Notes
Rotting Away in Hong Kong
One of my favourite quotes about Hong Kong in the summer comes from Rev. E. J. Hardy from way back in 1905:
If you live on the Peak your clothes rot; if you live below, you rot.
These days that's less of a problem, what with air conditioners and dehumidifiers, but there are still days when that sentiment feels true.
I Scream
First it was the shoe shiners in Central's Theatre Lane, now it's the humble ice-cream vendor.
Overzealous officers of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department have been harassing licensed hawkers selling ice cream from bicycle-mounted carts, forcing them from high-traffic areas to zones with less foot traffic, thus biting into a prime source of income. Instead of being able to make a profit, these vendors can barely make ends meet.
Why? Because the officers, once again abusing their authority, claim the hawkers are "obstructing foot traffic", which is the same nonsense reason used against the shoe shiners until a public outcry put an end to it. In all my years here I've never heard a single person complain that an ice-cream vendor was a nuisance.
All this reminds me of the disparity between Hong Kong of yesterday and today. Much of what I've studied of old Hong Kong suggests that people worked hard and did what was necessary to survive, with little governmental interference. These days folks performing a useful service can't turn around without a uniform in their face threatening them with a fine.
The Hong Kong government should be ashamed of itself for stealing the opportunity to earn an honest living.
Must. Collect. Self.
Spotted this in a Letter to the Editor of the local rag:
Message to government - try sensible policies before pouring concrete.
HAAAAhahahahahahaha!
[wheeze] [gasp]
A-HAAAAhahahahahahaha!
Happy 50th, Suzie Wong
If you've never seen The World of Suzie Wong, you might want go find the DVD.
The movie is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and actress Nancy Kwan Ka-shen, now 70 years old, was just 20 years old during filming. Those who know Hong Kong recognize that some of the scenes in the film, supposedly depicting Wan Chai, were actually shot in other districts, but despite that they capture a sense of the Big Lychee in the 1950s, and it's fantastic.
Still Have Canadian Blood
Something is dreadfully wrong when the daytime high during Hong Kong's winter season is 27 degrees Celsius.
Even the mosquitoes are coming out early.
If I have to suffer high heat and humidity from April to November, then I deserve a break with some proper cold weather, dammit!
Dim Sum
Friend Finder
Good Feng Shui