Hong Kong - Nov 5th 06

I find my self being increasingly excited by the prospect of the new bond movie. It looks absolutely cracking, Daniel Craig will be excellent, I’m sure. I’ve always been a bit of a fan of his since Our Friends In the North, back in the ‘90s. What a great programme that was, and look at the cast, Gina McKee, Christopher Ecclestone, Mark Strong and Mr Craig. It was just brilliant.

Only one problem. It’s released on the 17^th of Nov in the UK, the 21^st of December in Hong Kong. Poo! I’m going to miss the cinematic release! Ach well.

Hong Kong becomes increasingly more ridiculous the more I come to know of it.

It’s such a gaudily capitalist city, but yet so charming at the same time!

It really rubs your face in how showy it is. Cities like New York are really very glitzy too, but more often than not there’s a practical functionality to the buildings there, but here! My god! It’s just like, look at me!!! I’m the biggest, shiniest building in the world!

Times Square is a building here that is a shopping mall like no other. It’s a vertically packed sausage of shops from the west. And it goes on for miles and miles in to the sky!

Though on the positive side, I can go and buy new pants there from Marks and Spencers…

See! The bloody place has got me, seduced me into thinking like it wants me to! Grrrrrrrrr

Hong Kong does seem to have a consciousness of its own, which is quite unusual.

Last night I went on a cruise with Amanda & Giles out in to the harbour, where boats race back and forward like nobody’s business. Crossing from HK to Kowloon is like running gleefully across a motor way whilst flapping your arms at your side and shouting “Hehehehehe!” in the style of a little girl.

A strange coincidence was that I saw an ocean liner here that I had previously seen on the Clyde, at home!

Anyway, as I was saying, this city has a consciousness. It seems to be like an extremely gifted child that knows it and wants to show off a bit so that you’ll pay it more attention.

I say this because, when we were out on the cruise, the buildings on the HK side of the river started to show off. Together.

We weren’t sure at first, as every now and then you’d notice a bit of a flash out of the corner of your eye and then you’d turn round and nothing would have changed. And then, but by bit it all kicked in.

To begin with it seemed like the odd building was changing colours, just as something it did to look a bit nice and out of the ordinary. And then another started doing it too… then another and another until the whole city was flashing with lights of all colours and shapes. The Bank of China building had a light chase going around it, while others softened and hardened their hue, and to cap it all two sky scrapers started ejaculating lasers across the sky.

This display went on for ages, it seemed to start on the hour at eight, and then go on and on.

As you looked over the other side of the boat you noticed that Kowloon, too was showing off a bit, though not as much as it’s more gregarious sibling.

Perhaps it was a courtship display between the two sides of the city state?

But to me it definitely seemed like a child who you’re quite fond of, showing off for a bit too long. “What a clever boy. Oh that’s very good. Look at you. Ok. Thank you dear, that’s enough now. Enough I say. Will you, stop now, please… Look! I said, stop it! Oh sod it, just ignore him, maybe he’ll go away. Now, what’s happening in Albert Square?”

After the cruise, which was very pleasant indeed we made our way to a bar by the name of the Feather Boa. A unique little corner of Central that recalls past glories of old Europe. It’s as camp as a row of tents. A lovely bar, where they sell the best Coaiperinia I’ve tasted. Oh they taste so good…

So after that we made our way down hill, past wonderful quiet little shrines with masses of incense and I was shown on to a tram, which juddered through the streets to Wan Chai, my area. Ah, to feel the evening breeze in your face from the top floor front window of a tram on a balmy Hong Kong night whilst slightly tipsy. That’s the stuff that life’s all about. I’ve no idea where I am, I’ve never been here before, but I know I’m heading home in that direction.

Lovely.