Van Gogh in Hong Kong

Pleasantly surprised to pass by an Van Gogh art installation at the Clock Tower in Tsim Sha Tsui.  

It is an animation of images in Van Gogh’s distinctive style, displayed on curved screens. 

It is a wide range of images from some of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings such as sun flowers, dynamic cypresses, restaurant scenes, irises, …  There are also Chinese mountain - water paintings, and iconic Hong Kong images such as the Star Ferry, high rises, …

Inside, you are immersed in animated images and sound, sandwiched by two big concave screens.  

Outside, the convex cylindrical screens is backdropped by the iconic Clock Tower and surroundings.  

It is quite an experiences.  

But surprisingly few visitors, on a Sunday morning.  Just 10s of meters away, tourists, mostly from the Mainland, are taking photos on the water front.  Among the few visitors, I think I recognise Filipinos, Indonesians, Whites, …  Not many obvious Mainlanders. 

De La Salle University, Manila

When I spoke on Service-Learning at De La Salle University in Manila yesterday (Thursday, 15th May, 2024), it was both serendipity and destiny.  It was serendipity because I got to know DLSU when I was asked by a good friend to speak in his place at an event to take place in Taiwan, which is being organised by DLSU.  It happens that I am coming to the Philippines to speak at University of Philippines Diliman and to visit one of our student teams that are doing a project outside Manila, in collaboration with UP Diliman.  Hence I volunteered to come to speak at DLSU, …  

On the other hand, I had attended La Salle College in Hong Kong, Form 6 to 7, 1973-75. It was through contacts at Ls Salle, indirectly, that I obtained a scholarship that enabled me to go to the USA to attend university at University of Rochester.  I had also known for some time that DLSU is one of the top universities doing Service-Learning.  Our team at PolyU is helping La Salle College (HK) to implement Service-Learning and we know that LSC(HK) is collaborating with DLSU.  I have also since learned that DLSU is part of the Catholic organisation Uniservitate, which has a strong connection with Dr. Nieves Tapia of CLAYSS in Argentina, and I got to know Nieves when I attended a CLAYSS conference in Argentina in 2016.  Looking back, it seems to me that I am destined to get to know DLSU. 

DLSU actually started their own SL program in 2010, almost at the same time that we started ours at PolyU.  They are very committed and have already done a lot.  There are similarities as well as differences between our programs.  From the discussions during and after our talk there, we will be talking, and collaborating, a lot more, hopefully. 

Banyan Tree breaking free

This is quite a common sight in Hong Kong, and elsewhere in South East Asia.  The roots of a banyan tree breaking through stone and concrete barriers.  And the banyan is winning.  

Humans like banyan trees.  Not only in the wild, but also in the city, on the sidewalks, right next to main roads.  Presumably because banyans are big and strong, provides a lot of shade, and are fast growing.  So they are useful. 

At the same time, humans do not like the air roots reaching the ground and then thickening into trunks, starting yet another tree, invading spaces not allocated to the tree.  Humans also do not like roots reaching out across sidewalks and God forbid, breaking up roads.  Humans like the banyans to grow big on top, to provide shade to the humans.  But keeping a small footprint, not interfering with other human activity.  

Unfortunately, what the humans desire are in opposition to the nature and needs of the banyan.  The banyan needs roots underground just as big and wide as the branches and leaves above ground, to be healthy and strong and stable.  So humans chop off air roots and bind the feet (roots) of the banyan with concrete and stone barriers.  

The banyan shows tremendous fighting spirit.  It almost always finds a way through, as long as it has rain and air, and a tiny bit of soil.  As long as it does not get killed.  The banyan has a very strong will to survive, and to be free.  

If a banyan works so hard to be free. Shouldn’t humans show the same spirit?  Dictators be ware.  

Risk Management for Service-Learning - First Aid

One of our responsibilities in Service-Learning is to ensure the safety of our students.  In fact, the safety of students, teachers, community participants, and everyone involved.  In other words, to manage the risks involved, at an acceptable level.  It is something that may not be obvious at first glance, but is nevertheless very important.  

This is particularly the case when we are carrying projects that involve travelling, to developing countries, where the infrastructure may not be the best, hot and cold weather, typhoons, where infectious diseases abound, etc.  There will be additional risks where students have to use hand tools, moving materials, climbing up and down, etc.  

Hence our staff are undergoing training in first aid.  Using medical first aid kits, taking care of cuts and other wounds, heat strokes, sprained ankles, etc.  Summer project are starting.  We are getting ready.  Teams will be in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa, …

Jin Yong 金庸 Exhibition

Went to an exhibition about Jin Yong a short while ago at the Heritage Museum.  Probably the most famous Chinese wuxia (武俠小說) novelist.  I believe I have read all of his wuxia novels.  

As a fan, I enjoyed the exhibition.  It has some of his original manuscripts, in his own handwriting.  It was written on some of the popular manuscript paper (原稿紙) that students in our days used in schools to submit their assignments on writing.  

Many of his novels were first published as serials in newspapers, one small piece a day.  It was one way to entice people to read the newspapers.  

Then they were published in small, thin booklets, that you can purchase.  Dozens of these booklets make one complete novel.  

Perhaps the key attractions at the exhibition are the sculptures of characters in the novels. They are done in a heroic fashion.   As expected, they do not always match the image I have developed from reading the novels themselves.  But they are fascinating nevertheless. 

Overall, it is an interesting exhibition.  I do not regret attending.

It also reminded me of an episode in my university life.  I was studying at the University of Rochester, in New York state in the USA.  They have some of Jin Yong’s novels in the East Asian library.  Many students from Hong Kong borrowed them when the examinations are over.  One year I had this idea I would borrow one of them (in 4 volumes) before the examination, to read afterwards.  I ended up staying up overnight to finish all 4 volumes in one sitting - before the examination.  Fortunately, I did pass the examination, I think.