Live well, work hard, play play? 
.
I think it’s called Serendipity. Or A Very Unexpected and Delightful Coincidence. (Definitely not Irony, whatever Ms. Morissette may claim.)
We had just watched this newsreel on TV about how a group of HK youth was helping to revamp the Hong Kong Park by morphing Internet brands into … well, into something that could help the younger generation identify with a walk in the park, literally. It looked cool.
Twenty minutes later and we are taking the escalator up from Pacific Place into the park itself. Completely unplanned. Ekin (who did not watch the TV program) just thought it would be nice to visit the park given what a nice, sunny day it was. And it is.
It’s not quite springtime yet in Hong Kong but with the cool air and the warm sun and all the green around us, it is simply wonderful.
.
.
There is a huge artificial lake filled with koi and carp, terrapins and water-lilies. Lotus flowers. Pond grass and water insects skimming the surface, sunlight dappling over our reflections. There are brides in white wedding dresses posing with their grooms, their trains held by a cackle of “sisters”, a team of girlfriends who are always roped in to help, no matter what. Everybody looks beautiful.
Photographers, amateurs and professionals run amok here. I miss my food blogger friends and their very large DSLR cameras. How comforting, how far away.
I walk up the slight hillock, to the conservatory, where all manner of plants and shrubs and flowers and trees reside. Two vivacious young things ambush me at the entrance, imploring me to share one of the many pictures I’ve taken in the park with other visitors, in return for one of theirs. I choose a photograph of a flower, unnamed and brilliant. An illegible signature at the back, and nothing else.
I leave a picture of the Devil pointing to the “Keep Login” sign at the park, and write this at the back:
“Win a date with the Devil Wears Prada! To claim your prize, visit www.lifeforbeginners.com today!”
Shameless self-marketing, I know. I can’t help myself.
(No one’s claimed the Devil yet, though. Maybe I should have printed a photograph of Ekin instead. He seems popular enough, no?)
.
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Postscript.
Izinkan aku hadir di dalam mimpimu
Let me come into your dreams tonight
Let me from afar lie here by your side
In dreams, they say, fantasies take flight
Our hearts shall soar, shall happily collide
Izinkan aku peluk dirimu
Let me hold you in my arms
Let me seduce you with my charms
Let me keep you safe and warm
Till this storm passes, till our desires calm.
Izinkan aku kecup keningmu
Let me leave this kiss upon your brow
Let me leave you with this solemn vow
While we may not be together now
We shall be, some day, somehow.
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Words, photographs & design by Kenny Mah.
Additional Malay lyrics from ‘Betapa Aku Cinta Padamu’ by Afgan.
Macau & Hong Kong & Back Again: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 & Part 6. To be continued.
wow didnt know the park has changed so much… yeah a good move to bring the city dwellers close to the nature =p
I think the park has steadily improved throughout the years, to become a true oasis in the concrete jungle that is Hong Kong.
My vote for fave park-in-the-middle-of-a-city still goes to the Englischer Gartens in Munich… You can even surf in the stream/river that runs through it!
Romantis!
Lagi romantis kalo berlari sama ibu di taman ya?
Aiks! Dejavu. Didn’t you have the same hugging picture in BATH? They are one and the same aren’t they? U trying to con me ar!
But what’s up with all the weird interpretations of web-brands? Don’t tell me it’s some Laman Web!
1. No, it’s not! This time there’s no wonderful-smelling wild garlic flowers surrounding us. And instead of the Beauty that is Pey, we only got the Beast that is Ekin…
2. Not so much a Laman Web (web site) as a Taman Web (internet park)… Hahaha. Actually it was really cool what the students came up with. These were real signs all over the park; just surprised they haven’t been sued for infringement of trademark or something yet…
You listen to afgan too? Great song.. And nice entry
Haha, I listen to Afgan after seeing one of the lines from the lyrics as the MSN status of someone really cool — it inspired me.
Don’t mind meeting the Devil! Do I get a free meal in HK?
Ask the Devil? Hehe.
The photos are lovely. =)
But why can’t I release terrapins into the lake?
I guess it’s cos some of the residents have been releasing their pet fish and terrapins that they don’t want anymore or that are ill into the lake, endangering the health of the existing inhabitants with disease and potential predators.
Or sumthin liddat. I asked Devil and ’tis been verified. Hee.
it looks like a nice, sunny day outside my window right now. so where should i go?
btw, i’ve passed the dvd to the scatterbrained one to pass to u. my vast network of highly trained spies informed me that she has just watched it and was so inspired, she’s trying to start an affair with her next-door neighbour by asking him out for la mian at dragon-i.
Where should you go? I dunno, outside my window it looks like it’s gonna pour and the cleaners are here to spiffy up the apartment so I gotta stay and house-sit for a bit. Sighs.
As for the Scatterbrained One (and Her La Mian Affair), I promise not to tell anyone if you don’t. It’s not like anyone’s reading this blog, right?
Now you got me thinking of the Scatterbrained One in a nice 60’s cheongsam… Yummy.
The Scatterbrained One did indeed preview the disc and admits that despite the constant splutters of laughter (every 8 mins or so) from the Dark One, she enjoyed the long moments of swirling cigarette smoke (2 mins), longing gazes over wantan mee (4 mins) and whispering Angkor Wat (6 mins). The Scatterbrained One seriously wonders if she should ditch The Non-Cigarette-Smoking-Therefore-No-Sexy-Swirling-Smoke-CHATTY One on their next date and yes, meet her silent (obviously, coz he speaks Chinese and I don’t, duh) la mien man instead, but worries that the theme song playing will not be haunting Shanghai music but Kesha’s Tick Tock and the la mien seller will be P.Diddy.
Uhm… ya. I’m going for a swim now with Devil. Nanti balik baru jawab ye? Hehe.
Okies. Back from swim. 12 laps only. I feel such the feeble weakling. Ah well, plenty of room to improve. *channels positive thinking*
And now back to our regular scheduled program:
1. Ke$ha’s Tik Tok is indeed catchy, but I doubt Diddy will be selling any la mien anytime soon. Unless he manages to bling the bling bling outta them oodles of noodles.
2. Don’t dump the non-smoking brudah. We don’t smoke cigarettes cos we are already smokin’ hot, babe.
3. So, when are we gonna slurp us some wantan mee, girl? Heh.
Smokin’ hot? Mmmm.
Wantan mee – next week’s good for me. Need to pass DVD to u from TNCSTNSSSCO mah.
Next week looks good to me too. I prolly be back early from CNY also. Jom berdating?
Hey Kenny, let’s meet at the KLCC park or Lake Garden one day. I’ll bring along my DSLR so that you don’t miss me. After that, we shall have afternoon tea at the newly reopened Carcosa.
I can imagine the title of the blog post already: An Afternoon Tea with the Queen DLSR. Though I’m sure other floggers who have had the pleasure of sipping English tea with Your Highness has blogged similarly-titled posts oredi.
But.
They don’t have the WKW that I do. My mojo is strong. My mojo is good. Ohm. Ohm.
Your intro pebblely shadows just like team bsg on attack mode while luckily those 2 happy genuine sweeties managed to re-calm us peacefully down to loving stby. Perfect
Ah, dun worry — I’ll always include a couple of sweeties for Team BSG! This pair from Hong Kong, sweet as the bright, sunny sky that perfect day.
There is a huge artificial lake filled with koi and carp, terrapins and water-lilies… i was kinda waiting for the koi to start crying or the water lillies to die..
haha ok la enuf morbig thoughts.
oh, and aren’t u glad no one has claimed the devil.. (yet) or you will be mate-less! mwuahahaa .. if i claim the devil will you throw in some dining vouchers at Sage?
Hey, shouldn’t it be if I let you claim the Devil, you throw in some Sage dining vouchers for me?
Dunno why…but I imagined that you will look like the gentleman in Fig.5 when you’re older.
I hope you don’t think it is an insult.
Hmm. So as not to potentially insult the actual gentleman in Fig. 5, I don’t.
Whoaaaaaa….. this is so romantic!
YouCube and terrapins in artificial lakes are romantic?