by Roy -

The even-floors Block-A lift in Chungking Mansions wasn’t going to stop bleeping, let alone move. Not until the unfeasibly tall man in a suit stepped out. He knew the score and obliged. ‘That was a big guy’ I commented to the African ladies squashed up against me in the tiny space, as we began to ascend.

Waiting for Block A lifts- odd on right, even on left

‘Tall man’ one nodded.

‘Where are you from?’ I asked.

‘Zambia’ said the other.

‘How’s Lusaka?’

‘Raining’

Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 based on 264 user reviews.

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by Roy -

Given Hong Kong’s normally balmy temperatures and its history as a hub for Chinese-language filmmaking, it’s surprising that outdoor cinemas didn’t take off years ago.

Rooftop Cinema HK marries cult classics with Hong Kong’s densely packed, luminous skyline.

A “drive-in” theatre of sorts — with permanently moored cars in which patrons could sit — operated briefly in 2006, and a family-friendly residential area called Cyberport occasionally plays kids’ movies and filmed versions of operas or classical music concerts.

But the sluggish movement got a much-needed jolt of energy earlier this year, when Melbourne transplants James Fearnside and Simon Roberts launched Rooftop Cinema HK. The film screenings — shown on FoFo by el Willy’s 21st-floor rooftop bar in Hong Kong’s bustling Central district — marry cult classics with the densely packed, luminous skyline.

For $150 Hong Kong dollars, movie buffs can hunker down on a comfy rattan sofa, complimentary cocktail in hand, to watch perennial favourites like Scarface, The Big Lebowski and The Princess Bride. The downside (or is it?) is that Hong Kong’s cityscape does, at times, compete with the recorded narrative playing out in front of the seats.

“You can see people’s eyes wander from the screen to look at the lights, ” Fearnside said. “We are trying to find little pieces of Hong Kong and incorporate it into what we are doing.”

Instilling a sense of place matters to Fearnside and Roberts, who use old camera lenses found in a local market as drink tickets. Though they’ve already screened beloved director Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love and Hong Kong-bred Bruce Lee’s 2008 martial arts flick Ip-Man, organizers aim to add even more local films to the event’s repertoire.

The first season showcased eight films and the current batch, which wraps up on 14 December, contained 20 (all but one screening sold out). The next round of films starts in March (a final date has yet to be set), when they hope to run 30 films over a three-month period. The schedule of screenings varies week to week.

The event is a hit now, but success didn’t come easy. Rooftop Cinema HK had to chase down a new venue after the first season (a tall order in space-starved Hong Kong), buy a projector, screen and sound system, figure out how to secure permissions from production houses and navigate various government regulations.

But throughout it all, organizers have managed to maintain a sense of humour. In the short talks that introduce the films, they crack jokes with the audience and dress up in thematically appropriate costumes (dark suits and sunglasses for Blues Brothers; underwear and a button-down shirt for Risky Business). “A sense of nostalgia is something we’ve always prided ourselves on, ” Fearnside said.

Hana R Alberts

9 Dec 2011

http://www.bbc.com/travel/blog/20111208-alfresco-movies-in-hong-kong

Average Rating: 4.6 out of 5 based on 287 user reviews.

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by Roy -

This article is written by Ajay Jain

Just being offered fine wine and food is not always enough to be able to savour the same. The atmosphere usually makes a big difference. Like the kind you have at the annual Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival.

For starters (no pun intended), the location was perfect: the West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade, from where you can soak up the surrounding fabulous views of Victoria Harbour. So was the time of the year: end-October, with a slight yet comfortable chill with no humidity. With clear starry skies above, you can feel a high even before a single sip of wine.

It was a privilege to attend the inaugural night, with beautiful symphonies being performed by an orchestra followed by fireworks. And then the party started. With hundreds of stalls offering the best of wines and cuisines from all over the world, you are spoiled for choice. It is best to walk around and see everything for yourself before making selections. The quality of wines, cheeses and other foods are not something you get to sample easily.

Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 281 user reviews.

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by Roy -

This article is written by Veer Singh

The reclining Buddha at the Jade Buddha temple, Shanghai

Going to China, the third largest country in the world with a population more than that of India, one would not expect much to enjoy in Shanghai but to my surprise the city has a lot to offer. Right from Yu Garden to Jade Buddha Monastery, the city gave us a feel of being close to culture. The visit to the silk factory and pearl factory made our pocket lighter but it made my wife happy. While waiting for the acrobatic show in the theatre we remembered our young days in India watching the city circus. It was sheer display of absolute synchronisation with a perfect use of light and sound.

Lookout Point at Victoria Peak, Hong Kong

From Shanghai’s traditional Chinese flavour everywhere, we got a taste of Hong Kong’s dynamism from the vantage point of Victoria Peak, overlooking the world’s busiest deep water port. Here you see a city geared not only to making money but feeling good about it too. At night it was like looking down into a volcano. Despite its British colonial past, Hong Kong has always stuck to its root and the culture beneath the glitz is pure Chinese. Visitors like us often takes a few days in Hong Kong to get accustomed to the whirlwind pace. Our respite came at the dinner at Bombay Dreams, an Indian restaurant, where ghazals were being played.

A day trip to Disneyland got the children in us enjoying to the hilt. The apprehension before reaching out to these cities was gone in just four-five days but we guess that’s a lot to do with the company you are with.

Veer Singh

21 Aug 2011

http://travel.hindustantimes.com/travelogues/hong-kong-has-a-lot-to-offer-to-the-tourists.php

Average Rating: 4.8 out of 5 based on 160 user reviews.

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