I Spy ____ (This week's Photo Hunt theme)

I spy with my little eye... something beginning with an "l". Especially if you can't guess or see what it is, then do please read on...

This week's Photo Hunt theme is one that looks to allow us to use our imagination as well as delve into our photo archive. In my case, I'm putting up two photos taken from different parts of Hong Kong of the same famous local landmark: that which is known -- as the second picture hopefully shows with good reason -- as Lion Rock. So iconic is this natural formation that it's lent its name to such as a popular local TV series (Below the Lion Rock) and beloved song (Under the Lion Rock) that's a veritable anthem for the people of Hong Kong whose Cantonese lyrics translate into English as follows:-

The vicissitudes of life consist of joy and also tears
But our encounters under the Lion Rock
Have brought more laughter than sobs or sorrow
Rugged path in life is inevitable
Absolute worry-free is also impossible
As long as we are in the same boat under the Lion Rock
We should forsake our differences and work for a common goal........

Wong Nai Chung Gap to Quarry Bay (Photo-essay)

Last Sunday, I went on what turned out to be the hike from hell -- one on which it is no lie or exaggeration to say that I felt on a few occasions that I was in danger of falling off a mountain and dying! With parts of my body still aching quite a bit some five days on, it's going to be a while before I feel like hiking again. (Additionally, I foresee that the upcoming Hong Kong International Film Festival as well as work are going to take quite a bit of time and energy out of me in the next few weeks!)

One good thing out of this is that it'll allow me to further catch up with my hike-related photo-essays. As it is, even though we're now into the third month of 2008, I still won't have finished putting up pictures taken on my 2007 hikes -- at least not until I put up this entry that features photos taking from a gentler and pleasant December hike on Hong Kong Island along portions of Sir Cecil's Ride (named after Sir Cecil Clementi, a former Governor of Hong Kong) and associated trails, including the educational Wong Nai Chung Tree Walk, that took my hiking companion on the day and I from Wong Nai Chung Gap down to Quarry Bay...

Near the start of the hike, one passes by
the grounds of the exclusive Hong Kong Cricket Club
(membership of which 'only' currently costs HK$688,000!)

Know what this plant is?
No worries if you don't because...

...on a Tree Walk such as Wong Nai Chung's,
there will be informative signs like these
that tell you what you would otherwise not know! :b

Actually, there were plenty of signs on this hike
that let one know that one really wasn't
that far away from civilization

Part of a large quarry that may have given
its name to this area (cf. Quarry Gap, Quarry Bay)

Concrete proof that humanity isn't that far away
(and, at the same time, that some Hong Kong hiking trails
really are located very close to urban space)

Alternatively, at other times on the same hike,
one could feel like one had ventured
far into an uninhabited hinterland...

A shrine to the Goddess of Mercy that
we stumbled across near the end of our hike

Article links to another movie-heavy issue of bc magazine

Just one of the many movies -- and plays --
scripted by one of the people I interviewed
for this current issue of bc magazine!

Weird as it may sound, pretty much on each of my visits to Hong Kong as a film fan, I would make it a point to get hold of copies of bc magazine (as well as its long-time rival, that whose title has the initials "hk" in it). Since a few of these trips were for the Hong Kong International Film Festival -- this year's edition of which begins this Sunday, March 16th -- I would on occasion find myself checking out bc's Golden Durian Awards write-up.

So it's with a bit of a strange feeling to find myself announcing this year that some of these were awarded as well as their write ups produced by me. And for those who don't know what these are, I'll direct you to the first article link on the following list:-

i) The 6th Annual Golden Durians Awards -- written, for the record here (even if not acknowledged as such in the magazine), by James Marsh and myself, with input from Rachel Mok and Stefan S.;

ii) Family Fun -- feature article on the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre's upcoming Family Protection Unit (FPU), directed and co-scripted by Roy Szeto (whose considerably filmography includes Swordsman III: The East Is Red, Wicked City, A Chinese Ghost Story III, etc., etc.!);

iii) Hong Kong Home Run -- interview with City Without Baseball's co-directors Lawrence Lau (AKA Lawrence Ah Mon) and Scud;

iv) Inspiring Dream -- feature article on the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra's upcoming The Dream of the Red Mansions concert;

v) Flicking Through Films -- preview article on the 32nd Hong Kong International Film Festival;

vi) Review of Horton Hears a Who!;

vii) Review of Fatal Move; and

viii) This issue's Editor's Diary (of events to check out).

And almost needless to say, yes, comments are indeed welcome here! :)

Different (This week's Photo Hunt theme)

This week's Photo Hunt theme opens itself to so many different possible interpretations and subject matter. After mulling it over for a time, I decided to post a few photographs that are different from any of the hundreds of snaps that I've hitherto put up on this blog by virtue of my not being on solid ground when I took them.

Instead, I took these photos while on board a couple of different planes: more specifically, the flights that first took me from Penang -- where I was born, and my parents continue to reside -- to Kuala Lumpur -- Malaysia's capital city -- and then from Kuala Lumpur back to Hong Kong -- where I currently live and work, and enjoy life! -- earlier this year. And should you wonder, the land that you see in a couple of the pictures is Malaysia's and, I suppose, so is the air space that the clouds in the other pictures are floating within! ;b

Yet another Hello Kitty-related blog entry

Something's wrong with this red packet's design... :S

Can you tell -- especially after having
this Hello Kitty themed red packet
to compare and contrast it with? ;b

Wail, wail, gnash, gnash! Earlier today, I made my fifth unsuccessful attempt to get the Dear Daniel figurine that's part of the promotional 7-11 Hello Kitty On Stage figurine set that won't be available for much longer here in Hong Kong. Worse, while my previous attempts to get a Dear Daniel resulted in my getting a Hello Kitty figurine different from the others in my collection, this time around, I now am in possession of one Hello Kitty Office Lady figurine too many. (And should anyone wonder, the other Hello Kitty figurines I have feature the cute cat dressed up as a schoolgirl, maid and cowgirl -- and yes, I really am not sure which is the weirdest of that lot!)

For all those who think I've now really gone insane, please just chalk all this down to a need to let off some Hello Kitty-induced steam! But for those who can empathize -- not just sympathize -- somewhat with my situation, here's going ahead and asking you to check to see whether you're really a fan of Hello Kitty by taking a(nother) look at the photo at the top of this blog entry and telling me what's wrong with the red packet that I found on sale -- in a set along with such as a red packet with a Doraemon design on it and another with Mcdull and Mcmug -- in the period leading up to Chinese New Year 2008.

For the record: Two Hong Kong-based friends of mine as well as myself pretty much immediately spotted the problem. At the same time, one of them reported that when she tried this test out on several of her friends, none of them were able to give the correct answer. So... will you be able to? For my part, I sincerely hope that at least one of my readers will be able to do so. For this way, I'll feel at least a tad reassured that even if I'm adjudged to be somewhat Hello Kitty enamoured (obsessed?), I at least will not be alone among us to be so... ;S

Tap Mun, Part II (Photo-essay)

Five blog entries back and more than a week ago, I put up my first Tap Mun photo-essay which presented snap shots of the more built-up -- yes, really! -- south-western side of the island (along with one of Wong Shek Pier). This time around though, the focus is on sharing views of the less built-up eastern section of this piece of Hong Kong that's further from the madding crowd than most (and where there are far more cows than human inhabitants!) -- that is, after I start where we left off the last time around: with a couple more pictures of the island's picturesque Tin Hau Temple... :)

Grand-looking decorated red banners
inside the temple got me thinking that even while
it had seemed deserted when my friend and I visited,
it actually hasn't been permanently abandoned after all

The sides of the steps leading up to the temple entrance
got me thinking of waves and the surrounding sea
from which the islanders traditionally derived
much of their food and livelihood

Speaking of the sea:
it may look calm enough in this picture
taking in the inhabited southwest of the island...

...but over on the uninhabited eastern side,
it literally is a different picture!

Panoramic view of Tap Mun Chau's rocky eastern side

Close up of a particular rock formation
known -- logically enough! -- as Balanced Rock

Still, lest it be thought that the eastern portion
of Tap Mun is all rocky and stoney...

Confirmation courtesy of permanent benches
supplied by the local authorities that there are
wonderful views to be had in this part of Hong Kong... ;b

Party (This week's Photo Hunt theme)

Not being someone who is a party gal by any stretch of the imagination, I wondered whether I could be party to this week's Photo Hunt. What's more, as those of you who regularly check out this blog know full well, I tend to avoid taking pictures of people, preferring to focus on natural and cultural heritage instead; a state of affairs that became patently evident after I looked through my now rather substantial photo archives and failed to uncover any appropriate pictures that I could use for this week's Photo Hunt.

A few hours ago, however, it finally dawned on me that I at least know where in Hong Kong is considered to be Party Central (as well as is a place with associations to movies like Chungking Express and Royal Warriors for Hong Kong cinema nuts like moi). So off I went to Lan Kwai Fong to take a few photos -- and, in the process, put my new camera (which I only just bought last weekend) to work!

What with it still having been rather early in the day when I was there though, this area that's filled with bars, clubs, restaurants and other party-goer haunts could hardly be said to be truly hopping just yet. Trust me, however, when I tell you that Lan Kwai Fong can get so crowded.

Indeed, at the risk of being a party pooper, here's reporting that on one infamous occasion (i.e., January 1, 1993), 21 people actually got killed and 48 people injured from a crush that came about through there having been too many people determined to celebrate the New Year in that area! (One more reason for the likes of me to actively seek to avoid crowds, including of those determined to party like there's no tomorrow... :S)