Kowloon by 'loonlight

I'll admit I don't know as much about the world as I would like to. For instance, yesterday, shortly before procuring pajamas for my former Spanish teacher's grandchildren, I rediscovered that Ottawa is the capital of Canada. I feel like I discover that fact periodically, then forget it again.

In a similar way, I'm embarassed to admit that I had no idea Kowloon was in Hong Kong until I reserved a hotel here: the Ramada, which is generously described as "rustic."

I've been to a lot of Asian cities by now, and a lot of them share the "welcome to the future" aesthetic. Huge neon signs, enormous shopping malls, talking toilets, etc. But passing through Hong Kong on the train, then Kowloon on a bus, I really felt as if I'd shown up in a different century. It was New York washed in halogen and brimming with mostly Chinese people and with shops still open at 11 on a Sunday night--clothing, electronics, espresso. Buildings towered so high over narrow streets that I felt completely enclosed. A city in a cavern, with rooftops in space and lots of ATM machines.

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I fully recommend Team of Rivals as the single best biography I've ever read.