Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Tung Wan beach lifeguard watches local haze, and regional smog

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Wet market

Monday, October 29, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Marine Police launch

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Hong Kong: Baat Baat Baat

Baat Baat Baat (Power of Eight), by Daisann McLane: Learning Cantonese

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Kate Bush: Rocket Man

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

High heels, a two-piece suit, and the rhythm of reggae:

Friday, October 26, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Below the public housing estate, late afternoon

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Waterfront, late afternoon

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Feral cat

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Faux marble, street-drain cover

Monday, October 22, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Ferry pier

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Waterfront trio

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Andrei Tarkovsky: The Mirror

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

The poem recited during the opening scene is First Meetings by Arseny Tarkovksy, the film director's father:


We celebrated each moment
of our meetings as a revelation
alone in all the world.
[...]
As Fate followed in our wake,
like a madman brandishing a razor.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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San Hing Back Street, cha chaan teng (茶餐廳): Wikipedia

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Peak Road, Hong Kong Jockey Club off-course betting centre

Hong Kong: Chung Yeung festival

Tomorrow, Friday (19 October 2007) is Chung Yeung festival. Hereabouts, it's traditionally the day for sweeping clean the graves of one's ancestors.

Chung Yeung is a public holiday.

This is also one of those festivals where people burn incense sticks, candles and whatever in hillside cemeteries. And since we are well into the dry season, this is also the time when hillsides catch fire.

The hill fires happen every year during this festival. It is really sad to see a necklace of flame advancing across a hillside and leaving in its wake incinerated trees, bushes and grassland. Such needless destruction.

Lo and behold, the colonial legacy lives on with a Task Force on Hill Fires. As per usual:
Fire Services Department will be on full alert from October 19 to 21. It will deploy additional manpower and fire appliances to deal with possible hillfires. Fire officers will step up their patrol on hillfire blackspots during the period.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department will set up a special enforcement team to perform advisory and law enforcement work. It will deploy its fire crews to patrol country park areas and stand by for firefighting.

Government Flying Services will deploy additional crews to stand by for firefighting and airlifting firefighters.

Civil Aid Service will deploy 230 voluntary officers to patrol country parks and provide firefighting assistance.

Auxiliary Medical Service will deploy 150 members to cemeteries and provide first-aid assistance during the period.

The Police will deploy more officers for traffic and crowd control duties at cemeteries during the Chung Yeung Festival.
Source: press release

Anyway, fingers crossed that not too much goes up in smoke.

Reading matters

A Tribute To My Primary School: Alice Poon

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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San Hing Street

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Bench life

Monday, October 15, 2007

Hong Kong: I Ching, Book of Changes

Hexagram 23, 剝 Po / Splitting Apart -> Hexagram 7, 師 Shih / The Army
Source: afpc

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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San Hing Back Street

Friday, October 12, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Pak Tai football pitch perimeter

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Restaurant alley

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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San Hing Back Street

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Waterfront, sitting-out area

Monday, October 08, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Back street

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Reading matters

The Whores of War, by Neil Mackay: Information Clearing House
Cartoon strip: Get Your War On

Bob Dylan: DYLAN?

So, Columbia Records have just released yet another Bob Dylan greatest hits. What's this one called? DYLAN.

It's a 3-cd set. Skip it. Save yr money.

Personal choice for a Dylan overview? The beautifully sequenced 2-cd Bob Dylan Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (1971), or the revealing 3-cd Bob Dylan Biograph (1985), or the 3-cd awesomeness of dive into the vaults, Bob Dylan The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 : Rare And Unreleased, 1961-1991.

Don't believe Mister B? Maybe Douglas Wolk's review of DYLAN [Rating 1.3 out of 10] will convince: pitchfork

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Louis Prima & Keely Smith: All Night Long

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Keely rules, OK:

Friday, October 05, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Waterfront, mid-autumn festival

Reading matters

Loaded Language and Loaded Guns: The Meaning of Opposites, by Charles Sullivan: Information Clearing House

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Frock shop

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Lantern

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Reading matters

Freedom of Noodles, by Daisann McLane: Learning Cantonese

Much Ado About Nothing: Alice Poon

Monday, October 01, 2007

Eye | Land | View

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Today is the 58th anniversary of the establishment of the People's Republic of China: National Day. It's a public holiday.

At eight am, local worthies and "distinguished guests" arranged themselves on a temporary raised dais in a little island in the South China Sea's main square. They were there to witness the official flag-raising ceremony.

Protocol being what it is, the PRC flag was hoisted up the square's tallest flagpole and the HKSAR flag was run up the slightly shorter one. The island's cub scouts did the honours.


Photos on the dais, photos in front of the flagpoles . . . then everyone went for breakfast. Or back to bed.