Inner Revolution

My dear friend Cynthia has known me since almost the day I was born, and is a member of the Overseas Chinese diaspora that returned to Hong Kong after growing up in Britain, landed a top notch position and even has some clout with the local government here, who consult her on matters relating to the environment. It seems that, due a canyoning effect created by the proliferation of high rise concrete, HK's temperature will increase TWICE the amount that temperatures increase globally due to global warming - so a 3 degree global increase means a 6 degree increase in Hong Kong. Sweaty. And filthy too with the added pollution from China's nearby industries. Southern China has become the industrial belly of the world, it's guts wide open and spilling out toxic leftovers into the sky, rivers and human food chain. It's human nature to, as the Cantonese put it, 'squat only when the shit's hanging' - humans are smart yet short sighted enough to not care until the danger is spitting right in our faces.
Cynthia's always been inspiring, in that she's one of the few that has risen to prominent position - yet has retained her soul. She's totally ethical and always does the right thing. She hasn't yielded to materialism, even after living under the influence of Hong Kong. I've seen less strong people's integrity crumble to chase status and the dollar, bolstering the ego but hollowing out the soul along the way.

Is it so easy to destroy a race - by simply appealing to one's greed, we seem to provide ourselves enough satisfaction to allow the world around us to sink, while we sleep soundly in our beds.

What's left to spend our money on once we're treading water?

There was a lively but overall orderly rally today, everyone who was anyone with any smudge of a grievance whatsoever turned up to have a go at the 10 year old 'installed' government. It was orderly enough that ex-pats came, families brought kids along in prams, and gran tagged along too - some people took it as a good opportunity to exercise the dog on a Sunday. Everyone who had a camera turned up, professionals and hobbyists alike. Police and demonstrators stayed in line. Where there was interaction it was overall quite diplomatic and in some cases quite jovial. The little lad, along with thousands of others, were sounding out about the forced closure of RTHK, Hong Kong's radio station and free voice.

Without inner revolution, how are we to become what we're born to become? We may live a long and prosperous life - but looking back at a life of thrown away ethics, 'what ifs' and inner stagnation, how fulfilled would one really feel, I wonder.

Panic Packer

...it's late at night, gotta get up early, have sent out 3 quotes, sent out the latest article to my Editor, burnt the pix on a CD, burnt some artwork files on CD for another client, went for an audition (got the part) - and had time to do the evening tai chi class too. That leaves a class to teach in the morning, water the dog and walk the plants, drop the dog off at pet nursery. Ain't packed yet, but I decide to treat myself to a few hours shut-eye, so I volunteer to panic pack tomorrow. That kinda gives me 60minutes packing time and another 60minutes packing my pants to get my ass seated on plane. Seems like I'll be in Hong Kong this weekend (coincidentally) during the 10th year anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China. It's one of those events where you remember where you were at the moment. I wanted to be there to witness history happening, but as a lowly paid actor in London back then, I was skint - and engaged in a performance with Yellow Earth Theatre, at London Arena that very weekend. David, Tom and myself cleared the stage to join the crowds watching the Handover live on the big screen.
As I recall exactly where I was on the day back in 1997 - where will I be 10 years from now?

It's a long long road...

It had been a long time since we city dwellers had a taste of peace...something I miss a lot about living in England. Recently in Vietnam's Mai Chau valley, the smell of real night air, the breeze, and the stillness hit like a ton of bricks and took me back to summer evenings in the garden, everyone over for tai chi, meditation, tea and philosophical banter. How life's journey ends us up in the most fantastic places, for by the year's end I would have set foot in France, Monte Carlo, England, Hong Kong, China, Macau, Vietnam, Bali and Nepal, with very likely a summer foray into the jungles of Malaysia in search of white water rapids.
Life's a long term sentence to work with some returns to freedom in between - or is it the other way round?

The Elusive Mr Manfield

Alter ego blast from the past not many know about...well done if you can sus it all out...
My buddy Marcel spotted this sign on holiday last week somewhere in Europe...

Navigating Guangzhou

Chanced upon a dutch 1700's map of Guangzhou, my Grandparent's town, blew it up, took my Dad and the Map there...and went orienteering!
Discovered that the modern city has mostly retained the old street grid - the oldest thing we found was the remains of a Sung Dynasty bell tower, with Stelae from that era which must have laid about smashed for years by war and weather, before finding themselves partially pieced together and mounted on the walls of the courtyard.
Another site, the Palace of the General, is now a hospital - many sites are still in use today, we found the oldest Mosque in China, which was once on the water's edge (reclamation over the centuries has pushed it about hald a mile inland), some of the major temples still in use and a quaint, all-wooden 2 storey corner house, with wooden pillars perched on round bases, Ming dynasty style. A friendly family from the countryside were living inside this one up, one down house, running a cottage industry making stickers.
We also found that Yen Wei temple, on the edge of a lake and once way out in the sticks to the east of the city walls, revived and in use (it was shut down during the revolution and I remember looking at it from across the water in the late 80's and 90's, when my Grandparents brought us to the park, and wondering what it was), and now very much part of the bustling old quarter of Siguan.

Mai Chau Valley

Early morning in a stilt hut.

Impetus

Just in case life only happens this once...it's worth living each day like it's the last. Do your best and do every last mad thing that you can think of.

Good Morning Hues

The light in Hue at dawn was asking to dance, went to see what the DLSR would make of it.
It captured some spontaneous imagery that spoke more of light, and texture. And a little of composition.

Nice Street Party...

...French folk get jolly down at the Nice Flower Carnival.

Wabi Sabi Wood Bench

Wabi Sabi: Japanese term for appreciating the beauty of imperfection.

My Grandad was a talented carpenter with his own workshop in Hong Kong,
and through my Dad I've always been fascinated by wood since childhood.

I just dig the imperfections in this old Macau bench, gently accentuated by the fresh morning sunlight.

Click to see the detail...

On the Tonle Sap road

Along the way, broken, exposed straw huts hug the roadsides. Entire families are perched inside single room huts of planks and straw, upon which all their possessions are also crammed. There is no privacy here - indeed the poorest literally have nothing to hide.

Annual flooding in the surrounding fields forces the people to shift their homes by hard labour, some with the aid of trucks, up onto the mud embankments, the only high land above the flat paddies.

On the river, boat people of distant Chinese origin and a mix of refugees from the American War in Vietnam, edged over time off the land find new homes in houseboats floating on the muddy water leading up to the mouth of Lake Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Further upriver some of the more organised communities come with a full compliment of floating public services and amenities - some quite ornately decorated.

Back on the road to Siem Reap, three small scruffy girls harass me as I step out to take some shots, the most boisterous one finally giving a smile for the dollars they manage to scrounge.

Easter Shopping List

Anyone know where to get:

1 beat up leather sofa
(dark brown, like ones u get in cool coffee shops)

2 cool outdoor reading chairs for the patio
(with a small side table for putting a cuppa on
and sticking up ya plates of meat)

A contractor who ain't a muppet
(I defy you to find one of those)

...spam me details today!

And a right loungy sun chair thing would be great for me buggered back - seeing as it decided to go out of place last Saturday and left me hobbling again like I just had replacement hips. Sitting sends a constant thudding dull pain down my left hamstring - and walking is only possible when preceeded by a 5 minute warm-up.
I need to spend more time in a reclining position, which suits me as that puts me outside on the patio with a cuppa and a book.
Kato the dog don't always dig going out there, he sometimes has the idea I'm gonna jip him with a biscuit and quickly lock him out...

Shangri La

The old Tibetan led us to places written about by past adventurers, to the mythical Shangri La, high up in the Himalayan foothills.

As the lake mirrored the sky in overwhelming silence, I was in tears.

If Heaven could be found on Earth - here it was.

Kyoto

Daimaru, Kyoto.
It's almost as if the images on the wall are more real than the sleeping girl.

Departure

January 2007, Grandad's street.

Canto Boy

One of a series taken from a smokey spot behind the altar of Yen Wei Temple.
After a tearful 20minutes, the little rosy cheeked fella walked right into the shaft of light.
It worked well as the detail in all the dark areas came out, adding texture to the mood.

2059

2059: Bubb Sickly invents Ventriloquist Soup, so long range communication is possible without the aid of harmful wave-emitting devices

Loafing Chair

...with the lacquered Macau side table.

At last, on the way to that outdoor kopi/reading/surfing/loafing area!

Last Passenger

Version 1 and Version 2.

Through Old Cantonese Windows

Some stuff collected from China travels arrive...a beaten up old bench from Macau, a pair of tall wooden panels of camphor from Grandad's town.
The aroma brings back echoes from our first trip to visit him.

March Poetry Spam with Jez - Unedited

snuff puppet and the snipped tortoise

Sodden Bat and the steady jelly

lead leddy and the up-falling brick stash

stamped scorpion and the undersea tissue

bonsai bee and the upscaled udder

shuriken rubber and the plenty less

ninja nanny and followed fred

Funakoshi doorknob and French ted

French Ted took to his head things that Ninja Nanny had once said

She said she said the shed the shed was not where ted's head bred

"There"s plenty less where they didn't come from" didn't shout Loppy

He sniffed he snorted and slipped and jipped a poppy


"Get yer afgann poppies here ladies! Spread em round yer windasills,
Thassit Dottie, fork out a tenna and make sure a tallybanna and his
nephew
Get all the ammo they need...Come on...they're ORGANICK!"



...and and and they saw Lionel Blair. . .
He was . . . t h e r e!


Hahaaaaairgh!!!!



London Rubber, London Rubber, is what I think they put in Hubba Bubba...

Brain of the barmy, brain of the barmy, is what I think they put in
chilli
con carne!

No it aint no it aint they put in the entire German army

No it aint no it aint they put in Roger Moore from The Saint

Coulda been paint, coulda been paint, but it aint, it aint

Coulda been tar, coulda been a wig, I dunno but the lumps were big




I'm gonna throw a sickie, I need a nice day off,
I'll pretend I's got the squirts, or a rotten hackin cough.
I'll distort my windpipe, so it sounds like I'm at death's door
"I really honestly never have, felt this ill before"
I'll act the part so well, that I'll keep it up at home,
So the missus doesn't nag me, and no moanin' on the phone.
A whole day to do nothing, it feels just bloody great,
daytime telly's suicidal, don't turn it on.....Oh too late....


I tell yer wot I'll eat swarfega
The doc''' swear I look meeker
Than that bloke Beaker
from tha Muppets, yeah
I'll prteend to knock knock knockin on heaven's door
When da missus comes home, I'll be wracking on the floor
The paramedics'll come kicking down the door
And realise I've bin fakin it, nah
There's goota be a good way to throw a sickie
Wot if I bought a sawn off shotgun
and raided sainsburys?
That'll get me off work
Wont it?



I got a bristle from a hairbrush
Stuck under my fingernail,
Now I know what torture is like
And all that it entails...
It hurt so bleedin much
I nearly had a cry,
But I didn't know what pain
Was like, until I stuck one
In me eye....


I said hip hop, hippetty hop
What does a bloke do in a womans shop
There be bags of bags
So heavy that my feet
Learnt that the world was flat
I carry food for the kids
the dog and grans cat
Whats in a shop for a bloke
An average Joe on a 9 to 5 wage
Draggin his feet and penting up rage
That then explodes on the M25
Running over to headbutt a stranger called Clive
i learn later in court
as I get done, I get caught
And get shopped,
shopped by a cop
All cos of a woman
her bags, and a shop...


How does the female mind work?
It seems to work better than a man's,
The female organises hundreds o things,
A man can think with his glands....

Coming Soon!

Big Up Bertha

Big Up Bertha exploded suddenly and ended up

here

here




here

and








a l l t h e w a y



over here.

He's here.

Takayama Tea