The hour-long lesson started with a routine whose repeating pattern I began to recognize and anticipate. I enjoyed it much more than yoga, which similarly incorporates breathing into body movement. From tai chi we moved briefly into kung fu (much quicker) and qigong (meditatively slow). We finished by practicing tai chi with silk fans. The loud crack of the deploying fans stood out against the otherwise smooth routine, which was more fun than I expected.
After tai chi I moved on to get breakfast in Central. On my way to Man Mo temple, I found a midtange cafe serving local breakfast fare. The first set on the menu was macaroni soup with ham strips and imitation abalone, along with two eggs and toast. What seemed to me like the end result of cleaning out one's refrigerator was a menu item that I started noticing more people eat regularly. Decent, mild flavor. The fake abalone was smoky and good.
Man Mo temple is dedicated to the two gods after which it is named. Situated on Hollywood Road, this is the oldest temple in Hong Kong and served as a community meeting place during British times. It continues to be a relevant location for prayer and fortune telling. Incense coils hang from the ceiling.
In the afternoon I took the metro over to the Kowloon's Hong Kong Museum of History, which came highly recommended from the tour book. Fantastic exhibits let visitors walk streets of old Hong Kong, rice paddies, Hoklo villages, and junks where the boat people (yes, that's their name) spent their entire lives. A chronological progression from prehistory through reunification with China made an excellent sequence for the exhibits.
Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin temple was next. If I rushed I could make it before it closed at 5:30PM. Fortunately it was immediately upstairs from the metro station and I made it with plenty of time to spare. This complex had more temples and shrines to look at, and many more younger (30's) worshippers. A cool lineup of animal-headed gods stood facing the main temple. 
After I was herded out at closing time, I hopped one more metro stop east to check out the Chi Lin nunnery. Though it was closed, the courtyard outside offered beautiful views of the architecture, bon sai, and lily ponds agains a backdrop of high rises. Attention to detail and a focus on solid, simple designs reminded me very much of the temples in Japan.
After the courtyard I made my way to the nearby Nan Lian garden, which was a huge sleeper hit for me. Not getting more than a sentence in my Lonely Planet, the immaculately kept garden included a rock museum, swanky vegetarian restaurant, and Chinese tea house, all of which benefitted the garden and the nunnery.
I sat down for fantastic, strong Chinese tea--full ceremony, leaf washing, no shoes/cameras, and a remote controlled bird chirp to call the attendant in this very quiet, special tea place. Upon leaving, the sun had set and the lights were on in the garden. Amazing!
From there I hoofed it back to the train station to meet a friend of a friend for claypot dinner and Temple Street market walking. Cool stuff to see, though not particularly expansive. Not an 'everything under the sun' sort of place like Bangkok, just quintessentially Hong Kong.
From there we headed to the highest bar in Asia, on the 113th storey or so in the tallest building in Hong Kong. They ushered us to the balcony, which was breezy and cold in the overcast weather. We snuck back in and squatted until we got a table among the eclectic, futuristic decor and sipped our watery, expensive drinks until it was time to go. Besides, witching hour comes early for those reliant on the Metro, which stops service at 12:20.
I bid my new friend farewell in the station. I had a great time exploring the evening life and comparing travel and expat notes. Definitely a memorable experience, and I'll try to continue this on future travels.
I have to make my way to the airport first thing tomorrow to head to Tacloban, Philippines.
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