Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K.

I began my trip to Hong Kong yesterday as I do all my visits to new places – by searching for an ATM that accepts American Express for cash withdrawals. Admittedly, I am loyal to a weird bank that offers an AmEx debit card, which offers many benefits, not among them access to cash machines abroad. After visiting a dozen or so banks on Queen's Road, I gave up until I headed across Victoria Harbor to Kowloon. There, I sauntered into the Peninsula Hotel, doing my best to look like a posh guest, and grilled the concierge on the whereabouts of a nearby American Express office. It turns out they closed all their offices in Hong Kong within the last two years – however, he was fairly sure there was an ATM just around the corner from the hotel that would work. Sure enough, I followed his instructions and found the only ATM in Hong Kong I've found to accept AmEx… the Circle K.


After grabbing some cash, Taylor and I did a shop-walk around Kowloon. Since I discovered Shanghai Tang in Beijing last year, I've been eager to return. David Tang's inspired and luxe twist on traditional Chinese goods (apparel, silks, lacquers and porcelains) is a revelation – glamorous, relevant and comfortable.

We continued the shop walk, ate lunch at a crazy hidden little Indian place, explored Kowloon Park, shared High Tea in the lobby of the Peninsula, visited the Temple Street Night Market, and wrapped up the day by grabbing beers at 7-11 and taking in the skyline light show along the Central Hong Kong waterfront. I even got to take a picture with Jackie Chan.