Spring Garden Lane
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Originally uploaded by: KnOizKi
I picked up my laundry down the block and went past this road called Spring Garden Lane where I buy my Mark Six lottery at the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
It is said that an unknown millionaire owned Spring Garden Lane, building his residence and warehouse in the vicinity. Spring Garden was the exact name of his mansion. The Cantonese name Chuen Yuen (lit. a garden in spring) is, in fact, a translating corruption of Spring Garden, which originally means “a garden with a spring”. The spring mentioned possibly refers to the mountain creek beside Hopewell Centre in Queen’s Road East. Around Spring Garden Lane are Lee Tung Street, Swatow Street and Amoy Street where abounded with warehouses storing cargoes to be shipped to Chinese coastline cities. (Read more)
I live in one of those Streets so I’ve noticed this new Pacific Coffee branch on the ground floor at Pak Fook Building (FOOK word is everywhere around here) and if I remember it correctly, this building has been closed for more than three years because few residents who have lived there was hit by the SARS epidemic in early 2003. Perhaps, it was closed for other reasons. Obviously, the building looks like it’s back in business since thousands has already recovered from the disease and Hong Kong is now declared SARS-free.
I’m suppose to start toning down my coffee addictions but here I am looking forward to try this little shop in the corner of the street. Funny is that, when there’s already a Starbucks around, other coffee companies such as Pacific Coffee will eventually try to get into the action. Afterall, I think here in HK, the coffee culture is still just an early start, many people are already enjoying their presence in a coffee shop instead of enjoying their cup of coffee. Here’s more, the shop is also equipped with free internet use so I might be checking in there to get my short latte’ sometime. I would rather go to this shop since I can use my laptop on its wireless broadband service.
I would suggest that Starbucks should put the same service especially those who wants to enjoy a free internet access. Besides, Pacific Coffee is relatively cheaper than the many funky coffee at Starbucks. Go Pacific Coffee Company!
Underage Thinking
by: Teddy Geiger
cheers to good coffee or tea
Hand me the newspaper, the entertainment section please!
starbucks is overrated..it’s expensive, and the coffee isn’t all that good. i prefer the small coffee shops, too (especially the ones that offer free wireless!)
.. and Starbucks now promote CD’s. Are they taking over music stores now? Coffee shops targetting many offices area but I still see a lot of locals enjoying the McDo or the KFC coffee (and the typical chinese resto serves tasty ones too). Well I’m not whining about which coffee tastes good but at least you get something more than just having coffee. THEY SHOULD PUT MORE couches, I think. Hahaha.
No, seriously… I read this without my morning cup and now, it is time for my hot cup of coffee.
kopi anyone?
Give me a cup of machiattos, that’s the one I usually order from the Starbucks but I’d quit having the same coffee. The matter of fact, I do love the ambience at Pacific Coffee, (they surely have one in Singapore, right?) because they have tasty DO-nuts and they have more couches. Cheers, Asha.
HEY! I lived in Spring Garden Mansion in my first few months in HK…can you imagine the culture shock…but it was good. I love the experience. The smell i will never forget. Very charming i’d say. I love wanchai.
K you make me really miss HK.
No Kidding, Ten? I enjoy living in Wanchai, even if it’s too busy but it’s a lively district. Remember the Wedding Card St? It is now slated for redevelopment by the Govt and will be expected to be transformed into a pedestrian friendly-zone. People who lived there were opposing the plans & some residents wanted to stay since the government hasn’t been able to meet all their requests. But I think, most of the old residential buildings are now empty and you can pretty much tell that the gov’t is doing a BIG transformation in this area. Can’t wait.
Forget that place.I’ll make you a coffee that will make you run in circles.
I would think, it all tastes the same coffee. I am no frills coffee drinker, I can get a cheap coffee at any 7-11 stores, 3 in 1 mix and that’s it. I suppose it all comes down what you like and I don’t need to run in circle.
C, are you on drugs now?
That sounds very strong, C.! Then Belgium is a good place for coffee … I used to visit some nice cafés in Bruxelles.
Ten, K has the same effect on me, especially when we were on this thread.
I can always have a can of coke if I can’t get a nice coffee you see.
I know Jack, you miss Hong Kong, too. I wish they still use the rickshaw around - I’ve seen those in pictures and postcards but nowadays, old pops who carry these “vehicles” are stranded at the Ferry for tourists at around HK$100 per hour ride. I’m always interested in the OLD HK, specially like this one.
If by drungs you are reffering to cigarettes and coffee,then yes,i suppose i am on drugs.
What i mean is that i always make my coffee very strong….. and dudes, you should make a difference between good coffee and bad coffee.
And i says no:Jack,the coffee is better in Antwerp.In Brussels the coffee is …to French.
In the northern part of the Philippines where I grew up, we cook the rice (no water) till it gets really dark like burnt-looking, we call it “rice coffee”. What made the coffee special was that it was made from roasted uncooked rice grains and does not contain caffeine. This was my fond recollection from my grandmother who enjoys drinking in the mornings along with a hot bread as she “soaks” them in then eat it.
psssstt.. come over here. All the starbucks and gloria jeans have free Broadband internet
psstttt, layo layo nyo saka may snow pa diyan, yukkoooooo! Dito na lang ako sa may amin, daming PINOY. Ang saya saya!
K, oh my goodness, that postcard pre-dates my time! So far I think the best coffees are here in Wellington but I will have to compare that with what you have in Antwerpen, C.!
The Peak is now the most visited spot around here, Jack. It has changed dramatically. Someone told me, those good old days, The Peak was restricted for local chinese and most of the residents there were considered filthy rich. How true?
Eheheh!Come and get it,Jack!
I had my worse coffee in Paris.
I had the worse coffee on flights so everytime I travel back home, I pick the red wines.
The Peak comment is true, K—it was once considered the province of the rich and the British. C., I think I have blocked the worst coffee out of my mind so I cannot tell you where I had it!
Good choice K.
I do choose the coffe over the wine but if i have one as bad as Jack has to block,then i take the wine.
By the way,the best cofee made at home is with the coffee machine that has a glass pot.
[...] But I digress. I actually made progress with my juggling. I stayed calm, glugging tons of water helps and again, puffing the magic stick to getting rid of feeling pissed. So it’s all true, we should have learned from the saying that goes ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. I felt hopeless for not fixing it. It literally occurred to me it’s about time that I leave the house. The first thing that comes in mind is to visit a free internet cafe. I know the newly opened shop is the best alternative. I supposed my twenty bucks I kept in the wallet could have saved my blog-craving all the way to a public computer. See, I had never done this at all, even for just a couple of clicks. I always feel unsafe in public computer. Meanwhile, there I was, ordered an ice latte’ in the new red comfy furnitures at Spring Garden Lane’s Pacific Coffee. [...]