Bowie/Collector

David Bowie-gavin-evans

Many people know of David Bowie through his music and films and his influence transcended music to shape the wider culture of our time. As well as being a talented artist, Bowie loved art and in a way that isn’t possible today, courtesy of social media and camera phones, took an active role in the art world both buying art at auction, meeting artists and sitting on the editorial board of renowned art magazine Modern Painters.

“Art was, seriously, the only thing I’d ever wanted to own. It has always been for me a stable nourishment. I use it. It can change the way I feel in the mornings. The same work can change me in different ways, depending on what I’m going through.” David Bowie – NYTimes 1998 

The breadth and scope of Bowie’s personal art collection was revealed with the release of Sotheby’s online auction catalogue earlier this month. It features over 400 pieces including a ‘spin’ painting that Bowie created in collaboration with Damien Hirst, an altarpiece by Renaissance master Tintoretto, as well as works by 20th Century British Masters such as David Bomberg, Stanley Spencer, Frank Auerbach and Leon Kossoff.

Damien Hirst-with-bowie-beautiful-hallo-space-boy-painting

A selection of Bowie’s collected artworks are on display in Hong Kong ahead of next months Sotherby’s auction. For further information: www.sothebys.com/BowieCollector

Bowie/Collector – Hong Kong Preview
Date: 10am-6pm, 12-15 October, 2016
Venue: Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery,  5/F, One Pacific Place, Admiralty
Tickets: Free

peter-lanyon-witness-1961

Blair Reeve: Author and Peel Street Poet

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New Zealander Blair Reeve has been writing and performing a rhythmic and comical style of performance poetry since 1995. He spent the first seven years of the new millennium teaching English in Japanese junior high schools before moving to Hong Kong where he continued to teach phonics to primary students until 2013. He graduated from Massey University (NZ) in 2012 after studying Japanese and English Literature and then turned his attention to more sustained creative writing by joining the City University of Hong Kong’s Masters in Fine Arts program. He completed this in 2014, and one year later published his first children’s book Hogart The Hedgehog Turns Nink. In September 2016 he published his second book for young readers, Greta von Gerbil & Her Really Large Lexicon. Currently he works from home, caring for his infant daughter and mentoring post-grad students at Chinese U for their portfolios in creative writing. He was a feature author in the Hong Kong Young Readers’ Literary Festival in March 2016 and will be performing at the upcoming TEDxWanChai event on October 29.

How long have you been involved in poetry?
I’ve been involved in poetry since I was a kid in the 70s. First as a reader of comic verse—things like Spike Milligan, limericks & nonsense verse. In high school I really took to analyzing poetry, but I didn’t start writing until I was about 20. I was a pretender of anguished verse, which came from being one of those dyed-in-the-wool Cure fans. I then took up writing poetry as something to be read aloud and performed. This transition from pretender to writer/performer happened around 1996.

What inspires you to write?
My inspiration comes entirely from other poets and poetry. When I see writing I like it makes me want to write better. Hence my early poems were all like bad Goth lyrics. Then I was inspired by other performer-poets during my Dunedin days of the 90s and some of the old Victorian stuff I read at that time, especially Gerard Manly Hopkins who had a really playful word thing going on. Dr. Seuss continues to be an inspiration when I read to my daughter and that led me to wanting to write comical anapestic rhyming verse. This is so much fun I’m sticking with it for the time being.

How does Hong Kong influence your writing?
Hong Kong influences my writing in an indirect way. My social scene is miscellaneous and so it frees me to be as experimental as I like. It also means the cultural inputs into my writing are diverse, and I like that. I like that my poetry is informed by so many different perspectives. But my writing tends to be interior and imaginative rather than worldly, and in that sense, Hong Kong as a direct subject has yet to make it into my writing.

Here’s an extract from Blair’s new children’s book.

Flaytoo the Friendly Mayfly (extract)
Said Phlooty the Mayfly to Flaytoo his boy,
“You’re four hours old now, you’ve played with that toy
since the moment your mother gave birth to you son.
You’ve only got twenty more hours to have fun,
so don’t hesitate, Flayt, get out in the sun.”

We’re fish food, young chap, and that’s perfectly fine.
I’ve nothing against fish who do need to dine,
but there’s no need to hurry yourself to their plate.
Your time here is precious. Their stomachs can wait.
So listen up kiddo, go fly to the ends
of the field and make lots of new wonderful friends.
Because mayflies like us—we don’t live very long.
We’ve only one day till the end of our song.”

Then Phlooty the Mayfly unflicked his four wings,
and left Flaytoo flying alone without strings.

Say what?” exclaimed Flaytoo, “I’ve only one day?
That barely leaves time for a Mayfly to play!
Well I certainly mustn’tly waste my time ruing
those four hours gone when I ought to be doing
what Phlooty suggested—travelling and seeing
how other flies spend their lives living and being.”

Peel Street Poetry is an open mic poetry night at Orange Peel. It runs every Wednesday of the month except the first. The environment is friendly and they love new performers, so come share your poetry or just listen along to some of Hong Kong’s sharpest poetic talents.

Peel Street Poetry Open Mic
Date: 2nd, 3rd, 4th (and 5th) Wednesdays of the month
Venue: Orange Peel
Tickets: Free
More info:
www.peelstreetpoetry.com

Edited: 1 November 2016 – extract amended, last line was missing

Psychedelic Timelapse Hyperlapse Hong Kong Video

Photographer Kirill Neiezhmakov has created a stunning video to capture his impressions of Hong Kong. Shot in September 2015 this is not your typical timelapse video. It’s a timelapse / hyperlapse video with a hefty dose of psychedelic elements and a tight soundtrack.

The video was made using two Canon cameras, a variety of lenses and a GoPro Hero 4. Post production was done in Adobe After Effects, Lightroom and LRTimelapse.

Ho Man Tin and Whampoa Stations Open 23 October, 2016

mtr-network

The MTR announced today that passenger service on the extended Kwun Tong Line to the new Ho Man Tin and Whampoa stations will start on the 23 October.

When the new service begins, Whampoa Station will become the terminal station of the Kwun Tong Line – although not all trains will actually terminate there, some will finish at Ho Man Tin.

The estimated journey time between Whampoa and Yau Ma Tei stations will be approximately 5 minutes. While a trip from Whampoa to Admiralty will take approximately 15 minutes.

The frequency of trains during peak periods for Ho Man Tin Station will be approximately 2 minutes while for Whampoa Station it will be approximately 4 minutes.

Additional reporting: MTR

Pink Season 2016

pink-season-hk-2016

Pink Season, one of Asia’s longest running LGBT festivals celebrates openness, acceptance and love in all forms, shapes and sizes. Founded in 2000 by the Pink Alliance, a non-profit organisation that aims to facilitate cooperation and unity in the LGBT community, the festival looks to use a broad programme of events including art, entertainment, sports and adventure to raise awareness and acceptance that an individual’s sexuality doesn’t define them as a person.

Pink Season 2016 runs from the 30 September-5 November, find out more at www.pinkseason.hk. Some of the events in Pink Season 2016 include:

Pink Season Launch Party
Date: 7pm, 30 September, 2016
Venue: Circo Hong Kong
More info: www.facebook.com/events/1760232187522361

Pink Season Bike Ride
Date: 10am, 1 October, 2016
Venue: Tai Wai Rd, Tai Wai, New Territories, Hong Kong
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/312013812469281/

Pink Season – The Art of Brunch
Date: 12pm, 2 October, 2016
Venue:
Bibo
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/865814820221898/

How To Start Your Rainbow Family
Date: 7pm, 5 October, 2016
Venue: Standard Chartered Bank, the Forum Exchange Square Central
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1062810933797362/

Pink Season Urban Race
Date: 10:30am, 8 October, 2016
Venue: Shatin, Hong Kong
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/957582207700965/

Pink Season Family Picnic
Date: 10am, 9 October, 2016
Venue: Chung Hom Kok Beach
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1212247512138983/

Pink Season Variety Show
Date: 8pm, 12 October, 2016
Venue: Boo Bar
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/551570588360998/

Double Junk Party at Floatilla
Date: 9:30am, 16 October, 2016
Venue: Central Pier Number 9
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/768344279935296/

Pink Season Fruits in Suits
Date: 6:30pm, 18 October, 2016
Venue: Tivo
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1122829337791238/

Pink Season Trivia Night
Date: 8pm, 19 October, 2016
Venue: Tivo
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1571349876501423/

Pink Season Camping Weekend
Date: 10:30am, 22 October, 2016
Venue: Starbucks Sai Kung
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/241338359594695/

The Rainbow Connection
Date: 8pm, 25 October, 2016
Venue: The Orange Peel
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1035602976522648/

Pink Season Beer Pong Tournament
Date: 8pm, 26 October, 2016
Venue: Trafalgar
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/230715153991437/

Pink Season Sports Day
Date: 10am, 29 October, 2016
Venue: Li Po Chun United World College
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1770949863148440/

Pink Season Halloween Party
Date: 10pm, 29 October 2016
Venue: FLM Bar
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/305680123126843/

Rocky Horror Open Air Cinema
Date: 7pm, 3 November, 2016
Venue: The Butchers Club, Wong Chuk Hang
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1693209190999770/

Out in the Open Beach Party
Date: 5 November, 2016
Venue: Repulse Bay
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1043691085747464/

McLaren 570GT Launch @ LKF – 8 September, 2016

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2016/McLaren-570GT-Launch-LKF-8/i-GhTDgXh

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2016/McLaren-570GT-Launch-LKF-8/i-XpnCGnF

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2016/McLaren-570GT-Launch-LKF-8/i-xgrQhZM

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2016/McLaren-570GT-Launch-LKF-8/i-WBHCVgm

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2016/McLaren-570GT-Launch-LKF-8/i-7fjnTDv

What are Tropical Cyclones?

weather signals

Tropical cyclones are classified in accordance with the World Meteorological Organization’s recommendation by the maximum sustained wind speeds near the centre. In Hong Kong, the classification is defined in terms of wind speeds averaged over a period of 10 minutes as follows :

Tropical Cyclone Classification

 

Maximum 10-minute mean wind near the centre

Tropical Depression

up to 62 km/h

Tropical Storm

63 to 87 km/h

Severe Tropical Storm

88 to 117 km/h

Typhoon

118 to 149 km/h

Severe Typhoon

150 to 184 km/h

Super Typhoon

185 km/h or above

What do the HK Observatory Signals Mean?
1 – A tropical cyclone is centred within about 800 km of Hong Kong and may affect the territory.

3 – Strong wind is expected or blowing generally in Hong Kong near sea level, with a sustained speed of 41-62km/h, and gusts which may exceed 110km/h, and the wind condition is expected to persist.

8 – Gale or storm force wind is expected or blowing generally in Hong Kong near sea level, with a sustained wind speed of 63-117km/h from the quarter indicated and gusts which may exceed 180 km/h, and the wind condition is expected to persist.

9 – Gale or storm force wind is increasing or expected to increase significantly in strength.

10 – Hurricane force wind is expected or blowing with sustained speed reaching upwards from 118 km/h and gusts that may exceed 220 km/h.

Here’s a list of storms that have ‘hit’ Hong Kong since 2012
2012:
Doksuri (No.8)
Kai Tak (No.8)
Vicente (No.10)
2013:
Utor (No.8)
Usagi (No.8)
2014:
Kalmaegi (No. 8)
2015:
Linfa (No. 8)
2016:
Nida (No.8)

For the latest HK Weather news check the HK Observatory’s website