Out
in Kowloon
October 22
I had some business to attend to today. I had to go
back to Hankow Road to pick up the laundry we left last Thursday and to drop
some more off. A linen suit is great in this climate, but there are only so
many days in a row you can sweat in it.
On the way back from the cleaner, I stopped in at
Sam’s to ask what time would be best for my second fitting. They said 2:30.
After the laundry run, I had to mail a post card to
Karl, Jeanie, Emily and Wiley. Karl likes post cards. I had hoped to mail this
one from Macau, but I was there on the weekend and the post offices were
closed. So they will get a Macau card mailed from Kowloon.
I also mailed a birthday card to my sister Cindy.
She doesn’t have a computer at home, so she doesn’t get my e-mails. She may not
even know where I am. I hope the Hong Kong stamps and postmark let her know.
I walked on Mody Road, which was very busy and kind
of cool. But it was only when I got back to Haiphong Road, overhung with signs
in Korean, Arabic, Chinese, and English, that it hit me: this place isn’t
really like New York at all. It’s twelve time zones away. And yes there is a
desperate rudeness on the street that reminds me of getting to the office, but
it smells different, for one thing. It’s more dangerous to cross the street,
for another.
I don’t know if motor vehicles have the right of
way here over pedestrians or if they just take it. I had a confrontation with a
taxi outside the hotel. We were crossing and he thought he could intimidate me.
Hell, I cross the street in New York. I’m not scared. I stood there and
threatened to key his paint if he fucked with me. That felt liberating.
We climbed a set of stairs to a restaurant row that
may be the Lan Kwai Fong of Kowloon. The barriest looking bar to me was in
Bahama Mama’s. We sat on stools, but it was early. The kid behind the bar
seemed to be studiously ignoring us. I’ve been through this nonsense in New
York, so we walked out.
Later, in the 8 Irish Guys pub, Joanna told me that
usually the customer addresses the server first. I am so used to jokers getting in my face offering to sell
me a custom suit, watch, or bag, that I assumed the business style here was
all-out aggressive.
They go out of their way not to be like that,
Joanna told me. Clumsy, awkward Yankee indeed. I plan to go back to Bahama Mama’s,
ask Joanna to translate my apology, and overtip that poor kid. It ain’t good
enough, but it’s all I can do.
We went to a Taiwanese place, also across the
street from the hotel, for dinner. They put a little appetizer on the table,
peanuts with what looked like potato sticks. But no, they were crispy, dried
little fish. The tiny black dots were their eyes. Much better than potato
sticks.
I ordered pig kidney in sesame oil. The waitress
kept trying to press other stuff on me. Joanna explained later that the lady
was afraid that either I wouldn’t like it or it wouldn’t be enough food. White
rice and pig kidney, I found, is very filling.
Being a wise-ass, I tried to ask for beer in
Cantonese. I got the vowel wrong and the waitress thought I wanted rice wine. I
found out later that even Joanna, who should know better, was impressed. I
asked for “bah tsau.” They heard “bok tsau” (white, or rice, wine). I wanted
beer, “beh tsau.” I disappointed everybody.
The beer menu was in Chinese only. The language
barrier was pretty high right then. I ordered something that Joanna didn’t
recognize and we thought was a local Chinese beer. Turns out, it was Guinness
Export Extra.
This is a sweet stout, very much different from the
traditional dry Irish stout that Guinness is known for. It tastes more like an
English stout. Maybe it’s called export because nobody will drink it in
Ireland.
After that we went bar-hopping. It was about seven
and several places were still closed. One place served us anyway.
Today’s photo is about the language barrier: Be
careful what you advertise, if you don’t hire a native speaker to translate.
Now, I’ve polished off my beer supply at the hotel.
Good night, all.
Harry
Oct. 22
It's a good thing Joanna is around to keep you out
of real trouble! Pig kidney, indeed!
Peter
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