Ki! Ki!: August 2016

Thunderstorm and "Good to be alive"

Irene hiking at Tsing Yi Peak a.k.a. Sam Chi Heung (三支香), Tsing Yi, Hong Kong, July 2016

[三支香是一座由三個山峰所組成的山。]

這次行山是我最接近死亡的經驗。出發前有看過天氣預報，並知道當天會有驟雨，而一開始時天氣的確不錯，只是在轉眼間天色變差，下起雨來，還有不停地打雷。最後全身濕透，還看到雷擊落在我們身旁的電線杆。腎上腺素非常高的一天。

這些經驗一次都太多了。

[Sam Chi Heung literally means "three joss sticks" as it is a hill made up of 3 peaks.]

This hike is my-closest-to-death experience. Looking up from the weather forecast, I knew it was going to have scattered shower. At the beginning, the weather was quite nice. But in an instance, the weather turned real bad. We ended up soaking wet and even saw a lighting streaked at the power pole next to us. It's a day of high level of adrenalin.

Once is too much for this kind of experience.

陽光普照和大汗淋漓。(那些是菲林上的塵，不是Irene的污穢。) / Sunny and sweaty. (Those are dust from film not dirt on Irene.)

植物欣賞。/ Plant appreciation.

跑山人士經過。當時的我們仍未意識到這個陌生人(下稱，大叔)將會是今次事件的關鍵人物。/ Mountain runner passed by. At that moment we didn't realise this stranger (the Uncle) would become the key person of this event.

更多植物鑑賞。/ More plant appreciation.

從第一個峰看見的風景。/ The view from the 1st peak.

接着的一段時間我都沒有影相。

前往第二峰的路上，雨越下越大，還打起雷來。令情況更糟糕的是我們在山上被樹和電線杆包圍。所以我們決定回到起點的那個涼亭。我們開始跑，不停地跑。雖然我間中會行山，但身體仍然不夠健壯。腳很酸很累。但每當我放慢步伐，Irene都會向我大喊，「跑呀！」。

回到第一峰時，我們見到身旁的電線杆被雷砍。我們又再跑。沿途還碰到到在大石下避雨的大叔。他加入我們一起跑到涼亭。我那可憐的雙腿開始累到發抖。

Then I didn't take any photos for a period of time

On the way to the 2nd peak, the rain got stronger and it started thundering. What made it worse was that we were on a mountain surrounded by trees and power pole. So we decided to go back to the pavilion at where we started. We began running and ran nonstop. My body was still so unfit although I have gone on hiking from time to time. My legs fatigued. But whenever I slowed down my pace, Irene shouted at me, "Run!".

Back to the 1st peak, we saw the power pole next to us got struck by lightning. Then we started running again. We found the Uncle was hiding under a rock. He joined us and we ran down to the pavilion together. My poor legs started shaking.

終於回到涼亭來避雨和雷，同時與大叔聊天。/ Finally back to the pavilion and waiting for the rain and thunderstorm to stop; meanwhile, chatting with the Uncle.

雨細了，雷聲亦遠離，於是繼續上路。風景的確很美。/ The rain was getting smaller and the thunder was further away. Then we kept going. The view was indeed decent.

大叔向我們解釋貨船如何進入和離開香港，還有青衣橋的結構。/ The Uncle explained how the cargo ships entered and left Hongkong and talked about the structure of Tsing Yi bridge.

聽起來很無聊，但「活着真好」這句話是我回到城市時第一樣想到的東西。
As lame as it may sound, "Good to be alive" is the first thing I thought of after going back to the city.

(Olympus Pen FV, Kodak Colorplus 200, film soaking)

Striped self and the green changing room

Me in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, August 2016

很久沒有做任何創作性質的東西。我只是用攝影來作記錄。最近常常買東西，買的那一刻感覺很好，但買完就很難受，但那一刻感覺好就夠了。
I have not been creative for a long time. I only use photography for documentation. I have been doing shopping quite a lot recently. The moment of buying feels real good but after that it feels awful. But that moment of feeling good is good enough.

(Olympus Pen FV, Kodak Colorplus 200, film soaking)

I am not the same person who walked in.

村上春樹《海邊的卡夫卡》／Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore

而且當那沙風暴結束時，你可能還不太能理解，自己是如何穿過那風暴活下來的。不，甚至不太清楚那風暴是否真的已經走掉了。不過只有一件事你可以確定。那就是從那風暴中出來的你，已經不是踏進去時的你了。

And once the storm is over you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.

的確如此。我突然想起幾年前我聽過的一句話，「會有改變的人，都是一些沒有自信的人」。
Indeed. I suddenly thought of something heard from a couple of years ago -- "People who change are those lack of confidence".

p.s. Currently listening to David Bowie & Kristen Wiig - Space Oddity (The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty Soundtrack).

Annoyed uncle and kawaii dinosaurs

Hong Kong, July 2016

1. Letter from Sueon (How I look like when I am annoyed.)
2. 3D dinosaur book (I can't read Japanese though.)

兩件我很喜歡的東西。
The 2 things I like a lot.

(Olympus OM-1, Kodak Ultramax 400)

Away from responsibilty: Traveling to space, floating in a void and thinking of nothing

Victoria Peak, Hong Kong, July 2016

一個我會叫做家的城市。永遠都不會覺得厭倦的風景，只是有時覺得討厭。
A city where I call home. I never get bored of this view but sometimes hate it.

可惜地又是灰朦朦的。/ Sadly it was covered in smog as usual.

白晝和黑夜時是兩個不一樣的景緻。/ Daytime and nighttime are two different views.

很期待有一日我能輕鬆地處理壓力。亦很期待有一日我可以到太空去，在空無所有的空間中飄浮，甚麼都不去思想。
I am so looking forward to the day that I can handle stress well. Am also so looking forward to the day I can travel to space, floating in a void and thinking of nothing.

(Olympus OM-1, Kodak Ultramax 400)

The warmth of the sun

Koey in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, June 2016

現在正打8號颱風和下黃雨。在這個天氣不太好的時候放些在一個陽光普照的一天影的相。
Typhoon signal no.8 and amber rainstorm signal are hoisted right now. So at this weather-being-not-so-nice moment, here I post some photos shot on a sunny day.

人群。/ Crowd.

現在我在聽Apparat的Krieg und Frieden (Music For Theatre)。
I am currently listening to Apparat's Krieg und Frieden (Music For Theatre).

(Olympus XA-1, Kodak Ultramax 400)

I don't want to get tanned though

Irene kayaking(sit-inside) around Sai Kung, Hong Kong, May 2016

路線：沙下灘 --> 白沙洲 --> 橋咀 --> 鹽田仔 --> 沙下灘
Route: Sha Ha beach --> Pak Sha Chau --> Sharp Island --> Yim Tin Tsai --> Sha Ha beach

這是我第一次划座艙式獨木舟。不太建議新手在沒有指導下划座艙式。順帶一提，夏天行山太熱，划獨木舟便剛剛好。
It was my first time to do sit-inside kayaking. I do not recommend beginner to do sit-inside without guidance. By the way summer is too hot for hiking but just right for kayaking.