Divination

January 14, 2022Chinaman Creek Leave a comment

I froze a little, I admit,
too snug in routine’s tight orbit.
There, in the open kitchen door,
a python patterned urban air
with its generous, coiled sprawl.
Twining in the white grille,
it divined me, forked-tongue flickering.
I felt the dark test, the raw thrill,
the unwelcome, real invasion
of a world brought squarely home to me,
to my evasions.

One-minute Wonderful Short Cantonese Videos: Tommy’s Halfway Coffee

January 11, 2022Chinaman Creek 3 Comments

For one minute, take time out to listen to Tommy talk about his Halfway Coffee shop, where aromatic coffee is served in exquisite traditional Chinese tea-cups. That astonishing fusion between East and West at the heart of Hong Kong is the world’s most incredible and precious cultural heritage, reminding us of Elizabeth Chow’s provocative, thought-provoking words:

Look at us, and envy us, you poor, one-world people, riveted to your limitations. We are the future of the world!

And while you’re enjoying your imaginary drink, boost your stock of Cantonese vocabulary with a few new items: 巷 hohng6 = a lane; 隱約 yán2 yeuk3 = indistinct; 情懷 chìhng4 wàaih4 = feelings; 收藏 sāu1 chòhng4 = to collect; 沖茶 chūng1 chàah4 = to make tea; and of course that all-important 中西融合 Jūng1-Sāi1 yùhng4 hahp6 = roughly, “a fusion of Chinese & Western (elements)”. You can also pick-up some phrases to impress colleagues and friends, including 隱約充滿咗舊香港嘅情懷 = “filled with a faint feel of the old Hong Kong”, 成間咖啡店，我最鍾意厘個位 = “this is my favourite spot in the entire café” and, last but not least, 假如有人經過，我哋就會同佢微笑 = “if someone happens to be passing by, we smile at them” . . .

You can watch the video here.

Just take a few steps along Lascar Row and you will find this coffee shop of ours. Now this shop is on a lane way — you can come in through the front and walk out through the back [前後都打通] and it is filled with a faint feel of the old Hong Kong. Here we have collected around three hundred Chinese-style tea-cups. The cup with the fish-scale pattern on it is probably my favourite. Don’t imagine [唔好以爲] that these cups are only used for tea; actually, we can use them to make coffee in, too. Fusing Chinese and Western elements, this way of drinking coffee has a Hong Kong feel [to it]. This is my favourite spot in the entire café: when I’m making coffee here, I can look at the various customers and, if someone happens to be passing by, we smile at them and invite them in for a cup of coffee and a chat, [so that, in the process, they can] experience something of the old Hong Kong. My name is Tommy, team leader of a coffee shop.

Learning Cantonese: The Pillar of Shame at HKU

January 7, 2022Chinaman Creek Leave a comment

One direct consequence of Hong Kong’s so-called “National Security” law has been the suppression of all forms of commemoration of the June Fourth Tian’anmen Massacre, a suppression that constitutes implicit denial. Just before Christmas, on 23 December, authorities at the University of Hong Kong order the dismantling and removal of the June Fourth memorial sculpture by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt. Not long after, two other universities followed suit, removing other expressions of commemoration linked to the 1989 Pro-democracy Movement and effectively betraying the aspirations of their respective student populations.

Not surprisingly, this report on the removal of the Pillar of Shame by reporter 林彥邦 Lam Yin-pong at Stand News was itself removed from the web after police raided the offices of the organization and arrested both staff and members of its board. However, at the time of writing this, a back-up version was still available on YouTube.

In Chinese, the Pillar of Shame (was) known as 國殤之柱 gwok3 sēung1 jī1 chyúh5. In Cantonese, 殤 sēung1 is not seen very often. It means “to die young” and in the compound 國殤 has the sense of “national martyr”. The connotations of the term are linked primarily with mourning rather than with shame, which is why Lam has to explain the English meaning at the end of his report.

One useful grammatical point in this video concerns a special class of verbs known as verb-object verbs. A common instance is a verb like 睇書 tái2 syū1 = “to read”, where 睇 is the verb “to see” and 書 is the noun “book”. Since aspect markers are generally attached to verbs (or co-verbs), verb-object verbs have to “split” in two when this happens. For example, when the aspect-marker for “finishing” 完 yùhn4 is added to the verb 拆彈 = “to defuse a bomb”, the aspect-marker appears between the verb and its object: 拆完彈. In another example, when the marker 埋 màaih4 (according to Intermediate Cantonese by Yip & Matthews this can mean “in addition to all the rest”) is used with the verb 報警 bou3 gíng2 = “to report (an incident) to the police”, we get 報埋警.

On the vocabulary side of things, you’ll encounter a few uses of the verb 剷 cháan2 = to shovel; to level off. In this video, it seems to have the sense of “to scrape (away)”. I have also heard it in reports of traffic accidents, where it seems to mean something like “to plough into” or perhaps “to shear”. It can also be used in soccer to denote a sliding tackle, 剷球 cháan2 kàuh4.

Please scroll down if you want the transcription, notes and rough English translation. Otherwise, you can view the video here (subtitles in Standard Written Chinese only). Since it is a YouTube video, you can slow down the playback speed if you wish: at 0.75 and 0.5, the sound quality is still good. And remember, if you want the standard jyutping romanization or to check any of the Chinese in the text, please consult the Sheik Cantonese on-line dictionary.

Welcome everyone to 3-minute Noodle Current Affairs. [Because] this edition is appearing for the first time on Christmas Day, let me first of all wish you all a Safe Christmas. Given the present festival atmosphere [佳節], I had originally planned to talk about some fairly light topics, but in this last week of the year, we Hongkongers still had no space in which to take a breather [冇鬆口氣嘅空間].

The Pillar of Shame is the work of Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt.

Caption: Jens Galschiøt, Maker of the Pillar of Shame

For the past twenty years, it has stood [矗立] on the Haking Wong Podium at the University of Hong Kong, until the early hours of 23 December 2021, when it was dismantled in the dead of night by the authorities at HKU and taken away.

Caption: In the Early Hours of 23 December 2021, the Pillar of Shame is Dismantled & Removed

Right from the beginning, in actual fact, the Pillar of Shame has never really been welcomed by the authorities at HKU. [When we go back] to the time before the transfer of sovereignty . . .

● 護送 wuh6 sung3 = to escort; to convoy | ● 阻止 jó2 jí2 = to prevent; to stop; to hold back | ● 車閘 chē1 jaahp6 = (?) traffic barrier-gate | ● 報警 bou3 gíng2 = to report (an incident) to the police | ● 對峙 deui3 chíh5 = to stand facing each other; to confront | ● 爭執 jāng1 jāp1 = to disagree; to dispute; to stick to one’s guns | ● 一輪 yāt1 lèuhn4 = roughly, “a round” | ● 永久 wíhng5 gáu2 = permanent; perpetual; everlasting | ● 展示 jín2 sih6 = to reveal; to show; to lay bare | ● 散播 saan3 bo3 = to disseminate; to spread |● 仇恨 sàuh4 hahn6 = hatred; enmity; hostility | ● 喐手 yūk1 sáu2 = to start work; to get to work; to take action | ● 日久 yaht6 gáu2 = with the passing of time | ● 失修 sāt1 sāu1 = be in bad repair; fall into disrepair | ● 心中有數 sām1 jūng1 yáuh5 sou3 = have a pretty good idea of; know fairly well | ● 投票日 tòuh4 piu3 yaht6 = polling day | ● 擁有權 yúng2 yáuh5 kyùhn4 = (?) the right of possession; ownership

. . . after the last June Fourth Candle Vigil [六四晚會], the students of HKU escorted the Pillar of Shame back to the HKU campus. However, HKU dispatched security guards to stop them, refusing to lift the road-barrier [車閘] and reporting the matter to the police as well. There was a confrontation between HKU students and their supporters with security guards and the police. It was only after arguing the matter for a while [爭執咗輪] that the Pillar of Shame finally entered the campus. In September 1998, HKU students voted in favour of the Pillar of Shame remaining permanently on display on the Haking Wong Podium. Moving along to June this year, certain groups [團體] complained to the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force, claiming that the Pillar of Shame incited hatred [散播仇恨] and that it “might contravene the National Security Law”. Afterwards, HKU indicated that it intended to remove the Pillar of Shame. Six months later, in the small hours of the night, the university took action. The HKU board explained that the Pillar of Shame had, in the passage of time, fallen into disrepair and this quite possibly was a safety issue. In addition, there were legal risks [風險]. What the real reason was is something you all have a pretty good idea about. It is worth noticing that when voting on polling day on 19 December, the chairperson of the HKU board Arthur Li Kwok-cheung said that the issue of who owned the Pillar of Shame had not yet been resolved . . .

● 離任 lèih4 yahm6 = to leave one’s post | ● 拆彈 chaak3 dáan2 = (?) to defuse a bomb | ● 趁勢 chān1 sai3 = to take advantage of a favourable situation | ● 剷 cháan2 = to shovel; to level off | ● 文宣 màhn4 syūn1 = (?) a written declaration | ● 浮雕 fàuh4 dīu1 = a relief sculpture | ● 執輸 jāp1 syū1 = to miss (a great opportunity) | ● 十字架 sahp6 jih6 gaa3 = crucifix |● 總共 júng2 guhng6 = in all; altogether |● 安然無恙 [ng]ōn1 yìhn4 mòuh4 yeuhng6 = safe & sound; (escape) unscathed

. . . and it seemed that no moves were yet being made. However, three days later, HKU [authorities] set to work and, a week later, Arthur Li Kwok-cheung left his post. Is that just a coincidence, only leaving when the bomb has been defused [拆彈]? Two days after HKU removed the Pillar of Shame, the Chinese University of Hong Kong took away its Goddess of Democracy and scraped away all the written declarations posted up on Democracy Wall. Lingnan University also scraped off its June Fourth relief sculpture as well as the mural of the Goddess of Democracy. Now was this just a coincidence, with people worried that they might “miss out” on “a golden opportunity”, or had they received a directive?

Caption: Xia Baolong Removed over 2000 Crosses from Churches

When he was secretary of the Zhejiang provincial party committee, Xia Baolong, [current] head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, removed over 2000 church crosses [教堂嘅十字架] or [other] structures. Is this [another] coincidence? Jens Galschiøt’s Pillars of Shame includes a total of six pieces [located in] Hong Kong, Rome, Mexico City, Brasilia in Brazil, Copenhagen and Berlin. In English, they are known as the “Pillars of Shame” (that is, chi yuk chue in Cantonese). When the five other Pillars of Shame remain unscathed, in Hong Kong — where the Pillar of Shame stood tall for twenty-three years before being taken away in the dead of night — couldn’t people bear keeping a place for even this work of art . . .

● 做唔落 jouh6 mh4 lohk6 = (?) cannot bear to do cf. Sheik Cantonese: 噉做會棒打鴛鴦，我做唔落 = Doing this would break the couple apart. I cannot bear to do it | ● 懷愐 wàaih4 míhn5 = (?) to cherish the memory of; to recall

. . . despite all the talk about being “an international city”? Furthermore [又或者], to dismantle and remove a pillar of shame is itself a shameful thing. Well, that’s it for this week, but before the end of the program, let us spend a little more time recalling what more we have lost within the short space of just a few days.

Learning Cantonese: Introducing the Hong Kong Shadow Parliament

January 4, 2022January 5, 2022Chinaman Creek Leave a comment

The idea for a Hong Kong Shadow Parliament was first proposed in July 2020 in response to the collapse of democracy in Hong Kong. Not long after, the following video was produced to introduce the concept of the HKSP and the plan to hold a first round of public consultations. Apart from trying to imagine an effective solution to the acute political problems facing Hong Kong, the video also presents a wealth of useful political vocabulary presented in a lively and very accessible manner.

Please scroll down if you want the transcription, notes and literal English translation. Otherwise, you can view the video here (subtitles in Standard Written Chinese and English). Since it is a YouTube video, you can slow down the playback speed if you wish: at 0.75 and 0.5, the sound quality is still good. And remember, if you want the standard jyutping romanization or to check any of the Chinese in the text, please consult the Sheik Cantonese on-line dictionary.

For more up-to-date information about the activities of the HKSP, you can check out their website here.

You can also listen to Simon Cheng Man-kit talking about plans for the Hong Kong Shadow Parliament in English here.

● 形勢 yìhng4 sai3 = situation | ● 惡化 ngok3 faa3 = to worsen; to deteriorate | ● 步入寒冬 bouh6 yahp6 hòhn4 dūng1 = lit. “to step into cold Winter” | ● 嶄新 jáam2 sān1 = brand-new; completely new | ● 秘書處 bei3 syū1 chyu3 = secretariat | ● 公正 gūng1 jing3 = just; fair; impartial | ● 常設 sèuhng4 chit3 = standing; permanent | ● 秘書長 bei3 syū1 jéung2 = secretary-general | ● 秉持 bíng2 chìh4 = to uphold; to hold fast to (cf. 秉持公心 = to uphold justice) | ● 候選人 hauh6 syún2 yàhn4 = a candidate

Voice-over: People of Hong Kong! In recent months, the political situation in Hong Kong has further deteriorated and the local democracy movement has stepped into a frigid Winter. It is our hope that, [in] putting forward a brand-new proposal here, [we can all] continue to strive for true democracy for Hong Kong. This [proposal] is the Hong Kong Shadow Parliament.

Caption: Hong Kong Shadow Parliament

In its present stage, the secretariat is a preparatory working group [籌備工作小組]. Its aim is to impartially research and to realize the scheme for a shadow parliament. Once the Shadow Parliament is born, the Secretariat will become a permanent secretariat [常設秘書處] of the Shadow Parliament, and the secretary-general of the Secretariat must promise to uphold both justice as well as the principle of neutrality. [Also, the secretary-general] cannot take part in elections for the shadow parliament. In this video, we will provide a simple introduction to five questions in order to give you a clearer understanding of the HKSP.

Caption: What is the Hong Kong Shadow Parliament?

● 心聲 sām1 sīng1 = heartfelt wishes; aspiration | ● 透明度 tau3 mìhng4 douh6 = transparency | ● 包容性 bāau1 yùhng4 sing3 = (?) inclusiveness | ● 旨在 jí2 joih6 = for the purpose of | ● 流亡政府 làuh4 mòhng4 jing3 fú2 = government in exile | ● 仿效 fóng2 haauh6 = to imitate; to follow the example of | ● 職能 jīk1 nàhng4 = a function | ● 規管 kwāi1 gún2 = (?) to regulate

The HKSP is a civil [non-governmental] organization that reflects the aspirations of the people of Hong Kong, not an official organ in another form. It is a platform with a high degree of transparency [充滿透明度], inclusiveness [包容性] and accountability. It will enable elected representatives to speak out freely on behalf of Hongkongers on the international stage [喺國際上]. The purpose of the Hong Kong Shadow Parliament is to enable Hongkongers to elect their representatives in a free and fair manner. It is not a government in exile, nor will it [seek to] emulate the functions of a state [in] regulating or determining issues relating to Hong Kong or in matters between Hong Kong people.

Caption: Why Do We Now Need a Shadow Parliament?

Hong Kong’s democratic movement has gradually come to lose any legally-sanctioned room in which to exist, both in terms of the parliamentary avenue and on the streets [議會路線同街頭路線]. With the advent of a new Cold War, the international front will play a more important role . . .

● 賦權予 fu3 kyùhn4 yúh5 = roughly, “to vest power in (sb.)” | ● 連結 lìhn4 git3 = to connect | ● 凝聚 yìhng4 jeuih6 = (?) (to make) more cohesive | ● 陣線 jahn6 sin3 = a front; ranks; an alignment | ● 變革 bin3 gaak3 = to transform; to change | ● 議辯 yíh5 bihn6 = (?) to discuss | ● 培養 pùih4 yéuhng5 = to foster; to train; to develop | ● 視覺 sih6 gok3 = vision (usu. in the sense of “eyesight”)

. . . in Hong Kong’s democratic movement.

Caption: What Will the Functions of the Shadow Parliament Be?

It can provide a secure place to express the true voices of all Hongkongers in a democratic fashion. 2. To provide a platform on which Hongkongers in exile who have been deprived of [their] legitimate political rights can go on having a voice [發聲]. 3. To give power to overseas Hongkongers by means of the election of representatives and to strengthen their connections with Hongkongers still in Hong Kong. 4. To make the international front more cohesive, so that it can serve an ever increasingly important revolutionary force in Hong Kong’s democracy movement. 5. To give Hongkongers a free space in which to debate issues [so as] to foster the ability to analyse public policy and to provide education in democracy. 6. To provide an alternative vision, enabling more Hongkongers to gain an understanding of problems with the current Hong Kong government and inadequacies in the political system. 7. To establish . . .

● 問責 mahn6 jaak3 = to call to account | ● 機制 gē1 jai3 = a mechanism | ● 意願 yi3 yuhn6 = a wish; a desire; an aspiration | ● 認可 yihng6 hó2 = to approve | ● 確立kok3 laahp6 = to establish | ● 正當性 jing3 dong3 sing3 = (?) legitimate cf. 正當 jing3 dong3 = proper; appropriate; legitimate | 倡議團體 cheung3 yíh5 tyùhn4 tái2 = (?) advocacy group cf. 倡議 = 1. to propose 2. initiative| ● 私隱安全 sī1 yán2 [ng]ōn1 chyùhn4 = (?) safety & privacy | ● 必要 bīt1 yiu3 = necessary; essential; indispensable | ● 遙距 yìuh4 kéuih5 = roughly, “[at a] remote [distance]” | ● 擬專用網絡 yíh5 jyūn1 yuhng6 móhng5 lok3 = virtual private network (VPN)

. . . a transparent, inclusive and accountable [問責] mechanism for the various parties in the international front in order to ensure that they represent the true aspirations of the Hong Kong people. 8. To become a platform approved of, and supported by, the general public, as well as establishing and/or strengthening the democratic legitimacy of the various advocacy groups.

Caption: Where Will the Shadow Parliament Conduct Its Affairs [舉行]?

With regard to the Secretariat of the Shadow Parliament, the most important thing is the security of personal information of Hong Kong citizens. Bearing these risks in mind, the Secretariat of Shadow Parliament will adopt the necessary measures to ensure the safety of citizens taken part in the work of the Shadow Parliament. With regard to voting, because setting up polling stations in Hong Kong is too risky, the whole voting process will the carried out on-line. The Secretariat will work together with experts on internet security and remote voting [同與遙距投票] to establish a secure voting platform. We will also encourage Hongkongers to [vote] by using . . .

● 普羅大衆 póu2 lòh4 daaih6 jung3 = the public | ● 代表權 doih6 bíu2 kyùhn4 = representation | ● 承認 sìhng4 yihng6 = to admit; to acknowledge; to recognize | ● 身處 sān1 chyu3 = in (some place) / to be in (adversity, a difficult situation, danger, turmoil etc) / to find oneself in / placed in / surrounded by | ● 確定kok3 dihng6 = to define; to fix; to determine | ● 諮詢 jī1 seun3 = to seek advice from; to consult | ● 雛形 chō1 yìhng4 = embryonic form | ● 憧憬 chūng1 gíng2 = to long for; to look forward to | ● 引發 yáhn5 faat3 = (in chemistry) initiation | ● 陰影 yām1 yíng2 = shadow | ● 初心 chō1 sām1 = beginner’s mind; one’s original intention | ● 出一分力 chēut1 yāt1 fahn6 lihk6 = (?) to make an effort; to make a contribution to

. . . a virtual private network when voting in elections for the Shadow Parliament. With regard to taking part in the elections and the issue of representation, the Secretariat of the Shadow Parliament acknowledges that the possibility of candidates doing work in Hong Kong is low, and that the majority of candidates will be in foreign countries.

Caption: When will the Shadow Parliament Operate?

Since this is an issue closely bound up with the good of the general public, before we determine any specific, concrete [具體] plans, we will conduct a complete public consultation. At this crucial time, we are proposing the embryonic form of the idea of a HKSP in the hope of providing Hongkongers with something new to look forward to [新嘅憧憬], to spark [people’s] imaginations and to start to try thinking outside the box [喺固有框架之外思考]. At present, in the dark shadow of the National Security Law, Hongkongers can no longer struggle for democracy and freedom within the system, [and so for this reason] it is hoped that the Shadow Parliament can enable Hongkongers to maintain their original intention and to continue working towards democracy and freedom for Hong Kong.

● 協調 hip3 tìuh4 = 1. harmonious 2. to coordinate | ● 嚴謹 yìhm4 gán2 = rigorous; strict | ● 依據 yī1 geui3 = according to; in the light of; on the basis of | ● 釐定 lèih4 dihng6 = work out and stipulate (rules and regulations etc.) | ● 路線圖 louh6 sin3 tòuh4 = a route map; a roadmap | ● 有意 yáuh5 yi3 = 1. to be inclined to 2. intentionally; deliberately | ● 同道 tùhng4 douh6 = people engaged in the same pursuit | ● 企圖 kéih5 tòuh4 = to attempt; to try (usu. with a negative connotation) | ● 取代 chéui2 doih6 = to replace; to supersede; to supplant | ● 各級 gok3 kāp1 = all or different levels | ● 職能 jīk1 nàhng4 = a function | ● 二選其一 yih6 syún2 kèih4 yāt1 = (?) to choose between two options | ● 賦權 fu3 kyùhn4 = (?) to entrust with power

The Secretariat of the Shadow Parliament will undertake to hold public consultations, and its members will include members of political organizations, high-profile social activists [知名社運人士], political figures, as well as well-known legal and political scholars with experience of co-ordinating across the [political] spectrum [擁有跨光譜協調經驗]. With [their] experience on relevant issues, these scholars are of vital importance to the work of public consultation. They can help the consultation to be carried out with neutrality, thus achieving consultation outcomes that are both rigorous and representative. On the basis of the opinions [expressed] in the public consultation, we ill work out a timetable and a roadmap for the days ahead. Under no circumstances will we compete with those people who are still struggling within the system for democracy. Nor do we seek to supersede the functions of the various levels of council [議會] in Hong Kong at present. We will lend support to any force struggling for democracy within the system. We will not demand that people make a choice between councils/parliaments [議會] working within or outside the system. Our only wish is to empower Hongkongers . . .

● 資格 jī1 gaak3 = qualifications | ● 參考 chām1 háau2 = to consult; to refer to | ● 期待 kèih4 doih6 = to expect; to await; to look forward to

. . . and to provide another choice [路徑] for the safer and more effective realization of democracy. With regard to [the question of who] is eligible to vote and to stand as a candidate, [as well as] the set-up and system [制度同系統] of the elections, [we will] discuss [this] in the first round of public consultations. If you would like to know more about the details or latest information regarding the Shadow Parliament, please refer to the official website of the Shadow Parliament and other social media sites.

We thank you again for your interest in the democracy movement of Hong Kong and your support. We hope that this video has given you a clear explanation of the concept the Shadow Parliament. We look forward to providing updates about the Shadow Parliament in the near future. [In the meantime,] we will continue to strive on behalf of Hong Kong for the establishment of genuine democracy.