Life in Hong Kong Lately – Ta Da lists, Art Lane & the not so pretty parts
One of my favorite things about life in Hong Kong is discovering hidden gems. When I first moved, I made what I call my ‘Ta Da’ list. Like a to do list but much more fun, it’s filled with things I want to see or do. And obviously only things that make me go “TA DA” when I check them off. My ta da list is always growing and as time goes on, I sometimes abandon the list in favor of an unplanned adventure. But it is still tacked up on my wall. (All 3 pages because there are over 65 things on the list) and I still enjoy crossing something off. And I always say, out loud, “TA DA!” (Weird, I know, since I live alone but it is so satisfying and I don’t care about being weird anymore.)
Art Lane
Back to hidden gems… I had read about something called Art Lane in an article titled “Hong Kong’s Hidden Gems.” Seemed like something I would like so I put it up on my list. Sometimes hidden gems are awesome and sometimes people put them on a list and you get excited and find it but then it is not much of a gem, only hidden. But the story accompanying the recommendation intrigued me. And when I moved to my new flat, I realized that Art Lane was in the Sai Ying Pun district, my new ‘neighborhood.’ So I made a note to go find it on my day off.
However, coming back from my first workout at my new gym, I noticed this incredible mural and thought “cool.” Then the following gym day, I actually stepped into the alleyway where I had seen the mural. And that is when I realized that it was the start of Art Lane. Or rather one of the ‘starts’ as it does spread out over several alleyways and there are a few different ways to walk through it.
And that is how I discovered Art Lane. Nestled between Des Voeux Road and Queens Road West, and then Ki Ling Lane and Chung Ching Street, street artists have turned the alleys into a giant kaleidoscopic canvas. The murals have been painted by both local and international artists. They range from scenes that remind me of French turn of the century watercolors to brighter modern abstract pieces.
It all flows beautifully. And every time I have wandered through, I have marveled at 2 other things, besides the art. First, the streets and even the back alleys of Hong Kong are so clean. They are the cleanest and best smelling back alleys that I have ever strolled through, which is really nice when enjoying artwork. Second, there are always elders sitting out and around the area, visiting and enjoying the art as well. (The elderly in Hong Kong are another aspect of my life in Hong Kong that I adore. In fact, they might get their own blog one day.)
Anyway, I have gone a few times now as there is a MTR entrance on the other side of Art Lane. Although I have to leave 15 minutes early if I use that entrance, sometimes I do and then I enjoy a little art stroll on my way to work.
Wander Walks
Another favorite thing about life in Hong Kong are my ‘wander walks.’ I just made that up but I like it and fits perfectly. Recently, I have realized that I have a full year here to explore (well, only 8 months now) and so every day off doesn’t have to be a HUGE adventure. At the same time, I have started working on a writing project and I love to go find a cute coffee shop to do my writing.
And so I started to ‘wander walk’ and then write on some of my off days. I pick a coffee shop some distance away – requirements are free WiFi, big windows or open walls, and less than 3 kms away. Then I pack up my laptop and wander walk over. And I have discovered so many cool neighborhoods, weird little side streets and neighborhood parks that are not on any ‘top 10’ or hidden gem lists. And on my wander walks, I have fallen in love with the not so pretty parts of Hong Kong. I think that is a beautiful thing about living someplace for a while, someplace new to you. You notice more than a local will notice but you’re also not a tourist only going to the ‘shiny spots.’
And I love some of the not so pretty things you see down the back alleys. The old buildings with the peeling paint, not historic, but just really old buildings. I especially love all the creative ways that I find people hanging laundry. And the tiny little shops and cafes that no tourist visits. I also love watching interactions in the less busy areas. The less touristy spots tend to have more elders and children just living life. And I really love being in places where no one looks like I do. Walking on streets where no one looks like you is incredibly humbling.
As I am writing this, I am thinking of my nomad life has made me appreciate and notice everything. A lot of my life in Hong Kong is not that different than my empty-nest, pre nomad life’ used to be in Canada. (I mean it is quite different but also, I still work, shop, eat, exercise – busy, normal life stuff.) What is different is my noticing and appreciation of the ‘everyday,’ as well as the extraordinary. I have become a huge ‘noticer’ of the small everyday stuff. I hope this inspires someone to notice and appreciate their ‘everyday.’ There’s a lot of beauty in the ordinary. And the more extraordinary that I experience, and I have had a lot of amazing extraordinary the past couple years, but the more extraordinary has taught me to appreciate the ordinary too.
Also, in the new year, I will likely only post one blog a month. I am putting this ‘out there’ that I have started writing a book about my travels. (We’ll see if I finish it.) It will be about my travels but also about my personal journey that went along with my travels. And since I do have to teach a lot, as I have been wildly unsuccessful at being a travel influencer, I will split my limited writing time between my book and my blog. I am super excited as I will be heading to Cambodia at the end of January. I think Cambodia will be a lot of extraordinary, which I will definitely share.
Also, I want to ask everyone reading this to notice and appreciate some of the beautiful ordinary that you see in the world. Every day, I feel like there is more and more ‘dark and heavy’ in the world so it’s important to notice and appreciate the light. Happy holidays!
https://www.discoverhongkong.com/us/interactive-map/artlane.html
