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!

This entry was posted on Friday, October 3rd, 2008 at 11:21 am and is filed under arts, asia, culture, food, travel, work. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.