diaTribe » hong kong

Hangin’ in Hong Kong

Phil — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 09:11:46 +0000

Well, it’s almost time to fly again.

I’ve spent the last 5 days in Hong Kong, braving the drippy-wet humidity levels, the bursts of torrential rain that are always a part of the Typhoon season and for some reason a large influx of extremely fat, loud, crass aussies, in their “best” clobber (i.e. grotty old Bermuda shorts, tank tops and floppy sandals…Jeez, what’s with that?)

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Meandering in Macau

Phil — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 07:56:43 +0000

I’ve been to Hong Kong a number of times in recent years and every time I visit, a trip to Macau is usually on the to-do list. But somehow I always seem to run out of time.

This time was different. After getting settled in to the Eaton hotel on Nathan road, I started looking into the best way to visit Macau.

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Hong Kong 2009 (Part 2)

Phil — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:28:02 +0000

Another day comes to an end.

Hong Kong 2009 Photos now available.

Last night’s visit to the Temple St Night Market was a good one. After leaving the Pacific Coffee House, I wandered down to the Market’s edge and found a good seat at my favourite roadside restaurant. The place doesn’t look like much and the cheap plastic tables and stools don’t necessarily get your taste buds into overtime, but the owners cook the best sliced beef and vegetable satay, this side of the Pacific.

I sat in the warm humid afterglow of the afternoon, happily munching on this spicy dish and washing it down with a large chilled bottle of the local Tsing Tsao beer, watching life go by and the stall owners finish setting up for the evening. An hour later I was strolling through the markets, haggling for all I was worth with the stallholders and having a great time into the bargain (no pun intended).

At the end of Temple St, I watched the many fortune tellers plying their trade and as always, it was interesting to see the range of clientele; from wizened little old Haklo boat ladies to young business executives in their tailor-made silk suits, everyone wanted to know what the future held in store for them. Just around the bend is a place I affectionately refer to as: Karaoke corner/

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Hong Kong 2009 (Part 1)

Phil — Sun, 10 May 2009 08:07:30 +0000

Hong Kong 2009 Photos now available.

Anyone who reads this blog (or the Bandanna Club website) – even occasionally – will know that I’ve made a number of visits to Hong Kong. Certainly it’s my favourite stopover whenever I head back down under and I don’t generally miss the chance to stroll down it’s streets and sample the wares of it’s markets

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Hong Kong Revisited

Phil — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 01:05:00 +0000

It’s mid-morning as I sit in a coffee shop on Nathan Rd in the heart of the golden mile during the last day of a 3-day stopover from NZ.

A young woman wearing the latest western designer clothes strolls purposefully down the road. As she passes the coffee shop, she side-steps a tiny old woman, who is bent almost double, pushing a cartload of goods slowly down the street. The young woman barely sees her; she is talking on her mobile phone. Seconds later she glances at her brand-name watch before disappearing down into the Shah Tsim Shiu station of the MTR.

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