Wanchai Red Lights
If Amsterdam is the city’s infamous red light district in the capital of Europe, Wanchai in Hong Kong is considered to be one of the city’s Red Light District in Asia.
There are numerous bars and strip joints in the area which is still popular with tourists and visiting US sailors - who arrive on Fenwick Pier.
Wanchai has gained its reputation as the noisy polluted streets, too crowded, old buildings & Mahjong centres crammed with aggressive gamblers. However Wanchai was made famous as the location of the 1957 novel and 1960 film The World of Suzie Wong. My dad told me, during the 70’s, Wanchai was the most popular place, and still is, for Dining & Entertainment. Every Filipino musicians & singers carried on displaying a high degree of performances in many bars. As one British writer noted about the number of Filipino musicians around Asia, “They’ve no originality, but they’re wonderful imitators of every Western singing style you can name.”
However, prostitution is regulated around here & licensed brothels in many corners of the streets. I spent my lazy afternoon with my N70 camera witnessing US service men who gathered around Delaney’s, Joe Banana’s, The Wanch and Carnegie’s, few of the more popular bars around.
Simply take a walk to this area anytime of the day and you will find some pretty girl with a cute tatoo sitting in a storefront of each bars, some pretty/unpretty, tall/short, plump/slim and hot/not-so-hot women of all ages (legal that is!). Must keep in mind not to ever take a picture of these girlies or you will get a big punch in the face. I have to be honest, the thought of walking through a street with prostitutes on display sounds a bit of both between alarming and exciting. I actually felt a little bit sad at the same time everytime I see these nice young girls simply making the statement: “It does not matter who I am. If you want a female anatomy, I have one available”, you know those kind of impression. Maybe I am over-reacting. But Wanchai is a fun district. This is not always be the place about girlie bars.
It’s a very diverse environment. The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is located here. So obviously, Wanchai is one of the popular tourist spot in Hong Kong for mainland visitors and also the location of the flag-raising ceremony which occurs daily and in a special form on Chinese National Day and other occasions.
I headed on to get a taste of Filipino BBQ, a Pinoy restaurant reminiscent of the street carinderias, literally small, nondescript place named, Kusina ni Mang Ambo, one of Wanchai’s numerous eateries of good place to eat, if you really missed eating Filipino food. I really don’t like it there as it is a low profile garbage site to get a quick lunchbox.
I went home early as it gets so crowded with so many swearing young White Ass marines trying to figure out between a girlie bar or a 7-11 shop to buy a can of beer.
BTW, all pictures taken from my N70 Nokia phone. Such an amazing features indeed.
Hollaback Girl
by: Gwen Stefani
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I can understand the gaming as we had those little LCD games from Nintendo and Casio when I was around 10 or so. But I don’t think we withdrew from human contact, which is what this sounds like. However, I can understand how these are all great tools for adults. A lot of the cars I drive have Bluetooth these days, not that that means much to “no-cellphone” me!
And sometimes kids these days uses them for games, mp3 mobile & a camera. Bluetooth plays a great deal over this. It’s easy to send files as well. I think I do that all the time. hahaha.
Me, too, especially given the cost. I was talking to a friend who hasn’t made up a choice as to which telco to go with, so he and his wife use a cellphone for home. But he has had to take a cellphone off his daughter: he said in 10 days, she turned from being an outgoing, bright girl to a total introvert and glued to her gadget. That is very sad to hear, and I think that can only lead to a backlash. Phones are meant to help people connect, and their presence seems to do the opposite to kids, who become insular and don’t socialize.
I find it quite surprising that many more household prefer mobile phones than landlines. HK is going WIRELESS from internet and cable services. If you visit every Cafe shop, they are equipped with wireless services. And now the 3G service for mobile is going crazy around here.
Ah, I see why people will go for texting instead. I know from all my friends cellphones are expensive, too—another reason not to get one! Like Superman, I still look for pay phones …
Exactly. For kids, it’s a fun thing. HK starting to create a TEXT-Whore city, not that Calling someone via mobile is expensive (I think for me it is) but it’s a free service for a subscriber. Most people can’t live without a mobile phone anymore (esp HK) and by text messaging, it helps them communicate with friends or families without being caught in the workplace. We had a big argument at work about someone using a mobile and now Ive teached them to use the text msg, turn off the ringing and enable the vibrating signal tone. If you are in the Philippines. Text messaging is a way of communicating through different unknown subscriber, a set of news to those who can’t own a TV (I dont know why other people think cellphone is cheap, infact they are expensive). At the same time, enjoying the excitement of sending a simple “hello” thru text can make you smile when u wake up. (For me its annoying when it rings).
I sent a text message once on a friend’s cell, back in November. Took half an hour to compose. In the end I decided texting was a waste of time as talking is quicker, and said I would not do it again!
My view has always been that communication is meant to solve a problem. By writing funny, you create a problem. So, you didn’t communicate. Hence, texting is not communication! Or rather, they go against the idea of the cellphone being a unit for efficient communication.
We can share a bit of those net-words. I read them most of the time in few music forums. I think technology influences us to say the word shortcuts. Like if you send a text messages you WUD RITE LKS THS.
I am pretty easily contented: I have a few CDs of my favourites, and play them when the fancy takes me. I used to have a piano in the house but I gave it to a kid who was learning.
You know, I only learned what emo meant through blogs, about two months ago!
I can relate. I enjoy the jazz once in a while. I grew up with the noise of the trumphet at home. My dad would normally do his instruments cleaning, a loud tooot to practice his strength in blowing the trumphet. That’s when I started to listen to Jazz and Orchestra. I learned from him that listening to Standard music like Matt Munro will never fades away and you can keep them longer in a CD rack. Maybe when the time comes, I’d go back to the habit of listening to classic. HMV music shop is quite a music library and there are thousand to choose from.
At the moment, I stick on some emo music and few POP Christian songs. If I’m on the road, I’d stick with the R&B’s. “Cool” - kids would say these days.
Good point about the iPod, K. To me, I am just content humming to myself! I am quite into jazz—it’s what I listen to most. But if I were buying CDs, I tend to go for orchestral stuff like movie soundtracks, and the Swedish jazz singer Monica Zetterlund. I’m a big fan of Sacha Distel; mostly the crooners (Andy Williams, Matt Munro) as I sing along with them. Finally, and this will probably surprise most people, Olivia Newton-John, especially the mid- to late-1970s’ stuff that John Farrar produced.
I see a lot of your music links, K, but I don’t know the artists. Is there a genre they belong to?
Thanks for the iPod. I don’t really need to bring a pack of CD in my bag and open it in the public to change to another CD.
I don’t know it’s just addicting to download music and play the songs you enjoy over and over again. With too many free radio streams online, sometimes it’s hard to stick to just one source of music listening. When I’m blogging, there’s a pleasure of turning the “Easy Listening”. What’s your kind of music, Jack?
Yes, Ryan was ahead at coComment for some time and during April I passed him.
A lot of these big groups pretend to help artists and don’t. Shame.
Whatever the case I just don’t like the idea of downloading music. I’m quite happy buying CDs or just listening to the radio (or web radio).
June 13 it is! Sounds like a good idea to have a target date.
I do enjoy the Pandora, it’s been like my own radio everytime I’m online. Can I join in your pot session? I tried to do the cold turkey too but it’s difficult. I think I’m back again. Give me some patches.
K.,I never share my music.Don’t share…don’t give away.
The music i like can be found free to download such as DJ River and many other web sites .I like chill music .
Most of the new songs aren’t worth a cent so i don’t bother buying it nor downloding it,even if is for free.
But i found few sites where i go and listen.Pandora.com and audiri.com
As for the RIAA..they’re so greedy and give us the false impression that they care about musicians when in fact they are ruining them day by day.
Hope you like my techie links.
Jack,i didn’t stop.I will do the cold turkey on 13.I set up the date and from that day on,no more smoking.I hope.
Till then…well….wanna smoke?
Woh, Ryan is always on the Top of the list including yourself Jack.
Hi c,
I thinkI’ve added you and I’ve been clicking on your techie links.Smoked your lighters off? Does that mean you haven’t stopped?
I do need to pop by Ryan’s blog. When Wordpress went down I didn’t go on, and I guess I realized a lot of dialogue was habitual. When the program was down the habit got broken. I’ll zoom over and see what’s going on there.
Hi c, very much thank you. I’m using Limewire Pro for my mp3 downloads (illegal, I know) but I use them for my own pleasure and other people steal them too (file sharing) but that’s about it, I don’t sell my downloads so the
IRRARIAA won’t prosecute me. But seriously, this downloader is scary. I heard that HK is tracking the illegal sharing of music in every household but I’m glad, I’m not a kid anymore, they won’t catch me.Umm…ok.
First,i want that tank.Really!
Second,K,is a pleasure to share goodies.I give you my mp3’s if you want.
Eheheh!
Third,from the moment someone talks to you,you ain’t no “stranger” anymore.
Nice to meet you,stranger.
Jack,i am counting down to June 13.I was slowing down for a while but in the last two days i smoked my lighters off.
I bet my mom is watching me and shakes her head.
And Jack…Ryan’s missing you.
You two, THANK you for visiting and sharing some recommended links. I’m just miles away but you can pretty much reach me with a click of the mouse. I love being a “stranger”.
K, here is a link to the two Kim Cattrall advertisements:
http://www.nissan.com.au/tiida/
They are pretty lame, in my view.
It is definitely worth watching! I like the fact we all met via coComment—these unplanned networks are great.
I know this is slightly OT and I apologize to K, but C.: how is your quitting smoking going?
Ummm…i found K’s blog through the incoming links to my blog.
Jack ,i left you a comment with a link but i want K to see this one too.
God!I love this video.
http://www.dumpalink.com/media/1145345658/Top_Gear_Range_Rover_Sport
I wrote a piece on marketing and Kim Cattrall is advertising the Nissan Tiida down here (it’s an Australian campaign). Nice to see you here, C.! CoComment really does let you track where the world’s blogging conversations are.
Hi c.trinty. Small blogging world, coComment does the trick huh? Nice to see you here too.
Thanks!
Hello Jack!Nice to catch you here.
Great post K.!
I have dudes coming now to my blog with the term “death”.A lot.
Spooky!
A Kim Cattrall post? How so, Jack? Now I have 30 plus Spam caught by Akismet. They changed, now they attack me on DIET pills and other healthy medicines. I think they found another source from old post called Obligation and Withdrawals.
I can imagine! On another blog I frequent (at ctrinity.wordpress.com, folks had been searching for a sexual term, too. I don’t have many of these terms so most of my searches are quite tame, though after my Kim Cattrall post earlier in the week, I am not sure if that will change!