Being in Hong Kong this time of year is like being in a sauna all day and night. Every place is heavily air conditioned because it has to be. Walking down the street, we would stop dead in our tracks if we passed the entrance to a mall or shop with it’s doors open. The way the cold air spills out onto the crowded streets lures foreigners like us the way the mythological Greek Sirens lured sailors. Who needs to advertise when you have a/c? It’s only a matter of time before you need to enter a mall. I went to a McDonalds for the first time in almost 5 years because I was desperate for some kind, ANY kind, of iced coffee drink.
Hong Kong on the Kowloon side reminds me a lot of NYC, but an interesting mix of Madison Ave and Time Sq. on one street, and the Lower East Side or the Village on the next. You can’t walk a block without being approached with an offer to buy some kind of knock off jewelry, most often a Rolex, and that was during the day. It’s worse at night. I didn’t want to be a shitty American and completely ignore them, but when they won’t take “no” for an answer I didn’t have much of a choice but to walk away. Even if I wanted a watch I wouldn’t buy a crappy knock off on the street in HK.
Okay, I hope I haven’t turned you off to Hong Kong with the first two paragraphs because as much as the heat/humidity and crowded streets are a drawback, the city is fuckin’ awesome. I would definitely return with or without the band. Sure, it’s a lot more industrial than NYC or Tokyo, at least what I think of Tokyo, but it’s got incredible energy. I don’t have a clue about entertainment options like museums or theater because I would rather just wander and stumble onto things by accident, but I’m sure it’s there if you want it.
Our show was in the other side of the bay from where we stayed, but unfortunately we didn’t know that area was just as happening as on Kowloon until we went to the show. We did get to walk around for a bit before the show, but didn’t get to do much. Some American girls I met in line for the toilet at McDonalds told me we need to try beef stomach. They said there was a street vendor just around the corner (strike 1), and that it cooks in a big vat (strike 2), and then described it as a little chewy (strike 3), but really good. We decided to skip it. I am trying to be open minded and try new things, but I didn’t think taking the advice of a 14-yr old poppsie from Arizona, who had only been in HK for a day, was a good idea.
The show was good. Not great, but we didn’t embarrass ourselves. The show was all ages so most of the kids were in their mid to late teens. The opening bands seemed to be about that age too, so it made sense. The room was a lot less full at the end of our set than when we started, but there were about a dozen kids who stood right up front the whole time. It was Tuesday night, and through my experiences playing different countries, a Sunday - Wednesday gig anywhere is no different than a Sunday - Wednesday gig in the States.
On that note, we are at the airport waiting to board our flight to Singapore. Three hours, 1500 miles, and a whole new culture. Oh, and a bit closer to the southern hemisphere. If you know what I mean.
