Something out of the ordinary

Langham Place Mong Kok Hong Kong

Doesn't it intrigue you when you see everyday ordinary objects where they are not supposed to be?

That was the feeling I got when I saw these Hong Kong Bus Stop schedule posts inside Langham Place! I found it quite amusing seeing them

So you might be wondering, what are they doing there? it seems that everything happens for a reason in Hong Kong... people here never "waste" time or space... These bus stop posts were put there to promote a bus model store beside this walkway.

April 30, 2015

Spiderman is... here?

spotted in Shimokitazawa

I caught Spiderman in action in Shimokitazawa :D

Bunny cars!

Hong Kong Kowloon Shangri La Hotel Apr. 2015

Sorry for the lateness... (in this case, it was 2 years ago...writer's block can be quite long) 

These electric cars were decorated with bunny ears to celebrate Easter!

Aren't they cute? I also love the eyelashes!! They really made the car look "bunny" enough.

I never would have thought Shangri-La to do something like this... But cool! :D

p.s. I miss Hong Kong :(

Peninsula Hotel

Kowloon Peninsula Hotel and bus

(I actually wrote this back in 2015... and found it sitting at the bottom of my drafts, not sure why it never got published... thought I would reminisce on HK and show you this...)

what a strange sight at the Peninsula Hotel lately... why is there a bus "stuck" on their roof?

I looked everywhere, it didn't seem that they were doing any promotions yet it didn't look like the bus was accidentally stuck there...

weird sightings are always exciting... 

Ferry ride from Kowloon to Hong Kong

Central Pier

I was on the Ferry! One of the most touristy and relaxing things to do in Hong Kong is to ride the ferry.

It is extremely cheap and doesn't take a lot of time. I would say the ride took less than 10 mins!

I enjoyed riding the ferry so much... I loved the feeling of the breeze when it hits my face and I love the smell of the ocean. Speaking of the Harbour, I was extremely impressed by how clean it has gotten over the years! Hong Kong has definitely gone a long way to keeping its water cleaner!

I am always fascinated by how a ship works and every time I ride the ferry, I get to see how the crew operates the ferry.

I would suggest that you opt for lower deck so you can be closer to the water and feel the breeze and you can also stick your head outside... Upper deck is indoor and I find the seats to be too luxurious for riding a ferry. 

Fascinating Lights @ Element

lights... what is art and display?

Today, I spent the day at Element Mall. I know that it is filled with luxury brands but I am intrigued by their window displays... There are quite a number of stores there that are not so "luxurious" too.

While I was looking for a place to grab some lunch, I found a cafe/sandwich bar... It was a weird place because the whole "store" only had one table for everyone to sit in. (There were 2 booths but let's just talk about the main sitting area). I found that quite interesting... It felt like a cafeteria to me... Minus the bad bland food :P. This wasn't what caught my attention though... 

What caught my attention was their lighting display. It was a simple design yet it created an intriguing effect. All the lights seemed to be hanging to different levels and all were of different sizes and shape. Without this lighting the store would be no different from the others but because of this artifact, it has given the store an arty feel making the store stand out among the others!

I'm glad I bumped into this display today :)

Shinagawa district

Shinagawa Station @ 8:00pm

I'm at Shinagawa district... So I guess it is my temporary "home" while I'm here in Tokyo!

Prior to coming to Tokyo I had no idea what was the significance of Shinagawa... to me... it was nothing more than a name. Of course, I did SOME research, only to learn that it was a newly developing business district. 

When I got here, I realized just how convenient and significant it is and how conveneient it is for travelling to different places.

I seriously regret not stopping to take a clearer photo

When I got here I was quite shocked at how busy it was, it was nearly 4:00PM when I first set foot there... my thoughts were 1. this station is HUGE... 2. There are so many people... . You might be wondering... why didn't you take a picture inside the station with all the people... my answer is: you can't... it is simply too crowded... I had to avoid getting run over by those people... 

It seemed that everyone at the station had something to do or somewhere to go... but for me? I just want to experience this city!

Hello Japan! :D

view from my hotel suite

The purpose of my trip to Tokyo was not to do tourist things, instead it was to observe and enjoy the city without a real agenda. It's been quite a while since I have had a real trip where I can really relax and not think about things that aggravate the mind.

half an hour later

Over the years, due to being in the same environment, I have ended up building stress upon myself... Sometimes, even just being around certain people or even going to the same social places cause suffocation and nauseating feelings... I know I must escape... I need to start doing things differently... I had hopes that this trip will answer some of my pending questions (I'll talk about these questions later... Perhaps on my wordpress blog).

SOGO 30th anniversary

SOGO's 30th Anniversary Mascot

SOGO has always been my go to department store every time I return to HK. I love what they sell and their prices are usually quite reasonable.

It literally survived all the economic disasters and competition.

It is currently one of the last remaining Japanese department stores* in Hong Kong. There are 2 stores: 1 in Causeway Bay and 1 in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Sogo from a far

I had the opportunity to go to both stores this time. I was glad the Causeway Bay store was able to remain "a department store" but am sadden by the fact that the Tsim Sha Tsui store has given in and became a tourist store (more specifically, main land China tourist). 

They have moved to a more convenient location and has a very nice looking interior (because it is new), unfortunately, as nice as it looks, it looks nothing like a department store. They have revamped the mall (which used to be in it's current location) and changed it into a store where all you can buy are cosmetics, skin care products, designer purses and some jewelry... When I asked the concierge where the clothing, grocery and lifestyle sections were, the staff told me that there weren't any... I immediately had a look of disappointment on my face so they told me that there "might" be a possibility that these sections/departments will soon be added to the store later. (I sure hope so... I miss their clothing and grocery sections :( )

It's so sad to see one of these older stores change to become something else. It had gone from being a nice traditional department store to a "I want to make lots of money off of Chinese Tourist" store. It hurts to see that more and more Hong Kong stores are taking this approach.

*There is also YUTA, Uny and Apita remaining.

K11 mini Concert

Podium at K11

There was a mini concert/music show at K11 today! I was super excited. I love how K11 gives an open space for performers (especially musicians) so they can go crazy... 

Today was a nice day... I got to feel the Ocean breeze and enjoy lovely music.

One of my favourite things about HK is being able to feel the Ocean Breeze <3

Standard Charter weird looking building

Standard Charter's "new building"

After lunch, I decided to take a small walk around Central. It was such a nice day... To my Canadian senses, it felt like summer... Though I think most did not agree (as they were wearing down jackets)

I have been hearing about Standard Charter's new building for quite a while now and today I finally got the chance to see it! (and no, my camera wasn't lopsided... the building is really slanted like that!) 

It is indeed a weird looking building... My cousin told me that before the building was built, it used to be a podium where people can eat lunch and just hang around during lunch and breaks. It seems quite unfortunate they have turned this place into another building :S.

other buildings nearby

Back to the building... I find that the architecture is good... but it doesn't really fit the landscape... or surroundings. Buildings in Central are usually more traditional looking... so it really does stand out... I hate that the height... I hate how it isn't proportioned with the other buildings and the colours do not complement the other buildings...

what are your thoughts?

K-11 Piano Display

K11 is one of my favourite malls in Hong Kong... (Not for shopping though)... For those who do not know, K11 is an art mall... The story behind is to combine art with shopping. What else is better than to be able to enjoy art while you are shopping?

every time I return to Hong Kong I try to spend some time at their patio and enjoy and immerse myself back into my artistic roots.

To my luck, one of their themes is pianos... more specifically "Music Everywhere – Piano Performance" although I might be missing out on their event on Sunday where they invite local pianists to come play music... I am glad I did get to see these pianos :)

website: http://hk.k11.com/en/Home.aspx

CNY @ Element

So... I have finally taken initiative and made my first visit to Element today!

I was quite surprised they still have their CNY displays up considering how CNY was more than a month ago!

In a way I am glad... I loved their 桃花 and 羊 display! I especially love the creativity and thought they had put into the sheep and clouds... This picture might not be able to show the details clearly, so I should definitely explain.

1. The rainbow above the sheep is actually made by the sheep... 

2. The sheep knits from a ball of yarn (the yarn is it's body)

3. Although there really isn't a mouth, I find that the sheep is smiling

I'm so glad I got to caught a final glimpse of this sheep... And may all the best things happen this year!! <3