MUSI3041 Assignment 2: Agnes Wu

Sound Map: Collective Memories of Food in HK




The aim of this soundscape is to recreate the food scene dating back to the 80s. I have recorded such related sounds that are affordable, commonplace and authentic to HK, because they are experienced by the majority of inhabitants and so are a better reflection of HK in the late 20th century, to which the high-brow food culture in HK would fail to do so.


An interactive map could be found here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1N12QhQFn6o9mb2gPLNn2VRrsrx1Sp-A&usp=sharing


Kowloon





HK Island



New Territories



Cultural Nostalgia: the Auditory Experience


1. Mister Softee ice cream truck

Time: 16.30

Place: Yau Yat Chuen


Context: In a tranquil residential and school area, there lies the Pied Piper of Hong Kong, playing a slightly off-tune The Blue Danube from its ice cream truck. With just 14 ice cream trucks left in Hong Kong, it has been increasingly difficult to capture them in their vicinity. Anyone can play any recording of The Blue Danube on Spotify, but who can recreate the experience of hearing a slightly eerie sounding, off-tune, the Blue Danube?



2. Cheong Fan

Time: 10.10

Place: Fa Yuen Street


Context: “snip, snip, snip…” these are the sounds of scissors cutting rice noodle rolls into bite-sized pieces. Made with rice flour and wheat starch, Cheong Fan is virtually tasteless and bland at best, but yet it is one of Hong Kong’s favorite street foods. The key and essence of this dish is actually its iconic trio of seasoning: soy sauce, sesame sauce, sweet sauce, and topped with white sesame seeds to serve. Its affordable ingredients and method of production reflects a pre-financial hub Hong Kong, and every bite of this popular street food is a collective memory of the industrial era unique to Hong Kong’s inhabitants. 




3. Roasted chestnuts

Time: 12.00

Place: Under the bridge at the junction between Yim Po Fong Street and Argyle Street


Context: Freshly charcoal-roasted chestnuts are a HK classic for cooler months. I lived nearby as a child and this food truck has always been there. However, this is my first time trying them. Not everyone may have eaten roasted chestnuts before, but I assure you that every local could recognize the presence of roasted chestnuts miles away just by its the auditory and olfactory cues; the sound of metallic shovel against the charcoal, smoke fizzing in the air, and the aroma of charcoaled chestnuts. 




4. Traditional Juicing Stall

Time: 10.00

Place: Fa Yuen Street


Context: The harsh, abrupt notes of fruit being shredded, against the gentle churning of juicing machines signify passerbys that there is a refreshing and healthy drink nearby. Whether you are a kindergartener on their way home from school, a gym-goer coming right out of a workout, or an outdoor worker on your lunch break, juice stalls provide the perfect refreshment for people of all ages, with a variety of options to choose from, even providing customizable orders! These juice stalls were the Starbucks and the bubble tea shops of Hong Kong before globalization, with the main difference being a much healthier option. Despite the declining number of juice stalls along with the increasing variety of beverages, remaining ones have stood against the test of time by upgrading their industrial juicing machines, and even designing cute packaging on cups! 




5. Dai Pai Dong

Time: 17.20

Place: Oi Man Sang Dai Pai Dong Restaurant (Sham Shui Po)


Context: Sham Shui Po houses the oldest Dai Pai Dongs in Hong Kong. A Dai Pai Dong is a type of semi-outdoor eatery specializing in stir-fried Cantonese dishes (aka cooking with ‘wok hei’), and are often associated with the underbelly of HK. What you are hearing is not the static noise recorded by my phone, but the woks being bathed in fire, oil being sizzled, and cooks yelling orders over the roaring stoves. I was only able to record the cooking process because of the outdoor stoves on the street, a sign of an authentic Dai Pai Dong. You might be sitting semi-outdoors in the stuffy, humid, Hong Kong heat, but the food definitely makes up for it. With urbanization and increasing food hygiene standards, there are less and less Dai Pai Dongs with outdoor kitchens, and the sounds of woks clanging against clay stoves and oil sizzling being confined to the cooks and crew themselves, cutting its reach to the public. 





6. Char Siu Butcher’s

Time: 16.00 

Place: Wu Kai Sha butchers’


Context: Did the smell of the honey-glazed meat reach me first, or was it the thudding of the knife on the chopping board? No matter which one, it is a sensory experience. Cantonese BBQ meats, also known as ‘Char Siu’ colloquially, is a staple in almost every household stretching generations back. There is also a cultural phenomenon unique to this city behind its savory, juicy goodness; Hong Kong’s hectic lifestyle leaves no time for working adults to cook, so buying take-out assortments of BBQ meat from these Char Siu butchers after work became a convenient yet delicious option, hence its long-reigning popularity.





7. Baking trays

Time: 10.00

Place: Sun Wah Restaurant (Castle Peak Road)


Context: This short recording of metal baking trays stacking may be unassuming, but is a relic representing HK’s colonial past. These brassy sounds coming from the stacking of rusty, metal baking trays could only be found in traditional HK style bakeries. And on top of the baking trays are an array of Western culture influenced pastries, including egg tarts, paper-wrapped sponge cakes, mini chicken-pot pies (not to be mistaken for their English counterpart!) to name a few; each pastry having their own unique stories shaped by history and local dialectics. Although there are more Western bakeries springing up in HK recently, these traditional bakeries are still a local favorite, savoring every bite of butter, sugary, carb-loaded cultural memory unique to HK locals. 





Soundscape of the Cultural Vernacular:



8. Dim Sum Carts

Time: 14.30

Place: Metropol Restaurant (Admiralty)


Context: ‘要蝦餃定燒賣啊’(shrimp dumplings or siu mai dumplings?). This dim sum restaurant offers a taste of traditional dim sum in the midst of office-laden Admiralty. There is nowhere on Earth, other than dim sum restaurants exactly in Hong Kong, where you can find waitresses virtually of the same age speaking in the same tone and manner. The clinking of crockery and the iconic voices of middle-aged aunties speaking behind dim sum carts make up this truly authentic Hong Kong experience.




9. Cha Chaan Teng ordering

Time: 9.30

Place: Sun Wah Restaurant (Castle Peak Road)


Context: The foreground speech of the male waitress repeating customers’ orders, against the background chatter of the female waitress at the cashier perfectly captures the nostalgia of Cha Chaan Teng Restaurants. “Cha Chaan Teng”s are Hong Kong style cafes that rose to popularity in the 50s, offering a wide range of affordable Western / Cantonese fusion food. Complimenting the hectic mornings of HK, waiters and waitresses have developed their own system of common phrases and abbreviations for passing food orders, which was quickly adopted by HK locals alike. The quick, abrasive dialogues, slightly raised (or even more during rush hour!) to talk over the background chatter, has since become an integral part of local HK culture that even tourists have to experience.




10. Gan Bei

Time: 12.00

Place: Chinese Hotel Restaurant (Hung Hom)

Context: a 30-second recording of 4-syllabled phrases, followed by the signature ‘Gan Bei’! (乾杯), and ending with a clinking of glasses; you would know it is a Hong Kong celebratory toast without understanding the language. Although the culture of toasting could be found all over the world, this is the traditional sound of toasting that generations before me and I grew up with. We may be using the same wine glasses, or celebrating the same occasion (eg birthdays), however, it is the people and its language that gives life to a collective cultural identity.




11. Daai6 Gaa1 Sik6 Faan6 

Time: 18.00

Place: home



Context: “Daai gaa sik faan!” translates to “let’s eat, everyone!”. This common phrase across HK households reflects the culture of sharing a home-cooked meal together as a household. From exploring the nooks and crannies of my neighborhood, to visiting popular nostalgic food spots in the city, I deliberately made the decision to record a home-cooked meal to complete a full circle. And in particular, my family, as we directly participate in this cultural soundscape, which is heard in households all over the city during dinnertime. With different schedules and lifestyles, meal times are often the only time a family can get together and talk about their day. However, this tradition is slowly eroding away as every member eats at different times to fit around our hectic schedules, which also affects my household. So I hope this recording serves as a reminder of the importance placed on a family unit in Canton culture.





Recording process:

All of the recordings are recorded by my phone, so some features in sound recordings might not be conveyed in such clarity as I would like. However, it was the most discreet equipment that I could use as there are places in Hong Kong that would not welcome a random person recording sounds of them working, e.g. Dai Pai Dongs, as they are often wary of people engaging in suspicious activity. A more likely supposition would have been me reporting their food hygiene (or lack thereof) to government authorities, which is equally as unwelcome. 



Food for thought:

Fortunately, I was still able to capture most of the sounds that are familiar to the food soundscape in 80s Hong Kong. However, it was apparent that some sounds are increasingly hard to find, such as outdoor Dai Pai Dongs, brash Cha Chaan Teng waiters, and ice cream trucks. It is reflecting the changing culture and overall advancement of Hong Kong’s financial status. The recordings of these dying sounds not only remind us of Hong Kong 80s zeitgeist, but also serve as a preservation of Hong Kong’s complex history.



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