Walking Tour: Typhoon Week

This week not one but two typhoons swept past Hong Kong. The first, Nesat, was strong enough to warrant a T8 signal, which meant that schools and almost all businesses shut down on Thursday. The second, Typhoon Nalgae, was not as strong or as close, so it only called for a T3 strong wind signal on Sunday and Monday. The rain and wind of these two storm systems meant that this was not the ideal week to photograph a walking tour. Instead, I'm going to share some of the pictures I took of the storms.

I woke up late on Thursday and didn't realize the T8 signal had been raised, so I headed to work as usual. I have to leave at 6:45 am, so there usually isn't that much activity anyway and the rain hadn't started yet. When I finally realized my mistake (and kicked myself for missing the chance to sleep in) I took the MTR home to Central. The normally bustling alleyway by the MTR was gloomy and abandoned.

There were a few people walking with umbrellas, but the storm had definitely begun.

I huddled under the shelter of one of the skyscrapers before darting across the nearly empty Queen's Road Central.

By this time the rain was drumming on the steps of the big Coach on the corner.

I took a side street in the direction of my apartment and noticed that everything was closed.

Pottinger Street, which was full of noise and color just the day before was now silent. However there was a warm glow coming from The Chippy, apparently open for business.

I made my way up to the Escalator, which goes right by my apartment building.

The markets still had some activity, but everyone was rushing to get their shopping done.

When I made it back to the safety of my apartment, the wind and rain began in earnest.

In came in spurts, and sometimes it looked almost calm outside.

But there was a dark cloud over everything as Nesat tore her way past the island.

 

There was a momentary respite from storms over the weekend, which also happened to be Chinese National Day.

I took a walk to one of my favorite coffee shops on Hollywood Road, and saw a strange sight.

There were huge puppets dancing around in the streets, trying to attract people to a show at the cultural center.

I though they were kinda scary, but the puppeteers seemed to be having a good time.

I took this picture right after one of the puppets patted me on the head with its huge hand.

By Sunday the storms were back.

And everyone brought out their umbrellas again to keep Nalgae away.

I hope you've enjoyed this brief typhoon tour. Now that the rains are gone it is nice and cool in Hong Kong. Get ready for more exciting walking tours.

Next week's tour will be special. EATING SMOKE, a Hong Kong triad memoir by Chris Thrall, will be released in the US on October 16th. It is already out in HK and available in certain airport bookstores. I've been really excited about sharing my review of this seriously cool book, and I am also going to create a special walking tour to go with it. Most of the action (and there's plenty of action) takes place in the infamous Wan Chai district, so next week's tour will take us through the gangster heartland. 

Note: Hong Kong is a very safe city, and I am planning to do my tour in the daylight. Wan Chai is not nearly as scary as it sounds, and I suspect it is a very different place now than it was 15 years ago.

Bookspotting: Week 36

This might be one of my favorite pictures that I have taken in Hong Kong. I just happened to walk by at the perfect time on a cloudy Saturday afternoon to catch this artist painting a market street. I never know what I'll see when I explore this strange city, and I love the surprises. The angle isn't perfect and I don't know anything about the painter, but this strikes me as a special Hong Kong moment.

This week I saw a man in a coffee shop reading Lance Armstrong's It's Not About the Bike. A younger man in the same shop was reading The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok and a woman was reading something in English on a 3rd generation Kindle. I spotted a man flipping through The Leisurely Hiker's Guide to Hong Kong by Pete Spurrier. This morning on the train the woman next to me was reading a little black book in Chinese that reminded me of a pocket Bible. I spotted three other Chinese readers this week and one comic book reader.

It's your turn. What are people reading in public places around your town?

In other news, here's the link to an article I wrote for ExpatArrivals.com, a site that is chock full of resources for people moving all over the globe. I wrote about things to see and do in Hong Kong.

DEVOURED by D.E. Meredith

THE GIST:

A pair of forensic scientists team up with a police inspector to solve an escalating series of murders in Victorian England when the science is in its infancy.

THE VERDICT:

In the interest of full disclosure: D.E. Meredith is represented by Tibor Jones literary agency in London. I spent a summer as an intern for Tibor Jones, where I met and corresponded with this author. We met again on Twitter, and she very kindly remembered me and offered to send me a copy of her debut mystery novel. Consider this an introduction to her book rather than an impartial review. This author is a lovely person, by the way.

DEVOURED is a Victorian murder mystery told with a fresh, modern voice. Think Bones meets Sherlock Holmes. This is the first book in what is bound to become a great mystery series. The carefully researched story is set in an exciting time in the development of modern science. Forensic scientist Professor Hatton has to fight for the legitimacy of his young profession as the major thinkers around him are questioning everything from religion to the nature of man. When an inspector from Scotland Yard asks for his help, he jumps into a murder investigation that seems inextricably linked to some of the radical new ideas circulating in London.

The stand-out character of this story is Roumande, Hatton's French assistant. This richly drawn character displays a strong moral compass and meticulous dedication to his work. Roumande is just as concerned with the fate of the lowliest members of society as he is of every other victim that comes through the doors of the lab. He joins a group of flawed and intriguing characters in gloomy Victorian England where exciting ideas flow and tension escalates. I don't usually read that much mystery, but this is a good page-turning story and I already want to read more Hatton and Roumande adventures.

THE LINK:

 D. E. Meredith's website and twitter

THE COST:

See my disclaimer. The hardcover edition is listed for $18 on Amazon.

THE QUESTION:

Do you like to read mystery novels? What's your favorite book or series?

Walking Tour: Pottinger Street

This week we are going to explore the iconic cobblestone steps of Pottinger Street. This is the best time of year to walk down Pottinger Street. You can find costumes for sale here year-round, but in the months leading up to Halloween it is particularly colorful.

Start out at the bottom of the steps on Queen's Road Central. This one's easy because you just go straight up.

Shops selling all sorts of things line the steps.

You can find useful things, like ribbons, watch bands and hair ties.

You can also find not-so-useful things, like soda cans that dance around in circles.

Keep climbing the steps. This is where the real fun begins.

These purses made out of jeans always make me pause. I've never seen anyone carrying one.

Cross Stanley Street to get to the next group of steps (you could also turn left here for a detour to Holly Brown, one of my favorite coffee shops).

This is where the costumes begin.

Just follow the feet.

What do you want to be for Halloween?

Or you could just wear a wig out in Wan Chai (this is particularly common during the Rugby Sevens but I guess you could get away with it anytime).

I love Pottinger Street for the colors.

There are all sorts of fun things you could buy.

You could even dress up as Uncle Sam.

This is a fun, busy street.

Take note of The Chippy on your right if you're missing fish-n-chips.

Some of the stalls sell fun, colorful things that are not costume-related.

Here are some more wigs.

You're reaching the end of the colorful part of the street.

Take one last look above the crowd...

...and then cross Lyndhurst Terrace.

There are always paintings on display here, for one last burst of color.

Keep climbing the steps to the quieter section of Pottinger Street.

There are a few quiet stalls left.

And some signs of a simpler sort of business.

Climb past the international restaurants lining the street.

And you'll find yourself at a restaurant at the junction with Hollywood Road.

Thanks for coming along on this colorful Hong Kong walking tour. Check out the tab at the top of the page for more tours, or come back next week!

Bookspotting: Week 35

This week I spent a lot of time writing and thinking about writing. I'm working on a travel memoir about my experiences in Hong Kong, and I'm approaching the end of my second draft. One of the things that I've done to help me revise is to put each chapter on a post-it note and stick it up on my wall. I can see whether the themes are distributed well throughout the story, and it helps me see whether chapters need to be moved, condensed, or removed altogether. The other thing that helps me is to work in coffee shops, and fortunately I can do some bookspotting while I'm there.

I saw a woman about my age reading a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book in a little cafe near Pottinger Street (the subject of this week's walking tour). I saw two women reading novels in another coffee shop, but I couldn't see either title. I saw a Kindle in that same coffee shop, though I was reading a hardback book (Devoured by D.E. Meredith) during my writing breaks. I spotted only one Hong Kong guidebook and two textbooks on the train, a sure sign that summer is finally over. This morning I saw a man on the MTR reading Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg. I saw a woman reading a book of Chinese poems in Central station, and two other Chinese books.

What are people reading in your town this week? 

(By the way, my goal is to start querying my book by Chinese New Year. Wish me luck!)

THE GEOGRAPHY OF BLISS by Eric Weiner

THE GIST:

A marginally unhappy journalist travels to ten countries trying to figure out what makes people happy.

THE VERDICT:

The author explores the relationship between happiness and place in this journey through countries with vastly different philosophies and circumstances. He delves into "the science of happiness" and uses a combination of research and anecdotal accounts from locals to explore his topic. He travels to Bhutan and Iceland, Thailand and India in an effort to figure out why people are happy there. He also explores some unhappy and lukewarm countries (like wealthy Qatar and miserable Moldova) to balance his research.

Weiner makes some expected conclusions, like money doesn't make us happy and neither does extreme poverty, and we are happy when we have strong family ties. He discovers that happiness is closely tied to our ability to trust the people around us. Distrustful people tend to be the least happy, and some cultures invite distrust. A sense of purpose also factors into our happiness levels, but its importance varies in different countries. Weiner concludes that the existence of and access to culture (art, music, poetry, history, etc.) also makes people happier.

This is a broad survey of the nature of happiness, and Weiner can't possibly make definitive statements because each country is so different, and of course there is a wide range of happiness levels and circumstances within each nation. However, this is a fascinating look at the way the countries view happiness. Weiner speaks with many locals who provide their own opinions of why a particular place is happy or unhappy, and this sheds some light on the attitude of each group of people. This book provides a tiny window into each country and it is worth reading for the thought-provoking ideas and interesting observations.

THE LINK:

Eric Weiner's website

THE COST:

$9.99 for the Kindle edition

THE QUESTION:

What is the happiest place you have visited and why?