Category: 2017

Miss Powers @ FLM – 8 July, 2017

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Miss Powers prowled the stage at FLM to showcase her single and talk about her time auditioning on X-Factor Australia.
Click on any photo for the full gallery of images

https://youtu.be/KnJzVWeprzY

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Asia Society Fail to Apolgise for Joshua Wong Censorship

In a statement published on their website the Asia Society made no apology to either PEN or Joshua Wong about the censorship involved in their decision not to host the Hong Kong 20/20 book launch if Wong, a contributor to the book, spoke.

Statement on PEN Hong Kong Event, Joshua Wong
NEW YORK, July 6, 2017 — Asia Society takes this issue very seriously,
and after looking into the circumstances, it is clear that an error in judgement at the staff level was made involving the PEN Hong Kong event. Asia Society, throughout its history, has hosted events at all of its global locations with speakers representing all sides of major Asia-related issues. This has been one of our core principles since our founding in 1956; it’s still our policy today. We remain steadfast in our mission to serve as a global forum for meaningful and open dialogue.

In May, Joshua Wong spoke at Asia Society in New York along with other speakers from Hong Kong. Wong and speakers from all sides of the issue are welcome at Asia Society.
For more information, contact [email protected].

It’s sad to see an organisation that claims to “serve as a global forum for meaningful and open dialogue” refuse to apologise for looking to censor such open dialogue.

Hong Kong Set for Asian Women’s Rugby Championships

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Ahead of their historic first appearance at the Rugby World Cup in Ireland in August, Hong Kong’s women’s rugby team will face Japan in a home and away series to decide the Asia Rugby Championship.

The matches on 8 July in Japan and 15 July at King’s Park are the teams final competitive warm-ups. “These games are a great opportunity as they come so close to the World Cup” said Hong Kong coach Jo Hull.

In announcing her squad for the away match (8 July, kick-off at 11 am HK time) Hull has given National Age Grade graduate Kelsie Bouttle a chance to earn her first cap after a standout season for League and Grand Championship winners Valley. There’s also a return for some of the side’s senior campaigners in centre Adrienne Garvey, who will captain the team in Japan, and flanker Christine Gordon.

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“It is a bit of a different squad,” confirmed Hull, who hailed the team’s, “good mix of experience. It is great to have Rocky [Garvey] and Chrissie [Gordon] back, and we are excited to be able to blood another new cap in Kelsie, along with the first-timers who went to Spain.”

“We are using this opportunity to look at a few different starters and combinations, like Lindsay Varty at scrumhalf and ‘BB’ [Lee Tsz-ting] at ten. We think that could be an exciting combination as both are playing well at the moment.”

“The selection reflects our preparations for the World Cup, which is our only focus at the moment. Everything we’re doing is building towards being ready for the first match against Canada next month,” Hull said.

The match also represents another opportunity for the players who made their Hong Kong debuts against Spain in Valladolid last month – and although the squad’s focus is fully on Dublin in August, Hull is demanding results from her side in the Asian Championships.

“This is international rugby and we are representing Hong Kong, so results matter. We started to close the gap over the week against Spain and now we need to do that against Japan.”

Hong Kong lost it’s last outing against Japan in December’s World Cup Qualifier, 20-8, improving on 39-3 and 30-8 losses in last spring’s Asian Championships.

“This is a big test of our progress for the World Cup,” said Hull. “There has been a clear message to the girls selected about accountability and we’re putting a premium on efficiency and accuracy. Each game is about getting us one step closer to how we want to play on the world stage.”

“While the squad has really come into their own over the past six months, at this stage of the campaign, there are no second chances. The players have to be accountable, plain and simple. They know and accept that.” Hull warned.

Both Hong Kong and Japan advanced from December’s triangular World Cup Qualifier to their first ever World Cups at fifteen-a-side. Since then Japan have also been busy preparing, splitting matches against Wales and Ireland in June.

“Japan have had some good results and they should be proud of themselves. They are a good team and are very disciplined. To put them off their game we need to start fast and get into the mix early on. That fits with our objectives for the Rugby World Cup, to play much faster and be more efficient on the pitch, particularly in the contact area and set piece.”

“We really saw how important those things are in Spain and we will be looking to make improvements from our tour last month,” Hull concluded.

Hong Kong for Women’s Asia Rugby Championship 2017:

1. LAU Nga-wun (Gai Wu), 2. Royce CHAN Leong-sze (HKFC), 3 WONG Yuen-shan (USRC Tigers/EdUHK), 4. CHAN Ka-yan (Gai Wu), 5. TSANG Sin Yan (Kowloon) 6. Christine GORDON (Kowloon), 7. CHAN Tsz-ching (Tai Po Dragons/HKBU), 8. Amelie SEURE (Valley, vice-captain), 9. Lindsay VARTY (USRC Tigers), 10. LEE Tsz-ting (Gai Wu/HKBU), 11. LAU Sze-wa (Valley), 12. Rebecca THOMPSON (Valley), 13. Adrienne GARVEY (Valley, captain), 14. Laurel CHOR Lik-fung (Valley), 15. Aggie POON Pak-yan (Gai Wu), RESERVES: 16. HO Hoi-lam (Gai Wu), 17. CHEUNG Shuk-han (Valley), 18. PUN Wai-yan (Gai Wu/EdUHK), 19. Winnie SIU Wing-ni (USRC Tigers), 20. TSANG Sin-yan (Kowloon), 21. HO Jessica Wai-on (USRC Tigers), 22. Rose HOPEWELL-FONG Siu-lan (HKFC), 23. Kelsie BOUTTLE (Valley/ICHK).

Additional reporting: HK Rugby

Mr Greek Moves to Soho

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Originally it opened in Mongkok, but Mr Greek has upped sticks and moved to Graham Street in Soho where the first Asian restaurant (operated as a franchise) of the this popular Canadian chain offers a wide range of Greek and Canadian dishes.

Simple sides and snacks include souvlaki, spanakopita, grilled vegetables, roasted potatoes and pita with delicious fresh dips.

The mains are generously sized and include several variations on the classic Canadian poutine ($50/$55). It might not look attractive to those searching for beautiful dishes for facebook/instagram but the enjoyment of poutine is in the eating. A piled high plate of chips, of the big fat variety-cooked fluffy in the middle, covered in delicious home-made gravy, and melted mozzarella.

It’s a lovely filling plate of carb to enjoy alone or with a friend and perfect washed down with a cold beer (byo). If we have a slight complaint it’s that there wasn’t enough gravy and it would be better served in bowl.

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The moussaka is minced lamb with layers of potatoes and aubergines topped with melted cheese and makes a nice change from similar Italian dishes.

There’s a selection of stuffed pita known in Greece as gyros, which are pita bread stuffed full of meat, salad, dressing and at Mr Greek chips. It’s a big fresh mouthful!

For seafood lovers there’s octopus, calamari offered as mains or taster sizes. And for salad aficionados there are a range of crisp flavourful salads to enjoy.

All the ingredients are freshly prepared on the premises or imported from Greece and portions are large enough that you really can share with your friends. There’s a selection of attractive looking desserts but we didn’t try any.

It’s not fancy and the poorly designed Chinglish menu does the restaurant no favours. But the food is tasty, filling with good sized portions at reasonable prices for Soho, so what’s not to like!

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Mr-Greek-27-June-2017/i-vjgwRpL

Mr Greek: 51A, Graham Street, Central. Tel: 2352 3336
Opening Hours: noon-midnight everyday
www.facebook.com/Mr-Greek-Asia

Protest March – 1 July, 2017

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Someone spent a massive amount of money to stage a 3 day Chinese space exploration exhibition in Victoria Park, even bringing an actual rocket. On the first day it was only open to select Mainlanders. For the last two it was seldom busy, mainly perhaps because it was patriotic first and foremost, informative a distant second.

Why is that relevant to the annual 1 July protest march – because it’s exactly that an annual march… And a big deal was made across local media about the march being cancelled because access to the park had been denied to the organisers. Not true, the gathering point was simply moved to the lawn, with massive police barricades ensuring that march and indoctrination could not meet.

A big deal is made over numbers, and they are important. But Hong Kong has never really had a political or protest culture. That one has properly evolved over the last few years is a true indication of the depth of Hong Kongers frustrations with incompetence, nepotism and increasing corruption. Most people are lazy and it needs something like tear gas – or in the case of pro-China groups cold hard cash and a free meal – to stir them. That so many do still turn out should be statement enough.

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Sport For All Day 2017

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will hold a “Sport For All Day 2017” on 6 August 2017 to encourage people to maintain a healthy lifestyle through sports and activity participation and form the habit of exercising at least half an hour a day.

There will be a wide range of free programmes offered across the city from ‘run gait analysis’ to ‘towel exercises for fun’ see the full programme schedule here.

To get you in the mood and habit of exercising the LCSD have created a simple daily stretching programme – the pdf of which you can download here.

Various normally fee-charging LCSD facilities will be open for free on 6 August. The facilities include:

Indoor facilities: badminton courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, netball courts, volleyball courts, squash courts, table tennis tables, American pool tables, billiard tables, sport climbing walls, bowling greens, golf facilities, fitness rooms, activity rooms, dance rooms, cycling track.

Outdoor facilities: tennis courts, tennis practice courts, bowling greens, batting cages, sport climbing walls, archery ranges, a rope course and golf facilities (excluding camp facilities, sports grounds and artificial and natural turf pitches); Public swimming pools (excluding Wan Chai Swimming Pool); and Craft at water sports centres.

Bookings for land-based leisure facilities and craft at water sports centres on 6 August can be made at the Leisure Link booking counters at LCSD venues (except for self-service kiosks) from 9am on 30 July. Each person can only book one free session on a first-come, first-served basis irrespective of the type of facility.

No prior booking is required for public swimming pools where entrance is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sport For All Day 2017
Date: 6 August, 2017
Venue: LCSD Sports Facilities
Tickets: Free
More info: Bookings from 30 July.
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/sfad/2017/index.html

The End of 5 Terrible Years

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Sadly the idea of a leader trying to improve the lot of those he/she leads rarely applies in politics. And so it was with ‘what’s in it for me’ 689 who’s naked pursuit of $elf-intere$t is perhaps only exceeded by 54’s.

Thankfully, though it seemed far longer, the 5 years of 689 are over. A ‘fuck-off and don’t come back’ drink, accompanied by a lone piper for the departure countdown, was held at Tamar Park.

Hong’s Kong’s stunning skyline a reminder that whatever incompetent leaders Beijing imposes on Hong Kong. We will survive, for we are HongKongers!

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Lai Yuen Cha Chaan Teng

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Almost everyone over a certain age remembers Lai Yuen, yet today it’s a brand in search of an identity and a product. The recent carnivals at Central Harbourfront in 2015 and Asiaworld Expo last year were a dose of nostalgia brought to life. But Hong Kong has two amusement parks today and even with 60 million tourists a year there’s not economic room for another. So what now? Earlier this month Lai Yuen open it’s first cha chaan teng style restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui. bc went along for a lai cha.

Cha chaan teng’s are such an integral part of Hong Kong life, can they be ‘modernised’ and ‘branded’ – the answer is a qualified yes. Surprisingly the dishes we tasted at Lai Yuen were pretty good. The menu is extensive and full of traditional dishes and drinks.

The lai cha milk tea ($21) has body and flavour and is nicely smooth, as is the ‘yuan yang’ ($21) both strangely are served in plastic mugs. There’s a fun unique twist to the signature Fresh Pineapple Ice ($31) you’re also given the pineapple so you can ‘squeeze’ more juice yourself. Rather clever, especially in today’s selfie taking world.

The portions sizes are good, the signature Lai Yuen chicken drumstick ($48) is massive, a full meal in itself. The Dino curries have a good range of flavours from the mild Japanese, served with a Pork cutlet ($72) to the slow cooked beef brisket ($78) which has a nice ‘bite’ to it without being overpowering.

Dinos instant noodles with bacon, kimchee and cheese sauce ($64) has four good sized slices of bacon, a fairly dense cheese sauce and again is very filling. The addition of kimchee might seem a little odd, but the sharpness cuts through the denseness of the cheese noodles – if you want it to.

One of the signature dishes is Roasted Whole Chicken With Glutinous Rice ($158). It looks good was tasty and filling, although the chicken was a little dry, but not something you’d instantly return to buy unlike some of the other menu items.

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A staple of any cha chaan teng is ‘French toast’ and Lai Yuen’s is pretty good. Offering a variety of options including a caramel version ($30, $36 with soft boiled egg) for those who find the traditional version too sweet. The bread is big, cut reasonably thick but the egg dip and frying lacked that little quality that takes a dish from good to memorable and must return for.

And the place itself… Well that’s where Lai Yeun is a little strange. For a brand so identified with entertainment there’s strangely little atmosphere. Cha chaan teng’s, like amusement parks, are vibrant energetic places but Lai Yuen isn’t – despite the merry-go-round style lighting and horses hanging from the ceiling. It’s hard to say exactly why, but pondering on it I think it was the grey/green walls. It’s such a drab colour and seems to suck the energy and life from place.

A strange colour choice, certainly not a brand building or a colour to establish an identity on. Which is a shame, because the food and drinks are good, portion sizes are filling meal sizes – no eating here and leaving hungry – and prices very reasonable for 2017. There’s not many places in TST where you can get eat better for the price.

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Lai Yuen
12-16 Granville Road, TST, Tel: 3598 3088
www.laiyuenrestaurants.com
Opening Hours: 10am-11pm