Or, a vision in a dream. A Fragment.
Much as the Prince d’Orléans chased chimerical and pensive women over the horizon, so I have made a habit over the years of attempting to track down old Chinese sailing junks. Once they were the sovereigns of the fisheries and of trade along the coast of China and down into South-East Asia. Just twenty years ago, I’m told, fleets of … Read More
a somewhat surprising profile of the president of the world bank by the new yorker.
April 5th was tomb-sweeping day, so I went for a walk to the chinese christian cemetery about 10 minutes up the hill from my residence. (yes, this is how they build cemeteries in hilly terrain such as hong kong.) below, you can see a sweeper leaving the group on the left, after having done her job (sweepers carry both a … Read More
went to my first screening at the 31st Hong Kong International Film Festival. the lineup looks amazing–deliberately kept myself from looking too much at the programme, or I’d buy a zillion tickets. spattering of films I’m going to see: – the bimo records (recording the lives of a tribe in sichuan province) – whispers and moans (about the sex industry … Read More
(taken in mongkok in the days leading up to chinese new year)
this place has the wackiest hours: from 3 am to noon. and it’s busy at 3! with old men and students… (lucky for us it’s close to the university, in kennedy town). and cheap at HK$104 for the three of us.
Used in WWII as an air-raid shelter, this cave can hold over 1000 people (according to the lonely planet). I don’t think they used the fluorescent lighting then.
Arthur Schlesinger junior knew that he was frozen in the past. His thought had stopped, he admitted in old age, half a century before–around 1946, the year when, at 29, he had won a Pulitzer for his book on Andrew Jackson and had been made a professor of history at Harvard. He had no particular need to revise his thinking … Read More
my spring festival break was quite eventful. though apparently not much happens in hong kong, except for the huge flower markets that are put on for a full week prior to new year’s in the parks around hong kong. but I should elaborate: in addition to the fabulous orchids, mini-orange trees, and other lucky plants, a major portion of these … Read More
HK is schizophrenic. My first few days here I wore myself out walking… I’m staying at hong kong university, located midway up the northwestern slope of Victoria peak on Hong Kong Island, with not much but middle-class housing staggered into jungle greenery. But walking from the main gate of campus it’s not long before you hit the ‘hallmark’ of civilization … Read More