Temple Street is home to Hong Kong's famous night market. Comprising just a few city blocks, it's a time capsule, preserving a James Bond version of the Orient: Street-side Dai Pai Dong eateries, marjong gambling dens, vendors selling snake biles, hidden brothels, outdoor Cantonese operas, fortune tellers with card-picking birds, old folks hanging around the park, absorbing energy from the bustle, while waiting for it to disperse so they can sleep.
On the side, nearly unnioticed, are a few cabarets. A few months ago, I ventured inside and used my dated phone to take a few snapshots of the honky-tonk kept languidly alive by ageing customers. When they weren’t singing, they played cards with the boss, sipped tea, drank beer, chatted, napped, or just sat and watched their favourite nightclub fading in front of their eyes.
香港著名的廟街，是遊客必到之地。幾條街的夜市，晚上人頭湧湧，熙來攘往。無數街檔販賣著型型種種的廉價貨色。空氣中瀰漫著大排檔煲仔飯和小菜粉面的香氣。麻將館，買蛇膽的小販，暗打眼色的流鶯，大鑼大鼓的露天戲棚，能說流利三語，中西傳統兼顧的算命佬，和在小花園散步閒談的老人家，構成一幅五光十色的動畫，停留在六十年代好萊塢眼中的東方。
在夜市的一旁，有幾家閃亮著霓虹招牌的歌廳。對於廟街的歌廳，我足足好奇了幾十年，也找不到機會去見識見識。終於幾個月前去了，用電話偷拍了幾張照片。暗淡的燈光之下，都是老顧客：唱歌的唱歌，不唱歌的喝茶喝啤酒吃瓜子聊天。有人打盹睡覺，或跟老闆打紙牌。也有人獨坐一角，默默看著熟識的燈紅酒綠，隨著懷舊的歌聲在眼前消逝。
 |
 |
 |
Guo Du 2.2011
|
No comments:
Post a Comment