It's a great time of year to be walking in Hong Kong. We do Christmas here in a big way. Trees, lights, tinsel. Choirs sing carols in the malls. The supermarket muzak in Park & Shop has got "Jingle Bells" on continuous loop. My building's door lady has taken to wearing a pair of antlers. And down on Ladder Street, the vendors are cleaning up with the Santa suits.
Snapshots. Unexpected moments. A door opens, and suddenly you find yourself immersed in someone else's life. For an instant, you're floating in a different world, inhabiting a different skin, wondering how you could have lived so long without understanding, feeling, thinking...
In our endless quest to discover the most interesting, unsung attractions of our favorite city for our personally hosted Hong Kong walks, we often find ourselves pausing to admire the vast landscape of consumable commodities which surrounds, indeed threatens to devour us, with its variety and plentitude. Yeah, we like to go shopping. Not just any shopping, though. I am always on the alert for things to buy that have local flavor, that are Made in Hong Kong. Things that have some connection to this place, and this culture. Even though Hong Kong is a much touted "Shoppers Paradise", that's not always easy. Hong Kong is awash in designer brands and luxury items, but the everyday local treasures aren't always visible at first glance. That's why I've compiled my own lists of shops and stores that "think locally." Some you may already have heard of, like the terrific hip housewares and lifestyle store G.O.D. These guys...
Next time we go I'm going to see about hitching a ride home on one of these local boats!
The best yu daan ho fan I have ever tasted is made right here in Shau Kei Wan. Yesterday, we tried it garnished with some crunchy and delicious fried fish skin (ja yu pei) on top--super yummy!
Yvonne and Mike, from London, were terrific companions for the afternoon. We hopped on a red minibus from Shau Kei Wan to Big Wave Bay, a cool little village that is also the home to Hong Kong's weekend surfer dudes. We climbed up the path to a terrific view of rocks and the bay at sunset, then prowled around the little village.
Last stop was Shek O, at the end of the peninsula, where a wide, sandy beach attracts the Sunday crowds for--what else?--BBQ parties (in Hong Kong, eating is always more popular than swimming!). But we didn't linger on the beach. Instead we followed the secret path behind the Art Deco Shek O bus station, wound our way past the basketball courts and through the hole-in-the-wall to emerge at the best bar in Hong Kong:
By popular demand, Little Adventures in Hong Kong has created a unique new food and walking experience: Won Ton-a-Thon!
