Late Saturday Night

Went to this upstairs unlicensed bar on Wellington Street on Saturday night for Mabel's birthday do. It's a nice enough place but the crowd was a mixed bag of, er, I wouldn't say nuts but definitely rather bizarre people. Well, not the kind of people I expected anyway. The entrance is on the 2nd floor where the bar is, it was full so we were upstairs where there is also a balcony if you wish to sit outside.

I was expecting it to be a bit of a party joint. But instead of happy loud slightly drunk middle class professionals, I saw expressionless well-dressed women sipping red wine. Pale young androdynous looking youth staring into space. Chinese men with sparse facial hair growth sitting quietly with their eyes closed. More Chinese men with sparse facial hair growth "jamming" BADLY on the banjo, beating on drums and strumming a poorly tuned guitar. Two were playing a Chinese flute. BADLY too, of course. And yes, there was a digereedoo.

I would describe the above as a rather comical scene, but the music making folk all had that look of complete self-absorption on their faces and the other patrons all seemed to be appreciative of the improvisation. I guess a lot of these people used to "jam" at 64 also. Well. Looks like the colony's population has grown. I hope the growth will not spread to the soon to be opened 71 otherwise I'll really have to start drinking in Wanchai more often.

I left shortly after two and it was a strange feeling driving around that time of night. Streets were quiet, taxis were either speeding or stationary with their flags up. I saw a guy in his pyjamas with no top on, walking at a brisk pace in a one of the side streets of Sheung Wan. He was carrying a small white thin plastic carrier bag with two styrofoam containers stashed upon one another. A late supper, perhaps.