Movember!

Well, actually, November — and hence Movember — isn’t really over yet so I shouldn’t have shaved! But I just couldn’t make it…

 

Yet here is the before-and-after pic late into the month. Something to consider.

I lasted about three weeks. I tried out the month thing, and was genuinely curious to see how I would look by letting a beard grow. But it was getting too uncomfortable and scratchy so I took razor to face and there it is.

And yes I see the massive age discrepancy in looks–somehow I am both prematurely grey and young-faced.

Full disclosure: I can get be a bit of hairy dude. It’s not really my preference, but that is simply how my genetics goes. I do appreciate that facial hair is more in fashion these days, makes it a lot easier on me. A close shave every damn day is far too much work. Luckily no pressure of such in the current era.

In fact, a cleanly trimmed short beard is a common look that I think works and society/work seems to approve or at least tolerate.

Why I have a whole weekly system that works for me: How many days it takes to let it fester and how to trim well around that etc. before wiping the slate clean and starting all over.

Thus is my burden of facial hair. Anyway, from the unfinished Movember experiment above you can see what might have been…..

 

 

And that is all I can muster up to say on the subject.

[Review] Hong Kong in the Fifties: John Saeki’s The Tiger Hunters of Tai O

Cha

{Written by Ray Hecht, this review is part of the “Writing Hong Kong” Issue (December 2017) of Cha.} {Return to Cha Review of Books and Films}

John Saeki, The Tiger Hunters of Tai O, Blacksmith Books, 2017. 304 pgs.

tiger-hunters-of-tai-o_800The Tiger Hunters of Tai O is a new historical novel with a unique perspective. Author John Saeki paints a colourful portrait of Hong Kong in the 1950s, capturing the spirit of the times in this page-turning police thriller. Sometimes hilarious, and sometimes deadly serious, most readers should be fascinated by the intrigue and politics of the era. Though Hong Kong—especially Tai O—has certainly changed over the past half century, locals will find this world a familiar place even while discovering new surprises and secrets uncovered about the region.

The plot ostensibly revolves around a Eurasian police officer named Simon Lee who is investigating suspicious tiger attacks. The…

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Inktober

So for the month of October I had been haphazardly trying out the Inktober thing, at least for about the first week plus yesterday…

I tried out some ink sketches utilizing the themes of the day, and occasionally some fun drawings turned out. Always good practice, maybe not totally worth sharing but here you are:

My aesthetic is definitely more cartoony than fine art, but that can be okay right 🙂

 

October 4: Underwater

 

October 6: Sword

 

October 7: Shy

 

October 8: Crooked

 

October 9: Screech

 

October 31: Mask