I have never felt more like a lazy American at work here in Hong Kong than I have this week during the 2012 Hong Kong Book Fair.
See, I don't read Chinese, or speak it either, so there's really not much for me to do at the Hong Kong Book Fair. For my coworkers, this is a crazy time of year, especially for my colleagues in the other parts of the company I work for.
The English-language economic and history titles that we crank out in my department are too price-y and too academic -- they're almost niche titles -- for the Hong Kong Book Fair crowd.
Still, I wanted to see the fair for myself so I went to Wan Chai today.
I did attend one of the only English language seminars -- a forum on international publishing. As the topics all related to children's books, there wasn't much for me to take away to use at my job. Still, some of the presentations were interesting.
Beautiful view of the Hong Kong skyline outside the conference room...
More views of the crowds and exhibition halls...
I saw Cap and Superman and decided to stop!
I flipped through these trade paperbacks like a madman. The prices were decent compared to what these editions would cost in America. AND it's not like it's easy to find comic books and graphic novels here in Hong Kong...
This film series from Hong Kong University Press is quite popular with some of my friends. I would like to read some of these one day...
In the stacks of cheap English classics, I spied 2 of my very favorite novels of all time...
Nice Star Wars books...
An encyclopedia of the Marvel universe unceremoniously resting near a Miley Cyrus book!!!
You can even buy maps at the Hong Kong Book Fair!
Andy Lau makes an appearance at the TVB booth!
And Miriam Yeung makes an appearance on a mag cover at the South China Media Group booth...
Sinking afternoon sun behind some weary reader-shoppers...
Looking for an exit -- the kid-stormtroopers did a good job of herding people around; it's far easier to get into the fair than it is to get out.
I loved that old pic of the Hong Kong skyline with very nearly the same skyline right behind me...
This weary reader/observer/shopper needed some food. I hit one of my favorite restaurants for some dinner as I hoofed it through Wan Chai and back to the MTR...
My usual beef steak and menudo plus a new dish for me: Bicol express! Salty and spicy goodness!
I splurged and got 3 trade paperbacks. I've read some of the Hickman run on the Fantastic Four already -- that's good stuff...and the Sean Chen art in the other FF book caught my eye. As for the Brubaker run on Captain America: I can't say that I'm a huge fan of the guy's highly rated work on the title but seeing as how the 2014 Captain America sequel film will be about the Winter Soldier, I thought I better get caught up now...
