It’s hard not to be impressed with Beijing. Every time I visit I’m struck by something new. Usually it has to do with the grand scale of the city.

Imagine nearly any place in Hong Kong and there’s an equivalent in Beijing but super-sized! Markets, shopping malls, computer centers, everything we know and love, they have them too, but built on an almost mind-boggling scale.

To be fair, you can’t really compare the two cities by size. Hong Kong and Beijing are almost total topographic opposites. Beijing is flat with a surplus of land, while Hong Kong is so land-scarce and mountainous, that it needs to reclaim part of the harbor every once in a while just to make additions!

This trip to Beijing was a brief one. I only had a few hours on Thursday night and a few more on Friday to explore. The weather in Beijing was much different from my previous visits. Clear, dry and moderate, I couldn’t imagine better conditions to meander around the vast city.

Setting off at night, I decided my destination would be Houhai. Houhai consists of an area that includes three lakes with hundreds of bars, restaurants, and cafes along the waterfront. It’s also well known for its intricate ‘hutongs’ – a network of alleyways and courtyards that constitute a traditional Beijing neighborhood.

The night was perfect for a stroll, and Beijingers and tourists alike were out in full force. Some opted for a casual walk, while others rented a paddle-boat and chartered their way beneath neon-lit bridges.

Still more met up with friends to drink in the seemingly endless number of lakeside bars.

As I walked along I was struck at how romantic the scene was. Lights from the restaurants reflected off of the water producing a rainbow glow.

Weeping willows dangled low along the lakes providing additional atmosphere.

Walking for an hour in various directions, I ended up at the main entrance to the Houhai lakeside promenade, where I concluded my adventure.

Once again Beijing managed to impress!

If there is any doubt left that Macau is the new Las Vegas it’s quickly disappearing. I received an email last week announcing the arrival of the first Asia Adult Expo set to take place in Macau next December.

Vegas is known for this sort of exhibition, which seems to match the town’s reputation as “Sin City.” Macau is likewise an appropriate destination for this type of event. The territory has a certain notoriety as a bastion of adult entertainment. Beyond the casinos, the city’s nightlife is dominated by saunas, escorts and adult karaokes.

Yet with the recent building boom, Macau seems poised for change.

Whereas Las Vegas attempted to clean up its act and become a family destination, the changes in Macau are driven by a different motivation.

As a byproduct of increased competition among the new casinos there has been an explosion in the amount of new entertainment options available for general audiences.

In trying to differentiate themselves from the competition, the new Vegas-backed casinos have been building additional facilities to draw in crowds. The massive shopping center and arena complex inside the Macau Venetian are good examples.

With international level shopping, concerts and sporting events in town, Macau becomes a much more attractive option to couples and families.

The new offerings cater to a much wider spectrum of visitors instead of solely hardcore gamblers.

Previously Macau was a one-horse town and any other form of entertainment was secondary. It was in the interest of the casinos to maintain the status quo. Shopping and tourist experiences were limited and there were few night time activities beyond smoke filled casinos.

Though these new attractions may only be bells and whistles, and so far don’t play a major role in attracting the core spenders (gamblers from Mainland China,) they are inadvertently changing the face of Macau.

The Asia Adult Expo

The concept for the Asia Adult Expo is interesting. According to the brochure, over half of the world’s adult products are manufactured in Asia. Additionally, Asia’s massive population represents a huge market. Yet due to cultural factors and relatively conservative mores, there are limited avenues of promotion and distribution for adult products in the region. The expo is looking to alleviate this by providing business opportunities, networking, and promotion for the adult industry.

For more information check out the exhibition’s website.

Racks MDB, Hong Kong’s favorite casual hangout is holding the grand opening of their Shanghai branch this Friday and Saturday. Similar to their location near Lan Kwai Fong in Hong Kong, Racks Shanghai is located in Xintiandi, a major entertainment capital of the city. Despite the huge 16,000 square foot space, expect a packed party filled with Racks regulars, many of whom made the trip up for the weekend. Celebrity watchers can count on being dazzled by big name actors, singers and models from around the region.

I was in Shanghai during New Year’s Eve and had a chance to take a look at the place before it opened. It’s located on the fifth level of the modern shopping center at Xintiandi.

Racks Shanghai is enormous! It has the feel of a massive New York pool hall, plus it has private rooms, a VIP area, multiple bars, a lounge side for events and an outdoor balcony. Wish I could be there!

Racks MDB Shanghai
5/F Block 7, Xintiandi South Block
Xin Ye Road, near Ma Dang Road

I took a quick trip up to Shanghai to celebrate New Year’s 2008. As the former most international city in China, Shanghai is eager to reclaim its title. The city has been booming for a decade with foreign companies flocking there to open operations and brands seeking to establish a foothold with consumers in Shanghai’s relatively affluent market. Foreign concepts are pouring into the city making it more international all the time. The dual barriers to entry – high rent and staffing costs that make Hong Kong difficult to do business in, are lesser issues in Shanghai.

While Hong Kong is considered the “Manhattan of Asia,” Shanghai is often sighted as Hong Kong’s biggest threat. Instead of viewing Shanghai as a threat, smart Hong Kong companies have already embraced the city as a new market, leveraging their expertise and proximity to create spin-offs suited for China. The pace of these role-outs is getting faster and faster.

My brief trip allowed me to check out several new world-class additions to the city that have close ties to Hong Kong.

Jia Hotel Shanghai

An outgrowth of the successful Hong Kong Jia boutique hotel located in Causeway Bay, I had the opportunity to stay in Jia Shanghai, one of the high profile new editions to Shanghai’s lodging landscape.

I’m not really into the hype about boutique hotels, I view them with the same skepticism I do restaurants that focus on design. In this case, my feelings were totally unfounded. Staying at the Jia Shanghai I found the location, facilities, and hospitality all excellent.

Occupying a renovated old building right on the main stretch of Nanjing Lu near the major shopping centers, the staff was helpful and friendly. The bell-boy even told me that he’s into Heavy Metal music – when was the last time you met someone in a hotel with a little personality? The comfortable room had everything I could think of, including moisturizer, which I desperately needed in the cold, dry winter weather. Even though I was in a studio, I found the room spacious. Each unit is decorated in an individual style, so that guests don’t get that gloomy feeling of staying in a sterile box.

The lobby has a living room feel to it with art books scattered around and a staff that makes you tea and snacks. One particularly thoughtful gesture – on the 31st, I came back to my room and discovered a pair of sunglasses and a special aspirin packet – just in case I needed help for a New Year’s hangover. Thoughtful indeed!

Check out the website here for more information.

Jia Shanghai address:
931 West Nanjing Road
Shanghai, 200041

Racks Shanghai Billiards Club

Less than a year old, Racks MDB, Hong Kong’s casual billiards club with a cool crowd has expanded to Shanghai’s famed Xintiandi complex. For those of you unfamiliar with Shanghai, Xintiandi is a dining and entertainment area based around two blocks of old low-rise architecturally significant buildings converted into restaurants, shops and bars. It’s roughly equivalent to Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong. Racks Shanghai is located on the fifth floor of the new shopping center that anchors Xintiandi and shares the level with the UME cinema and a club called G Plus.

On New Year’s Eve I was upstairs at the new Racks Shanghai for the celebration. Racks regulars from Hong Kong will be blown away by the large scale of the new branch. The Shanghai billiards club occupies a whopping 16,000 square feet and includes multiple rows of pool tables, a separate lounge area, VIP rooms, a large balcony and several bars.

At midnight, club-goers filed out to the balcony to watch the impressive fireworks display nearby.

Racks Shanghai address:
5/F Block 7, Xintiandi South Block
Xin Ye Road, near Ma Dang Road

ACU
The last time I was in Shanghai, ACU, the sister store to Juice, operated by the Hong Kong based CLOT crew, had yet to open. During this trip I took the subway over to Hua Hai Road and then walked a block to Changle Lu, a tree-lined street I’ve always been attracted to, looking for the ACU shop.

Changle Lu is an interesting shopping area filled with quirky stores. It runs parallel to Huahai Road, a block away, which is a popular mainstream shopping avenue.

The large two-story ACU shop is impressive. Not only did they have a tasteful interior in keeping with the theme, they had a good amount of merchandise including a large selection of Visvim shoes and bags. The rest of the inventory, which included everything from hard to find street-wear companies, to big brands such as Nike, was featured on interestingly designed displays. Worth a look!

ACU store address:
Shop#15, 139 Changle Road,
Shanghai, 200020

One sad note is that Rendezvous Cafe, near the main strip on Nanjing Lu, home to the best cheeseburger in Shanghai (or perhaps even greater China for that matter,) is now closed! I’m hoping they just relocated elsewhere in the city.

Perhaps due to the new CEPA agreement, walking around the streets I noticed a huge increase in branches of Hong Kong based banks. Hang Seng bank, Bank of East Asia (BEA) and HSBC were far more prevalent than in my previous trips to Shanghai. For Hong Kong account holders this offers far more convenience than on earlier trips to the city.

Shanghai I’ll be back!

Last week I took a whirl-wind tour of Manila’s nightlife. It was my first trip to the Philippines despite the fact that it’s only an hour and a half away from Hong Kong by plane. Heading over for a week, I didn’t really know what to expect.

After the short flight, I was greeted at the airport by my friends, Borgy and Ornusa. These two are a power couple in Manila’s hipster scene. Ornusa is one of the top models in the Philippines and a fashion trend-setter. Borgy is involved in TV, radio, fashion and nightlife. The pair are united in their knack for surrounding themselves with creative people. Their friends are active in all aspects of media, nightlife, fashion, art, and entertainment. My one-week trip was a peek into their world and a chance to feel the pulse of what’s happening in Manila at this very moment.

FLUXXE

The adventure began on Thursday when we went to a night called FLUXXE. FLUXXE featured an impressive selection of off-beat music and a friendly vibe. The crowd was composed of fashion industry insiders, photographers and artists. Steve Aoki recently visited and began a tradition of drawing on the walls, which seemed to catch on with the locals!

32nd Street, the bar where Fluxxe is currently held, is a hole-in-the wall type of joint with an intimate, alternative feel. In addition to a small bar room, there’s outdoor seating which is perfect if you want to sit near the street and talk.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no, it’s a rabbit? Flex at Fluxxe making shadow puppets.

Fluxxe
Thursday nights after 10
32nd Street
Fort Bonifacio, Global City, Taguig City
(across the street from 7-Eleven)

99.5 HIT FM

‘Mayor B.’

Friday night I joined Borgy for his weekly radio show. On air we talked about d.j.ing and music in general. The show hosts set up a review segment by playing the work of local Philippino artists and then asking for my opinion on the tracks. Since I had no previous exposure to Philippino music it was interesting for all of us. One caller suggested that we don’t judge the artists by international standards, but rather, only consider them in the context of the Philippino music scene. We disagreed with that view. The general consensus was that good music can stand on its own, regardless of where it’s from.

Time and again during the week, the subject of local industry standards versus international levels kept coming up. The prevailing feeling seemed to be that there are talented people in the Philippines who can work on international levels, so why should the local industries settle for less? Part of what I saw during my trip was a commitment by those who have studied abroad, or traveled, to raise local standards. The people I met love their country and want to help make it a better place. It’s an admirable goal and inspiring to witness.

ALCHEMY

Saturday night I was scheduled to play at Alchemy, the newest edition to Manila’s high-end nightlife scene. I was excited to check this place out. The club is located on the North side of Manila, anchoring a shopping mall. Alchemy features three floors, each with a different theme. On the ground floor is O Lounge, which additionally serves as a restaurant. The second floor is Liquid, and the third floor is Vapor. The decor is different on each level.

Alchemy’s main entrance way

Vapor before guests arrived

Overall, the club has a sleek look and features an impressive sound and lighting system. Video screens are all over the club, which makes it a good spot for v.j.s as well as for branding during events. As you move to higher floors, the partying gets more intense. The third floor where I played was packed with people dancing. The diverse, upscale crowd included something that most clubs aspire to – more girls than guys!

The crowd responded well to the mixture of Old School Hip Hop and uptempo Dancehall music. A tight dance circle spontaneously formed and people were going crazy jumping in and battling each other in a friendly way. In contrast to certain places in Hong Kong, the people were there to dance and have fun, not pose and be seen. Depending on the night, different floors of the club are open. There is a smart-casual dress code, so wearing a collared shirt is a good idea. Alchemy has plans to bring more international d.j.s, which should help establish it as a top club in Asia. Special thanks to M.C. of Alchemy for the hospitality and the good conversations about Manila’s nightlife scene.

Check out this local blog for more photos of Alchemy.

Alchemy
Silvercity, Frontera, Verde Drive corner of Julia Vargas, Pasig City
917-886-1049

PUNTA FUEGO

Sunrise shot from the car!

After Alchemy we drove two hours to a beach house where we chilled for a day. In the urban areas of Manila, as well as in the country-side, people stay in “villages” which are basically housing developments with security guards at the entry points. This system allows developers to build independent units with shared facilities that are self-sufficient, since the public infrastructure is somewhat lacking. Additionally, it helps to cut down on crime. The place we stayed was Punta Fuego, a development in the hills overlooking a cove. We arrived around 7am and hit the pool immediately, before crashing.

Since it rained, we hung out and played cards.

Look at all them chips! Beginner’s luck!

Punta Fuego
Nasugbu, Batangas, Philippines

HAPPY MONDAYS at EMBASSY

Monday night was the main event. We left Punta Fuego in the afternoon and drove back past scenic Tagaytay, which is high up in the hills overlooking an enormous active volcano. Borgy’s Happy Mondays is a famous night in Manila’s nightlife scene. It features a cool crowd and a loyal following. The fact that it’s on a Monday night gives it a special vibe. Without all the excess crowds you find on the weekend, people drop their guard and are more friendly and approachable.

The party seems orchestrated for people to have fun. There’s no cover charge, and the party usually features a few hours of open bar sponsored by different alcohol vendors. Occasionally, the night has a theme. Check out the MySpace page to have a look at the pics from previous events.

The venue for Happy Mondays is Embassy, the top club in the neighborhood called The Fort. Embassy is divided into three parts, Embassy Cafeteria (an informal restaurant open late;) Cuisine (an upscale restaurant / lounge,) and the Embassy Club. The club itself is again divided into three areas, a large main room which features a dancefloor and two long bars, the champagne room, and the VIP room located in back of the d.j.. Though already a large club, Embassy is in the process of expanding next door, taking over the former studios of MTV.

Normally Happy Mondays is held at Cuisine on the ground floor, however, since they brought in a special guest d.j. for the night, they decided to hold the party upstairs in the Embassy Club for the first time.

Arriving at Embassy I took a quick tour of the many rooms. The event began downstairs at the lounge, and would later move up to the club, once the crowd thickened at midnight. Malaya, part of Borgy’s crew, and a veteran of the Philippine’s nightlife scene, opened up for me.

I was told by my hosts that there’s a ritual for guests to do two shots of something called “the red drink”. I was scared! They were talking about this stuff all weekend! Futura reportedly did a few shots and started d.j.ing… who knows, maybe I’d try a few shots and start painting? What’s in it? The “special” recipe calls for a combination of several of the Philippine’s cheapest liquors mixed with Redbull. The combination? Deadly! No wonder they call it “Happy” Mondays! Luckily, my tolerance was up from the previous few nights and I had no trouble consuming the shots.

Finally, around 12:30 I came on. I started off with old Rock music, then jumped into a few Hip Hop party classics, before going into 90′s dance music. I worked in several different types of music including Hip House, Electro, and Baile Funk, before going into Reggae at around 3:30. The crowd was into the music and the dancefloor was just as packed as the weekend. D.J. Mulan came on after me and played some breakbeats for a circle who started breaking.

It was an excellent ending to an already amazing trip. Little did I know that there was still more yet to come!

Embassy
The Fort Strip, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City
917 816-4346

We closed out Embassy at around 4:30 and decided to get some food. The plan was to go to a place called The Filling Station, which is located in Manila’s redlight district. But as we neared the restaurant, my hosts decided we should go for a quick detour.

RINGSIDE BAR

It was 5 am on Tuesday morning when we made our way into Ringside. I had heard about this place before. It features a boxing ring with either midgets fighting, or girls boxing each other. Inside we were too late to catch the boxing matches. There were four girls dancing in the ring to trance music and a laser show.

We stayed for a drink just to soak up the ambiance, before we departed. It was daylight when we left! Ouch!

I managed to find a video of a boxing match from Ringside on YouTube. I think it’s more fun in theory, than in practice.

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Ringside Bar
4843 P. Burgos Street (on the corner of Kalayaan Ave. in Makati’s redlight district)
917 899-7106

THE FILLING STATION

After Ringside, we crossed the street and made our way towards our original destination, The Filling Station, about a block away. Walking up a flight of steps, you enter a restaurant stuffed with Americana. The collection included a life-sized Superman, Batman, and Spiderman replica, in addition to countless smaller mementos. The Filling Station is an authentic American diner serving up a huge range of food and best of all, it’s open all night.

The Filling Station
P. Burgos in Makati 917 897-2053

Additional miscellaneous spots

I paid a visit to a secret store that may, or may not exist in a discreet apartment somewhere in Makati. If you’re into street fashion, stay tuned for more info on this place.

Power Plant Mall

Since crime is an issue, and the weather is hot, shopping malls serve as a place where people can hang out, eat, and go for entertainment in air-conditioned comfort. Much more so than in other cities, malls are important communal spaces in contemporary Manila.

Within the Power Plant Mall (named so because there actually was a power plant on the location previously,) there’s a small section of shops featuring local designers. I was planning on stopping back here to purchase some cool shirts and small custom bags before I left, but we ran out of time. Definitely worth a visit. Check for it nestled into a corner.

On the way to the airport Borgy pointed out a billboard for San Miguel beer featuring Jet Li. In the bottom of the photo you can see a jeepney. Jeepneys are totally tricked-out extended jeeps that are used as sort of mini-buses. They have them all over the Philippines, and they are individually customized. I didn’t have enough time to photograph them, but they’re a cool part of local culture.

Cruising the old streets it dawned on me that Macau is a perfect destination for film-making. Why? Where else can you find two-hundred years of authentic sets? Every architectural trend (or mishap) from the grand colonial era to Art Deco elegance, to the worst of the 60′s and 80′s is here, preserved in a state of suspended animation.

Macau is a sleepy place. Take a turn off a major thoroughfare and you’ll stumble upon blocks that actually make you feel like you’re on a set. It’s exactly this quality that makes it a fascinating diversion from Hong Kong, where very few older buildings remain.

In the midst of the layers of decay and the dazzle of all the new construction, Macau is filled with character.

There’s a dark, somber quality to the forgotten alleyways that seem to catch no light whatsoever. Whole blocks seem second-class, tucked away from major streets and walkways. These could provide a perfect setting for a period noir or a David Lynch movie. Most recently the film “Isabella,” starring Isabella Leong and Chapman To sought to capture this aspect of the city. Johnnie To’s “Exiled” also made use of Macau’s old streets.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are the avant-garde complexes being put up to inspire awe and attract gamblers. Perhaps the award for most visible should go to the Grand Lisboa which looms over the city, dominating the skyline from nearly every angle. And rightfully it should, as the new gem of Stanley Ho, it deserves a special status for its complex, larger-than-life design.

The newer end of the strip now includes the casinos: Grand Lisboa, Emperor, Wynn’s, and Star World (pictured above.) The MGM Grand and several more major casinos are currently under construction. The Cotai strip (an area of reclaimed land between Taipa and Coloane,) is also set to explode with the Venetian’s upcoming launch.

If you go for a day trip to Macau, and you’re interested in catching that feeling of discovery, try to explore off the beaten path and don’t forget to bring your camera!

With the monopoly on ownership of casinos in Macau lifted, seasoned, corporate American casinos are pouring into Macau, giving the industry a much needed face-lift. Formerly controlled by Stanley Ho, the new guys in town include The Sands, The Venitian, MGM, Wynn, and several others. They are literally making the front part of Macau into a strip similar to Las Vegas. Construction is everywhere.

The charm of old Macau, with its slow winding streets, and alleyways can still be found. However, luxury condos catering to future high-rollers, mostly projected to come from Mainland China, are beginning to encroach on the borders of the city.

Taking a page from Las Vegas, Macau is reinventing itself, with all sorts of weird semi-historic concoctions. On a recent trip I walked around the main part of the city, and shot some of the new buildings going up. Some of them are interesting looking.

The former face of gambling in Macau, Stanley Ho’s Casino Lisboa:

On my walk, I stumbled across some cool graffiti and an old shop covered in gears, cogs and springs – there’s still culture to be found!

Click on the image below to get a close-up!

Seems like all my vacations revolve around my friend’s weddings! I jumped over to Bangkok on the 24th for a few days to check out Bangkok and attend my friend’s wedding on the 27th. The last time I was in Bangkok was 2 years ago for another friend’s wedding.

Bangkok is a short flight – only two and a half hours away from Hong Kong by plane. One of the pleasures of living in H.K. is the close proximity to so many other countries and cultures. Thailand provides an alluring destination for a number of reasons – the weather is excellent, the beaches are amazing, shopping is extensive, and it’s very inexpensive compared to Hong Kong.

I was looking forward to my trip. I’ve been to Bangkok three times previously, and I still only know basics about the city. It’s much more sprawling than Hong Kong.

My flight got in smoothly and I took a taxi to the serviced apartment that my friend had booked for me. Many savvy visitors to Bangkok avoid hotels and instead choose to rent serviced apartments. Their locations and services are excellent and prices even cheaper than hotels.

The suite that I got was very spacious with a good view of this part of town. I was located near the Emporium, one of the high-end shopping centers in Bangkok. The Emporium is located on the BTS Sky Train line, at the Phrom Phong station. It’s a convenient location. One note about Bangkok – traffic can be terrible, so being on the BTS Sky Train is a time saver. The trains go to most major areas and are clean, easy to navigate and new.

I got in at night. After I checked in, I called the groom, and he invited me to join him and his in-laws at the Suan Lum night market near Lumpini Park. I hopped into a taxi and was there in about 10 minutes. (Traffic was light due to the time of night.)

Despite visiting the city several times, I’d never been to the Suan Lum night market before. The night market featured several large buildings divided into small to medium sized stalls featuring everything from clothes to home furnishings to artwork. I was impressed by the cool local designer t-shirts I saw, and made a mental note to remember to come back. (As it turns out, I returned a few days later and picked up 8 shirts at a few different stalls. The prices were around $160 Baht per shirt and up, which is between $4 and $5 U.S.!) After shopping for a few hours, and grabbing dinner, I headed back to the apartment.

The next day was Sunday (Christmas day,) and I decided to visit the famous Chatuchak weekend market. This place is no joke! It’s the largest market you could possibly imagine. I don’t know exactly how much area it covers, but it’s several square blocks filled with small stalls selling almost everything you could possibly think of. It’s a browsers paradise, there’s just so much here. A quick rundown of what I picked up: old school fat shoe laces, local designer t-shirts, a book on film, retro underwear (to give away as a gift), and some electrical plug adapters.

After a few hours wandering around Chatuchak I decided to head to my favorite neighborhood in Bangkok – Siam Square for a quick look around. On my previous trips I’ve found it to be the epicenter of youth culture and perhaps shopping in Bangkok. There are several large malls on one side, Mahboonkong, an enormous shopping center on another end, and a network of cool shops tucked away in several older buildings and blocks on another side. I’ve found cool clothes and music shops here in the past, and I was anxious to see what had changed.

I was happy to see that my favorite movie theater – the Scala, was still around. It’s an old movie palace with a grand lobby and a huge screen. They still have cool hand painted billboards as well.

I darted through the mazes of shopping centers, finding that several of the shops I had patronized before (with weird names like ‘Burger Queen’) were now gone. I checked on a shop called KINKY where I got two shirts many years ago, and found that it was still kickin’. I was about to ask about the owner – Nat – when he walked into the store.

I met Nat last year in H.K. I had been to his shop a few years ago and liked the clothes he designed, but didn’t meet him until mutual friends introduced us in H.K. Apart from having a cool shop, Nat just released his first CD on Sony BMG. It’s his own style of Hip Hop music.

After talking for a few minutes, Nat told me that he was on his way to a small get together and invited me to join. The other M.C. from his group came and picked us up. Two hours later we were still driving outside of Bangkok, and lost! Fortunately we found the place after a few detours.

It turns out that the small get together was the birthday party for Joey Boy – one of the top Hip Hop / Pop stars in Thailand. It was in the club house on a private lake of a new luxury development. Very scenic spot.

Joe was out front when we got there, and was very friendly. There was only around 30 people there, and it was an interesting collection of music people, and Thai celebrities. There was a sound system set up and people took turns performing. The music was great!

The rest of my trip was taken up by the wedding. I had to go to the rehearsal, and the actual wedding took up a whole day as well. In the little time I had left, I made another trip back to Siam Square to check out the newest shopping center – Siam Paragon that just opened. It’s amazingly large! In addition to housing a huge supermarket, several floors of shops, it also includes a Ferrari and Lamborghini show room, as well as a full size aquarium! Needless to say, I didn’t get to see the whole place.

On my last day in Bangkok I decided to check out an area called Thonglor that people have said is a trendy part of town. I read an article in the N.Y. Times that made it seem like a hot spot as well. I didn’t find too much myself. There is a big store called Playground that has an excellent collection of design books, interesting home furnishings, and clothes, but the area on the whole didn’t knock me out. Perhaps it’s the growth of small coffee shops and dessert places that make the area famous. It doesn’t have the intensity of Siam Square or as diverse a collection of places.

A few weeks ago I got an offer to attend two events in Beijing. One was a Ferragamo fashion show in The Forbidden City, and the other was a fashion show for the British brand DAKS. My schedule was to arrive in Beijing on Thursday around noon time, drop off my luggage and then head to The Forbidden City. My flight left H.K. at 9:15, which is a little on the early side, especially since I got asked to go to my friend Imani’s going away party on Wednesday night. (It ended up going til 1:30, and I didn’t sleep til much later.)

At Imani’s party I tested out Scratch Live, a new hardware / software package for playing music with a laptop connected to turntables. I just bought it a few days before and hadn’t had a chance to test it out. It performed well at the party.

Anyway, my taxi driver dropped me off way too early for the special entrance to Tai Miao (the building where the party was,) and I had to walk for 10 minutes before getting to the venue. This was a total hassle.

Despite the hike, I found the alley way that led to the back entrance of the venue, and followed the sound of music to lead me to the correct spot.