jia-da

in light of recent events on the home front, our family will forego a planned trip to hong kong and tokyo next week - waahhhhh! alas, we must take care of things here, and we promise to reschedule - c'est la vie.

although quite frankly, i am a bit sad not to be occupying the penthouse suite we had booked at the jia hong kong. the first phillipe starck designed boutique hotel in this city of very chic and buttoned up bolt-holes, it is something of an anomaly in an otherwise business class city. not that hong kong doesn't have an edge - it does - but between reverting back to chinese rule and shifting economic sands (asian tigers lose their roar too), it seems as if it's trying to hold onto that corporate identity.

so, the seemingly lovely jia, in causeway bay - a bastion of slick finishes and oh-so-cool styling. yes, a bit of a cliché in this era of uber-designed hotels, but hey, i want my mtv. and hong kong - is a bit of nyc on the other side of the planet ... the obsession with money and conspicuous consumption, the hyper slick skyline, with a good dose of drama ... the haves and have-nots, the cheap eats and fine dining, the street life and markets, all under the umbrella of establishment.

it's been almost 20 years since the last visit, time to go back soon ...