Montreal: The place to eat

Jadeite In all honesty, it took me some time to post this (back-dated) piece. But there was no way I couldn't share my tasty experiences with you! 

The food was amazing, some of it cooked by my host, Chow with Chow.

Living in Hong Kong, markets like Jean-Talon (Marché Jean-Talon) in the heart of Montreal just make me drool. And even if some things seem kind of expensive, it’s just full of delicious product that I want to take home and… cook. Surrounding the fresh produce are a few stalls selling pre-made goods, including the best sea-salt caramel macaron I have ever eaten and some interesting looking polish pastries.

There are also a few shops selling all things Maple, but I was told by my good host that those products can also be found cheaper, elsewhere. Which was a good thing, because I could not resist the vintage style packaging, which I secretly wanted to take home to use as a pen-holder or something.

A short walk south from the market is little Italy. You know what that means? Cannolis. That’s what it means. I have this constant hankering for a good churro and while I know these two things cannot be compared, how can you say no to a good cannoli?

Try Alarti-Caserta at 277 Dante, Little Italy. Luckily for me, they have small and large sizes (this was a long trip, at some point I had to think about my heart, if not my waistline). I also wanted to try their sfogliatelle, which was what I was given the last time I tried to order a cannoli in Sheffield, UK (I know, what did I expect? It was yummy though).

But among the pastries and some of the most extravagant cakes I have ever seen, were other yummy things that I didn’t get to try (heart, waistline, remember?), like this nutty tart. Mmmm. I will have to go back to Montreal sometime.

And after that, full as I felt (ssshhh, I ate other things before we got to Alarti Caserta) we walked through Mile End, looked, tried on and walked south more to the Plateau where I fell in love with a home-ware store called V de V Maison.

But we had to walk more, because I know that Montreal bagels are good. ChowwithChow had brought them to me in HK before. They were calling me. I wanted to try one of those, fresh.

In case you’re not familiar or lucky enough to have friends in Montreal, their bagels are different and known for being really good – some people actually don’t want to eat a New York bagel, because hey, it’s just not their style. These little puppies are boiled in sweetened water and then baked in a wood fire oven. Sounds complicated, doesn’t it? That’s why it’s best to eat them fresh and from a place that only does bagels.

// There is more to it, but I’ll let wikipedia explain that.) //

So, we took our route past coffee shops and shoe shops and hairdressers (she needed to trim her bangs) and I ‘found’ myself by FairmountBagel (because I cried “what about the bagel?” Even Chow had eaten enough by then).

Located at 74 Fairmount West, these guys have been making bagels since 1919 and my taste buds told me that experience was worth it, even if my tummy wasn’t in the mood for stretching exercises.

The only thing I missed was the Marmite. But hey, this lox was ridiculously good too.

I still had more places to go on my trip, so sadly I didn’t bring bagels home, but I did head to a supermarket one Mont Royale Avenue (av. du Mont-Royal) to get less perishable goods. And oops! We passed by La Maison du Macaron, which I was told is one of the best in the city.

The lovely Chow bought me a box of the printemps-été 2013 collection: Mango and black pepper, strawberry and rhubarb, raspberry and lime, strawberry and basil and of course, I tried their sea salt caramel too. I’m obsessed with caramel. I’m obsessed with salty & sweet. So what can I say? This was a trip of flavour combinations (check out the pops at The Hyppo in St Augustine ).

Oh, and at the supermarket I picked up some cheese and a jar of Dulce de Leche (for some reason, it’s a regular staple in Canadian supermarkets), which I’ve been saving up for making some Argentinian alfajores, now the weather is cooler in HK. I’m going to add some pink Himalayan sea salt to mine, along with that coconut rim. (Warning: there are lots of bad recipes for these on the Internet…)

Old vs new: Tong lau or not tong lau

Living in Hong Kong, we all know how difficult it is to rent an apartment with a reasonable sized living room, a bedroom that you can fit more than a double bed in (if you can even fit that), a shower that fits your six foot tall boyfriend and a kitchen where you can swing a cat. 

And if you can find an apartment with such delights, it probably costs the same as your monthly salary, rent or mortgage.

// In fact, like usual, HK Mag somehow nearly stole my idea for this post. Luckily, they opted to give you some great ideas on how to manage a small space (whereas I'm trying to figure out how to manage a small budget). //

The issue with all of this, is that in Hong Kong, prices will always go up, unless something happens due to force majeure – an act of God, like SARS.

Yes, the government recently made a pretty rubbish effort at blocking out 'foreign' investment, which was driving up prices (READ: Mainlanders paying cash to willing buyers, even for modest apartments in Tin Hau, and then leaving them empty because they don't even need the income from a renter). The problem with that was it somewhat cruelly punished any expats waiting seven years for their permanent residency (PR).

So how can you get around that? With the mortgage interest rates set so low, thanks to the US, many who bought previously have been living quite comfortably, even renting out apartments for almost double their mortgage repayments. But for those that haven't yet bought, why don't you?

Oh yes, because the property prices are ridiculously high and never come down.

I've heard that recently, property agents have seen a reduction in the number of transactions around the Sheung Wan area – so I could presume that the same is the case elsewhere. Another friend is selling his gorgeous and spacious apartment in Midlevels for below the bank valuation amount (this is the amount you can get a mortgage for – though each bank can vary in its valuation). He hasn't had much interest. But the mortgage advisor at the bank told me that while there is no movement, the behaviour in the market is like there's not enough apartments to pick from, so the market remains high.

Meanwhile, I want to buy an apartment in my beloved neighbourhood of seven years, Sai Ying Pun. For several reasons, it's only recently that I've been able to think about buying an apartment. But now, prices in Sai Ying Pun have soared because the MTR will open here next year. Actually, prices have been steadily rising since the announcement several years ago.

My old apartment block, Connaught Gardens (高樂花園) is really popular in this area, it has clear views and rises high above the noise, with some apartments overlooking the harbour. When I first lived there seven years ago, it was around HKD 2.2 million to buy an apartment no bigger than 450 square foot. But now, it's about HKD 4.8 million.

So what do you do, especially if you work from home like me and need a little more room (after all, if you're paying rent or a mortgage, why pay extra for an office space somewhere else, when you can work from home?).

Usually, a tong lau (唐樓), or Chinese building is an option. Chinese buildings are those without elevators, sometimes also without running gas (but the gas tank delivery system here is really efficient). For renters at least, these are usually a bit cheaper and bit larger, with better efficiency gained from not giving so much space to one or more elevator shafts.

But now days, particularly in areas slated for urban renewal, those apartments are even more expensive. Why? Because the owners want to be able to claim a higher amount when the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) or a developer come knocking. My rent went up every year, over 30% in two years, despite that our two-year lease system implies that you can have two years at the same rate. (This is usually handled with "my son is coming back and needs to move in there." Followed by, "whatever, how much more rent do you want?").

Ok, so back to my original argument – what about buying?

Well, it all works differently with a tong lau. For starters, around here, they are currently around HKD 5 million in my neighbourhood – more expensive than some new builds (which are admittedly a bit smaller) in this neighbourhood. But the bank valuation is usually more what you'd expect for a tong lau: HKD 2-2.5 million.

It means you can only get a mortgage for that value, if the bank even offers mortgages on tong lau. And, for a tong lau, you have to pay 50% deposit. Yes, funds you have, not fund you borrow from the bank. And, the bank will only mortgage you a set percentage, like 70%, of their valuation. And only over a period of up to 20 years.

Here's another snag: Many of them come with tenants already inside. If you take a mortgage under that situation, you also have a whole set of different rules. As a first time PR buyer, you can't apply for additional funding towards your deposit if the apartment has a tenant. And you can't have the same kind of mortgage deal – you have to repay more.

Confused yet? I am.

It seems strange to be unable to buy an apartment in the area that was your home for so long. The area where somehow you can afford to rent but not to buy. Do I want to live further out? Not really, not yet. I'm not a fan of Kennedy Town and I don't think their future MTR will change that.

The block I live on is currently a building site. Most of the neighbourhood is – but my block is about 70% building site. Yet I still want to stay because that's how much I like it here. Move to Kennedy Town and I'm only setting myself up for several more years of dealing with noisy building sites. Did I mention I work from home?

Hong Kong is home but the government have more than failed on Donald Tsang's promise to make it affordable for up to 90% of the population to own an apartment within this decade. It's hard to see how this can change in Hong Kong.

Sometimes friends say that it's wasteful to buy in Hong Kong. Even the friend selling an apartment in Midlevels admits that it's overpriced for what it is. And yes, it's a very certain culture to believe in buying property – very English, very American, not so Euro. But my answer is thus: In Hong Kong, rents will only go up. So why not buy?

(And there we go, back to the beginning of this post).

Only in Hong Kong...

Lots of little strange things happen here and while some things may not be strange in other places, I say that context can be everything.

Fong Sui master
Mar 2013, Blessing the building.

Unsustainable efficiency

Feb 2013, courtesy of friend
So Hong Kong.

True efficiency
Jan 2013

Ok, this picture doesn't show it all – but this is an outdoor market stall, leaning against the side of a building. I love that this stall owner has a computer linked up, ready to do her book keeping.

Shopping in HK and my iPhone are one big cliché

There's really nothing more to say.

Hot teenagers and their summer wet dreams 

July 2012
One lovely Saturday morning, I set off for a boat trip with some friends. While waiting for them to pull round from the AMC, two wooden junks rocked up. Since I had a wait, I couldn't help but notice the name of one junk, Wet Dreams.

Ok so is that a Chinglish thing, or a joke? Hard to say.

But it made my day that when the passengers arrived, they were none other than a string of skinny international school-looking teenagers. Complete with a sound system. As it turned out, they'd hired a DJ from Drop, to surprise a friend for his birthday. The other junk in their picture was their dance floor.

WTF can't people in Hong Kong sort and recycle?
July 2012

See my rant in the wonderful Hong Kong zine, Cloak and Dagger.

Seriously expensive yoghurt

June 2012

Ok so yoghurt is never cheap here but this tiny pot of Australian yoghurt, which is the closest western producer of such fine dairy goods, is the most expensive single-serve I've ever seen. It's at least £3.50. It's good, but nothing is that good!

Cardboard café

March 2012

This cha chan teng in Central is entirely clad in cardboard. As the lift doors open, it seems like a shop selling presumably recycled goods. But in fact, there's a cha chan teng serving area neatly hidden behind some cardboad bookshelves.

Visit at 9F, 11 Stanley St, Central

The fight against dropping

Feb 2012

Don't have fun at the beach

Jan 2012

In response to a range of noise complaints on the south side, regarding noise pollution from beach bars, the wise and wonderful Hong Kong government have decided to close a number of cafés and bars on beaches. It seems ironic now, that my complaint before was the lack of a decent deli at any of the beaches.

But it's been the entire winter and more, since the Thai place at Deep Water Bay closed, and there's been building going on. But nothing new has popped in it's place. What a huge, huge waste of space. And I might add, there are no residents adjacent to Deep Water Bay. Duh.

Trash can crime scene

Jan 2012

Life ring – on the 20-somethingth floor
Dec 2011

Weight machine - classifieds
Oct 2011 

Dairy – HK style
Sept 2011
I thought that most Chinese people didn't really 'do' dairy, hence such products being over-priced or local versions being a bit rubbish.

But how this is appetising, especially on a hot day, I just don't know.

Thankfully, this will never be lost.

Bruce who? Roll over Uma, I'm taking care of this one.
June 2011
Could we add more irony?

Tone Down Your Voice
April 2011
It's true – it's loud here.

Beach Digger
April 2011

Health & Safety-free Zone
March 2011
As if climbing that ladder with no-one to stabilise the bottom – and then climb onto the edge with no barrier isn't scary enough, two Banner Ad Implementation Workers (is that PC enough?) then climbed behind the banner to enable the removal. Albeit, behind the ad is probably the safest place for them and provides some kind of Jackie Chan-style stunt-action should they fall, it reaches to the third storey.

That said, this is a fishing country and most fishermen here can't swim.



Naked Lady (what else can I say?)
March 2011
This one came courtesy of a friend. She witnessed the woman depicted stop her car during a busy Monday morning in Central, take her clothes off and stand naked on top of her car.

Ok, so this might happen in other places, but the fact that it happened here is what's so amazing!
Strangely, we couldn't find any news reports about this...

Golden Dragon
September 2010
Checking out some taps on Lockhart Road, Wan Chai.
To be sure, this tap costs HKD $25,800. No kidding.

Fight Club
August 2010

As I said – Chinese people love to fight!


Frozen Coke
August 2010
Getting shaved ice at 12.15am from the local desert shop... eating it on a step nearby... getting in the car to drive to the only frozen coke vending machine in HK.





We followed the instructions, taking a quaff before closing the bottle and tipping it upside down to watch the ice form... it worked pretty well, but I've heard it's hit and miss. Best of all, imagine all the extra chemicals we must be consuming in this latest artificial offering!

Bagpipes
July 2010
Walking through Sai Wan (西環) on a Sunday, to see a Chinese man practicing bagpipes – playing Amazing Grace and in full kilt, no less – in the garage of a kindergarten.

Otherwise Engaged: Hitotzuki, Suitman, Sticky Monster Lab

Sometimes, it's who you meet that makes writing such an interesting job. Especially if you're an artist, meeting a fellow artist – as a writer. Does that even make sense? I've noticed how great Korean design is and how quietly passionate the Japanese artists are. Here are a few that I interviewed for an exhibition hosted by K11 art mall in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The social side to social media - Meetups

Social media meetup groups are actually a great way to meet new people and it beats online dating – if you're a bit more shy than that. Plus, you can try all sorts of new things. That, and that the HK Twitter crowd are the friendliest people I've met in a while.

Tokyo: Urban Thrall

A trip to Japan became a great opportunity to wander around the edge of Tokyo Fashion Week and interview some of the city's well-known fashion designers. Here's a view of Tokyo, from their eyes.

Naka Island

Naka Island, just off the coast of Phuket is a dreamy and convenient getaway, featuring an adorable local Muslim fishing village.

SMWHK - Social media and emerging fashion – is it worth my time?

[at]smwhk #smwhkdesign Hosted by [at]shopdcreateurs

For some key points about fashion blogging, whether you're an emerging designer looking to promote your brand, or a blogger building a following, look no further.

Social Media Week's Social Media and Emerging Fashion Designers: Is it worth my time? event, hosted by Cedric Delzenne of Shop Des Createurs can help you out. With a panel of bloggers - like Maura Thompson, Founder of Sassy Hong Kong, and Jasmine Webster, Fashion Blogger DressMeblog - and designers like Anthony Hill, co-founder & Creative Director at HILL, the discussion on how best to use digital media to get what you want will soon unravel.

For a preview of this event, please see my article in SCMP.

A couple of sites to check out 

Before we start the real discussion, Webster leads us through a few sites that she really likes to use.

Pinterest
The online pinboard scrapbook website, Pinterest, has sparked a lot of attention lately. Not just because they recently claimed to be the fastest website in history to break the 10-million-visitors-a-month bar, but in the tech world, more so for its use of Skim Links. It seems sneaky (and it creates revenue for the company): As users 'pin' an image, an affiliate link is automatically attached. So as you're loading images, you're inadvertently driving traffic to a specific website – up-selling it, if you will, without knowing so.

Polyvore
Now this one really is for fashionistas. Using the Virtual Styling Tool, you can gather different clothes and accessories that you like and create your own fashion collection, or "set". Of course, you can publish your set (which looks like a glossy fashion mag spread) and share it with your social media friends.

Key tips relate to any blogger - whether you're the fashionista type or not:

Thanks to the range of experts on the discussion panel, the range of tips come in fast, and accurate.

• Make sure you're really ready to launch – if your website isn't done, you would be better to wait 
• Build some Facebook posts and fill with images before launching the page (don't hit 'Publish' until you've built some content) 
• Make sure you're ready to constantly engage your audience, before you start 
• Content is vital – good images are key 
• Be genuine – blog about things you actually care about or like 
• Assume that viewers will only stay online for about four seconds. They're likely to look for links before deciding to read what you've said 
• Anything that goes online stays online 
• Relate all your posts back to what the audience wants to hear – not just what you want to say 
• Keep it relevant (brand/ topic) and constantly monitor and adapt – give your audience reasons to like the brand other than the products you're selling 
• Engage – ask open questions too 
• If you make a mistake, it's ok – but be genuine 
• No matter how busy you are, you need to stay in touch with your customers. If necessary, have email notifications for Twitter, Facebook (etc) notifications

Sexy analytics

Blogs, Twitter, Facebook - all of the above (and more) can be used for analytics too. Now, analytics can be limiting so it's important that you understand how the information is measured, and that you don't take these numbers to mean more than they do.

Ways to make the most of reading analytics include scheduling the themes of your posts. For instance, Tuesdays could always be about a particular product type; Fridays could always be a poll. With most analytics, you can look at the particular day (like Tuesdays) to see what the response numbers are like.

Converting followers into sales
For many businesses, it's more than just spreading the word and being in touch. Sales are vital to keep any company running. Thompson talks about using the advertising links (on the right side of a Facebook page – until they change the design again) or a featured sponsored story to promote a page or company and that in her experience, it works well.

Social media is a great way to build a story around you and your brand, it will build a background catalogue of features so that it's easier to then start attracting attention from the 'big' press. One way to start that journey is to make strong links with good, well-followed bloggers within your industry. Bloggers have power, so if you can find one that loves your brand and will advocate for you, then you're in a good position.

Why you need to get personal with bloggersAs Webster keenly points out, "bloggers are about being personal". That's surely part of the parcel. So, don't assume that they will relate to – or read – a press release. If the personal touch is missing, it doesn't feel authentic, so it doesn't mean a lot. If you really want to get their attention, you'll need to invest some time into sending a personalised message - but first, make sure you understand what makes that blogger tick.

The final equation

In closing, the panel agreed that the main points to remember are be consistent, be regular, create a "voice" and focus on your target audience.

Later, Webster tweets in some help for those who want to know how to find a good blogger, with 15 questions to ask before working with a blogger.

For Those About to Blog

Everybody wants to blog these days, it seems. Here are some pointers.

This is how we brand it

Branding, and what that is, is a mystery to a lot of people (sometimes, even those in the industry).

Branding in Asia
While I have my ideas and opinions on this matter, I'm much more interested in sharing some of the branding I've come across in Asia, home of the master copier, creating billions of fake or knock-off goods year-round. And don't get me wrong, I'm not actually knocking this activity because sometimes I don't personally believe in the monetary value of a brand when I know the actual production costs (another advantage of being based in Asia).

Fakes in Asia
One thing's for sure – sometimes you really can't tell when you're picking up a fake. I had a Nokia cellphone for a full year – with constant glitches, which I put down to cheap, modern technology ("nothing is made to last nowadays, not like in the good old days"). It was only when I was trying to sell it on in Sham Shui Po (深水埗) that I learned it was actually a fake. I guess I should've noticed the slightly wonky Nokia logo on the back and the fact that the megapixel label by the camera lens was a little different to my old phone. Or, you know, that the shiny black peeled off in about a week to reveal a dull black underneath and that the phone never really worked properly.

Shopping for fakes
One thing to look out for if you think you're buying a fake, is whether or not it's worth the money. Ok, this might sound obvious, but if you're buying a pair of New Balance for your eight-year-old and you think they might be fake, you might also be in luck – because they might have been made at the same factory, making them more of a "knock-off" or "back-of-a-van" purchase. But if you're buying a tech device and you're paying full price, you can pretty much guarantee that they've saved somewhere, and that the device won't work as well as you'd expect.

An even bigger problem with shopping in Asia, is that sometimes even a shop can be a fake. For example, Mongkok (旺角) is scattered with Nike, Reebok, Adidas and Converse shops. But for the most part, these are just shops with logos pasted on the front – not official stores – which doesn't make it any easier when you're trying to figure out if what you're buying is real or not.

So, if you're thinking of buying something (and especially if you don't want anyone to know it's a fake), make sure you intimately know every detail of the original, the finish, the combination of colours available, which logo goes where, what trimmings there are. Be prepared to sometimes pay quite a lot, but do yourself a favour and avoid paying the asking price of the real item – oh, and if you're feeling paranoid, check the branding of the store.

One of my favourite's is this New Balance store, complete with a cockerel sign.






And it's not just stores you should check the branding on – I love this Snoopy/ Mickey Mouse bag too:





At least you can get all your favourite characters on one item.

But this is probably one of my true favourites – a fake pretending to be nothing other than a fake, no questions asked.