The day began with an orange cat.
As all the best days do.
When I bent down to photograph him, he started meowing and meowing and rubbing against my leg. Then he followed me all the way to this point, just to the right of the New Academic Block. So I guess he'd declared me a friend, even though I never petted him because his fur is the scraggliest and I'm not sure if he's the orange one that scratches without warning. Still, his eyes and fur are the same color and that makes him my favorite.
After leaving the cat (still meowing, but now petted by someone not afraid of fleas) I found a ten-dollar coin. Abandoned money should always be spent on chocolate. Coincidentally, I found Japanese panda chocolates at the MTR station:
Instead of stopping at the Sheung Wan station like the brochure told me to, I went a few stops in the opposite direction to Causeway Bay--on purpose: I had a mission to complete.
Exit B led directly into Times Square (by the way, a Google search of "times square" brings me here first and here second. computers are so smart). There are several more floors above the U.F.O. ceiling, but the shopping ends at the 9th.
I took escalators all the way to the 13th floor (mostly fancy-pants restaurants) at which point I couldn't find any more although I'm sure the building continued.
I particularly liked the escalator from the 12th to the 13th floor.I rode the lift down. I left at the 9th floor because above the 9th floor the lift is boring (and mine contained an intimidating guard) but below the 9th floor...see for yourself!
Yes! Willie Wonka's sideways-moving elevator!
More like, I forgot I shouldn't turn the camera for videos.
Then, by special request:
Stalls selling Japanese food occupied the area formerly filled by mooncake vendors. I sampled dried fruits, chips, and miso soup; became misled by an MTR sign; wandered through a friendly grocery store; and took the train to Sheung Wan station.
First the brochure led me to Western Market, "an Edwardian-style building originally housing the waterfront Harbour Office." Right now it claims to house "themed shops." I didn't see any: just a couple of restaurants, a jewelry store, some non-themed shops, and some stalls of military stuff (model ships, etc).
The second floor, however, surrounded me with fabrics.
The brochure did not provide particularly clear directions. I either went to the dried seafood street (that's what the stuff looked like) or the ginseng and bird's nest street. I was supposed to go the latter, but I definitely saw dried seastars and (to my knowledge) they don't resemble ginseng or bird's nests.
I bought some fruit! Now you can see the inside of a dragon fruit (hint: it's not the mango, watermelon, or kiwi). Hidden beneath these were several pieces of so-so melon and one piece of rush-to-the-trash-and-spit melon. Well, now I know what rotten melon tastes like.
Look what I found at the end of the road!
I'm a bit disappointed to find the silver chair devoid of Santa Clause.
But at the same time, relieved, because it's nowhere near Christmas yet.
I also found an International Park N Shop. I looked and looked for the difference between this one and every other Park N Shop I've been to. You'll find the distinction in the photo above: Fruit by the Foot and Gushers.
Anyway, the brochure wanted me to visit the ginseng and bird's nest street, the dried seafood street, the herbal medicine street, and a new extension to the ginseng and bird's nest street. I decided all dried things look the same and skipped ahead to Hollywood Road (Antiques Street).
I don't know what the scaly creature to the left of Buddha is.
But it's mauling a baby animal.
When the above lady walked past me the first time--heading in the opposite direction--I thought, "That lady matches the building. I wish she would stand next to it" At which point she turned around and provided me with this photograph. Now if only the parking sign weren't growing out of her skull.
If I were a millionaire and no one in the world were starving, I would buy this.
Do you see him? The man adding some touch-up paint to the green sign?
People really trust bamboo.
At the end of the road I found the Man Mo Temple, for the Taoist gods of literature (Man) and war (Mo).
I thought I wouldn't be allowed to take pictures, but no one stopped the other tourists, so.
This temple seemed more devoted to tourism than the others I've been to; it even included a little souvenir shop with keychains. But it also contained some of the most beautiful statues.
This is inside the larger room. People lit handfuls of incense sticks using wonderfully melted and red candles. I took a couple of booklets (without creepy illustrations, but also without English translations) and maybe one day I'll be able to read them. Probably not.
Also, there were Christmas lights (or something like them) strung around some kind of structure, I forget what it was, but you can see it in the photo.
I saw lion after lion outside the antique shop doors, but the ones at the temple were my favorite in all of Hong Kong. So far.
The building on the right reminded me of a dalmation, although if I ever saw a dalmation with spots like these...well, I would take a picture, so I guess the reaction's the same.
Then I must have fallen into one of Magritte's paintings.
!
Best fire hydrant ever.
When the antique stores ended, I walked down some steps to Cat Street. Most of the stalls resembled this one, overflowing with antiques and trinkets. And lots and lots of Mao.
I found these sad cacti outside a tiny shop literally overflowing with the most random assortment of stuff.
The overflow (or some of it, at least).
The sky was starting to look less sun-filled, so I hurried to find the mid-level escalators.
I wanted at least one photo of them not obscured by darkness.
At long last, hurray! As you can tell from the blurriness, I arrived later than I would have liked.
I really should improve my map-reading skills.
With the final mission of the day complete, I returned to campus.
First the brochure led me to Western Market, "an Edwardian-style building originally housing the waterfront Harbour Office." Right now it claims to house "themed shops." I didn't see any: just a couple of restaurants, a jewelry store, some non-themed shops, and some stalls of military stuff (model ships, etc).
The second floor, however, surrounded me with fabrics.
The brochure did not provide particularly clear directions. I either went to the dried seafood street (that's what the stuff looked like) or the ginseng and bird's nest street. I was supposed to go the latter, but I definitely saw dried seastars and (to my knowledge) they don't resemble ginseng or bird's nests.
I bought some fruit! Now you can see the inside of a dragon fruit (hint: it's not the mango, watermelon, or kiwi). Hidden beneath these were several pieces of so-so melon and one piece of rush-to-the-trash-and-spit melon. Well, now I know what rotten melon tastes like.
Look what I found at the end of the road!I'm a bit disappointed to find the silver chair devoid of Santa Clause.
But at the same time, relieved, because it's nowhere near Christmas yet.
I also found an International Park N Shop. I looked and looked for the difference between this one and every other Park N Shop I've been to. You'll find the distinction in the photo above: Fruit by the Foot and Gushers.Anyway, the brochure wanted me to visit the ginseng and bird's nest street, the dried seafood street, the herbal medicine street, and a new extension to the ginseng and bird's nest street. I decided all dried things look the same and skipped ahead to Hollywood Road (Antiques Street).
I don't know what the scaly creature to the left of Buddha is.But it's mauling a baby animal.
When the above lady walked past me the first time--heading in the opposite direction--I thought, "That lady matches the building. I wish she would stand next to it" At which point she turned around and provided me with this photograph. Now if only the parking sign weren't growing out of her skull.
If I were a millionaire and no one in the world were starving, I would buy this.
Do you see him? The man adding some touch-up paint to the green sign?People really trust bamboo.
At the end of the road I found the Man Mo Temple, for the Taoist gods of literature (Man) and war (Mo).
I thought I wouldn't be allowed to take pictures, but no one stopped the other tourists, so.This temple seemed more devoted to tourism than the others I've been to; it even included a little souvenir shop with keychains. But it also contained some of the most beautiful statues.
The temple came in two parts. I went into the smaller room first and ash fell on my shoulders from the hanging incense. Quite a lot, actually. So that answered my question about what happens to the incense as it burns.
This is inside the larger room. People lit handfuls of incense sticks using wonderfully melted and red candles. I took a couple of booklets (without creepy illustrations, but also without English translations) and maybe one day I'll be able to read them. Probably not.Also, there were Christmas lights (or something like them) strung around some kind of structure, I forget what it was, but you can see it in the photo.
I saw lion after lion outside the antique shop doors, but the ones at the temple were my favorite in all of Hong Kong. So far.
The building on the right reminded me of a dalmation, although if I ever saw a dalmation with spots like these...well, I would take a picture, so I guess the reaction's the same.
Then I must have fallen into one of Magritte's paintings.
!Best fire hydrant ever.
When the antique stores ended, I walked down some steps to Cat Street. Most of the stalls resembled this one, overflowing with antiques and trinkets. And lots and lots of Mao.
I found these sad cacti outside a tiny shop literally overflowing with the most random assortment of stuff.
The overflow (or some of it, at least).The sky was starting to look less sun-filled, so I hurried to find the mid-level escalators.
I wanted at least one photo of them not obscured by darkness.
At long last, hurray! As you can tell from the blurriness, I arrived later than I would have liked.I really should improve my map-reading skills.
With the final mission of the day complete, I returned to campus.
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