#Hong Kong International Musician Association

[vanyakumari]

Case Studies: Real-Life Experiences with Luggage Courier Services

Case Study 1: Golf Enthusiast’s Hassle-Free Golf Club Transport

Client: John, a golf enthusiast Destination: Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Background: John had planned a golf vacation with friends in Phoenix. He wanted to bring his own set of golf clubs, but he was concerned about the hassle and potential damage if he checked them in with the airline.

Solution: John decided to use a luggage courier service specializing in sports equipment transportation. He contacted the service provider, provided details about his trip, and scheduled a pickup from his home.

Experience: The luggage courier service arrived at John’s doorstep on the scheduled date. They provided a secure and specialized golf club travel case, ensuring the clubs were well-protected during transit. John’s golf clubs were then transported to the golf resort in Phoenix.

Outcome: John’s golf clubs arrived safely and on time at the golf resort in Phoenix. He was impressed with the hassle-free experience and the peace of mind knowing that his precious golf clubs were in good hands. Throughout his vacation, John enjoyed playing golf with his own clubs without worrying about the potential damage and inconvenience associated with checking them in with the airline.

Case Study 2: Musician’s Precious Guitar Shipment for an International Tour

Client: Emily, a professional musician Destination: London, United Kingdom

Background: Emily, a talented guitarist, was invited to perform in a music festival in London. She needed to bring her precious guitar along for the performance but was concerned about its safety during air travel.

Solution: Emily chose a luggage courier service that specialized in transporting musical instruments. She contacted the service provider, discussed the details of her international tour, and arranged for the guitar’s pickup.

Experience: The luggage courier service provided a customized and secure packaging solution for Emily’s guitar. The instrument was collected from Emily’s home and transported to the festival venue in London.

Outcome: Emily’s guitar arrived in London safely and in perfect condition. The specialized packaging and handling ensured the guitar’s protection throughout the journey. Emily was delighted to have her beloved instrument ready for her performance, allowing her to focus on delivering a memorable show without any worries about her guitar’s safety during air travel.

Case Study 3: Business Traveler’s Time-Saving Luggage Delivery

Client: Sarah, a frequent business traveler Destinations: New York City, USA, and Hong Kong, China

Background: Sarah had back-to-back business meetings in New York City and Hong Kong. She needed to carry important documents, laptop equipment, and business attire for both destinations.

Solution: Sarah opted for a luggage courier service that offered door-to-door delivery between the two international locations. She arranged for her luggage to be picked up from her office in New York and delivered to her hotel in Hong Kong.

Experience: The luggage courier service efficiently managed the pickup and delivery of Sarah’s belongings. They ensured that her luggage arrived at her hotel in Hong Kong before her scheduled arrival.

Outcome: Sarah’s business trip was streamlined and stress-free, thanks to the luggage courier service. She appreciated the time-saving aspect of not having to check in and collect her bags at each airport, allowing her to focus on her meetings and presentations. The prompt and reliable delivery also ensured that she had everything she needed for her business engagements in both cities.

Conclusion: These real-life case studies demonstrate how luggage transfer services offer customized solutions and enhance the travel experience for various travelers. From sports equipment to musical instruments, and from business attire to valuable belongings, these services cater to unique travel needs while providing convenience, security, and peace of mind for travelers. Whether for personal vacations, professional engagements, or specialized trips, luggage courier services offer efficient and reliable solutions for transporting belongings to various destinations worldwide.

[hong-kong-art-man]

Music Is Never Just Music. It Is Bound Up With A Heart-to-heart Infiltration Between Music And A Man/Woman―The Well-liked ‘Slashie’ Music Conductor Stephen Lam(林屴汧)’s Comments On The Missing Part Of Music Education In Hong Kong

The world trend of ‘fusion’ can be fascinating. Taking different philosophies, rationales, cultures and styles and putting them together, yet mixing without absorption, create uniqueness and surprise. Many music fusion projects sadly fail simply because artists do not really understand the music of the other side and just conscript deviating musicians or compose awkward pieces to play discordant backdrops to their acts.

There is nothing new under the sun but can we try to turn the sun upside down?  The popular and young orchestra conductor Stephen Lam(林屴汧), always treating people with great deference, laughed, “Okay, music can be a fusion. Let us walk into the sun, fly to the moon and carry ourselves to the stars on a music journey!”

I laughed too, “Can we?” Stephen replied, “Not only eyes can reflect the truth. Our music souls can also reflect the truth of mixed feelings. Music, of human and cultural differences, is a wonderful vehicle. I call it a ‘space shift’. Music conveys our imagination from one place to another. Different people have different emotional destinations and associations.” I said, “When I listened to Autumn Song of Tchaikovsky, I felt like being on Lamma Island with my old classmates. How about you?” Stephen smiled, “My ‘space shift’ for that piece of music is that I suddenly walked on a path in Beethovengang in Vienna. Beethoven once lived there when he discovered that he, a great musician, was about to become deaf.”

Born in Hong Kong, Stephen Lam was recently selected by the renowned conductor Riccardo Muti to participate in the opera production of his Italian Opera Academy. Stephen is currently the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Ponte Orchestra & Singers, as well as the Associate Conductor of the Macao Youth Symphony Orchestra. He has worked with orchestras around the world, including the Vienna Radio Orchestra and St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic etc. Stephen is placid but responsive reply is his forte.

Stephen said, “Music creates forest out of rocks. I want to inspire toddlers and youngsters with music.” He is a dedicated music educator and ardent advocate of community outreach. His collaborations with young musicians have been widely praised. He is currently the lecturer and conductor of United International College between Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University, as well as regular guest conductor in Sichuan Music Conservatory.

Stephen continued, “When I was a boy, I studied in St. Paul’s College. I was active in music. I took part in music events in and out of Hong Kong. Idealism often lost to pragmatism when it came to selecting subjects in university. In the 2000s, I obtained a bachelor’s degree of Environmental Science from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a Master of Arts from the University of Hong Kong. After that, I seriously challenged myself: there would be no dream in my life without action to make it become reality. So, I packed my things and left Hong Kong for Vienna. I studied conducting at the prestigious University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna, where I was one of the last students of Uros Lajovic, Ordner Edwin, and Konrad Leitner. I also worked in music events there. I loved Hong Kong and wanted to do something for it. In 2017, I returned to my city and pursued a music career!”

I asked, “How do you find the music education in Hong Kong?” He gave it a thought, “The approach at the moment is not bad but not good enough. We give a lot of information about music to kids and ask them to sing, practise music and go to concerts. Do we really teach them how to appreciate music and I mean, how to go beyond knowledge and experience; and connect the ‘heart’ of a kid with the ‘heart’ of a music piece? In other words, we should teach a kid how to emotionally respond to and interact with the music with his own feelings and stories. The other problem is that parents do not really want their kids to enjoy music or make music a soulful refuge from the life. For them, music is just a means to get a certificate so that the kid can go to a good school.” I lamented, “Teachers may think such an approach for students is a burdensome duty and parents may think a good future is more discernible than the spiritual wellness of a kid.”

I switched to a new topic, “Any advice for those who wish to choose music as a career?” Stephen threw his hands in the air, “Ha! Receive formal music training in your university days or as early as possible! There are many people who practise music in other industries like pop music in the entertainment world. Trust me! Western classical music or traditional Chinese music tutoring will give them the solid and rich foundation on which their music career can be built. The complicated but necessary music education will let them be able to combine sounds to produce beauty of form, harmony and emotion well for the long term. Inspirations will not easily dry up!” I nodded, “I am glad to see more pop singers like Gin Lee(李幸倪) & Gareth T(湯令山) who had serious music training become popular and hot. They bring new thoughts and strength to the music industry.”

To succeed in any creative career, one must possess the importance of a solid foundation in the intricate basics of constructing and expressing skills.

I asked Stephen, “Make a wish!” He winked, “Hong Kong will be a music centre for 'East meets West’ and I am part of it. There have been a lot of oriental music embodying the ingredients of western music. I want to contribute more the other way round especially when I can master German and Italian language.”

‘Flower by flower a garden grows’. Some do music for self-esteem. Stephen Lam is determined to be rather a river that feeds thousands of flowers. He pursues multiple music careers including education in lieu of simply holding a traditional full-time job of an orchestra conductor. He said, “Every day is different. Music for every life is different too.”

MLee Chinese Version 中文版: https://www.patreon.com/posts/zhi-shou-ke-re-75006967?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

Stephen Lam in Concert  https://youtu.be/l-zSh46TQVU  Acknowledgement  – Stephen Lam

Shirley Kwan Song – “Late Night Harbour”  https://youtu.be/y6Jg4Z1I8GI  Acknowledgement-沿途有你2

Tchaikovsky - Autumn Song  https://youtu.be/Aq7TNv7Pbm8  Acknowledgement-Pianushko

Bobby Chen Song – “Keep the Sadness to  yourself”  https://youtu.be/7f6305MkDsI  Acknowledgement – ROCK RECORDS

The Peony Pavilion  https://youtu.be/9IScrauecgk  Acknowledgement-xiyue1113

Stephen Lam interview  https://youtu.be/mzQtTG8iuyA  Acknowledgement-time flies 生涯規劃

[hkima]

Kaliasniona Katsiaryna——1st prize winner of Open Class at the 2011 "Liszt Memorial Prize" Hong Kong International Piano Open Competition

[zuzuslastbraincell]

if I ever write the college dropout/retail AU for Zuko & Sokka where they’re co-workers who start off by hating each other but make out in the backroom eventually it will probably be set in Oxford but I can assure you Sokka will be Inuit (how he ends up in Europe is a long story, trust me) and Zuko will most likely be from Hong Kong (although I’m toying with Singapore? I think Singaporean Zuko is really fun too... could do mixed nationality here, hmmm, options! Need to research more honestly).

This is largely because Oxford I think is a really interesting place to set an AU where two people have dropped out of / are on academic leave from university because of its obvious connection to academia, prestige, and the world of both the british and the international upper class, and also like, it’s very much core to the romanticisation of England people sell when they’re teaching English, including the romanticisation of imperialism. But also because it’s like, also a place where normal people live and work and go to school, there’s a second university there which is way more normal (shoutout to anyone who went to Brookes), there are bog-standard places there that people don’t immediately associate with it. The contrast there I think is fascinating. Also, writing about the UK from the perspective of two immigrants is going to be fun (trust me I am not going to be kind about it).

(I don’t think either of them went to Oxford itself tho, Sokka was going to, but has delayed his start to his masters programme because he was going to work all year to save to travel with Yue in Europe – before her condition deteriorated quicker than either of them anticipated – and is debating whether to go through with it or go home, and Zuko actually went to a conservatory – will live and die for Zuko as a musician, okay? – dropped out, ended up in Oxford because either Mai or Azula was there, but then broke up with Mai, and now just wants any excuse not to ‘go home’. Zuko possibly went to boarding school in England during his teens as well, I’m trying to decide though whether that’d work with the timeline. I have to figure out what Ozai is doing and also what their whole situation is there.)

[botnation]

If you’re looking to travel to another world, tune in to Angela Ho.

Angela’s fine mashup of pointillism and retro/pop surrealism frames each of her high-spirited imaginary playscapes. This unique style sprouted over a decade ago and flourished when she decided to place paid work on hold for nine months. It was this gestation period for personal, artistic growth that gave birth to the comprehensive portfolio that altered the course of her career. By honoring herself, she found the fertile foundation needed for a vast land of dazzling, hypnotic, characters that suggest the truth.

For a deep dive Q&A with Angela on her background, character personalities and flow states...

What were you like as a child?

I was very quiet and incredibly shy around people I didn't know well, although I messaged my sister to help me with this question and she says I was cheeky. My sister and I would always be drawing and with my older brother, we'd have our own mini drawing competitions, I'm not sure if this was good in terms of sibling rivalry though. Our parents gave us a lot of educational-type toys which involved drawing, painting, crocheting and making plaster models. I read a lot, I loved Snoopy comic strips.

At what age did you take a break from paid work to focus on your own art? What were some of the phases and internal struggles you went through during this time? How did this decision impact where you are now?

I was in my mid-30s when I took a break, I was thinking about how time can pass so quickly, our lives are just a tiny blip in the scheme of things so we might as well make the most of it. During this roughly 9 month period I spent a lot of time in my small workspace drawing a lot, reading and looking at anything which caught my attention, like old Fleischer Studios cartoons and anything scifi. The self-imposed isolation wasn't easy as I can be quite social but after this experience I think I've learnt an emotional self-reliance I hadn't had before. I think this has made Covid-19 bearable. I also got over some thoughts I had about choosing to pursue my artistic inclinations and whether it could contribute to the world in some way.

Have you ever felt limited in your expression? How were you able to overcome these limitations? 

Yes. It's still something which I'm working through, how to handle it. I'm realizing that if you're able to express yourself truly openly it is a privilege, although it should be a universal right.

What role (if any) would you say spirituality has with your art?

Initially I was going to answer this question with a "no" in terms of a spirituality guiding me with my work. I have mythical creatures in my art, spiritual ones borne of nature or characters which personify abstract concepts. I like the idea of omnipotent mostly well-meaning beings inhabiting my art but they come from imagination and fantasy and stay firmly within the borders of the board I'm painting or the screen on which I'm drawing or animating.

But aside from mythical creatures, I have had experiences while working where I've felt that there is some outside force helping me along, I'm not sure how to explain it, I've thought it must be some biochemical result of intense focus but haven't explored the concept of it much for fear of sounding flakey. But I brought it up with my artist and designer friend Calvin Ho and he recommended I read a book called "Flow" from the 1990s. So I may have a more clear answer at a later time but for the moment I'm referring to it as The Force. I love Star Wars.

Are there any defining moments in particular where you've felt this force/flow most?

Yes and when I think about these moments they're associated with music, maybe it's music which produces this flow. When I began working as an illustrator and was working on a digital artwork of a kaleidoscopic storm, it was probably the first time I really felt like I didn't entirely produce the work, that something else assisted. I'm wondering now whether there is some kind of musical trance state involved. Also, when working on my 'Interspecies Utopia' show and perhaps more recently having slowed down along with the world while working on a commission for a musician in San Francisco. I feel it when I've switched off from everything, am lost in music and am purely into the work. I could be listening to anything from Four Tet to The White Stripes which I've been listening to again recently or Science Noodles, a Hong Kong-Taiwanese band I've been listening to on repeat. Right now I'm listening to Brian Eno's 'Music For Airports'.

How important is nature to your wellbeing and what effect does it have on you? Do you have any favorite hiking trails in Hong Kong?

Walking in nature is extremely important to me especially in a fast-moving city like Hong Kong where I've lived since 2008. The rhythmic motion of walking and breathing and not being distracted by various things has the instant effect of calming me and recalibrating me. Hong Kong is full of walking trails and green areas, my favorite trail would be Tai Long Wan in the area of Sai Kung, it's a bay made up of four beaches with hills behind it. The Peak Morning Trail is also a favorite as I live near to it and walk it regularly.

Do your creatures ever “speak” to you — and do they have different personalities? If so, what are some of them?

I'm waiting for my creatures to speak to me. I'd like to work more with narrative whether in picture book form or animation so I'd like them to lead me but they do have nascent personalities. A lion character I have is stoic yet kind, it doesn't speak much but when it does the words are important so you'd better listen and never ever cross the lion as it has the power of all nature within it, it can become poetic justice incarnate. A female head I use in short animations represents the inner world of an every-woman, she gets buffeted about by everyday and world events but easily expresses joy too. She thinks too much, I guess she only has a head, maybe I should draw her with her body more often.

In what ways have you been exploring augmented reality and animation in your works? Do you have any upcoming projects that fuse these mediums?

I'm still working on how augmented reality can more significantly extend the narrative of my static artwork, mainly they have been experiments in subtly adding meaning via animation. I've used AR with my 'Interspecies Utopia' exhibition, the HKwalls mural and a work in the Paste-Up Festival in Berlin. Currently, I have a singular artwork idea in mind I'd like to generate but I'm not sure of the physical space it will occupy yet.

What is your intuitive sense regarding the art in the future? In 2120, what do you foresee as the mediums? How much value will be placed on art and artists?

This question makes me think of the Singaporean survey by The Sunday Times which did the rounds of social media in June. It was about the top 5 most and least essential jobs within the context of the pandemic. I was skeptical of this survey but I think a lot of people would have nodded their heads in agreement at artists being at the top of the non-essential list. But I think art and the arts are incredibly important. I think we need to tell stories about ourselves through fiction and emotive means which may elicit empathy and an understanding which news cannot give us. I think there should be more to us than survival and living in their most basic forms. I'm not sure about predicting the future 100 years from now but I wish I could see how things are in 2120, perhaps art will be more interactive and immersive and work somehow with science more. But closer to our present, I really hope that art and artists will make it through the pandemic and current instabilities and that they'll be intact when we eventually settle into a new normal or get back to how we were. I think art is needed for escapism and to make sense of this surreal time of dramatic change.

[creativemorningsvancouver]

Join us for June’s global theme is ‘WILDERNESS’. We’re grateful to be able to feature artistic director, playwright, 
author, performer, and educator Marcus Youssef.

Register

You might know Youssef as a regular contributor of drama, commentary, and documentary to numerous programs on CBC. Or maybe for his many contributions to Vancouver Magazine, Georgia Straight, Rice Paper, or This Magazine. For many years, Youssef has also dedicated himself to numerous community-based advocacy programs that aim at using writing and/or theatre as a tool for procuring political and social change.

Youssef’s fifteen or so plays have been produced in a dozen languages in in twenty countries across North America, Europe and Asia, from Seattle to New York to Reykjavik, London, Venice, Hong Kong, Vienna, Athens, Frankfurt and Berlin. He is the recipient of Canada’s largest theatre award, the $100,000 Siminovitch Prize for Theatre, for his body of work as a playwright, as well as Berlin, Germany’s Ikarus Prize, the Vancouver Mayor’s Arts Award, the Rio Tinto Alcan Performing Arts Award, the Chalmers’ Canadian Play Award, the Seattle Times Footlight award, the Vancouver Critics’ Innovation award (three times) and the Canada Council Staunch-Lynton Award. Marcus co-founded the artist-run production hub Progress Lab 1422 and was the inaugural chair of Vancouver’s Arts and Culture Advisory Committee. Marcus teaches regularly at the National Theatre School of Canada and Studio 58, implemented Canada’s first multi-institutional Bachelor of Performing Arts Degree, at Capilano University, and served as an Assistant Professor at Montreal’s Concordia University. He is currently International Artistic Associate at Farnham Maltings in the UK, Playwright in Residence at Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre, and Artistic Associate at Neworld Theatre in Vancouver, which he led from 2005-2019. Marcus has an MFA in Creative Writing from UBC and graduated from the National Theatre School about a million years ago.

We are excited to present a live performance by none other than singer-songwriter, keyboardist and tenor guitar player Veda Hille.

🎵Veda Hille is a Vancouver musician, composer, theatre maker, and performer. She writes songs, makes records, co-writes musicals, collaborates in devised theatre, and fulfills other interesting assignments as they arise. Veda performs in a wide of array of places, alone or with bands, ensembles, symphonies, and casts. Her career spans 30 years of working in Canada and abroad, and shows no sign of flagging.🎵

Register

[xtruss]

A woman filmed a video screen showing President Xi Jinping commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing on Thursday. Andy Wong/Associated Press

Xi Jinping Warns China Won’t Be Bullied as Communist Party Marks 100 Years

Celebrations help leader showcase achievements as he confronts a sluggish domestic economy and frosty ties with the U.S. and other Western powers. In fiery speech, president appeared to hit back at critics of the country's policies, human rights record

— By Chun Han Wong and Keith Zhai | July 1, 2021 | The Wall Street Journal

With a martial message of triumph, Chinese leader Xi Jinping marked his ruling Communist Party’s 100th birthday with calls to rouse patriotic passions, repel foreign coercion and entrench one-party rule, signaling defiance against U.S.-led efforts to pressure Beijing.

Addressing more than 70,000 people gathered Thursday at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, Mr. Xi struck strident tones in recounting the party’s successes in surmounting challenges at home and abroad—from eliminating rural poverty to resisting imperialist aggression. He insisted that China has irreversibly emerged from past humiliation by foreign powers into an era of pride and prosperity.

The Chinese people “will never allow any foreign force to bully, oppress, or enslave us,” Mr. Xi said, dressed in a gray Mao suit atop the Gate of Heavenly Peace. “Anyone who tries to do so shall be battered and bloodied from colliding with a great wall of steel forged by more than 1.4 billion Chinese people using flesh and blood,” he said, drawing cheers and applause.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, centre, waves next to former president Hu Jintao, right, during a ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Chinese Communist Party at Tiananmen Gate in Beijing on Thursday. (Ng Han Guan/The Associated Press)

The centennial celebrations help Mr. Xi showcase his achievements as he confronts a sluggish domestic economy, frosty ties with the U.S. and other Western powers, and China’s souring international image. Officials have also used the grandiose festivities to underscore Mr. Xi’s clout as he prepares for a twice-a-decade party congress next year where he is expected to claim a third term as party chief and pick new lieutenants.

State media have echoed Mr. Xi’s messaging while saturating airwaves and newsprint with pro-party publicity. In a Thursday editorial, the party’s official mouthpiece, People’s Daily, called on the party’s 95 million members and the Chinese people to unite more closely around Mr. Xi’s leadership in striving to make China a rich, advanced and truly global power by 2049, the 100th anniversary of Communist rule.

In his speech, Mr. Xi offered little in the way of new policies and mainly restated his priorities, such as fighting corruption, strengthening the military and seeking unification with the democratically self-ruled island of Taiwan. He also offered assurances that China wants to be a peaceful and positive contributor to the global order, countering criticism of what Western governments have called Beijing’s abrasive diplomacy.

While Mr. Xi made no mention of U.S. efforts to assemble an international coalition against China’s industrial policies and suppression of civil liberties in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, he underlined Beijing’s defiance by invoking patriotic language from past speeches. He insisted that China alone would decide its path and brook no foreign meddling in its affairs.

The Communist Party and the Chinese people “welcome all helpful suggestions and constructive criticism,” Mr. Xi said. “But we won’t accept sanctimonious lectures from self-styled preachers.”

In the months before July 1, the party’s designated anniversary date, Mr. Xi directed a nationwide campaign to promote the party’s past glories. Patriotic slogans and floral arrangements have sprung up around Beijing and other cities, and authorities are releasing new movies and television series that dramatize the party’s revolutionary history.

The celebrations culminated in Thursday’s ceremony, where honor guards, military musicians, youthful choristers and thousands of flag-waving guests provided pomp and circumstance for the occasion.

The proceedings, which stretched close to two hours, kicked off with choral renditions of patriotic songs such as “Without the Communist Party, There Would be No New China” and featured a flyover by military helicopters and jets, including China’s J-20 stealth fighter. A phalanx of 56 artillery guns, a nod to China’s 56 officially recognized ethnic groups, fired a 100-shot salute to the party.

Former leader Hu Jintao and other retired party elders attended the ceremony, though 94-year-old Jiang Zemin, who was the party’s general secretary from 1989 to 2002, was absent. Mr. Jiang’s health has long been the subject of speculation in China.

Left: Members of a band representing the People’s Liberation Army played at the CCP’s 100th anniversary ceremony in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images. Right: A crowd listening to Xi Jinping speak in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images.

The festivities spilled onto Chinese social media, where only one of the top 50 trending topics on the Twitter-like Weibo platform on Thursday morning wasn’t related to the party centenary. On the video-streaming site Douyin, a video showing a girl who used red chile peppers to form a party flag drew nearly seven million views.

Leading Chinese entrepreneurs also took the opportunity to showcase their loyalty to the party amid government efforts to rein in some of the countries’ largest tech companies. Wang Xing, the chief executive of delivery giant Meituan, who sparked a social-media furor in May by posting an ancient poem that some readers interpreted as criticism of Mr. Xi, appeared in state-media footage showing the crowd on Tiananmen Square. China launched an antitrust investigation into Meituan in April.

Attendees wave Chinese flags during the ceremony at Tiananmen Square. (Ng Han Guan/The Associated Press)

On Thursday, meanwhile, Hong Kong marked the anniversary of its handover to China from the U.K. in a starkly different way from years past. A year after Beijing imposed a national security law on the city to stifle dissent, the boisterous and large pro-democracy march that took place annually on July 1 was replaced by a heavy police presence and proud displays of the Chinese flag.

Police officers put Hong Kong’s Victoria Park, where large crowds of protesters traditionally gather—as well as its surrounding areas—on lockdown. Tension in the streets rose as officers searched and detained pedestrians, at times laying out their belongings on the ground. Some who made pro-protest hand gestures or held up signs were also led away by the police.

Late Thursday, in the heavily patrolled Causeway Bay district, a man stabbed a police officer before reportedly stabbing himself to death. Police said in a statement on Facebook that the man attacked an officer with a knife, seriously injuring his back. The man then stabbed himself in the chest, according to local media outlets. A local hospital spokesman confirmed late Thursday that the man had died. It wasn’t immediately clear if the incident was related to the political anniversary.

— Elaine Yu in Hong Kong contributed to this article.

[mfaunlv]

Meet the New Class!

It is our pleasure to introduce you to the 17 writers who will join our UNLV community this coming Fall 2020 semester! Congratulations to everyone, and welcome to UNLV!

PHD/BLACK MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE FELLOWS

Dorothy Allred Solomon (nonfiction) was born into a polygamous household to the father of forty-eight children and his fourth wife, but married a Vietnam veteran who said, “One wife is more than enough.” She took her bachelor’s degree in literature, theater and communication and her master’s degree in Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Utah. Her writing has received several awards, including the 2004 WILLA, the Utah State Publishing Prize, three first prizes from the Utah Arts Council,  Distinguished Journalism Awards from Sigma Delta Chi and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and a Governor's Media Award for Excellence. Her books include the groundbreaking In My Father’s House (1984, Franklin Watts and 2008, Texas Tech University Press) Predators, Prey and Other Kinfolk: Growing Up in Polygamy, (W.W. Norton, 2003) Daughter of the Saints, (W. W. Norton, 2004) The Sisterhood: Inside the Lives of Mormon Women, (2007, Palgrave Macmillan) and coming in 2020 from Texas Tech University Press, Finding Karen: An Ancestral Mystery.

Areej Quraishi (fiction) was born in Dubai, UAE. Her fiction explores familial relationships, cultural identity, memory, and their effects on the psyche. She holds an MFA from the University of Washington-Seattle and an MA and BA in English from Rutgers University. Outside of writing, she enjoys food, trying out new recipes, teaching, graphic design, language, and dabbles in drawing and singing. Her stories appear or have been awarded Finalist spots in Entropy, Glimmer Train Press, and New Millennium Writings. She's super excited to attend UNLV and hopes that being raised in a desert has prepared her for the heat.

MFA Fiction

Mark Ranchez discovered the power of stories and storytelling at an early age. Moved from the Philippines to Hawaii in 2013, he finds himself in a constant journey into the unexpected and unknown, from which many of his stories he’s excited to write about were gleaned. By furthering his education and expertise of the craft, he aspires to someday bring these stories into life. His main writing interests involve the Filipinx experience both in the US and the Philippines. Currently he writes for The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle, an ethnic news publication based on Oahu. Hawaii.

 Shani Boianjiu (not pictured)

Marlan K. Smith joins the MFA program as a fiction writer after completing his MA in English at the University of Idaho. A veteran of the video game industry, his academic interests include contemporary and Victorian literature, speculative fiction, and horror. His short stories (written pseudonymously) have appeared in Dark Moon Harvest magazine as well as Space and Time Magazine. As someone moving to Las Vegas during a global pandemic, he accepts that he has basically become a character in a Stephen King novel.

Alycia Calvert was born in Palo Alto California, and has been trying be be close to the ocean ever since. She graduated from UNLV in 2016 with a degree in English, with an emphasis in Creative Writing. Alycia mostly writes flash fiction and is interested in the processes of mothering and childhood in memory. She is the wife to one wildlife biologist, and mother to four curious children. In her “spare time” she can be found running, biking, kayaking, nursing a forest of house plants, tearing through audio books, and half-finishing house projects. She loves learning, and is thrilled to begin her MFA at UNLV.  

MFA Poetry

Ben Socolofsky is a poet currently celebrating the mundane in Las Vegas, Nevada. He received a bachelor’s degree from Hampshire College, where he became a founding member of the Departure Collective, which organizes readings and produces chapbooks. His work has appeared in The Hampshire College Reader, WORKSHOP and Departure Anthology.

Sara Brown grew up in rural, middle-of-nowhere South Jersey on her grandparents’ two farms and on the coast. She started working at age 9 on her grandparents’ blueberry farm and then at a flower nursery while completing her Bachelors in Literature. Due to a very bad/good habit of being interested in everything, she enjoys reading and writing poetry and creative nonfiction, painting, growing plants, experimenting with film and digital photography, running and biking, and making music. She also has a chocolate problem and will ugly-cry when she has to leave her dog in NJ. Sara has spent many hours exploring the Mojave Desert while staying with her family and friends in Las Vegas and is beyond thrilled to start the MFA program at UNLV.

Benjamin Stallings is an American poet and musician who grew up in Beijing, China. He moved to America to attend Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, where he graduated with a B.A. in Literature and a B.A. in Writing. He performs as Dagger, playing guitar and writing songs in El Bandito Forever.

John Blake Oldenborg recently graduated from Florida State University with an M.A. in English Literature, Media, and Culture. His favorite pizza toppings are pepperoni and black olives. In his spare time, John enjoys visiting art museums and playing rogue-likes. He is scared of the screaming guy from the band Death Grips

Alice Letowt is convincing her endocrine system to behave. She is interested in light, spent two seasons working on a farm, and hopes to continue farming in the future. While practicing social distancing, she is discovering a fondness for azalea bushes. She can’t wait to stop in Kansas on her drive from Virginia to Nevada.

Harrison Bernard Nuzzo

“i stand outside me and watch myself"

- d.a. levy

 MFA Nonfiction

Michael Hanson, a Minnesota native, has chased warm weather in Hawaii, California, Hong Kong, Australia, and now Las Vegas. When he isn’t winning sailboat races, he can be found camping, reading, or carousing with the local riff-raff.

Emma Hardy is from Melbourne, Australia. Her nonfiction has been published in Voiceworks, The Lifted Brow, the Monthly and Dumbofeather. She's interested in animals, the environment and nonfiction that lends itself towards the speculative and fabulative. She's also obsessed with comedy, and performs improv, clown, sketch and occasionally stand-up.

Journalist Travis Dunn was born in New York City and grew up in New Jersey and rural Pennsylvania. He holds a B.A. from St. John’s College in Annapolis, Md. His reporting has been published by the Center for Public Integrity, WhoWhoWhy, Alternet, Belt Magazine, and the now-defunct Baltimore City Paper.

Claire Mullen is a freelance writer, critic, audio producer, and translator based in Mexico City. Her work has appeared in outlets such as The Nation, Lithub, The Believer, and Ploughshares, and she is currently a National Book Critics Circle fellow.

Patricia Heisser Ph. D is a clinical Psychologist who is also an activist and writer. She has been a play producer one of her plays “The Wedding Band”, received the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award. She consulted on casting for movies, such as "The Color Purple", "Lethal Weapon" and "Planet of the Apes" and had a television talk show on CBS," L.A. Kids" which was featured in TV Guide's' Year of the Child.  Patricia was also selected as a MS. Magazine Feminist Scholar focusing on international trafficking has testified for the United Nations on the Status of Women and Violence. She also was awarded the American Psychological Association accredited Clinical Psychology Fellowship at UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute.

[hong-kong-art-man]

“International-mindedness Is Central To The Cultural Attributes Of Hong Kong”： Wan Pin Chu Who Scored Music For A Chinese Film Nezha Which Earned 700 Million USD!

In 2020, China’s population is over 1.4 billion. In 2019, a film composer and Erhu(二胡)music player Wan Pin CHU(朱芸編) in Hong Kong, about 28 years old, scored music for an epic animated film Nezha(哪吒之魔童降世)which had an incredible gross box office over 700 million USD in China. When things impossible in Hong Kong are possible in the Chinese Mainland, we call it a miracle.

Wan performed Erhu solo for Chairman Xi Jinping and Prince William in the UK in 2015. He won numerous international music competition awards. This young talent was born and raised in Hong Kong. His father is a great Erhuist. In 2013, he finished his undergraduate study at King’s College London and the degree was in Musicology and Composition. Wan then received a scholarship to study Master in Composition for Film, Television and Game in the prestigious Royal College of Music. He returned to work in Hong Kong. Wan said, “Hong Kong is my home. It may grow or diminish, but this hometown remains mine. Where I may work or stay will be insignificant, Hong Kong will be important and always in my heart.”

Hong Kong is facing a diversity of issues that may affect her future. We have no idea how bad it may get. In the 1970s, China accounted for little of the world’s trade. Now, it is the leading manufacturing nation and biggest exporter. Hong Kong is no longer the ‘Gateway to China’. The rapid aging of Hong Kong’s population impacts adversely our economic growth. Our city is characterized by an extremely high degree of reliance on banking and financial institutions. Other trades are fading. Politically, we have an unsatisfactory situation in that the society was divided. The grumbling poor remain poor.

Wan said, “If Hong Kong is a small market, we must look for a bigger sky outside. The sky suggests possibility, optimism and dream. But, I want to say 2 things. Apart from the Chinese Mainland market, we shall not forget the rest of the world. Diversification and globalization, inclusive of cultural matters, are the keys to the cyber future. This explains why my music team often consisted of artists from different places apart from Hong Kong and they were from Beijing, Great Britain and Eastern Europe.”

I looked into the topic, “What is your second point?” Wan talked seriously, like a lawyer which he once wanted to be, “A place must have, if not maintain, its own personality. It must be unique and distinctive in order to be charming.” I gave thought to it, “Does Hong Kong have its own personality?” Wan said, “Hong Kong had been a British colony for 100 years since 1842. It is now part of China, one of the oldest world civilizations. Both Britain and China were rich with history, culture, art and philosophy. But, it may be too stale to describe, almost as a cliché, that Hong Kong is a melting pot of Chinese and western cultures. To stand out and compete, Hong Kong should be less unilateral or bilateral, and more international-minded. For example, Asia is the birthplace of many cultural traditions and art forms and they are what we can turn to. International-mindedness is the ability to be receptive to a multitude of ideas and cognisant of various experiences worldwide; and finally turn it into your own.”

I supported the view, “Film critics commented that Hong Kong films carried ‘Hong Kong whiff’(港味) which was a combination of speed, functionality, open-mindedness, humour and compactness and these were the characteristics of people in Hong Kong.”

Wan concurred, “The same has a bearing on music. The Hong Kong pop music called ‘Cantopop’ attained its highest glory with a huge fanbase reaching the Chinese Mainland and Asia in the 80s and 90s. Why? I believe our city’s music has its own style as to the melody, tempo, music composition and contents. While the mainstream music in the commercial market is going feeble, I can feel the young musicians in Hong Kong are still full of energy and passion to try to break through.”

I asked, “Can you give me an example in which Hong Kong music talents can explore, given our global sensitivity?”

Wan thought about it, “Say in the case of soundscape music (It basically refers to the ‘sound’ or ‘waveforms’ faithfully transmitted to our auditory cortex by the ear forming the musical tune). It is an interesting new area that we can explore even for music scoring in film.”

We have 2 lives. The life we live, and the unlived life ahead of us. Between the two stands resistance. We like to use our present, or sometimes past, experience to define what ahead will be acceptable or not. Some young people in Hong Kong seem lost in that way. Politically, they incline to the past. Economically, they expect a wonderful new world with Hong Kong standing alone on its own feet. Paradoxically though it may seem, reality sadly limits dream more than dream expands reality.

MLee

Chu Wan Pin Erhu performance “Dear Friend, Goddess” acknowledgement-Chu Win Pin https://youtu.be/WiOh_tgHsrU

Chu Wan Pin Erhu performance “Flight of the Bumblebee” acknowledgement-Chu Win Pin https://youtu.be/FQ5Y2uZ47RI

Chu Wan Pin performance with Yao Yueh Chinese Music Association acknowledgement-YaoYueh https://youtu.be/-e-Gz7fmU2Y

Chu Wan Pin Movie Music Trailer acknowledgement-True Movie Trailer https://youtu.be/iNXew6zQXLQ

Chu Wan Pin Movie Music acknowledgement-Hong Kong Movie https://youtu.be/HyUp3VaIEMQ

[hkima]

On 5th, May, 2018, instructed by Mr. Minghua Peng, Wenhan Hu and Kaijun Wu held a Violin Report Concert in the Dongguan B.L. Concert Hall. (Top Half) 

Dongguan B.L. Concert Hall is invested by Hong Kong International Musician Association. 

2018年5月5日，在彭明華老師的指導下，胡文瀚和吳俊凱在東莞蓓蕾音樂廳舉行。（上半部）

東莞蓓蕾音樂廳由香港國際音樂家協會投資建成。

Official website for more details: bl-concerthall

[junker-town]

The NBA’s fallout with China, explained

Will the NBA and China ever make good again?

Everything you need to know about the ongoing situation with the NBA and China.

A tweet by Rockets general manager Daryl Morey supporting protestors in Hong Kong is setting off a chain reaction of fallout between the NBA and China. As the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets played two games in Shanghai and Shenzhen in October, China-based media and businesses started to pull their support from the league.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has already issued two statements clarifying the league’s position on Morey’s tweet. Despite the tweet being almost immediately deleted, Silver stated he “regrets” upsetting people in China but wouldn’t limit free speech for league employees.

The response has not appeased business leaders and the state-run broadcast networks previously set to air the games. What originally started as a backlash focused on the Rockets now threatens to derail the NBA’s strong relationship in China. The Lakers-Nets game went on with no media availability. Now that the players have returned safely to U.S. soil, more athletes are starting to chime in on the international incident caused by Morey’s tweet.

Here’s a running list of the fallout that has come from Morey’s tweet:

China has suspended preseason NBA broadcasts in the country

Chinese state-run broadcast network CCTV has pulled broadcasts of both Nets vs. Lakers games this week. CCTV issued the following statement Tuesday morning:

“We’ve noticed NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s response to the inappropriate remarks by Houston Rockets GM Morey. We are strongly unsatisfied and opposed to Adam Silver’s claim of supporting Morey’s rights of having freedom of speech,” sports channel CCTV5 said Tuesday on its social media page. “We think any remarks that challenge national sovereignty and social stability are outside the category of freedom of speech.”

The network also stated it would “investigate all cooperation and exchanges with the NBA.”

The league currently has a a $1.5 billion streaming deal with Chinese media company Tencent.

Tickets for the Nets-Lakers preseason game have been unavailable online

The Nets and Lakers are set to play in Shanghai at Mercedes-Benz Arena on Thursday. Per the Wall Street Journal, “tickets from the designated online agent for Thursday’s Shanghai game became unavailable.”

Community events are being canceled

The NBA and the Nets were scheduled to dedicate a new Learn and Play Center at a primary school here in Shanghai this afternoon as part of the league’s NBA Cares program - but the event has been canceled by the Education Bureau.

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) October 8, 2019

Chinese celebrities are boycotting the NBA China games

Chinese actors, musicians, and other celebrities are pulling out of their involvement in the NBA China games according to USA Today, though the publication doesn’t name names.

There is no media availability before, during or after Nets vs. Lakers in Shanghai

All media availability for Adam Silver and the stars and coaches of the Nets and Lakers (including Kyrie Irving and LeBron James) has been cancelled by Chinese officials, according to NBA.com.

This is, needless to say, highly unusual.

The Chinese Basketball Association will no longer cooperate with the Rockets

Chinese Basketball Association announced that they will cut off all cooperation with Houston Rockets. Rockets former superstar Yao Ming is the president of CBA. pic.twitter.com/FDviYAQDV3

— Yu Fu (@YuFuTroy) October 6, 2019

Brands are halting their relationships with the NBA

When the first Lakers-Nets game tipped off on Tuesday, there were no sponsors to be seen around the games. The floors were even re-finished to remove brand logos that had originally been painted onto the floor.

No corporate logos on the floor tonight - I’m told that after several sponsors pulled out, workers had to re-sand the floors because the original logos had been painted on. pic.twitter.com/OTshOMFqlF

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) October 10, 2019

Anta Sports Products Ltd., the Chinese shoe brand that sponsors Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson, is suspending contract negotiations with the NBA after saying it was as shocked as fans by the league’s statement on Morey’s tweet, per the Wall Street Journal.

Sportswear brand Li-Ning and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank announced they are halting their relationships with the Houston Rockets, according to Reuters. A former Rockets reporter tweeted SPDB would “stop all marketing and promotion activities related to the Rockets.”

SPDB, a Rockets sponsor from China, announced that they will stop all marketing and promotion activities related to Rockets. pic.twitter.com/Lr7b4qvJA6

— Yu Fu (@YuFuTroy) October 6, 2019

Vivo, a Chinese phone company that sponsored the NBA China games, is suspending all cooperation with the league, expressing “strong dissatisfaction and condemnation” against the NBA’s statement on Morey’s tweet, per the Wall Street Journal.

Tencent is blacklisting the Rockets

Tencent, a streaming service with a billion-dollar deal to bring NBA games to people in China, announced it would “suspend all reports/streaming” of Rockets games. The company is now allowing fans to “switch home teams” for those who bought a single-team pass to watch the Rockets.

Rockets gear is disappearing

The NBA store in Beijing has replaced Rockets gear with apparel from other teams, according to the Wall Street Journal. Online retailers have also reportedly pulled the team’s merchandise.

Two fans in Philadelphia with “Free Hong Kong” signs were kicked out of a Sixers game

Here are the controversial signs. I know, earth shattering right? Obvious why the NBA would have a problem with this. Thanks to @Christie_Ileto for sending me this photo: pic.twitter.com/Y1GydtGked

— Sam Wachs (@gogowachs) October 9, 2019

The Sixers claim they were thrown out because there were “multiple complaints from guests and verbal confrontations with others in attendance.”

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has called on the NBA to leave China

An eclectic group of United States lawmakers including Bronx Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz signed a letter to the NBA ripping the league for not standing behind Morey more forcefully and for having a training academy in the heart of Xinjiang province, where China is allegedly holding a million Uighurs in “re-education camps.”

Fans had “Free Hong Kong” signs confiscated at the Wizards vs. Guangzhou Long Lions preseason game

Just had our “Free Hong Kong” sign confiscated at Capitol One Arena at the Wizards game against the Guangzhou Long Lions. #FreeHongKong #NBA #Censorship pic.twitter.com/on1O4QdBUi

— Jon Schweppe (@JonSchweppe) October 9, 2019

Our “Google Uyghurs” sign has been confiscated. pic.twitter.com/fX4tF4oOxR

— Jon Schweppe (@JonSchweppe) October 9, 2019

Fans in D.C. wearing “Free Hong Kong” t-shirts had signs taken from them supporting Hong Kong protestors.

A reporter was shut down from asking James Harden and Russell Westbrook a question about China

Journalist gets quickly shut down when she asked James Harden, Russell Westbrook if they would refrain from speaking out on politics/social justice after China debacle... pic.twitter.com/VkXSWo0N0s

— gifdsports (@gifdsports) October 10, 2019

A CNN reporter was interrupted as she asked the Rockets stars who the fallout from this week affects the way they’d talk about China and other political issues. Her question was stopped by an NBA spokesperson and she was told the players would only be answering questions about basketball.

The league later commented that the reporter should have been allowed to ask her question:

NBA says @HoustonRockets PR rep ``inappropriately'' prevented question from a CNN reporter during team's media session. ``This was inconsistent with how the NBA conducts media events.'' #sportsbiz

— Scott Soshnick (@soshnick) October 10, 2019

Adam Silver held a private meeting with teams in China, where LeBron James urged the league to speak up before the players

Shams Charania detailed the tense hours before the Lakers-Nets games in China in a column at The Athletic. According to Charania, Silver held an open floor meeting where players including LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kyle Kuzma spoke up on the issue:

Lakers star LeBron James spoke up in front of everyone in the room and stated he believed that Silver and the NBA needed to explain and articulate the situation first, before the players would have to, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the meeting told The Athletic. James expressed concern that without the league being able to speak to media to address all of the questions and dynamics about China and the NBA, it was unfair for solely players to bear that responsibility.

“Adam deserves a lot of credit because instead of forcing these players in front of cameras in China, he worked with everyone in the room and heard them out,” one person involved in the meeting said.

LeBron James issued a statement on the situation ... and then clarified what he meant with two tweets

Once the Lakers returned to American soil, reporters asked James about the issue before a preseason game against the Warriors. You can watch James’ full comments here:

LeBron James on if Daryl Morey should be reprimanded for his tweet pic.twitter.com/6hCE8vCyNn

— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) October 15, 2019

Minutes after speaking to the media, James tweeted two clarifying statements:

Let me clear up the confusion. I do not believe there was any consideration for the consequences and ramifications of the tweet. I’m not discussing the substance. Others can talk About that.

— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 15, 2019

My team and this league just went through a difficult week. I think people need to understand what a tweet or statement can do to others. And I believe nobody stopped and considered what would happen. Could have waited a week to send it.

— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 15, 2019

Enes Kanter tweeted a statement on the situation

-Haven’t seen or talked to my family 5 years -Jailed my dad -My siblings can’t find jobs -Revoked my passport -International arrest warrant -My family can’t leave the country -Got Death Threats everyday -Got attacked, harassed -Tried to kidnap me in Indonesia FREEDOM IS NOT FREE

— Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) October 15, 2019

Kanter is a native of Turkey and has been an outspoken critic of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who has seen major consequences for his free speech.

Chinese state TV did not air the NBA’s opening night games. Tencent only aired Lakers-Clippers

CCTV chose not to air the NBA’s opening night games of the regular season as it typically does, according to ESPN. Tencent opted to air the Clippers vs. Lakers nightcap, but not the Pelicans vs. Raptors opening game.

[harvardsquarekiosk]

Suggested Programming Opportunities for Harvard Square Kiosk

By the Harvard Square Business Association

The Kiosk should be staffed every day from early in the morning until and throughout the evening all year long.

These events should take place throughout the year, as appropriate.

Voter registration, Wayfinding, Maps, Public Toilet locations, Tours, Harvard Square business listings, City-wide festival and events listings, Historical information etc.

Community Partners:

Cambridge Arts Council curates art shows.

CCTV records BeLive from Harvard Square.

Alternating Museum Schedules…Harvard Art Museum, Peabody Museum, Museum of Natural History, Museum of Science, etc. (displays, information etc.)

Friday Forums ��� similar to TED talks….but done by Cambridge people.

Saturday night – Meet & Greets, sponsored by alternating restaurants (food sampling, mocktails, and live music).

Sunday evenings – Alternating concerts….Longy, New School of Music, Passim, Choir of St. Paul’s, Revels, Blue Heron, Cambridge Symphony, Folk New England and the CCAE.

Book readings sponsored by alternating Harvard Square book stores with book groups discussions and featured authors.

Seasonal Programmed Events at Harvard Square Kiosk

All events are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Winter Carnival

January

January 8 – Harvard Square’s 8th Annual month long Winter Carnival commencing with the Boston Celtic Music Festival & Club Passim – live in Harvard Square Station…..MLK’s I Have a Dream speech, recited by Cambridge public school children.

January 22-23 and 24th – Taste of Chocolate Festival in Harvard Square! Find a chocolate sponsor i.e. (Lindt) to sample at Harvard Square Station….(Lindt is a featured chocolatier at Cardullo’s and other shops in Harvard Square).

January 30th – Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year Parade!  Parade at 3pm with a stop at Harvard Square Station ….followed by her award presentation and roast.

February

February 6 – Display the trophy and accept the ballots for the 8th Annual “Some Like it Hot Chili Cook-off” from 1pm – 2:30 pm (the day before the Super Bowl)….where the public can enjoy samples of chili from some of Harvard Square’s HOTTEST restaurants while enjoying  musical entertainment! Cast your vote for the best “Some Like it Hot” Chili in Harvard Square in the Harvard Square Station.

February 7 – Super Bowl Sunday in Harvard Square! Invite folks to come to watch the Super Bowl in various Harvard Square establishments….however, invite them to stop by Harvard Square Station to drop off canned and boxed goods to replenish Cambridge food pantries…

February 14 – 15 – 16 – Lovin’ the Square.  This year’s Valentine’s event will feature fabulous food and drinks from Harvard Square’s restaurants, romantic and fun deals from our retailers and a variety of interesting, cozy and entertaining things to do from all of our cultural icons. Meet at Harvard Square Station to create a special valentine.  (Partner with an appropriate sponsor who will provide all the necessary arts supplies.)    

February 23 - Chinese New Year.  Come celebrate Chinese New Year in Harvard Square!  2014 is the year of the Horse and the 59th Anniversary of the Hong Kong in Harvard Square.  As usual, Massachusetts Avenue from the Hong Kong to Harvard Square Station will be festooned with red and gold lanterns hanging from our wrought iron lampposts as we prepare for our grand Chinese New Year procession through Harvard Square and our cultural "Open House" at the Hong Kong!  Lion Dancers will stop at Harvard Station for a special performance.  

Early Spring

March

March 1st – Women History Month in Harvard Square.  Breakfast meet and greet at Harvard Square Station with Harvard Square’s civic, business, academic and political leaders.

March 2nd – The 86th Annual Academy Awards Oscar Sunday – Harvard Square establishments will be hosting viewing parties.  Prior to the party, please come by Harvard Square Station with your gently used gowns and evening wear…which will be donated to Belle of the Ball. Belle of the Ball/Anton’s Cleaners will clean your gowns and donate them students unable to afford Prom gowns.      

March 16th – March 21st & March 23rd – March 28th – Winter Restaurant Week in Harvard Square! Come by Harvard Square Station to sample delicious restaurant offerings.

March 17th – Harvard-Go-Brach events!  Join us in Harvard Square as we celebrate our Irish Cultural Heritage!  Come by Harvard Square Station to take an Irish step-dancing class…dance the Irish jig…and listen to live Irish music and poetry!

Spring

April

April 18th – 27th – The 9th Annual Cambridge Science Festival. Harvard Square is full of scientific surprises! Come by Harvard Square Station where science projects created by Cambridge public school children will be on display.  

April 26th – The 7th Annual Bookish Ball and Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebration!  Partnering with the Cambridge Public Library, Actors’ Shakespeare Project and Harvard Square’s bookstores, please join us for bookstore strolls, music, dancing, performances, and birthday cake which will be served in Harvard Square Station from 2:00 until 3:30 p.m. along with a fun and surprising round of POP- UP SHAKESPEARE!

May

May 1st – May 4th – The 24th Annual Harvard Arts First Festival – Join hundreds of Harvard undergraduates, graduates and faculty in Harvard’s annual celebration of the arts! Join us at Harvard Square Station where art work created by Harvard students will be on display.

May 4th – The 33rd Annual Mayfair Featuring six stages of live entertainment, dozens of restaurant vendors, hundreds of street vendors selling artwork, jewelry, vintage clothing, neighborhood sidewalk sales, and the Rotary Club of Cambridge’s Annual Chalk on the Walk!  From noon – 6pm. Harvard Square Station will be the information center of the festival. Lost and Found, Information, Command Central.

May 5th – Cinco de Mayo – Mexican heritage celebrated in the restaurants of Harvard Square.  Join us at Harvard Square Station for a performance by Mariachi’s de Veritas….a fabulous Mariachi band made up entirely of Harvard Students.

May 11th – Mother’s Day! Stop by Harvard Station to leave a post-it note message for mom. Messages will be placed on the walls of the building. Post-it notes will be provided….

May 29th –  367th Harvard Commencement.   Harvard Square Station will be the centerpiece of the activity….with plenty of outside seating, planters overflowing with flowers and street musicians playing to the crowds.

Patios in Bloom

June

June 2nd – Harvard Square’s Annual Patios in Bloom Festival.  Come celebrate as we officially open patio season with the installation of our Victorian Flower Baskets both on the lampposts….and at Harvard Square Station.  

June 6th – June 15th – Gay Pride in Harvard Square.  Public discussion held in Harvard Station led by GBLT groups from the City of Cambridge.  

June 15th – Father’s Day! A father and child(ren) walk around the Square will begin and end at Harvard Square Station.  Followed by a light breakfast sponsored by the Harvard Square Business Association.    

June 21st – 7th Annual Make Music Harvard Square, Fete de la Musique! A square wide musical celebration held in every nook and cranny, park and plaza and street and patio throughout the day and evening…with special musical performances at Harvard Square Station.

Summer

July

July 4th – Harvard Square Station, festooned with red, white and blue balloons…is a reception center for all the visitors coming in for the firework celebration on the Charles River.

July 13th – Bastille Day!  Join us on Holyoke Street for a stormin’ French street festival featuring fabulous French food, music and dance!  Harvard Square Station will feature French music and French coffee and mini croissants…(we will find a sponsor for this event.)  

August

Summer Restaurant Week in Harvard Square.  Samplings from some of Harvard Square’s finest restaurants will take place in Harvard Square Station.

September

September 1st – 30th – 6th Annual Revival Month in Harvard Square. Join us at Harvard Square Station for a 50’s style Hootenanny, and old-fashioned jam session….in partnership with Passim.  

September 21 – 4th Annual Folk Music Festival in Harvard Square.

Some of today’s hottest up and coming folk artists will be playing our free festival on Palmer Street….and in Harvard Square Station.

September 21 – 13th Annual Riversing, presented by the Revels.  Morris dancers will be on hand to give a performance at Harvard Square Station!

September 27 – The 6th Annual Americana Music Festival in Harvard Square. 3 days of music and activities…with special performances at Harvard Square Station.

Fall

October

October 9th –  38th Annual Oktoberfest and HONK Festival features six stages of 8live entertainment, dozens of international food vendors, hundreds of street vendors selling artwork, jewelry, and vintage clothing, neighborhood sidewalk sales and HONK! bands from around the country. Harvard Square Station will be the centerpiece of the event. (Information, Lost & Found, Command Central)    

October 18th – 19th – The 52th Annual Head of the Charles Regatta, the world’s largest two-day rowing event, brings 7,500 athletes from around the world to compete in 55 different race events.  Harvard Square Station will be the “Welcome Center”….to the thousands of visitors.  

October 31st – November 2nd – Harvard Scare!  Spooky and fun activities throughout the Square.  Costumed children of all ages are invited to join us at Harvard Square Station where we will gather to parade around the Square….and join us as we trick-or-treat at numerous Harvard Square restaurants and shops where goodies await.

November 

November 1st – 30th – 6th Annual Folk Music Month in Harvard Square.  This month-long event will feature special displays of FOLK memorabilia (think Bob Dylan, Joan Baez) at Harvard Square Station…..culminating in a very special folk music performance at the end of the month….also in the Station.

November 22nd – 13rd Harvard/Yale Game at Harvard.  Meet your friends at Harvard Square Station for complimentary hot chocolate or hot cider before the game!

November 27th – Thanksgiving!  Starting November 12th and running through November 25th, the Harvard Square Station will be set up to receive your donations of frozen turkeys, fresh veggies and thanksgiving fixings….which will be distributed to various social service agencies and food pantries throughout the city.

Sparklesfest

November 28th – Kick-off the holiday shopping season with Plaid and Black Friday events.  Get your Harvard Square recycled Holiday Shopping bag at Harvard Square Station.

November 29th – Join us at the Annual Tree Lighting at the Charles Hotel….and later on walk over to Harvard Square Station for a Victorian Caroler Sing-along!

December

December 1 – December 24th – We will hire (or get volunteers) to Christmas wrap presents in Harvard Square Station….All proceeds from the wrapping will go to Youth on Fire.

December 4th – Harvard Square Station will feature a giant community-wide “Make Our Own Cambridge Gingerbread House” which will be displayed until Christmas.

December 20th – The “Some Like it Hot” Everyone Loves Latkes Party! From 1pm – 2pm, the 8th annual Everyone Loves Latkes Party features the most delicious, most creative and best-looking latkes and condiments around!  This free event features latke donations from the fabulous restaurants of Harvard Square. There will be a very special Klezmer music performance….and a reading of the Runaway Latkes, by Leslie Kimmelman, Paul Yalowitz (Illustrator) at Harvard Square Station.

[nsula]

Musician earns spot at prestigious music conservatory

NATCHITOCHES – Carlos Gomez Garcia, a Colombian exchange student pursuing a degree in music performance with a minor in business at Northwestern State University, has been accepted to pursue an advanced degree at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, one of the top 10 music conservatories in the world. Located in London, England, the school is a global leader of creative and professional practice and promotes innovation, experiment and research for musicians, actors, stage managers and theatre technicians as they develop as artists and professionals.

 Garcia, a double-bass player, will pursue a Guildhall Artist Master in Performance degree, a two-year program in which students gain technical facility and musical flexibility while providing professional exposure.  Students study with world-class professors, work with internationally renowned conductors and artists and perform in some of the finest venues.

 Guildhall has more than 900 students in higher education drawn from nearly 60 countries around the world.  

 Garcia will graduate from NSU in May.  Meanwhile, he is preparing for his senior recital as well as an important competition sponsored by the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) in which he advanced from the state and regional competitions to qualify as one of seven musicians competing at the national level in the String Young Artist category. The competition will take place in Baltimore, Maryland in March.

             Garcia, 21, has been playing the double bass since age 13. He began preparing for the Guildhall audition, held last November, two semesters in advance.

 “I knew it was something that required a considerable amount of time to get ready, so I started recording the music needed for the audition,” he said.  “Normally auditions are held in different parts of the world such as New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul or Tokyo. But I asked for a special permit to submit a DVD audition instead, since I could not afford traveling to New York with a bass, to play the live audition.”

 Going to London will be a new experience for Garcia, who will be travelling to Europe for the first time.  He auditioned in 2011 to join NSU’s School of Creative and Performing Arts, so when he came to the United States in 2013, he already knew some of the students and staff at Northwestern State, such as Dr. Marcus Jones, who has worked to facilitate recruitment of international students and smooth their transition into NSU.

 “This time it is going to be different because I do not know anybody there,” he said. “It’s going to be a new place, a new school, a different education system, new country, new continent and I am honestly very excited about it. The only thing I know for sure is that I have very high expectations for the future to come.”

 One of Garcia’s inspirations, Rinat Ibragimov, is a professor at Guildhall and Garcia is hopeful to have him as a teacher.

 “He is one of the best and finest double bass players alive, his music is very passionate yet so focused, that allows him to play with so many sonorities achieving his desired sound,” Garcia said. He is also a fan of Dominik Wagner, a young and accomplished rising star in double bass.

 As for his future as a professional musician, Garcia would like to perform with the London Symphony Orchestra and have a career as a teacher, soloist and global performer.

 “I think of music like wings,” he said.  “It allows you to do many things and go to so many places, as long as you are willing to fly.”

 He credited Paul Christopher, associate professor of cello and music theory, a well as Peter Haas for guidance as mentors at Northwestern State.

 “NSU was crucial element for my developing as musician and more importantly as a person,” Garcia said.  “It really opened my eyes for the possibilities beyond my education. The environment is really suitable for people who want to improve on their instruments, people who like to push themselves to be better everyday, who like to go beyond what is expected and do the unexpected.”

[hvilleicehockey-blog]

Affiliate marketing

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[morrisbrokaw]

TIMBERLAND COMMITS TO PLANT 50 MILLION TREES OVER NEXT FIVE YEARS

Company launches “Nature Needs Heroes” campaign to empower global community to be champions for the planet

Global outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland today announced a new commitment to plant 50 million trees around the world by 2025 as part of its pursuit of a greener future. This bold goal builds on Timberland’s longstanding commitment to make products responsibly, strengthen communities, and protect and enhance the outdoors. One key area of focus has been tree planting; since 2001, the brand has planted more than 10 million trees worldwide.

  According to new research led by Swiss University ETH Zürich, the restoration of trees remains among the most effective strategies for climate change mitigation, and a worldwide planting program could remove two-thirds of all the emissions that have been pumped into the atmosphere by human activities. Trees help to clean air by removing carbon and releasing oxygen into the air; cool the air through evaporation; prevent erosion and save water, and more. Over the next five years, Timberland will support multiple re-forestation initiatives around the world in support of a greener future.

  “At Timberland, we’re conscious of the impact our modern way of life has on the planet. And we believe as a global lifestyle brand, and as individuals, we have a responsibility to make it better,” said Jim Pisani, global brand president, Timberland. “Trees and green spaces help improve the quality of our planet as well as individual wellbeing. Our commitment to plant trees is a real, measurable way to act upon our belief that a greener future is a better future. We encourage people everywhere to join the movement by taking their own actions – small or large – to be heroes for nature.”

  To kick off its pledge, Timberland has launched its largest-ever global campaign, “Nature Needs Heroes,” calling on consumers around the world to join the movement by taking simple, small actions for a healthier planet. Harnessing the brand’s passion for nature and the energy of fashion, the campaign celebrates 12 eco-heroes who are making lasting, positive change for the environment and their communities. Each hero dons new styles from the fall 2019 collection, with city greenscapes as the backdrop.

  The campaign will come to life through robust media activations across print, digital, out of home, social media and PR. The brand will also engage the global community to be heroes for nature through a series of tree planting and greening events, including:

A three-day pop-up park and urban greening event in New York City where consumers can meet the heroes, make pledges to live a greener life and enhance their local community

A REMADE workshop in Shanghai, China featuring Timberland’s Global Creative Director Christopher Raeburn and APAC eco-hero, Will Pan to advocate responsible design and call on consumers to take simple actions for a better future.

Greening events in London, Paris, Milan, Berlin and Amsterdam where Timberland will work together with the communities on local greening projects and call on consumers to take their own actions for change.

To help realize its 50 million tree commitment, Timberland will partner with a range of organizations that support the environment through large-scale regreening and tree planting efforts. These organizations include the Smallholder Farmers Alliance, GreenNetwork, TREE AID, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, Connect4Climate – World Bank Group, Justdiggit, Las Lagunas Ecological Park, Trees for the Future, American Forests and Treedom.

  Projects in year one will focus on Haiti, China, the Dominican Republic, the United States, Tanzania and Mali – including support of the Great Green Wall, an African-led movement to grow an 8,000km line of trees across the entire width of Africa to fight climate change, drought, famine, conflict, and migration.

“We are thrilled to have Timberland join the Great Green Wall movement – an emerging new world wonder that promises to grow hope for millions of people in the face of the 21st century’s most urgent challenges,” said Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

“I believe anyone can be a hero for nature just by doing something small on a daily basis,” said Inna Modja, international musician, activist, and ambassador for the Great Green Wall. “Recycle every day, buy fair trade products, research clothing, food, and coffee — at every step you can do something. If you are aware of these little things you can do, you will find yourself doing more and more.” A native of Mali, Modja is one of the eco-heroes being featured in the Nature Needs Heroes campaign.

  To learn more about Timberland’s tree planting commitment and Nature Needs Heroes campaign, visit the brand’s responsibility site.

  About Timberland

Founded in 1973, Timberland is a global outdoor lifestyle brand based in Stratham, New Hampshire, with international headquarters in Switzerland and Hong Kong. Best known for its original yellow boot designed for the harsh elements of New England, Timberland today offers a full range of footwear, apparel and accessories for people who value purposeful style and share the brand’s passion for enjoying – and protecting – nature.

  At the heart of the Timberland® brand is the core belief that a greener future is a better future. This comes to life through a decades-long commitment to make products responsibly, protect the outdoors, and strengthen communities around the world. To share in Timberland’s mission to step outside, work together and make it better, visit one of our stores, timberland.com or follow us @timberland. Timberland is a VF Corporation brand.

  About the Great Green Wall

The Great Green Wall is an African-led movement to grow an 8000km line of trees across the entire width of Africa to fight climate change, drought, famine, conflict, and migration. Timberland is partnering with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and Connect4Climate – World Bank Group as part of the UNCCD-led campaign ‘Growing a World Wonder’ which supports the Great Green Wall.  TREE AID – an international development organization that focuses on unlocking the potential of trees to reduce poverty and protect the environment in Africa – is planting trees in Mali as a key partner in the campaign.

  About Smallholder Farmers Alliance

The Smallholder Farmers Alliance (SFA) works to help feed and reforest a renewed Haiti by establishing farmer cooperatives, building agricultural export markets, creating rural farm businesses, and contributing to community development. Timberland has worked with SFA since 2010, to plant millions of trees in Haiti, establish nurseries and the jobs that come with them, and reintroduce cotton farming to the nation – helping to not only improve the environment, but the incomes and livelihoods of thousands of Haitian farmers.

  About Trees for the Future

Trees for the Future revitalizes land by providing farmers with tree seeds, technical training, and on-site planning assistance. Timberland is working with Trees for the Future in Kenya and/or Senegal to educate and empower farmers to plant trees around their crops. This helps smallholder farming families increase their yields to make a better living and send their children to school.

  About Green Network

Since 2001, Timberland has partnered with Japanese NGO Green Network, to plant trees in the Horqin Desert, quelling sandstorms and improving the air quality for the East Asia and Pacific region, including Japan. Green Network is a grassroots environmental NGO headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. It is committed to cultivating environmental awareness and enhancing the consciousness and enthusiasm of the public to participate in the prevention and control of desertification. Since 2000, Green Network has carried out a multitude of projects related to sand control and greening. And since 2014, they have been working in Mongolia to green the lost grassland.

  About Las Lagunas Ecological Park

Timberland has worked with Las Lagunas Ecological Park in Santiago, Dominican Republic to grow tree seedlings to be distributed to local communities in need. These trees provide shade, clean the air, and offer fresh fruit to community members. Timberland owns a footwear factory in the Dominican Republic. The factory employees volunteer to work with Las Lagunas on greening projects throughout the year.

  About Justdiggit

Justdiggit is a non-profit organization that makes dry lands green again on a large scale. Justdiggit restores degraded landscapes by empowering local communities through  landscape restoration techniques such as Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR). This brings brings back millions of trees with strong benefits to nature, wildlife, people and climate. Justdiggit also employs harvesting rainwater techniques to restore the natural water cycle, which significantly improves soil health, enables tree growth and positively impacts biodiversity and food security for local communities. Through their partnership, Justdiggit and Timberland will grow nearly 10 million trees in rural Tanzania.

  About American Forests

Founded in 1875 as the American Forestry Association, American Forests is the oldest national conservation organization in the U.S. Today, American Forests creates healthy and resilient forests from cities to wilderness that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water, and wildlife. Timberland has partnered with American Forests to plant trees in six key ecosystems in the United States. In addition to making a financial contribution, Timberland also invites consumers to support American Forests and donate a dollar to plant a tree to protect, preserve, and improve our collective outdoors.

  About Treedom

Treedom is an EU-based company that promotes the implementation of agro-forestry projects around the world. Since its foundation in 2010 in Florence, more than 600,000 trees have been planted in Africa, South America and Italy through Treedom. All trees are planted directly by local farmers and bring environmental, social and financial benefits to their communities Timberland is partnering with Treedom to plant trees in Ghana as part of Africa’s Great Green Wall project.

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[whittlebaggett8]

China’s Long, Hot Summer of Censorship

Each individual year in June, China’s censors go into overdrive to prevent citizens from discussing, commemorating, or studying about the pro-democracy protests that took position throughout the country in 1989 and the brutal armed forces action that introduced them to an close.

But this calendar year, the combination of the 30th anniversary of all those occasions, an escalating trade war with the United States, huge anti-governing administration protests in Hong Kong, and the availability of a much more technologically state-of-the-art info-manage process has pushed the Chinese Communist Party’s censorship endeavours to unprecedented extremes. With even far more sensitive anniversaries approaching in July, the escalation is possible to continue on.

New Updates to Current Censorship

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Not astonishingly, the nationwide world wide web filtering process recognised as the Excellent Firewall expanded its reach this month. Inside of the 1st 7 days of June, the internet sites of 12 important worldwide information retailers from 5 different nations around the world had been blocked, such as CNN, the Washington Publish, the Guardian, the Intercept, the Toronto Star, The Age in Australia, and New Zealand’s Newsroom. These joined other individuals like the New York Periods, Reuters, and the Wall Avenue Journal, which have lengthy been inaccessible within just China.

In the meantime, the country’s most preferred social media apps — Sina Weibo and Tencent’s WeChat — deployed novel technologies and penalties to avoid information about the June 4 anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre from circulating. Censors at top rated Chinese tech providers explained to Reuters that the artificial intelligence utilized to detect and delete banned content material had arrived at “unprecedented degrees of accuracy.” People caught communicating about the occasions of 1989 risked currently being shut out of their WeChat accounts to log back in, they would have to admit that they had “spread destructive rumors” and supply a face print, as BBC journalist Stephen McDonell skilled 1st-hand. Manya Koetse notes that on Weibo there was extra airtight censorship this 12 months encompassing the phrase “Tiananmen” by itself, and not only in mix with dates or conditions that would url it to 1989. In yet another initial, Apple reportedly eradicated several Chinese-language podcasts from its on line shop in China, influencing 1 of the few Apple products and services in the region that had until then prevented censorship.

Expansion to Apolitical Areas

Even fairly dated enjoyment written content has not escaped the censors’ awareness. In the most notable case in point, key Chinese streaming platforms have eradicated songs by rock star Li Zhi considering that April, and the musician’s Weibo account, WeChat general public account, and Douban musician website page have been deleted. Though Li’s current new music has been apolitical or even professional-govt, a few more mature pieces alluded to the 1989 protests. In the run-up to the June anniversary, regulators purchased the deletion of any audio or online video information associated to these music.

A extra surprising move has been the complete or partial suspension of are living-streaming, relationship, and superstar gossip products and services owing to “system upgrades” or “maintenance,” all commencing in May and scheduled to close in June. At minimum nine these instances have been documented, together with Momo (a hook-up and are living streaming app with 113 million buyers), movie-sharing internet site Bilibili (100 million users), China’s greatest dating application Tantan (90 million end users), LGBT social media app Blued (27 million end users), and Dingtalk, a enterprise conversation app. In most cases the company was not entirely shuttered, with suspensions focusing rather on functions that permit true-time communication and could possibly be tricky for censors to hold up with — this sort of as “bullet chat” commentary that operates along a online video. YY, a well-known stay-streaming system, declared this kind of restriction in late May, shortly just after including in excess of 300 new keywords and phrases related to June 4 and Hong Kong to its blacklist.

The companies’ statements explained that their efforts were initiated at the behest of “the related govt authority,” an apparent reference to the strong Cyber Administration of China (CAC). They experienced small decision but to comply with the agency’s calls for. The economical information provider Refinitiv, which distributes Reuters articles by way of Eikon terminals, was reportedly warned by CAC officials that it could lose its news dissemination license if it refused to omit articles relevant to the Tiananmen anniversary. In a indication of the regime’s broader stress and anxiety about the economic climate and involved topics, on June 10 the CAC reportedly requested the suspension of the web page and cell app of Wallstreet.cn, a monetary news aggregator that experienced garnered an estimated 180 million world consumers.

In reality, the jump in censorship more than the previous month is perhaps most outstanding for the sheer scale of the media styles and person bases affected. Hundreds of millions of men and women have professional a sudden decline in their means to obtain or share info, even if in some instances they continue being unaware of the motives at the rear of the restriction.

Short-term or Long-lasting?

Provided that the upgraded censorship looks to have been brought on largely by the Tiananmen anniversary, 1 may possibly assume that most of the new steps are short term. But the evidence suggests that this kind of an assumption would be a slip-up.

Freedom House’s assessments of the 12 international news web-sites that have been blocked in early June — carried out on GreatFire.org’s URL analyzer �� exhibit that aside from CNN, all remained blocked as of June 18. Other innovations deployed in excess of the past thirty day period, such as social media filtering aided by artificial intelligence, can be envisioned to expand fairly than deal in the coming decades. Any details about problematic WeChat consumers that was gathered in the course of this delicate period will be retained for long run reference.

And if China’s censors were being busy in June, the thirty day period of July will be no picnic either. July 1 marks the anniversary of Hong Kong’s transfer from British to Chinese rule, which could effortlessly prompt an additional round of mass protests. Then there is July 5, the 10th anniversary of ethnic violence in the Xinjiang location that led to a harsh and ongoing crackdown on its huge Muslim population. The incredibly subsequent working day, July 6, is the Dalai Lama’s birthday, and July 13 is the next anniversary of the death of democracy advocate and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo. Finally there is July 20, the 20th anniversary of the Communist Party’s ban on the Falun Gong non secular exercise and the commencing of a significant and usually violent marketing campaign to eradicate it.

Contrary to the more traditionally centered June 4 anniversary, some of July’s delicate dates are carefully tied to current activities, which includes the most egregious human rights abuses and most significant examples of dissent taking put in China nowadays. Around the past 7 days by itself, news emerged that a popular Uyghur author experienced died due to detention in a Xinjiang “re-education” camp, an independent inquiry in London concluded that prisoners of conscience in China — which includes Falun Gong and most likely Uyghur detainees — have been killed so that their organs can be employed in transplant functions, and the Hong Kong federal government suspended its controversial extradition invoice just after mass protests.

Most persons in China may perhaps be fully unaware of these developments, even although they are creating intercontinental headlines and could have serious repercussions for the region. Inspite of this data isolation, however, hope is not shed. Numerous accounts printed this month by younger Chinese reveal how they learned the reality about the gatherings of 1989 and spotlight some of the cracks in the regime’s censorship process. Data from at least two circumvention equipment present an improve in customers from China in June as opposed with the past thirty day period, about the two the June 4 anniversary and the massive protests in Hong Kong.

Men and women in China evidently want to know what the governing administration is not telling them. As the coming month propels Beijing’s facts command attempts to even better extremes, global actors should be ready to support common individuals’ quest for entry to uncensored information.

Sarah Cook dinner is a senior investigate analyst for East Asia at Freedom Dwelling and director of its China Media Bulletin.

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