the roads are getting nearer

Sunday, May 29, 2005

` Sunday, May 29, 2005

I've decided that in order for my blog to look more meaningful other than just the pseudo-tragic crap that I have a tendency to spout, here is a refined (trying to avoid the copyright of the "Rough Guide to..." travel series) shopping guide for the uninitiated to places that I've travelled to and scoured for the best finds.

Disclaimer: I'd rather you took it as a commentary rather than a guide because I may be biased and opinionated towards the definition of what 'good' shopping is, for which my definition is based on the conditions that nothing goes above S$100 and is well-worth the purchase!

First stop: Hong Kong. Some people would argue that Bangkok would be a much better place for cheap finds. I tend to agree, except that Hong Kong in the spring/summer season seems to churn out very attractive bargains. Recently, I also noticed a considerable effort to beef up on customer service (although I reckon the Japanese take the prize for the "courtesy is for free" campaign, if there ever was one). Try making an entrance into any shop and expect to be greeted by the Cantonese chirps of "Welcome, take your time to pick and choose. We offer XX% off all merchandise.". It's something I noticed that appears to be more of a mandatory service chant, especially when you try to reconcile the cheery voices to the somewhat bedraggled or hassled faces of the sales people, who look like they're cursing under their breath having to re-fold a stack of clothes after being messed up by the nth customer. Granted, retail sales jobs aren't the most glamorous and easy work, so credit to them for at least making the effort to sound friendly.

In no particular order of preference, here is my list of recommendations (and good news: even the tiniest shops take credit cards these days):

~Hong Kong Island~

1. Pacific Place (MTR: Admiralty)
Flanked by 3 swanky 5* hotels (Conrad, JW Marriott and Island Shangri-La), this is the place for people with high-end tastes, covering every imaginable luxury brand under one roof.
The classy department stores of Seibu and Lane Crawford are the main anchor tenants here, offering a gamut of famous names between them. As mentioned in my earlier blog, try not to dress too shabbily when you're in this area. You might find yourself noticeably 'under-dressed' as you'd realise that the sales people are decked out in extremely smart formal wear (the Louis Vuitton door person wears a suit!). Yes, that means crummy tees and flip-flops are best left in the hotel room.
The main attraction for me was the Nine West store on the first floor, which offered a wide range of surprisingly affordable and funky bags and shoes. If you're lucky and caught the right time to visit, they usually have seasonal sales where you get a minimum of 10% off your purchase.
Need a quick meal? Try the noodles and rice store on the ground floor foodcourt, which does really competent meals at affordable prices (but at 2 times the cost of equivalents in Singapore). A bowl of noodles/soup will set you back the same amount as the char chan terngs, but you may find that they make more of an effort to prepare and present the food in a more hygienic manner post-Sars. Starbucks fans alert: you'd be happy to find 2 outlets, one on the first floor, but try the 4th floor where there are plush cushions for chilling out with a cuppa.

2. Cityplaza a.k.a Taikooshing (MTR: Taikoo exit C)
This sprawling suburban mall has almost everything you need under one roof. Similar in concept to the equally expansive Festival Walk (MTR: Kowloon Tong), stepping into the shopping centre for the first time may overwhelm one with the element of space. The mix of tenants will tend to every family member's whims and yes, you can spend 1 full day here. There's even an ice-skating rink if you're feeling a little adventurous. Some worthy shop mentions:

- U.N.Y. : 3-storey department store targeted at fashionistas looking for the latest Japanese-inspired (and possibly imported) kawaii clothes, shoes and accessories at affordable prices. Look out for sale items which are heavily discounted.

- LOG-ON : Lifestyle concept store targeted at trendy ones with not-too-shallow pockets. You can find OZOC clothing and Camper shoes, as well as all manners of quirky knick-knacks (mainly Japanese-influenced) for the young at heart. You may end up browsing more than buying, but it's definitely worth paying a visit.

- COUPLE's, b+ac, www.izzue.com: These chain clothing stores offer funky threads at prices starting from ~S$35 onwards, but sometimes at significantly reduced prices, should you happen to crash in on the seasonal sales (which tend to occur for no rhyme or reason). Or by some strange coincidence your HSBC/Citibank credit card may entitle you to some bit of a discount.

3. Island Beverley (MTR: Causeway Bay exit Sogo department store)
This building houses 4 storeys of tiny clothing and accessories shops carrying the season's most updated looks. You can find the eternally-hip Birkies, costume jewellery and one-off pieces made by local designers. However, expect prices to be slightly higher than your typical highstreet outlet. Attempts to haggle will usually be met with lukewarm response. Sometimes they may not even bother negotiating with you. What a bugger.
Notable mention: the Eden shoe store (2nd floor) houses a range of very attractive pieces (esp. kitten heels, pumps and sneakers) at prices below S$100.

4. IFC Mall (MTR: Hong Kong)
Another one of those ubiquitous modernly built malls with top-of-the range boutiques filling every nook and corner for the ones with upmarket tastes. This place warranted a special mention mainly because of one particular label that I had developed an almost cult-like obsession with, resulting in the bizarre urge to locate at least one outlet in every city that I've been to (touchdown: Singapore, Malaysia, Zurich, London, New York, Tokyo, Toronto, Vancouver, Amsterdam and counting!). Yes, this is the only building in Hong Kong that houses the fashion mecca known as Zara. My new favourite bag-shopping haunt Nine West has a branch here. Oh, and Tiffany & Co is here as well, in case you're looking for exquisite bling-bling.

~Kowloon~

Most people visiting Hong Kong will end up staying in the more affordable Kowloon area rather than on Hong Kong island, which hosts the central business district and is noticeably quieter in the weekends, with the exception of the nightlife in the somewhat expat-dominated (and most likely overrated) Lan Kwai Fong area. For the hustle and bustle of value-for-money shopping 7 days a week, Kowloon is the place not for the faint-hearted (or reluctant male partners for that matter).

1. Tsim Sha Tsui area (MTR: Tsim Sha Tsui exit B towards Granville Road)
Step out of the MTR exit and take a deep breath before venturing to the gamut of shops stretched along adjacent lanes of Nathan Road. For This Fashion-like garb, head straight towards Granville Road, where you'll see women jostling each other for bargain finds in the racks of In Fashion and other similar competitors. Some may be put off by the constant buzz of people frantically searching the clothes racks for the latest fashion spin-offs at literally a-third off the prices of mainstream boutiques (quality notwithstanding). Keep exploring the area with shops spilling from both sides of the road and when in need of a footrest, try the ultimately satisfying array of fruit-based desserts offered at various branches of Hui Lau San (Cameron Road, Haiphong Road). You won't regret stepping in if you're a mango fan. I had to refrain myself from constantly thinking about the Mango Mania dessert for the 2+weeks in Hong Kong (for the record, I probably visited the place once every 2 days). For those with rumbling stomachs, Sanpachi (top end of Granvillle Road) is a must-visit for mouth-watering authentic ramen in different types of soups (miso/spicey/old-style). Highly recommended (been there 3 times myself).

Visit the massive but somewhat claustraphobic (no windows!) and maze-like Harbour City (end of Haiphong Road towards Marco Polo hotel) if you're looking for the usual spread of expensive labels and also to catch a photograph of the famous harbour view that is on every travel guide's must-do activity.

Those with weddings to attend or a bride-to-be may consider moving on to Beverley Commercial Centre, just a 5 minutes walk from Granville Road (turn left at the end of Granville Road and walk straight until you see a rather old black building). What was once a hip enclave of young designers has been transformed (possibly due to poor business in the past) into a place to find everything you need for a wedding or evening function. There is a tiny shop towards the left end of the 2nd floor claiming to supply the Singapore boutique BLUM. Although the shop is messy and the sales lady a tad aggressive with her selling tactics, do not be deterred as you will find very attractive BCBG-styled dresses and tops for ~S$80 onwards. Restraint is the key word here.

2. Mongkok (MTR: Mongkok station)
I didn't particularly enjoy the visit to this area, possibly because I have a rather strong aversion to crowds and this place was teeming with people on a Saturday. Imagine Tsim Sha Tsui's Nathan Road compacted into a smaller area with more people from all walks of life. Then of course, there's the evergreen tourist attraction known as the Ladies Market, which I had chosen to bypass this time due to the unbearable afternoon weather and crowd. For those interested in checking out electronic goods, this is probably a good place to start, as many chain stores like Broadway scatter the area, beckoning you with offers.
Special mention goes to the gleaming shopping mall known as Langham Place. Mall-weary shoppers like myself have developed a neutral (or non-excitable) reaction stepping into these places, due to the apparent similarity of the merchandise (and food outlets). Point is, if you've done one, you've probably done them all. The internal structure and long escalators of this scalable building reminded me of the once-glamorous Times Square in Causeway Bay, which seemed to have lost its lustre over the years.

I've spend 2 very fruitful weekends scouring the Hong Kong retail scene and in general, I must say that the somewhat booming economy is helping to boost the purchasing power of the people and tourists alike. The choices have increased, service has improved and in some aspects, intense competition has also made a lot of things more affordable. Perhaps it's because this is a business trip and hence I'm more willing to make voluminou$ purchases (there goes stuffing my poor Sammy again). But Hong Kong is definitely worth a visit, for one to feel the vibrancy of a city that never seems to sleep. Stamp of approval compliments of a chronic shopaholic. Stamp of non-approval from the traumatised wallet ("Stop stuffing me with receipts!!!").

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Wednesday, May 25, 2005

` Wednesday, May 25, 2005

I can't stop raving about the last instalment of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. I managed to drag myself out of the comforts of the plush duvet of my hotel bed to catch the 9.50am show at the UA Pacific Place cinema (thank goodness it was located just downstairs!). And it was well worth the effort, because everything you wanted to know about how the original series came about seemed to be explained in this final instalment of the prequels. The first 2 pre-quels were pretty disappointing in terms of pace and plot, but this one promises more action (Yoda gets as much screen fighting time as Anakin and Obi-Wan. Yay!) and a more intense storyline that ends in a manner which tempts one to start watching the old trilogy again.

In case you think I'm a huge fan of the series, I'm not. I'm just won over by the fact that even though I haven't really caught nor remembered the details of the original or the prequels, it was as entertaining as the LOTR series, if not better. Hayden Christiansen as Anakin seems to have more depth in his portrayal this time as compared to his angst-ridden Romeo-like self in the second instalment. Ewan McGregor always delivers consistently good performances (but I still dig his love-lorn Christian in Moulin Rouge best), Natalie Portman is stunningly beautiful and I was biting my tongue hoping Samuel L. Jackson wouldn't get "light-sabred" by the deviant Anakin (of course he had to be, in the good name of cinema. Sigh.). It was also good to see Chewbacca and R2D2's appearances in the show.

I remembered launching miniature Star Wars figurine battles with my childhood neighbour, with R2D2 as my commander-in-charge of countless non-moving green soldiers (they doubled up as makeshift enemy trajectories rather than actually fighting). And losing the "war" (little boys also had egos then and couldn't accept losing to girls), only to surrender my beloved little robot commander to the enemy. Strange how some memories never seem to fade, especially the ones when you were really young and having lots of fun but never expecting to recall what exactly happened twenty-four years later.

But ask me which Star Wars character left the deepest impression, I'd never hesitate to admit that the little green man with a brown robe wielding a light sabre more expertly than Obi Wan would be it. Yoda never fails to make me feel as though I'm watching Superman or Batman take on the bad guys. His appearance in scenes make me more excited and glued to the screen than the hunky Anakin or storm troopers. I hope the Warped One I'm not only.

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Thursday, May 19, 2005

` Thursday, May 19, 2005

Caution! Another one of those condemned entries of relentless boredom. When will it end........

This is my fourth day in Hong Kong and it feels like eternity trying to count down to the end of a working day. The weather's been bizarrely similar to Singapore, with (queue: CNA presenter-speak) "moderate showers and temperatures ranging from a low of 26 degrees to a high of 32 degrees."

I can't really complain, as right below my office is a massive shopping mall called Cityplaza in Tai Koo. I was trawling aimlessly through the mall during lunch-time on Tuesday and the surprise reaction was: boredom. Maybe I've over-shopped in my three years of reckless spending while on business travel.

One thing I've come to notice about the spending habits here is the element of "conspicuous consumption". Perhaps this statement was made in a fleeting impression of the sheer number of designer shops found in a supposed suburban mall surrounded by private housing. This was further exacerbated by the fact that the Pacific Place shopping centre just next to my hotel had contained possibly all of the essential branded names under one roof, each with service staff suited in jacket-and-tie ensemble (!!!!!) waiting to open the door for customers. Being a cheapskate mass-market shopper who'd find it painful to part with >$100 for any item of desire, imagine the faint grimace of embarassment I had to suppress while trudging to dinner in my $33 Birkie rip-offs and $50 H&M cargo pants in the mall. So much for a "casual" shopping experience.

The thing is, I'm seldom as conscious of my dressing as I am currently in this country. Which gives me a fantastic reason (or excuse) to do something I really thoroughly enjoy: shopping this weekend! Can't wait....

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Thursday, May 12, 2005

` Thursday, May 12, 2005

Mm ji doh gong mahd.. ngor mm ji dim gai wui gherm moon.. hai gong si sei mai yi di mo liu ge yeh.. si gan gor dak zan hai hou man ah..gao mehng ah.. ngor yiu fard din lar...

For all you clueless readers out there, don't bother deciphering the gibberish. If you are, my only response to you is in the heading itself...

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