海龟浮上海面

Saturday 1989.10.14 19:35

In the gloomy basement theatre of Hong Kong Art Centre, with rarely any backdrop or prop, two actors, one with long hairs and the other's snow-white, are formidably conveying their messages with overstated narratives and body movements.

They are encircled by about a hundred audience, among them sat Fang attentively. According to the synopsis written on the event handout, it is a synthetic drama by messing The Myth of Sysiphus up with Waiting for Godot, so to speak.

Fang sits with "long-hairs" and "white-hairs" in a bar on the other side of the waterfront boulevard not too far away from the Art Centre. They have been there for about an hour.

"We'll have a gathering tomorrow afternoon at Xinhua News Agent's Wanchai headquarter. We'll bring with us a paper coffin and will burn a paper man at the end." Long-hairs said.

"You have been organising events in a roll in the past few months. Do you think it make sense at all? What have you guys achieved?" asked Fang.

"They're some kind of performing arts." White-hairs said aimlessly.

"Actions are everything, Fang. We show also to our fellow citizens what they can do. Unlike in the mainland, at least we can do something here. Whatever it's going to be. We just can't sit and do nothing..."

"Somebody have to show their discontent about what had been done this June. Don't you think so?" White-hairs interrupted.

"You're probably right. Many may share your views, but not the actions. Are yours a bit too extreme?"

"Extreme actions have to be answered by extreme reactions. By the way, we've done nothing subversive, all abide by the law." Long-hairs said uncompromisingly.

Even if there is no real wind of change yet at least there is a noticeable breeze freshening up. Democracy by its very nature, is something that will take many years to root before it can flourish.

At about the turn of the millennium, Long-hairs has turned himself from a guerriller street fighter into a legislator voted by his fellow citizens. He has his hairs cut, but still stays uncompromising. White-hairs, with his hairs turning gradually black, remains an activist in drama performance and many other civic affairs.

Friday 1989.10.13 14:15

Fang is in the middle of wrapping up his article on the computer. It is about Hong Kong's trade and investment perspective with China for the coming year of 1990.

"Yvonne, is your printer free?"

He raises a little of his voice to his secretary whom he shares with another colleague in the research department.

"Yap", she said.

He hits the return key and says, "There it goes!"

Before leaving for a coffee at the pantry he reminds Yvonne, "Please send it to Donald after it's done. Dear." Donald is the Council's Chief Economist.

Yvonne is a graduate in secretary profession of the city's most saught-after vocational college. She is slim, blossom to her fullest extent, with a sexy voice like she is having a cold and would sneeze in any moment.

Fang invites her once in a while for a drink, or two.

Friday 1989.10.13 14:42

Fang is in Isabella's office sitting with her and his coffee. She is the manager of the China Desk. She married to a linguistics professor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and is taking the job as a sightseeing opportunity to travel around China.

"How's the project going?" Fang said.

"Not much. Most businesses howaday are taking a wait-and-see attitude. Only if we come up with sometime pervasive and hit-to-the-core recommendations, otherwise they won't give a damn."

"We maybe able to invite a couple of division heads of the Ministry of Electronic Industry with technology transfer import quotas to attain a break-up section."

"If the business is real, we maybe able to recruite a few more to join the delegation. But don't aim too high." She said.

Obviously, the bait has missed the cunt and drooped straight down the stream with the hook.

It sounds like it is Fang's job to jet-up the number of heads of the visiting group, instead of hers.

"All right, we'll see."

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council is setting off to organize a trade delegation to attend a business conference in Beijing hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade in early December. China is trying hard to tidy up her image to the world in face of the U.S. embargo.

Fang, the Council's economist of Asia, will accompany the delegation to Beijing.