Journey to China

To research for our book project titled Fishball and Mantou (steamed bun) I visited Gaoming in Jiujiang District during Easter break. The ferry from Shun Tak to Sunde or Daliang took two hours. Another one hour of bus ride to arrive to Gaoming and off on a motorbike to the pig and fishfarm (Gold Star) village.

Please click for map location.

This is Ming Ming, the protagonist of our story

5. Fragrant Harbour

Lanchester, John Call No: S-LAN

Fragrant Harbour/ John Lanchester. London : Faber and Faber, 2002

xii, 299 p. : maps ; 23 cm.

ISBN 0-571-21468-1

1. Hong Kong - Social life and customs. 2. Hotels, motels - Fiction.

Book recommendation by Hanna Green

This book reminds me of my braids when I was a girl. Several strands of quite separate stories are told, then there is clasp and like the ends of the various strands of hair come together and form one bunch of hair so you learn towards the end what holds the book together.
All parts follow different main characters´ ways to Hong Kong. They all hope to find better conditions than at home.
In the first part a young journalist has her ups and downs in the British newspaper word until she goes to Hong Kong. Here her features become so popular that she writes an article on the big triads and how their heirs have succeeded in making even bigger deals and money by becoming “respectable”. This plunges her into a situation in which she can either loose her livelihood in Hong Kong or that can catapult her into the centre of power in the media world of South Asia.
The second part unfolds the years of Hong Kong History as experienced by a British lad who in the 1930ies follows his drive to see foreign lands.
A Chinese nun he meets on the ship out to Hong Kong teaches him Cantonese and becomes his link to the non Expat world.
In the last part the young present day businessman is an “astronaut”, someone spending his time on planes between Europe, Asia and Australia. But his enterprise is threatened by the traditional practice of bribery in Asia. He has to choose between ruin for him and his extended family or being saved by (former?) underworld magnates.
After a bit tedious beginning the book develops a speed and fascination one cannot resist. And when you come to the end you feel you know more how Hong Kong ticks.

Our First 'Friendly' HKBOB competition with FIS, Bryant McEntire as our experienced moderator and Y7 and Y8s participating, demonstrating Team Spirit

4. A Many-Splendoured Thing

Han, Suyin, 1914. Call No : S- HAN
A many-splendoured thing / Han Suyin.-- London : Jonathan Cape, 1954.
351 p. ; 21 cm.
1. Biographical Fiction relating to Hong Kong 1950-1951.

Recommended by Hanna Green

Der Titel des Buches : A Many-Spendoured Thing von Han Suyin mag manchem bekannt vorkommen wegen des gleichnamigen Films Love is a Many-Splendored Thing
(lohnt nicht, erschöpft sich in einer banalen Liebesgeschichte) und seiner berühmt gewordenen Filmmusik.

Das Buch ist für Hongkong Kenner und solche, die es werden wollen, von größtem Interesse: Einerseits vermittelt es autobiographisch hautnah die historischen Ereignisse in China und Hong Kong um 1950 herum auf ihrem weltpolitischen Hintergrund.
Andererseits fesselt die Darstelllung der Kontraste, die in Hongkong lebendig waren und sind, und die das Buch brand-aktuell machen..

Die Liebesgeschichte zwischen dem britischen Korrespondenten und der eurasischen Ärztin gewinnt tragische Züge, weil sie den inneren Konflikt zwischen dem drängenden Gewissen, China in seiner Aufbauphase helfen zu wollen und zu müssen, und dem Bedürfnis nach Normalität in einer Liebesbeziehung, die die beiden im damaligen kommunistisch werdenden China nicht leben können, eindringlich vor Augen führt.

So bleibt nur Hongkong mit all seinen Kontrasten als Insel zwischen Kommunismus und Imperialismus,wo auch diese beiden überleben könnten?

An zwei Beispielen möchte ich darstellen, worin sich HK völlig verändert hat. Und andererseits, wie die heutige Welt der von vor 50 Jahren in HK ,und außerhalb, so ähnlich ist, dass man denkt, Han Suyin (Pseudonym) schreibt 2006/7:.

Im damaligen Hong Kong war die Beziehung einer Eurasierin mit einem Westler ein Unding und wurde mit gesellschaftlicher Ächtung bestraft. Das galt ebenso für die Chinesen wie für die Nicht Chinesen. Heute wundert man sich, dass diese Vorurteile so fest verwurzelt zu sein schienen, während diese Beziehungen gerade in HK jetzt zur Normalität geworden sind.

Vieles in dem Buch allerdings mutet ganz aktuell an, z.B. wenn der Korrespondent aus dem Korea Krieg schreibt:Day after day with their aircraft the Americans are laying waste towns and villages, killing fifty civilians for every one soldier.

“..people with very real grievances, who will stand up and declaim against these saviours, these allies who have caused more damage and destruction and suffering than the ostensible enemies”. (p.336)

Somit ist das Buch ein zeitgeschichtliches Zeugnis, und stellt gleichzeitig auch uns im täglichen Umgang Vertrautes dar.

3. Der Junge im gestreiften Pyjama von John Boyne

Signatur : S-BOY

Der Junge im gestreiften Pyjama : eine Fabel / John Boyne. Aus dem Engl. von Brigitte Jakobeit.-- Frankfurt, M. : Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verl, 2007.
266 S. (Fischer Schatzinsel)
ISBN 978-3-596-85228-4

Schlagwort: Holocaust

Judentum (1939-1945)

2. Weltkrieg - Polen

Frau Susan Braun : Ein bewegendes Buch, unbedingt lesen!

2. Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

Kadohata, Cynthia. Call No : S-KAD
Kira-Kira / Cynthia Kadohata.-- New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, c2004.
244 p. ; 20 cm.
Summary: Chronicles the close friendship between two Japanese-American sisters growing up in rural Georgia during the late 1950s, and the despair felt when one sister becomes terminally ill.
ISBN 0689856393 : US$16.95
1. Sisters--Fiction. 2. Friendship--Fiction. 3. Japanese in the United States--Fiction. 4. Death--Fiction. 5. Georgia--History--20th century--Fiction.

Kira-Kira is the winner of the 2005 Newbery Medal. Although this book has been classified as middle grade, I recommend this heart-warming story of a close-knit family with all the remarkable values of love, respect and honour, to people of any age.

1. Into a Dark Realm written by Raymond E Feist

Feist, Raymond E. Call No : S-FEI
Into a dark realm / Raymond E. Feist.-- 1st ed.-- London : Harper Voyager, 2006.
386 p. : map ; 19 cm. (The Darkwar saga, bk.2)
Map on lining papers.
ISBN 9780007133796
1. Pug (Fictitious character)--Fiction. 2. Midkemia (Imaginary place)--Fiction. 3. Wizards--Fiction. 4. Fantasy fiction. I. Title. II. Series: The Darkwar saga ; III. Series: Feist, Raymond E. Darkwar saga. bk. 2.

Recommended by Chris Hoskins

As a fan of fantasy literature, I have enjoyed Feist's Midkemia stories for many years.

Beginning with Magician, his books span generations of the powers of order and chaos. These are action-packed tales of high magic and adventure - just perfect for a fun read on holiday!

Into a Dark Realm is the second book of his latest series, and perhaps the best compliment I can give him is that it is always frustrating to wait a while for the next volume to be published; it is expected some time next year, so I am trying to read this one slowly. Without much success.