Chloe Zhao's Big Oscar Win Muted in China

Zhao gives her acceptance speech with a saying in Mandarin

 

The results of the Academy Awards this year were such a breakthrough for Asian stars and films -- but no one in Hong Kong could watch them on television.

On March 29, pro-establishment broadcaster TVB announced it would not show The Oscars -- despite airing the awards show for the past 52 years -- saying it was a "purely commercial" decision.

Protesters shield themselves in Do Not Split

Perhaps it was following an edict from Beijing telling mainland Chinese media in February not to transmit live coverage of the Academy Awards this year because of the nomination of Do Not Split, a 35-minute documentary about the 2019 Hong Kong protests, and remarks made by Beijing-born director Chloe Zhao back in 2013 that were deemed controversial by Chinese internet users.

In the end China was the sore loser -- Do Not Split did not win after all for Best Documentary Short, losing to Colette about a French resistance survivor who returns to Germany for the first time since World War II, while Zhao, 39, won two Oscars for Nomadland. She is the first woman of colour and second female to win Best Director, and she also won for Best Picture, while actress Frances McDormand also won Best Actress for Nomadland.

While Asians on Twitter rejoiced Zhao's historic win, the Chinese on the mainland were completely silent, either unaware or instructed not to make any comments on social media, or if anyone tried to post something about her or her film, it was immediately censored.

A widow drifts around the US in Nomadland

Nomadland was supposed to be released in China on April 23 and it may not even happen.

Nevertheless, Zhao seems to have taken things in stride and in fact took the high road.

"I've been thinking a lot lately of how I keep going when things get hard. I think it goes back to something I learned when I was a kid," she said in her acceptance speech.

"When I was growing up in China, my dad and I used to play this game. We would memorize classic Chinese poems and texts, and we would recite them together and try to finish each other's sentences.

"There's one that I remember so dearly, it's called the Three Character Classics. The first phrase goes, '人之初，性本善', 'People at birth are inherently good'. Those six letters had such a great impact on me when I was a kid and I still truly believe them today.

Zhao's win was censored in China today

"Even though sometimes it might see like the opposite is true, I have always found goodness in the people I met, everywhere I wen in the world.

"So this is for anyone who had the faith, and the courage to hold on to that goodness in themselves, and to hold on to the goodness in each other, no matter how difficult it is to do that.

"And this is for you. You inspire me to keep going."

In that thoughtful speech Zhao demonstrated she was a well educated woman who learned Chinese classics and has kept those values as an adult. 

Why wouldn't Beijing want to uphold her as an example of a worldly and successful Chinese person who has conquered Hollywood? 

But no, it would rather not showcase someone who left China and became an independent person with an independent mind. And she's a woman.

Zhao's next movie is Marvel's Eternals, starring Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani and Richard Madden that is due out in November.

Will Beijing ban that too?

 

Hike to Devil's Peak

A view of both Hong Kong and Kowloon at Devil's Peak

 

This morning I went over to Tiu King Leng to meet up with my friend who took me up to Devil's Peak!

She had showed it to me a few weeks ago when we were walking around Tseung Kwan O and sounded like it was worth checking out and was not disappointed.

Behind her building is a giant staircase -- 500 steps -- before we start the hike. We didn't realize that we forgot to start tracking our hike until about 1km in! When we got to the top of the stairs we saw many seniors doing lots of exercises.

Looking east at the passage at Lei Yue Mun

One time she said she saw a man probably in his 80s doing pull-ups on a bamboo bar held up by two trees and he even swung around the pole like a gymnast! Too bad she didn't have video evidence but I have to believe her...

The hike up to Devil's Peak wasn't too bad, very scenic and such a beautiful day with a breeze to keep us cool in the 25-degree heat. It's February!

We scrambled up to the top and it was quite amazing to be able to see practically a 180-degree view of Kowloon and Hong Kong. On Hong Kong Island you could see Siu Sai Wan all the way to Central, and from Kowloon the ICC Tower all the way to Kwun Tong.

And because of the view, my friend explained it was the lookout spot for pirates to control the passage of Lei Yue Mun, the eastern passage to Victoria Harbour. Later the British military chose the site for defense when it began colonizing Kowloon in 1898. 

Abandoned building taken over by a banyan tree

Also up there are the Gough Battery and Pottinger Battery used in World War II. I hear the sunset view from here is amazing too!

From there we walked down a set of stairs that led us to an abandoned area that she said locals jokingly referred to as "the Angkor Wat of Hong Kong" with banyan trees growing amid some ruins, but it was hardly even dramatic, nor were these ruins temples.

We continued down to Lei Yue Mun and checked out the Tin Hau temple -- a middle aged woman gruffly warned us not to take pictures inside the temple, but the views of the water crashing next to the building were beautiful to watch.

It's sad seeing the restaurants in the area shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic, otherwise they would be busy with tourists, while, locals are not interested in entertaining exorbitant prices for fresh seafood. Only a few street stalls selling traditional Chinese snacks were open, and trying to get anyone passing by to buy something.

Tin Hau Temple right by the water at Lei Yue Mun

Just steps from those stalls is an industrial area and then we suddenly came across a luxury residential area with vertical gardens. It was really bizarre. Beyond that was the shopping mall connected to Yau Tong MTR station.

We had lunch there and then went on with the rest of our afternoon.

HSBC's Lions Back on Display

Peter Wong (left) unveiled the return of Stephen and Stitt

The big news in Hong Kong today?

The HSBC lions are back on display!

Stephen and Stitt, named after two bank managers, were unveiled at HSBC headquarters in Central today, nine months after extensive cleaning when they were painted read and torched during last year's protests. 

Last year the lions were damaged by fire and paint

Protesters were angry the London-based bank had shut down the bank account for SparkAlliance, which was accused of funding the legal and medical costs for the protest movement. Hong Kong police shut down the account which had HK$70 million, and arrested four people on money laundering charges.

"Stephen and Stitt have watched over HSBC's main building for 85 years. Through good times and bad, they have been an enduring part of Hong Kong's story," said Peter Wong Tung-shun, deputy chairman and chief executive of HSBC Asia-Pacific.

"Many customers, employees and the general public told us how much they missed the lions, so we decided to put them back on display following the first phase of restoration. When the work is complete, they will look as impressive as ever.

The two lions have a long history with the bank that dates back to 1923. Stephen, the one growling, was named after Alexander Stephen the chief manager, and Stitt for Gordon Stitt, the Shanghai manager at the time.

The lions were designed by Henry Poole in England in 1921 and cast in bronze. Another pair of lions were designed for the Hong Kong headquarters which was opened in 1935. 

Stephen back to his old self growling again

Since then Stephen and Stitt have only left their posts twice: in World War II when they were consigned to Japan for scrap metal. But luckily an American sailor spotted them in a Japanese shipyard and were returned to Hong Kong in 1946.

Then in 1981 the lions were moved again this time to Statue Square while the new HSBC headquarters was being built. Four years later they were put back in place according to feng shui. 

 

Dogs Versus Cockroaches

Protesters call the police "dogs", while the police call protesters "cockroaches"

During the protests in Hong Kong that are sliding into the seventh month, the police and protesters have called each other names.

Right from the start when police were being heavy handed, protesters began calling them 狗 "dogs", a derogatory way of calling them not human. Police cars are called "dog cars" and police stations are "dog houses".

Some graffiti at the police station or "dog house"

Protesters have even thrown dog food at police.

Meanwhile a few months ago some police officers began calling protesters, volunteer medics and the media 蟑螂 or 甴曱 "cockroaches" which is hardly complimentary.

While it's also dehumanizing, it's several levels below a dog...

It may have started in a letter in August written by the chair of the Junior Police Officers Association, which denounced protesters as "no different from cockroaches".

For history buffs, this is similar to World War II, when Nazis called Jews rats, and Hutus involved in the Rwandan genocide called the Tutsi minority cockroaches.

 Chief inspector Tam Yu-hei says "cockroach" is a compliment

Earlier this week, on the RTHK program Hong Kong Connection, chief inspector Tam Yu-hei referred to the insults traded between protesters and police in these past seven months.

"Aren't cockroaches full of vitality and can survive in times of difficulties?" he argued.

When it comes to protesters using the word "dog", Tam says they police would rather see it as meaning loyal and obedient, adding his colleagues in the force were very professional and vowed not to be hostile towards anyone.

Uh-huh.

However in a regular press briefing, Tam's superior Superintendent Kwok Ka-chuen conceded: "It is not ideal to label a group of people as cockroaches. Tensions have risen between police and protesters, in the last few months... We hope members of the force can control their emotions in the field," he said.

In July, the Junior Police Officers Association started referring to protesters in its official statements as "cockroaches".

Cockroaches are known to be resilient in the face of adversity

When Superintendent Kong Wing-cheung from the Police Public Relations Branch was asked about this in August, he said the language was "not ideal", but added that all parties were "under a lot of stress".

That same month, Tsuen Wan district assistant commander Simon Southgate had to issue a reminder to his colleagues not to call protesters "cockroaches".

While the term "cockroach" is not an endearing one, maybe one could look at it as a sign of what's to come -- because regardless of what happens, cockroaches seem to survive just about anything.

Maybe protesters will be called yellow cockroaches?

Or would people just rather get the bug spray out?

Chinese and Polish Docs Looking for Hope

Photo of Tereska, a Polish Jew in an orphanage taken in 1948

The inaugural Hong Kong International Documentary Festival is on and I caught my colleague's short film called Gone With the Policy.

In 2017 the Beijing government wanted to keep the capital city's population under control and shave a  million or two people off the census. The easiest people to remove? Migrant workers and their children.

A migrant school in Beijing is slated for demolition ("chai")

It was heartbreaking to watch the scene of a migrant school in Chang Ping district, in the outskirts of Beijing being knocked down and the pile of rubble was still left there months later.

The principal of the school was keen to find another space and set up another school, having taught for 10 years. But by the time he secured the space and moved the desks and other furniture there, many families had left -- some even overnight -- which resulted in only four students signing up.

Unfortunately the principal had to admit defeat, while his subordinate, the vice principal wistfully remembers how the original school they had grew and how can the government deny these students an education? He hints at economic prejudices against them.

Students enjoying school, before it is torn down

Meanwhile a migrant worker in Beijing brings his two children, who were born in the city, back to his hometown. The older daughter seems shell shocked at the reality of having to make a new life in the countryside, where her grandmother doesn't understand what laundry detergent is, and wondering how she will continue her education, let alone get into university.

The vice principal points out many of the students' parents built the Bird's Nest for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but they also built much of Beijing as well. And what do they get for their contribution? Being shoved out of the city.

While the documentary is a bit rough around the edges, it is an important piece of evidence that documents the plight of migrant workers, who otherwise don't have much  of a voice in Chinese society let alone history.

Two people try to track down Tereska in old photos

The other film presented was called Searching for Tereska, a Polish documentary that has some fictional scenes in it.

In 1948, a Magnum photographer David Seymour took a haunting picture of a young girl with a bow in her hair. She is standing by the blackboard with a mass of circles she has drawn and a disturbed look on her face.

Fast forward to today, and a young man wants to find out who this girl is and if she is still alive. He enlists the help of a woman who seems very resourceful and determined, very much like a reporter.

They are warned at first by a group of Jews that they may not find the person, but on their journey they will meet many people. The latter was for sure. Their first clue was that she wrote her name, Tereska at the top of the black board. That was it.

Through some sleuthing they identify the building and from there go to a Jewish Centre that deals with survivors, a woman there believes the girl in the picture is her friend and so the couple meet her, but she is the wrong Tereska.

The poster for Searching for Tereska

And then they tracked down what they think is the building but the nun won't let them inside. They also try to find who they think is Tereska but it leads to a tombstone. They leave a note there, hoping someone will contact them, and the grandson does.

However, when he brings out a picture of his grandmother in her younger years, she doesn't look like the girl in the picture.

Then they hit upon a school and find very old registration records and even get copies of the contact sheets of the photographs David Seymour took. They get in touch with various experts to identify the school Tereska was in or where the building was located.

Finally the woman who showed them the school registration records realizes that perhaps because of her disturbed mental state, Tereska did not graduate with her grade, but after, which leads to a massive clue to help track her down...

At first I didn't know what was going on in the story, but as it kept going on, you as a viewer become more invested in the story and wonder if they will ever find an ending to their search (which they do). It makes you realize how important records are and that when buildings are torn down, memories and information are lost forever. And not just buildings, but people too, when they pass away.

But Tereska isn't the only one who was lost. There are thousands of other people who may not have been accounted for. Will anyone find them?



 

Munich's Pride and Joy: BMW

The BMW headquarters (left) and the museum (right)

You can't go to Munich and not go to the BMW Museum! We got there via a hop on, hop off bus and everyone gets off at this stop. Anyone who is a fan of the German "ultimate driving machine" comes here to make a pilgrimage. And if you really want, you can buy a BMW as a souvenir of your trip too.

This is the showroom across the street with a sleek bridge

The showroom is a massive building that includes the Mini, and you can buy not only the cars, but also lifestyle products, from jackets to baseball hats to suitcases and toy cars. Some people were trying on the cars for size, getting in and out of them, while others were there to pick up their cars and drive them off in a special exit driveway for them that looks space age (from what we could see from the outside).

Meanwhile across the street via a sleek elevated walkway, is the BMW headquarters, a distinctive building that looks like four vertical cylinders in a car engine, while the museum looks like the cylinder head, both designed by Austrian architect Karl Schwanzer.

They were built between 1968 and 1972, finished in time for the 1972 Summer Olympics and the BMW headquarters is very close to the Olympic Village, giving the company greater exposure.

Inside the showroom, many were eager to look at BMWs

One good tip is that because we took the hop on, hop off bus, the BMW Museum also gave us a few euros off on admission! Bonus!

The museum is laid out in a linear way and goes through the entire history of BMW. Its origins go back to World War I when an unknown aircraft engine manufacturer called Rapp Motorenwerke GmbH presented a newly and innovative aircraft engine to the Prussian military authorities, the company was renamed Bayerische Moteren Werke (BMW) in 1917.

This is also when BMW's logo was developed -- the company name in a black circle, with blue and white panels from the Bavarian national flag.

One of the early motorcycles BMW produced

From there the company designed engines for motorcycles and then cars in 1929. Up until World War II, BMW's main products were aircraft engines, motorcycles and cars. Then during the war the company focused on aircraft engines, and motorcycles were a sideline business, while car production was stopped altogether.

But during this time, the BMW factory in Eisenach, in central Germany, was in the Soviet-occupied zone, and so the Soviets produced pre-war BMW motorcycles and cars there until 1955. However, its Munich plant was completely destroyed and it took time for the company to not only rebuild but also find another means of business because BMW was banned from producing motor vehicles the Allies.

One of BMWs first Formula 1 cars in a beautiful shade of blue

As a result, BMW made pots and pans, other kitchen equipment and bicycles, and finally got permission from the United States to restart motor production, in particular motorcycles in 1947. BMW started manufacturing cars in the early 1950s which was good timing because by this point the market for motorcycles was saturated and people were starting to demand cars.

The company started making mini cars called Isetta, but it couldn't compete against the Volkwagen Beetle. But by the early 1960s BMW was back on its feet with investors showing faith in the company and not wanting to merge with Daimler-Benz, and new cars that had powerful engines.

The BMW 1600, my father's first BMW!

We got to see those motorcycles and early Formula 1 cars contrasting against today's models. You had to be a petite driver -- practically the size of a horse jockey -- to fit into the old school racing car. Even back in the late 1920s they already knew about aerodynamics, with one racer who broke time records with BMW-designed motorcycles with an aerodynamic body like a fish.

There are a lot of consumer cars on display -- the 1600 from 1966 was there -- my father's first BMW which was fun for him to reminisce about as well as other models. The Z3 was also there, which 007 drove in Goldeneye -- the first time James Bond drove a non-British car.

For design fans, there are 1:1 clay models and videos of how the engineers, designers and modellers need to work together to figure out how every detail of the car is going to look like. Another section of the museum also explains the need to transfer from fossil fuels to electricity, and shows off its BEVs or battery electric vehicles.

Contrast it with this futuristic car powered by fuel cells

If that visit to the museum doesn't inspire you to go buy a BMW I don't know what will. It definitely emits those aspiration vibes for those who want to buy their first car, or their next...! Fantastic marketing tool that BMW has done tastefully and not overtly.

And if you want a bite to eat, their cafeteria does pretty good food too!

Frankfurt: Goethe's House

Goethe was born here in 1749 in Frankfurt

I don't know much about Johann Wolfgang Goethe, I didn't study German nor am I familiar with his works. But I have visited the house he was born in 1749, in Frankfurt.

A portrait of the young Goethe

It's located near the subway station Willy Brandt Platz station and a few minutes' walk away -- near a Lululemon store! is the house.

It was sadly razed to the ground during the air raids in World War II -- but not before the items in the house were safely stored elsewhere. The house had to be rebuilt after the war and was painstakingly restored the best they could.

The furniture in the house isn't the original ones from the house as they had sold it in the late 1770s, but they are from the same period. A guide in the museum pointed out that the beautiful grandfather clock on the first floor was owned by Goethe's father's friend. And for the record, it has today's date -- May 8, 2019! Every 15 minutes it has a lively chime.

The Goethe family was pretty well off and this is already evident in the kitchen that had two maids and a cook. The kitchen even had a pump to a well -- they did not have to get water from a public well.

A lavish dining room in the house

Each room was tastefully decorated with wallpaper and beautiful furniture and chandeliers to match. There was a supposed "birth room" where Goethe was apparently born in, a dark green room, and there's even a puppet room with a small wooden stage for puppets to have a show.

There are a few keyboards, including an upright clavichord, and a room full of paintings that Goethe collected. These furnishing details give a great insight into what life was like in Frankfurt (for the wealthy) in the 18th century.

It was Goethe's grandmother, Cornelia Goethe who acquired the house in 1733 and Goethe was born there 16 years later. In 1755 Goethe's father Johann Caspar Goethe renovates the home into a prestigious residence, but Goethe leaves for Weimar 20 years later.

The grandfather clock that has 2019 on it!

It is quite evident that Goethe lived a comfortable life here and by the age of 25 became a literary celebrity following the success of his first novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther in 1774. He was quite accomplished -- not only did Goethe write novels and poems, but also literary criticism, studied law and was an accomplished artist whose drawings, some 2,600 of them still exist.

Goethehaus
Großer Hirschgraben 23-25
60311 Frankfurt am Main
 

Dresden's Treasures

 

A large bouquet of flowers made of mother of pearl

There's a lot to see within walking distance in Dresden, churches and museums each with their own story. Many intersect with World War II that was destroyed in air raids and buildings were slowly rebuilt.

One of these examples is the Frauenkirche or the Church of Our Lady. It was originally a Catholic church built in the 11th century in Romanesque style, but became Protestant during the Reformation. Hence the statue of Martin Luther in front.

The Frauenkirche rebuilt only recently

It has one of the largest domes in Europe at 96 metres high, called die Steinerne Glocke, or "Stone Bell". 

But in World War II it was severely damaged by air raids, the roof finally collapsing after having withstood two days and nights of attacks. The church was left in a pile of rubble for 45 years, because of Communist rule in East Germany, though the residents had already begun trying to salvage what they could and numbering them for future reconstruction.

That didn't happen until 1994, after Germany's reunification and raising money to rebuild Frauenkirche, which took 11 years and over 180 million euros. Some of the stone blocks are black, from the original building, but most are relatively new, a testament to the residents' determination to rebuild it also using the original plans.

Another jewel in Dresden is the Royal Palace or Residenzschloss. We came to see the Green Vault, which was amazingly not damaged during the air raids, and contains immense treasures royalty collected over the centuries.

The interior is stunning and awe-inspiring

The Historic Green Vault has its rules -- no bags or coats -- these must be placed at the coat check or in a locker, and you must be there at the time issued on your ticket, to limit the number of people in there. And at one point you must enter a room at most two by two into double doors, much like entering a jewellery store. It's that intense.

But it's worth the hassle -- the items they collected, from stunning wood carvings, mother-of-pearl decorating boxes, horns covered in carvings, massive silver platters, goblets, tiered platters lavishly decorated with tiny tea cups and the jewels! Massive rocks from diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies… how did they wear all that jewellery?

It was impressive to say the least. The Dresden Green Diamond is quite the stunner at 41 carats, decorated with two large diamonds and many smaller ones. For us plebs, we’d be happy with one small stone or two. They had hundreds of them. Even the rooms themselves are examples of the height of opulence, with each room decorated in a different colour and accentuated with curvy shaped mirrors framed in gold (of course).

Above the painted dome that is 96 metres tall

There’s tight security for the History Green Vault, but when it comes to the New Green Vault, visitors are taking pictures, and the stuff is still impressive, but not as much as those crazy jewels and boxes covered in glowing amber. There’s a massive display like a miniature stage filled with characters in a lavish set called The Throne of the Grand Mogul Aureng-Zeb.

August the Strong bought the work in 1709 for a massive sum at the time, and he and other royalty would buy items from jewellers and artisans, which ended up in this giant collection that reflects artistic and technical skills at the time. Interestingly they even used coconut shells to carve, and the stones of fruits. The ivory balls, with several balls inside look similar to the ones made in China – were they influenced by the Chinese? We didn’t get the audio tour to find out.

The Throne of the Grand Mogul Aureng-Zeb

Nevertheless the collection is stunning and worth just seeing for the admission alone (21 euros/$23.52). The upper floors are exhibition spaces and we saw one on Kandinsky and his woodblock prints.

Another place nearby worth checking out is Zwinger, another palace steps away from Residenzschloss that dates back to the 18th century, designed in the Baroque style by Matthaus Daniel Poppelmann for Augustus the Strong.

Zwinger means an enclosed killing ground in front of a castle or city gate, and this palace was formerly a fortress complete with a moat. The palace was used as one point to grow oranges, an exhibition space and festival area for the Dresden court.

It too was destroyed during World War II and luckily the art collection was evacuated earlier. Reconstruction began with the Soviets in 1945 and was completed finally in 1963, restoring Zwinger to its pre-war state.

Zwinger with the massive crown down at the other end

Walking into the massive courtyard leaves you in awe of such an amazing space and the giant crown at the top held up by four golden eagles. It is a replica of the Polish royal crown that Augustus the Strong wore from 1687 to 1704.

Visitors can see the massive amount of art amassed here, like the extensive porcelain collection of 20,000 pieces, with ceramics from Jingdezhen in China. There is also the Old Masters Picture Gallery that houses many well known paintings like Raffael's Die Sixtinische Madonna or two angels looking upwards, works by Van Eyck, Durer, Rubens, Rembrandt and Vermeer are here. The highlight is The Sistine Madonna by Raffael.

But it must also be amazing to come here to listen to live concerts that are put on here during the summer.
 

Berlin's Power Centre

The Brandenburg Gate symbolizes peace and unity in Germany and Europe

After our museum hopping, we headed to the Brandenburg Gate, the iconic symbol of Germany as well as of unity and peace. On the subway, the carriage windows are covered in the Brandenburg Gate logo. To see it in person is impressive.

The 18th century neoclassical monument was built on the orders of Prussian King Frederick William II. It is built on the site of the former city gate, located on the western part of Berlin's city centre. When King Frederick William II commissioned the gate, it was meant to represent peace.

Designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans, the gate features 12 Doric columns that form five passageways. At the top of the gate is a quadriga, a chariot drawn by four horses that were sculpted by Johann Gottfried Schadow.

A detail of the quadriga, a chariot drawn by four horses

The design of the gate was inspired by Propylaea, the gateway to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

When the Nazis ascended power, they appropriated the gate as a party symbol. During World War II the gate was damaged by bullets and nearby explosions. One of the horse's heads survived the war and is kept in a museum.

After Germany surrendered at the end of the war, both governments of West Berlin and East Berlin restored the gate as best they could. However, when the Berlin Wall was built dividing the city, that prevented access to the gate from 1961 until 1989, when the wall finally fell.

As a result of the wall being torn down, the gate again represented freedom and the desire to unite Berlin.

A short walking distance from the Brandenburg Gate is the Bundestag, or the German parliament. The building itself is called Reichstag. It's an impressive, large building that was enhanced with a glass dome designed by Sir Norman Foster that visitors can climb up to. However, you need to book tickets in advance so we couldn't get in. Something to keep in mind for next time...

The Reichstag, the building that housed the Bundestag

The building was opened in 1894, and it was mysteriously set on fire in 1933 -- probably by the Nazis -- who used the incident to suspend people's rights, arrest communists, and increase police action in the country.

By taking advantage of people's fears, Adolf Hitler was able to rise to power, as he portrayed himself as anti-communist.

The Reichstag was not fully repaired after the fire, and then it was further damaged by air raids. When the Cold War began, the building was basically left unused because the Berlin Wall was built right next to it, and the seat of government of West Germany moved to Bonn in 1949.

From 1961 to 1964, architect Paul Baumgarten reconstructed the building, stripping it back to its former glory.

When Germany was finally reunited in 1990, the ceremony was held at the Reichstag building, but it wasn't until two years later that Foster won the architectural contest to reconstruct the building, that was finally completed in 1999. The large dome gives visitors a 360 view of the city.

The German Chancellery that has some funny nicknames

Adjacent to the Reichstag is the German Chancellery where Chancellor Angela Merkel lives and works. Our taxi driver called it "Merkel House". The contemporary building that was opened in 2001 is the largest government headquarters building in the world at 12,000 square metres, which is 10 times the size of the White House.

Because of its massive size, the German Chancellery has some interesting nicknames. Because of its round shaped windows and cubic form, it's been called bundeswaschmaschine or "federal laundry machine" and elefantenklo or "elephant loo".

Reminder of the Past

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church with Huawei behind it

I have arrived in Berlin for a few days and so far it's been colder than I thought! I have had to put on more layers just to keep warm.

Nevertheless the city is an interesting mix of old and new, though most of the city was bombed out during World War II and some sections of the city had to rebuild from scratch.

The extremely intricate ceiling decorated in mosaics

But there are a few places that are purposely left in its damaged state as a reminder of what happened to the building.

One of them is the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. The project was initiated by Kaiser Wilhelm II to honour his grandfather, Kaiser Wilhelm I, and construction started in 1890, and completed in 1894. It was officially consecrated 1906.

However on November 23, 1943, the church was severely damaged by an air raid. Parts of it were salvaged and when you first see the building, there are parts of it that are completely bombed out, others in tact.

A mosaic on the floor shows an angel slaying a dragon

Upon entering, visitors are blown away by the intricate mosaics on the ceiling of the foyer -- most of it is still in tact and glittering in gold. There are mosaics on the floor too, painstakingly put together, including an image of an angel slaying a dragon by the entrance.

Flanking the bombed out church are two parts of the new church designed by architect Egon Eiermann. He preserved the spire, incorporating it into the new tower. However we weren't able to see it, as it is covered by scaffolding sponsored by Huawei -- which is intriguing. Have you seen Huawei sponsor the renovation of a cultural landmark, let alone a religious one?

Or did the company find that tower to irresistible for advertising to care that it's actually the church spire?

The new church has a wonderful glow from the stained glass

In any event, the lower building, the rebuilt church, features a honeycomb design of over 21,000 stained glass inlays.  The glass designer, Gabriel Loire, was inspired by the cathedral at Chartres, and at night when the glass is lit up, has a wonderful dark blue glow.

Remembering the War Dead

Hong Kong war veterans make their way among the tombstones

As a Canadian who has lived in Hong Kong on and off for 15 years I am embarrassed to say I only visited the Sai Wan War Cemetery today! This is where 228 Canadian soldiers were buried following the Battle of Hong Kong in December 1941.

They have been remembered ever year for the past 71 years since 1947, and today was no different.

The Canadian Consulate organizes the event every year and I was invited this time and jumped at the chance to visit the place and take part in the Canadian Commemorative Ceremony that is held on the first Sunday of December.

It meant waking up extra early to catch the shuttle bus in front of the General Post Office, but that is nothing compared to the sacrifice these soldiers made 77 years ago.

Veteran Peter Choi at 96 years of age

Originally the Japanese were allies of the British, but as the Japanese were occupying various Asian countries, there were concerns Hong Kong would be next.

To defend the British colony, Canada sent 1,975 soldiers from two battalions, the Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers, who sailed from Vancouver to Hong Kong on October 27, 1941.

They came to Hong Kong not knowing much about the place and immediately went about training and adapting to their new environment -- but they didn't have much time to prepare.

In the early morning of December 8, 1941, the Battle of Hong Kong erupted and the Canadian soldiers fought for 17 and a half days, but the Japanese were no match for them and Hong Kong surrendered on Christmas Day.

In the end 290 Canadian soldiers lost their lives defending Hong Kong, and 269 died as prisoners of war, making the total number of deaths at 559, and another 500 wounded. That means of the 1,975 Canadian soldiers who were sent to Hong Kong, 1,059 were either killed or wounded -- making this casualty rate one of the highest ones in any Canadian theatre of action during World War II.

The bus ride to the cemetery was very fast -- about 15 minutes and we had an hour to look around before the ceremony started. There was an exhibition of old photographs showing the Canadian soldiers in Hong Kong, out in the field training.

A number of wreaths were laid during the ceremony

One in particular shows a group of soldiers around a black sheepdog called Sergeant Gander who was the Royal Rifles of Canada's mascot. He was so loyal to the soldiers that he even died in battle on December 19, 1941.

During a Japanese attack, Gander picked up a grenade that had landed next to a group of soldiers and carried it away. It exploded and killed Gander instantly. He was posthumously awarded the Dickin Medal that honours animals who made great contributions during wartime.

There are 2,000 people buried here. Some of the Canadian tombstones do not have names, and if they do, they are soldiers who died mostly in their 20s. There are also British soldiers who were also in their 20s and 30s who are buried here, and there are plaques that recognize the Indians who fought in Hong Kong.

Meanwhile for the ceremony, there were many Hongkongers dressed in navy blue blazers, including Peter Choi, who I interviewed three years ago. He still looks good for 96! He is one of the last surviving soldiers who fought in the Battle of Hong Kong.

A soldier's grave decorated with poppy and flag

I made it down the stairs to where the ceremony would be held, and just before 10am, a single bagpiper performed for about 15 minutes as he led the procession of vets, including Choi, down the stairs.

Among the prayers, salutes and two minutes of silence, the Canadian Consul General Jeff Nankivell, who also speaks Cantonese and Mandarin, gave a bilingual speech in English and French. One remark he made was that these soldiers who died never became a teacher or builder, or become fathers and husbands, grandfathers, that they made this sacrifice for us.

His speech was followed by the laying of wreaths by a number of government and consular officials, veteran groups and community associations. Along with Choi, there was another elderly vet who fought in World War II and he was escorted by a representative from the Canadian Armed Forces.

We finally sang O Canada, which took on a very poignant meaning, and then the ceremony was over.

It was nice to see a good turnout, very young children to people in their 90s, and many students participated in the ceremony. What a beautiful day to come out and take time to reflect and remember those who sacrificed their lives to protect this city.  

Picture of the Day: World War II Memorial

Remembering the glorious dead from World War II here

Last weekend when I was out exploring Hong Kong with my cousin who was visiting, I took him to City Hall where I usually go to attend concerts. And I usually rush over there in the evenings and was  completely unaware there was a small building near the entrance.

It sits on top of a pool of water and it turns out it is a memorial shrine to those who died between 1941 and 1945.

The description says: "Inside the 12-sided Shrine are placed a Roll of Honours and wreaths. On the wall were inscribed these words: 'These had seen movement and heard music; known slumber and waking; loved;gone proudly friended'."

The plaque also adds the shrine is open on the first Sunday of every month from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

What a nice remembrance for these victims of war, and that it is open for people to come and honour them.