The social aspect of coffee shops

I must first state that I have not been to all independent coffee shops, especially those in remote areas. There may be some that are comparable to the American environment in foreign countries.

Although there are many independent coffee shops in Hong Kong, many of them are small and narrow, with a maximum capacity of ten or eight people. Once they are full, they can be quite noisy. Many people are used to it. The environment in Hong Kong is like this, and they may not be used to it being too quiet. Some are in residential areas and require two turns in a side alley, while others are in a unit on the third or fourth floor of a commercial building, which may be a bit more leisurely and quiet, but there aren’t too many people and I’m afraid I won’t be able to live there.

Business has always taken the lead in Hong Kong, with chain coffee shops monopolizing the business in prosperous areas because rents are too expensive for ordinary small shops to afford. These types of chain stores are all similar. There are indeed one or two in certain areas with their own special decoration, but they will soon be ignored and are just another chain store. These stores are not so much coffee shops as they are continuations of our homes and offices. Many brokers of all types (especially those in the insurance industry) choose to meet customers in these coffee shops. I believe you must have seen and heard of them. I can even casually talk about some of the details of some insurance policies in the past ten or eight years! I have also seen tutors reviewing with students. This is not surprising. To put it bluntly, it is just a business activity of buying and selling.

Our residences are usually small and narrow, and we rarely invite friends to visit us. When this happens, we would rather meet at a coffee shop. Therefore, people who often go to these coffee shops are actually more like going to someone else's living room, office, reception room, etc. If they want to read a book quietly, or write some text, or even do other static activities, it can be regarded as delusional. I have also been to some relatively remote shops, such as one in a community with many hardware stores, which is somewhat famous because it specializes in Bagels. When I found it, it turned out to be just a small shop with three or four tables, but it was already overcrowded and almost inaccessible. Most of the customers were young girls. It was quite noisy and I felt completely out of place. So I ordered a Bagel takeout, and it cost more than fifty dollars (Hong Kong dollars). This experience made me wary of these independent coffee shops.

Hong Kong media personality Eric Tsang, known as "Little Hao Zi", was severely criticized for his programs in Hong Kong. A long-lived program that had been running for more than 30 years (he was not the host from the beginning, he should be the third or fourth generation host) was forced to stop. After the broadcast, he and another partner host were still pursued and even physically attacked. The two left Hong Kong one after another. One went to the UK with his family, and Xiao Haozi went to Taiwan to start a new life. At the beginning of the year, Xiao Haozi got the opportunity to co-operate in a series of programs on Taiwan's Central Broadcasting Station called "The Evil Disturbance", which looked at Taiwan's life style from the perspective of a Hong Kong person. One of the episodes was about coffee shops.

In the program, he went to two coffee shops to work as a store manager for a day. One was opened by a Taiwanese. It was a small shop where everyone could enjoy a moment of tranquility. There was an old refrigerator (refrigerator) in the shop, which was filled with different kinds of coffee. books and encourage guests to borrow them. And at night, the coffee shop transforms into a karaoke OK, allowing customers to sing loudly to entertain themselves and others, and also to vent their emotions. This is quite unique, at least it is unlikely to happen in Hong Kong.

The other one was opened by two Hong Kong people. They moved to Taiwan for a while and also opened a coffee shop. In addition to ordinary food, their shop also has Hong Kong-style milk tea, mandarin duck and other Hong Kong-style food. . But the most unique thing is their cultural and artistic furnishings. The pictures or photos on the walls are all unique to Hong Kong and Taiwan. The store also holds regular events, attracting Hong Kong people to gather together, and also attracts some Taiwanese people who have feelings for Hong Kong to communicate and integrate with each other, and also sell some handicraft creations. A small space carries big ideals.

After watching the movie, my interest in coffee shops was rekindled. With so many areas in Hong Kong, are there really no unique coffee shops? For example, I often pass by the end of Temple Street, which is near Austin Road (Temple Street is on the Yau Ma Tei Wenming Lane side). As soon as I reach the section of Po Ling Street, there are four independent coffee shops, but it seems that Much the same. Or I might try to get out of the city center. The weather will get cooler in the future, which is a good time.

PS: If you like this episode, I strongly recommend another episode about rice farming, which will completely overturn your imagination of rice farming. In Taiwan, modern technology, social networks, holiday B&Bs, sales of related products and handicrafts, and government funding and promotion have been combined. I can also buy Taiwanese rice in Hong Kong supermarkets. In Hong Kong, there are still just a few fanatics renting land for re-cultivation. We are lucky to be self-sufficient. All of a sudden, landlords no longer rent land, or the government wants to acquire land for development and start all over again. How can we talk about long-term development? Different governments have different imaginations and policies.