Itineraries A Rainy Day In SoHo

We’ve officially reached the season of 'highly erratic weather in HK'. Gone are the days when a swift look at the eight a.m. sky would provide an accurate forecast for the day. Instead, cool mornings quickly become beach worthy sun-fests, sunny days can instantly make way for driving rain and the whole time we are subjected to wanton, pollution riddled humidity.

The chaotic weather is at its most frustrating when it thrusts us, totally unprepared, into a tropical downpour. One such fate struck Spencer Blackwood Douglass in recent weeks, but he tells us how he made the most of the occasion.

Subway

10:00

Saturday morning in SoHo and the weather is already taking a turn for the worst. Previously clear skies are now thick with cloud and a glance over the side of the escalator sees a handful of umbrellas blooming below me. Sporting a light day suit that’s cut a little too long in the leg I’m wholly unprepared for rain. Standing outside Subway in perhaps the busiest of SoHo’s pedestrian intersections, I find myself facing a snap decision; stay and endure the weather or call a rain check on my morning in SoHo.

Flow Organic Bookshop

10:30

Opting for the comfort and immediacy of a SoHo shelter rather than a lengthy journey home, my first stop is Flow Organic Bookshop. As the weather worsens I leave it behind and find myself in a small room, positively teeming with literature. If I’m in for the long haul I need a great novel and a quiet place to enjoy it. I waste as much time as possible, hoping that my re-emergence will be heralded by a pause in the precipitation.

7-Eleven

11:30

No such luck. Although there are now fewer umbrellas beneath the escalator, this is due to a dramatic increase in rainfall rather than any respite. Weighing up my options, a conveniently placed 7-Eleven on Elgin Street provides me with a choice of umbrellas and plastic ponchos – I opt for the former, a large brolly emblazoned with the 7-Eleven colours.

The Real Bread Cafe

11:45

With a new found sense of calm afforded by my latest purchase, I stroll up Elgin Street, eyeing the surprising number of hurried pedestrians to use magazines as a makeshift shelter. Becoming aware of the used novel clutched under my arm I head to ‘The Real Bread Company’, a warm and comfortable environment perfectly suited to a midday read. Finding a quiet spot in the corner I order a latte and an English Scone. Receiving a handsome bowl of cream and an entire jar of jam I couldn’t be more content.

Life Cafe

14:15

Several drinks and many chapters later I’m peckish and the temptation to order a second scone tells me its time to find sustenance. The rain has subsided a little but not enough to render my trusty umbrella useless. Gliding down Shelley Street Life Café’s promise of a healthy lunch provides a balance to my mid-morning cream filled indulgence. The vegetarian menu is colourful and varied. I eventually decide on an Aztec salad, a mix of black bean, mixed peppers, quinoa and chilli.