Schedium

Hong Kong's Rooftop Slums An illegal rooftop house (left), and behind it an HSBC building It is perhaps no wonder that in Hong Kong- the most vertical city in the world, where land is a precious good, almost a luxury - slums don't grow in the outskirts, but on rooftops.  The old, decaying buildings from the 1950s and 60s scattered all over Hong Kong may look unappealing to foreign visitors, who are likely to prefer the glamorous central districts and the numerous tourist attractions. However, there is something unique about those apparently unremarkable structures. Their rooftops reveal one of the most bewildering facets of the city: the co-existence of wealth and poverty, of monumental skylines and third-world-like skyghettoes in this world metropolis. I am lucky enough to share a flat with a Hong Kong artist, who gives me a lot of insights into the life of her hometown. A few days ago she told me that she would visit some rooftops with a group of French photogr

I have already spent almost two months in Hong Kong, and the day of my departure draws nearer and nearer. I had already come to Hong Kong twice before, once in April and once in October last year. I had really had a great time back then, meeting nice people and having a lot of things to do every day.  After spending more than a year in Taiwan, I made up my mind to explore the life in another place, and I chose Hong Kong, which is both a wonderful world city and a gateway to mainland China. I will write a post about my experience in Hong Kong some day; now I would like to make a comparison between Hong Kong and Taipei and list off some differences between them. 1) Thousands of Skyscrapers vs Two Skyscrapers Hong Kong is a skyscraper city. Not only does it have one of the most stunning, beautiful and distinctive skylines in the world; but the majority of the population actually live in the thousands of skyscrapers that can be found on every corner of Hong Kong Island, Kowloo

After talking with my flatmate for several hours (record broken!), here I am, at 5:02 in the morning, writing this post. Outside I hear the first birds chirping, reminding me that soon the sun will rise. But before going to sleep I would just like to share a few pictures I took last evening. A friend asked me to join her and two of her friends (a girl from Hong Kong and a German guy) to visit some sights and have dinner - this pretty much saved my Saturday evening, because originally I had no plans. By the way, I'd like to thank my Hong Kong friends who were so nice to show us foreigners around. First we went to the Wong Tai Sin temple, but it was already closed (at around 6 pm). So we went to Nan Lian Garden, which is near Diamond Hill MTR Station (see map below).   View Larger Map The Nan Lian Garden is a public park which despite its ancient looks was opened in 2006. It is a reproduction of the garden style of the Tang Dynasty era (7th - 9th century). It refle

The Peak is a must-see for every tourist coming to visit Hong Kong. Situated 1,200 feet above sea level, it commands an impressive view of Hong Kong's ultra-modern skyline and of its harbour.  Here British settlers who arrived in the 19th century sought to escape the heat and the crowds of the city. Built on the highest spot in Hong Kong island, the Peak was the very centre and symbol of Western power and of the authority and strength of British rule. Today the Peak is renowned for being the location where one can enjoy the best panoramic view of the world-famous Hong Kong skyline and the harbour. How To Get To The Peak The Peak is not close to the city centre, but it's very easy to reach thanks to the Peak Tram, a funicular tram that was completed in 1888 - in those days a masterpiece of Western technology. Before the construction of the tram, the only way to get there was to "hike up" the steep hill on foot, or to be carried there by local coolies

Leslie Chew, the Singaporean cartoonist behind the popular Facebook page Demon-cratic Singapore, was arrested on Friday for sedition and was released on a S$10,000 (around 6,300 Euros) bail two days later (South China Morning Post 25/04/2013, p. A10). He has been charged with sedition, as defined by Singapore's Sedition Act, for posting on the 27 of March a comic strip that allegedly accused the Singaporean government of racism towards Malay minorities.  The strip, with the subtitle " Malay Population. Deliberately suppressed by a racist government ", depicts a politician saying " We have the some  [sic!]  of the most talented Indians from India, most talented Chinese and most talented Caucasians for companies to tap on ." Someone in the crowd asks: " What? No mention of Malay talents ?" And two others say: " It is no secret that he abhors Malays." "Damn racist government! " Leslie Chew's satiric Facebook page has ov

Pan Jinlian with her master Ximen, the protagonists of the ancient erotic novel "Golden Lotus". To Pan Jinlian's charm belonged her bound feet. Anointed with fragrance, she takes lotus steps; Though often sad, she walks with swift lightness. She dances like the wind, leaving no physical trace. Another stealthily tries on this palace style, but feels such distress when she tries to stand; So wondrously small they defy description, Unless placed in the palm. (Su Shi, 1036-1101 AD,  quoted in: Wang 2000 , p. 29) There is perhaps no better proof that the myth of the harmonious Chinese society has often been manipulated for ideological purposes, than the ancient custom of footbinding. For it is in this custom that we see how the idea of collectivism, as I have described it in one of my previous posts , has been re-interpreted in a misleading way in order to enhance a certain political agenda.  Nowadays, no defender of Asian valu