Picture of the Day: Grammar Gripes

What's wrong with this picture, besides the women?

The standard of English continues to drop in Hong Kong and no one seems to care or want to do something about it.

The latest faux pas is found in the MTR, where JCDecaux has placed ads in the trains promoting Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.

"Want To Take Selfie With Celebrities?" it asks.

Shouldn't it be, "Want To Take Selfies With Celebrities?" It's plural because there are more than one celebrities and selfie is a noun?

Last night we went to K11 mall in Tsim Sha Tsui to get to the hotel attached to it for a dinner. The basement of the mall says "Molecular Marche"... what exactly does that mean?

If you do know, please inform us! Inquiring minds want to know...

Where is Liu Xia?

An optimistic portrait of Liu Xiaobo and Liu Xia by Badiucao

Since Liu Xiaobo's funeral on July 15, after which his ashes were scattered at sea, there has apparently been no sighting of his wife Liu Xia.

Her US-based lawyer Jared Genser claims that she is being held in an undisclosed location by the Chinese government.

In a statement to AFP, Genser said: "I demand that Chinese authorities immediately provide proof that Liu Xia is alive and allow her unhindered access to her family, friends, counsel, and the international community."

Liu Xia watches her husband's ashes being scattered at sea

The United States, the UN high commissioner for human rights and Amnesty International have all called on Beijing to free Liu Xia, 56, from house arrest without charge since Liu Xiaobo won the Nobel Peace prize in 2010.

However, Beijing insists she is a free citizen, and that grieving for her husband's death has prevented her from getting in touch with friends or her lawyer.

The Nobel Peace Prize committee is very concerned about Liu Xia's condition, as she suffers from depression due to house arrest and constant surveillance that make it very difficult to have contact with anyone, even family members.

The Nobel Committee has called on the Chinese government to "lift all restrictions they have put upon her", adding: "If she wants to leave China, there is no justification for denying her the opportunity to do so."

In Hong Kong, protesters demand Liu Xia be released

A relative told the media this week that Liu Xia had returned to Beijing, but her whereabouts were unknown.

The Hong Kong-based Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said it was unable to contact her directly.

Activist Hu Jia noted while she may have returned to Beijing, she may not necessarily be at home.

"Her being back in Beijing and back in her apartment are two different things," Hu said. "She might still be locked up or she's been placed with relatives in Beijing upon returning to the city."

Why is Beijing so worried about what Liu Xia will say? Can we not even see if she is OK or not? Liu Xiaobo is in another place. Surely his wife can now live the rest of her days in peace?

Or are they hoping they can some how make her disappear so that we will forget her?

Civic Square May Reopen

When young people stormed Civic Square and surrounded by police in 2014

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is trying to score some brownie points, the latest being the possibility of re-opening Civic Square at Government headquarters after her predecessor Leung Chun-ying closed it in July 2014.

The shutting of the square inspired young people to climb over the fence and retake the area which resulted in the 79-day Umbrella Movement.

Carrie Lam made election pledge to reopen Civic Square

Lam made a campaign promise to re-open the 1,000-square metre area after relevant management and security studies are completed in three months.

"Even from the perspective of the government's dignity, I think the forecourt outside the east wing of the headquarters should be reopened," she said, adding the new government had adopted an "open and positive" attitude on the matter.

Since Lam is willing to be "open and positive" about this matter, we'll take it.

Interestingly, there is currently a judicial challenge filed in court by retired photojournalist Cheung Tak-wing, who believes Civic Square should be open because it's a government building, which belongs to taxpayers, in other words, the public.

Is Civic Square on public or private property?

However, the government claims that as the landowner, it has the right to exclude the public from using the forecourt.

Lam may declare the area open before the challenge begins in court on August 23, which would make the court case moot, but it would still be interesting to go through the legal challenge so that we all know who is correct in this matter.

Decimated Pan-Democrats

Can the pan-democrats keep up the fight after all the antics they've done?

The pan-democrats really need to think hard about how they want to represent the people of Hong Kong after four lawmakers were removed from office for improper oath taking in the Legislative Council.

Last week Nathan Law Kwun-chung, Leung Kwok-hung, Edward Yiu Chung-yim and Lau Siu-lai were followed by the media as they cleared from their offices in Legco and walked out together, vowing to come back.

Nathan Law's picture of his empty office at Legco

The Hong Kong government had asked the High Court to disqualify the four from their seats, arguing they had broken Hong Kong's Oaths and Declarations Ordinance, and Judge Thomas Au agreed on July 14, referring to a controversial interpretation issued by China's National People's Congress (NPC) standing committee last November.

"Solemnity and sincerity" were qualities required retroactively by the NPC standing committee, a move that sparked protests and fears over the erosion of the city's judicial independence and political autonomy.

"The sole remaining channel for elected representatives to supervise the administration and the chief executive has now been lost," Leung said after the ruling. "This is a result that no Hong Kong person should accept."

Lawmaker Chu Hoi-dick after his appearance in court

Fast forward to yesterday, and a legal bid by a retiree to unseat another pan-democrat, Chu Hoi-dick failed due to the person's inability to pay the security cost on time to start the legal battle.

Even though Chu must have been relieved, he was still cautious afterwards outside the court.

"There is still nothing to be happy about," he said, claiming the central government had used the oath-taking issue as "an excuse to attack the Hong Kong legislature and to rewrite the result of the last Hong Kong Legislative Council elections".

As a voter in last year's elections, I am extremely disappointed that the pan-democrats have lost a crucial balance of power in Legco due to both their silliness in not respecting the oath-taking process, and for the Hong Kong government in going after them in such an aggressive legal manner.

Now the pro-establishment have the edge they need to be able to change Legco rules to limit filibusters and pass some controversial legislation, like the lease agreement at the new cross-border express rail link at the terminus in West Kowloon.

Yau Wai-ching raises eyebows with her swearing-in

The four include the other two Youngspiration lawmakers, Sixtus Baggio Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-ching who totally disrespected the oath by displaying a banner that read "Hong Kong is not China" and in their oaths said "Cheena" instead of "China" and using swear words.

The Hong Kong government (and Beijing) are desperate to keep their advantage in Legco, but they do not reflect public sentiment. Public opinion now -- not elected politicians -- will have to be the last resort in pushing back against the Lam administration and Sai Wan.

There will be by-elections for the four seats lost, but can the pan-democrats regain them again? Respect for them is eroding too, after all the antics we've seen since the election.

The pan-democrats will have to work extra hard to regain our trust, though the alternative is too unsavoury for many of us to swallow...