Oink oink oink

I'm working from home a couple of days a week these days.  I find it to be a good balance between the social interaction of going into work and the additional freedom of being able to have a bit more time to myself.

Others were now in full work from home and going a little bit stir crazy.

On those days when I was working from home,  took advantage of the extra time afforded to me and work up early to join some friends on a short hike.

We went up into the hills behind Quarry Bay.  I'm constantly amazed by how accessible the city of Hong Kong is to nature.  It is something I have tried to embrace more the longer I live here.

It's the middle of summer in Hong Kong, so during the day it is almost unbearably hot, but early in the morning it's far more comfortable.  It still feels humid, but the sun isn't up yet and the temperatures are a bit lower.  It's a nice walk through the hills and we normally end at a mountain stream.  We cool off a bit in the waters, as further upstream we see other morning hikers collecting fresh water for their daily tea.  There is something incredibly peaceful about the whole scene and the collection of different people enjoying it.

As we started walking back down the mountain, we came across the hilarious sight of three sleeping wild pigs.  Living in Hong Kong has made these animals so tame that they no longer seemed to care at all about hiding or protecting themselves.  Instead, they happily slept in the open, snoring and farting for the whole world.

Back in Quarry Bay, we completed our excursion with a quick breakfast at a local cha chaan teng.  The congee, noodles and fried dough sticks were oily and satisfying.

I've been in Hong Kong for a few years now and I'm feeling more and more local.  I feel like I'm moving past the mere expat phase of my time here and becoming increasingly immersed into what life is like here for most others.