HK Day 4: Ladies' Day Out

HK Day 4: Ladies' Day Out (January 2, 2010)

The night before, the youngest lady, Alicia, listed down a “Ladies’ Day Out” itinerary that involved the Jacuzzi, a few massages, and some other relaxing activities that we would have to undertake in the Harbourside’s Clubhouse, either before or after we go to the Ladies’ Market. What she didn’t know was that she would catch another bug/cold/fever and lose her voice today, and that her mom would have to bring her to the doctor for check up. That meant we had to change our plans.

G O I N G   T O   T H E   M A R K E T

The streets of Hong Kong

We went to the Ladies’ Market first, by boarding another Green Minibus from the Elements terminal. We got off at the Chinese YMCA Kowloon Centre, where Tita Dig-Dig incidentally stayed in during her first few weeks as a flight attendant for Cathay, many many years ago. My aunt and uncle met in Hong Kong when she was around Debra’s age (21). They actually lived here for the first few years of their marriage, a very young Debra and John included, before moving to Australia. Now that they have two more little ones and as the older ones are settled in Australian university life, Tito Arthur’s work brought them and their two younger children back where it all began. You can say they have come full circle.

The very popular stinky tofu

From the YMCA Tito Arthur expertly guided as through a few more streets and back alleys. Along the way there was this funny smell and I thought I was the only one who could smell it until my mom complained. It was a smell I’ve never encountered before, but it was NOT pleasant. Apparently, what we smelled was “Stinky Tofu,” a popular HK street food that stays true to its name. According to Tito Arthur, Stinky Tofu actually tastes good (hence its popularity), only it smells weird. I would’ve tried some, if only I could stand by it long enough to stand the smell, but I couldn’t. Maybe when I return. I still wonder to this day what it tastes like and why on Earth it stinks so bad.

Soon, we were at the Ladies' Market, located at Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon. It was basically like the Temple Street Night Market – one long stretch of narrow road with stalls everywhere, selling all sorts of things imaginable. This time however the goods catered mostly to the ladies, and this is how it got its name.

T H E  A R T  O F  B A R G A I N I N G

I wasn’t able to take that many pictures in the Ladies’ Market, because I was too busy ogling at the merchandise and TRYING MY HARDEST to bargain. Bargaining in Hong Kong street markets, especially in the Ladies’ Market, is an art form mastered only by the toughest, bravest, and wittiest of souls. I’m good at bargain-hunting, not bargaining. There’s a difference. But I bargained anyway. I was pretty successful in most of my purchases, but I’m sure a tougher customer would’ve been able to bring the price even lower.

Ladies' Market

What happens when you enter a stall and a piece of merchandise catches your eye? You ask how much it is. The vendor names her price, which is quite high, by entering it in her calculator (this, I’m sure, is to eliminate all communication barriers, especially because most of the shoppers there are tourists). You then name YOUR price. You can say it outright, or the vendor gives you the calculator and you can enter it there. This is the hard part. A seasoned shopper would more or less intrinsically know how much a thing is worth. But I’ve never shopped in Hong Kong dollars before, and I didn’t know the going price of items here. So that posed a bit of a problem.

A wide selection of shoes

Once you name your price and they automatically say yes, that means you obviously named it a little too high. You could’ve gone down lower, but since you already named your price, you have no choice but to bring out those dollars and pay. When you name your price too low, the battle begins. A verbal battle of numbers and simple English phrases (said in a funny Chinese accent, to communicate with the vendors better) ranging from “Sorry only little money,” to “No, 50 dollars only” to “I buy two for 90,” to “Sorry, take it or leave it” to “I go back, check others first.” The vendors are sharp and quick. If you can’t match their sharpness, you will feel harassed. I felt harassed a few times, because they will really “attack” you. If you walk away, they will follow you, shouting a few more numbers and going lower. If they get mad they’ll probably shout at you in Chinese, and you’ll walk off not knowing exactly what they said. The experience was fascinating. I met all kinds of people with all personalities imaginable. Some vendors are nice, some are hawkish, some are funny, and some are downright mean. Being from Sales, I know that there are many techniques, but this was a different art form altogether.

My mom and her scarves

We were at the Ladies’ Market for four hours. I bought 3 bags, 1 clutch, and 2 pairs of shoes. Mommy bought a bag, two pairs of shoes, and about a gazillion shawls. She said she couldn’t get it from Manila that low. Bea, who doesn’t like shopping, became our bank once we ran out of Hong Kong dollars (coincidentally, for the past few days we’ve been seeing BEA Bank all over Hong Kong).

On our way back to Elements, I vowed that the next time I go to the Ladies’ Market, I’ll be better at bargaining. In hindsight, my Ladies’ Market experience really spelled out to me why the Chinese get rich easily. They look at the big picture. Of course the vendor wouldn’t agree to a price where they wouldn’t profit, but I’m sure a customer who’s really good at bargaining can bring that profit down to a few measly cents, or even lower to break-even point. But each stall vendor looks at the big picture, in this case, the end profit for the day, and not the profit from each sale. They can afford to break-even in some purchases, because whatever “loss” they acquire from dealing with expert bargainers, they gain from dealing with the not-so-expert ones like me. Thus, not every purchase has to be “profitable” with a high mark-up, as long as at the end of the day, the bottom line of their income statement is positive. There’s a lot we can learn from the Chinese.

C H I N E S E  F A S T F O O D

Prettiest fastfood counter

We ate a very late lunch (4:30PM) at Fairwood, this foodcourt-type fast food beside the skating rink at Elements. The price was quite reasonable and the food was really good. This would be my last taste of Chinese food in China, as we were scheduled to fly out that night.

Ordering by pointing at the picture

Back at the flat we bid our cousins goodbye. Alicia was still sick, and Ace was at the computer doing what kids do. The last time we saw them was 5 years ago (also the FIRST time we saw them), and who knows when we’ll see them again. But Hong Kong is a lot closer and cheaper than Australia, so I have a feeling we’ll be seeing them quite often from now on. The two older ones however, already poised to conquer the world from down under, I don’t really know. Hopefully before we all get married and live our own lives from farther corners of the world. We also bid Tito Arthur goodbye at this point, because he had to stay home with the two young ones.

T H E  A I R P O R T  E X P R E S S

The flight schedule at the Airport Express

We went back to Elements (already the most-visited place in this entire trip) to board The Airport Express. This is a special MTR line with only 5 stops (Hong Kong, Kowloon, Tsing Yi, the Airport itself, and the Asian World Expo). The best thing about Hong Kong and all its modernities is that they make everything absolutely convenient for you. You can actually check-in your luggage at the Airport Express terminal, hours before your actual flight. They’ll take care of everything, and all you have to do is appear a few minutes before your flight, with no hassle at all.

Very convenient In-town Check-In

Unfortunately, we couldn’t avail of this service because we were flying Cebu Pacific. If we flew PAL, we could’ve. I didn’t mind the extra effort though, and I was just amazed at how convenient and systematic things are here. We sat back our very comfortable airplane-like seats, and 25 minutes later, we were at their huge, awesome airport. We had another round of Starbucks before we bid Tita Dig-Dig goodbye.

G O O D B Y E , H O N G K O N G

Hong Kong has always been on the list of places I wanted to visit, preferably while I’m still young, and somehow that dream has never been fulfilled. Because of its proximity to the Philippines, I probably could’ve visited Hong Kong in the past if I really forced it. But things happen WHEN they happen for a reason. There’s an uncanny perfection to the timing that governs this universe, a timing that may not necessarily coincide with ours. This was a case of perfect timing.

A friend commented to me once that traveling to a place is not even half as fun as traveling to a place TO VISIT SOMEONE. Aside from the obvious perks like free lodging and all sorts of free things from your gracious hosts, the mere fact that you’ll be enjoying the place with loved ones you haven’t seen for so long makes the trip all the more meaningful.

Greeting 2010 with family

All in all, this was a perfect way to end the year, and to greet the new one. First, it reminded me that the things that matter most in this world are not things. Family matters. Love matters. Memories matter. And that bond shared by people with the same blood running in their veins is like no other, even if you scatter them all over the globe. My first-degree aunts, uncles, and cousins from the Ebarle side all live in different places, so I don’t get to see them that often. We haven’t had a complete family picture since time immemorial. The last one, I believe, was when Bea was a baby. This is why instances like these are really rare, thus they should be cherished and maximized to the nth level. They should also happen more often.

Second, this trip reminded me that there’s a world out there, and it’s my responsibility to discover it. Lately I’ve been too absorbed with day-to-day living that my dreams have somehow been pushed aside. But now my wanderlust is burning more than ever, and my dreams are still there, waiting to come true. And at the perfect time, they will. I’m absolutely sure of it. Hong Kong, goodbye for now, but I shall definitely see you again.

Thank you to my parents for sponsoring this amazing trip, to the Ellis family for being such gracious hosts, and to God for making all of this possible.

Bring it on, 2010! :)