Saturday, January 17, 2009

Hat (This week's Photo Hunt theme)



Are caps hats? I'm thinking technically not. And because I think this, I've had to resort to putting up a picture of a hat-wearing statue -- to be precise, one of the hundreds (if not thousands) of different-looking life-size religious figures (including the wrinkled sage I featured in a previous Photo Hunt) one encounters going up to, on and down from the hill which is home to Shatin's interesting 10,000 Buddhas Monastery.

For the fact of the matter is that there aren't too many hat-wearers in Hong Kong. Indeed, the distinct impression one gets is that the days of hats being considered an essential, or even fashionable, adornment are long gone. (Though I'd grant that in winter, a few wooly hats can be seen adorning folks' head every once in a while!)

If, on the other hand, there were a cap-themed Photo Hunt, I'd not lack for subjects... heck, even I have a collection of those about (whereas the one hat I myself own is gathering dust back in my room in the family abode in Malaysia, having last been worn when I was on safari in Tanzania more than a decade ago now)! ;)

40 comments:

SASSY MOM said...

That's a really interesting photo. Thanks for sharing. Happy weekend!

Unknown said...

Hi,
Thanks for droping by my hunting(Hats).My hunting is in Kuching,Sarawak.You have interesting Hat to share too.

CRIZ LAI said...

I was asking myself that Q too. Caps are not hats. That statue is beautiful. I could not believe my eyes when I saw you typing in 10K. It should be great place to visit. :)

http://crizcats.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Well, I think caps are a type of hat so you COULD have done caps. But I'm glad you did this one because I love that photo! I love religious art of all faiths and that is a very nice statue.

Happy weekend!

Angela said...

That's funny! I guess that hat keeps the statue's face clean. Or maybe the birds like to perch on it. Happy hunting!

Photo Cache said...

I like this entry very much. What a golden take on the theme.

TZ said...

Thanks for dropping by my blog... HAT... it's just came to my mine the HAT race i.e. Hare and Tortoise Race ... hehehe :p

ancient one said...

Now that's a good take on the theme...I would have let you get by with caps.. thanks for coming by to see mine...

Anonymous said...

Very good choice for the theme. Happy weekend. Mine is also ready.

Corey~living and loving said...

great choice. unique. I do think caps are hats though. Now you have me wondering. I think I'll go look of the definition of Hat.
happy weekend.

YTSL said...

Hi SASSY MOM --

You're welcome and happy weekend to you too! :)

Hi uncleawang --

Kuching... no cat-shaped hats there? (For those who don't know Bahasa Malaysia: kuc(h)ing is the BM word for cat!)

Hi Criz Lai --

It IS a great place to visit -- only prepare for a hike up that hill! ;b

Hi Annie --

If you like that statue, hope you clicked on the links to still more photos I took at the 10,000 Buddhas Monastery!

Hi Angela --

What a funny take on why the statue's got a hat on! :D

Hi Photo Cache --

Thanks and heheh re your comments. ;)

Hi TZ --

You're welcome and heheh again re your creative take on the theme. :)

Hi ancient one --

Ah, well, maybe another time with the caps! ;b

Hi gen/entry --

Thanks and yes, did go pay a return visit to your blog. :)

Hi Corey --

Are hat caps? Right now, we appear to have more "yes" than "no" votes... ;b

jmb said...

I was wondering what you would come up with YTSL. This is a very suitable photo.
So no one wears hats in HK? I guess a cap is technically a hat, or at least a head covering. You'll have to suggest it to tnchick.

Gattina said...

Thanks for telling me that my photos didn't show up ! Now it's OK.

I think what the man is wearing there is a hat ! Nice picture !

Anonymous said...

If it goes on your head - it's a hat... :)

Bengbeng said...

haha i had the same problem too..in the end i had to resort to the Iban traditional head gear :)

Anonymous said...

Yes, caps are not hats I think...I was also not sure if thos are called winter hats...but I guess they are though made of different material. Great post, and true the hat is not so much used today as it was before...

stan said...

is that fr hong kong or taiwan?

jams o donnell said...

Great shot. It is a beautiful statue at a place that sounds like it cries out for a visit.

RJ Flamingo said...

Oh, good one!

Mine's up too - kind of a view on the way out...

http://flamingofotos.blogspot.com

Have a great weekend!

Anonymous said...

I guess a cap is a kind of hat. And one of my post is a cap. :)

Anonymous said...

Love the statue - great choice!

Happy Weekend.

Anonymous said...

interesting how HK did not pick up the hat-wearing culture of the British...

Hootin Anni said...

Oh ya, I thought the same thing...caps vs. hats. I have baseball caps but they're not hats, right?

I love this statue photo.

I'm not a hat person, but I found 'hats' around our home that will work for the hunt. Come on over if you can. I would love to have your company.

SabineM said...

Great one! I love it!

Carver said...

That's a great shot for the hat theme. I never thought about statues wearing hats but of course some do.

Anonymous said...

You made me look!
hat, usually with a crown and brim, and cap, usually of soft supple material and having no visor or brim, though a brimless head covering with a visor, as a baseball cap.

I don't think you would have been penalized if you had posted a cap ;-)

Rebecca Mecomber said...

Hm.. I never thought about caps not being hats. I think we define the word rather loosely. We call just about everything a "hat" that goes on a head, except we call a scarf a scarf. lol

I did Photo Hunters today, too! Hope you get a chance to visit.

http://newyorktraveler.net/photo-hunters-hats/

YTSL said...

Hi JMB --

A few people wear hats in Hong Kong but they really are the exception to the rule. All in all, am not sure what's rarer: hats on anyone or facial hair on men! ;)

Hi Gattina --

Okay, will go and pay you another visit now that you've got the problem sorted out! :)

And yes, the man is wearing a hat -- it's just that he's not a real man... ;D

Hi Aileni --

If only it were that simple... or is it really?! :b

Hi Bengbeng --

In other words: you had to be creative! :)

Hi Mirage --

Last night, watched "Vertigo" -- there were so many hat wearers in that movie it was one of the things that dated it!

Hi Stan --

That's from Hong Kong: Shatin, in the New Territories, to be precise! ;b

Hi jams o donnell --

Thanks and yes, the 10,000 Buddhas Monastery is a place I'd recommend for a visit! :)

Hi RJ Flamingo --

Thanks and have a good weekend yourself! :)

Hi Lynn --

Seems like there's a divide in response to my answer, though the "yes, a cap is a hat" crowd seems to be winning at the moment!

Hi Pat --

Glad you like that statue! :)

Hi Ian --

Hong Kong didn't pick up a lot of British practices... including general fluency in English! ;D

Hi Hootin' Anni --

Baseball caps aren't hats to me. They seem to be for some people though!

Hi Sabine M --

Thanks! :)

Hi Carver --

Yeah, actually have quite a few photos of hat-wearing statues! ;b

Hi JC --

In other words: according to the dictionary definition, caps are not hats! But according to tnchick and many other photo hunters... ;)

Hi Mrs Mecomber --

Call me a pedant then... ;b

Anonymous said...

Even Buddhist gods wear hats.. Nice theme..

Liz Hinds said...

How unusual to see a hat on a statue!

Tammy said...

Very interesting photo, perfect for this week's ph theme!

Unknown said...

I'd certainly say so, just as tuques, mats, beanies etc are hats too! Great find!

Mira said...

This is a very nice entry, great take on the theme. Here's mine http://www.mirasblog.com/2009/01/photo-hunt-4-hats.html

Dragonstar said...

That's a lovey photo, and a very attractive statue. It's good to see some lateral thinking!

YTSL said...

Hi Biscuit --

That's not a Buddhist god -- more like "just" a sage. :)

Hi Liz --

Actually, have seen more than one hatted statue. But, actually, the one in the picture may well be the only gold colored statue I've seen with a hat. :)

Hi Tammy --

Am glad you think so! :)

Hi Expat Traveler --

Mats?? (Is that another uniquely Canadian type of hat??)

Hi Mira --

Thanks!

Hi dragondays --

Well, sometimes, lateral thinking is needed. So... ;)

Leslie said...

Wow - now that's a good hat photo! Have a good weekend. :)

http://lesliesmyers.blogspot.com/2009/01/photohunt-hats-graduation.html

Anonymous said...

Or you could be like me, and not worry about technicalities at all! :) But I love the statue, he is gorgeous.

YTSL said...

Hi Leslie --

Glad you like it! :)

Hi A. --

Hope you check out (if you haven't already) the other photos of statues from the 10,000 Buddhas Monastery since as nice as this one is, it's far from my favorite! ;b

Anonymous said...

Now that's perfect! I wished we had time to visit this place while we were in HK...*sigh* Some other time then -if..

YTSL said...

Hi Mama Meji --

You're not too far away from Hong Kong, right? So you can visit another time before too long. Re the 10,000 Buddhas Monastery: Advance warning though that it's quite a hike up a hill to it! ;b