🌊Strive and Rise! Underprivileged HKers get 10k each

Minions: Rise of Gru gets alternative 'good guy' ending in China

Aug 22, 2022

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Good morning,

With a title like ‘Rise and Strive’, the memes really do write themselves. Here is one of my favourite motivational speeches from one of my most favourite motivational youtubers.

Today WILL be a good day. You WILL get out of bed and WORK HARD.

I will, if you will allow me to, keep procrastinating.

— Cyril

On Today’s Tide

Society | Strive and Rise! Underprivileged youth handed $10k
COVID | 600 currently investigated for breaching isolation rules
Culture | Minions: Rise of Gru gets pro-police ending in China
Events

Behind the paywall:

Politics Megamix |
- Jimmy Lai to plead not guilty in NSL case
- Quinn Moon returned to HK, will be in court tomorrow
- Albert Ho on bail
- Man arrested for playing ‘Glory to Hong Kong’ let free
- Macau to strengthen NSL

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10k for underprivielged kids who LIVE THE GRIND

A new government programme called ‘Rise and Strive’ will see 2000 underprivleged Form One to Three students be given $10,000 each and mentored on its usage.

Announced just yesterday, the one-year long programme aims to give students the ability to set long term goals and ultimately target inter-generational poverty, a core aim of John Lee’s manifesto.

Mentors will come from different industries in order to “enrich their personal experience and their understanding of Hong Kong, and also the details of other areas and occupations”, said Chief Secretary Eric Chan.

Criteria for the mentors are pretty general. They need to be:

21 or above (the younger the better)
Have a job
Able to offer shadowing oppourtunities
Able and willing to communicate with youth
Responsible and Committed
Positve and optimistic (guess I’m not applying)
Prepared to actively participate all year

When asked whether the government will consider ‘yellow’ figures as mentors, they said politics will not play a role as the goal is to target poverty and not political ideas.

Chan also made it clear that the money is not government or tax payer, but given by “big companies and the commercial sector”.

Hong Kong SAR Government News @newsgovhk

The Centre for Health Protection says it is investigating 6,380 additional locally acquired #COVID19 cases, of which 2,236 were directly identified through nucleic acid tests and 4,144 via verified rapid antigen tests

news.gov.hk6.3k COVID-19 cases reportedThe Centre for Health Protection says it is investigating 6,380 additional locally acquired COVID-19 cases, of which 2,236 were directly identified through nucleic acid tests and 4,144 via verified rapid antigen tests.

COVID-19 in Hong Kong

New cases: 6617 (237 imported)
Total cases: 1,464,855
New deaths: 5
Total deaths: 9,610
Compulsory Testing locations: 63

Don’t break isolation rules, they’ll find you

The government reminds everyone to follow quarantine and isolation rules, such as keeping your wristbands on when in home quarantine.

Cutting your wristband, leaving your place of residence or deleting LeaveHomeSafe are criminal offences, subject to a maximum fine of $10,000 and imprisonment for six months.

At time of writing, 260 have been convicted, and 600 are under investigation.

I am bad guy, but not bad guy

Minions: Rise of Gru is the film that inspired the gentleminions meme where people going to the cinema would dress up in suits, hold their hands together in a Gru-like motion and throw bananas at the screen.

Minions: Rise of Gru is also now the film that has inspired a new pro-police ending in China.

The film, which is a prequel to the rest of the Despicable Me franchise sees anti-hero Gru learn the ropes of crime from his master Wild Knuckles. At the end of the film, Wild Knuckles fakes his death to avert the police and he and Gru fly off into the distance.

But not in the Mainland - audiences there were instead treated to what one Weibo commentator described as a ‘Powerpoint Presentation’; a white text on black background saying that the police were not decieved by Wild Knuckles, caught him and put him in prison for twenty years. While in prison, Knuckles started a theatre troupe using his con-man skills. Gru meanwhile grows up to be a responsible man and raises three daughters.

I guess that’s not uh…entirely wrong…. but he doesn’t get the change of heart till the end of the first film during which he tries to steal the f***ing moon.

Regardless of the new ending, Rise of Gru is reportedly China’s highest earning animation at box office since the pandemic.

I’ve tried all day to find screenshots of the Chinese ending, if anyone has them, send them my way plsss

Events and deals

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Ukrainian Cinema: Contemporary filmmaking @ The Goethe Institut

“Fear sows political bigotry, rumours turn into conspiracy theories, cultural fronts harden” – for these reasons The Goethe Institut is hosting a series of films by Ukrainian filmmakers to support local cultural creators and explore Ukrainian culture together.

Five films will be shown over the course of September including The Tribe (Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy), Atlantis (Valentyn Vasyanovych) and The Rain Will Never Stop (Alina Gorlova)

Find all times and dates here.
And book your tickets directly from Broadway Cinematheque here.
Look under the ‘bc Sunday’ special programme when booking!

Schol! Belgium Beer Week: 22 - 28 Aug

Belgium Beer Week’s first foray outside of their home country sees them expanding across the world and Hong Kong is leading by example, having a whooping 11 venues to celebrate in - one of the highest number in the world.

Each bar will host their own events during the week.

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See our full coverage for details on location, timings and events!

Official media partner: ReThink HK returns 5-6 Oct

HT is proud to once again be a media partner for ReThink - HK’s biggest and most exciting sustainability conference. This year’s conference invites more than 300 expert speakers to share their visions and insights, covering important topics like economic progression while coexisting with nature harmoniously, efficient use of resources, transformation to a low-carbon society, and circular economy for future generations.

Sign up here using the code HTP22 for 40% off!