At Victoria Park the night after the Mid-Autumn Festival

Visual treats abound at Victoria Park this time of the year :)

 

My favorite display of this year's mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival

 

And the Peach Blossom Wishing Tree was pretty cool too... :b

 

My mother arrived for a visit yesterday (complete with a mooncake gift) and my plan for the evening had included our taking a stroll through the section of Victoria Park where lantern displays had been erected for the Mid-Autumn Festival.  But after last night turned out to be more rainy than we would have liked, we postponed checking out this year's Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival by some 24 hours -- and were rewarded not only by the carnival still going on (through to the end of the week, in fact) and being on the enjoyable side but, also, with glimpses of the still largely full looking moon in what's still a pretty cloudy sky.

 

Each year that I've been to view lantern displays at Victoria Park around what's supposed to be mid-autumn, the weather's felt more summery than autumnal.  Something else that I now know to expect is to see some particularly unusual -- even whimsically -- shaped lanterns on display; with past years' efforts including those shaped like the 2008 Beijing Olympics' fuwa mascots, Taoist deities (like Na Cha the Great) and even traditional Hong Kong snacks like curry fishballs on sticks!

 

This year's contributions included cheongsam-shaped lanterns and a peach blossom wishing tree (which seems to be a non-traditional amalgamation of two traditionally prized plants) along with a bevy of animals, including pandas, other bears and lots of rabbits.  Upon seeing all those rabbits, my mother wondered aloud if she was mistaken that this year's actually the year of the rabbit rather than the chicken and/or rooster.  

 

After I hastened to tell her that the rabbits at the carnival represent moon rabbits rather than those from the Chinese zodiac, I got to realizing that -- unlike last year, when there were indeed a lot of monkey-shaped lanterns that made it really easy to remember that it was the year of the monkey -- my mother did have a point in noticing that chicken and/or roosters were not very well represented at this year's lantern carnival.  Does anyone have an idea why this is the case?  If so, do please share your thoughts on the matter! :)            

Asian antique items are the highlight works at Fine Art Asia 2017

Entrance to Fine Art Asia 2017

 

 Under the flags in the exhibition hall

 

Antique arms and armor on show and for sale at a booth

 

What constitutes fine art?  If one were to base one's definition on what's on exhibit (and sale) at Fine Art Asia 2017, one would include historic and rare whisky (since there was a booth -- Cask 88's -- devoted to that alcoholic beverage), antique arms and armor (the focus at Runjeet Singh's booth), jewellery (at a number of booths), antique furniture (ditto) along with paintings by the like of Corot, Monet and Picasso (on show and sale at Gladwell and Patterson's booths), sculptures in various media, and photography by the likes of Fan Ho.

 

Based on its far wider range of the items on exhibit (and sale) alone, it should be obvious that this particular art fair is very different than Art Basel (Hong Kong) -- whose 2017 edition I checked out this past March and found much to appreciate.  Actually, in view of Art Basel purporting to be a modern and contemporary art fair and Fine Art Asia showcasing antique works, it's actually surprising to find some overlap between the two art events; this not least because Art Basel exhibitors sometimes look to extend its purview chronologically back in time by including artworks created in the 19th as well as 20th and 21st century while works by contemporary, living artists can be found at Fine Art Asia along with artefacts dating back thousands of years.  

 

But although both art fairs have exhibitors from outside Asia as well as within the continent, it's quite noticeable that Art Basel's biggest draws are often from the West while the items I find most eye-catching and interesting at Fine Art Asia tend to be from within Asia, particularly the eastern portion of the world's largest continent.  More specifically, each time now that I've attended this particular art fair, I've been bowled over by the large antique Chinese (and, in 2015, also Japanese) screens showcased at the booth of Paris-based Ateliers Brugier; with this year's standout piece being a double-sided, 12-panel coromandel lacquer screen from the 17th century depicting the Taoist Paradise, complete with Xiwangmu (the Queen Mother of the West), Shuo Lao (the god of long life and luck) and the Eight Immortals (Pat Sin Leng).

 

The other highlight of Fine Art Asia 2017 for me was the special exhibition entitled Union and Reunion presented by the Hong Kong Antique and Art Galleries Association.  Telling stories of relationships between art works, it placed a spotlight on such as a Mongolian community whose people developed closed cultural ties with Tibet by way of their embracing Tibetan Buddhism, and whose material culture accordingly reflects this cultural relationship.

 

Most touchingly for me was the tale told about a pair of antique huanghuali tables made by the same artist, probably around the same time, but which were acquired by different owners who treated them very differently.  Whereas one had much care lavished on it, the other didn't.  Consequently, when they were reunited years later, one appeared as polished as an emperor while the other had become as rough as a martial artist.  Yet if one looked carefully, it was still obvious that they were "related".  And, indeed, when I did, it was so. :)

Protesting political persecution in Hong Kong on China's National Day

Victoria Park's Central Lawn was on the muddy side this afternoon...

 

Undeterred, today's protesters (including Lam Wing Kee) marched on

 

And many a yellow umbrella could be seen too -- both when 

the sun shone and after it started raining some two hours 

after the start of today's protest march

 

Three years ago today, I made my way with a group of friends from Causeway Bay to Central and then from Tsim Sha Tsui to Mongkok, for a good part along streets empty of vehicles, many of which were full of people taking part in pro-democracy protests.  Some members of that group were there that day to observe and never changed their largely detached stance -- but at least one friend and myself got sucked into the Umbrella Movement. 

 

In the years that have followed, our continued commitment to the cause has led us to do such as take part in (more) pro-democracy/protest marches and go out to vote in those political contests where we do have a vote as well as, latterly, rallying for booksellers abducted by agents of Beijing, marching to protest Beijing's bullying, and taking to the streets to express solidarity with the youngest group of political prisoners in the world.  And I heeded the call to take to the streets once more today to protest against the Beijing-backed Hong Kong government's political persecution of local political activists (that threaten to turn rule of law into rule by law) as well as repeat long-standing calls for genuine universal suffrage.

 

Like this year's July 1st protest rally, this afternoon's march began at Victoria Park's Central Lawn.  Normally grassy and green, the ground was muddy as well as soggy, probably as a result of the rain that had fallen earlier in the day.  Undeterred, thousands of protesters -- many of us dressed in black, since October 1st is not a day of celebration for us -- made their way from there onto paved paths within the park and then paved roads that led us from Causeway Bay through Wan Chai to the space in Admiralty in front of  Civic Square (which remains closed to the public for all of Carrie Lam having hinted soon after she became Hong Kong's fourth Chief Executive that she'd re-open it).

 

Early on in the march, I spotted bookseller-turned-activist Lam Wing Kee in the company of journalist-turned-politician Claudia Mo brandishing a placard with a big red X over the words "Political Prosecution Persecution".  Enroute to Admiralty, I also caught sight of the likes of "Long Hair" Leung Kwok Hung, fellow disqualified lawmaker Lau Siu Lai, Civic Party stalwart Audrey Eu and Democratic Party veteran Emily Lau; all there to show their support for those of their political comrades currently behind bars (including Nathan Law, who had made history in September 2014 as the youngest-ever person to be elected to be a Hong Kong legislator, and the even younger Joshua Wong).

 

In truth though, it's less well known protest participants who I often find myself more in awed by.  In particular, I truly admire and respect the efforts of those who take part despite being wheelchair-bound and those others for whom it's also obvious that physical movement is not all that easy.  And yes, I do find myself thinking: if they can come out to take part in the march, shame on those whose spirit and resolve is so much weaker even while their bodies are so much stronger.

 

After the Occupy phase of the Umbrella Movement came to an end on December 15, 2014, many people became unduly discouraged and concluded that the Umbrella Movement as a whole had failed and ended.  The yellow umbrellas that continue to be brandished at protests like today's show the latter to be a lie.  And, to quote a headline of an opinion piece that appeared today, "Those who think the Umbrella Movement failed need to learn a little history"; to which I also think it apropros to add the famous John Paul Jones quote of "I have not yet begun to fight!".

A scenic hike along the eastern and southern sections of the Chi Ma Wan Peninsula (Photo-essay)

A few years ago, while walking along the section of the Lantau Trail close to Pui O, I was approached by a bunch of college age folks who asked me how far it was to the Chi Ma Wan Peninsula.  Guessing correctly that none of them had a map with them, I took out my Countryside Map for Hong Kong's largest island and showed them where we were as well as where the Chi Ma Wan Peninsula was on it.  In addition, after ascertaining that they were thinking of venturing along the Chi Ma Wan Country Trail, I showed them where it was and got them realizing that it's 18.5 kilometers long -- whereupon they decided to abandon their hiking plans for the day on ths spot!    

Based on how few people I see whenever I've been on this southeastern section of Lantau (be it to hike or take part in beach clean-ups), I'm inclined to conclude that the length of that official trail puts many a hiker off in addition to its out of the way location.  In either case, it's a real pity; not least because this part of Hong Kong really is pretty scenic, and there also being ways to break up the hiking routes so that one doesn't have to go along all 18.5 kilometers of the Chi Ma Wan Country Trail in one go! 

As an example: the section of that trail which passes through an area known as "rock wonder" can be accessed without having to go up the highest points of the peninsula.  Also, the Inter-Islands Ferry between Mui Wo and Cheung Chau makes regular (though not frequent) stops at a pier on Chi Ma Wan.  So if you get your timing right, you can take that ferry back to civilization (as I've done more than once now), the trail head, or both!

Picturesque dwellings at Shap Long Chung Hau village

over on the north-eastern edge of Chi Ma Wan Peninsula

My hiking companion and I followed the signs to the now disused 

correctional institutions but then headed beyond them to get to the section

of the peninsula that's part of Lantau South Country Park

View from the trail of Hei Ling Chau, an island that's home to

three correctional institutions and an addiction treatment center

A rocky section of Chi Ma Wan Peninsula

Further along the same trail, the more populated 

island of Cheung Chau comes into view 

 Natural rock formation or modern art sculpture? ;)

 Like Hong Kong Island and the Sai Kung Peninsula,

Chi Ma Wan has a Tai Long Wan of its own

Hike's end that day: the ferry pier near the now disused

Chi Ma Wan Peninsula correctional facilities! :)

On the third anniversary of the start of the Umbrella Movement

Civic Square in late 2014

 

Still not open to the public in 2017

 

Three years ago today, the Hong Kong police fired 87 cannisters of tear gas into a crowd of peaceful protesters assembled at Admiralty and effectively triggered the start of the Umbrella Movement.  Two days previously, the then-18-year-old Joshua Wong and a number of other pro-democracy activists had scaled the fence that had been erected around a previously open space in front of the East Wing of Hong Kong's Central Government Office Complex to try to reclaim that which had previously been open to the public and, for their troubles, been put under arrest. 

 

Pretty much every time I pass by -- and look through the still existing fence at -- Civic Square, I get to thinking how small that space is relative to the amount of space that consequently was "Occupied" by protesters for 79 days in the latter part of 2014.  I also get to reckoning that if that open space had remained open to the public in September 2014 (the way it had been originally set up to be), quite a bit of trouble could have been averted.

 

Put another way: I honestly believe that much of the anger and negativity that many of the Hong Kongers who ended up taking part in the Occupy (Hong Kong) protests -- that spread beyond Central and Admiralty to Causeway Bay and over Victoria Harbour to the Kowloon Peninsula -- felt with regards to the territory's government and police were the result of their overly strenuous efforts to clamp down on what actually had been non-violent acts of civil disobedience.  Three years on, you'd think that Hong Kong's powers-that-be and their overlords in Beijing would have realized by now that the more they try to push Hong Kongers to not act, the more they'll (re-)act.  But, alas, that's not the case.

 

What may be an even greater tragedy is that a not insignificant number of individuals who didn't dare -- as opposed to just didn't want -- to venture into the Occupy areas to see and hear things for themselves have never realized that the very best of Hong Kong was out there.  To this day, I feel that the Umbrella Movement taught and showed me that there's a tremendous lot of good in Hong Kong; which is why I actually remain hopeful that "Hong Kong, the freest part on Chinese soil with the strongest faith in democracy, can still make a difference", and convinced that there's a lot of life and fight still left in those who may currently feel down but most certainly should not yet be considered out for the count. 

Mrs K is a great star vehicle for triple Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress winner Kara Wai (Film review)

The Hong Kong theatrical poster for this

Malaysia-Hong Kong-Mainland China co-production

Mrs K (Malaysia-Hong Kong-Mainland China, 2016)

-- Ho Yuhang, director and co-scriptwriter (with Chan Wai Keung)

-- Starring: Kara Wai (aka Kara Hui Ying Hung), Simon Yam, Wu Bai, Siow Li Xuan, Faizal Hussein

Being the long time Hong Kong film fan that I am, I first saw -- and was highly impressed by -- the lead actress of Ho Yuhang's Mrs K in late 1970s and early 1980s Shaw Brothers kung fu classics such as My Young Auntie (for which she was honored with her first Best Actress accolade at the Hong Kong Film Awards) and Legendary Weapons of China.  So imagine my surprise after returning to Asia on July 4th, 2003, to find that Kara Hui Ying Hung was looked upon as primarily a TV actress rather than a movie luminary at that point in time; and that when she did occasionally appear in a movie (e.g., Infernal Affairs II (2003) and Crazy N the City (2005)), it was mainly in supporting rather than starring roles.

In 2009, however the actress now more often credited as Kara Wai burst back into the limelight with another Hong Kong Film Award Best Actress-winning performance in At the End of Daybreak, and revealed that she still could be a ferocious action star in Peter Chan Ho Sun's intense Wu Xia two years later.  Now, after garnering a third Hong Kong Film Award Best Actress prize (with last year's Happiness), she's reunited with the Malaysian director of At the End of Daybreak and has an anchoring role in a film that looks to have been tailor-made for this actress who's shown over some three and a half decades that she possesses considerable dramatic and action chops.

Mrs K (Kara Wai) is the wife of a doctor (Taiwanese rock star Wu Bai) and mother of a taekwondo-practicing teenager (Malaysian newcomer Siow Li Xuan) who the movie's audience first sees at home in the kitchen.  Within minutes, however, the lady shows that she's not one to be trifled with when she comfortably deals with two young men whose gambling debts have got them attempting their first ever robbery.  And so easily did she turn the tables on those two fellows that you just know that she's got the kind of troubled past that will threaten to haunt her at some point.  

One afternoon, while the happy family are hosting a barbecue at their home, a Macanese man (Tony Lau Wing) claiming to be an old friend of Mrs K turns up.  A sleazy ex-cop seeking to blackmail her (with his knowledge of her participation in a Macao casino heist years ago), he doesn't realize that he's the hunted rather than hunter, and unwittingly leads one very angry, vengeful individual (Simon Yam) and his dangerous accomplice (Faizal Hussein) to the woman who years ago had very nearly killed him but, unfortunately for her -- and, especially, her three accomplices (directors Fruit Chan, Kirk Wong and Dain Iskandar Said) -- didn't.

With a story like that, it's pretty much a given that Mrs K will possess a number of action scenes, many of which have its titular character in the thick of it.  Especially when one considers that Kara Wai is now 57 years of age (and didn't have a stunt double for this film), the actress -- who looks to be in far better physical shape than many people 10 or even 15 years younger than her -- acquits herself tremendously well indeed; with credit also being due to action choreographer Adam Chan for staging fight (and chase) sequences that come across as realistic as well as gripping.

At the same time though, those expecting an all-out actioner need to realize that Ho Yuhang is far more of an arthouse drama director than action movie helmer.  So it is only to be expected that Mrs K will have a more languid pacing than might be expected along with quiet dramatic moments, dialogue-rich scenes and stylistic flights of fancy (some of which work better than others).  

Put another way: Mrs K does not serve up a straight-out adrenaline rush but, then, I sincerely doubt that it was meant to.  What it definitely does, however, is be a great star vehicle for Kara Wai.  When viewing the film, you'll be able to feel how much respect Ho Yuhang has for her -- and, through such as his general casting, how much of a love of Hong Kong movies (of yore) this Malaysian also has.

My rating for the film: 7.0 

Thrill rides, animal attractions, and misbehaving Mainlanders at Ocean Park

A hair-raising rollercoaster at Ocean Park :b

 

 Surrounded by water in which sharks swim! :o

Among the perks of being a Hong Kong Identity Card holder is your being able to go to Ocean Park for free on your birthday.  And ever since I read about this some time back, I'd been meaning to take advantage of this offer -- and finally did so yesterday afternoon, the first time I've ever been to this Hong Kong theme park on my own (rather than along with family members or at least one friend, like had previously been the case)!

 

Thanks to the MTR's South Island Line which opened late last year, getting to Ocean Park is far more of a breeze now than before; with the Ocean Park MTR station being literally just a few minutes' walk away from the park's entrance.  Indeed, it was a greater hassle to travel between the Lowland and Highland sections of Ocean Park since: my ride on the Ocean Express train from what's also known as the Waterfront to the Summit involved spending several minutes in a claustrophically loud and crowded space (full of seriously uncouth Mainland Chinese tourists); and my cable car ride from one side of Nam Long Shan (Brick Hill) to another was preceded by a 25 minute wait in line for the privilege.

 

On a previous visit to Ocean Park, I had discovered that roller coasters appear to be far less popular among Hong Kongers and Mainland Chinese folks (the latter of whom make up by far the largest percentage of visitors to this Hong Kong amusement park) than among American and British amusement park patrons.  Consequently, I made a beeline for the two Ocean Park roller coaster rides I had yet to go on and which turned out to be located close to each other. 

 

The first of these -- the Arctic Blast (located in the Polar Adventure part of the park) -- proved to be the tamest of the four Ocean Park roller coasters I've now been on but acted as a good warm-up ride for that which is even wilder than the older The Dragon (which features a couple of 360 degree rotations) as well as the Mine Train (whose location on the edge of the hill adds to the thrills as well and stunning visuals) which I've ridden a few times before.  Located on "Thrill Mountain", the Hair Raiser is Hong Kong's first floor-less rollercoaster and also its fastest (with speeds reaching 88 kilometers at hour at times) -- and capable of giving one quite the adrenaline rush!

 

At various points of the summer's day, I tried out different ways of cooling down.  Visits to the South Pole Spectacular (where penguins galore can be found), Arctic Fox Den (whose denizens are really adorable looking) and North Pole Encounter (whose walruses and seals got me recalling the aquarium I visited in Tromso, Norway, a couple of years ago) proved pretty pleasant.  Unfortunately, that could not be said of my experiences at The Rapids, where encounters with seriously ill-mannered Mainland Chinese tourists who seem to think it perfectly okay to push, shove, cut queues, etcetera, got me all hot and bothered. 

 

As sad or bad as it may sound, I came away from my Ocean Park experience feeling far more positive about the Chinese pandas, Sichuan golden snubbed-nose monkeys, Chinese sturgeons and even the oceanic predators at Shark Mystique attraction than the Mainland Chinese visitors to the amusement park.  In all honesty, if I had to deal with them regularly, I think I'd end up having a major meltdown at the very least, and a nervous breakdown that'd see me running amok at worst!  And truly, I feel for those Ocean Park frontline staffers who have to do so. 

 

More than incidentally: while I was on the Ocean Express, I saw the train driver having the kind of look on his face that left me filled with certainty that he wished he was far away from that noisy, enclosed space which he was in with hundreds of visitors, the vast majority of whom are on the boorish side and from north of the Hong Kong-Mainland China border.  I wonder how long are the poor soul's shifts and have to think that he must surely be allowed a number of breaks.  Otherwise, he and those other with his job surely can't last long in that post without going insane.  And as it is, there seems little doubt that familiarity with their Mainland Chinese neighbors is bringing contempt, not understanding nor fellow feeling, in their case.