Martial Arts Movie Saturday 1: Enter the Dragon

The Film Poster

Enter the Dragon is the definitive Bruce Lee film.  The last film he completed before his death, Enter the Dragon cemented his place as a Hong Kong film legend and a global iconic.  Since its release in the 70's, the film has become a must-see for generations of action film fans.  For many it represents Hong Kong action films at their best.  It's tragic that Lee died before the release of the film, because they managed to put lightning in a bottle with this one.

Very much a product of its time, the film is also worth noting because of the global events occurring during its production and release.  As the Mainland was deep in the grips of the Cultural Revolution and the British economy tanked after decades of nationalizations and socialism, Hong Kong continued to boom.  Caught in the middle of two global powers with uncertain futures, Hong Kong culture began to blossom and the films made by its production companies showcase this.  This attracted foreign audiences to action films and launched a genre of films still popular today all over the globe.  The result is a true blend of east and west.    

The man, the myth, the legend

The plot of the Enter the Dragon resembles a mashup of early James Bond films and Mortal Kombat.  A bad guy has an island, and Bruce Lee must go to his island and compete in the his diabolical kung fu tournament.  The result is awesome kung fu action.  I don't think I need to say much more about it than that.  The action is awesome, the stunts amazing, and Bruce Lee makes us all wish that we'd taken karate classes as children.

A few characters of note are the extremely British government official who approaches Lee with the mission.  His OxBridge accent and dress make the character border on the edge of parody.  Bruce Lee is joined at the tournament by two Americans, one white and the other black.  Between the British guy and the Americans from two different races, it was likely that the production company was trying to appeal to the widest range of demographics possible.  Not surprising considering that this movie was the first Hong Kong action film financed by a major American studio (Warner Brothers) and the increasing popularity of kung fu films outside Hong Kong and China.    

Bruce Lee and a young Jackie Chan

According to the extras on the DVD, Jackie Chan worked as a stunt double on the film and appears in a few scenes.  I didn't notice him during my initial screening of the film.  Likely because the scale of the production is epic.  Yeah...in case you didn't know it, Jackie Chan is way older than he looks.

If you only see one 43 year old, dubbed, kung fu film this year, make it this one.

Keep a lookout for future Martial Arts Movie Saturday reviews. 

Blue Girl Beer: Hong Kong's Iconic Brew

No trip to Hong Kong would be complete without heading to Club 7-11 for a can of Blue Girl beer.  The stuff is ubiquitous in Hong Kong.  It's sold in every convenience

 store and some restaurants even feature the logo on their signs.  For me, the beer has become a sort of representation of Hong Kong, especially considering that I have never seen it anywhere else.  According to the always reliable source of Wikipedia, the beer is brewed by a South Korean company.  However, the story of how it became such an ingrained part of Hong Kong culture is beyond me.

Blue Girl stacked in a
restaurant window

Most Chinese restaurants in the city carry the beer.  In the fishing village of Tai O on Lantau Island you can see boxes of Blue Girl stacked to the ceiling in some places.  I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the beer is more prevalent than bottled water in some parts of the city.  Blue Girl has that wonderful, easy-to-drink flavor that makes these kind of beers perfect for drinking with food.  No trip for dim sum in Hong Kong would be complete without having at least 1 (or a few) Blue Girl beers.  

Advertisements abound

It's interesting to think about how a brand can represent a specific place and/or time.  As I wonder around New Orleans, I constantly find old Dixie Beer advertisements plastered on the sides of buildings or on bar signs.  For those unfamiliar with Dixie Beer, it used to be the New Orleans equivalent of Budweiser or Miller Lite before the brewery was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina.  Following the closure of the Jax and Falstaff breweries, Dixie had a large portion of the local beer market until 2005.  The beer is still available, but it is now contract-brewed in Wisconsin.  Also, the price now places it in the "craft beer" category.  No longer the cheap, local option, Dixie has slipped from its place in the psyche of the city.  However, it's brand identity still remains strong.  Even today, despite its relatively hefty price tag, you'll still see people at restaurants chowing down on crawfish with a Dixie Beer in hand.  

So the next time you're in Hong Kong, head over to Club 7-11 and pick yourself up a Blue Girl beer.  Your trip isn't complete without one!  

Please post in the comments section if you have any information on this Blue Girl beer's history.  

Banned Books and International Intrigue

That's the signpost, up ahead

I checked out People's Coffee and Books in Causeway Bay Hong Kong.  The bookstore specializes in books that are banned in Mainland China.  Many detail the personal lives of government officials or taboo topics such as the Cultural Revolution.    

In recent months, bookstores like this have become famous because of the kidnappings of store owners and employees.  The disappearance of employees at Causeway Bay Books, a establishment very similar to People's Coffee and Books, made international news.  The ongoing saga continues to unfold, highlighting tensions between Hong Kong and Mainland China.  Some of those involved even had to do televised confessions after resurfacing in Mainland China.  

Mall across the street from the
bookstore.  Notice the Finding Dory
characters.

Many in the former British Colony consider this a important example of China's increasing willingness to violate the "one country, two systems" agreement that guarantees Hong Kong a large degree of autonomy.  Though Hong Kong became part of China again in 1997, the territory enjoys personal and political freedoms only dreamt of in the rest of China.

Please checkout the links below for more information on bookstores selling banned books in Hong Kong and the ongoing disappearances.

Sign at street level

http://www.wsj.com/articles/hong-kong-booksellers-disappearance-stokes-fears-over-freedoms-1452112200

http://www.theatlantic.com/china/archive/2013/04/in-hong-kong-a-sanctuary-for-banned-books/274831/

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/online-in-china-the-communist-party-and-military-are-at-war-with-ideas-a7130681.html

 






    

Dining on a Budget: World's Cheapest Michelin Star Restaurant

Outside Facade

On my most recent trip to Hong Kong, I made a stop at the world famous Tim Ho Wan.  The restaurant currently holds the wonderful title as the world's cheapest restaurant with a Michelin Star.  This oxymoron instantly got the restaurant put on my list of "must see" attractions in a city know for its amazing restaurants.  Since I have little to no money to my name, I try to never miss anything with the words "cheapest" in the title.  Believe me the restaurant did not disappoint and delivered on its promise of being both cheap and amazing.

The location of the restaurant I ate at has the unfortunate address of 9 Fuk Wing Street.  That's right.  That is seriously the address.  Even if the food wasn't good, the address alone might have gotten me to go.  The restaurant sits on the northern edge of the Mong Kok neighborhood in Kowloon, just a short walk from Prince Edward Station.  It's fantastically easy to get to, so you have no excuse for not going.    

Menu

The outside of the restaurant is completely unassuming.  In fact, I nearly walked past the place.  Had I not seen the restaurant on an Anthony Bourdain special, I most certainly would have walked right past it without a second thought.  Luckily, I didn't have to wait in line to get a seat, which might be a problem on weekends.  I recommend going at an off-peak time, just in case of a rush.  

The restaurant has many specialties including BBQ pork buns.  These pork buns are amazing and should not be missed under any circumstances. Because of the sweetness of the buns, they could be eaten as a main dish or a dessert.  These buns more than lived up to the hype.  Our waitress didn't speak very much English.  However when I asked about the restaurant's specialties, she didn't point me to the most expensive items on the menu.  This is always a really good sign at any restaurant.  She also suggested a  rice dish pictured below which I really enjoyed.  Be warned though, the rice dish had cilantro.  I avoid cilantro at all costs because I think it tastes terrible and overpowers anything it's in.  However, I didn't mind it that much in the rice.  But it still packs a punch.  

Our Meal

Tim Ho Wan also does dumplings with a mixture of shrimp and pork.  These also come deep fried.  Like everything else on the menu, these are amazing.  Overall, shrimp and pork are the main staples of this place, and the restaurant does them extremely well.  So well in fact that I will definitely stop by the next time I am in Hong Kong.

The bill came out surprisingly cheap, even considering its title as the world's cheapest Michelin Star restaurant.  Three of us ate for around $20 USD.  Not bad in one of the world's most expensive cities.  Plus, the ability to tell your friends you ate at the world's cheapest Michelin Star restaurant is priceless.  

Pascal Manale's: Local Institution

It's not often that I write a post that has nothing to do with the Middle Kingdom.  However, I felt the need to highlight one of the places that make my new home of New Orleans such a special city.  On the upriver side of Napoleon Avenue sits a true local institution.  Pascal Manale's restaurant is the kind of place with wood paneled walls and a well worn bar.  One of the few establishments that is equally as welcoming to someone wearing gym shorts as someone in a three piece suit.

New Orleans memorabilia decorates the walls.  Several of the posters are from the Super Bowls held at the old Tulane Stadium just a few blocks upriver.  Pictures of famous people who have eaten at the restaurant also adorn the walls.  Let's just say it's an eclectic group of patrons.  Walking around the barroom and seeing on the photos and memorabilia is certainly part of the experience.  

Photo courtesy of the restaurant's website

The bar does an insane happy hour.  Drinks are half price and a dozen oysters will run you around $8.  The oyster bar is one of the main attractions of this place.  Opposite the real bar is the standing only oyster bar where a shucker stands shucking oysters for the customers.  The oyster bar will accommodate about five people, and even that is a squeeze.  Make sure the ask the person working the oyster bar where the oysters came from.  The bar tender will tell you a number that corresponds to a section on a map of south Louisiana.  It's cool to know exactly where the oysters come from, and this adds a cool novelty to the experience.

I would like to recommend something from the menu but I can't.  I've never eaten off the menu.  According to the internet they have great barbecue shrimp.  However, every time I go to this place, the happy hour deal calls my name like a siren, and I end up eating a dozen oysters.  If you're ever in New Orleans and looking to eat at a local institution, avoid the hipsters on Magazine Street checkout Pascal Manale's.            

Remembering the Cultural Revolution

Frank Dikotter's (umlaut omitted) new book The Cultural Revolution: A People's History dropped a few months ago.  Usually the Chinese government considers the Cultural Revolution a taboo subject and glosses over it or omits it entirely from history.  This makes books like Dikotter's newest release all the more important, especially considering his place as one of the world's foremost sinologists.

Many of China's top party leaders faced persecution during the Cultural Revolution, including future paramount leader Deng Xiaoping and the father of the CPC's currently leader, Xi Jinping.  Despite this, China occasionally roles out the nostalgia for the period in the form of song and dance numbers during large public events.  I will admit, I often find this nostalgia for a period market by human suffering distasteful.

During the period between 1966 and Mao's death in 1976, Chinese citizens labeled class enemies faced persecution as the CPC attempted to erase the vestiges of China's past.  Priceless artifacts and buildings were destroyed as the communists attempted to eliminate anything relating to the country's past and "foreign influences" (except communism).  Douzheng (loosely translated as "struggle") between Maoist fervor and the "Four Olds" tore the country apart.

In China today, many claim there seems to exist a sort of collective amnesia about the Cultural Revolution.  I for one would classify it more as collective silence.  "Amnesia" implies that everyone has forgotten it.  Speaking with anyone who lived through those turbulent years will make it clear that no one has forgotten them.  People choose not to talk about the horrors and excesses of the period because the pain and suffering of the time remain a part of everyday life.  You still see its effects from the highest level of the government to the peeling paint from Maoist slogans fading on the sides of buildings.  

Though I haven't got a chance to read Dikotter's most recent work, I would definitely recommend his other books The Tragedy of Liberation and Mao's Great Famine.  Only by understanding the country's past, and examining how it is portrayed in the present, can foreigners ever hope to understand this complex country.  

Jack Ma - Face of a Changing Nation

The face that launched a 1000
delivery packages

While browsing at the New Orleans Public Library I stumbled across a copy of Alibaba: The House that Jack Ma Built.  The book is a great, easy read and sheds light on one of China's most important cultural exports, the eccentric business mogul.
 
In recent years, Chinese businessman Jack Ma has become ubiquitous.  You can see him everywhere.  From television to the internet and everything in between, Jack Ma is there.  In many ways he has become the face of Chinese business around the world.  Mostly for the better.  Say what you will about Ma, he is a fascinating individual.  His position at the forefront of China's economic expansion has done a great deal to bolster opinions of Chinese business abroad.  Ma projects what few other successful mainland businessmen do; a sense of transparency.  The man loves to joke and laugh, and his fluency in English goes a long way in projecting an image that translates well outside of China.  Just compare him to Chen Guangbiao (that guy who said he'd buy the New York Times).  Chen's downright buffoonish behavior has made him a laughingstock outside of his home country, despite his amazing professional success.  In many ways Ma serves as the antithesis of Chen, portraying a pragmatic and humble image that makes him something akin to China's Warren Buffet.

I recommend this book, but you
don't have to take my word for it.

Jack continues to battle it out with Wang Jianlin for the title of Asia's Richest Person.  In some ways, the two men couldn't be more different.  Ma has made a name for himself creating business practices that take advantage of circumstances in China, such as learning to work around the country's fractured supply chains.  Ma once called Alibaba a crocodile in the Yangzte River and compared his foreign competitors to sharks in the ocean.  Wang's relationship with foreign business is much more confrontational.  His recent, notorious spat with Disney shows this in spades.  His company recently acquired Legendary Entertainment.  The studio behind such blockbusters as The Dark Knight and World of Warcraft, demonstrating his "if you can't beat 'em, buy 'em" style of business.

His personal image and his reluctance to intentionally cultivate a cult of personality has distinguish Ma from his Chinese contemporaries and made him more accessible to a foreign audiences.  Ma's story is exceptional and inspiring.  I recommend this book for anyone trying to pierce the veil of Chinese corporate culture.