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

Winter's here in Hong Kong! :)

It never gets cold enough in Hong Kong
to be able to ice skate outside
but it still can get quite cool...

Some days, I think that in a past life, I must have been a native of a territory with a colder clime than Malaysia. Or maybe it's just a case of 'the grass is greener on the other side' syndrome making this person, who was born and largely raised in a country with equatorial climate, love cooler temperatures so. All I know is that when I look at the current 7 day weather forecast for Hong Kong, my heart threatens to skip a beat, and for joy! :)

For those whose countries continue to measure temperature in Fahrenheit rather than Celsius or Centigrade, here's a temperature converter -- which, despite its name, actually works both ways -- to help figure things out. Alternatively, trust me when I say that I view Hong Kong's winter as one in which, for the most part, one doesn't really need an overcoat but, rather, enables me to comfortably put on some of my favorite types of clothing: namely, sweaters, scarves and -- this especially! -- flannel shirts.

On a Hong Kong movie note: At the risk of stating the obvious, there was a reason -- beyond that of style -- that Chow Yun-Fat didn't seem idiotic for dressing the way he did in the iconic A Better Tomorrow. At the same time, it does make me laugh when even the slightest lowering of temperature from what I'd classify as 'hot' causes Hong Kongers (and, I've noticed this among residents of Taipei as well) to break out their winter gear with a vengeance!

Nonetheless, nothing strains incredulity more than to see people wearing wool scarves and turtleneck sweaters, and even leather jackets (in a bid to emulate their cinematic idols, no doubt), in places like Malaysia -- something that I've seen done on occasion, both in my time in Kuala Lumpur as well as Penang. And no, I really don't believe that even the fact that Malaysians have a love of air-conditioned buildings can be an excuse for these cases of fashion victimhood! ;D

Skinny (This week's Photo Hunt theme)

The word skinny tends to bring to mind skinny physiques, arms and legs for me. However, as regular visitors to this blog might have noticed, I'm neither a photographer who's comfortable with taking shots of strangers nor a blogger who's all that comfortable with putting up photos of herself, her family and friends on the internet. Consequently, this week's Photo Hunt theme is one for which I don't have too many suitable photos...

Yet, when looking at this particular photo that I put up, don't you get to thinking that the two buildings in focus -- and, should anyone be interested, located in the primarily residential Happy Valley section of Hong Kong -- are on the skinny as well as very tall side? Also, should anyone wonder, the pair comprise high end apartment blocks whose sleek architectural design I do admire yet am not sure that I would feel all that comfortable occupying space within!