A big, cute rubber duck in Hong Kong’s Kowloon Harbour? Off to Eastern Europe with Eurail, in August!
Ai-yah! Hong Kong’s being invaded by a giant (and ridiculously cute) yellow rubber duck! What shall we do?
Strike a pose with it, of course. That’s the Asian way.
Keep reading for more silly photos of the floating ducky. But first, let me announce my next journey…
I’ve teamed up with Eurail.com, and they’re sending my filmmakers and me on a journey to Eastern Europe! We’ve dubbed it… “Eurail-Vision.”
This railway company specializes in all-access Europe passes — meaning you can hop across the continent, and visit up to 28 countries, with a single train ticket. Eurail has just launched a Japanese site, and I’m excited to give the service a whirl.
Since our schedules are tight and we’ve seen most of Western Europe, my team and I decided to do an Eastern circuit beginning in Vienna. Our First Class Global Passes arrived with this map to help plot our route. Going clockwise, we’ll hit: Vienna (Austria), Bratislava (Slovakia), Budapest (Hungary), Belgrade (Serbia), Zagreb (Croatia), and pass through Slovenia on the way back to Wien.
Of course, we’ll document our journey for you via travel videos, blog and social media. Be sure to add @lacarmina and @eurail so that you won’t miss out. (All links to my social networks are in the footer and top right sidebar.)
Do you think the mega-duck will follow me to Europe? This charming work by Dutch conceptual artist, Florentijn Hofman, has traveled to 12 global cities since 2007.
In early June, I visited the duck before he floated away from Hong Kong. The kawaii-loving locals went crazy over this attraction.
Kowloon Harbour was packed with camera-wielding spectators, especially families. (This same location held the 100 Doraemon statues last year.)
Funny story: at one point, the duck deflated! Thankfully, someone plumped him back up again.
A typical Chinese scene: the caretaker struggles to shield the child from the sun with a parasol.
This girl doesn’t look very happy to be sandwiched by a row of baby ducks.
And this woman… has no idea how to pose.
Let the fashion blogger show you how it’s done. (Sunglasses are Dolce & Gabbana; top is Banana Fish from Closet Child.)
Did the cute duck photos make you squeal? Got recommendations for my upcoming trip (Vienna, Zagreb, Budapest, Belgrade, Bratislava)? I’m especially looking for hip, emerging places to feature. Let me know in the comments or contact me!
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Montreal Kinetik Festival! Gothic Industrial EBM concerts & nightlife: Katacombes club, Bar Passeport.
Ready for my Montreal Goth clubbing and travel guide? Here’s a round-up of the city’s best Dark Industrial and Punk parties, and review of Kinetik Festival 2013!
When night falls, I’m ready for a crawl. Full info about my hair and clothes are in this outfit post.
The friendly door person invited us into Bar Passeport, located near many restaurants on St-Denis.
It was the first stop on a nightcrawl with my friends, Lauren and Asta. The lady at the bar recognized me from my Myspace days! To welcome us to her city, she gave us shots of whiskey and maple syrup.
Bar Passeport has various themed nights, as illustrated on the flyers. (Funny how you can see our faces in the reflection.) We had fun dancing to “EBM, Alternatif, Synthpop, New Wave, Gothique”. Upcoming darkwave parties are listed on their Facebook page.
Right next door is Club Chaos, a legendary punk bar. Cheap drinks and skeletons are always a good sign.
Another classic bar is Foufounes Electriques, which often has live music performances. In the 1980s, this club was a gathering place for punk and Goth subcultures.
The metalwork inside “Foufs” and outdoor enclosure remind me of the Monster bar in Berlin.
Lauren and I had fun at Coop Katacombes. From the exterior, you can guess this is a heavy metal hangout.
Our stay coincided with Queer Ass Punk. To our delight, the night was dedicated to Grrl Riot! DJ Velvet Underparts blasted music by L7, Joan Jett, Sonic Youth, and even the Daria theme song.
John Waters’ movie Hairspray aired above the bar, and Millie Rosado sang while playing keyboards and guitar.
On to the main attraction: Festival Kinetik at Le Belmont. Known as North America’s Wave Gotik Treffen, the event brings in international Industrial-Noise-Goth-EBM bands for a weekend of performances. Previous years have featured Nitzer Ebb, Funker Vogt, VNV Nation and more.
2013 featured a scaled-down version of Kinetik, which created a friendlier atmosphere. Everyone gathered in one place, to see bands like Project Pitchfork and Terrorfakt.
Lots of fun fashion at Le Belmont. In the side room, Goths gathered at the bar and browsed CDs at the merch table. (My deconstructed top is by h.NAOTO Red.)
We perched at the upstairs balcony, which gave us an unhindered view of the stage. My silhouette proves I’m an alien…
I was impressed at the level of organization; all the bands started on time. Suicide Commando took the stage with a giant cross projected in the back.
They showed a countdown for their “Cause of Death” song: “Every 40 seconds someone attempts suicide…”
The next evening, I met up with my friend Daniel Graves of Aesthetic Perfection, one of Kinetik Festival’s headliners. We filmed a hilarious “bagel tasting battle” together — can’t wait to show you the video!
As always, Aesthetic Perfection performed with charm. Daniel has a knack for making the audience smile and dance.
After a long night, it’s time to put on our slit-eyed sleep masks. They’re gifts from Velvet Moustache, who we met during our art studio visit.
What’s your impression of Kinetik Festival and the Montreal Goth alternative scene? Did I miss any nightclubs or parties? Let me know by leaving a comment.
Coming up next… Goth and pin-up shopping in Montreal, and an announcement about my August destinations!
LA CARMINA
