When suppertime in Singapore rolls around, my thoughts always go back to 3am dim sum nights in Hong Kong — stealing out of the HKU dorms past the sleeping receptionist, dizzying cab rides down the slopes of Hong Kong island, and into the fray of Sun Hing at 10 Hau Wo St to gobble down salted egg yolk custard buns glinting with so much goodness. I can taste it in my mouth just looking at that photo!!
Continue reading “when i told you i loved you, i knew that you would break my heart”
On my mind, in between notes and writing: crystal waters and blue houses, pavements and a salty breeze. These pictures are from Hong Kong, but these feelings have no time and location. We could be thirteen and dancing by the foamy waters of the east, twenty-two and drifting down a Chinese river, or bundled in scarves in San Francisco. Don’t want to be there now (because I need to pass my exams!) but I want to hold these visions close, the same way girls clutch at their skirts in the wind, desperately protect youth and beauty for as long as they’ll last.
Tucked away on a quiet slope in SoHo is Bang Bang! 70s — a warm, homey space filled with vintage dresses, bags, shoes and other paraphernalia, as well as two resident cats, lovingly named Bang Bang and Miu Miu. Stepping into the store feels like walking into an authentic shrine for all things old and beautiful. It is deliciously cluttered with racks of clothing, shelves of shoes, jewelry cases and bags hanging from every corner of the ceiling.
Sam gave me a vintage leather bucket bag from this store for my birthday this year, and since then, we’ve made it a point to stop by on my subsequent visits to Hong Kong. We look around for treasures to scoop up, and say hi to the kitties and the two brothers who own this second-floor walk-up shop.
Vintage/consignment stores can often seem intimidating, with surly hipster staff protecting (rather than selling) their overpriced, sometimes merely “retro-inspired” goods. Bang Bang! 70s is the complete opposite! You are welcome to fondle the dresses, try them on and take your time. Not only are there two luxurious leather loveseats for humans and kitties alike to relax, the owners – Parker and Michael – are welcoming and full of smiles, ever-ready with advice on what to see in Hong Kong, styling tips, and stories of their beloved collector’s items, like a little model car scored from ebay that has shot up nearly hundredfold in value!
A printed cotton sundress I picked up on sunday that somehow makes me feel like a Japanese housewife (and I mean that in a good way!). I tried it on in the bathroom of the store, where Bang Bang and Miu Miu’s baby kittens were resting. Lucky they had their eyes closed!! The label on this dress says ‘Cousine Dehors’ which turns up nothing on Google, but we also spied Maxmara and Chanel. I like that there’s no label elitism in this store. All vintage is good vintage.
Gold Chanel studs from a 70s Japanese collection. Saw these during my first visit, but regretfully left without them. Sam went back and picked them up for me as a surprise gift! I want to wear them every day now.
The bag that started it all.
Miu Miu taking a break from motherly duties to peer out into the street.
What a life! I want to be a Bang Bang 70s store cat.
We spied this cute little guy in the jewelry case just before leaving. Not wanting to fall hard in love with another purchase, I cringed a little when he was taken out of the case for us to see. Surprisingly, it was simply thrust into sam’s palm — “just take it, i want you to have it!” What a sweet, perfect end to our time in a vintage lover’s paradise.
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Bang Bang! 70s is located in SoHo. 16A Aberdeen Street, Central, Hong Kong.
What I thought was going to be two solid weeks of Hong Kong city life evolved into a wild romp around a greater part of the region. We had forays into gambling hotspots, a city of contraband goods, and to top it all off – sweet slow days in our own private slice of heaven on earth. In between, we had days of chasing our fancies down quieter alleys, spinning circles in giant Disneyland teacups, endless fountains of dong nai cha. We rode on rafts with our feet dangling in the cool water, squinting at the sun. We ate at underground 3am dim sum clubs, and slept with the shadows of giant humpback mountains lying just at the edge of the cobblestone courtyard outside our door.
Every day for the last two weeks I’ve asked myself, “how did we get here?” But now that the trip is done and I’m back to missing him, I’m asking “how did we get here?” It’s one thing to go from neon lights and 24 hour cha chan tengs, to beautiful rural chinese villages, but it’s entirely something else to have completed our third summer escapade in a row, when the idea of travelling together seemed like an impossibility three years ago. So grateful for his patience, quiet love, and great strength that all continue to grow and amaze me every time.
Got to catch up on thesis research and clearing up my room this week, but will find time to sift through and write up the rest of the images from the last two weeks soon!
retrospectif: a notebook 