Hong Kong: February 24, 2011

(Tip: Click on photos to see a larger version, or go to: www.ronalddunlapphotography.com.)

All material including photographs are ©2011 Ronald Dunlap / Doglight Studios

I walked out of the hotel into a morning of azure-blue skies. My agenda had called for a return trip to Wong Tai Sin, but due to the unexpected improvement in the light, my plans needed to be revamped. But before I could do any revamping, I needed an energy infusion; and the most convenient place to do that was my local Burger King.

I climbed the stairs to the second-floor establishment and got in line. After paying my HKD 23 and receiving my allotment of eggs and bacon, I found an empty table. I savored each morsel of my food and every drop of my Diet Coke. Most of the times I've been here, the dining room has been filled, mostly with single patrons. It's a good place to be anonymous and to people-watch from your second-floor perch.

After my meal, I hopped down to street level and headed south. The sidewalks were fairly crowded. I wasn't sure if there was some special event going on or if it was just the cosmic collusion of unusual start times. My march to the ferry was slowed by my puritan impulses to make a record of my fellow walkers.

On the ferry ride over, there were still a few low-hanging clouds bumping the financial towers of the city. I was hoping that by the time I was up at the top of the peak, they would have burned off.

The paved area just outside the Star Ferry House is a major tourist transportation hub. Most of the city bus lines make stops here, as well as a good portion of the city's taxis. A couple of days before, I had spotted a direct bus to the peak, and I was going to try it out this morning. I dragged my Octopus card across the bus's sensor and took the stairs to the upper deck. After about a 10-minute wait, the advertisement-splashed double decker began to wind its way through Hong Kong's morning traffic.

Except for the tourists, most of the riders were working class. Dressed in either household-staff costumes or black, middle-management suits, their faces were in direct contrast to those of the contingent of foreign visitors. Consumed by the same boredom that commuters know worldwide, they were headed for jobs that put food on the table but left little in the way of meaningful interludes.

The bus ride takes a little over 20 minutes, which is a lot longer than the tram, but I'm enjoying the experience. It's a great vantage from which to view the unfathomable intricacies of Hong Kong's elevational layout.

The peak is crowned with two shopping malls. The south mall is connected with the tram, and the north is built over the bus depot. After I exited the bus, it took me a good 10 minutes to work my way up through the north mall and out to the public vista area. There is also another "pay to play" overlook at the top of the north mall that's a good 50 feet higher than the public area.

If you ride the tram, as part of your ticket you get admission to the north mall's observation deck; otherwise, you need an additional ticket to gain access. Since I'd ridden the bus up, I was completely oblivious of this requirement, and after I'd taken the five escalators all the way up, they denied me entry. I asked if I could just buy a ticket there, but No-o-o-o-o, I had to ride back down and get the ticket somewhere on a lower level. Well, that pissed me off, and I rode back down and exited back out into the public area.

From here you can still get a pretty good view of the city, and I figured it would have to do. There was still a lot of haze in the distance, and I didn't think the view would have been any better from the "pay to play" deck. There is a walking path that leads around the top and supposedly back down to the city. You can use the first portion to get some different angles and shots of the megalopolis with a little vegetation as a foreground element. I took several shots, then waited around another 45 minutes in hopes that the haze would lift. It didn't, but I kept on shooting. Once sated, I began walking back to the bus stop. About halfway through the north mall, I spied a restaurant specializing in spaghetti. They were only half full, so I swept in and had my daily allowance of "Bolognese."

I caught the 1:30 bus back to town. The bus was mostly filled with workers going home, and unfortunately, somebody needed to get off at almost every stop, which bumped the trip duration from 20 to 35 minutes. On the way down, you pass the Hong Kong (Happy Valley) Cemetery. It really looks interesting, but regrettably I didn't have the time to get back there. On my next visit it will be one of my first stops.

I rode the ferry back and forth across the harbor a few times, trying to get some photos of the boat's interior without passengers. It looks totally different without its human cargo, very "Edward Hopper."

It was just a little after 3, and I wanted to sit in the sun for a while. Not far from the ferry house on the Kowloon side, I found a bench on the promenade. It's hard for me to relax and enjoy the moment. I'm driven to work continually; that next great image might be just around the corner.

While I was sitting there, several more people wanted pictures. It's like I'm one of the Disney characters, or some kind of "old white traveler" mascot. I did the usual, and we traded taking pictures. These folks were from everywhere, Dubai, Singapore, Korea, Japan, even a group of Hong Kong school kids doing a "what tourists like" survey. Hong Kong seems to be one of the most congenial leisure destinations for many from the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

At four I made my way back to Raja Fashions. Again, I had to wait a few minutes for my suit to arrive from where they actually do the work. The jacket fit everywhere except the arms. I couldn't really flex them without putting a real strain on the seams. I knew that after a while they would rip out. The salesperson was getting pissed, but I was adamant about wanting them corrected. The tailor got between us and said not to worry, he'd do his best to correct the problem. I was getting bored with this process that's supposed to be a pleasant endeavor. It was more like a debate club where I paid all the bills.

They wanted me to come back at 7, but I told them I'd be back at 11 tomorrow for my "last" make-it-or-break-it fitting. I left them and walked around the area a bit, grabbing shots.

A couple of blocks away, I took what I feel is the best shot of the trip. In his steaming glass kitchen, a master chef was cooking up a storm. Moving in and out of the steam, he seemed like a chrome-framed apparition, with the yellow hanzi characters giving the image a real cinematic (with sub-titles) feel. I spent a good 15 minutes in front of his window, shooting away in hopes of catching just the right moment. There's something about this shot that defines the way I see the world. It's a hard and monotonous struggle, but if you approach it in the right light, it can be beautiful.

Hong Kong: February 23, 2011

(Tip: Click on photos to see a larger version, or go to: www.ronalddunlapphotography.com.)

All material including photographs are ©2011 Ronald Dunlap / Doglight Studios

The morning broke mostly gray, but there were a few patches of blue sky, so I optimistically finalized my plans and left the hotel.

After spending 15 minutes leaning against the wall outside the 7-Eleven and devouring my breakfast of a thin yogurt drink and prepackaged pastries, I took the descended the stairs to the labyrinthian Tsim Sha Tsui Metro Station. Down at the train level, I was just in time to catch the Tsuen Wan line's northbound train. I was traveling against the normal traffic flow, so the train was nearly empty (by Hong Kong standards). Two stops up at Mong Kok, I left the train, crossed the platform, and continued northward on the Twun Tong line.

Today I was heading to Wong Tai Sin Temple. A Taoist temple built in 1921, it is famous for the cadre of soothsayers that help the inquiring assuage their thirst for a glimpse of what may occur in the coming years.

Five stops past Mong Kok the train arrived at Wong Tai Sin (the temple is so popular that it has its own stop). I exited the train and followed the signage toward the temple.

Since the Chinese New Year had just passed, the temple was still crowded with pilgrims eager to procure good fortune for the coming year or be forewarned if something bad was lurking a few months down the line.

As you approach the temple entrance, you have to run the gantlet of unauthorized vendors. An older lady cornered me, asking for HKD 10 for printed prayers and incense sticks. I said that I would buy them if I could take her picture. She talked to her cohorts and then asked for an additional HKD 10 (a little over a buck and a quarter US). I agreed, handed over HKD 20 in coinage, and watched her count the coins several times before I could shoot her face straight on.

From this encounter, I walked up a few steps into the commercial section of the temple complex. This is where authorized dealers are allowed to sell charms and other good-luck devices with the temple's blessing, as long as the temple gets its cut.

I perused the area, shooting a few overall shots of the mostly red and gold wares that were being offered for sale as good-luck charms. I found myself attracted to a charm in the shape of a bag of gold. I spoke to the beautiful, middle-aged stall owner and asked if I could take her picture holding the golden charm that I was going to purchase. She smiled and agreed, if I would email a copy of the image to her son in North Carolina.

The temple's entrance was proving to be a bottleneck. As I got close, I could see that the temple's attendants were inspecting the goods visitors were bringing in. When I got to the front of the line, they confiscated most of the offerings I had purchased. One attendant said in English, "Too much smoke." I was allowed to keep the incense, but all the paper prayers had to go. I followed the zigzag line and found an area where I could place and light the incense. This temple is deluged with offerings because it's famous for the number of prayers that are rumored to be answered. The temple's unofficial motto is "What you request is what you get."

Once up at the temple proper, I walked around a while to get the lay of the land. Once I understood the flow of the place, I got in line to have a chance to participate in the practice of Kau Cim. I waited for a good 15 minutes till there was a bamboo cylinder available for me to use.

Once I had the cylinder, I had to wait for a spot to kneel before the main altar. The cylinder contains 100 numbered fortune sticks, made of bamboo. You pose a question to the gods about a problem you are concerned about and then shake the cylinder until one of the fortune sticks is shaken out. I watched the other worshippers and found that most were shaking out two sticks, so I repeated the process until two sticks were on the ground in front of me. I wrote down the numbers, returned the fortune sticks to the cylinder, and placed the cylinder back on the table for the next devotee to use.

I had my numbers, 34 and 94, and was on my way to the lower section where the soothsayers practice their art, when I came face to face with a couple of very cute Korean girls who wanted to have their picture taken with me. I made the same deal as usual and had them pose with the fortune-stick-filled bamboo cylinder.

On my way to get my numbers interpreted, I ran into an elegant gentleman on the stairs that led down to the fortune-tellers' domain. He was a very photogenic soothsayer. He couldn't speak English, but through pantomime I asked to take his picture, and he agreed. After a couple of shots on the stairs, he motioned me to follow him, which I did.

Once we arrived at his cubicle, he got behind his desk for a more dignified portrait. He was very distinguished, and from the photographs of himself hanging on the walls I could tell he liked to pose. After several shots, he handed me a card with another booth number and motioned me to go there to have my fortune-stick numbers interpreted.

I found the booth, but the soothsayer/interpreter was with another couple of clients. I waited a good 15 minutes while she read the palms of two ladies who looked to be in their late twenties. When they were done, it was my turn, and I went in. The first order of events was to pay her HKD 30 for the number interpretation. I passed over the cash and handed her the slip with 34 and 94 written on it. My numbers revealed that I, as usual, had a rosy future, never the dark abyss I'm hoping for. After the number reading, she asked if I'd like to have my palm read, that it would only cost 100 US. I declined with a smile and left with a red packet that contained my numbers.

From the soothsayers' lower-deck area I climbed the stairs and visited the temple pond, and watched the turtles lumber around in the shallow water.

On a terrace just south of the main alter stand twelve oversized statues of the animals that represent the different signs of the Chinese Zodiac. From the Rat to the Pig, they're all here. They look like Disney characters or sports mascots, except they're made of brass. Visitors love to stand next to the statues that represent the year they were born in and have their picture taken. It's supposed to be good luck.

I was taking pictures of people having their pictures taken when a man motioned me over. I smiled and walked over to stand beside him while his daughter took our photo. She look very Western in her red sports suit, and she spoke excellent English. They were from a small city in mainland China, on the eastern end of the "Silk Road," and were very excited to find that I was from Los Angeles. Like almost everyone else in the world, they have relatives living in the L.A. area. After shaking hands, we said goodbye and I left the temple.

I walked back to the station and took the train south to Mong Kok, made the line change, and headed to Central. Since there was more light today, I wanted to grab some more shots of the double-decker trolleys and anything else that looked better. Also, I had another fitting at 7 p.m. that I'd have to be ready for.

I walked up and down Connaught Road, firing away and hoping that one of my shots would be able to convey the hectic, boogie-woogie style of these transportation relics. I especially loved the Warner Bros.' Nikita advertisement that graced several of them. The deep oxblood color and the half-dressed woman with her deadly companion, seem to convey a perfect metaphor for the aspirations of the city, or at least what I perceived to be Hong Kong's aspirations.

From Connaught Road I used the elevated walkways to get back to the Star Ferry. After a 15-minute walk I stopped at the Bistro on the Mile on the first floor of the Holiday Inn to get something to eat. I had fish and chips, which was a mistake; the chips were OK but the fish was horrible, just a sliver of fish in an overabundance of batter. Back in my room, I washed the taste out of my mouth with a Twinkie and a Diet Coke.

I watched some TV until just after 6:30, then started over to Raz Fashions. I wanted to walk off some of my nervous energy before the fitting. Tonight was supposed to be my final fitting, but I was guessing that they hadn't followed my instructions about the "American fit" and that my oversized shoulders would need more room.

I walked in three minutes before 7 p.m. to find that it would be a few more minutes until my suit arrived. I had to watch an Australian guy let his wife choose his clothes. Very upsetting; I hate to see a couple degrade one another in front of strangers.

When the suit arrived it was tight, as I expected, and they tried to encourage me to take it as it was, but I stood my ground and told them that it was too tight in the shoulders and arms. This caused some tension, but I didn't care—I wasn't going to give in. There was no reason to have a suit made if it wasn't going to fit correctly. They finally agreed, and a new appointment was set for the following day at 1:30.

Back in my hotel room, I transferred files and looked at day's take. I wasn't satisfied with some of the shots, so I decided to take a fast trip back to Wong Tai Sin Temple in the morning.