Education Chief Promotes More Putonghua Learning

Students need to learn more Mandarin for better opportunities

The Hong Kong Education Bureau claims news reports saying the city was considering switching the medium of instruction for Chinese lessons in Mandarin rather than Cantonese are "inaccurate".

However when Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin was interviewed by state-run Global Times, she said that "if conditions are met, schools can use Putonghua to teach the Chinese language subject." 

Choi says Putonghua should be used in schools

In the interview published on Monday, Choi said the young generation in Hong Kong would "suffer losses" in terms of opportunities arising from China's rapid development if they could not speak Mandarin.

Therefore, she said, schools must teach subjects in Mandarin rather than Cantonese. 

But the Education Bureau claimed some media outlets misinterpreted Choi's remarks as meaning Mandarin would be the teaching language of choice for all schools and would be comprehensively implemented.

Instead the bureau clarified that such policies would depend on the school's situation, "including the level of readiness among teachers, the Mandarin capability of students, the language environment on campus, the curriculum, and support available for learning and teaching."

The bureau also said that "teaching Chinese in Putonghua" has always been a long-term target in the Chinese language curriculum since 2002, and this policy has not changed.

However, if Choi is giving this big hint that students should further brush up on their Mandarin in order to compete with peers on the mainland, she should be appealing to the parents, as they are the ones who would prefer their children have good English skills to keep their employment options open.

Students are already learning Mandarin

Also, is Choi also suggesting that the level of Mandarin in schools is bad? Then whose fault is that? Perhaps better teachers should be hired? Oh wait thousands of them have left Hong Kong?

There was also a time when suddenly teachers in Hong Kong had to teach subjects in Cantonese rather than English because the government seemed to think students did not have a good grasp of what was going on in the class. This was difficult for teachers to do, who had for years and decades taught the subject in English. 

And now the government wants teachers to teach in Mandarin instead of Cantonese... 

Blame Game Begins of Mirror Concert

The moment the large screen fell was witnessed by hundreds

The news of what happened Thursday night at the concert by Mirror at the Hong Kong Coliseum is shocking and tragic, after a giant screen came loose from the two metal cords it hung from, and fell a dancer. He is in a serious condition after two surgeries on his spine and he may be paralysed; another escaped with minor injuries.

There are reports of people in the audience screaming in terror, witnessing the horrific incident, and as they are Mirror fans, they were even more mortified -- some even fainted. 

Mirror member Chan also had a mishap

There were already concerns about the stage being safe after one member of Mirror, Frankie Chan Sui-fai, fell off the stage in an earlier show. He popped up immediately saying he was fine, but his fans soon after set up an online petition in a bid to get the organisers to pay more attention to the group's safety.

Apparently they did not heed their concerns fast enough.

Meanwhile the government is involved as the coliseum in Hung Hom is a government-owned venue. And naturally the authorities have blamed concert organisers for the mishap.

What is ironic is that hundreds of fans are allowed to gather in this venue, and yet bars and clubs in Hong Kong are yet to be allowed to have live music, and patrons must conduct a rapid antigen test the day and have a negative result in order to go in.

The parents of the injured dancer are flying in from Toronto, and they still have to go through seven days of hotel quarantine before being able to see their son. There are quibbles that the government helped them secure a quarantine hotel reservation when others have tried to see their loved ones when they were seriously ill or before their passed, and had to jump through numerous bureaucratic hoops.

The fate of Mirror is now in doubt with this terrible incident -- will the group continue to be just as popular? Or will people protest the owner ViuTV, which has been criticised in the past for exploiting the 12-member group and cutting corners to keep costs down.

The band is super popular in Hong Kong

And ViuTV is owned by? PCCW, which is owned by Pacific Century Group, which is owned by? Richard Li Tzar-kai, Li Ka-shing's son.

Not a good look, is it?

In the coming days there will be more questions for ViuTV, and by extension Richard Li that they need to answer for.

His company is so obsessed with profits that performers' safety was not a priority.

It reminds me of the rock band Van Halen. In the backstage set up for their concert, they stipulated in their contracts that they wanted a bowl of the candy M&Ms -- but all the brown ones taken out.

If the brown M&Ms were found in the bowl, the promoter would have to forfeit the entire show at full price.

The dancer is critically injured, possibly paralysed

Why did Van Halen do this?

To make sure the concert promoter read the entire contract carefully. They brought a lot of expensive equipment and lights with them on tour and wanted to make sure everything was set up carefully -- and safely.

If they saw brown M&Ms backstage, then they knew right away the promoter did not read the contract carefully and that meant checking that every thing was set up properly to ensure the safety of everyone, from the performers to the fans.

It is sad to think the members of Mirror had no say in how safe the stage was in the Hong Kong Coliseum, and that even fans' concerns went unheeded...

On the Raptor Patrol

View from our restaurant watching life go by on the water

Today a friend arrived from Hong Kong to spend a few hours in Vancouver before flying to Toronto. Where to take him for a good impression of the city?

We went to Granville Island, which is below the Granville Street Bridge before crossing downtown. Granville Island used to be a sandbar before it was reclaimed land and then was a manufacturing industrial area, making heavy machinery for mining and forestry.

Then in 1979 the area was converted into a farmers' market where they could sell fresh produce directly to consumers, from vegetables and fruits to cheese, meats, honey and bread. Now there are also chocolates, bagels and cakes.

Poquito with his handler

As usual there was already a line at Lee's Donuts, and we spotted many people carrying the distinctive yellow box filled with freshly made donuts.

Before our lunch we hung out by the water when a guy with a raptor called Poquito came by. It was a medium-sized bird, its legs shackled and one leg even had a bell attached. 

He explained they were patrolling the area around lunchtime to deter seagulls from stealing people's food.

Yes -- it does happen! There have been local reports of these hungry birds swooping down to steal a slice of pizza when someone's not looking.

So as of last February, raptors and their handlers patrol the area. Poquito's owner explained just the raptor's presence alone was enough to deter the seagulls from coming too close, though sometimes he might be let loose from the roof of the public market and fly around to stretch his wings a bit.

I'd read about these birds of prey hanging out at Granville Island and now I got to see one in person!

Booming Light Display

The show began with a big red boom

After two years of the pandemic shut down large gatherings, the Celebration of Light, a fireworks competition is back on in Vancouver.

Three countries compete, and this year it's Japan, Canada and Spain in this order. Last Saturday it was the Land of the Rising Sun, and today it's Canada's turn.

We had the opportunity to go to a family friend's apartment right by the water in the West End where we could get a totally unobstructed view of the barge. However, that meant getting there very early as the police close the roads. 

Lovely sunset this evening in the West End

It says 7pm but we got there at 6pm and they were already blocked off and no officers manning them so we had to drive through an alley to get to the apartment building.

We brought dinner with us and heated it up, chatted for a while and then had our meal of ribs, rice with Chinese sausage, chicken and mushroom, and stirfried vegetables. 

Then we had to wait and wait and wait for the sun to go down -- for the show to start at 10pm.

We were not disappointed! As there has been no fireworks in Hong Kong (OK except for tiny ones on midnight January 1 this year), I've been looking forward to seeing this show. 

There's two barges attached to each other lengthwise, hardly like the three to four barges in Hong Kong.

Nevertheless the crowd seemed much more appreciative here, with people hollering and boats in the area blowing horns.

There were a few fireworks I hadn't seen before, including half circles, and even a rectangular-shaped one! The Canadian team made good use of the low-flying fireworks as an opportunity for the skies above to clear a bit, and some red fireworks even landed in the water and continued to glow for quite a while.

Enjoyed the view from up here

After it was all over, the crowds started leaving, but we had to wait until the area was cleared, which meant waiting at least another hour and a half. So we cut up a sweet watermelon and enjoyed several slices before finally the roads were cleared and most people had gone.

Late night but it was still worth it for the view!

Government Honours Loyalty

Lee given the highest award, the Grand Bauhinia Medal

The Hong Kong government has released its 2022 Hong Kong Honours List, and former chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor made sure she recognised those who stuck by her through thick and thin.

Most notable?

The Grand Bauhinia Medal is awarded to seven people, including current leader John Lee Ka-chiu. Even though he and Lam blundered in proposing the extradition bill in 2019 that led to massive street protests and stepping up violent police action against the protesters.

Chan bungled Covid response but still awarded

Instead he is recognised for his "dedicated and distinguished public service to the Government and the Hong Kong community over the past 44 years, particularly his sterling contributions during his tenure as the Secretary for Security and the Chief Secretary for Administration," the citation reads. 

"With his strong commitment to Hong Kong and outstanding ability and experience in public administration, he assisted the then Chief Executive in rising to the challenges and played an instrumental role in co-ordination in policy formulation and implementation, making significant contributions to Hong Kong."

Others who were rewarded for their loyalty include: former secretary for food and health Sophia Chan Siu-chee, pro-Beijing executive councillor Ronny Tong Ka-wah, former secretary for education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung (formally he has dropped "Chris"), former secretary for transport and housing Frank Chan Fan, and ICAC head Simon Peh Yun-lu.

Dover led police response to protests in 2019

Another notable person is assistant commissioner of police Rupert Dover, who lead the operations against the protesters in 2019, and Peter Lam Kin-ngok, owner of various restaurants including three Michelin starred 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo, former chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board and now the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council.

On Twitter people were wondering how Lee will award himself his own medal...

Other notable honourees who deserve the recognition include Olympic cyclist Sarah Lee Wai-sze, radio DJ Reinaldo Maria Cordeiro otherwise known as Uncle Ray, Olympic swimmer Siobhan Bernadette Haughey, and fencer Cheung Ka-long.

Cheung won gold in fencing in Tokyo Olympics

While no date has been set yet on when the actual awards will be handed out, we are still wondering... will Lee just pin the medal on himself?

NSL Indoctrination Begins

University students must now pass a class on NSL to graduate

The Hong Kong Education Bureau is making sure students are learning about the national security law with university students having to take a non-credit course on the subject in order to graduate.

In an email sent to all University of Hong Kong students on Monday, students must enrol in a course titled "Introduction to the Constitution, the Basic Law and the National Security Law" from the 2022-23 academic year.

HKU will offer the course in September

The HKU course will be taught online with a "self-directed learning approach" -- whatever that means.

"Students will have the flexibility to take this course in any semester throughout their period of study and there is NO NEED TO ENROL in this course during the upcoming course selection and/or add/drop period," the notice says, adding students just need to pass the course without further details.

It's not just this university but also the other seven that will launch or have already started offering national security courses.

Ming Pao reported that the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University will begin offering the NSL course the upcoming school year.

Baptist U has incorporated NSL in seminars

Meanwhile, Hong Kong Baptist University, the Education University of Hong Kong, Lingnan University and City University of Hong Kong have already incorporated national security content into their curriculum in the format of seminars and workshops, according to Ming Pao.

But don't think that young children have escaped the opportunity to learn about NSL -- the Education Bureau has collaborated with the Security Bureau to create picture books for pupils in kindergarten, primary and secondary schools "to raise the sense of national security," said Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin.

"... [the Education Bureau], together with the Security Bureau will gift all secondary and primary schools, and kindergartens, a picture book titled 'Our Country, Our Safety', and introduce a sense of national security and raise students' awareness and sense of responsibility of maintaining national security through various themes and real-life examples."

Wonder what examples Choi has in mind...

Kindergarten pupils to get NSL picture books

She added the EDB will also provide subsidies of around HK$50 million for secondary and primary schools, and HK$10 million for kindergartens to promote reading. 

Ostensibly reading NSL-and patriotic education-related materials...

Football Action Under the Dome

The view from our box had a great view of the pitch

Last night I had a chance to watch some footie action -- the local Vancouver Whitecaps against the Chicago Fire in BC Place.

A family friend had scored a corporate box for the game after having the winning bid in a charity auction. So he invited 14 other friends and family to come.

There's no more paper tickets -- you have to download the ticket from an email into your Apple wallet on your phone or on Ticketmaster. We had some issues with my ticket and had to wait in line to get this sorted. No wonder each customer took forever because it was all technical issues in learning how to download the ticket.

Once that was sorted the next issue was security checks. Luckily I had brought a small handbag because people are only allowed to bring small bags or clutches into the stadium. They even measured it and looked inside my bag for security reasons -- twice.

Finally we made it through the metal detector -- I had to walk through without my handbag -- and then we were inside the corporate box area. 

Each room can accommodate up to 15 people, where there are some seats inside the stadium facing the pitch, and they are pretty close, and open. Inside each room is a bar table with some seats around it, some bar seats facing the pitch. The rest of the people have to stand. 

It's a great way for people to socialise and have comfortable seating and access to drinks and snacks, and a dedicated server comes in and out to bring food and clear plates and glasses. 

Whitecaps ambassador Valentine visits fans

Interestingly hosts are encouraged to order food in advance and the family friend was told the portions were enough for 15 people. But in reality it was enough for only a fraction of that which was misleading. Also if you over order, you can't take the leftover food home! It's quite the dilemma.

And if you're special, a former Whitecaps player will visit your VIP box, shake hands, chit chat and take pictures, which is what Carl Valentine did for us. He's now a staff coach and ambassador for the Whitecaps.

Oh and the game? Sadly the Whitecaps were not in top form and were outrun by the more organised Chicago who won 3-1.

The highlight was watching the dance section in the half time, where the camera focused on people around the stadium. As soon as they realised they were on the big screen they made sure they danced even harder. One guy with long hair kept twirling his head like a clothes dryer on high spin.

Nevertheless it was fun being in the box. Who knows the next time I'll have an opportunity like that!

Community Group Masks Up

Shi and Ly have been handing out N95 masks since May

While Hong Kong still continues to insist that people wear masks despite the hot and humid temperatures in the mid 30s, the health authority in British Columbia has been wishy-washy in advising the public.

On the one hand it warns people that the seventh wave is here, but then stops short of insisting on a mask mandate and giving out second boosters unless people are 70 years old and older or immunocompromised.

This has frustrated two people in Vancouver that they have taken matters into their own hands and have started handing out N95 masks to people for free on the street.

Mostly Chinese seniors and families get masks

Jane Shi and Vivian Ly are the organisers of Masks4EastVan, which they started in May, two months after BC lifted mandatory masking requirements in most indoor spaces.

"We're still in the middle of the pandemic. It's not over," Ly said. "We're seeing this kind of dissonance where... cases [are] still going up, but there aren't enough public health measures to fill in those gaps.

"We're left to fill these gaps in ourselves with these kinds of community initiatives."

So far they have handed out 4,000 masks and 250 rapid antigen tests since Masks4EastVan began, to mostly Chinese seniors and families.

Officials say those who choose to wear a mask "should be supported", but it is a personal choice under provincial guidelines.

The community group, which is funded by donations, is also receiving requests from Downtown Eastside residents and long-term care workers.

They want to hand out 12K masks

"We're hoping to distribute 12,000 masks by the end of the year," Shi and Ly said. "What we want is a collective response to this pandemic, not an individual one."

Others have said they are done with Covid-19, but the reality is that it is not done with us.

Anecdotally there are more people that I know who are getting infected, and the best and cheapest way to protect oneself (other than being a hermit) is to wear a mask when interacting with others.

The BC health authorities really need to step up and strongly advise people to wear masks instead of letting them be. While symptoms are mild, it's better to avoid the possibility of long Covid, so why not do that by wearing a mask?

Going Local Picking Blueberries

 

Blueberries are now ripe and ready for picking at the farm

Every year when I used to visit Vancouver I only had time to see friends and family for lunches and dinners, do a few errands in between and then I had to fly back to Hong Kong.

Now that I'm here I have a lot of time to do some summer activities, like berry picking!

I missed the strawberry season, but now blueberries are ripe and we went to Emma Lea Farms in Delta to pick them.

Blueberry bushes at Emma Lea Farm in Ladner

This farm has been around since 1885 in Ladner. To get there you have to cross an old wooden bridge which is quaint, but can only hold one car at a time.

When we drove there and stopped (because cars were crossing in the opposite direction), a black SUV passed us and my cousin had to honk at them to stop.

The car stopped in its tracks, finally realising what was going on and that we didn't stop for no reason.

And yes, that car went to the same farm as us, and yes they were Chinese...

The farm announced that blueberries were ready to be picked yesterday and we came today, the weather not too hot and a bit of wind, and most importantly we found a parking spot under a tree. We slathered on the sunscreen even though we wore a hat and long sleeves.

To keep things consistent, the farm sells different sized buckets for people to pick berries -- they aren't weighed after. A large bucket is over CAD$50, and I got a medium-sized one that holds 7 litres for CAD$42.

Don't forget to pick blueberries near the ground

We walked out to the fields past where pumpkins were being grown -- for the fall. Then there were several rows of blueberry bushes! We immediately got to work and it wasn't hard to find ripe blueberries. Of course the kids had fun picking and eating them at the same time. They also encountered spiders and learned to leave them alone.

Riper blueberries were in the middle of the row and we kept moving along picking as we went. It was also handy the farm had wagons we could borrow for the kids when they were tired.

It wasn't until we were almost finished filling the larger bucket that we found even bigger blueberries. I bought the second bucket and began picking these bigger berries. In a very short time two of us adults were able to fill it very quickly. It was such a fun thing to do with the kids and wasn't too hot either.

Did I mention the vast majority of the other pickers either spoke Mandarin or Cantonese?

Does this look heart-shaped to you?

In under two hours we picked a lot of blueberries. I put mine into four plastic bags and in the freezer.

Nom nom nom all summer...

Picture of the Day: Tennis Ball Furniture

Tennis ball furniture, anyone?

I don't know if these chairs are comfortable, but at least the material is being reused.

Sports for Hope Foundation has teamed up with Hong Kong designer and Goods of Desire owner Douglas Young to create furniture from used tennis balls that were collected at 16 private clubs and five Leisure and Cultural Services Department tennis courts across the city.

They are currently on display at Lee Theatre, across from Times Square shopping mall in Causeway Bay until the end of July.

It is estimated that over 2 million tennis balls are used each year in Hong Kong. That's a lot of tennis which is great, but then what does happen to these balls when they go soft and are unusable anymore?

Oldenburg made big versions of everyday objects

"I think most of us do not realise used tennis balls can cause such a huge environmental issue," said Young in a press release. 

"I am so grateful to be offered the opportunity to help. In making the world a better place, these amazing pieces of environmentally friendly artwork are born. The lesson I have learned is to never underestimate the creative potential of the most ordinary things we have around us."

That led me to think of artist Claes Oldenburg who died earlier this week at the age of 93. The Swedish-born American Pop artist took everyday objects and made them huge, placing them in outdoor landscapes. They made viewers look at ordinary things differently, with a dose of whimsy.

Tennis balls should definitely be reused some way -- and hopefully it's not just as art pieces, but in ways that can be useful to others.

Yuen Long Attacks Changed HK

Men with sticks attacked MTR passengers in Yuen Long MTR

In Hong Kong it is the third anniversary of July 21, 2019.

Two incidents happened -- protesters went to the liaison office in Western district and splashed black paint on the Chinese emblem. That led to Beijing stepping up its management of the protests; it denounced the vandalism of its property, particularly the emblem, and state media began reporting on the protests, calling the people actively involved as "rioters". 

Chinese emblem at liaison office was defaced

Up until that point all the protests had been censored on the mainland.

Then the other event that happened that shocked the city and beyond -- was the attack of innocent people at the Yuen Long MTR station by men in white shirts with sticks ranging from bamboo sticks to metal rods.

These people purposely wore masks and indiscriminately beat people, from young and old, even a pregnant woman. There are horrific images of people bloodied in the face, welts on their backs, screaming for mercy and traumatised for life.

It was a planned attack, orchestrated by whom is unclear, though pro-Beijing legislator Junius Ho Kwan-yiu seems to have been involved, seen shaking the hands of men dressed in white.

And the police were no where to be found, leaving people to fend for themselves.

One reporter was on the scene, Gwyneth Ho Kwai-lam, who was with Stand News at the time, filming not only on the chaos, but herself being beaten by a middle aged man in a pink shirt. Is he in jail? Strangely Ho is.

A chef whose back was covered in welts

Other journalists have tried to get to the bottom of the incident. RTHK produced a documentary on Hong Kong Connection called "7.21: Who Owns the Truth." It analyses and identifies individuals suspected to have participated in the Yuen Long attacks based on surveillance footage that day from nearby businesses.

It also questions the slow police response to the incident, why it took them 39 minutes to finally arrive at the scene.

After the documentary was broadcast on July 13, 2020, the government began dismantling the publicly-funded broadcaster, cancelling hard-hitting current affairs shows, resulting in journalists either being let go or fired. 

That was not all -- the government prosecuted one of the producers of the documentary, Bao Choy, for misrepresenting herself when she filled out a Transport Department form, requesting information on the owners of cars that were caught on camera leaving the scene in Yuen Long based on license plate numbers. 

Choy was convicted for finding info on attackers

Apparently on the form there was no option to choose requesting information for media purposes, and she was convicted of misstating her intentions and fined HK$6,000 (US$764). She had pleaded not guilty.

After that the Transport Department made it harder for people to request information based on license plates, terminating one of the ways journalists can do investigative reporting.

Choy did not let go of the 7-21 incident.

A few days ago she and a few colleagues produced another documentary, talking to three witnesses that night. One couple even took 4K pictures of the assailants that clearly identify their faces. They gave these images to the police but to no avail; only a handful of the over 200 attackers have been charged and convicted.

Choy is now doing a fellowship at Harvard University. But the chances of her coming back to Hong Kong are even slimmer after this latest documentary.

Lam was grilled by reporters the next day

Remember the day after the incident? Then chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her senior ministers held a press conference on the afternoon of July 22 and she was unprepared for the reporters grilling her, in particular RTHK's Nabela Qoser.

She asked questions in Cantonese like: "Did you learn about it only this morning? Were you able to sleep well last night?"

Lam looked like a deer in headlights and cut short the press conference. Embarrassing really for a woman who is known for micromanaging and always wanting to be the best. 

And it was a sign that Lam was no longer in control of the government response to the protests -- Beijing was.

We are all still processing what happened, frustrated there has hardly been any justice for the victims. Another documentary interviewed an elderly woman who injured her knee in the Yuen Long station and had to get surgery. Previously fit and taught dancing to elderly people, she cannot do this anymore, and her mobility is severely restricted by this injury. Thinking back to the event traumatises her, still shocked at what happened.

Looks like collusion between police and attackers

Meanwhile the government has been trying to change the narrative of this incident, now saying both sides were evenly matched which one would like to laugh at, but the injuries were so graphic that one can only have even further resentment at the authorities for not taking witnesses seriously.

They were also caught on camera communicating with men in white shirts, not even investigating or interrogating them.

As a result the Yuen Long attacks also abruptly ended any respect Hongkongers had for the police, from then onwards calling them "black police", not trusting them. Some are traumatised at the sight of these people in uniform even three years later.

So much happened as a direct result of July 21, 2019.

Which is is why we will never forget it.

Lam's New Bling Digs

Lam's office will be at Pacific Place One in Admiralty

There was a lot of excitement and confusion when former TVB anchor Chris Wong posted on social media that former chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was spotted in Heathrow Airport in London, appearing to be transferring to go somewhere else.

Ex-TVB anchor misreported Lam being in the UK

But it turned out to be a lot of baloney when she was photographed at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai the day before the Hong Kong Book Fair opened.

She was there having breakfast alone before attending a seminar held by a pro-Beijing think tank.

There was a flurry of comments wondering why Lam would be in the UK when she has been sanctioned there.

Nevertheless, there is definitely brouhaha over the news that she has an office -- she has retired, why does she need an office? -- in Pacific Place -- and that it will cost a whopping HK$22 million (US$2.8 million) over three years.

She is still in HK, spotted here at HKCEC

And yes, taxpayers must foot the bill.

The 2,874 sq ft space above the shopping mall in Admiralty will cost HK$377,000 per month in rent for a three-year contract.

The space is being renovated at the tune of HK$8.7 million.

Since the time of Tung Chee-hwa as the first chief executive, each successive leader has had an office set up for them by the government so that they can perform such activities as "receiving visiting dignitaries and delegations, giving local and overseas media interviews, and taking part in speaking engagements."

The offices of previous leaders have been situated in a historic building in Mid-Levels, and so Lam's office will be the first one located on commercial property.

It doesn't seem like there was any discussion about how much rent taxpayers should be shelling out for an office for arguably the most hated chief executive (so far). Nor does there seem to be any discussion of a tender...

And as a former chief executive her perks include having a chauffeur, a senior personal assistant and an assistant clerical officer.

Lam's office is the first on commercial property

It seem the cost of her office is way more than the previous three chief executives combined at only HK$11.4 million for 2020-21.

Dominic Lee Tsz-king of the New People's Party seems to be the only one grumbling about Lam's office, describing it as "too expensive and unnecessary."

"I don't understand why a separate office needs to be rented in such a premium location... so much taxpayers' money will be spent," he said.

Indeed, many are wondering the same thing.

John Lee's "Press Freedom"

Lee says media can help promote "one country, two systems"

Before John Lee Ka-chiu became Chief Executive of Hong Kong, he claimed press freedom existed in the city and therefore there was no need to defend it.

"Freedom of the press always exists in Hong Kong. I think there's no need to use the word 'defend' because it exists and we attach great importance to press freedom. But press freedom needs to fulfil the requirements of the law. Hong Kong is a place with rule of law, any action or activities must be lawful," he said in April.

Apple Daily was shut down under Lee's watch

But what is the definition of press freedom? According to Merriam-Webster: "the right of newspapers, magazines, etc to report news without being controlled by the government".

May we remind him that Reporters Without Borders recently ranked Hong Kong's press freedom at 148 out of 180 countries, when last year it was at No. 80 and in 2002 at No. 18.

So it's intriguing for Lee to now say the media and him "are in the same boat", and that he hoped the news sector would help him in promoting the accomplishments of the "one country, two systems" principle to the world.

"We have to publicise the successful experience of One Country, Two Systems to the world, and [publicise] Hong Kong's extraordinary achievements under its unique advantages," Lee said during a video call at a Handover anniversary event hosted by the pro-Beijing Hong Kong Federation of Journalists.

Stand News editor arrested, later shut down

"We need to use all possible means, from newspapers, TV [and] radio to the internet, new media and social media, to promote the competitiveness of Hong Kong from all directions," Lee added.

He ended his speech saying he and journalists are "in the same family" and "in the same boat."

It's ironic for him to say that when he was Secretary for Security Apple Daily and Stand News were investigated and shut down, and other smaller independent media outlets closed out of fear of the national security law.

How are him and journalists in the same boat?

And what successes has Hong Kong had lately to merit trumpeting "one country, two systems"? In the last few years "two systems" are fast becoming one.

Lee will continue to use this kind of gaslighting language -- and how much longer will its residents withstand living in this parallel universe?

The only achievement in the last few years was to drive people and companies away from Hong Kong due to the national security law and the severely restrictive Covid-19 regulations that have strangled any opportunity to revive the city's economy...

More Reasons Not to Violate NSL

Tong is spending 9 years in jail, must pay HK$1.38M in fees

Last July, Tong Ying-kit was the first person to be convicted and sentenced under the national security law.

He was handed a six-and-a-half year sentence for the charge of inciting secession for carrying a large banner on the back of his motorcycle with the now outlawed slogan, "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times".

Tong on July 1, 2020 with the subversive banner

Tong was also sentenced to eight years in jail for terrorism, for crashing his motorcycle into a group of police officers on July 1, 2020, injuring three. Of his two sentences, 2.5 years will run consecutively, which means the 25-year-old will serve nine years in total.

Now a year later, Tong has been slapped with a massive legal bill -- HK$1.38 million -- for two failed legal challenges.

It is impossible for him to pay this bill, and crowdfunding will probably be considered aiding and abetting.

We already saw this happen a few months ago when domestic helpers in Hong Kong were being fined HK$5,000 (US$637) for not social-distancing because of the Covid-19 pandemic. There was no way they could pay the fine and an expatriate came up with a crowdfunding exercise called Helping Helpers to help pay for these fines.

Over HK$107,000 was raised in days.

Later the then Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong announced his department would consult the Department of Justice on the matter, claiming the fundraising effort was "maliciously obstructing our whole anti-epidemic effort".

Helpers fined HK$5K for not social-distancing

It is virtually impossible for helpers to pay these fines when they make a minimum salary of HK$4,630 a month.

The crowdfunding immediately stopped and all the money was returned to the donors.

So with Tong's case, it is obvious the government continues to weaponise the judicial system in a bid to further deter others into not challenging it in the courts.

In the meantime, in another sign that Hong Kong is suffering from a massive brain drain, job recruiters are having a hard time finding fresh graduates to fill entry-level positions across all sectors.

Anecdotally some recruiters said that previously their inbox would be filled with emails from young people looking for work, and now the tables are turned and it's the HR professionals trying to find anyone that fits the job description to go for the job.

They are not just looking for local residents, but also foreign students who have studied in Hong Kong, and know other Asian languages like Korean, Japanese, Hindi or Bahasa. 

Diverse pool of fresh graduates? Look again

Many have left because of Hong Kong's severe Covid-19 quarantine rules, making it very difficult for them to travel to see family or do business, while others are moving to places like the UK to start fresh.

In addition there are fewer international students interested in studying in Hong Kong. In 2019-20 there were 3,977, and 3,803 for the 2020-21 academic year.

Hong Kong is not a place young people want to be in anymore. And the government isn't making an effort to encourage them to stay.

Consumption Vouchers Denied

People collecting their vouchers on their Octopus cards

About two weeks ago the Hong Kong government looked at my LinkedIn page, where it's usually companies and contacts who find me there. 

I found this quite curious and now I know the answer.

Before the authorities handed out the second tranche of HK$5,000 in e-consumption vouchers on August 7, it warned that anyone who had departed from Hong Kong would not be eligible.

So that's why the HKG was on my LinkedIn page

Sure enough, on Wednesday I received a text message that says:

"As you have submitted a valid claim request for early withdrawal of your mandatory provident fund/benefits under occupational retirement scheme on the grounds of permanent departure from Hong Kong, we consider that you do not meet the requirement on "not having permanently departed from Hong Kong nor having such intention". You are therefore not eligible under the Scheme and will not be disbursed with consumption vouchers."

If there was a dispute about this, one could reply in writing to a PO Box number...

However, it turns out there are some 250,000 people in Hong Kong who withdrew from their MPF funds early for financial or personal reasons, but have not permanently left the city who were denied the HK$5,000.

On Friday morning, more than 100 people went to the secretariat office in Mongkok to complain.

Steven Lai is one of them. He is a 45-year-old restaurant manager who withdrew his MPF [mandatory provident fund] early as he planned to move to the mainland with his wife in 2020, but in the end decided to stay in Hong Kong.

Those who left HK are not eligible for e-voucher

"To be honest, the HK$5,000 was not the most important thing, but I don't want this to affect my other applications for government services and benefits... such as public housing and subsidies [for my children's education]," Lai said.

He added the government should check people's travel records to ensure they haven't permanently left Hong Kong.

Another Hongkonger, Bill Yuen, 32 was frustrated because he took a half day off work to go to the secretariat to apply for a review for his pregnant wife who withdrew from her MPF account a decade ago to tide over her financial situation at the time.

Following complaints like these, the government has now said that those who claim to qualify for the HK$5,000 can now prove their residency by showing utility bills, bank statements, salary pay slips, rental tenancies or hospital visit records. 

Some 6.3 million residents are eligible for the HK$5,000, including about 300,000 who are eligible for residency, such as those with specialist qualifications, entrepreneurs and students.