Strike A Pose
Given that Hong Kong is known for ruthlessly ripping off culinary trends from New York and London, I can’t help but wonder whether we might expect some of their fitness trends to take off over here as well. My friend Ailbhe, who’s lifestyle editor at Buzzfeed’s London office, recently penned a piece about Voga—which is, of course, a combination of yoga and “vogueing.” Basically, the workout combines yoga postures with dance moves for a faster, more energetic workout, all set to a killer 80s disco soundtrack. And if it needed to sound even more awesome, ridiculously colored retro leggings and high ponytails are strongly encouraged. If you love the workout that regular yoga gives you, but sometimes wish it was a) a little faster paced, and b) you weren’t obliged to listen to Putumayo tracks for the duration, then cross your fingers and toes right now and hope that it hits our shores soon. C’mon yoga instructors—anyone want to give voga a whirl? I’ll be the first to sign up.
Check out Ailbhe’s piece: tiny.cc/voga
Sad Face
An anti-aging serum landed on my desk the other day, and I have to say it depressed me—which is not the usual reaction I have when people send me schwag. This one in particular had kind of a messed up copywriter assigned to it. This is what it says on the box:
“Upon first application, these engraved imperfections appear instantly smoothed, making creases appear shallower and erasing the look of … squinting creases, laughter or sorrow creases and feathery lines along the lips.”
Is this an indictment of the lengths society will go to erase traces of our life experiences and personality, in the quest for youth? Or do you just want to know where to get a bottle?
Reader Request
An email from a reader this week, asking me for some help recommending a foot massage venue.
Tim writes:
“I’m taking my mom/sister back to Hong Kong later this month for CNY, and was wondering if you could recommend a place for foot massage/manicure/pedicure. It would be great if the locations were near Central/Admiralty too. Thank you for any advice!”
Well Tim, you are definitely not short of options around this part of town. If you’re looking to splash out a little on your relatives, Ten Feet Tall (The L Place, 137-141 Queen’s Rd. Central, 2971-1010) is a vast, two-story space with a stylish, relaxing vibe, plenty of magazines and even private treatment rooms if you’d prefer not to be around others. A 50-minute massage is $288 on Mondays to Thursdays, or $328 on Fridays to Sundays. It also offers a full mani-pedi menu (including the $400 “princess” manicure that also includes a scrub, massage and wrap) so you can get all your pampering done in one place. Wanna go cheaper? Kiwi Spa (14/F, Century Square, 1-13 D’Aguilar St., Central, 2567-1333, www.kiwi-hk.com) offers a 50-minute massage for $168, or $252 for 75 minutes. Just remember: wherever you pick, avoid anywhere where the foot icon has a smiley face on it. That’s the secret sign that the salon offers “extra services.”