Seen in Beijing, April 2008.
Beware! Exploding cars!
Posted onSeen in Beijing, April 2008.
The Olympic torch relay in Hong Kong through the eyes of an Overseas Chinese
Posted onThis is the photo of a crowd surrounding a reporter from TVB, Hong Kong’s top television channel, during the Wan Chai portion of the torch relay in Hong Kong. A very happy crowd assembled along Hennessy Road, the main artery passing through the centrally-located district of Wan Chai, nearby which are several Hong Kong landmarks, … Continue reading “The Olympic torch relay in Hong Kong through the eyes of an Overseas Chinese”
This is the photo of a crowd surrounding a reporter from TVB, Hong Kong’s top television channel, during the Wan Chai portion of the torch relay in Hong Kong.
A very happy crowd assembled along Hennessy Road, the main artery passing through the centrally-located district of Wan Chai, nearby which are several Hong Kong landmarks, like the Convention Centre. Flags of China were flying or drapped around bodies and umbrellas, among Samsung flags.
I was semi-expecting protesters, because of my exposure to Western press, but coming from a regular proudly-Chinese family, I should’ve known better, that it wasn’t in Hong Kong that you would see dissent.
There was a single occurrence of disruption, fifteen to thirty minutes before the torch’s passing, on Luard Street (perpendicular to Hennessy), at least 15 to 20 meters behind the crowd: a young blond-haired Caucasian male in a yellow t-shirt made a ruckus with the crowd. I never figured out what happened, and it was quickly suppressed by the crowd within a minute. Ten minutes after the torch passage, and after the crowd more or less dispersed, there was a police van barging in on Luard Street, with photographers snapping whatever they could through the van’s fenced windows.
Ironically, of the 300 pictures snapped yesterday, this previous pic is the only of two good ones that I managed to get. The carrier looked like some big business person or local politician. Only 40-something percent (approx number from memory) of the runners in Hong Kong were sportsmen, lower than at relays in St Petersburg and San Francisco.
Other than that, there was nothing worth mentioning. The best is to look at this Flickr set of pictures of the event, or check at these chosen pics below.
Continue reading “The Olympic torch relay in Hong Kong through the eyes of an Overseas Chinese”
This relay was sponsored by…
Posted onThis 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…”
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 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
Posted onWhat 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
Posted onJust 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 … Continue reading “Labour Day march in Hong Kong”
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!
Tourists at Tian’anmen
Posted on
Tomorrow, the Olympic torch is in Hong Kong
Posted onI arrived in Hong Kong on Tuesday night. Tomorrow, the Olympic torch relay is coming to town!
I arrived in Hong Kong on Tuesday night. Tomorrow, the Olympic torch relay is coming to town!
Continue reading “Tomorrow, the Olympic torch is in Hong Kong”
The Linked Hybrid in Beijing
Posted onLast weekend, I was given a tour of the Linked Hybrid’s construction site out in Dongzhimen, to the northeast of Central Beijing. Designed by Steven Holl Architects, the Hybrid is a 8-tower habitation complex, complete which outstanding feature is a “link” of bridges connecting the towers at the 20th floor. These structures will be public … Continue reading “The Linked Hybrid in Beijing”
Last weekend, I was given a tour of the Linked Hybrid’s construction site out in Dongzhimen, to the northeast of Central Beijing. Designed by Steven Holl Architects, the Hybrid is a 8-tower habitation complex, complete which outstanding feature is a “link” of bridges connecting the towers at the 20th floor. These structures will be public spaces: shops, cafés, and even a swimming pool.
The Dongzhimen (东直门) hub sees the 2nd ring road traverse it, is a interchange section for subway lines 2 and 13, and will become the city-side terminal to the new Airport Express to be inaugurated just before the Olympic Games. 1.5km away from Donzhimen is the Sanlitun Embassy Area, making the Hybrid an even more attractive choice for Beijing’s class of international dwellers.
The Hybrid is a scheduled for completion in August 2008.
This article was originally posted on Spacing Montreal.
Mechanized street sweeper on Guloudajie
Posted onSeen near Guloudajie and the Drum Tower, close to Houhai as well.
Seen near Guloudajie and the Drum Tower, close to Houhai as well.
Eggs are so fresh in Beijing…
Posted onThat they still have bird shit all over them. This picture was taken last week, when I bought groceries from the nearby mom and pop shop and cooked for myself, but I also just came back this afternoon from one of Beijing’s cleaner fresh food markets, the Sanyuanli, in Chaoyang, in eastern/central Beijing. It will … Continue reading “Eggs are so fresh in Beijing…”
That they still have bird shit all over them. This picture was taken last week, when I bought groceries from the nearby mom and pop shop and cooked for myself, but I also just came back this afternoon from one of Beijing’s cleaner fresh food markets, the Sanyuanli, in Chaoyang, in eastern/central Beijing. It will be covered more in depth once I get to process my pictures.