View allAll Photos Tagged without
Key West, Florida.
THIS PHOTOGRAPH IS PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT. REPRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER IS PROHIBITED.
Do not use/copy without permission.
Become a fan: Facebook
Check out my website: J. Schusteritsch Photo
To purchase a print of this image please visit my Long Island's North Fork Gallery on my website.
The Montauk Point Lighthouse all decorated for the holidays as seen recently.
There is a film file with 15 of these loch side portraits without the coloured eyes. After initially setting my iris from the original colour pictures into 7 of the mono versions I should have stopped having gained all the information required. The original pictures are taken with the selfie camera and in processing they have been resized to that of the front camera. From 2880 x 3840p they have been enlarged to 3060 x 4080p. Yet dpi is down from 96dpi to 72dpi. The quick cut original colour iris of the eyes with a touch of brightness is not very fitting to a calm portrait, but it does show the edge of detail and the strength of separation in contrast and definition. If the pictures were from either a better lit scene, or from a better resolution lens and camera then the iris would be easier to select and better to view. By using the small iris as the target in the pictures the quality of the image is shown when a viewer enlarges the image to look just how well fitting the coloured iris appears in the images. Overall for a selfie camera on a phone the selective colour on the portraits is very good indeed.
Loch Ness quick self portraits taken in between experiencing the wonders available in, on and around this iconic location. The location chosen here was the near anonymous car scene, rather than the amazing beauty and of course the changeable wonderful views available just beyond the confines of the near anonymous vehicle. Of course we saw the monster(s) and they were very friendly and also maybe most importantly there was no ‘chompy chomp chomp’ whilst in the loch. They requested no pictures please at this time as they were scale moulting for their Winter Sheen coat, so instead you have images of the monstrous elusive me. My eyes as pictured have been edited in Adobe Lightroom both ‘Sclera’ and then ‘Iris and Pupil’ functions were jiggered with. There are 15 portraits in total in the film version, I will not load them all as JPEG files, rather a I will just share a couple of examples. The tests mentioned are to jog my memory of settings and functions and to learn how best to record a scene for my digital memories that are my proposed ‘ones and zeros’ for future viewing happiness. Tech can be kind and emotionally supportive as we all finding out, it can also fail drastically.
© PHH Sykes 2024
phhsykes@gmail.com
[ENG] The complex of Wetlands of Sastago-Bujaraloz constitutes a set of endorheic lagoons without drainage, temporary and saline, considered as the most extensive and important in Europe, being unique for its peculiarities. It is located between the towns of Bujaraloz (Huesca, Spain) and Sástago (Zaragoza, Spain) between the regions of Los Monegros and the Ribera Baja de Ebro. These lagoons are flooded after the rains, and some - located below the water table - They also receive underground water, the latter being the ones with the highest concentration of salts. The evaporation exposes the bottom of the lagoon with a characteristic white saline crust. The vegetation that lives in the salt flats is adapted to low rainfall and extreme temperatures, and is arranged in concentric rings depending on its tolerance to salinity, the macrophytes appearing inside the buckets. Among the inhabitants of the salt flats, the aquatic invertebrates that have adapted their cycle to the presence of water stand out. And in its vicinity you can see foxes, rabbits, garden dormouse and ocellated lizards, as well as the birds short-toed snake eagle, Eurasian stone-curlew, golden eagle, common sandpiper, lesser kestrel, Dupont's lark, black-bellied sandgrouse and pin-tailed sandgrouse.
The Salada de la Playa is the largest of the whole and with the greatest presence of water, in which there are ruins of constructions related to the exploitation of salt dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, between those that include evaporation terraces, wells, salt store and barracks of soldiers guarding the farms.
Other pictures in Saladas de Sástago-Bujaraloz album.
[ESP] El complejo de Humedales de Sástago-Bujaraloz constituye un conjunto de lagunas endorreicas (sin desagüe), temporales y salinas, considerado como el más extenso e importante de Europa, siendo único por sus particularidades. Está situado entre las localidades de Bujaraloz (Huesca, España) y Sástago (Zaragoza, España) entre las comarcas de Los Monegros y la Ribera Baja de Ebro. Estas lagunas se inundan tras las lluvias, y algunas –situadas por debajo del nivel freático- también reciben agua subterráneas, siendo estas últimas las que tienen mayor concentración de sales. La evaporación deja al descubierto el fondo de la laguna con una costra salina blanca característica. La vegetación que vive en las salinas está adaptada a las lluvias escasas y a las temperaturas extremas, y se dispone en anillos concéntricos en función de su tolerancia a la salinidad, apareciendo en el interior de las cubetas los macrófitos. Entre los moradores de las salinas destacan los invertebrados acuáticos que han adaptado su ciclo a la presencia de agua. Y en sus proximidades se pueden observar zorros, conejos, lirón careto y lagartos ocelados, así como las aves culebrera europea, avutarda, archibebe común, alcaraván, ágila real, andarríos chico, cernícalo primilla, rocín o alondra de Dupond, ganga ortega y ganga común.
La Salada de la Playa es la mayor de todo el conjunto y con mayor presencia de agua, en la que existen ruinas de construcciones relacionadas con la explotación de la sal que datan de los siglos XVII y XVIII, entre las que se incluyen eras de evaporación, pozos, almacén de sal y cuartel de soldados que custodiaban las explotaciones.
Más fotografías en el álbum Saladas de Sástago-Bujaraloz
197862
Our big dog Glory was extremely ill for the first time ever. Without going into the gory details, she became very weak at one point, not even able to keep water down and we didn't think she would make it. She's only 4 years old and very trim and active. It turned out to be a bad batch of dog food. I had purchased a different brand of dog food when my usual was out of stock. Only Glory ate it but picky Bean would not. The food is -- Purina ONE Beyond -- their premium and supposedly natural, health conscious recipe. It sounds good on paper and the ingredient list is very impressive but the reality is something different.
Checking online revealed some very disturbing things...recalls of dog and cat food, recalls of soy products used in pet foods due to contamination and hundreds of complaints for Purina dog and cat food in the past few months alone. And very sad and tragic stories...pets were dieing. They were getting sick, exactly like Glory, recovering and then going back on the food! These unfortunate people didn't suspect it could be the food. It was heartbreaking.
My daughter was distraught and when Glory was at the very worst she took it upon herself to send Purina a message via twitter "Purina you bastards, you're killing my dog, how do you put this crap in the stores!!!" I asked her not to send any more messages to large corporations like that without telling me first but what was done was done. She received a lot of replies from people who felt the same way - And minutes later a reply from good old Purina. "We care please call us at our toll free number..."
I put a call in to Purina that morning, I was told they have not had any complaints about the food. I said come on, there are hundreds if not thousands of complaints online in recent months, do you mean to tell me, mine is actually the first complaint to Purina, ever?!! He replied, it was the first complaint that HE personally had received THAT DAY! I didn't need that kind of doubletalk or free coupons. I just want you not to put garbage in a bag labeled dog food. Good luck Purina. I hope the information I gave you helps you solve your problem, but I doubt it.
Glory is now doing well and I'm just happy I realized it was the food and stopped giving it to her. My kids have a new appreciation for their dogs and how fragile life is, so that is one good thing to come from this ordeal. I'm sorry this is so long but maybe it will help save a few pets. If your pet suddenly becomes sick please consider the food.
You can join a mailing list at this website to get notifications of any pet food recalls
Cet été, j'ai suivi un cours de pâtisserie donné par ma cousine. En collaboration avec une amie de ma soeur qui tient une boutique de gâteaux sans gluten.
Je n'ai pas pu participer, le matin, à la partie où les autres ont fait des fleurs en sucre, donc mon gâteau est plus simple.
C'était une expérience géniale et délicieuse
Le gâteau de ma nièce (plus élaboré : elle a fait les roses) est au premier plan
Last summer, I have followed a cooking lesson about cakes without gluten. It was given by my cousin and a friend of my sister. The first one teaches and the second sells breads or pastry without gluten.
I was not at the morning lesson, about sugar flowers, then my cake is very simple. But it was a delicious and great experiment
In the foreground, my eldest niece's cake, more elaborate : she has made the roses and the decoration
©All rights reserved. The use without my written permission is illegal
Seja feliz
Com seu país
Seja feliz
Sem raiz
Seja feliz
Com seu irmão
Seja feliz
Sem razão
Tão longa a estrada
Tão longa a sina
Tão curta a vida
Tão largo o céu
Tão largo o mar
Tão curta a vida
Curta a vida
Seja legal
Com seu amor
Seja legal
Sem pudor
Seja gentil
Com sua figura
Seja gentil
Sem frescura
Tão longa a estrada
Tão longa a sina
Tão curta a vida
Tão largo o céu
Tão largo o mar
Tão curta a vida
Curta a vida
Without a calendar I would still know the month by the return of the Junco, White-throated Sparrow and its cousins in October.
The Tay Bridge carries a railway line across the Firth of Tay in Scotland, between the city of Dundee and the suburb of Wormit in Fife. Its span is 3.5 kilometres (2.75 miles), most of which is in a straight line running virtually north-south across the Tay. It curves eastwards towards Dundee.
From about 1854, there had been plans for a Tay crossing, to replace an early train-ferry. The first bridge opened in 1878. It was a single-track lattice design, notable for lightness and low cost. Its sudden collapse in a high wind on 28 December 1879 was one of the great engineering disasters of history, and its causes are still debated today.
The second bridge is a construction of iron and steel. The new bridge took just 5 years to build, thanks in most part to special pontoon equipment with hydraulic legs which were designed by William Arrol. The bridge was designed by William Henry Barlow . On June 10th 1887 there was a low key opening; that is without any ceremony.
This bridge is still in service. It’s situated 18 metres upstream of, and parallel to, the original bridge. Construction involved 25,000 metric tons (28,000 short tons) of iron and steel, 70,000 metric tons (77,000 short tons) of concrete, ten million bricks (weighing 37,500 metric tons (41,300 short tons)) and three million rivets. There are 85 piers. Fourteen men lost their lives during its construction, most by drowning.
In 2003, a £20.85 million strengthening and refurbishment project on the bridge won the British Construction Industry Civil Engineering Award, in consideration of the staggering scale and logistics involved.
Technical stuff
This HDR consists of three individual photos; taken in a series of +2/3, -1 2/3 and +2 1/3. The merging was done with Aurora HDR 2018. Deghosting was at a maximum setting, obviously due to the moving train in the frame. I picked the +2/3 shot as a reference.
Post-production involved highlighting the pastel colouring and dusk toning in the sky. Aurora HDR 2018 gives you the possibility to work in layers, therefore is fairly easy to treat different parts of the clouds differently. The wide angle lens, HDR-processing in combination with the many straight lines in the bridge’s construction, makes that the images has a bit more chromatic aberration at the edges than usual.
Without a health and safety sign the veils between worlds seemed to have grown thin and even ragged around the demonic clawed gateways. I had no idea that this was in existence til I stumbled into the empty room. All of the apparitions were well behaved and posed nicely for these rushed mobile phone images.
I have been feeling out of this world ill and these bright painted darkly lit mobile phone images have been an unusual joy to edit.
PHH Sykes 2022
phhsykes@gmail.com
Legends Nightclub and Bar
www.oldtownpubco.com/our-bars/legends-bar-edinburgh/
Rock has been housed in 71 Cowgate since the dawn of time.
Legends
71 Cowgate
Edinburgh
EH1 1JW
© 2010 RESilU | Please don't use this image without my explicit permission.
___________________________________________________________________________
In walking the spiral
moving 'I inwardly
and can feel 'with all your senses
The center of my being
In walking the spiral
I leave the old
and lay it in the column
Mother Earth's womb
In walking the spiral
I recognize the life
and to begin to weave
what will emerge anew
___________________________________________________________________________
Both the single spiral and the double helix are among the most sacred symbols of Neolithic Europe. They appear on megalithic monuments such as stone circles, temples, burial mounds, loose stones, menhirs - across the continent and the British Isles.
Spiral "oculi" - these are double coils, which have a similarity with the eyes, come mainly from places like the threshold stones from New Grange in Ireland and the temple of al Tarxien, Malta. Similar double coils also feature the Ionic columns of classical Greece.
The "spiral maze" is a commonly used symbol that occurs in all of Europe, from Finland to Cornwall and from Crete to Chartres. Also in northern South America it is present. Spirals placed the snake keeper of the Sumerian temple dar.
The spiral is connected with the idea of death and rebirth, with entry into the mysterious depths of the earth, the encroachment until his heart and leaving the womb in the same way. Sacred dances have imitated this movement, and therefore so use many folk dances, dating from pagan times, the spiral line, move on to the dancers.
"Spiral labyrinth" pattern in churches were taken over by older cult places about which they were built. Labyrinths are not mazes spiral - there is only one way into it, to the center and out again. Not just a cycle, but a journey inward and a return to the outside.
Today we think of the maze only we get lost. In reality it is a InitiationWay - and on the inward journey, it is easier to run than in a maze - even if it seems to be only one way.
Spirals have to do with snakes, with the blood flow, are ecdysis and symbol for instauration. Humans have always been fascinated by the moulting of snakes, it was said that the snake never die, they renew themselves constantly.
In our world we are talking about levels, increase of stairs, up, up ... The spiral stands for cycles, but not as "plain-repeat", but the circle and the development is along the spiral.
Everything is cyclical, but nothing is as it was.
She Weeps Without Tears.
She Weeps Without Tears.(Linoleum Cut).
She Sits there hours.
Without uttering a word.
She has a hard time processing what happened.
No Tears are left.
Alone with her thoughts.
Almost in a trance like state.
Not conscious of her surroundings.
The time freezes in her mind.
Hopefully she shall come out of this tragic experience,
Not only stronger,
but in a position to help others,
that need help.
Steve.D.Hammond.
Marble, on the wall of a church, (outside), in Chiavari, ( Genova).
It was under a glass . so the photo is not very clear
Whoever you are......
No matter how lonely
The world offers itself to your imagination
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZOW8ZuLG2o&hl=en-GB&gl=SG
Everybody's looking for a something
One thing that makes it all complete
When you've found that special thing....
You're flying without wings
© All rights reserved Anna Kwa. Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission
We're Here! : Almost Faces: covered up! (molded?)[but seen...]
Running out of ideas? Join We're Here!
Without conservation management, red squirrels could become extinct in England over the next 10 to 20 years.
To preserve red squirrels, they must be kept apart from grey squirrels as the two species cannot live together long term.
Sadly I saw a Grey Squirrel at the same Southern Scottish location as these Reds - even sadder the land owners who were from London thought "all squirrels were squirrels" and didn't feel any need to get help to control the influx of greys - words fail me.
All rights reserved, no use without license
++++++ From Wikipedia +++++++
Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is an autonomous territory south to Mainland China and east to Macao in East Asia. With around 7.2 million Hong Kongers of various nationalities[note 2] in a territory of 1,104 km2, Hong Kong is the world's fourth most densely populated country or territory.
Hong Kong used to be a British colony with the perpetual cession of Hong Kong Island from the Qing Empire after the First Opium War (1839–42). The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and acquired a 99-year lease of the New Territories from 1898. Hong Kong was later occupied by Japan during the Second World War until British control resumed in 1945. The Sino-British Joint Declaration signed between the United Kingdom and China in 1984 paved way for the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, when it became a special administrative region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China with a high degree of autonomy.[15]
Under the principle of "one country, two systems",[16][17] Hong Kong maintains a separate political and economic system from China. Except in military defence and foreign affairs, Hong Kong maintains its independent executive, legislative and judiciary powers.[18] In addition, Hong Kong develops relations directly with foreign states and international organisations in a broad range of "appropriate fields".[19] Hong Kong involves in international organizations, such as the WTO[20] and the APEC [21], actively and independently.
Hong Kong is one of the world's most significant financial centres, with the highest Financial Development Index score and consistently ranks as the world's most competitive and freest economic entity.[22][23] As the world's 8th largest trading entity,[24] its legal tender, the Hong Kong dollar, is the world's 13th most traded currency.[25] As the world's most visited city,[26][27] Hong Kong's tertiary sector dominated economy is characterised by competitive simple taxation and supported by its independent judiciary system.[28] Even with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, it suffers from severe income inequality.[29]
Nicknamed "Pearl of the Orient", Hong Kong is renowned for its deep natural harbour, which boasts the world's fifth busiest port with ready access by cargo ships, and its impressive skyline, with the most skyscrapers in the world.[30][31] It has a very high Human Development Index ranking and the world's longest life expectancy.[32][33] Over 90% of the population makes use of well-developed public transportation.[34][35] Seasonal air pollution with origins from neighbouring industrial areas of Mainland China, which adopts loose emissions standards, has resulted in a high level of atmospheric particulates in winter.
Etymology
Hong Kong was officially recorded in the 1842 Treaty of Nanking to encompass the entirety of the island.[39]
The source of the romanised name "Hong Kong" is not known, but it is generally believed to be an early imprecise phonetic rendering of the pronunciation in spoken Cantonese 香港 (Cantonese Yale: Hēung Góng), which means "Fragrant Harbour" or "Incense Harbour".[13][14][40] Before 1842, the name referred to a small inlet—now Aberdeen Harbour (Chinese: 香港仔; Cantonese Yale: Hēunggóng jái), literally means "Little Hong Kong"—between Aberdeen Island and the southern coast of Hong Kong Island. Aberdeen was an initial point of contact between British sailors and local fishermen.[41]
Another theory is that the name would have been taken from Hong Kong's early inhabitants, the Tankas (水上人); it is equally probable that romanisation was done with a faithful execution of their speeches, i.e. hōng, not hēung in Cantonese.[42] Detailed and accurate romanisation systems for Cantonese were available and in use at the time.[43]
Fragrance may refer to the sweet taste of the harbour's fresh water estuarine influx of the Pearl River or to the incense from factories lining the coast of northern Kowloon. The incense was stored near Aberdeen Harbour for export before Hong Kong developed Victoria Harbour.[40]
The name had often been written as the single word Hongkong until the government adopted the current form in 1926.[44] Nevertheless, a number of century-old institutions still retain the single-word form, such as the Hongkong Post, Hongkong Electric and the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.
As of 1997, its official name is the "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China". This is the official title as mentioned in the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Hong Kong Government's website;[45] however, "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" and "Hong Kong" are widely accepted.
Hong Kong has carried many nicknames. The most famous among those is the "Pearl of the Orient", which reflected the impressive nightscape of the city's light decorations on the skyscrapers along both sides of the Victoria Harbour. The territory is also known as "Asia's World City".
History
Main articles: History of Hong Kong and History of China
Prehistory
Main article: Prehistoric Hong Kong
Archaeological studies support human presence in the Chek Lap Kok area (now Hong Kong International Airport) from 35,000 to 39,000 years ago and on Sai Kung Peninsula from 6,000 years ago.[46][47][48]
Wong Tei Tung and Three Fathoms Cove are the earliest sites of human habitation in Hong Kong during the Paleolithic Period. It is believed that the Three Fathom Cove was a river-valley settlement and Wong Tei Tung was a lithic manufacturing site. Excavated Neolithic artefacts suggested cultural differences from the Longshan culture of northern China and settlement by the Che people, prior to the migration of the Baiyue to Hong Kong.[49][50] Eight petroglyphs, which dated to the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC – 1066 BC) in China, were discovered on the surrounding islands.[51]
Imperial China
Main article: History of Hong Kong under Imperial China
In 214 BC, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a centralised China, conquered the Baiyue tribes in Jiaozhi (modern-day Liangguang region and Vietnam) and incorporated the area of Hong Kong into his imperial China for the first time. Hong Kong proper was assigned to the Nanhai commandery (modern-day Nanhai District), near the commandery's capital city Panyu.[52][53][54]
After a brief period of centralisation and collapse of the Qin dynasty, the area of Hong Kong was consolidated under the Kingdom of Nanyue, founded by general Zhao Tuo in 204 BC.[55] When Nanyue lost the Han-Nanyue War in 111 BC, Hong Kong came under the Jiaozhi commandery of the Han dynasty. Archaeological evidence indicates an increase of population and flourish of salt production. The Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb on the Kowloon Peninsula is believed to have been built as a burial site during the Han dynasty.[56]
From the Han dynasty to the early Tang dynasty, Hong Kong was a part of Bao'an County. In the Tang dynasty, modern-day Guangzhou (Canton) flourished as an international trading centre. In 736, the Emperor Xuanzong of Tang established a military stronghold in Tuen Mun to strengthen defence of the coastal area.[57] The nearby Lantau Island was a salt production centre and salt smuggler riots occasionally broke out against the government. In c. 1075, The first village school, Li Ying College, was established around 1075 AD in modern-day New Territories by the Northern Song dynasty.[58] During their war against the Mongols, the imperial court of Southern Song was briefly stationed at modern-day Kowloon City (the Sung Wong Toi site) before their ultimate defeat by the Mongols at the Battle of Yamen in 1279.[59] The Mongols then established their dynastic court and governed Hong Kong for 97 years.
From the mid-Tang dynasty to the early Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Hong Kong was a part of Dongguan County. During the Ming dynasty, the area was transferred to Xin'an County. The indigenous inhabitants at that time consisted of several ethnicities such as Punti, Hakka, Tanka and Hoklo.
European discovery
The earliest European visitor on record was Jorge Álvares, a Portuguese explorer, who arrived in 1513.[60][61] Having established a trading post in a site they called "Tamão" in Hong Kong waters, Portuguese merchants commenced with regular trading in southern China. Subsequent military clashes between China and Portugal, however, led to the expulsion of all Portuguese merchants from southern China.
Since the 14th century, the Ming court had enforced the maritime prohibition laws that strictly forbade all private maritime activities in order to prevent contact with foreigners by sea.[62] When the Manchu Qing dynasty took over China, Hong Kong was directly affected by the Great Clearance decree of the Kangxi Emperor, who ordered the evacuation of coastal areas of Guangdong from 1661 to 1669. Over 16,000 inhabitants of Xin'an County including those in Hong Kong were forced to migrate inland; only 1,648 of those who had evacuated subsequently returned.[63][64]
British Crown Colony: 1842–1941
A painter at work. John Thomson. Hong Kong, 1871. The Wellcome Collection, London
Main articles: British Hong Kong and History of Hong Kong (1800s–1930s)
In 1839, threats by the imperial court of Qing to sanction opium imports caused diplomatic friction with the British Empire. Tensions escalated into the First Opium War. The Qing admitted defeat when British forces captured Hong Kong Island on 20 January 1841. The island was initially ceded under the Convention of Chuenpi as part of a ceasefire agreement between Captain Charles Elliot and Governor Qishan. A dispute between high-ranking officials of both countries, however, led to the failure of the treaty's ratification. On 29 August 1842, Hong Kong Island was formally ceded in perpetuity to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Treaty of Nanking.[65] The British officially established a Crown colony and founded the City of Victoria in the following year.[66]
The population of Hong Kong Island was 7,450 when the Union Flag raised over Possession Point on 26 January 1841. It mostly consisted of Tanka fishermen and Hakka charcoal burners, whose settlements scattered along several coastal hamlets. In the 1850s, a large number of Chinese immigrants crossed the then-free border to escape from the Taiping Rebellion. Other natural disasters, such as flooding, typhoons and famine in mainland China would play a role in establishing Hong Kong as a place for safe shelter.[67][68]
Further conflicts over the opium trade between Britain and Qing quickly escalated into the Second Opium War. Following the Anglo-French victory, the Crown Colony was expanded to include Kowloon Peninsula (south of Boundary Street) and Stonecutter's Island, both of which were ceded to the British in perpetuity under the Convention of Beijing in 1860.
In 1898, Britain obtained a 99-year lease from Qing under the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory, in which Hong Kong obtained a 99-year lease of Lantau Island, the area north of Boundary Street in Kowloon up to Shenzhen River and over 200 other outlying islands.[69][70][71]
Hong Kong soon became a major entrepôt thanks to its free port status, attracting new immigrants to settle from both China and Europe. The society, however, remained racially segregated and polarised under early British colonial policies. Despite the rise of a British-educated Chinese upper-class by the late-19th century, race laws such as the Peak Reservation Ordinance prevented ethnic Chinese in Hong Kong from acquiring houses in reserved areas such as Victoria Peak. At this time, the majority of the Chinese population in Hong Kong had no political representation in the British colonial government. The British governors did rely, however, on a small number of Chinese elites, including Sir Kai Ho and Robert Hotung, who served as ambassadors and mediators between the government and local population.
File:1937 Hong Kong VP8.webmPlay media
Hong Kong filmed in 1937
In 1904, the United Kingdom established the world's first border and immigration control; all residents of Hong Kong were given citizenship as Citizens of United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC).
Hong Kong continued to experience modest growth during the first half of the 20th century. The University of Hong Kong was established in 1911 as the territory's first higher education institute. While there had been an exodus of 60,000 residents for fear of a German attack on the British colony during the First World War, Hong Kong remained unscathed. Its population increased from 530,000 in 1916 to 725,000 in 1925 and reached 1.6 million by 1941.[72]
In 1925, Cecil Clementi became the 17th Governor of Hong Kong. Fluent in Cantonese and without a need for translator, Clementi introduced the first ethnic Chinese, Shouson Chow, into the Executive Council as an unofficial member. Under Clementi's tenure, Kai Tak Airport entered operation as RAF Kai Tak and several aviation clubs. In 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out when the Japanese Empire expanded its territories from northeastern China into the mainland proper. To safeguard Hong Kong as a freeport, Governor Geoffry Northcote declared the Crown Colony as a neutral zone.
Japanese occupation: 1941–45
Main article: Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
The Cenotaph in Hong Kong commemorates those who died in service in the First World War and the Second World War.[73]
As part of its military campaign in Southeast Asia during Second World War, the Japanese army moved south from Guangzhou of mainland China and attacked Hong Kong in on 8 December 1941.[74] Crossing the border at Shenzhen River on 8 December, the Battle of Hong Kong lasted for 18 days when British and Canadian forces held onto Hong Kong Island. Unable to defend against intensifying Japanese air and land bombardments, they eventually surrendered control of Hong Kong on 25 December 1941. The Governor of Hong Kong was captured and taken as a prisoner of war. This day is regarded by the locals as "Black Christmas".[75]
During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the Japanese army committed atrocities against civilians and POWs, such as the St. Stephen's College massacre. Local residents also suffered widespread food shortages, limited rationing and hyper-inflation arising from the forced exchange of currency from Hong Kong dollars to Japanese military banknotes. The initial ratio of 2:1 was gradually devalued to 4:1 and ownership of Hong Kong dollars was declared illegal and punishable by harsh torture. Due to starvation and forced deportation for slave labour to mainland China, the population of Hong Kong had dwindled from 1.6 million in 1941 to 600,000 in 1945, when the United Kingdom resumed control of the colony on 2 September 1945.[76]
Resumption of British rule and industrialisation: 1945–97
Main articles: British Hong Kong, 1950s in Hong Kong, 1960s in Hong Kong, 1970s in Hong Kong, 1980s in Hong Kong, and 1990s in Hong Kong
Flag of British Hong Kong from 1959 to 1997
Hong Kong's population recovered quickly after the war, as a wave of skilled migrants from the Republic of China moved in to seek refuge from the Chinese Civil War. When the Communist Party eventually took full control of mainland China in 1949, even more skilled migrants fled across the open border for fear of persecution.[69] Many newcomers, especially those who had been based in the major port cities of Shanghai and Guangzhou, established corporations and small- to medium-sized businesses and shifted their base operations to British Hong Kong.[69] The establishment of a socialist state in China (People's Republic of China) on 1 October 1949 caused the British colonial government to reconsider Hong Kong's open border to mainland China. In 1951, a boundary zone was demarked as a buffer zone against potential military attacks from communist China. Border posts along the north of Hong Kong began operation in 1953 to regulate the movement of people and goods into and out of the territory.
Stamp with portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953
In the 1950s, Hong Kong became the first of the Four Asian Tiger economies under rapid industrialisation driven by textile exports, manufacturing industries and re-exports of goods to China. As the population grew, with labour costs remaining low, living standards began to rise steadily.[77] The construction of the Shek Kip Mei Estate in 1953 marked the beginning of the public housing estate programme to provide shelter for the less privileged and to cope with the influx of immigrants.
Under Sir Murray MacLehose, 25th Governor of Hong Kong (1971–82), a series of reforms improved the public services, environment, housing, welfare, education and infrastructure of Hong Kong. MacLehose was British Hong Kong's longest-serving governor and, by the end of his tenure, had become one of the most popular and well-known figures in the Crown Colony. MacLehose laid the foundation for Hong Kong to establish itself as a key global city in the 1980s and early 1990s.
A sky view of Hong Kong Island
An aerial view of the northern shore of Hong Kong Island in 1986
To resolve traffic congestion and to provide a more reliable means of crossing the Victoria Harbour, a rapid transit railway system (metro), the MTR, was planned from the 1970s onwards. The Island Line (Hong Kong Island), Kwun Tong Line (Kowloon Peninsula and East Kowloon) and Tsuen Wan Line (Kowloon and urban New Territories) opened in the early 1980s.[78]
In 1983, the Hong Kong dollar left its 16:1 peg with the Pound sterling and switched to the current US-HK Dollar peg. Hong Kong's competitiveness in manufacturing gradually declined due to rising labour and property costs, as well as new development in southern China under the Open Door Policy introduced in 1978 which opened up China to foreign business. Nevertheless, towards the early 1990s, Hong Kong had established itself as a global financial centre along with London and New York City, a regional hub for logistics and freight, one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia and the world's exemplar of Laissez-faire market policy.[79]
The Hong Kong question
In 1971, the Republic of China (Taiwan)'s permanent seat on the United Nations was transferred to the People's Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong's status as a recognised colony became terminated in 1972 under the request of PRC. Facing the uncertain future of Hong Kong and expiry of land lease of New Territories beyond 1997, Governor MacLehose raised the question in the late 1970s.
The British Nationality Act 1981 reclassified Hong Kong into a British Dependent Territory amid the reorganisation of global territories of the British Empire. All residents of Hong Kong became British Dependent Territory Citizens (BDTC). Diplomatic negotiations began with China and eventually concluded with the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. Both countries agreed to transfer Hong Kong's sovereignty to China on 1 July 1997, when Hong Kong would remain autonomous as a special administrative region and be able to retain its free-market economy, British common law through the Hong Kong Basic Law, independent representation in international organisations (e.g. WTO and WHO), treaty arrangements and policy-making except foreign diplomacy and military defence.
It stipulated that Hong Kong would retain its laws and be guaranteed a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years after the transfer. The Hong Kong Basic Law, based on English law, would serve as the constitutional document after the transfer. It was ratified in 1990.[69] The expiry of the 1898 lease on the New Territories in 1997 created problems for business contracts, property leases and confidence among foreign investors.
Handover and Special Administrative Region status
Main articles: Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong and 2000s in Hong Kong
Transfer of sovereignty
Golden Bauhinia Square
On 1 July 1997, the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China took place, officially marking the end of Hong Kong's 156 years under British colonial governance. As the largest remaining colony of the United Kingdom, the loss of Hong Kong effectively represented the end of the British Empire. This transfer of sovereignty made Hong Kong the first special administrative region of China. Tung Chee-Hwa, a pro-Beijing business tycoon, was elected Hong Kong's first Chief Executive by a selected electorate of 800 in a televised programme.
Structure of government
Hong Kong's current structure of governance inherits from the British model of colonial administration set up in the 1850s. The 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration states that "Hong Kong should enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all areas except defence and foreign affairs" with reference to the underlying principle of one country, two systems.[note 3] This Declaration stipulates that Hong Kong maintains her capitalist economic system and guarantees the rights and freedoms of her people for at least 50 years after the 1997 handover. [note 4] Such guarantees are enshrined in the Hong Kong's Basic Law, the territory's constitutional document, which outlines the system of governance after 1997, albeit subject to interpretation by China's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC).[95][96]
Hong Kong's most senior leader, Chief Executive, is elected by a committee of 1,200 selected members (600 in 1997) and nominally appointed by the Government of China. The primary pillars of government are the Executive Council, Legislative Council, civil service and Judiciary.
Policy-making is initially discussed in the Executive Council, presided by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, before passing to the Legislative Council for bill adoption. The Executive Council consists of 30 official/unofficial members appointed by the Chief Executive and one member among them acts as the convenor.[97][98]
The Legislative Council, set up in 1843, debates policies and motions before voting to adopt or rejecting bills. It has 70 members (originally 60) and 40 (originally 30) among them are directly elected by universal suffrage; the other 30 members are "functional constituencies" (indirectly) elected by a smaller electorate of corporate bodies or representatives of stipulated economic sectors as defined by the government. The Legislative Council is chaired by a president who acts as the speaker.[99][100]
In 1997, seating of the Legislative Council (also public services and election franchises) of Hong Kong modelled on the British system: Urban Council (Hong Kong and Kowloon) and District Council (New Territories and Outlying Islands). In 1999, this system has been reformed into 18 directly elected District Offices across 5 Legislative Council constituencies: Hong Kong Island (East/West), Kowloon and New Territories (East/West); the remaining outlying islands are divided across the aforementioned regions.
Hong Kong's Civil Service, created by the British colonial government, is a politically neutral body that implements government policies and provides public services. Senior civil servants are appointed based on meritocracy. The territory's police, firefighting and customs forces, as well as clerical officers across various government departments, make up the civil service.[101][102]
A pair of Class 153s seen passing through Llansamlet with the 1W62. 11.05 hrs Milford Haven to Manchester Piccadilly (Photo By Steve Powell)
We're Here! : moleskine, filofax, agendas, diaries, organizers
Want more interaction on flickr? Join We're Here!
Another pic of the High speed line-up but without the Deltic this time. From left is Eurostar (class 373) No.3999, HST 43004, Pendolino 390119 & 91105 renumbered as 91150. Seen at the Greatest Gathering, Derby Litchurch lane 2/8/25.
"Generally, i spend my day with my mother at our quiet room;
without too much noise or people around.
(father leaves early in the morning, and returns late;
i hardly know him.)
Today, already from the morning i sensed something was very different--
mother was very excited.
I could not understand why.
Then she tied me on her back, and we got out.
It was night; we wandered along narrow dark lanes,
with many people around us.
They also seemed excited.
It was very crowded, strange and a bit frightening.
Then we reached a square, where many, many people sang and danced.
My mother was even more excited, laughed very often, talked to many people,
and was much less attuned to me than when we are at home.
Then we entered some big building, and suddenly, mom laid down,
cried, and seemed even more moved.
It's really difficult for me to understand all this.
I am a bit worried"
... is like a day without alcohol!
Ahoi, captain obvious...
Oi mate, that's Captain Hook for you!
I mean, you need to compare it to something else, be it good or bad or funny.
Say what?
Like... is a lost day.
Ha, I don't remember how many days I've lost to alcohol.
Don't you ever drink anything else?
Like what?
What about water?
But that's unhygienic! There's sharks and ships in it!
Yeah, right.
Skål, ye landlubbers!
Cheers!
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
A rare occasion of having unaltered collectable minifigures from three series (22,14,8) in one picture. This is the same background I used on the red King's Guard. Didn't bother yet to make it a real build, because it's easier to take pictures on an open stage.
Toy Project Day 3249
________________________________
© Kaaviyam Photography - All Rights Reserved. Text and images by Kaaviyam Photography are the exclusive property of Kaaviyam Photography protected under international copyright laws. Any use of this work in any form without written permission of Kaaviyam Photography will result in violations as per international copyright laws.
A view of Lisbon from the south bank of river Tagus. It is not a great photo, it is overexposed on the right side but i love the blues on the sky, the stars and the water texture so i decided to keep it.
A railroad is nothing without railroaders. Here is a Labor Day tribute to some of my past coworkers. A group photo at the Des Plaines coach yard, in July 1980. From left to right, engineer Richard "Dick" Smith, brakeman Ralph Funck, and locomotive fireman Ken "Hollywood" Freer. Conductor Chuck Eichelburg stands behind with MIC Red up in the vestibule. The occasion was Dick's last day of work before retirement. He had hired out with the C&NW as a locomotive fireman on March 19, 1943 and was promoted to engineer on March 17, 1951. Trainman Funck was a 1950 hire and conductor Eichelburg began his career with the C&NW in 1947. Brakeman Funck survived the 1966 horrific rear end collision at Proviso that killed three men. Kenny hired out in 1974, and was still working the ID pool out of Proviso when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about six years ago. It killed him within eight months.
PGB Photographer & Creative - © Philip Romeyn - Phillostar Gone Ballistic 2021 - Photo may not be edited from its original form. Commercial use is prohibited without contacting me.
My dog run across the snow into my house.
Please don't use this image without my explicit permission.
© All rights reserved
This image is protected by copyright, no use of this image shall be granted without the written permission from Yaman Ibrahim.