When Hong Kong supermarket chain Wellcome began offering a rewards program tied to a shopper’s Octopus card, things got a little weird. (more…)

There are a few cool cut-away views along the Central to Mid-Levels Escalator that make for interesting photos. I was walking down the pathway yesterday when I looked to my left, somewhere between Wellington Street and Queens Road.

The alley below contains outdoor food stalls, but all you can see is a patchwork of colors from the ramshackle umbrellas they use to protect their tables. Having just rained, the view was particularly vibrant and stunning. As far as the eye can see you have a collection of different awnings and tarps strung together.

Hong Kong is filled with such scenes of unintentional beauty. (more…)

Are we talking about the same city here? Sunday afternoon I stopped by the first Living Room Crafts Market held at Sense 99, a lounge on Wellington Street in Central. What I saw when I arrived totally caught me by surprise! (more…)

Most people associate Chinese New Year with spending time with family, visiting relatives and catching up with close friends. But every year, part of the fun occurs when these normal home gatherings get transformed into make-shift casinos! (more…)

Last Wednesday I attended a traditional Chinese New Year dinner organized by fashion designer William Tang. The celebration, which he hosts every year, takes place in the Tang family ancestral hall that dates back 700 years! (more…)

Apparently to some people it is. Five days a week during Hong Kong’s lunch hour, a long line forms along the escalator walkway directly above Hollywood Road. On some days the line snakes all the way down the steps to the nearest exit at Lyndhurst Terrace. A sign of the times? Nope, this has been going on for over two years! What’s the draw? (more…)

Tuesday I was running errands related to the holidays. I headed up to Prince Edward and walked all the way down to Tsim Sha Tsui before heading back to Central. One thing I love about Hong Kong is the energy you feel just walking along the streets. Different neighborhoods have unique vibes. This sensation is amplified during the busy holiday season. (more…)

Stores have been pumping Christmas music and the lights in Tsim Sha Tsui East have been up for weeks, but somehow it doesn’t quite feel like the holiday season has kicked in.

I took these photos a while ago, but I delayed posting them until now since most people were still walking around in t-shirts. Maybe now that it’s finally starting to get cold will all the holiday trappings seem appropriate. (more…)

Halloween in Hong Kong has been growing exponentially every year and 2008 was no exception! This year it fell conveniently on a Friday. Throwing aside recent gloominess about the economy, throngs of people donned costumes and came out to celebrate.

Why has Halloween, a totally foreign holiday been adopted by Hong Kong? I’ve offered my theory on that before. I don’t think people actually care exactly what the holiday is or where it comes from. Just stop and think about it in more basic terms - how many times a year do you get to wear a costume and walk around in public? As in the U.S., it’s just an excuse to get dressed up and have fun with friends.

Recently Halloween has become a victim of its own success. Particularly Lan Kwai Fong, the epicenter of Hong Kong’s Halloween celebration, has become hard to get to. Due to the big turnout, the police have been cordoning off the area’s streets and making revelers snake through several blocks in order to reach the main nightlife intersection. Currently it’s not convenient to walk through the slow moving crowd and it’s a kind of a downer to have to spend an hour waiting on lines just to get into the famous party zone.

A thought came to me to make things smoother. (more…)

Those who haven’t visited the area between the Central post office and the new Star Ferry terminal will be shocked at the amount of reclaimed land added over the past two years. Neatly hidden behind walls, the area seems like it appeared out of nowhere. The quantity of harbor filled-in to create the new waterfront is immense.

Despite the loss of a few scenic and semi-historic spots, if done correctly, the waterfront reclamation project stands to add to the quality of life in the city. Especially as the Kowloon skyline has rapidly verticalized, the view from the new promenade will be spectacular. Here are some photos of the work in progress. (more…)