Goodbye HK!

I can't believe this summer has come and gone. I finished my internship on Friday and had a fantastic weekend exploring and soaking up as much Hong Kong as possible. My flight leaves tomorrow afternoon.

Due to government constraints on the internet, I cannot update this blogger (up to my knowledge) in Hangzhou.


UPDATE FROM HANGZHOU: I do have access to blogger, but the proxy server is very slow and tedious to use. I will now blog from an MSN space: http://migratehibernate.spaces.live.com

if you want to keep in touch, you know how to reach me!

I was amused

basically cried on the street when I saw this. Not only are they original and handmade by Christian Joy, but they really made me homesick for an attitude I seldom see here: "I don't care what others think of me". The past 2 months have been a crisis, a learning experience, and meditative period. I have felt a bit lost, but found scatters bits of what I feel is special and I identify with.. some old photos from junk markets, a Rita Chao record, postcards from Japan, conversation with relatives, red goldfish kite, paisley trainers, an amazing internship which has really flexed my brain and social muscles.

Yet it can be lonely and this is what my dad warned me of. Despite the fact that HK boasts such an international attitude, I somehow feel left out and it really gets to me. How can so many people care what others think of their outward appearances? It makes me question, should I care too? Have I dumbed down my style? What is my style in a society that (generally) does not embrace old/used goods?

Seeing these outfits really shook me and I'm glad they had that impact-they are monstrous, they are forceful and they demand attention, and I'm sure some people walked past them without a second thought.

I know the glare in these photos are horrible, but shop keepers wouldn't let me take photos inside. (1-4 "The Visitors Must Be Amused" by Christian Joy for Karen O at On Pedder)

Macau...or Las Vegas?

On Sunday of the weekend I went to Lamma Island, I went to Macau with my Uncle Frank, Auntie Mansze and cousins. Macau is Southwest of Hong Kong. It is now 2 islands, was once 3 but 2 islands were merged by landfill. Macau was a Portuguese settlement as early as the 1500s and is currently part of China. I had to bring my passport and "leave" Hong Kong- good thing I have multiple entry!

We took the ferry early in the morning, arrived at 10:00am and walked past the "historical" facades of Macau. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed seeing the brightly painted exteriors of historical buildings...but did Levi jeans, McDonald's, and Häagen-Dazs really have to fill these locations? Sometimes I feel as if American businesses take over ever corner of the earth that is local and unique. And people actually go for it! They eat the Happy Meals..I shouldn't even get into this (I'll save it for you Jenn!).

So basically we walked in the heat through crowds and found relief in a church. despite people talking loud and disturbing the peace, it was really nice to be in a cathedral. The statues looked kind.
We walked to the facade of St. Paul's Cathedral, in which the building burned down, but the exterior front remains at the top of stone steps. My Uncle Frank and I climbed to the top and took photos...then my camera broke. I was pretty frustrated since it's brand new. We also went to a nearby hilltop/fortress to look over the city. Macau has really great history but I think the time I spent there gave me a sick reality check on what it has become: the Las Vegas of China. Many hotels/casinos have emerged across the city scape of both islands and many tourists flock to these air-conditioned caverns for a weekend of gambling.

I know the overtone of this entry is negative, but I did not have the best impression of Macau. I am glad I got to go, but if I return I will seek out more historically preserved sites, try real Macanese food, and perhaps not travel in the middle of a heatwave!

lamma island

One Saturday in August, I went to Lamma Island with Kana, my friend who also had an internship at WGSN. Our ferry took about half an hour and we munched on apples until we docked. The island is south of Hong Kong island and probably one of the most relaxing and beautiful places I have been since staying here. Literally an escape from all that is shiny, commercial and metal, it was such a rush to see thick, lush plants.



We poked around some shops at handmade crafts then ate some tasty seafood rice with creamy sauce in a seaside dai pai dong. We set out to hike up to the windmill which we spotted upon approaching the island...and had to take a break to buy toys/rest from the heat. The trail lead us up, up hill and past many houses with small fenced yards. Kana and I peeked through one fence and a couple was relaxing on their secluded porch with their dogs, drinking wine and listening to music..it would be so nice to live on the island. Kana said many foreigners who work in Central move to Lamma Island because it is cheaper housing. I would expect it to be more secluded and spacious and much like a vacation. The only trouble is taking the ferry to work everyday and being home on time-- if you miss the last ferry, which I'm sure people have, they best find a cheap hotel or nice friend to lend a couch.

We continued the hike to the windmill and finally, there it was. A massive lone windmill, I believe the first in Hong Kong. It was made with German parts and finished in 2006. There weren't too many people at the windmill so we wandered around taking photos and laying in the grass- Kana was super happy to lay in the grass. Actually my cousin also mentioned one activity she cannot do in HK is lay in grass. There isn't a lot of grass here to lay in and even in Victoria Park (where there is grass) there are signs that specify "no walking"! What the heck! Laying in grass is one of the best feelings; being deprived of such enjoyment is sad so I'm glad I found some on Lamma Island. Sadly grass is where bugs live and many crawled up my dress and bit my legs..boo

I think one of the best bits of the day was enjoying the cool breeze up on the hill because I rarely feel any breeze in HK besides the air conditioning vent. I have missed nature!

old treasure

(1, 2, 3) apartment building in Sham Shui Po

Heritage Museum exhibit

I went to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum with my friend Louise a couple weekends ago. The museum is in Sha Tin and had an exhibit "The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957". Illustrations, fabric, notions, garments, film, photography were included in the extensive collection from London's V&A museum.

Having studied many of the garments in textbooks and websites, it was so neat to see them up close, on mannequins with pointy busts and itty bitty waists. The New Look really controlled the female form- I'm glad the exhibit had a window displaying and explaining undergarments because I was continually awestruck by the size of the waists on the garments. Seeing a photo of a model is one thing, seeing the actual garment is another!

In the second gallery we visited, my heart literally skipped a beat when I turned a corner and saw dolls from Théâtre de la Mode. Perhaps not shocking to see them in an exhibition about couture, but I couldn't get over how crazy the situation was: learning about the dolls in tiny Rhode Island, flying to Hong Kong 2 years later and seeing them from V&A Museum in London. I guess the little ladies are accustomed to travel though.

star ferry

Taking time to explore on my own has been a challenge since I work every weekday. I usually make a list of places I want to go during the week and on the weekends, I see as much as I can.

The weather is sometimes an issue, it rained a lot in July and everyday seems to be about 100 degrees (F) plus a layer of humidity that just sits on your shoulders and makes you sweat like you have never sweat before. yeah, lots of bodies, in a small city, dripping sweaty. Seriously tropical.
Like most of my entries, this one is a couple weeks late. One of my excursions on the 'to-do list' was to ride the Star Ferry. I left from Tsim Sha Tsui and crossed Victoria Harbour (named after England's Queen Victoria, as Hong Kong was a British colony) to Central on Hong Kong island. The ride only takes about 20 minutes and it costs about $6 (HKD), which is a little less than $1 (USD).

The Star Ferry Company was created in 1898, but has origins from other ferry companies from 1880. There are currently 12 ferries in the fleet that service Kowloon and Hong Kong island ports. (Learn more)

It was really strange to board the Star Ferry because I grew up hearing my dad speak of his childhood in terms of modes of kite-making hobby, food, and Star Ferry. He used to take the ferry to school everyday. I remember he him saying that if he had stayed in Hong Kong, he would have been either a Star Ferry worker or bus driver.

The boats still maintains an old look with shifting metal seat backs, green paint and wood finishing. As soon as I stepped aboard, I imagined my dad as a boy running to pick a seat near the front and all at once missed him terribly. I have gotten easily homesick in Hong Kong because I just imagine my family living here, in a small neighborhood, going to the general store, buying meat, walking the streets with hands neatly behind the back, screaming and laughing in the streets, peering through the decorative barred windows. I wish I could see Hong Kong through their eyes.

The boat lifted off and though it may makes me sound like a nerdy tourist, I really felt excited. The boat bobs away from the harbour and there you are, just tugging in the middle of the sea. The air is fresh, there is a breeze and the view from each window is fantastic. The ferry ride is way too short..I wish there was a slow moving ferry that took up to one hour like in the 1880s.

People peer out of the pier windows while waiting for the next ferryInterior

Stars are hole-punched into every seat

Looking back at my ferry upon returning to Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon