A break with a cup of Masala chai

Eunice in Yuen Long, Hong Kong, March 2022

最近看到有文章指香港人在工作上是亞洲區內其中一個最不愉快的一群。真是令人傷心的事實。很希望這個環境與氣氛會有改變，但我想會越來越困難了。

這裏是幾張我在幾個月前在一個悠閒的下午影的相。我喝了一杯用燕麥奶沖的印度奶茶。不談工作，好好放鬆。

I recently read that Hong Kong has one of the most miserable workforces in the region. It is very sad but true. I really hope this culture could change but I feel like it becomes more difficult now.

Anyway here comes a few photos taken in a relaxing afternoon from a few months ago. I drank of a cup Masala chai with oat milk. Just chilled. Let's not remember work.

樹上有很多紅耳鵯。/ There were many red-whiskered bulbuls on the trees.食物。/ Food.

木棉花盛放。/ Flowers of cotton trees were blooming.

(Olympus OM-1, Kodak Colorplus 200)

The little egret

Tai Tong, Yuen Long, Hong Kong, November 2021

當日在大棠野餐，天氣不錯，還見到一隻小白鷺。 

I was doing picnic in Tai Tong on that day. The weather was nice and I saw a little egret. 我。/ Me.

(Konica MG, Kodak Portra 400)

Where I put the bits and pieces I like together (II)

Me doing embroidery, Hong Kong, January 2022

回到這件裇衫身上。

最近又停了幾個月沒有動手了，短時間內都不會完成到。只希望可以在冬天前完成到。

Going back to this shirt.

I have stopped working on it for a few months. It won't be completed in a short period of time. I hope I could get it done before winter.

(Olympus OM-1, Kodak Colorplus 200)

It was a year ago I last cycled

Irene and Sisi cycling to Tai Mei Tuk, Hong Kong, April 2021 

今個冬天沒有行山，又沒有踩過單車。現在看看上年有次踩單車的相。那天還發現到一小片紅樹林。

我都記不起今年都好像仍未影完一筒菲林。不過到這一刻，我都是放上年影的相上來。

這三年好像消失了。

This winter I didn't go hiking nor cycle. Now let's look at the photos taken from last year when I went cycling. On that day, we discovered a small patch of mangrove forest.

I can't remember if I have finished one roll of film this year. But anyway, till now, I am still posting photos from last year.

I feel like these 3 years have disappeared.

我。/ Me.

休息。/ Rest.

Friend of Elim

Elim and her friend Steven, West Kowloon, Hong Kong, December 2021 

當時雖然還有其他人，但這是關於他倆友誼的故事。

There were other people but this story is about her friendship.

很多麻雀。/ Many sparrows.

飛機。/ Plane.

Where I put the bits and pieces I like together

Me doing embroidery, Hong Kong, December 2021

有段很長的時間沒有心機做自己一直很有興趣的東西。除了看大量的Youtube外，有天突然心血來潮買了件白色裇衫，並在上面做刺繡。不過繡了幾個自己喜歡的圖案後就半途而廢了。

現在裇衫閒置在櫃頂都有差不多兩個月了，過多一段時間再有興趣就繼續繡吧。不過夏天都快到，就算現在繡好了都要等多大半年才可以來出來穿。

相中我在繡Matisse畫的那塊面。

p.s. 我用了普通針線來繡。

There was a long time I wasn't in the mood to do anything I have been interested in. Other than watching huge amounts of Youtube, one day I had the compulsiveness to buy a white shirt and started doing embroidery on it. But I gave up after embroidering a few patterns.

Now the shirt has been leaving aside for nearly two months. Let's start again when I have the interest again. But summer is coming soon. Even if I finish it now, I still need to wait for more than half a year to wear it out.

In these photos I was embroidering one of the faces from Matisse.

p.s. I only used ordinary stitching needle and thread.

(Olympus OM-1, Kodak Colorplus 200)

Good comfort food

Koey in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, July 2021

上年Koey有份在一個合展展出自己的兩幅作品。我都跟了去看。

最近真是一張相都沒有影，大部分時間都躲在家中。之前都還好的，但突然之間每天都有過萬宗確診個案。而最令我感到害怕的都是被捉去做強制隔離。在家時，我還可以畫畫、寫字、上網，有時亦會去最近的超市買納豆(最近很喜歡吃牛油果加納豆)。

這三年來一直都只可以待在香港，不可以出外遊歷、見見老朋友。現在即使在香港，大家都盡量減小外出，連在同一個城市的朋友都見不了。聽說月尾還會有禁足。很想與朋友們去打邊爐。難得有一個冬天只打過兩次邊爐。

前兩晚都分別做了個怪夢，都是關於終於可以出去走走了。

Last year Koey joined an exhibition showcasing 2 of her paintings. I went along.

Recently I don't take any photos at all. I am staying at home most of the time. Previously Hong Kong was doing fine. All of a sudden there are more than 10,000 confirmed cases every day in this city. But what makes me scared the most is to be caught and sent to compulsory quarantine. When I am at home, I can still paint, write and go on the internet. Sometimes I go to the closest supermarket to buy natto (recently I like eating natto with avocado).

In these 3 years, I could only stay in Hong Kong. I am not able to go outside and meet old friends. But now, even in Hong Kong, most of us avoid going out and can't meet the friends in the same city. I heard that there will even be lock down around the end of this month. I really want to have hot pots with friends. It is so rare that I have only had hot pots twice in a winter.

In the last 2 nights, I made weird dreams. They were about going to somewhere else.

Looking after orchid

Kadoorie Farm & Botanical Garden, Tai Po, Hong Kong, September 2021 

上一次去嘉道理是半年前的事了。那天在照顧蘭花。

這幾年來壞消息連連，最近香港實施了最嚴的抗疫政策，又有國家宣戰。世界從未和平過，地球都被人玩到爛了。

當大家都是既得利益者，世界和平、愛護地球，談何容易。

It was half a year ago when I last visited Kaddorie Farm. On that day, I took care of orchid.

In these few years, bad news have been non-stop. Recently Hong Kong has imposed the strictest anti-Covid policy and there was a country declared war. The world has never been peaceful. The world is only our broken toy. 

When everyone has a vest interest, world peace and earth protection are always be difficult.

全部都是蘭。/ All of them are orchid.

HK Disney

Disney with Eunice, Viann & Koey, Disneyland, Hong Kong, June 2021

上年有兩日去了香港迪士尼。

很久沒有去過主題樂園了，跟朋友們去逛下都挺愉快。

Last year I went to Hong Kong Disneyland for two days.

I didn't visit theme parks for a long time. It was quite enjoyable to hang around with friends.

EuniceViann

Selfie!

Another April, another flower

Hiking with three other Li, Shing Mun Water Reservoir, Sha Tin, Hong Kong, April 2021 

上年有日與家人去了沙田城門水塘行山。天氣舒適，人不算十分多。中途坐下休息時見到背囊上多了兩朵花，一朵粉紅、一朵黃。

越大我就越重視家庭。

一月都快完結了，希望今年各方面都可以有很多轉變，而不是原地踏步地度過。

One day last year I went hiking at Sha Tin Shing Mun Water Reservoir with my family. The weather was nice. There were not a lot of people. When I took rest on the way, I found two flowers on my backpack - one pink and one yellow.

The older I get, the more I value family.

January nearly comes to an end. Hope that I could have changes in different aspects of life, instead of letting another year pass by standing still.

Elim雛菊。/ Daisies.遠方的獅子山。/ Lion Rock at a distance.

Drive the red car and go on a long trip

Taking photos in Hong Kong, April - December 2021 

終於一口氣檢視了一堆上年沒有處理過的相。不過上年影的相本身都不算多，所以兩個晚上都完成了。

當中一些比較鎖碎的相就在這個post裏一次過放上來。巧合地全部相都是用Olympus OM-1相機配柯達菲林影的，連鏡頭都是一樣。另一個說法就是，我上年根本很小影相，懶得去用其他相機，亦懶得用其他型號的菲林。連相機上的鏡頭也沒有扭開過，更不用談有沒有用過其他鏡頭。

自己的生活好像很多方面都躲了在一個不舒適的舒適圈，然後就只有生存。

Finally I reviewed all the photos I left behind from last year. But I didn't really take much photos so it only took me 2 nights to finish.

Some of the photos are the bits and pieces from there and there. I put them together and post here. Coincidentally they were all shot by Olympus OM-1 camera on Kodak film. Even the lens used was the same. But in other words, I didn't take photos often last year. I didn't bother to use the other cameras, other models of film. I didn't take off the lens from the camera once, not even to say use a different lens.

I feel like I am living my life inside an uncomfortable comfort zone. I feel like I am only surviving most of the time.

四月時在觀塘看了一個迷你裕民坊模型展，還原以前裕民坊的模樣。/ A miniature exhibition of the past Yue Man Square in Kwun Tong in April.另一個角度。/ Another angle. 六月時影的一張自拍。 / A selfie taken in June.

My 4 little friends

Elim, Elvis, Hugo & Olivia, Hong Kong, October - November 2021 

我有四個小小朋友。他們幾個的歲數加起來都是比我小很多。

再過多幾年他們就會更有自己的想法。到時我們仍會是好朋友嗎？

I have four little friends. The total number of the their ages is still smaller than my age.

After a few more years they will have more of their own thoughts. Will we still be good friends at that moment?

(Olympus OM-1, Kodak Colorplus 200)

Fried chestnut, my comfort food

Fried chestnuts, Hong Kong, December 2021

都記不起再上一次買炒栗子是幾時了，但最小都是兩年多前的事。

其實我很喜歡吃炒栗子，但那段時間一直都沒有機會買，就算見到炒栗子檔，自己都不在吃炒栗子的狀態。

I can't remember when the last time I bought fried chestnuts but it was at least 2 and a half years ago.

Actually I like eating fried chestnuts very much. But I didn't have the chance to buy. Even if I saw the hawker selling them, I was not in the mood to eat fried chestnuts.

除了手上有一粒炒栗子，手上還很多紋。/ Not only a piece of fried chestnut, I also have many lines on my hand.

(Olympus OM-1, Kodak Colorplus 200)

Farbic and buttons, again

Sham Shui Po with Sisi, Hong Kong, September 2021 

九月又再到深水埗找材料了。最近都沒有需要再去，之前買的材料想用來做的東西都仍未動工。不過就算不是為了買材料，都很喜歡到深水埗看看布，看看鈕。

天氣冷了，我都懶了。但就算天氣暖，我都很懶。

更新：第一次刊登是2021年12月22日，但今天我才發現原來另一筒菲林有這天影的相。現在放了另外9張相上來。

In September, I went to Sham Shui Po again to look for sewing materials. I haven't gone there recently. The materials I bought before are still left untouched. Even though I don't need any new supplies, I still enjoy going to Sham Shui Po, looking at the fabric and buttons.

Update: This posted was first posted on 22 December 2021 but today I found that there was another roll of film containing photos shot on the same day. Now I am posting another 9 photos here.

很喜歡這架黃色車，不過我更喜歡之前見到的另一架。/ I like this yellow car but I like another yellow car I saw before.其中一塊買了的布。用來做甚麼好呢？/ One of the fabric I bought. What should I make out of it?

Buffaloes and doves

Hong Kong, May 2021 

上年仍有很多相想放上來但仍未放。今晚就選了三張相來為2022年作個開端。第一張是上水的水牛，第二張屯門的斑鳩，第三張是元朗的斑鳩。

很睏，晚安了。上年很多方面都不易過，希望新一年平平安安。

I still have many photos from last year not yet posted. Tonight let me chose 3 photos to start the year of 2022. First photo shows the buffaloes in Sheung Shui. Second photo shows the doves in Tuen Mun. Third photo shows the doves in Yuen Long.

So sleepy. Good night. In 2021, it was not easy in many different aspects. I just wish everything is going smoothly and safely in 2022.

兩隻斑鳩。/ Two doves.

更多斑鳩。/ More doves.

(Konica MG, Kodak Gold 200)