Goldfish Street of Hong Kong ~ 香港金魚街

朋友是你送給自己的禮物。

A friend is a gift you give yourself.

~ Robert Louis Stevenson

So I visited Hong Kong for the 3rd time in 10 years. It was a short trip and purely a "Goldfish trip”, without having to worry about taking up family’s time :-). It was also a trip that I have long anticipated to catch up with my old hobbyist friend in Hong Kong. Moreover, with Alvin's company, the trip was already guaranteed to be hell of a good time with Goldfish and good food even before it started.

Goldfish monument candidly franking
a bikini poster advertisement

Somehow, Tung Choi Street in Mongkok, or better known as the “Goldfish Street” by the locals never fails to ignite my childhood euphoria of visiting LFS (Local Fish Shop). The LFS and Pet shops lined up along both sides of some 400 metres stretch of road selling canines, felines, fowls, amphibians, ornamental fishes and hobbyists’ accessories promise a great experience even for the window shopper. New shops have also sprouted in the upper floors of the street, orientated by splashy and prominent signboards. 

One of the few famous Tunghoi
"Tiger Oranda" in Lucky Aquarium

Eye-catching display of ornamental fish in one of the LFS

We also had the opportunity to visit the early morning Goldfish market. Just before 5 a.m. every morning, Goldfish vendors came with their truck loads of prepacked Goldfish and set up mobile stalls along the main road perpendicular to Goldfish Street. By 7 a.m., these mobile vendors would have packed up to make way for the hustle and bustle of the daytime traffic. The Flower Street and the Bird Street, adjacent to the Goldfish Street are also worth visiting. Like the Goldfish Street, both the Flower and Bird Streets boast a high concentration of shops selling very niche crafts and wares for the respective hobbies. Though many stores are plying the same goods, their businesses are well sustainable by the high human traffic and strategic location in the heart of Mongkok.

Mobile Goldfish market at 5 a.m.

Flower Street

We had a hearty time savouring the local delights near Tung Choi Street. The egg tarts and pineapple buns in one of the snack shops along Goldfish Street was simply fantastic to go with the local “Nai Cha” (奶茶 -> milk + tea). Two must-try dishes in Hong Kong are the local roasted goose (燒鵝) and “wanton noodles” (雲吞面). For the more adventurous, go for the “smelly toufu” (臭豆腐) at the end of the Goldfish Street – be sure to eat it while it is still hot!

Bird Street

Having fulfilled my long time wish to visit my friend after the trip in Hong Kong, I am now ready to spawn the TVR. Though this would be the 9th year that I spawn the TVR, it’s still the old patience game for some rain dance :) 

Year of the Dragon ~ 龍年

我打算永遠活著，或冒險嘗試至死。

I intend to live forever, or die trying.
~ Groucho Marx

A wood carving Goldfish artifact

This blog turns 3 years old today! Back then, many of my close friends couldn't believe how a man of few words could be blogging away. 3 years and totaling 104 blog postings - frankly, I am surprised too :)

Red is an auspicious colour for the Chinese

Time flies and the Lunar New Year is around the corner again.  From next Monday, 23rd January, the Year of the Rabbit will give way to the Year of the Dragon. The dragon is also a  very sacred and auspicious legendary animal in the Chinese culture, and it would be a very popular zodiac year for setting up new family and businesses.

As for me, What better way than to start the Year of the Dragon with a pair of Dragon Eyes Butterflies? I wish all a Happy and Prosperous Lunar New Year.

新年快樂﹐萬事如意!!!

The Art of Patience ~ 耐心的藝術

耐心的秘訣:在同時間做別的事情。

The secret of patience is doing something else in the meanwhile.

~ author unknown

A couple of hours to work on
this anatomy of an aquarium rock

I love working with watercolour. This wonderful media empowers the artist to exploit transparency, colour layers and shadows to create natural effects in their works. Watercolour art, like the art of Ranchu, is also a lot about patience; starting from the lighter colour layers to the darker colour layers, Sometimes, waiting for the colours to dry before studying how best to continue with the painting. The visual effects created by different pigments, brushes, water quantity and paper texture in watercolour are always fascinating to explore.

My recent work: Chinese Ranchus

For the past few weeks, I've been spending a fair bit of time gazing at rocks and aquatic plants, engrossed by the simple beauty of which. These are the subjects that I always wanted to complement my Goldfish paintings. The natural contours of rocks and the fluidity of the foliage of aquatic plants are extremely pleasing to the senses.

As I feel the inspiration to paint again, I am patiently awaiting the right moment to spawn the TVR...