HKU May Remove Tiananmen Sculpture

The Pillar of Shame stands at Haking Wong Podium at HKU

The University of Hong Kong is reportedly planning to remove the Pillar of Shame, the sculpture that commemorates those who died on June 4, 1989 in Beijing.

Danish artist Jens Galschiot created the 8-metre-tall sculpture, which reminds people of the horrific event which must never recur. The sculpture features 50 torn and twisted bodies that symbolize the degradation,  devaluation and lack of respect of the individual. 

Artist Galschiot created four of these sculptures

There are four Pillar of Shame sculptures, the others are in Italy, Mexico and Brazil.

In 1997, the Pillar of Shame was gifted to the Alliance in Support for Democratic Patriotic Movements of China, which is now disbanded, and most recently its assets frozen by the national security police department.

The alliance and its core members are also charged with inciting subversion.  

It was the HKU students who fought with university leadership to have the statue on campus, and it was subsequently displayed in other universities including Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

So perhaps it's not surprising university management may be taking advantage of the alliance's disbandment and legal issues to possibly remove the sculpture, though it claims it has reviewed risk management measures and facility usage on campus from time to time, but refused to comment on this possible move.

The sculpture is a reminder of June 4, 1989

"The University... will not respond to speculative reports," its spokesman said.

If the sculpture is removed, it will be another win for Beijing to scrub away another memory of June 4 from Hong Kong.

De-Sinicizing the Coronavirus

Xi Jinping and the Party want you to raise doubts of the coronavirus' origins

The Chinese Communist Party is busy at work -- not just fighting the coronavirus, but also spinning the story of where the virus came from.

Chinese embassies around the world have been instructed to say that "while the virus severely hit Wuhan, where it really originally came from is unknown. We are conducting new studies to locate the virus' true origin".

Chinese diplomats are calling COVID-19 the "Italian virus"

But some people will continue to insist on calling it the Wuhan coronavirus, even though China persuaded the WHO to name is COVID-19 in order to de-sinicize the virus.

The embassies are instructed to "raise doubts", suggesting the virus originated from somewhere else and not China, and that the diplomats should start calling it the "Japanese virus" or "Italian virus" or "Iranian virus".

The CCP is trying to make the claim that the virus that was first reported in China actually came from abroad to cover up the fact that the government delayed reporting the virus and the magnitude of the crisis until weeks later.

Case in point: the late Dr Li Wenliang reported this virulent unknown virus to his circle of colleagues on WeChat on December 30, and apparently Xi Jinping knew about the coronavirus spreading on January 7, but nothing was done about it until January 23 when Wuhan went under lockdown.

Dr Li Wenliang knew about the virus Dec 30

However, the CCP is spinning the lockdown as being successful, and that the rest of the world should "say thank you to China" for its reaction to the virus. The government is probably smirking behind its mask seeing the United States, Iran, Italy and South Korean unable to effectively contain the virus.

However, China should also keep in mind it needs the US and the rest of the world healthy to keep its economy going, so if the US is down, China's chances of restarting its economy on all cylinders is very slim...

Not News We were Hoping For

Professor Yuen says the coronavirus may not go away until the end of the year

If you thought the coronavirus would disappear in a few months, you will be horrified to find out one of Hong Kong's leading microbiologists says the epidemic will not end this year. We're only in the beginning of March.

To date Italy has over 7,300 cases, and 366 deaths

University of Hong Kong Professor Yuen Kwok-yung says COVID-19 has spread all over the world, making it very difficult to contain. And while the numbers of new cases seem to be slowing down in China, the epicenter of the virus, there are concerns about it being imported from other countries like Italy, South Korea, Iran.

While the virus may slow down in the summer, it could have a resurgence in the winter.

He believes the epidemic will not end until a cheap antiviral or vaccine is available, or the majority of the population had contracted the virus and developed a natural immunity.

Iran has over 6,500 confirmed cases, 237 deaths

Currently anyone flying into Hong Kong from Iran, the city of Daegu and surrounding North Gyeongsang province in South Korea, and three regions in Italy will have to undergo and mandatory 14-day quarantine.

The government is mulling over extending quarantine measures to people traveling from France and Germany.

Hong Kong now has 115 confirmed cases and two deaths.

And Yuen is also strongly suggesting people not to travel outside of Hong Kong until the end of the year. "When the epidemic is serious, avoid traveling to other places unless necessary," he says.

Time to stock up on more masks, toilet paper and sanitizer?

Yuen believes it is too early to tell if China will have the coronavirus under control by April as experts there have been predicting.

Does this mean we'll see more panic buying in the city for masks, rice, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and so on to last until December?

You have been warned...

Stuck in Hong Kong, Nowhere to Go

A tourist takes a picture inside the empty Duomo cathedral in Milan

With the coronavirus spreading to more than 77 countries, there are fewer and fewer places us here in Hong Kong can travel to without having to under go 14 days of quarantine.

Since Friday, Hong Kong has 106 cases, Singapore 130, and Macau has 10 -- and no new cases for the past month which is impressive. But the ferries that go to Macau at Shun Tak Centre in Sheung Wan are still docked and idle.

Hong Kong Airport is eerily empty most of the time

From Monday, Hongkongers' favourite destination, Japan will impose a two-week quarantine on travelers from China and South Korea, while Hongkongers will not be able to get visas. Those who can still travel to Japan can only arrive at either Narita or Kansai airports.

There is also a concern that passenger flights between Hong Kong and Japan could soon be cancelled, which means people's cravings for Japanese food products -- from milk to radish to sashimi -- could be disrupted, as many food products are flown in daily thanks to passenger flights.

Looks like not only Japanese restaurants, but also others that use Japanese ingredients will be affected... there could possibly be no more Hokkaido scallops or sea urchin, or the famed tuna to fermented beans called natto that my colleagues enjoy eating...

From Monday Japan imposes more travel restrictions

Meanwhile if you are traveling to Thailand, then you have to check in with the authorities daily about your health authorities. The same goes for South Korea... but why would you go there now with over 6,000 cases?

The Philippines, Israel, Taiwan, and Bahrain have either banned travelers from Hong Kong or imposed a 14-day quarantine. No point in going to these places either.

You could go to Europe, but Italy would not be a wise choice (3,858 cases), nor Germany (534 cases) and France is about to call it a serious health crisis (423 cases).

And then if you were going somewhere, aren't you worried about possibly catching something on the flight?

Homemade dumplings seasoned with balsamic vinegar!

Best just to stay put for now... and continue to flex those culinary skills in the kitchen!

A colleague I haven't seen in a month came back this week and she practically stayed home the whole time, cooking three meals a day. "I have to say my cooking improved!" she observed, nor did she mind working from home.

One good thing from this is people eating healthier now that many are cooking at home. Wonder if they will continue to do so after the coronavirus eventually goes away...

 

Picture of the Day: Oversupply of Toilet Paper

Is that enough toilet paper for you? If not there's more behind this stack

A few weeks ago everyone was laughing at Hongkongers for blindly believing in a rumour on social media there would be no more toilet paper left and scrambled to buy every last bog roll in the city.

Then it was Singapore's turn to go panic buying, and now Japan, and Italy.

Shelves of toilet paper were cleared out in Japan

Here's a picture of the shelves in a Japanese supermarket yesterday.

Thankfully things are pretty much back to normal now in Hong Kong. Tonight I wandered into a large supermarket in my neighbourhood and was pretty overwhelming to see the stacks of toilet paper. There was even more in another aisle.

Guess Hong Kong is the trendsetter when it comes to panic buying?

Coronavirus Epidemic Surges Globally

Putting on a decorative mask for carnival and a mask to prevent coronavirus

The number of coronavirus cases around the world is accelerating, making people wonder if we are entering a pandemic.

It was shocking to hear of cases in Iran -- it was discovered on February 22 when a Canadian woman flew back to British Columbia who had flu-like symptoms and was later tested positive. And now Iran has at least 45 cases and 12 deaths.

Iranian women wearing masks and gloves for protection

Reports say patient zero was a merchant from Qom who regularly traveled to China, but because of the travel restrictions he flew around to different countries before getting to China and back. Patient zero has since died.

Most of the cases in Iran seem to be centered in Qom, with some unsubstantiated reports saying as many as 50 people have died there. The sudden spike in cases has raised panic in the country, where there is a lot of mistrust of the government.

Fear is also in Italy, where over 219 confirmed cases were recorded in northern Italy, in Lombardy and Veneto, near Venice. The authorities have shut down museums, schools, fairs, markets, and even cancelled the last day of the carnival in Venice.

South Korea has also seen a surge in cases too, of over 800, half of which are from the Shincheongji Church of Jesus, where apparently worshippers are not allowed to wear masks or glasses, and they must attend service even if they are sick, and after service must break out in groups for Bible study or go out and proselytize. Huh.

Tourists wear masks as they visit St Mark's Square in Venice

Several hundred confirmed cases and seven deaths in South Korea has prompted the Hong Kong government to issue a Red Outbound Travel Alert to the country. Starting from midnight tonight local authorities will not allow anyone to come into the city except for returning Hong Kong residents.

Any Hongkongers who have been in Daegu and North Gyeongsang province in the past 14 days will be subject to a 14-day quarantine in Fo Tan in the New Territories.

Seems strange the Hong Kong authorities would raise this travel alert for South Korea, but not for China which has the vast majority of the cases at over 77,000 and over 2,500 deaths...

Speaking of China, someone might have been sacked after an announcement was made lifting measures for people who are not Wuhan citizens with no symptoms to leave the city.

The Shincheongji Church of Jesus has been shut down

But four hours later the announcement was retracted, saying it has not been studied and approved by leaders, in other words Beijing.

China's internal communications are in disarray, and one wonders if the messenger overlooked telling the central government about this message before pressing the "send" button...

There are so many missteps happening -- many due to caught completely unprepared for the coronavirus possibly landing in their country to not advising residents the best way to protect themselves.

We are hardly out of the woods yet in this coronavirus epidemic...

Hong Kong Government Further Infuriates Citizens

Carrie Lam and her administration file in for this afternoon's press conference

Hongkongers are fed up with their government. Today's press conference infuriated the people even more.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor had a late afternoon press conference flanked by several ministers, including Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah.

WHO chief declares coronavirus a global health emergency

But Lam had nothing to say about closing all border points between Hong Kong and the mainland, and instead replied the government was following World Health Organization recommendations. Meanwhile we all know the WHO was under a lot of pressure from China not to declare the Wuhan coronavirus a global health emergency, but since the mystery virus has spread to 18 countries, it technically fits the bill.

However what was even more infuriating was the government's lack of compassion for Hongkongers desperately trying to buy masks, and the Lam administration had absolutely no plans in place to resolve the situation quickly and in an orderly manner.

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Yau just replied that the government was talking to various stakeholders and some companies wanted to donate supplies to hospitals and charities... that's all good and well, but what about the rest of us? When can the government secure an ongoing supply of masks at decent prices for us to afford?

Lam seemed to hint that since school and universities would be shut now until March 2 that fewer people would be needing masks. This is absolutely ludicrous. So everyone's going to stay at home... and do what? If she thinks kids are going to stay home and study all day she's got to be from Mars.

Hongkongers continue their desperate search for masks

Meanwhile today was one of my colleague's last day at work and she had planned to travel to Rome with her mother before starting her new job. But this evening, the Italian authorities announced they were canceling all flights from China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taipei to Italy (basically Rome and Milan), effective immediately.

People who were supposed to get on a Cathay Pacific flight after midnight tonight, I'm sorry to say their flight is cancelled. Talk about last-minute cancellation.

Despite Italy desperate for business from mostly mainland Chinese tourists, the government has decided to be safe than sorry in protecting its citizens potentially exposed to the Wuhan coronavirus. That said, there may be some mainlanders already there, but now stranded in Italy... how are they getting home now that the Chinese New Year holiday is over?

It's upsetting that Hong Kong is being lumped in with China, but not surprising at the same time. Are other countries going to follow suit? So far Russia has closed its border with China, and Singapore will refuse to admit any Chinese nationals into the Lion City.

Meanwhile our spineless leader is adamant about keeping most of the border points open between Hong Kong and China. Was she instructed to do this, or she assumes this is what Beijing wants her to do?

Some 15,000 healthcare workers are threatening to strike

So many professional groups are clamouring for Lam to shut the border, and tens of thousands of medical staff are threatening to strike if this demand is not met. These doctors and nurses feel the healthcare system in Hong Kong is stretched as it is, and keeping the border open is inviting an outbreak too happen here.

Lam's response? She said she was dismayed to hear these frontline medical workers want to strike, but that it was the patients who suffered the most, as well as the city of Hong Kong, and that they should think clearly about what they are doing.

Again no empathy nor interest in trying to help the medical sector tackle the Wuhan coronavirus as effectively as possible.

We may have a strike any day now and everyone will know why patients are suffering -- because our government has lost its integrity

So basically don't get sick in the next few days and stay at home. There aren't any places to go to anyway since the public swimming pools, libraries, concert halls are shut. That'll save you from having to wear a few masks...                                                                                                                            

Dresden: Semperoper, the Famed Opera House

Approaching Semperoper, the opera house designed by Gottfried Semper

Dresden is a two-hour train ride from Berlin and even though it's south of Berlin it's colder here at 6 degrees (Berlin was 11 degrees)!

We even had rain greet us at the train station which was worrying. But in the late afternoon the rains cleared to blue skies (though very chilly).

The historic centre is very photogenic -- everywhere you look there are beautiful old buildings, many of them restored after World War II. However they also seem to need a good cleaning too, as the roofs of the buildings with beautiful decoration from stone carvings and bronze domes are black as soot. But it's understandable there are many other things on the priority list to fix than clean some buildings.

Inside the decor is completely faux to create an illusion

Some landmark buildings or areas are being refurbished, and so while the place is photogenic, there are construction gates everywhere that make some angles unsightly. Guess you can't have everything.

Nevertheless, today we got to tour the Semperoper, the opera house -- actually the second one, that was named after the architect, Gottfried Semper who was a professor of architecture in Dresden.

He designed the first opera house that was built in 1841, which had a round facade and was said to have the best acoustics and the most beautiful opera house in Europe.

However, much like the recent Notre Dame fire, some renovations of the opera house led to a fire that razed it to the ground in 1869 and the residents clamoured to have Semper redesign another opera house on the same site.

An "ad" for Shakespeare's Hamlet above one doorway

While he did draw up the plans, it was his son Manfred, also an architect, who built the second opera house, described to be Neo-Renaissance in style.

During our tour we were told the first opera house was only for aristocrats -- no ordinary folk were allowed in.

But by the time the second one was being built, the industrial revolution was well underway and created a wealthy middle class who were keen on higher pursuits, like the opera.

Apparently the aristocrats were mortified of the thought of having to share the opera house with the riff raff and pleaded with Semper to do something. His solution? Have the nouveau riche crammed up on the top floor -- but standing room only -- for three hours, while the aristocrats sat in boxes with partitions complete with snacks and drinks.

The bust of composer Richard Strauss

Also during that time it's interesting to note that these aristocrats had not traveled to Italy before and so the opera house was their first impression of quasi Italian opulence. The upstairs foyer -- only for the aristocrats -- appear luxurious but in fact are completely faux.

The marble columns and marble-like walls were carefully painted to give the impression of using rich building materials. Apparently to create the green marble columns, it took 200 to 250 hours of work just to complete one.

The opera house also inspired a nationalistic drive to write operas in their own German language, thus Richard Strauss was one of the composers whose operas premiered here.

Our guide also explained how the opera house had one of the first "advertisements" in the foyer. They were kind of like today's movie posters of the 19th century. For example there's a scene of Hamlet with the name of the play and the name "Shakespeare" below just to give the audience a hint of what's to come.

A look at the seating complete with the royal box

When we finally got the opportunity to go into the seating area, we were impressed by the lavishness of the decor, especially the royal boxes and the several floors of boxes around the massive room. We were also told interesting trivia that the stage and backstage was 3.5 times the audience seating area.

The stage is such that it can move 360 degrees, and it can fold up vertically. It can also be divided into rows and squares that move independently of each other.

When we were there, the steel fire door on stage prevented us from seeing the setting for Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss, though while we sat there, the fire door was lifted up to reveal a beautiful setting of a sitting room area and technicians were testing out the lights.

The stage is set for Der Rosenkavalier by Strauss

Our guide also talked about intermission intervals and how 20 minutes is so stressful because you are either in line for the bathroom or for drinks and by the time you have your champagne in hand, it's time to go back to your seat. He said back in Semper's time intermission was 50 minutes long, and added the Met is currently experimenting with 45-minute intermissions. Maybe this will be the new standard for arts performances the world over?

Review: Walking on Water

Installation artist Christo "walking on water" on Lake Iseo in Italy in 2016

The 43rd Hong Kong International Film Festival is already underway and I bought tickets to watch seven documentaries.

Hundreds of thousands of people visited the project

The first one was this evening, Walking on Water, a 2018 documentary about the installation artist Christo and his project in 2016 to create 3km of floating pontoons covered in yellow fabric. It was a project he and his wife and collaborator Jeanne-Claude had created back in 1970 and tried to get permission to do this several times and were denied each time.

In the 50 years they were together, they were able to create 24 works, many dozens more denied permission. But Jeanne-Claude died in 2009 after complications of a brain aneurysm and Christo didn't do much afterwards, which is where the documentary starts, watching him finish off his sketches of Walking on Water.



It turns out he has permission to make his project a reality at Lake Iseo, in northern Italy near Switzerland. He's 85 now, and the viewers can see how passionate he is about his work, how he is determined that things must be done his way, and it is his will that keeps him active and alive. There aren't many people in their 80s who are as mentally and physically active as he is, constantly talking to people from school children to officials about his work and traveling everywhere on a tight schedule in all weather conditions.

The walkway is made of plastic cubes screwed together

He tells New York students that an artist never stops doing art; it is not like a job you switch off, but something you do everyday, all the time. It's probably too deep for them to understand, but do they even know who Christo is?

He is grateful to the local Italian authorities for allowing him to do Walking on Water, where he promises the people will literally be able to walk on water for three kilometres, and then we watch a team of people get to work.

They build pontoons made of 220,000 dense polyethylene white cubes that are screwed together tightly, and when they are put out into the water, they do as Christo had hoped, undulate with the waves like fabric and he is so excited.

Out on the dock is an army of women with sewing machines, madly sewing the 100,000 square metres of yellow fabric together and they are placed in giant white bags and helicoptered to various spots.

Overview of the 3km walkway with another in the far right

But then lightning strikes in the evening and there are fierce arguments about how they are going to get this all done in time. Christo also gets into verbal fights with his assistant Vladimir Yavachev, but in the end he supports the artist in getting the work done by being the liaison with all the other people they have to deal with. It's a huge logistical operation. It's amazing Christo did this before without computers and smartphones.

In the end Walking on Water is realized on time but now there's another challenge -- hordes of people are descending on the place and the pontoons can't handle 50,000 people in one day when they were expecting 45,000 people for two weeks.

The local government wants to cash in on the event as much as possible without regard to safety, which is Christo's main concern and things come to a head.

There is also the uncomfortable scene of Yavachev trying to sell Christo's sketches of Walking on Water because they fund the installation projects, but the prices go up each day by tens of thousands of US dollars, frustrating one Italian buyer.

Throughout the film I wondered what he was thinking... was he thinking about Jeanne-Claude and what she would say about the project? There was no asking Christo about this. Instead the camera follows him constantly, the footage dizzying at times and captures whatever unfolds.

Nevertheless the project looks stunning and something the public enjoys and interacts with the work just as Christo had hoped.

However, Walking on Water the documentary would have benefited more with some reflection from Christo or maybe the filmmakers didn't want to interfere. He doesn't seem to care the camera is there, he is wrapped up in his work.

Christo does not stop either -- the last scene has him in Egypt watching camels walking in the desert and he is plotting his next project...

Walking on Water (2018)
105 minutes
Directed by Andrey Paounov

Dolce & Gabbana Ruin a Model's Career

Model Zuo Ye attempting to eat pizza with chopsticks in a D&G commercial

Back in November, Dolce & Gabbana released a strange commercial where a Chinese model wearing a red dress from the Italian fashion house, is seen struggling to eat pizza, cannoli and spaghetti with a pair of chopsticks.

The Italian fashion design duo were accused of racism and cultural insensitivity for the commercials, which were timed just before they were about to put on their fashion show in Shanghai. It also didn't help that co-founder Stefano Gabbana got into a row on a private Instagram message when he apparently described China as a "country of s***". The screen capped conversation was published it online, compounding the already bad situation.

Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce giving an apology

As a result the fashion show was cancelled at the last minute when Chinese models and stars pulled out, and the two designers were shown in a video giving a sober apology for the PR crisis they had created.

Meanwhile the poor model involved in the commercial was attacked online by fellow Chinese, who accused her of "making money by insulting your own country" and "vilifying the image of the Chinese".

Two months after the incident, Zuo Ye finally spoke out, explaining she had not given enough thought to the content of the video and felt "very guilty and ashamed" about it.

"Personally I would never show any disrespect to my motherland. I love my country and feel proud to be able to represent China on the catwalk," wrote Zuo on her Weibo account. "I will draw a lesson from this and show the Chinese in a better light. Again, I apologize to my fellow countryman."

Zuo says she didn't have much say over the content of the ad

But how is this her fault? The recent graduate of South China Agricultural University wouldn't have known ahead of time what she was expected to do in the commercial and how it would impact her career, that she says is now almost completely ruined.

Zuo is a young model hoping to break out with this commercial, but she was unwittingly swept up in the racist ad. She said she was only told she was going to shoot a "fun video" involving Italian cuisine and the email briefing didn't give much more information.

During the three-hour shoot in a Chinese restaurant in Milan, everyone on set spoke Italian except the director, who instructed Zuo in English to show surprise, bewilderment and appreciation of the food, even though she felt awkward.

She said she questioned the use of chopsticks in the video, but was just told to follow instructions.

"I couldn't do it in the first try [picking up the cannoli with the chopsticks] and I asked, 'Are you kidding me? With chopsticks?' The director said, 'Yes! I know it's hard. Just try to do that'."

After two months' silence, Zuo apologized

"I felt awkward when using chopsticks for food that was larger than the normal size. I seldom laugh in my daily life but the shooting required a lot of extravagant acting and I felt very uncomfortable too," Zuo wrote.

She said as an ordinary model she was not allowed to give feedback on the commercial's content nor was she able to watch the final product.

However, many people online still weren't happy with her apology. "I still think your explanation was useless and your video disgusting. You can only blame yourself for having no distinguishing capability. No point whitewashing your wrongdoing," one internet user wrote.

Other sympathized with her, saying, "Blame a model? Why not blame the chopsticks while we're at it."

Zuo obviously wants to put this terrible incident behind her so she can move on in her career, but being dogged by those who cannot empathize with her situation doesn't help at all. At least she was brave enough to explain her side of the story, though it will take time for the fiasco to go away.

Man's Disturbing Effect on the Planet

Striking images of elephant tusks being burned show destruction by man

Another documentary I saw on the plane was Anthropocene by Nicholas De Pencier, Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky. Baichwal and Burtynsky have also worked on Manufactured Landscapes and Watermark, and Anthropocene is the third of the trilogy about how man is changing the natural landscape.

Manufactured Landscapes was about China being the world's factory, watching hundreds of thousands of workers doing the most mundane tasks to make products for us in the West to use.



Their next project Watermark was about how water levels are dropping around the world due to overuse or pollution, and how dire it is for farmers not having enough water to produce crops and how they have to dig deeper to get water.

And finally Anthropocene refers to our current geological age where human activity is affecting the climate and environment.

Carrara marble being extracted from a quarry in Italy

The documentary takes viewers around to 20 countries on six continents to see the devastating effects humans are having on the planet. For example tone scene shows Carrara marble being cut out of the quarry and one of the workers jokes the success of Carrara is thanks to Michelangelo, who demanded to only use this kind of marble for his masterpieces.

Then there's a shot in a workshop where several artisans make copies of Michelangelo's sculptures -- using the same marble he used hundreds of years ago. I also think of the luxury apartments in Manhattan that feature Carrara marble in their bathrooms.

The film goes to a bleak town in Russia called Norilsk that is considered the most polluted in the country. The main industry is smelting to extract minerals in high heat. Three Russian women are interviewed and one says how the town is dreary, but you get used to it and see the beauty in the stone. They laugh.

Another scene shows an unscripted moment of two workers having lunch and talking about how the filmmakers are recording everything they are saying.

Scavengers, animals and humans, hunt around a landfill

In Germany there is a giant machine that weighs 12,000 tons and scrapes out an entire hillside of dirt. The man running the machine is proud of this piece of technology and not really thinking about the effect it has on the environment.

Then in Nigeria there's a massive landfill with men, women and children literally ripping up garbage bags and scrounging for anything that can be recycled. They dig through the dirty trash with their bare hands and carry what they've found in baskets on their heads. Meanwhile birds hang around them, looking for bits of food to feed on.

Meanwhile in Kenya, a black woman activist talks about trying to stop the ivory trade. She feels guilty for not being able to save elephants' lives, but at least she has stopped people from making a living from killing the animals to get their tusks.

There are scenes of men carrying the tusks one by one and creating giant pyres that are later set alight to show the world that the ivory trade will be stamped out.

However go to Hong Kong, and a master carver prides himself on making intricate masterpieces on these tusks. he has a team of people using various tools to create a sea of people, flowers, trees, dragons and landscapes all on one tusk.

Baichwal, De Pencier and Burtynsky are the film's directors

He boasts the prices can range from several hundred to millions of dollars. But because the authorities are cracking down on the ivory trade, the man speaking Cantonese says he has found another better source -- that is not yet illegal -- mammoth ivory tusks. He won't be idle any time soon.

There's also shots of old growth forests in British Columbia being cut down and the narrator says there are less than 20 percent of the forests left in the world. It's shocking statistics like these that are disturbing and hopefully jolt people into realizing how much we have lost.

Nevertheless, some people in the documentary are indifferent because what they are doing is their livelihood, while others are very worried about the impact these actions have on the environment but are too small to stop them.

The images shot particularly from drones are beautiful and shocking at the same time -- this tension that Burtynsky is very well known for. A bulldozer pushes salt along a path and the camera pulls back to see how big the salt field is, that seems to go on forever.

Anthropocene first premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year and hopefully more people will see this documentary, and see what we collectively as humans are doing to the planet we live on.

Dolce & Gabbana Strike Out

Chinese model in D&G dress struggles to eat pizza and pasta with chopsticks

The Italian fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana was supposed to hold its star-studded fashion show tonight in Shanghai, but it was cancelled following racist remarks by one of its co-founders, Stefano Gabbana.

He apparently had an online conversation with an Instagram user named "diet prada", where Gabbana described China as "a country of s***."

Stefano Gabbana's thoughts on China...

The texted conversation on Gabbana's Instagram account was in response to complaints about the fashion label's latest campaign "DG Loves China", where a Chinese model in a red D&G dress is seen struggling with chopsticks, trying to eat Italian foods like pizza, spaghetti and a cannoli, or cylindrical pastry filled with cream.

In the cannoli video, a male voice can be heard asking the model, "Is it too big for you?"

Others complain about how cliched the ad looked, with Chinese lanterns and couplets that were deemed "outdated and stereotypical".

As for Gabbana's outburst on social media, he claimed his account was hacked, and his legal office is working on the security breach.

Meanwhile reaction was swift in China -- when word got round about the spat, a number of celebrities who were invited to the show, including movie star Chen Kun and actress Dilireba, who was named D&G's brand ambassador in February said she would not attend, while fellow actress Zhang Ziyi said the brand was "inviting humiliation".

Indeed.

Domenico Dolce (left) and Stefano Gabbana (right)

Even a number of models who were booked for the show refused to turn up before the event was cancelled. Modeling agency Dongfang Binli said all of its 24 models had pulled out of the show and put a "Not Me" tag on their online profile photos in protest.

Supermodel Jin Dachuan said he would not take part in any show or any event staged by the brand in the future.

The brand has incensed Hongkongers in the past. In January 2012, at a Dolce & Gabbana's store in Harbour City on Canton Road, a security guard reportedly told locals that only mainlanders and foreigners were allowed to take pictures in the store. He apparently threatened to smash a local resident's camera if they continued to take photographs.

Remember these protests at Harbour City in 2012?

A series of protests at the store ensured until Dolce & Gabbana eventually apologized days later, though it wasn't enough to assuage people's anger.

The Italian design duo seems to love to court controversy, and some believe the latest ad campaign and subsequent online spat were deliberately done to stir up reaction -- but at the risk of being shunned?

It's a huge gamble, and perhaps this time the Chinese will protest the brand with their wallets and shop elsewhere.

Surely this is not a risk worth taking?

Having just visited Italy, it's obvious the government is taking tourism very seriously by having security personnel at major landmarks, while fashion brands are very keen on serving Chinese customers.

But it seems that Dolce & Gabbana really don't care about the consequences of fanning the flames of Chinese nationalist anger. 

Maybe the massive drop in sales will persuade them to keep their mouths shut?

Rome: Castel Sant'Angelo

Tourists walk along the bridge to Castel Sant'Angelo

One last place we visited before leaving Rome was Castel Sant'Angelo, or the Castle of the Holy Angel. It has a very interesting history and also construction, that at one point in time was the tallest building in the city.

This was originally Emperor Hadrian's mausoleum

We got there in the late morning and didn't have to wait too long to buy tickets. From then onwards visitors follow the arrows to cover most of the building.

Originally it was commissioned by Emperor Hadrian to be a mausoleum for himself and his family, which is the cylindrical part of the complex. It was built between 134-139AD.

His ashes, stored in an urn, were placed there in 138AD, along with his wife and first adopted son, as well as other emperors who succeeded him. It is believed the urns were placed in now what is known as the Treasury Room.

Then in 401, the building was converted into a fortress, with walls added around it, as well as a moat. There are some interesting defensive architectural details, such as trap doors and such for protection against invaders.

Popes turned it into a castle for their own use

There is a legend that the Archangel Michael appeared at the top of the mausoleum, sheathing his sword that was interpreted as a sign the plague was over in 590, which gave the castle its present name.

And so at the top of the tower is a large bronze statue of the Archangel Michael, looking as if he's about to sheath his sword. He has the best view of Rome, and a fantastic view of the Vatican.

This is important because in the 14th century, popes took over the structure and converted it into a castle. For example, Pope Nicholas III connected the castle to St Peter's Basilica by a covered corridor called the Passetto di Borgo.

Paul III built a rich apartment in the castle, and visitors can see his living quarters. While his bedroom may look modest, the room next door he entertained in was very lavish. It was completely covered in murals with gold leaf, while the Papal insignia was created out of marble in the floor.

St Peter's Basilica can be seen clearly from the roof

The Papal state also used Sant'Angelo as a prison, and executions were done in a small inner courtyard. For those who love opera, the castle is the setting for the third act of Giacomo Puccini's Tosca -- the eponymous heroine leaps to her death from the castle's ramparts.

We went through the castle almost room by room, up and down stairs, and saw lots of empty rooms, but also others with examples of swords and canons, as well as armour. Visitors are finally rewarded with a view from the roof, and it's a stunning panoramic view of the city.

The Archangel Michael unsheathing his sword

It was a tiring over three-hour tour of the place, but it was well rewarded with blue skies and dramatic clouds. Very memorable!