#kowloon road trip

[greenbagjosh]

Day 3 - 11 November 2003 - ferry to Macau and bus to Coloane to see into China's Guangdong

Tuesday 11 November 2003

早上好 (Zhou sen)! おはようございます/ Ohayogozaimasu! Bom dia! Good morning!

It is the second (or third day if you count crossing the international date line from 9th to 10th November 2003, making 10th November 2003 possibly the shortest day of my life that I remember as an adult).

On the 11th November 2003, I went somewhere where I had no prior intention of going, prior to my arrival in Hong Kong the previous evening. That same morning I took a hydrofoil ferry to the Macau S.A.R. Access from the Novotel (today's Hotel Jen) was possible either by trolley which was accessible at Des Voeux Road, or with the hotel's shuttle bus, to the Hong Kong Macau Ferry terminal at the Sheung Wan subway station. The HKU subway station that is now close to the hotel, was not built in 2003.

The morning of the 11th, I wanted to get a good view of Hong Kong and Kowloon. This was possible by going to the pool level, I think 25th or 26th floor. It seemed a bit chilly to go swimming, as it was about 55 F / 12 C, and also it was cloudy. I did not stay more than fifteen minutes. But the view was very interesting, I could see as far as Tsing Yi and maybe Nathan Road in Kowloon.

It was not yet time for the hotel to serve breakfast. I walked along Queen's Road, and the morning commute was already underway. The local McDonalds and 7 Eleven were busy at the time. I bought a few provisions for the day, a bottle of lucozade and Sprite and curry buns that I enjoyed the night before.

About 7:30 AM breakfast was ready. I was one of maybe three or four people in the entire breakfast room. Breakfast was a buffet of cheeses, bread, cold cuts, hard boiled eggs, and even freshly baked curry buns, that the server highly recommended. It was very delicious, and a good deal for a surcharge of US $ 9.00.

After breakfast, I let the front desk know that I wanted to go to the Hong Kong-Macau ferry terminal, so they put my name down for a space. The shuttle was a Toyota Coaster 15-seater with manual transmission. The ride was about ten minutes along Des Voeux Road to Sheung Wan. Once I entered the ferry terminal, I bought my ticket for about US $ 15.00 round trip. I was assigned a second-class seat for the outbound trip and had a first-class seat for the inbound trip later that evening. Before boarding the ferry, I had to get an exit stamp in my passport, and when I boarded, I had to get to my seat and buckle up. Hydrofoil boats can travel fast and is susceptible to winds along the Zhujiang River Estuary. The ferry boat announcements were in Mandarin, Cantonese, English and Portuguese.

When the ferry left Hong Kong, it went nonstop on the south side of Lantau Island where the Chek Lap Kok airport is located. For those who never visited Hong Kong or Macau, it is difficult to tell the land mass, where Macau begins or the PRC begins. Back then (year 2003), the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge did not exist and it was not even an idea until years later.

The ferry arrived about 11 AM at the Terminal Marítimo do Porto Exterior de Macau, or the external ferry port. This would be the entry and exit point for my travels that day. I had to get an entry stamp into Macau. For US citizens, no entry visa for the PRC was necessary, so all I received was a 30-day leave to enter stamp in Chinese and Portuguese.

The ferry terminal is located in the St. Lazarus Parish, and is also in some ways like "The Strip" that you might remember from Las Vegas, as gambling is legal in Macau but not Hong Kong. I walked along Avenida da Amizade and noticed that there were chain-kinked fences around some of the streets. This was because the 2003 Macau Grand Prix was about to happen in a few day's time.

Trying to change Hong Kong dollars to Macau patacas is a waste of time, and the money changers will simply refuse to change HK dollars for the pataca. Macau accepts Hong Kong Dollar notes at par, not necessarily the coins. There is a slight advantage for the US dollar, you may receive 3% more in Macau than Hong Kong. Coins between Hong Kong and Macau have different shapes, some have odd shapes, and with the Hong Kong $10 coin, there is a single longitudal groove.

I was getting hungry about 11:45 AM, so I tried to find a bus to Coloane, namely Fernando's, located at Hac Sa, but I ended up instead at Parque Eanes on the opposite side of Coloane, and eating at Restaurante Espaco Lisboa - which I think was a better deal. The bus traversed first through Macau, past the Hotel Wynn Macau, then on the Ponte da Amizade (Friendship bridge) past the airport on Taipa. The bus went further south on Taipa along Estrada do Istmo, past Estrada Flor de Lótus. Along the way there were many white statues of the Chinese zodiac, including the tiger, monkey, rabbit, pig, rat, and horse. There was a bridge to Zhuhai in Taipa, which on the Macau side was left-hand running, until Zhuhai when it switched to right-hand running.

Once the bus started after Estrada Flor de Lótus, the bus drove onto Estrada de Seac Pai Van and then Rua de Entre-Campos, and it was in the Coloane district, the furthest south in the Macau S.A.R. The bus stopped at the southeast side of Parque Eanes, corner of Estrade de Cheoc Van. The bus driver said in English "Last stop". I tried to find the bus line to Hac Sa, but I changed my mind when I saw the sign for Restaurant Espaco - Lisboa, and thought maybe this might be a better experience. I could not find the alley way, and not knowing I needed to go along Rua das Gaivotas, in 2003 there were no smartphones and consequently no Google-Maps available, so I used my in 2001 purchased cellphone to call the restaurant, a ++853 number. The owner answered and was helpful. She was very nice enough to come to Parque Eanes and show me the way to the restaurant. I had a table facing Zhuhai. I was served a bottle of Sintra beer. I think at the time, it was already 1 PM Beijing/HK time. I ordered a steak with fried egg and two strips of bacon. I think also it was served with potatoes. I had my radio with me, I was listening to Radio Macao 98.0 FM, the Portuguese-language station. Three songs I distinctly remember being played between 12:55 PM and 1:15 PM that day, "Pandajero" by Cantoma, "Two Fingers" by J J Johanssen and "Island" by Heather Nova, including a top-of-the-hour-em-português news report. Eventually I needed to use the bathroom. The bathroom was not the Chinese kind I had expected, it was a proper European bathroom with sit-down toilet, and the electric outlet was the same as in Hong Kong and the UK, namely the "G" type rectangular pins, bottom two flat and middle one vertical. After lunch, I let the owner know that I enjoyed having lunch there. About 1:40 PM or so, I walked down Rua das Gaivotas and Rua do Tassara, then south on Avenida de Cinco de Outubro, so that I could get a good view of Zhuhai, and that would be pretty much all of the PRC that I would be able to see at the time.

Along my walk, I passed by the Escola Primária Luso-Chinesa de Coloane and turned back to Parque Eanes at the Tam Kong Buddhist temple and along Rua do Estaleiro. The Chinese and Portuguese cultures seemed to jump out at that particular section. For example, there was a painting of a panda eating bamboo, and a block away, was a portuguese Quinta house painted in pink. I walked the rest of the way to Parque Eanes by Rua do Meio. The fare back to Macau was a little more than from Macau, I think somewhere around $ 0.90.

I am not exactly sure anymore where the bus from Coloane to Macau took me, but I think I exited around the Jardim de Sao Francisco, in the Cathedral Parish. I remember a distinct building, painted in pink and white, called the Clube Militar. I took photos of its northwest side along the Avenida da Praia Grande. While walking towards the Ruins of St. Paul's, I saw a display for the Macau Grand Prix, and a 1970's performance edition of the Ford Escort. It is a 3/4 mile walk from Clube Militar to the Ruins, so you would walk along Avenida da Praia Grande, Calcada de Sao Joao, pass by St. Dominic's church, Rua da Palha and on the hill, are the ruins. There exists only the facade of the cathedral, maybe two feet thick at most. When you walk through those streets I have named, those are basically pedestrian alleys and most of the old colonial Portuguese buildings remain. Behind the ruins, is a Buddhist temple, and anyone can enter the grounds on condition that they keep a quiet and calm demeanor.

After seeing the ruins, I think it was 4:30 PM or so. I took a bus to Portas de Cerco, which is physically the closest I have ever been in my life to the PRC. There is not much to see, and the wall that separates the PRC from Macau is so high, that it kind of gives a feeling of being in Cold-War era West Berlin. 5 PM came around and it was time to do some shopping. I walked along Istmo de Ferreira do Amaral, and found some place to buy crispy egg roll cookies. They were half an inch in diameter, about six inches long, and for about 30 of them, in a tin box. I was thirsty and went to a grocery store located along Avenida de Artur Namagnini Barbosa. I bought a few cans of lemon soda.

It was getting around 6 PM and the sun went down. I had to get back to Hong Kong. I took the bus back to the ferry terminal. Buying postcards was a challenge. No one spoke either enough English or Portuguese, so I had to resort to hand gestures. Eventually I was able to buy postcards and Macau postage. Leaving Macau, I had a "saida" exit stamp in my passport. The ferry ride back was a little choppy as it was high tide. I was buckled well into my seat. I was served a light snack as I was in first class going back to Hong Kong.

When I arrived in Hong Kong, I had to declare that I did not have SARS, stand for a few seconds under a temperature sensor, and then had my passport stamped. Due to the proximity of the Hong Kong Macau Ferry terminal to the Sheung Wan subway station, I thought it would be a good opportunity to ride the subway for a little bit. My Octopus card was valid for the journey, unlimited rides up to the 13th. I did not go very far, maybe just to Lai King in the northwest of Kowloon. I would ride more of the subway on Wednesday the 12th. After exiting at Sheung Wan, I took the trolley to Hill Street and walked to the hotel on Queen's Road. The ride cost around US $ 0.30, actually HK$ 2.00. You enter at the back, and at your stop you exit at the front paying the 2 HK dollars. The trolleys are generally slow, going about 20 mph / 30 km/h.

I ate a curry bun and drank Sprite, and then went to bed. I had to make the most of the next day before flying home.

Next chapter, the great Far-East subway adventure, dragon-hole building sighting, buying tea at the Tung Chung Wellcome store and even a train trip towards Sheung Wan, lastly with an evening in Kowloon Nathan Road.

Xie xie, domo arrigato, obrigado and thank you!

Music seen years later on a tape I recorded while in Macau

- "Sounds of the samba" by Victor Davies

- "Happy Here" by Danmass

- "Pandajero" by Cantoma

After the news came

- "Two fingers" by J J Johannsson

- "I am an island" by Heather Nova

and I ran out of tape and had to replace it with a fresh one.

Nice memories of Macau from so long ago.

[goodpix2021]

Chinese signs in Hong Kong, China.

[hbtravelersworld]

. Countries such as Australia, Canada, French, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Korean, Thailand, British and United States all contributes significant tourist growth for Hong Kong. This article presents some critical traveler tips for tourists so that you could enjoy more and have a wonderful trip to Hong Kong.

1. Personal Identity and Safety Tourists must carry valid personal identity documentation such as passport during their stay in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a very safe city according to the low crime rate. However, due to the densely population, it is not suggested to take a large amount of cash when going out since most of the shops in Hong Kong accepts credit cards. Expensive belongs should be locked in the safe in hotel. You could easily find policemen on the streets whenever you have encountered any problems.

2. Service Charges Most of the restaurants except fast food shops will add 10% service charges to the bill. Therefore, you may choose to give out the odd dollars from the changes as the service tips. For taxi driver or bellboy in the hotel, there is no pre set norm for the service tips, you may choose to give out whenever you think the service is deserved for.

3. Telephone Service All local telephone call is free except for the public telephone which charges HK$1 for every 5 minutes. Emergency call is 999 and it is free to call even in public telephone. You could either use IDD telephone call card or credit card for long distance call, or simply through operator for collect call in all public telephone counter.

4. Drinking Water The drinking water in Hong Kong reaches World Health Organization standard. However, you may also choose to buy the bottle water in the supermarkets if you think it is necessary.

5. Taxi All taxi only accept cash and they have invoice print out whenever you request. It is easier to catch the taxi in the taxi stop or outside the hotel. Many of the taxi drivers could understand simple English. It is suggest writing down your destination (in English) on paper to minimize misunderstandings. The taxi charges is based on the meter which is HK$15 for the first 2 Km and HK$1.4 for the subsequent 0.2 Km. Besides, there are tunnel charges ranging from HK$3-45 depends on which tunnel you have to take. The charging table is clearly shown on the inner side of the doors so you could check it before you pay. In case of any complaints or lost case, you may record down the name of the taxi driver and his license plate number which is clearly shown on the front seat stand, and reports to the police hotline: 2527 7177 whenever necessary.

6. Mass Transit Railway (MTR) Hong Kong has 6 MTR routes, which covers most parts of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and New Territories. Tsuen Wan Route: Tsuen Wan to Central Kwun Tong Route: Yau Mat Tei to Tiu Keng Leng Tseung Kwan O Route: North Point to Po Lam Main Route: Sheung Wan to Chai Wan Tung Chung Route: Tung Chung to Hong Kong Airport Route: Airport to Hong Kong Due to the convenience of MTR and the compact area of Hong Kong, most tourists find it is not necessary to rent car during their stay. Besides, due to the very heavy traffic and the complexity of the city roads, it is not recommended for tourists to drive. In case you really need car rental, you may consult your hotel, and be ready with your passport and driving license.

7. Kowloon Canton Railway (KCR) The KCR is the major railway which links up the New Territories and the city of Kowloon. It runs through Tsim Sha Tsui East to Lo Wu which takes about 40 minutes for the whole route. Lo Wo is the final station which you could pass through to enter China with valid visa. The train will depart for every 3 to 10 minutes, and the earliest one will be started at 5:35 a.m. while the last one will be departed at 12:20 p.m. The ordinary fair and the first class fair are HK$18 and HK$36 respectively from Hung Hom to Sheung Shui.

8. Tram The tram service has been started in 1904 and it is the oldest transportation system in Hong Kong. It only services the Hong Kong Island running from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan plus another route to Happy Valley. The earliest tram starts at 6: 00 a.m. and run until 1:00 p.m. and the fair is HK$ 2 for adult and HK$ 1 for children under age12. It is the cheapest transportation in Hong Kong, and you are highly recommended to take a ride at the upper stairs so that you could enjoy all the street scenery of Hong Kong.

9. Star Ferry The scenery of Hong Kong harbor is famous in the world, especially the night scenery. Besides, there is spectacular light show by the commercial buildings in the Hong Kong island at 8:00 p.m. every night which you must not miss. The Star Ferry has been serving on the harbor for more than 100 years, and the fair is less than HK$3 per rides. You could take the Star Ferry from Cental to Tsim Sha Tsui at around 8:00 p.m. You could enjoy the harbor scenery on the ferry and continue with the light show at the Starlight Road of Tsim Sha Tsui.

10. Hong Kong International Airport The most convenient route to the Hong Kong International Airport is through the MTR which takes about 23 minutes from Central. It passes through stations of Kowloon, Olympic, Tsing Yi, and the train will be departed for every ten minutes. With the MTR, you would never miss the airplane due to the traditional traffic jam. Other than the MTR, you could take the Airport Bus which starts from 6:00 a.m. at the morning until 11:00 p.m. at night. It covers most part of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon with major hotels.

[premierviskowloon]

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[fayewonglibrary]

Faye Wong's career: Hong Kong never changed her (2010)

by Wu Qi

The impact that Faye Wong left in Hong Kong can still be felt in this world today where trends are constantly changing. When the media mentions Faye Wong, they refer to her as "Heavenly Queen". Every time she returns to Hong Kong to go shopping, it still causes a frenzy for the paparazzi.

The streets of Hong Kong in August are busy. Our reporter wanted to see where Faye Wong first became popular. However, Alvin Leong, her music producer for many years, said that the recording studio on Kimberley Road where Faye Wong’s first audition was held in 1989 is now gone. And S&R studio on Hankow Road, where he produced her first few albums, was closed around 1997.

Instead, we met at AVON recording studio on Nanking Street in Kowloon where Faye Wong recorded the famous song FRAGILE WOMAN. This location is not very spacious, but it occupies two of only three of the remaining professional recording studios in Hong Kong today. Hong Kong's recording industry was once a big star-making factory. Now looking back at the golden age of the 1980s and 1990s makes people feel a bit emotional.

Intentionally or unintentionally, Faye Wong and the Hong Kong pop music she represented in the 1990s reached a legendary climax and ending.

She once led Hong Kong trends and left her mark as a maverick. But few people saw her innermost silent struggles. Chan Siu Bo, the owner of Cinepoly Records, regarded it as a conflict between a Beijing girl and Hong Kong culture. And in the end, her individuality was bigger than this city that could have drowned her. She could let go of her reputation and work, but she could never let go of her character. She was true and stubborn.

In the eyes of those who know her, there are only two kinds of people in Faye Wong's world: acquaintances and strangers. Among acquaintances, Faye Wong is compatible with those who are straightforward and natural and she regards them as friends. For people she doesn't know well, she never tries to figure them out and often ignores them.

Music critic Wong Chi-wah told our reporter that before Faye Wong, there were almost no female pop singers in Hong Kong who expressed themselves through their creative work. The producers were always in control of female singers. However, Faye Wong and her producers collaborated together. Hong Kong people could see a different culture through her eyes. As Faye Wong expressed in her song EXIT — "I have a lot of problems that can’t be solved; I lack patience and nothing can satisfy me; I often offend people, which seems to be a natural talent; I hate being famous, but also want attention."  It was a combination of Western pop music, Hong Kong culture, as well as northern China’s culture that liked to explore the meaning of music. As she herself said, "If you don’t have feelings for it, how can you perform it? This [making music] is not as simple as making a shirt."  Music critic Fung Lai Chi said that Faye Wong's songs never stopped expressing herself. From early Cantopop to AOR (Adult Oriented Rock), she bid farewell to R&B and then absorbed trip hop and psychedelic electronic music. In the world of music, she was looking for an exit.

"Mainland Girl" Wong Jing Man

"What songs have you listened to recently?"

"There’s a song called HOWEVER THAT DAY, it sounds very good!"

"Who sang it?"

"Wong Jing Man."

 "Wong Jing Man?! No way, you are so corny! How can you like her?"

At Metro Radio Station in Whampoa Garden in Hong Kong, Lin Boxi described to our reporter the attitude of Hong Kong girls towards Faye Wong back then. Lin Boxi was born and raised in Hong Kong and is very local. He spoke Cantonese while vividly describing Wong Jing Man of those early years.

"Hong Kong fans were snobbish. At that time, I felt that everything in the Mainland was inferior. The singing from the north was very old-fashioned. Generally, girls liked Shirley Kwan, Vivian Chow, and Sandy Lam. Everyone knew that Wong Jing Man sang well, but she was not trendy so her songs were not popular!"

Lin Boxi said that he was in high school when Wong Jing Man made her debut in Hong Kong. Now as a well-known radio DJ in Hong Kong, in his analysis, her identity as a "Mainland Girl" was an obstacle for Hong Kong people to accept her as a singer.

Today, the streets of Hong Kong in August are hot. But there are no big stars in the colorful magazines that can touch the nerves of all the Hong Kong people. The birth of Gigi Lai's daughters and Dai Si Chung's death occupy the most pages. However, in the past two days, the media found old photos of Dai Si Chung and his student Faye Wong. In the photo, Faye Wong had a mushroom hairstyle, thick eyebrows and red lips. She wore a red-gray crop top showing her waist. Her expression was flat. The caption next to the photo said: "Faye Wong in the old days. Although she could sing, no record company was willing to sign her."

Most people don't know that Faye Wong's mainland identity was actually not a bad thing for the record company that signed her.

Chan Siu Bo, the owner of Cinepoly Records, liked her "Mainland Girl" background - it represented a market that could be developed. Hong Kong people used to call Chan Siu Bo the "Little Treasure". He was a famous DJ in the 1980s and then became owner of Cinepoly Records under the subsidiary of Polygram. His company became popular because of Faye Wong, Beyond, Leslie Cheung, etc. Chan Siu Bo now in his early 50s, has returned to Metro Radio to be a DJ. He can speak relatively fluent Mandarin, which is not so Hong Kong-like. Both of our chats were conducted at Metro Radio in Kowloon.

Chan Siu Bo told our reporter that when Faye Wong appeared in front of him in 1988, it was a period of time when he was busy drinking with his friends and bidding them farewell. "Hong Kong’s return to China in 1997 was getting closer. Hong Kong’s emigration wave began in 1980. It was almost 1990. It seemed that every day there were friends who wanted to emigrate and bid farewell. In the end, I decided not to leave. I was thinking that if I had the opportunity to sign a mainland singer, it would be great."

Chan Siu Bo said that at that time, Dai Si Chung called him and introduced a student from Beijing named Faye Wong and wanted him to listen to her tape. "The students introduced by Mr. Dai were usually pretty good." Faye Wong's tape was in the hands of Alvin Leong, a producer at Cinepoly. Alvin Leong was born and raised in the United States. After finishing high school, he studied for another year in college and then went to Hong Kong for summer vacation when he was recruited by Universal Music. He maintains a beautiful mustache and speaks very gently and humble. Thinking back more than 20 years ago, he spoke about the success of his and Faye’s collaboration:  "It just so happened that the music we enjoyed was very similar. Ah Fei and I were both outsiders with nothing to bond us except for the music that we enjoyed.”

In the 1980s, Alvin Leong said that he was very busy every day. "At first, I didn't care about Faye Wong's tapes at all. Every day someone brought tapes over and wanted to listen to them."  A few months later, he accidentally picked it up and listened. Faye Wong sang a song by Teresa Teng, "The hairs on my arms stood up when I heard it. It sounded so impressive!"

Then, Chan Siu Bo also heard Faye Wong’s audition of Teresa Teng’s song SMALL TOWN STORY:  "Compared with the average Hong Kong person, I have a sense for Mandarin songs. I was very excited. When I took the taxi, the driver was listening to Teresa Teng’s song. I took out Ah Fei’s tape and said: Change it to this and listen, it sounds like Teresa Teng.” Today, more than 20 years later, Chan Siu Bo no longer remembers the driver’s reaction. He only remembers his excitement. The music man had found someone who could sing.

Chan Siu Bo said that although he was born in Hong Kong, the influence of his parents in Shanghai far exceeded the narrow boundaries of Hong Kong. "Although I hadn’t been outside of Hong Kong much, in terms of music, I felt like I had gone to university abroad."

The first boss and first music producer Faye Wong met in Hong Kong happened to be not very "Hong Kong-ized."  When Chan Siu Bo told Alvin Leong that this mainland girl couldn't speak Cantonese, Alvin thought: “When I returned from the United States, I couldn't speak Cantonese either!"

Very simply, after listening to the two songs recorded by Faye Wong, Chan Siu Bo decided to sign her. "When I think about it now, I was too daring." Chan Siu Bo said that he had never even seen Faye Wong's face at the time and there were clearly inaccurate pronunciations in the Cantonese song that she auditioned. "She was a little girl of 18 or 19 years old. If you can’t learn Cantonese well in your 20s, then the music business will be difficult to handle.” At that time, Hong Kong had no market for Mandarin songs. Chan Siu Bo recalled that the publicity department manager, nicknamed "Red Bull", rushed into the room and said, "Did you sign a "Mainland Girl"? I won't send her songs to the radio stations! Do it yourself!”

But Chan Siu Bo's risk to sign Faye Wong was not completely impulsive. Cinepoly Records was a subsidiary of Polygram and Polygram had popular  artists such as The Wynners Band, Alan Tam, and Teresa Teng. "So I told the boss of Polygram that the person I signed corresponded to him. You have The Wynners and I have Beyond; you have Alan Tam and I have Leslie Cheung; you have Teresa Teng and I just signed Faye Wong.”

"Her potential is greater."

In fact, Cinepoly originally planned to develop Faye Wong as the next generation Teresa Teng. Alvin Leong disagreed with this idea. He liked European and American pop music and was unwilling to produce a style that he was not interested in. Chan Siu Bo saw that Sandy Lam was very popular at the time. Her Cantonese songs had a taste of R&B which was quite unique. Therefore, Chan Siu Bo said that he and Alvin Leong decided: "We can add R&B style to Ah Fei, but not too much. She can't be another Sandy Lam, nor can she be another Teresa Teng." Chan Siu Bo understood that the singers of Hong Kong did not have a voice like this Beijinger, Faye Wong, "Don't waste her talent, her potential is greater."

Alvin Leong recalled that Faye Wong first came to him in the summer. She wore a short-sleeved T-shirt, simple curls in her hair, and no makeup. "I saw this girl that was very fresh. Hong Kong girls do not seem to have such a temperament. She was tall, very simple and clean." Alvin Leong said that he has met many beautiful girls who like to sing. But basically, the first time they audition and the sound comes out, the girls would say: “I have a bad voice today.” He understood that this was due to their nervousness. Faye Wong did not have this. "I asked her if it was OK to record, she said yes and started singing without any further questions. She has always been confident in singing."

Alvin Leong said that Faye Wong was the most comfortable and happy when she was with him. Faye Wong who grew up in Beijing had only Teresa Teng’s songs as her musical enlightenment. Alvin Leong, who had returned from the United States, knew European and American pop music and had a wide-open vision. Alvin Leong told our reporter about those days: "We were like friends. I brought discs for her to listen to. She liked it very much and wanted to try those styles.” At that time, Alvin Leong liked R&B in the 1980s. “It was a more soothing sound which is different from the current hip-hop feeling. I liked that rhythm. I thought Ah Fei could try this style.” Chan Siu Bo said that new singers were like children and producers generally played the role of brother or father. Alvin Leong, who is 7 years older than Faye Wong, never deliberately taught her any rules. He said, "There cannot be two artists in a recording studio."

The Hong Kong pop music industry in the 1980s and 1990s was famous for its "quick hand" which adapted popular songs from Europe, America and Japan. Most songs on a record were adaptations. There were few music creators in Hong Kong, but the frequency of recording was very high. Many singers released a new record every 6 months. Alvin Leong doesn't think there is anything wrong with cover songs. He said that the song must conform to the attributes of Cantonese songs. It is actually not easy and it is a very professional creation process. R&B is the most difficult genre to match with Cantonese lyrics. If the sound of the word is accommodated, the rhythm is lost. "We simply ignored whether the sound of the word was correct or not. We adapted to the rhythm of R&B and twisted the sound a little. When older generations and musicians were present, we were not be allowed to sing like this."

The creative atmosphere was casual and comfortable, "We didn't have meetings and we didn’t have a to-do-list of one, two and three. Ah Fei came to the office one day and I was playing a Japanese song. She said the song was good, so I gave it to her. The tune was adapted and we found someone to fill in lyrics and it became HOWEVER THAT DAY. Alvin Leong said that when they recorded the first album, they tried to find a local person to correct Faye Wong's Cantonese pronunciation. But they did not like spending time on things other than music. "Later on, we didn't care about the pronunciation. Anyway, if you don't understand it, you can read the lyrics!" Alvin Leong couldn't help but laugh when he said that.

He admired Japanese female singers EPO and Miyuki Nakajima, and R&B artists in the West. These artists formed the style of Faye Wong's first few records. "Gor Gor (Leslie Cheung) and Ah Fei were the two singers that I personally supervised. If Ah Fei did not show up, then I would apply these inspirations to Gor Gor." So to some extent in Faye Wong’s early songs, "She was like the female version of Leslie Cheung." Alvin Leong said that he could feel that the two singers were very talented, "If a section of the song was not recorded properly, Gor Gor would know to sing it again. Same with Ah Fei. I didn’t need to say anything. She knew which line to sing again. She is very talented in languages and later spoke Cantonese very well."

"For a long time, Ah Fei's records did not have a planned route. I would constantly listen to songs and then select them. And when producing, I made them according to the mood, environment and climate at the time. I didn't plan to use any style, just as long as it was comfortable." Alvin Leong said, “Faye Wong liked to stay in the studio while wearing casual clothes and slippers. She liked to say: This is my second home." Alvin Leong said they are both people who don't like talking and the world of music makes them feel at ease. After Ah Fei released a few records, they gained a little popularity. But when they needed to record songs, the two recording studios were not close and they didn't want to take a taxi. “She and I were still carrying the tapes and squeezing on to the subway like very ordinary people."

"Lau Fei Fei"

The world outside of music confused the Beijing girl Faye Wong. The Mainland China entertainment industry had just opened up and most people were puzzled by the very "nonsensical" entertainment methods in Hong Kong. Faye Wong, in Hong Kong people's eyes, didn't like to smile. In addition to her personality, her cultural background was also a factor. Before the recording of a TV show, she was told to smile more. She was stunned: "Why should I smile when I have no reason to?”

The impression that Faye Wong gave her Hong Kong colleagues in the early years was that she liked to ask ‘why’ for everything. "Why do I need to go out to promote?" "Why does the media ask me if I have a boyfriend? What does it matter to them?" At face value, these questions seem aggressive, but Faye Wong actually asked them sincerely. Chan Siu Bo’s understanding was: "Her method of expression was problematic and Hong Kong people didn't understand how Beijingers express themselves."

Hong Kong people take everything for granted in the star industry that they created. Chan Siu Bo recalled, "Colleagues told Ah Fei: Our crazy boss signed you and we have to promote you. There is no other reason! If you want to ask ‘why’, then go ask the boss." So Faye Wong was given a stage name Wong Jing Man and an English name Shirley. And she tried to embody a Hong Kong image in her early years.

Chan Siu Bo told our reporter that when there was a meeting, he or his assistant would always take a moment to answer Faye Wong’s ‘why's'. Chan Siu Bo said that Faye Wong was actually an obedient girl who did the publicity work, sang earnestly, spoke very mildly, and was never fierce. It's just that she didn't like some promotion [methods] and she would air her grievances: "I am not happy today." or "I did all the work, now can I take my vacation?"

Chan Siu Bo said that Faye Wong liked to return to Beijing, even if the Hong Kong media discriminated against mainlanders, Faye Wong ignored it. From 1989 to 1991, Faye Wong released 3 albums. The first album WONG JING MAN sold 25,000 copies and reached gold record sales in Hong Kong. She received good grades among the newcomers. But as Lin Boxi said, "The songs were not popular," to the average Hong Kong person.  "The media didn't care about her, she was not beautiful, her figure was not hot, and there was no news."

After three albums, in 1992 Faye Wong suddenly decided to stop everything and go to the United States to study. Chan Siu Bo said that he had been transferred to the parent company PolyGram. The owner of Cinepoly was replaced. Faye Wong was not optimistic and she was totally incompatible with the new owner. Faye Wong asked Chan Siu Bo to go for tea before he left. He said, "I was in a bad mood after listening to her. I signed her and Beyond, but left midway. She said that she didn’t care and she wouldn’t sing anymore if she's not happy. She lost interest." At this point, Chan Siu Bo sighed, "This kind of mentality became acceptable later on, but most Hong Kong singers back then never dared to think like this."

Chan Siu Bo looked at Faye Wong’s plight at the time: "The public said that this artist was 'difficult.' Ah Fei is a typical Beijinger who likes deep music and has a more serious outlook on life. She feels that music is not a game, but Hong Kong entertainment is relatively relaxed, so Ah Fei always seemed out of place which formed her cold and arrogant image. This is a cultural conflict between Beijing and Hong Kong."

After arriving in the United States, Faye Wong once recalled: “There were so many strange, confident-looking people. They didn’t care what other people thought of them. I felt I was originally like that too, independent and a little rebellious. But in Hong Kong I lost myself. I was shaped by others and became like a machine, a dress hanger. I had no personality and no sense of direction." 

She eventually came back to release COMING HOME, and she took the initiative to highlight her Beijing identity. The song FRAGILE WOMAN became popular on every street and avenue. Alvin Leong was worried that this song had a different style from the other songs on the album. But Faye Wong thought it was pretty good and unexpectedly this song was the beginning of her popularity in the Chinese-speaking world.

Hong Kong society is one where popular people are worshipped and Faye Wong, who changed back to her real name, immediately became a trendy idol. Lin Boxi told our reporter: "Before, everyone said she came from the mainland. But now she was back from the United States and suddenly she was very fashionable."

"One Hundred Thousand Whys"

In 1993, Faye Wong's album ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND WHYS caught the attention of music critics. She was always asking ‘why’ and referenced the popular book series "One Hundred Thousand Whys" from the Mainland. All her confusion about life was expressed by this album title. Generally, Hong Kong people were unfamiliar with this reference. Alvin Leong didn't understand the name of this album. "She explained it to me once and I forgot immediately. It didn't matter, just make the music you like." Alvin Leong said that he could feel that after coming back from the United States, Faye Wong had more musical ideas. In this album, from song selection to image design, Faye Wong's own style became more prominent.

Looking back, Alvin Leong regarded Faye Wong's first few albums as a learning stage. When they arrived at ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND WHYS, he officially discovered his own voice in music. The music critic Wong Chi-wah found a newspaper article from that year for our reporter. In September 1993, his harsher music critic colleague wrote an article called "This Faye Wong Has Courage" which said: "Who gave Faye Wong such courage? She does things her own way and her personality does not compromise with the persistent media. She has suffered somewhat. However, this stubborn girl did not yield obediently, but instead insists on her own choices more and more."

The next album RANDOM THOUGHTS was obviously influenced by British music and began Faye Wong's "The Cranberries" phase with the alternative style of the song DREAM PERSON. "Technically speaking, the music was very different from other Chinese songs. The effect of the electric guitar was very unique. Chinese fans didn't know what a ‘wah wah effect' was back then. The music of RANDOM THOUGHTS was alternative but compared with Faye Wong's more psychedelic songs later in her career, it was more comprehensible.”

Alvin Leong said that he fell in love with British music during that time and Faye Wong also admired this style very much. Music critic Fung Lai Chi believes that this was also a part of the shrewdness of Cinepoly Records. In his opinion, Faye Wong's popularity back then is like Jay Chou's influence in Chinese music now. "They are ahead of trends, not ten steps ahead, but one or two steps ahead. They very cleverly use foreign music elements, but they do not completely copy. After every two or three albums, the style will change and continue to break through. But not every album changes, because if the change is too fast, the average fan can't keep up."

Fung Lai Chi is the former editor-in-chief of City Magazine and now he is the content director of a music company and teaches popular music part-time at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.  We met him in the dining room of the university. With him were young students who loved Jay Chou and an old man listening to Cantonese opera on the radio.  Our reporter said: "This is Hong Kong, a peculiar place where music is integrated."

When comparing female singers who could come close to Faye Wong’s era, Fung Lai Chi believes that Anita Mui’s era was not as strong. “She was a singer and stage performer with many images. But her music was more dependent on the direction of the producer. For example, Xiao Chong once helped Anita Mui make Taiwan records. During that period, Xiao Chong liked hip hop and Anita Mui's songs reflected the style of Xiao Chong.”

Sandy Lam followed the Japanese idol route with fashion and song characteristics that were simple and youthful. Her song GRAY attracted young girls who were chasing that kind of style. Next, Sandy Lam's producer wanted to repackage her into a yuppie-style urban woman and she became a representative of women in Hong Kong of that era. Associating pop music with the feelings of urban women in Hong Kong, Sandy Lam in Jonathan Lee's period became a representative of yuppie middle-class Chinese women. Sandy Lam has her own ideas in music and her style is always looking for breakthroughs. In the middle and later stages of her career, she also participated in production and decided on her own path in music. However, when she teamed up with famous musician Jonathan Lee, “The personality and style of the producer was stronger than the singer."

Fung Lai Chi said that Faye Wong and Alvin Leong were more of a collaborative relationship. They incorporated the latest foreign trends but they did not deviate too far from mainstream Chinese.

"Fortunately, there was Faye Wong"

"It's good to talk to Ah Fei about music. She doesn't talk much, but she likes to talk about music." Alvin Leong has always regarded her as a musician. If you look back at the changes in the Hong Kong pop music industry, Faye Wong and Alvin Leong themselves did not expect that their musical experimentation as two young "foreign" people would push the Hong Kong music industry in an unprecedented direction.

Faye Wong’s first three albums were her "Wong Jing Man Period." Fung Lai Chi believes that these were basically Hong Kong-style pop songs, but with the addition of an AOR (Adult Oriented Rock) style. Although AOR is called rock, the rhythm is not intense. It is more elegant and mature, and the music is rich in form. It is more suitable for people around the age of 30. "Some of the songs come from the Japanese, typical AOR style. It’s a little fresh, but not a brand new feeling." Ballads dominated the entire Hong Kong market. Hong Kong people do not like entertainment that reflects social issues. "Usually I am very busy and tired. I want to have fun, not headaches when listening to music.” Therefore, love songs and some philosophical inspirational songs were the mainstays of the Hong Kong music industry.

Looking back, 1974 was considered the year of the first appearance of modern Cantopop music. Sam Hui incorporated Western-style pop songs with Cantonese lyrics. In addition, a series of martial arts theme songs such as "The Romantic Swordsman", "Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre", "Duke of Mt Deer", etc. composed by James Wong and Joseph Koo became popular. Hong Kong finally had their own pop music. "Cantonese opera is a three-hour drama. Cantopop retains these elements and is written as a 3-minute pop song. This is the characteristic of typical Cantonese pop music." So "Cantopop" was born and became an official music genre. 

Songs such as THOUSANDS OF SONGS by Priscilla Chan and Vivian Lai's EVERYONE HAS A DREAM are typical examples of very popular Cantopop. 

After Faye Wong tried AOR and R&B in her first few albums, she entered the Bjork trip hop phase with FUZAO and DI-DAR. Trip-Hop is European electronic music that is more psychedelic. The lyrics are not quite understandable but they are not completely unintelligible either. Fung Lai Chi said that Lin Xi once talked about his perception of Faye Wong's style at the time: “She didn't know herself well and wanted to understand herself more.”

The album FUZAO is a favorite of music critic Wong Chi-wah. In 1996, he wrote a review in Hong Kong's Sing Pao Daily News: "Faye Wong's FUZAO album has three songs with strong "Chinese" elements: SPORADIC, RESTLESS, and DOOMSDAY. But there is no such feeling of being "done in a hurry" at all. It’s not clear whether it is because Faye Wong has gotten closer to Dou Wei that has caused her to gain a stronger literacy of Chinese music, or whether she had such self-development when she was growing up in Beijing, but it has enabled her to successfully overcome the difficulty of injecting "Chinese" elements into a small space! It is worth noting that Faye Wong's songs are mostly short in duration, but they give people an endless after-effect that is very wonderful."  "If a song is good and does not exceed more than an octave, it must be a rare masterpiece. Because a song with a range too narrow will have great constraints on the creation of its melody. I personally like to collect good songs with a range of no more than an octave, but they usually cannot meet this criteria."  But Faye Wong's FUZAO did which surprised Wong Chi-wah.

Wong Chi-wah told our reporter that around 1992, the music industry in Hong Kong was dying. Sam Hui retired, Alan Tam announced that he would no longer accept awards, and Leslie Cheung withdrew from the music scene. Without much news, the media created the "Four Heavenly Kings", and Faye Wong was the only other artist that could compete with them: "Fortunately, there was Faye Wong."

The Hong Kong pop music industry had never seen a female singer-songwriter before. "There are very few female singers who write songs to express themselves." Wong Chi-wah attributed it to the reality of Hong Kong society, "Everyone has to earn a living, and music and literature are not the way to earn a living." Among the rare singer-songwriters, Sam Hui is a representative. However, Hong Kong people used to have a relatively weak national complex. English was seen as advanced and Chinese was inferior. Rarely were there singers like Taiwan's Hou Dejian or Lo Ta-yu who showed remarkable creativity.

Beyond was also a creative band. Wong Ka Kui himself composed a lot of music but not many lyrics. Wong Chi-wah believes that Wong Ka Kui‘s lyrics were "characteristically sincere but not literary enough."

In Fung Lai Chi's view, Faye Wong had been searching for a path not only to improve music, but also make the commercial market greater. Fung Lai Chi said that in her songs CHANEL and ONLY LOVE STRANGERS, she returned to the mainstream a little bit and was not so alternative. There was a taste of European electronic pop and it was still very advanced for the Chinese music industry.  Lin Xi once called Faye Wong and Alvin Leong the musicians who gave him the most creative space. When he wrote for Faye Wong, the lyrics were more abstract and more Buddhism-inspired. Fung Lai Chi said: "Listening to Faye Wong's songs, you can clearly feel her dynamic. She is a singer whose songs clearly reflect her."

In Chan Siu Bo's view, Faye Wong became more mature in dealing with people after returning from the United States. "She must have thought about a lot of things in those six months. Although she always said that she didn't like Hong Kong, she also learned to cherish her career in Hong Kong during that period."

It was Faye Wong's wish to expand abroad when she started singing. Chan Siu Bo said: "The Faye Wong I know wanted to sing Mandarin since the beginning. The development in Hong Kong was just a springboard for her. She clearly wanted to return to Mandarin." But from the record company’s point of view, Chan Siu Bo said that he saw more practical problems. "Faye Wong needed to stay in Hong Kong for 7 years to build her status before she could go to Taiwan to promote. She was going to sing Mandarin and we didn't know if there was a market.”

However, it turned out that her Mandarin song NO REGRETS with lyrics written by Faye Wong herself sold even better than the Cantonese version in Hong Kong. Therefore, "Hong Kong fans were blinded. She could do anything and it would be hot. For the record company, restraining a person on the rise would be stupid. She could do whatever she wanted." 

Before becoming a producer for Faye Wong, Alvin Leong was responsible for arranging foreign singers to perform in Hong Kong at Warner Records. Perhaps it was because he was born and raised in the United States, in his eyes, stars behaving like themselves was natural. Therefore, Faye Wong’s behavior was natural to him: "Hong Kong idols all learned from Japan. The celebrities had to maintain a sense of mystery. You couldn't even talk about marriage and children. What is special about Faye Wong is that she is loyal to herself. Her self-contained style of performance wasn’t accepted by the media here. They thought that she was too cold and self-centered and that her speech was too blunt. But it’s not like she left in the middle of a song or anything. She still put her all into her performances. But the local media was not used to that."

Hong Kong people also did not understand Faye Wong's affection for Dou Wei. Chan Siu Bo remembered that at the time, Faye Wong asked Dou Wei to play the drums for a 10 minute interlude in her concert, "Hong Kong people didn’t understand what was so good about it, so they all went to the bathroom." The picture of Faye Wong at a Beijing hutong toilet was splashed all over Hong Kong tabloids after paparazzi secretly photographed her. As soon as the magazine came out, "Someone called me and said ‘the queen is ruined’. But I knew Faye Wong would be even more likeable after this. There are so many girls who fall madly in love. Why can't Faye Wong? She is this kind of person."

Having been with Faye Wong for many years, Chan Siu Bo and Alvin Leong watched her go from a girl less than 20 years old to getting married and having children and growing up step by step. They both said that they never heard her complain and they never heard her speak about regret. Regarding music matters, she takes it seriously and is fun to work with.  Perhaps the current Faye Wong may be found in the lyrics to her song RED BEAN:  "There are times, when I'd rather choose to keep this love alive and not let go / And wait until we have finished admiring this view / Perhaps you will keep me company / And watch the trickle of water flow forever."

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SOURCE: SANLIAN LIFEWEEK // TRANSLATED BY: FAYE WONG FUZAO 

[survivingtw]

[FOODIE] Afternoon Tea at The Langham, Hong Kong.

If you’ve seen my other posts, it comes as no surprise to you that I am quite the afternoon tea fan. 

Naturally, when visiting Hong Kong my first thought is “To Tea or Not To Tea?”.

More often than not, google and other travel websites will recommend visiting The Peninsula. I visited a few years ago and during this trip I revisited, but what are the other options. 

Today, I visited another well-known traditional spot: The Palm Court in The Langham.

One of the immediate differences if of course being the lack of people; how lovely.

The atmosphere of the Palm Court is much darker than The Peninsula, a bit less natural light but still classic.

The service was was wonderful. That really put this experience over the top for myself. The woman who served us was well informed and polite. This is so important to be as its not uncommon to be greeted by a complete snob in a place like this.

The selection of teas perhaps wasn’t the most abundant as I’m used to in Taiwan (where you sit down with over fifty or so options) but I was pretty set on their Wedgwood classic; something similar to an English Breakfast tea. Being an English Breakfast fan I was not disappointed. The tea was pungent and lovely. The pot was always refilled and leaves were changed once I believe to refrain from the taste going too dilute. 

I sat with my friend for hours and enjoyed cup after cup. Trying it alone, with milk, with sugar, and the taste was great each time. I’d go back for the tea alone. 

On to a crucial part of afternoon tea -- scones and of course, clotted cream and jam.

Depending on your taste, do you put cream or jam first? My family has always put cream first. 

The scones had a bit of a caramelized/hardened out shell, while the inside was more soft, not too brittle. The size a bit smaller than usual but my friend claimed they were among the best she had. 

  Finally, the sandwiches and desserts.

The savory portion was light and delicate. I really enjoyed the cucumber wrapped one. The sandwich, I remember, was very well seasoned; for such a bite-sized snack it was packed full of flavour. 

My friend loved the macaron; similar to that of a strawberry candy.

My favourite was most likely the chocolate dessert on top. The rich dark chocolate flavour we all need to bend a broken heart! Haha. 

This was a great change from my usual expectations. The environment was pretty relaxed. We were never rushed or given a bill prior to finishing our order which really made us sit back and continue drinking our tea and chatting all afternoon. 

Will revisit!

Location: The Langham Hotel, Hong Kong

Address: 8 Peking Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong

[kalluun-patangaroa]

An Audience With… Brett Anderson

UNCUT Magazine

December 2010

Interview: John Lewis

Brett Anderson has some fans in odd places. This month, Uncut’s email boxes are positively heaving with questions from adoring fans in Peru, Serbia, Japan, New Zealand, Belgium, South Africa, Slovenia and Russia. “I’m quite popular in odd places,” he says. “Suede had No 1s in Chile and Finland. We were massive in Denmark. If asked why Denmark, my stock answer was that, well, I’m a depressed sex maniac and so are most Scandinavians. We toured China long before most Western pop groups. I remember playing Beijing, to a crowd divided by armed soldiers facing the audience. That was pretty scary.” Anderson is currently back in the Far East, speaking to Uncut as he overlooks Kowloon Harbour, preparing for solo dates. Later in the year he’ll be in London for a big O2 show with Suede (sans original guitarist Bernard Butler, although the two remain good friends). “I wanted to check out what the stage was like at the O2 Arena,” he says. “So I went to see The Moody Blues with my father-in-law. Come on, you can’t argue with ‘Nights In White Satin’. What a tune!”

I presume you’re aware of the ‘reallybanderson’ Twitter account purporting to be by you. Amused or offended? Helen, Birmingham

Twitter is one of those strange things, like Facebook, that I don’t have anything to do with. But I have to grudgingly admit that the reallybanderson Twitter updates are rather funny [starts giggling]. And the guy doing it is obviously a bit of a Suede fan, because there are some very detailed references to b-sides and bla-di-blah. I can’t exactly complain about it without coming across as a real tit. It’s just fun and no-one really thinks it’s me, it’s a cartoon version of me reflected through some fairground mirror. I don’t think anyone reads it and thinks, ‘Oh, Brett Anderson has Jas Mann from Babylon Zoo doing his washing up, or Brett punched Damon in the street.’ It is, ha ha ha, quite witty. Having shown them the picture inside the Best Of Suede CD, my kids would like to know why you refused to feed me for five years? Also – can my mum have her top back? And are you around for a trip to the Imperial War Museum? Bernard Butler

Yes, what most fans don’t realise is that we kept Bernard in a cage for five years, and fed him edamame beans and tap water. Regarding his mum’s top – he should know that it’s long been ripped up and destroyed by the front row of the Southampton Joiners, or somesuch venue. Now, the Imperial War Museum – me and Bernard were talking about getting older the other day and he said: “Are you finding yourself increasingly interested in British military history?” And I have become oddly fascinated with watching WWI docs on YouTube. It’s not just the personal tragedies, but the sense of it being a shocking transition point between the Victorian world and modernity. The idea that they were going into war on horseback, and by the end of it they were in tanks. Blimey. So tell Bernard I will be going to the museum, soon… What’s your favourite Duffy song? Kris Smith, Wembley

I thought “Rockferry” was a very beautiful, stirring track. So that’s the only one I know well, but I’m really pleased for Bernard that that was a big success [Butler co-wrote and produced much of the album]. He’s an incredibly talented person and works incredibly hard, and he’s one of those people who is just obsessed with music. People like that deserve success. Did I ask him to join the Suede show at the O2? No. I told him about it, but he’s moved on so far from Suede that it would have been odd, and we’ve had a completely different lineup since he left. I don’t think he’d want to be jumping around a stage again! He’s much happier doing what he does now, I think he’s really found his calling. Do you still have your cat, Fluffington? Claire Vanderhoven, Holland

Unfortunately, he’s ascended to cat heaven. He had 15 long years of adoration. Am I getting another cat? Well, I recently got married, and my wife brought two Italian greyhounds with her. I don’t know if anyone is aware of them, but Italian greyhounds are like little cats. Ours are eight years old but look like miniature foxes, bonsai greyhounds. But incredibly fast, like little bullets. When they’re not running they spend their whole life under the duvet. Someone once told me they were bred by the Pharaohs as bedwarmers! Brett, do you have a copy of the single I recorded with Suede: “Art” b/w “Be My God”? If so, could I have one? Mike Joyce

Mike, I think I destroyed my copy years ago. I’m not one to keep memorabilia. They’re about 100 quid on eBay. Mike was an early member of Suede. We were advertising for a drummer and listed The Smiths as an influence. Then at an audition, their drummer pokes his head through the door and says, “Hello, lads!” Ha! It was a bit Jim’ll Fix It. I don’t think anyone thought it was going to last, Mike was far too big a name for us. But he just took us under his wing, guided us through the industry, and was so charming. I still keep in contact with him. What’s the weirdest story you’ve heard about yourself? Badabingbadaboom

Someone once told me that they’d heard a story about me wanting to shit in someone’s mouth. But I also heard the same story about David Byrne, so I think it’s one of those urban myths that gets transferred from one slightly kooky pop star to another. That’s probably the most unsavoury thing I’ve heard about myself. Maybe I should give it a go. Which actors would you like to play the lead members of Suede in a biopic? James Kumar, Manchester

This is the kind of thing we talk about on tour. Matt Osman is convinced I should be played by Peter Egan, who was in Ever Decreasing Circles. I think Nic Cage should play Matt. Arsène Wenger reminds me of Bernard. That’s what Bernard will look like when he’s 60. Billy Idol could play Simon Gilbert, couldn’t he? Would you ever consider working in musical theatre? Neil Tennant

It’s funny he should ask that, because only the other day, I was listening to the album Neil and Chris did with Liza Minnelli in the late ’80s. Results, I think it’s called, with “Losing My Mind”. That sounded great, so emotive, and real. I’m a big fan of the Pet Shop Boys, they’re one of those amazing bands that almost created their own genre. But anyway, musical theatre. Yeah, I think I would. Sondheim? Rodgers and Hart? Definitely. I’m always open to new ideas. Musical theatre sounds like it’s going to have camp undertones, but I’d love to do it in an interesting way. What’s the worst song you’ve ever written? Mark Catley, Christchurch, NZ

That’s a good question. I wrote lots of terrible songs that were never recorded in the early days. But there’s a song called “Duchess” – a B-side to something from the Head Music era [actually to 1997 single “Filmstar”] – which is pretty rubbish. I’ve often regretted the production on certain songs, like “Trash” and “Animal Nitrate”, even though they’ve been pretty good songs. But you can’t go messing around with things like that. You start to interfere with what people originally liked about it. I also think people like your mistakes, as they give your work humanity. I quite like that about Prince. He seems to throw stuff out – some of it genius, some unlistenable – but all quite honest. I respect that. Do you enjoy art? Excited about Gauguin at the Tate? Katarina Janoskova, London

Absolutely. I’m a big fan of Gauguin and the post-impressionists. My favourite visual artist, if I had to narrow it down to one, would be Manet, the pre-impressionist. Not Monet, who doesn’t do it for me. But Manet had this revolutionary technique of painting on black, which gives his pictures a real depth, there’s something very sumptuous about his paintings. And further back, the kind of medieval-style stuff like Holbein and Brueghel – they’re so well observed and so real. You look at these pictures of people who lived 500, 600 years ago, you can imagine them walking down Tottenham Court Road now, the same face, they’re so real. It’s a little window into the past. I’ve quite got into art recently. It’s all part of expanding yourself and your education, appreciation of beauty in life, innit? Now that you’re no longer coming to work in Bow, how are you coping without the salad pitta? Leo Abrahams, musician and producer

Ha ha! I’ve been working on an album with Leo, in his studio, and I have an unhealthy obsession with East London’s kebab shops. You don’t get many good kebab shops in west London. It reminds me of being a student. I’m surprised Leo’s got the time to email you questions! He’s far too busy producing Eno or Grace Jones or Florence & The Machine. He also does these bizarre things where he plays entirely improvised gigs, no rehearsals. And that inspired the latest solo LP I’ve done with him. It was based on improvs. Me, Leo, Seb Rochford on drums, and Leopold Ross on bass just jammed for days, cut up them up and improvised, and did overdubs. It’s a full-on rock record. I love Leo, he’s great. He never takes the easy option. He pushes you a bit, which can be terrifying. Can you give us not-so-slim-in-2010 Suede fans some health tips? Simon Quinton, Oxford

My wife is a naturopath – she’s conscious of what she eats, so we eat a lot of sushi and seeds. I’ve got into cycling recently, particularly living in London, through the parks and the backstreets. It makes you fall back in love with the city. I cycled to Bow the other day from my house in Notting Hill. So that’s staving off the fortysomething belly. I’m sure I’ll get it when I’m fiftysomething. I’m looking forward to that. What do you think of Gorillaz? Ruiz, São Paulo, Brazil

To be honest, I don’t know much about them. I like the drawings. I guess that’s a veiled question about my relationship with Damon? Well, we don’t have a relationship to talk about. We all have things that happened years ago, rivalries and so on, and people assume that they’re still on your radar and part of your life. It’s like some musical soap opera, often one that’s been fabricated, without much substance. I have different issues in my life now. Is the art of songwriting dead? If it isn’t, who is flying the torch? Paloma Faith

Oh, it’s not dead at all. I’m constantly inspired by new music. If you look on YouTube, there’s a clip of me singing Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful”. When you’re covering stuff it’s interesting to try things that are out of your genre, which gives it a frisson. So I always try songs that aren’t, you know, British indie, stuff like Blondie, or The Pretenders. That Christina Aguilera song is amazing. I try not to look at songs as the finished product, I look at it as the chords and the melody and the words, like sheet music to be interpreted. You’ve got to keep moving with your musical appreciation. I loved the last Horrors record, I liked The National, The Drums, These New Puritans, lots of stuff. I never listen to the records I grew up with. Why bother? It’s all in my head! Brett, you’re from Haywards Heath. What’s the deal with the swimming pool there? It’s deep in the middle, not at one end. What’s your take on that? And were you ever caught out by it? P Newman, Brighton

I don’t know what they’re referring to at all, but funnily enough my dad used to work there as a swimming pool attendant. And I don’t really know how he got the job because he couldn’t swim. It’s lucky there weren’t any accidents. Every Tuesday, we had to troop down to the local pool, and everybody would be pointing at my dad saying, “Oh look there’s your dad, he’s working as a pool attendant.” And I was hoping none of them would start drowning, ’cos my dad wouldn’t be much use. Still, this was the early ’80s, and I guess we all thought the world was going to end any second with a nuclear bomb. Ha ha.

[alex-vella-blog]

Musings of an Immigrant (4)

Imagine, much like broccoli arranged bouquet-style in a vase, this is the memory I carry from the last meal of my first around the world experience.

Once Around the Globe / October 26, 2018

The first time I circumnavigated the globe was on a 32-day trip in support of a theme I advanced for an American Express annual report…essentially to document through interviews and photography the global reach of the company.

The high was self-evident. Here I was 28-years old, visiting countries far and wide that I had never been to before, and in some cases since, while interviewing notable people in every facet of careers and professions. The low was a bit of a personal quirk, perhaps an emotional impetus that could have been put under better control: In short, I didn’t want to miss the first steps of my first born son, an event that was going to fall sometime during the month-long trip.

 The first stop was Paris, France, where the banking, travel, credit card, and travelers check divisions of the company were huge business. The photographer I retained to travel with me and document the events of the trip was Eva Rubinstein, daughter of Arthur Rubinstein, the celebrated pianist. It was fortuitous that on the night we arrived he was being honored with a reception complete with all the expected fanfare of the rich and famous. At the time I smoked cigars, a bad habit I got into as a result of being around the company boardroom with its complimentary supply. Rubenstein not only smoked them but had his own farm and fabrication facility in Cuba at the time. My meeting with him was not much more then ano introduction and his request that I take good care of his daughter during the long trip. He was also gracious enough to give me a box of his Cuban cigars, emblazoned with his personal cigar band. As much as I welcomed the gesture, I was aware that I had to finish smoking the full box prior to returning to the U.S. because the land-of-Castro product was considered contraband by the U.S. government. 

 To represent American Express International Banking relationships I focused on Claude Lelouch, the then very famous French film director, writer, cinematographer, actor and producer, with whose company the bank did business. At the time, Lelouch was known in America for his 1966 film drama “A Man and a Woman,” and “Live for Life” in 1967. Now that a lifetime has gone by, I am not in the least embarrassed to say that I was very impressed to be interviewing one of the most celebrated ‘fellow’ creatives (hope is eternal) in his palatial digs, sitting facing each other on wingback chairs, and taking in the mesmerizing Parisian landscape. 

 Next came Spain where I was scheduled to focus on the activity of American Express’ travel division. So, what better than Costa Del Sol. But first I stopped in Barcelona, so after the magic of this city, the beach scene was a bit of a letdown. Rather than a slice of the Spanish population this region was more a mixture of other European nationalities than Spanish. For a local fix I went into the hills to a town called Benalmádena where I very unexpectedly ended having a meal at a private house. Memory fails, but when asking where I should eat, a local denizen suggested knocking on a particular door and the lady of the house would take care of me. It was very much the case. The then seemingly older lady who answered the door was very accommodating. She asked what I liked to eat and within the half hour she was back from wherever she needed to go to procure local fish and accompaniments. Perhaps it was the unplanned event and local fair, but the memory of the meal makes me salivate to this day. 

 Yugoslavia, specifically Belgrade in Serbia, and Dubrovnik in Croatia, as guests of the General Director of Star Travel, the then-communist state’s travel monopoly, was my host. Two impressions: Belgrade — grey. Dubrovnik — haunting, a perfect little Venice, except in miniature and less tourists. But most impressing was the state’s largess showered on me and my photographer in the way of entertainment and first class travel…all at the people’s expense of course.

 When I arrived in Greece, the country was under the control of a Military Junta (1967–1974), headed by a group of 4 colonels of the Greek army and led by a man named George Papadopoulos. At one point I arranged to visit the Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis. For a major tourist site, the place was fairly deserted on that day and provided the perfect setting for taking photos. As one would expect of a professional photographer, Rubinstein was shooting everything in sight. Suddenly, a convoy of sedans comes rushing in and a squad of military uniform-clad individuals step out. The photographer must have found the scene to be not only interesting but especially intriguing because she continued to shoot in their direction. This caused us some grief. We were quickly surrounded by security personnel fully equipped with nasty looking weaponry. In a nutshell, they took issue with the concept of us photographing military brass without permission…an act bordering on espionage. After some interrogation, and a period of heightened anxiety, they confiscated the film and we were let go.

 India of the early seventies was a different kettle of fish from the driving, capitalistic society it is today. The following two episodes encapsulates the country of that time.

 Once we deboarded and attempted to go through customs, literally in the middle of the night in ambient temperature that was well over a hundred degrees farenheit and no air-conditioning, we encountered Indian logic in its purest form. This event took place before the advent of digital photography, so the photographer was carrying hundreds of rolls of camera film, both exposed and unexposed. Now imagine a local customs officer speaking sternly in Indian English. Officer: “What is your visit’s purpose?” Me, and keep in mind that we did not have a work visa: “To see the sights.” Officer: “So why do you need so many rolls of photography film?” Me: “Because I work for American Express and might use some photos acquired on the trip in company publications.” Officer: “So, to be clear, you are not tourists but rather working on a photography assignment and you have no work visa to do so.”

 It had become clear over the ensuing six hours, during which the full inventory of film, both exposed and otherwise, having been placed in a walk-in vault that was hot enough to fry an egg on any metal surface within it, that most imported products were controlled under some sort of business monopoly system. Photography film was no different and whoever held the import license needed to collect their pound of flesh. As tourists, people could bring in a few rolls of film without any issue, but in the quantities that we were carrying to satisfy the needs of the whole trip, it qualified as illegal import. In the end, with the help of local American Express support team, and a monetary contribution that could feed a small village in that part of the world for many months, we were allowed to keep our contraband.

 The ordeal we had just experienced was quickly forgotten once we were being driven away from the airport towards our destination, Bombay, now Mumbai, because of yet another Indian oddity. The spectacle was seeing sections of large-diameter drainage conduit over many miles along the road, for sure intended for ground burial, but unintendedly, become domiciles for thousands of families. Life looked very normal at the front and back openings of each section of the pipes that was intended for a different purpose. People were going about doing their thing… cooking, bathing, living. If we hadn’t gone through the earlier experience at the airport it would have appeared as an alternate universe and more of a curiosity.

 At the time of this trip, Hong Kong was still a British Crown Colony, and since I was born in a country with similar British experience, my assumption was that Hong Kong spoke English to one degree or another. In fact, the island of Kowloon which is where the business hub was located at the time is very much the case, but on the mainland and the New Territories it was another story.

Tired of the business opulence that was being showered on me and Rubinstein by the hosts, which included being feted at The Sky Terrace and The Peak Tower, it necessitated that I take in some of the local color and taste the more local foods. So, I took off by foot to parts unknown to see the sights. When the time came, I stopped at a local restaurant to have something to eat. So, this is when I came face to face with the cultural roadblock. The menu was in Chinese and no English was spoken at all. Never fear, there’s always pantomime. Trying to help, the waiter clucked away and flapped his arms. “Chic, chic” was the recommendation to which, since I was in full comprehension mode, I promptly agreed to and ordered. In short order, with mouth-gapping, I was looking at an aluminum cooking pot heaping full of chicken feet arranged with the claws sticking up and leaning over and around the edge of the pot.

Imagine, much like broccoli arranged bouquet-style in a vase, this is the memory I carry from the last meal of my first around the world experience.

[justaguyinhk]

Hong Kong Broken But Still Got To Work

It was the strongest typhoon in history according to the Hong Kong Observatory. Winds reached 250 kilometres per hour. A vast stretch of the MTR from Tai Po Market to Sheung Shui was shut down. The Light Rapid Transit in Yuen Long was shut down. Both bus systems were shut down. Security Secretary John Lee reported 1,500 trees were down and over 600 roads blocked with debris.

When Hong Kongers woke up this morning all Typhoon and Rain warnings were gone. People had to go to work, but most shouldn’t have.

It would have been better if most stayed home. It would have allowed the 8,000 workers from the Food and Environment Hygiene Department to clean and clear sidewalks. It would have reduced the number of cars and buses on the road to give the Transportation Department time to clear the streets. Lastly, it would have been better for the MTR to devote all of its resources to clearing off the tracks instead of having to manage the swarms of people trying to get to work.

In the desperate need to get to work some got gouged. Spotted around Sheung Shui, was a mini-bus operator charging HKD 100 (12.75US) per person for a ride to Kowloon Tong. The trip usually costs HKD 10 (1.27 USD). Some taxis were charging four times the rate. All understandable in typhoon and post-typhoon situations but most of the people who need to go to work are the people who can’t afford these fairs and do not get reimbursed by their company.

Ronny Tong Ka-wah, who is a member of the Executive Council for the Hong Kong government, said it was impractical to expect the government to give the people the day off of work. “In a capitalist society, the government has no power to meddle with all the contracts between employers and employees,” he said (http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/2164461/hong-kong-faces-traffic-chaos-mtr-and-bus-routes-after)

He is wrong. According to the Emergency Regulation Ordinance (Cap. 241), the Chief Executive has a lot of power to manage emergencies such as declaring the suspension of work and markets. Her choice was to put markets and money before the safety of the people and ensuring Hong Kong could fully recover from the typhoon.

The typhoon is gone, and it will take a week for Hong Kong to get back to normal. Tomorrow will be easier as more rail and busses come back online however we need to learn from this. There need to step if there is another typhoon like this and with the changing climate the chances are high, sadly.

[travelhappy]

Kowloon, September 2006

The first leg of my journey to self-discovery was to begin. I had landed at an airport built on reclaimed land, on the island on Chek Lap Kok. There were various modes of escape available, and I chose the cheapest one. It was to be that kind of trip. Armed with an Octopus card - which was to act my pay-as-you-go companion across Hong Kong - I boarded the bus. Being hit by the falling rain of a nearby tropical system as I stepped between shelter. My suitcase was rectangle and cumbersome, with two wheels and a pull handle to be found on opposing corners. Uncomfortable to lift, I kicked it into place within an already bustling luggage rack and took my seat. We travelled to Nathan Road in Kowloon; these two names signalling the cultural fusion that was to come. Out of the window, day turned into night on the heavy industry at work. Then back into day again as the cacophony of approaching neon re-lit the sky. We were arriving into Kowloon Penninsula, where, Nathan Road, it turns out, is a bit of a monster. In an era before Smartphones, all I had in my possession was a handwritten address on a scrap of paper. Yet the road was too wide to see any building numbers as we passed by and the bus route held within the interior display was of little help. Following an exchange of broken English with the driver, I’m standing on Nathan Road. In the bright light. In the pouring rain. Dragging my case a short distance to a subway entrance I seem to exude the universal symptoms of helplessness. Strangers approach me and offer advice, not always in English, as I gradually make my way to the tower block that is to host my modest accommodation. Before entering, I took a picture looking up. A spiralling mosaic of concrete balconies, half-filled washing lines, even with the rain, interwoven with the colours, patterns and dirt of human living.

[tangofamily1]

3 Days In Hong Kong -A Complete Itinerary

Things to do in Hong Kong isn’t this sentence sounds so cool? Indeed, exploring Hong Kong in 3 days, seems like an impossible deal, especially when you visit any place for the first time and don’t know which direction leads you towards which road

So, in this situation, planning or thinking what to do in Hong Kong for 3 day's is such an astonishing thing

So, as by the name of the title, you guys are quite aware that my today’s article is all about the things to do in Hong Kong in which I try my level best to counter all those essential and main points which you guys must visit as visiting is not an easy deal.

So, before leading you guys towards this 3 days in Hong Kong itinerary guide, let me tell you one thing, and that is, before writing this article.

I was searching a lot and read a ton of loaded articles, which I usually do before writing anything, so the same goes here in this 3 days in Hong Kong guide

The thing that makes me shocked in these 3 days in Hong Kong is that before the time of searching, I thought that Hong Kong is such a big, western, busy, and modern place where people are entirely professional and not that much friendly

But after reading the various articles and loads of videos, I realized that no, there is nothing like that, and I was wrong.

As there is a lot more which I didn’t know about this place, the place itself has hidden a lot of secret myths and attractive spotted points that are enough to appeal to anyone whether he or she is a native, foreigner, or even a tourist.

Instead of dragging this more, let’s get the ball roll and come back to the 3 days in Hong Kong point and reveal these Hong Kong travel guide for 3 days myth together.

How to get around Hong Kong?

Well, when it comes about to get around Hong Kong, especially in these,    3 day itinerary in Hong Kong the restriction means you need to act wisely instead of wasting any single moment.

So once you landed in Hong Kong, your  days in Hong Kong time is started after landing you have two options: one is to use the access of a taxi, the metro, or public transit, and the second one is by foot.

In this scenario, when it comes to the  days in Hong Kong cheapest option, I recommend you guys skip the taxi and consider the boat, metro, or public transit system they are budget-friendly or even explore Hong Kong by foot.

But Hong Kong is too big, and in this restricted Hong Kong, you can’t explore the whole places on foot as it is divided into islands parts where you need access to the metro or the boat.

So the best way to explore Hong Kong is to point out the nearest spot attraction points. Like, the first spot, those places which are nearby your stay place explore those attraction spots on foot.

Once you have done with them all, go with the second public transit option and start exploring the remaining attractive spots that are quite away from your staying place or location.

With this, you can explore maximum points in your 3 days in Hong Kong trip without any hurdle.

3 days in Hong Kong where to stay?    

The next important factor that plays an important role or makes your living economically reliable is finding the right place during your 6 days hong kong tour in minimum budget

Living 3 days in Hong Kong is not a big hurdle, but the thing that hits the tourist most is it’s quite expensive paying living.

For foreigners and tourists, living and staying in Hong Kong is an expensive deal, so for the sake of this, I recommend or advise you guys to prefer to live in the island water sided nearest points/ spots as the waterfront side is not that expensive and quite affordable.

Another important thing you guys have to keep in mind is that Hong Kong is divided into two names: islands one is Hong Kong islands, and the second one is Kowloon.

Don’t get confused when searching your accommodation in 3 days in Hong Kong as the Kowloon also lies in the Hong Kong territory.

So it doesn’t matter from which part of the island you get accommodation, make sure the skyline stunning and evening time is visible from your place so that you can explore and enjoy every moment without any asking.

3 days in Hong Kong where to eat in Hong Kong?

Apart from the accommodation and living, the next important thing you have to focus on in 3 days in Hong Kong is the food. So, if you are in Hong Kong and haven’t tried its street/ local food, that means you missed the chance

Apart from its adventurous and thrilling hub spots, the place itself has a variety of superb food.

Some of its delicious and yummiest food dishes are the bubble waffles, Dim Sum, pork buns, Michelin spots, and a lot more which is enough to appeal to your tummy without any asking.

Isn’t it an incredible factor that apart from the attractive spots and family points you can enjoy a lot of new unique dishes during your trip and enjoy every single time of your trip? Indeed it is.

So, make sure, instead of wasting your money on expensive restaurants and eating hotels, you will try the local street food of Hong Kong.

Doing this means you will get a better idea about their cuisine and food taste. I recommend you guys highly to check out the peninsula hotel and Ozone bar for a local and affordable qualitative food experience.

3 days in Hong Kong and nightlife

When it comes to the  in Hong Kong and itsnightlife, if you are the person who is along with your family and even not that much club type person, I recommend visiting the ladies’ night market.

You can also visit the north point night market, Temple Street, and Hong Kong, other local street markets.

If you are a person who likes nightclubs and parties, then I highly recommend you to try its Lang Kwai Fong and Soho as these are the best places for the bars, clubs, and nightlife and parties things.

So the mentioned-above are the primary 3 days in Hong Kong guide which you as a traveler or visitor must know that what are the things you have to keep in mind that are essential to visit during the time of your this 3 days in Hong Kong trip.

Final Words

Apart from this, you feel that this is not enough, or even you want to know more about these 3 days in Hong Kong, then feel free to ping me in the mentioned-below comment section box.

I would love to trigger your queries and try my level best to come up with some more reliable and relevant suggestions, recommendations, and answers for the sake of clearing your doubts and worries.

[miladyeka]

Hong Kong 2018 - Day 1

My friend Angela and I went to Hong Kong last July 14 and stayed there until the 17th. We’ve been wanting to travel together for so long and it’s still a little hard to believe our adventure actually commenced. In 3 separate posts, I’m going to tell you what we got ourselves into--the places we visited, how we got there, a lot of photos from the trip--basically the whole gist of our stay in Hong Kong. 

First off, we booked a room at Holiday Inn Golden Mile, where my family and I stayed the first time we visited. My mom essentially wanted me to be in a place I was familiar with so she insisted on us staying there since we were traveling alone. The hotel was located in Tsim Sha Tsui, which is a really good place to stay. If you’re ever planning on visiting, I highly suggested booking a place around this area since it’s sort of the middle ground of all the tourist spots in Hong Kong.

How We Got There:

From the airport, we took the Airport Express train to Kowloon Station

Got off at Kowloon Station and rode shuttle bus K3 to Holiday Inn Golden Mile

Quick Tip: Purchase the MTR Airport Express 3 Day Pass for HKD350. It includes a round trip pass to the airport to use on your first and last day, and 3 days of unlimited travel on the MTR. It’s incredibly worth it since our sole mode of transport was through the MTR because of how easy you can get by with it. Also, when you get to the airport on your last day, you can return the card and get HKD50 back. 

Top: Muji | Skirt: Undo Clothing | Bag: Longchamp | Sneakers: Adidas

Once we got to our hotel, we checked in but had to wait for our room to be ready for another 3 hours or so, so we left our bags to the concierge and explored around Nathan Road and Harbor City. 

After we settled in our hotel room, we headed out to dinner and ate a whole ass roasted duck. Yes, we were that hungry. Then we went back and rested for a while, showered, and made our way to Central next. Initially, we planned on seeing the Symphony Lights show in a ferry at the harbor, but it started raining hard so we decided against it. Instead, we headed to Lan Kwai Fong in Central for a couple of drinks and ended up in this bar (I’m sorry I forgot the name) where all of the staff were Filipinos which was pretty cool.

How We Got There:

Rode the train from Tsim Sha Tsui Station to Central Station

Took exit D2

Walk along Theatre Lane and up D’Aguilar St. 

That concluded our first day in Hong Kong! We wanted to stick around to watch the England vs. Belgium third place play-off in one of the bars around but we were both too knackered to push through. We got McDonald’s takeout and watched the game from our hotel room instead which was basically still a win. 

Check out the video diary here:

[peonyrice]

20 Things to do & love about Hong Kong right now

What’s not to love about Hong Kong? Our designer Pauline, shares her top 20.

What inspires you in Hong Kong?

So so much, daily sightings – heritage buildings, architecture and Art, HK is a very abundant place for art. From street art and random sightings in old neighborhoods to discovering a whole range of local independent artists who work in different mediums. And of course the international art scene that is also present here. If you need a change of scenery you can jump in a cab or bus and you are on the beach in half hour.

A lot is getting lost here in the way of the the old Hong Kong as we know it – neon signs, buildings, makers, crafts so it’s incredible if we are lucky enough to see it even for a moment, so it’s important to me to get a sense of that now. 

1.     Favorite place in Hong Kong?

So so many – endless list. I am in love with this city.  Being so close to the outdoors with an unexpected view of the mountains, city and sea all together in a perfect light. Lush Nature sitting right next to the density of high rise. That’s pretty unique. Walking distance too.

2.     Favorite food?

Has to be discovering traditional Cantonese and ethnic foods that remind me of being an immigrant Chinese with a childhood in England not really knowing where they came from. Love seeing that little old lady or man selling something homemade -  Hakka bun or dumpling or a village shop selling local honey in a  pop bottle. Happy local bites have managed to stay and most of it is quite healthy. You feel the love that went into making it.

My favorite area for this is Sham Shui Po – an older district – total gem sitting next to the hole in the wall food spots with it’s electronics, secondhand markets and off course fabrics. In contrast there’s lots of cool new places also popping up. Art & Coffee. Interesting to see how neighborhoods are changing in this new era. Another place worth a mention - is Dignity Kitchen - a Singaporean social enterprise that serves up yummy Singaporean food housed in a renewed heritage building at 618 Shanghai street -  i love their Pandan cake!

3.      Favorite Drink

Freshly squeezed sugarcane juice. Nothing beats the thirst but this. Better than any bubble tea. Bring your own container or bottle even better. Look out for the few drink vendors selling it and the traditional Chinese herbal teas which are great for cooling and keeping your body heat in check during the summer months. My fav spot is Kung Lee Sugarcane Store on Hollywood road, Central, intersection near Lyndhurst. It’s a family business spanning a few generations.

4.     Favorite mode of transport

Has to be the Star Ferry, 5 minutes on that after a long day – just takes every thing away. It’s very therapeutic. That really hasn’t changed for me since the early mid 90’s traveling here for work.

5.     Favorite place to shop

More of a browser than a shopper these days. I have everything I need. Love all the antique shops along Hollywood road in my neighborhood with all their unique offerings. Unfortunately many are no longer operating since this tough year. I look out for special exhibitions to learn more about Chinese antiques. My fascination with craftsmanship done the old way. There’s always little surprises down the side streets. Love all the nostalgic & random stuff. Sometimes there’s a few treasures to be found.

6.     Favorite HK artist

I love dimension and have an obsession with typography and textured works. I have been quite intrigued by the local artist Michell Lie and her Chinese brushwork inspired pieces mixed with some contemporary elements. There’s a beautiful fluidness in her work that i can just get lost in for a short while. Currently exploring ceramic artists in the city.

7.     Favorite place to explore

Old industrial neighborhoods around HK – the Mills are fantastic – repurposed textile mill now focusing on the history of HK textiles, sustainability, supporting local projects. Such a great place to hang with it’s shops, exhibitions and museum.

8.     Favorite temple in HK

The Chi Lin nunnery in Diamond Hill, very different from the other traditional temples you see in South China, I feel very calm when I am here and it’s not far to get to. If you need a couple of hours out. It’s perfect and there’s a lovely landscape oriental garden next to it too. For a further out trip– Tsz shan Monastery is quite special and a must .

9.     Favorite sighting

Often you will see parts of movies or TV series being shot. People don’t really bat an eyelid to it. It’s great to see a part of the neighborhood lit up with lights, cameras and crew and you know there’s some action going down.

10.  Favorite place that doesn’t feel like HK

Some of the Hikes –Cape d'aguilar, Cape Collison, some of the further out little islands that you can only access by boat. The landscape and vegetation here is so diverse.

11.  Favorite night time spot

Has to be the peak – but anywhere with a clear night view of the Harbor I am happy with. A sunset hike via the many paths to the peak is perfect way to soak in the city.

12.  Favorite fashion discoveries

PoHo neighborhood has lots of small design boutiques, some fashion, lifestyle and accessories. PMQ is another fab little area full of small boutiques and workshops. Love checking out the side streets in Central too and some of the other districts. The side alleys are the best places to discover something. Mongkok behind the ladies markets has a few vintage stores i love rummaging around in too.

13.  Favorite Lifestyle store

Still has to be G.O.D .. love all the little nuances and humor in the heritage inspired products.  Small items that are perfect memories of HK.

14.  Favorite season in HK

September on wards till March. Weather’s cooler and you can get out to do more hikes…and not turn up in places sweaty. Many people do not realize HK has seasons, complete contrast to other 4 season countries as winter here is like 1 month of 12 degrees and people running around in Puffas.

15.  What do you love most about HK

Convenience. This city was built on that. I haven’t had to drive since I left the UK more than 20 years ago. Most places can be walk-able, if not jump on the MTR which is super clean and efficient or bus or grab a taxi. Most places are 15 mins to under 2 hours away. You can be in 3-4 places a day if you plan right. Shops in some districts are open late 7 days a week. It’s really a city that never sleeps. …. And I am never too far from seeing water.

16.  Favorite day trip

Jumping on a ferry to one of many the islands – 30 minutes and you would have landed elsewhere. Can’t decide which I love better.. have so much to discover still on Lantau, Cheung Chau, Lamma, or go inland to the islands around Plover Cove. You can never get enough sunsets.

17. Favorite Smell

Can’t decide if it’s the Kowloon or Hong Kong Candle created by BE Candle and Tiny island maps. But I love both for a different daily mood and the Terrazzo holder.. all locally made. Love that.

credit:tinyislandmaps

18.  Current favorite hang out place.

Central market just finally finished get renewed. It was a 4th generation building old modern style market that first came about in the 1850’s . Super cool with a well curated bunch of shops and food hangouts.

19.  Favorite thing to do in HK

Eat, hang out with friends, visit a museum, see an exhibition somewhere hidden. Just be inspired.

20. Favorite place to decompress?

My 24/7 Gym or has to be home. After all the running around - the new way of working and the past pandemic year made me appreciate being still and chill.

[travelonlinetipsofficial]

Hong Kong Sightseeing: 10Best Sights Reviews

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Hong Kong Sightseeing: 10Best Sights Reviews

The whole of Hong Kong is a sight to see: myriad skyscrapers set around one of the world’s most dramatic natural harbors make for an intriguing panorama by day or night, at dawn or dusk, noon or midnight. 

Some of Hong Kong’s sights have been constructed on purpose, others have just grown up of their own accord. Madame Tussauds is a slightly unusual sight, but it’s as much fun observing the reactions of the local visitors as it is marveling at the waxworks of the rich and famous. And the Goldfish Market is pure Hong Kong – right in the heart of the city, a thriving sub-culture that’s right on the street. 

And – get this – many of Hong Kong’s sights charge no admission at all, or just a couple of bucks. Stroll along Sai Kung’s Seafood Street for as long as you want, and it won’t cost you a red cent. Star Ferry and the Happy Valley Racecourse must rank as two of the world’s cheapest attractions.

Not all of Hong Kong’s major sights are in town – hop aboard the ferry or the cable car to see the Big Buddha at the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, or wind your way out to the east of Hong Kong for a stroll around the old fishing port of Sai Kung and its buzzing seafood street.

Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board

The gods of literature and the military are celebrated here in one of the oldest temples in Hong Kong. Built in the 1840s, you’ll find two unique chairs inside that were once used to carry these deities through the city during festivals. Former visitors have left sticks of incense over the years, which are now hanging from the ceiling; you can still buy one in hopes of fulfilling a wish, while a fortune teller runs a brisk business to one side of the temple. Man Mo is very much on the tourist trail, but with very good reason, and handy for antique shopping along Hollywood Road.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: Man Mo’s traditional architecture makes for a delicate contrast with the surrounding (rather dull) skyscrapers.

Ed’s expert tip: Fans of the Oscar-winning film “Love is a Many Splendored Thing” will recognize Man Mo which was the backdrop for several scenes.

Read more about Man Mo Temple →

Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board

Surrounded by high-rises, this downtown racecourse is one of the greatest stadiums on earth to enjoy a sweaty, noisy and adrenaline-pumping horse race at night. Dating back to 1844, the 55,000-seat racecourse is one of the earliest public facilities in colonial Hong Kong. Regular races take place every Wednesday and Saturday from September to June on the 30-meter-wide grass track. A 978-seat iPad-equipped betting hall is located on the second floor of platform one. Visitors can either pay HK$10 (US$1.3) to sit on the public spectator seats or HK$100-150 (US$13-19) to enter the member-only zone. There are a total of seven restaurants and bars in the complex from Cantonese dining to al fresco drinking. On the second floor of the Happy Valley Stand of the racecourse, there is a 670-square-meter museum, Hong Kong Racing Museum, tracing the past and present of the city’s enduring pastime.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: Even if you’re not interested in racing, you can’t help but enjoy the spectacle of this very Hong Kong entertainment.

Ed’s expert tip: There’s a “beer garden” with racing commentary in English available at Happy Valley near the finish line.

Read more about Happy Valley Racecourse →

Photo courtesy of Kowloon Walled City Park

The Kowloon Walled City was truly infamous as it was the only district in Hong Kong that avoided British rule during the 1840 Qing Dynasty. So who ruled the walled city? No one! It was in a state of lawlessness and ruin until it was demolished and the site turned into an award-winning park in the 20th century. It is home to Bonsai trees, relics from the Qing Dynasty, and a popular giant chessboard. This is the ultimate urban regeneration project, not just in Hong Kong but just about anywhere in the world. There’s always a pleasant air of calm, whatever the time of day.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: This would be a first-rate park anywhere; but its history makes it unique.

Ed’s expert tip: Get here first thing in the morning to watch, or join in, tai chi classes.

Read more about Kowloon Walled City Park →

This intriguing museum traces the relatively recent history of medical science in Hong Kong. In 1906, in response to Hong Kong’s ongoing epidemic of bubonic plague, the Bacteriological Institute opened in this building as the city’s first medical laboratory. Over the decades the focus changed (as did the name, to the Pathological Institute), and the building eventually was turned into a museum. Today it houses several galleries with exhibits devoted to Chinese herbal medicine, dentistry, and a unique comparison of Chinese and Western medicine. The building itself is quite interesting as well; among its charms are several fireplaces, a beautiful entry hall, and carefully tiled floors.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: This is not only an unusual museum in a lovely old building, but its contents are also well interpreted.

Ed’s expert tip: This museum lies in a charismatic part of Hong Kong, well worth exploring on foot either before or after your visit.

Read more about Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences →

Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board

Po Lin translates to “precious lotus,” and this monastery is one of the most famous of Hong Kong’s numerous attractions. In addition to being one of the most opulent and grandest temples in the country, this is also home to the famous “Big Buddha,” which measures more than 100 feet high. Made of bronze and seated in the mythical cross-legged repose, this statue is an attraction on its own. The views of the countryside are spectacular, and an excellent vegetarian cuisine is served by monks in the canteen. Most people come here by road or cable car, both exciting journeys in themselves.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: You can’t ask for a bigger contrast to downtown Hong Kong than this hilltop retreat with its superb views.

Ed’s expert tip: If you’re reasonably fit, it’s perfectly possible to hike up here either from Tung Chung or Shek Pik Reservoir.

Read more about Po Lin Monastery →

A hidden gem of Hong Kong, this fishing town is where Hong Kongers retreat for sea-swimming, kayaking and some of the city’s best seafood. The center of the town is a 1,000-meter-long street lined with seafood stalls. Each looks like a mini aquarium as the boss displays an amazing array of freshly-caught seafood for diners to order. Across the street, fishermen sell curious looking catch right off the boat at the pier. Many of them also offer sailing trips around the surrounding islands for around US$20. Some six kilometers south of the seafood street is Trio Beach, a nice soft-sand stretch with calm and clean water, relaxed atmosphere and opportunities for seaside barbecue. For the truly energetic type, Sai Kung Country Park provides some of the most challenging but rewarding hiking experiences through mountains to beaches.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: There’s something very laid-back about Sai Kung, and especially in the older parts of town.

Ed’s expert tip: Tour operator Kayak and Hike organizes kayak trips from Sai Kung waterfront to marine life-abundant Ung Kong Wan.

Read more about Sai Kung Seafood Street →

Photo courtesy of Madame Tussauds

Yes, there’s even a Madame Tussauds in Hong Kong. Exhibits include “Hong Kong Glamour” (rich, famous and/or powerful), “Historical and National Heroes” (such as former President Hu Jintao, the British Royal Family, and astronaut Neil Armstrong), “World Premier” (national and international film celebrities), “The Champions” (athletes like David Beckham and Tiger Woods), “Music Icons” (international stars like Elvis and Madonna displayed alongside Chinese pop sters like Leslie Cheung, Teresa Teng and Joey Yung). As always at Tussauds, the waxworks are amazingly lifelike, enough to make you do a double-take, even in an age when international celebrities are so familiar from the media.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: The original Madame T opened its doors in Paris in the 18th century: talk about an enduring attraction.

Ed’s expert tip: Get here at opening time (10am) to avoid the crowds.

Read more about Madame Tussauds Hong Kong →

Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board

Tung Choi Street is Hong Kong’s street shopping center. Not far from the Ladies Market in the north lies a treasure island that’s uniquely Chinese, the Goldfish Market. This fascinating market is a great place for families to visit. Bags upon bags of live goldfish in different sizes and colors can intrigue even the naughtiest kids. These are sold as pets as the Chinese consider goldfish a sign of good luck and some of the rarer species in the market can fetch great prices. Besides the kaleidoscope-like display of goldfish, the market also sells other small pets including turtles, rabbit and hamsters.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: There’s no razzmatazz involved here, just a straightforward chunk of life in downtown Hong Kong.

Tracy You’s expert tip: The Goldfish Market is a quick walk from the Flower Market on Flower Market Road and the Bird Garden on Yuen Po Street. These three can be easily combined into one trip.

Read more about Goldfish Market →

Star Ferry is the loveliest attraction in Hong Kong. This 115-year-old service is one of these rare attractions that are hailed by both tourists and locals. Shuttling between Tsim Sha Tsui on Kowloon side, and Central and Wan Chai on Hong Kong island, these 20-minute boat rides represent a lifestyle of the past: slow, soothing and stress-free. That’s exactly where the excitement and enjoyment lies. It’s fascinating to see the hyper-busy city from these boats: century-old colonial buildings rub shoulders with glass-walled skyscrapers on the two jam-packed waterfronts. Even with the MTR efficiently connecting Kowloon and Central, locals still choose to ride the Star Ferry now and then for that classic Hong Kong moment.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: This is a piece of history, a sightseeing tour, and a super cheap transport of delight!

Ed’s expert tip: Time your star ferry ride with A Symphony of Lights to achieve an optimal Hong Kong moment.

Read more about Star Ferry →

The 552-meter mountain boasts that classic Hong Kong view. Near the summit there is an entertainment and viewing complex called Peak Tower where travelers can snap that perfect souvenir photo. In the foreground, a forest of skyscrapers rises in eye-opening density beneath your feet while Victoria Harbour glitters in distance. Go on a nice day, you can also make out the outlying islands scattered over the South China Sea. Various modes of transport reach the top but the 1,350-meter-long tram (funicular) line is most popular. The 125-year old track is said to be the first railway in Asia and the eight-minute ride can reach as steep as 30 degrees.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: Missing out the Peak is like ignoring the Eiffel Tower in Paris or Buckingham Palace in London.

Ed’s expert tip: The lush mountain also provides great hiking opportunities. Hikers can bypass the tourist viewing deck and reach the less-crowded summit via several footpaths.

Read more about Victoria Peak →

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Devil Reef Tiki Bar

Hand carved, inked, and pressed to wood by Drew Meger in Salem, MA.

I remember when this place opened. My family was super excited for some reason. I had no idea why - surely it was faster to just go down Route 1 to Kowloon's than take the twisting coastal road up to Innsmouth? It was a long trip for a ten year old, but Dad insisted on it, looking forward to some dishes he remembered from his Navy days. The food wasn't great, the noodles looked way too slimy and to my car-sicked stomach they seemed to writhe on the plate. Everything else was way too salty which I guess was to make people buy more drinks. Dad had a lot of them, more when some old friends showed up, but Mom didn't seem to mind driving back.

We'd go back to that place at least twice a year for special occasions and I never liked it. I'd usually end up pushing an attempt at a chicken finger around a plate until it was time to go. Seriously, how do you get a chicken finger wrong? It was like they had never seen a chicken, let alone a finger before. Not needing to go back there was the only upside to Dad's disappearance. 

Still, as I get older, I sometimes think about Devil Reef Tiki. I think that salty food might taste good to me now? They say as you grow older, things change about you. Maybe this is one of those things.