Covid Suspends "Villain Beatings" Today

Police were out in force to ensure there was no "villain beating"

The fifth wave has spared no one, even those who practice "villain beating" in a bid to get rid of bad luck. These practitioners are usually found under "goose neck bridge" or below the Canal Road overpass in Causeway Bay. 

Women have their outdoor stalls with pots of incense and help customers get rid of bad luck or have a particular person in mind they want to punish. The person's picture is given or their name is written down, and the practitioner will chant a few words and then will beat the picture or piece of paper mercilessly with a shoe before giving it to a paper tiger to eat and is then consumed by fire for about HK$60 (US$7.67).

A person's name or picture is hit with a shoe

On the lunar calendar, today is the "insects awakening" day, in which "villain hitting" is considered more effective when insects are awakened by the first thunder of the year. 

These few days the women under the bridge have been busy, but today there were none in sight, as 10 police officers monitored the area. The government had announced on Thursday that the these practitioners would not perform these rituals today in a bid to prevent crowds gathering because of the pandemic.

A villain beater with more than 30 years' experience said she was told by the other practitioners the police had asked them to suspend business around the "awakening", so she decided to close her stall between Friday and Sunday.

"We always work overnight during the 'Insects Awakening'," said the woman surnamed Wong.

She predicted she would be "very busy" when the stall resumed on Monday, estimating she had lost more than HK$10,000 on Saturday alone.

Young people have social grievances to beat out

Wong said she even provided an online "villain hitting" service for customers on the mainland and in Southeast Asia.

"More younger generations have requested the service for a litany of social grievances in the past few years," she said.

Hmmm.... could it be that someone or some people in government don't want to be the target of villain hitting today?

Today there was a significant drop in cases, with 37,529 cases, but 220 deaths, of which 150 were in the last 24 hours. Of the 150 deaths, 109 were not vaccinated...

China-style Lockdown in Hong Kong

Chan announced the lockdown measures this evening

China's severe lockdown practices have come to Hong Kong in a bid to keep its zero-Covid strategy. Will we see people in hazmat suits bolting down people's homes a la Wuhan next?

Tonight, some 2,700 residents in Yat Kwai House, a housing block in Kwai Chung Estate will be stuck in home quarantine for the next five days to prevent the possible spread of Omicron. There were 20 positive cases found in this residential area.

The housing block will be locked down for 5 days

Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee made the announcement this evening at at 6pm press conference -- when there's a late press conference on a Friday evening it's not going to be good news.

"We understand with this operation, people might feel there is some inconvenience such as not being able to go to work," Chan said. 

"We really appeal to employers if they have employees caught in this operation that, I hope, they will treat this in a more open and understanding manner so they won't deduct people's salary and things like that.

"The most important aim is really to identify or detect cases within the building, and secondly we want to stop the transmission chain from going further, therefore this is for the common good."

While Chan explained it was not necessary to evacuate residents because the outbreak was due to environmental contamination, not building structural issues, the main reason is because Penny's Bay quarantine camp is full.

The last time the government ordered a lockdown lasting more than 24 hours was last January, when residents in 70 blocks in Jordan could not go out for 48 hours.

People must be tested each of the five days

Residents of Yat Kwai House will have to be tested everyday for five days, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided for them. Anyone who fails to comply will be subjected to a HK$5,000 fine, and further violations could lead to a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a HK$25,000 fine.

Earlier it was reported a Pakistani woman who stayed in a quarantine hotel for 21 day became positive a few days after she came out, and already infected others. One of them was her unvaccinated husband, who went to Yat Kwai House to pick up recycling items from waste bins and infected a cleaner there. The cleaner had spread the virus across 13 floors affecting 12 households, as well as building staff.

The cleaner had had two doses of Sinovac.

Meanwhile, animal activists are trying to save as many hamsters as they can, intercepting people surrendering their rodent pets, explaining to them they legally do not have to do that. Some video footage has shown people giving their pets to these activists, who promise to look after their pets without exchanging any contact information.

Some activists protect hamsters as resistance

Some of these activists were interviewed by the media today. And while they asked to be anonymous and turned their backs to the camera while being interviewed, they also requested their voices to be altered too.

This is the state of Hong Kong now, as resisting giving up hamsters is seen as an act of dissent against the government. Even hamsters are seen as symbols of resistance...

Tonight two more pet shops have hamsters testing positive for Covid-19, I Love Rabbit in Causeway Bay and Tai Po. People who visited these shops must get tested, while staff members will have to undergo quarantine. Will another culling take place?

Did Hamsters Infect a Woman with Covid-19?

Hamsters can easily spread viruses, says Yuen

I was going to write about the absurdity of Chinese claims that a piece of mail from Toronto that arrived in Beijing had Covid-19 causing at least two people to be infected, but now that insanity has been topped by Hong Kong health officials announcing some 2,000 hamsters will be culled, claiming some of them tested preliminary positive and could spread the virus in the city.

But first the mail.

The Beijing Centre for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday said traces of the Omicron variant was found on a letter mailed from Toronto and and suggested it could have been the source of the infection for the recipient.

Health Canada says virus on mail extremely low

Was there any genome sequencing done to verify if it is similar to Canadian strains of Omicron?

Nevertheless upon receiving media enquiries, Health Canada said while mail could be contaminated, "the risk of Covid-19 infection when handling paper mail or cardboard packages, including international mail, is extremely low.

"In general, coronavirus including variants do not spread from products or packaging shipped over a period of days or weeks," the health agency said.

Despite debunking Chinese concerns, Beijing has ordered the country's residents to stop ordering things from high-risk countries (basically anywhere in the world), and if they do receive mail, they must be double vaccinated and open the package outside the home wearing gloves.

Is this an inadvertent way to slow down or stop the posting of goods into China, such as illicit goods during the Olympics? In any event it is not a case heard elsewhere around the world, and sounds like a desperate attempt at trying to deflect attention away from the country's issues in battling the virus?

Meanwhile in Hong Kong things are becoming just as absurd.

China orders people to open their mail outside

This afternoon at a press conference held by the Centre for Health Protection, health officials announced that some 2,000 hamsters must be culled as some tested positive for Covid-19, and 11 of them were linked to two infected people who worked in a pet shop in Causeway Bay.

They believe this is the first animal-to-human transmission of the virus. All 34 licensed pet shops that sell hamsters must suspend operations, and the 150 customers who visited Little Boss shop must go into quarantine (and surrender the little furry creatures). 

The cull applies to all hamsters that were bought since December 22, when a shipment of the animals arrived from the Netherlands. They were transferred to a warehouse in Tai Po and a second shipment arrived on January 7.

"We have assessed the risks of these batches are relatively high and therefore made the decision based on public health needs," said Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Dr Leung Siu-fai. "We urge all pet owners to observe strict hygiene when handling their pets and cages, Do not kiss or abandon them on the streets."

When doing the genomic sequencing, Dr Yuen Kwok-yung of the University of Hong Kong said they had trouble mapping out the mutations from the sample taken from the shop assistant. 

A shop assistant was infected... by hamsters?

Wasn't she wearing a mask? How could a hamster transmit the virus to her?

"Some mutations found in that worker's [sample] could not be identified in a global genomic data bank," he said. "Experts are concerned whether there are any problems with those mutations... that's why we need to be extra cautious."

While some of the hamsters have tested preliminary positive -- and by the way, how are they tested? -- Yuen said it would take time for hamsters to show symptoms after infection, and keeping 2,000 alive could pose health risks to people looking after them.

"Hamsters are often used to do experiments because they are very sensitive to viruses and are easily infected. They usually release a great amount of virus in the first 10 days of being infected," he explained, calling the decision to cull the animals "decisive and wise".

The health authorities said the animals would be tested before being put down.

But those assurances sparked serious concern among animal welfare groups, including the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, saying the AFCD should review its approach before taking "drastic action".

Some 2,000 hamsters will be culled

This evening people in hazmat suits arrived at the aforementioned pet shop with people looking on. 

How do parents explain to their children that their recently acquired pet hamster needs to be surrendered and destroyed?

Can parents sue the government for causing the emotional distress of their children?

The culling of these animals reminds me of the "Four Pests Campaign" during the Great Leap Forward from 1958 to 1962, when rats, flies, mosquitoes and sparrows were to be eliminated. 

Sparrows were thought to consume four pounds of grain per bird, and so the Chinese set out to stop these animals from robbing their food. They banged pots and pans to make it so noisy for the sparrows that they couldn't rest in their nests and would drop dead from the sky. Their eggs were smashed, chicks killed.

What happened? The sparrows were nearly killed into extinction, and resulted in a surge in bed bugs...

The Blame Game Continues

Lam says primary schools to close, more vaccinations needed

The Hong Kong government is definitely terrified of the Omicron virus and after three kindergarten children were infected by family members, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor decided all primary schools will be closed from Friday, while secondary schools will stay open.

Sinovac vaccines will be made available to children as young as five, but other pharmaceutical companies have not filed their paperwork to apply to be administered in children. Surely there should be a choice for parents to decide which vaccine they want their kids to have.

Young children are back to online learning

Today the Centre for Health Protection reported 21 new cases, eight of which are local. There are concerns there could be silent transmissions within Tuen Mun, making it a hotspot now, along with Sha Tin, Causeway Bay and North Point. 

However the good thing is that people are more motivated to FINALLY get vaccinated and now 75 percent of the population have had at least one shot. It seems the walk-in line just for those 60 years old and above is a good motivator.

Meanwhile the birthday-gate continues, with Lam believes the Spanish restaurant, Reserva Iberica in Wan Chai may have operated "well beyond its capacity".

"I'm sure the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will shortly release some preliminary investigations about the restaurant, whether this restaurant could actually legally operate with this sort of dinner gathering," she said.

The restaurant can have 240 people for a banquet

Reserva Iberica is a Type D restaurant, where the FEHD says it can have a maximum of 240 people at a banquet, and at least two-thirds of the guests must be vaccinated with at least one dose.

So far about 200 people have been identified as being related to the party, so unless it goes over 240 people, then it breaches the rules the government set. And were at least two-thirds vaccinated?

One thing the dining establishment could be faulted on is not making sure every single guest used the Leave Home Safe app, which is another requirement of a Type D restaurant.

Why is Lam trying to pile the blame on the restaurant, and also Cathay Pacific?

How about getting your own people in line for not using the Leave Home Safe app in the first place, and not wearing masks when they were not eating or drinking?

Hong Kong now has 75 percent with one jab

In any event what's done is done and now the city must do its best to quickly clamp down on Omicron. The best way to do it is through vaccination and social-distancing. There was also talk of allowing those who are fully inoculated to use a vaccine passport and have privileges like dine in restaurants or go to cinemas. 

There's enough punishment for all of us, why not reward those who already got the jab and already lining up for boosters?

In order to nudge people, they need an incentive and a vaccine passport would be a good way to increase the number of inoculations in no time...

First Socially-Distanced Weekend

The skies have been hazy lately but the view wasn't too bad

This is the first weekend where the stricter social-distancing measures have kicked in, and it was sad to see children's play areas covered with plastic tape preventing kids from using them, and the new water area in Causeway Bay was shut down, where people would have rented paddle boats.

So it's not surprising Hongkongers took to the hills and did some hiking. This morning I headed out to the Morning Trail that goes up to the Peak, going via Sai Ying Pun and walking up to the start at Kotewall Road.

Kids are not allowed to play on the slides

As I started there seemed to be more people walking down than up, but soon I encountered many small groups of people -- mostly maskless! -- slowly making their way up. I kept my mask on most of the time, only to take it off briefly to drink some water or wipe my nose and mouth covered in sweat.

It was a nice day for a hike, not too hot but I was sweating enough to wear a T-shirt. And in 30 minutes I walked up to the playground area, with another 800 metres or so to reach the Peak Tower. After a quick bathroom break -- no line! -- I made a loop around the Peak, catching some of the stunning views before heading down the Morning Trail.

That's when I saw more people walking up, this time around 12.30pm. By the time I reached the beginning of Kotewall Road, there was a bus heading to Central and I managed to catch it before it left the terminus. 

Meanwhile Hong Kong recorded 33 new cases, six of which are import-related. 

The new paddle boat area is closed

There is now a second positive case related to the Witman Hung Wai-man birthday party. A 43-year-old woman who was not invited to the celebrations has tested positive, along with a confirmed case. The Centre for Health Protection's Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan is now concerned there are other partygoers who were not on the list but were at the event, who may be spreading Omicron in the community.

"There are hidden guests," Chuang said.

Then there is lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu who had a meltdown on his live stream video during his one day in quarantine, which was amusing but also elitist. He ranted that he was released and dropped off at Tsing Yi MTR station; if he had known he would have called his driver to pick him up. Maybe he forgot to pack his Octopus card along with his new clothes...

So much for Beijing's directive of having lawmakers being grassroots and attentive to the needs of local residents.

It is becoming clear that the government seems to think it's OK for people to eat lunch in restaurants because they have to work, but it's not OK for them to eat dinner because it's a leisure activity. The same goes for exercising in the gym and camping, but shopping is OK because it stimulates the economy...

HK's Largest Teachers' Union Votes to Disband

PTU president Fung speaks during the extraordinary meeting

After 47 years, the Professional Teachers' Union voted to disband yesterday because of pressure from the authorities, claiming the professional group was openly involved in political activism, supported the 2019 anti-government protests. Chinese state media described the PTU as a "malignant tumour" that had to be eradicated.

On Saturday the union held an extraordinary general meeting after a previous meeting to change the constitution so that fewer people would be needed to pass the motion to formally disband.

Around 140 members attended, and more than 130 voted in favour of dissolving the union. Previously the union would have needed two-thirds of the 95,000 members to agree.

Members voted overwhelmingly to disband PTU

With the overwhelming majority in favour, the members have authorized the PTU executive committee to initiate liquidation procedures. After paying off debts, and staff salaries, proceeds of the sales of assets would be distributed equally among the members according to the constitution, and the rest donated to charities.

The PTU owns several properties, including two ground-floor shops in Causeway Bay, and five units in a building in Mongkok. It recently struck a deal with two companies to sell two floors with a combined area of 14,000 sq ft in Mongkok for HK$175 million (US$22.5 million).

During the meeting some members voluntarily got up and thanked the union for its work over the decades, others suggested helping staff find other jobs.

PTU president Fung Wai-wah said after the meeting he felt "heavy-hearted" about the union's dissolution.

The union owns this building in Mongkok

"The decision is grudging but necessary. We have to be able to control our emotions and go through with the process of disbandment rationally," he said.

Fung also said tenders for the other properties for sale would be done in a transparent manner and would not "dispose of any assets under a diminished valuation".

In other words these would not be quick sales, as the union is acting in the best interests of its members. But will the authorities allow the PTU's property sales drag on?

Nevertheless, several members said they felt sad about the disbandment, with one secondary school teacher who voted in favour of the motion saying she hoped the move could "protect other frontline teachers and [PTU] staff members".

"I feel heartbroken. It feels as if Hong Kong no longer has any freedom of speech nowadays," she said. "I am not afraid of the national security investigations, as [we] did not do anything wrong."

She may think that way, but the National Security Department will find something... 

The New Normal on July 1

At noon the police shut down Victoria Park, occupying it

 

Today is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.

Well it's really July 23, 1921, but we like to keep things simple so it's July 1 from now on.

Officers check ID and film people's faces

And it's the first anniversary of the national security law implemented in Hong Kong!

To ensure there's no problems today, 10,000 police officers were out on the streets, particularly in Causeway Bay, setting up temporary tents as frisking stations taking up the places where grass roots organizations would have set up street booths to promote their causes.

Not only did the police check people's ID cards, but also asked them to remove their masks in order to video recorded their faces. This is the new reality along with Hong Kong without Apple Daily.

And to make sure no one gathered in nearby Victoria Park, the police shut it down, shooing everyone away, from young footballers to domestic helpers. This is the second time the force has closed the park down, since June 4. In other years people would have filled the pitches for the annual July 1 protest march, but it seems there will be no more peaceful demonstrations of any kind.

Grandma Wong carrying UK flag was arrested

Even Alexandra Wong Fung-yiu or "Grandma Wong" waving the British flag was surrounded by cops and arrested. 

One boy was chased down in a shopping mall by police and was terrified, the media pack following behind, reminiscent of the 2019 protests to ensure they documented everything. Thank goodness the boy was let go and led away by concerned bystanders.

What is Hong Kong turning into?

By the way Civil Service Secretary Patrick Nip Tak-yuen said it would be an "overstatement" that the city has turned into a police state, with John Lee Ka-chiu moving from the security portfolio to Chief Secretary, while police chief Chris Tang Ping-keung becomes the new Secretary for Security.

"It is an overstatement. We have a team of political appointees in different bureaus. we have clerical staff and officers in the disciplinary forces in the civil service. We have different backgrounds and experiences. So comments like this are basically incorrect," he said.

Wong says he's speaking out before going to jail

So how does he explain the 10,000 cops on the streets then?

Meanwhile the League of Social Democrats managed to setup a booth under a flyover in Causeway Bay, though the police were standing by. Raphael Wong told the media: "I can't say what will happen tomorrow, and I will be in jail next month... but as long as there is an available platform, the League of Social Democrats will continue to speak out."

Brave man.

Hong Kong has changed so much in the last two years and now everyday seems to be a "new normal"...

10K Officers on Patrol July 1

A previous July 1 flag-raising ceremony in Wan Chai

 

July 1 is going to be very quiet this year.

And the whole city is going to be crawling with blue uniforms.

The Hong Kong police have announced that 10,000 officers -- up from 7,000 earlier -- will be patrolling the street to ensure the city is secure and there are no signs of dissent.

Police may shut down Victoria Park like June 4

The force has even mulled shutting down Victoria Park, the usual site of where marches start from. 

"It depends on if there are online appeals for people to turn up at the Causeway Bay park to kick off the march despite the ban," a senior police source told one news outlet.

Speaking of marches, as expected the three groups that appealed to the police to re-consider their application for a protest march on July 1 was rejected.

Eddie Tse Sai-kit, a spokesperson for the League of Social Democrats, Tin Shui Wai Connection, and Save Lantau Alliance, was disappointed by the outcome.

"The government has not done well enough to contain Covid-19 and now it is making use of it as an excuse to suppress our civil rights," he said. 

The groups said they would urge people to wear black on July 1 to show their discontent with political oppression.

Some 10K officers will be working on July 1

Meanwhile another police source said the unprecedented number of officers was needed from daybreak to late at night, and would include road closures near the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for the flag-raising ceremony in the morning.

"We have to prepare for the worst regardless of whether any intelligence has been received."

John Lee Ka-chiu who will be acting Chief Executive, does not want any trouble on his watch that day. No expenses or man power spared.

Learning Cantopop 101

Each day of the year has a Cantopop milestone

 

I met up with a friend today for lunch and then afterwards we went to the fifth floor of Times Square in Causeway Bay where there is an exhibition called Cantopop 101.

Apparently there are three different shows tied to this, dividing Cantopop into different time periods from the 1980s to the 1990s, 1990s to the 2000s, and 2000s to 2010s.

On the exhibition boards made of particle board are clipboards, each with a piece of paper attached to it representing one day, so there are 365 of these sheets of paper, each hung by a clipboard. Each piece of paper meticulously charts what happened in the Hong Kong music scene on that day in different years.

Photos of Cantopop artist Joyce Cheng Yan-yee

It could be a particular singer was born, or a group was first formed, someone's first single was released, a concert was held, or someone died.

It's quite an impressive compilation of Cantopop trivia, but also I'm sure it evokes a lot of memories for people who grew up in these decades and listened to these artists.

There are a few Polaroid shots of artists today and they are signed. They aren't formal portraits, casual and fun.

In the middle of the room are some colourful stools. My friend told me that on specific days artists will come in and perform a "silent concert" where attendees wear headphones to listen. All the concerts have sold out already.

The curator of the show is Colin Mak, a DJ with 90.3FM. The exhibition includes a telephone booth-sized recording studio where attendees can record their feelings about the show and the best ones will be aired on his show.

The aforementioned compilation of the sheets of paper for every day of the year? They have also been made into a book, only 903 copies (the same number as the radio station 90.3), and they were sold out in minutes.

Cantopop memories in shape of tree

This shows how much people love Cantopop, how it has defined who they are, how much they want to preserve it, and worry about its future.

With the Communist Party recently bearing down on Hong Kong when it comes to movies and art, it won't be long before it impacts music, literature, plays, dance and operas.

There is also talk of encouraging more Mandarin to be used in Hong Kong... so what will happen to Cantopop?

A beautiful black and white graphic on the wall shows important musical milestones that start from 1931 and like rings on a tree, grow wider and wider, ending at around 2010. What will happen to this tree after 2021? Will it continue to grow or will it be chopped down soon?

Cantopop 101

Until July 1

Shop 5017-519, 5/F, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street

Causeway Bay

 

Agnes Chow Released from Prison

Former Demosisto Agnes Chow released from prison today

A bit of good news this morning -- Agnes Chow Ting was released from prison after serving almost seven months for her role in a 15-hours siege of the Wan Chai police headquarters on June 21, 2019 during the anti-government protests.

At around 10am the 24-year-old emerged from Tai Lam Centre for Women in Tuen Mun and was mobbed by almost 100 reporters while a small group of supporters shouted, "Chow Ting add oil!" before getting into a white van.

There was a media frenzy of about 100 reporters 

Reporters noted Chow was much thinner than before and she admitted so in her Instagram post a few hours later.

"The pain that lasted for six months and 20 days has come to an end. What comes next is some good rest and recovery for the body. That's because my body has become really weak and slim during this period of time," she said, adding her comment should be read with a bitter smile.

She was originally jailed last December for 10 months for illegal assembly over the siege of the Wan Chai police headquarters on June 21, 2019. Her early release was due to her good behaviour. She was initially sent to Lo Wu Correctional Institution, but was later transferred to an isolation cell at the Tai Lam facility.

Chow pleaded guilty to charges of incitement and taking part in an unauthorized assembly. Her colleagues, Joshua Wong Chi-fung, 24, and Ivan Lam Long-yin, 26, were also imprisoned over the gathering. 

Chow, Lam, Wong convicted of illegal assembly

The only one among the trio without a previous criminal record, Chow burst into tears in the dock on learning the community service order her lawyers were seeking had been rejected. She has been in custody since entering her guilty plea on November 23.

However Chow is not completely free -- she was also charged under the national security law for colluding with foreign forces on the same day Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying was arrested for colluding with foreign forces by calling for sanctions.

So far the police have granted Chow bail and not yet charged her, they still have her passport.

Meanwhile this evening part of the city was crawling with police, with the second anniversary of June 12, 2019, when protesters surrounded the Legislative Council in a bid to prevent the second reading of the now withdrawn extradition bill.  

Protesters at Wan Chai police station June 21, 2019

At least 2,000 officers were on the streets, at one point blocking the Cross Harbour Tunnel to check cars heading to Hong Kong island, and and some even entered two shopping malls, one in Mongkok, the other in Causeway Bay.

Anniversaries will not be forgotten but at the same time the police show up in force creating more tension... never ending...

 

The Fight to Remember June 4

Victoria Park was totally empty tonight

This morning, June 4, did not start off well.

Chow Hang-tung, vice-chairwoman of the Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China was arrested when she left her office to go to Radio Television Hong Kong for an interview. Plain clothes policemen took her away, accusing her of publicizing unlawful assembly.

There were reports that more arrests would happen throughout the day, but that thankfully did not come to fruition.

Chow of the alliance was arrested this morning

However, the police were taking no chances and by 2pm they had completely sealed off Victoria Park, where tens of thousands used to gather every June 4, and prohibited anyone from going in. Hong Kong may have recorded its first Covid-19 case in 42 days, but that wasn't enough of an argument to allow the candlelight vigil to take place; many of the organizers, like Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho Chun-yan are also in jail.

After work many people dressed in black tried to get closer to Victoria Park in Causeway Bay. Some gathered at the nearby Sogo department store, the area in front was swarming with police. There were threats of arresting people, and in the end six were taken away.

Perhaps these were idle threats? Or the police were overwhelmed by so many people determined to remember the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre one way or another. They were not content to just light a candle at home.

People left candles near Victoria Park

For 30 years the vigil was a community gathering; people put aside their differences and focused on this one day to remember the victims, to show they were not forgotten. People missed this communal spirit, a throwback to the 2019 protests too.

People were defiant, some shouting protest slogans, many holding battery-operated candles or real ones, or using the lights on their phones. They did not want the dead to think they were forgotten after 32 years.

Nevertheless, a friend who just happened to be caught up in the crowds said the atmosphere was tense, with garbage cans and pylons strewn around, and police everywhere. This friend felt nervous being in what felt like a tinderbox that could have exploded and managed to leave the area.

There were other impromptu gatherings in Mongkok, while people in Tsuen Wan tried to enter a church that was holding mass for the Tiananmen Square victims, but it was already full, so people gathered outside to watch the proceedings streamed online.

By 10pm at least six people aged 20-75 were arrested for allegedly inciting others to participate in an unauthorized assembly, ordinary assault, disorderly conduct in a public place, and obstruction of police, the force said. In addition, 12 people were fined for flouting the coronavirus-related ban on public gatherings of more than four people.

Some flowers left behind in Victoria Park

Is this how it's going to be from now on? Threats of arrest and people defiantly doing what they can to hold some kind of vigil?

In any event, it is the authorities who look shameful for not allowing people to gather outside and social distance in Victoria Park. It is hard for people to understand and accept that an event that was considered legal for three decades up to two years ago is suddenly not, and there are even threats of arrest and jail time if convicted.

It is too much. If those in power don't understand this, they will never understand Hong Kong people.

But this may be too late.

 

Last Dinner of 2020

The Red Pepper Restaurant closed its doors December 31

 

One of the South China Morning Post's most loyal advertising clients is The Red Pepper Restaurant which serves Sichuan cuisine in Causeway Bay.

Practically every day it had a small ad in the paper with a picture of its signature sizzling prawns in chilli sauce.

However a few days ago I found out it was closing on December 31 because of the pandemic and decided my last meal for 2020 would be from this restaurant.

What's left of the dining area of the restaurant

Many other places have closed this year and admittedly I only know of the more expensive ones, like Pierre, Cafe Gray Deluxe, Nectar, John Anthony, Brickhouse, Craftsteak, Olive, Old Bailey, Jimmy's Kitchen, and Boathouse in Stanley.

Some of the above spaces are being changed into new concepts, or have already changed, in a way signalling the evolution of Hong Kong's dining scene.

I also went to Kwun Tong to see Hop Hing Noodle's customers line up to get their last fill of braised beef brisket and noodles, and now The Red Pepper Restaurant that admittedly catered more to non-Chinese diners, but had pretty authentic Sichuan dishes.

While the owner owns the restaurant space, the social-distancing restrictions does not make it financially viable to keep the place open, hiring many staff and cooks even though they have been there for years. 

The sad thing is that the restaurant has been around since 1971, when there were only a handful of norther Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong and the owner's father decided to bet his money there was a market for spicy Chinese food.

Mapo tofu, sizzling prawns, pea shoots and rice

The outside facade of The Red Pepper Restaurant is so striking -- you can't miss it. It looks like a kitsch Chinese place, the facade complete with red columns, turquoise Chinese-tiled roof, and green tiled "windows".

Inside the orange table cloths were gone with chairs around them with no one sitting in them, but the Chinese lantern light fixtures are still hanging from the ornate ceiling.

We ordered a few things for our takeaway dinner since no dining in restaurants is allowed after 6pm: those best-selling prawns, along with ma po tofu, and stirfried pea shoots with garlic, and some rice.

Not long after the order was filled and we took the food back to our office nearby to eat. The prawns were huge, and admittedly would have been better on a hot platter, but they were still meaty and delicious.

The mapo tofu was as I remembered it -- silky tofu cubes in a chilli sauce that had a touch of Sichuan peppercorns for a mildly numbing sensation. That's what makes this dish so addictive. It goes perfectly with rice.

And to balance things out the pea shoots were delicious, punctuated by the finely diced garlic.

The restaurant's old school menu

Depending on the pandemic, the owner may reopen the restaurant in six months, but most of the time when they say the closure is temporary, it usually is permanent.

For example, Jimmy's Kitchen closed earlier in the year with the promise of opening by summer and it still hasn't happened.

However, the owner of The Red Pepper Restaurant hinted that perhaps he would only focus on online orders for takeaway, but unless that happens, that may have been the last time eating those crunchy prawns and smooth but spicy tofu. 

The other interesting famous trivia about this restaurant was that it was one of the places Bruce Lee shot a film he directed, starred and produced called Game of Death. A fight scene with NBA basketball player Kareem Abdul Jabbar was shot in there in 1972, but the film was never completed because Lee died the following year.

 

 

Opening Shop in a Pandemic

Cinnabon's pecan and caramel, chocolate, and peanut butter

 

Today I went to preview a shop opening in City Gate, Tung Chung for Seattle bakery brand Cinnabon. For those who studied in North America, they have warm fuzzy feelings for this product, the gooey frosting covering the cinnamon roll. It's so calorific, but so comforting.

This is the second shop -- the first one opened at Olympian City earlier this year in February just at the start of the pandemic, which was really good for sales because most people were working from home. I heard there were really long lines, but people were patient to get their Cinnabons, with the option of getting at least one fresh out of the oven.

For this second outlet there's a small area for people to sit down and eat, and there's even USB charging stations for people to have a decent coffee break or work a bit at the store. This time around there's some savoury items like panini cheese roll with ham, turkey and pickles, but honestly, people are there for the sweet cinnamon rolls.

Stephen Yang says finding shop space is hard

I asked the owner, Stephen Yang Tsuen-men when he was going to open on Hong Kong island. Olympic City is already a trek, and Tung Chung was even further, but it was a good way to capture the large residential community living there, the close proximity to the airport and those living in the outlying islands like Mui Wo.

Yang said landlords on Hong Kong island were still not lowering their rents. I was flabbergasted to hear this. He seemed to think they were still holding out which seems ridiculous in this climate considering the pandemic is going to be around for another year at least. 

I felt he should open a shop in Wan Chai or Causeway Bay, but he could not find a good space. He said for Causeway Bay there was Hysan (too far upstairs), and Times Square was dead (which is true). World Trade Center would have been good, Yang said, except The Excelsior hotel next door is gone, rendering the area very quiet.

Wan Chai would be good, but again where? So it wasn't that easy, and finding a cooperative landlord is hard too. He believes his product does best in a shopping mall where there is lots of pedestrian traffic.

Yang has to demonstrate to his Citygate landlord that Cinnabon attracted customers to the mall, and come Saturday when it officially opens, it should do the trick, though the location is a bit hard to find, as the mall has many nooks and crannies.

Who can resist trying a Cinnabon or two?

His other big challenge is getting the local market to try Cinnabons. If they have not studied overseas as a student (he says Canadians are the biggest Cinnabon fans here), then they don't know what cinnamon rolls are and assume it's very sweet. When I pointed out that at HK$38 it wasn't a big investment to try, he countered, but having a pineapple bun is much cheaper. While this is comparing apples to oranges, he is probably thinking the way they are.

A big part of his job besides hauling the raw materials of flour, sugar and cinnamon to the two outlets is educating potential customers about the product and the brand. He is enthusiastic and has the energy, but he's wondering if he's banging his head on a brick wall. 

Nevertheless, he hopes with more media exposure and influencers seen trying the product, that will inspire people to try it out. I told him perhaps it will take some time, but he seems anxious for it to take off.

He was also disappointed that the company is also offering "minibons", much smaller cinnabons that would have been perfect for birthday parties and corporate meetings, but large gatherings are not allowed now. 

Cinnabons just rolled up and ready to be baked

Nevertheless I reminded him that right now a lot of restaurants and shops are barely surviving the pandemic and he's opening a second shop. He's doing very well considering the circumstances.

Hopefully he will be able to open on Hong Kong island soon... many people there are customers who are willing to buy Cinnabons, but not trek across the harbour to get them...

Picture of the Day: Mid-Autumn Moon

Looking at the full moon from Tamar tonight in Admiralty

 

Yesterday many people were preoccupied with watching what was happening with the National Day protests in Causeway Bay that saw at least 86 people arrested by evening.

But did people get the chance to see the full moon?

With yesterday's chaos behind us, this evening people seemed relaxed and in a more festive mood. I walked home from Wan Chai and along the waterfront there were many people, out to see the moon.

A young family with very big rabbit lanterns!

At Tamar, people laid out blankets and had picnics. One man had a bottle of wine with cheese and fruit. All the groups were all socially distanced and relatively quiet. 

Along the waterfront many people from kids to adults carried lanterns as they walked around. 

The humidity and temperature has dropped considerably making it a nice walk. Hard to believe 10 months have already gone by and now we are into fall.