Sketching Central 速寫中環

A collection of my sketches on different locations in Central made into a video.
速寫中環短片

Peak Tram at Kennedy Road Station 山頂纜車堅尼地道站

One of the few sketches I did on the same day!  I was standing under a tree at the Kennedy Road Peak Tram station.  Because of the rain and the heat,  mosquitoes were everywhere.  I had to leave after sketching the lines.  The colours were added later at Citibank Plaza nearby.

星期日時晴時雨，天氣悶熱，我企係山頂纜車堅尼地道站上速寫，畫好線稿就馬上走人，皆因餓蚊咬人，唔走唔得。

Hong Kong Fringe Club 香港藝穗會

The weather was damp and hot after the thunderstorm,  I decided to find a place where I could sketch and have a cool drink.  Fish and Meat made a perfect choice as it has a great balcony overlooking the prestigious Fringe Club and so I ordered a drink and settled down in the shaded balcony on the second level and sketched away the remaining afternoon.  

雷雨後天氣又濕又熱，我便搵間茶座坐下唞涼。Fish and Meat位處二樓兼有騎樓對正歷史建築物香港藝穗會，便坐下一邊享受凍飲一邊畫。

info from Wikipedia

In 1892, Dairy Farm built a low-rise brick and stucco building on Lower Albert Road in Central for use as a cold storage warehouse. This warehouse was later renovated and expanded in 1913 to include a dairy shop, a room for meat smoking, a cold storage room for winter clothes and residency for the General Manager. The building later evolved into the company headquarters until the company moved in the 1970s. The abandoned building was acquired by the Hong Kong Fringe Club in 1984.

資料來自維基百科

1892年建成的舊牛奶公司倉庫原為冰窖，舊倉庫的面積只有現時倉庫的一半（南座）。1896年，牛奶公司將總部搬至主倉庫，其後陸續加入屠場、餡餅生產工場、牛奶分銷中心、零售冰粒雪庫、副食品工場及鍋爐間等設備。1913年，公司將倉庫翻新成為總經理住所。日佔時期（1941-1945）倉庫曾經被日軍掠奪一空。這裡至1970年代仍為牛奶公司總部。1982年，香港外國記者會進駐舊北座，兩年後政府亦將南座租予藝穗會使用。

The Mystery of the Stone Lions at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens 動植物公園石獅傷人之謎

The stone lions have been guarding the gardens for many decades.  However,  it was rumoured the stone lions would target and attack visitors who came near the gardens at night with their stone pearls placed inside their mouth cavity.  In order to stop the rumour from spreading and to ensure everyone's safety,  the stone pearls were removed from the lions and the attack finally ceased!


據說三、四十年代，動植物公園石獅夜間會用口中石珠傷人，後來園方把石獅口中石珠取 矗出，傷人事件就停了。以下是陳雲老師所寫關於石獅傷人的傳說。

兵頭花園石獅作祟

【細說從頭】陳雲2014年02月18日

香港的城市妖精傳說，太平山石龜最出名，大會堂金馬精其次，兩者都是戰前傳說，銅鑼灣狐仙則是近代傳聞，一九八一年傳出的。
俗稱「兵頭花園」的動植物公園，有「石獅作祟」之傳說。一八四八年，港府翻譯官郭士立，於「皇家亞洲學會」的集會之上，建議修築一座植物公園，作為市民休憩和遊覽之用。
第一期工程於一八六四年完成，開放使用，公園毗鄰總督府（位於上亞厘畢道），因總督是三軍司令，故庶民稱為兵頭花園。
公園正門石階之上，有一道石製牌坊，刻有「紀念戰時華人為同盟國殉難者」之字，紀念二次大戰殉難之華籍軍人。牌坊兩條石柱之前後，各有一對石獅子，共四隻，用來鎮懾罡氣。獅子有獨角，屬於緬甸石獅的造像。
相傳石獅本來口含石珠，且於晚間作祟，吐出石珠傷人，故有人把石獅牙齒打碎，取去石珠。話說，上世紀三、四十年代，港島市民熱愛遊覽兵頭花園，夜晚更是癡男怨女的談情之所。傳說曾有男女在此殉情，因此公園於入夜後不時傳來鬼夜哭之聲。
最初是一對情侶在深夜途經石獅時遇襲，男方被硬物擊中，頭破血流，地上遺下一顆拳頭大小的石珠，卻不見投擲之人。其後，陸續有人中招，同樣遺下石珠，而且大小與石獅口中的石珠相若，於是便認為石獅吐石傷人。
後來，更有警員在巡邏時遭石珠擊中要害斃命。當局見人心惶惶，於是擇定吉日，敲碎石獅牙齒，取出口中石珠。自此怪事平息。
石獅作祟，投石傷人，有兩種民俗學分析。首先，此乃民間鬼擲石傳說之變異。也許因為公園整潔，含冤受屈而有心存妒忌之鬼魂尋石無門，於是借用獅子口中之石，投向情侶，實行棒打鴛鴦。獅子倒是無辜，被人剝牙取石，失去鎮壓妖邪的法力。
另一種猜想，則是獅子塑像由於守護軍人英靈，日久修煉成精，於是投石傷人。獅子傷人，也許是由於遊人滋擾安寧，深宵仍有情侶來卿卿我我，於是投石傷之，小懲大誡。
從民間心理而言，英國總督高高在上，開放花園予小民遊覽，小民心裡難免忐忑不安，戰戰兢兢，於是借坐守門之獅子，夜晚投石傷人，向市民施加下馬威。
這樣一嚇，大家心理就回復平衡了。

The Statue of King George VI inside the Zoological and Botanical Gardens 動植物公園內的英皇佐治六世像

King George VI reminds me of a very special Hong Kong stamp issued right after the Second World War, the Victory Stamp of Hong Kong.  The phoenix rising from the fire is a very powerful symbol which means rebirth and this is what Hong Kong really needs now, a rebirth that let everything starts anew! 

英皇佐治六世令我諗起二次大戰後香港發行以火鳳凰重生為主題的郵票。鳳凰在火焰裏重生，萬物重獲生機，正是今日香港所須！

A bronze Gorilla, a Stone Bird and a Stone Lamp in the Zoological and Botanical Gardens 動植物公園內的銅猩猩、石頭雀同石頭燈

A collage of a bronze Gorilla, a stone bird and a stone lamp were what I sketched in the rain at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens.  My sketcher friends asked me if the gorilla was real.  I would have sketched the cage bars if he was real!  

雨中我在動植物公園內遊走，畫底一隻銅猩猩、 一隻石頭雀同一棧石頭燈。畫友問隻猩猩係真定假，我話如果係真就一定畫埋啲圍欄係我前面。

Late Afternoon in a Bookshop Cafe 書室咖啡店內的下午

While waiting for my friends in this bookshop cafe,  I took out my sketch paper and sketched the scene in front of me.  It's great place to sketch people as most of them would just stay there for a long time, reading or working on their documents, making them good models to sketch.

After colouring the sketch, I decided to make a little fun video out of it.

約了朋友又早到成個鐘便拿出畫筆畫紙開始畫。Kubrick係一個好好畫人的地方，皆因好多人會長留此處，有人慢慢刨書，有人埋頭苦幹睇文件。

上完色順便整條動畫片玩玩！

Cows Grazing Near the West Dam of High Island Reservoir 萬宜西壩下的牛

Near the West Dam of High Island Reservoir, the weather was stuffy and the sun was intense even it's morning.  I intended to sketch in the field but before long I retreated to the shade of a nearby tree as I was sweating like a waterfall!  The cows, however, seemed not to be affected by the heat at all, were grazing leisurely out in the open field. 

西壩下大草地上畫了不久已汗流夾背，頂唔住要找個樹蔭先可以繼續畫落去，但群牛在大草地上，卻懶理驕陽似火，只管盡情食草！

Sketching the Harbour as Typhoon Rammasun Edges Closer

The lights and shadows of the harbour caught me as I walked out of the book fair in Wan Chai.  As typhoon Rammasun was edging closer, the clouds kept on rolling in, bringing rain and wind and creating spectacular lights and shadows on the harbour and the skyscrapers along the waterfront.

此速寫係離開書展時經過會展走廊時畫的。颱風威馬遜靠近，香港風勢增強，維港上空烏雲伴藍天，形成強烈光影對比。

Sketching in Pain 痛中速寫

Very good foot massage by Mr Ngan in Sai Kung Old Town.  Very painful at times but I really don; want to miss this special sketch opportunity.  Amid the pain,  I managed to finish the sketch within an hour.  

第一次係陣陣痛中完成嘅速寫！

An All Day Breakfast in the Afternoon! 下午的全日早餐

I retreated to a cafe in the very hot afternoon to find peace and food.  
炎夏咖啡室內避暑！

Huge Rally in HK for Freedom, Universal Suffrage and Autonomy 同心合力 悍衛我城

Joint Sino-British Declaration violated, huge number of Hongkongese took to the street today, filling up streets that span four districts on Hong Kong Island to express their anger at the pro-China puppet Hong Kong government. Angered by the illegal approval at the Legislative Council of the NE New Territories which aims at dissolving the Hong Kong-China Border as well as the issuing of the "White Paper" by China, claiming her full right to govern Hong Kong, people from all walks of life came together today to fight for freedom, universal suffrage and full autonomy. 

立法會強行溶解中港邊界，中共違反中英聯合聲明，眼見香港赤化，我哋群起 悍衛我城

New York Times with video news:

Huge Crowds Turn Out for Pro-Democracy March in Hong Kong, Defying Beijing

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/02/world/asia/hong-kong-china-democracy-march.html?smid=fb-nytimes&WT.z_sma=WO_HCT_20140701&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=1388552400000&bicmet=1420088400000&_r=2

BBC News:

Hong Kong police arrest democracy protesters at sit-in

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-28122434

Financial Times:
Video News on 7 1 Rally
http://video.ft.com/3653694735001/Hong-Kongers-march-for-democracy/editorschoice

Financial Times:  

Patten attacks China over Hong Kong judiciary remarks

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c8a5a7c6-035d-11e4-817f-00144feab7de.html#axzz36Y8TFpCP

The Guardian:

Hong Kong police detain hundreds after mass protests

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/02/hong-kong-police-detain-hundreds-protest

CNN:
Hundreds arrested at sit-in following huge pro-democracy rally in Hong Kong
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/01/world/asia/hong-kong-democracy-protests/index.html?hpt=ias_c1

Amazing Time Lapse Video on the Rally:

The Long-term Causes that led to the Protest (Commentary from entry posted on 17 June 2014)

Since the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China in 1997, the People’s Republic of China has been increasingly interfering with Hong Kong’s internal affairs which violated the “One Country, Two Systems” principle enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration ensuring Hong Kong full autonomy on all internal affairs except defense and diplomacy. For instance, even as of 17 years since the handover, Hongkongese were still unable to elect its “Chief Executive”, an equivalent to the president of a country, as the position is still appointed by a pro-China committee. The Legislative Council is still not fully elected by the Hong Kong general public but largely controlled by pro-China legislators. Every day, a quota of 150 is given to immigrants from the People’s Republic of China and, ironically, as an autonomous state, Hong Kong is deprived of the right to filter or refuse entry of these people. It is an attempt to change Hong Kong’s demography. And, in recent years, deprived of any mechanism to regulate the inflow of visitors from China, Hong Kong have seen a dramatic increase in number of visitors.  In 2013, the total number of visitors had exceeded 54 million people, six times the population of Hong Kong and, among them, 75% came from China. These visitors from China have been buying up daily necessities such as milk powder and smuggling them to China in huge quantities in broad daylight, overloading the public transport systems, driving up rent and effectively shut down local and traditional shops with great cultural significance all around the city in huge numbers. Worst still, the People’s Republic of China has just issued a “White Paper” in June, claiming that China has the right of total governance in Hong Kong, an act that violated the Sino-British Joint Declaration and essentially an attempt to abolish the constitution of Hong Kong.

Two Systems for Two Peoples

The growing identity of Hongkongese as a separate group of people different from that of the Chinese of the People’s Republic of China had never been stronger as China’s aggression escalates. As a matter of fact, Hong Kong had been separated from Mainland China since the British takeover in 1841, which since then developed into a community with its own distinct identity. It was not until 1997 that Hong Kong was handed over to the present People’s Republic of China, without first consulting the Hong Kong public.

Gary Yeung

Special thanks to Richard for editing the text!

Another entry about the NE New Territories Development is reposted on the International Urban Sketchers Website:
http://www.urbansketchers.org/2014/06/hong-kongese-protest-against.html