Saturday, April 28, 2012

Texture and Local Streets (This week's Photo Hunt themes)



Images that capture the texture (as in the substance and character) of local streets.  That was what I set out to look for for this entry for Sandi's and Gattina's Photo Hunts this week.  And I think I've found them in the three photos taken in different parts of Hong Kong at the top of this blog post.

The top-most photo shows a street in Hong Kong's Central District.  Not the geographical center of the territory (or even Hong Kong Island), it is so named because it's historically been the territory's central business and administrative area.  And although there are more vibrant shopping areas elsewhere in the Big Lychee, it still is the place to be in the minds of many people -- including those charged with deciding the location of flagship stores for luxury fashion brands and such; a place with a smooth, cosmopolitan vibe and high (yet not to the point of super over-crowded) traffic levels.

The middle photo is of Causeway Bay -- to be precise, a part of this popular, high density section of Hong Kong that borders the quieter, still leafier, but now also high-rise-filled Happy Valley.  With streets that often feel busier and more jam packed than even Central's, it also feels more local -- or, at least, Asian -- to me; and it is the "go to" area on Hong Kong Island for dining and meeting up with friends as well as shopping for a lot of local residents.

Of my three photos, the bottom one might appear to be the odd one out -- for many reasons.  For one, it's not of a place on Hong Kong Island but, instead, of a thoroughfare on quieter Peng Chau, one of Hong Kong's over 200 Outlying Islands that is still populated but is car-free.  For another, while advertising also abounds in the photo, the name brand here is Sunkist rather than Escada or such like!  

At the same time, don't be quick to assume that Peng Chau is necessarily a world apart or away from the rest of Hong Kong, including the Central District, and beyond.  As a matter of fact, the first person I met who enthused about the joys of Peng Chau island living to me was a French financier I got to chatting with one evening in an English pub in Central!  And the second person who brought up the topic of living on Peng Chau to me was Taiwanese theater director (and sometime film director) Stan Lai -- one of whose plays, Writing in Water, was partially inspired by conversations he had with a Hong Kong actress who hailed from that island! :b

22 comments:

eastcoastlife said...

I have seen the super-crowded part of HK but has yet to see the quiet side of it. I hope to include Peng Chau in my itinerary next time. Thanks for the tips.

MaR said...

Love the quiet side of large cities! nicely done for both themes, happy weekend!

local street

Gattina said...

I like the last picture, it looks so typical !

magiceye said...

beautiful takes!!

CherryPie said...

I great way of looking at the two different themes.

YTSL said...

Hi Ecl Tan --

You're welcome re the tips. Make time to enjoy the quiet side of Hong Kong. It's great to linger there, rather than rush! ;)

Hi Mar --

The wonderful thing about Hong Kong is that it's a territory as well as a city -- and a city with few suburbs at that. So, often, one can quickly go from city into quiet rural space -- via a bus ride or ferry ride or some such. :)

Hi Gattina --

Teehee... I guess it looks typical for you but for many people (particularly in other parts of Asia, I'm thinking), the top photo is more "Hong Kong". :D

Hi magiceye --

Thanks! :)

Hi CherryPie --

Thank you. I was thinking literally of actual textured roads at first but I didn't find good enough pictures for that! ;b

sarah bailey knight said...

Hi ytsl,

Fun photos and a great take on the themes.

LifeRamblings said...

i've always enjoy seeing what local streets look like in other cities, behind the tourist attractions. Peng Chau sounds like my kind of place. it's fun to walk around places like this and check out all the goodies.

Trekcapri said...

Hi YTSL, I really enjoyed your post and learning about the varied local streets one might find in Hong Kong. Your first photo has such a great composition with the yellow lines, buses and people.I can almost feel the movement and energy. The Happy Valley before and after shots on your wikipedia link is amazing.Loved your third shot too. I would love to visit Peng Chau someday if I am lucky to be able to visit Hong Kong. It's lovely.... and leaving a bike unlocked and not have it ripped off. So not Amsterdam. :)

Great post for the two themes. Have a wonderful weekend.

Hootin Anni said...

Super images...of culture AND texture.

My Photo Post today is: BUTTERFLY HOUSE Textures

Carver said...

I enjoyed this tour of Hong Kong very much. You captured both themes very well.

Susan Demeter said...

Great collection of pics! I too always think of Hong Kong as High Rises and very crowded, its nice to see from a different perspective :)

YTSL said...

Hi sbk --

Thanks. BTW, I particularly like that the top most photo has a man looking at (texting on?) his mobile phone as he walks across the road... ;b

Hi Life Ramblings --

Peng Chau is a cool place to visit but I have to say that my favorite outer islands are Lantau, Cheung Chau and Po Toi. And if you're wondering, Cheung Chau and Po Toi are car-free too. :)

Hi Trekcapri --

Thanks for your comments. Am glad you like the photos and yes, do hope you'll be lucky enough to visit Hong Kong some day. :)

Hi Hootin Anni --

Thank you. :)

Hi Carver --

I'm glad you enjoyed what you saw (and read). :)

Hi Sue --

For me, it's very important to discover and regularly spent some time in the quieter parts of Hong Kong -- this especially as I live in one of the less quiet parts... voluntarily though, I will add as I do like the energy and vibrance it has! ;b

alejna said...

Great photos, and great job capturing the texture of those locations! I also love to see places beyond the tourist attractions. It is perhaps part of why looking at your photos gave me such a pang of nostalgia--on m all-too-brief stay in Hong Kong last summer, I wandered the streets! The crosswalk, the bus and the fruit stand all just look so very Hong Kong to me.

Tina´s PicStory said...

nice pics! :)

YTSL said...

Hi Alejna --

For me, there is indeed so much that very Hong Kong about all three photos. And I'm glad that you recognize and appreciate them. :)

Hi Tina --

Thanks! :)

Sandi @the WhistleStop Cafe said...

That narrow street market is where you'd find me!
Great textures~
Sandi

YTSL said...

Hi Sandi --

There are plenty of street markets in Hong Kong. Hope that fact makes Hong Kong even more enticing to you than before! ;b

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

Non commercial/public double deckers here. In Singapore, I don't dare to sit upstairs, the drivers go so quickly, before I come downstairs, they have taken off.

YTSL said...

Hi Ann --

One does have to be quick to go to the top deck of double decker buses but the views one gets from there make it worth the scramble for me. :)

ewaffle said...

Great color on the oranges and the long green vegetable (asparagus?) in the last image. Looks yummy.

YTSL said...

Hi ewaffle --

Thanks for the comment on this blog -- and, if nothing, can proof to people that I can see comments on blog posts that are more than a week old and will respond to them. :)

Re the green veg: I'm thinking more like spring onions? But, yeah, it's difficult to discern from the photo what they are exactly... ;b