Central Police Station, Hong Kong

one of most important historical building has been declared monument, the former Central Police Station at Hollywood road.
it was the intention of the Government to convert such into a tourist spot with the proceedings help to upkeep the maintainence of this cluster of building.
if overly done, can become a very tacky place...
delicate, be extremely delicate...
whoever is going to operate this premises, why not use this chance to organize an international architecture design competition, thru the UIA or a reputable institute, use this chance to offer something the local can be proud of.

MAM - Macau Musuem of Art - 01

If there is anything being a Hongkonger would be ashamed of when you are in Macau, other than losing all your money at the casino and cover your private parts with nothing more than a piece of IOU, it's when you stepped into the Muse de Arte de Macau.

undoubtedly a piece of world class architecture, and we are trying to find the background of the architect responsible for the design.

there are spaces which you want to explore and linger, hoping to discover new things and for illumination. and there are places you want to finish your business and leave as quick as possible. the MAM is an example of the former while the toilet and the Hong Kong Museum of Art is the classic example of the latter.

street scenes at Macau - 02

though only an hour away from Hong Kong, have only been to Macau a few times in my life. and for twice, we stayed in hotel in Taipa, 5 years apart, but scenes all changed especially at the waterfront! luckily, the area near Taipa village was largely preserved and remains a pleasant place to stroll along.

street scenes at Macau - 01

despite the opening of new casinos one after another, there remains area where one could still find the nostalgic corners of what was once the Portugese colony.

rua dos bem casados, name of the street, roughly translated as: the street of the well-married. didn't even notice the street name while taking the photo, just thought it was a good composition then.

no doubt there were romantic stories buried in the neighbourhood.

waterfront at aberdeen - 04

waterfront at Aberdeen - 03

waterfront at Aberdeen - 02

Canon EOS 350D with EFS 18-55mm

waterfront at Aberdeen - 01

my first time in this area...never knew there is a path that can lead you so far.

photo taken with Canon EOS 350D with EFS 18-55mm

the weeping angel

for a great loss...
hard to say good bye?
or to pity that you have not live your life without regrets;
gifted by God, but wasted for nothing.
an inevitable destination, but it's what's happening in between that matters.

photo taken at the Happy Valley Cemetery with Minolta DIMAGE F100. good camera, good brand that has disappeared from the face of the earth

Calendar of the King - Part 1.

commonly referred as the "Tong Shing", or "Book for everything", can be bought on the newspaper stand at the beginning of each year, lunar new year, that is. from fortune telling, prophecy, picking the dates for having a haircut, or even pronunciation of some basic english words in chinese, you have it!
it was initially a book for the farmers as it accurately(apparently) forecast the weather, coming of seasons, or when is the best time to sow seed, but it later evolved into a handbook for everyday people like you and me when trying to pick a date to do certain things.
though it does not explain in depth why on a certain day certain activity must not be carried out or vice versa, i am inclined to think that such is compiled via years of observation through the intangible orders in the world we live in. you heard the famous "Butterfly Effect" on chaos and emergence, of cause and effect, the writer of this book possibly manage to notice the changes in one end on the causes side, and therefore can deduce the possible outcome at a specific time of day. in a way, it's nothing superstitious, but a rather illuminating act.
it would be interesting to see and understand the reasoning behind these deductions, and i suspect we might find out the theories on chaos, complexity, or strings, might be something the ancient chinese has stepped upon centuries ago.

on the other hand, on a lighter side, i would say this book is probably one of the best souvenir you can get if you are visiting the city, so rich of information and so unique!

btw, legend has it that the writing of this book was started by the First King of China, "Yellow King" or " Wong Dai", hence it is also sometimes referred as the Calendar of the King.

not sure if i got the translation right, pls help correct them if you know a more appropriate translation.

Homeless @ SOHO (Part 2)

said earlier would find the namecard for this place, but somehow have it misplaced, so, still can't get you the number. however, found the website for homeless, though hasn't been updated for a while, does have the telephone no. for its branch in Yaumatei. took this picture last night after having dinner in nearby restaurant. the design of the oversized doll was quite unique and definitely has the potential to become an inconic product...after some research, oops, just realise the creator for this, the wun ying collection, is a local, Carrie Chau, and apparently she has already established her name in the field of illustration and graphic design.

honestly, some very good works!

the path through the woods

was driving from Fanling to Tsuen Wan after a site meeting and on the way to another. didn't want to take the usual route and saw the sign saying Tsuen Wan, that's the way to go. been driving for more than 10 mins and there was no one to be seen on the road...not a car, not a pedestrian on the pavement...the sun was hitting hard on the black body of the car, even modern technology of climate control has refused to battle further. i opened the windows as well as the skylight, let the light and the breeze to enter the interior of the car without restraint. though the car was moving forward, there was no sound, the noise of the engine was cloaked by the friction between the metallic body and the air.

time seems to be standing still.

for a moment, the reality and fantasy seems to have fused. the time is no longer contemporary, the world is no longer now... after the next corner, what will i see? there was not a single soul around except me and my black stallion...

Cafe Eos, Causeway Bay

one of our favourite place for a late dinner or afternoon tea. we believe there are altogther 3 such cafes in the city, but the one in Causeway Bay, to our taste, is simply the best out of the three, the well proportioned food, the friendly waitress, the long windows looking out onto the busy streets of Causeway Bay, the nicely decorated interior, and what's more, a dinner for two, won't cost you an arm and a leg!

for dessert lover, the apple crumble and ice cream is a must!

G/F 20 Pak Sha Road
Causeway Bay
Tel 2890 4133

Rosary Church, TST, Hong Kong

built in 1888, the Rosary Church is currently the oldest church still standing in the Kowloon Pennisula. most probably due to the absence of good quality masonry materials, the works inside the church were combination of timber, brickwork and mostly plastering, unlike those in Europe, which were predominantly of granite.
though look smaller from the outside, the interior actually is surprisingly spacious.
...um, but the interior illumination seems to be slightly excessive.



the control of daylight was best at the altar, but the recently rennovated interior seems to have put a veil over its true character.

Homeless @ SOHO (Part 1)

not quite remember exactly where we found this place, but it was somewhere near Hollywood road or Wellington Street in Central, Hong Kong. if you are into interesting home accessories, or just want to see stuff that you rarely see in those everyday shopping mall, this is the place to be. around 70 sq.m. or so, the interior is nicely decorated and you can feel that the owner of the shop does have immense passion towards design, that winding staircase, the timber feature wall, the hinged front door...etc. and that cantilevered steel beam for the shop logo at the front.

did u submit that to the BD? shhhhhhhh.

but seriously, a very nice place, and might rekindle your passion in design too!!!!
will find the business card and get the address for you....

the facade - elgin street

the SOHO area, South of Hollywood Road in Hong Kong, mainly referring to the Staunton Street and Elgin Street (but also recently seen expanding in all direction) is a place, whenever you are lack of ideas of what to have for a bite, a decent sit down dinner for two, or just a place to have a nice slice of cake.
been to this place tons of times, but everytime we discover something new.
what is happening to the face of this building?
a big question mark? but goes well with the name of the restaurant opposite.

around the corner - PokFuLam Village 03

from an almost monotonous setting to an alley filled with texture and colour, an escape from the accepted grey city of the modern city where almost everyone preferred to dress in black or shades of grey.

interestingly, in cities like Delhi, Jaipur, or less developed part of Cairo where the place seems to be less materialistic, there is a resemblance in the more creative use of colour and texture.

around the corner - PokFuLam Village 02

in a way, the clashing of the lines is the result of the absence of planning. but it is exactly due to its absence which brought about spontaneous reaction of things that can't be planned for, and which i must admit, were quite intriguing.

around the corner - PokFuLam Village 01

other than the highrise, ultra modern concrete buildings in the city, which can suffocate you if you are looking at it day after day, there are some alternative spaces where you can breathe in a different type of air.

Pok Fu Lam village, last time i visited it must be about 10 years ago. It didn't change that much during my visit last Sunday.

ok, one can imagine the place is to be filled with maybe rats and roaches at night as the weather becomes more humid, but i can't help but feel excited by the almost random and chaotic setting of the place, yet with all those intricate narrow alleys, surprises were almost at every corners!
just how long can this place last before the Government decides to put this piece of land for sale, really don't know. Our Government is very good in removing traces of history from the city fabric you know?

Hong Kong International Airport - Norman Foster

Hong Kong International Airport, designed by the Foster & Partners, or better known as perhaps Norman Foster, is still voted as the best airport in the world by a number of differnt media, magazines. definitely won't argue with that.

it's spacious volume, lack of any annoying direct lights, together with the well coordinated ventilation system, really prepare the traveller for whatever trip you are about to embark on. perhaps only occasionally marred by the oddly placed signages, promotional artefacts, or those hideous looking planter boxes.

such a huge space without the use of conspicous direct downlight, this is trully a job well done.

in contrast, however, the toilets really sucks...