Sub-divided flats in HK

Title : Sub-divided flats in Hong Kong

Sub-divided flats is one of the most serious housing problems in Hong Kong.  As it has plagued HK for a long time, it affects the grass-root and citizens of Hong Kong to a wide extent.  The grass-root can only afford to live in small flats or sub-divided flats unwillingly.  Indeed, it is grief to live in these units.

There are several reasons why the sub-divided flats are popular in Hong Kong.  As Hong Kong is a small place with a huge population of about seven millions of people, the over-crowdedness occur much difficulty and many problems.  Everywhere is densely populated.  Nearly fifty percent of Hong Kong people belong to the grass-root level nowadays.  In order to reduce their daily expenses to compensate the daily usage such as food, they choose to live in sub-divided flats which are low-rented.  However, property prices continue to escalate.

Because of the poor living conditions of these flats, the residents encounter innumerable difficulties. They are bad hygiene condition, share facilities like toilets, kitchens, water supply, electricity… etc.  Frequently they argue and quarrel among themselves.  The bad elements from the triad societies will easily penetrate into them.  The residents’ conversations over phone are easily overheard by others.  The incoming letters in mailboxes are easily stolen by others or even thrown away.  People of different origins and cultural background such as different countries and languages will easily create misunderstanding.  They are having a hard life.  Since they have difficulty making both ends meet, they lead a miserable life full of pressure with no privacy at all.

The fire in Fa Yuen Street occurring in November 2011 raised public awareness of the safety of sub-divided flats in Hong Kong.  Nine persons were dead in the fire.  Many were injured.  Fire hazards are harmful to the structural safety of the buildings.  Since the fire was hazardous, the SAR government showed much concern over the problem.  The Chief Executive, CY Leung, launched ten measures or ten initiatives to cool the property market and home prices.  However, the soaring of property prices goes on and on.  It is generally anticipated by the public that the SAR government is incapable to solve the problem for the time being.

However, it’s interesting to note that the SAR government had resettled these residents to live in the public housing estates recently.

We should be optimistic that the problem will be solved in the near future.  Giving time to the SAR government will be the most grateful thing to do nowadays.  There is a long history of the existence of sub-divided flats in Hong Kong.  In my opinion, the SAR government should encourage plans to set up sub-divided rooms to solve the immediate serious problem.  However, the safety facilities of these buildings must be at a high level. Nowadays, there are so many government factory buildings being discussed for conversion to living units.  Why not  distribute them to the citizens as sub-divided flats?  In fact, public housing estates are like sub-divided flats.  In this way it can be solved with immediate effect.  Do you think so?  

Mary                                           

(500 words)

Summer memories 2012 **(夏日的回憶)

Title : Summer memories 2012 (夏日的回憶)

3^rd September, 2012.

Time flies.  It seems only it’s yesterday when we paid visits to the relatives in Haifeng Xian, Tsuen Wan, Ching Yi, Tung Chung.  I start my new term of English Study in an evening school tonight.

In these summer holidays I spent most of my time doing housework, cooking and cleaning up the house.  I made clothes alterations so that they fit me more properly.  I did some Form 1 – Form 5 mathematic exercises.  And, I read some ‘old’ books, too. 

I stayed at home on Saturdays and Sundays watching the television, DVDs.  I cooked Italian, Japanese, Shanghais, Chinese and Korean dishes for fun.  I enjoyed my stays in Nathan Road, Kwun Tong, Tokwawan.  I visited Hong Kong Island - Causeway Bay, Mount Davis, the Peak. When I stayed at home, I turned on the air-conditioner to get cool comfort.  Occasionally, I fell asleep in my armchairs.

I joined several schoolmates’ gatherings.  I enjoyed chatting, communicating ideas with them.  I have suppers in Fu Kee roasted geese restaurant, Garden Jade Seafood restaurant, Fortune Chinese Food restaurant, etc. with relatives and friends.  I do the voluntary work for World Vision in a Saturday morning in August.

I strolled about Tai O and outlying islands of Hong Kong.  I appreciated the fresh air and beautiful sceneries.  I went to the libraries for short moments, not only enriching myself with useful knowledge, but also I got free air-conditioning.

I wandered along sand beaches and seaside at night solo, to escape the heat.  I loved roaring sea-wave.  I watched sunset, too.  I felt happy to do these activities.  I went to the cinema once in this summer.

As I’m having the diabetes symptom, I take the low-sweet drinks such as freezing lemon-zero-coke, salted lemon-zero-Schweppes, Sprite or 7Up.  I eat ‘no sugar added’ ice-cream, fruit and vegetable salads, beloved vegetation food and healthy dishes in this summer period.  Most of all, I like the dishes of fresh skillfully fried fishes, 'no sugar added' chocolates.

Certainly, I go to work in the office almost every day.  Every night when I go to bed I always mummer a wonderful proverb :- ‘Early to bed, early to rise, give you health and wealth!”

Thank you.

Mary

EPISODIC MEMORIES

Fantastic memories

I remember the day the graduation ceremony taken place in 1971.  The school hall was full of people coming from several catalogues.  They were our honorable guests, students’ parents, teachers, staff, show members, students as well as some organizations. The graduates were neatly dressed.  They were sitting in the right hand side while the guests and parents were sitting in the left hand side of the school hall.  Finally, everyone got their certificates and I felt my heart nearly fell out with ‘bang, bang, bang’ when I was announced to get the merit award in ‘Civics subject’ on the stage.

Thank you.

Mary

A visit to Tao Heung Museum of Food Culture

民以食為天 - 

.............中國諺語

"Dining is of paramount importance to people in their daily life." 

............a Chinese proverb

Success is never final, failure is never fatal, Courage is the only thing.
                                                                 .........Winston Churchill

清明節是中國最重要的節日之一，在農曆冬至後的第105日。它也被稱為掃墓節。顧名思義，它是清理祖墳的日子。大多數墓地都是遠離城市或位於山坡上，茂盛的草叢在一年中已經長成了，故此，每年都必需清理這些雜亂的野草。此外，祭祀祖先的祭品都放置在墓陵前，通常是一些水果，肉類，葡萄酒之類，還有年糕，麵餅，金銀紙錢，蠟燭等。家庭祈禱紙“鬼錢”也收集起來被燒毀。

另一個重要的清明節傳統是在墳墓上放置橙色的金紙。人們認為墳墓是死者靈魂居住的地方，放置或粘貼‘壓墓紙’在墓碑上相當於把房子的屋頂翻新。通常是用小石頭按住紙張或粘貼在墓前，使它們不會被風吹走。儀式結束後，掃墓者都吃一些貝殼類而把其殼子留在墳墓前，以象徵祖先雖然已過世，家庭生活仍然是持久的一代又一代。

傳統上，建設一座墳墓時，會另設一塊石碑雕刻上兩個中文字符的“后土” （后土），將其設立在墳墓前側，代表土地公。后土是地球的神。土地公通常也被稱為'土神'。在中國傳說中，后土是遠古時代（社，地球）的神。由於死的人都埋葬在泥土裡， ‘后土’土地公就成為墓葬的守護神。在清明時節掃墓時，家庭都會準備另一套祭品，包括動物牲品，蠟燭，溪錢，金紙等，以感謝他的保護和守衛墳墓。

最後，謝謝你的細心閲讀。

Mary 姐
11.4.2012

Tomb-sweeping Festival, which falls on the 105th day from last winter solstice in the Lunar Year, is one of the most important festivals in China. It is also known as Clearness and Brightness festival (清明節). As the name shows, it is the day for cleaning up ancestral tombs. Graveyards are located on hillsides away from the city, and grass is often allowed to grow luxuriantly for most of the year. It's therefore necessary to cut it all down at yearly intervals. In addition, offering of sacrifices to ancestors are placed in front of tombs - typically fruit, meat, wine, along with the rice cakes, flour cakes, different types of the grave paper money, candles and so on. Then the family gather to pray while paper 'ghost money' is being burned.

Another important Tomb-sweeping Day tradition is the placing of paper on the tombs. The people believe the tomb to be the residing place of the deceased's spirit, and placing the ‘Yamu Paper 壓墓紙’ on the tombs is equivalent to putting new tiles on the roof of a house. The paper is held down with small stones or pasted on the up-front of the tomb so that the paper will not be swept away by the wind.

After the offering ceremony, some boiled shells are then eaten and the shells are left on the graves to symbolize that though the ancestors had passed away, the family life is still lasting from generation to generation.

Traditionally, when building a grave, a stone stele craved with two Chinese characters ‘后土’(Hou Tu). would be set up besides or in front of the grave to represent the Earth God. Hou Tu is the Earth God. The Earth God is also commonly called ‘Tu Sen’ . Hou Tu was the God of She (社,the Earth) in ancient times. Since dead people are buried in the earth, Hou Tu, the Earth God, has become the patron god of the tombs. When visiting graves on the Tomb Sweeping Festival, families would prepare another set of offerings including animal sacrifices, candles and paper money for Hou Tu to give thanks for His protecting and guarding the graves.

Thanks for your perusal.

Mary

11.4.2012