Biodiversity - 20120330

Inside a court room, we could see all sorts of peculiar things.

A 27-year-old lady was convicted of "conspiracy to defraud". The lady, with a golden pigtail, was frail. When she heard the sentence of 21 months imprisonment, she almost fainted. Her boyfriend, a fat and rather stocky guy, together with three little girls, with age ranging from around four to twelve, intended to support the convicted. Nevertheless, children were sent out of the court before the hearing began. The defence counsel pleaded, rather unskifully, that the lady, as a mother of four children, and was expecting the fifth one, was remorseful for the crime. The magistrate asked the expected date of labouring. The defence counsel, and even the lady herself, awfully did not know.

It is hard to think, at such a modern era, and under that outrageously high living standard, that there is still someone who would not give a damn on birth control. It is an uncommon scene even among Catholics.

A youngster was charged of indecent assaults. Two ladies, both in black skirts, with stockings in the same colour, alleged that the defendant touched their hips, one by one. When the events occurred, the two ladies were together in a group of eight in boys and girls. The defendant pleaded not guilty. The magistrate, though openly said that the suspected was not a honest witness, acquitted the youngster by giving him the benefit of doubt. The main point was, the girls were not sure which part of the boy's hand was on their hips.

So, it was difficult for conviction to be rendered, as witness may not have a full picture on the event. Thus, do not plead guilty lightly.

The case is even more likely if you are rich. The ability of counsel matters, greatly. Seasoned barristers charge sky-high fee. However, they are experts of court procedure, and magicians of interpretation.

Like the meaning of "construction site". This solid term is quite malleable to those learned few. When the works stop, construction site becomes home again. And no matter how tiny our apartments are, it could be compartmentalized into living and non-living area. Dazed.

南生圍 & 流浮山 - 20120322

Last Saturday, we wandered in the western part of N.T., together with some friends of J.

We first had a little walk in the famous 南生圍. Situated in Yuen Long, the place is always associated with the not so likable crocodile Bui Bui, which was caught there and relocated to our wetland park and has been living there since then. It is stupid yet common that good things are always adhered by irrelevant stuff, by chance.

南生圍 is a funny place. It could be reached in a 15-minute walking distance from the MTR station. The place is separated from the busy world by Shan Bui River, which is more like a ditch. To cross the river, we got on the hand-rowing sampan that costed each of us $5. Just another little exotic experience. Then we took some drinks in a local store. I was allured by those handmade local pastries. The stuff was baked by wood and fire. However, I was restricted to complete the transaction. What a pity.

We then started our walk. It was already 4:30 pm. Luckily, the weather was excellent. The sky was blue, the air fresh and the scene stunningly beautiful. Strolling along the mud path, we could enjoy the natural landscape. The yard was wide-open, there were some low hills at the far end. Right in front of us, there were the neat vegetation, small ponds and few houses sparingly stood on the ground. It was like Greece, and a reminiscence to Theos Angelopolis' movies. However, I was waken up by packs of crowd.

It was a Saturday and thus collision with crowd was inevitable in each and every corners of HK. We saw cyclers, youngsters and many amateur photographers. A lovely Pug impressed me most.

Then we went to 流浮山 for dinner. I haven't been there for over 25 years. It was then a little village. The vivid image of myself standing on the herd of oyster shells, feeling the breeze and facing the sea, trying to have a far glimpse of 蛇口 at the opposite side is still with me.

We took bus in Yuen Long. The fare was under $4 yet the traveling time was 45 minutes. What a real bargain. The bus was packed from start to finish. We got off, and some of the ladies rushed to take photos with the 小桃園酒家, which raised to fame because of a mysterious gathering. After the ladies shared their photos with friends via iphones, we could proceed to our restaurant.

Before reaching our destination, we had to go through a bustling path filled of small stores selling local things. We saw dried seafood, dried nuts, local pastries and so and so. It was the typical set up of any seafood street, but the scale in 流浮山 was smaller.

We ordered abalones, oysters, razor clams, shrimps, and scampi in the seafood menu, and some other common dishes like chicken rings and sweet and sour pork to ensure our stomachs full. The food was delicious, and the price was acceptable, with three red notes slipped out of everybody's wallets.

So, we left at 9:30 pm and arrived home around 11 pm. The little trip was a happy one.

The Day of the Jackal - 20120313

The novel was written by Frederick Forsyth, who was a guest of the HK Book Fair last year. He was interviewed by Sir David Tang. I had no idea on the man then. Gweilos are of the same face.

Somehow, I took up the book. I devoured it quickly. While the word "meticulous" is becoming a cliché, especially during appraisal, Frederick Forsyth could nevertheless be crowned the label, in the orthodox way.

The story was on an attempt of assassination of Charles de Gaulle. Frederick Forsyth gave the plot a very logical and detailed depiction on everything. The method of killing the Grand Zohra. The appointment of the assassin. Everything has a cause.

And the preparation of the assassination was particularly outstanding. The little-know method of getting a fake passport was demonstrated. To seal the gun, it was masqueraded as a clutch and thus a bespoke weapon has to be crafted. Shooting range, traveling route, contingency plan, all the stuff have been precisely calculated.

Reading something as good as it would give someone a joyful break.

Reading - 20120307

In a pseudo-casual occasion, people had to recommend something to read. The result was funny. Putting aside the doubt on their zeal of reading, the list of recommendation could represent Hong Kongers' taste quite well.

The big boss introduced a book to teach us to be docile. Two of the smaller bosses, coincidentally yet unsurprisingly, kept blasting on the popular book written by Dale Carnegie. They knew human-beings well. Among the rest, some said that books that were encouraging and moving were good. They had kind hearts. Others had chosen the books in their own trade to promote. Understandable indeed.

Actually, we are too tired, too occupied even after work. Reading could only take place out of practical needs.

Dehumidifier - 20120305

Living in Hong Kong, we face some perennial predicaments. Just to name a few. We could not vote for our chief executive. We live in shoe boxes. We eat in chain-stores. Albeit the downside, the everlasting misty air causes some stirs.

Except autumn, we face the high humidity round-the-clock, no matter cold or hot. In these few days, the hygrometer peaks out at 100%. We could virtually breathe in water. While running, every pore of our skin is blocked by mist. One could hardly sweat. At home, washed clothes are everlastingly wet. It is annoying. And finally, I am forced to buy a dehumidifier, in the vague hope of getting some kinds of ease. At least, those grumbles and mumbles could be alleviated.

We opted for Mitsubishi. The reason is simple. It is made in Japan. We had a look at the appliance shops in shopping arcade. I was a bit stunned to see that many people were competing for dehumidifiers in such intensity. It was like a war on special edition Nike trainers. We found our target, with the selling price at $3,400. Before nailing down the deal, we took a second look at the price comparing platform in internet, and found that a store sold the same thing at $3,200. At 5 pm, I called that shop. The order was confirmed and the goods would be delivered at my home at 8:30 pm. I finally received the machine at 8 pm.

It was a nice deal to save time, effort as well as money.