Picture of the Day: Star Ferry

 

Love this view from the Star Ferry terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui!

After watching Minari my friend YTSL and I had dinner -- Korean! And then I walked to the Star Ferry.

I just missed the ferry, but managed record it sailing off to Central. The sky was so clear, the colours so vibrant on Hong Kong island.

 

This is one of the things I love so much about the city.

Film Review: Minari

Minari is about a Korean family making a new life in the US

 

When was the last time I saw a film? 

I saw a short documentary back in mid-November, but the last time I saw a film was probably about a year ago.

The 45th Hong Kong International Film Festival kicked off yesterday but not without controversy. 

Where the Wind Blows was pulled last minute

The opening film was supposed to be Where the Wind Blows and was pulled at the last minute by the film's owner for "technical reasons", a euphemism in China for censorship.

Starring Aaron Kwok Fu-shing and Leung Chiu-wai, Where the Wind Blows is about two resourceful detectives who forge dangerous alliances with organized crime in 1960s Hong Kong. 

As it is a joint production between a Hong Kong and Chinese companies, the film may not have received the proper approval on the mainland, or perhaps the subject matter was too sensitive with the portrayal of the police.

In any event, I watched Minari, the Golden Globe winner for foreign film (because the film is half in Korean and half in English) this afternoon at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre's Grand Theatre. 

Alan Kim plays David in Minari

Every person who entered the Cultural Centre building had to either scan the QR code on the LeaveHomeSafe app or leave their contact details at the door, and everyone had to wear a mask, no consuming drinks or food inside.

Then inside the theatre, several seats were blocked off here and there where people could not sit. 

Minari is about a young Korean immigrant family that moves from California to Arkansas, the father Jacob played by Steven Yeun, is determined to make something of himself. 

He buys a plot of land with a trailer home with the intention of growing Korean vegetables, but his wife Monica (Han Ye-ri) is hardly impressed, and tensions flare up between the two.

Then there is the sub plot of the adorable son David (Alan Kim) and older sister Anne (Noel Kate Cho) who desperately want their parents to stop arguing.

Youn is a very famous actress in Korea

When their maternal grandmother (Youn Yuh-jung) comes to visit, there's some comic relief, but also three generations of cultural differences are revealed that make the film endearing.

Director Lee Isaac Chung wrote Minari based on his own parents coming to the United States to make a new life for themselves.

In an interview with Time magazine, Chung says: "When my dad was in junior high, all these American films started to be introduced into Korea for the first time. My dad started to watch westerns at dollar cinemas in Seoul and felt like America was a miraculous place. 

"His family had lost a lot of land during the Korean War and the Japanese occupation. That affected him a lot as a kid. He always felt like he needed to come to the US and get land. It's an old Hollywood pioneer story he was working on."

Chung with his daughter during Golden Globes

For many immigrant children the story in Minari resonates deeply, the heated arguments about sacrifice and money, how to raise Asian children in the west, and feelings of isolation. 

The film has been nominated for six Academy Awards this year and hopes are high it will win big following the momentum of Parasite!

Art on the Go

Just a small section of the long rectangular mural of tiles by Ik-Joong Kang

At the San Francisco International Airport departures area, I spotted this massive mural near the SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) store.

On closer inspection it's a series of tiles, each made differently, some painted, some having a three-dimensional look with collages or items glued on top of squares. Some had words, some had bold lines, others looked like scenes.

They are the work of Korean-American artist Ik-Joong Kang (born 1960) and it is titled Gateway (2000). There are 5,265 3-inch by 3-inch tiles where Kang used various media, like paint, wood carving, cast acrylic.

A detail of a few tiles, none of them look alike

According to the explanation, Kang began working on these tiles when he was a student and commuted long distances to get to various part-time jobs. These 3-inch tiles were small enough for him to carry in his backpack and paint on the subway.

This explanation speaks volumes about his dedication, persistence and creativity in doing this project. An exercise like that forces Kang to think about art all the time, what is he doing now, and what can or should he be doing next.

The size restriction also forces him to focus what he wants to put on this precious space, what is worth putting on a 3-inch square -- it better be good. At the same time he's playful with the tiles. One has a green statue of Mary sticking out, another has a string of silver beads hanging from it, yet another has two mini scissors split open like butterflies.

The eclectic nature of these tiles makes for endless viewing -- if you have time... there's so much to see in each small square! It's pretty amazing and definitely a good use of time while commuting! Hope that inspires others to find ways to pass the time more constructively...

Picture of the Day: Childlike Fun

Eddie Kang's Big City Life elicits smiles from visitors

The Asia Society Hong Kong always has some outdoor sculptures for visitors to admire. They are usually on the serious or contemplative side.

This one however caught my eye and made my day. It's a whimsical collection of five cartoon heads, each with different faces on them. You can't help but smile at the playfulness of the expressions and colours.

And that's the intention of Korean artist Eddie Kang with Big City Life 2017.

In the description it says Kang, like other city dwellers, is overwhelmed by the density and tension in the urban environment, and so he seeks comfort in cartoons. He wants to remind us of the joy and simplicity we experienced as a child.

Enjoy!

A Stock to Watch

Shoppers could buy everything from junk food to staples at this chain store

For many Hongkongers 759 Store is a shop they like to browse in, especially for snacks from Japan, though it has grown to include ones from Europe and the United States. It also carries noodles, rice, sauces, and even frozen seafood.

I've written about 759 Store before, and the shop got its name from the parent company's stock number on the stock exchange.

However, it was shocking to find out yesterday that the founder and owner, Coils Lam Wai-chun, died unexpectedly on Saturday at the age of 60. It was disclosed he had diabetes for a long time.

Coils Lam died on Saturday at the age of 60

Instead of the parent company's stock falling, it more than doubled in value today. On Friday it closed at HK46.5 cents and then today went as high as HK$1.04 before closing at HK89 cents. That's because investors think positive change is on the way.

"The passing away of the founding chairman is sad news. However, it also give hope to investors that it may have the way for a major restructuring, or even merger and acquisition opportunities. This has led buyers to rush to bet on the stock on Monday," explained Jeffrey Chan Lap-tak, founding partner of Oriental Patron Financial Group.

"The 759 Store in fact is very popular and has a leading market position among snack retailers. Its [financial] results were not good in recent years, mainly due to an over expansion of the number of stores a few years ago. But the reduction of stores in the past two years has already helped the company get back on track. It may well be a target of acquisition," he said.

Like many small and medium-sized enterprises, they were dependent on their founders, like Lam in the case of 759 Store. Lam and his wife Law Ching-yee own 70.89 percent of CEC International, the parent company.

The future of 759 Store looks positive in terms of stock value

"Now the founder has died. We will need to wait and see if the new management can lead the business forwards," Chan said.

On Sunday the board held an urgent meeting and decided executive director Tang Fung-kwan, 48, will become the new chairwoman of the company. She joined the group in 1993 and was appointed executive director in 1999. She is responsible for the overall management of the procurement part of the business.

Lam founded 759 Store in 2010, competing with supermarkets by offering Japanese and Korean snacks, like cookies and chips before expanding to rice, coffee, and even wine.

It'll be interesting to see how the company fares post-Lam -- will it succeed or fall apart? The company will need to make some wise decisions, but so far cutting down the number of stores from 270 to 220 is a good start. Maybe the chain will be bought out, or maybe with the injected investment they can do other things.

Definitely a stock to watch!

Baseball Caps for How Much?

K-pop group EXO was in Hong Kong for the opening of MLB store

Last Friday afternoon two areas of the Times Square shopping mall in Causeway Bay were filled with screaming teenage girls. The main atrium and downstairs in the basement were clogged with raging hormones, as these school-aged girls were super excited to see their favourite K-pop or Korean pop group EXO.

I profess to know nothing about K-pop except that Hong Kong people love Korean food, dramas, pop music, clothing, learning the language and visiting the country...

Fans of the group covered every inch of the mall for a look

EXO was in Hong Kong for the opening of MLB -- a Korean sports wear brand promoting Major League Baseball merchandise, and the band members' faces (Chanyeol, Sehun and Kai) were all over ads wearing baseball hats and shirts. The first day of sales must have been astronomical as there was a very long line to get into the store.

Aside from the lure of K-pop stars to a shop opening, it's really strange to see baseball promoted in Hong Kong as it's not a sport that is popular at all here -- football (soccer) and basketball are the ones guys are into. Women might be into baseball if EXO are fans...

However, MLB is really keen on establishing its presence in Hong Kong, with not one, but three stores, including a large one on the ground floor of a new building on Queen's Road Central that houses mostly art galleries.

Really bling-ed out baseball caps... interested?

After dinner in Times Square, my friend and I checked out the MLB store, but there were hardly any customers. There were lots of baseball caps for teams like the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers to name a few.

These ones pictured right in particular caught our eye -- they were so bling-ed out we had to laugh. The baseball caps not only had the New York Yankees initials, but also intricate embroidered dragon designs on both sides that were obviously catered to the China market.

There was even a hot pink dragon version for the female baseball fan.

The price? HK$619 (US$78.87). Would you buy a baseball cap for that much?

We didn't think so...

Picture of the Day: Golfer Tiffany Chan

Hong Kong's Tiffany Chan will make her debut on the LPGA Tour

We are so thrilled to hear the news that Tiffany Chan Tsz-ching is the first Hong Kong golfer to qualify for the LPGA tour.

On Sunday she finished second to Nasa Hataoka of Japan at the qualifying tournament at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida.

"I don't know if I'm still dreaming," the 24-year-old Chan said on Monday.

"It's actually my mum's birthday today. She's not here, but I'm going to give this to her for her present. My parents don't really know golf, but they just encourage me and I can't wait to talk to them. Being the first one on the LPGA is really big for Hong Kong golf," she said.

"I know there are a lot of junior golfers that want to go to college and turn pro and I think me being the first will help," she added. "I definitely want to inspire the youth in Hong Kong and this was a major step."

Chan represented Hong Kong in the 2016 Rio Olympics and finished only one shot behind Hataoka at 11-under par. The top 20 players earned their cards on the LPGA Tour.

The Hongkonger seems to handle pressure well and takes everything in stride.

We're just excited that Hong Kong now has a name to watch in golf, other than Korean and Japanese female golfers. Best of luck to Tiffany! Go get 'em!

Restaurant Flogging its Michelin Past

A Michelin-recommended restaurant is on this street in Tsim Sha Tsui!

Yesterday a friend visiting from Beijing sent me a message on WeChat about where we should meet for dinner.

It was a Korean restaurant on a small street in Tsim Sha Tsui, both of which I had never heard of.

Thanks to Google Maps I was able to locate the place, and while I waited for my friend who was running late, I did some people watching. The restaurant is in a building full of restaurants on Hau Fook Street and there were many small local shops, such as old school stationary stores, small boutiques, a hip crafts store.

Finally my friend arrived with two others in tow -- including the local guy who suggested we eat here.

It turns out the Korean restaurant was mentioned in the 2013 and 2014 Michelin guide -- how did the inspectors even know about this place in an obscure street in Tsim Sha Tsui?

Here's how the guide described this restaurant:

Steam rather than smoke is more likely to fill the air at this bright, contemporary Korean restaurant because hotpot is the popular dish here, with the seafood hotpot being a particular highlight. Other attractively presented dishes include grilled yellow corvine, kimchee and pork pancake, and the noodles are good too. The restaurant is housed within a new building, standing in juxtaposition to its more traditional surroundings.

But when we arrived, the staff were sitting at the tables waiting for customers to show up, and even when we arrived, they gave us the impression we were going to be a burden for them.

When we asked for recommendations to choose between two dishes, the waitress (who gave the impression she didn't want to be there) looked sullen and just picked one or the two to just settle the matter than giving an enthusiastic or honest answer.

She must also be annoyed when people speak Chinese to her, because she would immediately say I speak English, not Chinese.

How could this place be mentioned in the Michelin guide?! Not only was the attitude lacklustre, but the service itself wasn't very good. And authentic Korean? Ban chan, or the small dishes didn't include kim chi, and there was even potato salad smothered in mayonnaise!

Admittedly I didn't take any pictures, maybe because I was so taken aback by how this place was run. And by the way copies of Michelin guides were placed haphazardly around the room just in case you'd want to flick through...

We ordered a kind of seafood salad that came on a massive platter covered in a red (but luckily not too spicy) sauce, while the other was a giant hotpot filled with sausages. Sausages?

These were the supermarket kind, sliced on an angle, and there were even those small weiners with fake cheese sauce injected into them! Again I could not help thinking, this is a Michelin-recommended restaurant?

Aside from the overdose of sausages in the hotpot, there were a lot of rice cakes in there too, as well as lots of cabbage, onions and mushrooms. The broth wasn't too spicy and made less so when more broth was added.

In the end we couldn't finish everything. Our dessert? Nestle vanilla ice cream in individual plastic containers. How classy is that?

I don't know how much the bill was, but it must have been quite reasonable, four of us sharing two main dishes, and only drinking tea and water.

Maybe the restaurant was good in 2013 and 2014, but what we ate and experienced last night was hardly Michelin worthy...

Fact of the Day: Eating Too Much Red Meat

Too much red meat isn't too good for you, increasing the risk of cancer

Did you know that you might be eating too much red meat everyday?

A relatively small survey of 1,013 Hong Kong people found 26 percent of them were eating twice the amount of red meat recommended at over 160 grams per day.

The survey conducted by the Anti-Cancer Society found during hotpot, barbecue or Korean grill meals, the average consumption of red meat was 270.1g, while for processed meat it was 103.2g.

Hotpots and Korean grills entice people to eat too much meat

Dr Rico Liu King-yin, chairman of the cancer education subcommittee of the Anti-Cancer Society says no more than 510g of red meat per week was recommended, which comes to a daily limit of 73g or the size of two mahjong tiles.

In that case I am over the daily limit a lot!

"Studies suggest the risk of colorectal cancer could increase by 17 percent for each 100g portion of red meat eaten daily," Liu said.

Last year, the World Health Organization classified the consumption of red meat as probably carcinogenic to humans, while processed meat was carcinogenic to humans.

The local study also found that respondents were aware of the increased cancer risk of eating too much red meat.

"I think this is in part due to a lot of people in Hong Kong having a habit of going out for meals, in which they cannot control the portion of food served," he said.

The daily amount of meat should be 73g or two mahjong tiles

Uh huh. Especially hot pot and Korean barbecue restaurants, where large platters of meat are on the menu.

However, Liu said healthy eating could lower the risk of cancer by 30 to 40 percent, and that red meat should not be avoided entirely because it is rich in nutrients.

So keep that in mind folks -- you should only eat two mahjong tiles' worth of meat per day...

Getting Hitched to Reality of Marriage

The documentary looks at what happens to couples after they get married...

When people get married, do they really know what they are getting themselves into? Do they know what challenges they will face and how they will deal with them? With 50 percent of marriages ending in divorce, why do people still tie the knot?

Those are the kinds of questions New York-based documentary filmmaker Doug Block asks in his film 112 Weddings.

I had read about the documentary in a newspaper article almost a year ago and was curious to actually see it. And on the flight back to Hong Kong I had that opportunity.

Documentary filmmaker Doug Block

Block is an award-winning documentary filmmaker (The Kids Grow Up, 51 Birch Street, The Heck with Hollywood!), who funds his passion by being a wedding videographer.

He started doing it over 20 years ago and in that period has shot 112 weddings. He narrates the documentary by saying, "I found it unexpectedly thrilling to be a wedding videographer. We're always struggling to gain access to our subjects, and here I was being granted a front-row position as an ordinary couple experience perhaps the most extraordinary day in their lives (and being paid well for it, no less!).

When his 25th wedding anniversary came around, it prompted Block to go and find the same couples again to see how marriage had affected them, if it was what they thought it would be, and how they fared.

He tried to track down some of his favourite couples; a few may have moved away and he lost contact with him, while others had divorced and didn't want to talk on camera.

In the film each interview starts with footage from the wedding, and then the couple is interviewed. Even though they are trying to present the best side of themselves, their body language and the words they choose are more telling.

Wedding #71, Block says, Jenn and Augie's was one of the most joyful he had ever witnessed. After eight years, they were still in love with each other with one child, but financially things were tight and admitted they were fighting more than when they had gotten married.

Augie said that after a fight one would want space, but in reality they are in this together because of the child and so they have to work hard to make things work. "My wife and I agree 95 percent of the time. But that 5 percent, we're just at each other's throats."

Olivia and Dennis were Wedding #49, with Olivia wearing a kind of pearl-encrusted crown that made her look like a medieval princess walking down the aisle. After they got married, the couple moved to Tulum, Mexico for her to be a massage therapist, and him a scuba diving instructor.

When their daughter Lily was born, they moved back to New York, but when she turned three, Lily was diagnosed with a brain tumour which threw their lives into turmoil.

The two parents completely focused on their child, with the constant fear of losing her at anytime, which put their lives into perspective as well. They needed each other to help Lily get better, and as they are interviewed, Block pans up above the casual white shirted-couple on the couch to reveal an elaborate gold-framed portrait of their daughter, who looks sad.

Dennis says, "There is no real book on how to take care of a child who maybe taken from you at any moment, and dealing with that fear. You're thrown into a living nightmare that never ends."

However, Block reports on his website that Lily is now 10 and her parents say is "kicking ass".

Tom and Yoonhee looking back on their wedding day

There was one mixed-race couple in the documentary, Yoonhee and Tom, Wedding #43. They met on a plane and Tom wouldn't give up pursuing her, even though she was supposed to finish her masters degree in music, and her father back in Korea had already arranged a teaching job for her there.

But she fell in love with Tom and decided to give up her career for him, much to the chagrin of her father, who at first refused to come to the wedding, but did come in the end. Yoonhee and Tom now have two children.

Block asks them if he thinks it was fate for them to meet on the plane. While Tom immediately dismisses the possibility, Yeehoon, who seems very bubbly and optimistic, looks out into space and says, "Life can be funny. Life can be very funny because, I mean, why did it happen, you know?"

Alexander and Janice just after finishing their own vows

Another loving couple was Janice and Alexander, Wedding #111. Both their parents were very displeased to find out the couple did not want to have a "wedding", as it involved ownership, right of lineage, and possession, values they did not believe in; instead they had a three-day "partnership ceremony", and Block shows a scene of them right afterwards, so excited, and Alexander saying, "We did it! We did it!"

Thirteen years later they still seem happily together, with two daughters, and the older one keenly aware that though they are her parents, they are not legally married.

When Block contacted them, though, Janice and Alexander decided it was time to really get married, and was lucky enough to record their very small ceremony in their living room, which was just as emotional, if not more, with their children as witnesses.

The documentary managed to dissect a few marriages that had gone sour. Janet and David, (Wedding #83) had beautiful wedding, but seemed strange for the groom to reveal how many meds he was taking -- was this to calm his nerves or was he always like this?

After seven years and a child later, the marriage was over, and David, with disheveled hair, sitting in a small apartment is honest about what happened. He was a struggling screenwriter and didn't get too far, while it seemed Janet wanted her husband to grow up and take responsibility of looking after the family.

Block wasn't able to get Janet's side of the story, but David is not malicious at all, taking complete blame for the end of the marriage and admires her for being with him throughout that time.

However the same could not be said of Sue and Steve, Wedding #1. When Block contacted Sue about doing the documentary, she said she had just filed for divorce the day before. She had recently found out her husband had been cheating on her and had another woman, which was a complete shock to her.

The filmmaker was able to get Steve's side of the story, where he says the marriage became lifeless, particularly when three children were in the picture, and things were very routine.

In the end there is a scene with Sue looking back at her wedding photos. She says she can look at them because it's a different person in the picture.

One sad couple was Danielle and Adam, Wedding #90. Block remembers Danielle as a radiant bride, but when he met them again five years later, she was severely depressed, something she had before, but the sadness was magnified after taking hormone pills to get pregnant.

With the two of them together, she looked despondent and very pessimistic, saying how she could not contribute as much as she wanted to the family because she was tired all the time.

But her husband was so stoic and even said on camera: "I personally feel like you're completely worth waiting for, for this to fix itself one day. And even if that's never, I still think that I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else, you know?"

Wedding #112: Heather and Sam after their ceremony

To add more depth to 112 Weddings, Block also interviewed a lesbian couple who were also wedding photographers. Anna and Erica have been together for four years and are keen to get married, to be recognized legally as a couple.

And then as a counterpoint to the previous weddings, Block follows Heather and Sam, Wedding #112, and both are very articulate in talking about their hopes and dreams of what they want their marriage to be like. The film ends with the end of their wedding ceremony, and they begin walking literally into the sunset, into the unknown.

112 Weddings makes you realize that there are a lot of things people don't necessarily consider when they get married, but by the same token, you don't know how you will deal with a situation until it happens, and it requires teamwork. Love and communication are essential, but also can the relationship sustain through time? No one knows until they actually go through with it...

Kimchi-Making Sunday

My first attempt at making kimchi! Will find out how it tastes in about a week

A friend of mine invited me to attend a kimchi making class today and I jumped at the chance because I periodically like to do something with my hands other than type on the computer!

We went to a kitchen studio in Chai Wan where Korean American Mina Park is general counsel at an investment bank and off hours has Sook, a business where she cooks for friends and clients, and holds classes to teach people how to make kimchi.

Chives, garlic, ginger, red pepper powder, daikon in the bowl

Park has lived in London, France and around the United States, and through her mother gained a passion for cooking. When we came to her spacious studio, her aunt and uncle were there; Park has also learned family cooking from her aunt too, her mother's sister-in-law, who learned recipes from Park's grandmother.

There are many different kinds of kimchi, and Park said those who live in the south of Korea south generally use fish sauce, while those in the north may use beef broth; the recipe can also vary according to families and individually to what kinds of tastes they want to have in their kimchi.

She showed us how to make whole cabbage kimchi, which requires getting those thick oval-shaped napa cabbages, chopping them into quarters and soaking them in salted water overnight and squeezing out the excess water. We also had to do this with the daikon, as the ones in Hong Kong seem to hold more water than the Korean ones.

Mixing the rice paste into the sauce

Then we got to making the sauce, where we minced a head of garlic, same with ginger, roughly chopped garlic chives, and chopped the daikon into slices then julienne them.

The sauce is straight forward -- in a large bowl throw in all the garlic, ginger, chives, daikon, and about 1 1/4 cup of Korean red pepper -- the coarse kind -- otherwise it could turn out to be much spicier than you expect! 1/4 cup fish sauce and 2 tablespoons of fermented baby shrimp, and 1/4 cup roasted sesame seeds. Then we added some salt to taste. You could also add thinly sliced carrots for an extra crunch.

A rice paste also needs to be made, mixing sweet rice flour with hot water and constantly stirring it over high heat so that it will thicken. This needs to be cooled down before it is added to the spicy red mixture.

Once it is mixed in, then it's time to put on plastic gloves and take the cabbage that has been cut into quarters, squeeze out the excess water and then use your hands to slather the red spicy mixture onto each leaf.

Adding the spicy mixture to each cabbage leaf

After that's done, it's ready to be placed into the glass jar and Park advised we had to "be aggressive with your cabbage", by pushing it rather forcefully into the jar to ensure air bubbles are pushed out otherwise the fermentation process won't work well.

Squish squish squish.

Our jars were not large and so we were only able to squeeze in that one-quarter cabbage and maybe a few extra leaves. She warned us to leave some room at the top otherwise your jar of kimchi could explode! Park said it happened to her once and it was not a pretty sight...

So she suggested we could open our jars once a day as the kimchi fermented at room temperature to avoid the gas buildup at the top. Since it's relatively warm these days, the fermentation process will be quite fast, so Park advised we could leave the jars outside for about two days and then put it in the fridge. It will continue to ferment there, but not as fast. We have to wait about a week to be able to eat it.

It was lots of fun making it, and it's definitely one of those events where it's less of a task when a group of friends get together to prepare it, much like making jiaozi, or dumplings.

We'll see how my kimchi fares and if it works out I'd been keen to try making it again! Fermentation is the rage these days, and anything homemade taste even better... right?