Visions of AsiaSeeing things differently.
The journal / Visions of Asia
After three long years of COVID restrictions, I yearned for the vivid contrasts of Tokyo’s nights – from the blazing neons of Shibuya’s towering screens and scrambled crossings, to the cozy izakayas tucked away in Shinjuku’s Omoide Yokocho.
When the National Security law was implemented about one year ago, in 2020, the HK government kept repeating that its scope was limited and those concerned were few. One year later, it seems the scope is ever-expanding and the tentaculous reach of this law proved itself once more when the tabloid “Apple Daily” was forced […]
It was a couple of weeks ago that we found ourselves in one of the most intense fights of the time between protesters and police in Hong Kong (where even Wanchai looked tame). For six to seven hours, I was literally in the war zone, between relentless assaults by protesters equipped with molotov cocktails and […]
Mid-Autumn festival is linked to the harvest and thus an important traditional occurrence in Hong Kong and also in China. In full Black Bauhinia Revolution, it made sense that the protesters would try to celebrate mid-Autumn festival in a special manner. Lights on the mountains The previous “Hong Kong Way”, had a great success, principally […]
We mentioned about tensions rising during that long march from To Kwa Wan to Mongkok and how it ended in police operations to disperse the protesters. The day after, everything changed again, as the population responded en masse to a protest, thus proving that support for frontline protesters had not changed, despite the incidents at […]
Sunday night was the last occasion on which Sai Yeung Choi South street was open to pedestrians. At 22hrs, the police invited performers and crowds to leave. On this last hooray, a huge crowd had come to bid farewell to karaoke street. Neighbor and business complaints The end of “karaoke street” is not totally unexpected […]
It was announced and it finally came: it seems all but certain now that the Sai Yeung Choi south street in Mongkok will be closed to entertainers. In fact, in a previous post, we mentioned that the decibels were causing a lot of complaints. In a recent vote, the District Council of Yau Tsim Tong […]
One of the main sites upon arriving in the city of Busan, in Korea, is the Gwangandaegyo Bridge. Spanning 7.4 kms over the Busan bay, from Namcheon to Haeundae, it offers a gorgeous sight from the Gwangalli beach. Obviously, that was the first spot I hit upon arriving in Busan. A bridge which looks its […]
Being a Catholic country, obviously, Easter in the Philippines is something special. With great fervor and intensity, Filipinos are known to celebrate the Holy Week to a higher degree then elsewhere. Most people have heard about the crucifixions and other shows made around people who impersonate Christ on the cross. Such practices, however, are really […]
After having climbed suicide cliff barefoot and by night, I still had to more. That’s why, last Sunday, I decided to do a night barefoot hike on Kowloon Peak to catch the sunrise. Starting off at 3 AM Although I live very close to Kowloon Peak, arriving at the top on time still requires starting […]