Month: December 2005

My family keeps a white dog. Beautiful he is but I think I am less of a dog man. Yet to explore if I am a cat person instead. This dog demands attention all the time. He sleeps after I do and wakes up before I do. Every time when we leave home is always a constant struggle with us and our dog as he becomes very upset to be left behind.

After escorting my wife Cynthia to the California Fitness (yet within the 5 minutes walking radius), it was my free time. So I ventured into the shopping malls 298, 198, and 188 (see previous blogs) and check out more in-depth the local scene.

The shop space in Hong Kong is tiny but you will be surprised how many goods they can hold. For instance, back in Singapore, I always find it hard to buy Japanese music. Here in Hong Kong, I am greeted with shops that sold nothing but Japanese music. The selection is so “Japanese” that I can’t even make out who the artists are (in pure Japanese and not some alphabets). As for the computer games, I reckon these shops have more selection than Challengers in Singapore. How could that be? Simple, they don’t waste precious space to display more than one item of the same sort. Smart, huh?

The variety offered by the Hong Kong retail shops or any other shops for that matter is amazing. Is it because the consumers in Hong Kong are so different from Singapore? I wanted to develop a theory of how Singaporeans are moulded due to Government’s intervention to our lives but the cigarette smoke from the malls gave me a bad headache. (As my theory goes, because Singaporeans are so “alike”, Singaporeans less appreciate the varieties one may offer.)

As I walked back to the California Fitness to pick up Cynthia, I have come across people carolling on the street. The outfits that some of the girls wear on the street was so darn adorable. All for the spirit of Christmas I guess.

We all know that MRT (mass rapid transit) in Singapore is the same as MTR (mass transit railway) in Hong Kong. I wonder if anyone realises that the word “Travelator” is used in Singapore and the same thing is called “Moving Walkway” in Hong Kong. If you think that Singapore is a “fine” city, think again. In Hong Kong, you will be fined more than S$300 for littering and double that amount if you are caught not obeying the traffic light. And my sister Lora corrected that I should use “ID” instead of “IC” for Identity card.

Hong Kong’s Octopus Card came before Singapore’s Ezlink Card. It still amazes me how widely used is Octopus Card – from fast food restaurants to retail shops. Every time I visit Hong Kong, I observe what is new and what are the trends. This time round, I observe that they are taking Octopus Card one step further – to change the routine paths that commuters take. There are stations at some strategic locations that if you tap your Octopus Card at the machine, you will recieve a HKD 2 off your next MTR trip within the same day. These stations are not at all near to the MTR stations but you will be surprised how many Hong Kong people do not mind walking the extra mile to get an extra discount. It all adds up I guess.

Near to where I live are three famous computer shopping centers. They have names too and are easy to remember – 188, 198, 298. Many years ago there were full of privated computer software. Then they evolved into shops selling adult movies and other privated stuffs. This time round, my sister recommended me to visit 188 as I was hunting for a game (of original version) that was sold out in Singapore. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with a much cleaner environment – not the cigarette part but the privacy part. I have found a shop that is full of original games. I really could not believe my eyes.

I need you to visualise with me here. Think about where you would go if you wish to visit some nicely decorated cafes to chill out with your friends. Think about where you would go for some really good Dim Sum and if Dim Sum is not what’s in your mind, think about all the local delights. Or perhaps some decent Japanese food like Genki Sushi. Think about where you would go if you wish to shop for some top grade imported bathroom accessories. And where you would go if you wish to buy electronic gadgets and computers, music and games.

Now imagine where you would go if you wish to visit showrooms of some of the world’s most prestigious car brands. Just to name a few: Lexus, Lamborghini, Maserati. Or the famous but not as prestigious ones – Saab, Alpha Romeo, and other Japanese brands. Imagine where you would go if you wish to buy a Yacht and wish to take a look at a real life version of a Jet Ski.

I am not done with you yet! Imagine how many music shops you need to visit in order to see a good guitar collection of Gibson, Warwick, and Taylors – just to name a few. Now I am not talking about just 10 or 20 Gibson guitars on display but more than a hundred of them. Some of them are so rare that make your heart skips a beat.

Throw in a nice hotel and a few posh nightclubs – some are members only. All of the above, my friends, are just within a 5 mins walking radius of where I live. It is hard to imagine when you are in Singapore but in Hong Kong, it is right in front of your eyes.

If you have not been a good boy and now desperate to buy some Christmas gifts for your overseas friends and relatives, what should you do? I have three words for you: duty free shops. The cost of air fare (about S$250) taking me from Singapore to Hong Kong seems so inexpensive compares to how much I have spent in the airport (close to three times the cost of air fare).

One of the most delightful discovery when I was inside a bookstore hunting for a good book to read – it has been a ritual every time I fly – was a signed copy of Jeffrey Archer’s A Prison Diary: From Hell to Heaven. It was hidden on the top shelf and I could not believe it when I first took it down. It is hardcopy and yes, it has Jeffrey Archer’s elegant signature. I have read many of his classics like Kane and Abel, The Prodigal Daughter, Not a Penny More Not a Penny Less – just to name a few. Archer is (or was) a politician and is (or was) one of the Lords of the Commons in UK. He was sentenced for four years for committing perjury and he claimed that the trial was unfair. This particular hardcopy has 3 books in one.

As I walked up to the cashier, I chatted with the Executive (as stated in the name tag) and inquired how the bookstore managed to get Archer to sign the book. According to him, Archer stopped by Singapore and he was signing the books away as part of the promotion. He told me that Archer was very arrogant before he was jailed and now he is a changed man. Insightful it is.