Walking Tour: Hollywood Road

Everyone can use a little more Hong Kong in their life, so I am launching a new feature: Hong Kong Walking Tours. Each Wednesday (HK time) I'll take you on little photographic tours of the city and surrounding islands. Each one will start at an easy to find landmark or public transport stop and end at a good coffee shop or eatery. To kick off the tours, I'd like to introduce you to Hollywood Road.

Start out at the old Hong Kong Police Complex in Central. Notice the mid-levels escalator to your right.

The escalator makes a right turn and runs along Hollywood Road for one block before turning up into Soho (South of Hollywood Road).

As you walk along the road, notice the work that is constantly being done as more restaurants and shops go in and out of business.

If you get bread delivered to your restaurant don't worry; they'll leave if for you if you're not in.

Of course this is Hong Kong, so expect to see merchandise from around the world.

Just in case you need to get your bearings, we're at the intersection of Hollywood, Graham and Lyndhurst Terrace.

To your right you can catch a glimpse of the markets on Graham.

To your left, get ready for the antique shops.

But first, some potatoes...

...and a modern gallery.

Hollywood Road is known for its antique shops.

And there are plenty of them

I don't think this is a shop, but those are some cool statues.

Here's a bookstore on your left that mostly sells stationary.

You will see a few trees in Hong Kong.

This one is particularly cool.

And there are some nice shady little streets to your right, tiny oases in the busy city.

And of course, there are more antique shops.

Look through the windows at gold and bronze figurines, at vases and jade and ivory treasures.

A well-protected primary school will remind you of the realities of city life.

And a well-placed sign will remind you where you are.

Look for reminders of the sacred...

...and the modern

Hollywood Road has more than a touch of class.

Most of the shops are as good as museums.

Every once in a while you will catch a glimpse of the sky.

Just in case you forgot where we are.

On your left, you'll see Man Mo Temple one of the few remaining temples this close to Central.

On your right you'll see an empty playground.

Take a peek down Ladder Street at the beginning of the Cat Street Antique Market. That will be the subject of another walking tour.

Hollywood Road has more than enough antique shops for now.

 

You will see statues in every shape and size.

Don't forget to look up every once in a while.

Look down, too.

Keep your eyes open for that old world charm.

We are nearing the end of our tour.

When Hollywood Road starts to curve around to the left, get ready to cross the street.

Try to snap a picture of the guys having tea before you do, but don't let them see you.

Take one last look at the eclectic street...

...then zoom in on the coffee.

Finish up your tour at the Java Java Coffee and Tea Lounge at 188 Hollywood Road. Drink in the ambiance and the iced coffee in this exquisitely decorated little shop. The antiques and books that fill the shelves make this the perfect bookend to your Hollywood Road tour.

Come back next week for another Hong Kong walking tour!

READING LIKE A WRITER by Francine Prose

THE GIST:

A novelist draws advice for aspiring writers from the works of established writers.

THE VERDICT:

This is a thoughtful and detailed guide, written in an academic but thorough style. Each chapter methodically addresses a specific aspect of writing from word choice and the art of a good sentence all the way to dialogue, details and gesture. Francine Prose quotes example after example of writers who excel at some aspect of their craft, from Philip Roth's sentences to Nabokov's characters. 

The take-home message of this book is that if you want to write well you must read good writing. The author goes above and beyond this familiar refrain by dissecting the work of great writers and telling you exactly why each passage, conversation, or sentence is so effective. She also offers counter-examples, usually passages she created specifically to demonstrate her points. She reminds you that there are exceptions to literally every rule in the book; you just need to know how to use them.

Although this book isn't as pithy and inspiring as Stephen King's ON WRITING, it is a useful tool for careful readers who want to become effective writers. It is like the prose workshop to King's survey course. Hopefully after reading this book you will be more acutely aware of the specific genius of certain writers. If nothing else, it will help you pay attention to the essential nuts and bolts of compelling writing.

THE LINK:

On Francine Prose

THE COST:

I received this book as a birthday gift from my mom several years ago.

THE QUESTION:

What books have inspired your writing? Who would be on your must-read list for budding authors?

Bookspotting: Week 15

Most of the books I spotted this week were written in Chinese. I think I saw five, including one graphic novel. I saw two tourists with Hong Kong guidebooks near the Central Pier. I saw a woman with a Lonely Planet guidebook for Lisbon on the MTR. I spent a fair amount of time in coffee shops this weekend, but most of the people I saw there were working and socializing, not reading. 

In other news, I've been working on a new feature for the blog that I'll roll out on Wednesday. I hope you're excited.

So, what are people reading in your town this week?

THE HUNGER GAMES Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

THE GIST:

Colosseum-style games become all too real in a not-too-distant future society. 

THE VERDICT:

This series is a great example of a tale that brings together lots of familiar elements to create something new and riveting. Collins incorporates Roman history, Greek mythology, and the dystopian literary tradition in this exciting and thought-provoking story. The three books, THE HUNGER GAMES, CATCHING FIRE, and MOCKINGJAY should be read together, but each one contains a satisfying story arc of its own. I'm not a big YA reader, but these three books are fun reads that offer more than enough substance.

I really appreciated the main character Katniss. She is much more than the typical "strong female lead." She is a complicated mix of vulnerability, reserve, coldness, violence, compassion and power. She is everything from a hero to a style icon to a propaganda lynchpin. There are aspects of her personality that just aren't that nice, and her flaws are complex and believable. She forces the reader to confront the circumstances that forged her into a person who will do just about anything to survive, and will do even more than that to protect the few people that she loves.

Collins explores the effects of violence, loss and desperation on very young characters. All the books have high body counts, and Collins does not shy away from showing the ugly side of exciting battles and of victory. Revenge, suicide, and sacrifice are important themes, adding depth to the fast-paced story. For the most part, Collins does not go for the easy resolution. There is always a loose end or two, and "happily ever after" becomes a painful process in her hands.

THE LINK:

The website of Suzanne Collins

THE COST:

THE HUNGER GAMES: $5 for the Kindle edition

CATCHING FIRE: $8 for the Kindle edition

MOCKINGJAY: $6 for the Kindle edition

THE QUESTION:

To what extent do you think children can or should be protected from violence and its effects? When should they be exposed to the realities of a world that can be very ugly?

Bookspotting: Week 14

I had an extraordinarily busy week in Arizona as we prepared for my sister's beautiful backyard wedding. The only people who really had time to read were my grandparents. My grandma is reading The Lord of the Rings for the first time, and my grandpa always has some history book or another in hand, usually about World War II. I met up with a friend who showed me her copy of Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose. I remembered that I own (but haven't finished) this book and found it in my parent's house before I left for Hong Kong.

At Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix I saw a woman carrying Bossypants by Tina Fey and a man carrying It's Your Ship by Michael Abrashoff. I saw a young woman reading a brand new copy of Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin and another young woman with what looked like an Alexander McCall Smith book. A man came off a plane from Dallas carrying many leather bound books under his arm. Two men sitting behind me on the plane were reading a book by George R. R. Martin and another whose title ended in "of the gods."

During my layover in Los Angeles I was distracted from bookspotting by the news of Osama bin Laden's death. By the time I got to Hong Kong the news had hit the papers, so that's what people were reading on my commute to work, too. The woman sitting beside me for the 14 hour flight was reading Ken Follett's World Without End. I was finishing up the last book in The Hunger Games trilogy, which I'll review tomorrow. I spotted two Kindles and a Sony eReader in transit.

What are people reading in your town, trains or planes this week?