Xiao Hua Issue 19

Xiao Hua 校話

Issue 19 | Venture | January 2019

A Commentary on

SOCIAL CAREER THE RISE OF

JUULS:

A Healthier Alternative or Just as Deadly?

世界不再把我們 當小孩的幾個 瞬間

Netball On the Rise

UNITED SOURCE INT’L CO., LIMITED

Specializing in Supply Chain for High Voltage Passive Components.

CONTACT US Address: 3/F, Blk F, Qujiang Exhibition International Plaza, Yanzhan Road, Xi’An China 71006 Sales: sales@shv.hk Tel: 86-29-85325592 Fax: 86-29-85325755 ext 8001 Website: http://www.shv.hk/index.php

XIAO HUA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Hannah Guo HEAD OF BUSINESS AND ADMINISTRATION Elysia Ye Business Staff Jocelyn Kwok, Illeana Li, Philip Meng, Harry Sun, Stephanie Sze, Ivan To, Christy Tang, Bernice Tse FEATURES EDITOR Jaspar Chan Writers Kaitlyn Wells, Ian Choi, Shivahn Garvie, Karen Lee, Lauren Kee, Ethan Lau NEWS EDITOR Faith Lee Reporters Philip Meng, Phyllis Lam, Esther Lynch, Evelyn Howe, Megan Hsu, Jacqueline Ho, Jing Wong, Toby Chan, Cindy Yang, Haley Hsu, Raghav Goyal, Angelina Wang, Jennifer Zhang, Hannah Guo CHINESE EDITOR Christy Tang Reporters Bernice Tse, Jennifer Zhang, Elaine Hua, Ophelia Sung, Larina Cong, Jocelyn Kwok, Fung Ting Chiu, Stephanie Sze, Joyce Jiang, Grace Ma SPORTS EDITOR Shanice Ng Reporters Kaitlyn Wells, Toby Chan, Denise Ng, Jonathan Yeung, Kian Chan DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Cheryl Ting Photographers Samantha Chan, Kate Cheong, Denise Ng, Ethan Lau, Susan Lee, Michael Cheung, Iris Wang, Andrea Tang, Kalysha Wong, Ke Coco Ren, Olivia Zheng, Megan Hsu, Tung Wang Tsun DIRECTOR OF ILLUSTRATIONS Caterina Jacobelli Illustrators Cindy Lim, Jessica Hu, Jonathan Hui, Felisha Wang, Lilly-Anne Wei, Allyson Chan, Wang On Yuen DIRECTOR OF LAYOUT Whitney Deng Special Thanks to Stephen Chen and Natalie So Layout Designers Andrea Tang, Colin Huang, Grace Ma, Haley Hsu, Illeana Li, Ivan To, Jessica Hu, Jocelyn Cheng, Jocelyn Kwok, Phoebe Lam, Sanya Hui

4

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

Editorial Board

JASPAR CHAN Features Editor

Serving as the Features Editor for this issue of Xiao Hua has certainly been an enjoyable experience. Through our writing, I hope to bring to light various social issues that are worth our attention — hence, the underlying social and political commentary present in forms implicit and explicit throughout the collective writings of the Features department.

WHITNEY DENG

Director of Layout

“Good design is like a refrigerator — when it works, no one notices, but when it doesn’t, it sure stinks.” ~ Irene Au

~ Whitney Deng

Enjoy this issue of Xiao Hua!

CATERINA JACOBELLI Director of Illustrations

It was awesome to work alongside my illustration team. Without you guys, this articles wouldn’t be spiced up with some interesting illustrations. As we can learn from a particular video game, players in a team would not be able to to survive a fight without the support main. And to the rest of CIS, I hope you enjoy our contribution to this magazine!

校話

期刊19

5

Editorial Board FAITH LEE

News Editor

Thank you, Xiao Hua! Being part of this blossoming family has been an incredible honour. Readers and writers alike, Xiao Hua is a platform for the CIS community to come together, carefully curated and brought to life by a team of creative minds and passionate individuals. School life, pop culture, current affairs and beyond - I’ve incorporated a little bit of everything into this semester’s brainchild, so I hope you enjoy it, CIS!

SHANICE NG Sports Editor

It’s been an absolute pleasure working with my department.

Students in our school participate in a variety of sports, and I hope that this issue truly reflects just how diverse CIS is.

CHRISTY TANG

Chinese Editor

云朝朝朝朝朝朝朝朝散， 潮长长长长长长长长消。

6

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

CHERYL TING

Director of Photography I’m blessed to be working with such a dedicated team! We’ve captured many perspectives and significant times for this issue, and it’s sure been a memorable experience. I’ve grown as a photographer and a member of this board, and I’m already looking forward to what’s to come next time round. Please enjoy!

ELYSIA YE

Head of Business and Administration It was my pleasure to work with all of these amazing people for Issue 19. Everyone’s creative and well-organised contributions were crucial to this issue, so please enjoy this incredible piece of work we’ve all put together!

校話

期刊19

7

Editor’s Letter

8

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

Dear CIS,

T

he year of 2018 has no doubt been one full of wonder and adventure. Increasingly, we are seeing that the voices of our local and international community do matter. We see it through the eyes of a student, where there has been an increase in attention brought to mental health issues; we see it through the lens of our ethnicity - a rise of Asians in pop culture. No matter who we are, we all can contribute our voice. It truly has been a year where changes were made, our voices heard, and our steps taken.

When creating Issue 19, we as the Editorial Board took inspiration from moments all throughout 2018, be they from our local community, or within the context of the wider world. The Editorial Board worked tirelessly to bring the fruits of our collective labour to life. We picked our theme — venture — as a means to reflect and share not only the important moments that we as individuals experienced, but also to commemorate those moments of our local community, and of our international society.

Within the smaller community of CIS, we have seen a change not only in our student leadership, as detailed by Philip Meng (‘25) in his article “Student Leadership at CIS: A New Era,” but also in the school’s executive leadership as we face a new school year with a new Headmaster, Head of Secondary, Head of Primary, and etc. We are all venturing into unknown territory, yet we are connected by the spirit of our school and what it means to be a student or a faculty member here.

Within the wider community of our world, we learned to defy stereotypes within so many different contexts, of which Lauren Kee (‘24) explores more specifically in “Defying Stereotypes in the Coding Industry.” We learned to challenge hypermasculinity and promote feminism as Phyllis Lam (‘20) does in “ ‘Boys Don’t Cry’: Alpha Males and Toxic Masculinity.” These are both small steps our society has taken in a tireless road to equality, yet large steps for humankind.

And yet, we must not be complacent. While indeed, blockbusters such as To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, as Haley Hsu (‘21) writes in “Movie a Review: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before,” set a pathway for Asians within the global context, it cannot and should not be our only step on a road to equality. Likewise with global warming. While we can as individuals all adopt the ideas of zero waste, as Kaitlyn Wells (‘20) details in “The Zero Waste Ideal,” we are reminded by Shivahn Garvie (‘20) in “Climate Conservation in Hong Kong” that we must not remain silent with environmental government policies, that we should instead fight for the rights of our planet.

With this issue of Xiao Hua, I urge you as the reader to not be complacent within our community.

I urge you to speak up, take action, and venture beyond what is expected.

Happy reading CIS! Hannah Guo, Editor-in-Chief

校話

期刊19

9

Faculty Letter

10

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

Dear Readers,

A

s we start the new year, it is appropriate that the theme of this issue is “Venture”. I know that we are often scared to step into the unknown, to deviate from what we know, to disrupt the status quo, but as Emily Dickinson wrote, it is “infinite to venture”. So, venture I will!

When I was asked to write this letter for Xiao Hua, I was excited by the theme because I connected on a personal and professional level. Twenty-one years ago, when my husband and I decided to leave New Zealand with our two young children and embark on an international teaching career, our families, friends and colleagues thought we were crazy. They asked questions that showed their fear and confusion at our decision. “Why would you leave good jobs?” “What will happen to the children’s education?” “Do you know anything about living overseas?” “Where will you live?” “Will you be safe?” Although we had already travelled overseas and taught in Europe, many of our family and friends had never left New Zealand.

I know that may sound strange to an international community, but New Zealand is a long way from anywhere and, twenty years ago, people planned ahead for a trip overseas for years. A lot of New Zealanders did not have passports as they did not think they would ever have a need to leave their home country. So we took a risk—a venture, and it has given us infinite opportunities. Were we scared? Yes. Did we deviate from what we knew?

Certainly. Did we disrupt our status quo? Without a doubt.Was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY! If you never look at what might be possible by taking a risk or trying something new, you will never know what you might experience. Always be ready to undertake a new adventure and see where it leads you.

On a professional level, I feel passionately that we must always be venturing into new territory, embracing the unknown and reflecting on what we have now and how we can make it better. This too is scary. People don’t always like change. It is often easier to say everything is going well, so let’s just stay where we are with what we have. Unfortunately, this would make us stagnant, and then there’s the othe risk—that we may never know what could have been possible.

When my husband and I decided to move from Shanghai American School to Chinese International School, we were making a decision to leave a city and jobs we loved. But we are so pleased we did. CIS has proven to be a school that is itself unafraid to venture into new territory. CIS was one of the first dual-language schools in the region. It recognised the significance of learning Mandarin when other schools were not. It established the China Experience Programme (CEP), built the Hangzhou programme, and is constantly looking forward and venturing into new areas to ensure that students and faculty have the best opportunities possible in a world that is constantly changing.

I hope that the students of CIS will appreciate the need to always look at what the world has to offer, to think about how they can develop the skills to venture into the unknown, take risks, make a difference, and ultimately, to grow.

Students, may this issue of Xiao Hua be your inspiration for the new year. Embrace Emily Dickinson’s words. Venture. And take a step into the infinite.

Christine Doleman Head of Secondary

校話

期刊19

11

CONTENTS Photography by Cheryl Ting | Edited by Cheryl Ting

12

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

VOICES

LIFESTYLE FEATURES

16|Alumni Features: Adam Guo

32|Fashion Club Proj- 54|为反驳而生的政治正确 ect Runway Challenge 55|巴拿马与台湾断交？！ 海峡两岸关系的新走向 17|Student Leadership 34|新雲景餐廳: A at CIS: a New Era Brief History on Student-Favorite Char Siu 57|Delicacies from the Pearl of the Orient 20|Boys Don’t Cry: Rice and More ‘Alpha Males’ and 60|What’s in a Family?

Toxic Masculinity 35|Teacher Diary: CIS’s New Headmas64|Uchiage Hanabi and Kimi 22|Section 377 and ter, Mr. Sean Lynch no Na Wa: Two Sides of the Beyond: The Evolution of LGBTQ+ Commu38|Voicenoted: A Re- Same Coin nities view of Charlie Puth’s 68|The Zero Waste Ideal Voicenotes 24|The Rohingya Refugee Crisis 40|The Rise of Juuls: 72|Hong Kong - A Flawed A Healthier Alternative Pearl 26|長大是一場孤注 or Just As Deadly?

76|Defying Stereotypes in 一擲的冒險 — 世界不 the Coding Industry 再把我們當小孩的幾 42|Photogenic 個瞬間 Hong Kong: Insta80|Criticising American gram-Worthy Spots Identity Politicking 28|國際學校v.s本地 學校 — 選擇恐懼症該 46|Movie Review: 84|Climate Conservation in 何去何從？ To All The Boys I’ve Hong Kong Loved Before 48|維他奶 — 相伴同 行七十載 50|中国新一代网络 热潮

88|Tradition, Politics, and Life in Rural Hong Kong

EDITORIAL 94|The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link: Is It Really Worth It? 96|‘Cancelled’ Culture: Has Bandwagoning Gone Too Far? 98|嘻哈女歌手之崛起 99|我與科技有個「戀愛」要談 100|颱風山竹 102|Oppression, Exploitation, and Domination - Foreign Domestic Workers in Hong Kong, Neoliberalism, and Modern-Day Slavery 106|A Commentary on Social Career

SPORTS 114|Meet the New House Captains 118|Netball on the Rise 120|Phoenix Soaring - to the Basket 121|Meet the Sports and Activities Office 128|Lacrosse in Hong Kong

GAMES 132|Let’s Be Real

校話

期刊19

13

14

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

Voices Photography by Cheryl Ting | Edited by Cheryl Ting

校話

期刊19

15

VOICES

Alumni Feature: Adam Guo

By Hannah Guo | Illustration by Wang On Yuen | Layout by Whitney Deng

Where are you now? What are you studying/working on, and how do you find it so far? I’m now studying in Pomona College, located in Claremont, a town in southern California about an hour’s drive from Los Angeles. College is tough! A lot of my time is spent on school work and studying (which I must say the IB prepared me fairly well for), but the freedom of college life helps offset much of that stress. Less class time, fewer subjects, and always being able to choose where to be and what to do without anyone looking over your shoulder is very liberating and makes it easier to balance school and personal life, despite the workload.

What is, in your opinion, the biggest difference between college and CIS life? Freedom and independence. Like I mentioned above, no one is watching you to make sure you do this or that.

How you spend your time is almost entirely up to you, and it’s such a refreshing change from the rigid structure of life prior.

Do you have any valuable life lessons that you’d like to share, whether it be about surviving the IB or just school in general? People ask this question all the time, and quite frankly I don’t think there’s much I can add to the typical response about working ahead of time, minimising procrastination, and somehow also taking the time to relax and sleep.

Like everyone else, I certainly tried to do all these things—and like for many others, it usually didn’t go so well. All I can say is to keep in mind that there’s a whole world out there beyond the bubble, 16

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

“

keep in mind that there’s a whole world out there beyond the bubble

beyond the trap of IB grades and college admissions and peer/parental/ cultural pressure. Graduating from CIS is your first step into the real world, and there is still so much time for you to squeeze the juice out of life, so to say, regardless of where that first step takes you.

What is something you miss about CIS/Hong Kong? What’s the first thing you’d do the next time you return to Hong Kong? Friends, family, food, community, culture, even teachers—just about everything. It’s funny how quickly the present becomes the past; how, in the single instant when we were gathered in the basketball court singing 那些年 and the clock struck three, the life I had known for 10+ years became nostalgic memory.

Looking back, CIS life was hardly ever smooth sailing, but the bumps along the road make it ever more bittersweet. All of us miss something about being at CIS, even if it’s just the camaraderie of getting through the drudgery and stress of school together.

That being said, food probably tops the list of things I miss, and I can assure you that hitting up a 茶餐廳 and asking my parents nicely for 餃子 are top priorities once I get back.

What are your future plans? I wish I had any! At the moment, I don’t even know what I want to study, and sometimes the lack of direction stresses me out; but then again, it’s the privilege of youth to learn things and pursue whatever interest you choose without worrying too much about why.

At least that’s what I tell myself!

VOICES

Student Leadership At CIS: A New Era

By Philip Meng | Photography by Cheryl Ting | Layout by Whitney Deng and Ivan To

What exactly is CIS’s “New Era”? Simply put, the new era is a plan to make CIS a much more student-led school, giving students the chance to vote and voice their opinions, making official decisions happen. Giving the students of secondary school the vital and unique chance to make larger ideas become a reality. New student leaders have been elected for the current year and this New Era has already hit off with a blast.

The current Student Council Executive has many ideas that will hopefully provide more enthusiasm to our fellow students and perhaps even improve the overall lifestyle at CIS. Members of the student council balance their school work and council work to their utmost potential and try their best constantly to make CIS a greater place and add-on to the already exquisite schooling we all love and enjoy. “ In the long-term, we are looking forward to striking a balance between installations, namely clocks, and fun events such as water gun battles!

I am interested in using my best experiences and abilities to improve student life in CIS,” says Treasurer of the Council and prospective engineering student, Ethan Shin.

“This idea has actually been discussed by many SC campaigning teams years back but has never been brought to action to this day. Due to popular demand, we have successfully added clocks to the basketball court so people can check the time while playing sports,” Faith Lee, the SCE’s

Director of Communications, adds. “Another idea we are currently working on is BYOC (Bring Your Own Container), brought up by Cheryl (who previously campaigned with Team Supreme).

We thought it was a brilliant idea - we are now writing proposals and scheduling meetings with Chartwells in order to rid of plastics in our cafeteria. However, our ultimate priority for the year is to provide a wider range of activities during CHOICES. Many students have told us that current CHOICES sessions seem a bit too classroom focused, so what we wish to do is allow the students themselves to choose from all sorts of activities, ranging from sports to the arts, and they can participate in the ones they enjoy.” The Council has been working on many ideas to provide a much more action-packed year for our benefit.

One of the most significant ideas advocated by the 2018-19 SCE is the new ‘Student Council Constitution’. “The previous Student Council were actually the ones who proposed the amendment, nearing the end of last year. We agreed that one year isn’t enough time to complete large ideas and wanted Year 11’s to have two years in office rather than one. We also thought that House Reps had the potential to do more than just signing students up for sports activities - merging both positions together to a total of 10 people each year would encourage a wider variety of foster a stronger sense of responsibility and leadership amongst younger students,” Faith states, “The student body

校話

期刊19

17

VOICES

has chosen to disagree with this decision and we respect that. We also realized a few reasons as to why some people didn’t vote for the amendments, one of them being that most Year 11’s, who’d be returning from Hangzhou, require time to adapt to the environment of our Hong Kong campus, which might feel new to them again. In that sense, running for the Student Council might not be a suitable option. We will try to advertise the amendments better next time through advisory visits and more in-depth conversations with the student body, because I don’t think many people thoroughly understood the ideas we proposed.”

Another crucial role within the school is the Student Arts Executive (SAE). “The SAE is the first student-led arts leadership committee who provides student voice and leadership to the Arts at CIS. The core committee is comprised of 4 arts leadership roles and is supported by sub-teams. The aim of the committee is to

1) Collect student opinions through surveys, polls, etc and serve as a medium to express student's voice;

2) Increase engagement of the student body in the Arts by fostering an inclusive community;

3) Working with the arts department to improve the arts scene at CIS;

4) Provide students with a channel to influence decisions made within the Arts.

5) Planning and organising arts events and more!”

18

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

explains President of the Student Arts Executive, Evelyn Howe, a Year 11 student who is an avid lover of dance, musical theatre and debate. “Over the years, we have seen many talented artists come and go, and our responsibility is to nurture their passion for the arts so we continue to see such amazing artists emerging. One of our staple activities include the weekly Arts Lunchboxes, where we allow regular performance and engagement opportunities in the arts. By doing so and creating an increasingly inclusive environment, I believe that this has allowed students to become more supportive and willing to participate in the Arts. For example, every week we have seen an increase in students participation and support for these events.”

VOICES

“Being the President of the Arts Committee has allowed me to work alongside extremely talented and passionate like-minded peers. Their dedication towards the arts and creativity and ingenuity really inspires me to do my job to the best of my ability.

I have no doubt that this year we will make a great process at improving the arts at CIS!”

The arts will always be at CIS, with an increasing number of students growing aware and being interested in the arts. Evelyn says, “One of the reasons why I love art so much is that it serves as a platform for people to come together and create meaningful experiences and relationships. By participating in arts events, not only do you get to share your passion for the arts with the others around you, but you also gain a sense of belonging by participating as a member of the arts community. Arts truly has no barriers; hopefully, we are able to use the arts to continue to strengthen a sense of community in the CIS student body.” Arts will be very important to the “New Era of CIS” because it allows many students to pursue their passion.

Alongside the Arts, the House Captains’ main goals are extremely important to the whole of the student body, promoting house spirit and organizing house events. Blue House’s Captain Claire Wu explains, “Our goal as house captains is promoting house spirit through organising house events. Additionally, in the past, at least in my opinion, being a house captain traditionally has more related to just cheering for sports day and sports competitions in general, but I really liked how the role of ‘house captain’ has recently extended to promoting house spirit beyond sports. House captains can have more creativity when coming up with events to foster house spirit, and I think this is also so great because it gives more student to chance to, through their talents, earn house points!”

The New CIS Era is something we are all be excited to be apart of. All current student leadership groups have planned great activities for the following year as well as long-term goals for future development, all of which are strongly anticipated. “Leadership can’t or shouldn’t be something that’s determined by age, but by passion and dedication - as long as you have ideas that can help bring a positive change to CIS, and are committed to making them happen,” Faith concludes. CIS’s new era has had been incredible so far and is sure to ‘era’dicate all the things we dislike.

校話

期刊19

19

VOICES

Boys Don’t Cry’: Alpha Males and Toxic Masculinity “Toxic masculinity” is a phrase we all misuse and misunderstand regularly. It is because of terms like “man up” and “act like a man” that are causing toxic masculinity to still exist. When we tell a boy to “man up”, we are telling him to stop expressing his feelings - that grief, fear and pain are not appropriate emotions for a man. However, these feelings still need to be expressed but are just transformed into anger, which is allowed for a man because being angry is more acceptable than being emotional.

Thus, it also teaches young boys to be embarrassed about their emotions in which causes them to avoid communication.

By Phyllis Lam Photography by Cheryl Ting Layout by Sanya Hui and Whitney Deng

“THE tension in the world is

the tension between the ego and the feminine, not between the masculine and the feminine.”

Toxic masculinity is an assumption about gender, sexuality and social interactions. It has become a culture that often associates masculinity with violence, sex status and aggression. It teaches young boys that violence is the best way to prove their strength and power, thus perhaps suggest the reason of why men have been responsible for a majority of the mass shootings in the United States. Elliot Rodger who carried out the 2014 shooting in Isla Vista, made a threat in a video explaining his motives. “I don’t know why you girls aren’t attracted to me, but I will punish you all for it”, he said. Denied of the “rights” as a man, Elliot felt that his male privilege was at risk and believed that violence was the only solution.

According to the American Psychological Association, men are also less likely than women to seek for help regarding their mental health. Toxic masculinity teaches men to be afraid of looking “weak”, which forces them to withstand untreated mental health problems. College cultures also urge men to impose their powers on others through their sexuality and can encourage campus rape culture. Toxic masculinity has led some 20

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

VOICES

boys to take pride in the number of girls they have slept with because they think that it equates to their status of masculinity, which is entirely untrue. According to bustle.com, toxic masculinity teaches us “that men are in charge and women are not; that men are superior and women are inferior; that men are strong and women are weak”. Thus, this toxic culture not only puts men down for being “feminine”, but also puts women down for being “masculine”.

An example of someone who has experienced toxic masculinity is Robert Webb, an English comedian. He had a very present father whose name might as well have been Darth Vader. Growing up with an ill tempered father, Webb became afraid of all men. There were days when Darth Vader was in a good mood, and would only put his fist under Webb’s nose and say “smell that and tremble, boy?” in a joke-threatening way. Other days, he would thrash Webb’s legs with a pair of shorts. Therefore, Webb and his brothers knew very well not to anger him, and crying was one thing that “doesn’t go down well with father”. Thus, being expressive made Webb “not very good at being a boy”.

On the outside, Darth Vader seemed like a kind and charismatic man, but it was because of those unexpressed emotions, which transformed into anger that made him difficult to live with.

So why does toxic masculinity exist? Toxic masculinity originates from stereotypes about genders, which stem from all cultures. According to Psychology Today, stereotypes exist for the purpose of informational efficiency, and can be described as “patterns of behaviors and statistical regularities in the world”. Babies recognize these patterns and form mental templates to organise the information into stereotypes. Therefore,

human behavior and the cultural patterning of behavior are rooted in our evolved biology. Gender archetypes are usually described as the “worst-case and best-case ideal types of men and women”. For example, the worst-case ideal type for men is being too aggressive and selfish, while the best-case ideal type for women is being caring and generous. Although being a masculine woman and an effeminate man are deemed as unbalanced, men and women should both embody some masculine and feminine traits, in order to prevent the promotion of aggressive and “hyper-masculine” male archetypes.

Toxic masculinity tells us it is a world where every man is for himself, and that men must have wealth, status and power. It is the cultural ideal of manliness, where strength is everything while emotions are a weakness. Thus, showing “feminine” traits like emotional vulnerability will take your status as a “man” away. This in turn causes us to become resilient on our individuality in which causes us to suffer in many ways. Therefore, we must reclaim healthy masculinity.

Healthy masculinity is the knowledge that we make choices that will have consequences. It means that we must stand against our actions that cause others and ourselves harm. We cannot condone our unconscious behavior and must understand that all of us are allowed to be vulnerable. Therefore, men should feel comfortable in engaging in emotionally nurturing roles, ask for help when needed and freely express a wide range of emotions. Healthy masculinity acknowledges that we are all loving human beings who are capable of listening and supporting others. Thus, it is crucial that we work to eliminate the shackled expectations of gender roles and stereotypes. 校話

期刊19

21

VOICES

Section 377 and Beyond: The Evolution Of

LGBTQ+

By Esther Lynch | Illustrations by Jessica Hu | Layout by Whitney Deng and Coco Ren

O

n September 6th, 2018, the Supreme Court of India overturned a law that has instilled fear in India’s homosexuals for almost 150 years.

For a century and a half, India’s top court upheld a section of the country’s Penal Code, Section 377, which criminalizes certain kinds of sex in India; the evolution of the court’s thinking is historic. When Section 377 entered Indian law in 1861, under the influence of Britain’s strict moral codes, it imposed a life sentence on offenders, who were usually homosexuals, and offered legal protections for people who harassed and sexually assaulted homosexuals. In comparison, similar sodomy laws (laws that criminalize “unnatural” sexual acts) were repealed in France at the time of the French Revolution in 1789, while the United States’ Supreme Court ruled against them fifteen years ago.

Consequently, the newest ruling by India’s Supreme Court is recognized by international NGOs and the United Nations as a watershed for the LGBTQ+ community in India. According to the United Nations in India website, the United Nations hopes that “the judgment will boost efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination against [LGBTIQ] persons in all areas of social, economic, cultural and political activity, thereby ensuring a truly inclusive society.” The case was closely followed by the international press, as well, including The New

22

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

York Times, which reported that witnesses called to testify against Section 377 were often victims of the prevailing sodomy laws, who told personal stories of threats and violence. The New York TImes has also published a very powerful piece addressing the lives of the closeted gays in India entitled “Gay in India, where progress has come only with risk”, also analyzing first hand experiences. According to this article, many have expressed that living in India was “living like outlaws” and they had experienced things such as “hunning by parents, social isolation, few protections in the workplace, and a frightening vulnerability to both police abuse and sexual assault with limited legal recourse.”

On the other hand, lawyers arguing in favor of the law presented blatantly homophobic sentiments, going so far as to make the claim that homosexuality “exists only in lower classes of animals with a vegetative reproductive system.”(-NYT). They presented no other rationale.

While the fight to repeal Section 377 goes back three decades, to India’s HIV-AIDS awareness movement of the early 1990s, homosexuality has been recognized by Hinduism as a natural and even a mystical behavior for thousands of years in India. Hindu ancient texts and art, both secular and religious, dating from the Vedic era (c. 1500 – c. 500 BCE) represent and even celebrate homosexual acts.

The Hindu god Vishnu has a female avatar, making him arguably a trans-

VOICES

COMMUNITIES gender deity, and Hinduism even has a term for the state of being “third gender,” or in contemporary terms, non-binary: trithiya prakirthi.

Interestingly, the case for overturning Section 377, which was modeled on British law from the 16th century, hinged on ancient Hindu views of homosexuality. Lawyers seeking to have the law repealed argued that it was a relic of a colonial-imposed Penal Code that was inconsistent with Indian mores and culture. Apparently, India’s Supreme Court agreed.

This precedent in India may be the first example where LGBTQ+ issues have been defended as essentially a cultural right, as much as a sexual one.

No matter how the case was argued and notwithstanding centuries of Hindu beliefs, public opinion in favor of homosexuality is a very recent phenomenon in India, where the national film industry, Bollywood, frequently lampoons gay and transgender characters. The first formal Gay Pride parade in India was held on August 16, 2008, in Mumbai, almost 40 years after the first ever Gay rights and awareness march took place, in New York City in 1970, for the Christopher Street Liberation Day. Although the official government count of homosexuals in India (according to 2012 statistics - the only study ever submitted to India’s Supreme Court) claims 2.5 million homosexuals in India, it is thought

that many Indians remain closeted in the face of widespread stigma.

The repeal of Section 377 has been a cause for celebration, not only in India but around the world as well: it marks the fall of yet another barrier to LGBTQ+ rights, and, in this case, in one of the world’s most populous nations. Although the United States has served as a model of progressive legislation in favor of homosexuality, particularly with the legalization of same-sex marriage in all 50 states in 2015, fear and stereotypes are difficult to overcome even in the US, where the LGTBQ+ community was the target of the Pulse nightclub mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, two years after that landmark decision.

At the end of the hearing to repeal Section 377, one of the Supreme Court justices was asked his opinion about what would happen if India tried to improve other aspects of life for the LGBTQ+ community, by legalizing same-sex marriage, for example. He gave an ambiguous reply, answering, “We are plunging into the sea.” Homosexuality is a hot button issue everywhere, and meaningful change will take more than years or decades, and maybe more than generations. It might feel like jumping off a cliff into the unknown, but it is the right choice to make.

校話

期刊19

23

VOICES

The Rohingya Refugee

Crisis

By Evelyn Howe | Illustrations by Cindy Lim | Layout by Whitney Deng and Coco Ren

* Disclaimer:

this article contains details of gore and violence and is may not be suitable for everyone, especially younger audiences.

in Rakhine state, the poorest state in Myanmar. They speak their own language, practice their own religion and culture; all of which is different to the buddhist majority.

thousands of Rohingya from their basic right to education, healthcare, employment, bearing children and ownership of land - amounting to extremely harsh living conditions.

They are considered among the most vulnerable, oppressed and persecuted minorities in the world.

Only recently have tens of thousands of Rohingya been forced to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. However, the persecution and discrimination against the Rohingya and is an ongoing issue that has persisted for centuries in Myanmar. The animosity towards the Rohingya can be derived from entrenched buddhist nationalism and widespread fear and hatred of the Rohingya. As a predominantly buddhist country, Myanmar refuses to recognize the Rohingya as citizens. In fact, they state that the Rohingya are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, often blaming the Rohingya for Myanmar’s shortcomings. However, the Rohingya claim their roots in Myanmar can be traced back as far as the ninth century, when thousands of them migrated to the former Arakan Kingdom (currently Rakhine State).

What is the Crisis?

They have witnessed and experienced atrocities no one should have to encounter - mass murder, rape, beheading, torture, burning of villages - an unfolding of a crisis that UN has even called “a textbook example of ethnic cleansing” and “crimes against humanity.”

They have been denounced and victimized by the country which they call home; unwanted by the nations which they find refuge in.

Alone, afraid and stateless - they are the Rohingya, a muslim ethnic minority group based in Myanmar and currently the largest stateless community in the world.

Over the past year, nearly a half of million of them have been risking their lives by sea or by land, fleeing their homeland of violence, detestation and discrimination to neighboring countries; causing what is considered the world’s “fastest growing refugee crisis.”

Who are the Rohingya?

The Rohingya are the largest muslim Ethnic group living in Myanmar, and before the exodus it is estimated that there were 1 million Rohingya living 24

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

The Myanmar government has continued to oppress and strip the Rohingya of their basic rights since the 1962 military coup, which turned Myanmar into a one-party military state, and dramatically worsened living conditions for the Rohingya.

In 1982, Myanmar passed a discriminatory law that barred the Rohingya from obtaining citizenship, excluding them from a list of 135 ethnic groups which the Myanmar Government recognizes. This resulted in the Rohingya becoming the largest stateless community in the world. The law infringes and limits hundreds of

Since the 1970’s, there have been waves of violence and crackdowns against the Rohingya, forcing thousands to flee to neighboring countries such as Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Thailand. However, the most recent exodus was provoked by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), when they launched attacks on 30 police and army posts in August 2017. The violent attacks prompted the Myanmar Government to declare ARSA a terrorist group, inducing revenge attacks and brutal military crackdowns on the Rohingya, and causing thousands to flee the country. According to Medecins Sans Frontieres, at least 6,700 Rohingya have already been killed in the span of the first month’s attack. Survivors have stated that they witnessessed atrocious crimes such as government soldiers stabbing babies, decapitating men, gang-raping girls, burning entire families to death, executing dozens of innocent villagers and more.

Due to the fact that the Rohingyas are a stateless group, they are even more vulnerable to exploitation and persecution, as they have zero protection from any government.

Human rights groups around the world claim the Myanmar government has one goal: to eradicate the entirety of the Rohingya community.

Twenty year-old Ayesha, a survivor of the atrocities recounted how Bur-

VOICES themselves in overcrowded refugee camps, where disease and violence is rampant.

mese soldiers entered her home and ripped her baby from her arms, kicking him “like a football.” She also stated that the soldiers later forced the women into a room and stripped them of their clothes. Over the course of several hours, the twelve soldiers would take turns raping the women. “I felt like they would kill me,” said Ayesha, “I was afraid my child was dead.”

13 year old Mohammed got shot in the head when trying to flee attacks by government soldiers. “We had to run because the military were firing their guns at us, and one of their bullets hit me in the head,” he states, “ I don’t really know what happened next because I passed out -- it was so painful.”

Another Rohingya refugee named Rajuma describes how Myanmar soldiers threw her baby into a fire and shortly after she was dragged into a house and gang-raped. On that day, she also lost her other son, her mother and her younger brother and siblings, all in the blink of an eye.

“People were holding the soldiers’ feet, begging for their lives,” Rajuma said, “But they didn’t stop, they just kicked them off and killed them.

They chopped people, they shot people, they raped us, they left us senseless.”

The UN claims that the exodus of civilians has exceeded 688,000 and that number on continues to increase.

However, many Rohingyas who are fleeing death, rape and persecution with nothing but the clothes on their backs and babies in their arms, arrive at refugee camps mentally and physically exhausted; only to find

Over the past year, the influx of refugees at camps in neighboring countries such as Bangladesh has risen sharply, with camps and aid workers struggling to accommodate and provide for all the refugees. In Cox’s Bazar, one of Bangladesh’s refugee mega camps where around 1 million people reside, the World health organization has called for a scale up in health services. “The camps are totally overcrowded,” said Christophe Boulierac, a spokesman for UNICEF. “It’s very muddy and raining every day.”

As a result, many refugees has resulted to living in makeshift camps, often struggling to find clean water, food and shelter. To make matters worse, as the monsoon season approaches, many Rohingya refugees are facing a “crisis within a crisis”.

The monsoons are likely to induce landslides and flooding, threatening to destroy camps, heighten risk of disease, making it much harder for aid workers to provide aid. This would result in the already desolate situation that thousands of Rohingya are facing become much worse.

Myanmar government, international response: Throughout this crisis, the Myanmar Government has turned a blind eye towards the acts of brutality being committed against the Rohingya.

They have done little to nothing to cease the violence or hold persecuters accountable. In fact, Tatmadaw, Myanmar’s military, has openly denied targeting civilians and even accuses the Rohingyas of staging the killings and burning their own homes.

Myanmar’s State Counsellor (de facto Head of Government in Myanmar, equivalent to a prime minister) and Nobel Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi would be able to interfere. However, she has publicly denied that the Rohingya have been subject to ethnic cleansing and states the issue is “a huge iceberg of misinformation.”.

Due to her refusal to speak out against the crimes committed against the Rohingya, Aung San Suu Kyi will also be revoked of her Freedom of Edinburgh, which she received in 2005 for promoting peace and democracy in Burma. Moreover, in early October 2018, both the Canadian Senate and its House of Commons voted unanimously to strip Aung San Suu Kyi of her honorary citizenship.

This decision was caused by the Canadian Government’s determination to condemn the Myanmar government for their of the treatment of the Rohingya. Despite the magnitude of backlash from around the world, Aung San Suu Kyi has failed to act upon the situation. Unfortunately, her inadequate actions signal that an end to the persecution and genocide of the Rohingya is nowhere near in sight.

For Ayesha, Mohammed, Rajuma and the millions of helpless Rohingya victims, their flee from Myanmar’s savagery does not call an end to their hopelessness - the inhumanity they have witnessed and experienced have left physical and emotional scars that they can never truly escape.

As the Rohingya crisis gains international attention, many hoped that 校話

期刊19

25

VOICES

長大是一場孤注一擲的冒險 —世界不再把我們當小孩的幾個瞬間

By Joyce Jiang | Photography by Megan Hsu | Layout by Stephen Chen

「該長大了 」

「就...就還有點事沒幹完」

————我以為那次犯錯他會打我

「趕緊睡覺吧，下次別這樣了」

剛來香港的那一年，大概是初二 吧，那個時候我的家教極其嚴格。 我父母堅持認為電子產品百害而無 一利，所以永遠都嚴格控管我的使 用時間。 可我那時候剛從國內壓 迫式的環境到這種國際學校的輕鬆 環境，對這些高科技沒有任何抵抗 力。 我糾結了挺久，但最終玩心 不是一般大的我還是下定決心，我 小心翼翼地把電腦藏在我房間的廁 所，等到夜深人靜爸媽都睡下了， 我才悄悄地起身。

「好」。

但半夜我爸起身看到我房裡透出來 的亮光，於是就這樣我被被我爸現 場抓包。 我以為他會告訴我媽，然後我免不 了我媽的一頓臭罵，然後電腦就不 要再想見到了。 但出乎我意料的是，他居然是坐下 問我說： 「這麼晚了，幹嘛呢 」 26

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

那件事就這麼過去了，我爸沒有告 訴我媽，彷彿那次成了我們之間的 秘密。那次對話讓我意識到他已經 把我當「成年人」來看待，而不是 從前那個不乖就罵的小屁孩。

—————我們怎麼變成這樣 深夜跟奶奶打電話，聽到電話那頭 傳來她略帶疲憊的聲音，「新房子 已經徹底裝修好了哦～特意留了一 間房間給你，記得經常來啊 。」 然後得知我今年放假又不回去了， 她有點孤單地說：「我知道你長 大了不粘我了，但奶奶真的很想 你....」 掛掉電話後自己偷偷回房間哭得很 傷心，想起來這是一個月以來第一 次和奶奶說幾句話，平常也不怎麼

VOICES

打電話，我總以沒時間為藉口但我 知道我其實有，但總是想不起她。

还是得爬起来完成那篇文章，因為 最後 期限就是第二天早上。

我和她好像變得很陌生......

那天的心情我至今記憶猶新，可這 有什麼辦法呢，這就是成年人要面 對的生活原本的模樣...

想起小時候被媽媽罵了，永遠只有 奶奶護著我，她就像我的超級英雄 一樣總能在第一時間維護我，所以 小時候只要聽說奶奶來我家住就是 世界上最幸福的事情。 奶奶腿腳 還靈活的時候，會在炎熱的夏天有 勁地打著擂茶，我在一旁蹲著吸冰 棍跟她有一搭沒一搭地聊天，日子 慢得好像就這樣過了一輩子...... 後來啊，我開始有了學業壓力，有 了很好的朋友，有了喜歡的人，有 了自己的生活，奶奶的角色好像在 我人生道路上淡去了重要性。 不知從什麼時候起，她的腿腳越來 越不好，只要站久一點就會痛，所 以我再也沒有喝過她親手打的擂 茶，以後可能也再也沒有機會了。 我也不再需要她幫我抗事，我童年 的超級英雄，就這樣退休了..... 再後來，我搬去了香港，離她更遠 了，不僅是距離更是心裏。 我假 期太忙回不去，她會一次又一次地 詢問，然後一次又一次得到一個 讓她失望的結果。 她會偶爾來探 望，可我們再也不好好聊天了。 可我知道，她很想跟我聊聊，她很 想我們離她近點，不管是距離還是 心裏..... 再後來呢？ 可能就沒有後來了 吧， 我不敢想.....

生活從不因為你的脆弱，就對你溫 柔以待。

———— 準備好了嗎 我媽是個很霸道的人。 可這個我一直認定的事實好像在悄 無聲息地改變著... 當時Ib選課的時候，我以為她會囉 裡八嗦，問這問那，然而她只是簡 單問幾句然後說「長大了，你決定 好不後悔就行。」 可聽到這裡反倒是我心里吃味，感 覺空落落的，特別沒底。一個勁地 拉著她不斷問這個好不好？ 那個 適不適合？ 如果不行怎麼辦..... 在她眼裡我已經慢慢張成大孩子 了，她也在嘗試著慢慢放手，可我 還是習慣于在她心裡是個小孩子。 成長是一場孤注一擲的冒險，這場 冒險沒有所謂的回頭路，路上冷暖 自知， 我們在特定的時間特定的 地點，忽然後過頭發現這個世界不 一樣了....長大後你會發現曾經那些 肩並肩的人總是在不斷地走丟，最 後你只剩下你自己形單影隻.....

——長大後的難過都是悄無聲息的

不知道從什麼時候起，我爸也開始 喜歡說“爸爸老了，你以後要照顧 我呀”。 每次聽到我都有點難受， 而我自己也一晃快16歲了，可能這 句話的出現也就意味著我要學會慢 慢接過一些責任和重擔了....

那天我因為淋雨，晚上發燒到39 度。

「至於未來會怎樣，要用力走下去 才知道，反正路還長，天總會亮」

長大也就意味著你不得不和曾經很 重要很重要的人漸行漸遠....

一直處在半暈半醒的恍惚狀態，但 校話

期刊19

27

VOICES

國際學校v.s本地學校 ——選擇恐懼症該何去何從？

By Jocelyn Kwok | Photography by Susan Lee | Layout by Stephen Chen

近年的香港一步步地走向填鴨 式的教育，這不僅令不少的香 港家長對於如此一去不返的教 學模式產生懷疑，也導致了大 量的香港本地學童與居於香港 的外籍學生爭奪起國際學校的 學位。許多香港家長表示， 若送孩子去上香港傳統本地學 校，那孩子便需要經常面對繁 重的學業功課，且校內學生之 間互相比較的氛圍難免會使孩 子們在潛移默化中背負更大的 壓力。家長們普遍認為國際學 校比較適合自己的孩子，同時 他們中的多數也被國際學校 「功課少，壓力少」的概念吸 引，認為那樣小朋友便能在輕 鬆的環境中長大，家長的壓力 亦可減輕。 28

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

無可否認，以前就讀於某香港 傳統名校的我非常羨慕國際學 校的學生，曾以為他們都可以 無憂無慮的完成他們的學業。 在香港，「國際學校」一詞可 謂亦褒亦貶。國際學生的學生 經常被誤會成一群中文極差、 說著一口流利英語，不用讀書 或做功課，卻能畢業於外國頂 尖大學的富二代。如果我現今 仍就讀於本地學校，相信這篇 文章的標題不但會被名為「國 際學校與傳統學校的分別」， 其內容更是會寫到國際學校的 學生是如何放蕩不羈、無拘無 束的就能被頂尖的大學錄取， 以作對比傳統學校給他們學生 所施加的壓力。但作為都體驗 過這兩個教育系統之別的我， 不得不反對此觀念，也必須打

破所有人對國際學校“美好的 幻想”。 現在有大量家長都希望能將子 女送入國際學校就讀，但如此 重大決定的背後也要付上一定 的代價。學費價值不菲一事便 是眾所週知的事實，此外，國 際學校內中英文的教學比例也 有一定的不平衡。語文上的不 平衡所指的是國際學校對於中 文的忽視，以致許多學生的中 文水平都不盡人意，有些同學 甚至不能在香港以中文與人進 行溝通。這不但造成了本地學 生對國際學校學生不會中文的 偏見，也造成了他們對於國際 文憑（IB）中的中文課程的偏 見，認為課程因缺少了文言文 板塊而十分容易。不少本地學

VOICES 生對「國際學校」 四字表示反感、看 不起，同時也有點 羨慕。他們普遍認 為只有那些在傳統 學校中應付不了中 文和數學課程，又 或是那些不能承受 大壓力的學生才會 「逃離」到國際學 校。但他們中有不 少人卻打心底羨慕 這種國際學校的學 生才可獲得的自由 與奔放。 為了更了解本地學生對國際學 校直接、真實的想法，我訪問 了一位來自港島某傳統名校的 中五（漢基的 year 12) 學生。

問：在教學材料和方式 方面，你認為哪一方會比較 好？

答：應該是國際學校 吧。我們的教材和教育方式與 國際學校十分不同，我們大多 比較嚴格、也更加模式化。再 加上我們的教材都是由香港政 府派發的，DSE（香港中學文 憑考試）也相對傾向於中文和 傳統東方學習的模式，我們無 法很自由地去選擇個人化的學 習方式。 問：你覺得在傳統學校的壓力 更大還是國際學校呢？

答：那肯定是傳統學

校。我們有更多的功課，更多 的東西要背，再加上我們每學 年避無可避的三次小測兩次大 考，壓力肯定比你們要大得 多。 問：你認為在升學方面哪一方 更有優勢呢？

答：其實應該差不多 吧。只是國際學校的學生都會 出國上大學，而大多數傳統學 校的學生都希望考好DSE，在 香港讀書吧。要不然就是考得 很好然後被某國外知名大學錄 取，又或是考的超爛，不得不 去國外上大學。

問：所以，你又曾想過 轉去國際學校嗎？為什麼呢？

答：或多或少也曾有， 但我如今還有兩年就快畢業， 已經無法轉學了。以前心想， 到了國際學校參加國際文憑 （IB）的考試便能輕輕鬆鬆的 畢業，可現在，我雖然就讀傳 統學校，但是進修的是也是國 際文憑（IB），才知道想考好 IB原來是這麼難的。 無論現在選校的趨勢如何，我 們必須知道什麼適合作為學生 的我們。不論是國際學校还是 傳統學校，它們各有利弊，家 長和同學們應先好好瞭解不同 學校的性質與背景，不應在略 知一二的情況下就作下一些無 根無據的偏激定論。

校話

期刊19

Voices29

30

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

Lifestyle

Photography by Cheryl Ting | Edited by Cheryl Ting

校話

期刊19

31

LIFESTYLE

FASHION C LU B PROJECT R U N WAY CHALLENGE

By Jasmine Wong | Illustration by Allyson Chan | Photography by Jasmine Wong | Layout by Colin Huang

FIDM Fashion Club is a high school club program sponsored by Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, which is a design school headquartered in Los Angeles. FIDM Fashion Club mentors creative high school students who want to pursue careers in the fashion, beauty, and entertainment industries. Members of FIDM FC may potentially qualify for a scholarship to FIDM, or a fully-paid enrollment to FIDM’s 3 Days of Fashion summer course. There are over 800 FIDM FCs around the world.

At FIDM FC CIS, we focus on exploring all aspects of fashion.

So far, we have upcycled clothing, invited guest speakers from the fashion industry to talk about sustainable fashion and start-up.

We have also competed against each other in a Project-Runway-style re32

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

cycled material unconventional challenge, and we took inspiration from the Hong Kong skyline. Our biggest challenge was to “Make it work!” The winners of this challenge were promised *Klum’s voice* a double-page spread in the XiaoHua magazine and a $10HKD cash prize to kick-start their fashion careers. However, my group ended up winning this challenge, and we have decided to share our spotlight with our competitors.

The challenge began with an aggressive timed ‘dumpster dive’ into a pile of (clean!) trash to gather our materials for the challenge. This was followed by brainstorming and sketching, then the tearing of masking tape and the whiff of glue guns filled the atmosphere and the workroom descended into a quiet chaos.

We completed this challenge over the span of two after-school club meetings, and left the workroom with pride and content. This challenge gave us a whole new perspective of textiles and taught us never to limit fashion to fabric. We have also gained an appreciation for a creative zero-waste approach to sustainable fashion. Our looks are one-of-a-kind and produced in our fashion house… this makes them haute couture, right??

E M M A

&

LIFESTYLE

J A S M I N E

The bodice of our dress was is inspired by the Bank of China Tower and Jardine House, and the frilled skirt of the dress is inspired by the Victoria Harbour, which sits right below the skyline. Our dress is made predominantly out of paper and cardboard, with the exception of the mosaic created for the right side of the bodice, which are squares of plastic (a cutup Japanese takeout box!) attached onto cardboard.

C H E R Y L

&

X I A O T I A N

Our skirt is the main statement piece of our design. The fullness of the skirt is contrasted with the tight sleeveless top. The red color scheme is a traditional color that represents prosperity. The skyline is showcased through the accessories– the belt and the necklace.

K A I T L Y N

&

A B E

With our minidress, we attempted to incorporate traditional chinese and western styles to encapsulate the multiculturalism of Hong Kong. The bright and diverse colours mimic the colourfulness of the lights reflected onto Victoria Harbour at night time. The criss cross design at the back was inspired by the architecture of the HSBC building. It was so fun thinking of creative ways to use the upcycled materials!

S O P H I E & R A C H A E L & J O C E L Y N

Our top and skirt piece was inspired by the city’s bright lights and the waves of Victoria Harbour. Although we ran into a few issues with our recycled fabric, we tried our best and managed to conceal any holes or tears to create a swanky form-fitting design! The design of the structure on top is influenced by the Bank of China building, and the silvery bottom encapsulates the fluidity of the waves in the harbour. 校話

期刊19

33

LIFESTYLE

新雲景餐廳: A Brief History on Student-Favorite Char Siu Rice and More

By Megan Hsu | Photography by Susan Lee | Layout by Jessica Hu

Taking a break from the emerging stylish diners and back to the reviving colorful culture comfort food, this long-standing restaurant has rich unpretentious flavors of Cantonese-style dishes. The evolving development of the Braemar Hill district had never impeded the ongoing run of the restaurant, yet retained its status in the field for more than 40 years. Introduced with the support of his family, the restaurant owner Mr. Yip worked competently to maintain his popularity and position around. At the time of the severe economic turmoil, he kept his initial thought till now- earning money for a living.

BBQ Pork (Char Siu) is a staple of Chinese cuisine. Not only can it be served simply, it can also be taken home for family dining occasions. The Cloudview Chinese BBQ seemed to offer the classic type of pork with their unique kick of seasoning variation freshly made every morning. It consists of a reflection on a wide variety of local Cantonese cuisine with a blend of the traditional Chinese five flavors. The BBQ Pork Rice (Char Siu Fan) is the main highlight, classified as a type of Cantonese rotisserie (Siu Mei) in the local cuisine. It is a nourishing one-plate meal, with a concoction of barbecue pork caramelized with honey. Unlike other restaurants around, it provides a hearty and significant amount of sides and meat. The dish is presented neatly with a pungent aroma pervading from the rotisserie kitchen. The vivid colors of the entire plate shows an even distribution between the pork and rice along with a couple of choy sum lingering outwards. The meat was well-cooked still succulent and chewy, with a tad of sweetness to balance

out the luscious flavors. The price of the dish is comparatively pricey with HK$42 for a plate of this signature BBQ Pork Rice. In just one afternoon, the restaurant impressively produces more than five hundred plates of BBQ Pork Rice.

The Cloudview Chinese BBQ restaurant (新雲景餐 廳) nestled in a corner, with most of the seating outside delineated by several umbrella stands, is one of the most recognized restaurants in the Braemar Hill Shopping Centre. In the account of the cheap and cheerful environment, there are decor and ornamentation peppered around in representation of the Chinese culture.

The festive lanterns and Fai Chun shares oodles of festive fun loudly and proudly. At the far side of the restaurant, there’s an extensive display on the merchandise in long strips of seasoned boneless pork draping off the long forks in front of the window pane.

The arrangement of the daily meat section makes it utterly irresistible and mouth-watering to the growling stomachs in lunchtimes.

With a close school locality, it has an increasing popularity in recent years among CIS students. The backdrop of lush greenery in Braemar Hill makes users at a peace of mind, away from the nomadic busy school schedules. The patronizing of students could be reasoned from the huge traffic flow during lunch and afternoon hours, giving them another opportunity for something nearby and local. The vast seating inside and outside the restaurant gives room for almost everyone during peak hours. The dwindling pork from lunch set specials to afternoon tea prove its popular demand and yearning desire from customers.

Suits and students alike, it serves as a simple fulfilling quick meal enjoyed by many. A few years back, well known local gourmet Li Chun En (李純恩) selected this restaurant as one of the “top ten must-eat barbecue rice dishes” in Hong Kong, highly praising their affable interaction with customers and long sustained commitment. If you’re looking for a convenient and local food right by the school, definitely give this restaurant a try, for its tender juicy Chinese style BBQ for its prolonged preserving of culture.

34

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

LIFESTYLE

Teacher Diary:

CIS’s New Headmaster Mr. Sean Lynch

ByJacqueline Jacqueline Ho | Photography Cheryl TingHu By Ho | Photography

by Cheryl Tingby | Layout

by Jessica

Hi Mr. Lynch! As you know, CIS has seen a lot of change this year, with a new Head of School, a new Head of Secondary, numerous new teachers, a new library, and many more. Our students are very curious as to what you are like inside and outside of the classroom. So, with that said, could you please introduce yourself to our readers?

Perhaps I could begin with my name? Sean Lynch is a name that is common in Ireland, and I do have Irish heritage. What’s really interesting is that my name can also be found in Southern France, which is where my home lies. However, I’m also American, as I was born in the United States, so I think my name says a lot about my multicultural, multilingual background. I’m also a member of a family made up entirely of educators. As we were growing up, our parents gave us the impression that there was no greater vocation than that of being a teacher. As a result, my two brothers, my sister and I have all devoted our lives to education. I’m the tenth head of school at CIS, but I’m also really proud of the fact that I’m the very first one to have children in the school - Esther in Year 11 and Myriam in Year 9. In addition, I am a lifelong learner - I love to learn and I’m constantly seeking to do so. Furthermore, I’m a huge lover of nature - I love being outdoors and I try to hike as much as possible. I also love to write poetry and to read just about anything I can get my hands on.

Can you describe your typical day as our headmaster?

One of the aspects that I love most about my job is that no day is ever the same as the one that came before it, or will ever be the same as the one following it. I work pretty much seven days a week. I’m typically in the office at 7 am, but I go out and try to stand at the different entrances of the school from 7:15 am to 7:45 am. Mondays and Fridays, I go to the primary entrance, Tuesdays and Thursdays to the new tower, and Wednesdays I stand right at the top of the stairs coming up from the school buses. My day usually ends late. If I have no events going on, I leave my office at around 9 pm. If I do have an event, I can get home much later.

Can you describe your role as our headmaster?

The greatest part of my position is that I am never alone and get to interact constantly with our phenomenal students, faculty, staff and parents. My number one role is to support student learning, growth, well-being, and leadership in every way I can. This means that I am out of my office a lot, so that I can maximize my contact with students. I try to observe what is happening with them in the classrooms, to meet students in the hallways, on the sports field or in the theater, and to ask them questions just to see how well they are doing and what 校話

期刊19

35

LIFESTYLE

they may need. At the same time, I have many other complex responsibilities, like staffing, admissions, marketing, finance, safety and security. These involve a lot of research, analysis, program design, implementation, and more.

What is the first thing you do when you get back home after a day of work?

I have the good fortune of living adjacent to the school in the housing built for CIS faculty and staff. The first thing I do on my way home, when I’m walking through our building’s car park, is to stand above Wai Tsui Crescent, and admire the incredible view of Hong Kong. I always stop there because I want to remind myself of the special place where my family and I now live. Then, when I actually get home, the first thing I do is to see my daughters and to ask how their day went. I try to be as respectful as possible and to stay out of their academic lives because of my job, but I still want to know how they’re doing.

I can usually tell how they feel based on the smiles on their faces, and so far they’ve been smiling all the time.

Knowing that being a headmaster can be stressful at times, can you tell our readers how you choose to spend your free time/weekends?

Of the many sports I do, the one I prefer the most is hiking. Hiking really allows me to get out there, lose sight of the city, and be in touch with the nature around us. Lion’s Rock was the very first hike I did when I arrived in HK last August because I had been told that Lion’s Rock is the symbol of our can-do, the-sky-is-the-limit city. I also love to go see art galleries, listen to symphonies, visit the theater, hear people read poetry, and watch Canton36

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

ese opera with my wife and daughters. Aside from these activities, I love to eat – great food makes up a big part of my free time. I also do tons and tons of reading.

Why did you choose to settle down in Hong Kong?​ My family and I were really happy back in New York, and honestly, the only reason we would ever have uprooted was to come to CIS. That’s the truth. I wasn’t looking for a job at all. It was just that CIS is such a unique school and community, a model for outstanding education of the best variety, which for me will always be dual language and dual culture, like we have here.

Our school song - we come from the East, we come from the West, we learn from each other and that way is best - touches upon building bridges across languages and cultures, which is something that I have always felt is important to the future of the world.

Having been our headmaster for around 2 months, how would you describe the learning environment here in CIS? I’d say it’s unbelievably vibrant from the earliest hours of the day into the evening. To me, CIS is constantly full of activity. I would also use the word impassioned to describe it, meaning that students all the way from Reception to Year 13 are passionate about something. I was just in a Reception classroom where I watched a young girl stand in front of an easel painting the sun uninterruptedly for 15 minutes, completely focused on what she was doing. I also get the sense that students are super supportive of each other and are constantly there for one another in an empathetic sense.

LIFESTYLE CIS students in the IB years are often fixated on the final grade, and not on the learning process. How do you view the importance of grades and this competitive mindset that students have?

If grades become solely a means to a competitive outcome – like for instance admissions to university - at the expense of the joy of learning, the process of inquiry, the value of mistake-making, and all the other elements that are part of personal growth, then we have to do something to change the situation. We owe it to students to open up a conversation about this source of excessive stress and to find a way to remedy it. Ultimately, feedback should be a constructive source of insight into a journey of learning that students should be wholeheartedly embarked on. Learning is something that should be enjoyable, fun, meaningful, and engaging, and grades should not stand in the way of or detract from that experience.

What are your words to live by?

One of my favorite quotes is from Henry David Thoreau, who was an American essayist and activist in the 19th century. Thoreau moved away from the city and went to live by a pond in Massachusetts, and he wrote a remarkable memoir about that experience entitled Walden. In that book, he memorably wrote, “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” I interpret this quote to mean that if you have an idea, you need to put it into action. Don’t sit around. Get up and

do something to make sure your dream is fulfilled and becomes a reality.

What is your academic philosophy?

I would use five adjectives to describe my academic philosophy. First, being ‘student-centered’ is important because students should understand why they are studying something and how it is relevant to the world around them. They should be motivated by and have the opportunity to engage in the learning process. Students should take what they are learning and put it into the service of others. The second adjective is ‘holistic’. It matters that education should be not only academic, but also touch on personal interests, such as the arts, sports, journalism and other such passions students may have. It is also important to find a balance between social and emotional learning, to be in touch with your feelings, to know how to work with others, to berespectful and empathetic, all of which is part of a holistic education.Third, academics should be ‘innovative’ in the sense of being sensitive to the world around us, which is in constant change.

Schools should equip students with the knowledge, skill, and mindsets to be active participants in the great arc of progress of the world, today and tomorrow. Students should never think that knowledge is a fixed entity they should be striving to master once and for all. Fourth, learning should be ‘experiential’. Students need to immerse themselves in action, and not be afraid to make mistakes. The last adjective I would use is ‘cross-cultural’. I’m really committed to the idea of ‘dual language, dual culture’ education, and I cannot imagine what it’s like for students to go to a school where they don’t constantly have to navigate back and forth between two languages and two cultures.

What do you strive to achieve here in CIS? This year, we’re celebrating the 35th anniversary of the school, but we should ask ourselves what it is we believe CIS should look like, and more importantly, what it is we believe our students should have in their minds and hearts when they graduate from CIS in the year 2050.

I would like to gather everyone’s insights into these questions and then to design something for the future which builds on the existing strengths of the school and undertakes new initiatives and programs which will give meaning to the next 15 years. When we are done, no student will ever want to leave CIS, and when they graduate, no matter where they are in the world, they will have the dream of one day sending their children back to CIS. Any words of advice for the Class of 2019?

A: No matter what, have faith in yourselves, the goodness of others, and the beauty of life. Always stand up for what is right. And never give up!

校話

期刊19

37

Voicenoted:

LIFESTYLE

A Review of Charlie Puth’s ‘Voicenotes’

By Jing Wong and Toby Chan | Illustrations by Caterina Jacobelli | Layout by Whitney Deng and Lilly-Anne Wei

Starting with humble origins as a cover artist on Youtube, Charlie Puth first emerged onto the commercial music scene in 2011, when he signed with Ellen DeGeneres’ record label ‘eleveneleven’. Puth later moved on to signing with Atlantic Records in 2015, rising to fame with the success of his debut single – a tribute to the Furious 7 actor Paul Walker – ‘See You Again’ featuring Wiz Khalifa. In 2016, Puth released his official debut album ‘Nine Track Mind’, which became a commercial success, reaching sixth on the Billboard 200s. However, ‘Nine Track Mind’ was not well received by critics, who deemed the production bland and criticised the songwriting for being repetitive as a majority of the album consisted of light hearted love ballads.

Departing from the mushy tweenage image of ‘Nine Track Mind’, Charlie Puth returns two years later with a ‘glowed-up’ and grown-up sophomore album, ‘Voicenotes’. Touching upon themes of love and relationships, the album explores mature scenarios such as infidelity in a relationship (‘How Long’), chasing after the affections of an older woman (‘BOY’), and seducing a woman already in a relationship (‘Empty Cups’).

Thus, ‘Voicenotes’ strays far from the superficial images of love portrayed in his debut album, showing a developed sophistication and wisdom in Puth, which in turn manifests in his music. The authenticity of the songs gives the album a raw and personal edge, allowing the audience to see into Puth’s emotions, thoughts and his turbulent experiences with relationships.

‘Voicenotes’ features 13 tracks, the majority of which are produced by Puth himself on the road. Impressively, the album is mostly recorded with a Pro Tools rig, MIDI keyboard, and a microphone, with Puth playing most of the instruments. Compared to his first album, ‘Voicenotes’ effectively showcases a large range of 38

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

Puth’s production talent. ‘Nine Track Mind’ consists largely of tender serenades, whereas ‘Voicenotes’ exhibits a plethora of different sounds ranging from disco-inspired pop (‘Done For Me’) to a meticulously layered acapella sound (‘If You Leave Me Now’).

When combined with Puth’s clever songwriting, the impressive range of production makes ‘Voicenotes’ a strong, all-rounded, and enjoyable listen.

The album opens with an upbeat pop track, ‘The Way I Am’, sporting a catchy electric guitar riff as a motif throughout the piece. The track – a fitting introduction to the album – comes with a disclaimer: “You can either hate me or love me / But that’s just the way I am”. Here, Puth warns that he’s presenting himself genuinely, unlike the facade he was pushed to portray in his previous album, and that fans can choose to either accept his new style or not.

Attention’ follows up nicely as a rhythmic pop-funk track, cushioning its catchy melody with an enticing and groovy bass line. In ‘Attention’, Puth calls out an ex-lover vying for his attention to prevent him from moving on, “You just want attention / You don’t want my heart / Maybe you just hate the thought of me with someone new”. Similarly, in disco-inspired ‘Done For Me’, featuring R&B artist Kehlani, Puth sassily confronts an ex-lover whilst singing out the woes of their imbalanced relationship, “I lied for you, baby / I’d die for you, baby / I’ve cried for you, baby / But tell me what you’ve done for me”. Kehlani’s bright vocals complement Puth’s mellow voice, creating a smooth melodic line to sit atop the song’s snazzy disco synths.

Puth also tackles the subject of infidelity, writing two contrasting songs – ‘How Long’ and ‘Somebody Told Me’ – that provide different interpretations of the matter. ‘How Long’ follows up on ‘Attention’ both sonical-

LIFESTYLE ly and narratively. With a similar, bass-driven pop-funk sound, ‘How Long’ details the first-person experience of cheating on a lover, which serves as a loose premise to the events of ‘Attention’. In contrast, ‘Somebody Told Me’ looks at infidelity from the perspective of the victim being cheated on: “Maybe I should have noticed / You were just half in love”. The song is also more upbeat and has a brighter sound, featuring a punchy drum sound in the chorus (Puth intended for the song to capture the feeling of a Miami highway drive), and a repeating guitar riff in the background that imitates the classic guitar riff from 70-80s hit British rock band The Police.

Aside from infidelity, Puth also touches upon more serious themes of crumbling relationships and second chances. The tracks are slower and more solemn, which eases the album into a slower pace. ‘Patient’, a mellow R&B track, expresses the regret of the mistakes made in a relationship and the desire for a second chance.

Despite knowing he might not be what she needs in this moment, Puth pleads his lover to be patient with him and give him time to grow out of his immaturity, saying “I know I’m not what you need / But baby I’m gonna be”. Likewise, ‘If You Leave Me Now’ conveys the sorrow of a dwindling relationship in a delicately layered acapella track, whilst featuring rich layers of the soulful vocals of Boyz II Men. In the latter half of the album, Puth’s two songs ‘BOY’ and ‘Slow It Down’ touch upon Puth’s experiences with love and age differences. In ‘BOY’, Puth capitalizes the title to make the stand out from the rest of his tracks. The title addresses the negative connotations of the word, providing the context of a relationship he once had with a woman older than him. “You won’t wake up beside me / Cause I was born in ‘90s / Baby, how dare you treat me just like / like a boy. ” ‘BOY’ expresses Puth’s indignation at the flippant attitude he receives from his lover simply because of his younger age. However, in ‘Slow It Down’, Puth sings from the viewpoint of the older person in a relationship. “My life is complicated, she’s only 23 / I’m not the guy that she’s supposed to love”. The song expresses Puth’s hesitant feelings towards rushing into a relationship too fast and too young, worrying that settling down too quickly will be a mistake for both of them. “Girl you gotta slow it down / I can’t give it all to you / even though I want to”. Puth’s talents in beatboxing can also be heard in the background between every line that he sings in this song, showing that he is not only talented with his voice, but in many other skills as well.

Viewing love and relationships from yet another perspective, ‘Change’ illustrates the need for acceptance and love between humans on a global scale. With an acoustic, relaxed sound and pleasing harmonies between Puth and featured folk-artist James Taylor, the song is a heartwarming contrast to the turbulent romantic themes of his other songs. ‘Change’ highlights issues surrounding conflict, lack of acceptance, and how they affect the people in our societies, “Look around, there are too many of us crying / And not enough love to go around / What a waste, another day / Another good one dying”. It serves as an inspirational message to listeners, encourages people to be more open-minded, and to unite to change prevalent issues, “But I know that the world can change / The day we know we’re all the same”.

‘Change’ advocates for exactly what its title suggests, change in our communities and change in the way we perceive people.

Finally, the album ends with ‘Through It All’, a tender piano-backed track with a sound reminiscent of his debut album.

The track was one of the first songs Puth wrote for ‘Voicenotes’, and when looking back at the album’s other songs, it not only shows his growth as an artist, but also as a person. ‘Through It All’ is not as heavily produced as the other tracks, which allows the audience to focus on his lyrics. “Growing up in this wild city, you had to fight or run / Now you know why I’m not afraid, yeah / Maybe it’s my recklessness that got me in trouble / But at least I did it all my way”. The lyrics are a statement exhibiting his satisfaction towards discovering his identity and musicality, much like the themes portrayed in the first track, ‘The Way I Am’. ‘Through It All’ shows Puth’s journey of finally finding his true self in both music and life, leaving the audience with an inspiring message to close the album.

‘Voicenotes’ successfully demonstrates Puth’s versatility as a producer and a songwriter. As a producer, the variety of different sounds captured in the album shows development in both production skills and musicality. As a songwriter, his exploration of love and relationships shows conceptual depth, and reflects his experiences in those areas. Moreover, Puth’s album is very much a genuine representation of who he is and reflects his experiences and identity as a person. With a fresh, charismatic, and well-composed sophomore album, Charlie Puth has proven his talent and ability to grow as an artist, and has definitely cemented his name in the pop industry. 校話

期刊19

39

JU

LIFESTYLE

In recent years, the use of e-cigarettes have been steadily on the rise, gaining popularity especially among younger generations.

Compared to traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes seem to stand on a higher pedestal, displaying benefits and attractive features that lead to acceptance from cigarette smokers and vapers alike. One type of electronic cigarette in particular, the Juul, has secured special attention, quickly becoming a widespread trend that teenagers willingly jump into. Comprising of nearly 1 in 3 e-cigarette sales worldwide, the Juul has not only become an appealing alternative to cigarettes, but also a representation of teenage culture, where juuling is swiftly integrating into the cultural norms of the younger generation, seen as something that is natural to do in the cultural context nowadays.

According to juulers, juuling isn’t only about smoking a type of e-cigarette, it’s social acceptance. It’s a way to mingle into the popular culture, and who wouldn’t want that? Under an environment where juuling is a sign of social involvement, the Juul’s exploding popularity is no longer surprising but almost inevitable.

The juul uses nicotine salts as its main ingredient, designed to mimic closely the feeling of cigarette inhalation. The nicotine salts are packed into small cartridges, known as Juul pods, (containing propylene glycol and glycerine, benzoic acid, nicotine and flavoring) click into the top part of the juul. The juul heats up the nicotine salts — the Juul pods — with a special heating mechanism that minimizes combustion and creates vapor instead. Along with this effective heating mechanism, is a sleek and attractive design that is both aes-

“ According to juulers,

juuling isn’t only about smoking a type of e-cigarette, it’s social acceptance.

40

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

The Rise of Juuls: A Healthier Alternative or Just As Deadly?

By Jennifer Zhang Illustrations by Natalie So Layout by Natalie So

thetically appealing and inconspicuous, where it is able to fit right into the palm of a hand, mimicking the simplistic look of a USB flash drive. Moreover, it charges simply by plugging into a USB port, on devices such as laptops and charging blocks. These meticulous designs and attributes of the Juul amplify its advantageous qualities, and impresses the public into well received acceptance.

The most important aspect that has caused heated debates and questioning, however, is health. Is juuling really much more healthier than smoking cigarettes? The main difference between Juuls and cigarettes is that cigarettes contain tobacco, and juuls do not. Because juuls are smokeless, and do not contain tobacco, many claim that it is a healthier alternative than conventional smoking. When smoking, the burning of tobacco creates toxic cigarette smoke enters the body into the lungs, damaging the inner workings of the lung — the alveoli — and leaves cigarette tar sticking to the throat and lungs.

Only through this process can the nicotine in the cigarette enter the bloodstream, achieving stimulation by causing large areas of damage to the body.

On the other hand, juuling delivers the same dose

UL

LIFESTYLE

of nicotine into the lungs and bloodstream, but without the burning of tobacco. Instead, juulers inhale vapor, which contains almost the same chemicals as cigarette smoke, but is less damaging to the lungs. So on a surface level, the Juul seems like a safer option, but there are still other particular respects to consider before jumping to conclusions.

First of all, although juuls don’t contain tobacco, they contain high concentrations of nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance that brings multiple negative effects to the body. Each separate juul pod contains around 0.7ml of pure nicotine, which is equivalent to one whole pack of cigarettes or approximately 200 puffs from smoking. Nicotine can be toxic and detrimental to health at high levels, and juuls deliver exactly strong doses of nicotine. This not only compels the vaper to become addicted to the substance quickly and easily, it also brings damage to the brain, affecting brain development in children and youth. As the brains of adolescents are still developing, nicotine can act as a neurotoxin and disrupt brain chemistry in the prefrontal cortex, which can increase the risk of developing psychological disorders and negatively impact cognitive function. Besides the impairment of brain development, nicotine also can interrupt blood circulation, leading to heart problems and diseases. Nicotine in the body facilitates the building up of plaque on artery walls and increases the risk of severe blood clots, becoming the cause of heart attacks and amputations.

In addition, substances other than nicotine used to create vapour in juuls also blemish our health.

The flavoring agents in the Juul act as irritants to the lungs when inhaled, and though do not cause serious negative reactions, but still can aggravate asthma and many other lung conditions. Propylene glycol and glycerine, in particular, are chemicals that contain slight toxins that do increase the risk of poisoning and heart attacks. If taken in high amounts, they can also create carcinogens in the body, making the consumer more prone to developing cancer.

However, too many uncertainties still exist regarding the relationship between juuling and health.

As the juul has only existed no longer than a few years, no concrete long term research has been done to study the long-term health effects of inhaling the vapors from juuls. From what we know now, there is no definitive answer to prove that the juul is unquestionably healthier. Compared to cigarettes, juuls do have the potential to become a safer option, but too much unknown lies ahead to be certain. 校話

期刊19

41

LIFESTYLE

PHOTOGENIC HONG KONG Instagram-Worthy Spots

By Cindy Yang | Photography by Cheryl Ting | Layout by Stephen Chen

We’ve all heard about the famous photo spots around Hong Kong: Victoria Harbor, The Peak, Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade… and there’s good reason why they’re so famous, but Hong Kong is a beautiful city with many wonderful places waiting for you to discover. Here’s to just name a few:

42

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

LIFESTYLE

SEALINES Instagram Pier:

Western District Public Cargo Working Area, also commonly known as Instagram Pier is one of the waterfronts located in Sai Wan, Hong Kong. The pier was originally a container terminal, and became a popular attraction for photographers because of its view of Victoria Harbor and sealine during sunset.

Sai Wan Swimming Shed:

The Sai Wan Swimming Shed located in Kennedy Town is a small shed or bridge in the middle of the waters.

It was made in the 60s-70s and acted as a area on the beach for swimmers to change and swim at. There are small beaches that surround the shed, and there are plenty of good photo opportunities down the shore, from swings, to rocks, to small tunnels and bridges. The main focus of the trip would be to capture the waters as they wash onto the shore, or to capture the simplicity of the design of the beaches.

Location / How to get there: MTR: Exit from B2 at HKU MTR station, turn right on Hill Road, and walk towards the coast. The pier should be at the end of the road Recommended Hours: Sunset to catch the changing colors in the sky and lights of the buildings Late Afternoon

Location: MTR + walk: Get out at exit C in Kennedy Town and walk on Forbes Street until you reach Davis Street.

From there, turn right onto Belcher’s street and walk all the way until Victoria Street.

Recommended hours: Sunset to catch the skyline Early Afternoon to capture the clearness of the waters

校話

期刊19

43

LIFESTYLE

PEOPLE AND ANIMALS Yuen Po Bird Garden:

The Yuen Po Bird Garden is designed to mimic a very traditional Chinese garden. There are constantly different sounds of birds chirping, crickets, etc. The garden is lined up with cages of birds, and it’s an incredibly interesting place to go to.

Location: MTR + walk: Prince Edward MTR Exit B1, and walk towards the Mong Kok Stadium

Streets of Mong Kok:

Mong Kok is one of the busiest streets in Hong Kong. It’s famous for its plethora of makeup shops, fashion lines, and local foods. The streets are constantly filled with people moving around, people singing or street performances, so it’s a great place to go to capture the energy of different people. One of the most famous places to take photos in Mong Kok is the bridge overlooking Fa Yuen

44

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

Street, as you can get a bird’s eye view of all the street vendors, cars, people etc.

Location: MTR: Exit from one of the exits in Mong Kok. (E2 is perhaps the most commonly used exit) To get to the bridge, exit from exit B in Mong Kok station.

Recommended hours: Late afternoon - to capture the bustling amounts of people during rush hour

LIFESTYLE

BUILDINGS Choi Hung Estate:

The Choi Hung Estate is one of the oldest public housing estates in all of Hong Kong, with a history of just over 50 years. It can accommodate for 43000 people, which at the time was the largest housing estate. The Choi Hung Estate is also well known for its bright colors and its symmetry behind the basketball court. The colors of the estate originate from the meaning of the mtr station it’s in - Choi Hung in English means rainbow, so it was painted in shades of the vibrant colors.

Location: MTR + walk: Get off at exit C3 in Choi Hung station Recommended Hours: Early Afternoon - to capture the bright colors of the buildings

Monster Town:

In recent years, Monster Town, or also known as the Yick Cheong Buildings, has been a popular place for films, and especially famous for its buildings.

Its 5 buildings look like a concrete wall, and resemble a walled city. The buildings are placed in a very local part of town, so you’re able to really get the taste of Hong Kong, from the local tea shops to radio shops, to hardware shops.

Location: MTR + walk: Walk out from Exit A in Quarry Bay station, and walk along the King’s Road for 2-3 minutes Recommended hours: Late afternoon - to catch the slight change in color before the sun sets and i effect on the buildings Early afternoon - to capture the colorfulness of the buildings

校話

期刊19

45

LIFESTYLE

MOVIE REVIEW:

TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE

By Haley Hsu | Illustrations by Felisha Wang | Layout by Haley Hsu

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a Netflix coming of age Romantic Comedy based upon the 2014 Young Adult novel written by Jenny Han. It is a heartwarming, enchanting film that also provides a sufficient amount of comedic relief, allowing the audience to go to bed with a large smile on their face. Despite having a carefree, lighthearted storyline, the film was also able to convey such deep meanings and intentions, immediately drawing the audience into become attached to each of the characters due to their compelling traits. Similar to other rom-coms, this film deals with issues such as coming of age and love, further reinforcing how these prevalent aspects affect society. Although unlike others, this rom-com also deals with the darker aspects of love and how it further opens one up to vulnerability and loss.

This entire film is based on a fake love story. In this case, 16 year old Korean-American Lara Jean (Portrayed by Lana Condor) enjoys fantasizing about romance and fake relationships. In reality, she is terrified to talk to boys and open herself up to vulnerability. Every time Lara Jean had a crush so intense, instead of talking about it, she would put her feelings into words and write a letter to her crush, sealing it in her precious hatbox. Although her letters mysterously sent out to her five crushes, causing Lara Jean to have awkward interactions with the different boys. These interactions specifically include Josh Sanderson, her long-term crush and her sister’s ex-boyfriend, as well as Peter Kavinsky, her middle school crush. Peter and Lara Jean creates a fake relationship in order for Lara Jean to avoid another awkward interaction with her sister’s ex-boyfriend, and for Peter to make his ex-girlfriend jealous. Though, despite Lara Jean’s protests that she doesn’t want her letters to be sent out, an argument she has with her older sister Margot puts certain aspects into perspective. Lara Jean actually addresses the letters to each of her crushes, therefore she subconsciously has admitted that there is a small part in her that doesn’t want everything in her life to be just a fantasy.

Despite the lead male, Peter Kavinsky (Portrayed by Noah 46

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

Centineo) being the stereotypical, good-looking athlete, his good heart and emotional intelligence is what lures Lara Jean, and the audience in. Throughout the film, Peter is portrayed as a kind person, who is also dealing with his own family issues and conflicts he had in his previous relationship, but still being able to process the feelings he has for Lara Jean. Peter Kavinsky’s character has no doubt changed societal mindsets regarding never to underestimate a leading man who is kind and has a good heart.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before doesn’t shy away from Asian representation. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is one of the only rom-coms that features an Asian-American lead. Though this form of representation does not come easily - in a recent interview, Jenny Han revealed that there was only one producer that was willing to cast an Asian-American as the lead role. The constant appearances of pale-faced girls starring in films became extremely discouraging to many people, specifically one of a different race, making them feel like they are germane or good enough to be a lead role. When an Asian-American did appear on screen, they were commonly minor characters, who are usually forgotten by the end of the film. Netflix chose to enforce and present this theme in a more subtle way. This lack of attention is what makes this film so appealing and monumentary to the audience. Instead of the entirety of Lara Jean’s character or family life being based around the fact that they are half-Korean, their ethnicity didn’t pose to be an obstacle in this film. The producer used subtle ways to reference Lara Jean’s ethnicity when the characters mention the type of food her dad cooks, the Korean supermarket in which they buy their Korean drinks from.

Despite the fact that To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before deals with the humiliation and emotional rollercoaster of first crushes, it is also a coming of age film. It specifically deals with coming to terms with who we are and where we belong in society. Aside from Lara Jean’s 5 love letters, the film also deals with one of Lara Jean’s most influential, significant figures in her life- her mother.

LIFESTYLE As Lara Jean finds herself falling in love with Peter, she uses the excuse of the fake relationship to reassure herself due to her fear of losing the most important people in her life. The form of healing Lara Jean showcases in this film is not only relatable, but is also portrayed in such a genuine, raw way. When Lara Jean and Peter go to the diner, Peter interrogates Lara Jean regarding why she’s never had a boyfriend before. Lara Jean’s fear of love is clearly articulated when she tells Peter “the more people you let into your life, the more people there are that can just walk right out,” explaining her internal battle regarding opening up and loving others.

Peter opens up as well regarding his complications of his father leaving his family, ending his explanation with

“it’s whatever.”

Lara Jean tells him that despite his opinions, his emotions do matter even though he doesn’t want to talk about it.

As Lara Jean and Peter develop a stronger connection, the audience finds that Lara-Jean is gradually open up, because Lara Jean and Peter were able to confide with one another, something they couldn’t do with anyone else. Therefore Lara Jean was slowly beginning to overcome her fear, slowly opening herself up to vulnerable emotions she had proven to be so scared of previously.

Since its release date, the film has received countless reviews and praise. An aspect that makes this film so interesting to watch and discuss is the chemistry between the actors Noah Centineo and Lana Condor. The popularity of this film and this couple is largely due to the

undeniable, natural chemistry both Noah Centineo and Lana Condor had. The body language between the pair throughout the film was sometimes unintentional but looked extremely natural. No matter what conversation they were having, Peter was always engaged with Lara Jean, his body and attention was always turned to focus on her. It can also be seen that both actors were very comfortable with one another, thus they were able to play off the physical aspects of their on screen relationship convincingly and win the audience’s hearts over.

An additional, minor character that provided majority of the comedic relief for this film is Kitty Song-Covey (Portrayed by Anna Cathcart), Lara Jean’s younger sister. Although it is not explicitly stated, Kitty is opposite to Lara Jean in many ways, she’s very independent, sure of herself and is confident in her social standings with her many friends. Therefore after closely observing Lara Jean, Kitty realises that her sister should be putting in more effort to put herself out there and socialise with new people. Kitty eventually takes matters into her own hands and mails all of Lara Jean’s letters behind her back, therefore this love story between Lara Jean and Peter would’ve never happened if it weren’t for Kitty.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is an addicting Rom-Com that deserves a chance from everyone. Not only is the plot sweet, but the characters and relationships are compelling and provides comical relief for the audience to be left satisfied and giddy after watching this film. Despite love being a scary emotion that opens one up to vulnerability and the possibility of more harsh losses in one’s life, this film shows that with a little bit of time and bravery, everyone is capable of loving someone else, and everyone deserves to be loved.

校話

期刊19

47

維 他 奶

LIFESTYLE

相伴同行 七十載

維他 文 宋穎臻 圖 王彥喬 設 蘇海晴

說到豆奶飲品，相信香港沒有誰是沒喝過維他奶的。 維他奶在香港隨處可見，無論是街上的報紙檔，便 利店，還是大型超級市場，我們都會看到維他奶的蹤 影。不經不覺，維他奶已經陪伴了香港人七十多年， 是不少香港人的成長夥伴。很多香港人最懷念的童年 回憶就是在放學後無憂無慮地拿著一包維他奶跟朋友 一起到附近的公園玩，可見維他奶對香港人的意義重 大。 維他奶之所以這麼受歡迎，是因為維他奶的價錢比普 通的牛奶便宜得多，而且根據維他奶的網站顯示維 他奶是用天然大豆來做的，所以也可以算是一種比較 健康的飲品。最重要的是，維他奶非常迎合大眾的味 道，大部分香港人也覺得維他奶價廉物美，所以，維 他奶就成為了一種非常好的牛奶替代品。可是，大家 有沒有想過現在隨處可見的維他奶是怎麼來的呢？

vita 七十多年前，牛奶的價錢昂貴，而且香港人的生活沒 那麼富裕，所以很多香港人都沒沒有足夠的經濟能 力去購買牛奶。維他奶的創辦人羅桂祥發現了這個問 題，並希望自己能夠為香港人出一分力，便發明了維 他奶這種又便宜又健康的飲品。可是，由於當時科技 沒那麼發達，豆奶沒有經過處理，導致產品容易變 質，所以維他奶初頭的銷量並不理想，一天只能賣到 六瓶，而且每瓶只賣六仙（現在的六豪）。由於當時 維他奶並不是什麼大公司，所以送維他奶都是用單車 送到每一家每一戶的。在日治時期之前，維他奶的銷 量大概是每天一千瓶。可惜的是，日治時期羅桂祥一 家離港返回中國大陸居住，位於銅鑼灣的維他奶廠房 被逼關閉。但是，羅桂祥在廣州以在不同的學校附近 售賣糕點和維他奶維生，吸引了不少師生光顧，為日 後維他奶在香港發展學校市場打開序幕。而且，羅桂 祥的女兒在日治時期出生，當時由於母親奶水不足， 所以羅桂祥就用維他奶餵哺女兒，女兒健康地成長，

48

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

LIFESTYLE

他奶 加深了羅桂祥對豆奶營養價值的信心。香港重光後， 羅桂祥回港復業，不但採用了無菌包裝的技術，還加 入了新產品「麥精」，使維他奶越來越受歡迎，銷量 達到每年一千萬瓶，而且羅桂祥不斷為「維他」這牌 子加入新的飲品，例如是不同的果汁，檸檬茶等，令 「維他」這品牌成為香港最廣為人知的品牌之一。 在維他奶陪伴香港人的七十多年中，曾經製作過不少 深入民心的電視廣告。其中令香港人最難忘的應該是 2015年播出的廣告歌「stand by me」。廣告中有不少 香港人熟悉的畫面，歌詞的意思大致上是關於無論一 個人有多麼喜歡獨處，身邊都總是要有一個人在他身 邊。由於廣告畫面溫馨，不少人亦非常喜歡維他奶的 廣告歌，所以維他奶的廣告引起了香港人的共鳴，也 提醒了香港人無論香港將來會經歷多少風雨，維他奶 也會一直陪伴在我們身邊。

asoy 今天的香港充滿鬥爭，而且物價上漲，進口的產品越 來越多，但是維他奶這牌子仍然屹立不倒，秉持著原 來的特色，多年來不忙初心地為香港人提供價廉物美 的豆奶。而七十多年後的香港人仍然喜歡拿著白色的 紙盒喝維他奶，因為維他奶陪伴了我們幾十年，見證 著香港的高低起伏，所以每當我們拿起維他奶，都會 有一種特別親切的感覺。雖然我們都成長了，再也不 能無憂無慮，亦無暇跟朋友到公園玩，但是一包維他 奶能夠讓我們暫時放下我們的包袱，品嚐一下童年的 滋味。在成長的過程中我們都會體驗到「物是人非」 ，雖然我們在人生路上遇到的大多都是過路人，但是 維他奶永遠都會陪伴在我們每一個人身邊。 下一次當你決定到學校附近的7-11購買飲品，不妨到 收銀處附近的冰箱拿包維他奶，細味品嚐一下香港的 滋味吧！

校話

期刊19

49

LIFESTYLE

近

中国 新一代 网络热潮

静静聆听信息化时代下社会的心声 文 丛悠然 图 Allyson Chan 设 苏海晴

50

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

几年来，网络的流行给社会带来了空前 的变化，在早已满足基本需求的基础上，仿佛 每一天都有使人眼花缭乱的新科技新产品腾空 出世。时代瞬息万变，动一动手指的功夫就可 以看到大洋彼岸世界另一端此时此刻正在发生 的点点滴滴，不再需要千盼万盼等一封迟迟没 有到来的书信，更不需要不远万里奔波到城市 另一边的图书馆去查阅一个不足一百字的信 息。时代在改变，科技在进步，人们的生活质 量在大踏步地飞速提升。然而，巨大的信息化 时代也给社会带来了不少曾从未出现过的问题 和麻烦：遍布城市街头的 “低头族”手机二十 四小时不离手，活在社交软件上无时无刻不在 自拍的 “网红”，早上起床第一件事看手机， 睡觉关灯前最后一件事看手机，跟朋友出去玩 几人全程一言不发自顾自地玩手机……信息化 时代正在悄无声息的一点点吞噬着人们，使他 们渐渐衍变成了一群有脑无神只会追随着大众 脚步的行尸走肉。而中国，作为全球数一数二 正在飞速发展的一匹黑马，在网络科技方面的 创新也是使人目不暇接。 要说网络社交，首屈一指的非属“抖音”不 可。抖音是一款可以拍摄音乐创意短视频的社 交软件，用户可以选择不同的背景音乐，配 合着软件自带的特效和剪辑功能，发布自己 生活中的点滴趣事。此软件主要面向年轻人，

LIFESTYLE 打造一个属于新一代人的分享平 台。这番热潮可谓是开启了新世 界的大门，是网络界里一个新的 里程碑。抖音的诞生赋予了一代 人“新的生命”。抖音的流行甚 至创造了许多的“就业机会”， 一些用户专门每天拍视频剪视频 发视频，靠流量来赚取金钱和地 位。但想必大家都心知肚明，凡 事都有两面性。走在大街小巷， 观察仔细的人会发现周围许多店 铺都改了名字，“抖音同款答案 茶”，“抖音网红脏脏包”，“抖 音热门民宿”等等。为了迎合大 众，商家们正是抓住了人们凑热 闹的心理来吸引眼球。而这些人 里更有甚者，为了视频拍摄效果 不惜一切代价，不顾危险甚至不 顾伦理道德底线，做出极端行为 来获取热度。抖音上被频繁播放 的歌曲也有了自己的名字——“ 抖音神曲”；街上两人擦肩而过 却相视一笑，正 因同时说出了传 遍抖音的某个“ 梗”。抖音虽不 完美，甚至产生 了许多恶劣的负 面影响，却给了 一代人属于自己 的新 “文化”， 将一代人聚集在 了一起。

“

的自然美。 除了这些，“网红”们必然还有 从头到脚全套的名牌，Gucci小 白鞋，香奈儿手包等等等等。这 样所谓的“潮流”不仅没有展现 时尚，反而显得很不值钱，如同 工厂里生产线上出来的批量产 品。但在这里要澄清的一点是网 红和网络博主的区别。很多人误 以为博主就是网红，实际上并非 如此。在这个网红漫天的时代， 还是有这样一群博主，不忘初 心，坚守自己所喜欢的东西并在 网络这个平台上与大家分享。例 如一些美食博主、搞笑博主、时 尚博主、摄影博主，虽然他们也 都有很多粉丝关注且有一定的影 响力，但并不能与那些“批量生 产”的“网红”们划等号。 除了作为名词，网红还是一个形

来，想要一品如此火爆的喜茶到 底有何魅力。自喜茶出名已有一 年多的时间了，可人们热情不 减，喜茶也不断推出新品，就这 样无限的循环，喜茶在“网红” 的道路上一去不复返，成为了年 轻人朋友圈微博及各大社交平 台上的的经典标志。于2018年4 月，喜茶已宣布完成4亿元人民 币B轮融资，至今也在全国各地 开了几十家门店。不得不承认的 是，喜茶之所以收获了如此巨 大的成功，还要源于其产品质量 和创意。作为网红店的先锋和领 军人，喜茶凭着自己的真材实料 才赢得这么高的人气。而这一切 的一切，都少不了人们追随“时 代的潮流”而引起的跟风现象。 喜茶只是千千万万网红店中的一 角，越来越多的网红店逐渐进入 的人们的视野，也在悄无声息的 改变着人们的生活。

传说中国还有三大 “妖 术”—— 整容，化妆和p图 ...... 正有这样一群人，集这三大特 征为一体，被人们称为 “网红”

传说中国还有三大 “妖术”—— 整容，化妆和p图。而正有这样 一群人，集这三大特征为一体， 被人们称为 “网红”。网红，字 面意思就是网络红人，而这也 是网红最开始的意思。但随着 越来越多的人进入到这个圈子以 来，这个词的意思也逐渐被扭 曲，甚至引申成了一个贬义词。 也不知从什么时候开始，如果你 走在国内年轻人常去的商场里， 就会惊诧的发现身边来来往往的 都是长相大同小异，打扮类似的 女孩子们。而这则是受到了所谓 现代“潮流”的影响，每个网红 都标配着“网红脸”或是“整容 脸”——就以几年前的网络红人 刘梓晨为首，一些人过于盲目 地在追求整容，以大眼睛，尖下 巴，高鼻梁，嘟嘟唇为美。过度 整容后，他们便失去了自己本身

容词，指的是“有名“或是“流 行”，最耳熟能详的例子则是我 们所谓的“网红店”。自从有了 抖音，小红书，微博这类的分享 平台，越来越多的人就会分享自 己身边好玩好看的地方，与此同 时便有了网红店一说。所谓网红 店，则是那些有特色，装修好 看，适合拍照的餐厅或是小店。 一提到网红店，大家第一反应一 定是耳熟能详的 “喜茶”。2017 年初，“喜茶”携其别具新意的 芝士茶及其他创意茶饮掀起了一 阵网红店的热潮，不知是否炒 作，平平淡淡了十几年的喜茶霎 时间火遍中国几大一线城市，每 家喜茶店的门口都从开门前一个 小时就开始排起了长龙。网上有 无数传言说喜茶找黄牛排队来营 造出一种客流量暴涨的现象，但 空口无凭，无论是否属实目前都 无从考证。无数年轻人慕名而

纵观全 局，目前 为止科技 发展给这 个社会带 来的终究 还是利大 于弊。然 而相信每 个人都明 白这最基本的道理，凡事都要有 个度，跨过了这条底线，就要为 带来的后果和负面的影响付出代 价。科技给社会带来了无穷的便 利，大大提升了人民的生活质 量，并将曾经的梦想变成现实。 我们每一个人都应该感恩且珍惜 现在所拥有的这一切，并不要辜 负了这些时代开拓者最宝贵的初 衷。无人知晓未来情况如何，但 我们现在能做的就是正面积极利 用资源，从自身做起，不被网络 而囚禁于那个五彩斑斓却过度失 真的世界里。放下手中的电子产 品，静下心来感受一下真实世界 鲜艳动人的色彩，静静聆听周围 细腻而动听的声音，坐下来跟好 久不见的挚友谈天说地，用心和 灵魂去感受自己心中流淌着的、 迸发出的每一种情感，重新回到 彼此身边。 校話

期刊19

51

52

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

Features Photography by Whitney Deng | Edited by Cheryl Ting

校話

期刊19

53

FEATURE

在这个人人嚷着要获得自由的时 代，「畅所欲言，表达自我」成为 了人们的追求，言论自由更是所谓 时代发展的标记。可尽管如此，人 们依旧要在某处为它画上一道界 限，于是便有了「政治正确」的存 在。 从本质上来讲，政治正确的存在是 为了让人们在发表自我意愿时，避 免使用对社会上弱势群体带有冒犯 或歧视的用词。随着科技的发展， 文化的相融，人们对弱势群体较几 十年前更为包容。我们可以在短时 间内从互联网和社交媒体上听到不 一样的声音，看到和我们差别甚大 的人生。我们在能够接触到不同声 音的同时却也被这些声音默默影 响。到了今时今日，「政治正确」 这四字的的广泛使用早已不限于它 的本意，反而，它被泛滥使用，成 为了指责，反驳一切有违主流观念 和思想所用到的道德至高点。在媒 体的煽動和輿論的影響下，人们正 在逐失去自我观点：因為政治正确 的存在在某種意義上成为了限制人 们独立思考的枷锁。它已经不再是 单纯的被用作一种衡量言论的「标 准」了，在这个时代里，它渐渐演 变成了一种因为害怕遭到别人的反 对而产生的心态。 政治正确的存在本生就是主观现 实，这并不是说大家就应该去冒犯 弱势群体，毫不顾后果的胡说八 道，而是指很多人为了避免被冠上 政治不正确的帽子而盲目地跟随某 种观点——但也许到了最后，所谓 的政治「正确」根本就「不正确」 ，人们也因此失去了敢于发表自身 观点的勇气和自由。

就像世间任何事情一样，言论自由 也有着它的两面性。人们在享有这 种人权的同时，自然要负起相应的 责任和后果。事情都是相对的，遭 到认同的同时也会一定会存在反对 意见，如此现象正常不过。拥有言 论自由并不代表任何一方的观点会 获得他人的认可，它只是在允许人 们可以自由地发表自己的观点。如 果说在享受言论自由的同时却拿政 治不正确来反驳别人的言论，实在 是说不过去。

其实在追求自由的道路上，人们每 天都在政治正确和言论自由之间挣 扎，有些话想说出口的话卻因为怕 别人不认同而说不出口。也许在两 者之间，我们永远都找不到一条可 实际划分的「线」，而那条线甚至 会随着时间而迁移改变。可我们需 要牢记的是，这条所谓的底线并不 是为了迎合它人而存在，它是为了 保证每个人在享受人权的同时，不 要忘记做人的基本道德和素质 — 就像是我在写这篇文章的同时，也 正在尽可能地确保自己「政治正 确」。

政 治 正 确 和 言 论 自 由 的 一 线 之 隔 在 何 处 ？

为 反 驳 而 生 的 政 治 正 确

Written By Stephanie Sze | Illustrated By Allyson Chan | Layout By Grace Ma

54

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

FEATURE

巴拿马与台湾断交？！ 海峡两岸关系的新走向

By Elaine Hua | Illustrated By Jessica Hu | Layout By Grace Ma

校話

期刊19

55

FEATURE 去年7月，巴拿马宣布结束和中华 民国（台湾）长达106年的外交关 系，并改为与中国建交。这一事 件再一次使中国与台湾之间的纷 争搬上台面。 有关这一外交决定，巴拿马外交 部长在BBC的采访中解释道：中 国与巴拿马的长期互利关系使 得两国意识到了建交的重要性。 另一方面，台湾政府在与巴拿 巴断交的这一事件上表现出了对 于中国大陆政府的不满，并指责 道：“中国在以金钱利益诱惑巴 拿马政府和台湾断交，试图在国 际关系上孤立台湾，削减台湾的 影响力。” 台湾的说法并非毫无根据，实际 上，自2000年开始，已有14个国 家陆续与台湾断交并与中国建 交。这些国家在与台湾断交后便 随即与中国大陆政府建交。时至 今日，台湾仅剩18个邦交国。从 客观的角度出发，多国地区与台 湾断交的背后必定有经济利益以 及政治因素的推动。以2017年与 台湾断交的布吉纳法索为例，布 国与中国内地的2017年贸易额为2 亿美金，而与台湾则仅有892万美 金。再以巴拿巴为例，中国内地

56

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

企业将于2018年投资建造巴拿馬 运河的第四条大桥。诸如此类的 实际案例都证明了台湾的外交筹 码，尤其在经济方面，相对于中 国都呈劣势。 对于台湾提出的‘中国以金钱诱 惑’为外交筹码的这一指责，大 陆政府则表示是‘夸大’。这不 禁令人想起一句迩言——在外交 上，没有永远的朋友，也没有永 远的敌人，只有永远的利益。在 现代的外交舞台上，两个国家的 友好关系时常建立在经济利益的 驱动下。我们常说“求同存异”， 其中的“同”也不过是指两国之间 的互利关系。因此，以客观角度 去分析，公众并不能指责中国以 经济利益去吸引他国的行为不正 当。但是不得不承认的是，中国 在吸引建交的同时着实使他国与 台湾断交，这种大国在经济优势 下对于台湾外交的施压从一定程 度上看是略失风度的。

展望2018年，台湾与中国两岸的 纷争将会是一个持久难题，双方 骑虎难下，谁都无法做出让步。 虽然外交陷入了僵局，但这并不 代表两岸的居民不能再有互动。 正正相反，两岸居民更多的交流 和理解才能够化解两岸的矛盾， 使得两岸纷争有朝一日能够得到 解决，中台的友好建交也才能打 下良好的基础。实际上，虽然内 地与台湾地区在外交和政治方面 的矛盾持续升温，中国内地民众 在台湾的旅游消费税并未低过， 台湾的经济出口很大程度上还是 面向中国内陆。所以也有人说， 台湾与大陆的纠纷就如同夫妻吵 架，就算互相板着脸，一天到头 还是得吃同一碗饭。

FEATURE

Delicacies from the Pearl of the Orient

By Lauren Kee | Photography by Kalysha Wong | Layout by Whitney Deng and Ivan To

H

ong Kong is known as being a Shopper’s Paradise (購買天堂) and Food Paradise (美食天堂), along with its attractiveness to international business. These aspects of Hong Kong bestow the title of the Pearl of the Orient (東方之珠 ) on the city. In the fast-paced, metropolitan city of Hong Kong, citizens still strongly value its cultures, creating a perfect balance of traditional and modern practices.

Out of this unique and dominant melting pot of cultural experiences, one of the most outstanding categories is Hong Kong’s array of different traditional food dishes.

Each of the foods is world-renowned, representing Hong Kong’s status as a unique fusion of both Western and Eastern cuisines, playing an important role in keeping the Hong Kong culture alive. In writing this article, I had the privilege of interviewing Mark Wong, the Executive Director of the Kee Wah Bakery. Established in 1938, the Kee Wah Bakery is one of the most established bakeries in Hong Kong, deriving from the traditional flavours present in the local cuisine and spicing them up to show the true colours of Hong Kong. Mr Wong told be that when he was younger, Western pastries like cookies and cakes were the dominant luxury foods. However, in the 2000s, people began to have a stronger connection with the snacks that resonated with their own culture. At that time, Guangdong cuisine came back to life, taking people back in time to their cultural roots with the food.

In Hong Kong in particular, a colourful palate of a new cuisine was born, an exclusive fusion from the East and the West. To this day, we still enjoy these scrumptious delicacies birthed from this unique fusion of cultures, like egg waffles (雞蛋仔), cart noodles (車仔麵), wife cakes (老婆餅), and egg tarts (蛋撻).

Egg Waffles Name Translation Main Ingredients Origin Location Personal Rating

Egg Waffles 雞蛋仔 Eggettes/Bubble Waffles Eggs, sugar, milk, butter and flour An accidental invention from broken eggs in 1950s Popular all around the world (even in NYC!!)

*****

Everyday, tourists and residents alike crowd street food stands arranged up against the streets of Causeway Bay with lines as long as a dragon’s back. These homey and old stands sell cheap but authentic Hong Kong cuisine like curry fish balls, siu mai and cane juice to eager customers. When walking past, one will hear the wrinkled but experienced store owner shouting orders to cooks on the inside and the wafting aroma of the curry sauce. Egg waffles, also known as egg puff, bubble waffle or eggettes, and 雞蛋仔 in Chinese, are found in the stalls of most of these street vendors, and are most likely their top selling snack. As Hong Kongers, we are proud to say that this mouth watering snack originated in our city. Egg waffles are also one of my favourite snacks found in Hong Kong because of its diversity in flavour.

It is theorized that in the 1950s, a store was shipped a package of eggs, in which its contents were all shattered and cracked. The eggs were too damaged to sell, so the innovative store owner decided to creatively utilize these eggs by mixing them into a batter of sugar, milk, butter and flour. He then poured the mixture into a griddle, a special frying pan with two sides of small, rounded holes facing each other, thus creating a honeycomb pattern with ovals.

A theory inside a theory, it was also suggested that the griddle was invented after the World War 2 when people were at a shortage of eggs, therefore creating a cooking device mimicking the shape of an egg to create an illusion to the mind. After the batter was poured into the griddle, the griddle is heated either electrically or with a charcoal stove and immediately flipped while pressed together to ensure both sides of the pan is covered in the sizzling batter. By flipping the egg waffles within intervals of two minutes, the crispy layer on the outside of the waffles is created, while at the same time maintaining the airy, doughy and soft texture on the inside. Sinking your teeth into the egg waffles is almost like taking a trip to heaven with your mouth, experiencing the crust on the outside, and indulging into the warm fluff on the inside. Around the globe, this snack has earned fame and appears in many flavours, toppings, and variations. Some popular flavours are chocolate, green tea, and cheese. Shops have even been popping up in the corners of New York City adding some fairy dust to this snack with what Business Insider calls to be “a modern and photogenic twist”. These shops are dedicated 校話

期刊19

57

FEATURE

to selling egg waffles with toppings and add-ons like ice cream, an assortment of candies and other treats like pocky sticks, sprinkles, chocolate chips and more, demonstrating a unique combination of Eastern and Western desserts.

Cart noodles Name Main Ingredients Origin Location

Personal Rating

Cart Noodles 車仔麵 (a.k.a. filthy noodles 嗱喳麵) Noodles with different toppings and soup flavours Noodles with different toppings and soup flavours Found in numerous Hong Kong cha chaan tengs (茶餐 廳)

****

In Hong Kong, we often see food carts appear on the bustling streets of Hong Kong. Around 70 years ago, these carts were precisely where the affordable yet luscious cart noodles (車仔麵) originated from. This appetizing dish was a source of income for immigrants who migrated from mainland China to the colony of Hong Kong. This was mainly because of the ascent of the Communist rule in China, prompting scared mainlanders to flee to safe areas nearby like Hong Kong. Once arriving in Hong Kong, immigrants needed to earn a stable income to raise their families. One way they accomplished this was to become hawkers, setting up stands that sold economical noodles with a variety of toppings and soup flavours. It was almost like a buffet on the streets, with the exception of it being dedicated to fish balls, beef or pork balls, wontons, siu mai, vegetables, curry soup, and most importantly, noodles. Back in the day, customers would classify cart noodles as “filthy noodle” (嗱喳麵). This term was used colloquially because although these noodles were easily accessible, the cooking utensils they were made with were unhygienic. Furthermore, the color combination of toppings and curry soup seemed to look disastrous and grotesque. However, once taken a bite into this divine dish, one’s mouth will burst with spices and flavours, letting the hot soup ignite one’s taste buds. The delicate 58

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

noodles make a satisfying slurp and the toppings give it an extra flare of flavour. In the present day, even though cart noodles are no longer sold by hawkers on the streets, the recipe is still preserved and cart noodles are sold at local cart noodle restaurants specialising in serving these local delicacies. This dish is definitely a recommended dish on the menu.

Wife cakes Name

Wife Cakes 老婆餅

Main Ingredients

Pastry crust, candied winter melon, coconut shreds, glutinous rice flour and almond paste

Origin

Tribute to sold wife from husband in Imperial China

Location

Found in numerous Hong Kong bakeries and is local feature snack

Personal Rating

****

Moving away from street foods, I shall now introduce you to a local pastry that has become the iconic snack representing Hong Kong. “I think food tells people about their countries. Every culture is a big part of who we are. It’s important to preserve and modernize to appeal to customers nowadays,” says Mr Wong. Up next on the menu is the wife cake (老婆餅). There are multiple legends of how the wife cake came to be. The most widely accepted one was when a poor couple in Imperial China had to sell the wife in order to earn a few pennies.

The husband was devastated, so he created the wife cake to act as a tribute to his wife. This pastry was made of a flaky crust, with candied winter melon, coconut shreds, glutinous rice flour and almond paste neatly and snuggly tucked inside. The crust is a thin layer only to protect the filling, while the filling on the inside is chewy yet tasty.

The husband began selling these pastries to bypassers in his neighbourhood and it soon became a fan favourite.

It was so popular that the husband was able to earn enough money to buy his wife back. As always, history is a story, so this legend may be a fairytale afterall. At Kee Wah Bakery, they have modernized the traditional

FEATURE food so that customers are willing to try and enjoy them, simultaneously preserving the main ingredients of the snacks. To this day, the dessert is so popular at the Kee Wah Bakery that they have developed a workshop in sharing and creating the wife cake, passing on its rich Hong Kong culture. “These workshops engage customers because not a lot of places in Hong Kong teach the making of traditional pastries,” says Mr Wong. The wife cakes are what they call the “hero product” at Kee Wah Bakery, the best selling product on the market.

I definitely recommend you to give their modern yet highly cultural delicacy, steeped in local heritage, a try.

egg tarts Name

Egg Tarts 蛋撻

Main Ingredients

Flour, butter, sugar, egg, custard, and milk Influenced by Portuguese egg tarts from monasteries Found in numerous Hong Kong bakeries and restaurants as a popular dessert and is found in numerous flavours

Origin Location

Personal Rating

****

Last but not least, a local dessert found in almost every Chinese Restaurant that serve Cantonese cuisine. This dessert is, of course, the one and only egg tart (蛋撻).

The egg tart is a flaky pastry crust with a jiggly egg

custard filling in the center. The crust shatters as teeth sink into it while the custard filling gives the taste buds a touch of flavour and texture. Its main ingredients are flour, butter, sugar, egg, custard, and milk. Even though egg tarts are quite exemplary in Hong Kong cuisine, it was not invented particularly in our city. It may be surprising that Hong Kong egg tarts were actually inspired by our neighbouring area, Macau, when they were under Portuguese rule. The Portuguese egg tarts called pastel de natas were actually developed in the monasteries of that city. They were made with egg whites, in which were used to starch nuns’ clothing at the time. During the Liberal Revolution in Portugal in the early 1820s, monks decided to use the egg whites to whip up a dessert to earn a living wage. Soon afterward, it became a continuous habit to bake these tarts to share around, not only for its original look but its delicious taste. According to the legend, a bakery was established next to the monastery and the recipe was passed down the generations. Eventually, in the Portuguese rule of Macau for a long period of the 16th to 20th century, pastel de natas became the talk of the town and were brought to the buzzing city of Hong Kong. Pastel de natas were then adapted to suit the taste of Hong Kong, like thinning the crust and removing the caramelized surface of the pastel de natas, giving the egg tarts a glossy finish. Presently, the most common filling is the classic egg custard filling, and also led to the creation of birds’ nest and milk pudding fillings. I assure you that you will savour every nibble of this extraordinary dessert.

In our highly westernized and globalised world today, culture and traditions are always crucial and important to sustain. While it may have been underestimated as only a small black dot on the map in the past, the Pearl of the Orient has a rich culture and history still standing its ground. When we travel to different countries like Japan and Korea, we always find special souvenirs that strongly resonate with their culture to bring home and share with others. It is essential that we, in Hong Kong, must push the boundaries and create and share our own culture to others through food. Just to name a few, egg waffles (雞 蛋仔), cart noodles (車仔麵), wife cakes (老婆餅), and egg tarts (蛋撻) are some of Hong Kong’s most prized treasures as they have a strong association with Hong Kong’s past. Some other snacks include the Cantonese sponge cake (馬拉糕), Cantonese rice krispies (馬仔), curry fish balls (咖喱魚蛋) and pineapple buns (菠蘿包). We can see these delicacies around the nooks of Hong Kong, tirelessly produced by dedicated chefs.

As Gandhi said, “A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the souls of its people.” We, and only us, as the future generation of Hong Kongers, are in charge of the protection and preservation of our culture and especially, our food. 校話

期刊19

59

FEATURE

What’s In A Family?

By Karen Lee Photography by Ethan Lau Layout by Whitney Deng and Andrea Tang

T

he people you know all start off as acquaintances.

Eventually, if you like them, they may become your friends. But ultimately, the people you love the most, and the people who love you the most, sooner or later become your family. In spite of that, we still hear the word ‘family’ being used in various different contexts. When we talk about a close friend, we say they are ‘like family’. Yet when we complain about our parents or siblings we use the word ‘family’ as if it is a strenuous obligation.

And when spouses have disagreements in their relationship, the word ‘family’ comes almost with contempt and resentment. We see that all throughout history, there are many things that can cause division within a family, such as a clashing of different cultures, when your beliefs and morals differ from one another, and when people don’t live up to others’ expectations. In the past, we may have been known to avoid those who are different from us, because differences can cause dysfunction. But as time progressed, society has become far more diversified and integrated, not least due to globalisation and the information age, and with that, families have also become more diverse. The television show Modern Family started just before the 21st century, and is a perfect example of the contemporary family archetype - a collection of people, bound by blood, whose cultures and beliefs differ significantly. Through this, Modern Family exploits many causes of dysfunction in families, and shows how the modern era creates a vast gap for disputes caused by people’s differences.

Out of anything, our families are most likely the people we spend the most time with. We are with them when we are born, and as we grow older, although individuals 60

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

in our family may change, something that is common is the fact that most of us grow up and live through most of our lives under the company of family. That being said, one’s family is probably the biggest influence on who a person becomes. The way parents raise a child is pivotal to the person they turn out to be. When parents condemns you for doing something they believe is wrong, out of habit, you will also believe that that is wrong; when your family spends time together, the things you talk about and what you do ultimately becomes a part of you. Your family’s cultural background becomes your own culture and background, and their beliefs slowly but surely affect your values, morals, and interests. In short, family members closely affect each other, which is why one’s family is such a defining aspect of a person, and also why oftentimes different people in the same family may share many things in common. It is however impossible for all members of a family to agree and always be at ease with each other. Different people ultimately have different beliefs, and inevitably, these opposing views, cultures and expectations can cause disruptions, or even schisms in a family.

With the dissemination of new ideas across borders due to globalisation in the modern world, the ideals of internationalism and diversity have become more and more prevalent. Along with those footsteps, we have been letting more people who are different from us into our lives.

And because of that, there is more a diverse composition of peoples within families. Yet we ultimately live in an egocentric world, where your own needs and values outweigh those of others around you. This inevitably leads to disputes in a family, which can result in anger, frustration, sadness, and difficulty. But in a progressing society,

FEATURE of time with his father, Mitch ice skated and was never the ‘ideal’ son his father hoped to have. Due to the way his family looked down on what made him who he was, he lacked confidence around them growing up.

This shows the gap of understanding between different age groups- Jay, from an older generation, is closed off to new ideas such as homosexuality. They often confined to stereotypes, setting their expectations for those around them, in this case, their children, in accordance to those pre existing stereotypes. The lack of acceptance leads to alienation, drawing an invisible line between someone who is different and their family members who are different from them but same to each other.

Modern Family sheds light on the fact that we should not see disputes within family as a completely negative thing. Through having to deal with those differences in beliefs and views, Modern Family shows how we can become more open minded as people, and accept things that we would not have accepted otherwise.

Modern family is a Sitcom that revolves around the lives of three families. Jay Pritchett and his wife are one family. His son, Mitch, and daughter, Claire are each members of the other two families. The three families each portray a stereotypical family archetype not uncommon in today’s society. Claire’s family are a typical Nuclear family, with two married parents and three children, and are of middle class financial status. Mitch’s family portray the new and emerging homosexual family stereotype, with two gay parents and an adopted Vietnamese daughter.

Their financial status is middle to high. Jay’s family are another type of family seen more and more in society. Jay Pritchett is a wealthy old man who has been divorced and remarried to a young Colombian wife, along with her child from her ex-husband.

One of the biggest clashes portrayed is the cultural-identical clash. A term that we see used more and more often is the word “identity”, formally defined as the “distinct personality of an individual”. We see the concept of identity portrayed in Modern Family in aspects such as one’s culture, one’s religion and/or beliefs, and also one’s sexual orientation. Historically, family was always comprised of people with very similar identities, because of their background and upbringing. But as time changes, factors such as internationalism, increased exposure the the outside world, and diversity make family a place with people of different identities. Because of the lack of acceptance, alienation and dispute arises.

Modern Family features Jay Pritchett and his gay son, Mitchell Pritchett.

Although Mitch came out during his teenage years, it has taken far longer for his family and especially his father to fully accept or even acknowledge this. Another characteristic is that Mitch grew up never as much of a guy with a strong sense of masculinity, breaking stereotypes previously set that boys have to act or do things a certain way. As opposed to playing baseball or spending a lot

This is similar to many clashes of traditional views versus new views in the real world. Examples range from coming out as queer, having a different cultural background, choosing to believe in a different religion, having a political belief that is different from others’ in your family. The Occupy Central movement in Hong Kong saw the politicisation of many young people who believed in the freedom of Hong Kong, which divided families between the older, more conservative generation of the parents, and the younger, more liberal and pro-democracy generation of the children.

Power is another source of controversy in Modern family. This is defined as the difference in social and financial status within members of a family. Different family members, due to their different backgrounds and identities, will have varying social and financial statuses, and this resultantly affects the roles they assume and how other people perceive them. Modern family explores this concept by subverting the traditional views of social and financial power- namely, stereotypes such as male dominance in a family, or that wealth or financial capability defines your level of contribution to 校話

期刊19

61

FEATURE

a family, or that those who are poor shall remain poor and vice versa.

It shows how although in the past, being a powerful female figure may have been difficult and uncommon; or that taking care of household matters could have been seen as a trivial job; or how the reversal of financial roles may been unprecedented; these cliches have been increasingly often proved wrong. This consequently makes social and financial barriers less divisive, as other’s opinions no longer limit us from being able to pursue roles we want to uptake. This is possible nowadays; because of the world’s economic development, people do not have to worry about basic needs, and can focus more on other areas such as upholding a righteous moral standard. This is shown in the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, where we see that after the fulfillment of the base layers of the pyramid (safety and physiological needs), people start to pursue the fulfillment of psychological needs and self-fulfillment needs, including the need for belonging, feelings of accomplishment and achieving one’s full potential.

Thus, the concept of equality is now 62

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

of high significance in our society because it directly correlates to needs such as self actualization and belonging. Groups of people that were considered marginalised before (e.g. females) now have the chance to be equally educated, and those who are lower on the social or financial ladder have been getting more visibility, and more opportunities to improve themselves.

Traditionally, our society is a male dominated one, but Modern Family depicts the rise of an ever growing trend in society where women are not merely housewives but can also work and assume decision making roles in the Family. In the Dunphy household, Phil is more carefree and good with the kids, and tends to spend a lot of time with them because of his personality. In contrast, Claire is more didactic and powerful, and in charge of most decision making, while also making money as a CEO of a business. The reversal of traditional gender roles is a source of dispute- Phil is seen as less masculine and powerful just because he is more laid-back, and Claire is seen as

uptight and too tightly strung. Because of this, both of them are sometimes uncomfortable with the roles they assume: Phil insecure about his power and masculinity, and Claire guilty about how little she spends time with her children- despite the fact that these roles are what their personalities call for.

We are often insecure about ourselves because of how others’ perceive us, and that is the reason those stereotypes exist so blatantly.

Faced with the critical eyes of family members, people are often hesitant to become who they want to be and end up becoming what others want to see them as. This may be one reason why sometimes men cheat on their wives and end up in divorce; because they are insecure about themselves, being under the shadow of how powerful their wives are. Conversely, this may also be why women are hesitant to be employed and seek their own personal merit, because they feel it is their responsibility to look after household matters.

Lastly, Modern Family also portrays

FEATURE

over-aspirational parents and underwhelming children as a huge issue.

Even though this has existed in the past, it has more prevalence now because of the exposure towards the outside world children face. Because of how fast the world is changing, their now exists a more glaring contrast between old and new than ever before, leaving a big gap between parent’s expectations and what sort of person their children actually want to be.

There are many examples of this in Modern family- Mitch’s homosexuality and lack of masculinity; Haley flunking school and dropping out of college; Luke lacking common sense and intelligence; Manny’s lack of interest in sport. This results in the parents only being able to see their children under the light of failing to meet their expectations, and not noticing the other strengths the child might have. Because of this, they can lose connection and pride towards the child. Resultantly, the child could feel humiliation and shame, and a sense of detachment from their parents.

Children are always the most important in the eyes of parents, and therefore they want to give what they believe is best to the child - at least, what their parents think to be the best. But in the midst of trying to fit a child into their mold of perfection, they forget the fact that their child would be much happier if they are allowed to be the most authentic version of themselves and not the best version of their parent’s expectations.

Often, when parents fail to see that, it can result in many disagreements within the family, and at the same time, insecurity, because parents opinions can have huge effect in how children see themselves.

In the 21st century, the cause of these problems is very clear to see- our world is changing at an astounding rate, yet many families remain trapped between the layers of generations, hindered by their egocentrism, expectations and closed mindedness.

We begin to see how acting in accordance to our ingrained values can be harmful to other people. We seek to protect ourselves by shutting those who are different out; in our vanity

we see ourselves only in the eyes of others, forever imprisoned in insecurity; we are controlling towards the lives of others because we are scared to let them take risks and fail.

But Modern Family shows how these seemingly negative matters are in reality beneficial to our society.

Through encountering these problems, we realize that people who are different from us are not evil and learn to accept. We learn that if we have confidence in what we do, other people will stop seeing us in a negative light. Instead of forcing our own expectations upon others, we realize that . These disputes are how stereotypes are broken. And though we view differences as a weakness, it is accepting differences that can make a family more flourishing than it ever was before.

A system as small as a family can be a succinct reflection of the society it exists in as a whole. When we learn to tolerate, cooperate with, and understand ourselves and the people around us, the world becomes a happier place to live in. 校話

期刊19

63

Uchiage Hanabi & K i m i n o N a Wa :

Tw o S i d e s o f t h e S a m e C o i n

FEATURE

“Your Name

looks at fate as an unavoidable force of nature

I

t is difficult not to compare Uchiage Hanabi and Your Name. One grossed over 340 million USD, the other a measly 26 million. One has a 97% on rotten tomatoes, the other an abysmal 43%. However, besides the clear difference in popularity, these two films are surprisingly similar. Both films center around a male and

64

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

female lead madly in love with each other, and who are forced to overcome fate itself in their struggle to stay together. However, the massive difference in the end results warrants some discussion.

Both films portray fate, as well as the nature of the separation of the two romantic leads, in vastly different ways.

(It would be prudent at this point in time to warn that Your Name is a film best watched without spoilers; this essay will be spoiling a lot of it. I would advise you to watch it before proceeding.)

It would be helpful to begin this essay with a quick summary of both films in case the reader has not watched either of them. Your Name is the story of Taki, a high schooler in Tokyo, and Mitsuha, also a high schooler, who lives in Itomori, a small town in the countryside. One day, they begin to switch bodies with one another, a phenomenon which continues for quite some time… until it stops. Taki embarks on a mission to find Mitsuha, arriving at an Itomori that was decimated by a meteor strike 3 years ago. The two of them were switching bodies through time! Taki remembers that Mitsuha’s grandmother talked about ‘musubi’, the idea of connection between people or things, and realises that if he drinks the kuchikamizake Mitsuha made (essentially sake made with human saliva as a fermentation starter), he might be able to enter her body again. It works; after a quick meeting on a mountaintop that swaps back both of their bodies and reveals that both characters have romantic feelings for each other, Mitsuha and Taki swap bodies one last time.

Mitsuha evacuates the village before the comet destroys it, and some years in the future, the two of them meet again.

Fireworks starts off with a swimming race between Norimichi and his friend Yusuke. Norimichi is distracted by a strange marble in the water, and allows Yusuke to win: as a reward for his victory, Nazuna tells him to meet her to see the fireworks

FEATURE

that night together. Yusuke is late, and as a result Nazuna is found by her parents and dragged back home; it turns out her family is moving away and she doesn’t want to follow them. Norimichi, in frustration, throws the marble wishing that he had won the race. Time resets and this time, Norimichi wins; he manages to go with her to a train platform, only to have her parents find her again and drag her home. He throws the marble again; this time, he manages to punch Nazuna’s father and rescue her; however, their train is hounded by Nazuna’s parents. After failing to escape them, he throws it again; this time, they manage to reach the lighthouse, but Yusuke finds them.

He throws it one more time, and instead, a strange reality is created, where nobody can find them; however, this is then destroyed.

The two of them realise that being together is impossible given the circumstances; they kiss and hope to meet each other again. Finally, time reverts back to normal. Only this time, Norimichi is no longer in school.

(Sorry for the long summaries; they are relevant to what follows.)

Your Name argues that the only way to overcome this massive separation is to fight through it, systematically destroying or overcoming each obstacle the universe throws at you to get your desired ending. The spatial separation between the two teenagers is first overcome when Mitsuha goes to visit Taki in Tokyo, and again when Taki figures out, after a long search, where Mitsuha lives and goes to visit. They each manage to step into the other’s geographical space.

However, this is complicated by their temporal separation. When Mitsuha visits Taki, it is the Taki from 3 years prior—he hasn’t experienced their relationship yet and sees her as a ‘strange girl’. Their temporal separation is temporarily overcome at Kataware-Doki, when Mitsuha and Taki are able to express their feelings to each other. However, a long-term relationship is out of the question because Mitsuha, at that point, is still going to die from the meteor impact.

校話

期刊19

Written Ian Choi

Meanwhile, Uchiage Hanabi depicts fate as the result of human actions. As a result of his hesitation to break from a ‘normal’ life, Norimichi is unable to save Nazuna from her parents, creating the perception that such an outcome is inevitable. His first attempt is full of human errors: Norimichi gets distracted when racing Yuusuke, Norimichi misunder-

Illustrations Caterina Jacobelli

Finally, death itself is overcome when Mitsuha and Taki save Itomori’s population from being all killed by the comet, creating a chain reaction that destroys everything in between them. The two leads’ temporal separation is overcome since Mitsuha is no longer dead, allowing her to enter Taki’s time. In doing so, she is forced to move to Tokyo since her hometown no longer exists, overcoming their geographical separation and allowing them to establish a new relationship.

Layout Natalie So

Comparing the first two thirds of both films, it is very understandable for one to simply refer to both films as mere copies of each other.

Both films start off very similarly, with characters trying to revert time to fix some issue.

However, the final third of both films reveals the differences in what each film is trying to explore.

Your Name looks at fate as an unavoidable force of nature, the overcoming of which requires a systematic destruction of every obstacle in your path. Initially, Mitsuha and Taki seem to only be separated geographically, with one living in Tokyo and another living in a rural Japanese town. Throughout the first third of the film, Shinkai demonstrates how both characters begin treating the phenomenon as a normal presence through exclusively using close-up shots with never a relaxed moment.

As such, the characters barely seem separated at all. As the film progresses, Shinkai adds more and more layers of separation— increas-

ing the degree of separation between the two leads. At first, Mitsuha just lives very far away.

Then, it is revealed that she is actually from 3 years ago. Then, it turns out she is dead.

65

FEATURE

“

showcasing the same concept of ‘fate’... the idea that there are certain events that are destined to happen

stands Yuusuke’s intentions to pair him up with Nazuna and therefore gets her caught, and then he freezes when Nazuna is forced to leave with her parents, reluctant to reach out and save her. During the second repeat, he hesitates to board the train, which means he does nothing as Nazuna’s stepfather grabs her by the arm, and thus when he fights stepfather, he just gets beat up. Nazuna is still taken away by her parents. The third time, while he and Nazuna are on the train, he gets too caught up in the moment and fails to hide before Nazuna’s parents can find them.

The solution that is presented is self-betterment. The marble Norimichi is given doesn’t reverse time—it grants any wish when it is thrown. Since his first three wishes come about as a result of his own failings, the wishes are granted in the form of an alternate timeline where he is allowed to redo the previous events to try for a desirable outcome. Each of his failures comes from an inhibition within him that prevents him from fully embracing his emotions and desires, held back by hesitation and attachment to the ‘normal’.

However, the fourth and fifth repeats contradict this notion, showcasing the same concept of ‘fate’ that Your Name uses, the idea that there are certain events that are destined to happen. In order to fix this issue, Norimichi needs to systematically eliminate the obstacles standing between him and Nazuna. Nazuna’s parents are always going to find her, and because she isn’t self-sufficient, she wouldn’t be able to survive on her own. As such, she is fated to never run away with Norimichi. During the fifth repeat, the marble creates a fake world where 66

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

Norimichi and Nazuna ‘never get found’. Yet this world, too, is destroyed when a drunkard accidentally fires the marble out of a cannon. This is completely out of the characters’ control; it is not some inherent human flaw with them that destroys this reality.

All of these changes are never permanent because the character development and the final result of each repeat was inherently unearned. Norimichi didn’t find the marble, Nazuna did; he never needed to suffer the consequences of his inaction because the marble gave him a safety net: he could just throw it and everything would be reset. Everything that happened was a result of the marble giving him exactly what he wanted. However, when Norimichi is forced back into his original timeline, he has changed. He is willing to let go of everything to chase after the girl he likes. At the end of the film, his desk is shown to be empty, and it is juxtaposed with shots of the clear sky, symbolising that he has learned from his previous mistakes and decided to abandon his everyday life, actively trying to change fate. The fourth and fifth repeats are demonstrations of things that he couldn’t change, but that could be overcome if he changed first. Now, reborn as a new man, he is free to fight for what he wants.

As such, Uchiage Hanabi acts as something like a prerequisite to Your Name. While Your Name looks at how people forced apart by fate overcome external challenges to get a desired outcome, Uchiage Hanabi posits that in order to do this, one first needs to overcome their internal weaknesses. It is conceivable that after the events of Uchiage Hanabi, Norimichi and Nazuna could

FEATURE go through a similar story to Your Name, where they are separated by some inevitable event and both need to struggle to get back together with each other.

This is why Uchiage Hanabi only really focuses on Norimichi as a character, but Your Name focuses on both Mitsuha and Taki. Norimichi is the center of Uchiage because he is the one that is changing; Nazuna is nothing more than the catalyst for that change. On the other hand, characters in Your Name don’t have flaws so much as quirks (or maybe weaknesses) because they are not essential for telling the story. The core of the film is the overcoming of natural obstacles rather than psychological ones. For example, Mitsuha’s reluctance to talk back to her father, the mayor of Itomori, seems like it could be a point of character development. However, when the time comes for Mitsuha to convince her father to evacuate the town, one can’t help but compare her actions to those of Taki’s, who attempted—and failed—the same thing just moments

earlier. The presentation shifts the focus away from an act of bravery to one of authenticity. The important thing is that Mitsuha is talking and not Taki, putting the focus once again on the action itself rather than the change that caused it.

However, I would say that Your Name still manages to convey its central thesis far better than Uchiage Hanabi. Your Name uses theatrics to its advantage—the constant plot twists make the film very unexpected and keeps the audience on their toes.

Each new revelation about the nature of the separation between the two characters—from the body swapping to the time travel to the comet—is treated as a monumental event. The sheer scale of the final conflict is such that the audience is able to comprehend, in terms of physical size, the magnitude of the obstacles that are put between the two leads. Meanwhile, Uchiage Hanabi is much less clear in its messaging. I think that in some part, the film expects too much from its audience, giving them too little to go off of to get a coherent

“

picture of the message. It also has some very strange sensibilities. I still will never understand why the director, Noboyuki Takeuchi, decided that after couple gets on the train, Nazuna should begin singing about her love for Norimichi, and that this should be symbolised in a dreamlike sequence where Norimichi is a prince and Nazuna a princess, both of them riding on a carriage drawn by flying metallic horses through a strange pink world with buildings that look like lava lamps. Nor will I understand why the marble’s power is represented each time by a vibrating lightbulb filament shaped into the english word ‘if’.

However, it is still very interesting to look at the two films side by side, to compare their different messages and to see what connects them to each other. In the end, Uchiage Hanabi is essentially a prologue for Your Name, showing how teenagers must grow and develop before they are capable of taking on larger obstacles.

to get a desired outcome... one first needs to overcome their internal weaknesses

校話

期刊19

67

FEATURE

The Zero Waste Ideal

By Kaitlyn Wells | Photography by Samantha Chan | Layout by Whitney Deng and Jocelyn Kwok

What is Zero Waste?

‘Zero Waste’ can be considered a philosophy, practice, and movement.

To some, it’s a lifestyle. Regardless of its different interpretations, Zero Waste is considered a cornerstone of environmentalism, and is something that with perseverance, creativity, and care, is not as difficult or quixotic as it may seem. Ever since the age of European industrialisation in the early 1800’s, there has been an exponential growth of the environmentalist movement as a response to a global environmental crisis. Due to increased human carelessness and industrial activity, initial concerns over air and water pollution have since expanded to cover a range of new threats: global warming, species extinction, deforestation, chemical contamination, and the extreme production of waste.

Individuals and organisations around the world have taken extraordinary steps in fighting for the preservation of our Earth for the past half-century, and Zero Waste is one such way.

68

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

When or where the Zero Waste concept emerged is unclear, although it is acknowledged to have gained its momentum and publicity at the turn of the 21st century. One such driver of this movement was the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA), who offers the following definition: “Zero Waste is a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient and visionary, to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use.”

In other words, Zero Waste aims to send no trash to landfills, incinerators, or oceans. Its goal is to reform two main aspects of our current lifestyles: consumption, and waste management.

As for the former, I am referring to the issue of unconscious and irresponsible human consumption of materials that are non-biodegradable, non-recyclable, or simply unsustainable.

Waste management is also a target area of improvement. The optimal

FEATURE gradable waste is accumulating. This being said, even in the face of fierce corporate opposition to environmental policies, relevant governments should prioritise the longevity of the Earth, by raising fines and allocating resources to keep a watchful eye on such companies.

People Putting Zero Waste to Practise

model is termed ‘cradle-to-cradle’, in which materials are repurposed or recycled at the end of its life, just like in nature, where the waste of one organism is recycled to provide nourishment for another part of the ecosystem. This trumps the reigning ‘cradle-to-grave’ linear system of automatic, thoughtless waste disposal. Zero Waste also emphasises a hierarchy of refuse, reduce, reuse, and lastly, recycle, aimed at tackling our planet’s waste problem at its root.

What problems does Zero Waste address?

In short, global industrialisation.

Manufacturing rates have increased dramatically in the past couple centuries, alongside artificial waste production. In 2012, the World Bank concluded that 1.3 billion tonnes of municipal waste had been generated by urban populations alone, and that that number will rise to 2.2 billion tonnes by the year 2025. How humanity has dealt with our waste pollution has for the most part been shameful. Burning trash releases toxic chemicals that pollute the air; waste dumped at landfills decays and emits chemicals that contaminate groundwater; some have even resorted to dumping garbage in rivers and oceans, which kills marine life.

As a territory, we produce around 6.4 million tons of waste every year,

with only a small amount actually being recycled; and as of 2004, have had an estimated 90 million tons of landfill space left. This is why all of Hong Kong’s landfills are estimated to be full to maximum capacity by 2020, if not sooner. Zero Waste is an effort to combat all these issues.

Corporations and governments play an important role in pollution as well. Some corrupt, unprincipled businesses are known to put ‘profit over people’, and litter their production waste in natural areas, such as bodies of water, which can harm the surrounding ecosystem, and leak into human drinking systems. Overproduction is a direct result of unconscious overconsumption, fueled by the materialist/consumerist ideology driving the current age. In these cases, it is often companies that either skirt around local environmental regulations, or mega-corporations that are so large that they have influence in the local government. However, it should be the government’s responsibility to enforce environmental policy, and punish those who break the law, despite the economic advantages that come with the easy, careless disposal of waste and chemicals.

It is selfish to exploit the planet’s resources in such a manner, because what ultimately matters the most is the urgent issue: the environment is quickly deteriorating, and non-biode-

Mailyne Briggs, mother of one and citizen of Ottawa, is one person who flipped her life around completely by going Zero Waste at the beginning of 2015. The artist-entrepreneur gave herself the timeframe of a year, and went from being a “regular consumer” who would buy things like packaged items and canned goods, to someone who could fit all of their waste into a small glass jar. Mailyne wanted to align her values with her actions, and said that she definitely sacrificed in doing so, the challenge of Zero Waste being especially intimidating with a young child. However, after her year was up, Mailyne said that there was no way she was going back; she was feeling healthier, happier, and saving money with her minimal lifestyle, enjoying the simplicity of it. Mailyne documents her Zero Waste journey on her blog, ‘A Dream Lived Greener’.

Another blogger significant in the global Zero Waste community is Kathryn, from the United States, whose blog and youtube channel ‘Going Zero Waste’ has lots of easy to read, great information on the particulars of how to live Zero Waste, along with interactive 30-day challenges and tons of eco-friendly tips. Kathryn started thinking about what she puts in and on her body after a breast cancer scare, and learned that there’s very little regulation for the cleaning and beauty products we assume to be safe. After gradually experimenting, she eventually came to adopt a Zero Waste lifestyle, and goes on to involve schools and peo校話

期刊19

69

FEATURE

ple in her community in this rewarding undertaking.

French expat living in Hong Kong Claire Sancelot is mother of three, who got tired of filling her rubbish bin with single-use diapers and wet wipes, and step by step eliminated disposable things from her house, starting by investing in reusable cloth diapers. She advocates for green living and gets involved in local projects like beach cleanups and giving advice on her Facebook blog ‘Hong Kong Green Home’.

Zero Waste is practised on a larger scale in Kamikatsu, a town in Japan, where residents take recycling very seriously, organising their waste into 34 different categories, as opposed to simply paper, metals, and plastics.

They are well on their way in their 2003 mission to become the first Zero Waste community by 2020. As of 2015, 80% of Kamikatsu’s waste was being recycled, while only 20% went to the landfill. The town made this decision to prevent endangering the environment and the people.

All residents now bring their waste to a recycling centre, and there is a factory where women make products like kimonos and flags from discarded items. The perseverance and ambition displayed by the people of Kamikatsu is admirable, and is emulated in places around the world like Berkeley and parts of Italy. It also shows how collective progress is attainable in relation to smart management of waste.

70

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

My personal experience with Zero Waste

I first heard of the Zero Waste concept a couple years ago, through a Youtube video showcasing a lady who presented her year’s worth of trash in a small glass jar, just like Mailyne. I was so impressed, and even doubtful that someone could live like that. This summer, I decided to try this out myself. To make it a little easier, I framed my Zero Waste experiment within the time of a week-long bike trip that I’d been planning to take with my father in the northeastern US. Since we were on the move, I didn’t have to worry about long-term things, like dish cloths, composting, pantry items, and detergent. I planned and read up about it before committing to this for the week, and packed some essentials in my backpack: reusable cutlery, reusable containers, bar soap, and reusable bags.

The experience was extremely worthwhile. For me, taking on this ‘Zero Waste’ label was helpful because it gave me a goal to aim for, and bolstered my self-regulation and consciousness when it came to consumption. At the deli section of a grocery store, the staff gladly agreed to weigh my custom reusable container so that I could avoid wasting a disposable plastic container. In convenience stores, I infuriated my dad when I refused to buy an energy bar, despite the intensive biking.

When I spilled liquids at Airbnbs, I would use my small wash towel to clean up the mess, then wash it after.

Even dedicating this time to biking

helped us avoid a contribution to carbon emissions. Phrases including “no plastic bag”, and “no straws please,” became routine. By the end of that bike trip, my dad and I had evolved into responsible, cognizant consumers, in the market, and on the daily.

We both started to see our actions as less of a sacrifice, but more of a subconscious expression of gratitude and respect for the Earth. This didn’t come so easy though. If I were to redo the Zero Waste bike trip, I would’ve spent time discussing my reasons for doing this with my dad at the beginning, and set guidelines for us both to follow. Instead, I launched ourselves into it without giving much thought to his role. Although, after seeing how passionate and committed I was to this, I think my dad was empowered to share in the challenge.

Education and inspiration are the pathways to normalising the concepts of Zero Waste.

In that week alone, I observed first hand the surprisingly huge amount of trash that two people are capable of producing. By simply choosing to withhold for a short amount of time, we not only prevented that much waste from being littered back to the Earth, yet also spread this message to other people we interacted with along the way; we received lots of positive remarks, had important conversations about sustainability, and encouraged people who were doubtful of this lifestyle by showing them how two normal people like us could do it. If one person makes a change in their waste habits — no matter how seemingly small — the weight of your positive impact

FEATURE becomes significant over time. This might be difficult to conceptualise, but small-scale action is especially impactful with waste. Strength in numbers come into play in leading to systematic change. When consumption decreases, production output decreases — basic economics proved across all sorts of markets. Better yet, ff consumers voice our desires to companies, the probability of them improving the eco-friendliness of their products increases. The Power is in our hands! Although I didn’t carry over my Zero Waste habits when we returned to my grandparents’ house, I have since become much more knowledgeable about the actions that can be taken to decrease my contribution of artificial, harmful material to the environment.

Yet there’s much more that I could and should be doing in my life right now. Hong Kong especially has a culture built on single-use items.

Take a plastic packet of three Oreos that you can buy in a plastic-wrapped cardboard tray full of more plastic packets. Iconic local confectionary like VLT and Vitasoy drinks, as well as various snacks and frozen desserts, come wrapped mainly in disposable, non recyclable packaging.

Examples include tetra paks, which is made of layered materials that can’t be processed in Hong Kong, and flimsy plastic wrappers that once contaminated with liquid or food cannot be recycled. Activities like grocery shopping, ordering takeout, shipping or delivery, and going to a bakery all typically go hand in hand with unnecessary waste.

Zero Waste as an Environmentalist Strategy

To stand up to this, we as consumers can simply boycott such things, and go for alternative products. Invest in a financially and environmentally beneficial water filter in your home! Purchase from and support eco-friendly brands like Live Zero

and Mana! You know the several brands of convenience store chocolate milks that come in small (unrecyclable) paper cartons? Ditch those for the glass bottles of chocolate milk from Kowloon Dairy, offered in a large proportion of 7 Elevens and Circle Ks. Apart from the disposable seal at the mouth of the bottle, this option is more eco-friendly because you’re encouraged to return the bottle to a convenience store for Kowloon Dairy to reuse! Another option is to call out the companies that sell over-packaged or unsustainable items (like Oreos…) by emailing them, calling them, or creating

petitions. This puts pressure on them to change and adapt to their consumers’ wants.

At CIS, our environmental group Drop in the Ocean (DITO) is currently at work transitioning CIS towards minimal waste. Our vision for this year is to eliminate all non-recyclable, single-use materials. Hopefully, all of us in the CIS community is receptive towards making slight lifestyle changes for the betterment of the environment, as the choices we make as a collective are indeed very powerful. Part of being progressive, not to mention a responsible human

being and Hong Kong citizen, is to develop a mindset that prioritises the Earth over convenience. It is a good thing that DITO, CISPTA, and Chartwells all want to, and will, help with that.

It may seem like everything nowadays comes in extensive or unnecessary packaging, and that there are no ways around it to get what you want. No! Stop! Don’t think in that way! The fight for Zero Waste is not futile. If anything in this article has resonated with you, or even slightly intrigued you, my advice would be to first teach yourself to care. Look at online images, read other articles, or simply observe the thoughtless consumption around you, so that you may be properly inspired. Then, changing what you think you want or need will come easy. Find alternatives. Make it yourself. Have it less often. Perhaps it’ll be better for you overall to avoid it. Make it work for anything, whether it be toothpaste, chips, menstrual pads, or the like!

Knowledge is power, so I plead you to use your purchasing power to make smart, sustainable choices. And every bit counts. If you refrain from buying that vitasoy, that’s one less tetra pak in our overloaded landfills. At that point it doesn’t matter whether or not someone else will end up consuming it, it matters that you don’t in addition. The point is, that Zero Waste, like veganism and other environmental efforts, isn’t all-fluff.

Refer to the numbers; they should horrify you, as well as inspire you.

The beauty of Zero Waste is that it is an individually driven practice.

It’s up to the person to be willing to make the necessary adjustments in their life, and commit to them, if they really want to engage in environmentalism, and incorporate green practises into daily life. Zero Waste is something for us all to embrace and strive for. It’s time to be a part of the solution - to refuse, reduce, and reuse! 校話

期刊19

71

FEATURE

Hong

By Ethan Lau | Photography by Ethan Lau | Layout by Whitney Deng and Lilly-Anne Wei

The Roots of Hong Kong

Formerly an entrepôt through which the English opiated the Chinese population, then a former peace-giving to the United Kingdom; to some a concrete jungle where dreams are made, to others a catalyst for China to dominate the financial market…… Hong Kong is all these things, both more and yet less. Currently, the Hong Kong seen in magazines and websites is a land of extravagant, luxurious lifestyles and wealth-attracting districts - a place where your dreams can become reality. However, these miraculous dreams that become existent realities for a few become dreaded nightmares for the many.

Although Hong Kong is home to all of the qualities presented to the global society, people tend to forget about what’s lurking behind the curtains.

Perfection is far from what Hong Kong is, yet opulent and brilliant the city remains. What once was a simple fishing village has since become the world’s second largest financial center. Belonging in the same time zone as half the world’s population - China, India, Indonesia, and Japan - Hong Kong acts as a capital magnet for these surrounding countries. In the last century, Hong Kong has fundamentally transcended into a global financial capital. Barely recognizable now as the sleepy fishing hamlet it once was, who could have never thought that a feeble, underpopulated speck on-the-map fishing village would ever amount to what it is now - a global financial powerhouse amongst the world’s pantheon of great cities.

The rapid development of Hong Kong in various aspects in the recent decades has forced the authentic culture and the original locals of this city to be thrown under a large blanket of high property prices and other costly life ex-

“The city’s Hong Kong- style cafes play a large role in the lifestyle of a Hong Konger.”

72

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

penses, moving them from the old city into small suburbs in the hinterlands of Hong Kong - the New Towns - away from the vibrant city centers. The towering skyscrapers and enormous shopping centers have also forced a large majority of the local Hong Kong population, especially the elderly, into cramped spaces and uncomfortable lifestyles. While businessmen are making hundreds and thousands from their new investments and the latest profits, hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong citizens struggle to eke out a living for themselves. This is the dream Hong Kong advertises to the world - the dream only achieved at the expense of somebody else being shoved into a 200 square feet cage home, collecting cardboard for a living.

Hong Kong is also a melting pot of different cultures and customs. Since Hong Kong began making an appearance on the global main stage, many from other countries have been brought and attracted to here. Hong Kong is a wholly international city - international in aspects that range from art, cuisines, language, fashion, religions, etc. The constant bombardment of internationalism is inevitable when living in Hong Kong. Designer shops from Italy, restaurants from Japan, religious sites from the Middle East and a wide range of languages. Even the local language of Cantonese is slowly being bastardised into even more mongrel forms within the Anglophone city of Hong Kong. Whereas our region is neither a country, nor a city, but instead a Special Administrative Region. Given the questionable roots of these authentic local traits, maybe the current true local identity of Hong Kong lies in the multitude of other cultures belonging to Hong Kong, but this begs the answer to the question, what did it mean to be apart of the local Hong Kong culture and to be a Hongkonger?

The local identity has remained elusive throughout the ages, especially given the turbulent history of Hong Kong, and it is unclear to discern what the sticker label for being a citizen of Hong Kong is. The Hong Kong independence movement has attempted time and again to

A Flawed Pearl

Kong

FEATURE

advocate for Hong Kong to become an independent sovereign state, but so far minimal progress has been made.

As to now, we are simply the people of Hong Kong Hongkongers; 香港人.

The “Big Cultures” of Hong Kong

There is no such thing as a solid definition to what being a Hong Konger means, but there are certain cultures and traits that either belong to all of us or are apart of who we are today. Hong Kong’s unique local cafes, the city’s gaping wealth inequality, the local political scene’s protest culture and our obsession with trends are the “Big Cultures” I’ve identified as the main ones in this article.

Each unique and special in their individuality, they all chip into what it means to be a Hong Konger.

Hong Kong Cafes 茶餐廳

The city’s Hong Kong-style cafes play a large role in the lifestyle of a Hong Konger. The iconic large overhanging neon plates and Coca-Cola backdrop billboards with the words ”茶餐廳“ or “冰室” are much more than signs for a simple service; they are the very heart of the Hong Kong culture I believe in. Routine is the main component of the lifestyle of an average Hong Kong citizen.

Be they an infant, child, teen, adult or elder, a strict daily routine is a given and natural. Starting the day off early in the morning, doing the usual brushing and cleaning, the citizens of Hong Kong then embark on their daily commutes. Arriving by bus, metro, taxi, tram or car, men, woman or child inch closer to a day of repetitiveness.

After a whole day of “rejuvenation”, we sulk home, tired, exhausted, prepared to do it all over again. However, the boredom that consists of an average Hongkongers lifestyle does have its exceptions. In the early 80s and 90s, this could be the daily meal at a Hong Kong cafe.

The past locals of Hong Kong would usually have a number of Hong Kong cafes they were familiar and went too often. Men in suits, women in overalls, children in sweatshirts, elders in wheelchairs were represented not by their social status, age or race, but just Hongkongers

at a Hong Kong cafe. However the problem of space is an issue in most old style Hong Kong cafes as space was limited and still us, a customer would often find themselves sitting with or waist to waist with a complete stranger. This was not an issue at all for the customers, nor was the simple dining or the plain layout of the cafe, because a much greater pull brought these people from different social classes, backgrounds, and ages together.

It was the ability to be familiar with space and people that would not be familiar with otherwise. Walk into any other type of restaurant you would normally be greeted courteously and asked what you would like to have. But in a Hong Kong cafe, the case is not that politeness is lacking, it is just shown more in the form of friendliness, kind of indirectly insinuating that there is no need to treat them differently because they are serving you and there is no need for them to treat you differently because you are a customer. This attitude is what makes Hong Kong cafes so unique compared to other restaurants and diners.

Aside from orders, waiters are more than willing to chat about just everyday things like the weather, last night’s football game, their plans for the weekend, same for the other customers sitting around you. And although this may just seem like insincere small talk, many look forward to just eating their favorite meal and talking about the meaningless things about life with people who are there to listen.

Blowing down the homes of the homeless

The super typhoon Mangkhut that reached winds of 250 km/h in September 2018 can give a quick insight into how local Hongkongers act as a collective. The first of the many places the horrific disaster struck at was the Philippines and with it 43 victims. It didn’t stop there, traveling up north towards Hong Kong. Hong Kong has seen bad and ugly typhoons before but its been over 50 years since we’ve witnessed a typhoon signal No. 1 which was what typhoon Mangkhut turned out to be.

Decking out our homes with armour in the form of duct tape, clearing out shelves of bread and canned food in 校話

期刊19

73

FEATURE

every supermarket, filling our bunkers in the form of fridges with rations for this one night, barring windows and doors with any sturdy object to be found, the people of Hong Kong were ready to ride out this storm. There have been times where Hong Kong has unified as a collective instead of individuals when facing a challenge, like the 2014 Yellow Umbrella movement mentioned below. But aside from politics and social issues, the compact ant colony we are behaves more as small groups or in some cases lone survivors than a collective, this was one of them. The winds blew harder than the big bad wolf, the rain poured more than the waters in the 7 seas, the lighting straight from the hands of Zeus. While a lot of us hid behind our X-taped windows and munched on our supplies, the rest of HK had more than the problem of a leak or a broken window to deal with. Needless to say, the destruction left by the typhoon varied greatly. Damaged beyond repair, some citizens have lost their homes in the typhoon. An interview conducted by the South China Morning Post showcases the conflicting values of the less fortunate people of HK. On one hand, they could seek shelter in the different facilities opened by the HK government, away from the dangers of Mangkhut, or they could stay in their shacks and feeble homes protecting their belongings from the storm and face Mangkhut head on; many chose the later. Despite the blaring warnings to stay safe from the storm, many homeless prioritized their items over their lives. Countless homes destroyed, belongings lost and hopes obliterated, not by the storm but the issue of social inequality in Hong Kong. The wealth gap is very much part of the culture of Hong Kong as it surrounds us every single day. Walk down any road and you are able to see this problem evident in countless ways.

The way how some buildings are 30 floors high and made of high-grade metals could stand next to shacks made of tiles and bricks, the way how a man in a Versace suit could seamlessly walk past a man that would have to work years to afford that suit. The examples are

everywhere, and we are all pieces of machinery indirectly causing this to happen as well, it is just a matter of whether we choose to expect it or not.

Resistance and Perseverance

Occupy Central - the idealistic campaign aimed to pressure the Chinese Government into reforming the systems for the election of the Hong Kong Chief Executive and Legislative Council so as to satisfy “international standards in relation to universal suffrage” as promised in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration and Article 45 of the 1997 Hong Kong Basic Law. The movement officially began and originated on the 27th of March 2013, but only until the 26th of September 2014 did the protesting actually begin.

Students from Hong Kong’s various university flocked to the occupation sites by the thousands, joined by even more of the population of Hong Kong that was fed up with the PRC government not obliging to the terms and agreements set out in 1984, all together, marching, striking and protesting the Hong Kong government for changes to be made. At one point, tens of thousands of enraged citizens occupied the streets of Hong Kong, as a form of peaceful civil disobedience causing many inconveniences for government workers and workers in the area without causing violence. For 79 days, these Hongkongers represented Hong Kong and remained adamant and strong with what they stood for, despite the many challenges thrown at them slowly escalating from pepper spray to tear gas, and even at times rubber bullets. Not once did their spirits waiver during those long 3 and a half months, sleeping out in the cold nights and protesting under the burning sun. It was an exhibition on what Hongkongers had the ability to complete, a test on how the Chinese government would react and a show for the global audience to witness. Irregardless of one’s personal opinion on the ideology behind the Umbrella Movement, one thing cannot be debated and that is the spirit of Hongkongers.

As a collective, thousands of Hongkongers were able to

“What does it mean to be apart of the local Hong Kong culture and to be a Hongkonger?”

74

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

FEATURE

unite and stand for what they believe in, achieving more than anyone could ever imagine. Although we may not have gone out there and experienced Occupy Central, that spirit definitely belongs to us as well, shown through our work ethic, lifestyle, and mindset.

Trending on Social Media

As a Hongkonger, we redefine trendsetting and bandwagoning. Especially observed in the youth of Hong Kong, it is in our blood to want to try, taste, buy the latest trendy topics. Whether it is a new egg waffle flavor or hypebeast clothing, like a swarm of bees, we send out signals to the rest of the hive notifying the rest of Hong Kong of this new trend. A good example of this would be brown sugar pearl milk tea craze. “Tiger Sugar” a bubble tea shop that opened in July 2018 was an instant bullseye on the target board of the Hong Kong youth. In Hong Kong it is not a matter of whether or not there is a line up for shops like these, but how long. The lines would begin long before the store opened and would last until the sunset.

Eager, keen and enthusiastic to try this new snack, lines would go on for blocks and blocks, around corners and into alleyways, far from the actual location of the shop.

The extent people would go to snap a photo of themself enjoying the new crazed snacked is out of this world.

However also part of this culture is the witnessing of these immensely popular businesses die and fail over time. Like a snap of a finger, the taste of HK citizens can change in an instant, from sweet to salty, cold to warm, cheap to expensive, constantly varying. And the Hong Kong economy will respond, over and over again, satisfying the temporary taste of a pack of ravaging lions.

These one-time wonders are what birth and kill business, and the HK population is the factor that decides who

lives and who dies. While businesses come and go, the crowd of idle Hongkongers simply follow the trend to where it takes us, all for that satisfaction being able to post a photo announcing to the world you’ve been there and done that. But it is not all eating, drinking and having fun, sometimes the infectious characteristics of the Hong Kong population can pose something positive. Hong Kong has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, it is ranked third in a list compiled by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in 2011 of places with the least homicides. A reason for why this could be the case because you simply cannot get away with crime in such a vibrant and lively city like Hong Kong. Everyone to your right, left, in front and behind you are all potential witnesses, even for things excluding crimes like street brawls, or a nasty break up. Videos of angry taxi drivers road raging or breakups on the MTR quickly go viral in this environment so suitable for spreading and transferring such tidbits of everyday antagonism.

Hong Kong Today

In the current state of Hong Kong, to determine what it means to be an HK citizen or a “Hongkonger” one must first acknowledge the clear distinction between the “old” cultures and the “new” cultures of Hong Kong. Hong Kong is minuscule compared to its surrounding neighbors, but the cover of this book is nothing compared to the depth of its contents. It is a challenge to survive in a place like Hong Kong, a place so competitive and compact, a place where the seconds tick by quicker. But it is also for these very reasons do Hongkongers love the thrill and excitement of living in Hong Kong. So to answer the question what does it mean to be apart of the local Hong Kong culture and to be a Hongkonger? That is a question that will remain unanswered. 校話

期刊19

75

FEATURE

By Lauren Kee | Illustration by Caterina Jacobelli | Layout by Stephen Chen and Colin Huang

Male pioneers are highly commended for their contributions to the realm of computer science, but as with most things, women are often overlooked. I’m sure you have heard of Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, or Bill Gates, co-founder and ex-CEO of Microsoft. But how many people know about Ada Lovelace, one of the first ever software engineers in the world, Grace Hopper, creator of the first computer compiler and a leader and survivor of the Second World War, or Margaret Hamilton, who was amongst the earliest pioneers of software engineering and who helped write the code for the Apollo mission to the moon? Have you ever wondered about these courageous women who pioneered in their industries? Have you ever pondered what it would be like if the world brought together the gender gap between boys and girls closer, allowing both sides to take on the same jobs with the same levels of respect and admiration.

Ada Lovelace Even though Steve Jobs revolutionized technology and Bill Gates devoted his life to introduce the use of technology in education, it all kicked off with one of the most honoured women in history - Ada Lovelace. Since the early stages of her life, Lovelace had been a math whiz and was fascinated by science. Unlike most of the children back in the day, she was privileged enough to be taught by numerous tutors. When Lovelace turned 17, she met inventor and mathematician Charles Babbage. Soon, she became intrigued by Babbage’s inventions such as the “difference engine” and the “developing analytical machine”, both of which are computers 76

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

designed to calculate complex math problems. With Babbage, Lovelace became involved in the computer industry. Not long after, Lovelace received a request to translate an article written by Italian engineer and mathematician Luigi Federico Menabrea about the analytical machine. Not only did Lovelace successfully translate it with her prodigious linguistic skills, and she even added some notes to the article. These were not a typical set of “notes”, but an essay three times the length of the original article. In these notes, Lovelace was primitive to propose the idea that code could handle not only numbers, but letters and symbols as well.

On top of that, she was also the first to discuss and theorize the forever loop, now found in most computer programs, which could automatically repeat a code or process multiple times. Because of this outstanding piece of work of hers, Lovelace is considered one of the first ever computer programmers. Despite this, Ada did not gain any fame until after her death. Now, her work and legacy has received the proper recognition and remains the foundation of computer programming - there is even a computer program named after her!

FEATURE

Grace Hopper Following Lovelace came Grace Hopper (née Grace Brewster Murray). Out of curiosity, Hopper enjoyed taking apart and reassembling alarm clocks as a child. When the Second World War broke out, Hopper joined the U.S. Naval Reserve and was promoted to the rank of a lieutenant after a year.

After the war, Hopper remained in the Navy as a reserve officer for 19 years. At that time, she was also a research fellow with Harvard University. Being a mathematical genius and having studied at Vassar College, Hopper became one of the first women to earn a PHD in mathematics at Yale University after her short stint at Harvard. At Yale, she fell in love with computers and had found in herself a desire to continue working with them. She moved on to working at various private computer companies, where her ventures would find great success. For example, it was Hopper and her team who had created the first ever computer compiler that could translate English instructions into a series of code that are able to be processed by computers, making it easier for beginners to engage in coding.

She improved the coding language so that it was more practical and similar to conventional English, making it more easily accessible to beginners in coding. This was the predecessor of what would come to be the Common Business

Oriented Language (COBOL), a coding language globally used in business to this day. Though Hopper did not invent COBOL itself, she greatly encouraged the adaptation of her computer compiler into what COBOL is today. Because of her status as one of the earliest pioneers in the computer industry, she was later invited to standardize the communication between different computer languages at the age of 60. By the time she finally retired from all her work that has made an magnificent impact to the world at the age of 79, she was recognized as a loyal and distinguished officer to the American Navy as well as a phenomenal computer genius.

In the last years before her death, Hopper was highly committed to promoting coding universally, encouraging youngsters, especially girls, to step out of their comfort zone and try their hand at coding in the hopes of nurturing a generation of talented programmers and coders.

Hopper, also known as The Queen of Code and Amazing Grace, was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 after her death. Former US President Barack Obama described Hopper as the woman who “opened programming to millions more people, helping to usher in the Information Age and profoundly shaping our digital world.”

校話

期刊19

77

FEATURE

Margaret Hamilton Finally, perhaps the most respectable woman in modern software engineering is Margaret Hamilton. Having studied mathematics and philosophy at Earlham College, she was later offered a job at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she worked on developing a software now widely used to forecast the weather. There, she learnt more and more about meteorology, climatology and astronomy. Whilst working at MIT, Hamilton was involved with the US Air Force in the development of the first ever US defence system to identify enemy aircraft. As she moved between different laboratories at the MIT, she ended up at one that was in charge of providing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a lab with the such advanced technology and resources that it is the top space and flight research institution in the world. There, she led her team in developing the software for in-flight commands and the lunar modules used in the Apollo

78

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

missions - the first ever attempts to put a man on the moon. However, her work was not as simple as it may seem to us today. As a working mom, it was already hard enough for Hamilton to work at the MIT as one of the first software engineers.

On top of that, women were not welcome in the industry at the time; tellingly, the term “founding mother” was not a thing, but “founding father” was. In fact, the practice of software engineering then was not even an official learning field or subject; as Hamilton said, “there was no choice but to be pioneers”.

Hamilton’s software cleared out the cluttered queue of processing code to allow the machine to focus only on its top priority — landing the aircraft safely on Earth.Without her contributions to the software, the mission may have failed due to a technical communication failure of the overload of unnecessary messages on the computer, putting the lives of the astronauts at risk. This software would lay the foundation for and inspire NASA’s

Skylab project, the first ever permanent US space station. This software also propelled the progress of the 12th and 14th through 17th Apollo missions. In 2003, Hamilton was awarded NASA’s Exceptional Space Act Award, along with the highest financial prize given to an individual at the time for one’s sacrifice and dedication to the Apollo mission. Hamilton further expanded her contributions to this field by establishing her own software engineering and computer science companies, Hamilton Technologies.

She was also presented with the Medal of Freedom in 2016. As the saying goes, “Behind every great man is a women”. When Neil Armstrong first stepped onto the moon, it was a triumphant moment for him and the world. However, we must be reminded that without the efforts of Margaret Hamilton, the overlooked woman coder working behind the scenes at MIT, his “small step for [a] man” would not have been possible.

FEATURE

In the technologically advanced and constantly changing society we reside in today, it is crucial for both men and women to be more dedicated and involved in the current development of technology. Technological marvels such as AI and all sorts of highly advanced personal electronic devices are taking over our world and dominating our lives. However, how many people have ever wondered where the string of words and numbers that program these powerful devices come from? There is evidence to suggest that the interest in technology continues to decline significantly as kids grow older, especially in women. According to Girls Who Code, a significant 74% of girls in middle school in the US express interest in the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) .

However, in college, less than 5% of girls choose to further pursue their interest in computer science and software engineering. Technology, the fastest growing industry in the world, will be where the most innovative jobs are created the quickest in the years to come. But it is quite obvious that this is a heavily male-dominated industry, and that the gender gap must be narrowed.

Currently, only 1 in 5 graduates in computer science are women. In 1995, 37% of computer scientists were women. Today, although the number of people working on information technology has multiplied considerably, only 24% of them are women. If we do not take action, the percentage may decrease by an additional 2% in a few years time. Even within the world’s most well respected technology companies in Silicon Valley, we can see a

distinguishable difference between the tech jobs offered to men and women. In all of the companies, no more than 20% of the tech jobs are taken up by women. Even though half of the non-tech jobs are women employees, the number of women in the total workforce are not over 40%.

the app, device or software with the given building blocks. Coding is like a puzzle, a construction site, and a 3d-model kit all in one; one can figure his or her way through with the puzzle pieces, constructing something primitive and never done before.

As the world of technology is rapidly advancing, the world should be more involved in its improvement and development. Coding and software engineering is not only a subject to be learnt at school, but a hobby that should be pursued and a useful lesson of life skills that can be learnt. In our world of variety in incredible skill and unique talent, we must balance the gender ratio in computer science to 50/50 and allow all people to be treated equally and given equal opportunities to help with the development of technology, whether they be men or women.

For many of us, courageous women like Ada Lovelace, Margaret Hamilton, and Grace Hopper have added a few weights to the balance scale, equalizing the hefty gap between men’s and women’s rights in the STEM industry. They have fought for their places and persevered throughout the long journey with obstacles constantly thrown at them, pioneering and setting the foundation for all our technological accomplishments today. They inspire and motivate us all, showing us all that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and that success is attainable for all who persevere, always within their grasp at the end of a rocky and arduous road. These ladies have struggled but persisted, defying the sexist stereotypes and assumptions that world once made about them.

Today, both men and women have the access to resources as never before. We should fully utilize them to open windows for more aweing opportunities. Even though we still face the constant sexism challenge that our ancestors have set for us on the unjust playing field known as the “battle of the sexes”, we should still strive for excellence in being predecessors in what the above mentioned role models have done.

As the saying goes, “shoot for the moon, because even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

When given the appropriate resources or chances to code, we should learn and know why we should take them. Coding is the basis to software engineering, robotics and computer science. It is also a brilliant way to develop logical skills, cognitive thinking and creativity. On top of that, coding can improve your perseverance and problem-solving skills. Coding is mostly based on trial and error.

A program may have failed 999 times, but succeeded finally in its thousandth iteration. That is when one feels the joy of accomplishment and pride, the most rewarding part of coding. Coding is original, therefore one can do whatever one pleases, even the most bizarre and eccentric of ideas. The process of getting there is the learning process where one can figure out how one wants to program

校話

期刊19

79

FEATURE

A Criticism of

American Identity Politicking

By Ian Choi | Illustration by Lilly-Anne Wei | Layout by Whitney Deng and Stephen Chen

‘Identity Politics’ has become one of the new buzzphrases of choice in contemporary American politics.

However, its meaning has gradually shifted over time, and deserves some mention before a discussion into its implications can begin. Identity politics, at its core, is a political position that is based on the interests and concerns of a particular group of people. This group can be defined by any common trait—race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, et cetera. In reality, identity politics has existed for over a hundred years, maybe even more.

To put it simply, everyone has an identity, even if it revolves around something as simple as your nation.

In reality, any kind of politics that appeals to that sense can be put under this umbrella term. Identity politics revolving around nationality, for instance, is called nationalism. Countries in this bucket included Nazi Germany, Republican China, and numerous other examples across history. In the US, the beginning of the identity politics that we see today—mainly centered around sexuality, race and gender—was the 1970s.

One example was the black feminist movement—an offshoot of the greater feminist movement that believed that the mainstream wasn’t adequately addressing their needs. For example, while feminists were arguing for a woman’s right to work and right to abortion, black women had already been forced into the workforce as a result of poverty and many had been given compulsory sterilization. Black women shared these common issues, and thus banded together and set out to advocate for policies that would fight for them. The Combahee River Collective, a black feminist group active between 1974 and 1980, wrote in their statement a line that sums up the initial intent of identity politics very well: “We believe that the most profound and potentially most radical politics come directly out of our own identity, as opposed to working to end somebody else’s 80

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

oppression.”

As such, identity politics became very intricately tied with victimhood and oppression—the idea that a certain group of people is being routinely discriminated against by, and thus are the victims of, a social or political structure. Each group of people tries to fight against what they perceive as threats to their inherent rights. Recently, identity politics has seen a resurgence as a result a multitude of factors, from the threat of terrorism that became very apparent to America on September 11 2001, to the ethnic diversification of America—whites are a shrinking ethnic and social class that are projected to become a minority in 2045.

This has put their previously privileged position, as the largest ethnic group in America, at risk. It has influenced and been influenced by third-wave and fourth-wave feminism, which incorporated further identities such as sexuality and gender into the movement.

Unfortunately, while identity politics has managed to shine a light on the struggles of the oppressed and underprivileged in American society, it has also become more of a liability than an asset for American politics.

Whereas the civil rights movement gave blacks the right to vote and the gender rights movement has taken huge strides in promoting male-female equality, these were things that pressured a political system from the outside. Modern identity politics has been co-opted into the very institutions that run the United States, whose manipulations of the concept have created a politics that is increasingly uncompromising and that has created a legion of politicians who don’t even represent their constituents’ interests.

I am, of course, talking about the Democratic and Republican parties, the donkey and the elephant, the blue and the red. These two parties make up the vast majority

FEATURE of US politics today, and both parties have embraced certain identities and fought for what each group perceives as suppression of their rights.

The Republican party has, ever since they adopted the Southern strategy in the 1950s, appealed to JudeoChristian values prevalent in conservative rural America, with most voters from the far south and the central US, and largely white. Looking back to the 2012 election, Mitt Romney ran explicitly against gay marriage, abortion and immigration, all things that conservative white voters cared deeply about.

On the other hand, Democrats traditionally have fought for the rights of those who the Republican party shuns: immigrants, members of the LGBT community, and minorities. Obama and Hillary ran in their respective races to fight for the rights of LGBT communities, tackling police brutality and give immigrants a path to citizenship.

However, their policies also serve more interests. The party has become significantly more diverse: according to a Pew research poll, only 60% of democrats were white in 2017 compared to 75% in 1997.

and immigration. Of course, Trump absolutely appealed to this crowd’s own fears: he appealed to their identity as gun owners by pledging to uphold their Second Amendment rights, and to their fears of Islamic terror groups by calling for a “total and complete shutdown” on Muslims entering America. Yet if you look at some key issues, you quickly realise that Trump’s base actually seems to be supporting a candidate that is economically screwing them over. Most Trump voters were working class, and significantly older. Trump’s tax bill gave both corporations and individuals tax cuts, with some slight caveats: individuals’ tax cuts were temporary. Trump’s legislation only plans to keep them until 2025, while the corporate tax rate has been lowered permanently.

Another example would be healthcare. On the campaign trail, Trump routinely mentioned that he would “save social security, save medicare”. Yet his budget budget for 2019 put deep cuts in Medicaid and Medicare, two programs that Americans heavily rely on. Yet despite seemingly completely abandoning Americans, his popularity ratings remained at around 41% - the highest they had ever been in over a year. This is due to identity politics.

Those who voted for Trump voted for him because he presented a grim picture of the world: terrorism everywhere, illegal immigrants running amok, crime waves in major cities. He appealed to Judeo-Christian concerns, and most importantly, didn’t pull his punches. It created around him a group of staunch supporters that, no matter what he did, would always support him. After all, he seemed to be the only person who could fix the issues they faced.

take a closer look, and one begins to realise what is really happening to the US

At first, this seems all fine and good: after all, everyone should be heard in a democracy. However, take a closer look, and one begins to realise what is really happening to the US. We start off with the 2016 election, when Donald Trump managed to score a surprising and completely unexpected win over Hillary Clinton. Theories abound as to the reason for this, with Hillary herself releasing a book, “What Happened”, which attempts to explain away her loss as a result of a combination of James Comey’s FBI investigation into her email server, Vladimir Putin’s attempts to rig the election in Trump’s favour, third-party voters not voting for her, sexism and misogyny against her, and Bernie Sanders’ undermining of her credibility by staying in the Democratic primary for too long. While all that was true, I would argue that Hillary’s loss was simultaneously a result of Trump’s populist economic policy, and also his appeal towards the traditional, white Republican demographic. It depicts both the problem and solution.

Let’s first talk about the problem. Trump has a huge following from what Clinton called the “basket of deplorables”. This mainly comes down to white supremacists and overwhelmingly old, white men, who actually liked Trump’s no-holds-barred attitude towards issues they cared about—race, gun ownership

In fact, both the Democrats and Republicans seem to completely spurn their bases, routinely ignoring the will of the people. The examples abound: according to an Ipsos poll in March of 2018, around 60% of Republicans wanted some degree of stricter gun regulation, and yet while Democrats continue to fight hard on the issue, Republican politicians have doubled down on their pro-gun stance. In 2008, republicans, despite their longstanding belief in small government, voted to bail out the big banks of the US after the financial crisis, brought on by their own malpractice, wasting precious taxpayer dollars to help large corporations. Meanwhile, despite an American public that is overwhelmingly against staying in Afghanistan - the war is unpopular among 85% of Americans—the US has remained actively involved in the conflict for over 15 years.

The reason for this is pretty obvious—corruption.

If you want proof, search up any mainstream politician’s 校話

期刊19

81

FEATURE profile on OpenSecrets, a website that tracks the campaign donations of politicians. They are swimming in the money of corporate PACs (political action groups) that have been created by companies to push for policies that benefit them over most Americans. The US not leaving Afghanistan and raising the defense budget?

That is the influence of the military-industrial complex.

Why isn’t the Republican party for gun control? They are backed by the NRA (National Rifle Association), which is, as the name suggests, pro-gun. Why did the Republicans bail out US banks? Their PACs donated money to Republicans. Why do Republicans deny climate change? They receive money from the coal industry, which stands to lose if America moves in the direction of cleaner energy. A study of 1,779 policy outcomes over the last 20 years revealed that the preferences of corporate elites (ie. the Koch Brothers, who are estimated to be worth 55 billion USD) actually count up to 15 times as much as the collective influence of regular voters. America is turning into an oligarchy, controlled by the rich, who manipulate the political system for their own gain.

In short, both parties have been using identity politics to hold on to their base, by portraying the opposition as inherently evil and an existential threat to the very identity of the people in their party. This is, unfortunately, one of the most noticeable consequences of identity politics, regardless if it is initiated by politicians or not. Francis Fukuyama, a political scientist at Stanford University, argues that the American left began to view inequality less by social class (low, middle and upper) but in terms of identity. However, as a result, people have become less empathetic to the problems of others. Since identity politics is inherently about your identity and your perceived oppression, it becomes easy to villainise others, make them the sole cause of your problems.

wing protesters when they try to speak there. These protesters believe that the figures on the right shouldn’t have a voice, seeing their arguments not as reason and logic but as attacks against the very perception of who they see themselves as. But this is dangerous to public discourse. These attacks by the left on right wing speakers have made the right more defensive and belligerent, and has fundamentally undermined the principle of free speech that America was founded on.

Politicians only took advantage of this phenomenon to secure a block of stalwart voters. It has contributed to an increasingly deep ideological split within the country and made it harder to compromise on social issues.

Politicians use it to distract from fundamental issues— in terms of the staunchly neoliberal economic policies that they both share, the Democrats and Republicans are surprisingly similar. They both stand for the current socioeconomic status quo, are pro-business, elitist and white-dominated. They use a simple strategy: turning people against each other. By characterising social issues as a threat to the very existence of a group of people, they turn people against each other, creating a tribalistic society where helping ‘your team’ is more important than getting what you want. So then, on the economic side of things, they run roughshod all over the American people.

Every moment a voter spends fearing the old, white man is a moment not spent considering why 16 Democrats voted to deregulate the banking industry in March of 2018. That is why identity politics is an existential threat to American politics in general.

This kind of attitude has already damaged social discourse. For instance, Milo Yiannopoulos, Ben Shapiro and numerous other right-wing speakers are regularly forced out of public universities and colleges by left-

But things are changing. And this time, we start, yet again, with Trump’s campaign rhetoric. One must understand that a significant portion of Trump’s votes were from people who had voted for Barack Obama in

But what has this got to do with identity politics?

Well, it’s simple. If you’re a democratic voter and see that the people you voted for are now trying to use your taxpayer money to prop up a failing company, you’d be understandably mad. But then you remember that you’re a black lesbian, and immediately, the thought of running away from the democrats is terrifying. After all, the Republicans are evil. They’re against abortion, gay rights, and pretty much everything that makes up your identity. So you ignore or forget about the Democrats’ shortcomings and simply give them your vote, because you don’t have any other options.

82

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

FEATURE the previous election. What happened? On the campaign trail, Trump railed against NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement). He promised to ‘save Medicare’, something that no other Republican candidate had done.

It got him 2 million more votes than Mitt Romney in 2012, and 3 million more than McCain in 2008.

Trump, in typical fashion, showed himself to actually be against these things when he got into office. But what was important was that he spoke to a large number of Americans. I would go so far as to argue that if Trump hadn’t relied on Judeo-Christian identity politics he might have actually won over more voters. After all, the Republicans that voted for him because of that rhetoric would never have voted for Hillary anyways.

I would argue that while identity politics has caused massive divides, by race, gender, sexuality and geography, in the US, there is far more that the country has in common with each other than they think.

A majority of Americans are in favour of a number of issues. Aside from the previously mentioned issues, a recent poll found that 70% of Americans were in favour of ‘medicare for all’—extending the governmental health program to every person in the US. A Reuters/ Ipsos poll found 3/4ths of Americans supported raising taxes on the wealthy, yet Republicans are somehow vehemently against this even though being supporting such legislation would make them very popular.

The Democrats lost in 2016 because people have become disillusioned with the political process. Year after year they have come out, voted for their candidate, and watched as nothing changes. They no longer want the proper, well-mannered, slick-haired politicians of the past. They want people who feel their pain, and will fight what they increasingly see as an out-of-touch political establishment. That’s why Bernie Sanders’ primary challenge gained so much steam: he focused on issues that were generally wanted by Americans, and he took no corporate money from well-established megaPACs, opting to fund his campaign mostly through small donations made by everyday people. Similarly, Trump won because he didn’t try to pull his punches, or skirt around the issues.

But identity still matters, as it always has. Even though there is a huge push from the progressive wing of the Democratic party to put people who advocate for these popular positions into power, they are still relying heavily on identity. After all that has been said and done, even the most prominent example, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 29 year old who won a completely unexpected victory over the centrist Democratic-party juggernaut Joe Crowley in New York, still emphasized her Puerto Rican heritage when running for office. This comes back to a different kind of identity politics, the

kind that emphasises that only people who are like you could ever hope to understand your struggle. Americans have become disillusioned, perhaps even suspicious, of people who tell them they understand their pain.

Hillary tried to emphasise how she understood the pain of working women, but given that she was rich, deep into politics and had been one of the most influential women in America (being the first lady to Bill Clinton and also a previous Secretary of State), it was hard for people to relate. Trump promised workers everything they had wanted and then gave them nothing. Perhaps the only people they will trust are those who share their background. Ocasio-Cortez is a daughter of workingclass immigrants, who has worked as a waitress, fought against the foreclosure of her home, and lives in the community she most likely will serve come the general election. This can be a force for good—identity is no longer defines policy, but rather, is used as a tool to build up trust while the policies focus on genuinely popular political and economic reforms to campaign finance and healthcare that Democrats neglected to deal with during the Obama presidency. If you think about it, Bernie Sanders’ unsuccessful campaign really shows how effective this strategy is. He ran on similar issues to Ocasio-Cortez, and it was later revealed that his loss may have been in part due to an unfair rigging of the primary heavily in favour of Hillary due to a DNC that, rather than remaining neutral, was strongly in favour of her campaign.

Identity politics has destroyed American democracy. In reality, both Democrats and Republicans are biased and corrupt. Both parties take money from large corporations, act in favour towards business owners and stand for the current socioeconomic status quo. This has turned America into effectively an oligarchy. Both sides have co-opted identity politics to cover the eyes of their base, portraying the other side as inherently issue.

They give their base everything they want on social issues and stab them in the back economically. But there is light at the end of the tunnel; candidates are coming out, trying to fight against the corruption and ignorance of voters this system has allowed for. Identity politics is not inherently evil; it has brought about some of the most important changes in American society, from black rights to LGBT rights to women’s rights. Most politics is identity politics if it implicates, to some degree, a part of your identity. But it is a double-edged sword, and America is going to have to learn to deal with the razorthin edge that separates empowerment from oppression and unity from division.

校話

期刊19

83

FEATURE

Climate Conservation in Hong Kong

By Shivahn Garvie | Photography by Coco Ren | Layout by Whitney Deng and Illeana Li

This article stresses the importance of both mitigative and adaptive approaches to environmental conservation. The focus will be on the World Wide Fund for Nature’s current climate conservation efforts in Hong Kong.

WWF’s climate conservation ideology differs significantly from regular counter climate change organizations, aiming to put a realistic end to the deterioration of the planet by creating a sustainable yet progressive environment for both nature and humankind.

WWF prioritises working with private businesses and companies, which enables them to propose ways in which climate conscious considerations can be incorporated into certain aspects of companies’ work.

The World Wide Fund for Nature is a global organization founded in 1961, its Hong Kong branch in 1981. WWF seeks positive climate conservation through various environmental projects. The results of these projects are then translated into proposals to legislative bodies. The Hong Kong branch collects pollutant, landuse and economic statistics on a regular basis which assist in pinpointing the most critical issues 84

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

the city faces. WWF then uses this data to approach the government and private companies with realistic proposals of potential initiatives. A few of WWF’s guiding principles include: to “involve local communities and indigenous peoples in the planning and execution of its field programmes, respecting their cultural as well as economic needs”, and to “run its operations in a cost effective manner and apply donors’ funds according to the highest standards of accountability”.

WWF’s work in Hong Kong began with its establishment of the Mai Po Nature Reserve. Over the years, the organization has introduced educational aspects to further promote climate conservation awareness. As a result, there has been an increase in the number of supporters among the Hong Kong community, the private sector, and within the legislative government. This growth has allowed the Hong Kong campaign to align their initiatives with WWF’s global approach, an approach highlighting the importance of government collaboration.

WWF Hong Kong is dedicated to fighting against the exploita-

tion and destruction of Hong Kong’s environment. Astonishing statistics have shown that over 20% of the world’s 10,000 freshwater species are currently threatened, endangered, or extinct. For over 30 years, the Mai Po Nature Reserve has been the untouched home of wetland dwelling species such as birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and mammals. The reserve is vital to the native species of Mai Po and Inner Deep Bay. The 380 hectare piece of land provides a resting and feeding point for waterbirds during their annual migration.

Every year, tens of thousands of waterbirds seek refuge at the reserve due to its location along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.

WWF’s work with the conservation project began in 1983 and it has remained both a reserve and an educational destination to thousands ever since. When speaking of their continuous cooperation with WWF Hong Kong, Mr Yutao Huang, Vice-Mayor of The People’s Government of ChangLe City, said that WWF approached them five years ago with data regarding the reserve.

The data fulfilled several significant criteria for identifying Wetlands of Major Importance.

FEATURE As a result, The People’s Government of ChangLe City in Fujian Province has been investing money in the management of the reserve for the last five years. The Vice-Mayor praised the “scientific, comprehensive, systematic and effective” ways of WWF Hong Kong’s work. He also commented on the importance of the organisation’s focus on public awareness.

It is WWF’s well-formulated initiatives and quantitative evidence which has led to its success in establishing the Mai Po Reserve.

WWF Hong Kong is a firm believer in community engagement and education. In order to secure a future for the planet, the new generation must be taught sustainable, environmentally conscious practices from a young age. All educational activities conform to the “One Planet Education Programme”. This Programme provides youth with the understanding and motivation to campaign for renewable energy sources and sustainable consumption, trade and economic practices. These programmes are also targeted towards Hong Kong’s corporate partners and stakeholders. Each programme takes place at one of three outdoor classrooms: the Mai Po Nature Reserve, the Island House Conservation Studies Centre, or Hoi Ha Marine Life Centre. All programmes are in constant development to take full advantage of new forms of media and technology in order to remain relevant.

Nowadays, global warming and climate change have entered a stage of irreversibility. The next step is to make full use of nature’s own protective and regenerative abilities to find a place of neutrality. What would happen to the planet if we were to immediately

switch off all emissions today and discontinue the release of carbon dioxide? Could we restore the earth’s original temperature and condition? The answer is no. As a consequence of industrialization, we have become too reliant on fossil fuels as an unsustainable yet toxic energy source. The burning of fossil fuels emits carbon dioxide and other pollutants which over time has washed over the entire biosphere: the atmosphere, the land, the oceans and organisms. These emissions will remain trapped in the atmosphere for many millennia, after which they will return to rock form. The atmosphere requires decades to

an even balance, deforestation would have to be reversed entirely, and agriculture techniques would require drastic alterations.

At this point, the restoration of our planet has become more an issue of what we can’t lose than what we can’t do.

mindset embedded within the private sector sees everything as profit or loss.

Hong Kong has one of the highest consumption rates of seafood per capita in the world, and contributes to 50% of the world’s shark fin trade. One of WWFs current goals is to increase marine protected regions to cover approximately 30% of Hong Kong waters. This initiative would help to preserve the significant ecological habitats of species such as the finless porpoise, the Chinese white dolphin, and the sea turtle.

It will also keep these areas safe from unrestrained and unsustainable recreational activities such as clam-digging. Additionally, WWF organises community beach cleanups and attempts to confront the marine litter issue by determining problem areas in the ocean, along with the plausible source.

catch up to and express the earth’s accumulation of heat. Due to the ocean’s density, an increase in the temperature of water demands a longer period of time than an increase in air temperature. Essentially, it is impossible for the elimination of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses, including methane and nitrous oxide, to completely reverse the human footprint. In order to restore the planet’s original condition, earth’s energy must be balanced. This could be done by neutralising the difference between the release of energy from the sun and that which is sent back from earth.

However, in order to accomplish

With climate change, there are two routes of resolution: mitigation and adaptation. Taking mitigation measures would be to minimize and control pollutant emissions. On the other hand, adaptation involves lessening the earth’s vulnerability towards the repercussions of climate change.

Put simply, mitigation addresses the root causes of climate change, while adaptation addresses the consequences. In order to mitigate climate change, actions must be taken to inhibit any further increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Execution methods may include improved energy efficiency in industrial processes, the diversification of renewable energy

“The capitalist

校話

期刊19

85

FEATURE

sources, and the electrification of industrial processes, production and public transport. Another initiative is the carbon tax and emissions markets. This would put a price on the production of carbon emissions, stopping companies from charging consumers for their environmental costs the way they currently do. With adaptation, initiatives revolve around sustainability, hypothesizing, and bracing the planet for future damage. This includes reforestation, strengthening infrastructure and public emergency precaution plans. Another initiative would be to cultivate adaptable produce, able to withstand natural disasters. Both mitigation and adaptation solutions are embedded in the crusade that is climate conservation.

Private buildings and infrastructure in Hong Kong are responsible for approximately 63% of the city’s carbon emissions. In order to promote energy efficiency, the government could provide subsidies to the owners of buildings for retrofitting and refurbishing 86

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

worn equipment. The subsidies would help to incentivise private building owners and companies into adopting the government’s proposal. With Hong Kong having over 40,000 private buildings, upgrades as such would significantly reduce carbon emissions.

The city’s reliance on fossil fuels is no doubt another major contributing factor to Hong Kong’s carbon emissions. Two alternative renewable energy sources include solar photovoltaic energy and hydroelectric energy. Solar photovoltaic systems absorb raw energy from the sun and use it to create electricity. Hydroelectric systems are built in reservoirs where water flows through a turbine and activates a generator to create electricity. Both are far more sustainable alternatives to Hong Kong’s current energy sources: natural gas, coal and nuclear energy.

Since last year’s change in legislation, Hong Kong will no longer be able to depend on China to deal with it’s recyclables. As of the 1st January, 2018, authorities

across the border banned Hong Kong from importing the city’s daily plastic waste and unsorted scrap paper to processing plants for recycling. As a result, Hong Kong’s waste and recycling situation has reached critical proportions. This issue has made the varied environmental conservation initiatives of WWF and other organisations, finally of concern to the government.

Proposals regarding economic conservation however, would likely still be dealt with by the government. The capitalist mindset embedded within the private sector sees everything as profit or loss. Hong Kong-listed firms must meet specific requirements on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) status, but most companies only meet the bare minimum, using lack of money and resources as their excuse. What those companies don’t understand is that environmentalism is an economic advantage.

Controversially, it can be manipulated to create a brand and ensure customer loyalty. As a result, many large companies exploit this

FEATURE

appeal and use environmentalism as a marketing strategy. However, regardless of their motives, it is these companies which benefit from long-term customers and a good environmental reputation.

It is the hope of many that Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor will not have to spend her entire term tackling land supply and political issues. There has already been talk amongst members of the legislative government to promote a circular economy. In a circular economy, waste does not exist. All products are designed to be deconstructed and reassembled to eliminate disposables. This could transform Hong Kong’s economy into a sustainable, renewable system.

WWF supports the adoption of the waste hierarchy, where our mindset is altered from one of reducing, reusing, and recycling, to avoiding the production of waste altogether. Some examples include banning single use plastics, putting a consumer deposit-return policy on bottles made from organic materials, establishing food waste recycling systems, and implementing a waste charging legislation by the end of 2019.

Hong Kong’s landfills are very near their capacity, so the government must consider actions with a sense of urgency.

A recent study has shown that every 10 micrograms per cubic metre of increased exposure

to particulate matter increases the probability of Hong Kong’s elderly dying from cancer by 22%. Particulate matter is when particles from soot, smoke, and chemical liquids are suspended in the atmosphere. Contamination can be caused by burning wood and fossil fuels, construction, tobacco smoke and mobile transportation. This statistic and many others will continue to increase if the government fails to protect the environment. Adaptation and mitigation plans must finally be put into action, and the government must make climate conservation a top priority. It is through the educational efforts of proactive organizations such as WWF, that the government can gain the public’s support and the private sector’s cooperation.

Governance Issues.” South China Morning Post, 4 Dec. 2016, www.scmp.com/business/ companies/article/2051598/ too-few-hong-kongs-listed-companies-treat-sustainability.

Works Cited

“Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change.” Sustainability for All, www.activesustainability.com/climate-change/mitigation-adaptation-climate-change/.

“Community Engagement & Education.” WWF Hong Kong, www.wwf.org.hk/en/whatwedo/ community_engagement_and_education/.

“A Conservation Success Co-Operation by WWF and The People’s Government of Changle City, Fujian.” 世界自然基金會 香港分會, www.wwf.org.hk/ en/news/press_release/?uNewsID=18900.

“Government Aims to Slash Carbon Emissions with 2030 Action Plan.” South China Morning Post, 20 Jan. 2017, www.scmp.com/ news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2064045/hong-konggovernment-aims-slash-carbonemissions.

“Landmark Study of Elderly Hongkongers Ties Air Pollution to Multiple Types of Cancer.”

South China Morning Post, 5 May 2016, www.scmp.com/news/ hong-kong/health-environment/ article/1941140/landmark-studyelderly-hongkongers-ties-air.

Rood, Richard B. “If We Stopped Emitting Greenhouse Gases Right Now, Would We Stop Climate Change?” The Conversation, 19 Sept. 2018, theconversation.com/ if-we-stopped-emitting-greenhouse-gases-right-now-wouldwe-stop-climate-change-78882.

“Firms Urged to Invest More in Environment, Social and 校話

期刊19

87

FEATURE

“

What first comes to mind when one is asked to picture Hong Kong might be Victoria Harbour, the nighttime skyline, the bustling markets of Kowloon, or perhaps the tree-covered mountains and hilly terrain. As might be expected in ‘Asia’s World City’, smaller, more isolated communities can be forgotten in the shadow of such prestige...

88

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

FEATURE

Tradition, Politics, and

Life

in Rural Hong Kong

by Kaitlyn Wells | Illustration by Tingting Zhang | Layout by Whitney Deng and Stephen Chen

Hong Kong’s rural villages are comprised of people that are typically extended family, or from a clan that shares the same surname. It is a traditional and communal style of living popular throughout Southern China.

Many villages in Hong Kong are fortified by thick walls; most of them emerged during the Qing dynasty, in what is now the New Territories.

This was because the Hong Kong region suffered from an infestation of pirates, who found the combination of windy shores, hilly terrain, numerous islands, and remoteness to be a perfect place to hide out. The walls also defended villages against conflict that existed between the Punti Cantonese and Hakka peoples, the two major linguistic groups (both are of Han Chinese ethnicity). The largest and most fortified villages were those of the Punti family clans, who settled in Hong Kong earlier than the Hakka people and occupied the higher quality land in Northwest New Territories. Hakka villages on the other hand are scattered across Eastern New Territories, where the

land is less arable.

In the Punti Cantonese language, the characters wai (圍) and tsuen (村) were relatively considered synonyms, referring to a village and/or community. Hence, places in Hong Kong that have either one at the end of their name were most likely a walled village at some point. Village buildings and houses were one or two stories, made of bricks or sedimentary rocks with later houses being covered in a layer of cement, and had traditional style tiled roofs. Feng shui plays a role in the environmental design of a village. Optimal sites for example can be hugged by hills on three sides (never four), have tall and dense vegetation, have gently flowing water in front, and a southerly orientation. If the village had a protective wall, it was rectangular, and often had spying holes, watchtowers, or even moats for security.

Traditionally, all the villagers were farmers, who cultivated and lived off the land. When it came to gender roles, females, although important

domestic figures, were essentially ignored in some cultural traditions; for example, whenever boys were born, the whole village would be invited to a huge celebration - a pig would be killed, and people would feast on luxury foods, ‘choi’, such as seafood, served in large basins ‘poon’; thus the name ‘poon choi’ (盆菜). Kinship was a significant part of life for people in Hong Kong and Southern China; ancestral lineage and family structures were reinforced through ancestral halls, common property, and village dialects. Ancestral halls were the most important building of a village, because it housed soul tablets or even ashes of ancestors, and villagers went there to worship. To this day, kinship continues to have a strong presence in the rural villages, as well as contemporary Hong Kong culture at large. Filial piety is prevalent amongst Hong Kong households; both villagers and mainstream society celebrate holidays including the Qingming and Double Ninth festivals, where extended families gather to grave sweep and remember 校話

期刊19

89

FEATURE ancestors.

So in fact, Hong Kong’s rural and urban cultures shouldn’t be thought of as a dichotomy, one ancient one modern, both pitted against the other.

They share elements and customs that unite them under a unique umbrella that is Hong Kong. The government has taken measures to preserve rural village culture in the Basic Law; article 40 grants indigenous inhabitants special rights to protect their traditional customs - under the law an indigenous inhabitant refers to anyone who is paternally descended from a male resident of an established rural village before the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory was signed in 1898, which leased the Kowloon Peninsula to the British.

Clan village residents regard the land they live on and an obscure area of surrounding rural land as their literal ‘home’, and most attach a strong sense of sentimentality and belonging to it, based on a 2015 study1.

One controversial legal measure that appeals to this relationship between a village resident and their clan land is the Small House Policy, known as ‘ding’ rights in Cantonese (丁權). It came into effect in 1972, and exists to this day as a legacy of the colonial government. The objective of the policy was to improve the low housing standards of the rural New Territories. It was introduced to curb the increasing demand for housing and the people’s discontent with the colonial government’s indifferent stance towards public welfare. This policy provides male indigenous inhabitants and Hong Kong residents over the age of 18 with 2,100 square feet of land to build a house on within his lifetime. After a five year period, he would be allowed to sell the property in the market without restriction. The Small House Policy is a matter of much debate, because it has conceptual benefits as well as unsustainable features. Its positive effects include giving a sense of pride and belonging 90

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

to indigenous inhabitants who have this hereditary privilege to preserve their tradition, and also creating direct economic advantage for indigenous inhabitants. However, the Small House Policy is also unsustainable because of the imbalance between the increasing number of eligible applicants versus land space. By 2002, over 14,000 small house grant applications were received, and government estimates revealed that there were still more than 240,000 people eligible for this right. If you do the calculations, those 240,000 people would take up a significant amount of Hong Kong’s 2,200 hectares of valuable land resources, and dwindling supply of land space in villages to develop houses. There are also ways to abuse this policy, as many of the indigenous inhabitants no longer

live in villages, and may even live overseas, and there is no effective way of verifying their permanent address. From the beginning, it was found that indigenous villagers kept selling their property, and some were recruited by private landowners to sell their rights of property ownership. Furthermore, the Small House Policy is discriminatory and sexist because it ignores female indigenous inhabitants; they aren’t given the right to be granted any property at all. It is also argued by some that the Small House Policy is deviant from the principle of equal rights, in that it ignores non-indigenous Hong Kong residents.

People from rural villages are represented in modern politics by the

Heung Yee Kuk, the main advisory body that works with the government to promote the welfare of the people of the New Territories. The Heung Yee Kuk, established in 1926, was originally founded to represent the interests of a indigenous villagers. It officially became a bridge between the government and rural villagers when it was recognised as a statutory body in 1959, and has since grown to become a powerful organisation comprised of influential rural leaders. It holds one of the 70 seats in the Legislative Council, which was occupied for a long time

by Lau Wong-fat, chairman of the Heung Yee Kuk from 1980-2015 and pro-Beijing billionaire landowner, although as of two years ago, Lau Wong-fat stepped down and was succeeded by his son Kenneth Lau. The Heung Yee Kuk has always been the biggest supporter of the Small House Policy, and has even requested to lift the policy’s 2100 square foot land area restrictions. They argue that the Small House Policy is essential for maintaining the traditional way of life in rural villages. However, this isn’t clearly verifiable due to the fact that the heavyweight rural councilmen that dominate the Heung Yee Kuk may simply be acting in self-interest. And when their vested interests clash with those of the government, the Heung Yee Kuk have proved able to make the government buckle under pressure, as had happened in 2012 after alleged collusion between the government and the Kuk to relocate housing developments in Wang Chau, which would’ve meant expropriating indigenous land and affecting the feng shui of nearby gravesites. Yet, the Heung Yee Kuk remains important to the government by its help in supporting rural development in the New Territories.

So powerful and deeply rooted in the Hong Kong political scene, the Heung Yee Kuk isn’t going away any time soon, but perhaps its structure and duties could be reformed so that it serves the people and government more effectively.

FEATURE Village demographics began to change dramatically from the 1950s and onwards. Hoards of working-age villagers drifted away to urban parts of the city, and many moved overseas; some permanently to places that encouraged immigration, such as Britain at the time, and some to work in the Chinese restaurant business. People who migrated from the village sought job opportunities, and ways to bolster their financial situation, despite the economic viability of village farmland. Elderly people who either would not or could not move were often left behind. In 1898, some 90,000 Punti and Hakka people lived across 700 villages and a number of periodic markets, making up roughly 30% of the population at the time. These figures have decreased dramatically since then, as most of Hong Kong’s seven million residents live in urbanised areas.

Starting from the 1940’s, Hong Kong experienced an influx of migrants escaping turmoil in mainland China.

The colonial government saw the New Territories as a physical buffer between Hong Kong and mainland China, hinterland to alleviate this population pressure while safeguarding an amiable reliance on China for resources and trade. Thus, developments ensued in the New Territories, and the suburban population grew enormously over the subsequent decades. In addition to new infrastructure and iconic suburban villages abound with western style pale three-story villa buildings, another key development responsible for the New Territories population boost was the creation of so called ‘new towns’. These refer to smaller-scale metropolitan areas that are located somewhat close to, yet are mostly independent of larger metropolitan areas, inspired by Britain’s ‘satellite towns’. It was in this fashion how booming urban communities in otherwise rural parts of the New Territories came to be. Notable mentions are Tai Po, Shatin, Tuen Mun, Ma On

Shan, Tsuen Kwan O, Tin Shui Wai, and Yuen Long. However, being as everything is a double edged sword, criticism of new towns includes decreased walkability, lack of identifiable spaces for community life, and row upon row of monotonous public housing estate blocks, all making for a stark contrast against Hong Kong’s vibrant organically-built neighbourhoods. Dubbed the City of Sadness, Tin Shui Wai is one such place.

This new town has a depressing reputation lacking of liveliness, and is known for having high levels of unemployment and suicide. Without good access to jobs or services, and having the aforementioned ‘new town’ features that construct a decreased quality of life, Tin Shui Wai is a prime example of ‘new towns’

“[Hong Kong’s

rural and urban cultures] share elements and customs that unite them under a unique umbrella that is Hong Kong exacerbating the very socioeconomic shortcomings they originally sought to relieve.

Another phenomenon key to understanding the social and economic transformations of the New Territories is known as rural gentrification, which describes the process of people migrating to rural areas that provide environmental enjoyment.

These places are mostly relatively accessible by transportation, and have natural or cultural scenery. This process is motivated by the middle-class desires for more space and high quality environment, and ends up affecting both the social structure of the area and price of rural land.

Expat enclaves such as Discovery Bay and Red Hill are emblems for

how the living landscape in previously untouched and rural places has changed to appeal towards those who are able to aspire to better living environments, and become of high monetary value as a result.

But while people moved in and out of rural New Territories, many clan villages that experienced severe emigration have fallen into neglect and disrepair. Some villages have been completely abandoned.

Amid Hong Kong’s lush climate, first to go are the roofs of these village houses, then the walls, then door frames. Moisture rusts any metal, and vegetation creeps into living rooms. Revitalisation projects have sprung into existence in recent decades in aims of bringing desirability back to dilapidated villages. Green Power, an NGO founded by Simon Chau, has been doing just that for a couple decades now, by establishing organic farms throughout the rural New Territories and inviting villagers, as well as anyone who wants to be a ‘weekend farmer’ to come and tend to the land. This has rejuvenating benefits for the landscape and local economy, and exposes children and urbanites to a relationship with the Earth and their cultural heritage.

So even with the century of British colonisation, bringing urbanisation focused on both sides of the Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong rural village culture has not faded into the background. Albeit there are challenges to the sustainability of village life that come with a rapidly changing society, there’s faith in the fact that there are people who care about cultural heritage. The rural or village lifestyle doesn’t have to be something forced upon younger generations. Perhaps it would be wise to brace ourselves for the disappearance of this humble, traditional way of life. All in all, it is up to future generations to continue to celebrate and preserve this crucial piece of Hong Kong history.

校話

期刊19

91

92

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

Editorial

Photography by Elysia Ye | Edited by Cheryl Ting

校話

期刊19

93

EDITORIAL

The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link: Is It Really Worth It?

By Raghav Goyal | Illustrations by Jonathan Hui | Layout by Jocelyn Cheng

Recently there has been a surge in the number of new transportation projects that Hong Kong is developing.

The Shatin-Central link, the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link are projects for which construction is underway. The Shatin-Central link is an MTR project that will connect the New Territories to the city center and add five new stations in the process, which will be completed in 2021. The Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge connects Hong Kong to the mainland and one can travel between the three cities within an hour. The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link began construction in 2011 and opened on the 23rd of September 2018. This 36km high speed rail with a cost of over $84 billion HKD was one of the most expensive infrastructure projects in Hong Kong’s history, but is it really worth it?

The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link is a series of high-speed train routes connecting Hong Kong’s West Kowloon station to Shenzhen and from there to Guangzhou. Travelling from Hong Kong to Guangzhou by plane would take about one hour but now with the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, that journey has been reduced to forty-eight minutes.

There are several side effects of the express rail link including more tourism for both Hong Kong and China, a greater influx of mainland tourists into Hong Kong and ease of travel to the mainland. As there is a direct link from Hong Kong to two of China’s developed metropolitan hubs, tourism in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou will increase. This has both positive and negative effects. An increase in tourists means that there will be a boost to the economies of the three cities. However, this boost in the economies of Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou comes at the cost of the environment and increased traffic and congestion. With a greater number of people in different public areas and tourist destinations, there will be congestion. This unnecessary congestion will make it harder to enjoy the experience at an attrac94

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

tion because of longer lines and wait times.

Local Hong Kongers already face strict competition with their mainland counterparts over admission into primary/secondary schools and higher education. According to South China Morning Post, the number of kids born to Mainland parents increased from 62,305 in 2014 from 57084 in 2013. Since then the number of kids born to Mainland parents has been rising. The express rail link only makes it easier for mainland Chinese to live in Hong Kong and start a family. This means that local Hong Kongers will have to face even tougher competition when applying to primary, secondary and higher education institutions.

EDITORIAL The express rail link will also make it easier and more convenient for Hong Kong residents to travel to China. This is because they only need to purchase express rail tickets at the West Kowloon MTR station. Without the express rail link, they would have had to take a flight or travel to Guangzhou by bus which can take up to 3 hours. Furthermore, people in Hong Kong who work in Shenzhen or Guangzhou can get to work faster. They can push their schedules forward and not have to rush to get to work. This also means that they can wake up later and get more sleep each night.

was born in Hong Kong ... I live here. I do not think that Hong Kong is the same as China. I will also choose a Hong Konger in an election”.

So considering the various consequences of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, was the construction of such an expensive project really worth it? It really depends on how you see it.

Finally, the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link ties Hong Kong even closer to the mainland as there is a physical link between the two countries. As the 2047 expiration date of the basic law in the Sino-British Joint Declaration approaches, the creation of this railway infrastructure project only adds to the mainland’s ever-growing reach and control over Hong Kong. When questioned about whether they identify as being from Hong Kong or China, a local resident said “I am a Hong Konger, I

校話

期刊19

95

EDITORIAL

‘CANCELLED’ CULTURE: HAS BANDWAGONING GONE TOO FAR?

By Angelina Wang | Illustrations by Cindy Lim | Layout by Haley Hsu

In mid-2018, infamously eccentric musician Kanye West said in an interview,

“SLAVERY FOR 400 YEARS? SOUNDS LIKE A CHOICE.” In the following months, what ensued was a whirlwind of outrage from social media and the general public, and a single-minded desire to “cancel” Kanye West emerged.

“Cancelling” culture, or call-out culture, is a pop culture phenomenon that involves completely disinvesting and boycotting in something or someone, and propagating memes and hate about them. Through social media, hordes of online users collaboratively pass the judgement if one is deemed to be “cancelled”.

Nowadays as the consciousness of the younger generation tends towards political correctness, “cancellation” of people and companies with blatantly bigoted and inflammatory actions becomes increasingly commonplace and accepted. However, what are the implications of “cancelled” culture, and where does one draw the line between what is and isn’t called for?

There may be other reasons as to why “cancelled” culture exists. In psychology, one’s behavior in groups is 96

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

known to shift dramatically depending on one’s situation and surroundings. For example, groupthink occurs when a group of people who desire for conformity make decisions that are irrational or dysfunctional.

Other terms such as herd mentality and herd behavior also refer to how people can be influenced by their peers to adopt certain behaviors on a mainly emotional basis instead of rationality, as well as how individuals act collectively without centralized direction when part of a group. This is grounded in our basal instincts that correlate survival with congruity. This phenomenon can then have negative consequences, such as in “cancelled” culture.

The reality of these mindsets become exacerbated when the group is as all-encompassing as the online realm is, and when one is cloaked in anonymity. The already dissipated responsibility for decisions of the group is thus further diffused. As part of the immense online body of “cancel”-ers, one may not even be aware of the potentially disastrous or distressing repercussions of the condemnation that “cancelled” culture entails.

In some cases, one may be able to argue that “cancelling” is for the greater good. For example, some view Kanye West’s incendiary comment on slavery being a choice as completely unacceptable, his “cancellation”– with online hate and attacks– being a reasonable and justified response to punish his words. Furthermore, there are instances such as the actress Emma Watson saying that

EDITORIAL

“FEMINISM IS NOT INCLUSIVE” which incited backlash and calls to “cancel” her. However, she then publicly apologized, and proceeded to educate herself and gain cognizance on the issue of gender equality, until she was empowered to spread awareness and share the “new and diverse definition of feminism” as a UN Women Goodwill ambassador.

In these cases, “cancelling” may be viewed as a natural response that is either legitimate or even results in positive outcomes.

However, there are other cases in which “cancelled” culture may go too far, or quickly denounce well-intended actions. For example, in an interview singer Erykah Badu was trying to advocate her personal philosophy of unconditional empathy, and misguidedly used Hitler as an example of this, saying “I saw something good in Hitler,” as he “was a wonderful painter.” The internet immediately demanding her “cancellation”. However, she repeatedly attempted to explain herself afterwards, saying it was merely an attempt to “exaggerate a show of compassion”. However, the damage was done, and the sensationalized clickbait headline of Erykah Badu supporting Hitler had travelled far beyond her reach. Another instance is the era of “diss tracks” on YouTube and “cancelled” culture feeding off one another. Around 2017 to 2018, “diss tracks” or “roasts” –songs made with the sole purpose of lambasting one’s target– became all the rage on You-

Tube and other platforms. What began as lighthearted poking fun of others became highly publicized feuds: competitions in which one would vilify one’s opponent, fervently calling for the other’s “cancellation”. In reality, these attacks just abetted and exalted cyberbullying. This cyberbullying can then have destructive long-term effects on the “cancelled” party’s reputation, mental health, and career. Yet regardless, younger viewers remain brainwashed, glorifying “ cancelled culture”.

In summary, “cancelled” culture is a trend that has gained traction as online virality and political correctness evolve, one that often touts unforgiving beliefs and potentially questionable morality. Thus the paradoxical question arises: should ‘cancelling’ be cancelled?

While online trends come and go with transient consequences, the extremist parts of ‘cancelled’ culture rely on slander and defamation in detrimental ways. In lieu of residing in the herd seeking the “cancellation” of this or that “problematic” individual, one can attempt to act out with more of a conscience. For example, critical thinking is a trait that is scarcely utilized when hordes of people seek to “cancel”. Thinking before typing, having empathy, and not judging things at face value may all be methods through which the harmful effects of “cancelled” culture may be mitigated.

Finally, contrary to the argument of Kanye West’s initial commit, slavery is undoubtedly not a choice.

But does he as a person deserve to be “cancelled”?

That’s up to us to decide as a generation.

校話

期刊19

97

EDITORIAL

98

ISSUE 19

By Jennifer Zhang | Illustration by Caterina Jacobelli | Layout by Stephen Chen

嘻 哈 女 歌 手 之 崛 起

近期以来，嘻哈音乐在中国掀起了 热烈的潮流。随着时代和文化的进 展与变化，嘻哈这一种类的音乐逐 渐引起了人们的关注和喜爱。它通 过《中国有嘻哈》以及《中国新说 唱》节目的火热成功成为了备受瞩 目的潮流焦点，在中国音乐界开始 了相当成熟且稳当的发展，给予了 说唱爱好者展示及创作的机会。说 起中国嘻哈，说起中国说唱歌手， 一般浮现在人们脑海中的也许就是 海尔兄弟或者Jony J这些名声在望 的说唱男歌手，可是，不仅仅只是 他们在慢慢塑造中国独有的嘻哈音 乐舞台，中国的女性说唱歌手也在 嘻哈音乐逐步成熟的热闹大环境下 开始彰显才能，在嘻哈乐坛刻画上 了浓墨重彩的一笔，引起了人们的 注意。 提起中国女说唱歌手的崛起，不能 不提的便有两位女性创作人：Vava 和刘柏辛。她们各自有各自别 具一格的创作风格及表演方式，通 过大胆表现和尝试不同形式的说唱 最大程度地展现了吸引人心的说 唱，在众多音乐创作者中出类拔 错，成为了女性说唱歌手的代表。 Vava 出生于1995年，还未成年时 便离家出走追寻自己的音乐生涯， 在酒吧当驻唱歌手，直到2013年 才接触到嘻哈音乐。虽然真正在 嘻哈领域发展也只有四五年，但 是Vava都一直持有着认真做好嘻 哈，做最好的说唱歌手的野心，并 且为此不断努力，不断突破。2016 年，Vava参加了说唱歌曲大赛 《Listen Up》和《梦想好声音》 ，2017年又一次踏上《中国有嘻 哈》的舞台。她不断的为自己抓住 机会，为了能表现自己所喜爱的 音乐，说唱，而一次又一次地登上 新的舞台。这种对于嘻哈音乐的热 情和坚持自己喜好的态度使得她的 说唱渐渐得到了众人的认可和注 目。Vava吐字频率快而清晰，懂 得良好地利用自己浓厚嗓音的优势 创造出热烈的气氛，展现新鲜且霸 气的舞台。她惊人的实力在演唱歌 曲《Life’s A Struggle》中完美的体 现，成熟的歌词和铿锵有力的吐词 表演诠释了Vava对于自己说唱的 自信，以及一种倔强的永不屈服的 气势。Vava曾在《中国有嘻哈》 的节目上说过，“我不是什么中国

XIAO HUA

第一女rapper，我就是个rapper， 我想做中国第一rapper。” 她并不 希望自己作为说唱歌手的身份因为 性别而被束缚，而是希望可以单纯 的作为一名喜爱说唱，以说唱为生 活的人，走上中国嘻哈的巅峰。 刘柏辛，Lexie Liu，是中国说唱界 的一名新星。在初次登上《中国新 说唱》的舞台时，她就因为独特冷 艳的音乐风格和游刃有余的舞台 气场而得到不断的好评。年仅19岁 的她，为了追逐自己所喜爱的音 乐事业，在2015年参加了韩国选秀 节目《K-pop Star》，并且在2017 年与美国嘻哈艺人Robb Banks一 起合作创作出中西风格合并的说唱 歌曲。刘柏辛从小到大便以制作音 乐和嘻哈为自己最终的梦想，并 且透过所有的节目和表演将自己的 才华展现出来，以达到成为真正的 音乐艺术家的目的。她拥有着独有 的说唱风格，将R&B和嘻哈的音 乐元素相结合，呈现出独具特色的 旋律说唱。刘柏辛以她特殊的声线 加上电音化的制作，创作出了许 多独一无二的嘻哈歌曲，其中就 包括了近期火遍各大音乐榜单的 《Coco Made Me Do It》和 《Like A Mercedes》，也正是因为她的独 特性和她对于音乐勇于创新的态度 使她成为了88rising签下的最新中 国歌手。 显然，Vava和刘柏辛两人在嘻哈 乐坛用自己独一无二的方式得到了 众人的瞩目。这是名声，这也是成 功，但这更是为无数热爱说唱的 女性歌手开辟的一条道路，是嘻哈 音乐界女性歌手逐渐兴起的耀眼象 征，打破了男性主导的说唱音乐的 条条框框。Vava和刘柏辛的脱颖 而出变为了说唱界女性崛起的一个 开端，不仅给大众展示了女说唱歌 手的魅力和实力，证明了女性也可 以说唱的事实，还给许多喜爱嘻哈 的女性一种推动人心的真是希望， 间接地鼓舞更多女说唱歌手去大胆 追求自己的梦想。作为冲锋者的她 们果断地打破了中国人对于嘻哈的 刻板印象，用实力和影响力宣示了 说唱歌手并不是只有男性才能担当 这个事实，也因此为想要往嘻哈音 乐界发展的许多女生铺下了后路， 引领更多女说唱歌手们进入一个拥 有女性声音的嘻哈新时代。

我與科技 有個「戀愛」要談

EDITORIAL

作者: 謝令彤 By Bernice Tse 圖畫: 岳郁庭 Illustrations by Caterina Jacobelli 版面設計: 趙峰霆 Layout by Whitney Deng and Fung Ting Chiu

我敢打賭你身邊每一位朋友都至少擁有一部電子產 品，一部可以上網的工具。九零後的年輕一代，Facebook，Instagram 和 Snapchat 在電話首頁絕不 缺少。沒有任何一個帳戶的同志們你們可真的落後 啦——連上了年紀的一代也知道什麼是互聯網，無線 上網，上網速度等等。坐地鐵的時候，無聊的時候， 排隊的時候，避免無謂交談的時候，我們也會不知不 覺的拿出電話來，就連我寫這篇文章——也是用電腦 鍵盤敲出來的。幻想一下沒有科技的年代，你既不能 與世界各地的朋友們聯繫，也不能得知偶像的最新狀 態，連迷了路也不能回家了。 ——正是因為過分依賴於科技，我們連基本的生存之 道也不再能熟練掌握了，我們做人的意念是不是已經 被科技吞掉了呢？ 我們過分依賴科技來為我們減輕生活上的負擔。無論 是數字還是任何無關痛癢的事，我們都會習慣性地輸 入進這龐大的記憶庫裡，由它來提醒我們。你還記得 你父母的電話號碼嗎？你朋友的生日呢？我們的記憶 系統從此退步，嘗試去記東西的意識也逐漸被削弱。 現在的我們，優先用腦袋去記住我們所認為重要的事 情，學校裡的八卦，社交網站的點讚數，這些事情明 明膚淺，卻充斥著我們生活的每一個縫隙。我們去祝 他人生日快樂的時候已經鮮少再去寫生日卡，因為其 實只需要在手機按幾下，隨便打出幾個字，插上可愛 的圖案，我們就會認為我們的心意已經傳達了。甚至 啊，如今的我們連說聲謝謝或者道個歉也都傾向於迴 避當面溝通，只想用手機快速編輯一番話草草了事， 無須親自說了。我們的社交能力去了哪裡？我們的禮 貌去了哪裡？我們的溝通能力去了哪裡？這些心思怕 是都被轉移到了無關緊要的事情上：我們發布的照片 得到了多少個讚，別人客套膚淺的評語，和朋友連續 了幾天的streak⋯我們連自己的本性都顧及不到，更 何況顧及別人的生活？ 我們的學習方式也有了大大的改變。以前我們要搜集

資料的時候，會到圖書館裡借參考書，並且有手寫筆 記。可是現在谷歌就行了，什麼亂七八糟的資料你都 能找到。百科全書，博客，網站等等，你想有什麼都 有什麼。是的，我們無可否定有了科技的存在，我們 可以接觸更多新知識，我們的眼界開闊了，我們的生 活水平也大大提高了。可是我們寫完只有一句話的的 英文作文就覺得今天已經做了很多，就可以花一個多 小時在社交平台上去「犒勞」一下自己。我們沒法聚 精会神在一件事情上，試圖專心的過程中一定會被遊 戲又或是搞笑低能的影片所引誘。我們的工作能力去 了哪裡？我們的自制能力去了哪裡？我們的的判斷力 去了哪裡？這些心思都被投射到了娛樂中。我們連自 己的的本分也顧及不到，更何況顧及別人的生活？ 除此之外，我們的個人安危也受到了威脅。現在網上 交友越來越普及，網上騙財簡直是輕而易舉的事。人 類可以戴面具做人，而我们很可能就這樣傻傻呆呆的 被人騙走我們的財產。现如今网络诈骗的手法千奇百 化，骗子假扮入境事務人員，銀行職員等等，普通民 众一不留神就很容易墮入陷阱，無法再爬上去。除此 之外，我們的隱私也多多少少地被暴露在了网络平台 上，只需在某一些社交平台一搜，你的照片，聯絡方 法，個人資料等等就能轻而易举地被找到，應有盡 有。而在网上和陌生人交往時，他们所带来的批評或 負面的評語很可能会对接收者的心理健康帶來重重的 打擊，尤其是所处青春期的青少年們，网络霸凌所帶 來的影響是深刻并长远的，它所引發的情緒病或陰影 更是不容小视。科技帶著的面紗煞是迷人，但一揭開 就暴露出它所匿藏的各種奸詐動機。 親愛的，我每天在床上都睡不著，翻來覆去正在想怎 樣去報答你對我們的恩賜。謝謝你的無私奉獻，令我 們喪失了人的本質；謝謝你的功勞，令我們從此無須 動腦子；謝謝你的魅力，令我們無法自拔，墮入「愛 河」，失去理智。因為你—— 你剝奪了我們人類的 內涵，遺下的是空空的外殼，在這冷冰冰的世界裡冒 著風雪，自生自滅。 校話

期刊19

99

EDITORIAL

颱風山竹

Typhoon Mangkhut

By Fung Ting Chiu Photography by Michael Cheung Layout by Whitney Deng and Fung Ting Chiu

強

烈颱風「山竹」是今年太平 洋颱風季的最強風暴，也是 香港史上最嚴重的風暴潮。「山 竹」名源一種泰國當地的水果， 是在2018年9月7日形成的。它的最 強風速高達每小時285公里，超越 1962年及1979年襲港的超強颱風「 溫黛」和超強颱風「賀璞」。雖然 這場颱風在十天之內已經消散，但 它造成了至少158人的死亡和718人 的受傷。颱風山竹導致多處災情嚴 重，影響範圍包括關島、菲律賓、 台灣、澳門、香港和中國大陸華南 等地區，造成大約為12.9億美元的 財產損失。 山竹進入香港天文台的責任範圍 後，天文台在9月12日發出「特別 天氣提示」，指山竹環流廣闊，風 力強勁，並且呼籲市民為颱風做好 充足準備及防風措施。因應颱風移 近香港，市民紛紛從多方傳媒中得 知山竹將會帶來的威力，因此不少 市民在颱風侵襲香港前購買較多的 糧食和日常用品，準備囤積在家以 備不時之需。也有許多人購買膠紙 在自家的玻璃窗上貼「米」字，想 要加強支撐，避免被大風吹破。天 文台勸喻住在大澳、鯉魚門等地區

100

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

的市民到臨時庇護中心暫時入住， 也呼籲他們遠離岸邊和停止所有的 水上活動。 颱風山竹來勢洶洶，長驅直進。風 暴之前，因為受到山竹的外圍雨帶 所影響，全港多區氣溫飆升，高達 35-40度。到凌晨的時候，天文台發 出八號風球信號，狂風暴雨肆虐香 港。翌日的早上，風勢繼續增強， 強具破壞性的風力及強雨帶持續肆 虐香港，天文台決定發出十號風球 信號。隨著時間的發展，颱風稍微 減弱，但風勢依然猛烈。到下午5 點鐘左右，山竹逐漸地遠離了香 港，而在9月17日消散。 山竹對香港各區造成了嚴重的破 壞。政府總共收到了至少46,000宗 塌樹的報告，46宗淹水的報告和1 宗山泥傾瀉的報告。市區多處出 現了玻璃窗被強風吹毀的事件。例 如紅磡海濱廣場多幅玻璃幕牆被吹 爛，公司內的文件雜物全部散落一 地。此外，重災地區包括杏花邨、 鯉魚門、大澳等離岸邊很近的區域 淹水情況嚴重，巨浪是如小海嘯般 不斷地沖上岸，引致多處停電停 水，滿目瘡痍。

EDITORIAL

在颱風期間，大部分的飛機航班都被取消。許多 倒塌的樹木和建築物阻擋著道路，導致全港交通 癱瘓。多區有市民自發響應社交媒體的召集，到 街上去收拾路邊垃圾和樹枝。工人在忙於清理路 面，進行維修工程。教育局宣佈連續兩天全港 的所有學校會停課。香港行政長官林鄭月娥呼籲 僱主體諒員工，但是儘管如此，香港仍然出現個 別僱主扣減遲到員工薪金或假期的事件。在鐵路 車站長時間等候列車令市民感到徬徨、憤怒和不 滿；他們批評林鄭月娥沒有下令停工，引起強烈 民憤。市民認為香港交通混亂和市面狀況惡劣， 不應該叫人上班。 此外，我採訪了幾位來自本校的學生，詢問了他 們對於颱風山竹的想法，意見和個人的經歷。其 中一位同學李思睿說到：「我認為政府應該加強 弱勢建築物的結構和防洪的安全措施，並且幫助 那些比較貧困的市民，除了使他們更加安全地度 過颱風期之外更要給予他們更多災難後的安撫與 補貼。關於我的親身經歷，我們一家在颱風當天 往玻璃窗上貼了「米」字以避免窗戶破裂，陽台 上的椅子不停地在移動，我能真真切切地聽到和 感受到風的威力！我覺得今日颱風之嚴峻必定與 全球暖化等問題脫不了干係，所以我們應該對於 環境問題更加上心，使得我們的資源更具可持續 性。」另外一位同學潘芊蔚談到：「從我的角度 來講，這場颱風是挺嚴重的。聽說，我的鄰居的 窗戶被吹爛了，而且玻璃碎還掉進游泳池裡呢！ 我認為政府應該利用解放軍來幫助清理路面，因 為道路上的垃圾和樹木造成了大量的交通擠塞與 不方便。」通過詢問同學對於山竹的想法，我認 為其實這場巨大规模的颱風對每一户家庭都挺有 着不小的影響，原來我們在電視新聞上目睹的一 些經歷真真實實的也在我們自己身邊發生著。 總而言之，我認為颱風山竹對香港的影響與破壞 是相當嚴重的，特別是房屋、公共設施和大自 然。政府應該採取一個更加有效的方法讓香港更 加迅速地恢復正常，而我們應該對一些有關全球 暖化和其他的環境問題多點關注！

校話

期刊19

101

EDITORIAL

By Jaspar Chan | Photography by Kalysha Wong | Layout by Jocelyn Cheng

Oppression, Exploitation, and Domination: Foreign Domestic Workers in Hong Kong, Neoliberalism, and Modern-Day Slavery

It is estimated that there is a permanent workforce of around 370,000 Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs) in Hong Kong, comprising mostly of Filipinos and Indonesians; in a city with a population of seven million, they make up five percent of the total population. Required by law to live at their employer’s residence, they perform domestic work in the household as well as other auxiliary tasks such as childcare. The widespread practice of employing FDWs has long been surrounded by controversy, with reports of FDWs facing abuse and exploitation at the hands of their employers being commonplace. FDWs are left vulnerable to systemic exploitation by loan sharks and their own employment agencies by Hong Kong’s inadequate labour laws, and their disadvantaged socioeconomic status as migrant workers allows for their continued treatment as second-class citizens undeserving of the rights taken for granted by locals and, more tellingly, expatriates.

Background: 1. The Philippines In the Philippines, economic structural adjustment implemented in the wake of the country’s independence in return for aid from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, combined with decades of cronyism and corruption that bankrupted the country, led the government to implement laws incentivising migrant work overseas in an attempt to ameliorate economic stagnation. Unemployment is chronic in the Philippines due to an economy crippled by foreign debt and neoliberal policies, and the export of labour overseas as a means to temporarily shore up the domestic economy has since been institutionalised as an integral source of revenue that alleviates the losses incurred due to continued neo-colonial exploitation of the Philippines’ abundant natural resources.

102

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

2. Indonesia Similarly, the Indonesian dictator Suharto’s implementation of neoliberal policies in return for support from Western countries entailed the liberalisation of the country’s previously protectionist economy to foreign investors, who continue to profit massively from exploiting Indonesia’s rainforests, mineral deposits, and fossil fuel reserves, often through close collusion with a government dominated by wealthy military elites and facilitated by the deregulated investment and labour laws of an economy heavily influenced by neoliberal “Washington Consensus” theory. As has happened in the Philippines, the dominance of foreign capital over the national economy has caused widespread poverty and unemployment, leading many young Indonesians - nine percent of the population - to become migrant workers despite inadequate bilateral agreements with employer countries that fail to protect their rights abroad.

3. Hong Kong With wages remaining stagnant due to liberalised labour laws that fail to compensate for inflation, the problems arising from an ever-increasing cost of living are compounded by the absence of sufficient welfare policies able to suffice the needs of a metropolitan, well-educated (and aging) population that is reluctant to perform low-end manual labour.

In the absence of government-subsidised child/eldercare, households in the city rely heavily on the domestic services provided by live-in FDWs. The preponderance of dual-income households in Hong Kong society, combined with the relative cost-effectiveness of hiring a FDW as an alternative to private child/elder-care, means that as much as one-third of all local households with children employ a FDW to whom domestic work is relegated while the parents are out working during the day.

EDITORIAL The practice of relegating undesirable domestic work to FDWs has permeated local society and become socially acceptable to such an extent that many households employ FDWs not out of the need to provide care for children or elderly members, but rather as a status symbol to signify the employer’s affluence.

Critique: The discrimination faced by FDWs in Hong Kong - as exemplified by the Live In Rule, the Two-Week Rule, and the denial of their right to Hong Kong citizenship - has been well-discussed by the local media, particularly in aftermath of Erwiana Sulistyaningsih’s horrific ordeal at the hands of her employer. Less well-acknowledged is the complicity of ordinary Hongkongers in the oppression and exploitation of the FDWs in their employ.

They nurture our children and care for our elderly, substituting for absentee parents, sons, and daughters otherwise occupied with eking out a living in the struggle for financial security that is life in contemporary Hong Kong. They meekly and passively accept the humiliating inferiority of their position, performing the tasks we would consider beneath us with considerable verve and aplomb. Conversely, we regularly underpay them, consign them to the most inane and unfulfilling of tasks with a nonchalant self-righteousness, unselfconsciously derogate their skin colour, customs, and other “uncivilised” habits, and degrade not only the importance of their unglamourous work, but their socioeconomic status and occupation as well; on Sundays, their sole day off, the parks and squares in which they congregate suddenly become no-go zones to be evaded by the respectable wellto-do, passersby looking on their flimsy tents, their motley picnics, their conversation and music, with

naked derision. Moreover, the FDW is constantly faced with reminders of their vulnerability towards their employer; the only shelter they have is at their employer’s home. When sick, the medical treatment they receive is usually at their employer’s expense, with all that entails. It is a common practice for employers to withhold the passports and work visas of the FDW they employ, for “safekeeping”.

But it would be unfair to condemn the ordinary Hongkonger as a sneering bourgeois despot bent on the oppression of the migrant working class. We have to acknowledge the vast socioeconomic injustices that the middle and working-class local faces; the aforementioned high cost of living, meagre incomes, a housing market made inaccessible to all but the most wealthy through rampant unregulated investment and the most egregious sort of state-capital collusion - and the atmosphere of intense cutthroat competition starting from preschool that is enabled by the contemporary neoliberal commoditization of even the most basic human rights; education, housing, sustenance, medical care, political representation, and the like - in a society subject to the intense societal pressure arising from when the lives of people are subordinated to the accumulation of capital and the pursuit of neverending economic growth to such an extent that even the city’s wealthiest capitalists are packing up shop and leaving.

In many working-class families where both parents have to work numerous low-paying and insecure jobs, to shell out a few thousand dollars each month in hiring a FDW is often the most cost-effective choice; the few advantages of having a parent stay at home, or opting for private child/elder-care, are outweighed by the entailing loss of income and/ or financial stability. Whereas a kindhearted neighbour could have looked after the children in the past, the breakdown of community spirit caused by the atomisation of society means that this is no longer a viable option for many families living in urban isolation. Should a household forego hiring a FDW to fulfill a legitimate need for domestic help, and instead opt for either of the aforementioned alternatives, it will be to the detriment of their own financial security. Just like the tragedy of the scab who crosses the picket line and betrays their fellow worker in order to be able to feed their family, the conflict between the interests of the Hong Kong local and FDWs - both victims of an exploitative capitalist system - forces the Hongkonger to engage in the exploitation of someone more marginalised and disenfranchised than they are in order to secure a precarious stability for themself and their household. the interests of the Hong Kong local and FDWs - both victims of an exploitative capitalist system - forces the Hongkonger to engage in the exploitation of someone more marginalised and disenfranchised than they are in order to secure a precarious 校話

期刊19

103

EDITORIAL

stability for themself and their household.

Both employer and employee are trapped in the positions they occupy in this dysfunctional, dehumanising hierarchy; the employer, blinded by their own self-interest, is uncritically accepting of, or attempts to justify to themselves through various mental gymnastics, their subjugation of the FDW. The FDW, being an utterly disposable pawn within the capitalist machine, can only in most cases submit to the authority of their employers, perhaps internalising the justifications for their oppression in the process - a bleak acceptance of the status quo and of their lot in life, as well as of a toxic notion, affirmed through means explicit and implicit in how they are treated as second-class citizens, that their intrinsic inferiority as human beings owing to their class and race somehow makes them deserving of their suffering under this institutionalised system of oppression and exploitation; arbeit macht frei . The ideology of tooth-and-nail competition has become so ingrained and intrinsic to our society to the point that, not only does the Hongkonger lack even the slightest sense of shame or self-consciousness over the iniquity of employing (exploiting!) a FDW, the perpetuation of this iniquity has become so naturalised and habituated in local society as to have grotesquely become a point of pride; that FDWs earn four times as much working in Hong Kong than in their home countries is held up as a justification of this iniquity, as is the platitude that FDWs are treated better in Hong Kong than they would be in the Middle East or Singapore, enabling the perverse portrayal of a grave injustice as a benevolent and philanthropic act that disadvantages the exploiters rather than the exploited - never mind the fact that many FDWs are regularly underpaid, mistreated, and oppressed, and that proposals to better the lives of FDWs in the city regularly face fierce inter-class opposition from across the city’s dichotomised political spectrum.

Lastly, we must not overlook the racial and gendered aspects of this issue. That FDWs are overwhelmingly female, as well as being racially distinguished as Indonesians and Filipinos in contrast to their Asian employers, is equally as telling as their marginalised economic status in regards to the context of their exploitation.

Their role as maids serving a household continues the long historical trend of the misogynistic feminisation of domestic work, and their identity as migrant workers from a developing Global South country imported for the sole purpose of performing low-end menial labour further reinforces the racist stereotype of the unskilled and dark-skinned third-world labourer. The exclusive femininity, poverty, and race of FDWs, as well as the 104

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

debasing nature of their work, allows for their offhand categorisation by locals as “maids” or “bun mui” (Cantonese slang for Filipino FDWs) - labels that serve to further alienate and segregate them from their employers.

Today, FDWs in Hong Kong constitute an oppressed minority at the bottom of the social hierarchy distinct from the oppressing majority along racial, economic, social, and gendered lines.

EDITORIAL

Conclusion: In Hong Kong, employers like Erwiana Sulistyaningsih’s are probably few and far between; it is safe to assume that most Hongkongers are not sadistic aspirants to slave-ownership, and that most of those who choose to employ FDWs are in fact decent people. But in Hong Kong there exists no relationship other than that of employer and employee between the local and the FDW, since Hongkonger find it difficult to see their FDWs as equals due to the exploitation, oppression, and dominance inherent in their employer-employee dynamic. Their lack of understanding of their FDWs’ plight stemming from the multifaceted social stratification of FDWs from their employers is reinforced by the decades-long promulgation of government legislation that institutionalised FDWs as second-class citizens and normalised the practice of having a live-in servant at one’s home. These sentiments extend even to the realm of charity and philanthropy, where NGOs and aid organisations tend to adopt a top-down approach to assisting FDWs in need, sidelining the work of grassroots-led migrant worker movements such as ATKI (Asosiasi Buruh Migran Indonesia / Association of Indonesian Migrant Workers), and stifling the possibility of an intersectional alliance of Hongkongers in solidarity with FDWs against systemic socioeconomic inequality, state-capital collusion, government inaction, or any of the other things that contribute to the grim state of affairs in current-day Hong Kong.

The emancipation of Hong Kong’s FDWs seems like an impossible task. Our system of their exploitation has been thoroughly and effectively interwoven with all aspects of life in the city, to the extent that to uproot it will be to rip a giant tear through the very fabric of Hong Kong society.

To this deep-rooted systemic injustice, where an overwhelming majority of the “oppressive” Hongkongers are directly complicit in the exploitation of the “oppressed” FDWs, there is no obvious clear-cut solution. And in the absence of popular support for radical movements fighting for meaningful change - namely, ATKI’s - the Hong Kong government, recognising the lack of widespread societal opposition to the institutionalised exploitation of FDWs, has been able to shirk its responsibility to ensure the wellbeing of FDWs on Hong Kong soil; the occasional outcries for reform when exceptionally unacceptable treatment of FDWs come to light are indulged with piecemeal ameliorations that have negligible long-term impact.

校話

期刊19

105

EDITORIAL

A Commentary on

Social Career By oooooo oooo | Photography by Cheryl Ting | Layout by Whitney Deng

106

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

EDITORIAL References to several persons and organisations in this article have been excised, such censorship applied so as to avoid causing detriment to personal and/or professional relationships between the Chinese International School and various stakeholders.

“Social Career is a non-profit technology organization registered in Hong Kong in 2015 and a registered charity under section 88 of the Inland Revenue ordinance (File no: 91/15011). With funding support from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, we are building a platform that encourages the general public to volunteer and get involved in social causes and service activities.”

First — A Disclaimer It is undeniable that the larger part of the various social causes promoted on the Social Career application are worthwhile and meaningful, and wholly deserving of our full support. The work of those charitable organisations and individuals, such as Principal Chan’s free tuition to children from low-income families, or the various district-specific grassroots organisations that provide indispensable childcare, recreational, healthcare, and educational opportunities and services to local communities, are of course crucial to the continued wellbeing of those communities.

While we must seek to directly address the deep-rooted causes of the various societal injustices impacting the livelihoods of the working classes, the actions taken by NGOs and charities to alleviate the surface-level problems stemming from societal injustices remain relevant and imperative. There is nothing wrong with treating the symptom alongside the cause, so long as we do not become complacent, and remain conscious of the need for fundamental reform on a systemic scale [1].

Hence, it is important to bear in mind that the forthcoming criticisms levelled at certain aspects of the Social Career application mainly concern its implications

towards long-term efforts to resolve the root causes of societal injustices in Hong Kong, rather than the work of those charities and NGOs supported by the application as a whole.

O

n first glance, the problems with the approach to volunteerism propagated by the application seem quite obvious. Its “Social CV” feature, where hours of volunteer work are logged and the performance of volunteers are evaluated, reduces charity work to CV-padding; drudge work performed not out of a strong personal conviction or dedication to a social cause, but rather to fill a quota and file on a résumé [2]. The normalisation of the rather cynical assumption that people do charity work for ulterior motives is further reinforced by the offering of various perks to high-performing volunteers — the inherent contradiction in the concept that volunteer work is to be incentivised evidences the malaligned values assigned to volunteerism and charity work by the application [3]. In a speech given as part of the ENTR101 Guest Speaker Series, ooooooo ooo, the Executive Officer of the application, states that students should engage in volunteer work with corporations as a way of differentiating themselves from other competitors in finding work, since most of them have similar CVs. This is both indicative of his problematic view of volunteerism as a tool for personal self-advancement, as well as the unsustainable and toxic atmosphere of ultra-competitiveness in the education system and jobs market of Hong Kong.

The problems with Social Career’s vision of sustainable volunteerism through a “second career” in life can be further unpacked by examining what they leave unsaid. Society’s problems can be solved if everyone could just have a “second career” and pitch in with volunteer work from time to time, they say, glossing over how the role of NGOs (for reasons explained below) have been reduced to that of mere service providers unable and/or unwilling to fight for structural change. They ignore the fact that charity in itself is an ineffectual way of solving social injustices;

123

1 For example: the uncontrolled speculative investment in the deregulated property market, as well as the government-abetted monopoly of the property developer conglomerates, are reasons for the continued inflation of housing prices, and are root causes of the current housing crisis, in which the oft-touted lack of developable land and affordable housing are mere symptoms. It may perhaps be beneficial to provide immediate measures to ameliorate the effects of such symptoms — although the government’s ineffectual proposals to expropriate country park land for housing (as opposed to the vast land banks of the developer conglomerates) indicate otherwise — but these measures by themselves are insufficient as direct answers to resolving the housing crisis.

2 The Creativity/Activity/Service program of the International Baccalaureate diploma.

3 Volunteers using Social Career are eligible for a free JOOX Music VIP Plan and Happy Miles points.

校話

期刊19

107

EDITORIAL through charity work and philanthropism, the wealthy attempt to excuse themselves from looking critically at their exploitation of workers, despite the fact that charity only gives back an infinitesimal amount of what has been expropriated from the labour of the working class. For all the good that philanthropy does, the truth is that the philanthropists themselves are the ultimate beneficiaries of the exploitative socioeconomic system, and therefore have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. A glance at the board of directors of Social Career is telling of this fact; chairman ooooo ooooo once served as

“

that pro-poor economic policies will only engender a reliance on cash handouts in the lower classes. He frames the outsourcing of labour to contractors as a desirable practice that offers companies flexibility, explicitly condoning the liberalised, business-friendly labour laws of Hong Kong that erodes at workers’ rights and provides no protection at all for freelance contractors — which is somewhat ironic, seeing as he himself worked freelance as a cleaner whilst play-acting as a member of the proletariat [6]. The government’s inability to address socioeconomic inequality in Hong Kong — and poverty itself, he insinuates —

[the philanthropic elite] view charity solely

as an exercise in lifting people out of poverty, without attempting to address the structural causes of poverty that they themselves are complicit in perpetuating.

director, then CEO, for the scandal-plagued ooo ooo oooo jewellery empire, while chairwoman ooo oooo occupies several high-ranking positions at the pro-establishment, pro-business ooo oo oooooooooo, founded by former Chief Executive oooo oooo ooo with the financial backing of the city’s tycoons [4][5]. ooooo ooooo in particular holds some interesting views, deconstructions of which will be useful in understanding the perspectives held by the upper-class on philanthropy and charity. He thinks

is something that “cannot be changed”, and rather than fighting for systemic reform, we should instead focus on “[getting individuals] out of the situation [of poverty]”. In his promotion of technological innovation as the way out of poverty, he acknowledges the need to address intergenerational poverty, yet the focus of his charity work — achieving upwards social mobility for a small minority of the poor — is presented as an end unto itself, a one-dimensional effort that misguidedly correlates one’s success with their own personal ability [7] whilst only having marginally equalised the playing field in terms of education for a select few,

123

4 The ooo oo oooooooooo attributes the city’s housing crisis to a shortage of land (see endnote[1]), frames the government’s provision of public housing estates as “a heavy and unjustified burden on our public finances”, champions economic integration with the mainland (with Hong Kong being the lesser partner such a relationship), advocates trade liberalisation, the deregulation of the local economy, and the outsourcing of labour to migrant workers, amongst other pro-business and pro-Beijing policy positions typical of the red-capitalist establishment. They also advocate the development of a metropolis on east Lantau Island, the environment consequences and human cost of which (just look at the collateral damage from the construction of the HK-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge), while surely catastrophic, are never mentioned. These views are stated openly on their website.

5 ooo oooo cuts a strange figure in that her social work encompasses a wildly diverse range of groups, some of which have diametrically opposing views with each other. The Good Lab Foundation and the Make a Difference Institute, both NGOs she had founded, feature progressive agendas that address topics such as wealth inequality and state-capital collusion, as well as engaging in grassroots community-initiated programs that have significantly benefited local communities in Hong Kong.

As a member of the pan-democrats, ooo oooo has been a vocal critic of the government’s rigged land supply consultation. On the other hand, her NGOs partner with corporations such as Henderson Land, the Swire Group, and the Link REIT, in addition to her collaboration with the ooo oo oooooooooo and the government at large. The impact made by her brand of establishment-abetted social work illustrates the complexity of trying to effect social change within the framework of a society dominated by state-capital interests, and prompts that age-old question: Social Reform or Revolution?

6 On episode four of the RTHK reality-TV show Rich Mate Poor Mate, where ooooo worked as a freelance cleaner living in a subdivided flat for five days. He proffers this experience as the catalyst for his social entrepreneurship.

108

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

EDITORIAL without addressing the underlying factors of inheritance, class, race and gender — and with such one-dimensional efforts, there will always be poor people and a need for the charity of NGOs [α]. In these ways and more, ooooo reflects the attitudes of the philanthropic elite, who view charity solely as an exercise in lifting people out of poverty, without attempting to address the structural causes of poverty that they themselves are complicit in perpetuating [8].

On another level, the seeming luxury of choice offered by the application to aspiring volunteers through its promotion of a variety of selected NGOs and charities has instead created a competitive marketplace where organisations clamour to promote their respective causes in an effort to garner volunteers, public awareness, and funding, all at the expense of other NGOs. The power vested with the Social Career application in what organisations they choose to represent (and which organisations they choose to exclude) serves as an analogy to the wider state of affairs within which NGOs and charities exist, where a dependence on the donations of wealthy philanthropists has fostered a collective unwillingness to rock the boat by conforming to the socioeconomic status quo in which most societal injustices are rooted, so as to make themselves as non-threatening as possible to sponsors.

This dependence makes it so that NGOs are unable to move past the provision of a limited degree of aid in

their charity work into addressing the well-entrenched socioeconomic disparities giving rise to poverty. Take for example the partnership between ooooooo oo (one of the charities promoted on the Social Career app) and the oooo ooooo, one of Hong Kong’s largest property conglomerates. As part of the mega-conglomerates’ monopoly on the local housing market, the oooo ooooo is responsible for the growing inequality in the city by means of their complicity in perpetuating the housing crisis [9]. Their dependence on fundraising limits the ability of NGOs to provide meaningful criticism of current socio-economic injustices due to the fact that their corporate sponsors are often responsible for creating and perpetuating these injustices.

It must be noted that those elitist elements in traditional NGOs — exclusive leaderships comprising of well-educated, affluent professionals, the alienising dichotomy between the benevolent philanthropically-minded activist and the passive recipient of aid, the ideological obligation to funders — are all flaws inherent in this top-down model of charity that is dominated by wealthy donors, the consequences of which [10] will remain entrenched and unresolvable if we continue to approach social change from the perspective of paternalistic, overbearing philanthropists who view those in need as hapless beneficiaries. It is all too easy to be taken in by dogmatic platitudes, that all we have to do to help fight social issues is to volunteer at NGOs and practice conscious consumption, without

1234

7 ​The conception that success can be achieved through hard work and personal ability alone has always been false, with the poor having access to none of the opportunities available for the well-to-do in a world where even the quality of one’s nourishment, let alone their education, is determined by their wealth. Despite the efforts of people like ooooo, there will never be a level playing field between the rich and the poor if fundamental socioeconomic inequalities remain unaddressed.

8 Readers are welcome to form their own views on these statements from perusing the articles in which Huang expresses these sentiments, all of which can be found online:

1. Leung, Rachel. “Empower Hong Kong’s poor with technology, says jewellery CEO who quit after spending week in tiny flat earning HK$50 a day.” South China Morning Post, 3 Mar. 2018, https://www.scmp.com/news/hong- kong/community/article/2135481/empower-hong-kongs-poor-technology-says-jewellery-ceo-who

2. Huang, Erwin. “Tax cut offers incentive to embrace a ‘slash’ career.” EJ Insight, 13 Oct. 2017, www.ejinsight.

com/20171013-tax-cut-offers-incentive-to-embrace-a-slash-career/.

3. Huang, Erwin. “How Generation Z can survive.” EJ Insight, 17 Nov. 2017, www.ejinsight.com/20171117-how-gener ation-z-can-survive/.

9 ​​The decimation of Hong Kong’s greenbelts in the New Territories through development by property conglomerates has resulted in a near-total dependence on the mainland for food. The lack of farmable land in the city due to the commoditization of remaining farmland by the aforementioned conglomerates, as well as the commercialisation and privatisation of public green spaces such as parks, has resulted in food self-sufficiency being highly difficult and impractical in Hong Kong. Only through the conglomerate-owned supermarkets is food easily available, and those unable match the prices can only starve, or go begging to food banks.

10 For example, the legitimation as privileges of what would otherwise be basic human rights, i.e. subsistence, in the case of ooooooo oo. Their work is undoubtedly invaluable to those who lack the means to acquire food, but the NGO’s unwillingness to act against those socioeconomic inequalities at the root of food insecurity, especially considering their vaunted position as the foremost food bank in Hong Kong, means that they should be condemned for their complicity in implicitly condoning the social welfare policies and socioeconomic arrangements that cause such inequalities.

校話

期刊19

109

EDITORIAL

“

...with such one-dimensional efforts, there will always be poor people...

considering the fundamental problems causing such social issues — social issues that those same wealthy donors to charity are complicit in — all the while framing the sort of success that all of us should aspire to within the terms of the socioeconomic arrangements that have created and continue to perpetuate the conditions of poverty, in a zero-sum society where an individual’s success can only be achieved at the expense of other people.

[α] Further information on

................’s involvement in philanthropy: As CEO of WebOrganic, a NGO which aims to promote eLearning amongst lower-class students, ooooo headed the NGO in competing with eInclusion, a pro-government non-profit with similar aims, to secure a 220-million HKD government grant to provide lower-class families with computers and internet access under the “Internet Learning Support Programme”. The grant was eventually split between the two organisations, with each assuming responsibility for their half of the beneficiaries of the project. A subsequent minor controversy arose from the splitting of the grant between the organisations when WebOrganic objected to having to collaborate with eInclusion, citing the latter organisation’s lack of experience in providing social services as well as the inability of government officials to justify the nomination of eInclusion to the project. Strikingly, part of the initial concerns raised over eInclusion’s involvement centred around their ability to safeguard the private details of ILSP participants — concerns that would 110

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

turn out to be presciently adroit, when eInclusion ended up being the subject of a police investigation when the organisation was found out to be supplying the government with “fraudulent information” [β]. [The author of this article has unfortunately been unable to ascertain the nature of such “fraudulent information” due to lack of sources].

This resulted in the withdrawal of a large part of the government funding, crippling the project and reducing the operations of WebOrganic to a single tech support hotline [γ].

This event illustrates many of the flaws inherent in this competitive model of charity, where a better-qualified NGO saw half of their much-needed government funding requisitioned for an incapable competitor due to reasons unknown — although suspicions of cronyism and collusion between the government and eInclusion readily come to mind. But more interesting are ooooo’s sentiments expressed at two points during this saga — once when the grant was split, and when government funding was slashed due to eInclusion’s wrongdoing. On the latter occasion, ooooo revealed on a talk show that the withdrawal of government funding was partly driven by the lack of cost-efficiency in how the project sought to accomplish its aims; an austerity-driven measure that evidences the dominance of profits over people in current society, even in the ostensibly humanistic realm of charity.

Commenting on the former occasion, ooooo gives us an insight into his own personal philosophy. “I leave it to history to decide whether [the

EDITORIAL government’s decision] was fair or not. But when you have half a bottle of water in your hands, will you view it as being half-full, or half-empty? The important thing is to make the most out of the resources we have.” ooooo then goes on to allude to Matthew 25:14-30; “The master rebuked the servant for burying his 1,000 pieces of silver — ​ ​a feckless waste of potential ... it is up to yourself to capitalise on your God-given talents”. [​ These two statements have been translated from the Cantonese vernacular; the original statements are provided in the subsequent endnotes δ and ε respectively, original source in endnote ζ]. One should make do with one’s lot in life, ooooo seems to imply here; through grit and perseverance, anyone can realise the full potential of their talents. His can-do attitude to life is further evidenced by his advice to Hongkongers; in an article where he celebrates government tax cuts for companies, he says: “More Hongkongers might consider setting up their own company to give it a try”.

Commenting on how local youth “have a strong sense of insecurity as jobs can easily be changed or replaced by technology”, he tells them to “start their own business, and … step out of their comfort zone”. Here is evidenced his personal narrative — that success can be achieved through innovation, entrepreneurship, and hard work alone — backed up by his high-profile philanthropy work providing underprivileged students with the means for e-learning in an attempt to equalise opportunities in education.

scheme flounders”]. Apple Daily, 7 June 2013, https://hk.news. appledaily.com/local/daily/article/20130607/18288025

[γ] “LCQ2: Internet Learning

Support Programme.” 25 Mar. 2011, www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201105/25/P201105250162. htm.

[δ]「公唔公平，交畀歷史 決定，但我最關心係當你手上 得半支水，你會覺得冇咗半支 水，定係你有半支水？我覺得 點樣善用手上的資源，先係最 重要。」

[ε]「主人於是斥責那位管 家，將銀幣埋在地下，是白白 浪費，你放喺銀行都有息收 呀。”希臘文中 talent 亦係一 串銀幣的意思。上天畀你唔 同 talent，可能五千，可能二 千，你唔知幾多，但你要善加 利用，唔好埋在地下。」

[ζ] Web Editor/網站編輯.

“貧童老友記 ─ ooo” [“ooooo ooooo ─ A Friend to Impoverished Children”]. Hong Kong Economic Journal/信報財經新聞, 28 Jan. 2012, forum.hkej.com/ node/79782.

[β] “iProA拖累/貧童上網計

劃縮水” [“iProA plan falters/Internet for Impoverished Children 校話

期刊19

111

112

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

Sports Photography by Cheryl Ting | Edited by Cheryl Ting

校話

期刊19

113

SPORTS

Meet the

New House Captains!

By Toby Chan and Denise Ng | Photography by Denise Ng | Layout by Jessica Hu

RED BULLS: Lara Carolan and Yee Jing Wong cater towards people with different talents, because I know that sports is not really everyone’s forte. I am not really good at sports, but I still enjoy doing it, and I just want people to feel the same.

Why did you want to be a house captain?

Lara: I wanted to become house captain because I feel like our school lacks spirit and no one really cares about houses. However, sports has been a big part of my life when I was growing up, and I think that it would benefit younger years as well if they were more excited and more willing to participate in activities because being active can help your mind be happy.

Jing: I wanted to be a house captain because I wanted people to feel more inclusive. I remember that when I was in years 7 to 9, I did not do many sports at school, therefore I felt like I was not really contributing to my house. But now that I am house captain, I want to create more inter-house activities that can 114

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

What do you think it means to be a house captain?

Jing: I think being a house captain means that you are supposed to hype up everyone else and try and get everyone to be energetic along with you in supporting your house.

Sometimes it’s hard because you don’t feel great every single day, but you still have to keep the energy up, and try to influence others to participate and have a fun time. Because if you are not into the activity and [are] unwilling to participate, then you’re going to have a bad experience. So for things like sports day and fun challenge day you really want to get people to participate, ‘cause it will make the experience fun for everyone.

Why do you think house spirit is important?

Lara: People can get excited about things together and it promotes teamwork as well, and when people work together to achieve a goal it can be a lot of fun. In addition, the kids can learn many different traits and learn about themselves through having a house, allowing them to feel the sense of community.

What do you think is the most important thing about being a house captain?

Lara: I think the most important thing is to be excited and be enthusiastic for the kids to look up to.

Therefore, if you don’t have an enthusiastic house captain, kids aren’t going to be excited for the events or any activities that are held at school, that’s why I think it’s really important to make sure the kids are engaged and actually want to be there.

In what ways do you think that you being house captain will contribute to the CIS community?

Jing: I can contribute to this school through my spirit and energy. I do not particularly excel in sports, so the main thing that I can contribute to the community is my positive energy.

SPORTS GREEN GATORS: Shivahn Garvie and Hope Patterson created such a sense of community and I was inspired by that; that’s why Shivahn and I have always talked about how we wanted to model that [one day].

What do you think it means to be a house captain?

Hope: I think being a house captain means being a voice for those who aren’t heard in the community.

We’ve already had a lot of year 7s and 8s come talk to us about ideas that they have, so [it’s just] being a voice for them, and just being someone they can run their ideas through, to spread that (the ideas) to the rest of green house really.

Why did you want to be a house captain?

Shivahn: My main reason was because I wanted to unify younger years and older years, to [sort of] break the line in between the age differences by getting everyone involved and enthusiastic.

Hope: Coming into year 7, we had a pair of really great house captains [and during their captaincy] they

In what ways do you think you contribute to the CIS community?

Shivahn: We’re both just really close, so we work super well together; we’re both on the same wavelength of wanting to organise as much as possible, meaning whatever we start, we [will] go through with.

Why do you think house spirit is important?

Hope: I think it’s super important, [because] like I said before, CIS is really focused on academics and [there is] academic competition; as soon as we finish tests, we compare grades with everybody, and we look at the criteria like it’s the bible for us. That’s why I think it’s really important to bring another aspect of friendly competition in CIS.

BLUE SHARKS: Eloise Oliver and Claire Wu Why did you want to be a house captain?

Eloise: Well, CIS’s house competition is very focused on [earning] house points (for sports) and it’s a huge motivation for me to include more arts into the competition because I thought it would be more inclusive and would encourage the younger years to join as well.

Claire: I thought becoming house captain would be really cool, and I actually didn’t have much interest [in being house captain] until Ms. Fitzgerald told us it was not only about sports, but about things beyond sports, like debate and other environmental efforts. 校話

期刊19

115

SPORTS

What do you think it means to be a house captain?

Eloise: I think it means that you need to be responsible, organised, empathetic, and [be] encouraging to all the students in secondary. Some people often don’t feel comfortable competing in sports in front of the whole school, so I would like to be seen as a support figure for all year groups.

Why do you think house spirit is important?

Eloise: There is [unfortunately] a stigma that house spirit is not fun or cool, but I think house spirit is really important because it gives a sense of community. [I think that] incorporating a relationship between the older years and the younger years is really important, especially in such a big school like CIS, [as] it would create a [more] comfortable environment for everyone.

In what ways do you think you contribute to the CIS community?

Claire: I’m interested in things beyond sports too, hence why I think I will be [a] committed [house captain]. We were talking about organising a debate house competition, which is something that everyone can participate in.

YELLOW TIGERS: Jacqueline Ho and Katie Chan Why did you want to be a house captain?

Jacqueline: I wanted to be a house captain because I felt that the house spirit in CIS was lacking [and] so I wanted to help improve the house spirit. I also wanted to incorporate a bigger variety of house competition into our school, so that it is not all sports related.

Katie: The reason I wanted to be house captain was not because of sports, but because I wanted to incorporate more variety of activities that are not sports (such as debate or subject competitions) to get everyone involved in an activity even if they are not the best at sports.

What do you think it means to be a house captain?

Jacqueline: I think that a house captain has to be a figure for [the] young[er] students to look up to. You have to be a good leader, and be able to communicate with the younger students.

Katie: Adding on to [Jacqueline’s] point, I believe that a house captain must also have house spirit, good sportsmanship and spread positive energy to everyone in their house.

116

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

What do you think is the most important thing about being a house captain?

Jacqueline: I think that the most important thing is to generate house spirit within your own house and make students feel proud to be in their house.

In what ways do you think you contribute to the CIS community?

Jacqueline: I think that I contribute to the CIS community as a house captain by generating house spirit and [by] hosting a bigger variety of house competitions.

Katie: We have had [previous] experience [with] hosting large events, so we will work together with the Student Council and other student leadership groups to create [more house] events [in order to] maximize house spirit.

Why do you think house spirit is important?

Jacqueline: House spirit is important because it makes you proud of the house that you are in. House spirit also creates larger competition between the houses, which makes students want to represent and win for their houses even more.

SPORTS

PURPLE DRAGONS: Miriam Chasnov and Kathryn Shon Why did you want to be a house captain?

Miriam: During my lower secondary years, I always said that I wish that houses were more prevalent in school. This year [the PE teachers have] said that they want to change house captains by making it a larger thing (in terms of planning events), so I wanted to help and be a part of that.

Kathryn: I wanted to be a house captain because I thought it would be a good opportunity to challenge myself, as I do not have many leadership positions. I am also eager to raise house spirit in the school community.

What do you think it means to be a house captain?

Miriam: You have to instill spirit.

Mainly, I think you have to be very positive, enthusiastic, [and] excited about the activities that are happening at school, and plan activities that you would be willing to participate in.

Kathryn: I also believe that a house captain must be a good example for the younger years on how to be active when participating in school activities.

What do you think is the most important thing about being a house captain?

Kathryn: I think the most important thing about being a house captain is to be able to build house spirit, create fun competitiveness between the students, and of course, win house points!

In what ways do you think you contribute to the CIS community?

Miriam: Personally, I do not think that I am a house captain [who can] come up with a lot of good ideas, but I am someone who knows how to implement those ideas. [As I] think very logistically, I [am the person who will] think of what needs to be done in order for an event to be successful.

Why do you think house spirit is important?

Miriam: I think in general, house spirit just contributes to school spirit as well. It makes people feel excited to come to school, and want to do better and work harder during house competitions.

Kathryn: Also, it gives more of a chance for the different year groups to bond together [to] create a sense of community, allowing the students to have more fun!

校話

期刊19

117

SPORTS

Netball on the Rise

By Denise Ng | Photography by Andrea Tang | Layout by Stephen Chen and Whitney Deng

M

any of us aspire to become great athletes who are capable at excelling in both sports and in school; as we ponder over it, we come to think if it can really be achieved.

No one in this world has impeccable netball skills, neither do they dominate every game time after time.

What was once only known as an English traditional sport has now developed into a trickle down effect where it is played worldwide. Netball has now captured a wider range of audience and it has managed to rise into the top ranks of our school.

Did you know that netball is Australia’s national sport? They’re known for dominating games with many legends who participated in national games; this sport has been a part of the Commonwealth games competition since 1998 and due to its popularity and significance, it must be included in the sporting programme of each

118

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

edition of the yearly games. This year’s Commonwealth games truly demonstrated how nobody can dominate the game (or any other sport) year after year: Australia’s national netball team, the Aussie Diamonds, were deemed as the favorites going in, but ultimately lost to England’s national netball team, the England Roses. Funnily enough, the England Roses were the underdogs of the whole competition - they were always so close yet so far from winning every year. Despite the fact that netball in Hong Kong is nowhere near as popular as it is compared to places such as Australia or England, it is for sure slowly expanding in our society.

George M. Moore Jr once said “A winner is just a loser who tried one more time”. Those who have an insatiable hunger for success will keep that thought in the back of their minds. This is what motivates many netballers to strive to achieve better results. Many have a mindset to win,

but players who are victorious in the end are those who have the greater tenacity, and a clear incentive in pushing themselves to play better in games.

The netball community in Hong Kong supports people who choose to go up the netball career pathway.

Each player’s pathway starts in Primary League, then move up into Junior League that has grown to 100 teams across 12 divisions; throughout the years, players will go along that said pathway until they reach the academy programs. The academy programs provide an array of opportunities for netballers to play and garner experience with examples such as but not limited to: the Hong Kong Netball Academy (HKNA) Regional Academy (U16s and U14s Squad), the Hong Kong Youth Squad (U21s) and many more to people of all ages and genders. Throughout the year, there’s a tournament that raises awareness on this sport, allowing players to compete against others who they don’t normally play with.

Let’s look at the recent Netfest on September 15th, 2018. Netfest is a two day tournament with different divisions across Hong Kong and it includes both youth and adults all men and women are given the

SPORTS

chance to participate. Although CIS did not enter an A grade team this year, CIS’s B grade team prevailed and achieved great results!

Needless to say, CIS netball has given me an opportunity to balance and explore my school life, as well as recreational life, creating unbreakable bonds with those I’ve met. Hence, through my 6 years of netball experience, I’ve been able to grasp onto the importance of netball and the impact that it has made in my life. Being a shooter in A Grade Netball has provided me a lot, even beyond my skills; my coaches encourage me to do my best, and though they sometimes put some pressure on me, I know it’s out of tough love in order for me to reach my fullest potential.

We’d think that since Hong Kong is such a small city, netball wouldn’t be as popular as it is today. However, this isn’t the case. The CIS netball community is growing and it has reached the pinnacle stage where many netballers are offered a plethora of opportunities, such that even schools like CIS offer opportunities for netball players to play inter school tournaments in Singapore.

However, like many things, controversy can be stirred especially when talking about how netball is played. Some are adamant and will dispute because of this - they claim that netball is a non-contact sport,

“

George M. Moore Jr once said “A winner is just a loser who tried one more time” labelling it as “less demanding” or “not as tiring as other sports”.

Nonetheless, as an athlete who grew up in this netball community, it can be deemed that netball is just as physically and mentally demanding as other sports: every player needs to have the skill-set of being meticulous with timing, with the addition of being able to think smart and read the game in order to play

according to it. Just like other sports, communication on and off court is the key to success, teamwork is crucial and being a liability just isn’t an option. By shouting and saying encouraging words is my peak of motivation, as it puts me in a mindset where everything dissipates, and it’s just me and the netball.

Netball has been a salient sport in my life, it has enabled me to develop an unwavering and unconditional love for my teammates, to create that irrevocable love for the sport itself, and most importantly it has allowed me to destress yet be active at the same time; its never-ending diversity in games challenges me both mentally and physically, but I still have fun doing it. As part of the CIS family, I strongly urge that each and every one of you come support the CIS A, B and C Grade netball teams; our community is growing, and it is admirable that many have found joy within themselves when being surrounded by others who share the same passion. Like all sports, I have met many different people that I wouldn’t have if not for netball; its ever increasing popularity in CIS is a clear representation of how much more it can offer in the future.

校話

期刊19

119

SPORTS

Phoenix Soaring to the Basket

By Jonathan Yeung | Photography by Tung Wang | Layout by Grace Ma and Whitney Deng

It’s inevitable that basketball is the one of the most popular sports in CIS with the addition of 2 new basketball gyms in the new building. During each start of break, students from different year levels spill into the gym in search for a hoop to play on.

This is merely just a snapshot of the basketball culture in CIS. However, what does the CIS community know about basketball in the school?

Our school participates in both the ISSFHK and HKSSF and has achieved great results for each of the leagues. The most dominant team, however, is the U20 team which consists of the best players in the school. The team is mostly made up of Year 13s and Year 12s, with the exception of some Year 11s and a Year 9. Now you might ask “What? How did a Year 9 make the varsity team?”, everyone on the team was surprised as well. Usually, year 9s would be playing for the U14 team instead of the varsity, not even mentioning the fierce competition competing with the upper years. However after a few training sessions, I finally understood those qualities embodied by this Year 9 that differentiated himself from his peers. He wasn’t necessarily as big and strong as the Year 13s, neither was he as skillful as the point guards in Year 12, but his shooting was the quality that allowed him to prove his worth and set him apart.

Shea Garvie is automatic from anywhere on the basketball court. Pass him the ball and he will shoot it for you. Not only does he make his shot, he also steps up when the team needs him and 120

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

encourages his teammates to perform at a higher level. He possesses an immense amount of leadership and elevates the entire team with his presence on the court.

Of course, we had to interview Shea Garvie in order to understand what it feels like for him to be in the varsity team and to also understand how he is mentally preparing for the fierce competition for playing time in the coming season.

“How does it feel to be the youngest player on the team?”

“It is a good opportunity for me to play against others beyond my age and improve.”

“As it is your first year on the varsity team, what kind of impact would you want to have on the team?”

“I’d like to show the older guys [that] even though I’m young, I can still play and be on the same level as them.”

“In terms of confidence level, where would you say you are right now?”

“On the tryout day, I was very concerned on even making the team. Now that I’m on the team, I would say I’m at [a] 6 out of 10.”

“What are your goals for the end of this year?”

“I just want to improve and be better than ‘start of year’ me. Determination is all it takes.” ~Interview with Shea Garvie

SPORTS

A team cannot operate without a captain. For our varsity team, Wing Kwan took on the role as the captain with his immense experience and understanding of the game. During his 6 years of playing this sport, he went through the ups and downs with the team and persisted through it. His experience would benefit the younger players of the future and he would guide them as a mentor in order to keep the team’s competitiveness. On the court, his speed and size benefit him while getting through the traffic of the opposing team members to put the basketball into the hoop. Off the court, he encourages his teammates while teaching them the right way of playing this game.

“How do you feel about the future of the team and in what way would you help them take on a bigger role next year?”

“Unfortunately there aren’t many year 11s or 12s on the team, however the ones I do know who play the game are really experienced and for that I’m not too concerned. One piece of advice for them is to just play their hearts [out], have faith, and never be afraid to play against bigger teams. On the other hand, I see a lot of potential and passion from the year 9s and I wish all of them the best of luck in the coming years!”

“As this is your last year on the team, what do you envision yourself to be doing?”

“One of my main goals is to become more aggressive on the court because we are generally undersized. Although we might be tall within the CIS community, there are schools out there with bigger players. We must utilize our speed and take the ball strong into the paint instead of backing away from it.”

“As a leader, is there anything you would want to let the CIS community know about the basketball team?”

“Just come to our games and watch us play! I personally think that basketball is one of the most important sports in CIS. Although we have been quiet recently, the best thing that could happen for us now is to finish strong in the coming season and we would really appreciate your love and support for us!.” ~Interview with Wing Kwan

“What do you envision the team achieving in this season?”

“I don’t expect the team to make 10 three pointers per game, nor make highlight plays. I want my team to play simple and smart, [to] make use of every possession we have and [to] look for the best shot.”

With Wing Kwan and Shea’s interviews, we finally understand what basketball means to the CIS community and their expectations for it. They have put in so much effort into this sport and let’s reward their grit and effort with a cheering crowd to support them all the way. Come and support the basketball team and let’s go Phoenix! 校話

期刊19

121

SPORTS

Meet the

Sports

and

Activities Office

By Kian Chan and Toby Chan | Photography by Cheryl Ting and Iris Wang | Layout by Whitney Deng and Stephen Chen

122

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

SPORTS

Allan Fraser Name | Allan Fraser (Mr. Fraser) Nationality | Scottish Sports Coaching | Football (U20 team), Cross Country Team Favourite Sports | Football, Athletics (track and field) Favourite League to Watch | English Premiership (Premier League) Q: When did you join CIS? A: August 2017.

Q: Why did you join CIS? A: I felt that coming here (to CIS) was a different opportunity [and] a new challenge for me. I have been in Hong Kong for 10 years (previously working at a similar job).

I had [come to CIS a few times before I took the job], and I always thought [that] they had nice facilities and students.

Q: What is your job at CIS? A: I oversee all the sports programs (all the sports teams) in CIS. This includes making sure that everyone in the Sports and Activities office have [assigned] jobs, and that all the teams are entered into the ISSFHK and the HKSSF. I also look after the budgets, oversee the co-curricular activities manager who works with the CCA office [to make sure that we have a wide variety of activities on offer], and deal with queries from the parents and teachers.

Q: What do you think of the football team?

A: When I first came to the school, I saw that the team already had the talent to do well. In general, I don’t think that I have necessarily improved [their] ability tremendously. I don’t think that the squad was as fit as they could be as well, but they have improved tactically (in terms of how they receive and move with the ball). I’d like to think that I make the training sessions fun, so students come to training and matches with a smile on their faces, and with the determination to improve.

Q: What do you think of the cross-country team?

A: The best way that I can describe the cross-country team is that we train at 6:15 in the morning, and we get 50 participants regularly. So this shows that they are all committed and determined.

Q: What goals do you have in mind for the future?

A: In terms of the sporting context of CIS, I want our teams to participate in events and competitions more reg-

ularly. I want our school teams to join ACAMAS, which is an overseas federation. This would see us travelling in and out of China, playing different schools there. One thing that the school is lacking is spirit. It is definitely improving but I think we need to raise the spirit a bit more. We need to have students supporting one another not just for the team that they play for but in general.

For the football team, I want to see us getting promoted in the HKSSF, and perform a bit better in the ISSFHK (as we saw a few heavy defeats last year). For the cross-country team, my aim is to get the boys team promoted to HKSSF Division 1. The girls cross-country team is currently in Division 1, so I would like to get the boys there as well. 校話

期刊19

123

SPORTS

Adhiraj Rathore Name | Adhiraj Rathore (Adhi / Mr. Rathore) Nationality | Indian Sports Coaching | Basketball Favourite Sports | Basketball Favourite Team to Watch | Los Angeles Lakers (basketball team)

Q: When did you join CIS? A: 2014.

Q: Why did you join CIS? A: I got offered the opportunity to coach the basketball team.

Q: What is your job at CIS? A: I am the sports program manager, who is in charge of almost all the sports at CIS. This includes managing the sports teams, practices, facilities, bookings of venues, booking of buses, scheduling. [I am] basically [in charge of] anything that has to do with the sports teams.

Q: Can you give a general summary of how you think the progress is going for the CIS sports teams so far?

A: Overall, I think that the sports program in CIS has really increased dramatically since I’ve arrived, and I am seeing that sports are gaining more recognition [within the school]. Our new building comes with two new gyms, which can help facilitate more practices and training sessions, allowing activities such as ‘Top Flight’ (a basketball program) to come in [and implement its] full academy. So I think [the sports programs] are increasing and [becoming] more positive.

Q: How many sports programs are there in CIS? A: There isn’t an exact number, but we do offer programs for approximately every sport. If we are not offering programs for the sport, we would definitely still support them in competitions, or [support] their lessons outside of school.

124

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

SPORTS

Louise Gillespie Name | Louise Gillespie (Ms. Gillespie) Nationality | Scottish Sports Coaching | Basketball, Netball Favourite Sports | Basketball Favourite Team to Watch | San Antonio Spurs (basketball team)

Q: When did you join CIS? A: August 2016.

Q: Why did you join CIS? A: I got offered a job to teach sports at this school.

Q: What is your job at CIS? A: I am the basketball and netball coach and manager of this school.

Q: How do you think the basketball team has made progress since you have arrived?

A: We have 6 basketball teams. Because we’ve got Top Flight CCA programs, we’ve had more basketball training opportunities and it has allowed our teams to make progress. The kids that are in the Top Flight programs are the CIS teams with more experience. I have also worked hard to get more of our teams more training time and better coaches. The players have made improvements.

Q: What do you have in mind for the future of the basketball team?

A: I hope that we can get more training time [for the students] and [hopefully] compete in more competitions, such as an international school league in Asia.

Q: How do you think the netball team has made progress since you have arrived?

A: I only started working with the netball team [from] September, so we will see what happens this year. Hopefully the program will be organized a little bit better to help the coaches (Mrs. Chadwick and Ms. Bolton).

Q: What do you have in mind for the future of the netball team?

A: I hope that we can get more girls involved in sports [using netball as a starting point], and I hope that [the students] can have more training opportunities (more time and space to train in).

校話

期刊19

125

SPORTS

Chandler Kurtz Name | Chandler Kurtz (Chandler) Nationality | American Sports Coaching | U14 Boys & Girls Volleyball, Climbing team Favourite Sports | Rock climbing Favourite Team to Watch | Ohio State (university athletics team)

of potential for growth in terms of [the] school’s spirit, discipline, healthcare and mentality.

Q: What is your job at CIS? A: A certified athletic trainer is someone that deals mostly with injury prevention, rehabilitation, injury management and injury treatment. So my primary job here is to work with our sports teams on preventing injuries, and helping to take care of them afterwards. So that means getting our student athletes recovered as quickly as possible, and as safely as possible.

Q: How does your job help with the sports teams?

A: I am trained in injury response, so therefore if something really bad was to happen during a match, I could be there to take care of that injury immediately. For example, if someone was to break their leg during a match, I would know how to splint that leg, or examine whether they need to go to the hospital. If it is an injury that is not as big (such as an ankle sprain), many times the student athlete may just be asked to sit out for the rest of the game. But a lot of the times if I was there to help, I could work with that athlete and their injury, and possibly get them back into the game and allow them to keep playing before the match ends.

Q: When did you join CIS? A: 2016.

Q: Why did you join CIS? A: After working with my previous school for a while, it got to a point where I felt like I had done what I could for that school, and it was time to look around for new opportunities. When I interviewed for a job at CIS, I saw a program I felt I could really benefit, and [it] had a lot

126

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

Q: What do you think of the sports facilities at this school?

A: I think that the sports facilities at this school are great.

We’re able to host a lot of different sports events at our school, and we’re also very lucky that (for things that we cannot host at school) there are a lot of facilities outside of school that we can use. Of course there is always room for improvement, but I definitely think that the sports facilities at this school are some of the better ones that I have worked with.

SPORTS

Lynette Cheung Name | Lynette Cheung Nationality | Chinese Sports Coaching | Fencing Favourite Sports | Swimming, Fencing, Volleyball Favourite Team to Watch | HK Fencing Team

Q: When did you join CIS? A: 2014.

Q: Why did you join CIS? A: Before I came [to CIS], I was a part-time fencing coach for CIS. As I enjoyed teaching the CIS students, I decided to join the school.

Q: What is your job at CIS? A: I am the CCA manager, and I am in charge of the CCA programs, but mainly the sports activities [programs]. I have [to follow] a daily routine, in which I registrate, plan and create certain schedules for primary and secondary students to sign up for the [wide range of] CCA programs.

Q: What is the Sports and Activities Office?

A: We run different games, matches and sports programs after school such as basketball, football and netball. We also run academic programs [such as] art, debate, music, whole school productions, and [many] more. The entire list of CCAs is on the moongate catalogue.

Q: When is the more stressful/difficult time of the year for you?

A: I think [that the most stressful period for us] is when we start the registration period because we get many inquiries about CCAs and [their] registration. Our CCA programmes are quite popular, and [because a lot of] parents like their children to join [a wide variety of CCAs, it is very difficult to help everyone at once.]

Q: What is the most exciting thing about your job?

A: Seeing the students enjoy the CCAs [that they have signed up for], and watching [how they] progress [in their activity].

Q: What is the most popular sport in CIS? A: For girls, [the most popular sport] would probably be gymnastics, swimming, basketball and netball. For boys, [the most popular sport] is football.

校話

期刊19

127

SPORTS

Janet Humphris Name | Janet Humphris (Coach Janet) Nationality | Australian Sports Coaching | Swimming (“Learn to Swim” and Water Polo) Favourite Sports | Skiing and Volleyball Favourite Team Any Australian team competing overseas

Q: When did you join CIS? A: September 2011.

Q: Why did you join CIS? A: I wanted to get an opportunity to teach students.

Q: What is your job at CIS? A: Aquatics Manager - my job is to look after the swimming pool, check the pool constantly to see the water conditions, and to watch the lifeguards and schedule them on duty. On top of those, I also look after the “Learn to Swim” programme.

Q: How do you think training in the CIS swim team is going?

A: I think that the students in CIS have lots of activities and academics, which they want to be involved in. That makes it quite difficult for them to commit to just one or two activities. But here in the swim team, we try to make it a bit more relaxed, which allows the students to do more of the other activities. Even so, we would really like to see more commitment from those who want to get better at swimming.

Q : What do you have in mind for the future of the swim team?

A : We’d love to expand the swimming team, as we have been doing, by creating more opportunities for the students to swim, specifically by giving students more opportunities to compete - there was a new swimming competition open for primary school students on Monday (Oct 6th 2018). We would also like to find an area in the school to build a new swimming pool, but unfortunately, there might not be enough space. We, of course, are still really glad that we have a swimming pool.

128

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

SPORTS

Coach John Name | John (Coach John) Nationality | Chinese Sports Coaching | Swimming Favourite Sports | Swimming, Football and Basketball Favourite Team to Watch | Manchester United (football team)

Q: When did you join CIS? A: 2017.

Q: Why did you join CIS? A: I always enjoy[ed] working in a school environment and I always see coaching swimming [at] schools as a very big challenge.

Q: What is your job at CIS? A: My job is mainly to focus on [the school’s] swim team training, and [I am in charge of] all admin related work when it comes to the swim team (such as taking the swim team to swim meets locally or organizing swim meets).

Q: How do you think the swim team has made progress since you have arrived?

A: Of course we can still do better — I would want them to swim more, but I also understand that the students in CIS are quite busy. So given the circumstances, I have to say that I am quite happy with what they can do. Of course, we can always do better, hopefully [by] having them train daily in the future.

Q : What do you have in mind for the future of the swim team?

A : I would definitely love for the students to train everyday. I also want our swim team to move forward by participating in more than just inter-school swim meets.

I am hoping that in the future the CIS swim team can participate in Hong Kong swim meets in general, rather than just the inter-school swim meets.

校話

期刊19

129

SPORTS

Lacrosse in

Hong Kong

By Kaitlyn Wells | Photography by Denise Ng | Layout by Stephen Chen

Often called ‘the fastest game on two feet’, lacrosse is thrilling, technical, and inclusive.

It’s no shocker if you haven’t heard of it before, due to its current status of still being quite an under-the-radar sport here in Hong Kong.

To play lacrosse, you would merely need three key things: a stick, a ball, and a goal (not to mention protective gear and snazzy uniforms). Your next step would be to find a large open area, ideally a grass field — unless you’re playing box lacrosse, an indoor version popular in Canada. Then, gather two teams of 10-12 people, and voilà, you have lacrosse! Players each carry a long stick upright across their body, and use the head at the top, which has a small net, to scoop, cradle, pass, catch, and shoot a solid rubber ball about the size of a tennis ball. While it differs between the mens’ and womens’ versions, generally, you can come in contact with other people and hit an opponent’s stick downwards when attempting to steal the ball. The game employs standard attack

130

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

and defense positions and strategies; the goal for each team is to somehow get the ball past the opposition’s goalie and into a square pyramid-shaped goal. To be effective, players must create space, communicate amongst their team, be a master at handling a stick, and rutn around a lot. Name a better way to improve your fitness and strengthen your upper and lower body muscles!

Now, if you take a step back in time 1000 years, you’d be able to see various Native American communities play an early form of this game in the Eastern Woodlands of what is now the United States. The first lacrosse sticks were wooden, and evolved from a spoon-like shape to a thinner stick with netting. Lacrosse games would sometimes last multiple days, involving hundreds of men from neighbouring villages. Back then there was also a similar version of the game played by women, called ‘amtahcha’.

Lacrosse was only given its current name by a French Jesuit missionary in the 17th century, and its rules were developed and modified over the next two centuries by intrigued European colonists. Lacrosse ultimately gained popularity across the English-speaking world, and around the turn of the century, dozens of clubs had emerged; the first modern women’s game was played in 1890 in Scotland, and the sport even appeared in the 1904 and 1908 Olympic Games.

SPORTS

A steadily growing lacrosse community has been developing in Hong Kong for decades, culminating in an official Hong Kong Lacrosse Association (HKLAX) (founded in 1993). They are a lively and welcoming group, always initiating opportunities for members to get together and play, compete, or even teach the sport to schoolchildren. I’m relatively new to lacrosse, as I started earlier this year, yet an event I remember fondly was an inter-school match between girls from CIS, KGV, and HKIS. I received lots of valuable advice from the coaches as well as newfound peers in the lacrosse community. At HKLAX, there are also adult leagues, under 19 leagues, womenonly leagues, and more. Last year, the Hong Kong team won third place at the Asia Pacific Championship in Jeju, South Korea. You may find lacrosse enthusiasts at private clubs around Hong Kong, like at the Club de Recreio in Jordan, or at institutions like HKU. CIS Year 12 student Cheryl Wu began playing lacrosse after trying out sofcrosse in a PE class at school; she then came across HKLA after searching for lacrosse opportunities. “It’s increasingly becoming a part of [the] Hong Kong sport culture,” she says, “I have a lot of fun playing lacrosse, and really enjoy the complexity of it.”

As for CIS, past attempts to initiate lacrosse as an activity in CIS have so far remained unsuccessful due to the battle for time on our school field with other relatively mainstream sports, such as rugby, football, and cross country. The limited space we have means that longer-established or more popular sports take precedence.

Lacrosse equipment is also relatively expensive in comparison to something like running or football. If only there were the right resources...who knows, lacrosse may become something big! For now, students can pursue lacrosse opportunities outside of school, or at least become acquainted with the nature of lacrosse through the sofcrosse units in the MYP PE curriculum.

Lacrosse is an exhilarating, enjoyable sport both recreationally and competitively that I certainly encourage you to try out! Lend your attention to non-traditional or foreign sports, as you never know what they might offer. In lacrosse there is always potential for you to improve, as there are so many creative ways to maneuver a stick and new tactics to try. Through HKLA, I’ve met lots of new people of all ages from around Hong Kong, and as others who play a sport can attest to, it is indeed rewarding to witness and be part of a group of strangers who get together over a shared interest. 校話

期刊19

131

132

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

Games Photography by Cheryl Ting | Edited by Cheryl Ting

校話

期刊19

133

GAMES

LET ’S BE REAL

By Natalie Lin | Layout by Whitney Deng and Jocelyn Kwok

134

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

GAMES

校話

期刊19

135

GAMES

136

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA

GAMES

校話

期刊19

137

GAMES

138

ISSUE 19

XIAO HUA