https://www.scmp.com/rss/8525/feed Wilson Leung is a practising barrister in Hong Kong. He holds degrees in philosophy and political science from the London School of Economics and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and is a founding member of the Progressive Lawyers Group. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Someone has finally died. Although circumstances surrounding 22-year-old university student Chow Tsz-lok’s fall at a Tseung Kwan O car park on November 4 are still unclear, there had always been a sense of inevitability that a tragedy of this nature would take place after five months of unrest in Hong Kong. As Hongkongers mourn the death of someone so young, we must also mourn what our city has become. While Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her team of political yes-men emphasise... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3037504/carrie-lam-has-lit-hong-kong-ablaze-failure-hold-district-council?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3037504/carrie-lam-has-lit-hong-kong-ablaze-failure-hold-district-council?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Nov 2019 01:00:19 +0000 You can't eat democracy." This is the attitude - sometimes expressed, but usually lurking beneath the surface - held by many of those in Hong Kong who are indifferent to the current debate on the chief executive electoral reforms. This is a vital issue that must be addressed by those who are calling for greater democracy in Hong Kong. Democracy advocates have a responsibility to answer the question posed by the ordinary man or woman on the street: "What does democracy have to do with me?" One of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1719670/democracy-best-way-hong-kong-avoid-bad-emperor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1719670/democracy-best-way-hong-kong-avoid-bad-emperor?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2015 16:42:12 +0000 In the film Groundhog Day, Bill Murray's character is stuck in a time loop, forced to relive the same day again and again. It is only when he realises the error of his egocentric ways and develops compassion for mankind that he is able to break out of the loop and carry on with his life (alongside a newfound love). Hong Kong people may be forgiven for thinking they are stuck in the same kind of time loop. In 2003, the government was proposing to enact national security legislation in order to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1704558/until-society-trusts-authorities-there-can-be-no-national?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1704558/until-society-trusts-authorities-there-can-be-no-national?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2015 16:52:37 +0000 Having heard reports of Shanghai youths assiduously convening in Starbucks to converse in English, I herd four Form Four students from two English-medium schools into a cha tsan teng (coffee shop) - the nearest Starbucks was full - to talk about their views on the learning of the language. The quartet - Haley Chow Han-lam, Chris Wong Hiu-tung and Kenny Cheung Ho-yin of Wa Ying College and Cornwell Li Gangwei of Ying Wa College - all agree on the importance of learning English (the... https://www.scmp.com/article/357493/hong-kong-angle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/357493/hong-kong-angle?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Sep 2001 16:00:00 +0000 ALLY MCBEAL, SPIN CITY and all those other workplace dramas that crowd our television channels are hoaxes. In reality, working life is far more mundane. For the average person, one-third of their life is reduced to a few dull maxims: the office is where they work; their colleagues are the people they work with; management is who they work for. Clear and simple, with little talk of the company being like family and the office a second home. But all that may be changing. Increasingly, companies -... https://www.scmp.com/article/355231/workers-playtime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/355231/workers-playtime?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Aug 2001 16:00:00 +0000 Any decent rendition of Edward Elgar's Nimrod is a touching experience, but the Asian Youth Orchestra's (AYO) interpretation was enchanting in the opening of the ensemble's summer rehearsal camp at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts three weeks ago. As the orchestra drew out the rousing notes of the piece's main theme, I was moved to tears. Perhaps it was pride in seeing the heights that can be ascended by the youth of Asia. The AYO, which every summer brings together the region's most... https://www.scmp.com/article/354730/orchestrating-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/354730/orchestrating-change?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Aug 2001 16:00:00 +0000 The art of Li Wei is utter rubbish. Actually, in his latest offering, the Beijing-based painter depicts scrap metal, withered branches, dead leaves, broken tiles, old pieces of paper, twisted together into bizarre human and animal-like shapes. Behind all the chaos, however, lies a well-reasoned philosophy. By using materials that are generally considered useless, Li wants to challenge the complacent way people look at things. 'The ideas of the decision-makers in our 'advanced' society... https://www.scmp.com/article/354037/cast-offs-and-away?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/354037/cast-offs-and-away?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Aug 2001 16:00:00 +0000 IN A BRITISH ARMY camp close to the German lines in World War II, a Gurkha unit commander asks for volunteers for a mission. The job, he says, is to airdrop a group of soldiers into enemy territory for some light action. To his surprise only half of his men come forward. An English reporter, who came to the camp hoping for a glimpse of the Gurkhas' legendary valour, leaves disillusioned. Years later, the journalist meets one of the Gurkha soldiers who was at the camp that day, and asks why so... https://www.scmp.com/article/353918/unsung-heroes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/353918/unsung-heroes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Aug 2001 16:00:00 +0000 Before 1842, Hong Kong was a collection of barren rocks: until the British came and built the shimmering metropolis that we know and love today. Or so we're used to thinking. The slogan of the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence (above, tel: 2569 1500), which celebrates its first birthday on August 1, should be enough to make us reconsider: 'Discover Hong Kong's 600-year history of coastal defence', it boldly invites. Sorry, 600 years? Of course, the spectacular vista is enough to make the trip... https://www.scmp.com/article/352928/secret-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/352928/secret-history?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jul 2001 16:00:00 +0000 They speak an indigenous dialect. The father of modern China, Sun Yat-sen, was reputed to be one. They are the Hakka. And although they migrated from the north of China to the southern provinces of Guangdong, Fujian and Jiangxi over 2,000 years ago, the Hakka people (the name means literally 'guest people') are still looked upon as a transient bunch. However, they have also tenaciously defended their cultural heritage, resulting in a language, customs - even architecture - that distinguish... https://www.scmp.com/article/352911/road?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/352911/road?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jul 2001 16:00:00 +0000 Eve Lom Kiss Mix ($140 for 5ml at Joyce Beauty, New World Tower, 16-18 Queen's Road, Central) 'The most important property of a lip balm is its moisturising effect. This lip balm provides a lot of moisture without being waxy or sticky. It's also slightly minty and fresh-feeling, and lasts a long time.' Edith Siu, beauty editor, Harper's Bazaar Blu Spa Grapefruit Moisturising Lip Balm ($70 for 15ml at Blu Spa, 9 Queen's Road, Central) 'This balm is very gentle and protective, and is ideal for... https://www.scmp.com/article/352689/lip-balm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/352689/lip-balm?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Jul 2001 16:00:00 +0000 Soups bought at chinesesoup.com last week 1 Free-range chicken with dried abalone, shark's fin base, and bone and fish maw ($60) 2 Aloe vera with apple, longan, white fungus and lean pork ($40) 3 Ginseng with dong gwai (Chinese angelica) and red dates ($40) 4 Pheasant, ling zhi (glossy ganoderma mushroom), corn, chestnut and white fungus ($50) 5 Lean pork with American ginseng and yuk chuk (solomonseal, $40) 6 Conch with pear and fish maw ($50) 7 Old duck with watercress, dried duck... https://www.scmp.com/article/352688/top-ten?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/352688/top-ten?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Jul 2001 16:00:00 +0000 Globalisation, like cigar-and-intern jokes, is one of those things that media types love to throw in every chance they get to show that they are smart people aware of the latest trends. Amanda Boursicot's work, however, should help us remember something all Hong Kongers should know: that East and West have been mingling and mating for a long time. The Hong Kong-born artist's series of triptychs (right) portray antique Chinese objects - tea caddies, wine jugs, porcelains - that were produced... https://www.scmp.com/article/352308/east-meets-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/352308/east-meets-west?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Jul 2001 16:00:00 +0000 Liquid crystal display monitors sold at www.hkcomputermall.com last week 1 Samsung 560V ($3,180) 2 NEC Multisync 1530V ($3,490) 3 Sony SDM-M51 ($3,990) 4 CTX PV520 ($3,290) 5 Topcon 15A ($3,290) 6 Acer Acerview FP563 ($3,350) 7 Sharp 15A1 ($3,490) 8 Bytepro BP1505 ($2,990) 9 Acer FP450 ($2,550) 10 Bytepro BP141 ($2,590) https://www.scmp.com/article/352037/top-ten?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/352037/top-ten?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jul 2001 16:00:00 +0000 Ringing tones downloaded from www.orangehk.com last week ($1 each) 1 Disqualify by Jordan Chan 2 Soul And Mind Holiday by Joey Yung 3 You Are Mine by Leon Lai 4 Jade Butterfly by Nicholas Tse 5 Theme from the McDonald's McMug advertisement 6 Blinking Moment by Andy Hui 7 Shall We Talk? by Eason Chan 8 Soul And Mind Holiday (remix) by Joey Yung 9 Very Much Hope To by Leo Koo 10 Theme from The Butterfly Lovers opera https://www.scmp.com/article/351486/top-ten?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/351486/top-ten?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Jul 2001 16:00:00 +0000 Steinway & Sons Model D Concert Grand Piano ($945,000 from Tom Lee Music) 'This piano has the most flexibility for a wide range of repertoires. For romantic repertoires, it gives bright tone colour and dynamics but when you play classics you can still make very subtle and warm tones.' Tsung Yeh, music director, Hong Kong Sinfonietta Steinway & Sons Model D Concert Grand Piano 'Steinways are best because you can create a lot of different sounds on them. They offer so many... https://www.scmp.com/article/350489/pianos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/350489/pianos?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Jun 2001 16:00:00 +0000 E'Spa Energizing Oil ($395 per 100ml from The Spa at Hotel Inter-Continental) 'It's for restoring the mind and body when energy levels are low, ideally in the morning. Unlike most oils, which tend to relax, this one energises. A lot of our clients are business people who come here for a massage before starting their day.' Jenny Lee, spa manager, The Spa at Hotel Inter-Continental E'Spa Soothing Oil ($365 per 100ml from ellespa) 'This 100 per cent natural essential oil is relaxing and... https://www.scmp.com/article/349776/massage-oils?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/349776/massage-oils?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Jun 2001 16:00:00 +0000