Beijing, Hong Kong & Macau

I recently was able to take a trip to Beijing, Hong Kong and Macau. It was my first trip to Asia since 2001 and the first time I've visited each of these places. My expectations were low as I had heard mixed reviews from people who have been there. After getting a first-hand account, my experiences had exceeded expectations and it was a very enjoyable trip. My parents, who went there less than a decade ago, seem to think that I saw a very different place.

Possibly due to the Olympics in 2008, Beijing seems to be on the rise and in a rush to modernize. Their newer buildings are quite impressive and the people there seem to have cleaned up their act, for the most part. I even saw a guy wait until reaching a trash can to spit, imagine that. What can be seen, though, is the separation between new and old China, and it's clearly distinguished by walls around old communities in the heart of the city. How this is dealt with remains to be seen.

Perhaps due to my Beijing concerns taking over most of my thoughts, I really was surprised by Hong Kong. I marveled at their skyline and the way they condensed everything to fit on islands, I really felt like I had stepped into The Fifth Element. It definitely had an interesting feel of being an international city.

Due to being in Macau for only a day, I didn't get much of an experience there. I found much of it to be dirty and was not a fan of the casinos. Staying at a nice hotel with great service that sat across the street from rundown apartments of residents, I couldn't help but feel bad. I felt as if it was a country selling themselves out for casinos and tourists.

With so much of America focused on Europe, I strongly feel that Asia is not to be ignored. Although China has its own issues, its apparent ability to progress and modernize at such a rapid rate since my parents were there is definitely noteworthy.