GEORGE CHEN

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Hong Kong's Collective Memory

May 21, 2021 by George Chen in Hong Kong

I have been an American Express Cathay Pacific (國泰航空) co-branded credit card holder since 2008 and it’s been always one of my go-to cards, especially when I travel around the world. Sometimes I may be very proud to tell the cashier if s/he was wondering what this brand meant. “Oh yes, that’s Hong Kong’s very own airline!”

Unfortunately, this AmEx-CX card will be discontinued from June 1. It will be replaced with the new AmEx Explorer card (without CX logo, just AmEx). The partnership between AmEx and CX collapsed. I guess it’s also a victim of the Covid-19 pandemic.

No one travels; so why bother still collecting miles? The end of this CX card is also the end of collective memory of many Hongkongers. The pandemic will be gone someday. But many old and good things won’t recover any more.

R.I.P. 2021, my American Express Cathay Pacific credit card.

May 21, 2021 /George Chen
Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
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Design for Hong Kong: Henry Steiner

May 09, 2021 by George Chen in Hong Kong

I made a visit to the HKDI Gallery exhibition of Henry Steiner, who designed HSBC logo, Standard Chartered Hong Kong bank notes, and even AmCham Hong Kong logo, among many other great things.

Born in Austria, Steiner was well educated at Yale University in New Haven before he moved to Asia where his designer career really took off, especially after some early success in Hong Kong, which he also calls home.

Hong Kong used to be a magnet for talents from all over the world, and I hope it will continue to be so. Many people came to Hong Kong initially for a short stint, which later became a longer assignment or eventually a lifetime thing.

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Those who left Hong Kong often succeeded elsewhere. For them, Hong Kong was the best “stepping stone” they can ever find in their life and career. That’s what Hong Kong means for many successful people, and that’s how Hong Kong contributes to the world.

I’m really impressed by Steiner’s graphic design work, especially his work for HSBC, from the meaningful logo to the bank’s annual reports in the 1980s and 1990s. I’m not sure if we should blame technology or what. Does design software like Photoshop make us smarter or lazier?

I was thinking about the recent controversial event about Karen Mok’s childish concert poster. What goes wrong with Hong Kong these days? We need to get back the golden times of Hong Kong design, just like how much we want to keep growing our beloved Cantopop songs and culture.

香港人加油! Add oil, Hongkongers!

May 09, 2021 /George Chen
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
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Burnt Cheesecake

May 09, 2021 by George Chen in Hong Kong

Burnt cheesecake is definitely trending in Hong Kong these days. If a coffee shop doesn’t know how to make burnt cheesecake, then it is definitely out.

Do my friends in New York or London or Paris also see burnt cheesecake a popular choice at cafes there? I’m curious. In Hong Kong, my favourite pick goes to La Viña in Central, which is also a supplier to many local coffee chains including Cupping Room Coffee Roasters.

Yes, it may not look nice (well, in other words, it may not be very Instagram-friendly) but it does taste delicious…

One more please!

May 09, 2021 /George Chen
WhatGeorgeEats
Hong Kong
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Ping Pong Diplomacy

April 11, 2021 by George Chen in China, Hong Kong

Fifty years ago today (April 10, 1971), a group of American table tennis players and diplomats arrived in Hong Kong and then traveled to China to kick off their national tour in Guangzhou, Beijing, and Shanghai, which was later dubbed by the media as the "Ping Pong Diplomacy." That was the first US delegation to set foot on Chinese mainland in over 20 years.

The 1971 "Ping Pong Diplomacy" for the United States and the People's Republic of China paved the way for President Richard Nixon's historic visit to Beijing in the following year. The rest is history.

Fifty years on. What have we learned? What have we misunderstood? Food for thoughts...

(Photo: Forrest Gump, the 1994 movie based on some true events)

April 11, 2021 /George Chen
China, Hong Kong
China, Hong Kong
Murray House after relocation to Stanley, Hong Kong

Murray House after relocation to Stanley, Hong Kong

One Hong Kong, Two Murrays

March 07, 2021 by George Chen in Hong Kong
Inside the old and original Murray House

Inside the old and original Murray House

A seafood restaurant now occupies one floor in the old Murray

A seafood restaurant now occupies one floor in the old Murray

Murray House (美利樓) is a Victorian-era building in Stanley, Hong Kong.

Built in the present-day business district of Central in 1846 as officers' quarters of the Murray Barracks, the building was moved (piece by piece!) to the south of Hong Kong Island during the 2000s. This building has become an iconic landmark in Hong Kong. After housing the Hong Kong Maritime Museum for some years following its relocation to Stanley, it is now home to restaurants and shops.

In the original location of the old Murray in Central near the US Consulate General, there is now also a new Murray, a luxury hotel that was built and opened for business just few years ago.

I like the old Murray more than the new one. The old Murray is a witness and reflection of Hong Kong history, both the good and bad times. The new Murray does show very good design and architecture but it needs time to tell its own story, the story of new Hong Kong it can witness.

Whenever I visit Stanley, I always love to take some photos of the old Murray. A day trip to Stanley and check out the old Murray does feel like a short escape from the busy and noisy city centre where the new Murray now sits and pretends to say ... everything will be alright in Hong Kong.

March 07, 2021 /George Chen
Hong Kong, Stanley, 香港, 赤柱
Hong Kong
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