My 'Hood

My mom and I walked to South Horizons the other day to go shopping at the big store. South Horizons is the town next to Ap Lei Chau. It's so weird to think of it as a town, since it's so close to Ap Lei Chau, but all the towns grow up, not out. Anyway, more expats live in South Horizons so the Park n Shop (their Safeway or Cost-Cutters) there has a lot more Western food. Not going to lie, we mainly go there to buy cheese. And tortillas.

Anyway, as we walked to the store, we passed all of the apartment towers. Mom and Dad had thought about living there instead of Ap Lei Chau, but it is a bit nicer and, therefore, more expensive. Mom was once again sighing over the grass-lined walks and trees that surround their buildings. We walk outside and we're in the middle of a street. Well, kind of towards the end, but we still have a restaurant on one side, a scrap shop on the other, and burning barrel going a couple times a week on our front sidewalk. I can see how Mom would rather walk under leafy trees than try to dodge hot ashes.

Still, I'm glad that we're here. I feel like we're more in the center of things, more connected. Ever since going into the next-door restaurant for lunch, the lady waves at me every time I go past. The guy at the trinket/toy/school supplies shop next to the restaurant also says hi whenever I walk past. And of course, the two smoothie guys on the corner always say hello.

I like being able to walk next to tanks of weird-looking sea creatures (remember the mantis-prawns?) on my way to the grocery store. On the way to the market, I can see what the guys are welding in their grimy, blackened shops. Whenever I come back from the bus-stop I pass the wedding tea-house and sneak peaks into the Kiwi Sweet shop.

Although I love trees, for now I'm ok with forgoing them in favor of a more messy, human neighborhood. After all, I've never gotten a free smoothie from a tree.