On Wednesday, I followed an AP photographer and the Hong Kong AP Bureau Chief to an interview with Hong Kong Democratic Party leader Martin Lee. Before I forget all of what was said, let me recap (this is also for my own records so I can include this in my paper about the tenth anniversary of the handover.)
The topic was the tenth anniversary and universal suffrage in HK. Lee stressed that without full democracy, the whole way of life in Hong Kong is threatened. He's still banned in China for his pro-democracy views. When asked what Beijing's real fear was, he said he doesn't know. He said the fear was probably that with full democracy in Hong Kong, the elected executive would not be one to cooperate with Beijing.
He's kind of a funny looking man, but the kind whom you know - behind those spectacles - has seen and done it all. I almost held my breath through the entire half hour because a) it was being video-taped and I didn't want to be the only one of the four people in the room making noise and b) I wanted to take in every word he said.
On Wednesday night, we joined Jessica and her boss at the Lotus Bar to celebrate its one-year anniversary. As you can tell from the pictures, the mixologist made the most exquisit cocktails we'd ever had. Expertly mixed so you can't taste the alcohol - and the flavors ranged from Asian-lychee-type things to foam salt Margaritas. Plus the food was amazing. And to make it that much better, we were there as VIP guests courtesy of Jessica's BC Magazine, the arts and culture publication here in Hong Kong. All of it was FREE.
On Thursday, Camille and I went to Ladies' Market in Mong Kok. That's on the Kowloon side. It's a huge market with stalls selling everything - knockoff purses, clothing, shoes, watches, toys, gadgets...but you have to haggle for everything. I was really glad to use my Mandarin and get good deals. You have 1) make a face when they say the price, and say "that's too expensive, 2) pretend like you aren't THAT interested, 3) name a price that's really low, 4) say you don't want it when they refuse your price, 5) if they name a lower price that's still not as low as you want it, then you start to walk away. Count three seconds, and they'll come after you and accept your price. We got lots of goodies.
On Thursday night we went to see the new Pirates. Of course in recent months I've become a pirate princess myself ;) My cousin Tory and I have collected quite the "Pirate Princess" clothing and accessories collection from Disneyland...and hey, we have ancestors who were Portugese, so who knows. They may have been pirates landing in Macao for all we know. And then I played Edith, who married a pirate king in Pirates of Penzance in Oxford. So there. I wore my pirate princess pants and my medallion to the movie.
It was great - highly enjoyable, and all you'd expect of a Pirates movie. Swashbuckling, deception, and love. Love above all. Terrible love, beautiful love, painful love. It's heartbreakingly great. The film itself, well, it's no masterpiece of all time. But a satisfying end to the trilogy.
Saturday, we went out to Lan Kwai Fong at night. It's the few blocks of severe partying. And I wore one of the tops I bought from Ladies' Market. One with just strings tying the back. Of course the cheap piece of crap that it is, one string came off. And when one string comes off, there's not much else holding it together. I used tape, needle and thread, staples...I think that was the debut and the finale of that top. So not worth the trouble. I hardly wanted to move for fear of being exposed. Thus the "wardrobe malfunction."
Oh, and the picture reminds me...I got a haircut. And I have to pin it up, otherwise I look like an anime cartoon. I shouldn't complain - it's not a terrible cut, and it was really really cheap.
Today, Joe, David and I went to Lantau Island (southeast of Hong Kong Island) to see the Po Lin Monastery and the Big Buddha (made of bronze, 26 ft. tall I believe?). It was nice to step out of the city and see the beautiful mist float along the mountain tops like you see in all those Chinese water colors.
And with all this exploring, who wants to go back to work tomorrow morning? Not unless there are some interviews or press conferences to shoot...
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