Shop? | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Shop?

Shop?
Submitted by Andrew Suddaby
Authors: 
Andrew Suddaby

There was no indication what this business, probably in Wan Chai, dealt in.  Has anyone a suggestion?

Date picture taken (may be approximate): 
Sunday, November 1, 1987
Gallery: 
1987 Andrew Suddaby's photos
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Comments

Submitted by tngan on Thu, 2015-10-22 22:06.

Hi there,

This is likely the front desk of a Chinese Restaurant.  It's besically for customer to negotiate bookings as well as food for the meal.  Mostly staffed by senior staff.

T

Submitted by Andrew Suddaby on Thu, 2015-10-22 22:42.

Hi T

Thanks.  That sounds good. Andrew

Submitted by tngan on Fri, 2015-10-23 09:34.

Hi there,

A bit about the pink stack of A3 paper (or even a bit bigger size) on the counter.  They are likely for jotting down customized menu for customers.  Those would also be used for quotations too.  

Back then traditional brush scripts would be used as the managers were supposed to be good at Chinese caligraphy.  It had become a deminishing art and most restaurants uses computer printouts on smaller size paper these days.

T

Submitted by breskvar on Fri, 2015-10-23 12:30.

They didn't seem to have one here, but I used to see some front desks staffed by abacus wielding managers in the 80s.

breskvar

Submitted by Andrew Suddaby on Fri, 2015-10-23 22:27.

I can still remember how swiftly experienced fingers would fly across an abacus.  I wonder if any are still used commercially, or even if school children are taught how to use them?

Submitted by breskvar on Fri, 2015-10-23 22:51.

Very rare now Andrew.  Also, nowadays there are interest classes teaching how to use an abacus, but they haven't been teaching it in school since my day in the 80s.  So any usual Joe below maybe 40 years old in Hong Kong do not really know how to use one.

breskvar