Hong Kong

Lost in Kowloon City (Part 2)

2008-05-19

On the evening of April 11, 2008 (see part 1), I was supposed to find Cattle Depot Artists’ Village, but instead missed my stop and landed on the other side of the old Kai Tak airport, close to Choi Hung MTR station. (see map) Undeterred by the prospect of adventure (there may have been simpler … Continue reading “Lost in Kowloon City (Part 2)”

Undeterred by the prospect of adventure (there may have been simpler means to find my way back) I eventually walked, mapless, into Wong Tai Sin, through Kowloon City (and the former walled city too), and a circle around To Kwa Wan / Ma Tau Kok. Two hours and a half later, these are the best pictures that I took.

It’s a different environment from what I am used to on Hong Kong Island and its commercial buildings. Instead, I saw buildings associated with the old Kai Tak airport, endless rows of garages (and mod shops), outdoor restaurants, and affordable public houses.

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Le soir du 11 avril 2008 (voir 1ère partie), je devais me rendre au Cattle Depot Artists’ Village, mais j’ai manqué mon arrêt et ai descendu de l’autre côté de l’ancien aéroport Kai Tak, près de la station de MTR Choi Hung. (voir carte)

Au lieu de m’en faire (il y a des moyens plus facile pour se retrouver), j’ai décidé de partir à l’aventure et de retourner à la destination voulue à pied. Je me suis éventuellement guidé, sans carte, vers Wong Tai Sin, ai passé à travers Kowloon City (incluant l’ancienne ville fortifiée) pour finalement faire une boucle sur To Kwa Wan / Ma Tau Kok. Deux heures et demie plus tard, ce sont ici les meilleures photos que j’ai prises.

C’est un paysage urbain différent de celui dont je suis habitué du côté de l’île de Hong Kong et ses immeubles commerciaux. Au lieu de cela, j’ai vu des bâtiments associés à l’ancien aéroport, des rangées de garages (et mod shops) à n’en plus finir, des restos extérieurs, et des logements publiques à prix abordable.

“Blogging is more about fun than anti-censorship crusades”

2008-05-18

In the South China Morning Post of March 30th, 2008, the “Changing Faces” column meets with Steven Lin Jiashu (林嘉澍), the blogger behind Antiwave. He and his colleague Randy Jiang, aka “Pingke”, make commentary on current issues and produce interviews with people not heard on mainstream radio. “One of my favourite projects is an interview … Continue reading ““Blogging is more about fun than anti-censorship crusades””

In the South China Morning Post of March 30th, 2008, the “Changing Faces” column meets with Steven Lin Jiashu (林嘉澍), the blogger behind Antiwave. He and his colleague Randy Jiang, aka “Pingke”, make commentary on current issues and produce interviews with people not heard on mainstream radio. “One of my favourite projects is an interview with Time magazine reporter Simon Elegant and blogger Vicky Yang. Simon interviewed Vicky in his report China’s me generation, a cover story for the magazine’s November (2007) issue.”, says Lin in the interview he gives in the SCMP.

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Dans le South China Morning Post du 30 mars 2008, la chronique « Changing Faces » rencontre Steven Lin Jiashu (林嘉澍), le blogueur derrière le Antiwave. Lui et son collègue Randy Jiang, alias « Pingke », font du commentaire sur des sujets actuels et produisent des entrevues avec des gens négligés par la radio grand public. « L’un de mes projets favoris fut une entrevue avec le journaliste du magazine Time Simon Elegant et la blogueuse Vicky Yang. Simon avait interviewé Vicky dans son reportage China’s me generation, un article en page couverture de l’édition de novembre (2007). », raconte Lin dans l’entrevue qu’il donne au SCMP.

Sunshine in Hong Kong

2008-05-10

Taken this Thursday, in Hong Kong.

九記牛腩 (kao kee ngau lam) curry noodles in Central

2008-05-09

On Thursday for lunch, one of my uncles took me to one of those famous places that only locals know, a curry noodles place in Central called 九記牛腩 (literally “nine & co. beef brisket”). Everything is written in Chinese, including its sign! (At our table, sat Asian-looking English-speakers) The menu is one of those minimalistic … Continue reading “九記牛腩 (kao kee ngau lam) curry noodles in Central”

On Thursday for lunch, one of my uncles took me to one of those famous places that only locals know, a curry noodles place in Central called 九記牛腩 (literally “nine & co. beef brisket”). Everything is written in Chinese, including its sign! (At our table, sat Asian-looking English-speakers) The menu is one of those minimalistic ones: three kinds of noodles (yii mein, ho faan, mai faan), two kinds of soup base (curry or broth).

Continue reading “九記牛腩 (kao kee ngau lam) curry noodles in Central”

Hong Kong Central Library in Causeway Bay

2008-05-08

My Internet hole in Hong Kong is the Central Library located in Causeway Bay.

Continue reading “Hong Kong Central Library in Causeway Bay”

This relay was sponsored by…

2008-05-03

This is expected and nothing really out of the ordinary: the Olympic torch relay in Hong Kong was heavily sponsored. Samsung flags and thundersticks (with Beijing logos too) were handed out to the people lining the streets. Here was a whole delegation wearing these green or red t-shirts and red caps with Coca-Cola’s signature. The … Continue reading “This relay was sponsored by…”

Here was a whole delegation wearing these green or red t-shirts and red caps with Coca-Cola’s signature. The torch group was preceded by a Coca-Cola truck (along with an official car, if I remember correctly), that hinted to the crowd that what they came to see was approaching.

“Sai Kung bus crash”: the bad news in China

2008-05-03

What made the news in Hong Kong on May 1st wasn’t the Labour Day march, but rather this bus crash out in the New Territories burgh of Sai Kung. 17 people died and 45 more were injured. This comes another transport accident, involving two trains colliding in Shandong province, with one of the trains on … Continue reading ““Sai Kung bus crash”: the bad news in China”

What made the news in Hong Kong on May 1st wasn’t the Labour Day march, but rather this bus crash out in the New Territories burgh of Sai Kung. 17 people died and 45 more were injured.

This comes another transport accident, involving two trains colliding in Shandong province, with one of the trains on a high-speed route between Beijing and the port town of Qingdao, where sailing events for the Olympics are to be held.

Labour Day march in Hong Kong

2008-05-02

Just like three years ago when I bumped into the annual Establishment Day march (July 1st), I again bumped into another march, this time for Labour Day, May 1st. I was walking in Wan Chai, near the small basketball court (nor Southorn), when I saw the local police cordoning off the left-most lane of Hennessy Road, one of Hong Kong Island’s main artery (where the tram circulates). I first thought that they were doing some sort of repetition for today’s Olympic flame march, but it wasn’t the case, clearly as I saw the people with loudspeakers chanting familiar labour union slogans in Cantonese.

>> Listen to the march passing in Wan Chai (~25mins – 11Mb)

I would say that a good half of the marchers were migrant workers, usually what seemed to be domestic helpers as they are usually called. Can’t quote a number for this entry, but a majority of middle-class families employs domestic helpers in Hong Kong. They typically come from the Philippines, but based on the posters I’ve seen, also from Nepal, Thailand, and Indonesia. On this public holiday, they took the street on their day off (who aand chanted “ga yaan gong”, for “raise salary”.

It was a small, peaceful march. I am going to see the Olympic torch today in Wan Chai, the last leg of its passage in Hong Kong. That is, if I can get even get near the path!

Flickr set of the event