A hike up Violet Hill to forget the problems of the world, and a vivid illustration of Hong Kong’s wacky weather. What was a calm and dull-gray day at Wong Nai Chung Reservoir (elevation 742 ft) was a half-gale-force maelstrom of mist at the peak (1,425 ft), where the path plunged into the swirling cloud.
But perhaps the most interesting sight…
…was a residential tower down near the reservoir. From one angle, you could see clearly into half a dozen or so living rooms in a column. They each had an identically positioned dining table, surrounded by chairs, with a sizable chandelier overhead. Which I guess is partly inevitable, given that the developer designed the space and electrical wiring with this layout in mind – as per every tacky property ad. And if the units are rented, the landlords presumably fit out the homes accordingly.
It just struck me as a sad lack of originality or choice: you live in this sort of place, you will have this furniture, set out this way. Not that I should be surprised – I’ve seen far worse in terms of oversized lighting. I’m not the only person in Hong Kong who lives without a dining table/chandelier, but maybe the only one who indulges in voyeurism of the piano-class-attending-kids caste.
Meanwhile, strolling around Western and Wanchai, we see more District Council election candidates successfully if inadvertently portraying themselves as part of the grassroots community – the chandelier-free world of grimy streets, gloomy doorways and piles of cabbage and cleansing liquids…
As always, we must be careful about judging by appearances. The astoundingly creepy-looking Ng Wing-tak, with his smarmy leer and scary quiff, is in fact some sort of French chef with major Umbrella Movement credentials. That said, generations of fathers’ advice to sons to beware of young ladies with alluring smiles seems as solid as ever.
What – no mention that – PHEW! – no Chinese persons were injured or affected by the Paris assault and that the govt advises against all non-essential travel to Paris along with… Belgium. What a wonderful Cosmopolitan city we live in.
Whats all this then. You have breached the Data Protection Ordinance. Hopefully you will process this photo in compliance with the law. Pop round to the station some time. We have some better stuff to show you, some of it with naughty nighties. Mind how you go.
“Generations of fathers’ advice to sons to beware of young ladies with alluring smiles seems as solid as ever.”
Ain’t she sweet?
I saw her walking down the street.
I ask you very confidentially
Ain’t she sweet?
Caught my eye,
Her photos in Wanchai.
I tell you very intellectually
Caught my eye.
Dad’s “Beware!”
I tell you I don’t care.
I say it very independently
I don’t care.
Beijing-pro?
I really do not know.
I tell you very irresponsibly
I don’t know.
I’m heart-smote.
She surely has my vote.
I tell you very analytically
I’m heart-smote.
(recorded by Frank Sinatra and the Beatles)
Si mi compadres … beware the pragmatic Hong Kong Chinese females actively seeking to enter politics within our corrupted system. If any of our “independent” pro-Beijing candidates are reading this and realise suddenly that in fact, you do wish to live the spiritual life of a whore and conduct yourself accordingly, without joining our hated and despised political class of reprobates … i recommend getting in touch with some contacts for sex work in Prince Edward and Sham Shui Po. Sure you may have a lower profile but at least your love for the people will be a little more requited, and you may get some good sex.
I mean seriously look at the Vadge … bitter (and no doubt dry), hated, false, superficial, beholden to a foreign overlord, and still unbelievably publicly feeding her own ambition to be CE. Are you truly ready to step into her shoes and become what your overlords in Beijing think they need here – a spineless reprobate hated by your own neighbours with no values other than “how may i serve you better O Glorious Leaders of my patriotic communist heart?” …
Misogyny passes as humour only among the stupid.
@ Monkey. Point well taken but simply in financial terms alone, if Vadge or budding Vadges can climb to the top of the greasy pole, the salary and perks are pretty good, if you can stand the stench, and look in the mirror in the morning (before church).
I am surprised that there are not more bright young things looking at a career in politics. The remuneration for district councilors next term is $29,620pm, vice chair gets double that.
Compare this to the average monthly income of just under $15,000pm and graduate commencing salaries as low as $12,000pm
So do a stint at DC and then run for Legco, $93,040pm, committee chair $139,560.
Members get generous funds to pay office rent, assistants, etc and can run a business on the side.
Appointment to advisory boards garner additional $olly and expenses.
Good assistants do the hard work and the politico pops up for the foto ops, sound bites and the receptions.
After a few terms take advantage of now extensive network and retire to take up company directorships, well paid for a few days work per annum.
Iron rice bowl without ever having to do a day’s hard graft.
One could see this as an attractive career path for mediocre graduates with good people skills. Take a better look at those banners!
An apolitical comment, what gives with the quoted “feet,” I have absolutely no idea what 742 of them mean, would that be 10 gross or two pecks or perhaps 23 rods. All maps in HK are metric and you actually have to go out of your way to convert to the archaic system.
This is me but when ever I read imperial unit in an article without metric, I just stop reading the rest of it. Don’t mention that other measure Fahrenheit my blood may boil (100oC of course).
A metric moron.
Dawei
Hemlock using imperial shows age or place of educaction.
My sister was educated purely in imperial.
Child literally next door, one school year younger than my sister, was educated entirely in metric
Plus imperial rather more accurate in reality and means more
One foot is approx 34 cms. No body puts down 34 cms.
Feet may mean nothing to you. Metres mean little to me, and certainly I struggle with grams, milligrams, micrograms etc etc (not to mention going the other way or into other measurements) as to visualising how much they actually are.
If you stop reading, fine. Your loss
@Boris
If it makes you feel better, i’m happy to extend my advice to greasy pole climbers of both sexes.
I’m sorry if my words negatively impacted your virtual “safe space”.