Sex and the City in Hong Kong

I shake my head, trying to conjure up the image of Hong Kong, and fleeting glimpses come to mind. I see the poised heroines from old Hong Kong dramas, donning Ralph Lauren's iconic striped dresses from the '90s, clutching briefcases as they merge into the throng on Pedder Street. Then there's the vision of a sultry lady in a fiery red dress, navigating the uneven cobblestone alleys.

But my impression of Hong Kong is as crisp as autumn air. The moment I try to grasp it, it slips through my fingers, turning to liquid as it drips off my hand and smears over the red cover of *Sex and the City*. In Manhattan, Carrie steps gracefully in a lotus-patterned Vivienne Tam skirt; she and her three friends sit by a window, watching a strip show unfold in the building across, with Samantha wearing a blue silk YSL chiffon dress adorned with golden velvet roses. Carrie’s handbag, printed with magazine covers, dangles as she crosses paths with her ex, Big, on a boat. Back in her New York apartment, she’s cinched into a '90s Dolce & Gabbana corset, opening yet another "not quite right" gift from Big.

Every street corner where she might bump into an old lover; every gift that misses the mark; every path walked with friends in carefree laughter. Love, hate, joy, and unforgettable memories—they all blaze brightly after you've left them behind. And then it strikes me—I’ve been living my own *Sex and the City* in Hong Kong all along, vibrantly and unapologetically alive.

I am Carrie. We all are.

我晃一晃腦袋，試圖把香港的模樣抖出來，

偶爾閃現港劇裡的女精英，身穿風靡90年代的Ralph Lauren條紋裙子拿著公文袋，沒入畢打街的蜂擁人群中；

偶爾看見身著烈焰紅裙的風情女郎穿梭於凹凸不平的石板街。

但對於香港的印象比秋天的空氣還要清脆，

稍一觸碰，便在指尖化作一灘水，流過掌心後滴落，

濕濕黏黏，糊在《慾望都市》的紅皮書上。

Carrie身穿Vivienne Tam的蓮花半裙，在曼哈頓街頭步步生蓮；

四個好姐妹坐在窗邊欣賞對面樓的脫衣動作秀，Samantha身著藍色的YSL絲質雪紡裙上，金色玫瑰絲絨在裙上綻放；

Carrie手提著印刷著時尚雜誌封面的手提包，在船上與前任Big狹路相逢；

在紐約的公寓，Carrie身穿來自90年代秀款的Dolce & Gabbana束腰，收到Big的一份「不稱心」禮物。

 

每一個可能與前任相逢的街口；

每一份不合心意的禮物；

每一條與朋友嘻嘻哈哈走過的街頭；

相愛的、討厭的、有趣的、難忘的都在離開後變得鮮活明亮，

而後我發現我一直在香港過著屬於我自己的「慾望都市」，

恣意蓬勃地活著。

我是Carrie，我們都是。