Everyday Hybridity

Have Skateboard - Will Travel Two events in the space of a year...

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:51:27 +0800

Have Skateboard - Will Travel

Two events in the space of a year made me very cynical about tourism. At eighteen I went abroad for the very first time and visited New York. Stood at the foot of the Statue of Liberty I felt completely bemused by how un-eventful and insignificant this iconic spot actually was. Several months later I was introduced to John Urry’s ‘The Tourist Gaze’ at University. I surrendered my aspirations to visit Angkor Wat and countless other destinations.

What I have tried to do since is to as often, and as much as possible, always take my board with me. This transforms the experience of visiting new places and opens up a completely uncharted realm of how you can actually interact with those around you.

This video provides some insight to the rich experiences of travelling with a board and to skateboard diplomacy. Jonathan Mehring shares some of his exquisite photos and anecdotes of his numerous travels. A self evident fact is that whilst you may not be able to speak the language of the country you are visiting, you can still connect with people through skateboarding.

There is however something that is a little peculiar in the documentation of skateboarding in far off lands. It is quite bluntly, exotica. The juxtaposition of a skater in mid-air with minarets in the background is distinct. Why should it be so? But if the truth be told it is that same jarring composition of the skateboard in urban environs that makes skateboard photography so compelling. It reminds us that places have untapped potential, they can be harnessed, used and performed with in ways that dramatically extend their everyday purposes or design intent.

Special Issue: Everyday in the Global South | Global South, Sephis e-Magazine

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 11:09:00 +0800

Special Issue: Everyday in the Global South | Global South, Sephis e-Magazine:

Special Issue: Everyday in the Global South Vol. 9 No. 2 (April 2013) Click to Download Volume 9 No. 2 The following are the contents of this issue…

The latest edition of the Global South Sephis eMagazine carries a review of my book ‘Islam in Hong Kong’. The Sephis Magazine is a rich publication that provides an academic perspective and dialogue on issue emerging from the Global South. Their newsletters are well written and cover a variety of issues, so they are certainly worth a look. This current issue relates to the Everyday in the Global South.

Here is a small excerpt from the review of my book.

“In the last few decades, there has emerged a veritable flood of scholarly and amateur works on Islam and/or Muslims. While some of these works have been outstanding in terms of the erudition and reflection that went into their making, a considerably larger number of works have tended to appear simply because a market has appeared for books on Islam – particularly since 9/11. Most of these works are not likely to have much shelf-life, vanishing presumably as the hatred/antipathy towards, and ignorance of, Islam (which spawned such literature in the first place) would also – hopefully – diminish. Much of this literature on Islam and Muslims has tried to understand the complexity of Islam and the Muslim identity, from the standpoints of both insiders and outsiders, in a global environment that has often tended to look askance at these.

O’Connor’s book on Islam and Muslim Life in Hong Kong, I would wager, stands a decent chance of having a reasonable shelf-life, largely because it is – thankfully – not about Islam. For sure, it deals with Muslim life (and that is not the same as Islam), but it limits the compass of the work to the extremely unusual set of experiences of Muslims living in the city of Hong Kong. Part of a series of works on the culture and society of Hong Kong, O’Connor’s work attempts to present before us an anthropological sliver of the city’s life – concentrating on a small community of people (three per cent of the whole population) bound by their religion, despite coming from a variety of ethnic and national backgrounds…

The most delightful feature of the book is the author’s passionate association with his adopted city. The fascinating details about the city itself, the gentle care with which the word-portraits conjure up the images of the city, the loving familiarity with not merely the various quarters of the city but also with the people who inhabit these quarters – all these allow the reader to see the city through O’Connor’s eyes, which is becoming an increasingly rare kind of penmanship. The chapter on ‘transformation’ of the colonial city of Hong Kong into the World City of the People’s Republic, with a demographic profile unlike any other Chinese city anywhere in the mainland, conveys with some dexterity the problems faced by a city like Hong Kong in absorbing people from different countries – for instance introducing anti- racism laws to making Indonesian domestic workers feel at home in the city.”

Global South - Kingshuk Chatterjee - April 2013, pg.88

Name: Orlando Age: More than 10 years Sex: Male...

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:14:23 +0800

Name: Orlando Age: More than 10 years Sex: Male Breed/colour: Ginger moggie Character: Used to be feral in Hong Kong. In good weather he refuses cat food and survives by hunting wildlife. He hates the cold and sleeps on the family’s range. Fights with Clawdius, another of the household’s cats. Roaming: Roams 150m (500ft) from home but covers an area of more than two hectares (5.5 acres) Prey: Brings home small mammals once or twice a week Expert view: “Orlando appears to be a ‘regular’ hunter and travels into an area of open grassland and woods behind his house. He lives outside the village giving him easy access to the countryside,” say researchers.

Ever wondered how cats use space? The BBC have commissioned a project that hast traced a bunch of cats and their daily movements. A new show replete with cat cams provides the answer.

I had to include Orlando because of the Hong Kong connection.

More around Tai O. I also spotted a poster advertising and...

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:24:17 +0800

More around Tai O.

I also spotted a poster advertising and exhibition of photographs taken in Tai O from a variety of photographers. It is taking place through out June and early July at the Landmark in Central. Check out the details here.

Here also is the flyer…

scmpgraphics: Infographic about the dragon boats competitions...

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:11:12 +0800

scmpgraphics:

Infographic about the dragon boats competitions at Hong Kong.

Dragon Boat Festival (Tuen Ng Festival 端午節 ) today in Hong Kong....

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:06:38 +0800

Dragon Boat Festival (Tuen Ng Festival 端午節 ) today in Hong Kong. Across the territory a variety of different events have been held. We visited Tai O on Lantau and explored the scenic village on stilts as well as following the races and the Dragon Boat procession to the various temples around Tai O. In the final picture we see one of the boats travel past a nearby Tin Hau temple. Smaller boats follow the large Dragon Boats, see second to last picture. These carry a statue of one of many deities and a small burner dangles off the back where paper offerings are burnt. At the end of the procession the deities are returned to their temples.

On the promenade there was a very festive atmosphere with a line of trophies in wait for the winners. There was also a collection of barbecued pig, and some free food being handed out. This included red bean desert, chicken wings, chicken feet, and curried mini sausages. The event also had some charitable support from the HK Jockey Club. There were promotional materials being handed out. A glossy brochure for this year’s event, displays with QR Codes to activate websites, and even a free plastic pouch for you Octopus card

It has been about 10 years since I last ventured out to Tai O. There have been some noticeable changes, but the village has kept its charm quite convincingly. I shall post some more photos of sights around the village.

Just got word of Go Skateboarding Day 2013. As usual it kicks...

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:17:35 +0800

Just got word of Go Skateboarding Day 2013. As usual it kicks off at Morrison Hill and then this year to Tsing Yi. It looks like a full event with superb organisation.

See 8Five2 for more.

Hacking for Good

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 22:20:00 +0800

Hacking for Good:

This is such a timely piece and I love what Melissa Gregg speaks about here. Real enthusiasm with a healthy amount of caution, and some optimism as the papers gush with angst and ambiguity regarding prism.

Garcetti wants LA to be “The best place in the world to hack”; the hackathon the birthplace of “the next tech CEO.” In his term, he wants every kid to have access to coding classes in high school, because education isn’t about preparing people for manufacturing jobs anymore. The winner of the hackathon was promised City Hall itself: “We’re going to open up the doors and the departments… to build a city of Angels for everyone.” I needed a hose down after all that. You can see how the idea of transparency is very easily transported from data to political process and democracy in general.

I took these photos this afternoon in the space of about five...

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 19:23:20 +0800

I took these photos this afternoon in the space of about five minutes. Hong Kong is not commonly regarded as a religious space, yet religion is everywhere. Two Chinese churches and a small shrine outside a property agent. I got my camera out for the first church and found that there was more round the corner.

Tung Choi Street - Prince Edward - Kowloon If you look closely...

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 02:01:48 +0800

Tung Choi Street - Prince Edward - Kowloon

If you look closely at the Bicycle shop, the upstairs window has a modern penny farthing for sale.

After class today I popped up briefly onto the roof of Chungking...

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 17:02:34 +0800

After class today I popped up briefly onto the roof of Chungking Mansions. It is not unalike any other roof in Hong Kong, but ti does have some interesting views. I particularly like these shots of the island in the background and the ominous clouds.

Feature: Work and other labours of love | Features | Times Higher Education

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 21:58:23 +0800

Feature: Work and other labours of love | Features | Times Higher Education:

Academics don’t seem to switch off. Work permeates all parts of life. Yet, this article from the THES also suggests that most of us find the vocation deeply fulfilling.

explore-blog: What Pangea would look like mapped with modern...

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 22:44:51 +0800

explore-blog:

What Pangea would look like mapped with modern political borders – a modern mashup reflecting cartography’s long history as power, propaganda, and art.

(↬ It’s Okay To Be Smart)

Is Chungking Mansions a trap for Wong Kar-wai movie fans?

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 23:41:48 +0800

Is Chungking Mansions a trap for Wong Kar-wai movie fans?:

This blog posting by Amy Li delivers us back to the classic and crude stereotypes of Chungking Mansions that in recent years have become harder to discern. It rides off the rather tragic tail of a Beijing student who was recently raped in one of the hostels. Li links to the story, which was only picked up by the Standard and not the SCMP.

Just last week someone emailed me to ask when was the edifice of the building refurbished. They were a little concerned that the old seedy CM was slipping away.

Li’s blog posting in the SCMP brings back the blurry volatile ambiguity of Chungking Mansions for another generation of backpackers. This new generation come from the Mainland and are taking the opportunity to get a slice of Hong Kong movie infamy (do note a stone’s throw from the avenue of stars), and cheap accommodation. Saving perhaps extra cash to spend across the road in Ocean Terminal.

Many have learned much more about Chungking Mansions in the light of Gordon Mathews book. A text that offers only a passing glance at Chungking Express noting that it is most unrepresentative of life inside the great building. The building itself has undergone somewhat of a renaissance in the last few years. However, as Li’s story aptly shows, reputations are hard to shake.

"The impact of technological conquests does not make the everyday any more alive; it nourishes..."

Thu, 30 May 2013 13:58:49 +0800

“The impact of technological conquests does not make the everyday any more alive; it nourishes ideology.”

- Rhythmanalysis - Henri Lefebvre - pg 54

This is a brief quote appears in a section of Rhythmanalysis in which Lefebvre is dealing with capitalism. He argues that ‘technologies kill immediacy’, which is now quite a difficult notion to support. The book was first published in 1992 and in that short time technology has totally transformed everyday life, his great and enduring passion. Indeed the immediacy of technological communication across the globe makes the assertion sound most dated. Yet what follows after it is the quote I include above.

This has a more enduring truth. The staunchest advocate of technologies and virtual reality would be troubled to challenge this. I for one agree, technology does not make the everyday more alive. The immediacy of communication, of our ease in texting or skyping distant people is burdened the constant need to conform to the mundane rhythms of typing in passwords, swiping screens, and pressing buttons. CGI in movies, pioneered on a big scale memorably byJurassic Park, now only makes films seem more false. Whilst it may be immediate the mediated technology is constantly creating barriers. Perhaps he would argue creating arrhythmia with our more (dare I say natural) rhythms, the immediacy of our ways of working together.

For Lefebvre all technology nourishes ideology and that ideology in this case it that of the market. Growing up at a time where there was no ‘google’ means that I have seen how the optimism of the web very quickly turned into the simple pursuit of how to make money out of the web. What we have turned online communication and network technology into is only that which personifies our era, our ideology.

How can technology make us feel more alive? Future schemes like a realistic google nose? Engaging deeper sensory experience in technology is indeed an aspect of the huge potential of technology to not just keep us feeling alive, but to even enhance such experiences. To do justice to Lefebvre’s short discussion, the fault is not in the technology, but the way in which it is co-opted. Guarded, commoditised, and patented. technology is simply just another tool, in Lefebvre’s marxist critique there is perhaps a fondness for a bygone era, but an ignorance too about how technology has in different forms been part of human history.

Rhythmanalysis is brief but it contains much of interest for social theory. Chapter 3 is particularly useful and accessible to students of urbanism and social geography. It is also very much a companion piece to de Certeau’s walking in the city, with Lefebvre looking out of a Parisian window. I think all ~~‘great’~~ cities should have this sort of meandering evocative writing produced about them.

Personally I think that the richest elements of the text (and de Certeau’s the practice of everyday life too) exist in the less well-known passages. There is much here waiting to be dusted off and set in place to new trajectories of thought.

Street scenes from driving around Hung Hom on a rainy lunchtime

Thu, 30 May 2013 02:01:00 +0800

Street scenes from driving around Hung Hom on a rainy lunchtime

Mosque praised for offering EDL tea

Wed, 29 May 2013 21:13:00 +0800

Mosque praised for offering EDL tea:

There is an alarming paucity of positive representations of Muslims in the media. When we look at the British media this is distinct. As Hopkins (2009:36) notes “When Muslims are not being represented through negative images and discourses they tend to be absent.” It also seems to be that the BBC are increasingly aware of this and are consciously making efforts in their reportage to redress the situation.

So, a story like this one is really quite welcome. It portrays not only the York Mosque in a very positive light, but it also redresses the overall picture that people with opposing views are unable to accommodate each other. It is all the more apposite with York’s grizzly history of anti semitism in 1190.

What is also so interesting about this story is that it is couched in all of the things that a textbook might tell you to do in order to appease and disarm and Englishman. Bring tea and biscuits, talk about football. I can’t help but think that there was a decent amount of banter about that day’s weather too. So the EDL were disarmed with a cultural reflection? This story is also interesting because the very positive appraisal offered of the event comes from a Christian voice, that of Archbishop John Sentamu who is Ugandan. He has voiced criticism of multiculturalism as it is acted out in the UK, and claimed that the BBC is anxious about reporting negative stories on Muslims…so we have now come full circle.

"Something passes as natural precisely when it conforms perfectly and without apparent effort to..."

Tue, 28 May 2013 13:27:37 +0800

“Something passes as natural precisely when it conforms perfectly and without apparent effort to accepted models, to the habits valorised by a tradition.”

- Rhythmanalysis - Henri Lefebvre, pg 39.

Every time I have passed through CUHK library the last few...

Mon, 27 May 2013 20:13:53 +0800

Every time I have passed through CUHK library the last few months I have been on a deliberate mission and I never ventured into the Lower Ground Floor ‘Learning Garden’ that was opened at the end of 2012.

Today I spent some time in this impressive space and was really enthused with its natural light, relaxed atmosphere, and facility for open styles of learning and collaboration.

CUHK Learning Garden

"Skateboarding is about exploring, conquering and documenting new terrain, it’s about pushing the..."

Sun, 26 May 2013 08:16:47 +0800

“Skateboarding is about exploring, conquering and documenting new terrain, it’s about pushing the boundaries about what you can physically do on a board, and the best sites are often a beautiful accident,” says Henry Edwards-Wood, 25, a skateboard film-maker who is campaigning for the Southbank site to stay put.”

- The secret colonies of graffiti artists and skateboarders from the BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22551669

Nice to see this getting some coverage. I mentioned this story a couple of weeks ago, and regular followers of this blog know that I like to talk about skateboarding and the intimacies of space. (Go here - here - here, and here)

What struck me with this little piece is that the two leading images, from Getty images are totally out of synch with the what we would regard as decent skateboarding photos. With such a rich and talented culture of skateboarder-photographers out there, these images immediately would strike most skateboarders as an ‘outsider’ piece. Only the images garnered later in the piece from Flickr and other sources actually capture some of the characteristics of a good skateboard photo.