bc magazine

Elaine Chow: 14 March, 1986 – 27 October, 2005

In loving memory of Elaine Chow our friend and colleague who in the early hours of the 27 October 2005 committed suicide by stepping off a building. Gone, but never forgotten!

Elaine was a wonderful, vibrant young woman, who brought joy to everyone she met. Our memories of her remain so strong and clear, that beaming smiling face still brings a big smile to my face and a warm glow to my heart even in the darkest of days.

The pain of her death never seems to fade.

RIP Elaine you are deeply missed.

********

Suicide is not the answer.

HongKongers help each other, reach out and talk to someone…please!

If you know someone who’s talking (even jokingly) about suicide talk to them.

If you’re thinking of committing suicide, you are not alone – talk to someone first. Suicide scars and destroys those you leave behind.
Samaritans Hong Kong: 2896-0000 www.samaritans.org.hk

Elaine Chow: 14 March, 1986 – 27 October, 2005

In loving memory of Elaine Chow our friend and colleague who in the early hours of the 27 October 2005 committed suicide by stepping off a building. Gone, but not forgotten!

How can it be sixteen years since that tragic evening? Our memories of Elaine remain so strong and clear. She was a wonderful, vibrant young woman, who brought joy to everyone she met.

The memory of her beaming smiling face still brings a big smile to my face and a warm glow to my heart even in the darkest of days.

The pain of her death never seems to fade.

RIP Elaine you are deeply missed.

********

Times are tough, but there are many people to talk to!

Suicide is not the answer.

HongKongers help each other, reach out and talk to someone…please!

If you know someone who’s talking (even jokingly) about suicide talk to them.

If you’re thinking of committing suicide, you are not alone – talk to someone first. Suicide scars and destroys those you leave behind.
Samaritans Hong Kong: 2896-0000 www.samaritans.org.hk

Elaine Chow: 14 March, 1986 – 27 October, 2005

In loving memory of Elaine Chow our friend and colleague who in the early hours of the 27 October 2005 committed suicide by stepping off a building. Gone, but not forgotten!

How can it be fifteen years since that tragic evening? Our memories of Elaine remain so strong and clear. She was a wonderful, vibrant young woman, who brought joy to everyone she met.

The memory of her beaming smiling face still brings a big smile to my face and a warm glow to my heart even in the darkest of days.

The pain of her death never seems to fade.

RIP Elaine you are deeply missed.

********

Tragically almost 3 people a day, on average, commit suicide in Hong Kong. It’s the unseen killer across all ages.

If you know someone who’s talking (even jokingly) about suicide talk to them.

If you’re thinking of committing suicide, you are not alone – talk to someone first. Suicide scars and destroys those you leave behind.
Samaritans Hong Kong: 2896-0000 www.samaritans.org.hk

Lunar New Year Fireworks Cancelled

Home Affairs Secretary Lau Kong-wah announced that the fireworks display in Victoria Harbour, traditionally held on the second day of the Lunar New Year has been cancelled for security reasons.

It appears that the government is unable to exert enough control on the HK Police to ensure public safety. And that more video of police beating and arresting random people will further erode the tourism industry.

A mainland visitor, when asked if she was afraid of coming to Hong Kong, answered: “I’m afraid of being attacked or arrested for no reason”.

當荒謬成為日常 / When Absurdity Becomes Everyday

當荒謬成為日常

手腳被綁，膠袋套頭被指為自殺。
街上出現腰部斷為兩截的屍體。
墜樓身亡，卻沒有任何巨響和鮮血。
海上出現雙手被綁口封膠紙的浮屍。
⋯⋯ 他們不是一堆無可疑的數字。

當荒謬成為日常，請拒絕麻木，
麻木只會令歪理變常理。
.
若從天而降一具具的屍體，你會怎樣？
.
(靈感來自Rene Magritte的作品Golconda)

image @pon.seed

Hands and feet were tied and plastic bags were alleged to have committed suicide.
Two corpses with broken waists appeared on the street.
He fell and died without any loud noises or blood.
A floating body with seams sealed in both hands appeared at sea.
…They are not a bunch of unquestionable numbers.

When absurdity becomes everyday, please refuse to be numb, Numbness can only make a fallacy common sense. What would happen to a dead body from heaven?

(Inspired by Rene Magritte’s Golconda, translation google translate)

Elaine Chow: 14 March, 1986 – 27 October, 2005

In loving memory of Elaine Chow who committed suicide by stepping off a building in the early hours of the 27 October 2005. Gone but never forgotten!

Elaine was a wonderful, vibrant and happy woman, who brought joy to everyone she met. Her smile would brighten the sunniest and dreariest of days.

The pain of her death never seems to fade, but nor do the memories of her smile and the joy she infused to all around her. RIP Elaine.

Almost 3 people a day, on average, commit suicide in Hong Kong, it’s the unseen killer, if you know someone who’s talking (even jokingly) of it get them help/talk to them.

If you’re thinking of suicide, please please talk to someone first.
Samaritans Hong Kong: 2896-0000 www.samaritans.org.hk

Talk to Someone

It occurred to Pooh and Piglet that they hadn’t heard from Eeyore for several days, so they put on their hats and coats and trotted across the Hundred Acre Wood to Eeyore’s stick house. Inside the house was Eeyore.

“Hello Eeyore,” said Pooh.

“Hello Pooh. Hello Piglet,” said Eeyore, in a glum sounding voice.

“We just thought we’d check in on you,” said Piglet, “because we hadn’t heard from you, and so we wanted to know if you were okay.”

Eeyore was silent for a moment. “Am I okay?” he asked, eventually. “Well, I don’t know, to be honest. Are any of us really okay? That’s what I ask myself.”

“All I can tell you, Pooh and Piglet, is that right now I feel really rather Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. Which is why I haven’t bothered you. Because you wouldn’t want to waste your time hanging out with someone who is Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All, would you now.”

Pooh looked at Piglet, and Piglet looked at Pooh, and they both sat down, one on either side of Eeyore in his stick house.

Eeyore looked at them in surprise. “What are you doing?”

“We’re sitting here with you,” said Pooh, “because we are your friends. And true friends don’t care if someone is feeling Sad, or Alone, or Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. True friends are there for you anyway. And so here we are.”

“Oh,” said Eeyore. “Oh.” And the three of them sat there in silence, and while Pooh and Piglet said nothing at all; somehow, almost imperceptibly, Eeyore started to feel a very tiny little bit better.

Because Pooh and Piglet were there.

No more; no less.

(A.A.Milne, E.H.Shepard)

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day and this is National Suicide Prevention Week – Talk to Someone

Suicide PreventionHotline Service (24 hours): 2382 0000
The Samaritans (24 hours) : 2896 0000

RIP Elaine…

In the early hours of the 27 October 2005 our wonderful friend and colleague Elaine Chow committed suicide in-front of her friends by stepping off the side of a building.

Elaine was a wonderful, vibrant young woman, who brought joy to everyone she met. Her smile could, would and still does brighten both the sunniest and dreariest of days.

Thankfully we all have many memories of Elaine, when I asked her if she’d like to turn her internship at bc into a paid job. She replied, amidst a beaming smile and joyful disbelief “You mean, you want to pay me to eat…” The memory of her beaming smiling face of disbelief as she replied still brings a big smile to my face and a warm glow to my heart – even amidst the agony and pain of the anniversary of her suicide.

It’s been thirteen years since Elaine jumped… I still feel as if I’m running down Jaffe Road. My heart breaks every time my mind replays the screams erupting from my phone, looking up disbelievingly and seeing Elaine falling – so fast, yet in slow motion – towards me.

My brain cannot process the truth of what it sees and my legs will never be moving fast enough to reach and try to catch her… The pain of those images has not faded at all, but nor thankfully have the memories of her smile and the joy she infused to all around her.

RIP Elaine you are deeply deeply missed. You may be gone, but you are never forgotten! You are in our hearts every minute of every day.

Elaine Chow: 14 March, 1986 – 27 October, 2005

********

According to government statistics Hong Kong’s suicide rate has fallen slightly over the last few years but still an average of 2.5 people a day commit suicide in Hong Kong.

The World Health Organisation thinks that attempted suicides are 20, yes twenty, times more frequent than completed suicides. That’s 50 people a day in Hong Kong who attempt to commit suicide!

If you’re thinking of suicide, talk to someone… There is no shame or loss of face in admitting that you need help.
Suicide Prevention Services 2382-0000 www.sps.org.hk
Samaritans Hong Kong: 2896-0000 www.samaritans.org.hk