Archive for June, 2012

• BLOG – Full Lowdown of Handover Weekend: Protest Minimised, Reporter Removed

  Date: 2012.06.30 | Category: Blog | Response: 10

  With discontent at a 15-year high, up to 400,000 people hit the streets for the annual pro-democracy rally. Jacky Lim, 37, was amongst many protesters carrying the old British colonial flag, “There is nothing worth celebrating today. Hong Kong is being gradually destroyed by the Communist Party”, he said.

  > For my own snapshot of HK politics today, click here & here’s a quick appearance on TVB.

  

  

  via AP

  The International Herald Tribune observed that millionaire property consultant CY Leung’s inauguration was conducted without a word of Cantonese being spoken. This is a departure from the 2007 ceremony when Donald Tsang gave his inaugural speech in the local dialect as opposed to Putongua.

  Without a hint of irony, Hu spoke of the importance of ”opposing interference by external forces in Hong Kong affairs”.

  This is a preview. Read the full post (477 words, 22 images)

• POLITICS – Full Lowdown of HK Political Shit-storm Ahead of July 1st

  Date: 2012.06.29 | Category: Politics: All Posts, Politics: Full Lowdown | Response: 1

  Below is a piece adapted from an article I wrote for foreign audiences. There is a deeper analysis of HK after Handover over at National Geographic. 

  Two defining features of present-day Hong Kong are destined to dampen this Sunday’s celebrations as the city marks 15 years since its handover to China. Despite coming tops as the world’s freest economy with the rule of law and civil liberties relatively preserved under the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ agreement, the ex-British colony is plagued with political turmoil and is now home to one of the widest poverty gaps in the developed world.

  

  Preparations for the weekend’s “celebrations”.

  Today, Chinese premier Hu Jin Tao will visit the city to help lead the Special Administrative Region’s ‘Establishment Day’ festivities. On the surface, it appears the SAR’s 7 million citizens have much to celebrate. At a time of deep cuts and austerity in Europe and the US, booming Hong Kong is enjoying such a surplus that – in the past year alone – the government offered personal US$700 bail-outs to all residents, subsidised electricity bills and allowed families in public housing free rent for 2 months. However, these handouts have done little to heal more fundamental problems and discontent brewing beneath the Tiger Economy’s glittering skyline.

  This is a preview. Read the full post (1106 words, 6 images)

• BLOG – Mirror of Paul Mooney’s SCMP Whistle-blower Article

  Date: 2012.06.28 | Category: Blog | Response: 4

  As the original article seems to be down, or removed, below is a temporary mirror of Paul Mooney’s important whistle-blower peice about censorship at the South China Morning Post…

   

  On April 22, Wang Xiangwei, the new editor-in-chief of the South China Morning Post,informed me that my contract with the newspaper would not be renewed when it expired on May 21. I can’t say I was surprised.

  Sitting in a hotel restaurant in Hong Kong on a hot April day, Wang stared down at the table as the conversation began, seemingly unwilling to make eye contact. After a few minutes of chit chat, I asked him directly about my contract. He fidgeted and said he would not be able to renew it due to budget problems.

  To me it was clear that this was a political decision. For seven months, he had basically blocked me from writing any China stories for the newspaper. During that period, I only had two stories in the China pages of the newspaper–one on panda bears and one on compensation for AIDS victims. Some two dozen other story suggestions went unanswered by the China Desk–in one case a story was approved, but the editor told me Wang had overruled him. A half-dozen emails to Wang pleading to write more for the newspaper went unanswered.

  This is a preview. Read the full post (1926 words, 2 images)

• PHOTOGRAPHY – Michael Wolf’s Hong Kong Cornerhouses

  Date: 2012.06.28 | Category: Architecture & Infrastructure, Photography & Wallpapers | Response: 5

  Michael Wolf is best known for his ‘Architecture of Density’ work in Hong Kong, but another collection from HK University Press showcases some of the city’s more classic heritage…

  See also: Wolf’s ‘Architecture of Density’

  

  …’Progress is often equated with destroying the old and bringing in the new,’ says the German-born photographer…

  

  …They were mostly constructed in the 1950/60s…

  This is a preview. Read the full post (194 words, 16 images)

• BLOG – WTF Licence Plates of the Rich & Shameless #7

  Date: 2012.06.27 | Category: WTF Licence Plates | Response: 0

  An appropriate novelty license plate this week as Mr Tsang leaves office. Locals will be familiar with the ‘PK’ abbreviation…

  

  This is a preview. Read the full post (22 words, 1 image)

• BLOG – Kill It With Fire: HK’s Top 5 Most Dreadful Creepy Crawlies

  Date: 2012.06.26 | Category: Blog | Response: 3

  HK has at least 6,784 insect species recorded thus far, most of which are fairly benevolent. However, some are less friendly. Below is a horrifying collection of five of HK’s most dread-inducing creepy crawlies…

  Nephila Pilipes Golden Golden orb-weaver  - also known as giant wood spiders or banana spiders, they feature a leg span of up to 20cm and often prey on snakes or small birds. They are one of the biggest spiders in the world and, if you fancy a visit to the lovely Lantau Silvermine waterfalls, expect to be absolutely surrounded by gaggles of these nightmarish arachnid bastards…

  

  Belostomatidae Kirkaldyia deyrolli - also known as giant water bugs or colloquially as toe-biters, electric-light bugs or Alligator Ticks. A popular delicacy in Thailand, Entomological Science journal notes that the water bugs are happy to attack moving prey such as snakes and turtles…

  This is a preview. Read the full post (325 words, 4 images)

• HISTORY – The Luxury British Liner at the Bottom of Victoria Harbour

  Date: 2012.06.25 | Category: History & Abandoned HK | Response: 3

  Buried at the bottom of Victoria Harbour remains the keel, hull and boilers from the QEII predecessor, RMS Queen Elizabeth. It was purchased at auction in 1970 by local tycoon C.Y. Tung and sank two years later following a fire. The burnt wreck capsized and was declared a shipping hazard. 45,000 tons were thus retrieved by Korean divers for scrap leaving around 40-50% of the wreckage on the sea bed. In the late 90s, a quarter of the remaining ship was buried during land reclamation for Container Terminal 9 with some being used for landfill in preparation for the new airport on Lantau.

  The disaster held the dubious title of the largest passenger shipwreck until the Costa Concordia disaster this year. 5,000 highly collectable Parker pens were produced with material recovered from the wreck whilst the flag pole and remnants of her last ensign adorn the wall of the marine police HQ.

  

  Click to enlarge

  The arsonists responsible for the fire were never identified…

  This is a preview. Read the full post (192 words, 2 images)

• PHOTOGRAPHY – A Peek Inside the New LEGCO Building

  Date: 2012.06.24 | Category: Architecture & Infrastructure, Photography & Wallpapers | Response: 0

  Central Government Complex, Tamar is the new location for the offices of GovHK. The design is said to be based on a mix of Chinese and Western architectural principles and a ‘low-frills’ international design.

  

  …The Star Trek-esque main chamber features a natural light funnel which directs daylight into the room, minimising the use of artificial light. The room is also lined with HD camera lighting…

  

  …Construction began in 2009 and many parts of the complex are already functioning. There are three large sites – the LEGCO Block, Office Block  (mostly for government departments) and Low Block (office tower containing committee rooms, press room, offices of members of the LEGCO, as well as the office of the LEGCO President).

  This is a preview. Read the full post (387 words, 20 images)

• ART – HK Inspired Art Projects

  Date: 2012.06.22 | Category: Art & Music, Blog | Response: 0

  Two interactive art installations featuring more than a whiff of the Fragrant Harbour are currently on display outside of the city’s borders…

  

  …The first, in Germany, is ’The Global Pursuit of Happiness‘, or: ‘The Army of Luck‘ by Nina Martens…

  

  … The golden army of lucky money cats is linked up to a computer which allows them to perform North Korea-esque unified waving and feline mexican waves….

  This is a preview. Read the full post (145 words, 6 images)

• VIDEO – Six Spectacular Hong Kong Time Lapse Videos

  Date: 2012.06.21 | Category: Architecture & Infrastructure, Blog, Video | Response: 1

  Perhaps the pace of HK lends itself well to what is quickly becoming a genre of local videography unto itself. The first offering is the newest - a stop-motion video from Javin Lau shot with a Canon 7D and T2LI.

  Each has a different atmosphere, reflecting different sides of our city – which is your favourite?

  This is a preview. Read the full post (63 words, 1 image)