Got swamp water runnin through my veins
October 25, 2011 at 4:15 pm | Posted in Ramblings, Seen and Scene, Travel Diaries | Leave a commentTags: comparison, experience, job, life, Louisiana, Monroe, swamp
Monroe-bound.
After two and half months of living at home with my parents while job hunting and freelancing for The Gainesville Sun, I finally got some good news. A Gannett paper in Monroe, Louisiana was interested in hiring me as a reporter to cover their city beat.
I didn’t really know what to expect. I’d never even been to Monroe or heard of it before I’d applied for the job. In fact, I’d never been to Louisiana or driven more than three hours anywhere, so the thought of driving more than 11 hours to get to the city I’d soon call my “home” sounded daunting. But Louisiana couldn’t be too much different than Florida in terms of climate, right? Maybe slightly colder in the winter. And from what I’d read of Monroe, it seemed like it might be somewhat like Gainesville too: large medical centers, a university, and a tight-knit community about the size of Gainesville, if you include the nearby towns that are grouped into the Monroe Statistical Area. Gainesville might have a much larger university— an enrollment of 50,000 compared to the University of Louisiana-Monroe’s 8,000— but it would suffice. (Before you ask) It’s about four hours from New Orleans.
What did I know about Louisiana? That perhaps the French I learned since fourth grade could finally come into use after living 21 years in Florida (Parfait!), and that Cajun food probably wouldn’t do me much good. Thankfully, I learned after getting to Monroe that being in Northeast Louisiana, they weren’t huge on Cajun cuisine (phew). To my dismay, no French was spoken either (quel dommage).
I decided to split the trip up, driving north to Atlanta first to visit some friends and to stop at the Hindu Temple to seek blessings before starting the new job. From there, I took I-20 West for…. well, hours, but that initial drive was far from boring. It was exhilarating because I’d never seen Alabama, Mississippi, or Louisiana. Something about driving that far on your own on the freeway is absolutely liberating.
Driving from Atlanta, I passed by Atlanta’s Six Flags theme park and Stone Mountain, past the Talladega Superspeedway, through downtown Birmingham, past Jackson University and Jackson Zoo and across the Mississippi River.
Finally seeing the first sign for Monroe, I got really excited.
It was in that moment that I didn’t care anymore that a few people back in Gainesville raised eyebrows when they learned I’d be moving to Louisiana. Why wasn’t I moving some place more hip like New York City, they asked. Or Boston or Philly? A couple even warned me not to come back with a southern accent (not kidding, though I wish I were).
But moving to what they considered the “deep south” turned out to have its benefits– southern hospitality. Since the moment I got here people have been nothing but welcoming and helpful. My bosses, coworkers, sources and absolute strangers have been so accommodating. All this time I thought Gainesville had been a really warm and friendly community, but I’m glad to learn that Monroe is just the same. I don’t think that’s something I’d get from living in a big, bustling city, but I’ll wait until I move to one to find out for sure.
For now, all I can say is that compared to the swamps of Florida, the bayous of Louisiana aren’t so far off. Some might call this job offer fate.
Crossing the Mississippi River into Louisiana. Vicksburg on one side. Village of Delta on the other.
Lan Kwai Fong – Last night in HK
September 6, 2011 at 3:26 am | Posted in Seen and Scene, Travel Diaries | Leave a commentTags: culture, Hong Kong, Lan Kwai Fong, leisure, nightlife, travel, vacation
I had worked up an appetite following my trip to Lantau island, so I wanted to find a place where I could grab a bite while also being able to mingle. Lan Kwai Fong seemed to be the perfect place to do that, so I walked there from Hong Kong Central Pier. Only occasionally missing a street or two and having to reorient myself by following a map, it took about 20 minutes to get there.
Walking to Lan Kwai Fong
Lan Kwai Fong is a street filled with bars, clubs and restaurants, essentially Hong Kong’s party central, located near the main part of the city where business executives and prominent financial players go to work each day.
Again, since I was traveling alone, I wasn’t about to go clubbing or bar hopping by myself, so I went to the Hard Rock Cafe. I needed to buy my sister a Hard Rock Cafe souvenir pin anyway. She has a collection of pins from cities around the world, so anytime anyone in my family goes somewhere, we try to stop by to add to her collection.
With all the exotic venues along the street within reach, some might say I went with too safe a choice, deciding to go to an all-American restaurant, but I figured this was a place that I could at least get decent vegetarian food while also meeting new people if I sat at the bar.
Sure enough, I did.
As I scarfed down a plate of nachos, I met two gentlemen who said they were in town visiting Hong Kong from Guangzhou. They’d made a day trip and would be taking the train back at the end of the night, they said. One of them worked for FedEx, and the other, for some kind of wine packaging and distribution business, if I remember correctly. The younger of the two was one of those people who can strike up a conversation with absolute strangers and talk to them as if he’d known them for years. The other man, Vin, was Indian, so as I told him about how I’d just been working in Guam for two years and would be on the job hunt once again, he asked me I’d ever work in India. We talked about modernization in India, and discussed the job market there and growth the country has enjoyed compared to other places.
“Even now, with its economy feeling the pressure from global inflation and higher interest rates, some economists predict that India will become the world’s third largest economy within 15 years and could much sooner supplant China as the fastest-growing major economy.” – NDTV, June 9, 2011
However, the debate over India’s rate of growth and when it will outpace China continues because India’s GDP estimates can’t be taken at face value.
We all decided to check out some of the other establishments along the street after finishing our food, but I told them I had to stop by the restaurant’s gift shop first to get the souvenir. To that, the younger of the two (his name has slipped me at the moment) turned to our waiter and squarely asked if he could spare some of his flair to give to me, since he was wearing so many buttons already.
With some reluctance, the bartender obliged. Boom. Just like that.
Me wearing my newly acquired Hard Rock pin courtesy of the restaurant's bartenders. Why pay for souvenirs when you can get them for free?
Strolling along Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong's entertainment and nightlife hotspot.
From Hard Rock we stopped at two places. The first was an 80′s/90′s bar that played music videos that didn’t match the music that the DJ was actually playing. It reminded me of the karaoke joints back in Guam, where a shoddily produced music video of some sappy love song would accompany the heavy metal rendition of what your friends would be singing. This bar didn’t even have new songs available when I requested it. No Ke$ha? Seriously? Bummer.
Next, we hopped over to what seemed like an English pub. It was one of those places that has a gazillion different types of expensive and unique beers and hundreds of boiled peanut shells scattered all over the floor. Repulsed —and tired— I decided it was time to head back to Kowloon since I had an early flight to catch anyway. I grabbed one of many taxis parked at the corner of Lan Kwai Fong and D’Aguilar Street, and nodded off the moment driver started his meter.
Tai O Fishing Village – Day 3
September 1, 2011 at 4:00 am | Posted in Seen and Scene, Travel Diaries | Leave a commentTags: culture, Hong Kong, Lantau, leisure, Tai O, Taoism, travel, vacation
From the Po Lin Monastery, our tour bus took us to Tai O, which, for more than a century has remained a fishing village built on stilts by the Tanka people, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
The floating village reminded me of similar villages I’ve seen in Phang Nga Bay, Phuket in Thailand, where entire families live in structures hovering in the middle of the Andaman Sea. It never ceases to amaze me how these people feel secure living in houses that stand up only on wooden sticks, especially when China is prone to cyclones.
Those with weak stomachs may want to pass on visiting this site. But seafood aficionados, you’re in luck! One can find all sorts of freshly-caught or dried fare here, including fish bladders, which my tour guide said is a Chinese delicacy. You see, the Chinese don’t like to waste any part of the fish, he said. As a vegetarian, I had a valid excuse not to indulge.
Our tour guide holds up a fish bladder among the many items for sale at the Tai O Fishing Village. YUM!
At the heart of the fishing village is a Taoist temple. Taoism is the ancient religion of China, before even Buddhism was introduced, and it’s based on the idea of oneness, that is, opposite manifestations of the same concept are not separate from each other. For example, the yin-yang charm I once wore around my neck in fifth grade because I thought it looked cool actually had Taoist roots. As I learned in 9th grade world history, it was a Taoist symbol depicting the duality of everything around us, like the seasons or life and death. Of course, this is an entirely simplistic articulation of this religion, but it’s because the Taoist path or way, the tao, isn’t something you can define in words.
“Those who know don’t say, those who say don’t know.”
It seemed to me the Chinese practice a little bit of all of these ancient Eastern religions — Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. According to an account by Confucius after he met Lao Tzu, the father of Taoism was a complete puzzle to him:
“Creatures that run can be caught in nets; those that swim can be caught in wicker traps; those that fly can be hit by arrows. But the dragon is beyond my knowledge; it ascends into heaven on the clouds and the wind. Today I have seen Lao Tzu and he is like the dragon!” – Confucius’ impression of Lao Tzu, as taken from The World’s Religions, by Houston Smith
Taoism was founded by Lao Tzu
Our tour guide said people usually come to this temple seeking answers to specific questions. Like throwing dice in the game of life, faithful visitors cup two rock-like objects in their hands, throw them into the air and see how they fall on the ground. The orientation of the incongruous rocks provide an affirmative or negative answer to their question, the guide explained. In some sense, it’s like a Magic 8 ball too, because if the two rocks fall in a certain way, you have to roll again.
Ask away!
Just as the sun started to hint at its own departure, our tour wrapped up, bringing us to Lantau’s Silvermine Bay from where we took a ferry back to Hong Kong’s Central Pier just in time for the city to light up.
Tai O Fishing Village, Lantau
Po Lin Monastery – Day 3
August 30, 2011 at 9:10 pm | Posted in Seen and Scene, Travel Diaries | Leave a commentTags: Buddhism, Christianity, comparison, culture, faith, Hinduism, leisure, travel, vacation
Just below the Tian Tan Buddha sits the Po Lin Monastery, originally established by three monks in 1924. Po Lin refers to “precious lotus.” The lotus is significant in both Hinduism and Buddhism, as it represents “spontaneous generation” such as in divine birth or spiritual development, according to the Buddha Dharma Education Association.
My tour guide said at one time, the monastery was thriving with activity, but now it is seeking more Buddhists to join, as its membership has dwindled in recent years to about 20 to 25 monks.
One Buddhist monk, Shravasti Dhammika of Singapore, attributes the decline of interest in Buddhism to “commercialized spirituality,” a dissolution in the actual Dhamma teachings of the Buddha as opposed to temple rituals being carried out instead, and a fragmented network of Buddhist groups around the world.
“Buddhism is failing to speak to young, well-educated, modern people…. Trying to find out about Dhamma from the average Buddhist rarely works because they rarely know any. Temples and societies emphasize ritual activities rather than solid Dhamma education.” – Shravasti Dhammika, spiritual adviser to the Buddha Dhamma Mandala Society in Singapore
Dhammika suggests today’s young people in Singapore, Taiwan, Korea and Hong Kong are gravitating more toward Christianity because of its dynamic, socially engaging, and well-organized structure, but I don’t think that’s the case.
Even while on Guam, I remember hearing that the Guam archdiocese— quite organized and structured— was also seeking young recruits to join its ranks, as its seminarian enrollment had dropped. And the Catholic News Agency recently reported the Washington Theological Union would cease to operate after 2013, due in part to low enrollment.
Therefore, I don’t think it’s so much a disinterest in Buddhism than it is an overall lack of enthusiasm for investing time into higher religious education or leading an ascetic life in a world where Asia’s economies are poised for growth thanks to the productivity and drive of its young people.
After all, I’ve heard several young people in the U.S., often turned off by the structure of some Western religions, say that if they had to choose a religion, they would prefer to choose something more spiritual like Buddhism. But that doesn’t mean they’re willing to don the saffron robes either.
Seeking the Buddha’s blessings on Day 3
August 30, 2011 at 2:10 am | Posted in Seen and Scene, Travel Diaries | 1 CommentTags: Buddhism, comparison, culture, faith, Hinduism, Hong Kong, leisure, travel, vacation
Since the guided tour on Day 2 proved to be so informative and productive, I opted for a tour on Day 3 as well, this time to Lantau island, the largest of the islands that comprise Hong Kong.
I was keen on visiting Lantau because it plays home to the Tian Tan Buddha and Po Lin Monastery, and normally, when I visit a place and I know there’s a Hindu temple there, I like to go visit. Hindus anyway believe you can pray and worship anywhere since god is omnipresent, but there’s a nice feeling I get when I make a special visit to a temple that’s not in Chennai or near Gainesville, more so when I make the trip on my own. Because Buddhism stemmed from Hinduism and some Hindus consider Buddha an incarnation of Vishnu, I thought as both a tourist and a Hindu, this was worth seeing.
Driving from Kowloon to Lantau, we passed numerous container vessels strewn across Hong Kong’s port. My tour guide said it’s the third busiest port in terms of container traffic, with Singapore and Shanghai being the first two.
Once in Lantau, to get to the Tian Tan Buddha, very devout followers or nature enthusiasts can hike a long, paved trail over several rolling hills and up 268 steps to the statue. But for those of us looking for a less arduous and more picturesque experience the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car is worth standing in line for (Although, if you book a tour in advance, you can avoid the long line).
Looks like many people weren't up for trekking by foot to the Buddha!
The cable car ride spans more then 5 kilometers and takes about 20 minutes or so. You get a great view of some of Lantau’s hillsides and the South China Sea.
You can see the Buddha in the distance, to the left the cable.
The Tian Tan Buddha, at 34 meters, is currently the largest seated bronze Buddha in the world. However, my tour guide said an even larger seated Buddha is expected to be built in Kushinagar, India, and it will be Buddha in the Maitreya form, or Buddha of the future. The Buddha displayed in Lantau is the Gautama version, said to be of this lifetime.
I was intrigued by the idea of a “future” Buddha, because it’s similar to the Kalki avatar in Hinduism, the tenth major avatar of Vishnu. It’s believed that this avatar has yet to take shape but will descend on earth when there’s just too much evil in the world. The name “Maitreya” sounded familiar to me, too, because I’ve heard the Sanskrit word “maitrim” in a patriotic Indian song about world peace. As I found out later, just as the Sanskit word hints, the Maitreya form of Buddha then is the embodiment of loving kindness, according to the Maitreya Project, which aims to provide a social service to the impoverished communities around the world by providing them education, health-care and employment opportunities.
“The Maitreya Buddha statue will provide the world with a much-needed and enduring 21st century monument to universal spiritual and humanitarian values. According to Buddhist tradition, sacred objects such as statues provide a uniquely powerful means by which we can bring to mind the positive attitudes that are essential to the development of loving-kindness.” – The Maitreya Project
I made a mental note to one day visit the Maitreya Buddha when it’s finally completed, hopefully with my family. But for the time being, I focused on the Buddha displayed in front of me, the Gautama version.
The statue is made up of 202 bronze pieces. The Buddha’s raised right hands showers blessings of fearlessness, while his downward-facing left hand spreads virtue. Inside the Buddha is a gallery of artwork by Sri Lankan monks, depicting the different phases of the Gautama Buddha’s life. The statue also contains a relic fragment of bone, allegedly from the Buddha’s neck. The relic, about the size of a grain of rice, is encased in multiple glass cases, several feet away from where visitors can stand, so those who can actually make out the shape of the relic are said to be quite lucky.
I’m not such a firm believer in luck than I am in karma, and I had a feeling the Buddha would agree.
Kowloon Night Market
August 15, 2011 at 2:09 am | Posted in Travel Diaries | Leave a commentTags: Hong Kong, Kowloon, market, nightlife, shopping, travel
The city never sleeps. But I do. So even though it was a Friday night and there was the potential to party it up with the Hong Kong folks (and by folks I mean by myself), I decided to check out the Kowloon Night Market instead and call it an early night.
The market wasn’t too far from my hotel on Nathan’s Road, so I took a less-than-five-minute metro ride from the Tsim Sha Tsui station to Jordan and walked about ten minutes to find the market on Temple Street. There’s no official sign or anything, so you just kind of…arrive there and realize that’s it.
The Temple Night Market is a popular tourist attraction on the Kowloon peninsula and is open until midnight.
This buzzing open-air market runs for blocks, and you can find everything here, from wallets and handbags to jewelry, and from clothing to electronics. Kids toys, gadgets, local wear and leather goods are all available here at reasonable prices, and of course, you can always bargain. The exchange rate is about HK $7.70 for every U.S. dollar. Interestingly, because the market offers a lot of inexpensive men’s items, it’s sometimes considered a “Men’s Street,” according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
The market reminded me of the bazaars we have lining the streets in India, like Pondi Bazaar or Luz back in Chennai. This nostalgia brought me to a hole-in-the-wall Indian restaurant where I had dinner before heading back to my hotel. I saved the real nightlife, Lan Kwai Fong, for the next day.
The city flexes: Day 2 in Hong Kong
August 14, 2011 at 10:47 pm | Posted in Travel Diaries | Leave a commentTags: comparison, Hong Kong, leisure, tourism, travel, vacation
My Splendid Tour guide for the afternoon was a bubbly young woman named Ivy. Speaking to a group of blank faces as the bus wormed through Kowloon to the main island, she chattered on about the island’s history and some of the modern construction projects being undertaken today to connect Hong Kong by higher-speed rail to the mainland, as well as projects to ease congestion on some of the highways connecting Kowloon Peninsula to Hong Kong.
It was Vasco da Gama who first discovered Hong Kong in 1498 when looking for new sea routes to China, Ivy said. Then the Portuguese, Dutch and English all took an interest to claiming land in Asia for trade. The Portuguese took Goa and Malacca in Malaysia, moving their way up north to China and finally arriving in Macau in 1514. By 1557, the Portuguese settled in Macau, paying the Chinese government annual rent. This set the precedent for Europeans to lease land in China, which would later influence Hong Kong’s occupation by the British.
Today, Macau is a gambler’s paradise, and Ivy said the casinos in Macau actually make more money in total than those in Las Vegas. In fact, the UNR’s Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming economics professor William Eadington told the Las Vegas Sun in 2010 that gaming revenue in Macau would would likely exceed $20 billion that year, adding, “Las Vegas still has more diversity in its various offerings, but it’s hard to say that it’s king of the hill in gambling.”
“Macau generated about $5.6 billion in gross “games of fortune” revenue during 2005, compared to about $3.5 billion during 2003. Given the favorable prospects, it is possible that Macau’s gaming revenue could exceed $10 billion within the next five years. However the composition of gaming revenue is what makes Macau unlike any other gaming jurisdiction in the world, including the Las Vegas Strip.” -Bloomberg Businessweek, 2006
It’s just another example of how Asian cities are replacing their U.S. counterparts as the world’s major commercial centers. As China and India’s economies are burgeoning due to increased productivity and modernization, American leaders look to raise the U.S. debt ceiling for short-term fixes for the U.S. economy.
Daytime view of Hong Kong from Victoria's Peak.
Within Hong Kong however, people can only place bets on three things, legally: the lottery, football, and horse racing, which is the most popular, and is handled by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. I didn’t get a chance to visit Macau on this trip, though Ivy said it’s only an hour-long ferry ride away.
As we drove up to the peak, Ivy pointed out the more expensive houses. Just like during the British occupation, the higher up on the hill you live today, the more you have to pay for the view.
Two vendors sweep the area in front of their stall which displays artwork for sale at Victoria's Peak. They're pretty big on cleanliness in Hong Kong. Littering costs you HK $1,500, and smoking in prohibited areas costs you HK $5,000. I did think Hong Kong was rather clean. Not as clean as Singapore though, which has similar fines in place.
After the peak, we headed toward Aberdeen Harbour, where we were took a short tour by sampan, or “small boat,” to get a better look at the boats in this fishing village. Tourists have the opportunity to experience dinner and entertainment at the “world’s largest floating restaurant,” the Jumbo.
By the harbor’s 2010 numbers, it saw 4.66 million tons in imports and exports, 7,467 vessel arrivals, 149,656 passengers, and $1.85 million in profit before taxes.
From Aberdeen, we stopped at a jewelry factory and showroom before heading to Stanley Market through Repulse Bay. The one thing I can’t stand about guided tours is that they usually drag you to some sort of factory as if to show you a process or behind-the-scenes look at some industry. I’ve found that this is just a way to lure tourists to spend money. In this case, our factory tour guide told us plainly that the workers we saw behind glass windows, chipping away at intricate designs were only pretending, and not the actual craftsmen. I was in no way impressed, and found this to be the most boring part of the tour. So when we got to the showroom and I didn’t even flinch at all things glittery, a Swiss man also on our tour asked me how I, as a woman, showed no interest in these things.
For one mister, your comment is sexist and offensive. Second, when I’m in a foreign place, I prefer to spend money on experiences rather than objects. Third, ok fine. maybe your comment was actually somewhat on target because I do love jewelry, but I’m also 23 and now unemployed and not in a position to be racking up major credit card bills.
And on to Repulse Bay we went.
The bay was named for the British attempts to ward off pirates. Ivy said the hotels along the bay provide a kind of Waikiki feel for Hong Kong residents. They come to this bay whenever they fancy a trip “to the beach.” However, you’ll notice in the photo that a yellow line of buoys marks the area where a net has been placed to prevent shark attacks.
Repulse Bay
We only passed through Repulse Bay to get to Stanley Market. This is an open-air market where bargaining is allowed. I’ve never been too good at bargaining myself, plus I had packed my life with me from Guam, so I had absolutely no space in my suitcases to fit anything more.
Stanley Market
While the others used this time to buy handmade souvenirs, I decided I’d go for a late afternoon pick-me-up at one of the pubs lining the street behind the market instead.
Pubs and restaurants line the street behind Stanley Market.
This place served small breaded mushrooms filled with pesto and marinara. They were delicious. Come to think of it, the whole time I was in Hong Kong, I never once had Chinese food. That’s right— French, Italian, Mexican and Indian, but not once Cantonese cuisine. I’m not big into Chinese food, plus I’ve found the vegetarian choice is usually limited.
Stomach full, I was in a much better mood heading back to the bus for our ride back to Kowloon.
Hong Kong Museum of History, Day 2
August 13, 2011 at 4:45 am | Posted in Travel Diaries | Leave a commentTags: culture, history, Hong Kong, leisure, tourism, travel
Since I’d heard it wasn’t enough to see the view from Victoria’s Peak by night, I decided to take a guided tour on my second day in Hong Kong that would let me catch this view by day within the comforts of an air-conditioned bus.
I had time to kill before my afternoon tour, so I first hit up the Hong Kong Museum of History in Kowloon to get a better understanding of the island’s history and culture before seeing more sights.
Established in 1975, the Hong Kong Museum of History occupies 17,500 sq. meters.
The museum itself took six years to build. It flaunts a modern multistory design, eight extensive galleries as part of the permanent exhibit, and state-of-the-art toilet facilities (always a plus). The permanent exhibit, “The Hong Kong Story,” spans 400 million years of Hong Kong’s geographic, social, political and cultural history.
Somewhere between the Neolithic period and the Han dynasty, I dozed off on one of the museum’s benches for a power nap, so as to keep myself energized for that strenuous, air-conditioned bus tour later. In fact, I wasn’t able to get through all of the galleries given the time constraints and the multitude of displays and reading material provided.
People
The only thing I knew about Hong Kong before I visited was that it was once a British colony, and it was only recently handed back to the Chinese. Actually I remember when my family was once flying through Asia in 1996 just before Hong Kong was freed from English colonization, there were banners and posters in certain airports announcing Hong Kong’s approaching independence, which is why this stuck out so clearly in my mind. But I learned that Hong Kong only became a colony in the mid-19th-century.
Prior to that, the island was inhabited by four main Chinese ethnic groups who had migrated from the mainland: the Punti, the Hakka, the Tanka and the Hoklo. The Punti were considered the “local” people, as they had migrated to Hong Kong early on, in the mid-900s to 1120s.
They lived in walled communities to protect themselves from bandits, and these communities usually centered around a worship hall.
Decorations adorning a Punti ancestral worship hall.
The Hakka were the agrarian people, considered “guests” because they migrated to the island much later than the Punti. They ended up having to settle the more infertile lands in the hills. As you might guess, the Punti and Hakka eventually clashed due to territorial issues.
You'd probably find these in a traditional Hakka wardrobe.
The Tanka, later referred to as the “boat dwellers,” settled into the areas along the Pearl River Delta. I figured that must be why Hong Kong’s nickname is the Pearl of the Orient—because it sits right at the mouth of the delta. Plus, it proved to be such a lynchpin to Britain’s triangular trade system much later. However, Google searches yielded no concrete answers as to how it got this nickname, although I did find conflicting information citing the Philippines as the true pearl.
Like the Tanka, the Hoklo, settled the waterfront areas of Hong Kong from the coastal regions of mainland China, and made their living through fishing. Fishing has been Hong Kong’s oldest industry, with grouper, herring and snapper among the most commonly caught fish.
The boat dwellers eventually had to shift to thatched huts on land as their boats became dilapidated. Thus some of their customs, like their marriage customs, were adapted as well. This included a tradition in which the bride and groom would be transported in a dragon boat on the day of the wedding. This ritual eventually became a “dragon boat dance” with dance teams mimicking the rowing of boats using colorful paddles to the rhythm of drums and gongs.
Display shows the Hoklo settlers' "dragon boat dance."
Today, this ritual sometimes includes a street procession of the groom’s relatives and neighbors to welcome the bride to their home.
Marriage processions were common in the Chinese culture. Marriages were usually arranged with the help of a matchmaker, who would assess the compatibility of the couple using their birth dates and astrological measurements.
These marriage rites reminded me a lot of our own Hindu traditions. Hindu marriages were arranged for the most part with the help of astrologers to assess a couple’s compatibility. In Hindu marriages, however, it’s the groom who is welcomed to the marriage site with a procession, either by horse (North India), or foot (South India).
Leisure
For entertainment, theater was a major pastime for Chinese people, as I learned in 1999 when I had the chance to attend a Chinese opera at a Beijing opera house. But the style I saw years ago in Beijing is slightly different from the Cantonese style I saw illustrated at the museum. For one, the Cantonese style replaced Mandarin with Cantonese for the spoken or sung parts, to make it more accessible to the people of southern China.
Scene from a puppet show depicting General Di Qing scoring repeated victories over the Barbarians. In the depicted scene, the general is finally defeated by the Kingdom Shan Shan and is accepted by them as their royal son-in-law. But because the general's loyalty remains with his own kin, he gets the princess drunk and flees. When the princess recovers, she's enraged and sets off to capture Di Qing. In this scene, Qing and the meet in the forest, prepared to battle.
As an example, the museum had on display a scene from a puppet show. I just found the puppets’ expressions fascinating and their intricate costumes worthy of a picture.
A puppet depicting a scene from "General Di Qing Repeatedly Defeats the Barbarians." In this scene, Qing and the princess meet in the forest, prepared to battle.
With little time left before my tour, I proceeded to galleries 5 and 6 on the Opium Wars and cession and growth of Hong Kong.
Cession
It was following the Qing dynasty’s decline toward the end of the 18th-century that the presence of foreign powers in China’s coastal areas became more apparent. The British traded opium from India in exchange for Chinese tea. But the the Chinese quickly realized the addictive and debilitating effects of opium, and in 1839, imperial commissioner Lin Zexu placed a total ban on opium under instructions from the emperor. To put the Chinese in their place, the British decided on a “punitive” approach, leading to armed conflict, according to the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding. By 1841, Qing officials succumbed, handing over Hong Kong Island to the British. It remained a British colony until 1997.
By the late 19th century, Hong Kong was handling more than half of China's foreign trade.
First Peek at Hong Kong, Day 1
July 29, 2011 at 11:08 am | Posted in Travel Diaries | Leave a commentTags: culture, Hong Kong, tourism, travel
Descending into Hong Kong last Thursday, the skies were only partly cloudy, offering a rather clear view of Hong Kong and the surrounding islands. In fact, throughout my stay, I was told repeatedly by hotel staff and tour guides that I had just missed the rains and gray skies from the week prior when Hong Kong felt the effects of Typhoon Ma-On. Hong Kong typically sees about six to eight typhoons per season, which lasts from May to September, one of my tour guides told me.
It was mid-afternoon when I arrived, so I decided to explore the city on my own and save the tours of major sites for the next two days. The concierge at my hotel in Kowloon suggested taking the subway to “Central,” walking along Hollywood Road, up Pottinger Street, toward the Central district of the city. So I did.
Hollywood Road was the second road built in Hong Kong after it became a colony. The first was Queen’s Road Central. However, the Sheung Wan portion of Hollywood Road is identified as the “possession point” from where the British launched their occupation of Hong Kong on Jan. 24, 1841, after China ceded the island to the British.
Here, I paid a visit to the Man Mo temple, a Taoist temple built by Chinese merchants between 1847 and 1862, and entrusted to the Tung Wah Hospital in 1908 (this hospital group provides welfare services for the underprivileged and natural disaster victims, according to its website.) The temple was officially declared a monument only last year under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance.
The temple is meant for worship of Man Cheong, the Taoist god of literature, and Mo Tai, the Taoist god of martial arts. However one block of the temple, the Lit Shing Kung, is dedicated to the worship of all heavenly gods.
Additionally, the Chinese within that area once used this temple as a meeting place to resolve community disputes.
From the temple, I walked toward the main part of the city, passing several antique stores and French restaurants along the way. Hollywood Road is known for these antique shops, which are filled with memorabilia from the Ming dynasty (1368- 1644).
I was initially surprised by the presence of so many French restaurants and French people in Hong Kong. I knew it had been a British colony, but was unaware of its French connections. But Hong Kong apparently plays host to the largest number of French people in Asia — 12,000 registered, 15,000 estimated— with about 600 French-related companies employing 40,000-plus people in the territory, according to the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Hong Kong. Because it’s so easy to set up a private limited company in Hong Kong— and because it’s the second-highest buying power in Asia— the French view this as an “efficient market,” according to the Chamber.
After enjoying a roasted vegetable baguette sandwich at one of the newer French restaurants along the street (I could tell, because the chef was being interviewed by a reporter), I headed toward the Central district of the city.
Pottinger Street, lined with outdoor vendors.
Queen's Road Central
Queen's Road Central
Hong Kong Central district
The International Finance Center, the second-tallest building in Hong Kong, 88 stories high.
Hong Kong Central District
In the midst of major financial centers and banks are Hong Kong’s government offices and newly built Legislative Council building.
Central government offices
Legislative Council building
Smack-dab in the middle of all the skyscrapers is Chater Garden, now used for political demonstrations and rallies thanks to its prime location in the Central district by the Legislative Council.
Chater Garden, Central district
Chater garden, facing the Legislative Council.
I wanted to eventually work my way to the lower tram terminus where I could catch the tram that would take me up to Victoria’s Peak to catch the Hong Kong skyline by night.
Just as the sun was starting to slip lower, I made my way to the lower peak tram terminus. Since I wasn’t with any tour group, I waited in line for more than an hour to catch this tram to Victoria’s Peak, which is situated 396 meters above sea level and named after Queen Victoria.
Entrance to the lower peak tram terminus for the tram that goes to Victoria's Peak.
The tram was established in 1888, starting first as a wooden construction with the capacity to seat 30 people. Some of the wealthier families had already started to settle on the peak years earlier as Hong Kong’s population grew, but traveling to the top of the peak required use of a sedan chair hoisted by up to eight coolies. By 1926, a newer steel-and-wood structure could seat up to 52 people, and by 1948, the tram was revamped in steel and aluminum to seat 62. An all-aluminum tram was established in 1959 bumping the tram’s capacity to 72.
The latest version, updated in 1989, is considered a “state of the art” operation, now seating up to 95 people and allowing standing room for 25. While it still uses the same 1,356-meter track it did in the 1880s, the tram’s operating systems and machinery have been upgraded to include an electric motor and three separate braking systems.
Peak tram to Victoria's Peak
I was glad for those three braking systems, as the tram ride to the to the top was quite steep. However, today, there are other ways to reach the peak: by a foot path and winding road by car or bus.
Whichever route you take, the trip to the peak’s highest point, the Sky Terrace, 428 meters above sea level, is well worth it.
Nighttime view of Hong Kong from the Sky Terrace at Victoria's Peak.
Pearl of the Orient
July 26, 2011 at 4:57 am | Posted in Travel Diaries | Leave a commentTags: culture, island, leisure, return journey, tourism, travel, vacation
I decided to take a short vacation before heading back home to Florida after wrapping things up on Guam.
I wanted to go somewhere I hadn’t been before, and something about the skyscrapers and sparkle of Hong Kong, also known as the “pearl of the orient,” drew me.
Hong Kong skyline from Victoria's Peak.
Hong Kong literally means “fragrant harbor” in Cantonese, its official language. The name comes from the 1840s when European traders coming to Hong Kong were lulled by the sweet smell of incense wafting from the incense factory near the harbor.
Today, Hong Kong is an island territory, a Special Administrative Region of China, made up of about 260 islands, dozens of which are uninhabited. This unique political status has allowed Hong Kong to operate under its own constitution and engage in free trade relations with other countries, while still falling under China’s wing for foreign relations and defense matters, according the U.S. State Department. Its largest industry is clothing/textiles, followed by tourism/service, and jewelry manufacturing, according to my tour guide, Ivy, who works for Splendid Tours.
The largest island, Lantau, hosts Hong Kong International Airport. The main languages are Cantonese and English, although students still learn Mandarin as a third language in school, as it’s more commonly spoken in mainland China.
Photo taken of a map inside the Hong Kong Museum of History, Kowloon
With a population of 7.1 million and an area of only 1,100 square km, it’s no wonder that not only commercial buildings but residential buildings, too, reach toward the skies. It’s how Hong Kong “solves” its population problem, Ivy, explained. The tallest building, the International Commerce Center, is 118 stories high, and the second tallest, 88 stories high, is the International Finance Center. The locals believe “8″ to be a lucky number, because the Cantonese word for wealth sounds a lot like the number eight.
The two tallest buildings that you can see are the International Commerce Center (left) and International Finance Center (right).
Wealthy or not, the people of Hong Kong can afford to construct buildings so tall because earthquakes aren’t really a threat, according to the locals. On the other hand, typhoons are, which is why the buildings are required to withstand winds of up to 250 kmph.
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