Pazu Kong (second from left) and Oat (second from right)
together with waitresses from the local community in front of the Spinn Cafe
Photos courtesy of Pazu Kong
Tibet Autonomous Region in southwestern China has become a
popular destination for Hong Kong travelers in recent years. Captivated by
Tibet's tranquil and serene beauty, mesmerizing landscape and the local
people's religious zeal, more and more Hongkongers are heading toward the
region braving harsh and inclement weather and defying high altitude sickness.
A corner of the cafe decorated
with bricks |
Bored with his job, Kong was looking for an utterly
different kind of holiday, one that was far from the madding crowd and the
humdrum of city life. He decided to take a trip to Tibet not just to savor the
unique ethnic culture and to savor its breathtaking landscape, he also had in
mind something else.
Kong decided to open a coffee shop in the autonomous region
with his Thai friend Oat. The coffee shop, named Spinn Cafe, was opened in
April last year.
The duo had visited the region last year by undertaking a
three-month cycling marathon from Thailand. By opening the cafe, Kong and Oat
hoped to share their travel experience with visitors from all over the world.
"It is not for money. I am sick of city life. I was
under constant work pressure there. Here I take it easy and work in a leisurely
fashion. I don't have any work pressure here. I wanted to do something
different," Kong said.
"I have always wanted to settle in places outside Hong
Kong, longed to learn the language and culture there. When you talk about
minority history in China, Tibet is my favorite place," he said.
Kong still has not fully recouped the start-up capital of
HK$100,000. During peak tourist season, the cafe's sales can reach HK$1,000 a
day. But the earning can be as low as HK$20 a day when the business remains
dull and slow.
Kong said the main portion of the cafe's revenue comes not
from tourists but from the local people. "Tourists generally travel on a
budget and they spend less money. The Tibetans here do not have such concern.
Some may order an entire carton of beer," he said.
Counter of the cafe decorated with wood |
How does he view the Tibetans? Kong said the local people
stoutly defend their culture and resist anything against their customs, but
that does not mean their outlook is narrow and hidebound. The local people are
eager to try new kinds of food provided they do not contain garlic, he added.
To satisfy the locals' taste buds, Kong introduces Hong
Kong-style cuisines, such as fried instant noodles, in the cafe. He, however,
keeps the instant noodle's name Gung Zai Min in the menu card as used by
Hongkongers instead of Fang Bian Mian in Putonghua.
"The Tibetans are very open-minded. They are even
willing to try dried durian from Hong Kong," Kong said.
Even the toys Kong had brought with him - UNO card games,
Jenga Stacking, and others - have drawn attention from the tourists and local
people.
Kong, however, is aware that the cafe could not sustain its
business just depending on local customers. He has to extend his customer
source by attracting tourists. To that end, he has started providing tourists
with travel information and selling equipment they need, such as bicycles and
torches.
Besides running his business, Kong spends time in learning
the Tibetan language. He believes learning local language is essential to
integrate with the local community. He is planning to offer the children there
free English classes in return for his learning the local language.
"But I have to sort out the logistic problem first.
School finishes late here and sometimes children will not get back home until
10pm," Kong said.
He, however, faces difficulties in getting things done. He
was required to team up with the local people for the business registration.
He feels frustrated over the bureaucratic procedure in the
region. He was asked to apply for a temporary residence card by the local
police. When he had done that, he was told that he needed another document for
living in Tibet.
Despite the problems, Kong loves to stay on and is not
willing to leave Tibet.
"I won't leave the place because of these problems. The
cafe is the right platform for sharing experience with the tourists. I feel
excited that I am able to run it with just HK$100,000 when I am only 30. It's
like a dream come true," he said.
(HK Edition 02/14/2008 page4)