Went to AAB meeting today(first time they have an open-to-public session.). The close door meeting was one hour over run. People who signed up for the meeting hearing was patiently waiting at the hall way for a whole hour before we were guide to a media room, for the open session of the meeting.

At the beginning of the second part of the meeting, chairman Ho announced that they were going to discuss about the Central ex-police quarter and Queen Pier. But soon CU hijacked the meeting, nobody stopped them. The whole AAB was there wasting our public money and time to advise student scool/home work(Why we paid professor for? What make them think they have the right to take away the student's mistake? How are the student going to learn without seeing their own mistake? So therefore the society has to train them in real after they left school?).

During the meeting, we heard speak to say ' if we preserve this and that, we would lost how many billion from land sold. Can we afford that?' Yes, this was exactly from inside AAB. Don't know what make him think that why citizen should allow him to destroy a heritage value which cost much more than the whatever land-sell figure is. How can he pay back?

I did not know how long they have planned the second part of the meeting(the open-to-public part). As after watching the meeting on screen half hour, all they were doing about was giving command for a student public survey which CU is planning to do on Built Heritage Conservation. And they seemed not having interested to move on to the original aganda. So I left. My time has much more important thing to spent on.

So, let me guess, the conclusion of the meeting: 'The meeting is over-running for....., we will continue the subject of Queen pier and Central police quarter in next meeting...', Hope I am totally wrong. Sorry I was not patient enough to hear this myself. (but before i left, I did ask someone to help me to complete the recording,so I will find out if I was right or wrong.)

It is not the first time I witness how our government opperate our public resource and will not be the last time neither. It is every where and any time happening.

Loy

In a surprise, AAB had the meeting until 7:00pm last evening according to my friend who stayed all the way through the meeting.

Edward Ho came out said to the press:

1. "They will try to grade the Queen's Pier ...whether if the preservation is in-situ would depend on the government...."

2. "As for the Police Quarters, the AMO agreed to do an in-house archaeological survey ..."

Loy

「我們想怎樣是沒關係的吧！」呢句，道盡了不單是外傭心聲。近日落石硤尾搞有關創意藝術中心的論壇，居民不是不知道這將會座落在他/她們的社區的大型建設，更遑論表達意見與伸張自己的文化權利了。我們讀了那麼多屎片，真係要多為各區居民服務！

yc,

of course, i am not against your point (you know me :-) ) on how things should work with the communities, or people who live in that soical space and thus a place of their own.

but i realize the idea of "local-ness" seemingly has started to be confined to participatory plan in communities.

yes, this is an important part for sure. however, there are many other layers of meanings and directions to (re)-intrepret/develop local-ness.

art works in themselves, plus the course of production (financial support, admin and collabrations, connections), are part of the whole thing.

i have uneasy feeling about the recent frequently repeated arguements that queen/stars movement can ONLY go on with its connection to other communities projects. yes, no doubt, this is an important path yet NOT the ONLY one.

for some people, they may ask questions like how the actions in stars or queens can grow in the spirits of autonomy and participation; how can we "practise" the "local-actions" as part of the development of democracy etc.

yes, these are all important questions.

nevertheless, as an artist, i also look at things from other angles. to me, the activities in stars/queens in THEMSEVLES have effects and impacts, that are not related to practical tactics without any "visable" effects. YET, they are feelings and thoughts that are trails inscribed in people's hearts.

i believe in energy exchange via art, sharing of thoughts and feelings via art.

this is for sure an even slower process than any other "tactic." but i do believe it and i shall go on "practise" it.
i am not trying to romantize art. there is no need, and somehow not possible.

again, i am not saying that communities projects are not important. we are all working hard on it in different levels.
i just thought, it seems like discussions are narrowing down... i hope my stance is clearly presented.

sorry to write in english, my chinese typing system just got a big flu.

my .002 cent.
anson