Hay day didn’t disappoint

Hong Kong in Two Seconds (Okay, Two Days)

The two days in Hong Kong felt like two seconds. On Tuesday, Jasper’s dad, Stefan, took a day off and took us to mainland China. Destination: Shenzhen.
After immigration, we were welcomed in the most flattering way—about 300 surveillance cameras pointing right at us. So that’s what being a superstar feels like. Fabulous.
We took the metro, which had different temperature zones. We wisely chose “temperate” to avoid freezing or melting. First stop: a peaceful, green park where we hiked up a hill to get a stunning view of Shenzhen, the avant-garde city of skyscrapers and speed. Stefan, our tour guide, absolutely nailed the timing of his stories—like a human audio guide that knew exactly when we’d pass a sight. Tripadvisor: 5/5 stars, would book again.
He even brought us to the 5th tallest tower in the world (599 metres—tragically one metre short of 600). Later, we walked through a massive tech market with 10 floors of pure madness: headphones, fake AirPods, drones, robot pets, lightbulbs, stamps.
Shenzhen was overwhelming, fascinating, and intense. I have to admit, when we crossed the border back into Hong Kong, I felt relief. Everything seemed calmer. People weren’t rushing around like caffeinated bees, and it felt less like the world was about to swallow me. (Dramatic? Maybe. Accurate? Also yes.)
In the evening, we had dinner at a Japanese restaurant. I borrowed Mattea’s clothes and was partner-looking with Stefanie, Jasper’s mom. I kinda felt like part of the family, and it warmed my heart more than the miso soup.
The food? So so so good, you can’t even imagine. But of course, the night didn’t end there.
We headed to a super fancy cocktail bar with expert recommendations. Thanks to my irresistible charm, we even got a little gin tasting (don’t take that too seriously).

Wan Chai Wednesday
The next morning kicked off with a stroll through the botanical garden. We hopped on the “ding ding” tram (which looks exactly like the Night Bus from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) and rolled into Wan Chai—a chaotic, colorful, and super lively part of Hong Kong.
In the afternoon, Stefanie took us to the M+ museum to see the Uli Sigg collection of contemporary Chinese art. A true oasis of calm in the middle of the city. 10/10, would recommend if your brain needs a quiet reset.
Next: Mong Kok. We checked out the flower market, bought a coconut on the way (as one does), and then proceeded to nearly demolish the entire mall trying to open it. But we did crack it in the end. hehe:)
Dinner that night was at home with the family. Then Jasper and I headed to the horse races. Yep, I’d never imagined this event could be that huge. We read betting predictions, ignored them, and instead picked horses with fancy names like “Hayday.” Very scientific.

And then? The legendary Wan Chai Wednesday began.
I’ll skip a few details but let’s just say: at one point, I found myself alone in a cab—with both mine AND Jasper’s phones, but no Jasper. Instead, there were two other people and... I ended up dancing on a bar. Yes, ON a bar. Don’t worry, Jasper and I eventually found each other again.
It was great. It was long. It was wild.
It was Wan Chai WednesdayLæs mere