Bricked Ping-Pong in Handan

Yesterday I returned to blogging here for the first time after a long break with a look at a lunch experience I had during my visit to Handan, Hebei, in 2010. To continue keeping things simple to help the ball stay rolling here, I'll share another scene from Handan. While walking through the city I stumbled upon four young men playing doubles ping-pong (table tennis).

Seeing people play ping-pong is common in China. Less common, though, are ping-pong tables with bricks used to serve the purpose of a net. All of the tables in this outdoor area were similarly set up. Using bricks for a net likely offered several benefits in an outdoor environment, including being sturdy, easily replaced, and perhaps less likely to disappear than a standard net. In any case, they appeared to serve their primary purpose well and did not hamper the enjoyment of the game.

I'm Back (Handan Style)

Hello, folks. Good to be back.

With the exception of a brief appearance to share two videos as commentary on a special (political) day in the U.S. two years ago, it has been nearly two and half years since I was at least semi-regularly posting here. Health issues, technical issues, and . . . . issues with issues played a role. If you're a first-time reader here, welcome! If you're an old reader, welcome back and sorry for the disappearance! I had always expected some sort of grand post if I ever needed to stop for whatever reason or there was a major change, but given the situation had I been up to writing such a post I probably wouldn't have stopped posting in the first place. I would like to delve more into that and what brings me back to this space, but I fear if I try to write such a post (tome) now it will severely delay getting the ball rolling here. As I want to prioritize the rolling, perhaps that grand post I'd ideally like to write will appear in pieces as the ball goes where it goes.

So I will restart this blogging adventure with something light, easy, and tasty as well. I went to a folder with most of my photos and semi-randomly selected one of the more than 100 cities I've explored in China. When I opened my eyes, I saw it was Handan, a city in Hebei province I visited in 2010 in no small part just because it happened to be on the train route as I headed south from Shijiazhuang. Handan has appeared previously in this blog years ago when I shared an experience observing the shopping behavior of several young women (very much related to some prior research I had conducted elsewhere in China) that concluded with a big bowl of duck heads we all ate (not as related to any formal research I had conducted elsewhere in China). I also featured a restaurant there with a nifty donkey logo where I tried my first donkey dumplings. I also had a couple of experiences in Handan that remain especially remarkable to me even now, but they deserve more care and time to tell. Instead I will share one of my more everyday experiences which my photos captured.

One day in Handan I stumbled upon a street with a row of food stalls. It was easy to decide an inexpensive lunch would be happening there.

After choosing a stall, I placed an order and had a clear view of its preparation.

Even while I waited, there was no reason to be bored. The al fresco dining provided an excellent view of the happenings at the other food stalls.

Soon my order had arrived and I had a freshly prepared bowl of gǎn miànpí (擀面皮).

I'm not able to find a standard translation for this dish, so I will go with the somewhat literal translation "rolled noodle skins". A similarly named dish is local to Shaanxi province, but this seemingly either isn't the same thing or had been significantly modified. These type of noodles / (non-meat) skins have a chewy texture and similar can be found in other dishes elsewhere in China. To be honest, I can't definitively remember my impressions of the dish, but I'm sure I enjoyed the overall experience regardless.

And . . . that is that. Again, it feels great to post here once again after all of this time. I have no shortage of material for future posts on both lighter and quite serious matters. I don't expect the themes of the blog  to significantly change from before, at least in the near future. More soon, really.

Donald Flapping and Cleaning Squat Toilets in China for a Special Day in the U.S.

Over four years ago on a day in November I found myself rather depressed and at a loss for words. The only thing I could think of posting was a video I had recently recorded while at a shopping center in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, China.  I didn't though, so here it is now:

Today, both for balance and resolution, is a video I later took in a bathroom at a clothing market in a former bomb shelter under a hill in Wuzhou, Guangxi, China.

With that, I feel a non-insignificant amount of cleansing occurred today. Of course, things aren't completely clean, but still . . . they're much cleaner than before.

Masked Shining on Lam Tei Main Street

Working in a Hong Kong Hole

Next to Dundas Street in Mong Kok

Since beginning this blog, I have never gone sans posting for so long before — not even close.

Now I will begin working myself out of this hole.

June 4, 2020, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

This June 4th was rather different from my experience last year in mainland China and even the last time I was in Hong Kong on this date.

But like before in Hong Kong, I still saw many lights.

Protests, Coronavirus Fears, and Valentine's Day Converge at a Hong Kong Prison

On Friday in front of the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre - a maximum security institution — hundreds of people gathered to show solidarity with detained protestors. What one of the participants held and wore particularly captured the unique convergence of events in Hong Kong that night: a face covering used by some anti-government protestors to hide their identity, 3M safety goggles to protect against the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, and a rose fitting the theme of the rally: "Valentine's Day With You".

The gathering differed from several other rallies held at the same location during recent months in that the organizers did not apply for a letter of no objection from the police. Although the police were clearly keeping an eye on things, they didn't interfere with the rally until it had nearly reached the two hour mark, which is about how long some of the previous rallies lasted. At that that time, police came into the protest area while holding up blue warning flags with the text: "This meeting or procession is in breach of the law. Disperse or we may use force."

Disperse they did. And Valentine's Day came to an end at the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre.

Nearly Empty and Policed: Last Night at Hong Kong Port and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge

Hong Kong Port, the border checkpoint for people using the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB), is one of the few remaining checkpoints open in Hong Kong for direct travel to or from mainland China — a response to the still-spreading Wuhan coronavirus and its effects. With the closing of all cross-borer ferry and helicopter services, the bridge is also the only way to travel directly between Hong Kong and Macau. Despite the dwindling options for reaching Macau or mainland China, when I arrived there last night at around 7 p.m. the Departure Hall was nearly empty.

On the plus side, passing through immigration was a breeze as there were no line for the single immigration officer handling visitors.

The bridge showed few signs of travelers as well.

At times no other vehicles were in sight. Quite regularly, more than a minute would pass between any vehicles headed in the opposite direction passing us. Although I have found traffic on the bridge to be rather light in the past, even before Hong Kong was dealing with a virus outbreak or protests, last night was more extreme.

When I returned to Hong Kong Port shortly before 2 a.m. after an evening in Macau, I wasn't surprised to find it similarly quiet at first. However, after clearing customs the Arrival Hall provided a surprise: approximately 20 police in riot gear who were on their way out of the building.

Definitely back in Hong Kong

I don't know if the police were responding to a specific threat, but Hong Kong Port might be a prime target for protestors who seek a more complete closure of the border between Hong Kong and mainland China.

Perhaps they don't need to bother.

Receiving News of Kobe Bryant's Death in the Midst of Hong Kong Protests, a Spreading Virus, and a Lunar New Year

A blocked section of Portland Street next to Langham Place

While police nearby guarded a street blocked due to a long night of protests in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, a young man next to me exclaimed, "Whoah!"

When I looked at him he said, seemingly stunned, "Did you know Kobe Bryant died?"

"No. Wait, what?"

He showed me his phone.

He then expressed his shock over the news and shared how he had been a fan of Bryant since being a child.

Kobe Bryant has a large number of fans in mainland China as well. Patrick Brzeski reported on how people there were saddened by the news:

By mid-afternoon, local time, the hashtag devoted to Bryant's death on Weibo had attracted an astounding 2.4 billion views and tens of millions of engagements, making it by far the most widely read and discussed topic of the day.

The reports of Bryant's death seemed only to compound the dismay many millions in China have been feeling over the deadly coronavirus that has plunged the country into crisis during the family holiday season of Lunar New Year. A common refrain on social media was a plea wishing that 2020 could simply be started over. . . .

Just three days ago, Bryant posted a happy Chinese New Year message to his own Weibo profile, where he has 9.2 million followers. "Xin Chun Kuai Le to my dear friends in China!" he wrote.

A Face Mask Left Behind on New Year's Day in Hong Kong

I never intended to not post here for such an extended period of time. I certainly am not lacking in material or thoughts. I could post about fresh blood on a wall bordering a garden in Sheung Shui, a young woman stomping on a man's head in Mong Kok, or notes of hope in Central — all in Hong Kong.

For now, here is photo of a face mask, bricks, and a wheelbarrow in the middle of a street in Causeway Bay after a very large New Year's Day protest march and . . . more.

While the intended purposes of the items seem clear to me, I don't what exact event led to this state. I don't expect to ever know, but a chaotic scene seems likely. Plenty of such scenes played out on New Year's Day in Hong Kong. And more have since.

Before and After the New Year on a Street in Hong Kong

Just before 11 p.m in Hong Kong New Year's Eve at Sai Yeung Choi Street South seemed moderately usual:

Around 3 a.m. New Year's at Sai Yeung Choi Street South had a different feeling though:

Happy New Year.

Independence and Revolution Waving Above a Public Square in Hong Kong

On top of the Edinburgh Place Car Park looking out towards "The Grief of Us" protestor assembly last night

O Fortuna, the Wheel Brings Another Message

First there were ballerinas with umbrellas above "Free HK".  Then there was blackness. Now, there is a different message.

The "Stop Police Brutality" graffiti is on a number of beams on a pedestrian bridge connecting to the Central Piers in Hong Kong. In all of the examples I saw, they were placed directly on top of areas that had been painted black to cover previous graffiti.

It is now the predominant graffiti design on the bridge, though there is at least one example of partially symbolic graffiti expressing the protest slogan "Five Demands, Not One Less".

However, there appeared to be more examples of untouched painted-black areas than of recent graffiti. This is consistent with what I have seen in various parts of Hong Kong, whether Central, Tsing Yi, or Yau Tsim Mong. Newer protest graffiti, posters, and other forms of visible expression continue to replace older ones, but overall there is far less now compared to a few weeks ago.

And the wheel keeps turning . . . 

From Tear Gas to Painted Records in Hong Kong

During the past several weeks in Hong Kong I have seen many people wearing heavy-duty respirator masks. Today was the first time they weren't being worn due to concerns about tear gas.

So that's kind of nice.

Later, I will share a number of protested-related photos from the past weeks. I held a number of them back due to wanting either to have a better sense of the protests or to wait for certain aspects of them to finish / reach a new phase. That seems to have happened, so more soon.

A Thanksgiving Dinner View of Police in Hong Kong

In the past, I have shared some of my Thanksgiving day experiences in different cities, such as drinking horse milk baijiu in Zhongshan and a rat running up my leg in Changsha. Like those times, today in Hong Kong offered me something new.

I observed the traditions by finding a buffet which included turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. For a bonus, the restaurant staff kindly sat me at a location with a prime view of the world outside. As I ate way too much food, I had the opportunity to watch a number of police vehicles, sometimes with sirens blaring and likely containing Special Tactical Squads or Police Tactical Units, head southward.

Their activity was possibly related to a nearby protest rally. I later visited it and saw no outward signs of police in the immediate vicinity though. So for the first time on this holiday, I felt like I should give thanks that no police shot tear gas in my direction today.

O Fortuna, A Whirling Wheel in Hong Kong

Sors immanis
et inanis,
rota tu volubilis . . .

——————————————————————————

So now an explanation for those who would like one:

As I took the above photo today near the Hong Kong Observation Wheel, the opening section O Fortuna from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana came to mind and it stayed there for a while. Here is an excellent recording of the widely used piece, which many will recognize at least in part even if they don't know its name, with Robert Shaw conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus:

You can find the lyrics alongside an English translation here. The translation for the excerpt I shared above is:

Fate — monstrous
and empty,
you whirling wheel . . .

While much of Carmina Burana isn't as familiar to most people as the movement O Fortuna, it is certainly worth listening to in full while following along with a translation. There are even a few more references to the wheel.

Three Candidates With Shared Political Values and Fates Campaigning on Election Day in Yau Tsim Mong, Hong Kong

While taking a look at seven different polling stations yesterday evening during Hong Kong's District Council elections, by chance I came across three candidates while they were still campaigning.

One was Leslie Chan (Chan Ka Long), who was running for the Tsim Sha Tsui West constituency.

In front of iSquare

Speaking in both Cantonese and English, Chan made it clear he was supportive of the five demands made by many protestors in the city.


Another was Leo Chu (Chu Tsz Lok) who was running for the East Tsim Sha Tsui & King's Park constituency.

Alongside Nathan Road near Man Ming Lane

As Chu spoke to a couple of women, people campaigned nearby for other candidates.


The last candidate I saw campaigning was Ben Lam (Lam Siu Pan), who was running for the Mong Kok East constituency.

Outside Exit A of Prince Edward Station

Just 40 minutes before Mong Kok East's polling station a few hundred meters away would close at 10:30 p.m., Lam was greeting people as they left Prince Edward Station, where riot police stormed train carriages and beat people several months ago.

To my surprise, I later discovered all three candidates I happened to see were in the pro-democracy camp. Their results reflect the immense success of pro-democracy candidates across Hong Kong, as all three won.

So they all have reason to smile even more today.

Polling Stations With and Without Long Lines During a Record-Setting Election in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has just held its 2019 District Council elections. On Sunday morning and afternoon there were reports of long lines at polling stations.

Timelapse videos of long queues outside polling stations overwhelm my newsfeed. Here's another one in Taipo - northern district in #HongKong w/ highest turnout rate so far. Took me several mins to walk thru the whole line...still waiting to cast my vote. Turnout is the KEY today. pic.twitter.com/q4lWGBNEmW

— Phoebe Kong 江穎怡 (@phoebe_kongwy) November 24, 2019

Polling stations were open until at least 10:30 p.m. This evening I visited polling stations for seven different constituencies in the Yao Tsim Mong District roughly between 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. None had a line extending outside.

Tsim Sha Tsui West

Jordan South

Jordan West

Yao Ma Tei South

Mong Kok South

Mong Kok West

Mong Kok East

The same held true in some other locations, which had benefits.

Now: This is the best time to vote, I have the whole voting station to myself 😂 voted within 1 min. This station had 67.6% of assigned voters voted as of 8.30pm. Pretty high among other districts. #HKelections pic.twitter.com/jeT6UH8bQB

— Denise Tsang (@denise_tsang) November 24, 2019

However, there were still long lines at some polling stations not long before polls were to close, As long as people were in line before 10:30 p.m. the Electoral Affairs Commission said they would be able to cast a vote.

Regardless of when and where there were lines today, don't be fooled by my photos. People voted in record numbers. Early results strongly indicate the the pro-democracy groups made major gains against pro-Beijing groups. Words like "decimated" are already being used for the latter.

Still, many races have yet to be declared. More later, but it's already clear Hong Kong's people were very motivated to express themselves through voting after months and months of intense protests.

A Tsim Sha Tsui Sign of the Times in Hong Kong

Early this evening in Tsim Sha Tsui at one of many sites where protestors gathered last night hoping to help students surrounded by police at the nearby Hong Kong Polytechnic University

The Remains of Vehicle Set on Fire Sit for Days in a Hong Kong Street

Early this evening as I walked through Mong Kok, Hong Kong I saw something on Sai Yeung Choi Street that seemed remarkable even after seeing and experiencing so much recently in Hong Kong regarding the ongoing protests.

Using the word "dog" for "police", common practice for protestors in Hong Kong, the markings on the the vehicle "便衣狗車" claim it is a plainclothes police car. I can't confirm this is accurate. But the vehicle does look like some unmarked vehicles I have seen on multiple occasions set in the middle of a row of marked police vehicles making their way through the city. In any case, presumably the vehicle's current state is the result of protesters.

This tweet includes a video of a car on fire in Mong Kok which appears to be a perfect match in terms of vehicle type and location:

#Mongkok at night. More road barricades. A car has been set on fire. Several burst of explosion sounds. Bystanders watch on. #LiberateHongKong #HKprotests #StandWithHongKong #FreedomHK #GloryToHongKong #ProtestsHK #HKHumanRightsandDemocracyAct #StandwithHK #FightforHongKong #HKG pic.twitter.com/EcIGsOkcED

— Truth Live Hong Kong (@HongTruth) November 12, 2019

Perhaps just as remarkable that this car was lit on fire is that it was still sitting in the street. Another person commented on this issue yesterday:

Presumably the car that was set on fire yesterday. Government given up on trying to return the streets to normal each morning. #Mongkok #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/IzcWN8VF4X

— Ataraxis (@ataraxisfinch) November 13, 2019

So the car has been sitting there in this not so usable state at least for a couple of days. Of course this is far from Hong Kong's most pressing issue, which is one of many signs of just how widespread and intense the protests have been lately.