What people call a queue in Singapore pales in comparison to what IS a queue in Hong Kong. In fact, I will not hesitate to say that you don't actually know what a queue truly looks or feels like till you have joined a queue in Hong Kong.
I would show you pictures of what the Le Creuset Sale queue this morning (that I joined) looked like but I would have been given the evil eye by those in line so instead I contended with taking pics on my iPhone whilst I was queueing to pay. Everybody was too busy kicking and pushing their purchases forward to care what I was doing so I got away with these snaps.
People queueing to pay - most could not carry the items (mostly made of cast iron) so they had to be left on the floor and you pushed them forward on the carpet with your feet - not good if you are the type that likes to keep the boxes. I was not sentimental and joined the 'kickers' especially when I considered the weight of hand carrying my stuff and standing in queue for the next hour.
Kick, kick, kick - everybody had their stuff on the ground
This was mild when you look at the number of things you think they are buying - but check out the lady with a trolley at the cashier
- one of MANY who came prepared!
Everyone queues for everything here in HK and its a mad waiting game based on the sheer size of population and their love for brands as well as the fact that retailers somehow love a queue and the excitement and desire that it fuels to buy more! In 'marketing' terms, it makes 'masstige' look like luxury! Bizarre you say? But here, it seems to work!
This was my *second queue this year in HK and I ended up standing for an hour and the half with the masses to buy my first Le Creuset today. Only to get in the showroom, shop for about 45 mins and then queue another hour just to pay. This was truly a whole day affair for someone like me - who was (prior to today) only vaguely interested in Le Creuset till my friend Sarah suggested we check out the sale at Harbour City in Kowloon - where I also happen to live.
Le Creuset are famous for their colourful enamel coated cast iron Pots, Pans, Enamel ware and miscellaneous utensils. What makes them so popular? Their supposed durability - there is a lifetime guarantee, the fact that the cast iron allows the heat to distribute more evenly when cooking and that various stews, casseroles and soups can be served straight from the oven on to the table as the pots are all extremely presentable, stylish and because they are made out of cast iron they are also supposed to retain the heat for a longer period of time.
* my first queue was an unsuspecting wait to buy Jenny's Bakery cookies for the Lunar New Year for my family back home. That turned out to be a two hour wait and there was a queue for the queue and only 2 sales staff serving a crowd of at least 300 who had turned up 2 hours before the store opened. And each person could only buy 4 boxes of those cookies so you can imagine how many people brought helpers, kids and I suspect even paid people to queue. Being in the queue, I only found out through observation the hard way -- so there was no way to back out by the time I found out. I obviously had not learnt my lesson by the time this Sale came along!
I have to say that in retrospect it was a good sale - up to 50% for most items including their famous casserole pots, saucepans, oval dishes and even up to 80% for their accessories - although who would want an enamel coffee cup really escapes my logic.
I saw a few women come dressed to buy - ie. left the Chanel bag at home, hair tied up in a bunch, minimal makeup, comfy gym clothes and parkas (it was 14 degrees today - cold!), drivers and maids in tow (by drivers, I mean chauffeurs) - all armed with very hardy looking heavy duty push trolleys to cart away their haul and credit cards in hand.
One standing in front of me even disciplined her Filipino maid telling her that she should have been more 'strategic' in Cantonese and call her Mam's mobile when they were about to reach the entrance to the showroom so that her Mam could leave coffee and Starbucks to head up to take her place.
When I saw all the heavy duty trolleys, my first instinct was that they were doing what Q and I call, 'a Shenzhen" ie. hauling it away to resell and make a quick profit but NO.... these were SERIOUS buyers and definitely educated homemakers who spoke slightly accented English and most certainly knew their Le Creuset!
My BUYS:
So what did I buy after that monstrously torturous wait ... a 26cm Grill Pan and a Butter Crock - both in CHERRY RED. Although I was tempted by Cobalt Blue - if its a first for this brand - red has to be it!
This Butter Crock is supposed to keep your butter fresh, soft and spreadable and works with a vacuum system. I have not figured it out yet but that's tomorrow's task but in true SG kia-su-ism - I bought first so that I could figure it out later. Sarah will probably laugh if she is reading this!
My best buy - this 26 cm griddle pan (HK$1788 reduced to HK$800) as this was what I have been looking for
- for a long time. I have a 26cm Tefal which is square, looks cool but is very worn from the use that I give it. A good sign that a pan like this will be well used in my humble kitchen.
Another reason that I love this 26cm griddle is because I can use a glass cover to fry and minimise the splatter if I want to - although this statement really betrays my culinary skills and a seasoned chef will say that there is no need for a splatter cover if you know how to pre-season, lightly oil
and thereby cook your meat
I seriously debated between a griddle pan or a Happy Call or Chefel which is what the brand is called here in HK which I did not end up buying - but thats a different post for another day
What I WANTED TO BUY (if I could carry it and if I had the space in HK - which I DO NOT) ... trust me all this was SUPER HEAVY cast iron and the real reason WHY I DID NOT .. anyway ... I digress, this is what I would have bought - given storage space and more muscle to carry it.
The Round French Oven - looks useful like a stockpot - but honestly - just like the saucepan in the Sale Poster - love the looks - but once full of liquid, I know it will just be too heavy and cumbersome and I will revert to using my good old WMF which I really love and are my staple old faithfuls.
Here's to next year's sale and me using my new wares! Watch this spot for my kitchen adventures with my new Le Creuset griddle - especially when I try to cook up this one - my first experiment (taken off their HK website). WISH ME LUCK!
