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National Day or…

more accurately, happy Chinese Communist day!

On 1 October 1949, the Red Army took control of the mainland and declared the founding of the PRC (while the legitimate Nationalist Government retreated to Taiwan). This day is celebrated as “National Day”, much like the 4th of July is out here. It’s a day off with celebrations in a jingoistic and nationalist manner, just like any other national celebration.

They also had some observances in Hong Kong, met with protesters. How nice!

However, because of the political climate there after 1 July, the Communists are preparing to intervene in next year’s elections that could, in theory, break their lock on the LegCo. Different analysis but same conclusion here.

Sounds very omnious. Read the last line about “arranging an initiative scheme” for their people to demonstrate and vote. That means they will pay their members to vote and be loud and stupid. Sounds like union, I mean democrap tactics to me.

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sheesh

Busybody American Leftist

Again from the ULSCMP, this story. Seems Martin Sheen (who plays a “president” on TV) knows what’s best forthe HK people in a letter he drafted on behalf of the terrorist organization PETA:

Hollywood film star Martin Sheen has called on Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa to heed appeals to permanently close the territory’s live animal markets.

In a letter to Mr Tung written on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Sheen said the live markets were cruel to animals and caused epidemics, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars).

He said the animals were housed in crowded, filthy conditions.

Sure, cause a ruckus in another country where manners will prevent the people who live there to tell him to “shut the fuck up”.

It’s typical of an American liberal to go somewhere and preach that “I know what’s best for you, do what I say now!”

Sheesh.

Conrad in HK has his say here; just wish I was as diplomatic.

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Duh

Well, Duh!

In today’s unlinkable South China Morning Post…

The historic July 1 mass protest was the most significant political event Hong Kong has experienced since the handover, the United States Consul General in Hong Kong James Keith said overnight (HK time).

“It was a remarkable episode, one that will go down in the books as perhaps the single most important event in Hong Kong’s short political history since the handover in 1997,” Mr Keith told the Heritage Foundation in Washington DC

Mr Keith said the demonstration reflected some commonly held views among Hong Kong’s middle class, adding that it was directed at the SAR government – not the central government in Beijing.

“It was not just a referendum on the property market or the government’s fruitless efforts to stem the tide of unemployment and it was not a walk in the park during a local holiday by an essentially apolitical people,” he said.

Well, I think that this is mostly right. People I know over here who flew home (to HK) to participate in the march were demonstrating their displeasure against the puppet, er appointed-by-Beijing Tung regime because of their stupidity in ignoring the wishes of the HK people but also because they put Beijing’s dictates ahead of the specific needs of Hong Kong.

It was a direct demonstration against the Tung regime and an indirect slap at the Central Gov’t for forcing the issue through their Tung administration puppets.

Seems for the moment, the Central Gov’t has gotten the message. Tung, well, we will see…

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Off to Asia!

Well, not yet. Off to Asia in November. It’s mostly a “visit the friends, escape San Francisco (where you can shit and piss on the street)” trip. Plus a side trip to Bangkok because I’ve never been there before.

So the trip will look like this:

SFO to HKG (for the day)

HKG to SIN

Sometime during this stay, there’s a trip to Bangkok and/or KL involved here

SIN to NRT

Explore the parts of Tokyo and Kyoto I haven’t seen yet

NRT to SFO

Back to purgatory…

But the trip should be hella fun; I’ve got tix in SQ Raffles Class!

Ha Ha Haaaah!

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Geez, not Hong Kong too!

More fun news from Asia via the BWG.

To sum it all up, HK is going to try to impose a smoking ban. Read the BWG’s entry on the subject; it sums up my position as well.

Sheesh. What happened to choice?

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Bad news from Singapore

Well, it’s been a nice summer, but as the seasons begin to change and the chill (relatively speaking) returns, so has that nasty thing called SARS.

Hope it’s a misdiagnosis (which happens) because if it’s not, the patient caught it from someone else. And hopefully that someone else is NOT in Singapore.

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Proof that Hong Kong is truly toast

It’s the little things in life that change that portend bigger changes ahead.

During my many visits to Hong Kong, the locals told me that HK is truly dead when you begin to hear putonghwa on the MTR announcements.

Well, according to the unlinkable South China Morning Post, it’s happened.

“The MTR Corporation is going after the mainland tourist dollar by promoting its train services and malls at the border and at mainland visa counters. And this month it will make its train and platform announcements trilingual, rather than using just English and Cantonese.”

The communist government has tried to crush Cantonese dialect (and pretty much everything else) in favor of putonghua, with the exception of Shanghainese because much of the communist leadership hails from there.

Historically, it’s easier for a dictatorship to keep control when everyone is forced to speak the same language (think Yugo-Slavia during Tito and then after). I hope, for Hong Kong’s sake, that this small change in everyday life is not part of something darker in future.

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Asia travel and Communications

I’m off to Asia in November; yet another funfilled trip during my vacation season of October-November and February-April. Why these times of the year?

It’s usually hot and gross during the summer high season and winter is also high season because of Xmas-New Years-Lunar New Year all happening between Dec-Jan.

Tickets are prohibitively expensive during this time and the weather during the other times.

I recently got a new Palm Pilot, the Tungsten C. It is fast and has wi-fi built in. Ideally, I wanted to leave the Powerbook at home this time around because I can keep up with email via the Palm Pilot and try to post from the road.

I’m going to give this a shot later on and I guess you’ll read the results if it works.

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Food and Culture day!

10 July, all day.

Food day again!

Met my friend @ Katz’s Deli in the Lower East Side. That’s a big old school deli that is new again with the hottie crowd, especially on weekends. However, it was late lunchtime on a Thursday which meant it was only kind of crowded as opposed to being really crowded. Had a thin sliced pastrami with chicken noodle soup. Mmmmmm.

As far as I could tell, this was the place where the infamous deli scene in “When Harry met Sally” was filmed. Nice movie, even though it was directed by Rob Reiner.

Wandered around other parts of SoHo and TriBeCa before having to head back uptown. Found Dean and Deluca’s and had a NY Egg Cream. No egg but some cream.

Dinner was Pizza Blanca, or white pizza. NY seems like the only place you can find this thin crust pizza. Came out of the subway and had the fastest dinner in recent memory.

Went to the Great Lawn in Central Park to catch a performance of the NY Phil. Their summertime in the park series of concerts are free and attract a LOT of people. It was nice. Big. And organized. Best of all, no bums so you could enjoy the show.

Everyone stayed until the end to catch the fireworks. They were intense but brief. 5 minutes of fireworks! So short!

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I would wind up walking 25 blocks back to the hotel since the MTA wasn’t running buses down 5th Avenue. Naturally, when I got back down to 58th Street, three busses show up. Maybe their bus division is secretly run by MUNI. Bleah.

But right at the entrance to Central Park, there was this really nice fountain. So i took it. A picture, that is.

Of course, these are the folks responsible for keeping New York clean! I have a healthy respect for the work they’ve done over ther past seven years…