list•a•journal (english society, aahkusu, 2010-2011)

8/4/2019 LISTAJOURNAL (english society, aahkusu, 2010-2011)

1/24

LISTAJOURNAL

by the english society,a.a.h.k.u.s.u., 2010-2011

1. A chat with Dr. Gaye

Gould2. DEBUNKING UNIVERSITYMYTHS 3. Rediscover Hong Kong

4. AWARD-WINNING

CREATIVEWRITINGS5. Claudia Motalks to the English Society

iPhone first page

6. PEEK-A-BOO: Other peoples


2/24

1 About usWhat is so noble about the English Society?

Shes artistic

Debunking university myths

A year with the English Society

Get to know the English Society and listform, and there - are the pride of theEnglish Society.

8

What does promotion secretary do?How to do it well? Tips and sharingsfrom the experienced art appreciatorand photoshopper.

Rumors. Word on the streets. Reports

from other people. Heres what its

really like.

A recap from September to July.

2 Around us

The other side of Hong KongA year was enough for us to rediscoverHong Kong.

3 Ways of EnglishCan you write like them?

We ask, they answer - Dr. Gaye Gould

We ask, they answer - Claudia Mo

Winners of Write Outside the Box,English Societys creative writingcompetition.

Read what your professor read! In thisrare chance hear what one of thefavorite professors in the School ofEnglish has to say.

Experienced journalist and English user,Claudia gives timeless advice tostudents. Listen up!

4 Lets get geekySmartphones first page showdownWere in the smartphone era -everyone carries one! Have you foundthe one app for you? Or maybe two.

2

10

13

4

16

1

18

9


3/24

Editorial Foreword

Yannie Chan

Journalism and

probable English

Studies major.

Music at the

moment: Passion

Pit, Suede, Arctic

Monkeys. Current

obsession: GoogleDocs. I have always been fond of lists. I have

this little red notebook I carry aroundthat I make lists with... Lists likeRandom Thoughts After WatchingHarry Potter (Snape is donning a tonof eyeshadow, isnt he?), and Writersthat I DONT want to be friendswith (Mark Twain, anyone? Dontknow if I can handle his sarcasm).

And that is how I came up with theLISTAJOURNAL idea. Lists are easyto read, and are very inclusive. I lovehow theyre so versatile.

My favorite list in this journal is TheOther Side of Hong Kong. Sincegoing to university, Ive discovered somuch about Hong Kong that I realizedIve been mistaking it for some otherplace entirely. Hong Kong is a lovelyand diverse city, only if you know

where to look.

Another thing Id like to talk about isbeing an EXCO member of the EnglishSociety. The most distinctive feature ofthis session is how different everyoneis, and yet we know how to appreciateeach other. If you dont mind, lets hearabout each EXCO member from mypoint of view.

Wanto is crazy about every little detail,and insists of perfection. I often findmyself amazed at his ability to look atthings in a macro outlook. Ricky, who

I first thought to be quiet and shy, isactually firm and has great ideas. Hegets the job done. Michelle is cute andvery literary, which isnt something yourealize upon seeing her. Her writingsare thoughtful and beautiful.

James is possibly the funniest person inthe society. I never see him panic, norget agitated when tired. He seems to be

one of those person who always appearrelaxed while actually doing a lot.Theres an artist in Curtis, I think. Hesinto good music and good movies. Andwhen he reveals his inner self, hessincere, gentle, and innocent. He has away of making people around him likehim.

Elisa is stunning, and very capable. Sheloves everything British, and is veryconsistent. Patricia is so unique I dont

think my words can describe her. Shethinks so creatively and is so willing tostep up and make herself heard. It justmakes you feel easy when shes socomfortable in her own skin.

Joey, oh, Joey. Hes got some rebelliousgenes in him, I think, and yet hes soreliable. Throw anything at him, andhell make it perfect. Mavis isintrospective and its satisfying chatting

with her. Angel, I dont know whatmore I can say about her - talented,supportive, resourceful, and alwaysoverreacting.


4/24

e n g l i s h s o c i e t y | ways of english | 1

We ask, they answer -Claudia Mo

What are your top five Englishauthors?

I go by authors and would suggestcontemporary novelists like Jeffrey

Archer, John Grisham and DanBrown, in that order, as they're 'closerto life'.

When you are reading, do you tend tobe impressed more by the storyline,or the language?Both.

What are some of the commongrammatical or simply English

mistakes you spot in Hong Kong?"Think in Chinese, speak in English".Like when you don't belong to agroup, and you're asked, "You don'tbelong here, do you?" Nine times outof 10 Chinese students would say,"Yes (should be 'No'), I don't belonghere."

Suggest 3 "golden English rules"when it comes to English writing.

No secrets, just use it more. Getyourself a little note book and jotdown new words and unusualgrammar, on a daily basis.

What is English to you?

A communication tool and an eyeopener to the rest of the world.Why and how did you become sogood at English?

Use it all the time.

A journalism and English Studies

graduate from Carleton University in

Canada, Claudia Mo is passionate

in so many areas - social justice,

English, authoring, radio... She

worked in Agence France-Presse,

Hong Kong Standard, and TVB. Her

impressive resum confirms that

shes the one we need to speak to

concerning English usage.


5/24

shes artistic-

e n g l i s h s o c i e t y | about us | 2

ang

el

wo

n

promotion

se c

retary

Since the theme was VintageFair, I decided to uselomography and film

camera photos as a centralidea. I used vintage filters tomake pictures feel "instant"he English Societys

esigner, Angel has designed

very poster and society

roducts. Her designs have

eceived such positive

eedback from students. Shes

lso doing some part-time

hotoshop jobs.

What is the theme for

Vintage Fairs designs?

The design for the Write Outside the Boxposters are so cute and fresh. Whats the

idea behind?

Well, it is the one that takes the mostdesign concepts. It also inspired the tagline"everyone is a writer"! The "everyone" that Iused is outside of the box themselves aswell so to follow the spirit of the originalname of the competition.

Describe your design style?

Spontaneous.

What is the idea behind

English Festivals

poster?

Celebration and spring, soI used a lot of flowers anddecorative designs.

How did you come into contact with designing?I was doing painting at first then the Visual Arts course in Certificate Levelforced me to take some designing. Naturally I had to learn photoshop, andthats where it all begun.


6/24

Which is your favorite design and why?

How do you come up with an idea?

I go tumblring or just random searching onsome artistic resources sites that I used to gothen just let things inspire me by themselves.It is much easier than starting with a blank fileand set your own expectations that actuallylimits instead.

What was the happiest moment, design-wise, in the English Society?

When I see things from thoughts to productsand at the same time when the job is done ofcourse.

I dont like it most because of the design but the joy I feel when Isee everyone wearing and buying them, especially my fellowEXCO members. I seriously cannot forget how touched I feltwhen I saw everyone putting them on for the first time togetherwhile working during bazaar.

What is the the most important things

hen it comes to designing and being

reative?

ay be two things...The boundaries ande freedom. Usually there is a settingven for designers to work with and thattting should be open enough foreative ideas. Freedom that will allow

ou to be inspired in the most unusual

ays. I realized how important that ister joining the English Society. Iertainly cannot enjoy the same settingnd freedom working for mydvertisement company, which honestly,st cannot compare - its less

hallenging and more boring.


How do you deal with it if people dont like

your design? I mean, every designer and

artist must come across this.

I fight and defend for my design because I amalready giving up my aesthetics when Im

working outside.

If someone is really interested in

designing but has no relevant

experience and skills whatsoever,

what would you advice him/her?

Having those skills is not amust; but having a visionand an aesthetic will be. Sodo not be afraid to try! Younever know until you see itin your own designs. And it

definitely takes time tosearch, but if you truly lovedesign or art, you wontmind searching. It is a veryenjoyable, albeit painfulprocess.

Is learning to use Photoshop as hard as people think?

NO. I learnt it without referring to any tutorials, but puretrial and error. It might take time but it's a software thatallows you to be self-taught so it can't be too difficult. Andeven now I am using very simple tools. It really depends onhow you put things together and execute your idea insteadof how skillful you are at photoshop.


7/24


canyou

writelikethe

m?winning pieces of the annual

creative writing competition, Write

Outside the Box

First placeKeedon Wong

It was back in 2008. The same elevator. Thesame gentle hum of the mechanics. I was

with my grandmother. She wasn't fine atall.

S t a g e 4 L u n g c a n c e r .Adenocarcinoma. Purpose of her visit:replenish her already depleted pallativemedication, and perhaps even a daringlittle hope of a miracle. My duty: take careand accompany my grandmother in thelong epic wait at the outpatient ward.

Back then I wasn't a medicalstudent. But I wanted to become a doctor.My granny knew this all along. As westrolled into 6th floor, we reported to thefront desk and was given a call number. Theeternal wait be anticipation gan.156....157.....158..... the counter flashed,crawling slowly towards our number: 488

Time is rather unique, for it canpermeate through almost anything. As we

waited, excitment became. Anticipationbecame participation. Participation becamefrustration. Frustration became submission.Submission to her ill luck of a crowded day,as well as her inheritance of cancer.

To keep her mind off the trouble, Iwould talk to her about my ambition ofbeing a doctor. I could still recall how mygranny would point out a few doctorspresent at the ward, rating their standards

of professionism in parallel. She was aregular in this ward. "You see that doctorover there? She is mean. Told me to give uphope and take morphine instead, so I canleave this place quickly".

S Block, 6th Floor, QMH

Outrageous content, yet sadly truthful Ithought. "Granny, if I become a doctor one

day, I will not treat any patient like the waythat doctor did!" I comforted her. A caringheart was my promise to a dying mentor.

She passed away few months later...3 days after I left HK at the end of myholiday.

--------------------------------'6th Floor, Internal Medicine'- chimed theelevator.

It is 2010 again. As the metallic doors opencarefully, I knew where I was going, for Ihad been here before...

The place smelled the same.The counter is still flashing.The patients are still waiting.

But I, I am different.For today, I am a medical student from The

Hong Kong University.

And my mission is to learn how to becomea good doctor......and all these began with a promise.

If only you are here Granny, you would seewhat I have brought along.

A caring heart.

=============In memories of my mentor, my love, mygrandmother.A Reflective Piece: "S block, 6th Floor,

A year 3 medicine student in the University of

Hong Kong, Keedons writing journey began

as a compulsory entity in school, called an

'Essay', even though he won in Write

Outside the Box, he still doesnt regard

himself as a good writer. J.K. Rowling is a

good writer, I am not. Keedon said. William

Shakespeare was a good writer, again I am

not. The name list goes on and soon you will

get my point.


8/24


Second placeHau Ka Wai, Israel

The Pursuit of

PerfectionThis pursuit of perfection startedwhen I was just a month old, if notearlier. When Mom fed me withmilk she knew she had to beextremely careful. 8 ounces. Nomore, no less. A sip less and Iwould cry as if I hadnt had any; ifI had had a sip more I wouldthrow up immediately. Where do Ilearn this? I sometimes ponder.

When I was a little older,

barely speaking, my mom used toplay me Peter Pan everyday inorder to keep me from crying ormessing around. One day whenshe came out from the kitchen tocheck if everything was okay. Shewas shocked: I was sitting next tothe window, reading out the linesbetween Peter Pan and CaptainHook as they were speakingword by word, perfectly. As a

matter of fact, I still remember afew lines to this day. Since thenmy mom tried another fewcartoons like Lion King and MyNeighbor To toro . I d idn tdisappoint her. I recited the lines,quickly and accurately.

A big cartoon fan like mehad a lot of homework to do

even before I went to kindergarten.I had almost all the books of myfavorite cartoons, from Lion Kingto My Neighbor Totoro, from PeterPan to Sesame Street (the only

character I love was CookieMonster though). I coloured all thecharacters with the exact onesfrom TV. But ifand this is a big ifI picked the wrong color pencil,or the colour pencils had deceivedme by pretending to be some othercolours (which happened mostly),Id tear off the sheet. Id stay upsetuntil Mom bought me a new one.Id put the perfectly done ones onmy walls (the grass green Peter on

the right of my bed and the bloodred Captain Hook on the left) andappreciate them like a connoisseur.

Then it came my golden agefor TV games. I loved (and stilllove) playing Winning 11, afootball game series that renewsevery year. (It has been 7 yearssince I first played it and I justbought the latest edition last

Wednesdaysome things neverchange.) I could easily beat thecomputer with a scoreline of 8:0.When I, however, conceded a goalthat I considered unreasonable8:1, game over, for meId deletethe whole game record (which hadtaken me months to build). Indeed,I still do.

I have never had a coin bag.I despise coins . They areincomplete, chaotic. I hate theprocess of putting all the coins onmy palm and counting them one

by one to find that I lack $20 centsfor my hamburger; then puttingthem all back into my pocket (orwherever you keep them) whilehanding the impatient staff a $20note. I spend them, by all means,within the day. I will pick the dish

that will cost me all the coins, ororder a cold drink which costs $2more in a winder day. And if thereare still a few surviving coinsbefore the end of the day, I willintentionally leave the stinky coinson a Starbucks table or a bus seatfor a gift.

I spend time like I spendmoney. I will only start a workwhen the clock strikes the number12 or 6. If I miss it, I will waitanother 30 minutes or so. I cannotb e a r t h e i n c o mp l e t e n e s s ,otherwise. I need to know if I havebeen working on my essay for anhour or an hour, and a half, andhow much longer will I continue,exactly. I say to myself, Lets startwriting the paper at 22:00,

realizing that its only 21:48 I goon Facebook and start surfing. Andwhen I look at the bottom right-hand corner of my computer tofind that its already 22:02, I say tomyself, well, 2 minutes past 10now. I will start at 22:30 then.More than often I end up doingnothing the entire night butwitnessing time slipping through.There is a price to pay in pursuit of

perfection.I admire the certainty of the

word perfect. You can hardly findany synonymy or antonyms (wellyou can say imperfect but itleads you nowhere), not even acomparative formyou can havenothing better than perfect so thereis no perfecter; if it is less thanperfect than it is not perfect. It isabsolute. It is unique, and I love it.I love everything clear and certain,that you can lean on its suretywithout worrying about it fallingapart.


9/24


2 w e e k s a g o I w a scleansing my room for ChineseNew Year. I love cleansing myroom, and making minor changesto freshen the whole room:replacing the world map that liesdusty on my desk with a desk

calendar. A bronze lampstand thatmy friend bought me from Israellooks good after some polishing.

I am tempted to go beyondthat. I pull out my drawer. It isstuffed with pages of differentsizes, white and yellow, lined andplain. They hold my past. Some ofthem date back to five, six yearsago. I take them all out and put

them on my bed, randomlypicking one and start reading. Icannot connect myself with theauthor of these notes. Was it me orsomeone else? I scan through the50 something sheets and foundlittle sign of myself in them. I keepa few memorable ones and throwthe rest into the semi-full, big,black plastic bag by my side.

I then discover a dozenenvelops scattered in all parts ofmy drawer. They have beencovered by my note sheets. Someof them are letters from my friendsoversea; some birthday cards andChristmas cards, others were somespecial cards from some specialones, like this one which reads:

Perhaps we should never seeagainfate has its own way to go.

Some of the writers I stillknow, most I dont. Some I amvery glad to know in my life, mostI am not. Only a few I considerclose friends now, others, like theirletters, scatter. I bind them all withan old, yellow rubber band, andfeed the hungry plastic bag withthem.

In the corner of my drawera thick pile of movie tickets

dwells. Every time I go to a movie Iput the receipt on top on the pile.Are there a hundred? Or two?When I started Id put the UAtickets in the bottom, for they arethe biggest in size, then MCL, thenAMC. The IFC ones stayed on the

top. IFC my most favorite cinemaof all and I consider my secondhome. I used to have two piles,one for those I watched withfriends and another for those Iwatched alone. The latter alwaysoutnumbered the former, of whichI was proud. They sometimesrepeated for I like watching thegood ones twice. The Curious Caseof Benjamin Button, No Country

for Old Men, and P.S. I Love You Iwatched 3 times. At some pointthe two merged into one, due tothe lack of space. The order wassoon brokenI just put the lateston the top and thats it. I throw thewhole pile into that black,bottomless bag.

I can feel the weight insidethat layer of think black plasticthough I can see nothing from theoutside. No one can see throughits darkness, I suppose.

The removal of chaos delights me.I gaze at the voluminous blackbag, forbidding myself to look intoit. Then I allow myself to have thelast look of everything thathappened in that ugly, dirty bag. I

approached it and tied it with mystrengthless, stinky hands. I havefound the resolution of pursuingmy ideal, perfection: Dump theimperfect clutter!


10/24


Third placeKennis Lam

Orange Sky

Last night I sawthe sky turned orange,when the wind blew in and told me to shut thewindow.

But I couldn't.

Cause the orange sky seemed to tell me,

that it knew what's going on,and it showed its feelings with the shade of gold.

I could not agree more.

Then I decided to go and capture the moment,and all of a sudden I was amazedby the calmness the orange brought.

It lighted up

the round streetlights that glowed likethe moon;the soft reflection of the redness ofthe muddy pond;the waterdrops on the leaves thatshimmered like crystals,

while playing a song

of the drizzles falling onto the groundsdoing their tap dance;of the breeze that whistled the tuneof the moist spring;of the cars occasionally flew by as ifthey were being chased.

Everything was orange and gold.


11/24

WhatissonobleabouttheEnglishSociety?

1. Thekiller

postersyou see allaround

campus! page 2


Preface

2. Weve been around since theuniversity first started.

3. Youd think English isboring. But aha, were goingto prove you wrong with our

fun events in the past yearwhere the love of English isspread through books, films,

forums, and writing contests. page 9

4. Celebrity alert! RaymondWong () is ourExternal Vice Chairperson!Oh no, hes just a look-a-like.

5. Despite being the EnglishSociety, not all of us is theliterature nerd or Shakespearelover youd think well be.Some of us studied Science inhigh school, and write beautiful

Chinese poetry. page 10

7. We are the famous friedchicken legs society! TheSwire Canteen at Fong ShuChuen Amenities Centeroffers fried chicken legs attea time. With our societyroom right next to thecanteen, one of our societyfunctions is to go and enjoy afried chicken leg during teatime!

Type: Arts Association

Founded:

Location: Fong Shu Chuen

Amenities Center

Area served: Students in the

Bachelor of Arts

Focus: Promoting English

Method: Through out events,

and facebook page.

No. of Executive Committeemembers: 11

Members: 250+

Past achievements:

Website: https://

www.facebook.com/pages/The-

English-Society-AAHKUSU/

143910358996362

6. The English Society hasone advantage over everyother societies - our giant

poster wall outside the

society room.


12/24

A year with the

English Society


September 2010University rookies

1. Getting lost in campus

2. Going to the English Societys

recruitment meetings

3. Decision made. We are going to be

a part of the English Society, in

Chinese - sheung jong ()

October 2010Still university rookies that is gettingoverwhelmed

1. Society meetings deciding ourpositions

2. Society meetings, AGAIN!, about

putting together our year plan.

3. Being late to our 930 classes.

4. (Some of us) Hall. English Society.

Hall. Englist Society. School.

5. We were surprised we can manage

with so little sleep.

6. OFFICIALLY A ENGLISH

SOCIETY EXCO MEMBER!

November 2010Beginner at doing university1. CAES

2. First essay due!

3. Cleaning up the society room...

packed with posters, files, and

banners.

4. Inauguration rehearsal - nothing

seemed to work

5. INAUGURATION CEREMONY,

an ultimate success. Cheers,

Mavis!6. Our first society dinner at Canada

Restaurant.

7. Executive Committee meetings,

Internal Affairs Meeting

8. READING WEEK

December 2010Rookies, again, in the face ofexaminations and term papers

1. Library, wikipedia, MLA, and APA

2. Super pass dinner!3. Examinations. Term papers.

4. Meet up with friends, catch up on

TV series.

5. Meeting on Society Products.

January 2011Intermediate university students, knowtoo well what to expect

1. A long holiday!

2. Charged. School started.

3. Bazaar meetings.

4. Gradual formation of Write

Outside the Box.5. TUTORIAL REGISTRATION -

hands sticking to the refresh button

until the exact time.

February 2011Intermediate university goers that areoverwhelmed1. Chinese New Year holiday

2. Class visits - bazaar, Write Outside

the Box - talking in front of the

whole class

3. Assignments.

4. Drafting of LINK

5. Preparation of BAZAAR - stock

buying, packing stocks, standing in

counters

6. ENGLISH SOCIETY HOODIES

7. Everyone walking around in them.

8. BAZAAR A SUCCESS. Way to go

Joey and Patricia!

March 2011University experts1. Reading week.

2. The birth of LINK.

3. Mid-terms.

4. Book fair - the chilling cold wind,

yet glad we are seeing each other

every day again.

5. Academic Forum, the most noble

stage.

6. Group projects.

7. Academic Talk - suit up!

April 2011Still feels like a beginner even thoughwe know most there is aboutuniversity... why does the work neverend?1. Term papers. Presentations.

Examinations.

2. Running towards school office to

hand in paper in time! Starting to

appreciate when professors accept

papers online.

3. HOORAY when exams were over.4. Meetings.

May 2011Call us university students

1. Examinations. Its like the

Advanced Level Examinations all

over again.

2. Meetings.

3. Holidays. Normal life resumes!

June 2011Students on leave

1. Travels. Meetings.

2. RESULTS OF WRITE OUTSIDE

THE BOX.

3. Friends.

4. The endless summer holiday.

5. Interns.

6. Application of credit cards.

7. Orientation camp meetings.

8. Games. Tasks. FUN.9. Exploring the city.

July 2011EXCO members

1. Angel is back from exchange!

2. Summer courses. Intern. Census.

3. Books haul from the Annual Book

Fair!

4. Orientation preparation fired up!

5. Pre-camp. Seeing fellow EXCO

members first thing in the

morning. Walking in the night

alone.

6. Course selection.

August 2011Advanced at dealing with university1. Registration days.

2. Course enrollment.

3. Orientation camps.

4. Guiding incoming freshmen.

5. Orientation night.

September 2011Sophomore1. Picking our next session of the

English Society.

2. Concentrating on our studies.

3. Be ready to say good bye to the

English Society.

4. No longer binded by society

responsibilities to meet with fellow

EXCO members.


13/24

Debunking university mythsthings you thought you knew


1At the English Society, we areall English freaks (Shakespeare

lover/ poetry nerd).Rule breakers - Stereotype -

Angel

Wanto

Promotion Secretary of the

English Society, the arts lover is

far from a English freak.

Instead, Angel is the ultimate

arts freak. I love arts. Angel

said. I think Im pretty much

born an arts student and a

perfectionist (Im a scorpio).

Though he admits that hes very

into drama and literature, Wanto,

the Internal Vice-Chairperson of

the English Society, was actually

a science student in high school.

I didnt actually intend to go for

Bachelor of Arts in HKU, said

Wanto. But I couldnt get into

medicine.

ElisaHer favorite Shakespeares play is the

Midsummer Nights Dream. I love the

surreal, chaotic, and magical setting

of the play. Elisa said. And yet its

theme still transcends to modern

times.

The course of true love never did runsmooth, Elisa quoted Shakespeare.

How it still resonates with modern

lovers!Words are around us, Elisa said.

But literature...... It reveals the beauty

of words. Literature is like a flavoring of life,

said Elisa. It adds imagination and

color to my everyday.

2

You have to study EnglishStudies or are in the Bachelorof Arts to go into the EnglishSociety.

Rule breakers -

Yannie

10 out of 11 of the English Societys

Executive Committee members are

Bachelor of Arts students. 8 out 11 of

them took the English Studies

introductory course. 7 of them is

majoring in English Studies. But....

is a journalism

major (from the

Faculty of Social

Sciences).

Mavisis majoring in

European

Studies and

Media and

Culture Studies.

Mavis actually decided

to go for the Bachelor of

Arts because of

European Studies.

I wanted to know more

and deeper about

Europes culture, society,

politics, etc when I was in

Form 6, said Mavis.

Amusing and meaningful quotes by

Literature Masters

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of

fear - not absence of fear.

Mark Twain:

It's funny. All you have to do is say

something nobody understands and they'll

do practically anything you want them to.

J. D. Salinger:

Humor is the first of the gifts

to perish in a foreign tongue.

Virginia Woolf:

Vices are sometimes only virtues

carried to excess!

Charles Dickens:

Education is an admirable thing,but it is well to remember from

time to time that nothing that

is worth knowing can be taught.

Oscar Wilde


14/24

You have to want to be an ExecutiveCommittee member of a society because you

want to ain ex erience.3


Foreword

Being an Executive Committee member of a society is no

easy job. And people are going to ask you why. But you

dont necessarily need to have a good and sound reason.

Why did you decide

to run for the English

Society?

For friends:Elisa:AfterjoiningtheEnglish

SocietyOrientationCamp,Ifurther

wantedtodevotemyselfintothe

society.Thecampwasfun,andmore,

someofmygoodfriendsaswellas

good'sheungjong'weremetthere.

Michelle:Iwanttomeetfriends

andenrichmyuniversitylifeanditsoundscooltohaveagroupof

jongmatesstrivingforthesamegoal

there.

The honorables:Ricky:Iwasdeterminedto

majorinEnglishonceIwas

admittedtoHKUsoIwantto

makesomecontributionsto

studentsstudyingEnglish.

Also,Iwanttoknowhowlife

wouldbeaftergoingfora

society.

The ambitious:

Fate:

Because English Society sounds good:

The absolute stereotype:

Angel:ThepositionaspromotionsecretaryiswhyIwentfortheEnglishSociety-

eventhoughIdopaintingsand

designs,theleadershiproles

thatItookupinhigh-school

didn'treallymakeuseofthem.

Thisisalastchanceto

showcasemyabilitytoa

greateraudienceandthis

positiondefinitelyattracted

me.

Yannie:OnceIfound

outwhatthepublication

secretarydoes-producing

threedifferentpublications

forpublicdistribution-I

WASSOLD.Whereelse

couldIeverhavethat

opportunity??

Curtis:Iwantedsuchkindofexperience.

Joey:Inadditiontomydecision

tomajorEnglishStudies,the

experiencegainedduringthe

orientationcamporganizedbythe

EnglishSocietylastyearalsomakes

mebecomeoneoftheExcomembers

ofEnglishSocietytoday.

James:Ihadnointentionto

workinanysocietyatallbutIwaspersuadedbyanEXCO

memberoftheprevious

session...Ijustaskedmyself

"whynot?"andthenjustgaveit

atry.Yesit'schildlikeIknow.

Wanto:Itcannotbedeniedthat

joiningasocietythatischaracterized

bynobility,elegancyandlonghistory

isirresistible.Inspiredbymy"sheung-

jongs"(ExecutiveCommitteemembers

oftheprevioussession)andinstigated

bymybuddies,Ithrewmyselfintothe

society.

Patricia:Thenameitself

soundsgood.CanIsaynoble?Iwanted

tobeloyaltoEnglish.

Mavis:Ummmactuallyits

adifficultquestionformeI

cantclearlyfigureoutthe

reasonwhyIamhereinEnglish

Society.IneverthoughtofstudyingEnglishStudies.

Maybebeingoneofthe

committeesisjustoneofmy

randomthoughts.:P


15/24

Being part of a society is merelyabout organizing various events.

Becoming part of a society willbe the funnest and mostfulfilling experience youll everhave.

Those who participate in societies() are really demanding andambitious people.

4


Rule breakers -

James

Patricia

The nicest and most laid back person in the English

Society, James never gets angry, and always manages

to crack a smile on the people around him. James

likes...watching Pokemon! And singing karaoke.

A person with many interests (music, dance, theatre,

sport, travel, shopping, economics, business

management, philosophy, literature, astrology,

numerology, sleeping, daydreaming), Patricia is

straightforward in the gentlest way.

5

Rule Breakers:

There are more to sheung

jong (being a EXCO member

of a society) than having

meetings, organizing bazaar,orientation camps, academic

talk, and designing

promotional materials.

Ocean Park Voyage!

Jong dinnersWhere we talk about our lives,our troubles.. ourselves. Welaugh at each other - Patriciaseccentricities (more likeuniqueness in my words), Joeysfondness for watermelons andchickens, and Wantosexcruciating LCOM project.

6

The truth is.... it will be TORTURE.

One of the first things you

realize after being an EXCOmember is HOW LITTLESLEEP YOU CAN SURVIVEON.

Joining the English societyis definitely not the best thingyou can do to your health,said Wanto jokingly.Yannie agreed. Sleep isoptional in university, Iguess?

I lost the time to sleep anddo what I like, said Ricky.

You will also lose somethingmore. As Mavis said, Ifound myself losing someprecious things like friends,family, health and evenstudy.

There will also be times whenyou dont get along with yourfellow EXCO members. We

argued, we got depressed atsome points...,

BUT THERE IS A BIG

BUT. Everything comes with

a price, and so doesbecoming an EXCO member.

You will lose some things,

but you will also gain somethings. And those gains - youcan never get it any whereelse.

The laughters, the nightsthat we stayed together tilllate on campus, the bitter-sweet working process areall overwhelming, exclaimedElisa. Joining the EnglishSociety for a year is taking agreat lesson for life. Wedevote, and we share thebliss of success! We alllearnt, grew up, and win abunch of friends!

On the year-end reflection ofour jong year, most of usrelished the fact we madesome of the closest friends inthe society.

I have been learning how tocooperate with other Excomembers to organize events.

and most importantly I canfind my good friends here!Joey said.

Its kind of complicated.Jong-yau's support is thekey for me to overcome anyhardships and troubles. saidWanto.

But no one said it better thanAngel and Ricky,with their honest and detailed answer.

If it (the year) did turn out to be what I expected,it would be less of a meaningful experience.

Angel said. To me, the most precious thing Ilearnt (lets skip those general ones) is setting up

your own priorities. It doesn't mean planning atimetable nor schedule but to decide on a certainstandard or line in different aspects of uni life thatyou want to fulfill.

Of course I had less free time but it is the part ofthe experience - it can still be very contentingwhile you cannot have it all. Lastly, friends, whatelse could I ask for?

I was initially disappointed, confessed Ricky.But during the period to prepare for theorientation programme, it turned out to be what Iexpected as I can take the initiative to organize afunction. I started to learn how to cooperate withothers and work as a team.

I also learnt that I should not look down on myopinions but voice them out no matter they areadopted or not. Ricky added.


16/24

e n g l i s h s o c i e t y | around us | 13

THE OTHER SIDE

OF

HONG KONGThings you didnt know about Hong Kong - thestereotyped economy-heavy city with onlyskyscrapers and banks. (And things I only foundout in the past year.)

2/3 of HongKong areactually madeup ofwoodland.

Hong Kong is one ofthe most denselypopulated cities in theworld, with 6,480persons per km2, withskyscrapers, malls,and housings a l lcrammed together incity areas.

Its easy toassume that only

activities such asshopping, eating, andgoing around the cityare available. Butthere is so much toHong Kong than that.

67 per cent ofHong Kong is madeup of woodland andthere are 41 amazingbeaches around itsshores for sports andnatural activities suchas hiking and watersports.

Employersarent

necessarily Scrooge-like: Gingko House,business with aconscience.

Chong Hing Water SportsCenter at the West Sea Cofferdam

of the High Island Reservoir in SaiKung offers you complete isolationfrom the city where you can sail,windsurf, canoe, sampan row, andcolor boat paddle.

Hong Kongs rugged hills,islands and islets also make forsuperb h ik ing t ra i l s . Wel l -maintained trails ranging fromgentle family walks to challengingones for the adventure-seeking.

Start from the Upper PeakTram Station if you are a rookie, orclimb the Ma On Shan if youre aprofessional!

Hong Kong has one of theb i g g e s t i n c o m e g a p .According to a 2009 UnitedNat ions Deve lopmentReport, Hong Kong has the

highest income gap amongthe 38 countries with highhuman development. B u tt h e r e a r e s i g n s o f improving, with moresustainable businesses

emerging l ike GINGKOHOUSE.

It is a unique mix ofb u s i n e s s a n d s o c i a lresponsibility, set up withelderly employment in mind.

Founded by social workers,who noticed the elderlylosing direction after retiring,Gingko House only employsthe gray-haired.

Gingko House takessustainabili ty seriously.Knowing that a restaurantultimate draw is its food,Gingko House is committedto offering top-notch disheswith quality ingredients.

F i r s t o p e n e d i nCentral, Gingko House nowowns two other branches inJordon, and Prince Edward.

It is also extendingits branch to a centralkitchen and an organicfarm in Sheung Shui.

Its simple, really.We never had very well-planned scheme, said

Joyce Mak, CEO and oneof the founders of GingkoHouse. We want ourcustomers satisfied, andour employees with a job.Thats really it. There are amazing organizations that

are trying to save Hong Kongs uniquestreet culture.

Hulu Culture, a non-profitcultural organization, aims

to preserve local heritagewhile inspiring creativitythat is unique to our city.

It organizes out-of-the-box exhibitions such asa district-oriented series,Heritage X Art X DesignWalk. It focuses on onedistrict a time. Central andSheung Wan got theirspecial treatment. AndSham Shui Po is the next,

aunching in July andAugust in the Jockey ClubCreative Arts Center.

T h e e x h i b i t i o nncludes cultural tours,

workshops, and design

p r o d u c t s s p e c ifi c a l l yd e s i g n e d w i t hcharacter is t ics o f thedistrict.

Hulu Culture alsodoes sub jec t -o r ien tedexhibitions. The Look ofHong Kong Homes &Households in 40 YearsExhibition explained HongKongs cultural changesthrough home displays,furnitures, and decorations.

Look forward to one

a b o u t H o n g K o n g sc r a f t s m a n s h i p a n dhandicrafts in the nearfuture!

Hulu really wantsmore people to understand

the communitys culturethrough these exhibitions,said Iman Fok, Executive

Director and Chief Curatorof Hulu Culture. Throughallowing people to explorethe district, and throughworkshops where studentsuse their own creativity torepresent the district. The Fringe Club, anon-profit organizationaiming to promote andpreserve the local arts

scene, is located at "OldDairy Farm Depot" at 2Lower Albert Road inCentral.

Inspired by theEdinburg Festival Fringe,

which is probably thebiggest art festival with thewhole city getting involved,

the Fringe Club is trying todo the same in Hong Kong.

It holds the CityFestival each year, aiming topreserve local culturethrough arranging local andinternational performancesin both the Fringe Club andall over the city.

The Fringe Club alsoo p e n s u p r e n t - f r e e

performing venue for localartists. This is especially inHong Kong where rent issky-high and land is verylimited.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central,_Hong_Konghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central,_Hong_Konghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Albert_Roadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Albert_Roadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Dairy_Farm_Depothttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Dairy_Farm_Depothttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Dairy_Farm_Depothttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Dairy_Farm_Depot


17/24


Busking (street performances) is becoming a

unique culture in Hong Kong.

You must have heard this sinceprimary school: Hong Kong is acultural desert.

But youll know Hong Kong

somehow is the exact opposite ifyou know where to look: Sai YeungChoi Street South.

Every weekends, streetperformers flood the now buskinghub - Sai Yeung Choi Street Southand take up a block of the street.

WingLo, a street performerand music producer who performsoutside a store which sells jeans,jok ing ly sa id, Those peop le

working in the store now saves upthe space for me every weekend.They said my performance actuallyboost their sales!

Last year saw a great leapin street cultures development,where the audience, people in theneighborhood, and even officialparties has come to understandmore about busking as an art, andbecoming more tolerant of it.

When busking first began

in Hong Kong, it was met withcriticism and even hostility. In2001, when WingLo moved thestage onto the streets, he received

warnings, then eventually the SWATteam actually got to the scene andthreatened to arrest him. In 2006, afacebook group called Kick FM

Theatre Power () out of MongKok was created by netizens, whocompla ined tha t the s t r ee tperformers were too aggressive. FMTheatre Power, at that time, wasviewed upon by the press andpublic as more like a bunch ofyoung people trying to get attention.

But as time gone by, KenFung, Assistant Artistic Director ofFM Theatre Power and the head oftheir busking team, said, Sai YeungChoi Street South is now to a certainextent the most tolerant streettowards busking. We were amongthe first to perform here, and wewitnessed it transform into this streetof cultural arts - basically therewont be anyone stopping you fromperforming.

Fung also found out aunexpected perk of busking to the

community. The old woman sellingt rad i t iona l Ch inese cand iesdownstairs took a personal affectionfor them and helped them save

space for their performance. Thelocal diners recognized Fung andgave him a free soy milk when hewent there for lunch. The cable

internet sales in the area havebecome friends with Fung.

This to me is really thedifference between theatrical andstreet performance, said Fung. Youare connecting with the community.

Busking is a unique art formslowly taking form in Hong Kongsnarrow street, where audienceinteraction can be maximized.

Fung, for one, is making greatuse of this special feature of HongKong streets. In Show Me YourColors, Fungs major performances,he stands still and lets passers-bypaint on him.

I love it because Show YouSome Colors is not merely a show,but where a performer can interactand share some things with theaudience. Fun said.

WingLo playing the guitar in his studio.

Fung (on the right) and the rest of the

busking crew of FM Theatre Power.


18/24

Fun facts aboutHong Kong

- that you probably didnt know either.


Love books, have a lot of them, andwant a place to share them, for value?Go to one of Hong Kongs second-handbook stores!

S e c o n d - h a n d b o o k s t o r e s ,inexplicably, always pull book lovers

in. Its not about the value price. Butperhaps, its the treasure huntingfeeling you get when youre in one.And that you can share your booksto fellow book lovers in that oftentight and crammed space.

Second-hand book stores areeasy to find in other big cities -Tokyo, New York City, London. Butin Hong Kong, the big brand namebook stores Commercial Press, Page

One, etc always shroud the delicatevoice of the small-scaled second-hand book stores.

The CollectablesSince 1992, the Collectables hasbeen trying to collect second-handbooks, CDs, records, DVD, andmusical instruments. Their used bookcollection mainly focuses onliterature, music, history, humanities,

and quality fiction.Selling point: The largest vinylcollection. If youre a music junkie,youll find some vintage vinyl to yourtaste.2/F, 11 Queen Victoria Street, Central,HongKong

http://collectables.jrstation.com/index.html

Spirit BookstoreOne of the oldest used book storesin Hong Kong, it sells the widestrange of used books. The bookstore is painted with a bright greencolor, with neatly arranged bookshelves.Selling point: Largest collection ofused textbooks and supplementarymaterialsInside information: Go to theNorth Point branch for a largernumber of books and more

extensive variety of books.G/F B store, 28 Whitting Street, Sai Wan,Hong KongG/F 7 store, Kin Yip Mansion, 24 Java Street,

North Point, Hong Kong

Other second-

hand bookstores

San Ya Book Store (Biggestchinese second-hand book store,with a large collection ofliterature, history, philosophybook)5 Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Rm

1606, Goodhope Building, Mong Kok,

Hong Kong

Rebook (Under the Hong KongFederation of Youth Groups,Room B, 2/F, Lai Kee Mansions, 523

Nathan Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon

Hau Yau Boo k Sto re

(Collects all kind of books, justcall them - 28032840, and theyllcome collect your books!Shop 6, G/F Kensington Mansion,353

Queen's Road West, Hong Kong

http://www.hauyau-bookstore.com/

Hong Kong now holdsthe region largest artauction.

1 /5Hong Kong has 8 H&M stores, and110 Starbucks.Singapore: 0 H&M, 69 Starbucks.Barcelona: 11 H&M, 17 Starbucks.Paris: 11 H&M, 35 Starbucks.Stockholm: 35 H&M, 1 Starbucks.Tokyo: 5 H&M, 262 Starbucks!Sydney: 0 H&M, 9 Starbucks.Copenhagen: 8 H&M, 2 Starbucks.

Helsinki: 4 H&M, 0 Starbucks.

H&M is European-friendly, and obviously

Europeans dont like Starbucks very

well. Cafe culture is mature in the

Europe, with a coffee house in everycorner. This also points to...

GLOBALIZATION. We may be drinking

and wearing the same thing. But hey! As

long as you have your personal style.

2/5Hong Kongs population is veryhomogenous.Even though Hong Kong boasts itselfas a cosmopolitan and international

city, its population is 95 per centChinese!

3/5Hong Kongers enjoy 104.4 sq mper person!While people in Barcelona only have17.76 sq m per person; Singapore 66sq m per person; Paris, 11.3 sq m perperson; Melbourne, 46.1 sq m person;

Munich, 35 sq m per person.

Well then, I guess Hong Kongs not

really a concrete jungle, justproblematic-urban-planning city.

4/5Hong Kong has 35 cases ofmurder and 4,543 domesticbreak-ins last year....compared with 9 murders and 2,673domestic break-ins in Vancouver, and19 murders and 896 domestic break-

ins in Singapore.

5/5Hong Kong has over 340 electriccar charging points...compared with 39 in Fukuoka, 6 inSingapore, 184 in Barcelona, 37 inTokyo, 90 in Berlin, and 16 in Zurich.

Businesses seem not to dominatethe the city anymore, with theselling and buying art in HongKong becoming more prominent.Hong Kong may have thetitleart hub in its pocket.
http://www.hauyau-bookstore.com/http://www.hauyau-bookstore.com/http://www.hauyau-bookstore.com/


19/24


We ask, they answer -Dr. Gaye Gould

Visiting Associate Professor of the

School of English, Dr. Gould

is the first professor you meet if youwant to major in English Studies. Sheteaches the English Studies

introductory courses ENGL1009 andENGL1010. She is known for herloving strictness, insistence forformatting, and a passion for literature.

Passionate and inspiring, Dr. Gould is an example to

many Bachelor of Arts students who took her

introductory course to English Studies. On the

Inauguration Ceremony of the English Society, Dr.

Gould underlined one of the mission of the English

Society - to promote the use and love for English.Here, in an email interview with the English Society,

Dr. Gould shares her favorite authors, her view on

English, how she knows the language so well - and of

course, valuable tips for students if you want to

impress Dr. Gould with your writing!


20/24


What is English to you?

Primarily a method of communication,but also the vehicle for some of thegreat literature ever written.

What do you enjoy about it?

How all the different Englishes (HK,British, American, New Zealand,Singaporean, etc.) reflect their ownindividual cultures (in literature, song,oral histories, etc.) but still manage tobe mutually intelligible (mostly!).

What are your top five English authors?

Jane Austen: her wit.

Shakespeare: his understanding of thehuman condition; his contributions toand manipulation of English; hismastery of iambic pentameter.

Thomas Hardy: everyone shouldembrace one "dark" author and Hardycan be very dark indeed!

Byron: his many moods; he's bothbrooding and multidimensional.

What are some of the commongrammatical or simple Englishmistakes you spot in Hong Kong?

Leaving the 3p "s" off verb endings is

probably the most common, and alsothe most infuriating because all HKstudents seem to know the "s" isneeded; and yet they don't use it.Many errors come from Cantoneseinterference. There are plenty ofarticles written on this subject.

J.K. Rowling: imagination and language;made reading "fashionable" for a wholegeneration. What better contributioncould an author make than to encourageyoung people to read when there are somany other media to absorb (waste?)their time?

When you are reading, do you tend tobe impressed more by the storyline, orthe language?

Both equally. Neither can exist withoutthe other.

...errors in academic writing

are less forgivable.

"Academic English" is a

separate language and

should be treated as such.

And how do you feel when you comeacross them?

It depends. If I'm talking to someone, Iignore his/her speech errors as I hope s/

he will ignore mine (no one speaksgrammatically). But, errors in academicwriting are less forgivable. "AcademicEnglish" is a separate language andshould be treated as such.

Suggest 3 "golden English rules" when itcomes to English writing.

I like Orwell's rules best, especially theone which says if it's possible to deletea word, then you should delete it. He

also says you should not use a longword if a short one will do. But, his lastis best: break all the rules rather thansay anything outright barbarous!

Why and how did you become so goodat English/ such a good English user-writer?

If you constantly read "good" literature,your writing will improve. (I favour the19th-century writers for this purpose.)

I like Orwell's rules best,

especially the one which

says if it's possible todelete a word, then you

should delete it.


21/24

e n g l i s h s o c i e t y | Lets get geeky | 18

Smartphones

first page

showdownHaving trouble finding useful apps among the

thousands in the iTunes App Store? Dontwant to cram your iPhone with seemingly goodapps? Heres a peak at our iPhone first pages,

and the English Society dish on our favoriteapps, and the ones we cant live without. (Thatsounds exaggerating, but its the information

age!)

AngelFavoriteApp:360, It is one of thebest apps that have putphotoshop functions into easy

usage and its really so simple!Love to use it for landscapes andespecially during travelling ;)

TheAppyoucantlivewithout:Tumblr, Got too much fromGoogle and too fed up withFacebook. Tumblr is where I findinspirations and share mine tostrangers but who care. One of myGPA killer as well of course.

360 in action!

WantoFavoriteApp/TheAppyoucantlivewithout:Maps, I amreally "good at" getting lost instreets.


22/24


JamesFavoriteApp:Actioncam, It allows u to takeseveral photos and combine them as one!There maybe some other similar apps butthis is the first one I came across! Maximumwith 3x3 squares!

TheAppyoucantlivewithout:Facebook,It is indeed a thing that I cant live without.I dont know why but I cant help refreshingthe news feed page every single minute.

CurtisTheAppyoucantlivewithout:Any texting app,Actually there is no apps Ican't live without. Just that itis the most often used apps.I chose them because I textevery day.

ElisaFavoriteApp/TheAppyoucantlivewithout:Facebook App,This handy app keeps me updatedwith the latest activities of myfriends. I can always keep theclosest contact with anyone Iknow anytime, anywhere - simplyby Facebook app.


23/24

JoeyFavoriteApp:Super7, It tests one'smathematical abilityand response.

TheAppyoucantlivewithout:HeroPrincess, It is a very"chur" but simplegame and it takesyou around 20minutes to finish around. It's a perfectapp to kill time.

YannieFavoriteApp:Camera+, a one-in-all perfect camera

app! You can takepictures with it, applyeffects, then save itto your camera roll. Itcan even stabilizeduring phototaking.Its effects are justamazing. It is justTHE camera app.

TheAppyoucantlivewithout:Instapaper, I read alot. Newspaper,features, blogposts... A tons ofthem. Instagramsaves online pagesoffline, so just with aclick, I can savewhat I want to readin Instapaper, andthen read itanywhere andanytime I want on

the road. It is alsosuper easy on theeyes!


Honorable

mentions

Bestto-doapp:Wunderlist,It is simple, elegant, andaward-winning.

Games:Tiny Tower, Verysimilar to Facebook games

like farmville and RestaurantCIty, but with a twist. It isnot as demanding, and itspixel characters are just thecutest things.

Google series

GooglePlaces:Automatically categorizes

places into restaurants,ATMs, cafs. Wherever you

are, just click, and youll

know whats around you.

Googlesearch: It doesntseem to differ with google

search in Safari. Just that itworks so much better. You

can restrict your search tonews, or images. And you

can even search with animage you took on your

iPhone!

Googledocs: Not exactlyan app, but a web app,meaning the site has been

tweaked for better use insmartphones. Edit anything,anywhere.

Photosharing: Instagram,Simple, and elegant way toinstantly share beautifulphotos with your friends.

Instantmessaging:Whatsapp, Most popularinstant messaging tools -free texting when you haveinternet access! It allowsphoto, audio, video, andlocation sharing.

MobileUsage: If youre a 3user, this app will be veryuseful, providing information

on your call minutes, datausage, mms, and sms.


24/24

ENGLISH SOCIETY, A.A.H.K.U.S.U.

https://www.facebook.com/

pages/The-English-Society-

AAHKUSU/143910358996362

ORIENTATION CAMPSAugust 10 - 12. Come join us in this

magical entrance into college. Give

Ricky a call at 65713805 if you have any

questions or if you decide to join the fun

last minute!

ORIENTATION NIGHTAugust 15. Meet new friends and explore the

campus. Great food, nice friends, exciting tour of

HKUs campus.

FEEDBACK/ SUGGESTIONS?

Want to write for LINK?

email [email protected]

d ll t bli h d

last words

list•a•journal (english society, aahkusu, 2010-2011)

Documents