Haven't done one of these in a while. Honkers are scared of being lonely while the rest of the world are just scared of us Chinese folks.

For anyone who doesn't read Chinese, this is a buy-one-get-another-one-for-$1 deal for any coffee at Pacific Coffee Company of equal or lesser value than the first cup you buy.

Maybe it's kind of weird and not at all very fashionable, but I was shopping at city'super in Causeway Bay and became inevitably lured to the foyer-podium thing in the middle where they do all sorts of themed fairs. At the travel exhibit, amid cute plastic passport holders and nylon garment bags and serious looking sunglasses, I found Sanuks. I laughed, of course, at the two-in-one flip flop-sock hybrids (until I later found out via Wikipedia that they were inspired by fashions in Hong Kong -- oh the shame!) and then stopped short at the loafer station.

I don't know what possessed me to stop at the Crocs-like display of comfy, orthopedic footwear, hung out on hooks like pigs at a butcher shop. But I did, and I stopped and tried them on, and then it was like I had never known a Louboutin or a stiletto. It was love at first tread. They reminded me of when I was in high school, and I would drag my friends to Marks and Spencer in Times Square (where Zara now sits) and force them to try on these cloth Mary Janes with cushion bottoms and rubber soles which were like walking on pillows. They all told me I was crazy and to save my money for Keroppi stickers and Maybelline Great Lash mascara or something useful instead.

Well, now... I have them, or some really comfortable relative of them. SANUKS, children. Respect them, try them, and you shall be converted. And then, just for fun, here are the sock-flops (real name: TubeFlops.)

I'd never have guessed this lizard-print clutch was from Diane von Furstenberg. I'm drooling over it and would have already purchased it if it weren't SOLD OUT! I guess everyone else thought US$300 for this beauty is a steal too.

For the Royal Opera's production of Aida, Rupert Sanderson created these babies as well as footwear for the 200 cast members, but I'm sure these would stand up on any runway.

Collective buying websites have been rather popular overseas and now they are making their way into the HK market. Most of the ones we’ve been informed about are generally Chinese sites but that’s all about to change with the launch of ValuUp. How it works is that the site negotiates with brands to offer a discount if enough people sign up for the deal. For their launch deal, ValuUp has joined up with Ben & Jerry’s to give their members 8 scoops of ice-cream for the price of 3. (A mighty good deal considering how expensive Ben & Jerry’s is in Hong Kong. I miss the days of college where we would host Ben & Jerry’s parties as each pint was only about US$2.50 when on sale.) So how to participate in these deals? Register at their site, (it’s free) and you will receive daily emails allowing you to purchase vouchers from local businesses at 50-80% off. We hear that other deals coming up include brands like Elemis Spa, Art Jam, Sideways Driving Club, Yoga Room, Power Plate Institute and Doctor Murad as well as buffets, shopping sprees, bungee jumping, rock concerts and cupcakes to name but a few.

How very Mandarin Oriental! From maslodesign at Need Supply.