Only Mad Dogs & Englishmen...

... go out in the midday sun! This is the "noon-day gun" referred to in the Noel Coward song. It's still fired at noon every day in Causeway Bay by Jardine Mathesons. The story goes is that back in the 19th century it was fired by a Jardine employee which annoyed the HK Governor sufficiently (as he was the only one who was supposed to have that privilege) that he demanded the gun be fired at noon every day as punishment. Recently, the charge used in the gun was reduced due to complaints from the local residents about the noise...

Boat People "Housing" in Causeway Bay

Cheung Chau

Some photos from a trip to Cheung Chau, one of Hong Kong's smaller outlying islands.

Chinese New Year - Part 2

One of the most remarkable sights I've seen here in the last week is the Lion Dance - colleagues at work had told me about this but it seemed a little strange - until I actually saw it! Tradition is you leave out pieces of lettuce for the lion - when he takes your lettuce, it will bring you luck. I saw a very traditional dance in village of Shek O, where the lion would enter the houses where lettuce had been left out, do the ceremonial dance inside and then pick up the lettuce on the way back out. I also then saw a more arranged dance outside a nearby hotel in Happy Valley where the lion was performing some acrobatics on raised poles before heading inside, presumably to bring good luck to the occupants!