Screw that!

Cheap furnishings? Who needs 'em?

Plateful of hamster bedding? I'll pass!

More highly sophisticated signage humour here and also here.
All content © Emilie Pavey

Tea on the town

Any idea what this is?

A new MTR mall? Wrong.A kitchen appliance showroom? Wrong again.It is actually a restaurant. More specifically, the TOWNGAS restaurant on Paterson Street, Causeway Bay.Yes, dear HKers, you read correctly. Your friendly public utility and sole gas provider is now cooking your food in more ways than one.

The restaurant has just had a refit and re-opened two weeks ago, according to the waiter. We did initially mistake it for a kitchen showroom as we walked past, due to the Towngas logo frosted into the windows and the clinical, Ikea-esque decor inside. In fact, the restaurant is indeed attached to a Towngas showroom next door. Romantic, n'est ce pas? It is only when we noticed a couple sharing a high tea set inside that we realised it actually served food.

The menu features classic HK pseudo-western food favourites. Being the middle of the afternoon, we decided to give the tea set a try. I am not setting out to write food review, so let me be concise: I can only assume that, as gas experts, they know more about sautéing than smoked salmon and scones. You can reliably give high tea at Towngas a miss!

Another bizarre eating experience.
More tea?
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Think good thoughts

The Buddha's birthday, Victoria Park, today.
Bathe a baby...

Bargain for bibelots...

Buy beads.

More bagatelles...
All content © Emilie Pavey

60 seconds

Pep talk and perspiration.

Cotton swab and camera.

See these guys in action here and here.
All content © Emilie Pavey

Temporary temple

Who needs a purpose-built tray of sand or a candlestick when any old supermarket item can do the trick?

(Incense) smoke gets in your eyes.
Pavement prayers (this one uses a takeaway box!).
All content © Emilie Pavey

抱負

抱負 = pou fu: ambition
Big muscles come with training.

Success comes with keeping your eye on the goal.

Ping pong in a different context...
All content © Emilie Pavey

藍色傘

These days of heavy rain, times are particularly hard for unemployed umbrellas.

Might a kind passer by take pity and unfurl them one last time?
The sad demise of an umbrella - here.
More abandonment - here.
All content © Emilie Pavey

氣球

氣球 = hei kau: balloon (literally, air ball)
One seat on the MTR - two balloons - three stops apart 

More MTR candids.
All content © Emilie Pavey

雷暴

雷暴= leui bou: thunderstorm
This evening, dramatic lighting from the heavens:

 

On a more clement evening...
All content © Emilie Pavey

消磨時間

消磨時間 = siu mo si gaan: to kill time (literally, to whittle away time)

Reading the paper...

A bit of crochet...

Not everyone owns a smartphone!
Wondering what that girl is doing with those soft toys? It's this.
All content © Emilie Pavey

My, what big eyes you have

Sticking with green and yellow, but on a different theme. At Lions Nature Education Centre, spring has most definitely sprung (click to enlarge):

Emerald eye ...

... Goldeneye!

More butterflies (no other frogs yet!)
All content © Emilie Pavey

綠色, 黃色 Green and yellow

When I was little, my aunt taught me a charming Brownie song. It was called Green and Yellow:

Where have you been all day, Henry my son?

Where have you been all day, my beloved one?

Woods, dear mother, 

Woods, dear mother,

Oh mother come quick 'cos I feel so sick and I want to lay down and die.

What did you do in those woods, Henry my son?

What did you do in those woods, my beloved one?

Ate, dear mother, 

Ate, dear mother,

Oh mother come quick 'cos I feel so sick and I want to lay down and die.

What did you eat in those woods, Henry my son?

What did you eat in those woods, my beloved one?

Eels, dear mother, 

Eels, dear mother,

Oh mother come quick 'cos I feel so sick and I want to lay down and die.

What colour where those eels, Henry my son?

What colour where those eels, my beloved one?

Green and yellow! 

Green and yellow!

Oh mother come quick 'cos I feel so sick and I want to lay down and die.

Those eels where snakes I think, Henry my son.

Those eels where snakes I think, my beloved one.

Oops, dear mother,

Oops, dear mother,

Oh mother come quick 'cos I feel so sick and I want to lay down and die.

Where shall we bury you, Henry my son?

Where shall we bury you, my beloved one?

Woods, dear mother, 

Woods, dear mother,

Oh mother come quick 'cos I feel very sick and I want to lay down and die.

What colour flowers d'you want, Henry my son?

What colour flowers d'you want, my beloved one?

Green and yellow! 

Green and yellow!

Oh mother come quick 'cos I feel so sick and I want to lay down and die. EURK!

Maybe the unfortunate subject of the song ended up somewhere blue.

Photographs © Emilie Pavey

Hiding something

Baffling foliage in different parts of Kowloon.

Urban camouflage?
EXTRA, EXTRA:Land of no cheese now has a facebook page as well as a twitter presence. If you enjoy this blog, a 'like' or a follow would be much appreciated. Also, a new issue of Time Out HK is out this week. Take a peek at Hidden Hong Kong:

All content © Emilie Pavey

A case of the Kadoories

A visit to Kadoorie farm today revealed a series of curious signs, all mysteriously pointing left.

For those who think smoking makes them look a bit foxy:

A fowl legacy:

And finally, if this misfortune were to befall you, it might be more appropriate to call an ambulance:

My advice? Take a right.

More humorous signage here, however if you really like this kind of thing, Haitch Kay makes an art form of it. Go and take a look.
All content © Emilie Pavey

MTR moods

(Click to enlarge.)
For some, a ride on the MTR is like, whatever, man.

For others, it's like, the best thing ever!

More diptychs of kids here.
And by the way, land of no cheese is on facebook and twitter since last week. Please like or follow!

All content © Emilie Pavey

The writing on the... pole

One for the bokeh lovers. 

The yellow one is advertising this service. Can anyone make out what the green one is about?
P.S. If you like this blog, please 'like' its facebook page here. It's brand new and wants friends - thank you!
All content © Emilie Pavey

Rainbow station

If I had it my way, the stations on the MTR Island Line would go in the following order:

But colour geek that I am, this is still my favourite MTR station:

Model/victim: Nicole YimClothes:North Point/vest/HKD49.90/H&MQuarry Bay/T-shirt/HKD79.90/H&MAdmiralty/knit/HKD100(sale item)/H&MCauseway Bay/T-shirt/HKD79/UniqloChoi Hung/vest/HKD99/H&MAll other items are Nicole's or mine from past seasons.

If you enjoyed this, please 'like' Land of no cheese on Facebook / follow @landofnocheese on Twitter / add as contact on Flickr and don't forget to take a look at my pictures every fortnight in Time Out HK. Much appreciated!
All content © Emilie Pavey

Abandoned in Quarry Bay

But before I start dear readers, a quick announcement: @landofnocheese now has a fledgling Twitter account. Please follow me and help me leave the nest! Thank you!
Now, on with the items. Have you lost something soft and fluffy in Quarry Bay?

More abandonment of the unlikely around HK - here.
All content © Emilie Pavey