Books. Books. And more books…read more Sometimes when I want to buy books, I would just go online (like the BookDepos*tory, etc) as that is very convenient and often at cheaper price. Yet, when there are books that I cannot wait to put my hands on, I simply have to go to a bookstore and get that right away. Commercial... Popular... Page One... Metro... there are quite a few chained bookstores in Hong Kong. Therefore I was rather surprised to see a new one opening in Hong Kong. At the heart of Mong Kok, { prologue } bookstore is located on the fourth floor inside the renovated The Grand Century Place. { Prologue } Bookstore first started in Singapore in 2009 and it has gained quite a positive reputation. Finally last year it has decided to come to Hong Kong. Its walls are filled with interesting totems and definitely "scream" bookstore right away. The variety of books is rather impressive with the latest English books, graphic novels and magazines. Also they sell nice stationery and gadgets. And the best part is when you are hungry after reading for hours, they have Epilogue Café inside where you can sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee while continuing on turning the pages. I especially love that it is located inside this mall as it is currently undergoing renovation and the number of people here is quite scarce, which provides a perfect environment for everyone to read at a tranquil and relaxing state of mind.

There's something beautiful about owning a thing of past - especially if it is tailor-made…read moreespecially for the buyer. This what the vintage bespoke furniture store 1950 does, as I stumbled onto this nostalgic shop with a friend on a lazy Saturday afternoon. 1950 eschews the modern designs of furniture today, focusing instead on the character of each individual piece. It was my first time to visit a business such as this, so I was excited to accompany my friend on her furniture-hunting excursion. She was looking for a stylish and comfortable sofa and almost bought a ready-made vintage piece at another store when I told her that I found this store while browsing the interwebs. The interior of the store is actually very modern - wooden floors while the wall sports muted shades of red, grey and brown. The facade of the shop has a simple neon signage, in fact, without it, the shop could be mistaken for another Muji shop. Onto the main selections of 1950 - their number one fixture are armchairs with over a 100 ready-made pieces, should any tickle your fancy. They also have a fantastic selection of wooden single-bunk beds, benches, dressing tables fitted with mirrors, elongated dining tables, sofas with material ranging from leather to plush, stools and chairs. I was looking to buy a standing table on the Internet, but after seeing the extortionate prices, I was disenchanted. However, after seeing the craftsmanship of the furniture at 1950, I think I've found the place where I can create a standing table to my exact specifications. Aside from home fixtures, 1950 also sells vintage rotary dial telephones, alarm clocks of days gone by, glass crockery a la Mad Men, and more.

I went to Hong Kong for the first time last month. I know nothing about Hong Kong comics or comic…read morecharacters. I didn't even know this magical place existed. I was just wandering around Kowloon, trying to figure out what to do for breakfast, then I got distracted by the entrance for the Hong Kong Avenue of Comic Stars in Kowloon Park. There are statues of comic characters from Hong Kong comics and Hong Kong comic artists. It's fun, and cheesy, and cool. If you're like me and have no knowledge of any of these characters there are little plaques (in English and Cantonese) that tell you some information about these characters and the artists who created them. The attraction is free to check out, and it's fun to pose for selfies with statues of penguins and super spies. Kowloon Park itself is really nice and is definitely worth checking out. Kowloon Park is a short walk from the Jordan MTR Station. The Tsim Sha Shui Station is close by as well. I went here 3 times in 5 days. That's how much I loved it. Maybe I'm just a nerd, but this is a fun place to visit and worth seeing if you're in Hong Kong.

Stumbled upon the Avenue of Comic Stars walking around Kowloon Park…read more I love the huge cartoon characters. Very fun and colorful. I had no idea who any of the characters were but it was still cool. The stairwell exiting was pretty awesome. The super hero pig was my favorite! My pose when I pig out! If you are at Kowloon Park, stop by here and check it out!

Lane Crawford is Hong Kong's oldest luxury department store. Since then it has reinvented itself…read moreto be the pinnacle of luxury with an edge, on par with hip North American counterparts such as Barneys and Holt Renfrew (actually one of Holt's senior personnels hail from Lane Crawford) One can find the hippest and most luxurious fashion and lifestyle brands there. Specifically the Times Square location has an impressive cosmetics area, supplemented by its ever posh cousin Joyce Beauty. Bottomline: the linens department boasts the best sheets and room scents in the universe, and my aforementioned cosmetics department.

Once one of my favourite stores, now not so much. Lane Crawford stores seem to be sliding downhill…read moreof late rather quickly. The selection is becoming more main stream and less original and the gift section which I use to love is almost non-existent. I still pop in hoping to a return to the old standard but I notice now when I pop out I am not carrying any bags of goodies. Just not the shopping pleasure it once was. The location is Pacific Place Mall, gone.

Rapee-Living is an interesting store. It specializes in home furniture and decorations, of a…read moredifferent variety. It's great because It offers something other than the typical Ikea or Price Rite choices, products that can make a home unique instead of "oh... yea I was going to buy that in Ikea, but I bought something else in Ikea." Before I moved to Mui Wo I was on the look out for a few things to fill up the new flat. Naturally I wanted to travel as short a distance as possible, which led me to Rapee-Living. It's a small store with a big bed in the middle taking up most of the room. What attracted me most about it was the colorful toys, and small decorations that set it apart. They even had a electronic picture frame/ video frame that I thought was pretty cool. I was not allowed to buy it. We ended up getting a couple of stripy bed sheets, a pair of matching pillows and a little toy that seems to be their mascot. The stuffed toy is everywhere around the shop in different designs and colors but its cute all the same. The prices weren't bad either and I can see myself building up a little collection of those stuffed toys (for my girlfriend, not me!) over time. In general Ikea has everything I need, but not everything I want. It is the shops like Rapee-Living that help add a pinch of spice to an otherwise boring apartment. I've noticed that there are a few other RLs around town and I'd definitely have a look in one should I pass by.

So the unfortunate part about contemporary art in Hong Kong is that this city has failed at…read moreproviding any museum to date to showcase it. There are several reason for this I understand, but as such, the gallerists in this town are tasked with advocating contemporary art by the artistis and exhibitions they show, all while footing the prohibitively expensive overhead in doing so. I applaud them all for the weight they carry on this front. This is where uber cool places like Above Second Gallery come in hand. As collector and really just modern art (art made between 1860's-1970's) and contemporary art (art made since WWII and usually artists who are still living and producing work) museum enthusiast, I want to see and be surrounded by "art of the now." Above Second Gallery did just this for me with the show of Nick Walker. Often galleries can be intimidating and I understand why people do not stop and drop in. Art can be a discussion that people are not comfortable having because most people in the art world make non-art world people feel stupid. We know I speak the truth. The gallerist at Above Second Gallery was great. Down to earth, not pushing anything, teaching me a few fun facts about the artist along the way, very approachable. Now although I know alot about art, I felt like her attitude was not elevated and was welcoming to simply explore the work. Nick Walker's work showed really well in this little space. So go visit Above Second Gallery (or heck, just walk by and peer into their floor to ceiling windows and check it out from the curb if you are too intimidated to walk inside!) and see for yourself the cool contemporary art they have slapped up on their walls, because it does not appear you are going to have the opportunity to few it from a public museum any time soon.

My favorite place to buy comic books and eat at the street level cafe on the building.read more

Causeway Bay Shopping Center is a little gem for all you comic lovers out there. I'm not one…read moremyself, but one of my friends was coming to HK and asked me about places to buy comics in HK. I had no clue, did a quick search on Google and found this. Tucked away on Sugar Street near the bridge that leads you to St Pauls Convent and Regal Hotel, this tiny thing, to small to qualify as a shopping 'center', is a comic haven. The shopping center looks quite decrepit and old, and it might not look like there's anything in there but don't judge a book by its cover! There's only one direction you can head to when you go in: down. You'll find a bunch of small shops that are filled to the brim with comics such as Batman, The Avengers, Wonder Woman etc. They even have guides to popular shows like Walking Dead and Once Upon a Time, and figurines from cartoons like Adventure Time. Prices for comics here are generally quite wallet-friendly. A comic will run you anywhere between $10 to $50 (I think I've seen a box at one of them that's stacked full with comics and reads '2 for $10', actually!) However, there are a lot of collector's items like action figures as well which are pretty expensive - I've seen some that are about a thousand! The shops here are REALLY tiny though - in the first comic shop that you enter when you walk down the stairs and turn right, I don't think you can fit more than five people in there! The shopkeeper really utilizes all the space he has to fill up the shop with stock. So when you're in there browsing and someone behind you wants to go out, you'll likely have to head out first to give way. Think of it like a crowded lift, if you will! Overall, this is a great place if you've been searching high and low for comics in HK but to no avail. The variety here is pretty endless and prices are affordable, though browsing here isn't the best customer experience because of the tiny spaces. But it's worth it - or at least my friend thought it was, evident from the close to ten comics and a Once Upon a Time guide that she left very happily with.

I'm not quite sure why this Homeless has "sidekick" at the end, but either way it's such a lovely…read morelittle shop in CWB. You can find some furniture pieces here (think sideboards, shelves, and small desks), but this store focuses mostly on home decor. There was so much here that I loved, but if I had to narrow it down I was a fan of their lamps, mugs, and leather stuffed animals. I would certainly buy a ton of shit here, but unfortunately I have no space for such luxuries! :( Definitely a great spot to visit if you're looking for contemporary design, quirky decor, or a nice gift for someone.