Hong Kong - Cultural desert

Do you know that Hong Kong has been nicknamed “cultural desert” because of her lack of art and culture scenes?

Yeah, this mockery is pretty well-known, so I doubt it if you said you don’t.

Most people who grow up or have lived in Hong Kong for a long time can tell you why: art and culture can’t make money. And let’s not forget the “force-fed” style education in Hong Kong, which emphasise on reciting and scores more than anything else. Almost everyone who grows up here have been bewitched by the “study well; get good grades; get a good job; make lots of money” curse. How can people be creative? How can they appreciate the products of creativity?

And even though the government has been spending money on promoting art and culture in Hong Kong, the result is disappointing because either a) people simply can’t enjoy arts and prefer something more “materialistic”; or b) people complained that the government has no understanding on arts and its “ugly art project” can’t help the culture industry.

So, are we Hongkongers going to “die from thirst” in this desert?

Well, there have been way more large scale art exhibition in the recent years; the Art Basel being held in Hong Kong is a huge breakthrough; Hongkongers got angry when the government removed the street artworks made by a famous French artist a few years back; more youngsters try to protect and promote their own culture…

All these simply suggest Hongkongers still care about this “desert”.

So let’s not be too pessimistic, it takes time for plants to grow in desert, ok?

It may not turn into a forest, but an oasis is pretty nice as well, isn’t it?

Cyber Manhunt in Hong Kong

Do you know there is a “Cyber Manhunt Team” which tracks down Hongkongers’ private life through internet media?

…Or so the rumor said. It’s only a running gag originates from the “Hong Kong Golden Forum”.

That team may not truly exist, but this “cyber manhunt” (網上起底) behavior is real.

“Manhunt” is a term originally used by police, referring to the search of background information of an objective person. With the progress of internet and technology, and more people sharing their lives on social media, cyber manhunt became a popular method to hunt for personal information by the netizens in 21st century.

This kind of personal data collecting is different from those done by companies for business promotion, since the aim of the hunt is supposed to “bring the target to justice”.

It’s true that most of the time, it’s the immoral and unfair issues that were brought to the cyber trial, like the famous “Uncle Bus Incident”, “Kong Girl” hitting a child and some animal abuse cases. Some scholars think that it is a way for the stressful Hongkongers to voice out their dissatisfaction in lives and to acquire their own sense of justice by punishing those who act inappropriately.

However, there are lots of criticisms saying that, this behavior is just basing one’s happiness on others’ suffering. Some other scholars blame the “cyber judges” for they enjoy seeing the victims’ embarrassment and pain (from their daily lives being revealed), and that they are only hypocrites trying to make themselves look morally superior by teasing the “less moral” victims.

Though, I am kind of neutral on this issue.

As suggested above, some people really deserve to be criticized on the internet even though what they have done is totally legal. (Yeah, I am one of those self-righteous hypocrites)

The only problem is, in my opinion, what should be considered as “right” or “wrong”?

What gives us the power to decide whether someone has done something bad?

What standard do we base on when we make that judgment?

If these questions don’t even come to our minds when judging others, then…we are no better than kangaroos.

Compensated dating in Hong Kong

Do you know that there is a way for Hong Kong teenage girls to make quick cash?

That is called “compensated dating”. (媛助交際)

It’s not something wholesome, though.

The concept originates from Japan. It is a practice of older men giving money or luxuries to females in exchange for some kind of “make believe dating”, or even sexual favors. Though sex is not always involved, and sometimes the role is reversed.

But the situation for that in Hong Kong is much worse. “Compensated dating” has more or less become the euphemism for teen prostitution. The girls can make excuse about how these “dating” are “helping each other”, but that will still boil down to sex in the end.

What’s terrifying is the girls don’t think this is prostitution because they “get to choose the clients” and can “decide to stop at any time they want”. The fact is some of them ended up being raped, and some were even blackmailed with their own nude pictures / videos. In some extreme cases, they got murdered, like the case of Wong Ka Mui in 2008.

Police are worried that the problem would become more uncontrollable because with the advancement of social media and smartphone apps, it is very easy for the teenagers to look for clients online.

It is very sad to see Hong Kong has become a society like this. We Hongkongers used to be proud of being civilized, educated and ethical. However, lots of people seem to see materialism more important than anything else. Even the youngsters, the future of our society, are willing to sell their bodies for money. Maybe I can’t really blame them if they are just trying to ease their families’ financial problems (even though it’s still not a good way), but those who simply want extra pocket money should definitely be criticized. Money IS important, but it doesn’t mean we should give up everything to earn it.

This reminds me of an old saying 笑貧不笑娼, when we “laugh at the poor, but not the prostitute”. People will admire you as long as you can make money, no matter how dirty your methods are.

Is this what Hongkongers believe in?

Street food in Hong Kong

Do you know that Hong Kong is called “World’s Fair of Food” because of the combination of cuisine from all over the world resulting from its historical background bla bla bla…

Who cares about that? Let’s go eat something! You have already eaten? How about some snacks then? Not normal snacks like chips and cookies, but local snacks sold on the street.

Ready? Then let’s go “street sweeping” (掃街, a slang used to express “try out every roadside food stall”)!

Where to begin? Right. Fish balls, mostly made with cod and haddock. The type you can buy from a roadside stall is the deep-fired one, and usually served with soy sauce and/or chili oil. But if you want something spicier, try curry fish balls. You will be surprised by how they fit together…

Have you heard of how Hong Kong people like shark fin soup? Let’s try some. No, not the real one, that‘s too shark-unfriendly and expensive. I mean the faux shark fin soup (碗仔翅). Instead of having real shark fin, we have imitated one made of vermicelli, while the soup mainly is composed of water, soy sauce and MSG. You can also add in some red vinegar and ground pepper if you like. Be warned though, it can make you really thirsty because of its seasoning.

How about something sweet? Like egg waffle (雞蛋仔)? It is made of eggs, sugar, flour and evaporated milk. We mix them together and have them grilled in eggs-like mold. It smells great and is “crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside”, as even the Hong Kong government suggests. I heard that egg waffle is so famous that you can even find it in New York.

And it would be a crime to not mention egg tart. The tart has an outer pastry (shortcrust or puff) crust and is filled with egg custard. Simple, yet delicate. You can imagine how good it is when even the former governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten is one of its fans…

There are still so many local snacks that I haven’t…

Did I say too much? Sorry, let’s eat.

Kindergarten in Hong Kong

Do you know Hongkongers start fighting before they are 3 year-old?

No, we are not gladiators from some proud warrior races. I am talking about the competition brought by our education system. Pre-school education here, to be exact.

People are not kidding when they said “competition in Hong Kong is fierce”. If you want a successful life, you need to study in a prestigious school; if you want to study in a prestigious school, you will need to attend a good kindergarten…With this logic, everything traces back to “what you should do for your child when / before he is born”.

What is ridiculous is that people DO follow this logic. Parents have their children attend those “play groups” to learn how to socialize with others when they are only 10 month-old.

Then the kids (actually they are still babies) have to participate in those extracurricular activities like playing violin or piano, because that gives you bonus for the kindergarten interview. Some parents even have their child learn English, Mandarin and Japanese… at 3.

Then the parents enroll in the kindergarten like crazy. They don’t just enroll in 1 or 2 schools, but as many as possible. Like, 12, as suggested by some parents on the news.

It’s not over yet. When you have enrolled in that many schools, you have to prepare for and participate in all the interview. Overwhelmed by the stress and workload, some kids even refuse to speak to the interviewers, rendering everything pointless.

Poor kids… They are only 3, and this is only the beginning of their suffering.

All those work and preparation really put my job applications to shame. I guess that is why my job sucks and why I am so underpaid.

Internet in Hong Kong

Do you know that Hong Kong has the highest internet access speed in the world, with the average peak connection of 65.4Mbps? That’s even higher than the one in other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore!

And around 73-74% of Hongkongers, meaning 5.5 million out of 7.3 million, are internet users. The mobile internet usage is even higher, with 96% smartphone users using mobile internet service on a daily basis. Again, that’s highest within the Asia region.

“Yay, we are so modern. Now envy us,” is not what I try to say, though. While the easy access to internet benefits us a lot (mostly in terms of leisure), this kind of convenience has altered our lifestyle and habits as well.

Like your friends and families prefer looking at their phones instead of your face; people prefer sending you chat messages instead of calling you directly; the overwhelming amount of information on the internet makes you feel like more alienated and detached, instead of more connected to the society; and when you have nothing to do but you don’t get to browse the net, you start feeling uncomfortable…Any of you find these situations familiar?

Technology is a good thing; it’s our over-reliance on it that is bad. The most important thing is that we don’t let “part of our lives” becomes “our lives”.

But I am posting this thing on the internet myself, so I guess I am not being really persuasive here…

Gweilo in Hong Kong

Do you know that westerners are usually being called “gweilo”(鬼佬) by Cantonese speaking people? Where does the name come from?

The nickname got popular during Sino-British Opium War era. Because of the, um, “not-so-happy” confrontation between the Chinese and British, Cantonese speaking population came up with this name to insult the westerners. The name is made up of “gwei” (鬼) and “lo” (佬), where “gwei” means “ghost” or “demon”, and “lo” is a Cantonese slang referring to “man”.

Chinese always use “ghost” to derogate the “foreign outsiders”, probably because the westerners are pale when compared to Asians (which makes them looks like dead bodies), or because their physical appearances are so alien to the Chinese that they look “otherworldly”, hence the name gweilo (ghost people).

That’s a really insulting name…in the past.

The derogating connotation simply faded away soon as Hongkongers started to understand more about the westerners, especially when people realised that the foreigners’ culture and behavior is not “ghostly” at all.

Nowadays, the name has more or less become a neutral, or even friendly nickname to refer to foreigners (ok, I admit that it’s still somewhat rude to call others “ghost”). What’s interesting is that even some foreigners happily call themselves gweilo as well. You can see that on newspapers, internet, books and even theatrical performances.

Of course there are still foreigners who find the name offensive, and they have all the reasons in the world to, but at least they are nice enough to not set up some “Anti-Insulting Westerners  Alliance” and go on demonstration…As a Hongkonger, I am really thankful of that.

In my opinion, insult comes hand in hand with intention. It is the intention that defines offensiveness, not words. When the intention is no more, what used to be an insult is nothing more than just words. Then what exactly is being insulted?

You think this sounds cheesy and hypocritical?

I deem that as an intention to state opinions, not an intention to offense.

So I don’t find that insulting.

What about you? Is that “supposed” to be an insult?

ICAC in Hong Kong

Do you know that the Independent Commission Against Corruption (廉政公署, ICAC for short) of Hong Kong has been cleaning up corruption in many departments of Hong Kong Government since its establishment in 1974?

During 1960s, while Hong Kong was experiencing economic growth, civil servants’ overall salaries were low. Together with the lack of restriction on the officials’ behavior, officials from many departments tried to take advantages of their post to make “extra money”. Even the police would demand “protection fee” and the firemen would ask for money before turning off the water.

Seeing the uselessness of the original Anti-Corruption Branch, damaged done to the society by the notorious Peter Godber Case and Hongkongers’ disdain toward corruption, the British government started to study different anti-corruption laws and decided to set up an independent institute to deal with the problem.

The ICAC was finally established by Governor Murray MacLehose on 15, February, 1974. ICAC, as suggested above, is an independent department that answered only to the Governor of Hong Kong (now answer to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong), with the aim to deal with and prevent corruption through law enforcement and community education, even after the handover to Mainland China in 1997.

It’s a good thing that Hongkongers have ICAC, isn’t it?

Technically speaking, yes.

But what if the officials from ICAC got corrupted? Or, even worse, the Chief Executive, which ICAC is accountable to, got corrupted?

If you have paid attention to Hong Kong’s news, you will find that the “what ifs” are more than just worries.

Two out of three Chief Executives’ (Donald Tsang and CY Leung) seeming involvement in some shady bribery cases; Expense scandal about Commissioner of ICAC, Timothy Tong, granting himself the authority to use entertainment expense which exceed the internal guidelines; Sudden removal of Rebecca Li Bo Lan, the head of ICAC investigative unit, from her post without any reason; the drop in Corruption Perception Index of Hong Kong in the recent years…

Should we Hongkongers be worried? Yes.

But should we lose faith in integrity? Definitely not.

Numbers in Hong Kong

Do you know that numbers can carry different implications because of their pronunciations in Chinese / Cantonese? Let’s go through 1 to 9.

1 – Nothing really special, but it’s usually considered as a lucky number because of the Chinese idiom 一元復始. It’s an idiom we use during Lunar New Year. “一” is one, and the idiom more or less means “a new beginning”, so it’s good.

2 – Usually, even numbers are considered as lucky numbers in traditional Chinese culture because if there are 2, there is a pair, and thus 好事成雙 (good things come in pairs).

3 – Cantonese speaking people (like Hongkongers) love this number, because its Cantonese pronunciation [saam1] sounds like 生 [saang1], which means “alive” and “lively”.

4 – It is somewhat considered as an ominous number today because its pronunciation (whether it’s in Cantonese, Mandarin, Min Nan or Hakka) sound like “death”, and of course it’s a big no. What’s funny is that this taboo seems to originate from Japan, and my teacher once said that four is not a bad number until a few decades ago.

5 – We have an idiom 五福臨門 (“五” is five), which literally means “five fortune reaching the door (of your house)”, so it’s good.

6 – We also have 六六無窮 (“六” is six), which means “endless” or “limitless”. Moreover, since its pronunciation is the same as “祿” [luk6] in Cantonese, which means “salary” or “prosperity”, it’s good again.

7 – While seven is considered lucky in the west, it is a really bad number in Cantonese culture because of the traditional funeral practice 食七 (literally “Eat Seven”). Back in the old days, when wealthy people died, their families have to treat their neighbors to “funeral banquets”. There would be seven dishes for each table, and the banquets would be held every seven days, until 49 days (seven “seven-days”) were passed. Funeral nowadays is not like this, of course, because of the time and resource required. So the number starts to lose its ominous connotation, and the younger generation probably won’t know what is so bad about seven.

8 – If you know Cantonese, you will know that eight (八 [baat3]) is a really good number because it sounds like 發 [faat3], which implies “to get rich”. Lots of numerical combinations involving “eight” carry good meanings, like 18 (sounds like 實發, “bound to be rich”) and 168 (sounds like 一路發, “continue to be rich”).

9 – Last but not least, we have 長長久久, where 久 and九 (nine) sound exactly the same as [gau2], and the proverb means “longevity”. So, of course the number is good.

Why are there so many good numbers?

Well, I guess you could say…We are good at comforting ourselves?

Foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong

Do you know that there are over 300,000 foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong in 2013?
Nearly half of them are from Philippines, another half from Indonesia, and the rest are from Thailand.

Well, I am not rich enough to hire any foreign domestic helper (you need to have a monthly income of at least HK$15,000 by law), so I can’t say I know much about them. But based on the rights they have, it seems their lives as domestic helpers aren’t bad.

They get to live in their employers’ house, they have their own room, and they have free medical treatment, which will probably make lots of Hongkongers jealous (especially the “get a place to live” part); they get one rest day per week, which should be no less than 24 hours, something the overworked wage slaves in Hong Kong deem luxurious; and their minimum wage rate is HK$4,110 per month (the figure in 2014), but since they don’t have to worry about their rent, bill, or food, this net income is a number even a university fresh graduate in Hong Kong can’t hope for…

However, there are people who think this kind of job is so inhumane and barbaric because the domestic helpers look like nothing other than modern slaves. And the news about how they are exploited for profits and abused by their employers intensifies this thought. Even the United Nations Humans Right Committee criticised some of the terms in their employment contract for being too outdated and discriminatory.

…But, but, but they get food! They get a place to live, and, and they don’t have to worry about the bills! And more importantly, they get paid! And holidays!
What have the society done to me…?
Why I am finding a HK$4,000 job appealing?

Country Park in Hong Kong

Do you know that 40% of Hong Kong land is preserved as country parks and nature reserves?

This figure is probably pretty surprising to those who think Hong Kong is nothing more than just a concrete jungle, but Hong Kong really does have that much green space!

If you are not persuaded, you are free to visit on your own. May I suggest Tai Mo Shan Country Park, with Hong Kong’s tallest peak? Or maybe famous Mai Po Wetland Park, where its mangrove boardwalk and bird hideouts will fill you with nothing but awe? And you just can’t miss the Lion Rock Country Park, which holds the symbolic Lion Rock Mountain of Hong Kong, and is also popular for its story and hiking trail.

Does this sound like some kind of eco-tour ads to you?

Well, maybe. But they obviously worth being advertised. Can’t believe some government dude actually suggest “let’s ditch these lands and build some houses here instead”.

So that the land developers could build some over-priced housing by sacrificing such valuable land of pristineness? Yeah, that’s a wise idea, Mr. shortsighted-government-official.

McRefugee in Hong Kong

Do you know that the global fast food chain, McDonald’s, is the second home to Hongkongers…literally?

We all know that Hong Kong’s house price is ridiculous, and lots of Hongkongers can’t afford them. So…where do they live? What could be better than the 24-hour fast food restaurants?

The term “McRefugee” first came from Japan, which describes unemployed people who can’t pay for the high rent staying overnight at McDonald’s. And not long later, the phenomenon spread to Hong Kong.

In some areas, while the restaurants operate normally during daytime, they become the shelter to 30 – 40 homeless at night. Since the homeless do buy food or drinks, and it’s the company’s policy to “not disturb the customers”, they are basically free to stay no matter how that upset the employees.

The employees (and probably other customers) may find that appalling, but the scene is also heartbreaking to people who thoroughly understand Hongkonger’s hardship, especially if you get to listen to the homeless people’s stories: a businessman, who got cheated by his business partner, broke and exhausted after a few years of legal battles, had to run away from his relatives because he thought he betrayed their trust; an over 60-year-old security guard, who lost his job because of his suffering from stroke, could barely paid for his medical treatment and medicine even with government welfare, let alone paying for rent.

And there are many more unfortunate people like them. When interviewers tried to approach them, their first responses are usually “you must think I am lazy”.

No, I don’t, even if you call me hypocrite or wishful idealist.

As if staying there is not pathetic enough, there were even people dying there. In 2015, a homeless woman was found dead in a Kowloon Bay McDonald. What’s sad is that she lost unconsciousness at around 1 am, but no one cared about that and simply assumed she was just sleeping. It wasn’t until the morning business hours next day that people found her to be more than “just sleeping”.

Suddenly I think of what Chris Patten said during his visit to Hong Kong these few days.

He told Hongkongers to “hang in there”.

Was he talking to these people?

But how much longer can they “hang in”?

Horse Racing in Hong Kong

Do you know that horse racing in Hong Kong is a sport which can only be enjoyed by the upper class and wealthy people in the past?

Well, not anymore. It’s now a famous gambling activity. And even if you don’t like the gambling part, the horse races are still interesting to watch.

Horse racing in Hong Kong is actually a tradition left by British. Hong Kong Jockey Club, founded in 1884, was established as some kind of “upper class exclusive club”, with strict rules of membership where women and people with unsuitable background were not allowed to join. The club became a professional institute in 1971, and started organizing gamble of horse races, bets and lottery.

There are now around 700 horse races per year in Hong Kong, and are held at the Shatin Racecourse and the Happy Valley Racecourse. These two racecourses are not only heavens to the horse racing fans, but also two pretty famous tourist attractions. You are more than welcome to visit them during horse racing days, as the carnival-like scenery will surely impress you…if you like crowded place, that is.

It’s fun to see how an originally upper class exclusive sport now becomes such a universal event in Hong Kong.

…OK, I’ll be honest. It is the gambling that makes it popular. No debate here.

Still, the horses, the races, the audiences, the atmosphere, when everything combines… there is just some indescribable charm in it.

Income in Hong Kong

Do you know that the average monthly salary in Hong Kong in 2016 is around HK$15000 (around US$1923)? Not bad, isn’t it?

Not really. It’s just a nominal income. When you have taken the inflation rate and the standard living cost, like rent and cost for food, into account, Hong Kong become one of the most expensive cities in the world.

According to a recent survey done by Mercer, Hong Kong is the second most expensive city among 207 urban centers in the world, “losing” only to an oil-rich city in Africa.

How expensive, you ask? Well, so expensive that even a 350 square foot flat in a remote area will cost you HK$10000 a month; eating in a working-class restaurant chain can cost you up to HK$45, and around HK$60 for dinner; and if you have to travel to work, be prepare to pay for at least HK$10 a day, or HK$20 if you have to travel further.

Let’s see, the minimum wage rate we have now is HK$32.5/hour…You don’t even need calculation to see that half of a Hongkonger’s daily income got drained before that day even ends. By the way, that HK$15000 up there is just a yard stick. Lots of people are earning less than HK$10000 a month.

You can even look up the increase in general price level over this decade to see how the price got doubled yet our salary rose by less than 50%.This results in something interesting: the higher our income, the lower our living standard…figuratively speaking.

Some international city Hong Kong is.

LGBT in Hong Kong

Do you know that the laws in Hong Kong are severely lacking in protecting the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) rights?

It’s true. The only legal things LGBT Hongkongers can do are having same-sex sexual activity, having the same age of consent as non-LGBT residents and changing their legal genders.

That’s all. They are not even protected in their workplace, where their employers can CHOOSE TO NOT PRACTICE the Anti-discrimination Laws on that issue (unless their employer is the government).

The public opinion on this matter is not supportive either. Even though a recent survey has over 70% of people agree that same sex couples should enjoy the same right as heterosexual couples do, lots of Hongkongers are still against same-sex marriage, according to surveys done by some other universities and political parties.

It’s pretty disappointing to see that lots of Hongkongers are still so conservative about this issue, even though we always claim to have “modern and international visions”. People still cannot accept something because they are “not mainstream” and thus “not right”. What’s hypocritical is that Hongkongers always try to fight for those universal values like democracy and human rights, but when it comes to things they don’t agree, they could be completely silent, or even join the suppression in some cases.

Luckily, there are still Hongkongers who can tell the difference between “right or wrong” and “one’s acceptance”. There are even celebrities like singers, artists and lawmakers who are willing to support LGBT rights or admit their homosexuality in the public. In my opinion, they are brave.

To deprive someone of some basic civil rights simply because of their sexual preference is never fair.

Something’s rightfulness doesn’t come from how many people accept or support it.

People who grow up in a shame society really should learn that.

Escape the Room in Hong Kong

Do you know Hongkongers pay money to escape from jail?

No, don’t worry. Not the real jail. Hong Kong’s judiciary system is not that bad…for now.

I am talking about the “jail” from real life escape game.

For those who don’t know what it is, it is a physical puzzle game which is based on the “Escape the Room” videogames, where the players are locked inside an unknown room and have to search for the clues in the room to find a way out. While the earliest real life escape room was created in 2006, the game (physical one) didn’t get popular until a few years back.

And Hong Kong is a latecomer on this matter. Freeing HK (逃出香港) is the first escape room game we have in Hong Kong. It was founded by 4 youngsters in 2012. As “outdated” as it may be, the game got so popular among Hongkongers (especially the younger generation) and received wide media coverage. The founders were even interviewed by some oversea media like BBC news, CNN and AFP.

The founders think that the game is not only about escaping from a physical room, but also symbolizes Hongkongers’ way to escape from daily stress and boredom. They hope their success can encourage the public to archive their dreams.

There have been more real life escape games in Hong Kong since then, with the fees ranging between HK$80 and HK$120. Though I have heard complaints from participating tourists because some puzzles are written in Chinese and they can’t read them…

Yeah, I can imagine the frustration.

At least they will let you out once the time limit (45 minutes) is over…

Jiangshi movies in Hong Kong

Do you know that Hong Kong was once flourished with “Jiangshi movies”?

OK, a little back story first.

Jiangshi (殭屍, [Geong1 Si1] in Cantonese, literally “stiff corpse”), usually referred as “Chinese Vampire” for easy reference, is a creature originated from Chinese folklore. They were reanimated corpses that wear officials’ garments from Qing Dynasty, with both arm stretched out and move around by hopping (because of rigor mortis). They had sharp fangs and claws, but were unintelligent and mindless preying machines which would suck the life essence from their victims.

And these horrible (or hilarious?) hopping creatures contributed a lot to the Hong Kong film industry during 1970 – 1990. They inspired the movie-makers in Hong Kong to create a bunch of Jiangshi movies. For example, “Encounter of the Spooky Kind” (鬼打鬼), starred and directed by Sammo Hung, is the progenitor of Hong Kong’s Jiangshi-related horror action comedies; And the famous “Mr. Vampire” (殭屍先生) series have a powerful Taoist priest using his spiritual power and Kung Fu skill to fight against the Jiangshi armies with his friend and apprentices.

While the stories may sound cliché nowadays, they were some groundbreaking concepts by that time. Combining the western horror (vampires) and the Hong Kong martial arts elements, these films are huge success. The movies are not only popular in Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China, but also in Southeast Asia regions like Japan and Vietnam. Oh, and I heard that even the westerners like this genre so much because the Jianshi folklore is both “similar to and different from” their own one.

Hong Kong film industry may have died down, but I hope that, one day, it will come back to life (or reanimated?) and hop around like these Jiangshis did.

Death is only the beginning, no?

#Movie #HongKong #Hongkongers #Culture #Vampire #Chinese #Jiangshi

Hong Kong Marathon

Do you know the Hong Kong Marathon’s history can be traced back to 1997?

Technically speaking, it can be traced back even further. There had been a Hong Kong Shenzhen Marathon since 1981, but that was suspended a few times due to the lack of funding and technical difficulties. It’s not a “fixed” event until Standard Chartered Bank became the title sponsor in 1997.

The marathon, held annually in January or February, is the biggest road running competition in Hong Kong. While the full course is of 42.195km, it also provides a half marathon and a 10 km run. The number of entrants has grown from just 1000 in 1997 to over 70000 in these few years.

It is not only recognized as a “Brand Hong Kong Event” by the government, but also an “M” Mark Event.

While the competitors get to run along some of the busiest roads and see the other side of urban’s scenery in Hong Kong, they definitely won’t have the leisure to enjoy it as the competition is fierce. The course record for both men (2:11:27) and women (2:30:12) were set by two Ethiopian runners in 2012 and has not yet been broken. Not to mention the humid weather and occasionally poor air quality makes the race more challenging…

So, those who aim to get a good result, or even challenge the record will have to try really hard.

I don’t get it, though. Just how could any human being finish a 42km race within 2.5 hours?

Does that mean those people could run at around 20km/hr, non-stop, for 2 hours straight?

…Wow.

Don’t push yourselves too hard if you plan to enter the race, ok?  

#Hongkongers #HongKong #Marathon #Running #Race

Wife Cake in Hong Kong

Do you know that we have a kind of pastry called “Wife Cake” (老婆餅, or Sweetheart Cake) in Hong Kong? Actually not just in Hong Kong, but the Guangdong region.

Judging from the name, can you guess what the cake is made of?

Yup…our gentle and lovely wives! In other words, human fles…

Nah, just messing with you.

Wife cake is a traditional Cantonese pastry with a thin layer of flaky pastry. It is mainly filled with sweetened winter melon paste, sometimes sprinkled with sesame. It’s not only popular among Cantonese speaking population, but also a great choice of souvenir for tourists as well.

Then…what does it have to do with “wife”?

There are many versions of story about its name. A pretty famous one had a wife in ancient China trying to buy medicine for her sick father-in-law. However, her family was so poor that she couldn’t afford the medicine. She had no choice but to sell herself as slave in order to get the required money. Her husband was so touched by her selflessness and dedication, so he made the pastry as a means to memorize her and sold the pastry on the street. The wife cake was so popular that he made lots of money out of it, which allowed him to but his wife back. Thus the cake was named after her. Well, not her real name, but her role as a loyal and considerate wife.

So, don’t worry. Just eat up.

There’s nothing weird inside.

Unless you are allergic to sweetened winter melon, or sesame, or love!

#Cake #WifeCake #HongKong #Hongkongers #Eat

Hidden Youth in Hong Kong

Do you know what does NEET stand for?

It’s a term that originates from UK, basically referring to youths who are “Not in Employment, Education or Training”.
So I finally have an intro question not related to Hong Kong, huh?
Not really, since the NEET issue is a worldwide problem, we have it in Hong Kong as well. And we call them “Hidden Youths” (隱蔽青年).

It’s a social issue which can be found mainly in developed economies, usually resulting from extreme economic growth and excessive human resources. Youngsters who have low self-esteem and poor outlook on the future are especially prone to become hidden youths. While this can lead to loss of productivity and social unrest, our government doesn’t seem to care about this (actually it doesn’t cares about anything except political gains; heck, it’s not even “our” government), and never have any research on this phenomenon. Still, you can have some guess by looking at the youth unemployment rate, which fluctuates between 6% and 10% these years.

So what do the hidden youths do? Well…they stay home. That’s why they are called “hidden” (from the society). Some may indulge in video games, some may dwell on the internet, and some may even sleep all day. But they all have one common goal: to escape from reality.

People think hidden youths are just a bunch of lazy, spoiled kids who can’t bear the hardship of growing up and living in the society. Some people even label them as 廢青 (trash-like / useless youth). But I think that kind of hostile attitude is what drive them away from the society, give them unnecessary stress and make them lose hope in the first place.
It’s always easy for us to blame others, but how many of us can see through all the biases and flaws, and get to the root of their problems?
And more importantly, how many of us are willing to give them a hand, instead of just bashing them to make ourselves look superior?
Help and encouragement is what they need the most, not criticism.

#NEET #Hongkong #Hongkongers #HiddenYouths #Youths #Teens #廢青 #隱蔽青年

Crime in Hong Kong

Do you know that Hong Kong is one of the safest places in the world? It is also suggested that the crime rate has dropped to its lowest since 1979, and its murder rate is the lowest in the world in 2011.

…That doesn’t mean there are no bad guys in Hong Kong though. While there aren’t much “serious” crimes like murders or arsons, theft, vandalism, assaults and triad-related crimes are pretty common in Hong Kong.

What’s especially common these days is telephone fraud, so common that I am pretty sure lots of Hongkongers have at least received one or two of these calls before (including me). The calls are usually about how your parcels cannot be delivered and / or contain illegal materials, so you need to provide personal information for verification, and ultimately pay money to “bait” your parcels out.

There’s also news saying that tourist scams are common. Some cunning merchants will use rigged scale to weigh goods and lie about the quality. So in the end, the tourists only get a portion of what they have paid for; or buy something that doesn’t worth the price.

One of my friends who live near an old market says that there seems to be more triad-related activities these days. He said that there have been lots of gang fights these few months (right at where he lives) and those always end up having the police cleaning up the mess…Suddenly Hong Kong doesn’t sound so safe anymore, huh?

Hong Kong may be a lawful and secure place on the surface, but deep down, who knows what REALLY is happening? Hoaxes, triad-related crimes, money laundering, corruption…these kinds of things are only alien to those blind followers of the media.

You think something doesn’t exist just because you can’t see it? Then…think again.

Me? Well, I always suspect everything.

I am a conspiracy theorist after all…*wink*

#Hongkong #Hongkongers #Crime #Security #Safety

Commuting in Hong Kong

Do you know that Hong Kong has been ranked as “the best city in the world for commuters”?
This survey, done in 2014, involving 84 major cities around the world, pointed out that Hong Kong has “the most advanced urban mobility system”.

The main contributor here is the railway. Since the MTR service (Mass Transit Railway, for those who don’t know) covers a huge part of Hong Kong and has some really busy schedule, it really helps Hongkongers to get around. Together with the services of buses and ferries, average commute in Hong Kong takes about 30 minutes.

…That’s the official statistics. As a Hongkonger myself, I can tell you what the survey can’t.
First, Hong Kong is a small city. So long as a certain location is accessible, it isn’t surprising that you can reach there within an hour. When you consider that, “less than one-hour commuting” isn’t really that impressive.
Second, it really depends on where you live and where you work (or study). Try living in Tuen Mun and see how much time it takes you to reach Chai Wan (or vice versa)? Or living in Lantau Island but having to work in urban districts? That would take you more than one, sometimes even two hours PER TRIP. Have fun spending another two hours going home.
…OK, the examples above are pretty extreme, but you can see that leaving / entering remote areas in Hong Kong is still pretty painful.

What? Cycling?
Let’s not. Even the survey suggested that Hong Kong is not very “bicycle-friendly”.
And why ride an hour to work when you can just take a 10-minute bus trip?

Chung Yeung Festival in Hong Kong

Do you know that people are supposed to hide from danger on the Chung Yeung Festival
(重陽節)?
It’s on the 9th day on the 9th lunar month, and it is drawing close!
Hurry! Start hiding! I will tell you the story on the way!

During the Han Dynasty (around AD 25), there was a man called Huai Jing, who lost his parents because of a sudden plague. He started training himself, and later learnt that the plague was actually caused by a monster, which would come back on the 9th day on the 9th lunar month. He then told the people form his homeland to climb the mountain and stay away from the danger, while he went to slay that monster. In the end, monster’s down, people’s happy, celebration… bla bla bla.
That’s how the festival comes from, or at least that’s how the story was told.

So, nowadays, we celebrate (or commemorate? It’s a weird festival) by going uphill and attending our ancestors’ graves by offering food and incense sticks, though there are different traditions in different places. Some people will also commemorate those who fell during the liberation of Hong Kong in the Second World War. We have to be grateful, after all.

You done hiding? Good.
Here, drink some chrysanthemum liquor, and keep this cornus. According to the legend, they can also protect you.
What? Me? No, I don’t like liquor; I will just go buy some packaged chrysanthemum tea…
How long should you hide? You…um…just stay here for the time being, I will come back for you once it’s over.
YOU HAVE TO TRUST ME. I am some random guy on the internet!

Christmas in Hong Kong

Do you know that Christmas Day is a public holiday in Hong Kong, as well as the following day (Boxing Day)? And Christmas (and holiday) is coming! You just can’t help but get excited whether you are a Christian or not, don’t you?

Yeah, it sucks that Hong Kong’s climate is too warm for a snowy Christmas, but there are still lots you can do!
Like…er, buffet dinner? Party? Shopping? Theme park? Or…um, Lan Kwai Fong? Did I mention buffet dinner?
Come on…do we have other choices?

We do! Why not take a walk in Tsim Sha Tsui at night? Let’s just forget the whole light pollution thing and enjoy the glittering light decorations: Santa Claus, presents, reindeers, Merry Christmas signs and many other things made out of lights! You will definitely be amazed by the dazzling light displays and get lost inside the sparkling fantasy world!

Remember that I said there is no snow in Hong Kong? That’s…only half right. Let’s go to the Times Square. This year, they have a snow chamber covered in artificial snow! The chamber may be small, but it’s enough for you to play snowball, build snowman, ski and more importantly enjoy a white Christmas. A great place to go for those who have never seen snow. Still a great place for those who come from some snowy countries (the snow reminds you of your homeland, eh?).

Christmas is not only about enjoying yourselves, but also about sending your love and care to those you…er, love and care, right? What’s the better way to express it other than giving gifts? (Make sure you treat them well though, it’s the thought that counts, after all) Hong Kong isn’t called “Shoppers’ Paradise” without a reason. There are so many kinds of shops out there selling things ranging from cheap Christmas candies to exquisite handcrafted decorations, so you are bound to find presents which can best represent your appreciation towards your loved one! And hey, it’s also fun to watch the shops’ Christmas decorations and feel the atmosphere. It’s not something you can experience if you shop online! (Take that, owner of Sovast HK)

Well, that’s about it.
Time for me to get back to North Pol…er, get back to work.
Anyway, whether you are in Hong Kong or not, I wish you a Merry Christmas!
Ho ho ho!

Chinese Zodiac in Hong Kong

Do you know that the Chinese Zodiac is not only used in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, but also in other East Asian countries, like Vietnam, Japan, Korea and Thailand?
It was suggested that this zodiac system was first being used in Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). There are so many stories on the origin of the zodiac, but one of them is especially interesting and popular.

The Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝) wanted to name the calendar years after the animals, so he decided to hold a river-crossing race, and the first 12 animals which finished the race got to represent the years. The resulting order was…*drumming*

1st – Rat
2nd – Ox
3rd – Tiger
4th – Rabbit
5th – Dragon
6th – Snake
7th – Horse
8th – Goat
9th – Monkey
10th – Rooster
11th – Dog
12th – Pig (yeah, that really puts to hunting animals to shame)
*Play cymbal*

What? Why would Dragon take the 5th place? Well, it had to summon rain, so it entered the race late.
How could Rat beat other animals? Um, it rode on the back of the Ox and hopped off at the last moment.
Why could Snake crawl faster than Horse? It, er, scared Horse so, er…
Come on, people! That’s just some folklore, of course there will be loopholes!

While the younger generations these days don’t take this too seriously, life planning according to the zodiac years is still popular among some. Say, people make maternity plans so that their babies could be born in some “good” years, like Year of Tiger, Dragon or Monkey.

I am not interest in these though. They seem fun, but are painful to understand. And these zodiac / star readings… don’t make much sense to me.

Anyway, here’s a quiz for you!

I was born in a Year of Snake.
And three Years of Snake have passed since my birth.
How old am I now?