Learning Cantopop 101

Each day of the year has a Cantopop milestone

 

I met up with a friend today for lunch and then afterwards we went to the fifth floor of Times Square in Causeway Bay where there is an exhibition called Cantopop 101.

Apparently there are three different shows tied to this, dividing Cantopop into different time periods from the 1980s to the 1990s, 1990s to the 2000s, and 2000s to 2010s.

On the exhibition boards made of particle board are clipboards, each with a piece of paper attached to it representing one day, so there are 365 of these sheets of paper, each hung by a clipboard. Each piece of paper meticulously charts what happened in the Hong Kong music scene on that day in different years.

Photos of Cantopop artist Joyce Cheng Yan-yee

It could be a particular singer was born, or a group was first formed, someone's first single was released, a concert was held, or someone died.

It's quite an impressive compilation of Cantopop trivia, but also I'm sure it evokes a lot of memories for people who grew up in these decades and listened to these artists.

There are a few Polaroid shots of artists today and they are signed. They aren't formal portraits, casual and fun.

In the middle of the room are some colourful stools. My friend told me that on specific days artists will come in and perform a "silent concert" where attendees wear headphones to listen. All the concerts have sold out already.

The curator of the show is Colin Mak, a DJ with 90.3FM. The exhibition includes a telephone booth-sized recording studio where attendees can record their feelings about the show and the best ones will be aired on his show.

The aforementioned compilation of the sheets of paper for every day of the year? They have also been made into a book, only 903 copies (the same number as the radio station 90.3), and they were sold out in minutes.

Cantopop memories in shape of tree

This shows how much people love Cantopop, how it has defined who they are, how much they want to preserve it, and worry about its future.

With the Communist Party recently bearing down on Hong Kong when it comes to movies and art, it won't be long before it impacts music, literature, plays, dance and operas.

There is also talk of encouraging more Mandarin to be used in Hong Kong... so what will happen to Cantopop?

A beautiful black and white graphic on the wall shows important musical milestones that start from 1931 and like rings on a tree, grow wider and wider, ending at around 2010. What will happen to this tree after 2021? Will it continue to grow or will it be chopped down soon?

Cantopop 101

Until July 1

Shop 5017-519, 5/F, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street

Causeway Bay

 

The New Normal

People were defiant in showing how they felt about the new law

Despite the national security law having the ability to affect all aspect of life in Hong Kong, thousands were defiant and came out to express their unhappiness with the law by "going shopping".

However the police were already prepared, dressed in riot gear even before lunchtime the officers were patrolling the streets in Causeway Bay. Less than 15 hours after the law had been promulgated, a man was arrested for violating the national security law.

How will this sign go down in today's climate?

He had what happened to be a flag that said "Hong Kong Independence", but on closer inspection it had in small letters "no to". What happened to him? Was he charged or let go?

The police had all their gear ready, including a water cannon that went up and down Hennessy Road in Causeway Bay and Wan Chai. Someone in the water cannon vehicle was trigger happy, shooting water at journalists wearing high visibility vests. Hello? They were also pepper sprayed when protesters weren't around.

It seemed that as long as people kept moving, they would be relatively safe; some who loitered around Sogo were later surrounded by police and then kettled and arrested.

Later in the afternoon "shoppers" descended on Times Square and periodically shouted slogans -- which is now deemed illegal. While some shoppers kept moving, going up and down escalators and walking around the shopping mall, others literally sat on the floor. Eventually the police moved in and arrested those who did not leave.

In the end over 370 people were arrested, 10 of which were for breaching the national security law. One officer was stabbed in the upper arm as he tried to arrest people, while some protesters resorted to last year's tactics and hoisted railings, or dug up bricks to slow down the police.

Times Square shopping mall was "occupied"

As the protests were going on, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah and Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu held a press conference to answer reporters' questions about the national security law.

However, they were unable to definitively shed some light on the specifics of the law. They were asked since the Chinese government keeps saying the new law will only affect "a small group of people", how small is small? A dozen, a hundred? a thousand people?

They could only reply as few as possible, and no specific number in mind.

Would it be a crime to criticize the national security law, a correspondent from CNN asked.

Lam replied as media, no, but if CNN colluded with foreign forces then, yes. She chuckled at the latter part of her answer, as if to make it sound preposterous but, but no one laughed with her.

Cheng, Lam and Lee holding copy of the law

The trio could only point to certain parts in the law to answer reporters' questions, not giving their own interpretation or what they understood to be the interpretation of the law.

It seems people will only know if they have broken the law is if they have been charged and convicted.

Meanwhile somewhat related, Simon Cheng Man-kit, who fled to the UK has now been granted asylum there.

"The decision is based on the United Nations convention with rigorous rule of law system, to recognize my case is intrinsically political persecution," he writes on Twitter. "Leaving means just a beginning. We continue to fight against the expanding totalitarianism, be back with democracy and freedom."

Lam Urges Stay Home, Protesters Come Out

Carrie Lam adjusting her mask throughout the press conference this evening

Just as people were tucking into dinner this evening, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced civil servants would start working from home again from Monday, that libraries, outdoor sports grounds, fitness centres and museums would be closed again, and there would be stricter enforcement of quarantine measures on those travelers arriving into Hong Kong.

The number of cases shot up again today to a total of 273 confirmed infections and two more deaths, putting many in the city on edge.

Buenos Aires Polo Club is now closed for disinfection

"It is a critical moment, as the flood of inbound residents is expected to last for two more weeks," Lam said, adding the risk of a massive community outbreak was at its highest in two months. Throughout the press conference her mask would slip down, sometimes past her nose and she had to keep adjusting it.

In addition, the crucial DSE examinations for secondary students has been postponed to the end of April, and schools in general continue to be suspended until further notice, said Secretary of Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung.

Four people were found to be violating their home quarantines thanks to them posting about it on social media, and Lam says they were arrested and will be prosecuted. The maximum penalty is HK$25,000 (US$3,222) or six months in jail. The four have been sent to government quarantine camps.

Today one restaurant group called Black Sheep Restaurants announced in an email to patrons and on social media that two of its restaurants had guests recently who tested positive. Both Buenos Aires Polo Club and Carbone are closed indefinitely for disinfection. There will be more cases like this cropping up.

July 21 last year white-shirted men attacked protesters in MTR

There were assumptions that the government would limit the number of patrons in restaurants in bars, but Lam didn't say this, and instead asked the public and the hospitality industry to exercise caution.

"I appeal to all residents, for the good of themselves, for their families, and for Hong Kong, please reduce all unnecessary going out, and avoid meal gatherings," she said. "I appeal to the relevant industry, for the sake of public health, to adjust their operations and lower risks for their customers."

It's going to be even harder for restaurants and bars to justify staying open if they have to find ways to "lower risks to customers", and how will this be enforced?

But it's imperative that Hongkongers collectively do everything they can to reduce the chance of infection from the coronavirus, which means ideally staying at home most of the time.

Tonight police were armed with tear gas and pepper spray

However this evening marked the eight-month anniversary of the Yuen Long attacks, and there were black-clad protesters gathered in the district. At least 100 people showed up, chanting slogans, such as "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times", "Five demands not one less", and "Hong Kong independence is the only way out", and setting fire to cardboard.

The police arrived late to the scene, and as expected, fired tear gas and pepper spray. There was also a sit-in at Times Square shopping mall in Causeway Bay.

So much for social distancing. But some people believe the fight for justice and democracy needs to continue regardless of the current public health crisis...  

Pleas for Rent Breaks Fall on Deaf Ears

One commuter suited up in hat, visor and mask on the MTR

In the last few days, it looks like there are more people are on the streets in Hong Kong, taking public transit, albeit with masks and the odd one wearing goggles and surgical gloves.

This evening I went to try a new restaurant in Sheung Wan and was shocked to see it completely packed with diners. It was as if the virus didn't even exist in this place.

Everyone wears masks while taking public transport

But for many other restaurants, they are hurting badly, thanks to eight months of anti-government protests and right after the coronavirus hit.

A restaurateur who owns a few places around town is looking glum. The other day we were in his newest restaurant that opened late last year and at lunchtime it's not packed, but it's a decent stream of business as well as takeout orders.

But it's not enough to cover the rent.

He says shopping mall landlords hardly budge at all when it comes to rent concessions. He heard some shop owners have banded together in the hopes that as a consortium they can have more leverage in dealing with the landlord, a massive conglomerate. Wonder how that is going.

Another entrepreneur with trending food brands in his portfolio, has decided not to renew leases with those shopping malls that have not offered any discounts on rent, and will boycott them. But will the landlord even care?

Many prefer to dine at home than eat out for dinner these days

One of the big landlords is Wharf Real Estate Investment Company (Wharf REIC), that owns Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui and Times Square in Causeway Bay, says the outlook for the city's economy was "pathetic" and "dire" in the near term.

"We feel Hong Kong is pathetic in the short term. It could take three months, six months or even nine months [for the COVID-19 outbreak to subside and the city's economy to bottom out], but we have no idea," Stephen Ng, the company's chairman and managing director said today during the annual results briefing.

"However in the long run, we believe Hong Kong is still a lovely place to do business. As long as we can walk through the current [crisis], it will be better."

Interesting he chose the word "lovely". I wouldn't describe Hong Kong as a "lovely place to do business", but Ng has said so.

Times Square shopping mall in Causeway Bay is empty

Maybe it's because he feels his company has the upper hand when dealing with their thousands of tenants who are all begging for some kind of rent concession?

But these tenants are literally going to go out of business or cut their losses short and close in the next few months if the coronavirus does not let up soon. Case in point: today I saw on Twitter that the University of Hong Kong will continue classes online until May 16! It is possible schools could be closed till May as well.

So... for the sake of keeping the Hong Kong economy somewhat alive, the city's big shot landlords should stop obsessing about their company's stock performance and consider giving their tenants a break in the rent. Isn't it better to have shop spaces occupied than vacant? An empty shopping mall is hardly appealing to customers...

Tone Deaf Landlord

Louis Vuitton behind this protest sign will be closing its shop in Times Square

Of all the luxury brands, looks like Louis Vuitton is cutting its losses first.

After seven months of protests in Hong Kong, the French name brand is closing one of its eight stores in the city.

Times Square's owner Wharf Reic refuses to lower rents

The world's top luxury name is pulling out of Times Square in Causeway Bay, after landlord Wharf Reic refused to lower the rent on its second-floor space. Louis Vuitton currently pays around HK$5 million (US$642,000) a month in rent.

According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board's latest figures, only 2.65 million people visited in November 2019, a decline of 56 percent from the same period last year.

Other brands like Moncler, Gucci and Salvatore Ferragamo have seen sales plunge as much as 45 percent in Hong Kong during the third quarter. LVMH reported a 25 percent decline for its Hong Kong sales in the same period.

The mainland customers who use to deluge luxury stores in Hong Kong daily are now staying at home to shop, with prices becoming more competitive in China. Previously luxury sales in Hong Kong were driven mainly by international travelers, with visitors from the mainland accounting up to 70 percent of luxury goods sales.

Hong Kong Land has offered concessions to tenants

While it's understandable Louis Vuitton wants to minimize its losses, landlord Wharf Reic is hardly being sympathetic to the situation. Meanwhile Swire Properties that owns Pacific Place in Admiralty, and Hong Kong Land, with The Landmark in Central have offered a series of measures to tenants, including rent concessions.

Is this wishful thinking on Wharf Reic's part in expecting the protests to end soon? Or is the developer completely tone deaf to what has been happening for the past seven months?

Everyone has been financially affected by the protests in the city, one way or another. Job in the hospitality industry are being cut, shops closing down as well as restaurants. Perhaps telecom and internet companies are benefiting from all the communications and online use, but most of us and the city as a whole have been affected for over half a year.

Swire Properties has also helped ease rent pressure for tenants

And the unrest is expected to continue in 2020, with Chief Executive Carrie Lam yet to find out way out of this political crisis. The economy is not expected to return to pre-protest levels within this year, maybe 2021 if some kind of political resolution is found soon.

So for Wharf Reic to refuse to lower rents is hardly helpful in keeping Hong Kong's economy going, and in the developer's best interests, wouldn't it be better to have a giant prime retail space occupied than left empty? Hard to understand Wharf Reic's strategy when everyone is else is working together to find a way to stay afloat...

Sucking Up the Bubble Tea Hype

These Heytea drinks look messy but they taste oh so good!

I finally succumbed and tried one of many bubble tea brands that have sprouted in Hong Kong in the past year.

My colleague and I went to Heytea, which opened a store in the basement of Times Square two months ago so we went to check it out.

We came just before lunchtime so there wasn't much of a lineup thank goodness.

Many Heytea outlets look like this when they are busy

The shop doesn't have any seating -- everyone stood outside to wait for their number to be called on a digital board with a ding dong sound.

I was surprised to find the prices were very reasonable too. We chose to share an Oreo-flavoured boba tea (boba meaning the large tapioca balls), in a milk tea flavour that cost HK$28; for a matcha flavoured one it would be HK$36.

The wait was about 10 minutes or so which wasn't too bad and when our order was finally called we got a small plastic cup with the black pearls at the bottom, the milk tea and crushed Oreo cookies on top.

I haven't had bubble tea in decades -- it's not a drink I would normally choose because the black pearls are hardly nutritious, and I never finish eating them either.

But that first sip -- I sucked up those tapioca balls and they had a caramelized sugar flavour that complemented the milk tea drink (more milky than tea). And on top of that the crushed cookies -- with a tinge of salt -- made the drink sweet, salty, chewy and crunchy all in one.

Oreo-flavoured bubble tea with the black pearls looked like this

Thank goodness we shared that drink -- I wouldn't have finished one on my own -- or maybe I would have drunk all the milk tea and left most of the tapioca pearls behind. In the end we did just that... a waste, but we didn't need to add more inches to our waists.

Heytea is one of the hottest bubble tea brands at the moment, and has had a meteoric rise since it started in 2012 in Jiangmen, Guangdong province. It now has its headquarters in Shenzhen, and is best known for its cheese topping on the drink... which didn't quite seem appetizing to us.

Will we try Heytea again? Probably, but not anytime soon... but that caramelized sugar taste was so good....! Like drinking a liquid form of milk tea creme brulee...!

Heytea
B216, B2, Times Square
1 Matheson Street
Causeway Bay
3106 2996

Mickey Mouse Turns 90

A tribute to Walt Disney with Mickey drawing his portrait...

November 8 is the 90th birthday of Mickey Mouse who made his debut in Steamboat Willie in 1928. And The Walt Disney Archives is touring around the world showing off only a fraction of its artefacts of the famous mouse. Almost 90 items are now on show at The Times Square Piazza in Causeway Bay until October 31.

I managed to get a very quick preview minus the hordes of people...

An original doll Charlotte Clark created

There's reproduction of animation drawings, comic books about Mickey Mouse in Chinese printed in Hong Kong in 1972, a Mickey Mouse watch and a Standard Oil Map of the United States and children could collect Mickey Mouse cards at Standard Oil gas stations.

Two things we found particularly interesting thanks to information provided by Robert Maxhimer, exhibition manager of the Walt Disney Archives.

First is the one of the original Mickey Mouse stuffed dolls designed by Charlotte Clark. According to Maxhimer, she was a big fan of the mouse and made her own stuffed version of Mickey Mouse in the early 1930s and showed it to the Disney Studio. She got permission to make the dolls and produced some 200 of them, all sewn by hand.

But then demand was so great that she came up with the idea of designing the pattern so that people could make their own Mickey Mouse doll.

Walt and Roy Disney were so impressed with the doll that they rented a building near the studio and called it the Doll House where Clark and six other seamstresses churned out 300 to 400 dolls per week.

Mickey with the sorcerer Yen Sid in a drawing of Fantasia

The next interesting bit of trivia is about Fantasia. It's one of Maxhimer's all time favourite Mickey Mouse films and he explained the Sorcerer's Apprentice was based on Goethe's 1797 poem Der Zauberlehring.

In the animation, Mickey is apprentice to sorcerer Yen Sid, which is Disney spelled backwards...

By the way on November 8 this year, The Walt Disney Archives will have a pop-up exhibition in New York's Meatpacking District with over 200 items on display.

Liu Xiaobo's Likeness in Hong Kong

Earlier a bust of Liu Xiaobo was on display at the Times Square mall

A few days before the 29th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in June 4, there was a makeshift booth set up on the edge of the Times Square shopping mall in Causeway Bay and it featured the bust of the late Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo.

The group of activists who were manning the booth received notices from the mall, which is owned by Wharf Holdings, saying they did not get permission from the mall to have a stand and if they didn't leave they would be sued for illegally using the space and using loudspeakers to disseminate political ideas and solicit donations.

Times Square threatened legal action against the activists

At first they came to a temporary agreement, and the group even unveiled a 1.5 metre high statue of Liu sitting in a chair and smoking a cigarette last Tuesday. However, the mall issued another letter saying it was seeking an injunction order if they refused to leave.

So earlier this afternoon, the group avoided legal action by putting Liu's statue on a set of wheels and slowly moved him to Paterson Street, also in Causeway Bay to a nearby mall called Fashion Walk. The activists are hoping to display the statue until July 13, the first anniversary of Liu's death.

We'll have to see if the statue remains at the second mall without too much trouble. The activists were hoping to stay in Times Square because so many people pass through the area everyday, thus increasing awareness for Liu manifold.

Activists moved the statue to nearby Fashion Walk

It was the perfect place for mainlanders to know more about who he was and what happened to him, but the mall's owner would rather they not get into politics and come into the complex to shop.

So Liu now has a new home... how long will he get to stay there?

Baseball Caps for How Much?

K-pop group EXO was in Hong Kong for the opening of MLB store

Last Friday afternoon two areas of the Times Square shopping mall in Causeway Bay were filled with screaming teenage girls. The main atrium and downstairs in the basement were clogged with raging hormones, as these school-aged girls were super excited to see their favourite K-pop or Korean pop group EXO.

I profess to know nothing about K-pop except that Hong Kong people love Korean food, dramas, pop music, clothing, learning the language and visiting the country...

Fans of the group covered every inch of the mall for a look

EXO was in Hong Kong for the opening of MLB -- a Korean sports wear brand promoting Major League Baseball merchandise, and the band members' faces (Chanyeol, Sehun and Kai) were all over ads wearing baseball hats and shirts. The first day of sales must have been astronomical as there was a very long line to get into the store.

Aside from the lure of K-pop stars to a shop opening, it's really strange to see baseball promoted in Hong Kong as it's not a sport that is popular at all here -- football (soccer) and basketball are the ones guys are into. Women might be into baseball if EXO are fans...

However, MLB is really keen on establishing its presence in Hong Kong, with not one, but three stores, including a large one on the ground floor of a new building on Queen's Road Central that houses mostly art galleries.

Really bling-ed out baseball caps... interested?

After dinner in Times Square, my friend and I checked out the MLB store, but there were hardly any customers. There were lots of baseball caps for teams like the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers to name a few.

These ones pictured right in particular caught our eye -- they were so bling-ed out we had to laugh. The baseball caps not only had the New York Yankees initials, but also intricate embroidered dragon designs on both sides that were obviously catered to the China market.

There was even a hot pink dragon version for the female baseball fan.

The price? HK$619 (US$78.87). Would you buy a baseball cap for that much?

We didn't think so...

Picture of the Day: People Day

A captivated crowd watching the tail-end of the dragon dance at lunchtime

Today is the seventh day of the Lunar New Year -- which means it's 人日 (ren2ri4) or "human day" or in Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speak "peoplekind day"; in other words, everyone's birthday.

How people want to be automatically a year older during Chinese New Year I won't quite understand, but Times Square shopping mall in Causeway Bay celebrated with four lions and a dragon.

At lunchtime the piazza was covered in people watching the lion dance and my colleague and I walked by as it was finishing up. The lions did dramatic acrobatic leaps up on poles while the dragon ran around in circles.

Near the end there was a pop sound and the lions and dragon spewed out rectangular-shaped tissue paper confetti for a dramatic finish. They also threw small stuffed red dogs into the audience.

Here's a picture of the crowd watching the dragon doing its last dance before the show was over.

Happy 人日 everyone!

Anger Over Lancome Brews

Protesters, including pan-democratic lawmakers were against Lancome

Cosmetics giant L'Oreal is falling into the trap of doing exactly what you shouldn't do in a crisis -- hide and shut up.

Today there was a pretty vocal protest march into Times Square shopping mall in Causeway Bay, trying to enter the Lancome cosmetics area to shame it from cancelling a free mini concert it had organized on June 19, with Denise Ho Wan-sze as the headline act.

They complained the brand was kowtowing to China

The whole kerfuffle started when the nationalistic state media outlet Global Times accused Lancome of inviting "a Hong Kong and Tibet independence advocate to promote products", while mainland internet users threatened to boycott the brand.

Ho was a strong supporter of the 2014 Occupy protests, even willing to be arrested when police moved in to shut down the 79-day movement in Admiralty. She was also pictured meeting the Dalai Lama on her 39th birthday in May.

It was the threat of mainland customers potentially boycotting Lancome and possibly other beauty brands under L'Oreal, that it seems like Hong Kong was sacrificed to placate the mainland market, and Hong Kong people were not happy.

Knowing there would be protests today, several cosmetic brands closed their shops citing security reasons, including Lancome, Yves Saint Laurent Beaute, Helena Rubenstein, and Shu Uemura.

Denise Ho being escorted by police out of the Occupy protest

Protesters, including at least six pan-democratic lawmakers and Demosisto's Joshua Wong Chi-fung shouted, "Say no to self-censorship!" and "We are all Ho Wan-sze, say no to the mainland's hegemony!"

While Ho herself didn't make an appearance, she was interviewed by the BBC. She said she was "shocked and saddened" by Lancome's decision.

"As an international brand, it should stand firm on its core values and moral standards... It is not just about making money," Ho said.

On Monday she issued a statement, calling for Lancome to explain itself. But so far there's just been silence -- and closed shops.

Ho, in white shirt, met the Dalai Lama in May

It's hard to understand why Lancome chose Ho to be associated with the brand, knowing her political stance since at least 2014. It is naive of the brand to think Ho is only an artist -- she also has very strong political views and she's paying the price for it, with no opportunities for high-paying gigs on the mainland.

The incident also plainly shows how Lancome is desperately kowtowing to Beijing -- but again, if it wants to curry favour with the mainland market, surely it should have known that one shouldn't choose Ho to perform?

Heads will definitely roll in Lancome, but in the meantime someone has to come forward and explain the whole situation. But as this is Hong Kong, where transparency is hardly the norm, we expect more stony silence in the days to come...

Bye Bye Brother Cream!

My first encounter with Brother Cream in June 2014

Sad to see Brother Cream and his owner's convenience store in Tsim Sha Tsui East to go due to rising rents.

I managed to see the chubby British shorthair cat a few times in the last two years or so, and yesterday, the last day of the shop's operation, a number of fans came by to say goodbye.

However Brother Cream didn't seem to care about all the fuss, with so many visitors and media around that he lounged around napping for most of the day.

His owner sold Brother Cream merchandise as well as books

The demise of the shop is also a sign of the times, as the owner, Bee Ko Chee-shing said that even if he moved to another location, business would be difficult because fewer people are buying magazines and newspapers.

He tried to capitalize on the fame of the cat by producing two books, Brother Cream in East TST, and Cream Chicken Soup, along with public appearances and even an advertising contract with department store Wing On, and a statue of him at Times Square for Chinese New Year.

However these were not enough to keep the money rolling in, though Ko admits if it wasn't for those gigs, he would have closed shop two years ago.

Brother Cream shot to fame in 2012 when he was allegedly stolen and fans posted notices of him around the area. The media picked it up and the cat made front page news. He was apparently returned about 20 days later and by then had garnered lots of fans and even a Facebook page.

He even made a special appearance for Chinese New Year

In the meantime Ko will give Brother Cream a break and hopefully fans will be able to see the fluffy feline somewhere again soon.

Thanks Brother Cream, for hanging around. You brightened up many people's day, just for being you.

Further Mainlandization of Hong Kong

The mainlandization of Hong Kong continues with whole office buildings being snapped up by mainland companies.

Evergrande Real Estate has agreed to buy Mass Mutual Tower in Wan Chai from Chinese Estates Holdings for a record HK$12.5 billion. The happy seller? Joseph Lau Luen-hung, who snapped up the $48 million blue diamond for his little Josephine a day earlier.

On the same day as the Mass Mutal Tower sale, Chinese insurer China Life bought an office block tower with a two-storey retail block at One HarbourGate in Hung Hom from Wheelock & Co. for HK$5.85 billion.

Experts say this trend will continue as more mainland companies expand their presence in Hong Kong, snapping up office space in prime locations...

So it looks like we will have more mainland landlords... is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Economically Hong Kong needs the money, but in the long term surely this just accelerates the pace at which the city integrates with the motherland?

In the meantime, tensions between mainlanders and locals continue to simmer.

This afternoon I went to the Body Shop in Times Square to buy something before going back to the office and a young mainland man was shouting loudly and angrily at one of the staff there. She looked completely unfazed even though he sounded threatening.

He was already shouting when I arrived, and thought he would stop soon, but he kept on his tirade in a very demanding tone. Another staff person was trying to sell more things to me, but this young man's loud voice was so disconcerting that I almost left.

When I went to the cashier to pay, he stormed off, and it seems he was annoyed he couldn't get a discount on something he wanted to buy. A mainland woman who was shopping in the store apologized for his behaviour, but the shop assistant who was shouted at was polite and said it didn't matter, and that he only wanted to buy something that wasn't expensive.

Then this evening my friend and I went to Caprice Bar in the Four Seasons Hong Kong for drinks with another friend we hadn't seen in ages.

However a young mainland family walked in -- and the child was whining in Mandarin. We are in a five-star hotel where a room is over HK$6,000 a night and a boy is making loud noises in a bar.

The parents try to quieten him down, but he keeps going. When we were misbehaving, our parents immediately took us outside to make us quiet. But why is he allowed in a place like this?

Eventually they are seated in the restaurant where dandan mian is not on the menu.

I know that Hong Kong people can treat mainlanders badly, but the two above examples are bad form too.

Money is what drives our relationship, not mutual respect.

And as long as they keep throwing money at Hong Kong, staff will have to put up with outrageous behaviour, while the landlords -- more and more mainland ones -- will be raking it in... What do they care?

Picture of the Day: Toby in Hong Kong

Meet Toby, your BFF in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's shopping malls continue to be in a race to find the next coolest thing to promote (within budget), which is why we won't be seeing the likes of that giant yellow rubber duck anytime soon.

Times Square in Causeway Bay currently has "Happy Toby to You" by Gary Baseman, who is coincidentally celebrating 10 years of Toby, a seemingly feline cartoon with a fez hat.

Party time with Toby and his pals celebrating 10 years

The American artist says: "Toby is your shadow. Your mirror. Your best friend in the whole wide world. He can smell your fear. He is addicted to your insecurity. He knows how to push your buttons. He is no Teacher's Pet. He loves you. He truly loves you".

The artist, illustrator, animator, toy designer, TV/film producer and performance artist likes to explore what he calls "pervasive art", where the goal is to blur the lines between fine art and commercial art.

In the Times Square Living Room Museum until June 11, check out what Toby and his friends are up to in the city -- it's a wacky sight.