Action In Relaxation

Should I keep writing a greeting here or just be honest that this is no longer an email blast and is now a blog post?,


Hong Kong is the world’s mall. It is like all of New York’s fashion/finance/entertainment/shopping concentrated onto two adjacent island waterfronts, Hong Kong, and Kowloon. Every main transportation/tourist/entertainment/lodging center is attached to a world-class mall (Rodeo Drive meets the Minnesota Mall of America). I literally walked passed all of the i’s in the marina-mall within 2 minutes of disembarking the jetboat from Macau (the i’s include: Gucci, Fendi, Versace, etc.) Hong Kong’s Italian designer store to actual Italian person ratio has got to be the highest in the world (estimates for 2008 are Hong Kong 15:1, Italy 1:15,000).


So what did I do in a place like this? Buy, buy, buy. Actually, NO. I looked, looked, looked and walked, walked, walked. In Kowloon there are also the typical Asian street markets, where price haggling is key and scamming is part of business. I figured I’d try my luck at one of the ever-abundant electronics stores, because I’m aching for a 10.5mm Nikkor fisheye lens. I was a major O-fer at this task. If I were keeping track I’d say I went 0 fer 4 attempts to buy this lens. Here’s their “business strategy” breakdown:


1. Entice a potential customer with a believable, but low price on the actual product. Ex: $400 for the genuine Nikkor 10.5mm lens


2. Let the customer see and use the display model


3. Write up a sales receipt so the customer thinks he’s all but out the door with is great new purchase


4. Wait for another employee to pull the new, boxed lens from the back


5. Wait and make small talk


6. Wait and make technical camera talk


7. Offer this “amazing” and “better” fisheye lens attachment for only $50 more. What a steal!


8. Sell, sell, sell


9. Get denied by any smart customer who knows the lens attachments sell for $150 on Ebay, not $450


10. Anger/Nervousness/Frustration


11. Rip up receipt, “No Sale!” ,”No Sale!”, “No Sale!”, “Get out!” or say “My boss just called and the 10.5mm lens is actually $700”


12. Scowl and ignore the tourists entertained laughter and smile while exiting and shaking his head. In the words of Matt, “Clown show”.


ps. You can’t out-scam scammers, I even tried buying the display model and it made matters worse.


I have to say the best entertainment in Hong Kong would have to be the acting and showmanship in the electronics store.


I was only in Hong Kong for 3 days so the pictures are few: 1 at Kowloon and 2 in Sentral HK where I met up with my good friend Shaun and his girlfriend Meggie. Shaun came out for business in Hong Kong and got an extended weekend so I could show him around Bali (still to come). Yes I was the third wheel, and did a fine job as a week-long sidecar to their relational motorcycle. For the most part, I appointed myself tour-guide, photographer, and tie-breaking vote. It worked well: Meg and I toured and shopped while Shaun was working, and Shaun and I hit the town when Meggie was jetlagged and felt like, “somebody injected me with concrete”.


One night in Kowloon and Two in HK Sentral; I literally laughed aloud at both of my lodging situations. The first pitiful chuckle was how ridiculous and badly I failed by pre-booking my $30/night room, located in literal project housing of Kowloon: finishes included one elevator to service 5 of the 40 floors, Pokemon sheets, and a special ergonomic bed cutout (so the door could open). The second was a thankful and astonished crack-up at how ridiculous and surreal the 39th floor of the Four Seasons was: incredible design, impeccable detail, yacht status. The contrast was…well…laughable.


Enough talk. Some quick pics. Enjoy.


Gratefully sharing experiences,


Tyler