The youth of HK seem to be fans of all things popular and Japanese; I saw an unnerving number
of teenaged girls who seemed to take their fashion clues exclusively from magazines like NonNo
and CanCan. Then there's the Jpop section at HMV, and, of course, the prevalence of Hello Kitty,
herself originally a nihonjin. Being a fan as well, I turned into the proverbial kid in the candy
store... and emerged with fistfuls of Pocky.
My favorite place to eat was a dirt-cheap [but spotlessly clean] little cafe, called "Taste" in
English, featuring noodles, snacks, desserts, and a fresh-squeezed juice bar. I would use nearly any
excuse to go there, sometimes dragging the other unfortunate interns with me, all just to sate
my cravings for soba.
On one of my first explorations of the city, in early June, I wrote this in my journal:
The cute feline face has become familiar in the U.S., of course, but in Hong Kong you can hardly walk down
the street without seeing evidence of Kittydom somewhere, whether it's pirated goods being hawked
on a corner, garish flower arrangements with Kitty sitting amongst the carnations, or a keychain
dangling from a trendy young woman's shoulder bag.
In addition to the ubiquitous stationery and stuffed toys, Kitty items available for purchase at the
Sanrio Megastore include: nightgowns, ice buckets, fine
jewelry, neckties, boxer shorts, toasters, teapots, rice cookers, radios, perfume, nail polish,
high heels, bed sheets, pillow cases, slippers, alarm clocks, trash cans, tableware, and
furniture. If you're in the mood for a snack, hop on over to the Hello Kitty Cafe across the
way, but be prepared to wait -- it's always packed.
Shortly after our arrival, HK Magazine (a weekly English publication featuring editorials as well as
listings of local
events and entertainment) announced the results of its "Man and Woman of the Year" contest.
The female winner: Who else but Kitty? The cat should run for office -- for LEGCO, at least.
Maybe she's plotting world domination. If so, she's well on her way.
It was seething with trendy teenagers, jammed with vehicles, choked with pollution, but I found
this section of HK Island to be as irresistable as tourists do
the junk at Stanley
Market. I have to be honest: it was for the manga that I originally went, for the undeniable
pull of three Japanese bookstores within just a few blocks. I came back again
and again for the soba, the strawberry juice, the crush of the people on the streets, the gleaming
red letters of the SOGO sign at night, the constant bustle, the beeping rows of sticker picture
machines, the clicks and chings of a million
cash registers in simultaneous operation. [And for more manga.]
Got on the MTR and went to Causeway Bay, then spent a couple of hours in Sogo. Was floored
by the Hello Kitty Megastore, but unable to purchase anything due to overstimulus and underlying
horror. Expecting to go back, though. I think some of the others want to go. HK really stands
for Hello Kitty.
Vital Statistics on the Famous Feline
Born in: 1974
Home country: Japan
Net worth: About $8.5 billion of sales per year
Creator: Shintaro Tsuji, now 71
Origin: According to HK Magazine, Tsuji was an orphaned child, and says that his lonely
existence early in life inspired him "to create a cat that would be a friend to everyone."
And friendly she is, or so we all presume -- then again, being mouthless, she never really gets
to express herself, at least not in words.
I'm trying not to think about the feminist implications of
that. As to what really goes on inside Kitty's head, your guess is
as good as mine.
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