Hong Kong must be a shopper's paradise. I just do not happen to be a shopper! There are the largest malls here each attached to the subway station so in theory... you never ever have to go outside... which given the humidity probably appeals to some. I prefer to put some feet on the street. Despite these mis-matches though, Hong Kong is a great place!
Lan Kwai Fong was a fun place last night. Nice bars that extended out into the street. I wish more spots like this in San Francisco (especially when the weather is pleasant) where you could just grab a beer/wine/hard alcohol/EANAB* and be outside. Definitely a professional crowd (not that kind of professional!) and most of the folks seem to have come from work in their suits.
This morning I got up and took the ferry between Central (on Hong Kong Island) and Tsim Sha Tsui (the southern neighborhood of Kowloon... attached to the mainland). I then went to my tailor to get a preliminary fitting of my suit and it looks like it is going to be awesome! The material is very light and soft to the touch, yet durable! I go for my final fitting tomorrow (for those who might be interested, they also have ways of speeding up the process, but I have time so I am taking advantage of it).
I then came back to the island and wondered around Central/Admiratility. I took an escalator to nowhere. This part of the island makes San Francisco look bumpy and they had a very good idea to install a series of esclators and moving walkways. I believe it stretches for 800m, rises 140m, and takes 20 minutes if you do the whole thing without walking. It then finishes right in the middle of a street with no view. Very wierd, but I am sure it is practical.
Grabbed lunch in SoHo, and then meandered around some of the open markets. Not sure if this is a possibility, but they really should dig up Adam Smith and relocate his remains to one of these markets... his spirit would be far happier surrounded by these marketplaces. The amount of bustle, bargaining, and commerce is quite a site. Everything from food (saw them butchering entire hogs right in front of me) to clothes (picked up a couple of ties to match my suit and shirts) to anything a person might need to use.
Went a little mainstream and headed to the IFC and Pacific Plaza... more formal shopping malls. Very nice and upscale, but I prefer the dirty street markets with all their charm, character, and chutzpah! I also ran into two guys from my tour in China (Corey and Ron) randomly. Very small world. They have been having a good time in Hong Kong but are ready to go home.
I have a couple more stops before I go home... tomorrow Hong Kong, Sunday in Macau (but sleeping in Hong Kong), and Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday in Singapore and then get home on Wednesday morning... and I still have only scratched the surface of all the things I want to see!
*: EANAB = Equally Attractive Non-Alcoholic Beverage (compliments of the Stanford Residential Housing)
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