Lunch Time in Central and Wan Chai

1-3 - Back Alley in Central

3-5 - Wan Chai North

Deerhoof live in Hong Kong

Deerhoof played live in Hong Kong for the first time thanks to Songs for Children. See more photos and read the review here

Wide Angle in Hong Kong

1- Wan Chai
2- Sai Yin Pun
3- Kennedy Town

Central

Graham Street Market

1- Fruit stalls at Graham Street Market
2- Flower Shop at Graham Street Market
3- Wing Woo Groceries
4- Dai Pai Dong close to Graham Street Market

The pictures are of Graham Street Market in Central. Graham Street Market is one of the oldest outdoor markets in Hong Kong. It's been around for 160 years. Even before Hong Kong became a British colony there was a bazaar on this site, selling provisions to the ships arriving in Hong Kong. Unfortunately the Urban Renewal Authority is planning to redevelop Graham Street and Peel Street. When they say redevelop they actually mean tearing down the old buildings and building higher, more profitable high-rises instead. This will affect 37 building and 78 shops. It will start 2015 and be completed in 2021.

The plan is to build a giant complex with two residential buildings, a 26-storey hotel, a 32-storey office building, a footbridge linking to the escalator and an underground car park (because we need more cars in Central for sure). They are also planning an "Old Market Street" a man-made tourist attraction, which will have nothing to do with reality and surely all the charm and authenticity of the market will be lost. They will be selling traditional products and handicrafts. Sounds like the Ngong Ping Old Town to me, a disney-esque tourist attraction on Lantau selling Babushka dolls and other kitsch to mainland tourists. I fail to see how "Old Shop Street" can be of any interest for a tourist wanting to experience the many sides of Hong Kong, as gritty and dirty as they can be. Graham Street Market may not be pretty at times, but it's GENUINE and vibrant. The real Hong Kong, a real outdoor wet market, not the URA's version of it.

Instead of just renovating the buildings, like it is done in most places in the world the URA instead tears down most of the ones built in 50s and 60s, keeps the facade of the pre-war buildings and fills in the rest with hotels, luxurious apartments and other crap not catered to the existing residents of that area, but for richer class with more consumer power. Local residents are relocated and compensated. If compensation for something like that is even possible. 

   

The corner house of Wellington Street and Peel Street was housing one of the oldest shops in that area selling eggs, groceries and dried goods called Wing Woo Groceries, which was in business for more than 80 years and closed in 2009. The URA offered the owner compensation and he retired due to old age. The shops interior will be preserved for a museum.

Break

1-2 Lamma Island
3- ICC Kowloon
4- Park next to the Grand Hyatt

Lights

Bob Dylan live in Hong Kong

Yesterday I saw Bob Dylan play in Hong Kong. Last time I saw him was around 10 years ago in Berlin. That show was OK, but nothing great, so I had very low expectations for yesterday's show. But... it was amazing. His band is killer, he was in a good mood, his voice sounded good. His harmonica playing was awesome, too. And on top of that he played some of my favourite songs, like Tangled up in Blue! Unlike last time when I saw his concert I could actually recognize the songs pretty well. I like the whole style they played, raggedy blues/rock/country whatever. It was cool. Surprisingly the sound was good as well. I was standing in the front center though, so we probably had the best sound in the whole venue!
What a great concert!

1. Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking
2. Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power)
3. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
4. Tangled Up In Blue
5. Honest With Me
6. Simple Twist Of Fate
7. Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
8. Blind Willie McTell
9. Jolene
10. Desolation Row
11. Highway 61 Revisited
12. Spirit On The Water
13. My Wife's Home Town
14. Thunder On The Mountain
15. Ballad Of A Thin Man
(encore)
16. Like A Rolling Stone
17.  Forever Young

Spring

1- Lamma Island
2- Lamma Island
3- Island Shangri-La

Pottinger Street

1- Pottinger Street
2- Stanley Street

Trees and Construction

1-3 Lamma Island
4-5 HK Government building Tamar Construction Site

Pinhole VI

Photos from my homemade pinhole camera, pinhole turned out to be too small.

Wan Chai

All taken with a Minolta Hi-matic 7s from the 60s.

No Entry And No Dumping

1,2- Prince Edward
3- Wong Tai Sin
4- Prince Edward