Hong Kong dusks (Photo-essay)

Now for something a bit different: For the past three years, on account of my being back in Malaysia (the country of my birth, and where my parents continue to call home), I had been able to have -- as tradition dictates -- Chinese New Year's Eve dinner with at least two members of my family. Since I'm unable to do so this Chinese New Year's eve (on account of my being in Hong Kong, and my parents actually having gone to visit my brother in Australia), I'm going to commemorate this occasion by sharing some photos taken at dusk -- which, yes, I'm thinking can symbolize the impending passing of yet one more year in the Chinese lunar calendar -- which I've taken at different times of my time in the Fragrant Harbour as well as parts of 'Asia's World City'.

For the record: the most beautiful sunsets I ever saw and photographed -- though, alas, on non-digitalized film -- were from beaches in Pulau Langkawi (a Malaysian island I only ever holidayed for a few days on) and Zanzibar (the fabled African isle where I lived for close to two years). I also recall witnessing some wonderful sunsets in Beloit (which ungrateful college students like I was then would ascribe to the pollution!) and while on safari in northern Tanzania.

For all that though, reckon that some of the dusks that had a hand in producing the following photos weren't too shabby either... and hope that, upon viewing the snaps taken during that time period (but not solely of sunsets per se), you'll think so too! :)

As nature's light dims, the electric lamps get switched on
-- from Quarry Bay Park looking out to
the Lei Yue Mun Channel of Victoria Harbour

No, those aren't lights from apartments but, rather,
the setting sun's light reflecting off glass windows
(And yeah, I'm not the only photo bug who noticed the effect!) ;b

Don't you think the tiny plane in the photo
looks like a bug getting attracted to the light?

Cool clouds help make for a pretty sunset picture

On the subject of cool clouds: how's this for a picture?
-- looking north and across Victoria Harbour
from the promenade at Sai Wan Ho

Pastel sky over Hong Kong

Sunset over a more well known portion of Hong Kong
-- view from a harbor-side area of Fortress Hill

A more close up view,
for if you couldn't recognize them in the previous picture,
of Causeway Bay and Wan Chai in the foreground,
and The Peak in the far distance

Narrow (This week's Photo Hunt theme)

A few weeks ago, we had a Photo Hunt theme -- i.e., skinny -- that seems somewhat similar to this week's; and for which I had to rack my brains somewhat to come up with a suitable photograph and post. So one might think that this week's narrow theme might pose a problem for me... except that, in the interim, I had come across this post (in the vicinity of St. John's Cathedral, over in Hong Kong's Central District) that's of such slender width that a worthy message has had to be posted vertically on -- rather than horizontally across -- it!

More than incidentally, a bit of on-line research has got me concluding that the narrow subject of my photo is an actual Peace Pole that's part of The World Peace Prayer Society's international Peace Pole Project. If so, it's actually the first Peace Pole that I've ever encountered, and has me wondering whether other Photo Hunters -- and visitors to this blog -- have had sightings of such over in the parts of the world that they frequent...?

Writing about movies, music and more!

A glorious still from
one of my favorite Chinese New Year movies

Chinese New Year is approaching! And one sure way to tell this is to take a look at the cover -- and some of the contents -- of the latest issue of bc magazine (that's now on-line and will hit Hong Kong streets tomorrow).

Of my contributions, must say that I particularly enjoyed writing Feast of Film Fun, a feature article on Chinese New Year movies that includes -- but of course! -- mention of The Chinese Feast (1995), another of those Tsui Hark cinematic gems that might be better acclaimed in the West if it didn't come with such horrible English subtitles... :S

Anyways, before I get too carried away and start ranting on and on about English subtitles on Hong Kong movies, here's going ahead and providing links to other pieces of writing by moi:-

i) Statistics and Showstoppers -- Eight 2008 Hong Kong Arts Festival picks;

ii) Music and Amour -- As the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra's upcoming Valentine's Concert 2008 serves to remind us, Valentine's Day also falls in February;

iii) Review of CJ7 -- Stephen Chow's first movie since the kick-ass Kung Fu Hustle (2004);

iv) Review of Chrysalis -- A French action movie featuring a Wing Chun practice dummy (but no action choreography from any Hong Kong film industry personality);

v) Review of The Edge of Heaven -- The fifth feature by Fatih Akin, the director-scriptwriter whose In July (2000) bowled me over and got me hankering to visit Istanbul!; and

vi) This issue's Editor's Diary (but, bar for the Lea Salonga: Five Favourites interview, not the Live Music section blurbs this time around).

Pak Kung Au (aka Tung Chung Au) to Nam Shan (Photo-essay)

It's been more than a month since I put up some photos from a hiking excursion. And, if truth be told, it's been more than a month since I completed a hike. (I attempted one yesterday but, sad to say, was tired still from the exertions of the past week and so out of shape that I had to call it quits early on! Fortunately, two other members of that party did too -- consequently, I had company that, as it turned out, was pretty good and fun to hang out with for the remainder of the day!)

As it so happens though, I still have quite a few interesting pictures from a few Hong Kong hikes I went on towards the tail end of 2007 that I've yet to post up on this blog. So here's going ahead and sharing a selection of these from one of the more scenic as well as lengthier hikes that I went on and did manage to complete -- as it turns out, on the same beautiful island, Lantau, as I spent a good part of yesterday...

Early on the hike from Pak Kung Au to Nam Shan,
I got the feeling that if I tarried too much,
I'd get left far behind by my intrepid companions! ;S

Lantau Peak (and its environs)
-- not (yet) scaled and, instead,
only admired from a distance

A view of the Lantau coast (and Sha Tsui in particular?)
from pretty high above

A view of a section of the trail
that we hiked on that day

Can anyone identify these flowers?
(All I know is that they pretty beautiful!)

The eye (coupled with a degree of air pollution)
can deceive -- for that's actually
an island in the distance, not a UFO!

In case anyone needs some assuring:
Yes, I really (still) was in Hong Kong --
and standing smack dab on its largest island,
as a matter of fact! -- when I took this photo! :)

Towards the end of our longer-than-anticipated hike,
we found ourselves in a race against the setting sun!
(But yes, we did manage to complete the hike --
though only just! -- before dinner time that evening ;b)

Old-fashioned (This week's Photo Hunt theme)

Kowloon Wholesale Fruit Market (Gwo Laan),
Yau Ma Tei

Sundry goods shop, Central

The Blue House (tenement housing), Wan Chai

Better late than never? I realize that I'm posting this week's Photo Hunt entry super late; so late, in fact, that it's already Sunday (as opposed to Saturday) over here in Hong Kong. However, figure that it's still Saturday over where tnchick and many other Photo Hunters are. Also, that this week's theme is too good to miss (even in a super busy week like this one has been for me)!

So here's going ahead and providing a couple of glimpses of sections of Asia's World City that contain vestiges of another era: that is, look more old-fashioned than popular stereotypes -- at least over here in Asia, if not 'the West' (certain denizens of which sometimes seems to mistakenly think that it's still The World of Suzie Wong over here) -- of Hong Kong might suggest that it still can possess. Yet, for all this, are still very much in use and increasingly valued as part of the territory's living cultural heritage.

Important (This week's Photo Hunt theme)

There are so many things in life that I consider to be important. Still, if push comes to shove, it's hard to think of anything more important than water (especially a plentiful supply of clean H20). Consider the following facts gleaned from the Wikipedia:-

• Water covers 71% of the earth's surface;
• Human civilization (and scores of metropolises) has historically flourished around rivers, major waterways and still other bodies of water;
• The human body is anywhere from 55 to 78% water (depending on body size);
• To function properly (and to avoid dehydration), humans require up to 7 liters of water per day;
• Water is used to wash, clean, cook, process food, in power generation, for recreational purposes and so much more besides; etc.

Than there's the aesthetic pleasure that viewing -- and photographing ;b -- running water, waterfalls (be these natural and man-made) and reflections on still water can provide. Hence my decision to offer up more photos than usual -- and one example each of the afore-mentioned -- for this week's Photo Hunt... :)

Latest writing round-up

An artifact at the Hong Kong Museum
of Coastal Defence in Shau Kei Wan
that bears testimony to the area's historic sea-faring ties

I'm a bit late this time around with my bc magazine article linking as the latest issue actually hit the streets yesterday. But better late than never, right? So here comes another round-up of the bits that I wrote:-

i) Finding Miss Blossom -- an arts feature article about the HK Dance Company's latest production, a contemporary dance offering inspired by a classic Cantonese opera;

ii) Ooi's Take On Othello -- an arts feature article about a Cantonese version of Shakespeare's tragedy (whose director, more than BTW, is originally from Penang, like me!);

iii) The Sparkle in the Dark -- a review of a movie from the least celebrated Tony Leung in the Hong Kong film industry;

iv) 27 Dresses -- a review of the Hollywood romantic comedy;

v) Editor's Diary -- ten things to check out in Hong Kong over the next two weeks;

vi) Live Music -- yes, I've taken over the writing of this section of the magazine once more; and

vii) Backside -- not all written by me; just the Stopwatch piece -- but yes, I took the photos for it too!

And I also didn't write the feature article on the Legislative Council building but also would like to recommend it for your reading interest -- and not just because another one of my photos I took got included in the hard copy version of this piece either! ;b