Ysabelle Cheung

“On June 7, 1989, I made the front page of every Chinese newspaper worldwide,” says Mick Flanders, with deliberate poise. Flanders – not his real name – joined the Hong Kong Police Force in 1983 and is due to retire in the next four months. His 31 years of service have taken him through plenty of groundbreaking moments in the city’s formation, from 1984’s Sino-British declaration and the handover in 1997 to the recent Occupy protests, which have presented the force with one of its biggest challenges to date.  Flanders was in our city during the June 4 Tiananmen Square massacre – an event that shocked 1.5 million Hongkongers into taking to the streets. The protests were largely peaceful but there were flashpoints – and Flanders, a chief inspector in the force, was papped at one of the scenes. “The image was taken when I was part of a police tactical unit fighting a riot in Mong Kok,” he says. “The riot had been instigated by the Communist party and patriotic Triads. It had all been building up for months. We dealt with it with old-style policing – short, sharp tactics. Not the hand-to-hand combat you see nowadays.”Flanders’ brief but widespread encounter with the media during the Tiananmen fallout in Hong Kong highlights the huge impact on the public that our police make when it comes to dealing with the sporadic-yet-critical protests and political events that have shaped the city over the past two centuries. Nowadays, of course, officers are documented by thousands of smartph

Joshua Wong turned 18 on October 13. Being old enough to drink and cast a vote is a milestone that most teenagers celebrate by buying a round or enjoying a family dinner. Joshua Wong, however, isn’t most teenagers. The often black T-shirt-clad and bespectacled student activist celebrated by giving a press briefing in Admiralty amid throngs of reporters and protestors. Shortly after midnight, he updated his Facebook page with three birthday wishes. Firstly, he wished peace for his girlfriend, family and fellow Occupy activists. Secondly, for the Occupy movement to retain the determination to continue its fight. Lastly, he wished for Beijing to revoke its decision on Hong Kong’s 2017 Chief Executive elections. Wong’s articulate, precocious wishes exemplify his belief that peaceful civil disobedience can evoke change. Wong was 15 when he convened student movement Scholarism, which campaigned against plans to introduce compulsory Moral and National Education, catalysing 100,000 people to march in the streets in 2012, before leading a sit-in at Tamar. Wong addresses the crowd in Admiralty. Photo by Laurel Chor “We’ve been driven up the wall by the government,” the 15-year-old Wong told us in August 2012, during the furore. “But we haven’t given up hope. We just don’t want to see our next generation become puppets and lose their freedom.” On the day before the decision was due, CY Leung announced a U-turn over the proposed curriculum, and Wong became synonymous with the potential p

From an electro music marathon to an interactive toy sculpture to an epic paint battle, we’ve rounded up the best Art Basel Miami 2014 events and sights. Got a moment to spare? Check out the city’s other top attractions and restaurants.

This rink has the smoothest, slickest ice around – plus it’s the only one actually on Hong Kong island. Regular skaters will be rewarded with a points card which you can then use to collect various skating paraphernalia. However, it’s not the best rink to practice your backward arabesque spiral, as this and other advanced moves are banned here for the safety of fellow skaters.

Skate along while you admire the awe-inspiring backdrop of Lion Rock Mountain and shimmy (if you can) to tunes blasting from the high-quality audio system. This is the largest and busiest ice rink in Hong Kong, but its popularity can be attributed to its home – the giant Festival Walk shopping mall. They often play host to skating competitions and a lower fence by the shopping mall side makes it easy for spectators to get in on the action.  

Puck away! This international-sized rink hosts Olympic qualifiers and local figure skating contests and is also available for birthday parties and private hire. On a regular day, you might see budding hockey players zinging pucks around; the Penguins Hockey Club holds classes for all ages, from ‘Atoms’ (5-6) to ‘Seniors’ (19+). A free shuttle bus runs from Kowloon Bay MTR station to the rink.   

What’s your poison? That may well be the most uttered phrase amid the various watering holes on the junction of Hollywood and Wyndham, and there’s a lot of truth in the question – hello, cheap taste-bud-killing tequila – but still, when new bar The Woods asks us, we’re intrigued. After all, there are many ways to skin a cat. So into The Woods we go. At the bottom of a long, narrow staircase – the entrance – a glass partition rolls back, open sesame style. On a Wednesday night the place is dotted with customers, but not overstuffed. The lighting is just so – not too dark, not too bright. So far, so good, we think to ourselves. That is, until we peruse the laser-cut wood menu. Each page bursts with specialist liquors, house-cured ingredients, infusions and hybrids of all kinds – The Woods is known for its hardcore, experimental mixology, and they throw in seasonal fruits and vegetables according to the season. The variety is dizzying and exotic – there is the Peruvian favourite Pisco Sour ($120), and a kaffir lime-infused vodka makes an appearance in the Watermelon Cilantro ($120), shaken with chilli powder. The selection starts to make our brain hurt. Thankfully, help is at hand, and the friendly and knowledgeable staff guide us through this tricky conundrum. Ninety-nine problems – but a drink suddenly ain’t one. Whether your palate craves a sweeter libation or your day deserves a stiffer drink, The Woods has most and more to offer. We start with Blackberry on Rye ($125), a li

Finally, Soho’s getting it right – those Pure gym bunnies aren’t into carbs and chipotle chilli after a gravity-defying asana session. They’re much more likely to go for hip new eatery BEP Vietnamese Kitchen.  All clean, angular lines and white wood, the Nha Trang group-owned BEP serves up tall bowls of pho and other dishes found both on and away from the streets of Vietnam. Steering away from the typical pho tai ($68) – which we’ve heard is great anyway – we dig our chopsticks into bun rieu ($68), a rice noodle soup bowl indigenous to North Vietnam. Hearty chunks of mashed crabmeat and chả lụa come drenched in the mild tomato and garlic broth. It’s definitely a fishier option, but goes well with the generous side of Thai basil, coriander and beansprouts. We add a warm khoai lan nuong ($48) – gammy yam and sweet potato dressed with a hint of lime and coriander – to our meal, and that satisfies us. The portions are delightfully human-sized.  The service is great – unfussy, not coated with all-too-familiar hipster superiority. Our only caveat is the sound quality. BEP is perfectly sized but has depressingly low ceilings, made apparent by the cacophony that arises from even the smallest smalltalk. If they could sort out the acoustics, this cheap and cheerful eatery could easily become a staple.  Dinner for two: $184.