Haenyeo hard at work in the waters off Seopjikoji (Photo-essay)

Remember the haenyeo I wrote about a few posts ago?  I have to admit that after watching their performance in the cove that lies in the shadow of Seongsan Ilchulbong, I was moved to think that the legendary sea women of Jeju had been reduced to being more of a tourist attraction than a (still) seriously active community of working divers.  

After encountering an actual working group of haenyeo the next day at nearby Seopjikoji, however, I got to radically changing my opinion about them -- and being inclined to look about this celebrated traditional community with far more respect, admiration and awe.  For not only were these women going about their business without much hype or hoopla but they went far further away from shore and very noticeably into deeper waters than the ones who had put on what, in comparison, really had been a show at the cove the previous day...

It seems that many -- if not all of -- the haenyeo get to 

their assembly point by the sea via motorscooters!

 

 From there, it's a short walk over black volcanic rocks to the sea

 

 For much of the year, the waters off Jeju probably are 

cold enough for wetsuits to be a welcome costume option

Even so, I reckon it takes quite the effort to voluntarily

go into the water and far away from shore...

...which may be one reason why I saw that the haenyeo 

tend to do so in groups rather than solo :S

See what I mean about this group of haenyeo having gone

further away from the shore than the previous day's group?

Yes, these are divers, not "just" swimmers...

It's also worth pointing out that some three hours 

after I saw them go into the water, they still were 

working away far away from shore... :O

Christmas Day hike in Ma On Shan Country Park :)

A world away from the Hong Kong most people (think they) know

 

Luk Chau Shan's Canoe Rock

 

An old (and, it looks like, ruined) church that I think

has appeared in more than one Hong Kong movie

 

It's been a while since I've gone on two hikes in three days.  It's also been a while since I've gone up to the Ngong Ping plateau located in Ma On Shan Country Park (and, for that matter, the more famous Ngong Ping plateau on Lantau Island).  But two days after going in search of red leaves in Tai Lam Country Park, I went with a friend along the Ma On Shan Country Trail on what's turned out to be a surprisingly warm as well as humid Christmas Day.

 

As per my usual procedure with regards to this particular hiking trail, we started our trek from near Mau Ping New Village near Sai Kung town and ended it in Ma On Shan town (where we caught the train back to the more densely populated section of Hong Kong by Victoria Harbour).  Where we departed from the usual is that after climbing up to the Ngong Ping plateau and spending some time taking in the always breathtaking -- even when the visibility levels are not as super high as I would like -- views from there, we decided that we had enough energy and inclination to detour off the official country trail and go up 414 meter high Luk Chau Shan in search of its famous Canoe Rock.

 

If truth be told, I found that particular rock formation to be on the underwhelming side visually when I finally caught sight of it.  However, I did enjoy the Luk Chau Shan detour since that hill is indeed home to an interesting rocky landscape quite unlike the nearby Ngong Ping plateau.  Also I must admit to some satisfaction is finally having gone up a hill I've passed by quite a few times before, often with the thought that I'd like to go up it one day!

 

In addition, as we approached the former mining village of Ma On Shan Tsuen, home in the past to some of the workers of the Ma On Shan Iron Mine which was in operation from 1906 to 1976, I also got views that I previously hadn't been privy to.  Thanks to Typhoon Mangkhut having felled quite a few trees in the area, I now got clear views of the village's old St Joseph's Chapel which, if I'm not mistaken, has appeared in a number of Hong Kong movies, including Tactical Unit -- Comrades in Arms (2008), a film in which a team of Police Tactical Unit officers get lost for a time in the wilds of Hong Kong!

 

More than incidentally, that movie had me a few hiker friends giggling with amusement when we viewed it because it showed how quite a few Hong Kongers really aren't that used to being in the Hong Kong countryside and are liable to freak out over what are some pretty common sights when one goes hiking in the Big Lychee.  And when we later came across a couple of the locations used in the film, we got to laughing even more because a number of the sections of Hong Kong they had supposedly got lost in actually are located pretty close to official hiking trails and not that far away from roads that are accessible to vehicles, never mind pedestrians! ;D   

Golden hour views from a Seongsan hotel rooftop

Another day in Seongsan, another beautiful sunset/golden hour :)

 

The kind of image that looks Photoshopped but wasn't!

 

View from my hotel rooftop of Seongsan town and Seongsan Ilchulbong

 

When I checked into the Seongsan branch of the Co-op City Hotel, I was told that our rooms had been upgraded so that we'd get a nicer view.  At the same time, the receptionist neglected to tell me that the hotel had a rooftop area which was accessible to guests and had all round views of the area.  (In addition, in the warmer months, there are jacuzzis up there that hotel guests can rent by the hour -- how cool is that?!)

 

Fortunately, I found that out on my own -- after spying a couple of people up on the hotel rooftop on the way back to the hotel from hiking up and down Seongsan Ilchulbong -- and in time to take in some splendid golden hour views the day after I had been treated to wonderful sunset and twilight views from both my hotel room balcony and the edge of the lake in front of the hotel!

 

Back when I was a Beloit College student, I was privy on many occasions to beautiful sunset views in that old Wisconsin town that were ascribed to the industrial pollution emanating from such as the Frito-Lay factory across the river from the college (whose Cheetos production also was said to be responsible for what was nicknamed "the Cheese Breeze"!).  And I must admit to thinking that air pollution played a part in creating some of the beautiful sunsets I've seen over the years in other parts of the world (including Hong Kong).

 

At the same time though, it's not escaped my attention that some other places where I've witnessed beautiful sunsets (and associated twilight and golden hours) aren't exactly known for having air pollution.  These include two of the places that I've been treated to fabulous sunset displays this year: Takayama, Japan; and Jeju, South Korea. 

In the case of Seongsan, I find it further interesting that a place which is famed for its sunrises (with it really being quite the thing to view them from atop Seongsan Ilchulbong) also can have pretty gorgeous sunsets; and this especially when they seem to have gone unmentioned for the most part -- unlike the sunrises and the indisputably photogenic sunsets that are very much part of the tourist draw over in the Land of the Rising Sun's Matsue! ;b  

Red leaves viewing in Hong Kong's Sweet Gum Woods!

Red leaves in Hong Kong! :)

 

Not maple but sweetgum leaves (and fruit)

 

The kind of excited crowds that red leaves

can attract in Hong Kong ;D

 

In many parts of the world (including Japan), red leaves are associated with autumn.  That is not the case, however, in Hong Kong -- where one's liable to see red leaves, albeit usually in a landscape that's largely green, pretty much all year round thanks to the red leaves one sees while hiking in the territory's country parks more likely to be such as the Chekiang Masilus plant's new leaves being red even while its adult leaves are the more usual green.

 

Recently though, I learnt of a particular kind of tree found in the Big Lychee with a particular red leaf season.  The sweet gum is native to warm temperate areas of eastern North America and the tropical montane regions of Mexico and Central America but was planted in certain parts of this sub-tropical territory.  In particular, Tai Lam Country Park -- over in northwestern Hong Kong -- is home to an area which has been christened Sweet Gum Woods to which crowds flock in early winter for some red leaf viewing and picture taking!

 

Earlier today, I went with a group to do a bit of hiking -- and, it turned out, quite a bit of red leaf viewing and picture taking too! -- in the area.  Despite the day turning out to be on the damp side, there still was quite the crowd out on the section of trail between Tai Tong Shan and Tai Lam Chung Reservoir where a number of sweet gum trees can be found close to the side of the path.

 

Early on during the excursion, I was moved to joke to a couple of the people I was with that there might well be more red leaf hunters out in the area this afternoon than actual red leaves.  But the further we hiked away from the country park entrance at Tai Tong and deeper into the country park itself, the more the crowds thinned and the more clumps of red-leaved trees we saw for the most part!

 

In the section of the Sweet Gum Woods with absolutely the highest density of sweet gum trees that I saw today though, there were plenty of people about the place.  A measure of how photogenic this area was can be seen by it still looking pretty attractive despite there being so many other people about that it was well nigh impossible to avoid photographing them as well as the trees and leaves (unless, that is, you aimed your camera right up above you!).  

 

As it so happens, I actually recognized this area (with its benches and other sitting accoutrements) from a fall hike I went on seven years ago.  At the time, the red leaves weren't so abundant but I definitely recall thinking that it was a particularly attractive part of Tai Lam Country Park and resolving to return some time.  It took longer than I had thought would be the case for me to revisit the area but I'm glad I did on this day when, despite the rainy weather, the natural beauty of this place was evident once more -- and very evidently being appreciated by many Hong Kongers willing to brave the bad weather to enjoy nature's seasonal glories. :)

Feasting on seafood in Seongsan! :)

A very large plate of fresh hwae!

 

 More than one photographer snapping a shot

of the seafood feast-laden table ;b

 

After watching the haenyeo collecting seafood from Jeju's waters, I think it was only to be expected that the same group of people who already had had eaten a hearty oyster-heavy breakfast/brunch earlier that day would suddenly hanker after a seafood dinner.  And actually, in view of the large numbers of restaurants that specialize in seafood over in Seongsan town, my distinct sense is that feasting on seafood is very much the thing to do in that part of Jeju!

 

Faced with a raft of seafood restaurants to choose from, we did the tourist thing and opted for an establishment with a bilingual menu with lots of photos and a waitress who was so enthusiastic about getting our patronage that she had cheerily hailed us over from by the restaurant's entrance.  That level of welcome may be not too exceptional in certain other parts of the world but, from personal experience, that's pretty unusual in Korea!  But rather than look upon it with suspicion, we decided to take it at face value -- and it really was nice to feel post-meal that our trust had been yielded dividends.  

 

Put another way: we proceeded to have yet another delicious, value-for-money feast on an island where it seemed impossible to have a bad meal!  Quantity-wise: just look at the photos at the top of this blog post!  And in terms of quality: like one of my friends remarked upon reminiscing about our Jeju trip after she had returned to the landlocked American state where she resides, if seafood were this good and fresh where she lived, she'd happily eat it every day!

 

Of the five main dishes we ended up with (along with a slew of banchan), my favorite by far was the large plate of hwae which was part of the assorted set for two (Koreans that would have been fine for three of our party!) that we ordered along with one additional main course.  Consisting of slices of eight different fish and shellfish, some of which (e.g., abalone, mackerel, octopus, prawns, mussels, turbo shell) I could identify and others (sea bream? hairtail fish?) of which I couldn't with absolute certainty, they were eaten dipped in soy sauce like one would sashimi but prepared in such a way that they often had a chewier, crunchier texture -- in the case of some of the fish as well as shellfish -- than one would find at sushi-ya.     

 

The rest of my dinner party actually preferred the other dishes served -- which was fine by me since it meant that I could feel less guilty eating more of the hwae (which was served raw bar for the octopus and prawns)!  This is not to say that I didn't like the other dishes, which included a seafood jigae (stew), a seafood dolsot bibimbap, a seafood pajeon (Korean savory pancake) and a whole -- well, minus head and tail -- grilled sea bream, though and I also happily sampled all the banchan on the table!      

 

Considering how large our meals in Jeju were, it's probably a good thing that we ended up having just two meals a day when we were on the island -- that is, if you don't count the snacks (which included the island's famed tangerines, dried persimmons and... maple flavored corn snacks!) we also would have at various times, including while shooting the breeze over a few drinks post-dinner!  All in all, it's a good thing that I also did do quite a bit of walking around, even hiking, on this Korean isle whose culinary offerings may well be as wonderful as its geological sights! ;b    

Haenyeo in action in the shadow of Seongsan Illchulbong (Photo-essay)

When we were planning our Jeju get-together, one of our party mentioned her wish to see haenyeo in action.  I have to be honest here: until she mentioned it, I had no idea that these women divers, whose culture and way of earning a living was inscribed in 2016 on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list, even existed! 

As luck would have it, a group of haenyeo have taken to performing twice daily in a cove right in the shadow Seongsan Illchulbong.  So after our Sangumburi excursion, we headed over there -- to a place whose scenery and geology proved to be quite the draw for me along with the remarkable women whose diving tradition dates back to the 5th century AD and involves their learning how to hold their breath for more than three minutes at a time so that they don't require breathing apparatus when going about gathering seafood underwater...

Early morning view of the haenyeo dive spot

 

 The afternoon sun turned the water as well as sky a brighter blue

 

Down in the cove, one finds a volcanic rock surface 

-- with lots of rock pools -- rather than sandy beach

 

Boats used by tourists rather than haenyeo

The haenyeo wade straight into the water (after offering prayers 

at the waters edge to the goddess of the sea)

 

  An outlooker got so excited he joined the haenyeo in the water!

 

The water was on the shallow side in the cove but still yielded a catch!

 

 Along with octopi, there also was sea urchin -- which I can 

well imagine is best handled with gloved rather than ungloved hands :b

Transgender drama Tracey is thought-provoking as well as trailblazing (film review)

The first of three posters I've seen for Tracey 

The second poster for the same film

The third poster I've seen for the film

Tracey (Hong Kong, 2018)

- Jun Li, director and co-scriptwriter (along with Shu Kei and Erica Li)

- Starring: Philip Keung, Kara Hui Ying Hung (aka Kara Wai), River Huang, Ben Yuen, Eric Kot, Ng Siu Hin, Jennifer Yu

In the same week that saw a news report about a Chinese homoerotic writer having been sentenced to 10 years in prison by a court over in Mainland China, Hong Kong saw its first mainstream movie with a transgender as its lead character being released in local cinemas.  The Sunday before, participants in Hong Kong's 2018 Pride Parade marched along a route that took them from Causeway Bay to Central and, early on, past a building containing a multiplex whose "Coming Soon" posters included one for Tracey which had its lead actor in clothing that clearly alluded to his character's transgender nature.

A popular as well as prolific character actor who was named Best Supporting Actor at this year's Hong Kong Film Awards for his sterling work in Shock Wave, Philip Keung's first ever starring role is one that called upon him to portray a character unlike any he has previously essayed, in more ways than one.  Best known for playing hot tempered men on both sides of the law, it can be quite disconcerting to see him as well-mannered optical shop owner Tung Tai Hung even before it's revealed that the married man and father of two prefers female attire to men's clothes and has long felt that he was female despite having a male body.

I've heard some people opine that Keung was miscast as Tai Hung.  My own feeling is that the choice of lead actor for Tracey helps make it all the more believable that, among other things, Tai Hung was able to convince much of the world, including his two adult children -- one about to enter university (played by Ng Siu Hin), the other married and with child (played by Jennifer Yu) -- and for so long that he was about as much of a regular a guy as one could imagine.  And even while his wife, Anne (Kara Hui Ying Hung), nursed certain suspicions about her spouse, she still was able to maintain the kind of public face and life that got people thinking she was lucky to be in the sort of marriage that she was, with a supportive husband who cared for her welfare and that of their children.

After Anne finds a receipt for women's underwear in one of Tai Hung's trouser pockets, he feels obliged to deny that he's got a mistress and, then, also that he's gay.  At the same time, he is open about not being a homophobe, unlike his conservative spouse -- whose socio-cultural prejudices can be upsetting to see not just because they're so open to view but also so reflective of many Hong Kongers of her generation and upbringing.  (Kudos to Kara Hui for playing such a hard-to-like character with so much sincerity that this (re)viewer ended up feeling upset for her as well as with her.)

If 27-year-old director (and co-scriptwriter) Jun Li had focused only on the Tung family, his first feature film offering could already have been a really thought-provoking drama; this not least since the characters involved -- including a cheating son-in-law -- and their relationships with one another was so ripe with dramatic content.  But, ambitiously, Tracey also features three other characters with tales to tell that could stand on their own but also did further the development of -- and even outright transform -- Tai Hung's persona.  

Of that trio, Bond (River Huang), the Singaporean man who had married a close childhood buddy of Tai Hung, could be said to be the most integral to Tracey since his arrival in Hong Kong serves as a catalyst for Tai Hung to re-consider how he was living his life.  It's too bad then that his actions often frustrated me almost as much as Anne's and their generally not having as negative an effect on others as I feared would be the case actually made many of those situations not ring true as much as I had hoped.

Although he's not given all that much screentime, Jun, the good-natured childhood buddy that the now 51-year-old Tai Hung had stayed friends with all these years, was a far more endearing character to my mind -- and I think that the actor who portrayed him, Eric Kot, had a lot to do with that being so.  Then there's Brother Darling, the Chinese opera-singing gentle soul so wonderfully essayed by Golden Horse Best Supporting Actor winner Ben Yuen.  His scenes with Tai Hung were so evocative that I can't help but think that the admittedly already pretty good Tracey would have been a better movie if there had been more of them.     

My rating for this film: 7.5