The Civic Party is No More in Hong Kong

Leong showing the media the vacated Civic Party office space

Just before the end of 2023, the Civic Party is no more in Hong Kong.

After six months of winding down, it has completely disbanded after its members voted to do so.

Its now former chairman Alan Leong Kah-kit can breathe a sigh of relief after legally shutting down the party and clearing out its office.

Kwok has a HK$1M bounty hanging over him

It was founded in 2006 by lawyers, academics, and other professionals who wanted Hong Kong to have full democracy, and at one point was the second-largest opposition party in the Legislative Council.

But Leong said recently, "Times have changed."

Since the national security law was implemented in July 2020, three members of the Civic Party were arrested and in jail, and one lawmaker [Dennis Kwok Wing-hang] has a bounty over his head, though he is now in the United States.

As a result the Civic Party decided to disband in May.

The only thing Leong decided to keep were the green-and-purple pins with the date "19.03.06", when the party was founded.

"What is left of the initial batch of lapel pins would be all that we have," he said.

Co-founder Claudia Mo Man-chung still in jail

Leong said Hong Kong's "political reality" as well as the lack of money and morale as the reason for shutting down the party.

"I have never doubted the ability of Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong, but there are things that are beyond our control," he said.

"There are a few of our legislators who are still behind bars now. So that's reality. That also explains why we are winding ourselves up."

Indeed.

It's sad to see organisations fold and disappear, though Leong is keeping those lapel pins as proof the Civic Party did exist at one time.

"Should there come a time that professionals or the like can once again serve Hong Kong... I am sure another party will be born," he said.

A realist and optimist.

HK Students Need to Sing Anthem Louder

Apparently HK students not singing the anthem loud enough

C'mon kids! Gotta sing the national anthem louder! We can't hear you belting out "March of the Volunteers"! 

That's what Hong Kong's education authorities are saying in a recent inspection report, criticising schools for paying too much attention in teaching about national security rather than focusing on why the subject mattered to them.

"Teachers and students sang the national anthem together, but the singing was a little soft," the report said. "Schools must boost students' confidence and habit in singing the national anthem."

The bureau's report evaluated 251 primary, secondary and special schools over the last academic year. It said the schools did not explain to students the threats and crises the country currently faced and emphasise the importance of national security when teaching some topics.

"In terms of classroom teaching, teachers focus too much on teaching knowledge content and rarely link students' life experiences or create situations to effectively put students into others' shoes and understand how national security is related to them," the report said.

It also complained that promoting national education in the curriculum was more of something that was completed rather than focusing on how to teach it well.

But what are the crises and threats China and Hong Kong are facing? And how does national security matter to students? 

While one principal claimed teachers and school heads not singing loudly enough only resulted in students doing the same, another said students and teachers always sang at a low volume regardless of the song.

Perhaps students will sing louder eventually, but forcing them to turn up the volume will only make them sing even softer...

HK Activist Now in the UK Seeking Asylum

Chung wrote on social media that he is now in the UK

Another pro-democracy activist is seeking asylum in the UK, after managing to leave Hong Kong via Japan.

Tony Chung Hon-lam, the founder of the now defunct Studentlocalism revealed his situation in two Instagram posts. Chung, who had advocated independence, was one of the first to be convicted under the national security law for secession and money laundering, and was sentenced to 43 months in prison. He was the youngest person sentenced under the national security law.

One may remember he was arrested outside the US Consulate in Hong Kong in October 2020, allegedly seeking asylum along with two other Studentlocalism members.

He had founded Studentlocalism for independence

After Chung was released he had to regularly check-in with national security authorities about where he had been, who he had met and the nature of the conversations he had. Chung said the authorities even offered to pay him for information on others to prove that he had reformed himself.

The authorities also asked him to go to the mainland, like Agnes Chow Ting, but Chung refused; the authorities asked if it was because he was still involved in activities violating national security.

Chung also had to sign a document that barred him from disclosing his conversations with the authorities so he could not seek help from lawyers or tell anyone about his situation.

"Under enormous stress and fear, I can only endure silently," he said.

As a result, this pressure put a lot of strain on Chung's mental health. Since October he was not feeling well, and both western and Chinese doctors said it was due to his immunity weakened by the mental toll on his body.

Chung managed to persuade correctional services authorities to allow him to travel to Okinawa, Japan for a holiday to take care of himself. When he arrived in Japan, he began contacting overseas organisations to help him. From there he traveled to the UK.

"This also means I can no longer return to my home, Hong Kong, in foreseeable future," he said. "Although I had anticipated the arrival of this day in the past, I had a heavy heart when I made up my mind."

He said in the future he would devote himself for his city as a "Hongkonger in exile."

"I believe only when Hong Kong people don't give up, the seeds of freedom and democracy will sprout again one day," he said.

Relatively Easy to Make Snowflake Crisps

Our first attempt at snowflake crisps!

My mom heard about a recipe to make snowflake crisps, though they aren't related to Christmas per se. She learned about this sweet Taiwanese snack from a friend and I Googled it to find the recipe, which is very similar to Rice Krispies squares. The snowflake part of the name refers to milk powder that is sprinkled in it and on top at the end.

A very basic recipe uses five ingredients: unsalted butter, mini marshmallows (to melt faster), Ritz Crackers, milk powder, and dried cranberries. When we attempted ours today, we added chopped pecans.

Several recipes warned not to crush the Ritz Crackers too small, so I just broke them in half, or at most thirds. They give the snack some structure, and a hint of savoury flavour. If Rice Krispies were used, I would imagine it would taste sweeter and less complex.

Once the butter melted and the marshmallows too, the addition of the milk powder immediately made the gooey mixture more solid which in turn made it harder to combine the rest of the ingredients -- the crackers, cranberries and nuts.

We had a heck of a time trying to integrate them all together and tried to mix them by hand even, but not much luck. In the end we put the giant clump in a parchment paper-lined baking tray and tried to pack it together as densely as possible. It did not look as easy as the one in the YouTube video!

Nevertheless, it really did taste different from Rice Krispies, which are more chewy, while this snowflake crisp is more solid thanks to the crackers and pecans. Hopefully we can nail down the mixing better next time, probably need to work a bit faster incorporating all the ingredients while the melted marshmallow mixture is still warm!

Hong Kong Property Prices Continue to Drop

HK property prices are expected to continue to fall next year

Hong Kong's property prices have had a rough ride this year, hitting a seven-year low in November following the seventh consecutive drop, according to government figures.

Figures from the Rating and Valuation Department showed the prices of private flats fell by 2 percent from October to November. Home prices were still 6.6 percent lower than the same month last year despite the removal of some property cooling measures by the government in October.

Prices of flats dropped by 5.6 percent in the first 11 months of this year, though interestingly rents.

Kennedy Town prices dropped over 12 percent

In the case of my former flat in Kennedy Town, the price fell 12.3 percent in just over two years.

However it is interesting to note rents have gone up by 0.6 percent in November to a four-year high, the 10th consecutive month of rent increases.

Next year things don't look good for property prices, says head of valuation and advisory services Hannah Jeong at Colliers Hong Kong. She expects the downward trend to continue in 2024, though the extent of the decline depends on the impact of any US interest rate cuts.

HK Decked Out but Not Enticing Visitors

All decked out by no people coming through in Hong Kong

Friends are reporting a lot of people on the streets of Hong Kong, but in terms of data, the Christmas season has been really quiet, with business slowing down significantly compared to last year when Covid-19 restrictions were still in place.

This Christmas more than 1.32 million outbound trips were recorded over the past three days, almost triple the number of visitor arrivals. Of the visitors who entered Hong Kong, 77 percent were from the mainland.

HK venues not big enough for Swift and Swifties

Anthea Cheung So-may, director of the Lan Kwai Fong Association, called for the government to hold more large-scale concerts and invite global star singers and bands to perform to attract more overseas tourists.

However, the national security law implemented in 2020 has made the city less desirable a place for artists to perform in, and also for international stars like Taylor Swift, they are looking for cities with venues large enough to hold their fans, which Hong Kong does not have at all. 

Meanwhile retail sector legislator Peter Shiu Ka-fai said the industry was affected by Hongkongers flying elsewhere for Christmas, while the holiday was not celebrated by mainlanders, and so not many crossed the border to shop.

"... overall, both the world economy and the Hong Kong economy are average... The spending power of mainland tourists was not as strong as before 2018," said Shiu.

Decorated malls not enough to entice shoppers

He called for the government to create more activities, events and offers to entice shoppers, both locals and visitors to spend in the city. Shiu asked for service to improve, particularly having a more friendly attitude towards customers.

This is tough when you feel like the situation is bleak... that said Hongkongers have that "Lion Rock spirit" and must persevere though this tough patch if they want the city to survive long term.

Chinese-Canadian Christmas Dinner

Our roasted pig about to be chopped into pieces...

First -- Merry Christmas everyone!

Wishing everyone all the best this holiday season.

This year we decided to forego roast turkey and have roast pig instead!

We had ordered one last year from Neptune BBQ House in Vancouver and it was around C$200 or so, but this year we were shocked to find out it was C$300, and another C$20 to chop it.

Airy meringue with whipped cream and fruit

So we asked around other places, but they too were around C$300... talk about inflation. But, with almost 20 people over for Christmas Eve dinner, we bit the bullet and ordered the roast pig at the said shop.

The pick-up time was 4pm and came five minutes early, only to find they were only halfway through roasting it!

One of the staff was good enough to give us paper cups of tea while we waited.., for half an hour.

It finally emerged from the kitchen and the sifu chopped it cleanly into numerous pieces that were carefully placed in the aluminium platter. Bits including the legs and spine were saved for congee tomorrow.

Following the maxim, "good things come to those who wait", the roast pig really was delicious, the skin a glowing russet colour, and very crispy, while the meat underneath was very tender.

Everyone enjoyed it, along with the baked salmon, Brussels sprouts with apple and bacon, braised beef with turnip, Chinese vegetarian, pickled chayote, roast goose, asparagus, and spare ribs. 

For dessert, a vanilla and strawberry mousse cake and homemade meringue topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

Incredible Gingerbread Art

Heritage Hall captured in gingerbread form

Yesterday we saw some impressive-looking structures made out of gingerbread for the annual Gingerbread Lane, now in its 31st year. The entrants range from amateurs to professional cooks and the results were really creative and fun.

Some featured Vancouver landmarks, like Science World, Lions Gate Bridge and the Hyatt Regency hotel where the gingerbread submissions are displayed. Another which one a prize, was of Heritage Hall on Main and 15th Avenue. Its stucco exterior was decorated with peanuts, and the roof with almonds, and even had trees in the background lit up with lights.

Snow-covered Grand Budapest Hotel

Another had a candy cane fantasyland theme, featuring lots of icing and candy canes. It was shaped like a three-tier cake with a gingerbread house at the top, complete with a swirled candy tower and even had a narwhal poking out of the icing or shall I say icy sea?

But most impressive was the culinary students at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, who built a seven-storey chateau that looked like the one from the movie, Grand Budapest Hotel. It had a walkway sprinkled with icing sugar for frost, and even a blue pond, and the building itself had lots of icicles on it and even a large Christmas tree next to it.

The gingerbread displays are a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, to fund wishes for children with critical illnesses. 

Vancouver landmarks in gingerbread

Gingerbread Lane will be displayed at Hyatt Regency Vancouver until December 29, 2023.

Blustery Day on the Seawall

Dramatic windy scenes along the west side of the Seawall

Today was a long day that started with breakfast with an ex-colleague who is in Vancouver for Christmas. We loaded up on brunch at White Spot and then headed downtown to walk around the Seawall at Stanley Park. 

Construction of the Seawall began back in 1917, overseen by master stone mason James Cunningham. But it wasn't until 1980 when the entire loop of the Seawall was declared completed.  

Lions Gate Bridge with busy traffic

Thankfully it wasn't raining in the early afternoon, and by the time we got to the start of the Seawall, the sun came out, along with gorgeous blue skies and fluffy white clouds. The 13km walk started off well, though once we got to the north side of the park it was chilly because the sun wasn't shining in this area. 

By the time we reached underneath Lions Gate Bridge, the temperature became chilly, and powered on to keep warm. Towards the mouth of Burrard Inlet, the wind picked up and I was bent forward as the wind blasted us head on. Even the water crashed onto the walkway, spewing onto the asphalt. We thought we had avoided it and then splash! We were sprayed with seawater. Luckily it wasn't a lot, but it was such a surprise!

From walking around the Seawall we didn't see too much of the trees taken down. About 25 percent of 160,000 of the trees need to be chopped down because they were infested by the hemlock looper moths, a native species. The problem was further exacerbated by drought this summer. Removing the dead and dying trees will cost taxpayers C$4.4 million, but it needs to be done, and other, more resistant trees need to be planted.

Looking out to the Pacific Ocean and the sun

After over two hours, we reached the end of the Seawall at David Street and made the hike up to Burrard to get back to the hotel again.

Needless to say we were exhausted by the time we got back and I promptly closed my eyes for a light nap on a chair! We had walked 16km in total, over 22,000 steps and 1,000 calories spent.

Illuminating the Garden with Festival of Lights

Lovely reflections make for great photos

With a friend visiting Vancouver for the first time, it was apt to take him to an annual Vancouver tradition -- the Festival of Lights at VanDusen Botanical Garden to get into the Christmas spirit. 

It's a clever way to get people to visit the garden during the winter months by decorating it with hundreds of thousands of lights which makes it a stunner for pictures. Many families go with senior members to the littlest ones for family photos, or young couples take selfies. 

After dark the lights make the garden stunning

The previous years I've gone the low temperatures meant we had to really bundle up -- including wearing long underwear to keep warm. But this year it's a very mild 8 degrees and we were very comfortable walking around without the need of gloves or a hat.

Every year the garden is decorated slightly differently to keep it interesting for visitors who come annually. Other years have featured well known cartoon characters like the Grinch and Olaf from Frozen, but this year it was Frosty the Snowman and his family, as there were two other snow people that were slightly smaller. 

Upon entering the garden a security guard made sure people didn't bring in food or drinks because they wanted visitors to shell out at the various food kiosks scattered around the garden. Strangely there were Japadogs, banh mi, arancini risotto balls, and popcorn, as well as hot chocolate and mulled wine. Oh don't forget the mini donuts, made right before your eyes by an automated machine!

We arrived as the sun was setting, so it wasn't until it was darker did the illuminated garden really shine. The pond was particularly amazing with the reflection in the water, and the periodic flashing of lights to the music.

Festival of Lights is an annual Christmas tradition

Also the weather held up and didn't rain which was a big plus. 

Cold is Relative

Hongkongers are experiencing cold weather today

Hong Kong logged its coldest temperature this winter at a chilly 9.8 degrees Celsius today and people on social media were complaining about the cold, and having to bundle up.

Tai Mo Shan, the city's tallest mountain at 957 metres, logged 0.3 degrees -- might as well say it was zero. Back in January 2016, temperatures plunged to be low zero on the peak, and if you remember, people got stuck up there, unfamiliar with the icy conditions and firefighters had to go and rescue them. Why did people go up there? To see frost...

Cypress Mountain barely has enough snow

Meanwhile, across the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver is experiencing its third-warmest winter on record at 9 degrees. We are definitely not going to have a white Christmas compared to last year when we were inundated with snow starting in late November.

It was so bad for skiers yesterday that Mount Seymour closed early yesterday afternoon because of the lack of snow, and Cypress and Grouse each only have one downhill run open... 

Picture of the Day: Chicken Pot Pie

The chicken pie is choc full of ingredients

The deal of the week from Costco! 

We go to the giant warehouse membership store around once a month to stock up and try some of the pre-packaged meals. The lasagna is good (though rich), and shepherd's pie is good too, but after eating those a few times you want to try something else.

For C$10.99 I found a large chicken pot pie and it was delicious!

You have to heat it up in the oven for an hour and it's more than enough for three people. 

The crust is flaky and for the most part holds up the filling inside -- large chunks of chicken, along with carrots, potatoes and peas. 

Nice comfort food at a very good price.

Review: Princess Kaguya

A delightful hand-drawn animated film based on a folktale

On the weekend I watched my final Studio Ghibli movie of the year, Princess Kaguya, recommended by my friend YTSL, who prefers it over The Wind Rises.

Princess Kaguya was co-written and directed by Isao Takahata, based on The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, a Japanese folktale.

It's about an elderly bamboo cutter who is in the forest and finds a glowing bamboo shoot. Intrigued he comes closer and discovers a miniature girl and scoops her up, believing she is a sign from heaven. He excitedly shows his wife and suddenly the girl is the size of a newborn baby. The childless couple believe she is a princess and calls her that, and in months she quickly grows into a toddler, child and then teenager.

An elderly man discovers a princess in the forest

While the girl loves being in the rural area hanging out with boys, her elderly father has other plans. He has managed to collect a lot of gold that he found in bamboo he has cut in the forest and decides to build a home for her in the city where she can be trained to be a proper lady, now known as Princess Kaguya.

Word of her beauty perks the ears of five suitors who try to woo her through a screen by professing their love to her with metaphors of exotic things that don't exist, to which she cleverly demands they must bring these items to her.

The characters in Princess Kaguya are drawn with quality of a drawing, as if pencil or charcoal strokes, and yet viewers are gently enticed into the story, which has numerous touches of humour which keep things light and fun to watch, in particular the training she goes through, and the suitors who try to win her love.

Even more interesting is the feminist quality of Princess Kaguya -- she has an independent streak and thinks for herself, but this clashes against what Japanese society and tradition expects of her -- to be demure, accept her fate and follow the life cycle of a woman. It is ironic she has the power to decide who can marry her but she cannot choose to return to her simple life.

Five suitors try to win the princess' love

Her father seems obsessed with having his daughter married off to one of these suitors, and neglects what she really wants, whereas her mother only towards the end has clued into the young woman's desire to return to their home.

At times throughout the film, there are scenes that play out that later turn out to be dreams, and so viewers may wonder what is real and what is imagined. 

In the end, is there a lesson in the end? Men should be more attentive to women's needs? Fathers should listen to their daughters? Or is it just a folktale to enjoy?

It's an interesting insight into Japanese culture, though sadly its society has not progressed fast enough to value women today. Princess Kaguya was definitely ahead of her time.

Princess Kaguya

Directed by Isao Takahata

Written by Isao Takahata and Riko Sakaguchi

137 minutes

 

Jimmy Lai's Trial Finally Begins

Lai has been remanded in custody for more than 1,100 days

All eyes are on West Kowloon Law Courts today as media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying's national security law case is finally underway after numerous postponements.

Many people came out to witness the court case, Lai's wife Teresa arrived along with one of their sons; retired Catholic leader Joseph Zen, and pro-democracy politician Emily Lau Wai-hing. 

Grandma Wong being escorted by police

Members of the public were also keen to watch the proceedings first hand. A 29-year-old who gave her name as JC was first in line, having braved the chilly weather in front of the court since 10pm the night before, while the second person in line, a man surnamed Sung arrived at 4am.

Staff from the consulates of New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, Canada and the United Kingdom were on hand to observe the proceedings as well.

Some people were shocked to see Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung had 1,000 police officers around the court house to prevent any disruption. But the case has been so heavily advertised that the government wants to have a massive show of force for such a high-profile case. 

Grandma Wong was in front of the court house with her UK flag screaming, "Support Jimmy Lai! Support Apple Daily!" The police tried to move her across the street in a bid to remove her as a distraction, but the media followed.

Already the defense has launched the argument that the sedition charge against Lai should be dismissed as it was laid after the permitted prosecution time frame. Senior Counsel Robert Pang Yiu-hung argued the sedition charge was under a colonial-era law, and not the national security law. 

Members of the public were keen to watch trial

Pang said the prosecution had passed the time limit for charging Lai, as the colonial-era sedition law states charges must be laid within six months of the alleged offense, which in this case would be from April 1, 2019 to June 24, 2021.

As a result this issue must be resolved before the case can continue. Three judges appointed by the chief executive are presiding over the case: Madam Justices Esther Toh Lye-ping, Susana D'Alamada Remedios, and Mr Justice Alex Lee Wan-tung.

Meanwhile in the last few weeks, Lai's son Sebastien has been rallying politicians, in particular Foreign Secretary David Cameron, lobbying them to push for his father's release, as he is a British citizen.

Trying to Revive the Restaurant Industry

The revamped Temple Street market attracted massive crowds

The Hong Kong government is doing its part to save the restaurant industry by giving away HK$20 million (US$2.6 million) in HK$100 vouchers to the public, but one industry leader says this is but a "small Christmas gift" for the sector.

The first batch of coupons will roll out on Wednesday, with the second batch on January 10. 

But Simon Wong Kit-lung, a lawmaker and chairman of the Quality Tourism Services Association says the vouchers are hardly useful for both the diner and the restaurant.

Anyone want a HK$100 dining voucher?

"I do not think residents would make special arrangements to go out and dine solely because they want to use the vouchers, or change their travel plans and stay in Hong Kong for Christmas," he said.

A HK$100 voucher ain't much, considering how much it costs to eat out these days, it really isn't much of a motivation.

Instead, Wong said the government should do more to attract more residents from Shenzhen and the Greater Bay Area to visit Hong Kong as the city has become more "quiet".

He suggested reviving the multiple-entry permit, but it was suspended in 2015 when Hongkongers complained about parallel traders taking advantage of this permit and making numerous crossings daily to buy goods in Hong Kong to sell across the border.

Fish balls to Turkish coffee at Temple Street

Meanwhile nowadays Hongkongers are going up north to Shenzhen to spend their money to eat because it is much cheaper, there's more variety and lots to do and see.

Or maybe the government should take a page out of the recent Temple Street revamp which saw a massive crowd of people on the first night on Friday.

There are 32 food stalls, selling items from fish balls to imitation shark fin soup, and even French-style rack of lamb. 

People will check it out for the first few weeks, but if there aren't other new things to try, then it won't be sustainable for long...

Housing Funding Doesn't Add Up

Trudeau in Vancouver with Sim and Fraser on housing

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim had a show of force with him today -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser, and BC Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon standing at a construction site in the city.

They proudly announced that the federal government would kick in C$115 million to help build 40,000 homes in a decade.

Critics on social media quickly pointed that $115 million divided into 40,000 homes means $2,875 per home and made comments suggesting that would only pay for windows, or perhaps MEC [Mountain Equipment Co-Op] will have a sale on tents...

Vancouverites are disillusioned with Sim these days after he announced he would do away with the Parks Board, and just a few days ago, after over 150 people spoke at City Hall, mostly against, the motion passed on party lines, as Sim's ABC Vancouver party has a majority.

Many are shocked that he fired three of his ABC Parks Board commissioners who were elected into these positions last November. No one saw this coming.

The motion passed meant the political hot potato of disbanding the Parks Board fell on Premier David Eby, who promptly threw it back to Sims to come up with a detailed transition plan... perhaps Eby doesn't want anything to do with this hot mess.

Meanwhile Vancouver residents are also terrified of the prospect of parks that are deemed "temporary" will be developed with condo towers as the Mayor has said the city needs to densify asap, and getting rid of the Parks Board is the quickest way to do this.

Those against the move say the Parks Board is the only grassroots political layer that is directly in touch with residents, as the body looks after not only parks but also community centres and public pools that are sadly crumbling due to not enough funding.

As one has remarked, "You can never have too many parks." 

This is the terrible tussle Vancouver is in -- there is not enough (affordable) housing, but residents aren't ready to give up their single-family homes yet. Sim seems determined to drag the city into densification whether it is ready or not...

Five More Activists Have HK$1M Bounties

Five more people have HK$1M bounties on their heads

The Hong Kong government continues its fear campaign by putting HK$1 million (US$128,000) bounties on another five people living abroad for violating the national security law.  

There are arrest warrants for Johnny Fok and Tony Choi, who host a YouTube channel on current affairs, and pro-democracy activists Simon Cheng Man-kit, Frances Hui Wing-ting, and Joey Siu. They are either in the United States or Britain.

Siu, an American citizen, wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter that she woke up to the news about the bounty on her head "for exercising my freedoms in my own country", adding, "I will never be silenced, I will never back down."

Li says the five have betrayed Hong Kong

These five people join the eight other activists also abroad, where the Hong Kong authorities claim they will pursue them for life with these bounties. This declaration has drawn criticism from western governments.

Steve Li Kwai-wah is the chief superintendent of the police national security department and said they have received some 500 pieces of information since the first round of bounties were announced, but this has not led to any arrests -- yet.

The five activists added to the list have allegedly committed various offenses, including colluding with foreign forces and incitement to secession.

"They all betrayed their own country and betrayed Hong Kong," he said in a press conference. "After they fled overseas, they continued to engage in activities endangering national security."

To add further fears, police arrested four other people on Wednesday on suspicion of funding former pro-democracy lawmakers, Nathan Law Kwun-chung and Ted Hui Chi-fung through an "online subscription and crowdfunding platform." The four were alleged to have provided financial support to the pair. The amounts ranged from HK$10,000 to HK$120,000 (US$1,280-US$15,400). 

Cheng is "honoured" to be hunted by HK police

It is believed the online platform the police are alluding to is Patreon.

Cheng, who some may remember, worked for the British Consulate in Hong Kong and was detained on a business trip to Shenzhen. He was arrested by Chinese authorities for allegedly "soliciting prostitutes" and after he was released told of how he was physically tortured in a bid to make him confess he was a spy for Britain. He eventually fled to the UK and has been there since.

On X he wrote of his reaction to having a bounty on his head: "Being hunted by China (Hong Kong)'s secret police, under a one-million-dollar bounty, is a lifelong honor."

Even though these activists say it's an honour to have a bounty on their heads, surely this is counterproductive to the Hong Kong government's efforts to try to lure people to visit the city? By creating an atmosphere of fear, how can they entice people to a "Happy Hong Kong"?

Hong Kong's Too Expensive for Residents

A very fancy (and expensive) hot chocolate

A friend in Hong Kong posted a video of a fancy hot chocolate made in front of him for Christmas at a five-star hotel in Central. The milk was heated in a copper pot, and then chocolate chips were added, and whisked together. The mixture was then poured into a cup, where a dollop of whipped cream was added, a spoonful of chocolate pearls, a homemade marshmallow and a cinnamon stick for good measure.

How much was it? HK$90 (US$11.50)!!!

Shenzhen is a weekend hotspot for HKers

I remarked that it cost more than the most expensive coffee in Hong Kong at a place called Fuel at HK$50, but he said it had already jumped to HK$62 and was not a good cup of coffee to start with.

Is it no wonder that Hongkongers find the city too expensive and escape across the border to Shenzhen to have cheap meals and fun for the weekend?

A friend who visits Hong Kong periodically told me a few months ago he and his family went to Shenzhen to see what all the fuss was about.

They were impressed by the inexpensive and delicious food they ate, while the kids enjoyed the games, in particular virtual reality ones where they were immersed in another world. 

So many websites blocked in China

But when they went back to their hotel rooms and couldn't go onto their favourite websites because they were blocked by the Great Firewall, the kids were highly disappointed!

Review: Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

Ginger and Rocky are back... with a daughter called Molly

The other day I watched the sequel to Chicken Run -- Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget. Hard to believe the original was made 23 years ago! Aardman Animations is famous for making claymation stop-motion animation that's painstaking to make, but as a viewer, so much fun to watch. 

If you remember Chicken Run, the chickens bust out of the hen house when they realise chickens are being killed by Mrs Tweedy to make chicken pies. The chickens then settle in a place far away from farms and people.

Stop-motion animation is painstaking to make

In the sequel, the leader of the flock, Ginger, gets together with Rocky the Rooster and they have a baby chick called Molly, and becomes much like her mother.

But the chickens soon discover some development is afoot near where they live and Molly sees trucks going to a special place she wants to check out, but her mother doesn't want her to leave...

Dawn of the Nugget starts with a quick refresher for viewers who may not have remembered Chicken Run, and then fast-forwards to the present. All the old characters are still there, like Babs the bird who is sweet but clueless, Mac a Scottish chicken with some smarts, Fowler, the elderly rooster who constantly talks about his Royal Air Force days, and the two rats, Nick and Fetcher who help the chickens.

Part of the storyline involves some other chickens living in a utopia, which immediately reminded me of Barbie! What a strange coincidence, which in a way made it more amusing. 

This utopia scene looked familiar to Barbie

Nevertheless the action scenes were quite clever and unexpected, while the humour was a bit muted, but funny towards the end.

Mel Gibson wasn't called back to reprise his role, and was replaced by Rocky, while Julia Sawalha didn't return as Ginger either and instead Thandiwe Newton took on the role. 

People who watch Netflix will be able to see Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget on December 15 onwards. Good family fun for 98 minutes.

 

Review: The Wind Rises

The Wind Rises is a fictional story of Jiro Horikoshi

Since spring, VIFF has held a Studio Ghibli film festival, showing some of the best animated films during spring break, the summer and now a few more to wrap up the year. This past weekend I watched The Wind Rises for the first time and really enjoyed its message and how the story unfolded.

Just before the film began, a guest speaker gave a short introduction to explain the meaning of the title. The Wind Rises is from a line from a poem by Paul Valery called Le Cimetiere Marin, or The Graveyard by the Sea.

The romance between Jiro and Nahoko is sweet

The last stanza starts with: "The wind is rising!... We must try to live!", which is the theme of Hayao Miyazaki's 2013 swan song film (since then it's become The Boy and the Heron). Basically, it is about living life to the fullest and feeling alive.

The Wind Rises is a semi-autobiography or Jiro Horikoshi, who was the chief engineer of many Japanese fighter planes used in World War II. Originally Miyazaki published a manga series about Horikoshi from 2009-2010, and was later persuaded by his staff to make it into an animated film three years later.

His personal interest in planes comes from his father being a director of his brother's company that manufactured rudders for fighter planes in World War II. As a result planes feature in many of his films.

In The Wind Rises, the animated film follows Horikoshi's life from when he was a boy fascinated with planes and later went on to study aeronautical engineering, and later worked on designing planes for the military. However, Miyazaki added some fictional characters, including Jiro's love interest Nahoko Satomi, and fictional encounters with Italian aeronautical engineer Giovanni Battista Caproni. It's funny that he starts speaking Italian and then suddenly switches to Japanese.

Horikoshi was an engineer

The pace of the 126-minute film is never rushed, giving time for each scene to unfold and breathe before moving onto the next one. The dialogue is thoughtful and at times sprinkled with wry humour.

Many sarcastic lines come from Jiro's boss, a short man with spectacles and is basically a slave driver, but Jiro is so passionate about planes he is willing to work overtime and calmly takes on assignments even though his boss is anxious about meeting deadlines and pleasing clients. 

The romance between Jiro and Nahoko is very sweet and the storyline shows how fate -- or rather wind -- brings them together many times.

However, the plot has a strange detour when the Japanese secret police are after Jiro, so he hides in his boss's home; this storyline doesn't seem to be resolved at all in the end.

Nevertheless, The Wind Rises is a good reminder that we should not take anything for granted and appreciate what we have. Life is too short for regrets and to always move forward enjoying what we love to do.

The Wind Rises

Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki

126 minutes

Record Low Turnout for "Patriots-Only" District Council Election

Voter turnout at 27.5 percent, with a computer glitch near end

The day after the District Council elections, the government and the liaison office insisted the "patriots-only" election was "a success in improving governance structure", and that it was a "real, functioning democracy", even though there was a record low turnout.

Of the 4.33 million registered voters, only 1,193,193 or 27.5 percent came out. However, of those who voted, 22,045 residents cast blank votes which were invalid, representing 1.85 percent of the overall figure. This compares to 0.56 percent invalid votes four years ago, when 71. 2 percent of voters came out during the height of the 2019 protests.

Most of the voters this year were the elderly who were bussed in, as well as public servants who had to cast ballots.

Ip says "extending hours was completely useless"

Despite the low participating figures, Beijing claimed the election implemented the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong".

"The district councils have restored their proper nature and functions, freeing the election from politicisation, populism, and pragmatically focusing on solving real problems in the community," the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said in a statement.

"Residents can deeply feel that the elections are related to their interests and that this is real, functioning democracy."

How about a "functioning democracy" with Chinese characteristics? Pro-democracy candidates were barred from running, even centrist pro-establishment parties could not get enough nominations.

Nevertheless, some pro-Beijng lawmakers were not pleased with the turnout, like Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, founder and chairperson of the New People's Party.

There was a computer system glitch two hours before voting was supposed to finish, so in a bid to get more voters in, the time was extended by another 90 minutes past midnight.

Ip said afterwards "extending hours was completely useless", the extra one and a half did not yield a significant uptick in voters.

But Tam Yiu-chung, vice president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau said the election turnout was in line with expectations.

He claimed residents cared more about the Legislative Council elections than District Council ones, and that people were out of town so they couldn't cast ballots.

However, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu hailed it as a "high-quality" election, but surely there are questions as to why so much money was spent on getting people to vote but the end result was so few.

Was the turnout really in line with expectations? The spinning will continue for days to come...