#Gold Bauhinia Star
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The Biggest Music Hero In The History Of Hong Kong, Master Joseph Koo Ka-fai—Our Quiet Friendship And The 2 Great Lessons Given by him
Music that has no past, neither has present…nor future.
The first phonograph record was released in Hong Kong in the 1930s. Cantonese opera ditties and folk songs were popular in those days. Honouring the old music masters of Hong Kong like heroes is the gesture that we can show for all the hard work and sacrifices which they did for our city in the past.
The greatest pop music master of Hong Kong Joseph Koo(顧嘉煇), born in 1931, passed away in Canada in 2023 at the ripe old age of 92. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. God will never abandon his family and friends, and shall provide them with love to take place of sorrow.
During Master Koo’s golden days, singers in Hong Kong could not afford to lose face without one and would bide their time to wait for a song written by him. He wrote more than 1,200 songs for the history of Hong Kong covering the time periods of 1960s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. His first published song is called ‘Dream’(夢) as the theme song for the movie Love Without End(不了情) in 1961. His music touches people of Hong Kong emotionally, straight from the heart. His powerful songs produce a kind of pleasure and satisfaction which we cannot do without. They have become the spiritual language in our city. His most popular song ‘Below the Lion Rock’(獅子山下), almost the city anthem of Hong Kong, is a homage that, generation after generation, will be preserved here.
The medal of Gold Bauhinia Star(GBS) was awarded by Hong Kong government in 2015 to Master Koo for his distinguished music contributions of a very high degree of merit to the community. My femtor who initiated the heart-warming efforts to procure such an honour for Master Koo upon his retirement has also vanished gracefully from the political scene of Hong Kong. Time and tide wait for no man. I feel grey too, in whatever meaning of the word.
Master Koo was much older than me. It was not contrived circumstances that brought us together. About 20 years ago, I met him accidentally in the backstage area of a concert presented by Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in the 2000s. We chatted and had a lot of shared life experience. People of two widely different age groups thus started to reach out to each other. He had his circle of pop music friends and I mainly came across people in the legal and fine art sectors. Yet, true friends were those whom trust came by and conversations could bring out our shared fun and understanding. Master Koo and I were like spices and we added flavours to each other’s life, intersecting as much as interacting.
I told him how I became a lawyer despite my dream of being a writer. He told me why he chose music instead of painting as his career. I told him why I left TVB station as a part-time scriptwriter in the 1980s. He told me how he joined TVB as their Music Director after studying in the Berklee College of Music in the 1960s. I told him I would present a play pertinent to our classic Cantonese opera The Purple Harpin(紫釵記). He told me he was asked to write a book which would be a mixture of autobiography and his songs. But, he hesitated as he felt tired of taking up such a task.
Master Koo travelled regularly between Hong Kong and his second home in Vancouver. When he was in Hong Kong, I would invite him to have a cup of coffee in a quiet local City Garden Hotel in North Point—only 2 of us, since he and I lived in 2 drastically different social circles and we had no close friends in common to be invited. We talked about art, culture, life and Hong Kong—why quality music was in a decline and how people could get hold of their dreams in the midst of all of that social instability in which we were living. Master was taciturn but very ready to bounce ideas off me.
My regular talks with Master Koo remind me of a world famous book Tuesdays with Morrie, first published in 1997, except that ours is a happy but not sad story. In that book, Mitch Albom, the author, visited his former college professor Morrie Schwartz regularly and Morrie taught him the practice of forgiveness. Master Koo taught me in a slightly different way: not everything in life was within our control and not letting go would not change our fate. Giving ourselves more time to enjoy peace and self-pampering would be the true meaning of freedom of life: the freedom of lifestyle and the freedom of not meeting the irrelevant people, no matter good, bad or ugly. He practised what he preached. After announcing formally his retirement in 2015, he cut off a lot of social contacts and devoting more time to himself and family only was the most agreeable way of fulfilling the remaining days of his life. He painted a lot, mostly about the scenic beauty around him. He enjoyed internet surfing which, like music, would let him spread his wings and soar into the air of an artist’s imagination. He still made songs, not for any commercial reason but only pleasing his creative vitality. For Master Koo, sedentariness would mean happy humility after a superstar like him fading away.
I learnt 2 life lessons from Master Koo and they are invaluable and worth cherishing. He told me that it was important not to live life on purpose but live life by accident. Luck was just a matter of hard work meeting opportunity. During World War II, he got no proper education and was forced by circumstances to become a nightclub pianist. He never gave up. He tried to be the best nightclub musician and so when the provost of Berklee College of Music stayed in Hong Kong for a short while and spotted his talent, he was offered a scholarship to study music. He was poor with a family to support. Master Koo was fortunate to get the surprising generous monetary gift from the movie tycoon Sir Run Run Shaw(邵逸夫) through his senior singer friend Mona Fong(方逸華). He completed his music education in Boston and returned to Hong Kong to work as the Music Director of TVB, the biggest television station in Hong Kong. He thrived on overcoming obstacles and deadlines and finally became the most successful music composer in the history of Hong Kong. Master Koo warmly smiled, “When an opportunity arises to test yourself, try to imagine it is also good luck and you must pick a course which may mean improving your life, no matter how many hardships that you will endure!”
He also taught me that human beings were tiny and feeble. We could not resist the acts of God. He sighed, “People liked to compliment me on my ‘great’ achievements. I don’t feel the same. My life is just a chronicle of the social milieu and cultural circumstance of Hong Kong existent in the 1960s to 1980s. During those days, the majority of the population in Hong Kong, a small city, got chiefly TV as their entertainment and this was why so many people could be familiar with my songs written for TV drama. Now, Hong Kong is part of a much bigger country and Asia too. It is no longer easy for a small city to start trends and we have to follow trends. Music fads come and go and we, as pop musicians, could only identify what trends to listen to and what trends to stay away from. No music piece is timeless unless our work, despite the trend, also embraces our own unique style which is about how you carry yourself in order to stand out.”
There are too many inspiring stories told by Master Koo that I want to share. He told stories about himself inside his own soul. Beautifully, his stories inspire me partially what I am today as a writer. We all learn and build ourselves out of stories of others, especially stories from a great hero like Master Koo who is the epitome of taste, wisdom and etiquette.
Look up at the sky. I saw clouds. There was a cloud which must be Master Koo. I miss this charming old gentleman Master Joseph Koo very much—sitting in solitude now, I want to be reticent and still like Master. Busy life at a certain stage of life can be meaningless. Calm yourself, get to feel your inner voice and listen to the song that Master Koo loves very much—‘Heart will Brush Aside’ (忘盡心中情)…
Maurice Lee
Chinese Version 中文版: https://www.patreon.com/posts/ji-shou-wo-he-gu-79042995?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
1st song composed by Master Joseph Koo: “Dream” https://youtu.be/jmxwrQdaLMA Acknowledgement-Andy G
Song “Take care, Tonight” composed by Master Wong Fook Ling https://youtu.be/lF_A-aXdoTU Acknowledgement-Alan Kayangan
Master Joseph Koo’s Interview https://youtu.be/1X1QEdXpmnM Acknowledgement-HKCO
Song composed by Master Joseph Koo: “Below the Lion Rock” https://youtu.be/kKWA3aOjsXg Acknowledgement-沿途有你2
TVB/TVBS News Music by Master Joseph Koo https://youtu.be/S5wyNnVqbvs Acknowledgement-1912dzsnt
Song “Interlude” https://youtu.be/7qXej8xJeLk Acknowledgement-jpeglariosa
#Sir Run Run Shaw邵逸夫#Mona Fong方逸華#Mitch Albom#Morrie Schwartz#Gold Bauhinia Star#City Garden Hotel#Tuesdays With Morrie#Below The Lion Rock獅子山下#The Purple Harpin紫釵記#Heart Will Brush Aside忘盡心中情#Berklee College of Music#Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
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A masterpost of all the fidget spinners I currently own, including my mom and sis’ spinners. ;w;/
First one is my hot pink ‘cheap’ spinner. My very first spinner, impulse-bought at a bookstore after testing out my sister’s spinner. Made of plastic and low quality, but I love the way it rattles and shakes, and the fact it doesn’t spin for long only means I get to spin it more often. This one goes with me everywhere I go, and I probably use this one the most.
Second one is my starry spinner. I went to the local weekendmarket in the hopes of getting a pretty patterned spinner, preferably with a galaxy pattern. While I didn’t find the typical galaxy pattern spinner, I did stumble upon this really cute spinner with cartoon stars instead. I love the magical girl anime feel this one gives, and it has a really pretty pattern when spun as well. ;w;/
Third is my ‘professional’ spinner. Also bought at the same stand as the starry spinner. The salesman claimed this one was for pro’s, as it’s small, made with high quality bearings, and spins smoothly for 4-5 minutes. Pretty expensive, but worth it to me. Another pretty spinner I use a lot and take with me to places.
Fourth is my bauhinia flower. The moment I saw a photo of it, I just HAD to order one for myself. Also really small, easy to hold and spin, makes a nice glossy pattern in the light and is really quiet when spun. For some reason mine doesn’t seem to spin as long as I’ve seen in testing videos, but that’s fine ;w;/
Then there’s my rainbow star. I mostly ordered this one because there was a massive discount on it + some other spinners I ordered + I had a coupon for even more discount, and I figured “WHY THE HELL NOT? :D” Really pretty spinner though, gives me nostalgic Mario Karts Rainbow Road vibes somehow. This one’s fairly big and a bit difficult for me to hold in my smol hands, but the pattern it makes when spun is really beautiful.
My peacock spinner was another one that I just HAD to have when I saw it. When my sister saw this one she wanted it badly, so I bought one for her as a gift, and ordered one for myself as well >w>... God I love how elegant this one looks, and it also has a lovely pattern when spun. It actually spins really long as well. Plus it’s a bird-themed spinner, even more reason to get it.
The fish fin spinner isn’t actually mine. Although I love the way it looks, this one is for my mother. She’s really into aquariums and fish, so this fish-themed spinner made even HER gasp, despite claiming that fidget spinners were useless toys. She kept asking if she could ‘test’ my spinners though and kept mentioning that her fav was that fish fin one she saw. So I asked her if she wanted it, and she gave me that typical sheepish look that meant ‘yes please’. I ordered it for her and now she’s spinning with it daily haha -v- It’s small like my flower and spins really smoothly and quietly.
Aaaand last but DEFINITELY not least; the eagle spinners I waited months for. The bronze ‘vintage’ one is mine, while the rose gold spinner is my sister’s. When I stumbled upon this particular spinner I screamed; it was my perfect dream spinner and I would’ve never imagined it existed. There was no way I wasn’t ordering this one, and when I showed my sister, she wanted one too.
PS: pfff eagles? they’re totally dove/pigeon spinners, let’s face it :v
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CE mourns Raymond Chow
Chief Executive Carrie Lam today expressed deep sorrow over the passing of renowned film producer Raymond Chow.
"Held in high regard in the film sector, Mr Chow founded Golden Harvest in the 1970s. He created a variety of film styles, produced a number of popular movies and groomed many top directors and actors, making enormous contributions to the development of the glory days of the movie industry in Hong Kong in the 1980s," she said.
Mr Chow was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star in 1998 for his contribution to the development of the Hong Kong film industry, she added.
"On behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to his family."
Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau also expressed sorrow over Mr Chow’s death.
He said: "We are most grateful for his great contribution to the development of the Hong Kong film industry."
from news.gov.hk - Business & Finance http://www.news.gov.hk/eng/2018/11/20181102/20181102_224112_471.html
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Natural Christmas decorations made from plants
Spend less money on tinsel and plastic Christmas decorations by opting for indigenous, natural decorations instead! Natural plant cones, foliage, flower heads and seed pods can make spectacular decorations with a bit of spray paint and glitter – if bling is your thing.
Here are 3 ideas for creating all natural Christmas decorations using South African plants:
1. An aloe Christmas tree
A Christmas tree can be made using a dried aloe flower stalk. Aloe flower stalks just happen to be dry and ready to pick at the end of November or early in December. One could paint it, decorate it or leave it ‘au naturel’. Care should be taken when hanging decorations from the aloe stalk, as they tend to be brittle and can break at the tips if not handled gently. Ribbons can be tied into bows on each tip to add a splash of colour.
2. Hanging decorations
The bases of dried Protea seed heads can be used to scatter around, or can be hung from the tree as the dried bracts resemble stars.
Leucadendron cones are attractive and can be used fresh or dried, hung from the Christmas tree. Dried agapanthus flower stalk heads can be sprayed gold or silver and arranged in a vase or hung from the ceiling or Christmas tree.
Dried brunsvigia flower heads are also very attractive when sprayed gold and hung from the ceiling. However, they are a bit too large to hang from the Christmas tree.
Leaves of the silver tree (Leucadendron argenteum) can be dried and scattered around, or other decorations can be made from these beautiful shimmering leaves. As an activity for children, decorative leaves can be glued onto circular pieces of cardboard to create hanging stars.
3. Plant wreaths and banners
Pyramidal oasis can be purchased and decorated with various indigenous foliage and flowers. Winddringtonia nodiflora, Podocarpus falcatus and Asparagus densiflorus as well as Stoebe plumosa make excellent foliage decoration as they dry well and add a variety of textures and colours. Wreaths can also be made using this foliage and decorated with dried cones.
Bauhinia seed pods tend to curl outward as they open and dry out to release seeds. Using florist wire and spray paint, these pods can be turned into a glistening banner to hang around the family room.
Some succulent leaves of cotyledon or even exotic echeveria add grey foliage, interesting shapes, and as decorations they last forever. Speaking of lasting forever, ‘everlastings’ (Helichrysum, Phaenocoma and Syncarpha) have gorgeous flowers that maintain their colour and shape for lengthy periods and also make wonderful material to make decorations from. Flowers can be added to wreaths for colour or be glued onto cardboard to make other decorations.
Using plant material as decorations is fun as it provides a enjoyable activity for the kids at home during the school holidays. These decorations are also biodegradable and create an earthy, natural charm to the home.
Please note that no plant material should ever be collected from the wild without permission from the local authorities. Always opt to grow your own indigenous plants so that you have your own supply of material.
Source - African Geographic
from https://www.fabulousflowers.co.za/blogs/blog/natural-christmas-decorations-made-from-plants by https://www.fabulousflowers.co.za
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