meyer optik – Hong Kong Lucida

Mostly Monochrome Singapore

Posted on December 3, 2014December 3, 2014 by eddietay in About Singapore, Colour, Monochrome

I’ve lived in Hong Kong long enough such that I could see Singapore with a fresh set of eyes.

Some of the buildings have become rather futuristic.

And public housing flats are beginning to look very homely.

Singapore is home, a comfortable grid.

We’re all fitted into grids.

Nice looking public housing.

Was at Hard Rock Café with my family.

An amazing acoustic set – it’s nice to listen to local acts with my wife… while trying to get our children to eat their broccoli.

The HRC I know were Saturday clubbing nights, 2 decades ago.

As I looked around at the various tables, I saw expat families with kids, tourists and middle-class locals out for dinner.

Times have changed – or perhaps I have changed.

Once upon a time, I wanted to be a rock star with my acoustic guitar.

The lyric he’s singing: “I’m all about that bass, about that bass, about that bass…”

Subsequent serious research (Google and Wikipedia) tells me it’s really a very cool song.

Now, I see HRC as an F&B outlet using rock music as a marketing tool, reaching out to customers like me who’ve come of age with the likes of GnR, Bon Jovi and Skid Row.

Perhaps I’m getting older and more cynical.

Still – it’s good to be young and idealistic.

HRC still looks impressive.

The colour is wonderful.

Orchard Road is gearing up for Christmas.

Hilton façade with a dash of nature.

A Martian landscape in full colour.

Equally interesting in monochrome.

It’s nice to be young…

An empty bus looks somewhat disturbing, like an unfulfilled promise.

This looks better – all blurry and full of promise.

Thanks for reading!

Camera: Canon 600D

Legacy Lens: Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Lydith 30mm f. 3.5

Memories of Mong Kok

Posted on November 28, 2014November 26, 2014 by eddietay in Colour

So, here’re some memories of Mong Kok.

They were trying to create a better community.

The streets announced their will.

The exhibits were playful: this looked like an umbrella carousel.

There were thoughtful moments like this at Mong Kok.

There were hard hats with a tough message.

There was a clear intention.

There was energy.

There were tents.

There were floating umbrellas.

Pretty umbrellas.

The streets belonged to its people.

The signs and umbrellas were there.

There were ominous moments.

The graduates were there.

They were preparing for an eventuality.

Yellow and blue went well together.

There were selfie moments.

He told me to take a picture and share it.

Goodbye tents, goodbye Occupy Mong Kok.

Camera: Canon 600D

Legacy Lens: Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm f 1.8

Winding Down?

Posted on November 21, 2014November 20, 2014 by eddietay in Colour

There’s definitely a sense that things are winding down at two of the three Occupy sites.

There’re fewer tents now at Mong Kok.

I’m focusing more on the objects this time – how do you photograph tents and people that are not there?

At Admiralty, the tents are still holding forth, and the art works are still looking robust.

Causeway Bay is a bit quiet these days, though there’re still people who would pause to read the messages.

Thanks for reading.

Camera: Canon 600D

Legacy Lens: Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Lydith 30mm f 3.5

Occupy: Mong Kok, Admiralty and Causeway Bay

Posted on November 17, 2014November 19, 2014 by eddietay in Colour

So – I managed to go to all three sites on the same afternoon.

At Mong Kok.

People are still smiling.

Mannequins are still standing.

Though there’s a sense that this might be over soon…

I’ll never look at umbrellas the same way again.

Umbrellas and street culture are now intertwined.

Lots of artists have emerged.

Every person an umbrella.

We are all umbrellas.

No violence, please.

The hope of a generation is here.

I’m ambivalent when it comes to the police.

The police stands for law and order.

I respect the police, but what happens when the law privileges a particular social order that is in question?

Over at Admiralty.

An umbrella community.

We’re all waiting and watching.

We see the organic growth of a community.

A community that stands for something.

An artful and thoughtful community is emerging.

Though it’s all eggs against a brick wall.

Vigilance.

Constant vigilance.

A poem by Gu Cheng entitled “A Generation”: Dark night has given me dark eyes, but I’m using them to look for brightness.

These are students of history and poetry.

I see students like this on campus every day.

I teach them poetry and creative writing.

They’re somewhat goofy, always respectful, and many do have a strange fondness for Doraemon soft toys.

They bring these soft toys along with them for pictures on graduation day.

Now they’re a force of social change, graduating with honours.

It’s not just the students, of course.

The carpenters show up to be carpenters.

It is already done.

Even if the barricades are cleared and all have gone home, Occupy Central would be that powerful idea that will be always ever present.

The rest is just documentation.

Occupy Central is already set in memory, in photographs, social media, in newspaper and government reports.

The skeleton of the umbrella is strong.

There are no wasted bodies on the streets.

They know what they want.

At Causeway Bay.

The Hong Kong people.

The small business owners.

The umbrella is looking somewhat tattered but the sentiment is strong.

Rough translation: the work is hard but keep going.

In the end, history will decide.

Camera: Canon 600D

Legacy Lenses: SMC Takumar 24mm f 3.5, Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm f 1.8

Colours at Causeway Bay

Posted on November 3, 2014November 12, 2014 by eddietay in Colour

The protesters at Causeway Bay are still there, waiting.

Hope expresses itself in so many ways.

There’s festivity in the colours.

Hope is in the air.

The students are doing their homework, taking up the work of creating a home.

The umbrellas will not let us forget.

The tents will not let us forget the future of Hong Kong.

So many messages are being sent.

Camera: Canon 600D

Legacy Lens: Meyer Optik Lydith 30mm f 3.5

Street Colours at Mong Kok

Posted on October 31, 2014November 12, 2014 by eddietay in Colour

Another day on the streets of Mong Kok.

It’s different every time.

I’m pretty sure the above weren’t here the other day.

This is the work of bricolage – the art of making do.

The details change.

But the task of reading and understanding goes on.

What Hong Kong wants is not very hard to understand.

Umbrellas, society and home – who doesn’t want those?

Perhaps the barricades could be a bridge some day.

There’re mobile libraries here.

A community serving a community.

We’ve to learn to read.

There’s a willingness to do the work of waiting.

Cheeky umbrellas.

The minions are still waiting with good humour.

The umbrellas descend.

Mong Kok has a new look these days.

Again, humour.

Waiting.

Some more humour. True democracy is a fortress.

There’s a message here to be deciphered.

Safety.

There’s healing waiting to be done.

The police love Hong Kong too.

If there is no love, respect and peace, there’s no Hong Kong.

What else can we do, except to pray for wisdom on all sides.

Camera: Canon 600D

Legacy Lens: Meyer Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm f/1.8

Mong Kok: Colourful Preoccupations

Posted on October 29, 2014November 12, 2014 by eddietay in Colour

Mong Kok has become colourful and purposeful.

Something is waiting to happen.

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind…

Waiting.

Intentions.

It’s all on the wall.

The barricades.

Even the minions are here, patiently manning the barricades.

We’re all tourists here.

The lion wants true universal suffrage.

The people are here to stay.

Resting.

Reading.

The umbrellas were indeed open at 6p.m., 28th October, to remember the teargas used by the police on the protesters a month ago.

It says “Stop unethical policing”, not “stop policing”.

There is still a need for law and order.

Camera: Canon 600D

Legacy Lens: Meyer Optik Gorlitz Lydith 30mm f/3.5

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