Remembering Those who Defended HK

Japanese troops take over Tsim Sha Tsui

Every year around this time when I wear a poppy, some Hongkongers ask me where I got the pretty flower, others suddenly remember that it's that day where you remember the war dead, other expats don't seem to care or notice. 

I wear it to remember the Canadian soldiers who died for us, and in particular, think of those who tried to defend Hong Kong from the Japanese during the Battle of Hong Kong from December 8-25, 1941. This year is the 80th anniversary, but there is nothing in the news to remind people.

Some locals remember having to wear poppies at school, but students today don't wear them.

Sai Wan War Cemetery above Chai Wan

Is this part of the government's efforts to quietly forget what happened 80 years ago? Is it because it was an embarrassing defeat? Soldiers from Britain, Canada and India rushed over to try to defend the then British colony, but were not well prepared, didn't have much knowledge of the terrain and were overpowered, leading to the surrender on Christmas Day, 1941.

Over 1,500 Indian and Canadian soldiers died in battle.

Then the rest were taken in as prisoners of war in camps in Hong Kong and Japan until the Japanese surrendered in 1945.

Attending the Remembrance Day ceremony at Sai Wan Military Cemetery in 2018 was a moving experience, seeing over 1,500 graves, many of them Canadian soldiers who died in a place they were not familiar with.

What happened 80 years ago is a part of Hong Kong's history whether Beijing accepts it or not. It must be remembered by generations to come. 

Meanwhile fast-forward eight decades later where the freedoms these soldiers defended have now given way to the national security law.

Statue of Canadian soldier in HK Park

Today a second person was handed a lengthy sentence, not for committing murder or causing injury to someone or destroying property. It was for chanting pro-independence slogans during the anti-government protests, violating the national security law on the grounds of inciting secession.

Former delivery food worker Adam Ma Chun-man, 31, was accused of promoting separatism on 20 occasions between August 15 and November 22 last year, using expressions such as "Hong Kong independence, the way out", "Hongkongers, build our country", and "Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times",  a signature rallying call of the anti-government protests two years ago.

Judge Stanley Chan Kwong-chi said he found the national security law violation serious enough to warrant at least five years behind bars, as the defendant repeatedly incited others to separate Hong Kong from China, and failed to display even "the least bit of remorse" -- something Ma himself acknowledged.

Originally the sentence was set for six years, but Chan knocked off three months, saying Ma saved the court's time by agreeing to most of the prosecution's case.

However when the sentence was read out, people in the gallery shouted the sentence was "too long", and "insane".

While the defence counsel asked for a more lenient sentence, Chan refused, saying Ma's actions could have provoked others to resort to radical ways.

"Who knows? Maybe some of those incited would become another Adam Ma," said Chan.

Ma sentenced to almost six years in jail today

In a letter to the court, Ma wrote he was inspired by jailed activist Edward Leung Tin-kei, and felt he bore a responsibility to achieve the latter's aspirations for independence.

"Today is the 311th day I have been in jail," he wrote in his letter, dated September 28, the first day of the trial. "I have denied the allegation, but my mind is exceptionally calm, even with a bit of joy.

"Your Lordship, I do not feel any shame, nor do I have the least bit of remorse for what I have done in the past. I also promise that I will not display the slightest bit of weakness in the fight for democracy and justice," he added.

Amnesty International deputy secretary general Kyle Ward called Thursday's ruling "outrageous", and urged the Hong Kong government to stop criminalising "mere acts of expression".

"This conviction and sentencing clearly shows that restrictions on the right to freedom of expression in Hong Kong are dangerously disproportionate," he said.

While the outside world may be outraged, this is only the beginning. There are some defendants who are determined to stick by their beliefs to the end, even if the courts do not agree with them.

And they will pay dearly as we have seen today.

For them this is their sacrifice...

Lam says Govt Shouldn't Give Cash for Jabs

Vaccines will expire soon if people don't get inoculated

 

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has no clue how to get more residents vaccinated.

It's gotten to the point where millions of vaccine vials will be dumped because they will expire soon and there are not enough willing to get the jab.

Tsang tells people to hurry and get the jab

Thomas Tsang, a former controller of the Centre for Health Protection warned Hongkongers they only had a "three-month window" before the vaccines would be out of date.

"The vaccines all have expiry dates," Tsang said on RTHK Radio. "They cannot be used after the expiry date and the community vaccination centres for BioNTech will, according to present plans, cease operating after September."

He added it was "just not right" that Hong Kong was sitting on an unused pile of doses while the rest of the world "is scrambling for vaccines".

On Twitter many were calling for the rest of the vaccines to be sent to Taiwan and India; a colleague had a brash idea of bringing Indians to Hong Kong to get the jab, but of course that would never happen.

In any event employers were wringing their hands in despair after a report that Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels is offering HK$2,000 for each employee who gets vaccinated, and another HK$2,000 for the 1,700-strong staff if at least 70 percent of them get jabbed.

Was there a sudden uptick in injections?

Lam thinks businesses should give jab incentives

But is it really up the responsibility of businesses to do the job of the government to urge people to get inoculated for the benefit of the entire community?

Apparently the city's leader thinks so.

This morning Lam dismissed the idea of paying cash handouts to residents to get the jab.

"To offer cash or something physical to encourage vaccination shouldn't be done by the government and may even cause the opposite effect," she said.

Lam felt it was better for employers and private organizations to dole out cash or gifts as incentives.

So here we are looking silly with so many vaccines on hand and not enough people willing to roll up their sleeves to do their part, or at least selfishly protect themselves from being serious affected by Covid-19, when people in other countries including Canada, Taiwan and India are desperate for the jab.

At this rate Hong Kong's economy will not improve significantly and more importantly the opportunity to travel is getting further away when people are not getting inoculated.

HSH that owns The Peninsula is giving out cash

It was announced that 40,000 mainlanders who hold two-way permits and 13,000 asylum seekers would be allowed to get the jab later in July. They might as well give them injections now since the vaccination centres have no lines these days...

Vaccine Hesitancy Drags HK Down

About 17 percent of Hongkongers have gotten at least one jab

 

It is shocking to discover less than 30 percent of full time staff at the Hospital Authority have gotten the vaccine for the coronavirus.

The authority's chairman, Henry Fan said on RTHK that around 24,000 staff members had been vaccinated, 70 percent of whom got the BioNTech jab. He said this was in spite of the authority offering half days off and shuttle buses to vaccination centres.

HA admitted less than one-third staff vaccinated

Tony Ko, the authority's chief executive, also said on the same program that while Hong Kong's case numbers are very low, he warned the vaccines had a limited shelf life.

"Of course we know some of the vaccines -- in particular in Hong Kong, the BioNTech -- they've got a limited time when the vaccines are more effective. So I think it is very important that both the public, and of course our colleagues as well, receive the vaccination as soon as possible."

According to government figures, only 17 percent of the city's population have at least one dose of the vaccine. 

One of my younger relatives received his second jab today and is so far feeling well. He managed to persuade his colleagues to get it, after they saw that he wasn't dead yet. Seriously? 

While his colleagues are half joking, getting vaccinated is not to be taken lightly.

Today Hong Kong recorded its first local infection with an unknown source in seven days, while Taiwan is seeing an outbreak of some 180 cases. Singapore's flareup threatens the upcoming travel bubble with Hong Kong set for May 26, while India's situation is out of control and absolutely tragic.

Getting the jab means avoiding tests, quarantine

Isn't that news enough to urge people to get vaccinated?

Unfortunately not.

The argument of getting at least 70 percent of the population immunized to create "herd immunity" is not of interest to them either -- they would rather be the 30 percent not getting the jab, except that they make up over 80 percent of the population.

Excuses abound with hardly any rational reasoning, that the vaccine was developed too quickly, some have serious side effects after getting their shots, or they weren't planning to travel anyway.

People younger than me claim they need to do a health check beforehand is overboard, and it doesn't help that some doctors aren't willing to give definitive advice to their patients to get the jab in case they have an adverse reaction to the jab.

Giving logical explanations doesn't move these vaccine skeptics either, that top infectious disease experts like Yuen Kwok-yung, David Hui Shu-cheong and Ben Cowling have taken the BioNTech jab and recommended it, or that the more people get the vaccine then more restrictions can be lifted, or that getting vaccinated allows them to travel again.

Even the prospect of travel doesn't sway people

The non-vaccinated group is completely unmoved. 

An acquaintance thinks it all boils down to selfishness, that while people were willing to don masks from the beginning of the pandemic, it wasn't to protect the rest of the community, but rather to protect themselves.

Even the argument that more vaccinations will help Hong Kong's economy get better isn't of any interest to them which is strange when people are obsessed about stock and property prices. An even stronger argument of being vaccinated avoids a longer period in the quarantine camp barely moves them to get the jab.

The only good thing is that the number of vaccinations can only go up, though at a much slower rate than we hoped.

Hong Kong Worries of Mutant Strain Spread

Health workers tested residents in this building in Jordan

 

The latest update on the coronavirus pandemic in Hong Kong is not good. Today the city logged 30 cases, 29 of which were imported, 22 of which were from India.

And reported today, shocking news of 47 passengers on a Vistara flight on April 4 from New Delhi to Hong Kong tested positive for the virus. Needless to say that airline, and from April 20 any flights from India, Pakistan and the Philippines are banned from coming into Hong Kong for 14 days.

A mutant strain of the virus may be spreading

There are concerns the supposed tests they took before boarding were either false negative, or completely fake. They were found to be positive while in hotel quarantine. Four other cases today were from Indonesia, and one each from Egypt, Canada and the Philippines.

One new local case was a 31-year-old woman who is friends with a man who was reported yesterday to be the first locally to carry the N501Y mutant strain of the virus. It was discovered she was positive while in government quarantine and was a close contact of the man.

The 29-year-old man is an engineer who works in Dubai, came back to the city on March 19 and finished his quarantine on April 8, during which he tested negative.

After he finished the three-week quarantine, he went to stay with his friend, the woman who is the latest local case. He also ate in a restaurant in the basement of Chungking Mansions, and visited two banks on Nathan Road. He also went to Cheung Chau and ate seafood there.

Chan says man may have been infected in Dubai

It was when he was getting ready to go back to Dubai, that he got tested for his trip and found he was positive.

"We need to know how he got infected," said Dr Sophia Chan Siu-chee, the Secretary for Food and Health. 

"We have already tightened our passenger flight suspension mechanism on April 14 because even though some countries have seen a decline in infections after starting their vaccination programs, overall, mutant strains are still spreading and that makes us nervous [about importing such cases]."

Chan said the authorities are not ruling out he may have been infected in Dubai and carried the strain in an unusually long incubation period. He may also have been infected while in the airport or in hotel quarantine.

One man recently got three jabs instead of two

There are fears the mutant strain may have spread into the general population, and so it is crucial to test all the staff in the quarantine hotel, the banks, the restaurants and in the building in Jordan he stayed in with his friend. So far residents of that building have tested negative.

And then there are some really dumb people. A 32-year-old man got his first dose of the BioNTech vaccine on March 12, then on March 28 went to a private clinic to get the Sinovac jab, then on April 11 gets his second BioNTech jab. 

Why did he do that?

Either he loves injections or is completely clueless that you don't mix vaccines. If he thinks he is covering all his bases he's got it all wrong...

Perhaps a case like this was bound to surface eventually? 

Unbelievable...

 

Hong Kong's Eroding Freedoms

New Zealand, Switzerland and Hong Kong are the top three

 

The Fraser Institute describes itself as an independent, non-partisan research and educational organization with its headquarters in Vancouver, Canada.

Every year it releases its Human Freedom Index, and surprisingly for 2020 Hong Kong is third on the list -- for the third year in a row; in 2017 it was second after Switzerland.

The HFI measures personal freedom, which includes freedom of movement, speech, assembly and religion, as well as economic freedom, as in the ability of individuals to make their own economic decisions without government or crony interference.

76 indicators used to rank 162 countries, regions

It uses 76 indicators of personal and economic freedom including, rule of law, movement, religion, expression and information, legal system, access to sound money, and freedom to trade internationally.

While Hong Kong does tick these boxes (for now), it is interesting the 2020 report still lists the Chinese city in third place despite last year's protests.

However, in the executive summary it notes:

The HFI also finds a strong relationship between human freedom and democracy. Hong Kong is an outlier in this regard. Although Hong Kong's ratings and rankings have decreased since 2008, the impact of the Chinese Communist Party's unprecedented interventions in the territory in 2019 and 2020 are not reflected in this year's report (which, as noted, is based on 2018 data). Those recent events will likely decrease Hong Kong's noticeably in the future.

The top 10 countries are: New Zealand, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Estonia, Germany, and Sweden.

National security law has infringed HK rights

China was ranked 129th, behind Taiwan (19), Kazakhstan (75), Rwanda (78), India (111) and Vietnam (121).

And in July this year, the Fraser Institute along with think tanks from 35 countries and territories around the world signed an open letter to the people of Hong Kong.

The letter summarizes Hong Kong economic rise, due to a high level of personal freedom that has seen its per capita GDP rise from US$2,000 in 1950 to US$40,000 in 2018, four times the world average.

However the letter ends by saying:

Most recently, China has ordered large scale arrests of dissidents and, on May 28, China's National People's Congress imposed a national security law which attacks Hong Kong's freedoms and Hong Kong's Basic Law (effectively, a freedom-protecting constitution), by bypassing Hong Kong's Legislative Council. While the Communist Party of China has yet to release details, the law is intended to allow mainland authorities to crush freedom in Hong Kong and extend absolute CPC rule.

Moderates are being silenced by the government

Pro-democracy demonstrators, young and old, Chinese and the many other groups that populate Hong Kong, are demonstrating to protect their freedoms and hopes for the future of their children and grandchildren. We stand with the people of Hong Kong as they attempt to protect their freedoms and rights and believe a strong global response is critical.

So we shall wait with curious anticipation what the 2021 report will say, taking into account data from 2019 and 2020...

Picture of the Day: Sunset on Buddha's Birthday

Took this sunset photo at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

Today is Buddha's birthday, and to celebrate there were no new coronavirus cases in Hong Kong for the fifth consecutive day.

Lots of people were out and about, practically everyone in masks, though it was a bit unnerving to see so many people gathered when I walked past Dr Sun Yat-Sen Park in Sai Ying Pun around 6pm.

A chartered flight from Pakistan carrying 319 Hong Kong residents who were stranded there for the past few months arrived this evening at 7pm and were tested for the coronavirus so we may see a few new cases tomorrow from these passengers as the epidemic controls there are less restrictive.

There are some 2,000 people in Pakistan who want to come back to Hong Kong, and 2,300 in India.

But so far in the past 11 days there have been no local cases.

A picture from Kennedy Town around 5.45pm

Walking by the waterfront is not only a great way to exercise, but doing it with a friend makes the time (and distance) go by much faster. We got to catch the stunning sunset today as we were at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai and then made our way back to Kennedy Town.

I clocked in 12km today, and this month have walked a lot, doing more exercise than I would normally do on the treadmill for sure. If and when the gyms reopen, will there be new protocols? Will they only allow half the capacity to be in at any one time? How will lockers and gym equipment be cleaned more regularly? It just seems strange to go back to being "gym rats" again.

However at the same time the weather is getting much warmer (29 degrees today) so exercising in air conditioning would be welcome too.

Lots to think about, but in the meantime enjoying the views outside.

A Year Marking Lots of Anniversaries

Students gathering to mourn reformer Hu Yaobang's death in 1989

 This year, 2019, is full of anniversaries for China, many of them are ones the government would like to avoid. That means spiriting away dissidents on "forced trips" and cleaning streets to get rid of homeless people, and those lovely security checks in subway stations will be stepped up even more.

The Dalai Lama fled to India 60 years ago

Coming up on March 10 is the 60th anniversary of the failed uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet. Since this month, the government has banned foreign visitors from traveling to Tibet so that they don't even have a chance to cause trouble during this "sensitive time"; they may be allowed back in from April 1.

March 17 is also the 60th anniversary of when the Dalai Lama fled Tibet for India. Will His Holiness come out to say something about what a travesty it is to be exiled from his homeland for six decades?

This year is the 100th anniversary of the May 4 Movement

Then April 15 will be another sensitive anniversary -- 30 years since the death of ousted reformer Hu Yaobang, that sparked students to gather at Tiananmen Square, and then we all know what happened less than two months later.

However, the government will be happy to mark the May 4 Movement -- the 100th anniversary. There will probably be pomp and circumstance to celebrate this event where students led the call for anti-imperialism because at the time China could not or did not stand up to foreign powers. It led to the surge of nationalism and to the founding of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921.

Sad remembrance: It is three decades since June 4, 1989

Hard to believe the June 4 anniversary is 30 years on... the candlelight vigil in Hong Kong's Victoria Park will probably be the same, but the significance is greater. The Chinese government doesn't even want to talk about what happened during the Cultural Revolution, so how can it even begin to touch the subject of 1989? The silence is deafening.

Ten years ago I was in Xian when the Urumqi riots broke out. Suddenly state media turned into overdrive, writing tons of articles of how the Han Chinese in Xinjiang were attacked, how horrible it was, and how those attackers should be punished severely. It was a very tense time. Given the current situation in Xinjiang, the Chinese government may use the anniversary as further justification for putting Uighurs into "education camps"...

Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the PRC 70 years ago

But to cap the year off will be the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1. There will definitely be a lot of fanfare (and cleaning the streets) for that celebration. The government will probably spare no expense to have a stunning fireworks display while enforcing lots of road blocks and security checks...

There won't be a dull moment in China this year!

Don't Visit Beijing in 2018

Fodors is advising people not to visit the Great Wall of China...

US travel guide Fodors has a list of warnings of where people should not go in 2018.

When it comes to China, don't go to the Great Wall. Fodors says the deterioration of swathes of the structure as the reason to stay away, and the same goes for the Forbidden City because of the horrible pollution levels in Beijing.

... or the Forbidden City because of Beijing's pollution

And unless you're a seasoned climber, don't risk your life (six people died there this year) or money (US$25,000 to US$45,000) going up Mount Everest.

Some of the other places the guide suggests not visiting are:

The Galapagos Islands because of the fragile ecosystem that is impacted by tourists;

The Taj Mahal's dome is being cleaned for the first time in 369 years and probably won't be ready until 2019;

Myanmar should be avoided because of its ethnic cleansing of the ethnic Rohingya;

Don't take unnecessary risks climbing up Mount Everest

And avoid Honduras as it's one of the most deadliest places on earth because of its murder rate.

There are places that don't want tourists -- they are Venice and Amsterdam where there is a backlash against visitors. Fodors suggests staying away from these cities too.

Video of the Day: Chinese Bagpiper

A bagpiper playing tunes to solicit donations for poppies

Yesterday when I was coming out of the MTR in Central, I could hear the distinct sounds of bagpipes being played. What was that about?

When I looked out the window of the station I could see -- two young Chinese men dressed in tartan from head to toe and wore poppies for Remembrance Day and were soliciting donations for the local veterans.

One bagpiper decided to take a break and talk to some gweilos, while the other gave his rendition of Teresa Teng's The Moon Represents My Heart.

I'd never heard it played on bagpipes before!

And as my friend YTSL points out, where else will you hear that, but in Hong Kong!

True that.

It was really nice to see these young people engaging with people, who asked to take pictures with them and they immediately obliged.

Actually it's sad that hardly any Hong Kong people wear poppies on November 11 -- do they not know that Canadian, British, and Indian troops tried to protect the city from the Japanese, but failed in the Battle of Hong Kong December 8-25, 1941?

The soldiers were ill prepared and over 3,000 died. The city surrendered to the Japanese, who then occupied Hong Kong until 1945.

Nowadays Hong Kong people -- Hong Kong and mainland Chinese know November 11 as Singles Day (11-11) -- the biggest online shopping event of the year thanks to Alibaba!

Silk Road: Gaochang Ruins

Well-preserved ruins still standing tall at Gaochang

Another deserted city is the Gaochang Ruins, about 30 kilometres southeast of Turpan located on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert.

A main storage building in Gaochang, 30km from Turpan

From the remaining architecture, the place looked pretty sophisticated with buttressed walls and arches, and had temples too. It was originally built as a garrison town in 100 BC and was a key point along the Silk Road because travelers could stop here for food and water.

By the 14th century, it was severely damaged from wars between Mongolians and Uyghurs, and as a result Gaochang was eventually abandoned. But some of the buildings still stand and look in pretty good condition, making one wonder what life was like back then.

Gaochang was also known as a sanctuary of culture. The Buddhist monk Xuanzhaung, came here on his way to India and taught Buddhism -- we were even shown the room where he gave his lessons. There were also residents who were Christian and Manicheans, a religion based on good and evil from Iran.

The temple where Xuanzhuang gave lectures on Buddhism

We got to not only see these ruins, but also some tombs down below. One or two had Chinese calligraphy or paintings that looked detailed, featuring portraits of people. It's quite amazing that these items are well preserved and that no one has stolen them yet.

Quote of the Day: Are You OK?

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun with Mitu, the company's politically correct mascot

Lei Jun is the charismatic CEO of Xiaomi, really cheap android smartphones that seem to want to be the Chinese version of an iPhone, others think not.

Nevertheless, one cannot criticize Lei for trying to innovate ways in developing the smartphone business. His company's philosophy is to listen to consumers and try to follow up on their complaints or suggestions, while tweaks are constantly added to the newest Xiaomi phones that are shipped once a week.

While some believe Xiaomi's phones are improving very quickly, others still dismiss Lei as a "counterfeit Steve Jobs", from introducing items like the MiPad, MiCloud, and MiTV, and trying to dress similarly to the Apple co-founder with jeans and dark shirts, and having presentations that look very similar.

Nonetheless, one can't fault Lei for having the guts to stand in front of an enthusiastic audience in India and speak in English when it's not his forte.

He was in New Delhi last Thursday to launch Xiaomi's first product for the international market, and he came on stage dressed in a blazer, shirt, jeans and runners.

"Hello, how are you?" Lei asked the Indian audience. "India Mi fans, I'm very happy to be in China," he said. Then quickly realizing his mistake he corrected himself and said, "to be in India."

The crowd laughed, but ultimately clapped and cheered him on.

Then he announced that everyone in the audience would get a free gift -- a Xiaomi smart wristband. Thinking he had to get them enthused, Lei said, "Are you OK? Are you OK?"

Mitu and his various incarnations with Xiaomi products

The audience was already excited by the prospect of free stuff, but Lei seemed unable to gage the response and said, "You like? You like?"

Or maybe he meant to say something else?

At this point one can't help but squirm in his seat listening to the bad English, but at the same time admire him for having the chutzpah to say it anyway.

The video of his short presentation was uploaded onto Youku on Monday and garnered 440,000 views within 24 hours.

While Alibaba's Jack Ma was an English teacher in his former life, Lei, like most nerds focused on computer science; the same goes for Lenovo's Yuan Yangqing, who learnt English as an adult after the company acquired IBM's PC business 10 years ago.

Lei has been upbeat about the attention over his English, taking it in stride.

"In China's education system, we actually studied English from middle school all the way through college," he told the Wall Street Journal. "My English test scores were all very good, but it turns out it was only very good in tests."

He later posted on Weibo: "I never imagined the video would go viral in China and the whole nation would be laughing." Some commented by jokingly asking, "Are you OK?"

Lei then updated his post. "Now there are more and more international Xiaomi fans. Indeed, I should learn English well and not let you down! Cheers!"

Now that's the spirit!

Blaming the Past

Chen Zuo'er blames a former Hong Kong Governor for the colony's fall

On Christmas Day, 1941, Hong Kong fell to the Japanese.

Technically the attack violated international law because the Japanese did not declare war on the British empire.

And then the Hong Kong garrison was made up of local troops, as well as those from Britain, Canada and India.

The Canadian soldiers were ill-equipped and unfamiliar with the lay of the land, but did the best they could in resisting the Japanese.

HK Governor Sir Mark Aitchison Young

In the end the allied forces were outnumbered (52,000 Japanese versus 14,000 allied) and then Hong Kong Governor Sir Mark Aitchison Young surrendered in person to the Japanese headquarters which was at the Peninsula Hotel at the time.

He was initially held in the hotel, and later became a prisoner of war in Stanley. He was subsequently transferred to POW camps in Shanghai, Taiwan, Japan and one near the Chinese-Mongolian border.

But now over 70 years later, Chen Zuo'er, a former deputy director of the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office says Aitchison was responsible for the fall of Hong Kong to the Japanese.

"The British army lost Kowloon and the New Territories in only 16 days. Governor Mark Aitchison Young hid on Hong Kong Island because he was afraid to die," Chen said.

How does Chen know what Aitchison Young was thinking at the time?

It's his petty way of getting back at the UK for trying to hold China accountable for its part of the bargain in the Sino-British Joint Declaration during the Umbrella Movement protests.

China says Britain has no rights over Hong Kong after 1997

Last month a group of British lawmakers were barred from entering Hong Kong on a fact-finding mission related to the joint declaration.

And so Chen twisted wartime history to hit back at the UK by saying, "How then could the British claim they have the right to monitor Hong Kong?"

He said that after Britain handed back Hong Kong to China, it has completed its historic mission, though the agreement retains its "important meaning and vitality".

However the allied forces were outnumbered four to one -- how could it even beat the Japanese? And in fact, the Japanese aggression enabled the Communists led by Mao Zedong to attack the Kuomintang.

So should Chen really be blaming Aitchison Young for this moment of history?

Perhaps he should read up on his history first before blaming others... Needlessly complaining about the past doesn't necessarily repair things in the future...

Review: The Hundred-Foot Journey

A feel-good story about family, food, love and cultural clashes

Last night YTSL and I saw the preview for The Hundred-Foot Journey, a romance produced by Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey. Once you see her name attached to a project, you know it's going to be a feel-good movie.

It's about the Kadam family who used to run a successful restaurant in India, with son Hassan possessing culinary talent in his younger years. However, the family faced persecution, resulting in the destruction of their restaurant and the death of his mother.

Papa Kadam battles things out with Madame Mallory (left)

The father, daughter, her husband and two children along with Hassan flee to Europe and chance upon a small town in France. They are befriended by a young woman named Marguerite who introduces them to delicious local food.

Papa Kadam decides the family will set up shop there, buying an old farm house to establish their restaurant, Maison Mumbai.

But it just so happens that it's right across the street -- 100 feet -- from Madame Mallory's one Michelin-starred restaurant -- and Marguerite works as the sous chef there.

Academy Award-winning Helen Mirren plays Madame Mallory, an arrogant, sophisticated and sharp businesswoman who is determined to get her second star, and this instantly creates a rivalry between the two restaurants that at times is hilarious.

A relationship blooms between Marguerite and Hassan

Om Puri, a seasoned Indian actor is Papa Kadam, and he is a great match of wits for Mirren, while, Manish Dayal is a handsome Hassan, who gives the impression of a passionate chef, and Charlotte Le Bon is the amiable Marguerite.

Overall the film is a fun, and at times the dialogue is hilarious. It stretches at 122 minutes -- which drags on at the end and is actually predictable.

But if you love food and watching it being made, The Hundred-Foot Journey's for you. Just be sure to eat beforehand!

Our Relationship with Water

Colorado River Delta #2 shows water from the ocean trying to reach the river

Just came back from the Asia Society where I watched a screening of Watermark by Toronto photographer Edward Burtynsky and Jennifer Baichwal. The duo had collaborated on Manufactured Landscapes where Burtynsky was the subject taking photographs of China and exploring where all our goods had come from.

The documentary received raved reviews, and thrust Burtynsky's name out into the global limelight. I'd never heard of him myself until that I watched that film and am glad it introduced me to his images that are terrifying and beautiful at the same time.

Xiaolangdi Dam #1, spewing out water from the Yellow River

His large-scale photographs show the immense scale of things, but also minute detail because his pictures are so sharp. For me his keen interest in what is happening in China and his amazing access to construction projects from dams to shipyards are fascinating, giving us viewers an insight into places we have never been to or never will go to.

In 2006 Burtynsky was working on a project on oil, how we extract it, what we use it for, how it impacts our environment. Then he happened to be in Australia when the droughts were happening and the photographers he was with at the time were photojournalists covering the impact of the droughts on farmers.

He explained that once water disappeared from their land or access to water was gone, that was the end of their livelihood on the land. The land couldn't be sold either and some farmers committed suicide. Seeing these things happen made Burtynsky think about water and our relationship to it.

Then two years later National Geographic contacted him, asking if he was interested in photographing on the subject of water in California. He did a year of research and then 10 months on and off of taking pictures there.

He showed the images of Baichwal and they thought they could be the basis of their next film.

Xiluodu Dam #1 that is six times larger than the Hoover

It starts with the mighty Yellow River in China, roaring as it comes down, the water coming out in clumps looking like the outstretched forelegs of a lion. And then this image is immediately contrasted with a parched barren riverbed in Mexico.

Watermark examines our relationship with water, as Burtynsky says, how we use it, abuse it, how we relate to it spiritually or for entertainment. They did a lot of research to figure out the best way to tell vignettes about water, but also avoiding cliched images and trying to find those that viewers would have little or no opportunity to see.

Thus we visit the construction of the Xiluodu, the biggest arched dam in the world that is six times larger than the Hoover. We also go to Greenland and talk to scientists about why they study the ice thousands of metres deep. And we see the horrific environmental effects of tanneries in Bangladesh, and 30 million people descending on the Ganges River in the hopes that their sins will be washed away.

Pivot Irrigation #11, in High Plains, Texas Panhandle

We also visit an abalone farm off the coast of Fujian province, and the pristine watersheds in British Columbia and learn about the lives of the people there, and how bizarre area in California, where everyone has a waterfront property.

To get the scale, the filmmakers used helicopters, cessnas, and more importantly remote helicopters, basically drones to photograph and film many sequences and the effects add not only to the poetic nature of the film, but also make us realize how small we are.

Burtynsky explains that 70 percent of the world's water is used for agriculture and 70 percent of that is used to grow the food for the animals we eat. Other statistics he had was that Canada has 32 percent of the world's fresh water, while China only has 8 percent. The mainland used to have 50,000 rivers, but now only 25,000, and many of them you can't even dip your hand in them, they're so contaminated.

Rice Terraces #2 in Western Yunnan province

He and Baichwal hope Watermark will get people to think about water the next time they drink some, turn on the tap, have a shower, jump into a swimming pool. We have to be careful with this precious resource.

I plan to see his exhibition at Sundaram Tagore Gallery soon, and have a chance to see Burtynsky's arresting images up close.

Edward Burtynsky: Water
Until June 21, 2014
Sundaram Tagore Gallery

57-59 Hollywood Road
Central

sundaramtagore.com