reason why I keep coming back here is the woman behind the counter.  She was funny last May and she hasn't lost her good spirit yet. After a probably FUBARed 'Nei Hou' from me, she says " I remember you. You like [insert pointing at my Kinder Chocolate], You no bag [pointing at my backpack], and you like smile a lot."
My heart even more soggy at the thought of having to leave soon, I keep walking around a square of streets in my immediate neighbourhood. Bakeries are open at 8:50 pm. Still not really in shape to walk around more, I make my way back to the hotel and its different reality, armed with "Walnut puff crunchy cookies" and "Banana Cake", which really is nothing different than banana bread. I must point out that I showed amazing self-restraint in my refusal to take the fresh-fruit-overloaded "chocolate cake" home as well!

... and I sincerely hope I was lying when I told my market lady that my next presence in HK would be one year from now!