Gage Street just off Lyndhurst Terrace near the mid-levels escalator in Central Hong Kong
I have always loved the Gage Street fish monger's optimistic array of stripy awnings
I can't remember a sunny Chinese New Year in the past six years. I often wonder whether the gaudy bright red and gold lanterns and decorations are meant to divert our attention from the grey melancholy in the February skies during this all important Chinese celebration.
My son has strawberry blond longish hair and it is around this time of year mainland visitors love touching his hair for good luck. He has been used to it ever since we were on a school trip to Ocean Park six years ago, where a middle aged woman stepped over 4 or 5 small children (seated in a circle listening to a story) to pet my son's head and giggle at the bewildered British teacher before stepping over some more children to rejoin her friends.
Today, however, at the Peak Lookout restaurant his hair got him in trouble in the men's restroom. As he entered the facilities the female attendant inside the room (nice bit of irony there) reminded him this room was for men only. My son ignored her and went about his business anyway, but when he returned to the table he did ask me urgently when he could get a haircut.
A haircut??? But you've got the coolest hair ever, my friend.
orange bushes cheer up the terrace of the Peak Lookout
We walked home a bit giddy, the adults from a bottle of New Zealand chardonnay, the kids from their sugary treats acquired at 7-Eleven, and back at the house we checked out the handsomest rock star of all time, Kurt Cobain, watched him sing unplugged for MTV (see it HERE, you absolutely must), and convinced my boy that his hair style is a 1990s American classic not to be messed with on a whim.
Kurt's scruffy cardigan reminds me of my visit to Abercrombie and Fitch with my daughter. I had never entered the Pedder Street shop out of protest - I was under the false impression that the A&F-ers had ripped up the beautiful old shop to turn it into some kind of characterless mall store, but that is not the case. The imposing wooden staircase is still there and the rest of the shop looks pretty much as it did when Shanghai Tang was in residence, except for the merchandise. And the merchandise, well that wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. There were lots of bohemian dresses and loose knits, quite cute for teenage girls actually and not crazy expensive (once you are used to Hong Kong prices). It smells delicious everywhere, and the grey grungy cardigan I bought for myself still smells flowery and fresh four days later.
My best attempt at grunge
Abercrombie and Fitch cardigan
Zara T-shirt
Zara jeans
Chloe flats
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