mister bijou

Bruce Hornsby & The Range: The Way It Is

2012-01-28T11:08:00.002+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Good music for difficult days. . .

Etta James: Take It To The Limit

2012-01-21T11:08:00.011+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Thanks, Etta.

obit

Misia: Garras dos Sentidos

2012-01-14T11:08:00.002+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

It's not a serenade for a lost Macao, but it is Portuguese fado

Histoire(s) du cinema

2012-01-13T20:08:00.006+08:00

At the end of last year, YTSL over at Webs of Significance posted her My alternative 100 'must see' Hong Kong movies list.

And very interesting it was too, generating a fair amount of comment.

Soon after, YTSL followed that up with a data heavy A by-the-numbers look at my 2011 movie viewing year

Which encouraged me to consider which films I saw last year I really liked. So here we are:

24 City (China) (2009) (Jia Zhangke): poignant semi-documentary film charting the course of the old giving way to the new in Chengdu, China
Un homme qui crie (A Screaming Man) (Chad) (2009) (Mahamat-Saleh Haroun): what happens when a middle-aged swimming pool attendant at an upmarket hotel in N'Djamena is made redundant
A Torinoi Loi (The Turin Horse) (Hungary) (2011) (Béla Tarr): in 1889 German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche witnessed the whipping of a horse. Nietzsche ran forward to protect the horse and then collapsed to the ground. Director Bela Tarr asked himself, what happened to the horse? In glorious black and white
Attack the Block (UK) (2011) (Joe Cornish): lots of laughs when a gang of young South London hoodies defend their block against an alien invasion
Attenberg (Greece) (2010) (Athina Rachel Tsangari): very quirky coming-of-age film set in an industrial backwater of Greece and whose main protagonist worships the BBC's David Attenborough
Baby Face (1933) (USA) (Alfred E Green): how Barbara Stanwyck sleeps her way to the top
Bob Le Flambeur (1956) (France): Jean-Pierre Melville directs Roger Duchesne in this tale of an ageing gangster who decides to do one more job
Carlos (2010) (France) (Olivier Assasyas): Too long to watch in one go -- it's 300+ minutes -- this is a gripping account of the life and times of the 1970s and '80s 'terrorist' gun-for-hire Carlos 'the Jackal'.
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2011) (France/Germany) (Werner Herzog): Given a special dispensation to view for a limited amount of time a series of cave wall paintings, Herzog's jaw is not the only one to drop in wonderment when faced with these paintings. The youngest were done 20,000 years ago and the oldest, experts date the latter as 32,000 years old even though they look fresh and new
El Cielo Gira (The Sky Turns) (2004) (Spain) (Mercedes Álvarez): a beautifully paced, poetic essay documenting one year in the life of a small village in a forgotten part of Spain
Gun Crazy (1950) (USA) (Joseph H Lewis): lives spiral out of control when a husband and wife go on a bank robbery shooting spree, film noir
O Homen do Ano (Man of the Year) (2003) (Brazil ) (José Henrique Fonseca): what happens after a young man accidentally gets his hair dyed blonde
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011) (Turkey) (Nuri Bilge Ceylan): a convoy of three cars slowly progresses through the night to find a dead body in the hills of Anatolia
Poetry (Shi) (2010) (South Korea) (Chang-dong Lee): Alzheimer's, life, death, and the poetry of the moment
Singin' in the Rain (1952) (USA) (Stanley Donen/Gene Kelly): da-dada-daa... da-dada-daaa...
Tears of the Black Tiger (Fah talai jone) (2000) (Thailand) (Wisit Sasanatieng): Surreally over the top camp Thai western
The Entertainer (1960) (UK) (Tony Richardson): Laurence Olivier as a seedy song and dance man whose career is heading nowhere
The Tree of Life (2011) (USA) (Terrence Malick): a flawed masterpiece
The Troll Hunter (Trolljergen) (2011) (Norway) (André Øvredal): very entertaining 'mocumentary' about a group of students who stumble upon a troll hunter who works for a Norwegian secret government agency

And last, but not least: Jean Luc-Godard's monumental Histoire(s) du cinema

Harry "The Hipster" Gibson: Who Put the Benzadrine in Mrs Murphy's Ovaltine?

2012-01-07T11:08:00.012+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Animation is from the 1938 Max Fleischer Betty Boop cartoon "Sally Swing"

Canon G11 problem

2012-01-06T20:08:00.001+08:00

There's been no photos for a week or more. The problem lies with the camera, not with me.

Although the camera is out of guarantee, I am currently in discussion with Canon as this will be the third replacement of the same part in 17 months.

That's not good enough.

William Wordsworth: Upon Westminster Bridge

2011-12-31T11:08:00.004+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Happy New Year

Eye | Land | View

2011-12-30T21:08:00.002+08:00

The Other Side: Harbour eye-candy on a murky Friday afternoon

Eye | Land | View

2011-12-29T21:08:00.002+08:00

Village square

Slade: Merry Christmas Everybody

2011-12-24T11:08:00.007+08:00

For Christmas, a guilty pleasure.

No Christmas is complete without Noddy Holder's yell starting at 3'03. . .

Plus, Christmas hits: are Slade, Boney M and the Pogues made for life?

Eye | Land | View

2011-12-22T21:08:00.002+08:00

The weekend starts here. . . season's greetings!

Eye | Land | View

2011-12-21T21:08:00.002+08:00

Dog day afternoon

Eye | Land | View

2011-12-19T21:08:00.012+08:00

Cold locker

Eye | Land | View

2011-12-18T21:08:00.008+08:00

Cargo pier

Joni Mitchell: River

2011-12-17T11:08:00.005+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

From the album Blue, a song for Christmas. . .

Eye | Land | View

2011-12-14T21:08:00.002+08:00

Hang Sing Back Street

Eye | Land | View

2011-12-12T21:08:00.002+08:00

Fish tank

Eye | Land | View

2011-12-11T21:08:00.002+08:00

Sunday, first back street

Ronnie Corbett: My Blackberry Is Not Working

2011-12-10T12:38:00.004+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Ronnie Corbett and Harry Enfield. . .

Cold Weather Warning

2011-12-09T19:08:00.009+08:00

The Cold Weather Warning has been issued by the Hong Kong
Observatory at 4:20 p.m. Cold weather is expected in Hong
Kong during the overnight period.

The minimum temperature in the urban areas overnight will be around 11 degrees. It will be lower than 10 degrees over parts of the New Territories and on high ground.

As Hong Kong will be affected by a cold winter monsoon in
the next couple of days, people are advised to put on warm
clothes and to avoid adverse health effects due to the cold
weather. You must also ensure adequate indoor ventilation.

If you must go out, please avoid prolonged exposure to
wintry winds.

If you know of elderly persons or persons with chronic
medical conditions staying alone, please call or visit them
occasionally to check if they need any assistance.

Make sure heaters are safe before use, and place them away
from any combustibles. Do not light fires indoors as a means
to keep warm.

Whatever the temperature, please ensure that there is plenty
of fresh air in your room when you are using an old-type gas
water heater.

Dispatched by Hong Kong Observatory at 16:20 HKT on 09.12.2011

Eye | Land | View

2011-12-08T21:08:00.010+08:00

A black-billed Little Egret

Eye | Land | View

2011-12-07T21:08:00.005+08:00

San Hing Back Street

Eye | Land | View

2011-12-06T21:08:00.003+08:00

Stairway

Eye | Land | View

2011-12-05T21:08:00.005+08:00

More umbrellas

Eye | Land | View

2011-12-04T21:08:00.002+08:00

Sunday afternoon

Orchestre National de Barbès: lawah lawah

2011-12-03T11:08:00.012+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian musicians. . .

The name of the band is a wry joke. . . Barbès is in Paris's 18th arrondissement.

If memory serves me well, Emile Zola's novel Nana begins in the Goutte d'Or (gutter of gold) in Barbès. At that time the area was a refuge for the poor recently made homeless by the clearance by Haussmann of whole sections of the city centre to create the boulevards and prospects as they are today.

Soon after the area became first port of call for workers from France's rural provinces, followed by workers from Belgium, Italy, Poland, and Spain. Since the 1950s, Barbès has been a starting point for workers from ex-French Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia. It has some great couscous restaurants.

Eye | Land | View

2011-12-02T21:08:00.025+08:00

Afternoon

Overnight the temperature hovered around 12C. Today, however, the sky was blue, the sun shone, and the thermometer hovered around a pleasant 17.5C. Humidity is way, way down. Crisp, even. Well, crisp for these parts.

Hong Kong Observatory forecasts cold (12C) for ce soir, except under the duvet.

Eye | Land | View

2011-12-01T21:08:00.013+08:00

Afternoon

During the night an "intense winter monsoon" swept in from the north and the day-time temperature today dropped eight degrees compared with the day before.

Hong Kong Observatory forecasts an overnight temperature of 13C or slightly below. And not much warmer tomorrow. Ouch!

Eye | Land | View

2011-11-30T21:08:00.003+08:00

Lunchtime

Eye | Land | View

2011-11-28T21:08:00.005+08:00

Tung Wan Road

Eye | Land | View

2011-11-27T21:08:00.003+08:00

Harbour

Bob Dylan: All Along the Watchtower

2011-11-26T11:08:00.006+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Side one, track four, from one of Dylan's greatest albums, John Wesley Harding. . .

Eye | Land | View

2011-11-23T21:28:00.003+08:00

Ferry terminal

Eye | Land | View

2011-11-22T21:08:00.003+08:00

Village square

Eye | Land | View

2011-11-20T21:08:00.003+08:00

Supermarket ParknShop's annex

Ignatus: Le Soleil Chante / The Sun Sings

2011-11-19T11:08:00.003+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Whimsical film to accompany the song. . . and English subtitles. . .

Eye | Land | View

2011-11-18T21:08:00.004+08:00

Chinese medicinal herbal teas

Eye | Land | View

2011-11-17T21:08:00.002+08:00

San Hing Back Street

25 Ways to Wear a Scarf

2011-11-16T21:08:00.001+08:00

Très chic!

Video too quick? OK, go here:
Scarf: 1
Scarf: 2
Scarf: 3

Eye | Land | View

2011-11-15T21:08:00.004+08:00

Late night, waterfront

A postcard is better than no letter at all

2011-11-14T21:08:00.017+08:00

Thanks for the welcome back messages!

Previously, it was usual to go out each day and post a photo that very same day.

Such frequency is not possible for the time being, but as a good friend and mentor once pointed out to me apropos of something else: "a postcard is better than no letter at all".

So, life goes on.

And wherever you are, may you stay well and be blessed with moments of serenity and grace.

Eye | Land | View

2011-11-13T20:08:00.002+08:00

Civic market and library

Time Out

2011-10-09T20:08:00.005+08:00

Been even less well than usual these past few days. Until some of that is sorted out, I am taking a break.

The Beatles: You Can't Do That

2011-10-08T11:08:00.016+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Melbourne, 1964. . .

Eye | Land | View

2011-10-07T21:08:00.003+08:00

Two Brownies (Girl Guides)

Steve Jobs: Stay hungry, stay foolish

2011-10-06T19:38:00.003+08:00

Steve Jobs (1955-2011) commencement address at Stanford University in 2005:

Eye | Land | View

2011-10-05T21:08:00.002+08:00

Today is a public holiday, Chung Yeung Festival (重陽節)

Eye | Land | View

2011-10-04T21:08:00.003+08:00

Tung Wan Road

Eye | Land | View

2011-10-03T21:08:00.008+08:00

Black cat

Eye | Land | View

2011-10-02T21:08:00.002+08:00

San Hing Back Street: Cha chaan teng

John Adams: China Gates

2011-10-01T11:08:00.032+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Music with a delicate touch. . .

Performed by Fraser Graham

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-30T21:08:00.004+08:00

Village square by night

[Yes, tomorrow, 1st October, is China's National Day and hereabouts a public holiday]

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-29T21:08:00.003+08:00

Typhoon Nesat

[A little island in the South China Sea woke up this morning to discover that sometime during the night Hong Kong Observatory had issued a No.8. . . a 'gale or storm force wind warning'. So this morning most people didn't go to work or school, the ferries stopped, and most shops stayed closed. The all-clear was given at 4:10pm.]

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-28T21:08:00.023+08:00

Village Square

[A little island in the South China Sea marks China's National Day on 1st October]

Note: it's quite windy. Having battered The Philippines, Typhoon Nesat is now progressing westwards across the South China Sea. It is currently about 500 kilometres south of here and heading west-northwest. Earlier today, Hong Kong Observatory issued a No. 3. The Obs forecasts rough seas, occasional gale force winds, and "squally" showers overnight and into tomorrow.

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-27T21:08:00.002+08:00

Tung Wan beach

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-26T21:08:00.003+08:00

Cantonese opera recital, public pier

[This event was in connection with China's upcoming National Day on October 1st]

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-25T21:08:00.003+08:00

Sunday. . . drizzle

Joni Mitchell: Big Yellow Taxi

2011-09-24T11:08:00.014+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

They paved paradise. . . put up a parking lot. . .

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-23T21:08:00.007+08:00

Friday

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-22T21:08:00.006+08:00

Couple

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-21T21:08:00.002+08:00

Ferry terminal

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-20T21:08:00.002+08:00

Noodle shop

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-19T21:18:00.003+08:00

After the rain

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-18T21:08:00.003+08:00

Sunday afternoon, jianzi

Yves Montand: Les feuilles mortes

2011-09-17T11:08:00.032+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

A classic. . . Montand first sang this song of loss and regret in a 1946 film, Les Portes de la Nuit. A year later, Johnny Mercer took Les feuilles mortes and made it into Autumn Leaves. . .

Autumn Leaves
Jacques Prévert

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-16T21:08:00.002+08:00

Tung Wan Road

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-15T21:08:00.004+08:00

Thursday, cloud patrol

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-14T21:28:00.005+08:00

Tin Hau Temple

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-13T21:08:00.009+08:00

Mooncake, Mid-autumn Festival 2011

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-12T21:08:00.002+08:00

Mid-autumn Festival 2011

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-11T21:08:00.014+08:00

Sunday

Niney: Blood and Fire

2011-09-10T11:08:00.002+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

More Jamaican riddims. . .

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-09T21:18:00.002+08:00

The Other Side: High Street, Sai Ying Pun

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-08T21:08:00.002+08:00

Noodle shop

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-07T21:08:00.002+08:00

Ferry terminal

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-06T21:08:00.006+08:00

The "slow" ferry

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-05T21:08:00.002+08:00

Street hoardings

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-04T21:18:00.002+08:00

Cafe

Marc Antoine: Je l'aime a mourir

2011-09-03T11:08:00.014+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Francis Cabrel's classic song given a modern gloss (avec paroles). . .

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-02T21:08:00.006+08:00

Bunch of flowers, Tung Wan Road "sacred tree" altar

[but what kind of flower is the one on the right?]

Eye | Land | View

2011-09-01T21:08:00.002+08:00

Thursday afternoon

Eye | Land | View

2011-08-31T21:48:00.001+08:00

Today was a really grey day

Eye | Land | View

2011-08-30T21:08:00.000+08:00

Trio

Eye | Land | View

2011-08-29T21:08:00.002+08:00

Dusk

Eye | Land | View

2011-08-28T21:08:00.005+08:00

Tarpaulin

Electric Light Orchestra: Mr Blue Sky

2011-08-27T11:08:00.004+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Hey, there, Mr Blue. . .

Eye | Land | View

2011-08-26T21:28:00.003+08:00

Waterfront

Eye | Land | View

2011-08-25T21:08:00.003+08:00

Summer shower

Eye | Land | View

2011-08-24T21:08:00.002+08:00

Hot summer breeze

Eye | Land | View

2011-08-23T21:08:00.003+08:00

Waterfront

Eye | Land | View

2011-08-22T21:08:00.002+08:00

Village square

Eye | Land | View

2011-08-21T21:08:00.002+08:00

Generally fine

Woody Guthrie: Pretty Boy Floyd

2011-08-20T11:08:00.010+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Some will rob you with a sixgun | And some with a fountain pen. . .

Eye | Land | View

2011-08-19T21:08:00.002+08:00

32°C

Eye | Land | View

2011-08-18T21:08:00.003+08:00

32°C

Eye | Land | View

2011-08-17T21:28:00.002+08:00

Pak Tai Temple soccer pitch

Eye | Land | View

2011-08-16T21:08:00.002+08:00

Tuesday, cloud patrol

Eye | Land | View

2011-08-15T21:08:00.003+08:00

Harbour

Eye | Land | View

2011-08-14T21:08:00.006+08:00

Sunday, cloud patrol

Prince Buster: Al Capone

2011-08-13T11:08:00.009+08:00

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Perfect for the weekend, some classic Jamaican ska. . .