ReadersDigestAustraliaNewZealand-March2018

March• 2018 | 115

READER’S DIGEST

chef is dropping fresh noodles into

ahugepotofsteamingbroth.

“Sorry, no English,” says the wait-

ress as she drops two Chinese-

language menus on the table. No

problem; we point to bowls of noo-

dles the chef has topped with barbe-

cued pork and Chinese broccoli and

hold up two fingers, then sip on tall

glasses of sweet iced lemon tea while

we wait. We copy the locals, who

stab at the lemon slices with a long

spoon to squeeze out the juice, stir,

sip, repeat.

On the street, it’s raining. We

sprinttoourhotel,grabourluggage

and hail a cab. “Central Station,

please,AirportExpress,”Itellthe

driver,amaninhis60s.Asweweave

throughbuses,tramsandluxury

cars,IpointouttoJulesanelderly

manwearingapointedstrawhat

riding a rusting bicycle. Tall propane

tanks are strapped to either side,

and he’s negotiating traffic through

the rain. Only in Hong Kong.

At the station, the driver points to

where we can check our bags to the

airport. “Make sure, come back soon!”

he says, waving. “This is world’s best

city!” I couldn’t agree more.

arm,wepassgalleriesand,surpris-
ingly,coffeeshopswithahipster
vibe:Winston’s,TheCuppingRoom,
Cafe Deadend. When I lived here,
tea shops were ubiquitous. Stores
selling olive oils, vinegars, cheeses
andwinesalsoexemplifychanging
tastes; before 1997, we had to search
thosethingsout.
This evolution contrasts with Man
Mo Temple, a Taoist and Buddhist
templededicatedtothegodsoflit-
erature(Man)andwar(Mo).Built
in1847,itsslopingroofisdecorated
with carvings of dragons and human
figures.Thequiet,candlelitinterior
isscentedwithburningincense
coilshangingfromtheceiling.We
watch worshippers set offerings of
oranges and candles on a table.
Soon we rejoin the bustle of Hol-
lywood Road.

IT’S HUMIDon our final day, and
threatening rain. We have time for a
last lunch. In Sheung Wan, past the
pungently scented dried-seafood
stalls this district is famous for, we
findanoodlehouseonDesVoeux
Road.It’sfullofchatteringoffice
workers. At the front window, the

END OF THE LINE

On average, people will wait six minutes in a queue before

giving up and going away.

FROM1,423 Q.I. FACTS TO BOWL YOU OVER BY JOHN LLOYDE