Growing up in Hong Kong, we are told to study hard and get good results in public examination so that we can be professionals like doctor, lawyer, engineer, etc. But is engaging in one single work field the only way towards a fulfilling life? Is there other possible working modes in the society? With the prevalence of more and more people becoming slash, how should we review our education system?
Watch the video to know how foreigners see the Occupy Central Movement!
Geoff Cutmore, a journalist who works for the CNBC, said that he concerned about the developing process of China, that if the leading party truly believes that they could complete economic reform without embarking on political reform.
Cutmore was attending a talk called International Media Salon held by the Journalism Department when he spoke of his views towards recent China’s political circumstances.
‘Taiwan is the best example of how a country reformed politically for the sake of boosting economy,’ said Cutmore.
He said that in the 1990s Taiwan was a place full of corruption and gang warfare, due to the one party leadership of the Kuomingdang. There would be no money inflow in Taiwan if the country did not introduce multi-parties system and get rid of the corruption problems.
In 2000, Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic Progressive Party was elected as the President of Taiwan amid people’s resentment towards Kuomingdang’s ‘black gold’ Politics and ended the 55 years of the single party ruling of the Kuomingdang.
Yet Cutmore also said that democracy would actually hinder the progress of developing infrastructure, as no one would like the public facilities to be built near their home. This could explain why China is developing her infrastructure quick as the public has no rights to reject through polling in the council.
Cutmore also commented on the Chinese President Xi Jing-ping’s state visit to the United States in September, saying that he has shown a brand new ‘humanised’ image to the world.
‘Xi said that he had a mojito, Hemingway’s favourite drink during his first visit to Cuba. He really showed the world a new face of China, wiping out the conventional image of Xi, the president who only read out his speech and rarely connect to the world,’ said Cutmore.
Yet there is also analysis saying that Xi did not attain great success from the state visit.
Commentary said that this is Xi first ever state visit to the U.S and Xi wanted to be valued by the U.S, and showed the world that China is one of the big countries that can be comparable to the U.S.
Yet Xi would be quite disappointed this time as during his state visit, Pope Francis also visited the U.S and become the first pope who gave a speech in the United States Congress. Pope Francis seized much spotlight from Xi and was more popular in the U.S at the time.
Sources:
http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/ics/21c/supplem/essay/0411019.htm
2. 訪美不遂順，或令習近平開眼界，30 Sep, 2015
http://www.on.cc/cn/bkn/cnt/commentary/20150930/bkncn-20150930000315903-0930_05411_001.html
The Hong Kong Police Force released the crime rate of the cosmopolitan cities in the world, namely Tokyo, New York, Paris, London, Toronto, Singapore, including Hong Kong, of the year 2008, 2012 and 2013.
Homicide, burglary and robbery were the major crimes being analysed in the statistics.
In Hong Kong, the crime rate shows a tendency of declination. From 2008 to 2013, the crime rate decreased 10%, from 112800 cases to 101400 cases. In 2013, compared with the other countries, Hong Kong came after Singapore and ranked the second in terms of the lowest crime rate in both Asia and the global-context.
Among the cities in Europe and the United States, New York had the lowest crime rate of 231500 cases in 2013, which is a double compared to Hong Kong. Paris marked the highest crime rate of 1084900 cases and showed an increase of 39400 cases compared to 2012.
Overall, the crime rate of the major cities in the world declined from the period 2008 to 2013.
According to the lattest figures provided by the Hong Kong Police Force, shop theft, deception, blackmail and rape marked rises in the first half of 2015. The Department said that they would prevent citizen from falling into traps through publicizing in the social media platform. On the other hand, they would also join hands with different sectors in the society to combat crime.
Google Fusion Table Map:
https://www.google.com/fusiontables/DataSource?docid=1Hy3d4eSRxTLLqd58fhDUQ-J-ltsMBcfj069Il_tP
Infographic:
https://magic.piktochart.com/editor/piktochart/8606820#
Party Chairman of the Democratic Party would step down if the Districts Election results is not satisfactory
The party is facing challenges to keep the seats with the joining of the ‘parachuters’
Party Chairman of the Democratic Party Emily Lau Wing-hing said yesterday that she would resign if the party cannot attain good results in the coming District Council Election.
With many young political parties formed after the Umbrella Movement joining the District Council Election, the party will face more fierce competition when seizing seats.
One of the ‘parachuters’, Youngspiration, announced earlier that they would send 9 people to join the election, while three of them would compete in the same districts as the Democratic Party does.
‘I could not understand why the young people are competing for seats in the same districts as we do, it would not help expand the political spectrum of the pan-democrats after the election,’ said Lau.
Hui Kam-shing, the current District Council member of Chuk Yuen South, Wong Tai Sin District from the Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People’s livelihood, said that he was disappointed that the ‘parachuters’ choose to compete for the seats that the Democratic Party currently owned.
‘I also see the “parachuters’ as one of the pan-democratic powers. Therefore, I expect them to collaborate with the other pan-democratic powers and seize the seats of the pro-establishment camp instead.’ said Hui.
Lau said that she agreed some of the core values of these ‘parachuters’, like promoting the sense of native consciousness of Hongkonger.
But she said that such sense should never discriminate the mainlanders and use vigorous means to repel them. The anti-parallel trading protests that trigger conflicts with the mainlanders would be one of the typical incidents.
Lau said that the party’s preparation work will be the same as the past years’, and would not be changed when facing the new competitors.
‘But we would be sending more young politicians from our central committee to join the election this time, to change the image of the Democratic Party being old and conventional,’ said Lau.
Currently there are thirteen out of forty-two ‘post-80s’ District Council members from the Democratic Party.
She hoped that such practice would attract the support of the young voters.
Data Source:
http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20150921/19303700
http://www.dphk.org/index.php?route=contact/category&cid=2
Human Source:
Recording for the interview of Hui Kam-shing, current District Council member of Chuk Yuen South, Wong Tai Sin District:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yicalyqqjgr1bza/huikamshing%20interview.m4a?dl=0
Cat Wong, Yuen Ting, with the age of 17, is not an ordinary teenager. She is young at her age but she has already experienced many stages, just as a mature women does. Finishing school, finding a life-partner, starting her career and pursuing for her life goal.
Cat is now a hairdresser, majoring in the field of being a technician, who mainly makes use of different chemicals and does dyeing, perming and ion straightening.
Before she embarked on this field and set it as her life goal, she was a very naughty girl in other eyes. She did bad academically, and eventually went into a band three secondary school. She made some bad friends, and learnt how to speak foul language, drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes. By the time, she was only 14.
At the age of 15, when she was only in her F.2, she committed criminal offence. She stole dozens of phones from her fellows. She was caught by the school and the matter was reported to her mum, who worked so hard for the living of the family and always went on trips for work, as she was the only economic source of the family. Cat comes from a single-parent family.
Her mum was so furious that she brought Cat to Shanghai, the place where she was working by that time. In that period of time, she was all alone by herself in the hotel room, both in the daytime and nighttime, as her mum went to work. She got ‘released’ and went back to Hong Kong when she was acknowledged that she would not be charged by the victims.
This incident changed her life. It made her realize that she should not be staying at school anymore. She should find her own interest and make it her own career. She entered vocational training school and chose the subject hairstyling. There she found her interest to be a technician. In two year time, she exercised for many times and got her skill sharpened. She is now hired by a renowned salon in Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong.
She also has a romantic love story. By the time when she was at school, she met her second boyfriend, Yau. Yau stayed all along her from her hardest time in Shanghai till now, witnessing her time of harvest of her career. She now lives with Yau in a public housing apartment for one person in the name of Yau in Ma On Shan.
She said that she might be naive and immature, but she cherishes every past moments in her life, as all those transform ‘her’ in the past to the ‘her’ today.
One may concern about how his or her hair is being treated and what latest hairstyle he or she should get to meet the upcoming season in a salon, yet what about the one who offers talior-made opinions and really takes care of ones’ hair? From helping his or her customer to wear a gown to washing and drying their hair—–every single and subtle steps require years of countless practices, with unlimited times of failures unexceptional. Cycles of failures may repeat, a professional hairdresser, however, shall not be easily defeated and should even get his or her haircutting skills more precise each and other day through another doezens times of practices. After all, what a hairdresser pursues is not pure professionalism on skill, but the attitude that strives to provide the best haircutting experience for thier beloved and prestiged customer, and grant them with confidence towards their own outlook in their daily life. #1 A place where she may store her prada bag, but memories of family and loved one may also remain. #2 Resting and leisure time is essential for a hairdressor for showcasing her quality haircutting service. #3 ‘How can a hairdresser has messy hair?’ #4 A warm greeting, a welcoming smile. #5 The gown that awaits. #6 Getting a tube of hair dye from the inner store room. #7 Squeezing the precise amount of hair dye may not be as easy as you think. High degree of concentration is required. #8 The place where you can relax your body and give yourself a short nap, though mysterious it may look like. #9 A caring hairdresser looks into details, so she put a cloth behind his neck so thhat his neck won’t be hurt by the sink. #10 Again, a hairdresser cares their customer, and she places a cloth just above her customer’s chest to prevent water from spilling onto his body. #11 Rinising the shampoo with water. #12 A professional hairdresser stays calm all through the working time. #13 There is always a magazine here that suit your taste. #14 The seat that only belongs to the professionals. #15 Drying hair is usually the last step of a hair cut. #16 Keep interacting maintains the relationship. #17 A call to mark the end of today’s service, but it’s sure more and more are coming tomorrow. #18 A professional. A style.
Kary Hsu 