Creative Hong Kong

Hong Kong has developed a reputation of being filled with suits rushing about trying to make millions of dollars and their rich tai-tai's spending money like its going out of style. And, to be honest, there are plenty of people like this in the city. But, the rumors that Hong Kong is devoid of good design, culture, or creativity is absolutely wrong. Hong Kong has its own unique aesthetic, you just need to search a little harder to uncover it.

The obvious place to begin is at the Hong Kong Art Museum. While not as large as Beijing's museums, nor as edgy as some of Shanghai's museums, this is a great place to begin exploring Hong Kong's art scene. In addition to pottery samples in all shapes and sizes, dozens of scrolls of gorgeous calligraphy, there are many more subtle examples of Hong Kong identity. Many of the poems and brush paintings on display are ancient examples of protest through artwork. Hidden amongst the bamboo leaves and orchids were critiques of the excesses of court life and calls to return to traditional values. Additionally, when I visited I saw an exhibit of works created by the first Chinese artists allowed to travel to Paris to study Western painting; showcasing Hong Kong's unique position between East and West. I was also able to view a retrospective for the Hong Kong sculptor Tong King-sum. The exhibit exalted the artist's use of texture, his strength in overcoming his physical disabilities, and his role in promoting the arts in Hong Kong throughout his life.

They don't really allow photos inside the museum... so you will just have to visit to see their collections yourself!

My next favorite spot is PMQ in Sheung Wan. PMQ stands for Police Married Quarters, because back during the British colonial period police officers who were married with families lived in this building. Years later, the building was abandoned, and the neighborhood became built up as one of the premier shopping districts on the island. The local government, unwilling to demolish this historical building, but not wanting this valuable real estate to go to waste held a contest. Whoever came up with the best plan for the idea that would allow the public to best appreciate both the legacy of the building and the contemporary state of the neighborhood. 

A team of designers came up with a plan to foster young stars in the Hong Kong design industry. Given that real estate is outrageously expensive in Hong Kong, but having a shop or base for others to discover you is so important, especially to those just entering their fields, the team decided to provide subsidized studios/ shops for the designers in the PMQ building. The entire building was renovated to meet modern safety standards, and young professionals in the fashion, jewelry, cosmetics, interior design, product design, bakery, and other related design industries were invited to join a space for two years. Additionally, established brands and restaurants were invited into a limited number of semi-permanent spaces for a higher price, thereby subsidizing the small companies and ensuring sustainability for the project. 

What I like most about the PMQ project is that it creatively solves many problems all at once while at the same time staying true to its design roots. Local and foreign artists are invited to put on free shows for the public, creating a rotating stream of attractions, while the more permanent designers have time to develop new products and industry connections. This is one of my favorite places to purchase unexpected gifts for friends and family back home. Not only am I supporting local artists, but I also get have a wonderful experience every time I return!

Honestly the best cupcake I've had in Hong Kong!

While you are in the neighborhood, be sure to check out the galleries and antique shops along Hollywood Road. There are dozens of small galleries with a constantly changing array of contemporary artists from all around the world. While some of the locals who prowl the area may be looking for a piece to hang in their apartment, I've never had any problems just going in and checking everything out. The people working at the galleries are generally very friendly and love talking about the works. 

If you are looking for more traditional art  head to Lascar Road (more commonly referred to as Cat Street. The little shops along this road specialize in Chinese and Tibetan antiques. However, be warned that most (if not all) of the items are fakes. If you want the real deal, be prepared to shell out hundreds or thousands of dollars at one of the larger Hollywood Rd. shops. Still, the Cat Street market is a fun and colorful shop if you are looking for a "jade" pendant or Mao poster. My personal favorite is the little old man who sells hand painted calligraphy at the end of the street. Pick up a traditional quote or two from him!

Of course, art isn't limited to museums or galleries. Wandering around in the Soho/Sheung Wan area is a fantastic street art crawl. Just a week or so ago there was a huge initiative by HKWalls to invite graffiti artists to spray or paint huge murals all around this neighborhood. I've also heard that they've gone to Stanley Beach and done a similar project, but I have yet to return there since winter break. But seriously, grab a map and try to find all of these amazing pieces (and some other surprising unauthorized graffiti too!).

Nothing says Hong Kong like Bruce Lee!

I haven't even begun to touch on some of the amazing gardens, architecture, historical archives, concerts, plays, or the random pop up events that I've occasionally stumbled across. Hong Kong has an amazing and lively art scene, it just takes a little digging to find. A blend of East and West, tradition and modern, commercial and avant garde, there is always something interesting and inspiring going on in this amazing city.

Why I Study Chinese (And You Can Too!)

In high school, I resented being forced to study Spanish. I hated Spanish in middle school, and I was prepared to do almost anything to avoid studying it again in high school. I say almost, because I was not about to take the distance-learning French class which was rumored to be even more boring. During my sophomore year I heard about a Chinese course being offered to high school students at UW-RF, and got really excited. Finally, something other than Spanish or French! A few friends and I talked to the administration and received permission to enroll in the program during our junior year. That year passed, and so did most of the summer without any additional information about the course. Finally, one week before classes start, I heard a rumor that the program was cancelled due to low enrollment. I confronted a guidance counselor, demanding to know what exactly was going on. Indeed, the program had been cancelled, and the school had not bothered to inform any of us students. With only two years left in high school, I had no other choice. I demanded placement in a Spanish course, and spent the next two years resenting every verb conjugation exercise.

This is brewing in the back of my mind as I sit down at SOAR to begin enrolling for my first semester of courses. I was in one of the last enrollment sessions, and many of the classes were already full. My first priority was to sign up for a chemistry course, everything else was secondary because I was on the way to becoming a famous genetics researcher (as I'm writing this, I'm laughing at myself... if only I knew). Anyway, I began scrolling through the endless list of electives and very quickly became overwhelmed. I gravitated towards recognizable topics; costume workshop, concert band, and French. Except, introductory French was full, or it conflicted with my chemistry class. I tried Italian, German, and even Spanish. No luck. I clicked through every single language offered by UW (hint... there are a lot!) and found exactly two that were not full or in conflict with chemistry; Mandarin Chinese and Urdu. I had no idea how one would even begin learning Chinese, it seemed so completely foreign, but that anger I carried throughout high school came back to me. I won't let my stupid little high school keep me down. This is a new start. I'm a whole new person in the big city. I can do anything. I enrolled in Mandarin.

I still remember the ver first day of class almost perfectly; nervously entering a new lecture hall in the Microbial Sciences building, awkwardly introducing myself to students from all sorts of backgrounds; students who already spoke fluently but couldn't read or write, Cantonese speakers, students who have Chinese parents but never learned themselves, Korean students, and even a couple of other clueless beginners like me, and getting my Chinese name 高爱丽. Our poor TA, You Laoshi, had just arrived from China, and we were his very first class. If only he knew what he was getting into. 

We spent a solid month echoing sounds back to our teachers. No characters. No words. Just sounds. Vowels, consonants, and tones were practiced for eight hours every week. It felt more like an awkward pre-school singalong than an actual university course. Every day I went to Chinese class wondering, why bother? Its not like I was actually learning anything. But I went, every single day. And I commiserated with my classmates. We complained during class exercises where we introduced ourselves for the 7 billionth time (你好， 我叫高爱丽。 我是一个学生。你呢?). We complained about our listening homework in the cafeteria. We complained about hand cramps as we compared our hundreds of copied characters. We gossiped about the TAs. We wondered if we would be able to actually go to China one day. And, against all common sense, we signed up for second semester. 

Chinese does not come naturally to me. Every single thing I know about the Chinese language has been hard-won through hours spent copying characters, drilling pronunciation, and hundreds of flash cards. For example, I know the words left and right. We learned them in second semester! The characters are 右 and 左, they are pronounced you and zuo or is it zuo and you.. wait, does the box-thing or the I-thing mean left or right? And I'm back at the very beginning again.

But, despite all of that, Chinese is so much fun! Take for example the phrase 马马虎虎. Literally translated, it means horse horse, tiger tiger... which is nonsense, unless you know the story behind the phrase. Way back when, someone drew a picture and proudly held it up for his friends to admire. Apparently, it wasn't a very good picture, because his friends couldn't tell if it was supposed to be a horse or a tiger. From a mediocre picture to a phrase for not very good, Chinese is proof that languages evolve and freeze all the time. It may make no logical sense, but this is what makes Mandarin interesting to me.

Last semester, I took UST's Chinese for non-Chinese background students VII (AKA advanced foreigners) with a bunch of wonderful Americans from schools literally across the nation, two Korean students, an pair Indonesian students, a students who's family was originally from elsewhere but was raised in HK, and a graduate student from Greece. UST is admirably trying to revamp their Mandarin Chinese language program for international students, providing more levels in order to more accurately group students according to their levels. But, because we all came from such different backgrounds, it is very difficult to know who exactly knows what. The curriculum remains a work in progress, and while I'm glad to have taken the course to keep practicing, I will be even more grateful when I return home to UW's wonderful Chinese language department. 

This semester, I enrolled in eighth semester Chinese, but ultimately dropped it. In combination with 15 other difficult credits, and missing much of the first two weeks of class, I knew there was no way I could catch up with the heritage speakers. I was surprised, however, to find how much I miss the routine of Chinese class, looking over new vocabulary, slowly reading through new papers, and commiserating with an instant new set of friends. I find myself listening in to Mandarin conversations on campus, just to quiz myself. I'm trying to decipher the traditional characters on signs around campus. And, I'm looking into graduate programs that include a Chinese language component.

Every day you make a million random little decisions that shape your life. Consider stretching yourself, and learn a random language. Had I not made that snap decision four years ago, I wouldn't be sitting in this dorm room overlooking the sea. I wouldn't have found two amazing internships working with passionate and inspiring people an ocean away. I wouldn't have found a community of friends who continue to support and amaze me every day. I wouldn't have stumbled onto a million other random little decisions that have made my life so much richer and more interesting.