Lesley in Hong Kong

Clockenflap 2014

In its seventh year (although my first).

A virgin to music festivals because of their association with wellies and mud I have avoided such events.  The beauty of Hong Kong's Clockenflap is the ease of getting to the venue and, even better, being able to go home with no necessity to camp in a field.

Kowloon Station MTR and then walk, follow the signs that say CLOCKENFLAP

It is three days of music at ten different stages of various sizes.  As well as all that lots of places to buy food and drink and believe it or not the toilets were of a civilized standard with fast queues and no drama.

Clockenflap site

Their website is easy to negotiate.  You can buy your choice of  ticket and print it off seamlessly, and if you are more organised and decisive than me you you could have bought a weekend ticket months ago at an early bird discount.  Next year I will remember this.  I must mention their tone, they write their information in such a friendly way I found it a refreshing change from other Hong Kong events.  For instance one of their FAQ says ;

Q. Can I bring outside food or drink?

 

Whereas the usual response in Hong Kong is 'cannot', their answer is this;

 

A. No, sorry, but plenty of caterers will be serving delicious food and drinks at the venue. However, we will make exceptions on food and drink intended for babies.

See!  They sound like a jolly nice bunch of people to me.  

The Actual Music

 

Sultan Ali and The Red Stripes

There were loads of bands playing at various stages throughout the day and so unless you have super powers you can't see them all.  I set myself a realistic target of general milling and checking out the stalls and the art, buying beer and getting something to eat until the serious business of watching Sultan Ali and the Red Stripes at 4.30 on the Replay stage.  The Red Stripes are a Hong Kong band and Sultan, having flown in specially for Clockenflap, is from Jamaica.  He was a charismatic, experienced crowd pleaser and they had the crowd jumping from the first note.  They are a very slick band with their special guest and well worth seeing without him too. 

Then I skipped across to the Harbourflap stage for OZOMATLI from the States who were cool as.  A multi-genre, multicultural and multi Grammy winning band who were fabulous.  

Kool and the Gang

The excitement was building for Kool and the Gang, obviously.  When they said "Let's take you back to the 70s" I did have a quick scan of the audience to see if there was anyone around me who was alive at that time and soon came to the conclusion that it was just me.  It was no matter and I made a point of pushing my way to front to get the whole full on Kool experience and had a close up view of the brass section as well as the fantastic sparkly shirts they all wore.  They still have the moves.   They still have the showmanship. They still have the voices and we all obliged by singing all the words to the Ladies Night and Ceeeeelabration time COME ON!  

1970's

 

2014

Travis

Travis were the headline band on the Harbourflap stage to finish off Saturday night.  

 

 

and were well received by the crowd with lots of joining in, photo taking (some times with a selfie stick held high to eliminate the backs of heads) appreciative applause and a general bonhomie.  Who says Hong Kong audiences don't know how to enjoy themselves?  

Movember 

It is plain to see the lead singer off of Travis has facial hair.  But does he have to have THAT much of it.   It's wild.  I wondered if he was sporting a beard for Movember because every other male attending Clockenflap seemed to be.  Even the provision of a proper barbers chair didn't seem to make any difference in the amount of unshaveness.  I find it ironically unfair that the fashion for removing hair from nearly every place on the human body has been embraced while it is a tragic fashion fad to grow a beard where we all have to look at it.  At least the pubic region is covered most of the time.  Come on boys it's December soon, lets go for a nice clean shaven look for Christmas and well into the New Year.  What da ya say?

Lumbersexual is a new word to me but it was apparant that many of the audience were actually walking talking lumbersexuals.  I spotted quite of lot of lumberjack shirts and boots and of course the unkempt beard to complete the whole vibe.  Although the urban dictionary defines the word as a man with 'groomed' beard who wants to maintain a rugged look.  Something is just not right.

 

Macbeth by William Shakespeare - Hong Kong Players Ltd. April 2014

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Production by Hong Kong Players Ltd

Hong Kong Arts Centre, Mcaulay Studio

2nd - 5th April, 2014

David Mersault - Macbeth, Thane of Glamis

 

Macbeth is one of the most performed Shakespearean tragedies, so I put it to you that going to see it is not about the plot or who dunnit or what happens at the end.  It is about how it is performed.  There is no need to alert any one about a plot spoiler because, well, you know who dies.

The Mcaulay Studio is small, seating only 76, if you all squash up cozy. Being so close to the actors, who are at floor level, the same as the first row, is intimate and a little scary, in a good way.  Perhaps not that good for latecomers who find themselves having to almost say 'Excuse me' to the actors as they attempt to be invisible and find a seat after it has started.  I hope those late comers get their act together in future and manage to be on time like the rest of us!

The set

A completely black minimalist set, with the throne at the centre for the whole performance, two swords hanging at the back and a black box to stand on to show power were the only items on stage.  All entrances and exits were simple with an interesting freeze of action to cross cut to another time and place.  This was an extremely effective technique which moved the plot along without the necessity for physical scene changes.

 

Costume

All characters were dressed in contemporary clothes of black or white with a subtle flash of red to represent all those things that temptress colour can symbolise. Passion, death, blood, anger, danger, war... Their weapons were guns and knives of various sizes.

 

Weird Sisters

The opening scene gave us those three weird sisters who we all love to hate and their presence on stage for much of the performance was wonderful.  Two young ones and one lady of a certain age who played the Punk Witch,  a terrific touch.  They each carried a large pole which they 'banged' on the floor at crutial points.  This was just one of many powerful moments of the performance.  Yes, it made us all jump.   The witches were involved in the death scenes, delivery of letters and phone calls bringing bad news and lead us to believe it was their prophecy and their meddling that made poor old Macbeth do the 'deed' which then brought him enough guilt to fill his mind with those scorpions he speaks of.  Their role stressed the importance of magic and witchcraft making us believe it was their prophecy and spells that made everything go so horribly wrong.

Macbeth

David Mersaultis a talented actor who made us believe it was only him who could see Duncan or Banquo as ghosts.  His portrayal of Macbeth was truly excellent.  The passion between him and Lady Macbeth was evident as well as his weakness and guilt as he deteriorates into a defeated man.  We need to see more of him in the future. 

That bitch (plot spoiler alert)

I like the idea of blaming the witches because I've always felt Lady Macbeth (that bitch) pushed her husband into brutally killing the King while he was asleep in his bed and then, pretended he had no idea how it had happened and then, because he wasn't sleeping too well at night, took it upon himself to arrange for the death of his best friend Banquo and then the wife and young children of Macduff.  While the whole incident filled Mr and Mrs Macbeth with incredible guilt, enough for her to top herself, Macbeth continued, as best he could, in his new King role believing that no man not born of women existed or Burnham Wood could get up and walk.  

Oh how wrong he was!

The young MacDuff and his death scene must get that young man an A* is whatever drama course he is on?

Music and Lights and even smoke 

There was smoke, there was the music of Nick Cave, there was a multi media video showing red blood and skulls.  This all added to the experience and a very unique production of Macbeth.  I did find that the music wasn't faded enough at certain points so the delivery of some crucial lines was lost.  This is a minor point and I do applaud Adam Harris for his dedication and commitment to theatre in Hong Kong.  This was a truly powerful production, full of witchcraft, fight scenes, murder, violence and lots of blood.  Isn't it marvellous that Shakespeare wrote this for an audience in 1606 and those themes and exploration are still a full-on family favourite today.

 

 

 

Le Crazy Horse Paris - Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong

Sexy Army   You Tube clip (take a peek!)

 

It was with immense anticipation that I took my seat in the Lyric Theatre, Wan Chai, Hong Kong on the evening of 19th September.  I bought the tickets feeling quite flushed with excitement at the very thought of watching a burlesque show.  Or was it that the high ticket price made my heart race?  I mean, what would my mother think?  It was billed as being an erotic performance for over 18s only.  

 

Please take some time to watch the You Tube clip which is the opening act of the show - Sexy Army.

 

Did you watch it?  What did you think?  My first thought was "Small tits"  then after a minute and a half of nothing much happening I thought "Yeh so, when does the erotic dancing start?"

The female form is a wonderful thing.  I appreciate the curves and their beauty.  Crazy Horse has been running for 60 years in a darkened intimate club where the audience is at close proximity to the nakedness and wine, possibly, is being consumed.  I can see that the term erotic is appropriate in such a context.  But in the soulless space of the A.P.A. and the comatosed audience that is the norm rather than the exception in Hong Kong on a Thursday night - frankly it was dull dull dull.

Oh yeh - apart from the bit when the super bendy flexible hip hop male dancer, fully dressed, wowed us with his moves.  That was great.

After the first couple of routines I looked at my friend and she looked back.  We shrugged with puzzled expressions.  We were still hopeful that it would get better, that it would actually become exciting.  The two elderly ladies with their tight grey curly perms in front of us were certainly well equipped with their binoculars - but I suspect they were as disappointed as we were.  It didn't get any better.  

We - meaning us - meaning the 21st Century - are used to sexy dancing.  We see it on MTV every day.  Beyonce and Britney have been doing it for years and doing it to a much higher standard.  Plus they can sing. A few girls with their tits and arses out - moving quite slowly, lacking excitement or originality just didn't cut it.  

 

Ear phones - are they the curse of the young?

It is with great trepidation that I want to start this blog with "When I was young" because the sub-text reads "I am old now". Perhaps it's not about age, perhaps its about technological advances, which have been vast over the last 48 years?  Such changes make the way things were and the way things are now result in making me feel wise and experienced. See how I steered that away from using the 'old' word there? I am talking specifically about the way I listened to music and was introduced to new music because it is so very different to the way that happens now.

Music Centre

When I was growing up in my house we had a television and a record player in the living room, a radio in the kitchen and when I got to be about 14 I had a portable record player in my bedroom which sat on the floor. The living room was where the records, 45s and LPs, were kept in a special stacking unit under the teak display cabinet next to the telly which had 3 channels. The only progress I remember was when we got a colour telly which meant we could watch Play Days on BBC2 in colour. We also got a music centre which meant we could play the radio, cassette tapes and records on the same piece of equipment. All of these music playing machines were kept in the same corner of the living room.

 

Parent's Music Taste

The way music was played back then meant that everyone in the family got to hear your choice of music. My mother liked John Denver and my dad liked Irish folk music. When they put their records on I listened to the tracks. I learned the words of many songs just because they were being played in the background while I went about my business. When I played my records they listened to my choice. When I was deeply involved with Donny Osmond's Puppy Love and played it loud enough so I could hear it in the garden (with the arm across so it repeated) there was a few tuts but I continued to listen and so did they. When my brother was all consumed with Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel and what became a life long love of punk I also became knowledgeable about punk music even though I only owned The Osmonds and David Essex LPs.

 

Top of the Pops - BBC Radio 1

Then there was Top of the Pops and Radio 1.  That was the way I heard new music and decided if I liked it enough to buy it.   The new number one was announced on a Sunday and I would listen for hours to ensure that I knew who it was so I would be all knowledgeable on a Monday morning at school.  And then on Thursdays that number one song would be the last to be played on TOTP. 

There was a time when me and my brother would attempt to use our small cassette player to record music from the telly.  This meant standing by until the disc jockey had announced the band (sometims that would be Jimmy Saville) and then pressing record and play simultaniously and then, most importantly, remain totally silent until it had finished thereupon jumping up to press 'stop' so as not to get Jimmy or Tony or Dave or Noel's voice on the recording. 

I remember this proving really difficult during Sugar Baby Love by the Rubetts because the lead voice was so incredibly high it made us convulse into fits of laughter and have to go in the kitchen until that bit was over. 

Purchasing Music

Based upon my exposure to music via Top of the Pops or Radio 1 I would decide whether I liked a song enough to buy the single and then if I really liked the artist whether to go the full distance and buy their LP, which would have tracks on both sides, that I'd never ever heard and was taking a huge risk shelling out my hard earned Saturday girl money for.

When I got home and put the record on everyone else got to hear it.  I took it rounds my friend's house sometimes so they could hear it too. 

New Way

These days the way I listen to music and find out about new music is completely different.  It is hardly ever from the television and when I listen to the radio I do it through a podcast of various BBC shows and for copyright reasons I can only listen to the voice of the DJ, the music is not available.  The people around me do not pollute my space with their music.  That would be rude.

They play their own personal music through earphones into their brain.  So my question is how do we know about other people's music and new music?  I feel my music education happened because I had to listen to the music of others and be exposed to various different tastes.  I had to listen to music I didn't particularly like so as to get to the stuff I did like.

Now it is possible to only buy selected tracks from albums which I think is a real shame because when you have a whole album you start off liking some tracks and then you might warm to the others over time.  But if you never gave yourself the chance in the first place and only bought a few tracks then you could be missing out?

Earphone benefits?

Earphone wearing has its benefits - I understand that.  But as we all go about our business listening to our own personal music through earphones we may fail to be exposed to music of different eras and genres because although the range of music available to illegally download via You Tube is vast, I suspect only a small amount is explored because it seems that the same narrow range music is being listened to all over the globe in the same way as T-shirts and jeans are the most common choice of dress all over the world. 

There are homes all over the world where 3 or 4 people may inhabit the same living space but no one plays their music out loud into the room,  they all listen to their own private music pumped into their ears via earphones and thus depriving the rest of the household from saying 'turn that bloody noise down' or even better 'is that a girl or a bloke singing that?"

Children can be sucked into their own You Tube Itunes world and never know the musical taste of their parents, never have to suffer their parents Radio 2 choice of music, never know all the words to American Pie and never have the opportunity to get to know where the original track came from.

 

 

On The Road the movie of the novel by Jack Kerouac

On The Road is an autobiographical novel by Jack Kerouac, published in 1957, depicting his own journey across America in the 1950s and in particular describing the relationship with his friend Neal Cassidy. The names are changed presumably to protect the innocent however there is absolutely nothing innocent about any of the characters. There is more than a smattering of staying up late and upsetting the wife/girlfriend/mother/grandmother to drug taking, stealing (hearts as well as tangible items), reckless driving and sex with a creative mixture of gender combinations.

The main character is Sal - really Kerouac, his friend is Dean, really Cassidy - both are writers, both young and completely and utterly concerned with their own self exploration in an effort to be inspired to write.

The movie, directed by Walter Salles, is beautifully filmed so we are treated to vast and varying landscapes, intoxicating jazz and dance scenes in Harlem and plenty of male nakedness, namely Garrett Hedlund, which always brightens up a movie in my opinion.

The love interests, I stress on the plural here, are played by Kristen Stewart and Kirsten Dunst who are both captivating on screen.

My overall experience was a positive but spoilt by the two young women and one man sat next to me who continually text on their bloody mobile phones throughout the movie causing distraction in a completely selfish way. I tried my best not to turn into my scary school teacher role, I shielded my eyes from them in an attempt to block out their annoying little lights but it didn't work. The longer it went on the more my cinematic experience was spoilt and the more I began to think that if I didn't say anything I would kick myself tomorrow. And so I told them off! "Will you please stop it with the mobile phones now". I guess if I had been any where else in the world this could have turned into a nasty uncomfortable incident that I could have seriously regretted, instead the two women were mortified, apologized sincerely and left!

I recommend this film and I recommend telling people in movie theatres to behave themselves and abide by the rules.

Girl Put Your Records On...

Music is a wonderful thing

Record Player

Best of The Eagles back cover

I have been listening to it on a daily basis all my life and in these high-tech-state-of-the-art and other cliched phrases I could use about the way music is marketed to us masses - it is easier than ever.  It is cheaper than ever and its probably of a such a high quality that our ears don't even appreciate it.  I am speaking for myself in case you want to write and challenge me on that last point.

Technical Process

I can download music while sitting at my laptop (in bed, on the sofa in Starbucks)  and have it immediately coming into my ears by the process of - well I have not idea how it works, perhaps it's magic?  I can still buy a CD from a shop that sells music and then download it onto itunes and then my ipod and then I can have it with me 24 hours a day - if I so choose.  I can have music playing from my laptop, from my tv, from my car radio, from my ipod dock.  If I so wished I could install integral speakers into the ceiling of my home and have music piped into every room including the bathroom.  If I so choose. 

Vinyl Discs

But it didn't used to be like that.  I used to save up my pounds shillings and pence and buy vinyl records.  I will provide a photograph of the circular black vinyl discs for those too young to have a clue what I'm talking about.

This is a long playing vinyl record which plays at 33 1/3 revolutions per minute

And then I would take my record out of its paper sleeve and play it on my record player which was kept on the floor of my bedroom.  It had a plug and 3 speeds, 72 rpm, 33rpm and 45 rpm and a speaker.  You can see the two knobs on the front, off/on and the volume.  There was nothing else to control. 

Mine was like this

I've Got a Record Player

The breaking news I'm building up to is that I now have a record player.  It's true.  I have a 'new' record player and old records and have spent a very pleasant day playing them.  I hadn't remembered how labour intensive it is.  I had to constantly keep tending the machine, changing the record, putting them back in their paper sleeve and then the slightly awkward more difficult process of slipping the paper bit back into the cardboard bit.  You know what I mean?  If you don't get the angle right it just doesn't slip in smoothly (yak yak fnar fnar).

I started with The Eagles and as soon as I had placed the needle on the first track (with small coin fixed on the top for extra weight), heard the familiar crackle,  and then the introduction.  One of These Nights burst out into the room I was back in my bedroom and a 16 year old - alone- learning the words.  That was my aim, to listen to each track continuously for days and days and months and months until I knew the song and then not only would I know the track off by heart, I knew how long the pause would be before the next introduction to the next song would take and come in, on time, with the first line.  I could not listen to this song anywhere else unless I took it round my mates house to play on her record player, there was no way to listen if I wasn't right by my record player in my room. 

I've had a blast from the past with Best of The Eagles and a few Rod and The Faces and I've re experienced Frankie Goes to Hollywood ' Relax' and danced in the lounge and now I've discovered that I actually do like Led Zepplin which I truely didn't know.  I know I like Stairway to Heaven, I mean who doens't, but my memory of Led Zep as a teenager was a terrible uncomfortable noise coming out of the sixth form common room.  I pretended to like it to impress a boy once, but I was too besotted with The Bay City Rollers at the time to give Plant and Page much attention. 

A Led Zepplin record wot I like

I announce to the world that I do in fact like Led Zepplin.  I have to go now the neighbours are banging on the door and seem angry...

 

 

 

 

Confirmation that Speedos should be worn by all men

St. Kilda's Beach Australia

Please watch the Man dancing to LMFAO with his boom box.

 

Speedos - My Confession

I will not back down on this subject.  Speedos are good.  Speedos make sense.  Watch the video of the guy in Australia.  And obviously no one complained when David Wilkie won his gold medal at the Olympics wearing said perfectly acceptable swim wear.

 

 

 

Lady Gaga Hong Kong ticket sales unfair

I am not in with the in crowd.

I am not an American Express credit card holder.

I really thought that if the tickets to see Lady Gaga went on sale today then that is what it would mean.

I was SO wrong.

All sold out.

I really do think that if you camped out on the street to buy the tickets then you deserve one, but pre sales to American Express card holders....STINKS

I am a fan of Speedos

 

I'm Sexy and I know it

I will say it again.  I am a fan of Speedos.  I said it in an earlier blog Speedos My confession

and I think this video truly confirms why I am right!

 

 

 

 

 

DV8 Physical Theatre Can We Talk About This?

DV8 Physical Theatre

Can We Talk About This?

 

This production is currently on in London DV8 Physical Theatre National Theatre, South Bank

 

"It is very, very easy not to be offended by a book.
You just have to shut it."
Salman Rushdie

 

 

I watched in awe as DV8, the physical theatre company from England, delivered a very powerful message about free speech, Islam and multiculturalism in the west.  Whilst contorting themselves around doorways, upside down - in fact many different positions and speeds, I felt totally refreshed after listening to their message which was utterly correct.  I almost I forgot I was in conservative Hong Kong. The performance was 1hr 20m with no intermission and I had no concept of the time, it held my attention throughout.

I am now contemplating changing my teaching technique to incorporate physical movements such as drinking tea while sat on the back of a large male colleague who manipulates me around his body or standing on my head to put on a pair of trousers - all movements and positions will be designed to keep my audience enthralled and I will not miss a cue or even trip slightly as my lesson is delivered and, essentially, my students will remember it once they leave the room.

My only criticism is that it is so rare to have the opportunity to see such a high standard of contemporary physical theatre in Hong Kong and I want more. (stamping of foot)

The Internet and me, a work in progress.

Dumber

Does the internet make us stupid?

It seems quite hypocritical of me to write a blog which is anti Google.  To write anything and publish it on the internet for all to share and read while at the same time be full of doubt and worry and concern about whether it makes us stupid could make me stupid too?

 But I am genuinely worried.

 
Click Here

Is the capability of finding information at the click of a button  really the best way to run ones life?

 Who is Accountable?

The number one question has to be about trust.  Do you trust the information you are taken to?  Is it up to date?  Is it ethical?  Is it accountable?  Newspapers can be taken to Court for slander or liable if they do not report the truth.  They are accountable whatever you think of them, even the News of the World  or even South China Morning Post (actually I need to check that!).   But any old slapper can write an article and whack it up on a  website and pass it off as being true.  People can pretend to be someone else and actively try to hide their identity.  (My name IS Lesley Croft btw).

Close Your Lid

As a teacher of students who all have their own MacBook on their desk and have the capability of googling anything.  I suspect that they have all become completely addicted to their computers and are a bunch of slovenly layabouts who can't even do any thinking for themselves. The recent best seller by Nicholas Carr called The Shallows  suggests that the use of the internet is altering the way we think and we have become less able to digest large and complex amounts of information such as...books.  Are we now a world of 'slacktivists'.  More about Nicholas Carr

"Should we reintroduce the death penalty?" I ask my class in an attempt to spark a discussion where opinions will be flying around the room like electricity. (not meant to be a pun)

Then I find a student who has typed the question into google and sets about opening up the squillion results to find the right answer.  FGS (I'm not sure if that is a cool and hip acronym to write, like LOL, but For God's Sake comes natural to me so I feel it is worthy of a FGS).  Use your own brain I yell!  Close your lid!

Shirley Turkle has expressed much the same concerns in her book, Alone Together Why we Expect more from Technology and Less from Each Other.  Because when it boils down to it using the powerful tool that is the internet via your lap top or your blackberry or your iphone is just you, in a room alone.  You/we/me enjoy the contact and communication and sense of sharing we can get through the power of the internet.  As humans we want to share and we get immense enjoyment out of sharing.  This must be true otherwise why would Facebook or Twitter or the capability to comment on any random YouTube video be so popular?   But would we enjoy it more or less if we had that face to face communication as easily. In this world of social networking just how sociable are we really?

Hello FB Friends!  Come to my party

So if I was in a real live room with all my real live friends on Facebook would I be so keen to like them or comment on their new hat or latest holiday snaps?  I predict there would be lots of moments of awkwardness, perhaps a few stifled yawns where the latest photos of their latest meal would get the better of me.  Would I really be able to show the same enthusiasm towards their beautiful wife on her birthday.  In the past those sentiments would only be shared in a personal birthday card which would stand on the sideboard.  Now everyone gets to read it!   I would struggle to remember names.  And there would be at least one full-on-punches-and-everything-thrown fight, quite a few slanging matches not to mention one or two intimate, yet flirtatious, conversations in a few dark corners.  And because all of these people are my friends I would be responsible for such an event and be the one who is blamed for the disaster that would be a party.

Those Where The Days

In my day when there was no internet or mobile phone or even a phone in the house.   What did I do?  I watched the three available channels on the telly, once they came on in the evening.  Before that I read as many Enid Blyton books as I could get my hands on.  I knocked on the doors of my friends to see if they wanted to come out to play.  All friends lived no more than 100 yards away.  When the local paper came I read that and found out what was happening in the area approximately of a 50 mile radius of where I lived.  For a change we would walk to the chip shop, sometimes we would have money to buy chips.  When I got older and could venture to Stockton to buy music I brought home 45rpm singles and played them on repeat with the arm back on the record player so I would learn them by heart (ask me to sing Puppy Love by Donny Osmond).

You know what, it was boring compared to the information sharing, movies, music and breaking news we have available to us now so perhaps this 'real world' that many hark back to is an illusion and just never really existed?  Being in a room alone with a computer seems much more attractive to being in a room alone with a Danset record player and a Donny Osmond 45.

 

Lost Heaven, Yunnan Folk Cuisine, Shanghai

Yunnan Folk Cuisine Restaurant

http://www.lostheaven.com.cn/

Situated on Ya'an Dong Road, Shanghai this truly wonderful restaurant uses the flavours and ingredients of the Mountain Mekong Region to produce a spectacular menu. The dishes are influenced by flavours from Tibet, Burma, Thailand and the Yunnan Province of China.  The layout and decor is visually stunning and so is the menu and so are the chairs and so are the photographs displayed around the walls showing breathtaking images of the Yunnan area taken by David Hartung.  His photographs are also featured on the website if you care to check it out (Gallery).  But the nitty gritty of any restaurant, regardless of its lovely chairs and interesting toilets, is the food.  What does it taste like? 

I'll tell you. 

BEST FOOD EVER

At Lost Heaven I ate some of the best food I have ever had in my life.  It sounds like hyperbole and exaggeration doesn't it?  I really mean it.  I am being honest about the flavours.  So different, so refreshing and so scrumptious. 

The Yunnan Wild Vegetable Cakes (SEE PICTURE) served with a tomato relish were simple, beautiful. I enjoyed the chicken with seven spices as well as the mixed vegetables in a tamarind sauce.  The Crispy Pork was crispy, it was crackingly delicious.  The Tea Leaf Salad, a speciality dish from Burma, was the best dish which consisted of finely chopped, freshly picked tea leaf tips with a mixture of dried broad beans, peanuts and other yummy stuff.  I really don't know exactly what was in it I just know I needed to eat more of it. 

Lost Heaven gets a huge thumbs up from me.  When in Shanghai - go there.

Beautiful decor

The Hong Kong Literary Festival 2011 Benjamin Zephaniah

 

Benjamin Zephaniah

AN AUDIENCE WITH BEN PLUS HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN

In previous years I have seen authors talk about how they write and what they do to produce a book worthy of publication.  I am always interested in such a process having got to chapter seven of my own masterpiece but, so far, cannot find the wherewithal to continue to the end.  Authors sit in rooms with computers and write.  They usually work alone and so for the majority being in front of a large audience is not a natural environment.  Some can talk and be interesting, some can tell a story as well as write it, the opposite is sometimes, unfortunately true.  Some are not interesting and can't tell a story apart from when they are in their own room silently producing the written word.

A MAN OF MANY TALENTS

Benjamin Zephaniah is not soley a writer.  He is a performer.  Having an audience with him (and a few hundred school children) at this years literary festival was a wonderful experience.  His poetry is funny and accessable with a serious message.

I used to think nurses were women

I used to think police were all men

I used to think poets were boring

until I became one of them

 

You see what I mean?  Four lines, quite simple and straight forward but worthy of an analytical essay about the deeper meaning relating to feminism, class and stereotypical judgements in a post colonial voice.

A FUNNY MAN WITH A SERIOUS MESSAGE

Zephaniah is funny.  He doesn't take himself seriously but he does take the world seriously.  His work carries a message about equality and justice for all, including turkeys.  He talks of racism and sexism and even vegatarinism.  The children were more than satisfied by his answers to their questions about what kind of car he drives to his twin sister's name and he deflected any questions about his dreadlocks, obviously he gets that a lot!

At 53 he is looking good.  I wonder if its being a rasta, being a vegan or being a kung fu expert?

BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH  OBE?

He was awarded an OBE but declined to accept it.  Here is the poem about that time.

 

Smart big awards and prize money
Is killing off black poetry
It's not censors or dictators that are cutting up our art.
The lure of meeting royalty
And touching high society
Is damping creativity and eating at our heart.

The ancestors would turn in graves
Those poor black folk that once were slaves would wonder
How our souls were sold
And check our strategies,
The empire strikes back and waves
Tamed warriors bow on parades
When they have done what they've been told
They get their OBE's.

Don't take my word, go check the verse
Cause every laureate gets worse
A family that you cannot fault as muse will mess your mind,
And yeah, you may fatten your purse
And surely they will check you first when subjects need to be amused
With paid for prose and rhymes.

Take your prize, now write more,
Faster,
Fuck the truth
Now you're an actor do not fault your benefactor
Write, publish and review,
You look like a dreadlocks Rasta,
You look like a ghetto blaster,
But you can't diss your paymaster
And bite the hand that feeds you.

What happened to the verse of fire
Cursing cool the empire
What happened to the soul rebel that Marley had in mind,
This bloodstained, stolen empire rewards you and you conspire,
(Yes Marley said that time will tell)
Now look they've gone and joined.

We keep getting this beating
It's bad history repeating
It reminds me of those capitalists that say
'Look you have a choice,'
It's sick and self-defeating if our dispossessed keep weeping
And we give these awards meaning
But we end up with no voice.

 

 

 

Putting it Together The Fringe Club, Hong Kong

Golden Voice Entertainment...

The cast of Putting it Together

GOLDEN VOICE

Sounds smooth doesn't it?  It just rolls off the tongue.  Say it with me "Golden Voice Entertainment" . Try again and this time think Barbara Streisand. All together - One, two, three "Golden Voice Entertainment"  Lovely isn't it?

DIRECTOR - FRINGE CLUB, HONG KONG

Michael Sharmon is the artistic director of Golden Voice Entertainment and it is actually true.  He does have a golden voice and so do the cast of Putting it Together, a Stephen Sondheim review performed at The Fringe Club in February. Once home and tucked up in bed I did a bit of googling (sounds a bit personal doesn't it?) to find that the story was creatively linked together based on previously existing songs from a number of different Sondheim musicals.  Stone me!  They all fitted together seamlessly to form a new story in its own right.  How clever. 

MUSIC

The Fringe Club is a very suitable venue for intimate shows like this with just 4 main characters up close and personal allowing us to see and feel their emotions but not allowing us to think about the uncomfortable seats.  The music was provided by two extremely experienced and talented musicians, Peter Lally on piano and Peter Scherr on double bass - terrific!  They were positioned at the back of the stage so were on view throughout.

JACQUELINE GOURLAY GRANT

The star was undoubtedly Jacqueline Gourlay Grant who played "The Wife" as well as being Musical Director.  What a woman!  I am sure that she has had a hand in many shows in Hong Kong and is a magical force on stage.  And by the way Jacqueline, great jacket.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Looking forward to the next one and thanks again to Michael Sharmon and the whole cast who take time to provide the community with such a tremendously high standard of local entertainment.  Beats that huge atmosphereless hall at the airport.

 

 

 

Svetlana Live at the Talk of the Town, Excelsior Hotel, Hong Kong

  

TASTLESS TROUSERS

 

The Talk of the Town is on the top floor of The Excelsior Hotel, Causeway Bay.  There are many, many good reasons for a night out there. 

• Fantastic view over Victoria Harbour
• TOTT has recently been renovated
  
• There is an excellent band featuring Wendy
• Nice comfy sofas
  
• Excellent service

WHO GOES THERE?

The clientele can be a mixture of hotel guests, business men and tourists as well as a few couples having a romantic night out.  Then there are the regulars who know the set list, the dance moves and the band.  There is also a subtle presence of older singles on the look out for other older singles and, so I'm informed, one or two escorts. 

GET UP AND DANCE

The best part of a night at The Talk of the Town is the dance floor and mainly because, unlike so many bars in Hong Kong, there is room to dance. I have been squashed in far too many small dance floors in Wan Chai or Lan Kwai Fong, where it is unpleasant and just about impossible to get in any sort of cool dance moves in.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRENDA

Last night me and my friends were treated to a thrilling display of pumping, grinding, moshing, twirling and pelvic thrusting  by a very sweet young lady, who I believe is called Svetlana.  What a treat!  Wearing a colourful array of tight lycra animal print from the Bet Lynch spring collection accessorized with touches of bling from Ratners she really stood out.   It goes without saying that she could whip her hair back and forth and boy did she ever!

STOP THAT CAVORTING!

I have thought about her quite a lot today wondering if she is in traction for neck or pelvis problems due to far too much cavorting.  But just a little message for her from all the other guests on the floor "Stop it!"

Robbie Williams - married!

What can I say?I am gutted!

What Next?

LAST TWO - LEE AND CRYSTAL

I know I've been banging on and on about American Idol.  Even when its been a tad boring I have stuck with it.  Now the last week is dawning. Wednesday and Thursday will be the last episodes with only two contestants remaining, Lee and Crystal.

SIMON COWELL

This is good news for Lesley's List because it means that out of the 16 I selected as possibilities to win, I still have one in the final.  Crystal Bowersox made it onto my list during the auditions round and there she is, in the final. So I win a million dollars?  I reckon I am tops at picking out the real talent and so should take over from Simon Cowell as top mean British judge when he stops doing Idol next year.  Season Ten could be Randy, Ellen, Kara and Lesley.   I wonder how much they pay?

WHEN IDOL IS OVER WATCH THE WORLD CUP 2010

But what worries me is - what am I going to do when Idol finishes?  Do you think there are counselling sessions available for viewers who suffer withdrawal symptoms?  People who find themselves  wandering around with stunned expressions, unable to concentrate on anything because their weekly routine has become so entrenched with America Idol they don't know where to turn once its over.   Such people will require post traumatic Americal Idol group counselling sessions where everyone can thrap on about their favourite, why there will never be another Adam Lambert and where on earth is Kriss Allen anyway, they can all practice their favourite judge impression and perhaps even have group sessions involving standing up clapping and yelling You had a moment dawg"  or such like.

Never fear.  I have a suggestion to all Idol addicts - watch the World Cup.

ENGLAND SUPPORT FOR EVER

I never thought I would find myself saying this because watching football is definitely not my thing.  But something happens to me every four years.  I turn into a football fan and I have even considered buying myself a polyester top emblazoned in garish logos.  Obviously I resisted that.  I am patriotic though.  I can't deny it.  I support England.  I really really want them to win.  My football fan hormones are about to kick in.  You know the ones that convince you that England are the best team ever, it's almost like having a child that can do no wrong.  No one can say anything negative about England that I believe and I become blinkered and dogmatic about their skill.

SHORT MEMORY

I have already forgotten about the last time when I was so excited about their every game when my hopes were dashed when they lost and got knocked out.  The world cup is about to start again so the slate is clean.  I await their success with an open heart and I believe they will win.  Engerland, Engerland, Engerland nah nah.

The Final 9 - American Idol Season 9 - Didi goes home

It should have been Tim Urban.

I sound like a jilted lover by proxy!  But you see Didi is on my 'LIST'.  MY LIST of potential finalists was carefully selected during the audition rounds and includes Andrew Garcia, Crystal Bowersox, Michael Lynche and it used to include Didi Benami but after America voted Didi went home last night.

Everyone can see, hear and even smell that Tim Urban is struggling to perform anything.  He has a weak voice.  Perhaps it's the hair that keeps the votes coming in?  He does nothing for me, I am not a fan of hair!   After Didi's demise the voice of God AKA Simon did not decide to give her a second chance so off she goes.   It must be next week that we wave goodbye to Tim's floppy fringe?

So now my list is:-

Andrew Garcia

Crystal Bowersox

Michael Lynche

Obviously I wish I had Siobhan Magnus on there as she is fab and groovy, if not a bit screamy, but we all love a good scream on a Wednesday night don't we?

 

 

 

What do you hate?

As I mature and develop into a much wiser human being (that just means I'm getting old) I now know there are things I just don't like.  At some point there will be things you only think you don't like but may not have actually tried them.  But as the years go by and more experiences are open to you, you have opportunities to try different things.  You can't like everything can you? 

By the process of elimination I now have a very definite list of things I don't like, dare I say, hate?

So here is my worst case scenario.

I am alone on a boat.

The toilet facilities involve squatting.

The only thing to eat is tinned tomatoes with brown sauce and piccalilli.

The tv remote has broken and the only programme I can watch is Extreme Makeoverr Home Edition.

I only have access to the South China Morning Post without the letters page and The Sun.

When not watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition and Sky News I have to play Monopoly.

The only beverage is espresso.

I am visited at night by a rat.

 I am visited occasionally by a rotweiler.

The sun is burning hot and I have no suncream or shade but my feet are in a cold draught all the time.

The only decoration on the boat is a picture of Hello Kitty.

I can listen to music but it is classical and jazz.

My clothes are all made from 100% polyester.

The only cooling device is a ceiling fan.

I have long hair.

Sometimes I am allowed off the boat, say if the water is too calm so I actually stop feeling sea sick, and taken on a trip where I visit a dried fish and tofu shop.

I am made to join a prayer circle.

So what makes you sick, what makes your skin crawl, what brings you out in a cold sweat?

  

Jools Holland - Enjoy Yourself

The venue was Ripley Castle, North Yorkshire.   Amazingly it was a sunny day.  It rained most of the week before this day and rained the day after - but we dropped in lucky.  This was such  relief as attending an outside music event in a field in the north of England always has a slight edge of trepidation about it.  I had visions of having to wear a black bin liner and wellies while attempting to dance in mud.

The grounds of Ripley Castle have a natural amphitheater and we arrived to find those punctual Brits had positioned themselves on most of the slope leading down to the stage with just a few spaces at the back and the sides.  Not only were we a little late we were ill equipped compared to the regulars at such events. They had brought an array of picnic tables, sophisticated garden chairs and posh Marks & Spencer's food and wine all laid out for polite consumption during the evening.  There were even candelabras.  Whereas we had a couple of borrowed foldable chair, a blanket, some cake and a flask of tea.   

It was at this point that the Hong Kong experience kicked in.  We are British and don't forget it.  We can queue with the best of them.  We can be polite and stand back and not say anything apart from a tut when in our head thinking 'tosser'.  But on this occasion our British politeness and overly reserved nature was pushed to the back of our DNA code to allow us to push our way through the seated crowd, cheerfully saying "Hello" "Excuse me" "Thanks" "Cheers" and then, without looking anyone directly in the eye, establishing our territory and marking it with the blanket and flask, folding out the chairs taking our seats in a prime position with a great view of the stage.  The tuts may have been heard but it was guaranteed that no British person would actually say anything and ask us to bugger off.

We settled into our camp.  It only took 3.5 minutes to be accepted by the rest of the crowd.  The space was claimed.  We were established!

It was early evening by the time the music and dancing got into full swing and were treated to many fantastic performances.  Starting with Joshua Radin who didn't seem to be famous in July but certainly is now and can be spotted on MTV.  A nice young man with a Paul Simon lilt to his voice.  The, the star of the show, Jools Holland came on with his plethora of musicians.  They filled with stage and the sound with variety.  They were rockin!  As is usual for Jools he has guests.  He must be mates everyone.  When Dave Edmunds came on looking grey and frankly a bit of an old hippie I wouldn't have recognized him if he was in front of me in the chip shop, but as soon as start "I hear you knocking' I was hooked and the dancing started.  What a great act.  Then fabulous and wonderful (not to mention) well endowed, Ruby Turner - amazing voice who shook us all up, threw us around a bit and then tossed us on the floor.  She can belt it outs it got dark the candles and candelabras were lit and it resulted in a lovely twinkle as we looked back, from the front as I mentioned, on the crowd.  

Jools finished with his big band sound at full belt "Enjoy Yourself" which is one of those numbers that has no ending if you don't want it to.  We just went on dancing and enjoying ourselves.  Eventually, he had to finish.

To top off the evening they shot some very  spectacular fireworks up from a field behind the stage.  We all oooed and aaaaaed naturally.  What a great gig and completely worth the ticket money of thirty seven pounds.