Monday, March 28, 2011

A Surprise Face-to-face Encounter with Taylor Swift (Part III)

The International Finance Centre (branded as 2 IFC) in Central

Taken somewhere in Central near 2 IFC. A big DBS Bank (Development Bank of Singapore) billboard there.

A Neoclassical building with HKSAR and PRC flags. It used to be the old Supreme Court of Hong Kong. Behind it is the headquarters of HSBC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited), the de facto bank of HKSAR.

This is the main entrance of HSBC HQ located in 1 Queen's Road, Central. The main banking hall is located on the third floor which is accessible by the escalators. I was here to activate my ATM card. What ATM card ? Well, it's my HKD ATM card. I opened this account through HSBC Malaysia before coming to Hong Kong and i received my HSBC Hong Kong welcome pack along with its ATM card via DHL Express just a week before my actual trip to Hong Kong. And why do i need a HKD account ? Well, you need a local currency card to really feel like you're living here right ? I mean you can exploit the ATM as much as you like. Get HKD cash out from the machine anytime you like. Man ... i do fell like a Hongkonger. lol

See the bronze lion on the left ? There are two of them. One on the left and another one on the right. These two bronze lions are not just some statues, mind you. They are deemed as good feng-shui by this gigantic British Bank and they even have a name, Stephen and Stitt respectively.

Both of the lions were made back in 1935 and had traveled as far as Osaka during World War 2. They were shipped to Japan to be melted down but before this could happen, the World War 2 came to an abrupt end and both Stephen and Stitt survived. Both of them were found in a dockyard in Osaka by an American Sailor. Stephen has shrapnel scars in its left hindquarters resulted from the battle of Hong Kong (when Japanese came).

A DBS Bank branch in Jordan

A Citibank branch in Mongkok. Opposite it is the HSBC building (not in the picture). And Hang Seng Bank (belongs to HSBC - not in the picture either) building is located to the left of HSBC building. Why am i telling you this ? Well, it's to give you a sense that just how close all these big banks are located together. The banking industry in Hong Kong is so competitive that all the banks are literary handing out as much as HKD1,800 (RM707.40) of free cash to you just to open a bank account with them. Man ... only if banks in Malaysia are as generous ...

Hainanese Chicken Rice. It's the combo deal which i paid just HKD63 (RM24.80) inclusive of a plate of vegetables, soup of the day, an extra big bowl of rice, a plate of extra large chicken and a glass of iced milk tea. Don't let the photo to fool you. The portions were so big that i ate only half of these.

This restaurant is located somewhere in Tsim Sha Tsui. I do not remember its name. Actually, i was on my way to Harbour City but then, i was lost. I walked so far that i reached another MTR Station. I was hungry and tired and this restaurant looked good as it was absolutely jammed-packed. Well, when you're in a foreign country and know nothing about the city, it is safe to bet that a restaurant with many people must be serving good foods.

Causeway Bay (銅鑼灣) at night

Inside a very small Shanghainese restaurant located somewhere in Causeway Bay. That's a Shanghainese noodle soup and Shanghai Xiao Long Bao (上海小籠包). Can't remember how much i paid for these. Those foods in the top left are not mine. I was sharing the table with a couple.

The century old tram. Can you see the advertisement on it ? It's a Public Bank advertisement for Public Bank (Hong Kong).

More food pictures to be posted in the next update. Stay tuned !


To be continued ...

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