The latest works by VA Wong Sir and Ah To say so much about the situation in Hong Kong, and "the Far East"

Remember VA Wong Sir and Ah To?  The two talented political cartoonists may have left Hong Kong but they are keeping their eye on what's happening in the city they love and continuing producing works that are say so much about the situation in this part of the world.  And in recent days, both of them have produced illustrations that I think are very much worth sharing with others.  

 

So without further ado, I present to you this from VA Wong Sir (who now is on Twitter as well as Facebook as well as Patreon) which points out that Hong Kong is not (yet) "back to normal" like the Hong Kong government (including the Hong Kong Tourism Board) would like you to believe due to existing pandemic regulations and restrictions (never mind the national security law):

 

And this from Ah To (who has a Twitter account but appears to be more active on Instagram), produced to "celebrate" the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st of this year, which was inspired by -- and updates -- Tse Tsan-tai's "The Situation in the Far East" of July 1898: 

N.B. To appreciate the details of the illustrations, particularly Ah To's, click on the images to view enlarge versions of them!

Finding beautiful things to (temporarily) focus on and enjoy still in Hong Kong (Photo-essay)

There is so many terrible things happening in so many parts of the world.  I think many people (especially in the West) are focused on what's happening in Ukraine as well as their respective homelands.  But I find myself thinking from time to time re the troubles in places like Tibet, Xinjiang, Myanmar and Thailand too.  And if all our human-made problems (which I'd consider Hong Kong's fifth coronavirus wave to partly be) weren't enough, Mother Nature's been getting into the act too.  

 

Very early this past Monday morning, there was an earthquake in Guangdong Province which was felt by the likes of me in Hong Kong!  But although it was shocking for its rarity (as in it's only the second time that I felt tremors in the Big Lychee), it was nowhere as serious as that which shook much of the Japanese island of Honshu late last night (and got people worriedly recalling the Great Tohoku Earthquake that occurred 11 years and five days previously).    

 

Amidst it all though, I got a reminder (via WholesomeMemes over on Twitter) that even when things aren't going well in our world, we have to try to find something beautiful.  So here's sharing photos from yet another spring day stroll along the Victoria Harbour-front that I hope will provide you with a visual and psychic cleanse:

 

The past few days have been warmer than usual 

for this time of the year as well as welcomingly sunny

 

Perhaps because the weather was truly good, a pair of pet owners

decided to bring their parrots out to enjoy the sun and fresh air

by Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter! :)

 

Yup, there had more than one bird with them! (And yes, it's 

fairly normal for Hong Kong bird owners to take the pets out) :b

Bird number three -- the brightest of the bunch, and also the wildest 

in behavior (I get the feeling that if it wasn't chained, it would have 

flown away and joined the cockatoo crew that lurk about in Victoria Park!)

 

Looking westwards towards the setting sun (with visibility

so high I could clearly see Castle Peak in the distance)

 

If you looked in other directions at this point in the

late afternoon, the sky actually was still on the blue side :)

 

The low clouds over Kowloon Peak were a visual bonus!

 

Still more low clouds over the Kowloon Hills spotted

as I neared the end of my walk that late afternoon/early evening :)c

Thoughts turn once more to the 12 Hong Kongers detained in Shenzhen, Prince Edward MTR station, the Wuhan coronavirus, and Carrie Lam

Thoughts turned to the 12 Hong Kongers behind bars in Shenzhen

while on a boat in Hong Kong this past weekend...

 

Thoughts turned to terrible things which have taken place inside

MTR stations while passing by one last week

 

One hundred days ago today, 12 Hong Kongers sought to journey by boat to seek asylum in Taiwan.  Eleven of them had been facing prosecution in connection with anti-government protests, while one (activist Andy Li) had been arrested, but not charged, under the national security law.  Upon being notified by the Hong Kong police, the Mainland Chinese coastguard swooped in to arrest them.  They have been in custody in Shenzhen ever since.  And considering what we know has happened behind bars in Mainland China, there understandably are fears that they are being ill-treated, even tortured, while awaiting trial; with the letters that the prisoners have sent to their relatives hardly putting people at ease.

 

On Friday, the police in the Yantian district of Shenzhen said they had completed investigations into the case of the 12 Hong Kongers. While 10 members of the group are now accused of entering Mainland Chinese waters illegally, two face a more serious charge of organising the illegal crossing.  It remains unclear what the maximum punishment for these charges are.  And it does not help that the lawyers their families who have appointed to defend them have been unable to meet with their clients.  

 

As Causeway Bay Books' Lam Wing-kee -- now in exile in Taiwan -- noted in a recent interview, "You can’t compare custody in Hong Kong to custody in [Mainland] China."  Hence the likes of Joshua Wong (still) seeking to keep attention on the plight of the 12 Hong Kongers behind bars in Shenzhen even when he himself is behind bars, albeit in Hong Kong.  (And while we're at it: spare a thought -- and if you're religiously inclined, prayers -- too for Gui Minhai, the Hong Kong bookseller sentenced to 10 years jail in Mainland China after being abducted in Thailand and despite his being a Swedish citizen.)      

 

Also on the mind of many Hong Kongers today is what happened at Prince Edward MTR station on August 31st, 2019.  Ahead of this evening, the Hong Kong police reportedly issued a warning that anyone who places flowers at the Prince Edward MTR station would be arrested.  One year and two months on, the local constabulary appear incredibly sensitive about what people think transpired inside that MTR station located so very close to Mongkok Police Station that night -- and you really have to wonder if they'd be so upset about people's acts of mourning if no one died at their hands in Prince Edward MTR station that fateful night.

At the same time, 伯昏無人's Tweet on the matter sums up how a good number of people feel: "By now the importance of 8/31 doesn't depend on whether anyone actually died that night. We commemorate it as a deplorable milestone in the collapse of HK civil society and the descent of these disgraceful uniformed thugs into a band of parasitical gangsters."  

 

And if I may add to it: we also mourn what we've lost in Hong Kong in the past year and a half or so: what remained of our respect for the police force once known as Asia's finest; the love we used to have for the MTR; and a time before Hong Kong bore comparisons to a police state, with "martial law and military-style rule", and talk and declarations coming seemingly daily about its (impending) demise.

 

Oh, and there's the Wuhan coronavirus to worry about and impact our lives too!  With Hong Kong reporting 115 new cases yesterday (the first three figure daily increase in infections since August), it seemed inevitable that more restrictive social distancing measures would be ordered to be put into place.  And despite today's drop in numbers back to double digits (specifically 76 new cases), Carrie Lam held another press conference today to announce such as restaurants being required to to close at 10pm (from the present 12 midnight) and the number of diners allowed per table being lowered to two (from the current four) beginning this Wednesday.    

 

Carrie Lam being Carrie Lam, she also took the opportunity to dismiss suggestions that the government has reacted too slowly to the current outbreaks, and rejected suggestions that it is to blame for the latest outbreaks which are thought to be linked to infected people returning from overseas.  In addition, she disclosed that the government's mulling setting up a hotline so people can report each other to the authorities for social distancing infringements.   

 

A reminder: earlier this month, the government set up a hotline for people to snitch on their fellow Hong Kongers who they suspect of having broken China's national security law for Hong Kong.  So it seems that it really is intent on encouraging Hong Kongers to become "snitches" and, in so doing, effecting a "Cultural Revolution" in a territory that had been spared the individual and collective suffering and social warping that had occured across the border in Mainland China for much of the 1960s and 1970s.        

Eyes in Hong Kong turn outwards even while Hong Kong pro-democracy protestors inspire others

 

Out of sight but not out of mind

 

Yes, the world is interconnected...

 

I went out to what turned out to be quite the marathon dinner -- one which went on for around four hours (and featured way more courses than I'm normally used to) -- with friends yesterday.  There was much chatting while we ate, and the conversation subjects ranged quite a bit in terms of topics but also geography.  Inevitably, we talked about the Wuhan coronavirus (which is ranging far less now in Hong Kong -- which had just four new cases today, two of them imported -- than much of the rest of the world but still continues to prey on our minds).  In contrast to other recent meetups with friends though, security law fears and pro-democracy protests were not touched on much at all.          

It's not that the people in the party were not apolitical.  I know at least two of my friends present have long been regular June 4th vigil attendees and also that one of them regularly attended July 1st protest marches (at least prior to this year).  

 

I also don't think that we're experiencing the protest version of quarantine fatigue.  Even so, I must admit that even I spent more time yesterday following the New Zealand elections -- and having a bout of leader envy as a result of seeing New Zealand being blessed with having a leader like Jacinda Ardern -- than checking Hong Kong political news.  (And yes, seeing her win big yesterday made me happy, the way that seeing another popular leader known for right by her people, Tsai Ing Wen, prevail in the Taiwan elections earlier this year did.)         

Earlier in the day, I also felt good upon seeing yet another foreign national leader look to do the right thing in the person of Canada's Justin Trudeau pledging to continue to defend human rights in China (including Hong Kong) after China's ambassador to Ottawa issued a threat regarding the “health and security” of the 300,000 Canadians living in Hong Kong earlier this week.  At the same time, it was sad to see Hong Kong referred to in The Guardian's article on the matter as "the theoretically autonomous Chinese territory": quite a far cry from Special Administrative Region (as per its official designation) or even "semi-autonomous region" (as I've seen it referred to more to recently); and a sure sign that much of the world has indeed finally awakened to its plight and altered state/status.

 

It also felt bittersweet to see Greta Thunberg Tweet her support in recent days for the 12 Hong Kongers who were apprehended by the Mainland Chinese authorities eight weeks ago now and have remained incommunicado with their loved ones as well as in Mainland Chinese custody all this time.  (As in: it's great to have yet another high profile personality's support of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protestors, their plight and their cause -- and, specifically, the ongoing international campaign to save the 12 Hong Kong youths -- but I wish there wasn't that need in the first place, you know?) 

 

Of course, in recent days, the protests that appear to be catching the most attention is not Hong Kong's but Thailand's.  And while some might think that Hong Kong pro-democracy advocates already have a lot on their hands with regards to the battles to be fought in their home territory, many are actually standing up and declaring their support of their Thai counterparts.  On Twitter (which, as a reminder, the new version of Blogger very annoyingly won't let me link to), one can see not only individual "Stand with Thailand" messages from Hong Kongers but also videos and photos showing such a small "Stand with Thailand" display erected in Kennedy Town and "Stand with Thailand" graffiti in Tai Koo Shing. 

 

Some of this was undoubtedly sparked by many Thai protest images (e.g., this and this) bringing to mind Hong Kong ones for many Hong Kongers (as has been the case with many of those from Belarus and the USA in recent months -- and no, it's not a coincidence).  But it's also the case that there's been solidarity among Hong Kong, Thai and Taiwanese pro-democracy advocates for some time now -- with the Milk Tea Alliance being what it's become popularly known as for months now!        

 

Those who think that Hong Kong's pro-democracy protestors have lost might wonder how come their tactics are being adopted by others in far flung parts of the world.  My argument, of course, is that the Hong Kong fight is not yet over.  Yes, the situation in Hong Kong can look pretty bleak, on some days more than others.  But as long as we resist, there's hope.  Ditto when we have the support of others -- abroad as well as at home -- and know we are not alone, and even have the power to inspire (others in the world).  

10 highlights of my 2019 year

My favorite of a number of beautiful sunsets I viewed 

a number of different parts of the world in 2019

 

 Puppet Ponyo posing in front of a particularly awesome

section of my favorite cave visited last year

There's no denying it: 2019 was not a good year for Hong Kong.  And in view of my love for the Big Lychee and wish that it be free of political repression as well as my having done such as inhaled tear gas not just for the first time ever last year but on six different occasions (including one where it had quite the frightening effect on me), 2019 wasn't all that generally great a year for me too.   

But even though the year most definitely had its share of low points, it actually did also have a number of personal highlights.  So, considering that it's now the third day of the third month of a new year, I reckon it's high time that I spent some time looking back fondly at some of the better parts of 2019 for me; this not least because I do actually like re-reading my "10 highlights" posts from previous years (i.e., 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 and all the way back to 2006, the year I began blogging). :)

1) Best boat ride: Unlike 2015, I didn't go on a cruise last year.  Living as I do in Hong Kong though, I did take a good number of ferry rides (across Victoria Harbour, and to and from different Outlying Islands).  And on my still-not-yet-completely-chronicled May visit to Japan, I went on two very different boat rides.  If it hadn't rained the day that I went to Geibekei, I'm sure I would have enjoyed the boat ride through that gorgeous gorge much more.  As it was though, it was the day that I was in Matsushima where the weather gods smiled at me.  So it's the boat ride across Matsushima Bay that's bathed with warm memories and feels particularly blessed to my mind.       

2) Best book: Back in 2005, Keigo Higashino wrote a crime novel that was translated into English in 2011 and given the title of The Devotion of Suspect X.  Looking for something to distract me from the ongoing troubles in Hong Kong one day in late 2019, I finally got to reading it and was so wowed by it that I've since bought and read four more works by the Japanese writer and probably will end up reading every one of his works that there are English language translations of!  More than incidentally, I've found myself immediately re-reading every one of Higashino's books after finishing them.  And I reckon it's a good measure of how wonderful The Devotion of Suspect X is that I've now reread it not one but twice and found it so very moving as well as interesting each time!    

3) Best cave: I didn't actually plan for it to happen but I ended up spending time in a surprising number of caves in 2019.  Ironically, the least impressive is probably the only one whose visit I've blogged about to date.  Hopefully in the not too distant future, I'll not only finish posting about my May Japan trip but also feel able to blog about my October Japan trip, during which I spend a couple hours or so exploring the thoroughly impressive Akiyoshido, Japan's largest and longest limestone cave!

4) Best concert: I had the pleasure of seeing and hearing my favorite violinist, Ning Feng, perform live not once but twice last year: with the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra at the Hong Kong Arts Festival, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in December.  But nothing beats the privilege of having been there for Alice Sara Ott's piano recital in November: one that felt thoroughly magical thanks to the considerable talent of a young woman I'd love to be able see return to Hong Kong for another concert but also know may not since she sadly has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.  

5) Best exhibition: I often hear complaints from expats that Hong Kong lacks a world class museum.  Even if that may be the case, they actually often do have very worthwhile special exhibitions.  And such was the case to my mind with regards to the Hong Kong Museum of History's Gilded Glory: Chaozhou Woodcarving, a special exhibition that spotlighted the impressive school of woodcarving of a people that, half way through the exhibition, I got to realizing may be known as Chaozhou in Mandarin/Putonghua but are referred to as Chiuchow by the Cantonese and Teochew to the Hokkiens and the Teochews themselves!

6) Best hike: Thanks to the extradition bill protests (which I first took part in last April but kicked off in earnest in June), I went on way fewer hikes in 2019 than in any other year that I've been in Hong Kong.  Happily though, I did get back to doing so in the final month of last year and enjoyed a pretty good one last Christmas.  Still my favorite excursion into the Hong Kong countryside was way earlier in the year.  More precisely, my best hiking memories of 2019 are from the Sai Kung Peninsula one I went on back in January of last year with three friends, two of whom were visiting from the USA for the first time since they had left Hong Kong more than a year previously.

7) Best literary event: Although I love reading books, I'm not one to join book clubs or attend book talks or readings. But thanks to gentle prodding (and complimentary tickets) from a friend, I attended two Hong Kong International Literary Festival events last November; one of which featured an appearance by a writer I've long admired.  And so much did I enjoy "Japan and Autumn Light: A Talk with Pico Iyer", which featured mesmerizing reading of excerpts by the celebrated author of one of his recent books along with a conversation between him and Financial Times arts critic Ken Smith, that I ended up buying a copy of that tome -- and enjoy reading it I did too!

   

8) Best meal: My most popular post to date is of an omakase sushi lunch I had at the Hong Kong outpost of Sushi Saito last year.  If truth be told though, I don't think it's even my favorite omakase sushi meal of 2019 -- since I actually enjoyed a number of omakase sushi dinners at what's still my favorite regular sushi-ya, Uehara, more.  And while I really do love sushi and rate the food at Sushi Saito and Uehara super highly, my favorite meal of 2019 was at a place with a truly great combination of fun atmosphere as well as delicious food, and came with the bonus of my meeting the two Youtubers who introduced me to the wonders of their favorite izakaya (Bakawarai, over in Kichijoji, Japan) as well as being part of an epic night out with a good friend who really knows how to have -- and show me -- a good time!   

9) Best protest event I've taken part in: If only all protest marches could be like Hong Kong's anti-extradition bill march of June 16th, 2019.  Okay, yes, it took close to six hours for me to complete the route but it was absolutely mega (as in have an estimated 2 million participants!) and peaceful, with -- if memory serves me right -- zero police officers in sight.  And should it not be clear: it was perfectly legal, was issued a letter of no objection by the authorities, and didn't feature any tear gas attacks by the police.  Will we ever be able to see its like again in Hong Kong?  Time will tell but one reason why people are continuing to protest is because we want to have the right to stage and take part such an event again whenever the need arises. 

10) Best sunset: I love viewing sunsets.  I also love sunrises -- but since I don't like rising super early as much as I do viewing sunrises, I often miss seeing those!  In all honesty, I can't remember having seen a single sunrise in 2019 but I did get to view a number of cool sunsets -- and in more than one part of the world too.  Ironically, my favorite sunset turned out to be the one I viewed during a particularly low point in my visit to my least favorite of the places I visited in 2019.  If nothing else though, I'd say this: sunsets in Phuket really can be beautiful; and I'm glad I got to see one of them during what probably will be my one and only visit to that super touristy part of Thailand!   

Wuhan coronavirus fatalities, fears and resistance in Hong Kong

Surgical masks on sale along with oranges 

and dried foods at a Shau Kei Wan market stall

Hand sanitizers being sold at a market stall whose more usual items

include preserved duck, preserved sausages and root vegetables!

A second Wuhan coronavirus patient has died in Hong Kong.  Adding to the 2,006 recorded in Mainland China and one each in Japan, France, the Philippines and Taiwan, that brings the total number of confirmed deaths from the Wuhan coronavirus to 2,012 reported on the Johns Hopkins University tracking site as of today.  But even while Hong Kong currently has the second highest number of Wuhan coronavirus fatalities, its number of confirmed Wuhan coronavirus cases -- now up to 65 -- is still actually lower than Singapore's 81, Japan's 74 as well as Mainland China's 74,188. 

Early on, I wondered whether the government was hiding some cases; this particularly since Thailand and Japan, which lie further away from Mainland China than Hong Kong, announced their first Wuhan coronavirus cases before that which shares a border with Mainland China.  There also have been suggestions that Singapore may have a better standard of detection against the Wuhan coronavirus than Hong Kong. 

Latterly, I'm inclined to credit the lower-than-expected number to regular Hong Kongers' vigilance against diseases.  Some people might scoff or laugh at Hong Kongers' mask fixation but I reckon that, along with other preventative measures learnt from the 2003 SARS experience (including the washing of hands, use of hand sanitizers, etc.), is helping keep people in Hong Kong safer than otherwise would be the case.

To be sure, the desperation to ensure that one has an adequate supply of masks and other essential supplies has resulted in the disappearance from shop shelves in recent weeks of items including rice and toilet paper as well as masks and hand sanitizers.  The fact that the humble loo roll has become a rare and prized commodity in Hong Kong was illustrated by three armed robbers deciding to steal hundreds of rolls of what's not exactly an expensive item this past Monday!  And yes, Hong Kong has seen a spate of face mask thefts too: with 25,000 masks having been stolen in a single case  last month and more face mask heists having taken place this month.

From personal observation though, these sought after items are becoming available again.  Over the past few days, I've managed to restock my supply of rice (after getting down to having just a cup's worth!), toilet paper (after starting to worry when I got down to four rolls) and hand sanitizers (which I previously had only been able to come by thanks to a friend who had gone to Australia over Chinese New Year).  Even surgical and N95 masks are no longer super scarce -- though the prices (still) being asked for them still are seriously off-putting -- as in way above what they had been going for before Hong Kong had its first confirmed case of the Wuhan coronavirus. 

For all of their scarcity and high price, however, most Hong Kongers no longer venture outdoors without a mask on their face.  Indeed, I'd say that, in my area, mask usage is at around the 90-95 percent rate.  In contrast, mask usage appears to be lower in those parts of Hong Kong (such as Central or Soho) where Westerners -- be they tourists or expat residents -- are more likely to be found.  Alternatively put, Westerners -- even those who live in Hong Kong -- do seem far more reluctant to wear masks than the locals; with some arguing that face masks are just cosmetic rather than actually medically helpful, even though local medical experts have said otherwise.  

To be sure, I have seen some unmasked Asian people out on the streets of Hong Kong in recent weeks too.  If they are not in the company of similarly unmasked Westerners though, these individuals tend to be on the elderly or seriously eccentric side -- and given to other questionable habits such as spitting (be it rubbish bins or -- really ewww -- through the grates of storm drains) or smoking!  

In all honesty, I rather be on the side of the masked majority.  Better safe than sorry, I figure.  Also, if nothing else, putting a mask on surely can't hurt -- and, in fact, often helps to allay the fears of others plus communicate to fellow Hong Kongers that we are in this together. 

Trying to get into a festive frame of mind against the odds

One of two stalls the League of Social Democrats operated at this year's

Lunar New Year flower market until the authorities shut it down today

I wonder how long this similarly political themed stall run by the

Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements

of China will be allowed to remain at the same venue 

With just four days to go before the Chinese New Year of the Rat (or Mouse, since the Chinese word for rat(s) also applies for mouse/mice) comes along, the world's biggest mass migration has begun.  This year, it is estimated that 3 billion trips are expected to be made during Chunyun (the Lunar New Year Spring Festival) as families reunite, with some featuring members returning to China from abroad as well as returning home from far flung parts of the country.

Despite the Wuhan pneumonia now having claimed six victims in the eponymous Chinese city and spread to other parts of China -- and, indeed, other parts of the world (with confirmed cases in Thailand, Japan, South Korea and now also Taiwan) -- there doesn't seem to be any plans to stop this massive human migration, which will invariably include trips made across the Mainland China-Hong Kong border.  And while Hong Kong doesn't have any confirmed cases as yet, many people believe that it's but a matter of time before this happens; this not least because of fears that the authorities are not dealing adequately with this medical threat.

Almost needless to say, the spread of the Wuhan pneumonia to Hong Kong really would dampen the festive mood.  As things stand, there will be no parade on the first day of this Lunar New Year nor will there be a fireworks show on the second day of the festival.  And the banning of dry goods, including satirical items, at Lunar New Year fairs held at government venues this year means that they really are just Lunar New Year flower markets for the most part -- and, consequently, have attracted way smaller crowds than usual.  

In previous years, I had enjoyed going to the Lunar New Year market at Victoria Park -- primarily to see the Chinese zodiac-themed goods on display.  While at the festive fair, I'd also check out the political satire on show and, in recent years, make a donation at one or more of the booths run by pro-democracy political parties and organizations.  

Denied the opportunity to do so this year, I've gone hunting instead for alternative, independently-run Lunar New Year fairs held in various parts of Hong Kong and, thus far, checked out ones in Mongkok, Sai Wan Ho, Causeway Bay and Hung Hom.  Looking at photos of the one held in Sai Wan over the weekend made me wish I had gone there too.      

There undoubtedly are people who think that the ongoing protests makes it so that this is not the time to smile, laugh and celebrate; this especially since the government has yet to show signs of acceding to the four remaining protestor demands.  More than incidentally, the authorities' lack of response and, also, Beijing's increasing encroachment into Hong Kong affairs has prompted Moody's to downgrade Hong Kong's economic rating; something that would be bigger news if it hadn't happened amidst the Wuhan pneumonia outbreak fears.      

For my part though, I feel that after the authorities ruined Halloween last year, threatened to do the same with Christmas and didn't allow 2020 to start off all that well, they surely ought not ruin what's the most important holiday of the year around these parts.  At the very least, I'll take what opportunities there are to try to be happy during this upcoming Lunar New Year -- and the days leading up to it -- even while also preparing by equipping myself with masks and such this year (along with more traditional accoutrements such as red packets to give out along with new clothes to wear, the latter for at least the first few days of the 15 year festive period)!

Scenic views from four Phuket viewpoints (Photo-essay)

In addition to the cave temple at Suwan Kuha and a couple of local museums, my alternative (to beaches and spas) list of places I liked to visit in Phuket (and nearby environs) was one of the scenic viewpoints to be found on the Thai island.  As it turned out, I ended up getting up to four of them in the same afternoon -- ranging from a lookout over Phuket town to another at the southern tip of the island and two that offered up vistas of beaches on the western side of Thailand's largest island... ;b

Viewing platform and mainly urban vista at Khao Rang

Puppet Ponyo found conditions on the windy side at Promthep Cape

 

View of the most southern part of Phuket and 

a couple of smaller neighboring islands

 

Another view from Promthep Cape

 

Puppet Ponyo also posed for the camera at Windmill Viewpoint :)

 

View from Windmill Viewpoint of Promthep Cape and

a nearby island and beach minus Puppet Ponyo ;b

 

Call me jaded but I couldn't help but compare this view from 

Karon Viewpoint with one of Sai Kung's Tai Long Wan

and thinking that the latter's far more impressive ;S

Add in some sunshine on the water though and 

the view from pretty much anywhere will be magical :)

One bona fide museum and two historical homes in Phuket Old Town

A historical museum housed in a former school building

Two-paneled painting in the museum depicting ethnic Chinese residents 

on the left and Peranakan Chinese denizens on the right

The Chinpracha House in Phuket Old Town

 

A couple of weeks before our Phuket trip, my mother asked me to send her a list of places I wanted to visit on the Thai island that she'd send along to her Thai cousin who would be in Phuket when we were there.  In addition to the cave temple of Suwan Kuha, other cultural attractions I relayed my interest in checking out were the Phuket Mining Museum and the Peranakan Phuket Museum.  

 

But because they're appear to be located fairly out of the way (or, at the very least, not in Phuket Old Town, where my aunt has her house), we ended going to neither of them.  Instead, she took me to visit a museum housed in her old school (while my mother waited in the car because she can be quite the museumphobe and refused to pay the 200 Baht (~HK$49.50 or US$6.31) fee for foreigners)!

 

For myself, one glance at the building which houses the Phuket Thai Hua Museum and I was pretty much sold.  Among other things: it is aesthetically pleasing, looks to have been well maintained/restored and was fairly substantial in size.  And as it turned out, this museum which provides information on the Chinese community of Phuket (which included immigrants from what's now Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan provinces over in Mainland China, and also ethnic Chinese immigrants who moved from Penang) along with the school previously housed in this location -- which was the first Chinese medium school on the island -- also contained a good number of interesting exhibits that kept me happily occupied for around an hour. 

 

After getting confirmation that I was indeed interested in historical and cultural stuff, my aunt then took our party to an old row house nearby that belonged to her late husband's family.  There we met with a few members of the family who still reside in the house but have opened up the lower floor of the house to visitors for a fee but nicely let us in free of charge.  

 

Given how much the outside of the building looked like the row houses to be found in Penang, I didn't find it all that surprising to discover that their internal spaces resembled those of such as the old George Town, Penang, row house that's now home to a Dr Sun Yat Sen Museum.  Those who aren't as familiar with buildings like these will probably find them more picturesque than me, I'm sure.  For my part though, it was more fun to look at old family photos there than the old furniture and such arrayed around the place.

 

The third and final cultural site I ended up exploring in Phuket Old Town was another ethnic Chinese abode, albeit one that was quite a bit more spacious.  Erected in 1919, the Chinpracha House was Phuket's first mansion built in the Sino-Portuguese style.  Like with my relative's relatives' row house, its upstairs area is still home to members of the family that owns the place while its lower floor has been turned into a cultural museum of sorts that's well described on a Phuket-based website as "something halfway between a museum and a collection of personal items gathered along time".

 

If truth be told, I enjoyed my visit to it less because I got much information there but because I found the mansion to have a certain aesthetic charm.  More precisely, its main area has been beautifully restored and I thought the lotus pond within is a really nice touch, not least since there are nice reflections to be captured on its surface.  And while some of the other sections of the house do have rundown feel, the decaying look seems to work well, and be appropriate, for this place whose owners appear pretty aware that their family's glory days are in the past but the historical connections they have are still of some value today.