Movies on my mind

Soon it'll be film festing time in Movie Mecca again!

Even more so than usual, this past weekend felt like it passed by in a blur. One big reason why was that I spent a good part of it looking through the 33rd Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF)'s bumper programme booklet trying to figure out not only what I wanted to see but also how I could possibly fit the screenings into my schedule.

In the end, I managed to figure out how to watch 23(!) movies over the course of the film fest and not die of exhaustion -- or take more than a day off from work. Then, early on Sunday, the first day that bookings were entertained (for other than the privileged holders of a particular credit card), I went ahead and made my bookings... and now can but hope that I managed to get tickets to all those screenings of the movies that I made bookings for.

(Sadly, those movies do not include such as the wondrous Peking Opera Blues, amazing Swordsman II, delightful Shanghai Blues and Green Snake --because they all have only been accorded single weekday early afternoon screenings! So much for the HKIFF's paying tribute to, and commemorating the 25th anniversary of, Film Workshop. And for myself, I just console myself with my having gotten to see all those cinematic gems at least once on a big screen already.)

Then, in the final hours of the weekend, I compiled my list of top ten movies viewed in 2008 for the annual Mobius poll. This is not the place or time to reveal all that much about that list which I hope will make an appearance -- along with many others -- on the Mobius Home Video Forum's Arthouse, World and Hollywood Cinema discussion board. However, I do feel obliged to state how sad a state Hong Kong cinema looks to be in when only three films on the list I made for Mobius also appeared on my top ten 2008 Hong Kong movies list.

Still, hope springs eternal -- and I really do have high hopes for the Hong Kong movies I hope to get to view at the HKIFF: movies like Derek Yee's The Shinjuku Incident, Ann Hui's Night and Fog and -- it finally is making an appearance in Hong Kong!!! -- Wong Kar Wai's Ashes of Time Redux!!!!!!

From Shui Hau to Shek Pik Reservoir, Part III (photo-essay)

For those who've were wondering post checking out my second Shui Hau to Shek Pik Reservoir photo-essay, I did go on another Lantau Island hike last Sunday -- and while it was foggy when my party met at the Central ferry pier, at some point in the hike, it all got so clear that there were blue skies and so much sunshine that I actually got sunburnt!

Almost needless to say, I took lots of photos that I want to share. In the meantime, here's putting up the third and final set of pictures from my November hike on Hong Kong's largest island -- one which started off with a quite scary accidental encounter with a fierce dog while looking for the start of the trail but ended up having far more positive things and sights to get the adrenaline pumping... ;b

An example of the beautiful blue skies
that sometimes do appear over Hong Kong...

But because I can't take blue skies for granted
anymore, I've (also) become appreciative
of such as bright colored berries

...ditto with interesting shaped leaves

...and the wild flowers that I really do have a lot
more pleasure spotting and just plain appreciating
than the domesticated varieties of flora

Nonetheless, the plain fact of the matter is that
it's views like this one that really make
the exertions that go into a hike feel truly worthwhile!

Journey's end: Shek Pik Reservoir

Zoom lens help make these magnificent peaks
appear closer than they really were

My camera's zoom lens couldn't make
the quite aways away Tian Tan "Big Buddha"
look much bigger than it looks here though! ;)

Thankful (This week's Photo Hunt theme)

"Without man, no culture. Without culture, no man." Thus pronounced Clifford Geertz, the late, great anthropologist; one of whose other memorable quotes inspired me to give this blog its name.

Like most anthropologists, Geertz's definitions of culture involve more than just what they like to call "Culture with a capital 'C'" (i.e., the fine and performing arts that most people tend to associate with the term).

In any event though, this Photo Hunt allows me to go on on the record as being thankful that we have culture. Also, that many forms of culture -- high and low, popular and rarified, with or without a capital 'C' -- exist for our appreciation, edification and plain enjoyment. For I do indeed fall into the camp of those who view its very existence less as a luxury and more as integral to our lives and very humanity.

Cute (yet serious) signs

...and from the looks of this sign, it seems
that the elderly and young
are being encouraged to look after each other!

Get the feeling that Hong Kongers
need to learn to relax? ;S

Recently spotted at the Ponyo-themed mall exhibition :)

Earlier this month, I blogged about Funny Warning Signs. At the bottom of that entry, I mentioned that I also had been collecting photos of cute signs that I've spotted while out and about in Hong Kong, and openly wondered whether anybody would like to see them.

A couple of people were kind enough to state that they'd be interested in doing so. So Alejna and sbk, this post is particularly for you as well as my own good self! Still, I do hope that more than just the three of us will be amused by the sight of the amount signs.

Speaking of amusement: More than by the way, on my two most recent hikes (one of them I belatedly discovered was about 20 kilometers in length!), I came across some more funny warning signs. And yes, I do expect that sooner or later, they'll just have to be put up on this here blog... ;b

(Oh, and here's sending out a special "hi" to those visitors who are checking out this blog thanks to the Malay Mail newspaper being nice enough to feature it in its Cyberspot section! :) )

A taste of Cantonese Opera

The foyer of the Sunbeam Theatre, all ready
to host an evening (or more!) of Cantonese opera

The bright sight that often greets me
on the tram ride home from work

Earlier this month, Cantonese opera fans in Hong Kong received the welcome news that the Sunbeam Theatre -- the territory's sole dedicated venue for the traditional performing arts that the authorities are contemplating submitting for World Heritage listing -- has had its lease renewed for another three years at least; this after widespread expectation that it would have its last show in January of this year.

Fearful that I would not have a chance to do so before too long, I went and attended a Cantonese Opera performance at the Sunbeam Theatre a few weeks back. (Incidentally, Hong Kong movie fans might like to know that this is the main performance venue featured in Shu Kei's enthralling Hu-Du-Men; while heritage buffs should note that it's one of the few landmark locations featured in the movie that remain despite the film being less than fifteen years old!)

The experience was an interesting one that whetted my appetite for more Cantonese opera viewing; albeit preferably with English surtitles. This past Saturday, I got precisely that by way of the forward-thinking The Art of Cantonese Opera group's production of Tong Tik-seng's The Floral Princess (AKA Princess Chang Ping).

At more than three hours long, the opera was about twice as long as the John Woo opera movie that I viewed some time back. In all honesty, though, really did manage to enjoy the live performance quite a bit more; and so much that I can't quite believe that it's taken me this long to give full length Cantonese opera shows in all their colorful glory a genuine chance!

Warm (This week's Photo Hunt theme)

The Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary gives several definitions for the word warm, including one that very much suits this photographer's Photo Hunt needs: "A warm colour is one which is based on or contains a colour such as red, yellow or orange which suggests warmth."

As it so happens, those photos also happen to have been taking on a day last September when the weather was definitely not cold or cool but not completely hot either: i.e., warm! In addition, it was a day that I do have especially fond -- one might even say warm... ;) -- memories of; seeing as it was the Sunday after my birthday and I spent a significant part of it out in Tai Mei Tuk hanging out with my mother and a few good friends; and the sun fully co-operated in allowing me to take photos such as the above by doing such as bathing its rays on the waters of picturesque Tolo Harbour as well as the surrounding land. :)

Shui Hau to Shek Pik, Part II (Photo-essay)

Last week, I put up the first batch of photos taken while hiking from Shui Hau to Shek Pik Reservoir. This Sunday, I hope to go on another Lantau Island hike. Sadly, the last time I checked, the weather forecast is for it to be misty (albeit "with sunny intervals") on the day. So unless things change radically, I'll not be able to take photos with views as clear and beautiful as I did back the most recent time that I went hiking on Hong Kong's largest island... :S

To recap: A friend and I began our hike
at the village of Shui Hau which can be seen
in the now far distance in this photo!

The lowest point we got to in the hike:
the beach at Lo Kei Wan
(which is home to an official AFCD campsite)

Not long afterwards, however, the trail took us to
higher elevation and an area with far redder soil

Skirting the coast as well as hugging hillsides,
we came by scenic sea views such as these

...and these (and for those wondering, that vessel's
one of the many that regularly ferries passengers
from Hong Kong to Macau (and back again))

When out hiking in Hong Kong, I see rocks
that, with a bit of imagination, can bring to mind
images of animals -- e.g., can you see
a prehistoric monster's head on the left of the photo? ;b)

If not, okay, try again here -- i.e., do you see
a simian's head in this photo? :)

Looking from still some distance towards
the hike's end destination of Shek Pik Reservoir
(and those are not resorts below it, but, instead
Shek Pik Prison and the Sha Tsui Detention Centre
that gets me thinking of Herman Yau's often overlooked
From the Queen to the Chief Executive)

To be continued... as yes, this was a really nice hike that I think -- and hope you agree... -- is worthy of not just one or two but three photo-essays!