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Raise a glass to freedom S omething they can never take away No matter what they tell you.
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LINK OCTOBER Freedom FREEDOM
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reedom is a concept that has long been sought after by many. Within the self, and between others to among the world, freedom is something that most everyone wants, but not everyone has. Some people spend a lifetime searching for freedom, living under confines that are set by society, from judgments by others, or even by their own minds. One thing for sure, we all try to break through our constraints and live our truths. What do you define as freedom? Free yourself through the tips of your pens and begin this semester by exploring ways to liberate yourself through the toughest challenges in life.
Content Content
5 Foreword 6 In Retrospect 10 Interview with Dr Elizabeth Ho 13 On Freeodm 26 Creative Works 36 Recommendations
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“ Freedom is like religion to us The movement is a rhythm to us
reedom is a concept with an existence as solid as stone and as vague as religion. To explore something so indefinite to us is a challenge, but also a path to an epiphany. We lead this issue of LINK with this simple word and dive into a much more profound retrospection towards ourselves and our lives. As we face senseless oppressions and restraints that tire our hearts in our every moment, perhaps it would be appropriate to momentarily rest and ponder this concept that so many of us seek after.
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No doubt, I, just as before, owe this newsletter to all who took part in the making of the issue. The talents who generously exhibited snippets of their ideas and experiences in the form of well-crafted works, giving us an opportunity to look beyond ourselves and be inspired by others, we are grateful for your contribution. I must also note my gratitude to my fellow Executive Committee members who entrust in my craft and relinquished their emotions and thoughts to this final issue as it passes on our Session. The newsletter marks the end to a Session that has been beyond successful and has transcended to a bond that is everlasting. Finally, you, dear reader, who chose to support and read our Society’s issues and through us contemplate ideas within yourselves. LINK is for you. In fine, as you read through this year’s final issue of LINK, may you experience a clairvoyance of freedom. Your contemplation through the words of our fellow contributors will hopefully liberate you from your confines and bring you a confidence to live true, for art is a cry of determination that breaks chains and unlocks cages. With an unyielding faith in using words to liberate souls too worn out to keep trying, we ask you to stay true and be restricted by none. Because that is the whole point. To live free.
Leanne
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IN
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R ET R O S P E C T
W elf aApril r e2018 16-20 W eek
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ith the aim of promoting the welfare of our members, Welfare Week was organized by giving out welfare packs. Welfare packs, brimmed with goodies sponsored by different companies, were distributed to members of our Society. Members receiving welfare packs with a special mark under the bag were even entitled to a chance to join our lucky draw. Gifts ranging from book vouchers to branded bags were all within the prize list. Our Welfare Week also happened to be the week when all students were rushing for their deadlines and scanning through textbooks for their finals. Therefore, we also seized this chance to show a little bit of our support and wished everyone a super pass. Of course, we didn’t forget to seize this occasion in expressing our token of appreciation to our members. From the Inauguration Ceremony to the Masquerade Ball, we had received overwhelming participation and support. We are more than grateful to have such an abetting group of members. Without them, we surely couldn’t have run different events smoothly. Once again, we are very thankful for everything and we hope to see you at our future events!
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OrientationA u g u s t 2 0 1 8 Programme Eve r A f te r
F a bl e s - A f te r
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his year’s Orientation Programme was themed “Fables - After Ever After”. The theme has been applied to the Registration Day, Orientation Camp and Orientation Day. In the Programme, we tried to exhibit a colourful university life and help freshmen better adapt to a new environment. Through morals behind the theme, we encouraged freshmen to further think about what values they should hold, not only in university but in life as well. Our Orientation Programme has successfully been held in summer, yet we believe the journey for freshmen has just begun. Hopefully, they will continue to embark towards the unknown and enjoy their years at university.
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High Table 2018 Dinner 26 September
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he night of our High Table Dinner is still vivid. Shimmering candles danced along to the soft music, and the ambience was relaxing. The Dinner first commenced with our Chairperson’s speech about the journey of the cabinet as a team in the past year, followed by Dr Singh’s intriguing speech about himself, hip-hop and English learning. The delicacies provided by Brick Lane were absolutely delectable. The night came to an end with vocalists Benjamin and Kelvin bringing us a mesmerising session of soft jazz music. The event would not have been a success without the help from the venue, Brick Lane and our enthusiatic participants.
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AN INTERVIEW
WITH DR ELIZABETH HO 10
H: Dr Ho L: Leanne Hong D: Derek Mak D: What is freedom in your perspective?
Dr Elizabeth Dr Elizabeth Ho Ho School of English School of English
H: I would say freedom is being free from a lack of something. It’s not just about being free to do things or freedom in that sense, but it’s about being free from some negative things. Things like freedom from oppression, freedom from tyranny… freedom from necessity, too: when you know that you are free from the constraints of basic survival. L: Perhaps we could dive deeper into the literature side of freedom. How would you define freedom in literature? H: This question reminds me of a quotation from an author. John Fowles. In the beginning of one of his novels he has this epigraph which says, “nothing is true, everything is permitted”. D: I’ve actually heard of this quote from a game called Assassins Creed! H: That’s interesting! I don’t know how it translates to the game, but that to me is a really good place to start thinking about freedom in literature. I guess [the quote] has its problems because it also opens the door to thinking about when can something be too much, but ideally, literature in fiction should be a place where all ideas can be explored. L: What about actually finding freedom? We could see that a lot of classic literature authors had found liberation through literature. How do you think that these authors found freedom in writing? H: Let’s use women authors throughout history as an example. Becoming an author and then to publish a story is a sense of liberation from patriarchal norms and gender stereotypes. In the 19th century, for women, writing was often the only way they could make a living beyond becoming a wife, mother or governess. There were various ways they had to do this: the Brontë sisters had to adopt male names to publish their books. Becoming an author is a liberation from many economic, cultural and gender norms. This is one way that writers could be liberated by their writing. The other way of liberation through writing is a therapeutic liberation, that writing can become a way to explore different identities and exploring different ways of living a life. Writing becomes a lab space for exploring these alternatives so that can also liberate someone from the routines of daily life. L: In modern society, there are more subjects of freedom put into young adult fiction, targeted towards younger audiences. Do you think it’s a good drive to start to aim this sort of ideas to young people, or do you think it’s too easy to lead them to think of revolution and freedom? H: A lot of YA novels take young adults very seriously as people who can make their own decisions about what it means to be free, and how they could achieve that freedom. Some of it may be naïve: are you really going to be Katniss Everdeen, start a revolution and overthrow society?
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H: But some of this fiction could be really thoughtful and provokes thoughts on choice. Even Twilight discusses this on a really personal level – “how am I going to choose the right boyfriend? I’m free to choose what kind of partner I want.” Even Bella in Twilight is a free agent making important decisions that young adults will make. I think this category of fiction is a genre that takes young adults and their decision-making skills very seriously. L: Do you think that might be kind of delusional though? H: It depends on who you ask. If you ask an older person they might say young people are not old enough to think for themselves, or they might say they don’t have the skills to think critically about voting, or they don’t have the ethical background to think about difficult decisions. But we know that young people are capable of doing that, they’re capable of making decisions. It may be idealistic, but I don’t think it’s delusional. Someone has to do it. L: Now, on how freedom in literature might actually drive people to make a difference, media nowadays – not just literature and stories – are often very fast-paced. Do you think this decreases the practicality of spreading the message of freedom, since people are often bombarded with so much different media? H: I think you’re right on how we’re living in a world where it’s story after story, image after image, all of it screaming for attention. But I think there has been a lot of examples – films, science fiction, video games – that take advantage of that. It’s about the character or player or reader having to choose and the story that is most true, most inspiring and is going to lead to the best outcome. I think your generation is particularly good at sorting through and enjoying all this bombarding information and you have the ability to sort through what is true to you, what narratives are false and make good decisions about what vision of future you are going to follow. L: I see… where do you think literature is heading? H: A cynical person might say no one reads anymore and that the novel is dead. Novels are going to give way to the internet, to film. But I think literature is always going to be here. We’ve got all these modern media outlets like the internet, film and video games, they give us more to choose from and provide more exciting and innovative ways to think about liberation, but I think literature, novels, books, they’ll always be here. And I think that these kinds of fictions – not just literature; literature isn’t the only thing that creates fiction - are prefigurative. I mean that in the sense that they posit a world that they would like to see come into being… or don’t want to come into being, in case of dystopias like in The Handmaid’s Tale. Then you can either work towards these versions of the future or avoid them. That’s why fiction is so important. L: Are there any literary works concerning freedom that you would recommend to students? H: Definitely The Handmaid’s Tale. L: Why does it stand out to you? H: I guess because it ties in with the #MeToo movement that’s spreading globally. From cases like the Kavanaugh supreme court nomination, you could know that women are not liberated or free in the same sense as men are. And that patriarchal impression and misogyny are still going on. The Handmaid’s Tale – and The Yellow Wallpaper as well, actually – has become sort of common classic state of dystopia for women. It’s becoming more and more true: the connection between women today and women in these dystopias where women are like slaves in this militaristic male society. and I think that book has become really urgent nowadays.
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ON FREEDOM On understanding the abstract of the youth.
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Chairperson
B I B I TAs aNn gA
W
e
all talk about freedom of expression and yet here we are. Worrying about how others might think of us and at the same time making criticisms mercilessly. Thing is, freedom is not as simple as something you put into words. Freedom is a state of mind that truly liberates the person. To define freedom with words is limiting its nature with our knowledge. It should be a society’s common consensus on a concept and the prerequisite of it is a reconciliation with the self. Freedom, therefore, is an ideology that could only exist in our minds.
Though, it is not impossible to enjoy a limited extent of freedom under the fulfilment of the responsibilities that come together. I have always been told what to do, what to say, and how I shall behave most of my life. It was not until I have gotten into University that I can truly decide for myself and that I think I would be able to write whatever I want whenever I want. But reality was far from my expectations, for I couldn’t write a single poem in my first year of study and it bothered me because there was nothing else I would want to do. Then I realised it is not whether time would allow me but whether I would free myself from my own thoughts. I could be free anywhere as long as my mind is free.
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L
PHEBE —
External Vice-Chairperson
et me introduce to you my friends: One graduated with an Actuarial Science degree and 4.0 GPA and is currently working at one of the Big 4 in Hong Kong. One is now a Medicine undergraduate at Cambridge University. One working as an intern at a law firm at the age of 16. They have something in common though- they all do it for money, pride and status. With no doubt, an ordinary Arts student like me, alongside, everyone else who is considered to obtain a not-so-promising degree or is considered not as ‘successful’ would be looked down on and gained an edge over. Admittedly, it would sound so much more pleasing when you say ‘hey yo I’m a vet’ than ‘I do arts’ when introducing yourself. Yeah. Here in Hong Kong, every choice we make is guided by a paramount of factors which we become tangled with. I don’t want to a pessimist. I wouldn’t say we have to ‘embrace death to find freedom’ (sorry Derek) despite the seeming impossibility. I’d rather say, to gain freedom, we would
have to strike a balance between our dream and the reality. University- we are only obligated to study a few courses a semester, the other 4 things on the list are completely voluntary. In other words, we get to choose how we spend the rest of our time. Acknowledging the fact that art doesn’t make money, I have been doing it as my pastime all my life. Never have I thought I would make a living out of it. I don’t know where I got the courage from but, lately, I got a job teaching Art at a studio. I would say it has been the best decision ever. As cliche as it sounds, what wakes me up in the morning has no longer been the blaring alarm clock and the excessive caffeine, but the pursuit of my passion. After all, what’s the point if you do everything for money? Well, of course, you have to feed yourself and your family and basically survive. Just find a way you can maintain both and live your life to the fullest.
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C R Y S T A LT a m Internal Vice-Chairperson
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am the typical Aquarius who value nothing over freedom. As the eventful summer vacation came to an end, school starts and I am back to being a student. Deadlines are written on my schedule again and waking up early for 9:30 A.M. classes is no longer a joke. The freedom of being a university student comes in a package with greater responsibility, but we can’t forget responsibility comes with freedom too. In primary school, we are permitted to turn the TV on after getting our homework done; in secondary school, we can go travelling with friends after finishing the public exam. As we grow up, we learn that freedom is gained when we fulfil what we are supposed to do. However, as bleak as this may sound, I do not see my future being so black and white. Our definition of freedom is constantly growing into something bigger, something harder to achieve. I realize my desire for freedom is now stronger than at any time in my life so far and that it is still constantly growing. Does that mean I am becoming a greedier person? Or is that the consequence of bearing more responsibilities and having to face more limitations? Often we find ourselves falling into this vicious cycle of chasing after freedom that “Freedom is Slavery” from George Orwell’s 1984 somehow becomes an agreeable quote to me. The real question is: who are we enslaved to? In today’s society, it seems that our future is either “having time and space but not money”, or “having money but not time and space” if we are enslaved to a boss. However, if we can really work for ourselves instead of others, be enslaved to our own dreams instead of others’ goals, maybe freedom is not really that far away from us.
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DEREK Mak
General Secretary
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I feel like freedom actually doesn’t exist. I feel like freedom actually doesn’t exist.
I
think freedom is something that we all seek. Who doesn’t like and want to be free? But when I think about it, sometimes, I feel like freedom actually doesn’t exist. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I shouldn’t say that it doesn’t exist per se, but it’s a really complicated thing. Can we ever be truly free? I guess there are certain things that some of us could say that we’re free of, and maybe that counts as freedom already. In a civilized, democratic society, we’re free to say and do what we want as long as our actions don’t infringe upon the freedom or rights of others. But are we actually free to do all this? One can’t really make public opinions without attracting opposing voices, and in worse cases maybe one might face the blacklist of certain organizations or governments. Are we really free from expressing ourselves when we need to fear opposing forces?
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Maybe it’s just me. Maybe it’s just me.
That was a bit too macro. Think back to our personal lives. Everything we do is constrained or controlled by something. Wanna pursue arts and make a living by engaging in creative things? “You’re a disgrace, sonny, no doctor no good,” says an old-fashioned father. Or maybe you’re free to walk that path, and I’m very lucky to say that at least I am, but realistically speaking there won’t be enough opportunities to let you fulfil your freedom of choice and in the end, you’ll be driven to do something that feeds you. Or let’s say you willingly become a doctor. The competition and expectations from others drive you mad, and you’ll start feeling trapped. And maybe you’d want money, and you want to pursue a path that gives you money. Who doesn’t like money? You’re constrained by greed then. Honestly, maybe to find true freedom, one needs to embrace death.
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Tung SAMMI Financial Secretary
reedom to me is something we fight for. Whether it be the freedom of speech, the freedom for love or even freedom to make decisions privately. What I think a lot of people forget, is that along with freedom, comes with obligation and responsibility. Personally, since young, I have been taught of my responsibility as a member of the family, and that the freedom I enjoy to go out with my friends as I would like is part of the relationship of giving and receiving. Like many things in life, what you get is what you give. When we fight for freedom and the approval from the society or others for who we are, we are bound to give back. Little to the struggle to freedom as a young adult at home, or to the larger context of fighting for the freedom of love in the society, we must not forget when we expect freedom to be given to us, we have to return with sincerity, with candour and with a heart of appreciation.
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What does freedom mean to you?
RACHEL Li
Promotion Secretary
painter would draw a blue sky, white clouds, a bird with spread wings. A kid would tell you a story of a sturdy superhero, who has unlimited power and indestructible determination to make the world better. A politician would associate freedom with liberty and link it to human rights like freedom of speech, freedom of choice, freedom of…
m— o d e e r f t o n s i s But thi st. a e l t a to me,
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y freedom is a politician could explain freedom by drawing; a kid could have a desire to be heard, even though he may not know the term “freedom of speech”; a painter whose hairs are grey and eyes are droopy, could have a superhero dwelling in his heart.
People tell me that I am a girl, so I need not care too much for my work if I can get a rich man to be my husband. People tell me that I am too young, so my ideas must be naïve, unrealistic and immature. People tell me that... The modern world is obsessed with efficiency, where speed is the key to everything. We even find shortcuts in knowing a person, trying to generalize people by a particular trait he/she has. Conclusions are drawn, judgements made in a few minutes, or even a few seconds, disregarding the fact that it takes years for a person to become who he/she is today. We throw out expectations on others hastily, not knowing they are cages and chains that confine others to be who they really are. Freedom is the ability to be ourselves. Set a person free by taking time to know a person’s story. Good things take time.
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T
here is a kind of freedom that brings delight. It belongs to everyone, but not everyone realizes it. This freedom cannot be granted by anyone other than yourself, yet people are seeking it from others around them, and I used to be one of them. I forgot since when that I have learned that we all should feel happy, contented when we are embraced and liked by people around us. From the way we dress, the way we act, to the way we speak, it’s inevitable that we would often get judged at everything we do – as if we could feel the sarcasm in people’s eyes and desertion from their attitude. While rejection and criticism can tear you down from what you have come so far, they also contain you in a prison which is invisible to your own eyes. So you decided to change, to adapt, by wearing that miniskirt which your parents thought was pretty, to stop listening to that music which your friends thought it was toxic, and to show your teeth when you smile because a stranger said you look better that way. At some point of your “confinement”, you would wonder, where did that promised happiness go after getting praise and compliments for doing things people want you to do?
P R I S T I N AT a n
Promotion Secretary
They faded away long ago, long enough for you to lose yourself. And the only one who gets the key to liberate your own thoughts and spirit is you. Either to stay or leave, it’s always our choice. We have all the freedom to be ourselves, but we don’t often realize we are the ones who hinder ourselves from reaching towards it when we decided to trap ourselves in a box full of people’s meaningless judgments.
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There’s nothing to compare to the joy of being ourselves. Let people’s voices flow by you because at the end of the day, what matters the most is how you perceive yourself and what you want yourself to be. The moment when you allow yourself to follow your own rules, you’re free.
F
reedom is something that is very personal and broad at the same time. It bears so many different meanings and sometimes it’s difficult to pinpoint what freedom is to us because it so diversely discerns from each individual. It becomes an untold habit then, as we yearn for freedom, yet most of the time we have no idea what we are asking for. As I reflect on the liberation I seek in my life, I boil it down to a specific desire that I resonate deeply with: creative freedom, which is a goal currently too far away in my life.
LEANNE
From a young age, I have fallen in love with creating. Lessons from the greats have taught me that a true artist bows to no constraints and their art lives true, uncensored and brave. However, like many others, my love was buried under the unapologetic growth with time, comments that should not matter and the nagging fear of failure within me. Those obstacles chip slow and gradually kill and wipe out any conviction, trapping us within confines that eventually snuff out our attempts to breakthrough and mould us into the system. I long to free myself from such patterns so as to create without boundaries, so that my designs belong to me.
Leanne Hong Publication Secretary
To be able to live my truth and share it to inspire others to do the same is no easy work, and it is far away. Perhaps, though, all we need is a tweak in the mindset to begin setting ourselves free. When whispers become cries, this freedom is inevitable to me, and I find comfort in anticipating the day when my passion and I rise above my own fears and the looks from the world. I am lucky to have realised my need and nature to break free during my youth. This anticipation is one I share with many others, including you. No matter what you strive towards in life, I ask you to look beyond and to liberate yourself with faith in your capability and passion. To be confined no more.
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Academic Secretary
WA L L A CL Ee e
R
ecently I was admitted to a residential hall, another milestone in my university life.
Freedom to me is not something that those kids are still yearning for. It is becoming vaguer, but also more manifest. Vagueness comes from its definition. I am not a kid who wants to buy snacks and toys infinitely anymore. As a grown-up, freedom to me is like putting me at the centre of the world, freeing me from some tutorial sessions of an online game when you are a newbie. Looking at the things around me, I can do whatever I want, go wherever I want, sleep whenever I want. I can barely name a few specific things that can represent the entity of FREEDOM. That’s why it is getting vaguer and vaguer as I grow up and become more ‘free’.
The manifestation of this vagueness comes from how I know so well that freedom comes with sacrificing, or trading. Being admitted to a residential hall, I have to travel back to my home once a week for my job there. Each time, I have to pack a lot of stuff from my hall room and my backpack is as full as a damn huge rock. The thing I am bearing is totally a burden, a form of sacrificing. Another example is that I have to do all the laundry myself, which I have never done before. And a lot more examples, all are about sacrificing your time, stamina and money. In return, you get your freedom, like doing anything you want, going out in the middle of the night for a late-night treat, having fun in the lounge with friends when it is already 2 a.m.
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You can choose not to be admitted to a residential hall, so you can be free from those chores and troubles. But you cannot choose not to grow and live.
sp ea k, or ri ght to ac t, er w po e th is “Freed om or thi nk as one wa nts .”
C T H E R R Y Wong
his is what freedom means in dictionaries. Of course, this is undoubtedly right, freedom is when you can do anything you like with no constraints. But freedom doesn’t mean the same in my perspective. It means and seems like something impossible to me, or i would say it is just a fantasy. Not to be pessimistic, just realistic.
Social Secretary
I think freedom is when you can be free from any worries, and you can live the dream life you want. You don’t have to stress over your study, you don’t have to get overwrought on your work, you don’t have to lose sleep for your relationships etc. Freedom actually means perfection in life and no pressure and problem. So I will say freedom is impossible. I mean, how can you ever achieve this flawless life? How can you not be on tenterhooks sometimes? Real life just doesn’t allow this. We always have loads of things to deal with, and we always brood over things in the future. We can hardly avoid trouble and pressure and that makes freedom even harder to obtain. It’s beyond the bounds of possibility, nearly. This is reality, cruel but true. Freedom is only a dream to me, as we are trapped in the “life jail” the moment we are born
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J O N A T H T a n g A N
Programme Secretary
Some may say we simply have no choice but to give up on our dreams and settle for reality. But, is that really true? Why can’t we at least fight for what we dream of and fight for the right to really be ourselves? Pursuing our dreams might be difficult. However, if we don’t give up, our dreams live. When we keep on chasing our dreams, our lives will be fun, colourful and challenging. Even though there is no guarantee that our dreams will come true; it sure will be regretless as we are living genuinely our own lives.
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So here I urge you all to remember what is really important to you and don’t hesitate to live the life that you could call your own. Let us not be prisoners of the society, but dream chasers who paint our own future.
F
reedom is one of the most important
values in human history. With freedom people can go anywhere they like, do anything they want to. In today’s society people seem to have freedom, however, the fact is nearly all are trapped in the prison of society, losing their freedom to dream. When we were small, we dreamt every day: we dreamt to be princesses, superheroes and space travellers, to name but a few. However, when we grow up, we simply forget our dreams. But what causes them to vanish? When we’re old enough, we realize all these fantasies during our childhood are unrealistic, hence we force ourselves to forget these “ridiculous” dreams and start living in reality. This process is called “growing up”. When we grow up and step into society, sooner or later, we will be restricted by social boundaries and norms, resulting in losing our freedom to dream. Nevertheless, there exist a few people who will insist on the freedom to dream no matter what it costs. People may strongly protest against even a little deprivation in Freedom of Speech, but why does it not apply to protecting their freedom to dream, or the better way to put it... the freedom to be themselves?
JOYCE Wu
I
Marketing Secretary
Freedom is the present comes with strings; the crown adheres to thorns; the offer follows by a price. sn’t freedom the thing we all wanted in our childhood? Simple as wishing for one more drumstick before dinner to one more hour in the playground. Freedom is often linked to adulthood. We have always been fantasizing about adulthood, picturing it as something that resembles the scenes we see in movies. As long as you have become a part of the grown-ups’ world, you could do whatever you want. Decisions are all to be made by yourselves. Seems mesmerising, right? Yet, I would say freedom is way more than just freedom. It is tied up with responsibilities and unknown aftermaths. The cage still exists. In old times, our minds go wild in the only choice available. It sounds like that freedom jars with the idea of being constrained. Yet, possessing freedom actually limits us from unleashing ourselves while caging us to the rules and concerns that are bounded by trade-offs. We ourselves would be the ones who are responsible for all the aftermaths, hence, bothering us from attempting new challenges which may have exceeded the threshold of our knowledge or tolerance. It could easily come to the situation that we would stick to the status quo and limit ourselves to the norms. It is absolutely possible that the freedom granted to us is the restrictions crowned on ourselves. Regardless of such interpretations, freedom brings us new experiences. We are allowed to follow our free wills and get adventurous in our inestimable life. Freedom is still a precious present; it might come with strings, but it also comes with blessings that should be cherished.
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CRE CREATIVE ATIVE WORKS WORKS 26
prism ii
falling. red sun shifts to blue water. enter: swallow. a citizen of the sky finds itself violently thrown into the ocean. the other swallows continue flying north. enter: whale. “what’s happening?” the whale asks. “excuse me, who are you?” gurgle. “hello?” gurgle gurgle. “why are you here? what’s your purpose in life?” dark water merges with black feather. push and pull. the ocean embraces the swallow, and the swallow struggles against its prison. feathers lash out, sharpening into knives, cutting through slow water and leaving ghostly bubbles in their wake. light from the setting sun strikes the water and rainbows spill from the rays, seeping beneath the surface. open wide. krill and plankton whoosh past the drowned swallow. “you have five more minutes.” my time– is it up? and what do you mean by “who are you?” night falls and all is black. sky and sea are indistinguishable from animal. if no one sees or remembers me, do i still exist? what am i without my white belly and my red throat? what is a student without a black pen, and only a white piece of paper? lines quiver and lose shape, rounding out like fluffy clouds. the bubbles pop: you twist in water, vision blurs. suddenly, the whale says: “your time is up. please put down your pen.”
am i doomed to die a drowned swallow? no– this is not my ending. even if the universe has printed it in black and white for me, i refuse to make it a reality. i will rise with the sun, glorious and red.
the storm passes and a new day awaits.
door opens. i am nothing. i am everything. i am anything.
Kai Leung
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Living In The Digital Age
“Hello, Dr. Engel from Bell Labs speaking. How may I help you?”
“Hello! This is Martin Cooper from the Motorola company. I am currently speaking to you on a mobile phone.” “Is this some sort of joke?” I would like to think the above is an accurate depiction of how the conversation that occurred on April 3, 1973, between Martin Cooper and Joel Engels went. I would also like to imagine that Cooper incorporated the idea of a workout into the marketing of Motorola’s first mass-produced mobile phone - the phone Cooper called his rival, Engels, on weighed nearly 1kg. Today, mobile phones are ubiquitous - a far-cry from when Cooper made his phone call and revolutionized the way we communicate. Holding an object equivalent to the weight of a brick to hear the voice of someone miles away was a luxury. The flat, lightweight slab we carry with us everywhere, combining the technologies of the calculator, alarm clock, and camera, make the original phone seem incredibly dull in comparison. Freedom, at its most basic level, is concerned with the extent to which we are able to do as we please, to create the life we wish to live without constraints. It asks that others not to prevent us from us acting without good reason on their part, for to do so would be to infringe on our freedom. However, our freedom may not only be restricted by others. It can also be limited by our capabilities to act, especially in terms of our abilities, our mental state, and material wealth. It would be difficult to say that anyone is restricted from the purchase of electronic devices today. Most people are certainly free to do so. The option is available to them should they have the needed amount of money to purchase the item. No one is preventing any one person from accessing this option. The sheer number of mobile phonesavailable today, following the laws of supply and demand, indicate that a large majority are free and able to purchase mobile phones. Freedoms are typically interconnected with other freedoms. The spread of social media as a way of communicating with others, enabled partially by the increasingly large amount of personal electronic devices owned, also enables others to access more information about the world. There are more opportunities for one to engage in discourse. Ironically, at the same time electronic devices broaden our freedom to express ourselves and access more information, our modern-day obsessions with electronic devices, paired with its ubiquity, has also posed constraints to our freedom. The absence of an electronic device can prove to be detrimental in the job search, where many companies now put their job postings online. Some jobs, such as those where people work via an on-call basis, require people to have an electronic device so that they may be notified when work comes. Other office jobs reinforce this expectation that everyone has easy access to electronic devices and the internet at all times - a constant refreshing of the email inbox and other social media in order to meet the demands of a prompt reply. The very devices that were meant to liberate us from the necessity of face-to-face interaction and allow for our lives to be more convenient have enslaved us in different ways. Access to the internet and other electronics is no longer a privilege in the 21st century. It has become somewhat of a necessity. For those wishing to forfeit their internet lives to further engage with reality, they may just have to face the snark replies by others to “go ask Google” when a genuine question - whose answer cannot easily be found by digging one’s nose into a book - is posed, and miss a couple Moodle deadlines by refusing to go with the good ol’ handwritten essays.
Sabrina Lerskiatiphanich
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"Bad Poems" Man is free to do whatever he wants. We can write poems, but we better not write bad ones, just like how I used to write. Here are some examples of bad ones that you should avoid. I. Whatever you Put in the stanza should Be Arranged in some sort of Comprehensible and aesthetic Way, isn't it? II. "Why oxymoron when you can oxidise morons, Such as the one who doesn't even rhyme; And the one who doesn't count syllables, Their heads must be made of boron." "You just made a rhyme, I heard it." "Oh did I?" III. Been experimenting with poetic devices Again and again Don't know why but nothing Perfect would show up Oh wait I have to change that little bit. Endless trials and errors My brain would then decide to Stop doing stuff IV. The worst of all poems of the world, Aren't about the words seemingly curled, Nor about how damn meaningless they are, But that they remain unfin
J. Vaughan
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Butterfly Identical cocoons of silk, Those chained with the idea of comfort, As a camouflage for the internal torture. Concealed away, dismissed. Fed with an illusion of life that doesn’t exist. But you dreamt of dreams beyond your cocoon. A metamorphosis, to change when time came. The brave one endured it. You peeled away from your past, To pave way for a vibrant future and you wore your pain in color. you lifted yourself from the ruins, And flew away. With freedom attached to the wings of your dreams.
Khan Uzma Nisa
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My Last Duchess That was my last glance at my lord, He drew the curtains and he, and the magpie’s servant there I saw: He pointed and called me a piece of wonder of the brilliant artist Fra Pandolf, I was not wonder nor was I the painting, Nor was I of any virtue to my lord at all. Wonder was, to me, my lord. And I, A mere sight in a frame, a pitiful absence, And my affection, an overwhelming nuisance. I blame but my blunt speech and my ignorant nature, it is not my lord’s fault but my own. Of all the courtesies must I smile, And displease my lord into doubting my loyalty? Or thank young gentlemen in a way so flirtatious, That my lord would accuse me of infidelity? I could only blame but myself. My own, self. Who, Knows not of the austere manners of a lady. To-day, the curtain is drawn and I can see The magpie has claimed what never belonged to me. I pray thee, how shall I say? Undying sweetness, my lord, with thine spring blossomed cherry; I pray thee infinity, my lord, if you would, your disgust and hate, Because, at least, thou shall bethink of me.
Bibiana
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The Struggle that Encloses and Liberates Freedom, the holy grail that we all aim for In times of relentless scarlet whips and silent tales I speak: I protest: I rebel, even though now I'm frail Bludgeoned, battered, enclosed amid a storm of terror Bloodshed all over the road; skulls remain on the trail Sprawling upon a sanguine lawn in broad daylight Listening to how ripples form small circular swirls so bright With my responsive eye fixed upon a multi-hued butterfly Which flutters in a circle and bids me farewell While the doves can't help but cry I roll up my shabby sleeves up to the joint A mild voice reverberates through my ears: Say Something Resistance and surrender: either nothing or everything Constraints and opportunities: it depends on how we define I come along, salute to our martyrs and sing Stretching upon ghastly barren sward in dim moonlight Listening to how rain drums upon the windowpane I accept the thought of soaking myself in pain For death is but the last stage of life As soon as agony steals my consciousness away Gazing at the pitch-dark sky through the crimson-tinted glasses I drench myself in blood-stained rain once more Yet, I see myself unchained from regrets evermore Prison, an underground world of despair and misery My conscience smiles, bows and forgives my flaw Pain is the song that the butterfly sang It dances to forget death in its flight to Heaven However, I sing of freedom; I sing of relief Regardless of how anguish encloses us in the deathly cold For history marks our refusal to seek submission
Linus Lam 32
A Window With a View “Tell me about yourself. Why do you think you are suitable for this role?” Tell me. Not even a could you please tell me, but tell me. A demand. Fidgeting in my seat, I searched for the interviewer’s eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of her expression. Maybe they would reveal something about her impression of me. Should I offer a submissive smile and seem amicable? Or stern, so she would see how serious I was about this interview? But perhaps she could already see the desperation displayed so clearly on my face – as clearly as I can see her black, soulless eyes scanning my resumé. Impassive. Noticing my silence, she looked up, as if to say, well? My eyes drifted from her face to the large fixed window behind her. It was the only spectacular thing in this room, and not because there was anything inherently special about it, but because of the view it flaunted. Behind the window was the magnificent skyline of the city where light from the sun bounced from one glass building to another, creating a harmony between light and shadows that even Caravaggio would be envious, anxious to capture the sight; where boats sailed fearlessly across the glistening water, disappearing into the horizon, the unknown. Outside, out there, that was where I wanted to be, should be. Not here, behind these four white walls with no personality, not even a painting or a photo for goodness’ sake. There was an irritated tapping on the table. But how should I introduce myself? That my name was a combination of the two most common names: Michelle and Chan? That it never occurred to my parents to name me after a word, a someone, or a thing that meant something to them? Michelle, given to me only because my parents thought I would be at a disadvantage at school and at work if I did not have an English name. Michelle, the name that would first come up when I searched ‘most common baby names’ on Google. Chan, another word that I inherited and shared with the many unrelated Chans around the world. Or should I introduce myself as the girl who believed – and still does – that her life would be different, but much happier reading literature? That her dream of studying at a private liberal arts school abroad was never, and could never be fulfilled because money was the thing which stopped her world from spinning. The sense of unfulfilled potential kept her up at night, sometimes even following to her showers, to classes, to hangouts. But it would have broken her parents’ hearts if she had been determined to choose personal enrichment over financial security. Yes, she had to put her determination aside. Family came first, no matter what. Or perhaps I should talk about why I, like many others, had resigned to my fate and sold my soul to the world of corporate law, spending summers interning at Hogan Lovells and Clifford Chance whilst convincing myself that this could make me happy. Eventually.
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The tapping on the table became more impatient. I dragged my eyes from the window back to the black, soulless eyes penetrating mine, bitterness and resentment swirling in them. The interviewer was not interested in what I wanted to say. She probably needed me to say something so her boss would stop pestering her about hiring a new candidate. I wanted to scream at her and tell her that my name was Whatever-I-Want-It-To-Be, that my goal was to finish a book every week, and my dream would be to travel the world in eighty days, but instead, I told her: “My name is Michelle Chan, and for as long as I can remember I have always wanted to become a lawyer and work at your firm. I am suitable for this role because I am determined and passionate…” Clichés. They were the safest. “Thank you. You may leave now – we will contact you within a few days.” I stood up and took another long look at the window. The window with a view was maybe the greatest thing anyone in my position could wish for. A little solace for those who did not have the courage to transcend their metanarratives. It made life in the indoors a little more bearable – just a little bit.
Geri Cheng
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The Twelvefold Song; One of Two, Part the Lesser. By premier dawn, you asked to see What of all world do the enlightened hold, Illuminated from bane and folly With freedom bless’ed, by path of twelvefold. Beseech sawn heartstrings, confined a turret Of verse, of allusions, of timeless woe. Seek aquatic tomes, be thus literate In good ration, in classical virtue. Observe resigned how four humours propose Where bloodied flesh become cross’ed in thee. Blight and pestilence do abhor those Familiar anatomically. Sanctified be crossroads so corporal; Love the vital relics, whose might you sow. Dispel blunt miasmas the veins befall; Offend not Nature’s aureate ratio. Yet the ancient sin, temptations of bliss Adorned eyes aquiline a majesty That desires a venomous chalice Whose ruin renders a slave to beauty. Thus, lips of violet, a visage too fine, Are tenets veiled in celestial shade. Sever, however, the callings benign From indulgences deathly as vain nightshade.
Then, don a cuirass with garnets bestud In a bosom whose grace will not inter Passions unsung by castanets of blood Lest age recants our fire and amber. Nurture a figure whose gestures do bind, one’s frosted heart, like a blossoming hearth. Regard Refinement, winged and enshrined, so gallant as he dances into death. Decant within swirls of velvet bygone, And Venetian mirrors, alabaster, Of eloquent hands in portraits dressed on Halls once opulent with genteel fervour. Beware the black lies of vulgar allureBy disposition tasteful embrace The gems in playful hearts of high milleu, A galleon’s worth of porcelain grace. Yet unrestrained is the sapphire eye At heavens terrene, where lovers align, To brocade and bread embroidered by Lust scarlet-stained and myrrh inflamed wine, Where loins of sugared ivory impart Frivolities of flora and fauna, Of libertinage, and conquests of art. Thus received be the minor Arcana…
Tse Wayne 35
m m o Rec W
s n o i t a d n e
Music Music
hile Freedom! ’90 can be interpreted as George Michael trying to regain artistic individuality from the expectations of the industry, it ultimately acts as a call for listeners to do as the singer does: to get oneself happy and not adhere to what others demand from him or her.
Freedom!90 George Michael
F
ly Away screams of the freedom of youth and the lust for breaking through constraints to boldly pursue liberty and desires. This song speaks of flying away to different parts of the world and its deliverance with striking vocals, upbeat pop-punk instrumentals and its breathtakingly melodic tune makes you want to make your way to a fresh new place.
Fly Away 5 Seconds of Summer
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here freedom is brought up, rebellion might just come to mind. While this energetic tune doesn’t represent this notion of rebellion, it does incorporate the idea of breaking the rules to chase after one’s passion. Sometimes, we might just have to riot to paint colour into our lives.
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Films Films
Charlie Brown Coldplay
hat happens when freedom roams in a place where everything is unlimited… including murder? In one night of every year, citizens get to purge freely by committing any crimes and felony with no records. When extreme freedom looms over lives that are simply too miserable to stay stagnant, what will happen when all hell breaks loose? A must watch for those with a strong stomach who are interested in exploring the consequences of uncontrolled freedom. story on the struggles of a teen boy coming out to his close ones. Depicted was the discrimination and social pressure placed on young adults for being themselves and opening up about their sexual orientation. In the current times of LGBTQ rights and the worldwide Pride parade, the movie illustrates the hardships of these individuals. It encourages and promotes acceptance to the sexualminority living amongst us.
A
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A
s a film adaptation of the book written by Tate Taylor, The Help talks about the struggle of black maids during the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi in the 1960s. A young, budding journalist Skeeter (played by Emma Stone) decided to write a book on racism from black maid’s point to view, interspersed was Skeeter’s own dilemma as a white socialite brought up by a black maid herself. Since its release in 2011, the movie has accumulated more than $200 million box office and won and nominated for multiple awards, including Oscar’s Best Picture.
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Musicals Musicals
he best type of freedom comes from within. To be able to accept ourselves and realise our potential by being free of the constraints set by other and sometimes our own demons is the message of the Broadway classic. With delightful theatre tunes and profoundly inspiring lyrics, the musical is one to liberate the self from restrictions set by our own fears and doubts.
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Wicked 2003
Les Miserables, 1980
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s a timeless classic, Les Miserable is a piece of artwork that tells the tale of the quest to freedom of a people. This broadway gem is a piece of theatre treasure one can revisit time and time again and receive the same impact. Every branch of the story within the musical tells of a different longing and fight for freedom as they come together for a bigger purpose. “Do you hear the people sing?” is a truly representative anthem to cry out to fight for a free world.
Books Books
hen a mob of boys are stranded on an island, it seemed like a paradise for them on the surface. With unbridled freedom, the boys are able to do anything they want, however they want. In order to survive, two boys stand out to compete to be leaders of this little civilisation, but as each of them finds their own group of followers and circle of trust, the new society faces imminent danger as this freedom eventually proves to be too much…
the Handmaid's Tale
William Goulding, 1954
Margaret Atwood, 1985
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et in a dystopian world where women’s only job is to bear children, the Handmaid’s tale is a cautionary tale that calls upon the reflection among women and the society’s perception of equality. Through experiencing this story and the many events that take place in it, female liberation is a message loud and clear. An inspiring read for those who would like a peak in freedom on a social scale. eople have no sense of freedom under the totalitarian rule in this classic. What happened in the book could easily happen or may even be happening somewhere in the world right now. We are only ignorant to not acknowledge how close we are to such a dystopia. This bleak read can certainly reassure your determination in your ways to rebel and resist in order to fight for freedom.
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Poetry Poetry
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George Orwell, 1949
aking up to expectations and responsibilities every morning could be tiring. We all have our own “promises to keep”, but what’s the harm to go for a walk in nature or even a trip to exotic places once in a while? Perhaps the little things in life to escape to is a slice of life freedom that we all need. After all, everyone needs a break to be able to continue with the “miles” that awaits.
Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening Robert Frost
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TOMO THERE MORE 38
RROW ’LL BE OF US Acknowledgements
Publisher: English Society, A.A.H.K.U.S.U., Session 2017-2018 Editor: Leanne Hong [leanne.hkuengsoc@gmail.com] Cover Art: Pristina Tan [pristina.hkuengsoc@gmail.com] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HKU.English/ || Instagram: hkuengsoc Address: 2A01 (1), Fong Shu Chuen Amenities Centre, The University of Hong Kong Email: engsoc@connect.hku.hk LINK October 2018
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Embark to see the beauty in the uncertain.
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