The Lantau island treasure

Although most of people see Hong Kong more like as a fast forward city with modern urbanistic landscape, yet it has many more things to offer. Incredible how quick in 20 minutes or half an hour you can find yourself in almoust unrecognizable places. Like beautiful island with partly untouched nature, endless rainforests which look so soft from high above, like a painted wool, blue waters, and magnificent mountains.

I am talking about the largest island of Hong Kong - Lantau island. This mountainous terrain by its name literally means “big island mountain”. And it actually looks like that. Beautiful mountains whatever direction you would look to, much less high buildings, more peaceful and slow attitude, less pollution, but more green views, less local people, but, unfortunately, too many tourists at this season.

The island can be reached by a ferry and a bus, or metro and a cable car. Why not a cable car - it shouldn't be so bad, - would have thought I at that time. Or, to be honest, i didn't think about it at all. Until we reached the terminal.

Traveling by cable car is equal to airplane flight - smooth and slow. So people like me, who better choose other forms rather than air travel, might find it a bit difficult to enjoy. But nature plays its part well there and still gives many pleasant moments.

Brave worker on his own open air cab ride

Tung Chung New Town and Tung Chung Bay

The magnificent view seen  from Ngong Ping 360 cabway

Finally on the ground we came to see a small touristic village full of numerous eating places, restaurants and small shops stuffed with things you mostly don’t need.

Near the one of Twelve Divine Generals guard - the representative of Rabbit Chinese Zodiac

And the following views which reminded me nothing else, but my beautiful Sri Lanka.

Tian Tan Buddha

Built only 20 years back, in 1993, Big Buddha is more a tourist attraction point than rather than spiritual and religious centre.

 In Sri Lanka it is absolutely disrespectful to pose with Buddha behind. Although Hong Kong seems like doesn't follow the same spiritual pathway. Moreover, neither tourists nor locals are asked to cover their shoulders and knees.

Buddha Amoghasidhi close view

Following views I enjoyed the most

Already one of my favourite

Extra large incense for stronger worship or bigger sins?

Chinese tourists found it excited to pose with cows mowing

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Panem et circenses!

Photo credit: Andrada Coos

“Bread and circuses” once said Julius Caesar and he was right. Good food and entertainment can make your days peculiar and memorable. This weekend, an opportunity to see, smell, hear, touch and taste new things was already the opportunity to learn about another culture and embrace its best sides.

Friday - Hotpot and Mahjong

We gathered all after work for hotpot dinner. I didn't know about it before, but it involved food, bunch of old and new people though already sounded really tasty.

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How does it feel to live in Hong Kong?

“Convenient”. That’s the answer I've heard most of the times from other interns and foreigners. Most of them are here for a year or two and still are willing to stay as long as possible.

But that’s still not my case. It’s been nearly 3 week of my residential stay in this place and so far I honestly don’t have many warm feelings to this place. Neither bad. But it’s still not my place and just a simple idea of whole year stay doesn't please me much. Anyways, I just need to give some time for it.

But Hong Kong is a very interesting place. The original translation of Hong Kong is “Fragrant harbour” which might refer to “the harbour waters sweetened by the fresh water estuarine influx of the Pearl River, or to the incense from factories lining the coast to the north of Kowloon, which was stored around Aberdeen Harbour for export before the development of "Victoria Harbour” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong). The official name of the city is ‘Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China’, but both “Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" and "Hong Kong" are also accepted.

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So yes, Hong Kong this time!

Hello my dear friends, fellows, buddies and colleagues. Although it wasn't so easy, I’m finally here in Hong Kong, have my visa, room, know how to get to my work and now trying to pretend being a local person.

“Why are you choosing countries where people are so different from you?”, -

asked a friend of mine right before my departure. And to be honest, I couldn't give a right explanation for it. First, it was Sri Lanka, now Hong Kong. Two so discrepant places. But still Asia, still something extraordinary and unusual. I can’t say what really brought me to Hong Kong. Maybe a little seek of adventures, a feel of boredom. Still Hong Kong was never in my Bucket list.

But I came here because of job opportunity it offered to me. In a short way of explanation, I am a project associate in Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (J.C. DISI). Now our main task is to organize huge international festival of Social Innovations (http://www.disi.polyu.edu.hk/socialinnovationfest2013/)

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Country trip: Lithuanian flavour in Sri Lanka (2)

Amazed, exhausted, happy, annoyed, surprised, tired, excited and hungry for more were those feelings which lead us all the way through this beautiful island. With the taste of super delicious fruits, magazines in our hands, endless conversations and home smelling cheese sandwiches our journey in Sri Lanka continues with …

Sigiriya (Day 5)

Last point of Cultural Triangle (Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya) we had to see was Sigiriya – breathtaking rock, or Sri Lanka’s most extraordinary sight as it is. So many legends and so many stories, told about this place, indeed make it magical, but most surely all must to see why Sigiriya (“Lion Rock”) was declared a World Heritage Site in 1982 and is described as one of the most impressive touristic attraction and one of my favourite too.

History says Sigiriya rock was a palace of ancient king Kassapa (middle of 1^st century) who drove his elder brother Mogallana into exile in India, imprisoned and killed his father king Dhatusena. Kassapa on the top of 200 m. rock constructed a pleasure palace as well as impregnable fortress expecting it to emulate with Kubera’s (god of wealth) adobe.

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Once upon a time when we played Movie Stars

Couple of weeks back I had an amazing opportunity to play one of the main roles in Shingala movie  'Rupantharana' directed by Nalaka Withanage. Who can deny that life in Sri Lanka is interesting?

I am a boss of a main hero. My name is Angela and I am Australian. Heran (main hero) went there and fell in love with another Sri Lankan girl who, unfortunately, feels only friendship. So Haren is suffering from one-side love. And Angela does not helping him either - in office she is shouting at him because he is sleeping, dreaming and does nothing. But in her cubical she is different - declares love and likeliness to him, which makes Haren feel even more scared. One day he accidentally drops his keys and message to another girl in Angela's cubical and she understands it as a positive sign. In evening she comes to his apartment and here action begins - she seduce him, puts some drug in his drink and... camera shows only early morning.

Here are some pictures from all those 3 great days of bossy and naughty Angela was wearing my face. 

  

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Country trip: Lithuanian flavour in Sri Lanka (1)

Counting almost one year in Sri Lanka (Can you believe?!) I have seen and experienced a lot. Unfortunately, I found myself being extremely lazy and demotivated to share all my experience with others. That cost minimum information and no photo albums in my Facebook profile. 

For those who really would like to see Sri Lanka, this is an opportunity to see and get to know this beautiful, colorful and spicy country I found my corner to live.

If Giedre does not come back to Lithuania, Lithuania is coming to visit Giedre

There weren’t any Lithuanians on my daily way here in Sri Lanka, but now 5 girls (me, my sister, cousins and a friend) are traveling all around the country which by size is pretty much the same as our mother land, but completely different by the views we are just about to see.

Trip starts in Colombo international airport with huge mountain of suitcases and some warm home smell in it – delicious cheese, salami, dark bread and chocolate.

Driving to Colombo was a bit shocking for girls. Crazy driving, huge 5 pm. traffic, poverty outside the windows, frightening local men attention in the streets, pollution and loud noise made them feel really uncomfortable.

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