An Adventure Abroad

By Haywood Glenn Clayton

How do you win an all expense paid trip half way around the world while still in high school? Well, I was able to do it by writing an essay. I graduated from Bob Jones High School last year. Towards the end of my senior year, a former teacher of mine, Mr. William Couch, told me of a national contest being held by In The Classroom Media. The competition called for all juniors and seniors to write a critique of John Stossel’s video “Is America #One?” I spent about two months working in between classes to finish the essay. When Mr. Couch and I submitted the paper to In The Classroom Media, I could not have dreamed of the reaction and substantial pay off we would receive.

The first place prize was an all expense paid trip to Hong Kong for a week. I was able to take two relatives as well as Mr. Couch. We left Huntsville Airport around five o’clock on August sixteenth; we arrived in Hong Kong early in the morning on the eighteenth. The trip was long and arduous, but it would prove to worthwhile in the end.

The Hong Kong International Airport is located on one of Hong Kong’s many outlying islands. Not far down the road on that beautiful, mountainous island, construction teams are hard at work building the world’s next Disney Land. The stunning appearance of this island airport is a welcoming first site.

We spent a good part of our first day in “Asia’s World City” resting and unpacking. However, we did experience one of Hong Kong’s most fascinating attractions that night. We strolled down a popular boardwalk on the harbor known as “The Avenue of the Stars.” It is here that you find the handprints and autographs of Hong Kong’s most famous stars, much like our Hollywood Boulevard. Every night at eight o’clock, you can stand on the boardwalk and watch as a spectacular light and laser show dances across the sky from atop Hong Kong’s magnificent skyscrapers. Music is pumped in from unseen speakers to make it an unforgettable experience.

The next day we spent touring the showroom of Asian Product Sources, a company based out of Arab, Alabama. Places like these are where some of our largest retailers, such as Dollar General, come to select and buy merchandise manufactured in China for sale in the U.S. To see this side of the supply cycle is very interesting, especially for a nerd like myself. Our hosts from this company also treated us to a huge lunch at the Peking Duck restaurant. Our main course was duck, but I think that that delicacy was overlooked by us foreigners, as we were too intrigued by the chicken head garnish and such exotic side dishes as pig’s ear. It was all very good though. After lunch we were off to Stanley Market, a place where the tourist can depart from the normal shopping environment to a place where bartering is not only encouraged, but necessary. This wonderful outdoor marketplace is an exciting escape from what the average Wal-Mart shopper is used to.

The next day was filled with appointments for Mr. Couch and I to meet with Hong Kong government officials, representatives of the U.S. Consulate, a private tour of the Hong Kong Legislative Building, and many press interviews. Although we had a demanding schedule to keep, the time we spent with these experts of foreign relations, economics and Hong Kong’s domestic politics was as interesting as it was educational.

The last few days was reserved for us to do the normal tourist routine. One of the most amazing aspects of this trip for me was the seemingly endless supply of people in every direction. To help you get an idea of just how crowded Hong Kong is take this into mind: Madison has a population of about 33,000 people. Hong Kong has more people than that living in one square block of apartments! The city is astonishing in its grandeur. The skyscrapers are so tall and so elegantly designed. Something I enjoyed was just standing on the sidewalk in Hong Kong’s central district, much like New York’s Manhattan, and watching as the masses of people swarmed around me, apparently oblivious to my very existence. Some of the world’s finest retailers, like Tiffany and Co., Armani, and Rolex can be found in this impressive central district of “Asia’s World City.”

We also had the opportunity to see some of the most incredible sites on Earth. The Po Lin Buddha, the largest outdoor seated bronze Buddha in the world, sites atop a small hill on one of Hong Kong’s outlying islands. This majestic place is truly surreal. Mountains and hills flow all around this site and lead down to the restless South China Sea. We ate a delicious vegetarian lunch at the monastery located at the foot of this sacred site. I also took the opportunity to stand on one of the small beaches found on this island. I figured how often do I have the chance to get sand from the South China Sea between my toes.

Victoria’s Peak is a site that no tourist to Hong Kong should ever miss. We made use of the incline tram on our journey up this mountain background of Hong Kong. To look down on Hong Kong at night from this mountain perch provides an amazing site. The vast expanse of well lit skyscrapers twinkle in the night sky, and their reflections can be seen dancing on the harbor. This is one of my favorite memories on the trip. We also made frequent use of the “Star Ferry,” a must do while in Hong Kong. This incredibly inexpensive form of transportation provides a unique view of Hong Kong and proves to be an adventure in and of itself.

My trip to Hong Kong was filled with memorable experiences, much too many to include in this article. In addition to a suitcase full of souvenirs, I brought home an abundance of invaluable memories. I feel that I have a much better understanding of a world in which societies and cultures differ greatly from one another. I gained priceless insight into the sphere of international economics, foreign relations, and the cultural uniqueness that can and does exist in different parts of the world. I learned a great deal form this trip, both educationally and personally. Someone once said, “Life is about the journey, not the destination,” and for me, those words ring truer now than ever before.