[chinese blood, irish heart] - DEFUNCT

It was also a rough start, since my skin condition flared up on my foot and I was limping... fucking agony.

In February I applied for an internship at HK Magazine, there I met the insatiable Adam White, Cassandra Chan, Billy "Vanilla Face" Clarke, Debbie Chow et al. Whom are my good friends.

It was a fun 10 weeks. Although I didn't get in too much writing, I did do a lot with photography and it proved to be a good experience for my beginner skills, and plus I got to get them published. The most famous piece I did for HK was the Street Talk with an old lady doing that Chinese voodoo shit. Creepy.

At that time I also applied to for the Masters Programme for Journalism at HKU. Tom Hilditch, the editor, had a little chat with me about employment opportunities and urged me to "do my masters at the magazine" instead. I somehow bought into that and although he completely blanked me at the end of the internship, I did make the decision after all and I don't regret it. However it didn't quench my seething anger towards him and the establishment. Ah but now it's cool, I just brush it off whenever they're mentioned. The internship didn't really help me achieve much, although the network opportunities were invaluable. Through them I got to meet others like Emma-Jade Li, Jean Arcadi whom I also consider my good friends in HK. Not to mention Trevor Morris, who's also a good guy to know when you're in the media industry. Brother of Karen Mok!

So after a rather sour end to that stint, I took it easy for awhile. Dad and Grandma came over to stay for an annual mass at Yim Tin Tsai village off Sai Kung where my Grandma grew up. It was a fun trek - my Grandma was surpisingly agile! I was so glad when she got to meet all her old neighbours and even the esteemed Cardinal Zen who gave a mass. I even coerced a TVB reporter to interview them since I mentioned we came all the way from Ireland! My great cousin Stephen and his girlfriend also came to visit, and it was good to see him again. Still had his accent! Watch the interview here

I had long decided to abandon my WTO documentary because I had just too much footage and at that stage, the whole thing would've been a bit irrelevant. But the opportunity came up at a gallery in Yau Ma Tei to show case independent videos and photography from the WTO demonstrations. I quickly pieced what I had together in 9 hours and submitted it. Didn't get any feedback but at least someone got to see it. You can also watch it here.

It was also the first time I spend St.Patrick's Day abroad. Partied at Delaneys in Wan Chai and it was just as good back home, well less rough I suppose. Still couldn't drink then since I was on medicine. Speaking of which, by this time I was seeing a Baptist University Doctor.

After leaving HK, I posted almost a dozen portfolios and application letters to various production house companies. Not one single fucking reply, nada. Not even a courtesy message to say they received or whatever - you can all go fuck yourselves. Billy worked at ATV before landing at Asia City so he hooked me up with them and alas with fateful coincidence, they needed someone to fill in that particular position! I go the job in mid April. It's a wonderful team of people. The place is so chilled and it makes me reminice about all the previous jobs I had where everytime it's such a chilled, easy going environment. Hope this is a winning streak!

It was pretty quiet for the next three months. Mom came over in between. Seamus and his girlfriend Terumi popped by from Japan and we showed her just how much he's obsessed with buying stacks of DVDs. The stuff she has to put up with hehe. I'm happy for him though, and I really respect any couple who can endure a long distance relationship. Here's to you guys, kampai!

I attended my first July 1st rally also. A lot of people turned up to support democracy. Over the year I've learned a lot about what democracy means to Hong Kongers. Sadly, a lot of people are too busy to bother with concepts like universal suffrage and what not. While thousands of people marched in the intolerable hot weather, millions more were busy stocking up on the latest summer deals. What does democracy mean for Hong Kong? Not much, so long as people get to shop, spend and listen to an endless supply of Cantopop. Does Hong Kong deserve democracy? Yes, every country does. But passive engagement can only go so far. Radical action is needed. That's yet to be seen. Okay maybe Longhair is up in the list, but I think he's become more of a gimmick. He needs to up his ante. Hmpf, I'm sure he'll be willing to go to jail for his beliefs?

The quality of our air also became my concern. It's so different from the fresh air we get back in Ireland and so I guess I've always taken it for granted. Living in Mong Kok where the average API is at least 80, it's painful to know that ordinary hard working people are suffering from these fumes. Yet cleaner air demands a heavy price and sacrifice to be paid, something these same hard working people cannot always afford.

In August I finally saved up enough money to splurge out on a brand spanking new HDV camcorder, the JVC HD-101E. It's pictured with an awesome dolly tripod which I picked up on Apliu Street - full of wonders if you have enough patience and determination. I sold my trusty PDX10 to Cassandra where it's in good hands now. That camera and I had sure been through a lot, protests, riots, parties, gigs, overseas and making movies. And what essentially help kickstarted my portfolio (which again needs more kickstarting.)

In September, Emma had the idea to do a short doco on graffiti in HK for the ishothongkong festival. We went out on shoots in the middle of the night, got chased by cops and all that riff raff. One of the nights we shot in North Point at 4am, we then needed to do a string of interviews that following morning till later afternoon and I had never endured such a night. I literally only had 45 minutes sleep in between. I remember we all kicked back at Emmas to do some final editing and pondering over what to title our work of art. Cassandra came up with "Tagspotting". I came up with "Art Attack" from that stuipid kids' show. Emma laughed, a lot. So we promptly went with Tagspotting. Check it out here

In October, I returned to see the Vietnamese doc again, this time bringing some of my relatives. By then my skin was still cleared and he only gave me a week's worth and said I should be okay from now on. During that week, my face mysteriously puffed up and started to get stomach cramps.

It wasn't till late October when my skin ailment started to return. I suspected the Vietnamese doc prescribed me some steroids - which explains why my skin healed up quickly and puffed me up. And steroids of course, are only a temporary measure and only in the short term or else you'd suffer some serious internal damage.

I was quite depressed after that. Deep in the mind I knew this was too good to be true. All the things I wanted to do, like quitting my job, doing some serious projects going travelling and going back to the gym had to be once again put on hold. I still needed to search elsewhere and maintain my current diet of no beef, eggs, most seafood and ugh, alcohol. I've been sober for more than 18 months at this stage. So it's weird when I go out on the town - I found myself less engaged and detached from all the other party revellers. But it's for my own good.

So while I was down and out, mom popped by again and urged me to look to other medical alternatives. I took a full blood test and started to seeing this other herbal doctor in Mong Kok for almost 2 weeks now. I also learnt Chi Kung meditation from a sifu. I'll see how it goes.

So now as I pack all the presents and dried foodstuffs for the folks back home, I literally can't wait to get back to see everyone, the people who worry about me and my condition so much and supported me. Alas, I can't really bear much good news about my condition, but only to say it's gotten less serious overall, yet with no clear end in sight yet. Some say I'm nationalistic about Ireland, since I occasionally wear Irish emblems. And yes I do confess I'm fanatically proud to be Irish. Although it's been odd how sometimes people react to that fact. Some think it's a gimmick! I really do miss the country, everything about it - the dingy weather, the atmosphere, my house, our garden, the people, the clean air... Once I get back I'll do something I haven't done in over a year - a nice hot bath.

See you Hong Kong in 2007!