đ Honouring sunset industries
Good morning.
Harbour Times is happy to announce its transfer from New Work Media to Elevation Media. Elevation is a media start-up run by Jasmine Lee (HTâs Editor-in-Chief of HT) and Cyril Ma (HTâs Managing Editor-In-Chief, pictured below). Andrew Work (also pictured below, left) of New Work Media has departed from his position as Editor-in-Chief and now advises as Editor Emeritus. You can learn more about us in our official press release.
On a personal note, I would kindly suggest anyone with Asian-American friends and/or family to let them know you are thinking of them in light of the eight people (six of them Asian women) who were murdered yesterday in Georgia. Anti-Asian violence has surged since the onset of the pandemic and it can be easy to forget that living as an Asian who feels completely safe and unhindered by their racial identity is not the norm in this world. For those of you with the capacity to donate with your time or money, here is a great list of resources on anti-Asian violence.
â Jasmine Lee
News đď¸
Photo: The LegCo chamber / Tksteven, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
"Ambush lockdowns" were placed on residential buildings in Causeway Bay and Sai Ying Pun on Wednesday. The affected areas are two blocks in Phase Three of Kwan Yick Building on Des Voeux Road West in Sai Ying Pun and Hoi Kung Court and Hoi To Court on Gloucester Road in Causeway Bay.
The government has introduced a bill to require district councillors to swear allegiance to the SAR. Pro-democrats represent all but one of Hong Kong's 18 districts.
The US has sanctioned 24 senior Chinese officials over Hong Kong human freedoms. Included on the list is the Deputy head of Hong Kong's National Security policy division Edwina Lau.
In HKâs reformed electoral system, fewer lawmakers will be elected by the public and functional constituencies. Other changes include expanding LegCo from 70 to 90 members and the election committee from 1,200 to 1,500 members.
Hong Kong moves up to fourth place on the Global Financial Centres Index, sitting below Shanghai and above Singapore.
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Listen đ§
Eli Zaelo is an award-winning multilingual singer from South Africa who began her music career in Hong Kong in 2015. She recently released Stories About Love, a love ballad sung in Mandarin, and Human, an upbeat song about embracing the self:
Human is ⌠a song about solitude. Itâs in those moments when we love and appreciate ourselves without external validation and this, in turn, builds the confidence we need for us to show up in the world as our authentic selves.
â Eli Zaelo on her single Human, News24
Bookmark đ
Sunset Survivors is a book by Lindsay Varty featuring photography by Gary Jones. It is a remarkable showcase of Hong Kongâs âfading but fabulous sunset industriesâ, telling the stories of Hong Kongâs traditional tradesmen and women through stunning imagery and candid interviews. The book preserves the memory of these hardy men and women, depicting the foundations on which the city was built.
Sunset Survivors is more than just a travel or coffee-table book; it is a tribute to the cityâs character, a celebration of its roots and a guide to its evolution.
Introducing Pet(s) of HT đ
Youâve made it to the best part of todayâs newsletter! Pictured above is HTâs own Eggplant (or is it Vermicelli? Will have to confirm with Cyril at a later time) after a hard day making sure our memes are of top quality before they go up on Patreon.
Members of our brand new tier on Patreon will have exclusive access to the hottest memes and pet photos we have to offer for US$1 a month. Submit your elite memes or furry friends to editor@harbourtimes.com for a feature on the Patreon community!