My last trip to Shamshuipo was two weeks ago. (I go out at least 3x per month.) This time I went with David Boyce to look for felt and faux fur that we're using to cover the back of some framed portraits. On this particular trip, our itinerary involved many derailments and unplanned stops.

(1) A medium-format camera at a secondhand shop on Au Pui Wan Street caught David's eye and we stopped for a few minutes to look around.

(2) We ducked into a speaker store to inspect some grills and headphone-style amplifiers for one of my projects.

(3) After crossing over to the textiles district, we visited a few small shops that specialize in thicker polyesther felts. Afterwards, we stopped into my favorite faux furrier, Hop Lee Piece Good Co. Ltd. to collect samples.

(4) I brought David to a shop that specializes in cartoon eyes for stuffed animals, and we looked at some eyes in the window.

(5) Next door, I bought four leather buttons for my trenchcoat.

(6) Though I've been through Sham Shui Po a hundred or so times, I noticed a building that I'd never noticed before near Shek Kip Mei Street. It had rounded corners, unconventional window ornaments, and exposed brick.

(7) On our way back to the M.T.R., we ran into my friend Tom Howells, a surfboard and sailboat designer. He was looking for canvas, and I directed him to a shop where I'd previously purchased some.
Adrian Wong 10/3/2011