Hi Guys, is Cian
This is my new creation of adventure in searching all about coffee in Hong Kong. Please enjoy with a cup of coffee while reading:)
On 22nd of September, after finishing the volunteer activity in Kowloon, I decided to have a cup of specialty coffee nearby. It was far away than I expected as it took me an hour to arrive! This is Sham Shui Po. It was being identified as one of the poorest and oldest districts in Hong Kong, but with different people are still living in, you will discover stories behind the historical buildings and people!!
Is a different world while walking in Sham Shui Po as those were the tenement houses! At least 30 years of age, with their unique features of advertising sign holding out, is a big contrast between day and night! Sham Shui Po, Po in Chinese means a deep water pier! The time might day back to the Neolithic with some evidence that there were people living in Sham Shui Po in Han dynasty. Within this small district, there are bedspace apartments since 1950s to 1960s due to the Chinese Civil War. Lots of mainlanders migrated to Hong Kong and without enough space, one of the ways to deal with these large amounts of people is the cage homes! Low rental fee, with limited privacy, provides a space for the immigrants to survive in Hong Kong. The second type of accommodation will be subdivided flat that a flat is being divided into two or more individual rooms. With a little bit of space but its own privacy, it can be sure costing more than the cage homes.
For Hong Kong citizens, they had public housing to live that had more space. However, more space doesn’t mean a lot of space especially when you have to share with six to seven people per family. The public housing was built because of the fire in Shek Kip Mei, destroying thousands of shanty homes. Because of this, whether it was a disaster or milestone, a square building appeared in front of people’s eye, one by one.
Walked till the end of the Apliu street, you can choose to walk the same path or try a different one! If you choose to walk the Nam Cheong Street, you will see the pawn shop that was famous long before 1950s of Hong Kong. It was being built around 1920s. For these kinds of building, traditional speaking people will live above and leaving the business on the ground floor! What I miss will be the neon light that’s holding out by the building, is like waving his hand towards people, to try his best attracting someone’s attention! Imagine that people go in and out through that corner of doors – a one way out smoothly! A vivid image appeared in my mind!
If you chose the original path, you will see a building that was spinning and waving company. Even now is the same company but the story of this building will be a mystery!
The coffee shop that we were going to is the Cafe Sausalito! Located in this district, that is not closed to the MTR station; is especially for specialty lovers! Is one of the parts that I like as you get to dive into an area that is not familiar with. This is an adventure. When you arrived in front of the coffee shop, you will be amazed by how it is looked like!
The name is from a well known metropolitan – San Francisco Bay Area, this is a place for people to relax, learning and socializing. The founder of the coffee shop, Michal Tam – is from Sham Shui Po. He grew up within the history of the fabric era! I believe the spinning and waving is the part that connected him from coffee to people in daily life! That might be why he chose to open a coffee shop in Sham Shui Po!
Try this out and you will be surprised!!
As I believe, there is always a story behind and stories are how we connect with each other! I would say, for dreams to happen not just hope! I will see you guys in my next article!!
P.S
The song that I was listening while creating! Leslie Cheung!!
Miss him so much that never forget he is one of our greatest singer, musician, and composer in Hong Kong. One of the fathers in Cantonpop! Blessing of the future of Canton music! Really proud of what we have in Hong Kong and I can proud to say that this is Hong Kong’s tradition!! Please let’s join us for this song!
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It’s wonderful!!!Wanna visit Hong Kong one day
Hi Francesca,
I am so happy in my life having you at this moment as you are the first one who visited my website! I will remember your name my whole life and thank you so much for your support!
Cian