Beware the Robocall

Avoid robocalls in Mandarin that are scams to get your money

Up until recently there was a spate of victims who were scammed by robocalls in Hong Kong. When the phone rang and you picked it up, you would hear a click and then a prerecorded message in Mandarin.

It basically said the person had a package that had to be picked up at the post office and to press a number on the dial pad to speak to a live person. It would end up being someone acting like the authorities, saying the person had broken the law because their package contained illegal items or there were insufficient funds and money needed to be transferred.

Some people were duped into giving thousands, even millions of Hong Kong dollars. For the most part residents here have wised-up and we haven't heard of more scams, except for ones involving lonely hearts. But that's another issue.

The aforementioned robocalls have now invaded the United States, Canada and Australia, targeting new immigrants from China. However, the robocalls have affected anyone with a mobile number, which is virtually anyone.

This time the prerecorded message says the person has a package at the Chinese consulate that has been there for several days and needs to be picked up, and that they should press "1" to talk to a staff member about it.

If they do press "1" they talk to a live person who claims they need their identification information and credit card numbers to verify them, which inevitably leads to money being taken.

If you do receive these calls, hang up immediately, and even better, block them on your phone.

The authorities really need to stop these robocalls. Not only are they a nuisance but they are doing something criminal.

Running 8K in Vancouver

Marathoners powering through the course earlier this morning

This morning was my first time running 8K in the BMO Vancouver Marathon. It was the perfect day for it, though by the time we started running at 9.30am it was already quite warm.

Before my trip to Vancouver, I saw on social media an ad for the marathon and thought it would be fun to take part and roped my friend into joining me. Turns out it was a good plan, and over 17,000 other runners took part in the 8K, half and full marathons.

A group celebrating Beijing's upcoming Olympics also ran

My friend and I met up at Oakridge station to take the Canada Line downtown to Waterfront Station where we got dropped off her bag for check-in near the finish at West Pender and Bute, and then we boarded a school bus to get dropped off near the start in Stanley Park.

The shuttle service ended at 8.30am which meant we had an hour to kill before the race started. Near the starting line was a group of Chinese people, both Mandarin and Cantonese speaking who were part of a "Run to Beijing 2022" event on the grass. They all wore red T-shirts and there were some people who wore light blue sashes across one shoulder that read Xiamen Airlines Company. Some of them actually ran the race.

These people took pictures of not only themselves, but also the half marathoners who were running past. Why were they doing that? It wouldn't surprise me if they made the half marathoners look like they were supporting Beijing's preparations for the Winter Olympics, and the red shirts were all paid for by the Chinese government.

In any event we were reassured the Vancouver Marathon was definitely a Canadian one when all the runners assembled were asked to sing the national anthem. A few minutes later we were off!

A record of over 17,000 took park in the races this year

It was so nice to run through Stanley Park, luckily there was quite a lot of shade from the trees and it also helped having small bands playing loud music to keep us going. The first kilometre didn't seem to come fast enough, but the subsequent kilometres were actually relatively fast. There were several water stations and we took advantage of them as it was getting warm.

Admittedly I did stop three times throughout the race due to several inclines that wiped me out. But overall I was able to keep pace with my friend who cheered me on periodically and stopped to walk with me. A few people had signs along the way, including one guy whose sign read: "Smile if you're not wearing underwear". He noted a lot of us were smiling...

As we ran we saw the gorgeous scenery along the Seawall, there was nothing but blue skies above us and the mountains to our left with just a bit of snow left over. It couldn't get more beautiful than that.

The last kilometre was pretty much all uphill and I wasn't mentally prepared for it! After a short break we powered up and finally finished -- receiving a medal in the process! Unlike Hong Kong's marathon, there was no traffic jam at the finish line and we were able to take pictures near there.

We also got loaded up on food -- we were given bags of chips, a banana, a choice of either vegetarian or turkey sandwich, bottle of water and energy bars. There was also a McCafe truck giving out free "specialty coffee" so we each got a cup of steaming hot brew. Everyone seemed in good spirits and wherever we went people congratulated us on our run.

I don't know if I'll be back in Vancouver this time next year, but if I am, will try to make an effort to run this event again. It was well organized and fun. Our only complaint was that those running 8K didn't get free transit passes -- only those doing the half and full marathons did. It seemed strange not to include us as we had to get downtown to get to the start...

Where's the Hope?

Many young people are stuck in retail jobs, like the ones in Sogo

Last night I had dinner with some friends and talked about a perennial hot button issue -- housing prices.

One has been keeping track of her home evaluation and while she's pleased to see the price of her flat increasing quickly, at the same time she is dismayed that buying a home is even more impossible for young people in Hong Kong.

Most customers are mainlanders, but are we catering to them?

I had that in mind after dinner I went to the Sogo department store to see what I could buy for myself for Chinese New Year. The place wasn't very busy, with shoppers split between mainlanders and locals, the majority the former.

At one shop space selling sneakers, I was mortified to hear the young female shop assistant's Mandarin was atrocious. It was more Cantonese than Mandarin. Another shoe shop was the same. Another spoke in a tone that was laced with condescension.

Were they high school dropouts? Or they were unable to get into university? It was hard for me to tell, but on the whole most shop assistants' Mandarin skills were not good. Not only that, but their attitude towards their job was hardly enthusiastic.

Young people can't even afford one of these flats in the city

I know retail is not a career path many people aspire to, but surely it would be a motivator to find a way to get out? Or are they resigned to the possibility that this is their job forever? There wasn't any interest in trying to be a cheerful person, nor trying to improve their Mandarin skills.

Is this the generation the Hong Kong government claims it wants to foster? If so it's no wonder mainlanders feel a sense of ambivalence in the city; they want to enjoy it, and yet they are not welcome.

Why?

Preventing Agnes Chow Ting from running in the by-election, scorning the nomination of Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Nathan Law Kwun-chung and Alex Chow Yong-kang and the Umbrella Movement for the Nobel Peace Prize, and making no efforts to rein in housing prices and creating more job opportunities for young people shows the government doesn't care about the next generation.

The rift between young people and government grows wider

My friend pointed out the government has been pushing for closer links to China, which has resulted in young people retaliating by becoming "localists", focusing more on Cantonese -- which has resulted in English being left by the wayside.

How can Hong Kong call itself international anymore?

Beijing and the Hong Kong government have a lot to do to heal the rift -- they are the ones who have the power to change things for the better. Giving people hope makes the world go round instead of now, stagnant and bitter.

Silk Road: Learning From Uyghurs

In the doctor's office on the seventh floor where most are Uyghurs

Being in Kashgar for 12 days we got to know Uyghurs better than most tourists, and probably most local Han Chinese. It seemed like the two ethnic groups lived in a parallel universe, where they didn't intersect much, unless they had to work together, like in the case of the hospital.

In the neurology ward, practically all the doctors were Uyghurs, the head nurse too, while only a handful of nurses were Han Chinese. Perhaps it was because the demographic of their patients were Uyghur.

Outside the hospital Uyghurs and Han Chinese didn't have much to do with each other. They didn't eat each other's food -- Uyghurs are Muslim and only eat Halal food, and Uyghurs were forced to speak Mandarin to Han Chinese, who hardly knew any Uyghur.

Our first neighbour waiting to be discharged from the hospital

So you can imagine the taxi drivers' surprise when I would say "hello" (yakshimusiz) and "thank you" (rekhmat) in Uyghur, and to my dad's neighbour's family I would say "good bye" (hosh) and they were happy I was trying to be friendly.

There were benefits to being Han Chinese -- you were less scrutinized when it came to going through security. Uyghurs would be subjected to more thorough searches from their ID to the items they were carrying.

When my dad was in the hospital we had three different neighbours. The first was a young couple, with whom we didn't interact much, but we were cordial.

Next came an elderly man, probably younger than my, with his extended family looking after him -- his wife, sister, and daughter-in-law with her children. We spent the most time with the daughter-in-law and her young daughter Madja.

She had very short hair -- it seems young girls have their heads shaved to ensure their hair grows thicker. At first she and we were shy, but after a day or two she warmed up to us, particularly when I gave her a balloon to play with.

Madja didn't know any Mandarin, though her young mother did. She was busy looking after her father-in-law -- constantly hoisting him up, or turning his body periodically for blood circulation.

Then when we came back one evening, the family was gone and my dad had one evening of quiet. The next day another neighbour came in, another man, probably in his 30s, but by then my dad was well enough to be discharged from the hospital and we left a day or two after.

The head nurse who spoke very good Mandarin

During our time in Kashgar, our tour guide was indispensable -- he came to the hospital a few times to visit dad to see if he was OK, and helped us arrange our hotel accommodation through his tour guide friend, who also helped us exchange money, and arrange a car for us to go to the airport.

These people were so warm and hospitable despite the situation they were living in on a daily basis. They were keen to show us another side of Kashgar and we were so glad and lucky to be at the receiving end of their generosity. I won't forget them.

Rahmat (Thank you).

RTHK Changes Channels

RTHK cuts the 24-hour transmission of BBC World Service to eight hours

Ah Hong Kong is sliding further into mainlandization with Radio Television Hong Kong announcing it will drop the 24-hour transmission of BBC World Service that has been broadcasting for almost 40 years and replace it with Chinese state radio.

The change will happen in a few weeks' time in early September, which an RTHK spokesperson said was to "enhance the cultural exchange between the mainland and Hong Kong".

How nice, considering China National Radio, known as Central People's Radio in Chinese, will be in Putonghua, not Cantonese. Guess that's part of the "cultural exchange".

From September, the BBC can be heard overnight 11pm-7am

But before you get out your pitchforks, not all is lost -- BBC World Service will continue to be broadcast from 11pm to 7am, which means having to become a night owl listener.

Demosisto's Joshua Wong Chi-fung says he has listened to BBC World Service since high school "because our teacher always told us to learn English from the BBC," he said.

However he cited other reasons for the change.

"This just proves how political consideration and Chinese forces are eroding press freedom [in Hong Kong]," Wong said.

But RTHK retorted that the Chinese broadcast was made for the city.

"This channel is tailor made for RTHK when we first introduced digital audio broadcasting, and it can enhance the cultural exchange between the mainland and Hong Kong," said Amen Ng, head of corporate communications at RTHK.

Wonder how many people will listen to China National Radio...

Epic Meal at Phnom Penh Restaurant

A unique (and delicious) place serving Vietnamese and Cambodian cuisines

Yesterday I met up with an acquaintance in Chinatown and he suggested we eat at Phnom Penh, a Cambodian-Vietnamese restaurant.

He was shocked to find that I had never been there and insisted we eat lunch there.

I arrived at the appointed time to find a crowd of people standing in the foyer waiting for a table, while others preferred to soak up the sunshine before their name was called to come in.

Watching people come in and out, there were not only Cantonese-speakers, but also Mandarin, as well as non-Chinese who seemed to be very familiar with the place. Guess it was a good sign.

Deep-fried chicken wings have alight batter and tart sauce

By 1pm the restaurant was still bustling, and after about a 10-minute wait we finally got a table. And since my acquaintance is such a regular here, he practically knew all the dishes we should order, adding that four of the items on the menu are ones one should eat before they die. Die? Really?

He asked me if I had such a list... I had to answer in the negative.

I'd never thought of it that way before, but that just made me more skeptical of how good Phom Penh really was.

Nevertheless, the food soon arrived fast and furious on the laminate table. A half portion of deep-fried chicken wings were garnished with spring onions, garlic, and coriander, with a peppery lemon sauce on the side. Fantastic, and perfect beer food. The batter wasn't heavy and was quite crunchy.

Cubes of beef covered in a dark sauce, topped with fried egg

Next came fillet beef luc lac on rice with egg (CAD$10.95). Honestly it doesn't look pretty -- the cubed beef was smothered in a very dark brown shiny sauce with a fried egg on top. The egg was a bit more cooked than runny, which would have made it takes a bit better.

My friend mixed these all up as well as he could, minus the salad on the side. This wasn't a dish I would consider a must-have before dying -- the flavour was actually flat -- even the egg couldn't save it.

However, we really liked the beef fillet anchois (CAD$19), which was basically beef carpaccio topped with a soy sauce mixed with lots of coriander, garlic and lemongrass. The sauce complemented the beef, and interestingly for a restaurant in Chinatown we did not get sick after eating a raw meat dish!

Finally the flavour of the Phnom Penh hot and sour soup with prawns (CAD$12.95) was fantastic. I like sour tastes, and this one pretty much hit the jackpot. It was a curious combination again lemongrass, and probably lime for tartness, added with tomatoes, pineapples, beansprouts, potatoes and overcooked prawns.

 SE Asian beef carpaccio with lots of coriander and garlic!

The food we ordered was enough for three people, but we somehow managed to almost finish it all. Needless to say I was so full afterwards that I could have almost skipped dinner.

When we came out of the restaurant, there was yellow police tape cordoning off the sidewalk a few doors down with police cars on the street and people in uniform checking out the area. One wiped blood off the sidewalk which meant that it was probably a stabbing.

And we didn't even know! We were too busy eating to hear any commotion if there was any...

Phnom Penh restaurant is pretty good, but as long as you're willing to wait...

Phnom Penh

244 East Georgia

Vancouver

604 682 5777

Father of Pinyin Dies

Zhou returned to China in 1949 to help the country -- by creating pinyin

I was kind of dreading this day -- but it has come. The father of pinyin, Zhou Youguang, has died at the age of 111. He died this afternoon (Saturday), a day after his birthday in Beijing.

It's pretty amazing he lived this long, and I suspect it was keeping his mind active that kept him going.

He was born in 1906 during the Qing Dynasty and as a young man he lived and worked in the United States as a Wall Street banker.

When the Communists took over in 1949, Zhou returned and was tasked with creating a new writing system using the Roman alphabet.

"We spent three years developing pinyin. People made fun of us, joking that it had taken us a long time to deal with just 26 letters, he recalled to the BBC in 2012.

He had kept active, writing many articles and books

However, it has helped millions of people, including me, to learn how to pronounce words in Putonghua properly.

It is now widely used on phone apps to help people communicate. They can type in the pinyin and from there choose the Chinese character they need.

Developing the pinyin system helped protect Zhou from Mao's political purges, but eventually Zhou was sent down to the countryside for re-education during the Cultural Revolution.

As he became older he grew more critical and outspoken about the present day Communist Party and wrote several articles and books that were banned.

In an interview with NPR in 2011, Zhou said he hoped to live long enough to see the Chinese authorities admit the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters around Tiananmen Square in June 1989 was a mistake.

Wishful thinking on Zhou's part.

He added that most ordinary people did not believe in the Communist Party, and that the vast majority of Chinese intellectuals favoured democracy.

Beijing can probably breathe a sigh of relief that another one of its critics has passed. They couldn't do much to Zhou considering his immense contribution to the country, but we hope he will see justice in the end.

I wrote a blog post about him when I was in Beijing. One of my colleagues at the time went to visit him and told me later she thought he was a wonderful, sweet man. He wasn't a typical Chinese elder who towed the party line, but instead had a lot of interesting things to say about a wide range of subjects.

Thank you Mr Zhou for creating a writing system that has made Chinese more accessible to so many people and in so many ways.

Rita Fan Chides Chinese Envoys in Hong Kong

Rita Fan says Chinese envoys need to understand Cantonese to know HK

Finally Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, a senior Hong Kong official has explained the fact that senior Chinese officials posted in the city don't know Cantonese has contributed to rising tensions between the mainland and Hong Kong.

She said this led to mainland envoys not having a comprehensive understanding of the social sentiment here. Fan also encouraged the local government to look at why young people were turning to pro-independence and not just criticize them.

Fan is Hong Kong's sole deputy on the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and she made the comment during a live online interview with Legislative Council President Jasper Tsang Yok-sing yesterday.

She hints Chinese officials don't go out to experience the city

"You have to live in Hong Kong to know about Hong Kong, not only staying at home alone, but going out to feel the social sentiment," said Fan, who added many mainland envoys here, like those from Beijing's liaison office, only spoke Putonghua.

"You need to feel how [Hong Kong] people feel. You need to feel and understand what makes them happy and what makes them unhappy. But first of all, you need to speak Cantonese, otherwise it will be very difficult."

But at the same time she warned young people that independence from China was not the way out.

"If they succeed [in achieving Hong Kong independence], it will sentence Hong Kong to death. And of course they will also not be able to survive. But unfortunately, millions of other innocent people will also become victims.

"But we need to understand the young people and why they have such ideas. If you just criticize them and say no to this and that, they won't listen.

Why is Fan saying this 2 years after the Umbrella Movement?

"You need to express your views in such a way that they feel comfortable to listen. No one will listen to you if you use the wrong way," Fan said.

Very interesting that Fan has come out now to say these level-headed statements -- but why didn't she say them earlier -- like YEARS earlier, back when locals were angry at having mainlanders invading the city, or even just before or after the Umbrella Movement?

Or has she tried to tell senior mainland officials that they need to understand Cantonese and they didn't listen? Is this her way of trying to get their attention in a very public way?

Fan is saying what many have thought but never said publicly, and it's about time -- oh only 19 years after the handover. It's also intriguing she points out these envoys don't go out and experience what life is like in Hong Kong either.

It is obvious language and cultural issues continue to create conflict and they are not going to go away anytime soon. But what will mainland officials do about it? Are there senior government officials from Guangdong province who speak Cantonese and can be posted here?

Even then there are cultural differences between Cantonese speakers in Guangdong and in Hong Kong.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how Beijing responds to her suggestions -- if its officials are listening...

Up The Peak for Sunset

Managed to capture the sunset from The Peak looking over Kennedy Town

Last night I saw an acquaintance's stunning picture of Hong Kong at dusk from The Peak on Instagram which inspired me to get up there too.

I didn't plan it out too well, but managed to get on the No. 13 Kotewall bus at 6.20pm in Central and made it up to the start of the Morning Trail on Kotewall Road at around 6.40pm.

It was still light at that time, but I knew sunset would happen soon. Most people were walking down The Peak, only me and two other women were walking up and I walked past them.

Hong Kong at dusk on the Morning Trail

The Morning Trail is a good workout, though the signage is quite amusing because it is posted every 100 metres.

Soon it started to get dark, and the trees illuminated by a bright orange glow from the sun.

Luckily there was a clearing at one point on the west side looking down on Kennedy Town and some local amateur photographers were taking pictures of the sunset and I joined in. A gweilo stood off to the side, trying to have his own private nature moment, while others chatted around him in Cantonese.

After several pictures, I continued on my way, and when there was a fork in the road where the path is flat, I made a sharp left turn to walk towards what YTSL calls "the money shot", where all the photographers come take pictures of Hong Kong in the evening.

Watching the sun go down on a clear (and hot!) day

Because the path was flat, I picked up the pace and soon got to one of the few photo sites, and as I kept going, there were more and more people, many speaking Putonghua.

I finally reached the Peak Galleria in 4.5km, and together with 5.5km running in the gym, it was a pretty good workout today.

I quickly wandered through the Peak Galleria, which is slated to be renovated in phases soon. The shopping mall has an eclectic selection of shops, from SaSa and Coach, to a small space with lots of toy vending machines crammed in it, a Japanese dollar store, a supermarket and a shop selling smartphone accessories.

Many mainland tourists capturing the scene below

It was time to go and the wait for public transport was really long -- I had to wait for three minibuses before I could get on, though the line-up for the No. 15 bus wound around the block and a massive line for the Peak Tram. Taxis did a brisk trade.

Blunder of the Week: Gucci

Paper handbags and shoes with the Gucci logo in a Hong Kong shop

Luxury brands are aggressively wooing the Chinese market, lowering prices on the mainland, and having Putonghua-speaking staff in boutiques around the world.

But earlier this week Gucci hit out at companies in Hong Kong selling fakes of the Italian uber cool brand -- for the dead.

Let me explain: Those who are Buddhists believe in the afterlife, and that loved ones on earth must send paper offerings to them in the next world by burning them.

Burning "money" to send to the dead in the afterlife

Traditional items would be paper clothes and money, known as hell notes, gold papers that are folded to look like gold ingots and other combustible items of significance.

In recent decades, paper offerings have evolved to include cars (with chauffeurs), homes, watches and mobile phones -- all made of paper. And in the last few years, the name brands of these offerings were more prevalent, like Mercedes-Benz, Rolex, iPhone, and Gucci, and Louis Vuitton.

So you can imagine six small shops in Hong Kong that sell these items were shocked to receive angry letters from Gucci, demanding they stop infringing on the Italian brand's trademark. The items were only going to be burned up anyway. And what if the deceased was a loyal Gucci customer?

After word got out in the media mocking the luxury brand for going after these shops selling paper offerings, Gucci made an about-face on Friday and apologized for sending out the letters.

The fashion house acknowledged the stores had no intention of infringing on intellectual property rights, and promised not to pursue any legal action.

Even paper cars complete with chauffeurs can be offerings

"We regret any misunderstandings that may have been caused and sincerely apologize to anyone we may have offended," the company said in a statement, explaining that the letters were sent as part of efforts to protect its global trademark.

If the company was smart, it would have asked its local Hong Kong staff about these items and their cultural significance, and then this big PR faux-pas would never have happened.

But it did, and thankfully Gucci has gracefully bowed out.

This incident illustrates how the Italian brand hasn't really done its homework in terms of getting to know one of its important markets.

It does now...

Ten Years and Kennedy Town

About 200 people showed up tonight to watch a screening of Ten Years

In the last year or so there has been a protest against the redevelopment of a temporary garden in Kennedy Town and now it's starting to simmer.

The Cadogan Street Temporary Garden is by a bus stop and it's not a large area. It was previously an incinerator and before that an abattoir, where long-time residents remember hearing the squealing of the pigs...

And now the government is looking to rezone the area and put up residential blocks with 600 flats. The area seems small to squeeze that many people in, but hey, micro flats are all the rage these days.

They are protesting the development of the park into flats

Last year a developer tried to get a permit to build a hotel on the site, but it was soundly defeated. However, with housing a hot topic, can you deny others the opportunity to own their own home?

But before that even happens, the government needs to decontaminate the soil, and residents fear that turning up the soil will release contaminants into the air, which is another reason why they'd like the park to stay.

So far activists have collected some 2,000 signatures but it's obviously not enough of an impact to get the authorities' attention.

And so tonight they enticed people to come because they would be screening Ten Years, the film that won Best Picture in the recent Hong Kong Film Awards.

Many sat on the ground of the park while police watched

Over 200 people showed up at 7pm with blankets to sit on or on plastic bags from the protest tents that have been set up for the last few weeks. Apparently the organizers didn't get a permit to protest in the area, but the police didn't move in to shut things down, though they were monitoring the area all day and evening.

I'd read a lot about Ten Years, and finally got a chance to watch it. It's an interesting collection of five short films that are loosely related, telling their own story of what they think Hong Kong will be like in 2025.

The first story is called "Extras", where two men are caught up in a political campaign to implement a national security law in Hong Kong. They're just trying to get by working for a triad, but people higher up (Beijing) have other plans for them.

The pivotal scene in Extras about the national security law

It's sad to see their predicament, and also frightening to see how government officials don't mind having a few casualties to succeed in their political aims.

Next was "Season of the End", the weakest of the five films. It shows a man and a woman who are desperately trying to preserve anything that was left behind by bulldozers that demolished homes. The place they occupy to do their work seems bleak and bland, and towards the end they are in a desperate state of mind.

"Dialect" offers a bit of comic relief as a Hong Kong taxi driver shows how terrible his Putonghua is. Many in the audience couldn't help but laugh when he tried to tell his Mandarin-speaking app where he wanted to go but it couldn't understand what he was saying.

However, the need to speak Putonghua is a must in order to financially survive in the city. He cannot pick up passengers -- or rather passengers would rather communicate with someone who speaks Putonghua than Cantonese.

A taxi driver is frustrated not being able to speak Putonghua

He sympathizes with a local woman who has lost her job because she too cannot communicate in Putonghua, and he later gets penalized for not following the rules.

This vignette is practically what is happening now -- people must know how to speak Putonghua to increase their job prospects, and it's people in the taxi driver's age group, those in their 40s and 50s who are losing out. Even his son speaks to him in Putonghua in front of his friends to avoid ridicule.

The fourth one is "Self-Immolator", where a body was found burned in front of the British Consulate in Admiralty, and experts and commentators are all speculating as to who would have done that and why.

One young activist who fights for Hong Kong independence is the first to be convicted in the national security law and goes on a hunger strike and dies in prison. Everyone thinks it is someone related to the young man, and it's interesting to note one of the characters is a Hong Kong born Indian woman speaking Cantonese to show how ethnic minorities are treated in the city.

In the end it's an elderly woman who decides on doing the ultimate sacrifice, though we don't know what effect that will have on the future of the city.

A shopkeeper asks the difference between "local" and "HK"

There are localist groups who are pushing for Hong Kong independence now, though Beijing has completely dismissed them for even promoting this idea...

Finally "Local Egg" is a scary look at kids who are like little Red Guards, reporting on what is going on in shops to ensure they are politically correct. The word "local" should not be used in a sign saying "local eggs", but "Hong Kong eggs" is deemed kosher. The shop keeper writes "local eggs" because customers don't want to buy those from the mainland.

However, the last chicken farm closes in Hong Kong, and the shop keeper has to find other ways of giving his customers what they want. Meanwhile his son is being indoctrinated to become one of these Red Guards, though he seems to have a mind of his own.

Towards the end, the main character says we should not get used to these changes because if we do, then there will be more changes.

Will Hong Kong become like this, where quasi Red Guards will be spying on us and reporting our activities and we will all be speaking Putonghua?

Who knows? But these filmmakers have presented their visions of what 2025 could look like, and to say it's bleak is an understatement. They are definitely not drinking the Kool-aid, nor are they hinging their hopes on rule of law and politicians to save the city.

It's no wonder Ten Years has resonated with people; no one seems optimistic, and yet they can't think of another way to look at the future.

As for Cadogan Temporary Park, we'll have to see if the authorities back down. While the activists are trying to be realistic, they are trying to get as many people to sign the petition as possible to prove it's not just a small group of voices opposing development plans.

Ten Years a Flicker of Hope

Andrew Choi, executive producer of Ten Years with the cast and crew

Last night it was a thrill to see the local movie Ten Years won Best Film in the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Not only was it made by five first-time directors, but also because it has become a political issue, as the five vignettes imagine what the city will be like in 10 years, or 2025.

There are scenes of children in uniform policing adults, harking back to the Cultural Revolution, a taxi driver who loses out on business because he cannot speak Putonghua, and even a self immolation in front of the British Consulate.

State media, in particular, Global Times denounced the film in an editorial describing it as a "thought virus", and as soon as Ten Years was nominated in the annual film event in January, Tencent and CCTV announced they would not be broadcasting the awards show on the mainland.

So it was in this backdrop that many wondered if Ten Years would have a chance at all, only being nominated in one category.

A scene from Ten Years that looks at Hong Kong in 2025

But those who voted gave Ten Years their approval.

The film's executive producer Andrew Choi said in his acceptance speech: "Thanks to the Film Awards for daring to give us this award. Ten Years has already gone beyond just being a film. There are so many possibilities in Hong Kong films.

"This award shows that Hong Kong actually has hope. This award tells us that we need to keep working hard. Thanks to all the Hong Kong viewers. This award belongs to you all."

However not everyone in the local film industry was happy with the result. Peter Lam Kin-ngok, chair of production company Media Asia complained Ten Years was not a top film.

"It was unfair to filmmakers. Politics has kidnapped the profession and politicized film awards," said Lam, who is also a local delegate to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Peter Lam believes the film politicized the film awards

Media Asia's She Remembers, He Forgets was in the running for best picture, but won for best original film song.

Motion Picture Industry Association chair Crucindo Hung Cho-sing also said Ten Years' win was a "big joke".

"It was not nominated for the best actor, actress or cinematography, so it doesn't even match the standards of a best picture," Hung said. "I don't know if anyone was using the awards as a political tool."

Lawmaker Ma Fung-kwok, who is also Film Development Council chairman, thought the filmmakers of Ten Years might be "too worried" about Hong Kong's future.

Then why did the film that cost HK$500,000 to make went on to make HK$5 million in the box office?

It resonates with people, talking about their fears of what Hong Kong could possibly be, with some of the scenes already a reality. It may not have a star cast or have high production values, but the ideas are there.

A Hong Kong taxi driver can't speak Putonghua in Ten Years

So now Ten Years is dragged further into a political spat because the establishment isn't happy.

The city is so divided -- you're either on one side or the other -- reminiscent of the Occupy protests, the blues or the yellows.

When will these divisions end so that we can focus on making Hong Kong better?

But it seems like the establishment are only concerned about enriching themselves at the expense of the rest, and the rest are trying to scrape whatever opportunities are left to survive.

As Choi says, there is hope if we keep working harder. And that flame has flickered a bit brighter now.

Continuing to Woo China

Zuckerberg met with propaganda chief Liu Yunshan in Beijing

In the last few days Mark Zuckerberg has been in Beijing, continuing his quest to get Facebook unblocked in China.

He's in the Chinese capital to take part in the China Development Forum, along with Alibaba chief Jack Ma Yun, and International Monetary Fund's managing director Christine Lagarde.

On Saturday Zuckerberg managed to snag an appointment with propaganda chief Liu Yunshan, where Liu said the social media platform could share its experience with Chinese companies to help "internet development better benefit the people of all countries," Xinhua said.

What?

Zuckerberg running along Tiananmen Square sans mask

Basically reveal Facebook's success secrets to China so that they can beat him at his own game?

One wonders what his response was...

Some critics chastise Zuckerberg for bending over backwards in his attempt to court China.

A few days ago he posted a picture of him and an entourage running by Tiananmen Square on Chang'an Avenue -- without a mask when pollution levels were pretty high.

There were some who felt he was trying to prove himself by not wearing a mask, and that what he was doing was dangerous.

Others felt it was time to give him a new meme for how far he'd go to win the approval of Zhongnanhai.

On Zuckerberg's desk (right) is a copy of Xi Jinping's book

But in the meantime many are using the #suckerberg hashtag to sum up their feelings towards the Facebook founder, who speaks horribly pronounced Putonghua, reads books by Xi Jinping and now runs around Beijing without taking his health into consideration.

If that isn't an attempt to placate Beijing for some leeway into the China market, I don't know what is...

Who is a Localist?

Edward Leung now admits he was born in the mainland but few up in HK

It is very surprising to find out now that the localist who ran for the New Territories East seat in last weekend's election and managed to secure over 60,000 votes is not technically local Hong Kong Chinese.

In fact 24-year-old Edward Leung Tin-kei was born on the mainland and moved to Hong Kong when he was one year old.

How do we know?

He said in an interview with local media that his mother arrived in Hong Kong from Wuhan with him when he was about 12 months old, while his father is a Hongkonger who taught Chinese history in a secondary school.

He said what defines a Hong Kong person is not the place of birth, but on whether the person "embraces the values and culture of Hong Kong."

"A new immigrant is not necessarily an Other. If a new immigrant arrives in Hong Kong, actively learns Cantonese and accepts Hong Kong culture and core values, then he/she can become one of us," he said in the interview.

Growing up, Leung noted his mother couldn't speak Cantonese at first, but learned it and she only spoke to him in Cantonese, not Putonghua.

While she loved Chinese literature, she introduced him to Tang and Song dynasty poems, but the country China is very alien to him.

"It is clear that the place where I live is called Hong Kong and everybody says that I am a Hongkonger. I have been to China a few times. Am I really Chinese?" he said. Leung stated he went to Wuhan twice with his mother when he was five and 13, but apart from seeing snow, he didn't have much of an impression of the mainland.

It is interesting that Leung has chosen to disclose this now, a week after the election, because the way localists see it, his mother did what many other mainland women did -- come to Hong Kong to raise families and use up local resources.

Perhaps as a way to come clean now, Leung's enemies won't have as much dirt on him come the September legislative Council elections.

But as expected this has erupted into a debate into who is considered local and who isn't.

The vast majority of people who claim to born in Hong Kong probably had grandparents or ancestors who came from somewhere else. And how far back do you go to claim you are a true local? Or can you be born elsewhere but grow up in Hong Kong and live most of your life here count?

As expected, some people were not sympathetic, saying Leung should not claim to represent Hong Kong people. One commenter called Vincent Lam left a message on Leung's Facebook account, "Go back to the mainland!"

We'll have to see how Leung weathers the storm, but it is really strange to see how he can claim to be a localist, when he should know that the media and the court of public opinion will not look too kindly on him...

The Political Fight over Chinese Characters

Many in Hong Kong think students should learn traditional Chinese characters

The Hong Kong government continues to push its agenda to mainlandize the city with the Education Bureau's latest consultation document that says local students should learn simplified Chinese characters.

There was a huge uproar last week when TVB started using simplified characters for its Putonghua newscasts on its J5 channel that led to 10,000 complaints.

It is a divisive issue, because depending on which side you're on indicates your political leanings.

Education chief Eddie Ng says the issue is being politicized

However Secretary for Education Eddie Ng Hak-kim denied any political intent behind the move, accusing others of distorting the facts and creating an uproar.

The bureau said learning simplified characters was not an item for consultation because it was already stated as a goal in the Chinese Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide back in 2002.

Why didn't we hear about it then? Perhaps it was because there were other more pressing education issues at the time?

The consultation document says after mastering traditional Chinese, students should be able to read simplified characters to widen their reading range and foster better communication with the mainland and overseas, while schools should promote "using Putonghua to teach Chinese language" on campus as a long-term goal.

However the bureau did admit it didn't have any evidence to prove using Putonghua to teach Chinese would be more effective than using Cantonese.

The difference between simplified and traditional characters

When the general public was asked about their view by a newspaper, they all resoundingly rejected the idea of using simplified Chinese in schools, saying there was no need.

Nevertheless, some international schools teach simplified Chinese to make it easier for students to learn and easily integrate with the mainland, where as local schools insist on traditional characters, and that students would be able to figure out simplified characters.

Academics say learning traditional Chinese characters helps students understand their etymology.

"I beg the government not to create problems where there are none," says Chinese language expert professor Ho Man-koon of Caritas Institute of Higher Education. "Teachers do not need to specifically teach simplified characters. Students can naturally learn them by guessing and making logical inferences."

Legislator Lam Tai-fai, representing the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong and supervisor of Lam Tai Fai College, said the business sector was ambivalent about students learning simplified characters.

Simplify this! The character biang to describe noodles

"The knowledge of simplified Chinese has nothing to do with making profits," he said. "Since traditional Chinese is widely recognized and adopted in Hong Kong, it is better to encourage students to learn simplified Chinese [of their own accord] rather than to make it mandatory."

Teachers are also concerned that simplified Chinese will take hold if it actually becomes a course in the curriculum. "They fear that after students achieve a good grasp of simplified characters and Putonghua, many years later simplified Chinese will fully replace traditional script in their textbooks," Ho said.

Eva Chan Sik-chee is the convenor of the Parents Concern Group on National Education, and warned that although the issue was overlooked in 2002, it didn't mean there was consensus now.

"The government has not really consulted the public," she said. "Many people in the education sector are not even aware of this proposal. We are highly concerned about the overall impact of the proposals, including using Putonghua to teach Chinese as a long-term goal. We have a feeling that the whole consultation exercise is leaning towards the mainland culture, and made out of a political motive."

Education chief Ng needs to come out and explain clearly what is going on -- is there really no more opportunity for the public to give its own opinion on the matter? And why does it think learning simplified Chinese will help Hong Kong students liaise better with Chinese overseas? They are most probably learning traditional characters, and if they are using simplified, again, they can figure out what they are saying without having to explicitly learn simplified Chinese.

It seems like this issue will not be resolved anytime soon and there should be a dialogue about this, instead it seems like the government is bending over backwards to please Beijing.

Yet another reason why the government is so alienated from the general population and that Hong Kong people get no say in their lives.

As some people are saying these days, it feels like 2047 is already here...

Beauty Trumps Brains in HK

Jennifer Coosemans crowned Miss Chinese International 2016

On Saturday night I watched the Miss Chinese International Pageant on TVB Jade, and it was a clear demonstration of how Hong Kong objectifies women.

Every time a candidate had a close-up on television, their name, where they were from, but more importantly, their measurements would flash up on the screen. Is her bust size what's going to help her win?

The swim suit competition bared a lot of skin during rehearsal

Of course there was a swim suit section, though many of them didn't have much to show off. But as if to give a sense of equity to the proceedings, the male dancers accompanying the women on stage were shirtless...

Watching the women parade in costumes that reflected where they came from was fun, but the competition to show off their talent was cringe-worthy.

One did a short ballet rendition of Swan Lake, a woman from Thailand sang an English song, while a contestant who speaks Putonghua thought she'd get extra points by playing the piano and singing in Cantonese. Not. It was already nerve-wracking for her to not flub up on the piano and then to sing in Cantonese with a Putonghua accent...

The questions the hosts asked the contestants were hardly challenging. For one of them, they showed a picture of a Chinese door god and asked the contestant which judge looked most like the menacing-looking deity.

Miss Bangkok sang an English song in this stunning dress

Oh and can we add that all the judges were handsome men, one of which is a very wealthy businessman in the society pages?

Off to the side was a bevy of women in evening gowns who were previous pageant winners and seemed to take part in the judging but had no major role.

There were no hard-hitting questions, like explaining one thing the candidate would do to make the world a better place, or what what is your favourite book to read and why?

The contestants, who were pageant winners from their hometowns, came from all over, such as the United States, Canada, Thailand, China, South Africa, Australia, and of course Hong Kong. As a result, English, Cantonese and Mandarin had to be spoken simultaneously by the three hosts, Carol Cheng Yu-ling, Janis Chan and Lawrence Cheng.

Miss Jiangsu danced a section of Swan Lake for the audience

The winner this year? Jennifer Coosemans (Chu Ah-lam), 21, of Vancouver, who is half Belgian, half Chinese. Originally from Terrace, British Columbia, she was crowned Miss Vancouver Chinatown last month.

Coosemans has one more year of university before she graduates. And with her model looks, she'll surely be roped into a modeling career here; and if she can brush up on her Cantonese and Mandarin, there will surely be some acting roles for her too...