Now that we’re firmly wedged in the grasp of the Year of the Tiger, it’s time to think about the rest of February. There’s Valentine’s Day, for one, if you’re loved up and shacked up. The Winter Olympics, for another, if you’re a fan of screaming at televisions.
I’ve counted for us all. The next public holiday doesn’t land until April, so buckle up for two months of no cheeky long weekends. And as for brand-new government restrictions that might make and break your plans for the foreseeable future (fingers crossed they do not. Editor’s note: They did.), the next 60 days might need… a little creativity. A little push towards the right direction. If your dance card was once filled with things you can no longer do, well, it’s Hong Kong. Always something on.
February To-Dos:
If you’re in need of some fitness inspiration…
Winter Olympics 2022
When: Through 20 February
If accomplishing feats of stunning athleticism before the eyes of the entire world is not enough chutzpah for you, try doing said feats in ice, in flurry and in snow at the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Brr.
While you frantically Google what “Skeleton” means as a sport, be sure to also cheer on Hong Kong’s own Audrey King and Adrian Yung for the alpine skiing program in the coming days.
Watch live-streamed programs on TVB and RTHK, and catch updates on the official Olympics website here.
If you feel like going green…
PENICILLIN’s Fermentation Masterclass
If you’re ever sat near the furthermost corner of PENICILLIN, you would’ve definitely noticed the glass door leading to the bar’s fermentation room. While its nestled in the back, it’s really the heart of the bar, as organic ferments brewed in-house make up the entirety of PENICILLIN’s sustainably-focused menu.
PENICILLIN’s brand-new two-hour private masterclass on fermentation — limited to five students per session — is a crash course on the art of fermentation, delving into the specificities of lactic acid fermentation, fruit and vegetable wine, kombucha, vinegar, koji, miso, shoyu and garum; all essential to the creation of PENICILLIN’s stunning roster of drinks. You’ll get to sample fermented drinks paired with cheeses, and walk away from the class with a pocketful of fermentation facts and your very own fruit or vegetable wine.
Contact laura@penicillinbar.com or
+852 6201 5855 to register for the masterclass (HK$500 per person), available to book on weekdays from 2 – 4pm.
PENICILLIN, L/G, Amber Lodge, 23 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong, +852 9880 7995
If you wanna be my lover…
Valentine’s Day
Chances are, your Valentine’s Day is going to look a little different this year. No candlelit dinners! No dinners out, candles or otherwise! In case you need some creative pointers, alcohol delivery to your doorstep with some fun stay-at-home date ideas sound like a pretty good V-day itinerary. Otherwise, a luxurious picnic experience, perchance?
If none of those call to you and your boo, well, there’s always Netflix and snuggles.
If you’re in the market for art…
ARTube’s Art Supermarket
When: Through 27 February
If you can buy “art” through blockchain and all things immeasurable, why not through somewhere much, much closer to home?
Serving as a “supermarket” for art, ARTube’s Art Supermarket pop-up — co-curated by local artists Angel Hui and KC Wong — takes aisles that would typically be populated with grocery and fruit and canned soups and turns it into aisles and aisles of artwork by over 30 local artists instead.
chi K11 art space, B2/F, K11 Art Mall, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, +852 3118 8070
If you want to DIY…
PMQ’s Creative Workshop Series
The creative, artisanal spirit so very palpable on every wander through PMQ is not limited to the knick-knacks you can buy. Do one better and make your very own with PMQ’s roster of workshops this February, from pattern weaving at MODEMENT (HK$580 per person) to jewellery crafting at Loupe (HK$550 per person) to cyanotype print making at Yeung Chin (Prices start at HK$280). For hobbyists of all experience levels alike.
Click here for more information, including registration
Various tenants @ PMQ, 35 Aberdeen Street, Central, Hong Kong
If your shoes are made for walking…
Mind HK’s Stepathon
Mental health is nothing without physical health. Mind HK’s Stepathon — supported by Here to Be, lululemon’s social impact program, and Laureus — encourages the latter to complement the former, and runs through 28 February with participants slated to walk a total of 280,000+ steps through the month. That adds up to an average of 10k steps per day, but if you’re starting a little later in the month, you’re going to have to make up for it.
Click here for more information.
If you’re feeling a touch nostalgic…
Nostalgic Time: Justin Wong
When: Through 18 February
Hong Kong native Justin Wong moved to Canada as a child. Upon his return, the Hong Kong he’s known — all neon-soaked; like a still you’d recognise from a Wong Kar Wai screenplay — no longer exists. Nostalgic Times, Justin Wong’s solo exhibition, chronicles Wong’s efforts at memorialising a Hong Kong he’s known; a Hong Kong with the food stalls, the hawkers, the signages that drifts further and further from the Hong Kong that’s captured through Wong’s lenses.
SHOUT Art Hub & Gallery, Shop 250A, Level 2, New Town Plaza Phase 1, Sha Tin, Hong Kong, +852 2503 1222
Header and featured image courtesy of Justin Wong
Joey Wong
Editor
Retired Tumblr girl Joey has written her way through fashion trends, youth culture and luxury retail in New York and Hong Kong. Beyond internet adventures tracking down the perfect vintage find, you can probably catch her tufting rugs, swigging back Bloody Marys — her third, probably — and making fastidious spreadsheets about her Animal Crossing island.
