Hong Kong Diary and Reflection
(All photos is taken by myself)
The day that we have waited to go to Hong Kong finally come. We go in there for 7 days, but we only have 5 days to finish our fabric sourcing. Many good and bad things are happen in Hong Kong. From this trip my friend and I had a lot of fun experience. Other than that from this trip I become known new friends. For me this trip is not only a trip for fabric sourcing, but a short holiday and refreshing.
DAY 1
(Hong Kong Sim Card)
[endif]--Sunday, 4 March 2018 we went to Hong Kong to do a fabric sourcing. We must gathering on Changi airport at 07.00 and arrive in Hong Kong around 01.30. The first thing that we did is bought a sim card. The Hong Kong sim card is cheaper from what I search before. After the hotel check-in and we go to the room. I was unpacking my stuff, while waiting for my roommate Khesia to come. Around 4 pm we go together to have a dinner and took a look the situation around our hotel. Finally we decided to eat a dim sum restaurant in front of the hotel.
( New friends from other class)
[endif]--In this day I get acquainted with 2 girls from the other class, Hana and Ani. It’s a lot of fun to meet them because they are very friendly. They even teach me a simple Chinese languages such as I’m Hungry “Wǒ èle”, Where you want to go “Nǐ xiǎng qù nail” and I'm thirsty “Wǒ kǒu kě “. ![endif]--![endif]--
Even though it’s only some word, but for me it’s really hard to remember it. Before we went back to hotel to take a rest we buy a Ice cream. We interest to buy because of the long queued. In my personal opinion the taste of the Ice cream is quite ordinary.
In this days is quite hard for me to walk so far because 3 day before, I got fall and hurt my knee. The other thing that make it worse is because I need to wear a long jeans while in this trip.
-Ice cream near our hotel-
DAY 2
In this day our adventure was begin. In this day we need to gather in the hotel lobby at 9 am and go to Sham Shui Po. To go in here we need to walk around 8 minute and took a MTR and walk again around 5 minute to reach the fabric shop location. After a short briefing about the location, we are divided in 3 groups. Each of group is contain of 11 students. We are divided in the group to make student easier for consultation about ours collection and the fabric sourcing. Luckily I’m in the Joe’s group with my classmate
(We are gathering in the small park in there to listening ours teacher briefing)
At the first Joe brought us to some trimming shop and give us an advice about choosing it. Then we go to the denim shop, it’s a lot of denim type in this shop and it’s interesting because it's kind of fabric that I never saw before. The next shop that we visit is a fabric shop called Wa Fat piece- good, store that Joe recommended. After took a look of the fabric and the sample that they have I didn’t get anything that suitable for my collection. I make sure my self that I need to look deeper for the fabric so I can find a fabric that suitable for me. An hour was pass but I only get 2 sample of fabric that may be I can consider, but I still not sure about it. I start to panic because I cannot found a type of fabric that I want. ![endif]--
(Fabric that I found in Wa Fat)
When I give up in this store and decided to go another fabric shop. Suddenly my other lecture, Jay was coming and told me that he saw some fabric that may be suitable for me in the second floor shop. I felt very lucky and follow him to the second floor store named Moon Yue. This store is the most favorite store for me because several reason. First, because I found my fabric in here, second is because the owners of this shop are really nice and humble. The other thing that made this store special is because they have an air conditioner and there’s a chair and table to sit for a while. Especially for that day because that day is very hot.
Before the lunch time I already found a few of fabric that I need for my collection. During the lunchtime we decided to eat a dim sum around that place. In this time I get a change to know more about girls from other class.
On the Left is the photo of my favorite food in this dim sum restaurant. I even ate this 3 days in a row, I want to eat this as long as I’m in Hong Kong if my friend not told me to eat something else to try and that she alredy bored eith dim sum.
After the lunch break my friends were suggest to me to take a look the triming shop. I agree with that suggestion, so we decided to go PITC because is near the dim sum restaurant. My first impression abou this store is wow, because it’s many beautiful handmade beading in there. Sadly I cannot took a photo of the beading, because they afraid that may be people will copy their design. The things that I hate from this store is everything is so expensive, but still it’s too beautiful and have a quality.
After take a look for a while I fall in love with a beading piece with 2 cm wide but because it’s too expensive I didn’t buy it, I want to ask my teacher about it. The other thing that I really love from this shop is the feather. It has a red color but there’s some part of the leather that they cut-off so it’s quite interesting.
I look the price of the feather and I count it, and I think the price is quite cheap so I bought 1 meter of it. After they cut and told me the price I’m a bit shock because I realize that I look the price wrongly. I think it’s only cost about 22,5 HKD per meter, but actually It’s cost 225 HKD. I cannot cancelled it because they already cut it for me, so I bough tthat feather. It become a valuable experience for me, so next time I will ask the shop owner about the price and make sure it.
There’s so many experience that I had a from this day. After done in the PITC shop we are split out. I want to go to Moon Yue to met the lecture and ask about the fabric. When we almost arrive Cindy said that she want to see the lace shop infront of the Moon Yue first, I agree about it because I also need lace for my collection.
I went back to the Moon Yue to ask about my fabric, but the lecture already busy with the other student. They ask me why I took a long lunch break while they wait for me. Honestly I felt guilty because I didn’t know that they are waited me and that the truth that I’m the one that need their help but I made them to wait. From that experience I will try to be on time and be more responsible.
Around 5 pm we went to Leather shop. This shop is quite near from ours hotel. This store is amazing. There’s so many beautiful type and color of the leather and fur. Even though I don’t need a leather or fur honestly I’m a little bit temted to buy a fur with dark purple color, but in the end I’m not bought it.
After done in the leather shop my friend and I decided to eat a snack and go back to hotel to sleep, because we were too tired to do anything else.
DAY 3
It’s quite similar with the day before, we need to gather on 9am in the hotel lobby. Khesia and I woke up at 7 am every day. After we done showering and prepare everything that needed, we decided to have a breakfast. In front of our hotel there’s a bakery shop. We decided to buy bread in there rather bought a food in Seven Eleven like what we had done the day before, that is not really our taste.
After the short briefing we continue to look for a fabric. I directly went to Moon Yue and looking for another fabric that I need. This day Moon Yue is really crowded because many students come to here. Some of them are looking for fabrics while some of them come here to ask to the lecture. For me this store already likes the teacher and student basecamp. I decided to go out to take a look the other store while waiting the Lectures.
In this day so many student that want to ask to the lecture until I don’t have chance to ask about the fabric that I need to bought. Luckily a half-hour before the store close I had a chance to ask both lectures about my fabric. I don’t want to waited again I decided to bought the fabric that I need, even though I still didn’t know where I would apply it. The other thing that I like from this store is because the owner allowed us to entrusted the fabric in there.
Same as the day before, in the evening we went to the leather shop again. I know that I wouldn’t buy anything but because I like the store and I like to take a look the interesting leather in there, I came along with them.
(The photo of the leather shop)
For me this is another lucky day for us because suddenly the owner shop gave us a red pocket for Chinese New year, even though it’s already done 2 week before.
For the dinner my friend and I went to the restaurant near hotel, because they want to eat a spicy soup food. I cannot eat a spicy food so I other a fried rice in there.
Before we go back to the hotel we walk around the store near there. I need to go back first because my injuries is hurt.
DAY 4
When I arrive in Moon Yue, I took my fabric and cut a sample from each of my fabric. I try to arrange the fabric into my collection, it’s quite difficult because I still not sure about it and I only have 6 sketch. I show my arrangement it to Joe and he said that we would make sure again when we arrive in Singapore.
The fabric that I bought mostly is an evening type of fabric such as organza, jacquard and velvet. The theme of my final collection is a “ Ballet Russes so I need a pattern and colorful fabric. I quite shock when I count that I have a 17 type of fabric and I still need 1 lace fabric. It’s a lot of fabric but I realize because some fabric only had a 2 or 3 yard left.
Around 11 am Joe brought some student to the zipper shop. I follow him because I also need to buy a zipper. The name of the zipper shop is YKK same as the zipper brand name. Joe said to me to buy the zipper in here because the quality and the price is much better than the usual zipper in the Singapore.
Around 11 am Joe brought some student to the zipper shop. I follow him because I also need to buy a zipper. The name of the zipper shop is YKK same as the zipper brand name. Joe said to me to buy the zipper in here because the quality and the price is much better than the usual zipper in the Singapore.
( Inside view of the YKK store )
The next shop that we visit is the PITC. Since I told before that I like this store, so I’m so happy when we go in here. I show my Lecture the beading that I want and ask about the feather that suitable for me.
The photo of the beading trimming that I bought.
(The peacock feather)
I really like the color of the feather because it’s colorful. There other feather that I need to buy, but my Lecture said that I should to look in other store because it’s expensive to bought in there.
At 3 pm we need to gather in front of the Moon Yue, because we need to visit G2000 office to know more about this brand and learn about it.
I didn’t take many photo in here, they didn’t allow us to take it because they have a new collection that haven’t published yet.
For the dinner one of my friends suggests us to try roast goose that had a Michelin star. It’s almost 8 pm, when we arrive in there. We need to reserved if we want to eat in here, because we already too tired and starving we choose to take away the order and eat in the hotel. We even go back with the taxi because we felt so tired.
We ate in the one of my friend room. Actually is quite fun because we need to sit the floor and talking about many things. I accidentally drop my chopstitck and my friend laugh to me and didn’t realize that hers chopstitck is also fell. After a while is happen when she forget that hers chopstick is already fell and she keep eating with that chopstick. When she realize it she scream and said that she will get poision because of it. For me it’s a quite fun to get some kind of experience and have a quality time to talk with them.
(We order a roasted chicken, goose, and pork)
DAY 5
In this day we already not required to gather and come to Sham Shui Po if we already get what we need. I already finish bought a fabric that I need, so I went by my self to buy beading, trimming, and rope.
It’s many shop for beading in there so I spend quite long time to search about the beading that I want, but many beads that I want that not available in there.
I buy some beading but it’s not like what I expected before, but I still grateful I can find it. I also found a feather that I want.
I bought a rope that I thought the color and the texture is nice. I show it to my teacher but they said that this kind of rope is cannot used for tying a pants because it’s stretch. I bought around 15 m for this rope, but unfortunately I cannot use it.
I need to buy another rope. Jay told me not to buy a sporty rope like usually use for jacket. I just forget it, so I bought another rope but it’s a sporty type. For me it’s a funny because I have another 15 m rope that I won’t use it, and it’s because I keep forgetting what my teacher said.
In the evening Jay said to me tat he found a rope that may be suitable for me. I feel lucky because I don’t want to buy a wrong rope for the third time.
Around 5pm we went back to the hotel. We need to bring back our fabric, so we order a taxi. The car is full of our fabric.
The temperature at the night is quite cold, so we choose to look for a warm food. Using a GPS we look a Japanese restaurant that sell a shabu- shabu (Japanese clay pot). In the middle of the way we found a waffle shop that I want to try since the first day.
DAY 6
In this day I need to pick-up a lace fabric that I order. I went to Sham Shui Po together with my two other friend and the lectures. I forget to ask or call the fabric shop, what time that I need to pick-up the fabric. I went to the store at 9 Am and when I ask about it, the owner said that the fabric would arrive at 2pm. While waiting my fabric, I was walking around the beads shop. I also met my friend in middle of my way and we went together.
(Ribbon and rope shop)
[endif]--In this day I also said good-bye to the uncle and aunty in the Moon Yue store. It’s a quite sad to say good-bye after every day in 5 days met them.
The picture on the left is the photo of the uncle from Moon Yue. As we can see that the uncle is so humble and kind person. He always helps us if we ask for a sample or ask about the fabric. He also allowed us to sit and do our work in their table.
At 3 pm we went to the Raffles Hong Kong. Our lectures invited a person from Redress Award to talk about the Redress competition.
( Second Winner)
( First winner)
The first winner for the last competition is really amazing. She used a modern technology to make her garment, which also combined it with Zero waste technique. She also minimized the side seam for every garment so it can be more long last.
The talk show is quite fast it only 1 hour. The next schedule was our lecture Joe and Arzele would bring us to the Hong Kong young designer’s workshop called PMQ. We went in there by walking and there’s a interesting experience of it.
We know that our lecture is very fast in walking, and we suppose to walk faster. The place that we went through is quite crowded, and made us left behind by our teacher.
The funny thing is some of my friend tried to use GPS and we walking up with the escalator, but after arraive in the top we got confusse because the path way is have many alley. I know in this situation we suppose to get a taxi and go back to hotel or went to PMQ, but the thing that we did is took a wefie because theres a beautiful scenery at the foot of the mountain. For me it’s an amazing experience because I became know more friends and we were joking about anything, during the trip.
Finally after 1 hour walking without direction we found the place called PMQ. For me this is a interesting place and I feel lucky because we not give up, even though we need get lost to go in here.
This place is consist of 6 floor with the ground floor. The exhibite is not only about fashion but also a cute accessories and other things. Some of the store is already close because we arrive in there around 6 pm. Luckily there some interesting shop that still open. Some of the shops aren’t allowed us to take a photo of their product because they afraid that we copied their product.
This is the last day we at Hong Kong. It’s quite sad for me, because this trip feel very fast but also very fun. Our flight is at 7.30 pm and we need to gather at 4 pm in the hotel lobby. The other group was already leaving hotel in the morning because they have a afternoon flight.
My friend and I decided to go some Gallery in Hong Kong. This gallery is located at Pedder Building, Central, Hongkong. We see interesting painting in here and it’s for free.
(Nabil Nahas painting)
The second that we saw is the Simon Lee Gallery. This Gallery is exhibit a new works by London artist Clare Woods. Her painting is based on photographic source images. For me is very interesting how she combine interpretations shift between figuration and abstraction, and made me guess what the picture told about.
The next gallery that we visit is Lehmann Mapuin Gallery. The exhibition is shown a new print work by Alex Prager. Her signature is based of photography and film, which usually she manipulates scale and dimension to challenge our understanding of boundary between fiction and reality.
(Alex Pager digital print in Lehmann Maupin gallery)
The last Gallery that we visit is Pearl Lam Galleries. This Gallery is present two solo exhibitions of work by Kour Pour and Su Dongping.
(One of the Su Dongping’s painting.)
The other painter named Su Dongping. Taoist philosopher Laozi inspired his works. By destroying and reconstructing his painting, he discovers his own unique painting technique instead of following traditional painting methods. I like how he applying layers by lying on oil, plaster, wire nail, and other media. He breaks through boundaries and rebuilds the discipline of painting to create three-dimensional, sculpture- like painting.
Kour Pour is known for his elaborate carpet painting that depict familiar symbol of different culture and universal concepts of beauty. I impress of how he translates complicate pattern from old carpet into paneled surface. The other thing that I like from his artwork is the color combination that he applied.
The next thing that I did is took a picture of beautiful store and walking around that area. During the lunchtime we ate ramen. We need to wait to be served around 20 minutes, but the taste of this ramen is really delicious.
The last place that we visit before we went back to hotel is the flower shop. It’s a dried flower, and tea from mixed flower. We went back to Singapore at 7.30 pm
Reflection
Before this trip I already went to Hong Kong with my family. It’s on September so during that time is very hot and very not comfortable. I also got cheated and scold by some people in there. I had a bad experience in Hong Kong and I didn’t like it.
I quite didn’t want to go Hong Kong because of my experience before. I already prepare my self to be careful and stay focus. I was wrong, this trip is the unforgettable trip for me. Many thing that I learn and get from this journey. This time I’m not get scolded, even I found many nice people and help me a lot. The weather during that time is very nice and cozy. It’s not hot at all but not really cold.
The other things that make this trip very fun are because I met many new friends and get know them more. It’s really nice to meet them. Hear a story about their joke and life, for me it’s really refreshing. I also learn that I need to ask about the thing clearly and make sure it, so I will not miss a thing or make myself disappointed. I also need to set my schedule, so I can more prepare for everything that I do.
Hong Kong food is also really delicious. I really feel thankful because I can get this kind of experience while I was studying.
![endif]--
