#i originally had these earmarked for his birthday

[thatgoddamngingerundercut]

180524 Mnet BTS Comeback Show Highlight Reel cr. 0613data

original coloring:

because JK worked hard on it <3

[cocoartistwrites]

HI happy birthweek <33 I just wanted to pop in and say that you are one of my favorite authors ever and I am so in love w absolutely everything you choose to write!!

on another note,, this is my first ask ever aaaa :D do you have any original works and if so what about? xxx

omg thank you firstly for the birthday wishes and secondly for being your first ever ask and thirdly for all your lovely comments. I have one original one-shot posted on AO3, which you should save to read in December probably as it's very adventy.

And I was working on something, which I haven't been lately, but here's a bit of it anyway:

The church had been cool in the morning and still remembered being so, but the air was disturbed by all the circulating bodies, bringing their heat and the impression of the sun’s with them.

Ada slipped into the spot she’d earmarked to catch the moment the groom saw his bride for the first time. She couldn’t remember his name. Andrew maybe or Adam. He was handsome in the way that all those sort of men were handsome. She adjusted the aperture to suit the dimmer light and distance from her subjects, took an experimental shot and changed it again. He was talking to his best man as they waited, both decked out in morning suits, waistcoats the same pale yellow as the bridesmaids’ dresses. The music started and Ada focused her camera. It was a shot they never thought to ask for but always cooed over later. Sometimes she didn’t send it - sometimes they didn’t look like they’d been thwacked over the head with an axe in a joyful way – and she always wondered about those ones.

She almost missed it this time: Andrew or Adam or Adrian looked back right on cue when everyone stood but only practice kept her focus – snap – move forward to get a side angle –

Could it be? She’d only caught a glimpse when they’d all got up and turned around to look but in the row of ushers she thought –

She looked back. And it was. There was Jack Goldfinch, tall and handsome and laughing in the yellow waistcoat and blue tie of the wedding party. She hadn’t seen him in about twelve years, but she knew him instantly. Ada focused on her job again, mind reeling. She held her finger down to take an endless sequence – a cheat really, but one of them would do, one would get the groom’s face and they’d all be pleased and only Ada would know she hadn’t taken it as she liked to, hadn’t perfectly frozen the moment in time.

Jack wasn’t frozen. Her eyes kept going back to him, she’d have to move out of sight. It was extraordinary him being there. She wondered if he’d told Mrs Macaulay but supposed not. He’d stopped coming to stay with his aunt years ago: he’d outgrown The Beeches and all its occupants.

Everyone else was peering back over shoulders at the woman in ivory making her way up the centre of the church, and so Ada had a view of the sea of the back of people’s heads. But Jack, lit up with a beam of sunlight and pleasure, was looking forward, up at the groom. His hair was cut shorter now. He’d had a cloud of corkscrew curls as a kid, which she’d always rather envied. Her mother had told her off for trying to copy them saying her hair wasn’t ‘like that’. But his smile was the same and even at a distance of a couple of metres she could see the way his eyes lengthened.

His skin was the same too, like it had trapped all the warmth of the sun to hold it through the winters to come. He was the boy she’d once known all familiar and strange at once, like a dream from her childhood had stepped out of her head. How many times had he stood at a pretend altar – to be married or sacrificed depending on Cecily’s mood du jour?

Jack glanced up at one of the stained glass windows. His face was too beautiful in profile not to document. Click.

Her lens turned back on the job. Ruby’s dress pooled down behind her into a shaft of light. Ada didn’t want to understand the white dress yearning, but she supposed she did. She wondered where Cecily would get married – if she’d go super traditional like this or opt for something more modern. You never knew with Cecily. She went to photograph the bridesmaids. Saffron was gazing at Jack too – Ada could hardly blame her. How strange and small the world was.

[mistvgames171]

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[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

“Moon betrayed his followers and distorted the church’s lofty goals by turning his movement into a huge money-making machine.”

“Moon’s Japanese Profits Bolster Efforts in U.S.”

By John Burgess and Michael Isikoff

Washington Post Staff Writers    September 16, 1984

This article has been edited down. Link to original: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/cult/unification/profit.htm

The Japanese branch of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church has transferred at least $800 million over the past nine years into the United States to finance the church’s political activities and business operations, including The Washington Times newspaper, according to two former high-ranking church officials, Yoshikazu Soejima and Hiroaki Inoue.

This money is generated in Japan, primarily through a Tokyo-based business operation that uses church members to sell marble vases, miniature treasure pagodas and other religious icons that are represented as having supernatural powers, the former officials said. They also said the religious icons were distributed by Happy World Inc…

The sale of these items has been the principal source of capital for an international network of Unification Church operations, said Soejima and Inoue.

These operations range from Gloucester, Mass., tuna fleets to the anticommunist political lobbying of CAUSA International in Latin America and the United States.

Their accounts could explain how the Unification Church �� has been able to support a major Washington newspaper that has lost an estimated $150 million during its first 2 ½ years of operations.

The Times, showcase of the church’s business network, is seen by Moon as an important source of political influence here, according to Soejima, the former chief of Unification Church public relations in Japan. Exhorted by pep talks to meet “the respected father’s” needs, Japanese church members have worked in recent years under sales quotas requiring them to transfer to the United States roughly $2.5 million a month earmarked for The Times, Soejima said.

“The Washington Times was the top priority of the entire Unification Church worldwide,” said Soejima, who was editor of Sekai Nippo (World Daily News), a church-controlled Tokyo newspaper, before being fired last October following a dispute with church officials over control of the paper.

Soejima, 37, is the highest-level church official to break with Moon and publicly discuss the church’s operations. In five lengthy interviews with The Washington Post in Tokyo, he provided details about church finances that were supported by hand-written notes he said he had made after monthly meetings of top church financial officials in 1981 and 1982.

His statements also were supported by Inoue, who headed church operations on Shikoku Island before being fired by the church and who sat in on four of the interviews with Soejima. …

Soejima said he joined the Unification Church as an idealistic university student nearly 20 years ago and that he continues to believe in its public objectives of uniting world Christianity and eradicating communism.

But, he charged, Moon had betrayed his followers and distorted the church’s lofty goals by turning his movement into a huge money-making machine.

“By the end of 1975, the main activity of the church was collecting money, buying lots of real estate in Korea and the United States and starting a lot of businesses,” Soejima said. Moon “is not working for the world, but for himself,” he said.

...

Soejima estimated the number of Japanese members at 8,000 and quotes Moon as saying in 1982 that he was disappointed because there were only 2,000 members in the United States – a number that is slightly lower than the estimates of about 3,000 members supplied by former church members and a figure of 5,000 cited by Gutman….

Based on their former access to internal church documents and Soejima’s attendance at numerous top-level meetings of church financial officials, Soejima and Inoue said their conservative estimate is that the church has transferred at least $800 million to the United States in the past nine years. Starting in 1975, they said, the church mobilized its Japanese members for a massive fund-raising effort that has used high-pressure sales techniques to take advantage of the religious superstitions of Japanese consumers.

Handwritten notes that Soejima made at some church finance meetings indicate that the Japanese church was taking in more than $100 million a year during 1981 and 1982, most of which was transferred to church headquarters in New York.

One set of notes, based on a church financial report from June 10 to Sept. 10, 1981, states that the Japanese church raised about $54 million during the three-month period (based on 1981 exchange rates), of which about $38 million was sent “out” – a term that Soejima said meant abroad. That figure was representative of the year’s other three quarters, he said. … That would mean the church earned about $122 million in 1982, of which 90 percent was shipped abroad, according to Soejima.

He said these transactions were usually made through international bank transfers, but large amounts of cash were carried into the United States by church members because “sometimes Moon wants money right away. Getting permission to send it by bank transfer takes time,” Soejima said.

When Moon conducted a “mass wedding” of 2,075 couples in Madison Square Garden in 1982, 400 Japanese men and women were flown over for the event. “Each person took, I think, about $2,000,” Soejima said.

According to Soejima, a confidential financial statement would be distributed to 10 to 12 top Japanese church officials each month. These statements would show roughly $2.5 million earmarked for The Washington Times.

Each month figures on actual spending would show the previous month’s target had been met. Senior officials would then deliver pep talks on “the respected father’s” needs for a better showing next time, he said.

“Always, it ended with a statement that this is where we stand now, so go out and fight harder,” Soejima said.

According to his account, the ability of the church to generate these funds is based on its control of Happy World Inc., a company that is headquartered in a utilitarian fifth-floor office in a Tokyo business district and whose president, Motoo Furuta, is chief of the Japanese church’s financial bureau, according to Soejima. …

Happy World’s main activity is importing of consumer goods, such as marble vases, miniature treasure pagodas and ginseng teas from church-owned companies in South Korea, including Il Shin Stoneworks, Tong Il Co. Ltd. and Il Hwa Co. Ltd., according to Nakada and the company’s sales brochures.

The vases, pagodas, ginseng and other consumer items are distributed to about 10 wholesale and retail outlets throughout Japan that, according to Soejima and Inoue, are controlled by the church and use church members as door-to-door salesmen.

More than 2,600 complaints about the sale of marble vases, ivory seals and miniature pagodas of the kind that are often sold by church members were lodged with the Japan Consumer Information Center between 1976 and 1982, according to a report made by the government-funded agency.

▲ Name seal

Hundreds of these complaints involved reported cases of intimidation, threats or misrepresentations in which salesmen preyed on the “religious anxieties” of consumers, according to the center’s report. The small objects often were portrayed as having mystical powers that could save unhappy marriages, cure illnesses or purge the evil spirits of samurai ancestors, the report said.

The center has published pamphlets to warn consumers about the sales of these items. In one case cited in a center pamphlet, a woman whose husband had just died in an auto accident was being sold one of the objects. The salesman told her the evil spirit of a samurai ancestor who had killed with his sword was tormenting the family. The sale would solve that. “If you don’t buy it, the same evil spirit will continue with your children and they will meet the same fate,” the salesmen said, according to the pamphlet.

The salesmen, Soejima and Inoue said, are instructed never to identify themselves as being with the Unification Church or Happy World.

“We had orders that, when engaging in economic activity, never say you are a member of the church,” Inoue said.

According to Soejima and others, the profits from sales of these items can be enormous. In an extreme case, he said, a vase that cost about $21 was sold for $8,300. A quantity of ginseng worth about $42 sold for eight times that amount. One salesmen can raise about $4,000 per month, he said.

The salesmen’s expenses are minimal. During his years in the church, Soejima said, he often visited church members at grimy group houses where they slept half a dozen to a room. The members receive no salary from the church and immediately hand over all their sales proceeds to the house “leader.” Once a month, Soejima said, a church official comes to the house and “they collect it in cash and bring it to Tokyo.”

In a two-hour interview in Tokyo, four former church members told of being assigned to sales soon after joining. Church officials conducted sales-training lectures using films and stressed the need for money to finance “the restoration” under way in the United States.

All four members, who asked not to be identified, said they were told of Happy World’s role soon after joining. “I was told it was the economic department of the Unification Church,” said a 24-year-old woman who had sold ivory seals door-to-door.

The primary role of The Washington Times within Moon’s global organization was underscored in ways other than the financial support it received from Japan, Soejima said. He cited a series of meetings in February 1983 that began at church headquarters at the New Yorker Hotel, where about 70 church officials from round the world gathered to celebrate Moon’s birthday.

Full story HERE

▲ Claims handled by the Japanese Lawyers Association against the UC/FFWPU for their ‘Spiritual Sales’ fraud. 

Column 1  Year Column 2 Complaints recorded by Organizations in Tokyo Column 3  Complaints recorded by Organizations outside Tokyo Column 4  Complaints recorded by Consumer Information Offices throughout Japan Column 5  Totals

The second total from the left (in yellow) shows that over 18,000 legal claims for compensation from FFWPU were made up to 2016. The right hand total shows a total of 118,258,935,819 yen by the end of 2016.

Recently total claims have exceeded an astonishing $1billion.

The people of Japan are not known for filing frivolous lawsuits. Many of the FFWPU / UC victims are not likely to step forward to keep from losing face.

“The true figure of victimized citizens, however, is assumed to be over ten times more than what is recorded, for the fear of bad luck from ancestors and repercussions from the FFWPU / Unification Church.”

Some complaints are settled out of court.

Since Sun Myung Moon died in 2012, Hak Ja Han has headed the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. The pressure on the Japanese members has continued unabated.

____________________________________

¥ 1,400,000 to be paid to Hak Ja Han’s church by each Japanese FFWPU family.

Time period: October 20 - December 26, 2015

百四十万円 = ¥ 1,400,000 = $11,400 USD for each UC/FFWPU family

Believers are desperately looking everywhere to borrow or get the money any way they can.

____________________________________

Moon founded “The World’s Greediest Church”

A huge FFWPU scam in Japan is revealed

How Moon bought protection in Japan

Suicide of Moon money mule in Uruguay

In 2000, Japanese members were pressured to buy Moon’s Cheon Seong Gyeong for $30,000 for each book!

これが『統一教会』の秘部だ

The Atsuko Kumon Hong “suicide / murder” of August 2013

Asian ginseng – there is currently no conclusive evidence supporting any health benefits

Wikipedia – As of 2017, there is insufficient evidence to indicate that ginseng has any health effects

Religious Freedom for Japanese Members! (The FFWPU established a slave caste.)

Sun Myung Moon – Emperor of the Universe

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

AgentReignCorp, Part 14d - In Afternoon's Light

After breakfast, they settle in the living room. The wide windows spill generous light across their respective seats, and there's no sound but the occasional turn of a page.

Sam sifts through a catalogue, earmarking pieces that might fit them better than the furniture she originally bought for two. Lena reclines next to her, in one of Sam's sleeveless red flannels and a pair of cutoff shorts.

Her study of the science journal in her hand is more engrossed, but periodicallyinterrupted by the occasional dip into the candy bowl balanced on her stomach, and her bare knee sways slightly in contentment.

Alex ostensibly has the most recent issue of Guns & Ammo to keep her busy in the armchair across the way, but Sam can't help but notice that her gaze wanders back to Lena more than she reads. Sam can't blame her.

Lena is always gorgeous but this recently sexed Lena radiates happiness. She's relaxed and satisfied in a way that Sam has never witnessed before. That's the benefit of being pain-free, Sam supposes. She even looks lighter, like a massive weight has been taken from her shoulders. It's not all the lack of discomfort, though.

The satisfaction there in her smile... that one's all them.

Sam flushes at the memory of Lena's final orgasm the night before-- the way Lena had begged and hungered for it, the way that together, she and Alex had taken her the rest of the way. The moment had been so powerful, Sam can still feel it in her chest.

It grounds her. The same way the feel of Lena's bare foot under her palm tethers her to this room, this moment. For a moment, there's no chance she'll float away to the dark valley that plagues her nightmares.

As though sensing the turn Sam's thoughts have taken, Lena's foot wiggles under her hand, toes digging for the warmth lurking between thigh and cushion. Their eyes catch, and Lena gives her the tiniest of grins.

Their moment of peace shatters under the blow of the doorbell ringing. For a second, confusion fills the room as they each wrack their brains for forgotten plans. Then Sam's heart lurches when she realizes that the world has found them.

Lena's meticulous about their privacy here. When paparazzi follow her, she camps out at her own apartment until she's certain she won't be followed to the suburbs.

Alex doesn't bring work home. It's not on any of her personal records, and even in emergencies, she gets a phone call, not a visit.

What if it's not friendly

The thought sears across Sam's brain, sending bolts of adrenaline through her from head to toe. Lena sits up, cradling her bowl in her lap. Sam claws at her wrist, clutching it tight. They only just got her back.

"Wait here," Alex says, her voice low, but firm.

She disappears into the hall, and Sam hears the faint beep of their hidden wall safe before Alex pads to the front door. The door cracks, hesitant and wary before a long, ominous stretch of silence.

Then Alex heaves an audible sigh.

"It's Kara!" she calls. The door squeaks the rest of the way open, then shuts.

Sam releases Lena in time for her to rise.

"Kara! Hi..." Lena's smile seems genuine enough, but Kara's brief survey of the room around her-- Alex with her hands shoved in her pockets and Sam still frozen on the couch-- leaves her grimacing.

"Sorry to just drop in on you guys--"

"Don't worry about it," Sam manages to grind out. It loosens the knot in her chest, but doesn't do a thing to ease Alex's irritation.

"But you could have called first."

Kara licks her lips. "I wasn't sure anyone would answer."

"It's all right, Kara, really," Lena assures her, ever the diplomat. "Is anything the matter?"

It's a dumb question, considering that the awkwardly shaped package Sam now notices in Kara's arms sports a big shiny bow.

"Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to... to give you this. Happy birthday."

Kara being here is a good thing. The fact Lena hasn't bit her head off is a good thing. Their fractured friendship hurt them both, and while the going's slow, their progress is tangible in Lena's congeniality. But Sam can't help but feel the slightest bit resentful.

The intimacy of just a moment ago had felt almost coital-- this intrusion felt like a violation.

Kara must feel it too, because her flush deepens when Lena breaks into a wide smile.

"Thank you, Kara. You really didn't have to."

"I wanted to."

Lena glances between the three of them, then dips her head toward the kitchen. "Let's..."

Kara follows on a delay, her eyes glued to Lena's frame as she crosses into the kitchen. Sam knows why. Even blindsided by their uninvited guest, Lena moves with the sensuality imbued by recent sex. With her hair loose across one shoulder, unbrushed and wild, she looks... like a dream.

The rest of Sam's resentment bleeds into mirth when Alex plops dejectedly onto the couch beside her.

"Don't be jealous," Sam chides softly. "This is a good thing."

Somehow, saying it aloud is what makes it true. Sam leans into Alex's shoulder, gathering up her partner's hand and giving it a kiss.

"I know," Alex grumbles. She glares at Kara like she wishes she shares Supergirl's heat vision. Sam pokes her in the ribs, and Alex finally softens with a sigh. "I know."

Together, they watch Lena move confidently around the kitchen, pouring Kara a drink. All the while, the sparkle never quite leaves her eye.

"She looks happy," Sam murmurs softly. Alex nods against her head.

They did that.

Warmth floods Sam from head to toe. She wants this. She wants Alex cuddled against her and Lena smiling for the rest of her life. For longer. She wants Ruby, giddy and confident and fearless.

When she left her mother's house, pregnant and terrified and spiteful as hell, Patricia had warned her that her life would end the moment her baby was born. That she'll never be happy. Sam realized much later that Patricia had been trying to scare her into making a different decision-- that in some way, those hateful words had come from a place of love.

A familiar ache blossoms in her chest at the realization that she'll never get the chance to show Patricia just how wrong she was.

Snuggling deeper against Alex, Sam closes her eyes and savors the sense of right that just permeates the room, even with Kara standing stiff and awkward in their kitchen.

"I love you," she whispers. "So, so much."

Alex presses a kiss to the top of her head. "I love you too. With all my heart."

[tripistic]

Prambanan Temple of Indonesia - Stories Telling Ruins

It said that on the off chance that some occasions written in predetermination, at that point, the entire work gets one for its event. On the off chance that you don't accept, at that point, think about this occurrence with me. I was on a visit to Yogyakarta in Indonesia and was arranging a dawn outing to the Borobudur sanctuary at daybreak the following day. I gave this data on Twitter. I quickly got an answer from Narendra Ramakrishnaji, wherein he encouraged me to visit the Prambanan sanctuary complex. He urged that it takes under 2 hours to visit the Prambanan sanctuary complex found only a short way from Borobudur, and it would be a foul play to return without seeing it. I did some exploration and examined with my Indonesian host. 

One issue was settled after the other, lastly on my birthday, and I got the endowment of darshan of the two sanctuaries. In the first part of the day, I saw Borobudur, and by early afternoon I was remaining before the Prambanan sanctuary complex. I joined by individual bloggers from Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia.

I had restricted data about the Prambanan sanctuary complex. So as far as possible, I took in additional about him from books. After coming there, I incidentally purchased a homegrown traveler ticket instead of a global explorer, so I was somewhat anxious about the fear. Later, I realized that an unfamiliar traveler ticket is around multiple times more costly; however, one espresso is also accessible free with it. Fortunately, I had just drunk a flavorful espresso.

Prambanan Temple Complex

The originally felt that stuns you as you approach the Prambanan sanctuary complex is its immeasurability. The pinnacles of the three tall sanctuaries are seen transcending the remainder of the sanctuary complex. The rest of the monasteries show up the smaller person in the examination. As you approach them, there are dim dark flotsam and jetsam noticeable in numerous spots. These flotsam and jetsam are the current types of sanctuaries remaining in a period.

As per legends, there were six sanctuaries in the Prambanan sanctuary complex. In any case, as indicated by engineers, just 280 monasteries have proof of presence.

The arrangement of this sanctuary bears a similarity to the plan of Sriyantra. There was a Shiva sanctuary in the center and Brahma and Vishnu sanctuaries on the two sides. There are other sanctuaries of God vehicles identified with every refuge, particularly Nandi bull, swan, and Garuda. There are two different sanctuaries between Brahma and Hans's monasteries and correspondingly between the monasteries of Vishnu and Garuda. These are called Apit Mandir. As indicated by my Indonesian companion, it implies center.

The three primary and biggest sanctuaries of this complex are devoted to the Trinity of Hinduism, particularly Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The Shiv Mandir arranged in the center is called Shivgriha or Shivalaya, for example, Lord Shiva's house.

I might want to give you a little insight concerning the three fundamental sanctuaries here.

The Shiva Temple is the biggest sanctuary in Prambanan. Bramha and Vishnu sanctuaries' presence shows that when this sanctuary was fabricated in the ninth century Java, the three divine beings loved.

To arrive at the sanctum sanctorum of the Shiva sanctuary, one needs to climb steep steps. The external mass of the cover has cut, yet the inward dividers are plain. I cannot say with assurance that it was at that point plain or that it has occurred after the fix. The sanctum sanctorum of the sanctuary is little, and no example of structure and the closer view was obvious.

Over the lotus blossom put on a square vagina is a high sculpture of Shiva. That is, the human Shivling is set up here. Seeing the symbol of Shiva wearing garments, I was helped to remember the pictures of Buddha of Gandhara convention in India.

The underwear decorated on the Shiva sculpture is long up to his lower leg, and he is wearing a thick page in his legs. The four-colored Shiva sculpture's arms are broken, so it isn't easy to think about what they grasped. Their shoes are tied on top of the head, and a snake is wrapped on the neck.

Plexus plot

There is a circumambulation way to circumambulate the sanctum sanctorum. Here the Shilpakhand on the dividers of Shiva and Bramha sanctuary depends on Ramayana, and the Shilakhand of Vishnu sanctuary depends on Bhagavata Purana. It was somewhat amazing to check whether they were oblivious of Shiva's accounts around then. For what reason did he not do craftsmanship recounting the tales of Shiva on the areas of the Shiva sanctuary? Did they need to replicate the stories of the humanity of God? Since it is accepted that Rama and Krishna are individuals, part of our set of experiences.

Consequently, the primary and directing God of this complex is Shiva, yet just Vishnu's gathas are obvious worldwide.

There are hour-sized models on the dividers of the sanctuary. From the outset, it has all the earmarks of being a secured stupa or a stupa of Mannat. Conceivably it can likewise be a finished segment. I'm intrigued to know whether any elective significance of this hourly head is known to anybody.

A huge Kirtimukh is etched at the passage of the sanctuary, precisely like the Borobudur sanctuary.

The Nandi sanctuary is found inverse the Shiva sanctuary. Its construction resembles a Shiva sanctuary; however, a lot more modest than that. A colossal stone bull is worked inside the shelter. These stones are sparkled so that they seem, by all accounts, to be actual bulls.

It has sculptures of the two sides of the moon and the sun. It can't be said with assurance that both these sculptures have a place with this sanctuary or they have been kept later.

Vishnu Temple

The Vishnu sanctuary is marginally more modest than the Shiva sanctuary. However, there is a closeness in their design. Minimalistically tall shelter with sharp pinnacles, made of profound dim stones!

All the indications of Vishnu are available on the sculpture of Vishnu. He has a conch, chakra, mace, and lotus in his four arms. They remain over the lotus, which is set over a vagina. I thought that it was exceptional. I can't say without a doubt whether this was the technique here or any exclusions duringthe maintenance. The closeness between Shiva and Vishnu's sculptures is that the two sculptures remain on a lotus blossom set on the vagina. The Shilpakhand on the parikrama way of this sanctuary portrays the tales of Bhagavata Purana.

Garuda Temple

Before the Vishnu sanctuary is the sanctuary of Garuda, the vehicle of Vishnu, shockingly the sculpture of Garuda is absent inside it, and the refuge is unfilled. Despite this, one feels something unusual when visiting this perplexing, that God is enthroned at his dwelling place and kept his vehicles in the vehicle room outside.

Bramha Temple

While I was visiting the Prambanan sanctuary, crafted by fixing the Brahma sanctuary was in advancement. So I was unable to enter the cover. Later I gathered data identified with the sculpture of Brahma from outside sources like Google and so on. The Trimukhi icon of Bramha is likewise arranged here on a lotus bloom put on the vagina.

Hans Temple

The sanctuary of Brahma's vehicle Hans is situated before the Brahma sanctuary. Aside from these, the remainder of the refuge has been changed over into ruins. In any case, the remains have been gathered in an arranged way at the sanctuaries' first spot.

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One of the best things to do in Hong Kong is to go shopping in its various markets, outlets, specialty stores, and luxury malls. The diverse selection suites a variety of budgets and tastes. Some Hong Kong shopping even appeals to the younger set if visiting Hong Kong with kids.

Nearly anything you forgot to pack can be sourced after arrival. I can tell you that when people came to visit us in Hong Kong with only one suitcase, they wound up buying another to cart various treasures home with them. (I’ll tell you also where to pick up inexpensive large bags and luggage if you find yourself in the same situation).

As I was writing this, more stores I love kept coming to mind. There are seriously too many fantastic places to shop in Hong Kong. So, I tried to narrow this list to include markets, malls, boutiques, shopping streets and outlets that are worthwhile if pressed for time on a short stay. Which you choose depends on your itinerary, where your Hong Kong hotel is, and personal taste.

Hong Kong Markets and Shopping Streets

Sham Shui Po (Top Pick)

Kowloon Neighborhood: Sham Shui Po MTR Station: Sham Shui Po (exits depend on which street you choose)

One could spend an entire day leisurely browsing Sham Shui Po and its various shopping streets. This working-class neighborhood was the heart of Hong Kong’s textiles industry in the 1950s and 1960s. The area is still popular with local and international designers with many vendors offering wholesale pricing.

It’s a must visit for anyone interested in crafts, sewing, toys or electronics. I know people in the fashion industry who head to these Sham Shui Po streets for inspiration and products. You will not see variety like this in such a small, walkable area anywhere else in the world.

Tip: These streets don’t get going until 10:30 a.m. or even a bit later. Come up early to skip the lines at the original Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan. That way you’re fueled up for shopping and ticked one of their legendary baked barbecue pork buns off of your to-do list.

Yu Chau Street (Bead Street)

Go here to find beads, shells, crystals, stones, ribbons, and more for making jewelry, crafts, bedazzling or whatever else your crafty self desires. This street is why I have shelves of ribbon for gift wrap.

Ki Lung Street (Button Street)

Buttons of every shape, color, and size adorn button street. You’ll also find bolts of fabric to choose from, ribbons, zippers, and other fantastic sewing and craft accessories.

Nam Cheong Street (Ribbon Street)

Buy ribbons on reels or cut what you need from the mindboggling selection on ribbon street. You’ll also find lace, iron-on patches, pom poms and other adornments. You’ll find most where Yu Chau Street meets Nam Cheong Street.

Tai Nan Street (Leather Street)

Offerings on Tai Nan Street used to be much more robust, but there are still a handful of places to buy leather and leather goods like handbags. Stop into Luen Cheong Leather Hong Kong, which has been in business since 1948, to take a peek at their vegetable tanned leather.

Yen Chow Street Temporary Hawker Bazaar

This Hong Kong gem is earmarked for demolition, but many of the vendors have been selling from these stalls for over 40 years. You’ll find loads of family-run stalls with every usable space jammed with bolts of fabric and accessories. It’s a packed outdoor market covered by a metal roof beloved by design students and the fashion industry. It’s sweltering here in summer but pop in and take a look while you can as it will be a tragic loss.

Fuk Wing (Toy Street)

Yes, plan room in your suitcase for whatever catches your kids’ eyes here. Typically, you’ll find whatever the latest craze is (fidget spinners galore) in addition to dolls, school supplies (loads of cute pens, pencils, lunchbox accessories), games, balls, pool toys and more. It’s a good place to buy kids’ party favors.

Apliu Street Flea Market (Electronics)

Get your senses ready for the enormous selection of new and second-hand electronics from clocks to phones to stereos to computer gadgets. Be mindful of your country’s voltage requirements when shopping for electronics. You’ll also find watches and other trinkets floating around.

Dragon Centre 

Dragon Centre the only real shopping mall in Sham Shui Po. It’s nine stories of mostly small specialty shops with some dining outlets and more prominent names mixed in. There is so much to see inside that you might want to make it a separate visit after walking the various nearby shopping streets. Kids (and you) will like the Apple Mall on floors 5-7 where one can find Hello Kitty, stationery, fashion and more.

Also inside is the iconic Leung So Kee umbrella company. They’ve been fixing and making umbrellas in Hong Kong since 1885 (not always at this location), a true art. Dragon Centre is at 37K Yen Chow St.

Fa Yuen Street: Sneaker Street and Market

Kowloon Neighborhood: Mongkok MTR: Mongkok, Exit D3

Like sneakers? Go to Fa Yuen Street (between Soy and Argyle Streets) to find a mindboggling selection of sneakers throughout 50 shops including foreign brands and limited edition styles. Most are authentic, and you can try to bargain a little, but beware of knock-offs.

Keep walking north, and you’ll find Fa Yuen Street Market (pictured above) which offers a random assortment of food, clothing, toys, electronics, handbags, hair accessories and much more. It’s a smaller, yet still fun, version of the Ladies Market.

Ladies Market

Kowloon Neighborhood: Mongkok MTR Station: Mongkok Station, Exit E2

Ladies Market lines Tung Choi Street and, while touristy, we always enjoy stopping here because there are bargains to be had. Like other Hong Kong street markets, bargaining is the norm. It’s also an excellent place to pick up an extra suitcase and not just for the ladies. In addition to fashion, socks, undergarments, and handbags, shoppers can find electronics, housewares, toy, food and more. There are hundreds of stalls and shops along this street which is why it’s one of the most popular Hong Kong Markets.

At the end of the street, you’ll find the Goldfish Market as well, which is a handful of stores displaying gorgeous fish in what amounts to to-go bags. And, you can continue walking to the Flower Market.

Flower Market

Kowloon Neighborhood: Mongkok MTR Station: Prince Edward, Exit B1 (Walk east along Prince Edward Road West until you reach the market)

While your need for fresh flowers on vacation might be slim, make a quick stop into the Flower Market for a look at giant chrysanthemums and flowers of all colors. I’ve also purchased party supplies, vases, and other flower arranging materials here over the years. It’s particularly beautiful during Chinese New Year when vendors display gourds, citrus trees, and other decorations.

Jade Market

Kowloon Neighborhood: Yau Ma Tei MTR Station: Yau Ma Tei, Exit C (walk toward Nathan Road, turn right on Nathan Road and then right on Kansu Street)

Over 400 stalls sell jade of all quality ranges and colors including carvings, bracelets, pendants, necklaces, rings, figurines, and more. I particularly like the trivets  I’ve purchased here over the years.

The Jade Market rests at the intersection of Kansu and Battery Streets. It’s helpful to know a little bit about jade before heading in so that you are armed with knowledge before making a substantial purchase.

Truthfully, this Hong Kong shopping experience is better for inexpensive to moderate trinkets, pendants, and bracelets. For top quality jade from a reputable dealer, try Chow Tai Fook, Edward Chui (this store has moved to Landmark Prince’s, and I adore his designs), or Chinese Arts and Crafts (more on this store below).

Temple Street Night Market

Kowloon Neighborhood: Yau Ma Tei MTR Station: Yau Ma Tei, Exit C or Jordan Exit A

The Temple Street Night Market is also a very popular Hong Kong market that is touristy but fun. Go shopping for similar trinkets found in other markets like pashminas, cheap cheongsams, gadgets, handbags and souvenirs. However, this market is a little more like a festival with street performers and fortune tellers to entertain. One also goes for street food. 

The Lanes (Li Yuen Street East and Li Yuen Street West)

Island Neighborhood: Central MTR Station: Central, Exit C (walk west on Des Veoux Road) or Exit D2 (turn right in the little alleyway, then immediate left on a pedestrian street until you see Queen’s Road. Then, turn right and walk to Li Yuen Street East and start there)

Li Yuen Street East and Li Yuen Street West, known as “The Lanes,” are conveniently located just off Queens Road near the Mid Levels escalator. You’ll find knick-knacks galore, pashminas, cheongsam dresses, souvenirs, underwear, luggage (I tell people to go here for cheap extra suitcases) and more.

Walk down one lane from Queens Road, then head either left or right on Des Voeux Road (depending on which lane you start in) and continue onward in the other lane to complete both in a “u” shape. They’re not big streets but make for a nice detour when exploring this part of Central. 

Also, Pottinger Street market is across the street on Queen’s Road.

Pottinger Street Market

Island Neighborhood: Central MTR Station: Central, Exit D2 (turn right in the little alleyway with stalls, then immediate left on a pedestrian street until you see Queen’s Road. Then, turn right and cross the street when you can. You’ll see the steps leading to the market before you hit the escalator.)

From Queen’s Road, walk up the stairs to the Pottinger Street market, a mecca for costumes year-round (or walk it downhill from Wyndham Street/Hollywood Road to see it in full).

Outside of Halloween, this little market comes in handy for Rugby Sevens costumes, kids parties and whatever else you can think of. We’ve raided this street for photo booth props, which are trending where we live (like 25 feather boas and wigs for a recent birthday party).

The vendors here sell seasonal decor and props for various holidays including Halloween, Christmas, Easter and Chinese New Year.

Hollywood Road

Island Neighborhood: Between Central and Sheung Wan MTR Station: Central or Sheung Wan

Cat Street Market (Top Pick)

Island Neighborhood: Sheung Wan MTR Station: Central, Exit D2 (Turn right in the little alleyway with stalls, then immediate left on a pedestrian street until you see Queen’s Road. Then, turn right and walk to the Mid-Levels escalator. Get on the escalator and exit on Hollywood Road. Walk about 10 minutes to the market. You’ll see Man Mo Temple on the opposite side of the street.)

This is the place to go for Chinese memorabilia like propaganda posters and Little Red Book copies also mixed in with genuine Chinese antiques and inexpensive trinkets. You’ll also find jade, silk products, handicrafts, and home accents. My daughter bought a box full of jade rollers for $6 each (which are selling for $30 each at Sephora).

The street is called Upper Lascar Road and is accessible from Hollywood Road, across the street from Man Mo Temple. Pair a visit to Cat Street with a stop into the temple.

We walk to Cat Street Market down the Queen’s Road from Central hotels there are other shops to be seen. You can stop into Pottinger Street and The Lanes along the way, too.

Tai Yuen Street (Toy Street)

Island Neighborhood: Wan Chai MTR Station: Wan Chai, Exit A3 (Walk toward Johnston Road, and you’ll see it.)

This toy street on the island in Wan Chai delivers all sorts of games, school supplies, and gadgets that kids will love. It’s possible to buy in bulk and where we purchased 25 dolls that we turned into mandrakes for my daughter’s Harry Potter party. It sells many of the same goods as Fuk Wing Street so no need to visit both toy streets unless your kids insist or this one happens to be close to your hotel or other stops on your itinerary.

Jardine’s Crescent

Island Neighborhood: Causeway Bay MTR Station: Causeway Bay, Exit F (Look right after exiting the tunnel and walk a few paces to the small market entrance.)

Jardine’s Crescent is referred to as the Ladies Market of the island because you’ll find handbags, clothing, accessories. The entry is easy to miss. It’s next to a Bonjour cosmetics store. The market doesn’t look like much, but it is rather large and fun if you can take the time to walk through it. 

Stanley Market

Island Neighborhood: Stanley (south side of the island) MTR Station: None. Take a taxi or bus.

The market is around the corner from this promenade.

If there’s no MTR Station then why would you make an effort to go all the way over to Stanley Market? The answer is because you want to see the quieter side of the island. Stanley Market offers more or less the same items for sale, with more clothes though including some brand names. Favorite purchases here include some limited edition watercolors of Hong Kong that hang in our home. It’s also easy to have name chops made (your name in a Chinese character), a souvenir that kids love.

It’s easily a good half-day trip between browsing the many stalls, walking around and a bite to eat in the market or at one of the bars and restaurants. Sitting on these patios in good weather is lovely.

A taxi ride from Central takes about 45 minutes and as the roads can twist and turn those prone to motion sickness should take caution. A bus can take anywhere from 60-90 minutes depending traffic and on where you catch it. Most people catch the bus at Exchange Square.

Revitalized Historic Buildings and Boutiques

Recently, several historic buildings have been revitalized into lifestyle destinations that tourists and locals both love.

PMQ

Island Neighborhood: Sheung Wan MTR Station: Central, Exit D2 (Turn right down the little alleyway, make an immediate left on a pedestrianized street, go right on Queen’s Road, get on the Mid-Levels escalator and exit on Staunton Street. Walk a few minutes to PMQ.) or Sheung Wan, Exit E1 (Turn right to Des Voeux Road Central, then turn right to Gilman’s Bazaar. Go straight towards Queen’s Road Central. Walk along Aberdeen Street for around 7 minutes, and you’ll see PMQ.

PMQ is home to local design galleries, including outlets of popular local brands like G.O.D. and Vivienne Tam, in addition to bookstores, cafes, and offices. If you like to support local businesses and get a glimpse of up-and-coming designers during your travels, this is an excellent place for it. 

Queen’s College, an elite school where many of the country’s leaders studied (Dr. Sun Yat Sen studied, albeit he attended when it was at a different location), was built on this site in 1889. The college was destroyed during WWII. Hollywood Road Police Married Headquarters (PMQ) was built in its place to increase police recruitment. The 140 single room units and 28 double room units for the rank and file officers serving at the nearby Central Police Station are now galleries and boutiques. The buildings have been expanded as well to accommodate even more local talent.

I particularly love the homewares and gifts. On Saturdays, there is usually some sort of fun activity happening in the courtyard. Be sure to shop all sides of the complex.

Tai Kwun (Top Pick)

Island Neighborhood: Old Town Central MTR Station: Central, Exit D2 (Turn right down the little alleyway, make an immediate left on a pedestrianized street, go right on Queen’s Road, get on the Mid-Levels escalator. On the walkway above Hollywood Road, you’ll see steps leading into a large building. Take them into Tai Kwun.)

That Central Police Station referenced above in PMQ? Well, it’s also been revitalized into a fantastic centre of arts and heritage that opened in the last year. Go mostly for the culture but wedge in a stop at the boutiques and grab a bite to eat. Boutiques I like include Loveramics (neat housewares), LockCha Tea Shop and the gifts in the Visitor Center.

Other things to do at Tai Kwun include free guided tours (register on their website or via their app in advance), a self-guided scavenger hunt for kids that they can stamp along the way, walking through the former prison yard and cells, a drink al fresco in the courtyard, and more. Do check to see what exhibitions are happening at the various galleries during your visit. Be sure to grab a map as the complex is rather large.

Western Market

Island Neighborhood: Sheung Wan MTR Station: Sheung Wan, Exit B or C (Head down Connaught or Des Voeux Road and you can’t miss the building)

Wikimedia Commons: WiNG [CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

The Edwardian-style building is the oldest in Sheung Wan and revitalized in the early 1990s to house arts and crafts vendors. Western Market is mostly famous for its fabric vendors who were moved off of the streets and into this building.

Tip: You can pair a visit to Western Market with a walk down Dried Seafood Street which is Des Voeux Road West. While, yes, it’s a shopping street I might consider this more sightseeing than retail therapy. The same goes for Tonic Street which is a plethora of exotic Chinese medicinal ingredients on Wing Lok and Ko Shing Streets.

Gough Street

Island Neighborhood: Sheung Wan (or NoHo for north of Hollywood Road) MTR Station: Sheung Wan, Exit A2 (On Wing Lok Street walk left toward Central, turn right on Man Mah and left on Bonham Street. Continue to Wellington Street, turn right on Aberdeen Street until you reach Gough Street) but you can easily walk from Central.

Boutique lovers should walk Gough Street, regarded as the coolest street in Hong Kong. It’s an eclectic mix of restaurants, cafes, hipster boutiques, old-school favorites, and housewares. It used to be a street of printers, and there are a handful of printing and stationery shops left.

Tip: If there’s no line at Kau Kee (dare to dream) get a brisket noodle soup bowl here even if you’re not hungry. They’re famous for a reason. Kids will love a Hong Kong waffle ice cream at Oddie’s.

Starstreet Precinct

Island Neighborhood: Wan Chai MTR Station: Admiralty, Exit F (Look for the Three Pacific Place Underground Link and it will take you there.)

A combination of Star Street and adjoining lanes Moon Street, Sun Street, and Wing Fung Street, Starstreet Precinct is home to art galleries, home decor and furniture stores, and cafes. This center of design and lifestyle stores is likened to London’s Covent Garden. You’ll also find various cafes. Starstreet Precinct surrounds Three Pacific Place so you can pair it with a visit to Pacific Place Mall.

Hong Kong Shopping Malls

Hong Kong is famous for its mega luxury malls, many of which are attached to hotels providing another layer of convenience for tourists. It’s hot in the summer so having an MTR station, grocery store, drug store, and more nearby without ever going outside is a significant perk.

Harbour City

Kowloon Neighborhood: Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station: Tsim Sha Tsui, Exit A1 (This station is enormous. Walk right on Haiphong Road to Canton Road. Turn left, and you’ll see Harbour City. From Central or Wan Chai, it’s easier to take the Star Ferry. Facing away from the harbour, the mall is to the left after you get off the Star Ferry.)

LCX at Harbour City

We’ll start with the largest shopping mall in Hong Kong, Harbour City, conveniently located at the cruise ship terminal and steps from the Star Ferry. Over 450 retail stores offer a wide range of diversity (unlike Central malls which are mostly designer brands) from Muji to Gucci Kids.

The mall is divided up into zones for electronics, kids, sports, luxury goods, beauty and more so you will find like stores grouped together. Do download the Harbour City app or pick up a paper map. I’ve been visiting this mall for 15 years regularly and still find maps helpful. Teens and tweens should head to LCX where shops and stalls of brands that appeal to them are located.

Don’t forget to eat at one of the over 50 dining outlets. I recently enjoyed lunch at Hexa with its rare 270-degree view of Victoria Harbour (you can also see this from Harbour City’s viewing deck on the rooftop above the restaurant.

Tip: Canton Road and its hub of designer stores is right outside of Harbour City where you can shop Louis Vuitton’s largest store in Asia and Chanel’s Asia flagship store in addition to an enormous duty-free DFS Galleria.

Pacific Place

Island Neighborhood: Admiralty MTR Station: Admiralty, Exit F

Pacific Place is the luxury shopping mall that the Admiralty hotels (Island Shangri-La, Upper House, Conrad, and JW Marriott) are connected to. This provides enormous convenience for guests as there is no need to go outside to grab necessities or get to the MTR station (also inside the mall). Anchored by Lane Crawford department store, you’ll find the likes of Chanel, Tod’s, a chemist, and even an AMC movie theater. On the ground floor is a gourmet grocery store and food hall called Great. Take the escalators up to L4 (near Great), and you’ll see another set off escalators leading to Hong Kong Park.

The Landmark

Island Neighborhood: Central MTR Station: Central, Exit G

Four buildings make up the Landmark, a luxury mall over 200 shops and restaurants. These buildings have been rebranded with new names, each starting with Landmark.

The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong and Harvey Nichols anchor Landmark Atrium, the central hub of luxury stores ranging from Gucci to Vivienne Tam that surround a grand atrium that is home to elaborate displays during holidays and special events.

Everything Armani exists in Landmark Chater with separate stores for Armani Fiori (gorgeous flower arrangements), Emporio Armani, Giorgio Armani Beauty, EA7, and more. Some locals call it the “Armani Building” or by its old name Chater House.

Landmark Prince’s (otherwise known as Prince’s Building) borders Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. Find Oliver’s gourmet grocery store, Bookazine (excellent for books and Hong Kong souvenirs), Altfield’s for antiques, and the third floor full of children’s clothing and necessities. Mothercare is a good stop if you forgot to pack baby gear.

Landmark Alexandra rests in the center of the four buildings, with walkways out to the other three. It’s mostly high-rise office space, but here you’ll find large Prada and Burberry stores in addition to Starbucks.

IFC Mall (Top Pick)

Island Neighborhood: Central MTR Station: Central, Exit A or Airport Express Station, Exit F

IFC Mall is a massive luxury shopping mall full of designer brands, young brands, cosmetic brands, gourmet food brands, a city’super grocery store, multiple restaurants, dessert shops and a Lane Crawford department store. Whether you want Chanel sneakers or a Pierre Hermé macaron (we also like the green tea and chocolate soft serve at Godiva), you’re covered. Central Station and the Airport Expresss Station are also inside. Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong is adjacent to this mall as well.

Times Square

Island Neighborhood: Causeway Bay MTR Station: Causeway Bay, Exit A

This bustling and massive shopping mall has some designer brands and electronics stores but is mostly geared toward young fashion and local brands. It’s anchored by a Lane Crawford department store, Marks & Spencer and the fabulous city’super gourmet grocery store. The Causeway Bay MTR station is inside Times Square.

It’s easy to walk between here and Island Beverly in just a few minutes.

Island Beverly

Island Location: Causeway Bay MTR Station: Causeway Bay, Exit E

This shopping mall is full of boutiques for the younger crowd. Browse four floors full of local, Japanese and Korean fashion and even quirky toys and some skincare. You’ll see some knock-offs, but it can be fun to browse.

Tip: Lots of Shopping in Causeway Bay

Across the street from Island Beverly is a fantastic Japanese department store called Sogo with its food hall basement if you’re hungry. Also, Causeway Bay equals retail therapy galore. Beyond Island Beverly and Times Square you’ll find Fashion Walk, Hysan Place, Lee Gardens One and Two and Jardine’s Crescent street market. You can spend multiple days shopping here.

Hong Kong Shopping Outlets

Citygate Outlets

Lantau Island Neighborhood: Tung Chung (Near Big Buddha) MTR Station: Tung Chung, Exit C

Over 90 international brands have outlets at Citygate, Hong Kong’s first outlet mall. You can also find a movie theater, restaurants, a spa and one of the largest kinetic fountains in Asia. There are deals to be had if you find the right pair of shoes in your size, etc. A Ralph Lauren dress I’d just purchased at a store in La Jolla was 80% off. It’s a matter of getting lucky. Brands here include Tumi, Burberry, Kate Spade, Diane Von Furstenberg, Nike, Fila, Shanghai Tang and more.

This Hong Kong shopping mall rests at the base of where one catches the cable car to the Big Buddha so very easy to do both in the same day. It’s also only a few MTR stops from Sunny Bay station where you change to the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort Line, so we made a stop at my daughter’s insistence after a long day at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Prada Outlet – Space (Top Pick)

Island Neighborhood: South Horizons MTR Station: South Horizons, Exit A (Look left, and you’ll see it.)

Space is a Prada outlet that retails past season handbags, shoes, accessories, and clothing from Prada, Prada Sport, and Miu Miu. Men and women can both shop here (though the men’s section is much smaller). I go every time we’re in Hong Kong. What you score depends on what you’re in the market for. There are quite a few handbags and shoes in addition to last season’s clothes.

Note that larger shoe sizes for women (above a 38) are hard to come by. Only a handful of people are allowed inside at once, so a small queue often forms outside. Space is usually closed on Mondays.

Horizon Plaza

Island Neighborhood: Ap Lei Chau MTR Station: South Horizons, Exit C (walk about 15 minutes along Lee Nam Road or catch a taxi from the MTR Station)

Thanks to the new South Horizon MTR line, Horizon Plaza is really easy to get to. Inside this industrial building awaits a myriad of designers, kids and furniture outlet stores. You’ll find past season clothing and accessories at discounts of up to 90%. 

Not-to-be-missed is the Lane Crawford outlet. Lane Crawford is Hong Kong’s equivalent to Saks Fifth Avenue. You’ll need patience as clothes are sorted by color and style (all white dresses in one spot, for example) rather than brand or season but it’s very worthwhile. During our most recent visit, we also found incredible savings at Saint Laurent (really), Kate Spade and Shanghai Tang. You’ll find gear for young kids, too.

Brands that may not be familiar to you but are worth a stop include I.T. (designer fashion geared toward teens and 20s), Joyce (a retailer of high-end luxury brands), and Shiatzy Chen who makes gorgeous Chinese-inspired women’s clothing.

If you’re looking to set up a flat in Hong Kong, this is where many find furniture and accessories. You might enjoy popping into Indigo, Ovo and some of the other furniture stores to see what you can stuff into your suitcase or have shipped home.

Tip: Grab a map or take a photo of the stores you want to visit on the wall above. It’s a tall building, and the handful of elevators are slow so start on the top floors and work your way down, using the staircase instead of the elevator.

Shops Around Town to Look Out For

These fantastic stores and boutiques have outlets all around Hong Kong.

G.O.D.

I’ll take a better photo of their souvenirs and housewares next time.

G.O.D (Goods of Desire) has multiple outlets around Hong Kong. It’s a local brand with contemporary jewelry, housewares, art, clothing, and accessories that celebrates everything eclectic and cool about Hong Kong, injecting a bit of humor at times.

Over the years we’ve bought everything from panda umbrellas to neat binders here. Kids who like to shop will enjoy this store, and the price point is reasonable.

Chinese Arts & Crafts

If you’re looking for high-quality Chinese jewelry (including jade), arts and crafts go to Chinese Arts & Crafts. This accredited shop has been around since 1959 with famous patrons including celebrities and politicians. I have purchased jade jewelry here and have been quite pleased with it. You’ll find top-quality art and souvenirs, too. Even if not in the market for art or jade, stop in and have a peek.

There are several branches on the island including in Central on Des Voeux Road and Pacific Place Mall.

Shanghai Tang

Gorgeous modern Chinese designer clothes and accessories for women and men.

My very favorite Hong Kong luxury brand is Shanghai Tang. Deep down, I’m hoping that my daughter will use their Imperial Tailor for her wedding dress (I regret not doing the same for my wedding).

Go here to find colorful, contemporary Chinese fashion for mostly women with men and kids represented as well. Find china, gorgeous photo frames, decorative jars and more in the housewares section.

The flagship store is located on 1 Duddell Street in Central, but there are stores in the airport, Pacific Place, Kowloon and elsewhere. A few paces from the flagship, you’ll see the famous Duddell Street lanterns which suffered damaged in the most recent typhoon.

Sasa

Sasa is basically the Sephora of Hong Kong. These stores seemingly dot every corner. Find the latest Korean, Japanese, Chinese and European beauty masks, salves and makeup here. My tween loves it, and the price points are reasonable. 

Tip: Sasa on 88 Queen’s Road Central near the escalator is one of the rare stores that open at 9:30 a.m. (check hours during the day of your visit) which make it an excellent thing to do after landing early in Hong Kong on one of the overnight flights when not much is open.

Hong Kong Shopping Tips

Wear comfortable shoes that can survive streets, gutters, uneven pavement. Hong Kong shopping from morning until nightfall and beyond is entirely possible. It’s easiest to wear a sling bag. Backpacks can be tough in tight, crowded markets. Carry a collapsible, reusable shopping bag that you can wad up and take to the markets. Hong Kongers try to avoid handing out plastic bags if they can and retail outlets charge a minimum of HKD .50 for a plastic bag.

When shopping in markets, along Nathan Road and elsewhere in Hong Kong, you might be approached by a “tout” or person on the street who is trying to persuade you to go into a back room or shop full of fake handbags, bootlegged movies, or whatever. As tempting as a near-perfect Louis Vuitton copy might be, it’s not legal so let’s say these hidden shops are a bit shady all around. Please avoid them.

Can you bargain? Yes, in the markets. I very rarely buy from the first stall. Ask for pricing every time you see something you might want to purchase and get it from the stall which is offering the lowest price. I avoid bargaining for sport—these vendors work hard and live in an expensive city—but rather to ensure the price I’m paying is fair. 

The Hong Kong Tourism board administers a program called the Quality Tourism Services (QTS) Scheme where stores must pass rigorous assessments for transparent pricing, high standards of service and quality of products. You can shop with confidence at these accredited stores. Look for QTS signage posted on the storefront windows.

If you’re not using a Hong Kong mobile carrier, Google maps may not work well for you in certain spots. It tends to get confused in places like Causeway Bay where the buildings are tall and close to each other. I sometimes take screenshots of maps before arriving. First timers in larger shopping neighborhoods like Sham Shui Po may even want to take a paper map from the hotel concierge because it’s easy to get turned around.

Take your hotel name written in Chinese with you as there are still plenty of taxi drivers who don’t speak English. I’d also take the name of your destination in case you get turned around and need to hop into a taxi to get you there. This is a Hong Kong travel tip that can apply to anywhere you need to go.

Hong Kong Shopping Tours

You’ll be able to stop into the various smaller markets on the island in between sightseeing. However, a tour of the Kowloon markets is helpful as it’s a more efficient way to visit many shopping streets in one go that otherwise might be a little difficult for a first timer.

Kowloon Market Walking Tour

This itinerary is a good one. You’ll walk the important markets in Mongkok including Flower Market, Goldfish Market, Bird Garden, Fa Yuen Street Market, Ladies Market, and Jade Market. You’ll pass Tin Hau Temple and eat famous street snacks along the way.  

[musicdish]

New Bag(daddios) Of Tricks Runneth Over For Old Punk Rock Dog With Release Of Debut Solo Album

Time is a fickle mistress. One minute you're the new guy in town, anxious to get "up to speed" with whichever 'scene' you've opted to become a part of - the next, you're remembering the "good old days" and wondering where the time went. Back in the early 1990's, New York City's The Baghdaddios were the new kids on the block.........or more apropos, the new punkers on The Bowery. Playing their third-ever show at hallowed punk birthplace C.B.G.B., they carved out a slight but meaningful niche in the Big Apple's indie community, playing nearly anywhere at anytime for anything, be it a paying gig, the door, pass the hat, free drinks or even just for "the hell of it", as front man and founding member Kenn Rowell recalled the other day during a break from shooting his latest music video. The group released a couple of CDs, a "whole mess"of videos and internet singles, played - in Rowell's estimate - "thousands" of shows, did hundreds of interviews and trekking to countless cities in various locales across the U.S., Canada and the UK. Every now and then they'd get word that their music was airing either here or overseas and on a few occasions their songs would end up finding exposure on a national TV network in any one of those aforementioned places. They've frequently received fan mail from random corners of the globe. And, yes, along the way, they started their own Benefit to help NYC's homeless - a Benefit which has spread to several metropolitan areas in America and abroad over the last two decades - called Blank-Fest. "Yeah, it's been a fun journey", Rowell smiled as the videographer downloaded the latest files from the shoot to his laptop. "I can't believe the band is coming up on it's 25th Anniversary, in November! I mean, I don't feel old........." True, he doesn't impress one as an "old man", although he does come across as someone who's 'been there and done that'. Still, after a quarter century he appears to have that boundless enthusiasm that earmarks most of the YouTube videos in circulation from past Baghdaddios performances over the years. Early in 2017 the group released a grainy-but-still-must-see performance from that storied third-show-ever at CB's, where they eviscerated the time-honored Beatles classic "Hey Jude" to conclude the evening's proceedings. If anything, a boyish Kenn actually comes across a little tentative, almost apologetic - certainly not the whirlwind we would see in later performances at the same venue within a couple of years. When asked about the ongoing evolution of the group's sound and image, Rowell just sighs and then admits "I was a bit out of my mind at the time - might even still be". Refusing to give his age (other than saying "over 40" or "buzz off, man") he appears naturally younger (we're guessing mid-to-late 40s) and only addresses the subject once, when asked if the new album's style change had anything to do with him getting older. "I never thought I'd be doing this, at this age. Actually I never really thought I'd make it past my 40th birthday. You know, when I was younger, I thought of 40 as being so old - but now that I'm well past it, it's not that bad. I mean, I still feel the same as I've always felt. The same things still piss me off. The same things still float my boat. If anything, the shift in style isn't a reflection of my getting older as much as it's just that I wanted to do something different for a change. I've been angry and full of attitude since I was in high school - but how many times can you yell F-bombs into a live mic? So THAT part of me hasn't changed a bit, that yearning to do something different. Besides, I always said that I like to keep 'em guessing." As the years peeled off the calendar and various members of the group quit - some coming back and then leaving again - he's been the one constant in the band's timeline. So when word reached us of the imminent release of his first solo album (ironically titled "Instant Solo Album" because, as Kenn puts it, it took almost a full decade to put out) we had to ask one question. "Why?". If anything, he seemed to bristle when we brought up the subject. "Yeah, yeah, I know the whole rep", Kenn explains: "I'm the guy writing the songs and doing the singing and talking to the crowd all through the history of The Baghdaddios - so what makes this new album a 'solo'? I guess it's two-fold, the reason I slapped my name and mug on the front of this one. First, the whole style of the material has a completely different feel from anything The Baghdaddios usually do. Oh, sure we have slower tunes like "Let It Shine" (which gets the acoustic treatment on this release) and "Abbie Hoffman", which to me always sounded like a 60s-era anthem. But we've always described The Baghdaddios style as "three chords and punt" - we just couldn't help ourselves from playing everything bigger, and faster and louder". True, past reviews on AllMusic.com compared the band to one of their biggest influences, The Ramones; while a quick listen of Instant Solo Album belies a decided acoustic folk and classic rock feel. Just hearing the opening guitar strums on the collection's first number, "Good To Be Back", one can't help but picture a group of college students sitting around a dorm room, singing along between sips of grain alcohol punch on a Friday night. Furthering the feel for this mood is the harmonica solo - done flawlessly by Rowell - augmented by a strong cello underpinning, before both cello and harmonica take the listener with them as the song fades out (no Baghdaddios song - to date - has ever faded out). The follow-up to this sounds almost like an outtake from a 1970's Neil Young session in the form of another Rowell original, "I Guess I'll Never Fall In Love". Mind you, this is the same "I Guess I'll Never Fall In Love" that consistently pushed the V.U. meters into the red from the band's 2006 release, Autopsy-Turvy - but all the grunge vitriol and punk swagger has been stripped away. If anything, Rowell's solo version chugs along almost joyously. In fact, it's so airy that the listener doesn't even notice that it clocks in a little shy of 5 minutes in length! There are 18 songs on the album and yet it's like a visit from a long, lost friend who leaves before you get the chance to fully catch up. I found myself going back and playing several of the tunes multiple times; for me it was over way too soon and it felt like I didn't want to let go. Part of the appeal of this offering is the eclectic mix, not only of song styles and instrumentation but even in production particulars. Numbers veer from slick, crystal-clear digitally recorded tracks to performances that sound like glorified demos - a celebration of the lo-fi aesthetic that KR confesses to having a soft spot for. (It should then come as no surprise that one of the many respected industry pros consulted for the production end of this effort was none other than Guided By Voices producer Todd Tobias - credited as a pioneering architect of the Lo-Fi sound, championed by "Voices" front man Robert Pollard - and was thus rewarded with a co-producer credit as a result.) When queried about the changes in recording ambience for the album, Rowell further confesses that said changes weren't necessarily by choice - and exist for obvious reasons. "When I started on this I had a few studio recordings which explored my more acoustic side. I had some of these songs in my head since I was 17 years old but I never got them out because they didn't have that Baghdaddios-like feel to them. To me they sounded like I was doing Dylan or Johnny Cash or even The Beatles. It certainly wasn't punk. And I had only recorded them because I got a good deal on studio time and thought it would be fun to actually sing the tunes, rather than scream 'em. Along the same time I met a filmmaker who wanted to do a music video for my band - but this was right before we were leaving for England. Between preparing for the trip and playing last-minute shows we just didn't have the time to do a vid. I didn't want to lose the opportunity to work with this guy so I handed him a cassette copy of a 6-year-old acoustic demo that I had recorded in my apartment. We just decided to do a quick production for that as a sort of solo number - the video came out so well that I started to think about cleaning up the sound on the recording and maybe putting out a 6 or 7-song EP of original acoustic tunes. Then I found another old cassette of a song I had written and recorded when I was in high school and then another one from my college days and it sort of took off from there. I found it liberating because I had all these old songs that I would occasionally play for friends but since they were never formally released I didn't feel right springing them on some poor unsuspecting paying crowd. Well, when you have songs recorded on various systems, spread out over a 20 or 25-year period there are going to be a LOT of differences. Now try getting all that to sound like it all belongs on the same album. THAT'S why it took so damned long to finish it all off! Over the last 10 years Rowell estimates he stopped and restarted work on this project, in earnest, about a half-dozen times. "Each time we'd get close to releasing it I'd go back and listen to the whole thing on headphones and I'd go 'I can't release this uneven pile of crap' - I mean, some of the songs had all this "hiss" on them - others sounded muddy. There was one song that I absolutely loved - I've actually broken it out at some shows even though no one's ever heard it before. It was something I wrote when I was in college and it always reminded me of The Beatles Rubber Soul album." The only problem was that it was recorded on an old 4-track reel-to-reel machine, the original tape long since lost. The only existing copy of that recording was discovered on an old "normal bias" cassette in a pile of stuff in the corner of Rowell's parents' basement about 8 years ago. "The first studio guy I brought it to said that it was impossible to restore. He got me to re-record it on Pro-Tools and even though I played along with the tape through headphones and tried to make it sound as close to the original as possible, I hated it. The 'magic' or whatever it was, was missing. It took several years and several engineers working on it and it still wasn't exactly where I wanted it to be." Enter Michael Jung of Alice Donut fame. Kenn met Michael at a Baghdaddios show on the Lower East Side a few years ago and had stayed in touch via social media. It was he who suggested Kenn bring the track to him. There by the grace of Alice and the EQ gods goeth "When Will I Learn", the ninth song on the album. "No, it'll never be a testament to modern recording techniques but the hiss is gone, you can hear the vocals clearly and all the emotion of a 19-year-old in agony over being in love comes through loud and clear. I would have put the song on the album even if Michael hadn't cleaned it up so well - but now I don't feel like I have to apologize for it being there. It belongs with all the rest of them and I'm forever grateful for that!" The rest of the album runs the gamut from the pop-hooked "All About Me" with it's catchy 'me-me-me' refrain to "Henry", which strikes one as an homage to White Album-era Beatles. "Antonio", which laments the passing of an infant rides a lush four-stringed quartet to an emotional finish and "This Old Soul" is showcased in two different incarnations: one complete with banjo and fiddle accompaniment and sounding as upbeat as the second performance of the same song sounds melancholy, where Rowell adopts a lower register to purr the plaintive lyrics in a rendering very reminiscent of those famously Rick Rubin-produced Johnny Cash outings, toward the end of The Man In Black's life. It's only fitting that this second version was dubbed parenthetically as "Confessional". "Dreams" could easily pass as an Irish folk hymn and, yes kids, there's even the ol' proverbial hidden track which serves to remind us that Mr. Rowell - when all is said and done - is still, first and foremost, an unrepentant punk-rocker at heart. Having been released on April 27 - a date Rowell chose on purpose because it was his parents' wedding anniversary ("I'm a sentimental Dude, what can I say?") - the release is already garnering a good buzz amongst friends and fellow industry professionals. Many of the songs already have music videos done for them with more on the way. Sales have gone surprisingly well. With all this good will in evidence, the question was raised regarding any plans to tour. I was alittle surprised when Rowell didn't even miss a beat before flatly saying "No". "Nah, man - I mean, look, I'd love to but there's just so much on my plate right now - to be honest, I didn't even think of it. It had taken so long to get this done that my feeling today is 'get it out and move on'. In fact, at the end of last year I made a list of outstanding projects that I wanted to finish up and get 'out there'; this album was at the top of the list. I think I counted something like 23 of these individual projects. Besides finishing off a bunch of music videos for myself and The Baghdaddios I have enough full electric material already recorded for a Baghdaddios double album. I'm in the middle of recording 15 new band songs for release at the end of the year. There's a short film that I shot in 2014 which I seriously need to find the time to edit and get released. I have a collection of demos that I did for the band - all done on nylon string acoustic guitar - that I thought would make a great follow-up solo album (working title: "Nylon Raw") and we're celebrating Blank-Fest's 20th Anniversary show in December. In fact, I haven't even set a date for that yet and it's only 8 months away! I really need to promote this album but going out on the road is not really an option at present. Oh and then there's all the Yvonne stuff". The Yvonne that he is referring to is his "Mrs": celebrated Lower East Side bilingual poet Yvonne Sotomayor. Kenn has been playing music behind her spoken word pieces, recording and producing them - along with producing all her "poetry videos" ("Think: music video for spoken word, man!") since right after they got together in 2012. Having performed in 8 states, two countries and all throughout their native NYC, Ms. Sotomayor scored her biggest coup last summer when she appeared - with Kenn in tow - at the Iowa State Fair (on the same stage, later graced that night by Rock 'n Roll Hall of Famers Cheap Trick!). "Performing with Yvonne is yet another side of me that I love. We do everything together as it is - I've gotten her up to do 'her thang' at Baghdaddios shows all the time - so for us it's effortless. She has a six-piece EP coming out later this year and I keep telling her to get the book she's in the middle of putting together issued at the same time. We just bought a hand-held 16mm movie camera and we're dying to shoot her next video on film. Believe me, between recording with The Baghdaddios, Blank-Fest and the poetry shows, I barely have time to sleep, let alone do a solo tour!". For someone who's been in the business for as long as Rowell, he seems pretty unfazed by all the recent news. When asked about it, he seemed fairly resolved to maintain an even keel. "What would you say was a highlight of your career?" "When I got the email, informing me of my solo album's first sale." "What was the first thing you did when you found out?" "I kissed my wife and went to work." At this point we both noticed the video director pacing in the background. "Well, break time's over - we want to get this shoot done while we still have daylight", Rowell blurts out, signaling an end to Q & A time. Of course it was at that moment that it occurred to me that he had only given one reason for doing a solo album, as opposed to integrating these newly-released tunes as part of some future band compilation. When I reminded him of this, he smiled and left me with this parting bit of insight: "A few years back I was handing out blankets to the homeless on Christmas Eve. These were the same blankets that we collected at our annual Blank-Fest show.........a friend had picked them up at the venue and had brought them to a club in the Village where we would later meet up. When I stopped in the club's lobby to grab some blankets to take out in my rental car one of the bouncers grabbed me, like I was ripping the place off and said 'HEY, those blankets are from The Baghdaddios, for the homeless!'. It suddenly dawned on me that after almost 20 years of being in the middle of the whole Baghdaddios thing that I had done a piss-poor job of letting people know who I am. Look, it's insulting to the rest of the group to say that I'm the whole band. The Baghdaddios were and always will be a collective effort. I couldn't imagine doing those songs in the studio without either Neil (Richter) or Paul (Zlotucha) on the drums, or John (Sidoti) or Phil (McAughk) on bass. Their contributions were more covert but they shaped our sound just as surely as my songwriting and onstage histrionics did. So a solo album was a chance for me to step out and say 'No, THIS is all me'. Most of the songs are just myself on a guitar, doing a vocal. With many of them I overdubbed the harmonies and backing vocals. If I used a full band on any of them it was guys I grew up with or had known most of my life like my best friend from college, Paul on lead guitar or my cousin, Rye on drums. So, besides the styles being different than a straight-up, old-school punk band, it was more of a chance to say 'you know that guy you see screaming on stage? Well, he's got a few more surprises for you." And then he smiled one last time, made a quick jazz-hands gesture and howled "SURPRISE"! It was a good moment to leave. Just like a good, old-fashioned Baghdaddios show: once the music stops, it's pretty much been all said. For now. Website: http://www.baghdaddios.com Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn5Xfux1lnE

[musicdish]

New Bag(daddios) Of Tricks Runneth Over For Old Punk Rock Dog With Release Of Debut Solo Album

Time is a fickle mistress. One minute you're the new guy in town, anxious to get "up to speed" with whichever 'scene' you've opted to become a part of - the next, you're remembering the "good old days" and wondering where the time went. Back in the early 1990's, New York City's The Baghdaddios were the new kids on the block.........or more apropos, the new punkers on The Bowery. Playing their third-ever show at hallowed punk birthplace C.B.G.B., they carved out a slight but meaningful niche in the Big Apple's indie community, playing nearly anywhere at anytime for anything, be it a paying gig, the door, pass the hat, free drinks or even just for "the hell of it", as front man and founding member Kenn Rowell recalled the other day during a break from shooting his latest music video. The group released a couple of CDs, a "whole mess"of videos and internet singles, played - in Rowell's estimate - "thousands" of shows, did hundreds of interviews and trekking to countless cities in various locales across the U.S., Canada and the UK. Every now and then they'd get word that their music was airing either here or overseas and on a few occasions their songs would end up finding exposure on a national TV network in any one of those aforementioned places. They've frequently received fan mail from random corners of the globe. And, yes, along the way, they started their own Benefit to help NYC's homeless - a Benefit which has spread to several metropolitan areas in America and abroad over the last two decades - called Blank-Fest. "Yeah, it's been a fun journey", Rowell smiled as the videographer downloaded the latest files from the shoot to his laptop. "I can't believe the band is coming up on it's 25th Anniversary, in November! I mean, I don't feel old........." True, he doesn't impress one as an "old man", although he does come across as someone who's 'been there and done that'. Still, after a quarter century he appears to have that boundless enthusiasm that earmarks most of the YouTube videos in circulation from past Baghdaddios performances over the years. Early in 2017 the group released a grainy-but-still-must-see performance from that storied third-show-ever at CB's, where they eviscerated the time-honored Beatles classic "Hey Jude" to conclude the evening's proceedings. If anything, a boyish Kenn actually comes across a little tentative, almost apologetic - certainly not the whirlwind we would see in later performances at the same venue within a couple of years. When asked about the ongoing evolution of the group's sound and image, Rowell just sighs and then admits "I was a bit out of my mind at the time - might even still be". Refusing to give his age (other than saying "over 40" or "buzz off, man") he appears naturally younger (we're guessing mid-to-late 40s) and only addresses the subject once, when asked if the new album's style change had anything to do with him getting older. "I never thought I'd be doing this, at this age. Actually I never really thought I'd make it past my 40th birthday. You know, when I was younger, I thought of 40 as being so old - but now that I'm well past it, it's not that bad. I mean, I still feel the same as I've always felt. The same things still piss me off. The same things still float my boat. If anything, the shift in style isn't a reflection of my getting older as much as it's just that I wanted to do something different for a change. I've been angry and full of attitude since I was in high school - but how many times can you yell F-bombs into a live mic? So THAT part of me hasn't changed a bit, that yearning to do something different. Besides, I always said that I like to keep 'em guessing." As the years peeled off the calendar and various members of the group quit - some coming back and then leaving again - he's been the one constant in the band's timeline. So when word reached us of the imminent release of his first solo album (ironically titled "Instant Solo Album" because, as Kenn puts it, it took almost a full decade to put out) we had to ask one question. "Why?". If anything, he seemed to bristle when we brought up the subject. "Yeah, yeah, I know the whole rep", Kenn explains: "I'm the guy writing the songs and doing the singing and talking to the crowd all through the history of The Baghdaddios - so what makes this new album a 'solo'? I guess it's two-fold, the reason I slapped my name and mug on the front of this one. First, the whole style of the material has a completely different feel from anything The Baghdaddios usually do. Oh, sure we have slower tunes like "Let It Shine" (which gets the acoustic treatment on this release) and "Abbie Hoffman", which to me always sounded like a 60s-era anthem. But we've always described The Baghdaddios style as "three chords and punt" - we just couldn't help ourselves from playing everything bigger, and faster and louder". True, past reviews on AllMusic.com compared the band to one of their biggest influences, The Ramones; while a quick listen of Instant Solo Album belies a decided acoustic folk and classic rock feel. Just hearing the opening guitar strums on the collection's first number, "Good To Be Back", one can't help but picture a group of college students sitting around a dorm room, singing along between sips of grain alcohol punch on a Friday night. Furthering the feel for this mood is the harmonica solo - done flawlessly by Rowell - augmented by a strong cello underpinning, before both cello and harmonica take the listener with them as the song fades out (no Baghdaddios song - to date - has ever faded out). The follow-up to this sounds almost like an outtake from a 1970's Neil Young session in the form of another Rowell original, "I Guess I'll Never Fall In Love". Mind you, this is the same "I Guess I'll Never Fall In Love" that consistently pushed the V.U. meters into the red from the band's 2006 release, Autopsy-Turvy - but all the grunge vitriol and punk swagger has been stripped away. If anything, Rowell's solo version chugs along almost joyously. In fact, it's so airy that the listener doesn't even notice that it clocks in a little shy of 5 minutes in length! There are 18 songs on the album and yet it's like a visit from a long, lost friend who leaves before you get the chance to fully catch up. I found myself going back and playing several of the tunes multiple times; for me it was over way too soon and it felt like I didn't want to let go. Part of the appeal of this offering is the eclectic mix, not only of song styles and instrumentation but even in production particulars. Numbers veer from slick, crystal-clear digitally recorded tracks to performances that sound like glorified demos - a celebration of the lo-fi aesthetic that KR confesses to having a soft spot for. (It should then come as no surprise that one of the many respected industry pros consulted for the production end of this effort was none other than Guided By Voices producer Todd Tobias - credited as a pioneering architect of the Lo-Fi sound, championed by "Voices" front man Robert Pollard - and was thus rewarded with a co-producer credit as a result.) When queried about the changes in recording ambience for the album, Rowell further confesses that said changes weren't necessarily by choice - and exist for obvious reasons. "When I started on this I had a few studio recordings which explored my more acoustic side. I had some of these songs in my head since I was 17 years old but I never got them out because they didn't have that Baghdaddios-like feel to them. To me they sounded like I was doing Dylan or Johnny Cash or even The Beatles. It certainly wasn't punk. And I had only recorded them because I got a good deal on studio time and thought it would be fun to actually sing the tunes, rather than scream 'em. Along the same time I met a filmmaker who wanted to do a music video for my band - but this was right before we were leaving for England. Between preparing for the trip and playing last-minute shows we just didn't have the time to do a vid. I didn't want to lose the opportunity to work with this guy so I handed him a cassette copy of a 6-year-old acoustic demo that I had recorded in my apartment. We just decided to do a quick production for that as a sort of solo number - the video came out so well that I started to think about cleaning up the sound on the recording and maybe putting out a 6 or 7-song EP of original acoustic tunes. Then I found another old cassette of a song I had written and recorded when I was in high school and then another one from my college days and it sort of took off from there. I found it liberating because I had all these old songs that I would occasionally play for friends but since they were never formally released I didn't feel right springing them on some poor unsuspecting paying crowd. Well, when you have songs recorded on various systems, spread out over a 20 or 25-year period there are going to be a LOT of differences. Now try getting all that to sound like it all belongs on the same album. THAT'S why it took so damned long to finish it all off! Over the last 10 years Rowell estimates he stopped and restarted work on this project, in earnest, about a half-dozen times. "Each time we'd get close to releasing it I'd go back and listen to the whole thing on headphones and I'd go 'I can't release this uneven pile of crap' - I mean, some of the songs had all this "hiss" on them - others sounded muddy. There was one song that I absolutely loved - I've actually broken it out at some shows even though no one's ever heard it before. It was something I wrote when I was in college and it always reminded me of The Beatles Rubber Soul album." The only problem was that it was recorded on an old 4-track reel-to-reel machine, the original tape long since lost. The only existing copy of that recording was discovered on an old "normal bias" cassette in a pile of stuff in the corner of Rowell's parents' basement about 8 years ago. "The first studio guy I brought it to said that it was impossible to restore. He got me to re-record it on Pro-Tools and even though I played along with the tape through headphones and tried to make it sound as close to the original as possible, I hated it. The 'magic' or whatever it was, was missing. It took several years and several engineers working on it and it still wasn't exactly where I wanted it to be." Enter Michael Jung of Alice Donut fame. Kenn met Michael at a Baghdaddios show on the Lower East Side a few years ago and had stayed in touch via social media. It was he who suggested Kenn bring the track to him. There by the grace of Alice and the EQ gods goeth "When Will I Learn", the ninth song on the album. "No, it'll never be a testament to modern recording techniques but the hiss is gone, you can hear the vocals clearly and all the emotion of a 19-year-old in agony over being in love comes through loud and clear. I would have put the song on the album even if Michael hadn't cleaned it up so well - but now I don't feel like I have to apologize for it being there. It belongs with all the rest of them and I'm forever grateful for that!" The rest of the album runs the gamut from the pop-hooked "All About Me" with it's catchy 'me-me-me' refrain to "Henry", which strikes one as an homage to White Album-era Beatles. "Antonio", which laments the passing of an infant rides a lush four-stringed quartet to an emotional finish and "This Old Soul" is showcased in two different incarnations: one complete with banjo and fiddle accompaniment and sounding as upbeat as the second performance of the same song sounds melancholy, where Rowell adopts a lower register to purr the plaintive lyrics in a rendering very reminiscent of those famously Rick Rubin-produced Johnny Cash outings, toward the end of The Man In Black's life. It's only fitting that this second version was dubbed parenthetically as "Confessional". "Dreams" could easily pass as an Irish folk hymn and, yes kids, there's even the ol' proverbial hidden track which serves to remind us that Mr. Rowell - when all is said and done - is still, first and foremost, an unrepentant punk-rocker at heart. Having been released on April 27 - a date Rowell chose on purpose because it was his parents' wedding anniversary ("I'm a sentimental Dude, what can I say?") - the release is already garnering a good buzz amongst friends and fellow industry professionals. Many of the songs already have music videos done for them with more on the way. Sales have gone surprisingly well. With all this good will in evidence, the question was raised regarding any plans to tour. I was alittle surprised when Rowell didn't even miss a beat before flatly saying "No". "Nah, man - I mean, look, I'd love to but there's just so much on my plate right now - to be honest, I didn't even think of it. It had taken so long to get this done that my feeling today is 'get it out and move on'. In fact, at the end of last year I made a list of outstanding projects that I wanted to finish up and get 'out there'; this album was at the top of the list. I think I counted something like 23 of these individual projects. Besides finishing off a bunch of music videos for myself and The Baghdaddios I have enough full electric material already recorded for a Baghdaddios double album. I'm in the middle of recording 15 new band songs for release at the end of the year. There's a short film that I shot in 2014 which I seriously need to find the time to edit and get released. I have a collection of demos that I did for the band - all done on nylon string acoustic guitar - that I thought would make a great follow-up solo album (working title: "Nylon Raw") and we're celebrating Blank-Fest's 20th Anniversary show in December. In fact, I haven't even set a date for that yet and it's only 8 months away! I really need to promote this album but going out on the road is not really an option at present. Oh and then there's all the Yvonne stuff". The Yvonne that he is referring to is his "Mrs": celebrated Lower East Side bilingual poet Yvonne Sotomayor. Kenn has been playing music behind her spoken word pieces, recording and producing them - along with producing all her "poetry videos" ("Think: music video for spoken word, man!") since right after they got together in 2012. Having performed in 8 states, two countries and all throughout their native NYC, Ms. Sotomayor scored her biggest coup last summer when she appeared - with Kenn in tow - at the Iowa State Fair (on the same stage, later graced that night by Rock 'n Roll Hall of Famers Cheap Trick!). "Performing with Yvonne is yet another side of me that I love. We do everything together as it is - I've gotten her up to do 'her thang' at Baghdaddios shows all the time - so for us it's effortless. She has a six-piece EP coming out later this year and I keep telling her to get the book she's in the middle of putting together issued at the same time. We just bought a hand-held 16mm movie camera and we're dying to shoot her next video on film. Believe me, between recording with The Baghdaddios, Blank-Fest and the poetry shows, I barely have time to sleep, let alone do a solo tour!". For someone who's been in the business for as long as Rowell, he seems pretty unfazed by all the recent news. When asked about it, he seemed fairly resolved to maintain an even keel. "What would you say was a highlight of your career?" "When I got the email, informing me of my solo album's first sale." "What was the first thing you did when you found out?" "I kissed my wife and went to work." At this point we both noticed the video director pacing in the background. "Well, break time's over - we want to get this shoot done while we still have daylight", Rowell blurts out, signaling an end to Q & A time. Of course it was at that moment that it occurred to me that he had only given one reason for doing a solo album, as opposed to integrating these newly-released tunes as part of some future band compilation. When I reminded him of this, he smiled and left me with this parting bit of insight: "A few years back I was handing out blankets to the homeless on Christmas Eve. These were the same blankets that we collected at our annual Blank-Fest show.........a friend had picked them up at the venue and had brought them to a club in the Village where we would later meet up. When I stopped in the club's lobby to grab some blankets to take out in my rental car one of the bouncers grabbed me, like I was ripping the place off and said 'HEY, those blankets are from The Baghdaddios, for the homeless!'. It suddenly dawned on me that after almost 20 years of being in the middle of the whole Baghdaddios thing that I had done a piss-poor job of letting people know who I am. Look, it's insulting to the rest of the group to say that I'm the whole band. The Baghdaddios were and always will be a collective effort. I couldn't imagine doing those songs in the studio without either Neil (Richter) or Paul (Zlotucha) on the drums, or John (Sidoti) or Phil (McAughk) on bass. Their contributions were more covert but they shaped our sound just as surely as my songwriting and onstage histrionics did. So a solo album was a chance for me to step out and say 'No, THIS is all me'. Most of the songs are just myself on a guitar, doing a vocal. With many of them I overdubbed the harmonies and backing vocals. If I used a full band on any of them it was guys I grew up with or had known most of my life like my best friend from college, Paul on lead guitar or my cousin, Rye on drums. So, besides the styles being different than a straight-up, old-school punk band, it was more of a chance to say 'you know that guy you see screaming on stage? Well, he's got a few more surprises for you." And then he smiled one last time, made a quick jazz-hands gesture and howled "SURPRISE"! It was a good moment to leave. Just like a good, old-fashioned Baghdaddios show: once the music stops, it's pretty much been all said. For now. Website: http://www.baghdaddios.com Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn5Xfux1lnE