Well, this is the goat signing in from across the pacific in HK.

For those of yoiu who have not traversed this part of the world, I must announce that it’s bloody busy! So if you’re considering HK for your next relaxing holiday, think twice. This is not a place for lazing around. It’s all about the cash and (it would appear) shopping.

My first observation is on Giordano. Yes Giordano, the super bright, super white relatively cheap rag shop. You probably have seem these stores starting to take over surburban Melbourne of late, but they are out of control over here. I am of the belief that they are in fact a bizarre form of artificial intelligence built with an ulterior motive to turn everyone into the “beige brigade”. I also suspect that someone like Microsoft is behind it, considering that the MS take on business is rather beige. Anyway, these stores are everywhere you look. Its not enough to have one in every part of the city, but there are even Giordano express stores everywhere in between to fill up the gap! Granted these express stores are not as well stocked as their bigger siblings, but what they lack in stock, they make up in beige and the occassional khaki. This is very strange, I mean do the people of Hong Kong really need this much beige? Or more importantly do they need it at 1:00am in the morning? These shops, like everything else is open and buzzing to crazy hours. Just to explain my point, the above picture is a leisurely stroll through Tsim Sha Tsui (pronounced Jiim Sha Jue in Canto). There is people everywhere and thats just above ground. Who needs advertising when you can’t help but walk past 3 or 7 brand stores in 200 metres.

In a Taoist kind of way - If all the comotion of HK’s streetscape is an example of chaos than its underground MTR (Mass Transit Railway) is the epitome of controlled efficiency. This is precision people moving! This Octopus system (local jargon) is super-efficient and is a perfect example of how public transport should be. Fast, ontime, easy to use and plenty of it. Connex and Metlink (or whatever the hell you’re called) take note. If HK can keep this high density island moving at “to-the-minute” precision, than there should be no excuse for our relatively small population - I’m embarassed for you. No one really drives over here unless you can afford a top of the line European car (it seems these cars and taxis are the only ones on the road), but who can blame them with a truly world class public transport system. If Australia wants to reduce road congestion, than MTR is the model we need to try and adopt.
I will leave you with one other interesting observation, and that is the scarcity of public toilets over here. For a country with this many people who seem to be always out and shopping, there is a severe under supply of public toilets. So all you crohnnies out there, if you are like my wife who likes to make sure there are public toilets nearby when she visits somewhere new, than I suggest you do your research before you come to HK. I have no idea why I’m even writing about toilets, but it is very annoying when you have just consumed 7 litres of water because of the dehydrating humidity and you can’t find a public toilet. It is the strangest thing, I can’t understand why there are so many Giordano stores and no toilets, I guess if these guys have an accident, they just mozzy into Giordano and purchase a new 3 pack of underwear. That said though, the public toilets I have been in have been immaculate and come standard with a built in janitor (wonder if he was wearing Giordano?). I think there is scope here for someone to develop an underground public toliet map for HK, so if there are any readers from Hk who know of such an aid, please share it here for the collective good. We could even get Giordano involved and have them printed on their T-shirts.

Anyway, thats enough from me for now, the Dim Sum’s are steaming and I have to head off for my fix of tasty little morsels. So for your next wierd and wonderful observation of the East, keep your browsers pointed here.

Joy geen! (See you agian) BGE