Central Reservation

The day started out with a blank canvas. I only had plans to have lunch with my Godmother who is kindly keeping a watchful eye over me while I'm in Hong Kong. I don't know what my parents are telling their friends but I think they all feel sorry for me. No money, no friends. Poor Andrea. Anyway, it's not like they're lying about the money and friends, but there's not reason to feel bad for me, I made my bed and I'm quite comfortable lying in it.

We ended up eating dim sum at a restaurant in one of the fanciest malls in the city, Pacific Place (think Gucci, Prada, Lane Crawford). I was happy to eat some choi (leafy vegetables) because I've been neglecting fruits and vegetables and I missed them. Afterwards, I headed to Causeway Bay because I hadn't spent much time there. It's home to Hong Kong's Times Square and the busiest intersection in the world (according to Connie, but Google "busiest intersection in the world" and you'll get different answers). It took me a while to find Sugar St. where a colleague told me I could find a cool used bookstore. I never found it and it started to rain so I decided to go back to Central and my favourite coffee shop, Kosmos to drink their soy bean coffee and eat a cookie or something. Fortunately, that didn't happen...

Kosmos is closed for the weekend for renovations and so I had to settle for a vanilla latte across the street at Starbucks. I was pretty dissapointed but once I got my coffee, I was just content reading the newspaper.

The great thing about Hong Kong and Central specifically, is that you can eavesdrop on conversations and hear a dozen different accents. I listened to a blue-eyed Australian boyfriend explain to his waiting girlfriend why he was so late. Something about going up six elevators and weaving through a maze of streets. By the time I reached chapter 12 of my Haruki Murakami book, a 20-something Australian dude came and sat across from me. He was cute, sipped on a Frappacino and carried a Hong Kong guidebook. He picked up the Football section of my newspaper and started reading it. He got embarassed when I offerred him the rest of my newspaper, thinking the football secion was left here for customers and then asked if I was a football fan. I said sort of, but not enough to read about it. I was sorry that I couldn't be the conversation partner he was looking for. It was my cue to go on.

I walked west on Wellington with my camera in hand. It was another overcast day, leaving me with few shadows and light contrasts to work with. But along the way, I saw some interesting scens I'm happy to have record, or tried to record:

     

I found myself at the foot of Lyndhurst Terrace. I was going to continue west, but I was struck by the image of a mother feeding her son on the steps. She was sitting on a bench with him half on her lap, half on the ground. He watched the people walking by as he opened wide for another spoonful of rice. I didn't understand why they were on the street, eating, but that's Hong Kong, I guess.

I went up the strairs and suddenly, dogs were everywhere. All sorts of four-legged friends: retreivers, beagles, sausages, pomeranians, etc. The dogs were attached to human beings, all who smiled and smelled funny (could have been the dogs). I asked one especically smiley woman what was going on and she explained that it was a Hong Kong Dog Rescue event and most of these dogs were at risk and needed homes. :( For anyone living in Hong Kong and considering getting a pet, please adopt!

I continued up to Hollywood Rd. and outside the police station was the cutest bride and groom couple ever. She had a simple strapless white dress, no veil. He had a white jacket, black pants and sneakers. There were two photographers snapping away on my side of the street so I took a couple shots too. I guess they could just have ben modelling, but I figure since there were two photographers and no other people working on the shoot, it was just a couple doing their wedding pictures on the streets of Central.

But it was further west that I made my biggest discovery. I stopped at Peel and Hollywood to photograph a closed store. Something about the colours of the walls and the gate attracted me, but then I looked to my left and a neon sign caught my eye. It read: "Joyce is Not Here" and in subscript "artists' bar & cafe." I noticed a Canadian flag wrapped around some bamboo sticks outside. Perfect, I thought, Canadian artists and that Joyce chick isn't around.

But she was. She watched me with a big smile on her face as I read the chalkboard menu outside. We made eye contact and she waved me in.

"Are you Canadian?" I asked, nodding to the flag.
"Yes!" she said excitedly, "are you?"
"I am."
"Ohh, what part?"
"Toronto."
"Me toooo!" she squealled even louder and gave me a big hug.

Aww, this feels good. Canadian or not, the bar itself is exactly the type of place I'd go to. It's small, but decorated with bright colours. There's an entire wall devoted to English magazines and Joyce not only did the interior design but designed most of the tables and chairs. She's a bubbling ball of creative energy and her husband, Rob from Windsor is her low-key complement. The two of them just opened the cafe/bar on July 1st and have tried to encourage more patronage. Rob told me they get a lot of artsy-type folks, boasting that an American novelist and popular Hong Kong DJ are two of their regulars, but business isn't as good as it could be. It's not hard to see why, this part of Peel St. is off the beaten path as it sits quietly, just north of Soho and southwest of Lam Kwai Fong. I like it's charming feel that wavers between professional G.O.D.-like artsy decor and the owners' own quirky tastes.

I ordered a glass of sangria and they gave me orange-flavoured chocolate sticks with it. Later, Joyce plopped a shot of something next to me, said "try this," and ran off. It turned out to be Chinese plum wine and delicious. I love places that give you free things! Other free things include Internet access and wait for it...wi-fi. So yes, friends, I have a new crush in Hong Kong. It's called Joyce Is Not Here and if things go right, we're gonna go steady.

The rest of the evening went by in a blur. I met up with Connie and Moe back in Causeway Bay for some Thai food. They both have some kind of yeast overgrowth thing and basically have to starve the yeast in their body for three months. That means no starches and no sugars (when possible). We had a great papaya salad, Tom Yum soup, shrimp curry, chicken wrapped in banana leaves (I think) and a grilled fish. Yummy. I was just glad to eat with people and not at a cha chantang (tea house, kind of like a fast-food restaurant but Hong Kong style).

With full bellies, we went to a nearby DVD store. There are a few that are opened 24-hours here. Chinese people love their movies. I bought a copy of I <3 Huckabees for something like $29 (about $4.50 CDN). I got home after 1:30, exhausted from the walking and over-consumption of Thai food. So yeah. Although the day started a blank canvas, it turned out pretty colourful:

Photos: Top - me, passing by a Japanese restaurant on Wellington. Bottom - the view from my balcony at nighttime.

Comments

[brian]

awesome adventures. i'm glad you found joyce!

[homer]

http://bulletproofwallets.blogspot.com/

[chelle]

this is my favourite HK post so far... "Joyce Is Not Here" sounds like a worthy significant other! can't wait to hear more :)

[miss lambert]

yay Chiuster! I'm really glad you found that Canadian place. Nothing much happening here. That couple is the cutest. I love that he is wearing running shoes. Note to self incase I ever get married: dude must wear Nikes.

[tara]

That is an absolutely beautiful photograph of the city. You are so lucky to have such a view from your balcony!

[James Mirtle]

The guy asked if you were a football? Was he on crack?

[Andrea]

Thanks James (smartass). It warms my heart that a REAL Globe and Mail copy-editor is helping a blogger out.

Typo fixed!

[krissy]

CHIU, you are an awesome writer, love the adventures. While sitting here, drinking an XL TH coffee and contemplating processing contracts and sending long winded e-mails to the staff, it is refreshing to read about your intruiging jaunts around HK and the delightful characters that you are meeting.
keep em' coming-if you ever need some football lingo to carry on the conversation, i can mos def hook you up :)

[Lauren]

Your picture of the couple is AMAZING. I love it, as does my roommate. And she works for Getty Images. You rock, Andy!

[con's friend anj]

hi andrea,

I was snooping around online and randomly found your ultrasecret blog. IT's fate. Have yet to read any articles of yours in The Standard, but this has admittedly peeked my interest. What fun, it makes me want to switch into creative...I wish I saw HK with your kind of fresh and/or discerning eye. For me, it's home.

see you around noho? Try the tea place across the street from "joyce is not here"

[panasianbiz]

I stumbled upon this site as I was in the process of doing some online research. I have had the privilege to live in many countries including Japan, China, and Russia, and I was constantly struck by how similar people are, no matter where they live.