I’m heading back to Hong Kong momentarily for a look at a few window displays. I’m always a sucker for cooks who enjoy their trade. The header photo shows a noodle and dumpling chef working in the window of a small cafe. He was pleased that I wanted to make him my shining star, while simultaneously the proprietor was attempting to shoo me away.
The photos below, in contrast, show the ugly side of big business, the Ooh Shiny moments that attract Hong Kong shoppers to big shopping malls.
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It’s all about bling, bling and even more tasteless bling. I’m trying to remember what I’ve ever queued for. Oh! Yes, a toilet cubicle on a stinky train station in Prague – the female attendant had outstretched hand awaiting coins and in the other three sheets of see-through toilet paper as a trade. Perhaps I should have had by sequined “Get Real” man-bag with me but alas it was stolen 3 days prior in Budapest – lucky them – to discover it full of toilet paper and a packet of juicy fruit.
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Insane moments in your life. Juicy fruit and toilte paper in your man bag. good things to carry. Reminds me of that short film you did on the contents of a prominent woman’s handbag in Geraldton.
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OMG! Did I subject you and Mr T to that? Won first prize though – I received a Bunnings voucher for a new hose replete with attachments! The film is still alive – as for the hose…… gone along with “prominent women’s” political career.
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Each to their own. I may not want to own any of it but I don’t really care if other people do lol.
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I’m sure you wouldn’t mind sitting down in that Hong Kong noodle shop though.
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So often money and bad taste are arm in arm on the sidewalks of life. I’m glad the noodle shop man realised that his skill was appreciated. I enjoyed your post on London. It’s my home town but i do know that the encounters you have colour your impression of a place. My mum and i joined walking tours of London, joining a thin, cold, young Uni student outside an underground station and we walked the Square Mile of London, Roman London and Dicken’s London. They were the most fascinating, memorable experiences. When i worked in Fleet Street i used to walk down to St Paul’s just for the thrill of standing in awe in the Cathedral and watching the dust motes float in the shafts of light and a pub in Fleet Street (the Cheshire Cheese I think) was extending the cellar and uncovered the tiles of a Roman Bath. For a short time it
was possible to watch tbe archeologists uncovering tne tiles. I love old cities.
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Hi Jan, some great images you paint here of your st Paul’s experience. I always think of dickens when wandering about London, though haven’t done a walking tour- these days afraid I might let the team down with the need to take a break ( and perhaps duck into a pub like that Cheshire Cheese along the way). The Romans are still with me- I’m now in York, but will leave them behind on Tuesday when I cross that line/wall in the countryside.
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In one of our ‘upscale’ malls, there is a guard at the Hugo Boss store. Ridiculous. They think mighty highly of their merchandise….
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Yes, it’s insane Loisajay. Just totally mad.
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I think it’s so completely cool.
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Recently wrote about Hong Kong and Macau for a travel website. I was driven more to the fact Macau being an old Portuguese city. I feel it when you say what van gogh would think of it 🙂
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I must get to Macau. I was tempted when I was there but time just flew by.
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Alas, I’m an odd duck who wouldn’t know the difference between a Gucci handbag and a thrift store purse. Seriously. Put side by side, I’d probably pick the thrift store purse.
The noodle shop cook has such a friendly face. Makes me like him even though I don’t know him.
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I’m with you- give me the thrift store purse. That noodle man is rather gorgeous. He was so happy to be photographed.
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*huge smile* Have been thru’ both eras in my lifetime: the buying of labels and rummaging in thrift shops . . . oh so laugh at your examples – maturity has arrived perchance . . . BUT, remember back with fondness at having had ‘my own tailor’, Frank Fong, in Cameron Street Kowloon for some 25 years 🙂 ! The idea was to buy one’s fabrics in Bangkok and fly the suitcase over to Hong Kong. We ‘all’ did it !! Oh, no cut price 24-hour tailoring there: it was serious business, the garments were incredibly well designed and made – well, yes, still half the price and twice the quality I could have had at the time in Australia. I was such an immature child I somehow never wondered why it took some 6-8 Chinese tailors to fit me, standing on a revolving stand in my French underwear 🙂 🙂 🙂 !!! But the results were stunning and the secret at the time was mine !!!
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What an image you’ve shared there, Eha, the Chinese tailors, the revolving stand, the French underwear. Now those Hong Kong prices are through the roof.
Thanks for sharing these fabulous stories.
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Real? Whoops .. fancy trying to shoo you away! How rude ..
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Those busy little Hong Kong eateries want customers not aging photographers wanting to capture the cute man in the window.
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I tend, when travelling, to be fascinated for a time with the bling -in an omg check this out fashion- then quickly tire and search out the authentic & quirky that is my preference. I love the pic of chef and the story of you being shooed off… has happened to me at Baker D. Chirico in St Kilda… speaking of pretentious 🤓
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Sadly never have been to HK – but having put on some weight I spent an obscene amount of money to have some of my favourite suites copied, but ………..I have not worn one as yet! Nothing fits, it seems people here can not cope with a figure which does not look like a stick insect. And where have I tried? Here of course and up up north in the Capital, Singapore and Bangkok. And regarding your Noodle Shop – he has such a nice friendly smile. We have a wonderful Noodle /Shop in Singapore – wonderful food, always full and staff always friendly.
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Noodle shops in Singapore are very good. Now that I’m in Britain, I feel like a good bowl of slurpy noodles. Not much chance of that around here.
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