Fanny-Min Becker

The Hong Kong Album

Fishing in Hong Kong
--------------------

An old net
I cast
Over my Fragrant Harbour
And caught
A handful of fading memories



St. John's College, Hong Kong
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From the ferry an amazing view
Concrete jungle taller than the hills 
Dear old St. John's
Barely visible behind two giants
Reaching out with a loud 'hallo'



Under a flyover at 'Goose-neck Bridge'
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Under billions of dust particles
Amidst thousands of running cars
Overlooked by millions of passers-by
Beneath a fully packed fly-over
A grey container structure
Behind some greenish plastic fence
Decorated with a live palm potted 
The World War veterans' meeting place



One happy family taking an underground train ride
------------------------------------------------- 

Young father with a game boy
Young daughter with a game boy
Young son with a game boy
Young mother and baby with no game boy



A train rider
--------------

His head against the window
A pager on his waist
In one hand a briefcase
A mobile phone in another
On his wrist a golden watch
Eyes staring into nothingness



At the water front
-------------------

A young girl in mini mini skirt
Heavy gym shoes yet light steps
A young cigarette in her fingers
A tall old boy in her arm



On top of a tramway platform
---------------------------- 
(Caught from the upper deck of a double-decker tram)

Two Cola tins courting
Half a rotten orange.
A grey old newspaper
Mumbles to himself.
On a mat tiny fishlings
Silently sunning for health.



Waking up 
---------

A sleeping villa
In remote Tung Chung
Wakes up to find
In front of her windows
An airport-to-be
Vibrating with life 



Watching TV in Hong Kong
------------------------- 

At breakfast and lunch 
And dinner and mid-night snack
I was treated to Atlanta
Divers and runners
Swimmers and weight lifters
And wind-surfer Lee Lai Shan
Winning us a gold medal
Our very first
And our very last



One Union Jack 
--------------

One Union Jack flying
Over Tai O police station
Unaware of her fate 
In 331 days
Unaware of someone
Taking a long last look



Hong Kong -- Duesseldorf
-------------------------

An air-conditioner lullabied me
For the last time in Hong Kong
A bold farewell 
And I flew back into 
Open German arms 
To be woken up 
By early birds at four--
Hong Kong time ten