happy halloween!
i am extra scary giddy on halloween, even in the morning, because this gets my endorphins pumping rigorously. soooo so good.
if you’re reading this and it’s after 12pm on halloween, then just disregard. the happy-making thing i’m referring to ends at noon today.
hope everyone gets their favorite candy.
i’m back, but will need a long time to recover from the taiwan trip. there are 600+ pix that need to be uploaded and organized. it’s daunting.
for now, behold the captivating charm, elegance, and novelty of hong kong’s china club. it exudes the sexy old world allure of a shanghai art-deco restaurant/club and the sophistication of an art gallery with its kitschy, compelling, and/or beautiful contemporary art. many of the furnishings and decor are authentic pieces from a romantic bygone era.
the menu is extensive, the food is good enough (i’ll be damned if the bbq’d pork didn’t melt in my mouth in an explosion of flavors), there’s a chanteuse (might as well have been shu qi), AND AND AND…originals from the lao fu zi (“old master Q”) comic — a childhood favorite. that pretty much sealed the deal for me before i even sat down.
real letterpress coasters bearing the club’s insignia. classy
retro menu design
one wall – note the interesting painting in the middle
another angle of the dining room
more
restaurant entrance with moody lighting
majestic but somber painting in the restaurant doorway
you take the elevator up and step into this foyer / waiting area before entering the restaurant
the view looking up the staircase
YES YES YES. how great did it feel to see these all over?! ohhh nostalgia
i really love this. talk about conversation piece
the walls lining the staircase boast an impressive art collection. this isn’t the best example but i liked it
the reading room is on another floor, housing games and literature on all things chinese. oddly reminiscent of league of extraordinary gents
the piece de resistance — the terrace on the top. cushioned seating along the wall, and bar service i believe. these weak photos don’t do the view any justice
it’s like day six or seven of our taiwan group travel tour and it’s been cray cray to the max.
internet’s been hard to come by, due to the nature of our roving itinerary and long, long days. wish i had time to upload photos and write about the trip! there’s SO much to share it’s not even funny. each day has been jam packed with memory (and sometimes misery) making.
currently in taidung (tai dong) near southern tip of the island at this hot springs resort/hotel for just one night, then leave for hualien (hua lian) tomorrow. feel guilty for being online since we should be soaking in the springs, but it’s such a luxury to be able to hop on a computer!
the initial two days of the tour were blatant slaps in the face reminding me why i absolutely detest traveling in groups, but the negatives have been tempered by the two positives: practicing my mandarin and being amongst wonderful, endearing chinese couples (mostly in their 40s-70s).
almost all of them are touchingly affectionate with each other. the oldest ones have more youthful vigor than i could muster up at my liveliest peak. they’re amazing, fun, fascinating — a real blast to be around. i truly wish you could see them. one night they started twirling around and ballroom dancing on the sidewalk while waiting for a bus on a super raucous night　(it was national day) at sun moon lake. that was pure magic.
i guess you could say they’ve also reminded me how, um, crucial it is to marry someone who’s really really awesome. cuz you need to be with that person for the rest of your life. ideally.
today we went to this aquarium near kenting national park and i saw a BELUGA WHALE and a WHALE SHARK! i can cross that off my list.
the national parks / forests here are breathtakingly gorgeous.
anyway, we’re being herded like sheep day and night. it can be a bit maddening. wake up calls are as early as 5:30 am, and there are hundreds of tour buses just like us on the same itinerary. it’s insane! imagine what the scene is like in the hotel lobbies upon arrival. mobs and mobs of tired people storming the elevators with their luggage.
if you want to see pix, you can peep the ones my sis took on her facebook.
better go soak now. thanks for reading!
it’s our last night in HK. too tired to delve into things, and i’m fed up with my tedious, lengthy writing. i have a tendency to get carried away; i’m working on it.
i do want to quickly allude to the sotheby’s autumn sale. they’ve been auctioning throughout the duration of the fair, and i finally checked it out today. INSANE. classy all the way, and completely foreign to me. they even had a little circular bar set up, doling out free coffee and snacks. the showmanship and production is slick and impressive. unfortunately, i didn’t have my camera around for it.
here are random pics. tomorrow morning i’m off to taipei to meet up with ma, stepdad, and sister for a nine day tour of the island. bonus: peg will be there too for a day or two. that’s total kismet.
no words can adequately describe what a rich, incredible learning experience this has been. i am eternally grateful for the circumstances — and one man in particular — that made this possible. team AAM HK is so so so lucky.
school groups came to the fair on monday. here is a cute group of teens in their simple frock like dresses (with pockets!). they approached the booth in such an endearing manner, a bit shy but curious
i’m all about animal welfare, but i found the randomness to be amusing
look who paid us a visit? this is olan mills style
should’ve included this earlier. we landed in HK on national day, and immediately rushed downstairs from the hotel to the pier to watch the big fireworks. an auspicious way to kick things off, i thought
causeway bay was packed yesterday because of the holiday. frenzied but positive youthful energy on the streets
famous dessert chain, hui lau shan. i believe it started in HK and sprouted up all over asia. i wonder if we can attribute the crazy mango / coconut / sago / harsmar sweets phenomenon to this entity. there’s even one on geary now
this cab driver had FIVE cell phones on his dash
i still want to dedicate separate entries to two once-in-a-lifetime, probably-will-never-happen-again magical moments: the china club and stanley. for now, here’s the breathtaking view from victoria peak. it’s no wonder parts of the dark knight were shot here
this morning, on the way to the convention centre hall, i saw a woman taking photos of this huge sotheby’s wall advertisement that features a line up of artwork that would be selling at their auction. she was posing something held in her hand so that it would be included in her snapshots. it was a turtle. initially i thought it was a toy, then it occurred to me as i walked past her that it was probably real.
it’s slow right now, and i’m nursing a milk tea. a thumping house remix of a talking heads song (untz untz untz) is carrying itself through this corner of the fair. at least they switched CDs. the first two days was just one looping disc of french torch songs / bossa nova / mancini tunes. very enjoyable the first five spins.
tomorrow is a public holiday, “chun yeung festival” – for honoring and remembering the deceased, which might explain some of the quietness today. someone speculated though that tomorrow will be busy. we, along with the friends of hong kong museum of art, are the only museums representing. the rest are mostly galleries hailing from all over the world, from korea and taiwan to london and NYC. this is peak auction season too.
apparently the sotheby’s auction of asian art hasn’t been faring well at all — atypical especially for contemporary chinese art sales (the hottest thing). from what i know, some big name artists’ work are on sale too. word on the street is that the indonesian stuff has been selling, probably because of their “lower” price points. at any rate, it’s an ominous telltale sign of the global financial state.
i love the people watching. all ages, all kinds, all styles. glamorous older women with their bold jewelry, men in polished fitted suits, “edgy” hipsters of all ages, lots of spiky short hair (ladies) and ponytails (men), slender calves held up in beautiful heels, handsome man purses, plenty of expats, chunky watches, an array of fun eyeglass frames, fanny packs, distinctly beijing belts and loafers, tees and sandals, adorable children/families. everyone seems to have a genuine interest in art, and some are astute connoisseurs. it’s absolutely fantastic. many people have approached us with a curious disbelief. “you’re from san francisco?…what are you doing here?” many have also come seeking our ming catalogue, which is impressive. i’ve chatted with interesting people (including a tibetan who said matter-of-factly that going to america would never happen for him).
this asian art world is entirely fascinating and foreign to me, and i’m thoroughly enjoying every eye-opening second. it’s such a microcosm.
of the countless endearing things i’ve noticed, one is the sweet affection in couples. even better is that there seems to be a positive correlation between age and tenderness. it’s the 40-50s bracket that exhibits the most hand holding and arm linking.
here’s shanghaiese sf-based artist li huayi and me. charming and lovable. look at that handsome face! his paintings are like ethereal chinese landscapes, but haunting, dark, and fragile
a member of team AAM had his first celebrity sighting, and it’s a BIGGIE!
these cool women came up to the booth wanting to buy the ming catalogue. they were docents with teh HK museum of art. sally quickly took over and engaged them for a solid 15 minutes. she’s so excellent at holding court, it’s almost scary
is there nothing more pure and wonderful than people excited about art and culture?
another fave beverage — this is yuanyang, a strong mixture of HK milk tea and coffee. i needed it, since severe sleepiness set in again yesterday afternoon
after yesterday’s shift and the ensuing cocktail reception, was able to get out for a little and play. ended up in mongkok at the ladies’ market, and walked all the way down to temple market. it was raining, which robbed these markets of some of their usual energy and rowdiness. also went into a couple malls with tiny little stores, tightly focused and tightly packed. definitely destinations to check out if you want to get a feel for youth culture.
and some shots from the evening:
this ludicrous bling reminds me of curse of the golden flower, a la resting on gong li’s ample bosom
one fresh kiwi juice, please
there were open eateries all over temple street, and they were a tad offputting
some older man just tried asking me a question, and i didn’t understand. he simply walked away kind of laughing at me with his friend. oh well.
yesterday i was doing pretty well at the booth, engaging visitors and practicing my mandarin (when applicable). it didn’t last though, because later in the afternoon i crashed HARD. sounds improbable, but this is exhausting work. by no means am i complaining, but smiling and talking to strangers for eight hours straight can do a number on you. right now there’s a persistent — but enthusiastic — guy showing photos of his jade collection to us (he said, “they don’t have to respect me, but respect my culture”). we’ve been getting a stream of dealers and collectors who want to display their mediocre goods in the museum. sigh. this is when our diplomacy skills get put to the test.
we’ve also met passionate connoisseurs who truly know their stuff. it’s inspiring and sweet, reminiscent of experts at comic conventions who can recite, say, the entire history of green lantern. one couple at our booth pointed out that our jade catalogue, a scholarly contribution to the field, had caused quite a stir in the community (don’t you love that there’s a community?), and questioned how we had came to some of the conclusions outlined in the book. they discussed things like “tool marks” and the resilience and adaptability of fakers, etc. good natured and fun. this spirited, convivial atmosphere is so energizing!
ANYWAY…
breakfast at harbour kitchen, the cha can ting located inside the convention and expo centre. the menu is expansive. this is congee with minced pork and preserved egg, shanghai style green onion bun, and milk tea. the meal exceeded my expectations. the congee had a nice meaty stock essence, and the bun was AWESOME (slightly toasted on top, then soft, airy, warm inside)
our board member brought us pineapple buns, lao po bing, egg tarts, and confections (peanut brittle, sesame bites, etc) from supposedly the best bakery in HK, in lyndhurt terrace. what a special treat! this was exactly what i had woken up that morning craving
this was a great sight to behold: people really digging our library of museum catalogues and pulling up a chair to get into them. many folks have wanted to buy them, but unfortunately we aren’t set up to do business
both our director and senior curator of chinese art gave brief lectures yesterday. here’s the former holding court with his audience after the talk
one side of the fair has some contemporary art. nothing earth shattering, but some eyecatching pieces:
i really liked this korean painting – thick and luminous, you had to see it in person
stephen chow!
artist li huayi has a semi-retrospective at the fair put on by the ink society (in celebration of his 60th). it’s right across from our booth. he is a beautiful man with warm eyes and a real artist’s flair. i’ll post a better picture of him later. the museum presented an exhibition of his haunting paintings about five years ago
generous treat #2 from our board member: assortment of cakes from the mandarin oriental
right now the man behind this fair is giving a talk on chinese antique furniture. looks like all the seats are full.
we’re situated in prime real estate, across from the ink society’s li huayi show and in front of the lecture room. is this considered “live blogging”? jay, our director, asked me to think carefully about our presence at the fair and share with him my thoughts — since i’m the one who’s stationed here the most. hopefully i can call on these posts when i return to work to refresh my memory.
it’s preview night of the hong kong international arts & antiques fair, and there’s a lull in the foot traffic to our booth. my colleagues are at a special dinner down the aisle in a makeshift VIP space. the evening has provided an abundance of people watching; i’ve spied a handful of colorful characters and impeccably stylish folks.
thus far on this insane and surreal trip, i’ve been flustered with my impotent mandarin, bought birkenstocks, had dangerously addictive HK style milk tea, witnessed the awesomeness of which wealthy good-hearted people are capable, and already contemplated a fantasy of living in hong kong. yesterday i had a rare free moment to explore, so i abused my poor foot and did just that.
this mammoth construction project is right next to the swanky long pool. it’s quite a sight, seeing it jut out along the poolside and cabana chairs, appearing from the top of palm trees
the view from #2731
hong kong’s MTR (mass transit system) is clean, efficient, and thoughtful, with excellent signage to guide you along. here’s a fun, random ad, and then an example of MTR’s positive, simple reminders to keep you in check
the infamous central-mid-level escalator. i LOVE it. you ascend hk’s treacherous topography while practically brushing up next to residents’ suspended laundry, peering into store windows, and getting a bird’s eye view of the bustling below. this structure has appeared in chungking express. if it does’t fill you with childlike wonderment the first dozen times you ride it, then you must be dead inside
took the escalator from central station to hollywood street, turned onto a busy alley and found fresh produce, seafood, and gnarly butcher stalls. wet markets make my heart sing
it was serendipity, because tucked away was THIS, a popular place known for its perfect milk tea (made with silk stockings). just earlier that morning i had read about this cafe and really wanted to try it, but didn’t think i’d get the chance. it falls into the cha chan ting restaurant category — hong kong coffee houses. the window was plastered in press clippings to proclaim notoriety. it was cramped and hoppin’ inside, so a tiny table had to be shared with others
glass of iced milk tea and a trademark dish: fried instant noodles with spicy meat and chicken wings, topped off with fried egg. not purdy, but tasty
see how happy i was sipping my delicious milk tea? great great great
back to wonderful hollywood street. it’s mostly an antique row with its share of stalls, boutiques, galleries, a handful of bistros, and trendy wine bars. the beautiful thing is that it’s also residential, lined with schools, a temple, and parks. if there was a decisive moment that made HK a favorite city, it happened while gallivanting this delightful stretch
creepy, pretty growth
stairwells are everywhere (and that’s the temple on the left). see the cute school kids scampering down the steps? probably saw five different school uniforms out there. lots of moms were picking up their wee ones at this hour
eyecatching decorative building
lomo store (bright red store front) smack dab in the middle of this mellow neighborhood. crazy!
belonging to the plethora of galleries
kids being kids + resident curmudgeon in the mix doing his calisthenics
backtracked into soho (bars, galleries, eats galore) and then into lan kwai fong, an extremely “happening” concentration of bars, clubs, restaurants. it’s the epicenter of nightlife, but more like a raucous hotbed of grossness and skeezy expats. regardless, was glad to visit just to see what it was all about, but more importantly, to see this!
yup, that’s my cuz simon. true to form, he’s staying indefinitely in HK to work on another cool project with two other likeminded bros. i’m prouda him. we met up in a subdued corner away from the madness
later in the evening, went across the water to tsim sha tsui in kowloon. the plan was to grab a bite, but hunger and exhaustion were deferred in the name of uniqlo and M U J I. my very first one, and it didn’t disappoint. fell head over heels with it, especially its black, buttery sheep leather wallet
keepin’ it real at a down n dirty food court. at this point we were almost flatlining
this morning, a fortuitous chance to get outside for breakfast. went to a festive, huge seafood banquet restaurant in an industrial, dated government building nearby. better-than-average dim sum (btw those are goose claws)
and i guess i shouldn’t sign off without showing why i’m so lucky to be in HK in the first place. getting the booth ready on our end was an intensely stressful experience. the wall graphic alone probably shaved a good two years off my life, but as you can see, our designer rocked it. despite the grinding tension leading up to this, it was worth it. i’ll be a permanent fixture at this spot for the next few days
someone snapped this pic of me frantically trying to reach a coworker on the phone – note my weird eyelids
this is commissioner sally. she RULES harder than 99% of humanity. a heart of gold who tirelessly champions for the things that matter
oh man, i’m wrapping this up in the hotel room and it is way too late for me to still be conscious. it’s been a VERY, VERY LONG DAY. maybe it’s jet lag?
ps – kelly chen’s wedding is all over the news right now. goodnight!