Culture & Leisure

The candidates of 2022 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education maintain their burning ambition to study by posting under #2022dsestudygram, a trending hashtag that has gained over 6,000 posts on Instagram. “Studygram makes me more concentrated on my studies during the class suspension period when I see how hard others study though their Studygram,” said Cindy Lam Pui-yin, a DSE candidate taking Physics and Economics as elective subjects, on top of the four compulsory subjects including Chinese, English, Mathematics and Liberal Studies.   “The future depends on what you do today,” is one of the inspiring quotes captured by the student-managed Studygrams, where pupils keep a record of their study progress in Instagram accounts, to encourage peers amid class suspension due to rapid spread of Covid-19. The Education Bureau announced that all schools must hold classes online only on Jan.20, but schools can arrange in-person half-day lessons for form six students to prepare for the final examinations. Examinations and student activities in other levels should halt and postpone, according to the announcement. Although online lessons save travelling time and give students more autonomy in learning, Lam worries that the sudden amendment will affect her performance in the public exam.  “We haven’t been taught the full curriculum for some elective subjects yet, and the class suspension is having an impact on my preparation for the public exam,” said Lam.  Michelle Lam, also a candidate for the examination, owns a studygram with over 700 followers, said that online teaching always distracts her from focusing on the lessons.  “I don’t dare to relax when I see so many people study hard even though the in-person classes are suspended,” Lam said.  The 2022 DSE will start on Apr. 22 while the class suspension lasts until Chinese New Year holidays.

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra returned to the Central harbourfront on Saturday for its annual Swire Symphony Under The Stars, after being moved online last year because of the pandemic and cancelled in 2019 because of pro-democracy protests.  The orchestra presented an exuberant programme of classical dance music with four philharmonic musicians performing as soloists: violist Andrew Ling and trumpeters Christopher Moyse, Douglas Waterston and Robert Smith.  "This year's event is very exciting because all the pieces are classical dance pieces," host Harry Wong said in his opening remarks.  Hong Kong conductor Wilson Ng led the concert after music director Jaap van Zweden was denied a quarantine waiver by the Hong Kong government. All of his remaining 2021 appearances have been cancelled. About 12,000 people attended the concert live at the Central harbourfront on Saturday night and around 2,000 attended the live screening at the West Kowloon Art Park, Wong said at the concert.  "It's a very artistic weekend in West Kowloon as the concert also coincides with the opening of the M+ museum of visual culture and other events," said Paul Tam, executive director of performing arts at the West Kowloon Cultural District.  "West Kowloon is not just an entertainment hub, also for civic engagement, you actually enjoy both inside and outside and it's pet-friendly.” "It's good that the event is free and it is socially distanced to give people access to the orchestra," said Marcus Scarlett, who watched the live screening of the concert from the Art Park. "It's really nice that the host engaged the audience to be involved in the dance music," said Vanessa Kwan, who also attended the live screening at the Art Park.  The concert was also shown online via Zoom and live streamed on  the philharmonic website, official Facebook page and YouTube channel.  …