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Oscar, unemployed (supposedly)
“How long does it take?” |
Pat, builds helicopters
“When will there be world peace? |
Sebastian, businessman
“What’s my telephone number?” |
Nicolas, sales manager
You’d ask me if I like Hong Kong. |
Fish, interior designer
“What’s your name?” |
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- It’s quite a hike to Ka Yip Street, but the rewards are greater than any hip fashion aficionado could imagine. Chai Wan is often ignored – down at heel at the ‘other’ end of the Island Line. The former Firewood Bay is more famous for its urban sprawl than much else and by mid-afternoon, the bare, sunshine-bathed streets are a hyperrealist industrial wasteland. Fashion house Comme des Garcon deemed it a perfect setting for a sky blue and polka dot store (18 Ka Yip St). Inside, chic art and kitsch wallpaper announce clothes with a Japanese flourish. A ceiling of deep red roses completes the theatrical experience. Gothic grandeur reigns opposite at Undercover (also 18 Ka Yip St). A rusting metal-spike chandelier throws shadows across glass walls lined with silken flowers. Dark velvet and satin clothing (with prices too high to mention here) hangs on rails, as eerie piped organ music plays in the background. It takes just moments to view, but leaves a lasting impression. Back near the MTR on Cheung Lee Street, you’ll find more Undercover, hidden on the first floor of the Man Foong warehouse. Sports goods and T-shirts parade at knock-down prices, and if there is a whiff of ‘fake’ in the air no-one is smelling a thing. But if all this retail screams too much of commercialism, remember simpler living in tougher times at Law Uk (Kut Shing St). This 200-year-old traditional Hakka village house is a small reminder of how far Chai Wan has progressed.
 
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 The find: Keroro Lantern
Original asking price: $29.90
Final price: $29.90
Where bought: Circle K (damn hard to bargain there)
Not only is this high-grade plastic inflatable Keroro Lantern seasonal – and thus perfect for your mid-autumn celebrations – but it also makes a great new accessory for those ‘it’ girls looking for a nifty replacement to Chihuahuas. But first, the specifics. When a battery-powered switch is flicked, the cutesy lantern lights up, courtesy of a small bulb in his noggin, and plays a merry Chinese jingle, which goes something like this: “daaa-da-da-daa-da-da-da-da-diii”. You get the picture. Of course, it also looks fabulous, which brings us back to the ‘it’ girls. Yes, girlfriends, you can send those little Paris Hilton pups to the pound, because the Keroro Lantern will serve all your poncy needs: it’s perky, cute, and it looks hot popping out of your Gucci bag. And a Chihuahua could never sing a song like this guy – unless, of course, you stepped on it. |
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