It’s less than 1 week until Chinese New Year – the year of the Rooster. So most of Hong Kong was out and about doing even more shopping than a more normal Sunday.
This shop selling discounted chocolates was doing especially well.
Great cartons of Kinder Eggs, Ferrero Rocher and the like were flying out of the door.
Parts of Central district (the most upmarket commercial and shopping area in Hong Kong) were closed though to accommodate some sort of classic car rally.
Actually, it turned out to be more than a car rally as there were a number of medalled dignitaries milling around plus a marching band.
It was quite an odd sight. A Chinese band pretending to be Scots marching in between classic cars and a Cartier shop. Burns night is on Wednesday so maybe it had something to do with that.
There are more than 140,000 Filipinos working in Hong Kong – most of them in domestic service. So, whilst their bosses take time off at Chinese New Year, many of them go back home for a week or so with the spoils of their hard earned labour all of which has to be packed up before shipping out.
And those who are not sending anything home just meet up as they do every Sunday to eat and chat.
The sound is extraordinary – a bit like some amplified aviary!
With so much stimulus going on at ground level, it’s easy to miss some of the spectacular modern buildings of Hong Kong.
Seriously impressive constructions are everywhere
and even a bit of retro architecture has been squeezed into an area previously occupied by the Hong Kong Fire Brigade!
The cycle of ‘bulldoze it down and start again’ is relentless
but does create a marvellously ever changing skyline. I hope, though, that some of the older parts are preserved
as to me this higgledy piggledy mess of colourful signs and eclectic shops are just as much a symbol of Hong Kong as the ultra modern skyscrapers.
And finally, I seems that the Chinese have, at last, recognised they can’t pronouns their ‘Rs’.
Ta la.
Phileas
thelasthurrahsite 