Mid Autumn Festival -- revealed!

The Mid-Autumn Festival has come and gone (25 September). Since this is such important holiday to the Chinese, and relatively unbeknownst to the Western World, the tale behind the fest is told as follows:

In Ancient times, there was an archer, Houyi, that was commissioned by the Emperor to help him with a problem he was having: the nine suns in the sky were getting too hot for his people. The Emperor wanted Houyi to shoot out 8 of the suns with his bow and arrow. Houyi did so and was rewarded a pill that would give him eternal life AND the ability to fly.

Before Houyi got the chance to chow the meds, his wife, Chang'e, swiped the pill for herself. Houyi soon noticed his hard-earned drug was missing after awhile and also noticed his wifey had split. On her way out the door she had grabbed a pet rabbit. She then floated to the moon, where she and the rabbit will live for all time... and reappear with shining beauty to the masses every 15th day of the eigth lunar month of the Chinese calendar.

Merger Fever

A recent news story coming out of BBC News, Asia-Pacific, tells the tale of two cities, Hong Kong and Shenzhen -- specifically, it presents the prospect of a mega-city merger between them. I find it interesting that the slough of mergers and acquisitions going on the last few years in the corporate world is spilling over into the urban environment. Are cities of China but multi-billion dollar corporations where the employees stay overnight? I am purely interested in what is to be gained in this situation, as I come from areas afflicted by infectious urban sprawl.

One authority on the matter breaks down what is truly requisite of a "great city," of which Hong Kong is on the brink of becoming with the merger:

1.) a massive population -- Hong Kong currently stands at 7 million, Shenzhen brings 13 million to the table

2.) culture, history, traditions, values, yadda -- China's 5k years of culture fill in for Hong Kong's apparent lack


Weak sauce.


A more realist perspective, coming from business commentator tapped into the pulse, suggests that government officials are pushing for land development between the two cities and administrations with monetary motivations in mind. Public ventures, private ventures, as well as public people with private ventures will see value added here no doubt. The bonus of pleasing the new Beijing-boss seemingly seals the deal on this merger.

"There are too many government officials in Hong Kong who believe it their duty to please the authorities in the mainland and because the ones in Shenzhen and Guangzhou are nearer than the ones in Beijing, those are the ones they please."


Bingo, baby.


Original article

And with a cannon on our chest...

A precedent has been set, I'm ashamed to admit. I had a choice between two alternatives this past Saturday, and all the training and wisdom my father bestowed upon me over decades was thrown to the curb. I feel as though I have failed him.

15 September was the inaugural fishing outing for the University of Hong Kong Fishing Club. I did not join, for I was in the Master of Urban Design Studio -- attending class. Sorry, Pops. After the studio critique I was adamant to still see the seashore, however. The venue was Sai Kung, the "small town" in Hong Kong where everyone knows your name:


View Larger Map

I joined a gathering hosted by American friends, but seven nations were represented in-house. One theme brought us together: Arsenal Football Club. My understanding of citizens of other cultures and countries has become vastly clearer after two weeks' time in this land. I definitely had a distorted view of the lifestyles people maintained in locations that weren't the United States.

After talking about the Cricket World Championships with a Bengladeshi citizen sporting Calvin Klein leather, and experiencing the hygiene and cleanliness habits of two Chinese roommates (which are far, far superior to my own), one thought has resounded in my mind: the more one knows about the world, in actuality, the less one knows.

Culture of Capitalism

From the pages of the South China Morning Post:

Hong Kong iron workers are on strike due to the sub-standard wages they are receiving. The wage level for iron workers was lowered in the late 90s in the aftermath of the Asian Financial Crisis. The number of new building projects dropped, as did the demand and wages for iron workers. Since that time Hong Kong's economy has steadily gained -- consumer confidence is back in action, trade is at the gates.

However, the wages paid to iron workers remain at the 1998 level. Redevelopment projects and urban expansion are abound, as are the dollars. Where's that extra money going? And why is the total number of luxury cars purchased every year in Hong Kong increasing at an increasing rate?

Demonstration held today on HKU campus grounds:

Alpha-plus

Bradley was a simple country boy. You might say a cockeyed optimist -- who got himself mixed up in the high stakes game of world diplomacy and international intrigue.

I thought I'd need a few weeks to settle before being able to reach out there. I think I'm going to need the whole year to settle so the time to start is now.


Classes have begun. The first day in studio one professor (of three) introduced the notion that urban design entails analyzing interactions between different systems in an environment... with a video, "Remind Me" by Royksopp: