bc magazine

Crafted Tea Salon – Flamingo Bloom

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Coffee has been flavour of the month locally for years now with numerous coffee chains and single shops offering from an averagely awful to a boutique cup of java. Flamingo Bloom a new tea salon in Central obviously aspires to establish a chain of outlets offering floral teas.

The owners creative branding of flamingos and pink ‘n’ blue colours is targeted heavily towards the ladies but it’s all done quite nicely and makes a welcome change to the drab browns of our local java outlets.

What about the tea? Flamingo Bloom uses four base tea flavours Jasmine Tips Green, Honey Orchid Black, Highland Oolong and Chrysanthemum Pu’er and brews using full leaves to get a better flavour and they’re pretty solid beverages. Everyone has a different preference for how long they like their tea to steep, but the flavours here are good.

On top of the basic teas you can add a wide range of flavours including fresh fruits, salted milk cap – a mix of fresh milk, whipped cream, cheese powder and sea salt – and boba pearls. With most available in hot (500ml) and cold (650ml) options. The choice is wide and prices range from $23 upwards and likely it’ll take a few visits or sharing with friends to find your favourite.

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Each drink is prepared to order and the back area resembles a cocktail bar with servers blending and shaking. A lot of thought has obviously gone into the drinks and there are some nice little touches: the ice is blended into the drink so with a cold drink you get a consistent taste rather than a continually diluted one as the ice melts. A little beetroot has been added to the milk to give a pink colour.

Iced Drink Update: this was during the first week and how their tea crafter explained it to bc, but on recent visits the drinks are just like normal iced drinks with ice-cubes – which is a shame.

All good so far, but there are a few niggles. Flamingo Bloom’s is looking for a healthy and refreshing image, unfortunately what’s not made clear on the menu and in the drink ingredients list is that unless you specifically ask for no sugar, each drink has a large, and we mean large, amount of sugar syrup added to it. Most of the flavour combinations shouldn’t need it – but the sugar hit as with fizzy and sports drinks is the unseen addictive hit.

The owners have carefully thought about drink presentation, yet have gone with a thick opaque plastic cup which hides the attractiveness of the drink. And with all the plastic and straws being handed out it would be nice to see FB aggressively pushing recycling.

Flamingo Bloom is a vibrant new tea salon with lots of tasty teas – our current favourite is the salted milk cap Pu’er – remember to hold the sugar if you want a healthy drink. Just because a drink comes with a straw doesn’t mean it’s best enjoyed through the straw. Many of FB’s drinks are best enjoyed from the top down, rather than bottom up.

Flamingo Bloom
50B Stanley Street, Central. Tel: 2483 1778. 11am-9pm
www.flamingo-bloom.com

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Paradox Highlight of Summer Film Fest

This year’s Cine Fan Summer International Film Festival 2017 (SummerIFF17) programme has been released. Opening a festival that will showcase 33 films next month is the world premiere of Wilson Yip’s new film Paradox.

Paradox, the third in Yip’s popular SPL action drama series, stars Louis Koo as a police negotiator searching for his abducted daughter in Bangkok. With action choreography by Sammo Hung, the film should have some dynamic martial arts scenes featuring Tony Jaa.

Closing the festival is 24 Frames, the posthumous final work of Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami, which intriguingly gives life to still images in a collection of 24 short four-and-a-half minutes film.

Mohsen Makhmalbaf

One of the founders of the new wave of Iranian cinema, director Mohsen Makhmalbaf will visit Hong Kong for the screening of his controversial 1990 critique of Iranian society The Nights of Zayandeh-rood, which was not officially screened in Iran for 26 years after it’s release. He will also present Salaam Cinema, a documentary about the casting and screen tests of would-be actors who respond to a casting call advert for a new film. The director will meet the audience after the screenings.

Festival Films

Roy Szeto’comedy-drama Shed Skin Papa, stars Francis Ng as a dementia-ridden father who regains his youth, and explores themes of rebirth and reconciliation through a father-son relationship.

Deadpan comedy master Aki Kaurismaki’s The Other Side of Hope is a refugee story intertwined with absurdity that took home the Berlinale Best Director Award.

The festival also features three competition films from this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Korean director Hong Sang-soo had the rare distinction of having two films selected for Cannes, including The Day After, his adept play about infidelity and mistaken identity. Academy-Award-winning director Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) pays a stylistic homage to the great maestroJean-Luc Godard in Redoubtable. In the Safdie Brothers’ heist thriller Good Time, Robert Pattinson hits a career high playing a scuzzy bank robber.

Great actresses can illuminate a film with their performances. Isabelle Huppert is back in Hong Sang-soo’s orbit to play “a tourist in Cannes” in Claire’s Camera, partnering with Berlinale Best Actress Kim Min-hee. The chameleonic Cate Blanchett plays 13 wildly different characters in Manifesto, bringing fresh possibilities to ideas that rock the world. Nacho Vigalondo’s monster movie Colossal sees Anne Hathaway give one of her her fiercest performances as a killer kaiju.

From legendary rockers to promising outfits, films about musicians can be very hit or miss. Music fan Jim Jarmusch traces the destruction and survival of iconic rock star Iggy Pop and the Stooges in Gimme Danger. While Michael Wintervottom’s On the Road follows British neo-grunge outfit Wolf Alice during its UK-Ireland tour, intertwined with a fictional love story. Liberation Day is perhaps the most interesting film of the three chronicling as it does ex-Yugoslavian art-metal band Laibach as they become the first foreign rock band to tour North Korea.

Kings of Comedy – The Art of the Comedians

Is a series of six films where comedians like Charlie Chaplin and Jerry Lewis showcase the serious art of being funny in The Freshman, Steamboat Bill, Jr., City Lights, A Night at the Opera, Some Like it Hot and The Nutty Professor.

Monty Python’s surreal comedies are both popular and cult favourites but it’s been a long time since they were on the big screen in Hong Kong. Their influence on the style of modern comedy is profound, so take a seat and enjoy Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life on the big screen again.

Also returning to local screens are two droll masterpieces from two of America’s best directors. Woody Allem’s Love and Death explores life with a playful touch of Russian philosophy, while Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy, featuring Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis helped create the current vogue of “anti-comedy.”

Local Classics Restored

Two local classics, Derek Yee’s C’est la Vie, Mon Cheri and Peter Ho-Sun Chan’s Comrades, Almost a Love Story seem to have taken on extra meaning when seen today.

The Cine Fan Summer International Film Festival runs from 15-29 August, tickets are only $28 and you can find the full list of films and screening schedule here http://cinefan.com.hk

Cine Fan Summer International Film Festival
Date: 15-29 August, 2017
Venue: Various
Tickets: various

Modern Heroines Set For World Cup Challenge

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The 9th December 2016 will live long in local rugby history, on a sensational night at King’s Park Hong Kong’s women rugby players beat Fiji 45-7 to effectively secure a place at the Women’s Rugby World Cup. Today after seven grueling months of training the 28, mostly amateur players, who will make that trip to Ireland to compete in the World Cup next month were announced.

The Hong Kong squad will depart on 4 August – head to airport to cheer them off – for Dublin, where they will play 2013 runners-up Canada (7 August), four-time champions New Zealand (13 August) and Wales (17 August), before heading to Belfast for the semi-finals, final and the placing matches.

“We are going to use every woman in the squad in Ireland, and that is a key to our larger goal and mission: to ensure that our first World Cup appearance isn’t our last,” said national coach Jo Hull.

“Qualification for the World Cup is a good start, but our objectives transcend wins and losses,” continued Hull “We also want to change the perception of the women’s game in Hong Kong and to show how tough you have to be, how dedicated and how resilient you have to be – rather than giving in or walking away when it gets tough.”

The squad features a healthy mix of experience and potential, as Hull looks to leverage the Rugby World Cup as a transformative event for the women’s game locally – where it’s been under-funded and often viewed by the male dominated HKRU hierarchy as an irrelevance.

“We have gone with our experience and some of our more physical players that can withstand the challenge of a World Cup, but we are really excited to see the number of young players who have raised their hands during the campaign,” Hull added, singling out emerging players like scrumhalf Chloe Mak, flyhalf Lee Tsz-ting, flanker Agnes Chan and 18-year old centre Kelsie Bouttle.

“These players have really come into their own and are improving every game. We have rewarded that potential and it is a fantastic opportunity for them to shine,” said Hull.

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Lock Chow Mei-nam captain’s the squad and the 29-year old physical education teacher is relishing the opportunity ahead for both herself and her side.

“My ambition is to be a world-class lock and the World Cup will provide a stage for me to try and achieve that. By the end of the tournament, I want the other teams to know about Hong Kong Rugby and respect us. That’s my main goal, earning that respect on the pitch.” Chow vowed.

Chow is joined by a core of experienced campaigners, particularly in the forwards, where former captain Royce Chan selection offers her a fitting highlight for Chan’s 13 years of endeavour in support of the women’s game.

Amelie Seure, Christy Cheng Ka-chi and Christine Gordon offer experience in the pack, alongside relative newcomers in flanker Agnes Chan and lock Chan Ka-yan.

“We have gone with some players that we know can get us out of trouble in a game,” confirmed Hull. “For a World Cup you need that balance, you have to have a team. It isn’t just about the players, the combinations have to work, on and off the pitch, to carry the team through those three weeks.”

“We have also given opportunities to some X-factor players. If they get things right, players like Agnes [Chan], Kelsie [Bouttle] and Rosie [Rose Hopewell-Fong] can help us break down defences. These players also help us have a multi-functional squad, with players that are comfortable playing in more than one position.”

“We are confident that we have that strength in depth we are going to need to take on three world-class teams in the space of two weeks,” Hull concluded.

The backline is anchored by vice captain and centre Adrienne Garvey, as well as experienced fly-half/fullback Rose Hopewell-Fong and sevens squad members Natasha Olson-Thorne (centre/wing), Aggie Poon Pak-yan and Colleen Tjosvold in the back three.

The emerging players among the backs are young scrumhalves 22-year old Chloe Mak, Ho-yee and 25-year old Jessica Ho Wai-on, while Lindsay Varty adds experience at the pivot. 21-year old ‘BB’ Lee Tsz-ting has been included at fly-half and will hope to add to her eight caps.

The youngest player in the squad is 18-year old centre Kelsie Bouttle who impressed in her first season of Premiership rugby and won her first cap last month.

“It’s been an eye opener for me to be involved and a great motivator to develop my rugby. The World Cup will be an incredible experience,” said Bouttle. “It’s good to be included because I am still young and hopefully have a long way to go in my rugby, so I will be in a position to share that experience and transfer my knowledge to other young players.”

While several of the squad are full-time athletes from the HKRU sevens programme at the HK Sports Institute, the majority are amateurs, who have put it massive amounts of time throughout the campaign to train.

“These are not professional players, but they train professionally,” said Hull. “They are doctors, teachers, social workers and students, and they deserve praise and respect for the commitment they have shown.”

This is Hull’s third World Cup “The opportunity to bring my own squad to the World Cup is a tremendous honour, especially with this group of players. I feel a lot of responsibility because of it.

“I’m looking forward to that buzz and excitement that surrounds a World Cup. I know from my own experience that this will be the most amazing three weeks of their sporting lives and to be able to lead them through that is a privilege,” said Hull.

HKRU Squad for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017:

Forwards: CHOW Mei-nam (captain); CHAN Ka-yan; CHAN Leong-sze, Royce; CHAN Tsz-ching, Agnes; CHENG Ka-chi, Christy; CHEUNG Shuk-Han, Jasmine; Christine GORDON; LAU Nga-wun, Tammy; LEE Ka-shun; PUN Wai-yan; Amelie SEURE; SIU Wing-ni, Winnie; SO Hoi-ting, Karen; TSANG Sin-yan; WONG Yuen-shan.

Backs: Adrienne GARVEY (vice captain); CHONG Ka-yan; CHOR Lik-fung, Laurel; Kelsie BOUTTLE; HO Wai-on, Jessica; Rose HOPEWELL-FONG Siu-lan; LAU Sze-wa; LEE Tsz-ting; MAK Ho-yee, Chloe; Natasha OLSON-THORNE; POON Pak-yan, Aggie; Colleen TJOSVOLD; Lindsay VARTY.

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Additional reporting and images: HKRugby

Sevens Ticket Prices Increase

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After last year forcing children to pay adult prices for their tickets. Those prices have gone up as the Hong Kong Rugby Union announced that tickets will increased by $50/day, approximately 8%.

Not that the general public can buy them anymore, but from 2018 a three-day ticket – except HK rugby are not calling them tickets anymore they’ve been rebranded as “event packages” – costs $1950, up from $1,800 in 2017.

There’s so much guff verbiage and faux justifications within the HKRU release announcing the price increase that you’d swear they’ve been taking lessons from Trump.

The guff includes that fans at the stadium have to pay more so that other people can watch the Sevens for free “HKRU is also expending significant funds to share the excitement of the Sevens with the wider community, with its free admission fan zones in Chater Garden and Lee Gardens”.

I wonder what the sponsors and suppliers who paid HKRU massive sums to have their brands linked to the Sevens and have a presence at those two locations think about that fiction.

The HKRU claims the Sevens are “still excellent value” but there was a lot less actual rugby played at the 2017 Sevens than in years past – so fans of rugby are being shafted twice… paying more for a lot less.

Robbie McRobbie, Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Rugby Union states that “We have an obligation to generate as much revenue as possible from the tournament to support the growth of the game in Hong Kong.”

This from an organisation that is quite probably the richest rugby union in the world and has according to a recent annual return assets of well over $250 million.

The Sevens will still sell out because it’s a unique event and can trade on it’s name and reputation for years to come, but the atmosphere at recent events is not what it used to be and the fans disquiet and sense of being milked increases every year.

What the HKRU and World Rugby fail to understand is that fans do go to watch the rugby. The non-stop run of games throughout the day keeps fan energy high. Now with big gaps in the rugby, the atmosphere and energy sags. We don’t need bands with awful sound systems playing 5 songs. The energy from the rugby drives the Sevens fan experience which powers the rugby… More rugby, more women’s rugby and less of the insipid distractions.

Hong Kong Sevens
Date: 6-8 April 2018
Venue: Hong Kong Stadium
Tickets: $1,950.

Lynch, The Nightmare Maker – A Retrospective

The return of Twin Peaks to our TV screens after a gap of 25 years has David Lynch’s name on everyone’s lips. Especially as the new series is perhaps even better than the original – not something that can be said of many, if any, of the current wave of revivals or reboots.

The 40th anniversary of Lynch’s debut film Eraserhead is this year, the iconic Blue Velvet was released 30 years ago… With this in mind and looking to introduce a new generation to Lynch’s worlds, and the fact that many of Lynch’s film have been digitally remastered, Broadway Cinematheque has organised a David Lynch retrospective entitled The Nightmare Maker which runs from 21 July to 31 August.

Who is David Lynch?

Lynch is much more than just a director. He is also a painter, artist, musician and coffee expert. It’s been over ten years since the release of Inland Empire, the last film he directed. Yet now Lynch is back in the director’s chair, ready to change the landscape of TV again with the new series of Twin Peaks, which became the first TV drama ever to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

Subconsciousness, nightmare, anxiety, memory, surrealism, darkness, absurdity, the gaze… are all keywords for Lynch’s cinema. As strange as the weirdest of your dreams, his cinematic world blurs the line between reality and fantasy. His manipulation of the uncanny and unconventional narrative structures create the most unsettling yet absorbing viewing experiences.

Lynch’s films and tv shows are not easy viewing, but he creates such unique multi-layered worlds full of interesting characters that the reward is worth the effort. Whether you ultimately like the film or not.

The The Nightmare Maker retrospective features: Eraserhead (1977), The Elephant Man (1980), Blue Velvet (1986), Wild at Heart (1990), Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), Lost Highway (1997), The Straight Story (1999), Mulholland Drive (2001), Inland Empire (2006), Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces (2014), Blue Velvet Revisit (2016) and assorted short films.

David Lynch: The Nightmare Maker
Date: 21 July – 31 August, 2017
Venue: Broadway Cinematheque, Palace IFC, My Cinema Yoho
Tickets: $95, $85

Japan Retain Asian Crown With 60-19 Victory

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Japan retained the Asia Women’s Rugby Championship title easily beating Hong Kong 60-19 at Kings Park to complete a two game sweep. The home side made too many individual errors and gifted points to the Sakura with missed tackles galore.

Hong Kong coach Jo Hull tried hard to put a positive spin on her side’s last competitive match before the Women’s World Cup in Dublin next month. “It was another disappointing result, and obviously we aren’t happy with that, but there was some positives compared to last week’s loss in Japan,” said Hull.

“Our defence was good for parts of the game, as was our commitment and physicality in the contact area. Our performance at the breakdown was good and I think we improved in the set piece and were carrying the ball a bit better than last week.”

“At times we were building good momentum in our attack, but there were some real individual errors that cost us quite dearly. We are disappointed, but at the same time we needed that game,because the next time we play it will be against Canada at the World Cup,” added Hull.

Japan centre Riho Kurogi opened the scoring, converting her own try as visitor’s size and speed came to the fore. Further tries to fullback Ai Tasaka, second rower Aoi Mimura and Captain Seina Saito pushed the score out to 24-0 after 30 minutes.

One-on-one tackling is still a massive problem area for Hong Kong with players outright missing tackles or just not being strong enough in the tackle to bring the player down. There was an improvement on last week at the breakdown, but this was largely achieved by having more players in and around the breakdown – which left space out wide which Japan consistently exploited.

The home team struggled to gel on attack in the opening stages with the interchange between scrumhalf Ho Mak-yee and fly-half Rose Hopewell-Fong an issue early on. Consistently though Hong Kong contrived to put themselves under pressure. All too often with the ball around the half-way line and the backs angled deep. The passing was slow, to players who were static and within seconds from looking to be on the attack the ball was back inside the HK twenty-two and having to be kicked away…

Captain Chow Mei-nam put Hong Kong on the board in the 30th minute, finishing off a solid patch of play by crashing over the line from second phase ball, after Hong Kong won an attacking line-out on Japan’s five-metres. Winger Aggie Poon Pak-yan added a difficult conversion from along the right touchline, 24-7.

But Hong Kong failed to push on from their score, defending poorly to allow Japan to add another try shortly before half-time, 31-7.

In the second half, scrumhalf Sham Wai-sum came on to good effect, helping to inject some fluidity into the attack. Winger Chong Ka-yan capped that early momentum by opening up the Japanese defence in the 42nd minute to score the host’s second try which Hopewell-Fong’s converted, 31-14.

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Tries to Takano and winger Honoka Tsutsumi pushed the score along to 43-14, effectively ending the contest. Although Maki Takano’s 56th minute yellow card for repeated infringement allowed the veteran Sham to exploit the extra space as she darted over for a try in the right corner in the 58th minute. Poon missed the touchline conversion, leaving Hong Kong trailing 38-19.

Japan confirmed their superiority with tries to Sachiko Kato, Yumeno Noda and Yuki Oyokawa in the final 20 minutes to secure a comfortable victory 60-19, and claim a second straight Asian title.

The loss left Hull with much to think about ahead of next month’s World Cup. “Full credit to Japan, they played very well and are coming along nicely. They are always clinical but today they were very accurate and played at good pace. I think they will do well at the World Cup,and we hope they do, as we are all representing Asia at the end of the day.”

“For us, we have a good idea of our squad selection for the World Cup and today and last week was about getting those players some game time.”

Hull singled out two up and coming young players in 21-year old flanker Agnes Chan Tsz-ching and 18-year old centre Kelsie Bouttle. “Agnes played well, as did Kelsie. That was the second cap for both of them and I think we have a couple of exciting young players coming through there,” said Hull.

“We’ve identified what is working well and what isn’t, and we aren’t going to change what we are doing. We will keep emphasizing the things that are important to us. We’ve been working hard on our game and our fitness and now we need to start transferring that to actual matches.”

“Over the next few weeks, we just need to try and improve in those little areas that are holding us back. We just need to keep believing in ourselves and keep working on what we can control,” said Hull.

Hong Kong are pooled with Canada, runners-up at the last World Cup, as well as four-time champions New Zealand and Wales in the Women’s Rugby Cup which starts in Dublin, Ireland on the 9 August, 2017.

Additional reporting and images: HKRugby

Hong Kong Search for Self Respect

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After last week’s comprehensive 58-0 defeat in Japan, coach Jo Hull has named an experienced starting XV for the home leg of the Asia Rugby Championship against Japan at King’s Park.

“This is a crucial hit-out absolutely,” said Hull. “This is our last international before the World Cup and whether we win or lose, we want to perform the way we know we can. Last week was about getting players game time and looking at some new combinations, but this week we have gone with an experienced squad.”

“It is an experienced group, but it is also a performance group; a lot of these senior players have been performing to standards throughout the build-up, not just in games but in training. It will be good to have players like Christy [flanker Cheng Ka-chi] and Natasha [centre Natasha Olson-Thorne] back.”

Hull expects to need every bit of that experience with Japan, coming off a big win last week, likely to further bolster their squad with their own senior players.

“They will bring back some of their key players, as well. They have their own objectives building up to the World Cup and will come out even harder than last week,” Hull added. “We are prepared for that.”

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“It has been a massive re-focus week this week for us, and I’m proud of the level of accountability in the camp. We have worked a lot on eliminating the high number of individual errors from last week, even amongst the senior players; that has been a focus area, as well as the set piece.”

“We’ve had a good week of training and have been replicating a World Cup week where we will be looking to back up again for another big performance like we have to do in Ireland. But all of that doesn’t count for anything, it’s about putting it out on the pitch and the players are aware of that.”

“If they get their individual and team jobs right, we could have a special performance and that is our focus. If we get those things right, the results will follow,” Hull said.

Captain Chow Mei-nam leads an experienced group of forwards with the front row anchored by props Wong Yuen-shan and Lee Ka-shun with Karen So at hooker. Chow will assume her normal second row spot, partnering with Amelie Seure, who moves into the tight five to create room for Christine Gordon at No.8. Gordon will pair with sevens captain Cheng and Chan Tsz-ching at flanker.

Mak Ho-yee gets a run at scrumhalf and will combine with Rose Hopewell-Fong, who came of the bench last week to good effect, at fly-half. “Ho-yee can inject a bit of pace into the game which is something we are after,” said Hull.

Out wide, an all-sevens line-up of backs will also be keen to perform. Vice captain Adrienne Garvey will pair with Natasha Olson-Thorne in the centre with Aggie Poon Pak-yan and Chong Ka-yan on the wings and Colleen Tjosvold at full-back.

The bench has experience and depth with Royce Chan Leong-sze, Cheung Shuk-han, Lau Nga-wun and Pun Wai-yan as the front row reserves. Scrumhalf Sham Wai-sum, Lee Tsz-ting and Ivy Kwong Sau-yan as backs reserves, alongside Kelsie Bouttle, who has earned a second appearance after making her debut last weekend.

“Kelsie didn’t get much of an opportunity last week, so we wanted to give her another run. She brings a different dynamic to the centres for us, which is what we are after,” Hull added.

The match against Japan will offer the selectors a final opportunity to examine their charges in a match environment before naming the final 28-strong squad a week from Saturday at Kings Park.

Hong Kong v Japan
Womens Asia Rugby Championship
Date: 6pm, 15 July, 2017
Venue: King’s Park
Tickets: Free

Additional reporting: HK Rugby

Ayako Oshima Live in Hong Kong

Clarinetist Ayako Oshima makes her Hong Kong debut at the Shouson Theatre on the 13 July. The Japanese artist and clarinet professor at the renowned Juilliard School will be accompanied by Joe Zhou (clarinet) and Carrie Fung (piano) in a French music program.

Ayako’s style of playing is very expressive, with a clear sound which suits the evening’s concert program. As well as being a judge in music competitions Ayako founded the Kita Karuizaw a music seminar which attracts clarinet students from all over Asia and with her husband, Charles Neidich, she has written a book on the fundamentals of clarinet technique.

Program:
Francis Poulenc: Sonata for Two Clarinets
Ernest Chausson: Andante and Allegro
Eugene Bozza: Bucolique
Claude Debussy: Première Rhapsodie
Charles Neidich: Tempest
Darius Milhaud: Scaramouche
Luigi Bassi: Gran Duetto Concertato from Bellini’s La Sonnambula

Ayako Oshima – Clarinet Recital
Joe Zhou, Carrie Fung
Date: 8pm, 13 July, 2017
Venue: HKAC, Shouson Theatre
Tickets: $250 from Urbtix

Presented by Music Plus