Bookspotting: Week 51

This week I spotted a young man reading The Windmill Book of 19th Century Short Stories. I was convinced I would forget that long title, so I typed it into my phone along with a few other books I spotted on the train that day. Unfortunately, I forgot to save the note, so the Windmill book is the only one of those titles I remember. I spotted a young woman reading a paperback bound in a blue cloth cover. I spotted a boy walking and reading one of the Percy Jackson books on my way out of Central station, but I couldn't tell which one it was. I saw two different Western women reading Kindles this week. Another woman rode the train near me with a guidebook to China in her hand. She was speaking French with her husband, but I'm pretty sure the book was in English. I saw three different textbook carriers this week, and at least one of them was reading a chemistry textbook. The only Chinese book I saw was in the hands of a little girl.

What are people reading in your town this week? What's the longest book title you've ever seen? I once read a book called All Shall Be Well, and All Shall Be Well, and All Manner of Things Shall Be Well.

Writing Video: Inspiration

Here's the second installment of my new writing videos feature. I have been recording what I've learned on my writing journey so far, and I'm releasing the videos here and on YouTube once a week.

Walking Tour: Early Morning

My latest walking tour will not show you a place in Hong Kong, but rather a time of day. I've done this before with my dusk tour, and I'm interested in continuing to explore new aspects of the city. If you visit the walking tour page, you will find 25 other tours of locations in Hong Kong. This tour will show you what one of the busiest corners of the city is like early in the morning.

I have to leave for work at 6:45 am, when the sky is lightening but the sun isn't out yet.

The street beneath my window, which was full of taxis the night before, is empty.

The floor of the elevator is still wet from being mopped (the building's amah has to go to work earlier than me).

A few other people outside are already hard at work.

The morning pita bread delivery waits outside the Lebanese restaurant.

The lights and shadows are different early in the morning...

...and the streets are quiet.

Most of the shops are still closed.

A few early risers go about their business with me.

Normally busy locations like Pottinger Street are still.

It's that strange time of day when the neon lights have been turned off, but the sunlight hasn't reached between the buildings yet.

 

The Tsui Wah Restaurant is always open and busy with breakfasters and subdued all-night partiers.

Those partiers have cleared out of Lan Kwai Fong by this time.

I like having the streets almost to myself in the morning.

I don't have to squeeze between huge crowds to cross Queen's Road.

The sky is getting brighter. It looks like it'll be a blue-sky day.

The free papers are stacked and ready for the commuters.

The mannequins are getting dressed and ready for the day.

I pass shuttered locksmiths, vendors and shoemakers.

I get one last glimpse of the growing sunlight before heading into the MTR.

It's the emptiest it will be all day and I get to enjoy the quiet ride.

Bookspotting: Week 50

This week I spotted a schoolgirl reading a graphic novel as she walked through a breezeway near my work. I saw a young man who was also reading a graphic novel while we waited to see Girl with a Dragon Tattoo at the cinema (not as good as the Swedish movie). I saw another schoolgirl carrying a big English reader with a black cover. By this morning, those were the only books I had noticed all week, which is a little sparse compared to my normal bookspotting tally. I decided to take the long way home from work because it involves riding the Island Line, which is more likely to carry people reading English books than the Tsuen Wan Line through the center of Kowloon Peninsula. I was not disappointed. I spotted a young boy reading a big, illustrated book called Epidemics and Plagues (he was on the page about the Black Death). I spotted a woman reading a textbook with a bright orange cover. Finally, I spotted a woman carrying a slate gray Kindle.

What are people reading in your town this week? I'd love to hear about your bookspotting adventures in the comments!

NEW! Writing Video: Introduction

Today I'm launching a new blog feature: videos! I've been recording videos about my writing journey for a few months, and I've finally gotten up the courage to actually post them. I don't really mind sending my writing out into the world, but uploading videos on YouTube is scary! If you want to follow my channel, it's ShannonYoungHK, which is also my twitter handle by the way. These videos will go up once a week.

DISPATCHES FROM THE PENINSULA by Chris Tharp

THE GIST:

A bad-boy English teacher reflects on six years in South Korea.

THE VERDICT:

This is the story of a typical globe-trotting English teacher: a man who lacks direction at home and is lured to the East by the prospects of employment and adventures. Tharp, who still lives in Korea, describes the greatest adventures of his six years living in Busan. From the wild children at a Korean kindergarten to the cute, texting Korean girlfriends, Tharp describes the people he meets in his new life with a vivid, irreverent voice.

Tharp explores common expat experiences: visa troubles, cultural differences, adjustments to food, mistrust of foreigners, alcohol-fueled expat bubbles, etc. The most powerful theme in this story is the failing health of Tharp's parents. Expatriates leave behind loved ones who may get married, have babies, or die while they are far out of reach. Tharp must come to terms with his decision to live far from his parents as they go into a painful decline. Despite his love for Korea, he experiences guilt and grief from abroad.

This is an authentic story that will resonate with ESL teachers and expats everywhere. Although my job as a teacher in Hong Kong is quite different from Tharp's situation in Korean, I could identify with his experiences. This is a fun tale that paints an honest picture of life abroad with healthy doses of laughter and insight. It would be a great read for anyone who is thinking about starting a new life abroad.

THE LINK:

Chris Tharp's blog

THE COST:

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher.

THE QUESTION:

When you think of the "typical" expat experience, what comes to mind?

Bookspotting: Week 49

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a relaxing holiday and you're ready to get into the swing of things again. After a break that could be titled Eat Sleep Edit, I'm back in the office today and back to my normal blogging schedule. I'm also adding videos to my blog for the new year, and the first one will be up later this week.

Now for the bookspotting: I saw one person giving another the Steve Jobs biography at an outdoor bar. Did I tell you about the time I saw someone selling that book from a suitcase outside the MTR? I spotted a man reading Annie Proulx's The Shipping News and Jerusalem: The Biography. I saw another man carrying a book called The Fear near Li Yuen Lane. I saw two women in The Gourmet Burger Union carrying identical guidebooks to Hong Kong written in Korean. As for me, I finished the fourth George R. R. Martin book yesterday. The Song of Ice and Fire series has been consuming my free time lately, meaning my reviews for this blog have been a little sparse. One more to go!

What did you read over the holidays? What are people reading in your town lately?