Glutter

"Sometimes we spend so much time thinking about the future, and that imagined happiness is so important to you, that you do all kinds of things in the hope it might work. But in the meantime you're not even happy. That's not how is should be."

My friend Pieter K, drum 'n' bass producer from the Breakbeat Science Label has a new album out with indie rocker Amy Jacob. They first collaborated on one track on Pieter's debut album "Everything All the Time."

They now have a new project: The Four Level

Check out their myspace page and listen to a sample. http://www.myspace.com/thefourlevel

Using pain for art? Nope it doesn't work like that. it can be agonising trying to tease out ideas but the source of art isn't pain. It's the entire inferno of life, and then it's a methodical, technical slog no different from scientists firing satellites to other planets.

Our parents became migrants, they'd move countries once and start anew, like in australia, but now we move all the time, like migrant workers but we fly instead of catching busses.

Sigh... my country is putting more and more people in jail for subversion just in time for the 2008 Olympics

CHINA

CYBER-DISSIDENT GETS THREE-YEAR SENTENCE ON DAY FRENCH PRESIDENT ARRIVES
The three-year prison sentence imposed on cyber-dissident Li Jianping today as French President Jacques Chirac arrived on a three-day state visit to China was "slap in the face" for French diplomacy, Reporters Without Borders said, reiterating its call to Chirac to intercede on behalf of the 63 journalists and cyber-dissidents imprisoned in China.

Li received the sentence from a court in Zibo in the eastern province of Shandong, which found him guilty of "inciting subversion of the state" by posting articles about human rights and politics on websites based abroad.

"We had hoped Chirac's coming would be greeted by the release of prisoners of conscience," Reporters Without Borders said. "Instead we find that the first day of his visit has been marked by a heavy prison sentence. This is a slap in the face for French diplomacy, which claims to be engaged in a 'constructive' dialogue on human rights, despite the lack of concrete results."

Li was officially charged on 9 March, nine months after he was arrested. The trial took place on 12 April although the verdict and sentence were not announced until today.

A businessman who used to run a medical equipment supply business, Li is also a freelance journalist who regularly wrote for foreign websites such as Boxun News, ChinaEWeekly, China Democracy and Epoch Times, which Chinese Internet users cannot access. He criticised the government and the lack of freedom of expression in the Chinese media.

Now aged 40, he took part in the Tiananmen Square demonstrations in Beijing in 1989 as a founder of the Independent Federation of Shanghai Universities.

He is the eighth journalist or cyber-dissident to receive a prison sentence this year.

Tonight I feel quite overwhelmed by the amount of support I have received in terms of getting into law school by my friends and professors in the US. Most of them I have not seen in nearly ten years, and very sporadically kept in touch with. Some of them without exaggeration, I have written one or two emails to in all that time.

First, all except one of my professors that I approached has agreed to write me reference letters. The fact they remember me is already a good sign, and that they are genuinely is happy for me after all this time is amazing. I know that although most professors would agree, sometimes if they don’t like you, they will tell you they are busy. The only professor who said, “no,” is doing fieldwork, out of the country and don’t even have a printer ready. I know that it’s not personal because she urged me to continue with postgraduate work even before I left college and promised me a reference even then. I know already that due to the different systems between the US and Australia my application carries a penalty as I do not have an undergraduate degree in Law, which isn’t even offered in the US. The other is that anthropology is not considered an “international studies” based humanities, even though the course of study in UCSC dealt consistently with how policy affects the individual from an International perspective. So I have been asked to write a statement of purpose.

Which leads me to the other reason that I feel quite overwhelmed in how willing everyone is to help. My old friend Pam from LA is now working in civil rights litigation, and we only very recently got in touch because she is visiting Hong Kong in November. I told her she can stay with me if I am here, and if not, she might be able to stay at my place while I was away. I felt a little bit worried I had said the latter as I hadn’t seen her for ten years. But after I told her I was also applying for law school, she offered to help me with anything I need, and would be happy to give me advice and share her experiences. I made me realize that my first response of letting her stay in my place was correct. I will be calling her tomorrow for a chat.

I am always really nostalgic of the friendships I made when I was in college. I always do miss California, the life and people there. I try to explain in terms of the way people relate. How we treat each other, and how close our bonds are. I think people generally think I am just putting on rose colored glasses of someone who met a few people when I was young, but I always know it’s not the same. It’s time like this that reminds me, just how much I was right, and how and why my affection remains.

I haven't really written much about politics in the last few weeks but that's because I am doing something else that is more worthwhile. I am applying to law school. First with a master in Law in international Law or a combined masters of International Law and International Relations in Sydney, Australia.

After that, if life goes as planned and I actually do really well, and can get into a top-level law school, I will go ahead and become a lawyer either in the US, or Australia or even back to Hong Kong.

It was a thought I had. That although grassroots organizing is every bit as important, policy on a governmental scale is equally so.

And right now more than anything, I feel like a challenge.

Glutter isn't a challenge anymore, and after a few years in Art and Media, I feel that I am not fully engaged to my full potential. There is a lot of my brain that isn't being used, and after a while I felt like I was on automatic and not that happy.

So I figure that the most difficult and competitive place might be where I really should go. I thought I wanted an easy life, that gave me a lot of time but after a while, I know I am bored. I don't feel a forward momentum, and I can't really see ahead. I love the creative field but one ends up amassing a lot of experience in the hope the "perfect" project comes along, and all the stars align to let it happen. I just think maybe with law, it's a more steady progression.

I feel it's the right decision, and in fact everyone that knows me well seem to agree. Most of the time, after the initial shock wears off, the person goes.. literally word for word (it's happened three times now), "Actually it's perfect. Why didn't I think of that before?"

it's because when we think of law, we think of the lawyers on TV or people who work on cases and contracts. It's not what I would ever do. I could never stand in front of a judge or a jury and try to convince them of the guilt or innocence of anyone. But what I know I can do is read a lot, synthesis varying information, and put forth and argument, an idea or a plan of action.

So that's what I am doing now. I am researching a lot about the careers, writing my statement, and trying to work out how best to present myself to the admission board of University of NSW and University of Sydney. The rest of my time, is spending with friends, exploring the rest of Hong Kong, and finishing up unfinished business both personal and practical.

For once in my life, and maybe the first time, I am entering into a situation that I feel the gravity of the decision. The kind of commitment, hard work, focus that is needed of me in the next few years will be great. It's a decision that isn't easy to get out of or change. Law is a profession and it's ultimately about knowing as much as you can, so you have it when you need. It's about being prepared and about excellence. One can always be a half assed lawyer but I don't think it's worth it. There is no point in working with limits when the full experience is so much more rewarding. And what I ultimately think most interests me, which is international law, the world court and issues of conflict resolution and fair trade in technology are hyper competitive and only has room for the best. What I want to do is be part of a group of people who help shape the lives of every day.

I think this blog was the perfect start, because from day one, I knew what I wanted to do was to show how the big policies and events in the world do impact one person. And if I a normal women care -you should too. I know I have made some people interested in the issues that I find most pressing in my personal world, and now I want to care about the bigger things that most people don't have the time or opportunities to do so.

I would just like to keep watch from a higher place.

But first I must concentrate on the very first step. Which is let the people who hold guard on the law profession see who I am, and invite me in.

October is "Breast Cancer Awareness Month," and my friend sent me a link (she's in the UK) that by clicking it, we can help fund free mammograms to women.

I thought it was a great cause and very easy to do. Please take the time go into this link, and then click the BIG PINK BUTTON. Support Women's Health

On whim a friend of mine went to the Peak and ate at the Peak Cafe. There was an Oyster Promotion so we decided to dig in. We tried a few different kinds, they were all too salty, but today I decided that we should continue our exploration in the sensory and taste that eating those little creatures can be.

So we checked out a little place waaaay off Soho, on Staunton Street quite a bit further away from the main bars and resturants. The Oyster Station specializes in Oyster and other raw seafood. It was a Monday night and already packed full at 8:30 so we had to wait an hour inbetween before we even got a table, which is no probs, we just went to the Japanese Resturant near to have some cold noodles and returned after a while. The decor is very simple, the place is very small with only two tables, the place is mostly bar seats. We liked the 80s themed music videos but more importantly the Oysters were fab. Better than the Peak Cafe ones. Healthier, tastier and fatter and at a reasonable price. We spent $200HK each, with one drink.

We had 14 between us trying six different kinds. Our favourites were the less sea water tasting ones, with a lot of meat to bite into. i thought the whole experience was fun and out of the ordinary. There is a lot of things in the world you can still learn that just adds enjoyment to life.

One should always start with the least salty oysters and work your way up.

So: The best we agreed were (in order of my faves and not the order you eat them):

Fanny Bay (XS) from Canada: Sweet and fat.
Bald Eagle from the west coast USA: A little less meaty but a bit more taste
South African Rock Oyster: That had a lot of texture but more salty that the others.
Kamoto: which is originally from Japan but has been grown in Australia and the US as well. These were small, and flavorful. Although I liked the one at this resturant coz they had more meat opposed to the ones at Peak Cafe which I didn't like.

Next time she suggested we try the North Bay, USA, coz that was the thickest of the lot.

I also suggest it's probably best not to go Oyster Tasting on an empty stomach. It's a bit like wine tasting, get something to line your tummy first!

The address is: 31 Bridges Street, G/F, Sheng Wan (just keep walking from Soho away from the esculator)/

call ahead to book: 25490132


Oyster Station

From Independent Online..

"For scientists like Bernard Wood, a paleoanthropologist at George Washington University in the US, Selam is "a veritable mine of information about a crucial stage in human evolutionary history". The chief surprise is that her shoulder blades and arms still look like those of a gorilla. There is now hot debate over whether they are just useless evolutionary baggage or a sign that 3.3 million years ago Selam and her family were still swinging.

If they were, then the most popular theory of why humans stood up is challenged, says Desmond Morris, the zoologist who studies human behaviour. This theory says they did it because they had learned to use their hands for making tools and weapons but still needed to get around. "If Selam is significant and not an oddity, that means bipedalism came first. So there must have been a different reason for it."

But he warns against drawing too many conclusions. "People end up basing their idea of an entire species on a little girl's skeleton. There's a man in the Guinness World Records who is eight feet tall. If you found him, and only him, in three million years' time what would you think we had been?"....

"This is a stunning discovery," said Martin Meredith, author of The State of Africa, "but it does not change the picture of human evolution. What we're doing now is filling in the pieces." For him and many other observers, one of the most significant things about Selam is the identity of the man who discovered her. Desmond Morris agrees. "It is wonderful news," he said. "There is still a colonial and imperial flavour to anthropology - virtually all the discoveries are made by Europeans and Americans who go out to these remote places with the help of the locals, who also do the digging. So the fact that Selam was discovered by an African leading a team in his own backyard is brilliant."

Human Evolution: An exclusive interview with the man who discovered the oldest child in the world"

(This month's National Geographic was good as well. The article was a bit short, but it had some interesting facts that I hadn't read anywhere else.)

第四屆香港社會運動電影節已在進行中
第四週的節目為大家呈上
（延伸活動及更詳細資料請到網頁：www.smrc8a.org/smff）:
節目查詢：27875656李小姐／92882017陳先生／23977231旭雯或自治八樓朋友　
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23／１０　（星期一，　７：３０）
美麗青年全泰一 (又名:星火) A Single Spark

導演：朴光洙／南韓　　片長：90min 語言：韓語／中文字幕

「可惜我生前沒有認識一個大學生。」自焚致死的青年工人全泰一在日記上這樣寫著。

據說，因為這句話，令許多知識份子內疚得不得了，進而從大學自我下放到工廠、農村，透過與基層一起工作進行組織工作，韓國的工運、農運才有今天的燦爛。
「我要回到這些受欺壓的朋友身邊，你們是我心靈的故鄉。」於是全泰一從工地回到工廠，最後走上自焚之途。
自焚，不過是為了女性要有月經假、注意工人職業健康等等；口號，不過是「我們不是機器」。

可惜黑白片道出的這個悲傷故事的訴求，在彩色的當代世界中，仍是一樣沒有實現。另一位男主角，正在寫全泰一傳的一個當代知識份子，也因為政治異見被追捕中，而在被追捕的陰影裡，道出這個平凡的、貧窮的、孤獨的韓國青年的一生……
去年十二月大家都對韓農的抗爭感到「大開眼界」，大半年過去，讓我們再重新思考韓國社會運動的經歷，進而自我觀照一番吧。
地點：香港職工會聯盟
地址： 香港九龍油麻地彌敦道557-559號永旺行天台(油麻地地鐵站A1出口)
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２４／１０　（星期二，７：３０ｐｍ）向麥當勞宣戰 (台譯:卯上麥當勞)　　Mclibel

導演：Franny Armstrong／英國 片長：85min　　語言：英語對白／中文字幕

兩個人，在麥當勞門外派單張，指麥記食物不健康，同時製作過程破壞環境，又用超低薪來壓搾勞工。
老麥看不順眼，便告二人「誹謗」。
兩個人，一個離婚爸爸帶著兒子，一個單身女子，身無十兩金，無錢請律師，卻勇敢地出來自辯，與麥當勞對質，想不到，一辯十年，人生如此度過，最後竟然官司得勝……

地點：嶺南大學永安廣場
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２５／１０（星期三，７：３０ｐｍ）希望工程．實驗十三　
The Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination: 13experiments in Hope

創作：吸塵機工作群　vacuumcleaner　　片長：100min　　語言：英語對白／中文字幕
假設你在街上突然見到：
1) 有人在商場內大聲向商品禱告，虔誠萬分；
2) 有一堆人一起指著街上的閉路電視，一起倒後行；
3) 有人在寫著不准塗鴉的牆壁上，貼上巨紙塗鴉可也；
4) …….
你猜，你會做什麼？
1) 報警
2) 上前八卦，無趣就離開
3) 覺得他們阻街、搞事，上前理論一番
如果，你的答案，是X及Y，那麼……
無論，你的答案是什麼，都沒有所謂，來享受一下這十幾齣皮趣餡硬的實驗小電影吧！
地點：嶺南大學永安廣場
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２７／１０（星期五，７：３０ｐｍ）　沉重而絢爛的十二月──紀２００５８香港反世貿人民抗爭
Our heavy yet beautiful December

創作：反世貿錄像游擊隊（八樓＋錄影力量）　片長：130min
語言：多國語言對白／中英文字幕

廿多齣短片，講述2005年的灣仔，似乎發生了驚天動地的大事，又似乎現在塵埃落幕，到底，發生了什麼事？
世貿前我們組成了反世貿錄像游擊隊，世貿期間有個博客網站日日報主流以外的所見所聞，世貿後我們繼續拍攝和剪接，紀敘這次本應對香港有深重意義的抗爭，把錄像藝術具有的激進性盡情發揮，與各地基層人民並肩作戰，絕不旁觀他人的痛苦！

來與不同的游擊隊員一起看這個十二月吧
南韓農民，除了激進以外，還既純情又大方……
農民示威，也有來自東南亞不同地方……
反對世貿，不只有農民，也不只有外國人……
人民不單可反對政府，更可反對壟權財伐……
反世貿過程中，還有不斷的自我反省……
等待被捕中，可以做體操，可以踢波，可以談戀愛，可以唱膽小非英雄，決不願停步…..
我們反對世貿，反對壟斷，所以，在這兒，沒有一齣紀錄片，這兒，有很多齣片，很多個人，很多個視角…
地點：學聯會所　　地址：香港九龍旺角道7-9號威特商業大廈9樓
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２８／１０（星期六，７：３０ｐｍ）天堂花園　　Heavenly Paradise

導演：艾曉明／中國　片長：138min 語言：國語對白／中文字幕

如果這個世界已急速得沒有時間讓我們思考關於公義，關於義理，那請給我們一批盡責的官僚。
黃靜案，至今在內地仍是一個成不了案子的懸案，兇案現場是一位可人女教師；她死後就留下了一個母親和一些惦記她生死的人。
天堂花園，只是一個疼愛她的不平人叫大家來看這案子的網站。
那就請大家來，來看一位母親為義理、為公義、為天下遭受性暴力威脅的女子及為她那已死去的女兒，跑遍天下塞責官僚，只為女兒立案；所求的，只是中國這個地方發生的性暴力案子，能為這些婦女進行合法合理的調查。

地點：學聯社會運動資源中心 (自治八樓)
地址：香港九龍旺角彌敦道739號金輪大廈天台（電梯１６字樓上一層）
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特別加場２場：　浸大同學自發搞的浸大分場！
２３／１０　星期一　７：００ｐｍ　樂生保留運動紀錄片

創作：青年樂生樂盟，黑手那卡西等 ／台灣　　片長：104min
語言：國語、閩南語對白／中文字幕

「得到這種病真見笑，我不想給別人知道，…我親戚都沒人知道。」
「突然覺得我們哪，已經不再是人了。」
也許疾病最可怕的不是肉體上的痛苦，而是心靈上的催殘，且本來不必承受。
數十年前患上痲瘋病的人被當成怪物隔離，與世隔絕了半個世紀。
如今當地要建捷運機廠，突然又把他們當成人，說要「保障病患權益…讓病患亦能隨時代的進步，獲得現代化更妥善的醫療及生活照顧。」想把他們從親山的自然村落遷到八層高現代化醫療大樓。
患病不代表病人的需要可以被旁人定義，更不代表當權者可以籍此趕走病人。這種情況在病院以外，譬如我們的社區生活裡，又是否以各種形式一再發生呢？相比起樂生保留運動中痲瘋病人的大聲吶喊群起反抗，我們又作出過怎麼樣的反應？
地點：林護國際會議中心NAB209
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２６／１０　星期四　７：００ｐｍ爭取過才真正屬於你
導演：阿為．路易士、娜娥美．克萊恩／加拿大　 2004
片長：87分鐘　西班牙、英語對白／中文字幕
「佔領．抵抗．生產！」


全球化下，阿根廷曾出現短暫的「經濟起飛」，然後？然後，當阿根廷可以被吸的資源都被跨國企業吸去之後，老板們又跑去找人工更平更賤的地方，工廠丟空，工
人失業，曾一起建立起經濟繁榮，幫老板賺不少錢的基層工人，生活頓失所依。阿根廷又貨幣貶值，銀行搞到唔俾人提款，連少少積蓄都失去。
還剩下什麼？

有，有一間又一間曾努力生產的吉廠。 然後，可以怎樣？ 佔領工廠，重建生產線，工人當家，共同管理──不可能？阿根庭工人做到了。

然後，國家機器當然不會放過你，於是俾差佬打，打官司，上國會，最後會怎樣？

乖乖聽話的香港人，真該看看這齣戲！
地點：　賽馬會廣場　（宿舍飯堂對出）
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延伸活動：（詳情請往網頁瀏覽：www.smrc8a.org/smff）
社區自治系列
行腳三：深水土步－地舖智慧增生空間
導遊：周綺薇(9279 2102)
日期：28/10/05 (星期六)
時間：下午2:00至5:00
集合地點： 長沙灣地鐵站近C2出口站內7-11

一個滿是舊式商舖的舊街區，有老字號的醬油舖，人情味濃厚的小檔口和樓梯底舖，還有街坊中醫舖、茶葉舖、洋服店、花牌檔、車呔舖……到底在這樣一個各展所
長的街區上，除了各自各做生意，還有什麼特別的地方？社區網絡、社區經濟和社區保安有何自然而生的關係？而各個小舖的空間運用又如何形式了這兒的社區特
色？
自小在深水土步這個舊街區長大的周綺薇，便帶你遍遊她心目中的社區地圖。

導遊簡介：周綺薇，深水土步街坊，老爸在深水土步重建區有間老舖，小時候幾姐妹在街上跳自己畫的巨型跳飛機，長大後本來對四周街道街坊都漸漸模糊，重建警號響起，
她不忍看見街坊獨自徨恐面對，跑回來與他們一起爭取，意外地拾回一段段街坊故事，復更對這地方有難以言喻的歸屬感……
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