On the Street Where You Live

Dance Hall I
Originally uploaded by redredredred

Deborah has already done a great job of describing the interior of the Expert Room, but the building in which it resides deserves mention. She lives in a relatively small high-rise for Hong Kong (when I ventured upstairs to find roof access I counted between eight and ten stories). It is currently encased in bamboo scaffolding and green netting. From Monday through Saturday, workers remove portions of the building in what appears to be a gradual and randomized process of destruction rather than construction. Rectangular pieces of drywall disappear from the stairwell daily. The stairways are slowly being chipped away, revealing the tangle of metal bars that provide their structural support. Saturday mornings bring the sound of jackhammers right outside the gate to the Expert Room and the sense that one has been unknowingly cast in a commercial for headache medicine. It's actually rather enjoyable--one never knows what will happen next.

The situation provides a fitting metaphor for the city of Hong Kong, which seems to be constantly under construction and in many ways does not resemble the city I visited a mere three years ago. Landmarks such as the Star Ferry Terminal have disappeared and are now visible only in the form of nostalgic souvenirs at upscale design shops. Beautiful but dilapidated high rises that I recall photographing during my last visit are also gone, replaced by newer, taller, and brighter high rises. All but the most famous remnants of colonialism are tough to find unless you really know where to look and what you are looking for.

I am not a knee-jerk preservationist, totally opposed to new development in all its forms. Yet at the same time, I wonder where this is going. How much of this is truly necessary? At what point does it become irresponsible? Will the charm of the city's streets and the people who inhabit them be completely destroyed in waves of new construction? As Hong Kong's public spaces change, how will the customs and rituals formed within those spaces change? What will daily life look like? When will Deborah return home to find the contents of the bright and spacious Expert Room buried under a pile of debris and her next door neighbor hanging a daily load of laundry (giant white underwear and all) on bits of broken concrete?

What will be lost, and what will emerge from the rubble? Thankfully, there are organizations and artists here dedicated to examining these questions and more.

Ma On Shan Country Park

Hong Kong has amazing, well-kept hiking trails through the mountains just a short ride out of the city. Yesterday, Mike and I spent most of the day hiking from Ma On Shan Country Park back to Kowloon. We were in search of a river where we could shoot some video for a project we're working on, and the map of the New Territories had tons of little rivers all over the country parks north of the urban areas. We found some good possibilities while walking until we couldn't walk any more.

As I know from my other trip to the mountains here, the views of the city and the sea are stunning here. Because of incredibly thick fog, we didn't see anything more than 40' in front of us all day: never a single glimpse of the sea. Our limited view of the landscape was magical, though.

Here's some more pictures on flickr.

Usurper! Usurper! (or, Collaborator! Collaborator!)

Second Sight
Originally uploaded by redredredred

Deborah has gone above and beyond the call of duty as my hostess in Hong Kong. Not only has she graciously opened up the Expert Room for my comfort, convenience, and consumption of oatmeal during the last week, but she has offered me space on her blog to contribute a few thoughts about my experiences in China.

This, friends, is what the public humanities are all about. Further entries are forthcoming.

Rehearsal

I got to watch a run-through of Men Talk, a new dance the company will premier next week. The dance is theatrical, very funny, sprawling... The man with the sheet is my new friend Eagle, who is a guest artist with the company. Photo credit goes to Jasmine, who holds my hand through all the things I don't understand during the work day.

My eyes, my eyes!

Monday, the pollution in Guangzhou was bad enough to make my eyes burn as I walked downtown. A nice atmosphere for photography, though! Here are some pictures of the city between 6 and 7pm, plus a few of the dance company's great facilities. The interior shot is a downtown mall: the most typical Guangzhou/Hong Kong landscape.

As further encouragement

Just in case you haven't yet finished and mailed me that tender Brokeback Mountain interpretive watercolor (are those just tears on the page?), or whatever film you've chosen, here's a better photo of the inspirational drawing.