Podcasts about Hong Kong Chinese

Last time we spoke about the fall of Hong Kong. As dawn broke on December 20, 1941, Japanese battalions tightened their grip on Hong Kong Island. While the defenders fought desperately at Repulse Bay Hotel, Wongneichong Gap, and the heights around Mount Nicholson and Mount Cameron, piecemeal counter-attacks by exhausted Canadians, Royal Scots, Rajputs, and Hong Kong Volunteers were shattered by rain, darkness, and poor coordination.Resistance stiffened at Stanley Peninsula, but ammunition ran low and hope faded. On Christmas Eve, the Japanese stormed St Stephen's College hospital. They bayoneted wounded soldiers in their beds, murdered doctors, and raped nurses in an orgy of horror that became known as the St Stephen's Massacre.On Christmas morning—forever "Black Christmas"—Governor Young surrendered the colony after seventeen days of fighting. As white flags rose, Rear-Admiral Chan Chak and a small party made a daring escape by sea under fire, eventually rescued by Chinese Communist guerrillas of the East River Column who would save hundreds more lives in the months ahead.   #219 The Malayan Campaign Part 1: Bicycle Blitzkrieg   Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Now in the last episode we spoke about the battle of Hong Kong, which of course was fought on Chinese territory and did involve Chinese participation. I took some time to think about what aspects of the early Pacific War should be covered in depth here, ie: what pertains the most to the Chinese experience. We are not going to talk about the Philippines or Dutch East Indies, but the Malayan campaign and fall of Singapore I would argue need to be dived into. There was a lot of ethnic Chinese participation in this campaign. No worries after this brief series on the Malayan Campaign we will be jumping back to China. Following World War One, Britain sought to counter growing Japanese ambitions by establishing a major naval base in Singapore during the 1920s. The location offered strategic advantages, particularly its exemption from the Washington Naval Treaty's non-fortification clause, making it ideal for housing a powerful deterrent fleet. The plan was straightforward: maintain overwhelming naval superiority to discourage Japanese expansion. Yet this calculation proved dangerously optimistic. Japanese aggression accelerated throughout the 1930s, while the European war's outbreak in 1939 drained Britain's resources, leaving its Far Eastern colonies—Malaya, Burma, and Hong Kong—dangerously exposed. Churchill remained convinced that Japan would not strike in 1941, prompting him to channel reinforcements toward the Mediterranean theater. The defensive strategy hinged on buying time; should Japan attack, British forces would delay the enemy while holding Singapore as a fortress until relief arrived. This plan contained a fatal flaw: Britain lacked the capacity to actually send reinforcements to the region. Commander-in-Chief Robert Brooke-Popham led Britain's Far Eastern Command from Malaysia, acutely aware of the challenge ahead. Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival commanded ground forces comprising 31 poorly trained infantry battalions—approximately 88,600 personnel total—largely untrained for jungle warfare. These troops were distributed across three divisions. Air defense proved equally problematic. With only fourteen squadrons flying outdated aircraft, the RAF faced a critical shortfall. Squadrons were scattered across multiple airfields: Vickers Vildebeest and PBY Catalina aircraft at Seletar; Bristol Blenheims at Tengah; Brewster Buffalos at Sembawang and Kallang; further Buffalos and Blenheims at Sungei Patani; Lockheed Hudsons at Kota Bharu; and additional Blenheims at Kuantan and Alor Setar. Allied units occupied three strategic zones. The Indian 11th Infantry Division under Major General David Murray-Lyon held northern Malaya, defending airfields and the Thai frontier from positions near Kota Bharu, Jitra, and Alor Setar. These installations remained lightly garrisoned and vulnerable. The Indian 9th Infantry Division occupied central Malaya, tasked with holding delaying positions at Jitra and Gurun—positions themselves poorly constructed and uncoordinated. Australia's 8th Division under Gordon Bennett anchored the south near Mersing and Johor, forming the last line before Singapore's fortress. Singapore itself bristled with coastal defenses and commanded a substantial naval garrison, expected to repel any Japanese approach. A week before Japan's offensive erupted, Churchill sent Force Z to Singapore—the battleship Prince of Wales, battlecruiser Repulse, and four destroyers. Despite vigorous objections from admirals, particularly Captain William Davis, who warned the Prince of Wales without air cover would be "a hostage to fortune," Churchill overruled them, seeking to project confidence and maintain American goodwill. Admiral Sir Tom Phillips commanded Force Z. Known as "Tom Thumb" for his diminutive stature, Phillips sparked controversy—critics labeled him a "desk admiral"—yet Field Marshal Smuts called him "an admirable choice" and American Admiral Thomas Hart praised his administrative acumen. Phillips' record was mixed. He advocated astutely for tank deployment in Malaya and correctly questioned the Brewster Buffalo's effectiveness, urging Hurricanes instead. Yet he fatally underestimated the threat aircraft posed to capital ships, believing the Prince of Wales' anti-aircraft batteries could defend a maneuvering vessel. An unnoticed handicap compounded this: tropical humidity had disabled the Prince of Wales' fire-control computer before she ever fired. Force Z reached Singapore on December 2, 1941, amid misplaced confidence. Nineteen-year-old Richard Smith recalled: "Everyone believed the Japanese fleet was made of rice paper and string. We assumed we would crush them effortlessly." Churchill's public declaration seemed to goad Japan into action. Admiral Yamamoto responded decisively, dispatching thirty-six Mitsubishi bombers to reinforce existing aircraft and ordering intensive training for "ship-killing"—specialized torpedo and bombing attacks. Three air groups, led by Miyauchi, Nakanishi, and Shoji, trained relentlessly in low-level runs and ocean navigation. Phillips, stripped of air cover, commanded only aging destroyers alongside his capital ships. The stage was set for disaster. In November 1940, the German raider Atlantis captured the British steamer Automedon in the Indian Ocean, seizing documents destined for Air Marshal Brooke-Popham that exposed Singapore's vulnerabilities. The Germans shared this intelligence with Japan in December. By January 1941, the Japanese had also broken British Army codes, revealing the weakness of Singapore's defenses and enabling them to plan an invasion accordingly. The invasion of Malaya followed an audacious strategy devised by Colonel Tsuji Masanobu. Japanese forces would conduct amphibious landings in southern Thailand and northern Malaya, then push 400 miles through jungle terrain toward Singapore. The 25th Army, commanded by Lieutenant-General Yamashita Tomoyuki and initially comprising two divisions, led this operation, supported by Admiral Kondō Nobutake's 2nd Fleet, which provided convoy escort. Thailand's strategic position was crucial; the British could not defend it, offering Japan a favorable staging ground. Marshal Plaek Phibun, Thailand's leader, had informally agreed to allow Japanese passage but simultaneously negotiated with British and American diplomats, creating uncertainty. A second force, the 15th Army under Lieutenant-General Iida Shōjirō, was preparing to invade Burma through Thailand. If the Thai withheld passage by December 7, these forces would advance directly from Indochina. Brooke-Popham devised Operation Matador to counter the Japanese threat. This ambitious plan called for the 11th Indian Division to preemptively seize Singora and Patani—critical Thai ports essential to Japanese invasion plans. The operation's centerpiece was capturing the Ledge, a key terrain feature south of Patani. Control of the Ledge would allow British forces to block roads from Patani, securing retreat routes for the 11th Division and denying the Japanese access to rear areas. Failure would expose the British to encirclement and force withdrawal from Perak and Kedah. However, Matador faced insurmountable obstacles. Britain was uncertain whether Thailand would resist or accommodate Japan, and invading neutral Thai territory risked driving the Thai government into Japanese arms. Command hesitation, combined with poor intelligence, created fatal delays. Matador was never approved. Instead, authorities authorized Operation Krohcol, a scaled-down alternative named after the town of Kroh. This operation tasked a small British-Indian force with advancing into southern Thailand to capture the Ledge, destroy bridges and roads, and delay Japanese movements. Though far less ambitious than Matador, Krohcol represented Britain's final attempt at preemptive action. It would be activated only after Japan opened hostilities, but by then, opportunity had already slipped away.   On December 4, Japanese transport ships escorted by Admiral Kondō's fleet departed Hainan Island toward their objectives. Two days later, British reconnaissance spotted the fleet, but Brooke-Popham lacked authorization to intervene—he could only alert his forces. At 23:00 on December 7, Japan issued an ultimatum to Thailand, demanding passage and giving a two-hour response window. Unable to locate Prime Minister Phibun until late morning, Thailand was invaded hours later. From Indochina, Japanese Imperial Guards and the 55th Division landed at Phra Tabong and pushed northwest toward Aranyaprathet. The 5th Division's regiment landed at Patani while the division's main force seized Singora, quickly overwhelming Thai defenders. From Saigon, elements of the 15th Army conducted additional naval landings across Thailand but encountered unexpectedly fierce Thai resistance that stalled their progress. Just before Pearl Harbor came under attack, the Japanese 18th Division landed at Kota Bharu. The defenders—the 8th Indian Infantry Brigade under Brigadier B.W. Key, supported by artillery from the 21st Mountain Battery and the 73rd Field Battery—faced a daunting task. The 3/17th Dogra Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel G.A. Preston, held a 10-mile coastal stretch fortified with mines, barbed wire, and pillboxes overlooking the narrow beaches of Badang and Sabak, separated by estuaries and surrounded by creeks, lagoons, and swamp islands. The Dogras unleashed devastating fire as Japanese landing craft approached at midnight. Colonel Masanobu Tsuji observed that enemy pillboxes "responded with such overwhelming force that our men lying on the beach, partially submerged in water, could not lift their heads." The first waves were pinned down, with casualties mounting from artillery, machine gun fire, and Allied aircraft from nearby airfields. British Hudsons bombed the invasion fleet and stranded soldiers, sinking one Japanese transport and destroying seven of their own aircraft in the process. The defenders inflicted heavy casualties, but intense hand-to-hand combat eventually breached the line's center by 03:45, threatening the nearby airfield. Simultaneously, 17 Japanese bombers attacked Singapore with minimal damage and 61 casualties, surprising the British with evidence of enemy long-range aircraft. Japanese fighters and bombers dominated the skies over Kota Bharu and northern Malaysian airfields, demonstrating clear air superiority. Amid the chaos, counterattacks by Malayan battalions failed, forcing the British to destroy northern airfields to prevent capture. The defenders retreated from the beaches to Kota Bharu itself that night. As confusion engulfed British headquarters, Operation Krohcol commenced at 15:00. This scaled-down preemptive operation aimed to delay the Japanese invasion by securing and destroying the Ledge—a six-mile road carved through steep hillside with a sheer drop into a river. Blowing this section would severely impede enemy advance. The force consisted primarily of the 3/16th Punjab Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Henry Moorhead, supplemented by engineers, traveling in Marmon-Herrington trucks provided by the Australian Motor Transport Company. Krohcol was undermanned from the start; the 5/14th Punjab Regiment and artillery battery failed to arrive on schedule, forcing the column to proceed without them. Crossing the border at Kroh, Indian troops encountered determined resistance from Thai police under Major Prayoon Rattanakit in Betong. These roadblocks delayed the Indian advance for two full days while Prayoon's officers simultaneously engaged Japanese forces at Patani. After several hours of combat, Japan and Thailand reached an armistice by midday, with Phibun granting Japan passage, though Thai forces remained neutral. Japanese forces at Patani, navigating poor roads but facing no opposition, began their advance toward the Ledge—approximately 60 miles distant—initiating a critical race against Krohcol to determine who would occupy this vital position first. Meanwhile, renewed fighting erupted at Kota Bharu as Japanese forces infiltrated around British strongpoints, causing alarm among commanders. By December 10, with the situation deteriorating, defenders received authorization to abandon Kota Bharu and withdraw south to Machang.   Just hours after the Pearl Harbor attack, Admiral Phillips ordered Force Z to intercept Japanese invasion forces in the South China Sea without air support. Phillips believed he could "finish quickly and escape to the east before the Japanese could organize a significant attack." Ten Brewster Buffaloes were assigned to support the fleet, but he departed without requesting their cover. Force Z failed to locate the Japanese fleet, which had moved northwest into the Gulf of Siam. By afternoon on December 9, Japanese submarine I-65 detected Force Z, followed by reconnaissance aircraft. When Phillips altered course toward Kuantan, crews grew complacent. Bert Wynn recalled shipboard conversation centered on sinking Japanese warships. A flag officer remarked to CBS correspondent Cecil Brown, "Oh, but they are Japanese. There's nothing to worry about." That evening, Brown questioned whether the British were overconfident given Pearl Harbor. Officers conceded theoretically but remained dismissive. One replied, "We just don't think the enemy is much good. They could not beat China for five years." At 11:00 AM on December 10, Japanese aircraft struck. Three waves of Nell and Betty bombers from Indochina, after more than five hours aloft, approached from the horizon. With no air support—Phillips had maintained radio silence—defense rested entirely on anti-aircraft batteries. Nells attacked at 12,000 feet, dropping 250 kg bombs. Repulse twisted violently, evading most, but one struck her seaplane deck, killing two dozen men instantly. At 11:30, seventeen Nells attacked at wave-top level, focusing on Prince of Wales. Nine aircraft divided their approach, flying below 100 feet from both bows. The ship's inexperienced anti-aircraft crews, hampered by inoperable radar from tropical humidity, struggled to track targets. Once torpedoes were released, the planes sped away, losing only one aircraft.   A single torpedo struck Prince of Wales near the outer propeller shaft. When restarted, water flooded engine room B. Auxiliary power failed, halting drainage and causing an 11.5-degree list to port. Her 5-inch guns became powerless; she slowed to 15 knots, severely crippled. At 12:20, twenty-six Bettys attacked in coordinated "anvil" assaults with simultaneous torpedo drops on both bows. Repulse evaded initially but two or three torpedoes found their mark. One crew member recalled, "Suddenly there was a massive explosion. I immediately knew we'd lost Repulse, for within seconds she took on a frightening list to port, so rapid no amount of counter flooding would save her." Captain's last order: "You've put up a good show, now save yourselves." At 12:23 PM, Repulse rolled over and sank stern-first, her enormous hull protruding vertically from the water. Men jumped into oil-blackened water; many drowned during hours of waiting while destroyer escorts frantically retrieved survivors. Cecil Brown described it as "a confusing, macabre game"—orange flames, white tracers, and gray aircraft "astonishingly close, like butterflies pinned on blue cardboard." With Repulse gone, bombers concentrated on the damaged Prince of Wales. At 12:44, a 500 kg bomb struck between her stacks where wounded crew sheltered, causing devastating casualties. Men ordered to abandon ship faced drowning if trapped below deck. Destroyers rushed in to save swimmers, though HMS Express nearly capsized in rescue efforts. Ten Buffaloes arrived as Prince of Wales sank—too late. One pilot recalled, "After an hour, lack of petrol forced me to leave, but during that hour I had seen many men in dire danger waving, cheering and joking, as if they were holiday-makers waving at a low-flying aircraft. It shook me, for here was something above human nature." In just over an hour, the battleship era ended: 47 British officers and 793 men perished, including Admiral Phillips. Repulse's captain later acknowledged, "The enemy's attacks were undoubtedly carried out magnificently and pressed home effectively. The high-level bombers maintained tight formation and did not veer off course." By December 10, Krohcol reached Betong, just 26 miles from the Ledge. However, a Japanese ambush caught them off-guard near the target, forcing retreat when they were only a mile away. The 5th Division's regiment reached the Ledge by midday, dealing the Indians significant casualties. By December 13, Krohcol was pushed back to Kroh, the operation failed. Meanwhile, the 5th Division advanced south from Singora toward Jitra. Major-General David Murray-Lyon commanded the 11th Indian Division's weak defensive positions at Jitra's road junction, unaware that the critical Alor Setar airfield had already been abandoned. His forces—6th Indian Brigade holding a 10-mile coastal sector, 15th Brigade covering the road, and 28th Brigade in reserve—had sent two delaying detachments on December 9. On December 11, Japanese tanks overwhelmed these covering battalions, inflicting heavy casualties. Murray-Lyon committed his reserves prematurely, leaving Alor Setar lightly defended. That night, Japanese tanks reached the main position north of Jitra, with the 5th Division following. Heavy fighting ensued between Japanese armor and demoralized Indian troops. British defenses penetrated around 06:00, forcing successive Indian units to be overrun. Murray-Lyon repeatedly requested withdrawal permission. At 19:30 on December 12, General Percival finally approved. Due to poor communication and confusion, the 11th Indian Division suffered heavy casualties but disengaged by December 13, withdrawing to Gurun. The primary British defenses in northern Malaya had been breached, the 11th Division severely weakened, and the Japanese advance down the peninsula had begun unstoppably. Percival's first significant defense occurred at Jitra on December 11th, intended to push the Japanese as far north as possible and protect remaining Allied airfields. The Japanese quickly overwhelmed the Indian defenders, and Colonel Tsuji observed the engagement firsthand: "Our tanks were ready on the road, and the twenty or so enemy armored cars ahead were literally trampled underfoot. The enemy armored cars could not escape by running away, and were sandwiched between our medium tanks. It was speed and weight of armor that decided the issue." Major General Murray-Lyon commanded the 11th Indian Division. A World War I veteran, he had served with distinction in the Highland Light Infantry, earning the Military Cross for bravery in Flanders and the Distinguished Service Order for his actions at Moeuvres. The citation stated: "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When the enemy attacked and penetrated the line after intense fighting and continual bombing attacks, by his courage and personal example he succeeded in driving them out and held his position against further heavy attacks with splendid coolness and determination." This was no desk officer, but a frontline commander faced with an impossible task. Murray-Lyon's division appeared formidable on paper but was severely compromised. It contained only two regular British battalions—the Leicestershire and East Surrey Regiments—with the remainder consisting of four newly raised Indian Army battalions and three inexperienced Gurkha battalions. The Gurkhas, though renowned as elite soldiers, were primarily composed of 18-year-old recruits fresh from deployment. Like all Allied forces in Malaya, the division lacked tanks while facing an enemy flush with armor. After only days of intense combat, Murray-Lyon sought permission to withdraw, convinced the Japanese forces greatly outnumbered him. Ironically, Yamashita's army was outnumbered two to one. The Japanese commander employed Blitzkrieg tactics inspired by his time as a military attaché in Berlin, coordinating air and ground forces with remarkable precision. His approach involved fast-moving tanks, bomber aircraft deployed as mobile artillery, and—most unusually—bicycle-mounted infantry. Prior to the invasion, Japanese planners decided bicycles were ideal for the tropical jungle terrain. Rather than shipping thousands, they seized bicycles from the local population. The offensive typically began with bombing raids on Allied defensive positions, followed by tanks smashing through. As defenders retreated, bicycle infantry continuously harassed and attacked, while coastal amphibious assaults flanked positions along the shore. Colonel Alfred Harrison of the 11th Indian Division reflected on the psychological toll: "Fatigue had stretched the men's mind to the limit and the moral ascendancy which the Japanese achieved in these few weeks included a psychic side. The troops were beginning to attribute almost supernatural powers to the Japanese." Yamashita had rehearsed these tactics extensively on Hainan Island, conducting exercises in amphibious landings, bridge destruction and repair, and jungle operations. The bicycle innovation proved revolutionary—troops covered greater distances more quickly with less fatigue, repeatedly outflanking British forces who found themselves pushed off roads and encircled. The rapid movements created a psychological multiplier effect; British commanders, mistaken about enemy numbers, believed they faced far larger forces than actually present. This "Bicycle Blitzkrieg," as it became known, echoed Mongol tactics—a single swift force striking multiple targets so quickly that enemies believed they faced several armies. Tanks were crucial to this success. The British had deployed no tanks to Malaya before the war, a fatal omission. Combined with bicycle infantry, Japanese armor allowed them to engage British forces before defensive positions could be established. Percival authorized withdrawal from Jitra, directing troops south to Gurun, but those defenses remained unfinished and the Japanese advance was too rapid. Percival later reflected in his memoir, War in Malaya: "This withdrawal would have been difficult under the most favorable conditions. With the troops tired, units mixed as the result of the fighting, communications broken and the night dark, it was inevitable that orders should be delayed and that in some cases they should never reach the addressees. This is what in fact occurred. The withdrawal, necessary as it may have been, was too fast and too complicated for disorganized and exhausted troops, whose disorganization and exhaustion it only increased." From the start, British forces stretched too thinly across a 14-mile front in challenging terrain—dense jungle on the right flank, monsoon-soaked rice fields and rubber plantations in the center, mangrove swamps to the left. Yamashita's concentrated attacks breached the line. Repeated retreats cost both personnel and equipment, as overrun positions offered no opportunity for evacuation and bicycle infantry prevented orderly withdrawal. The Jitra defeat exposed a fundamental strategic error: deploying under-resourced troops across Malaya's entire breadth rather than establishing a shorter, more defensible line further south, which could have shortened British supply lines while lengthening Japan's—a disadvantage the Japanese could not exploit. The Allied retreat continued southward to the Gurun area, though the chaotic withdrawal from Jitra itself inflicted more casualties than the fighting had—many frontline units never received withdrawal orders, while others became lost crossing the Bata River. Murray eventually fell back to the Muda River, establishing defensive positions along the Krian River some thirty miles south. Percival, increasingly desperate, realized his entire strategy had depended on holding the Japanese as far north as possible to minimize air threats to Singapore. The rapid Japanese advance made this impossible. Reluctantly, he ordered a general withdrawal south of the Perak River, while his field commanders pleaded for reinforcements they would never receive. Though Percival had an Australian division in Johor, he refused to commit them north, fearing a Japanese naval invasion further south could threaten Singapore itself.   As Yamashita's 25th Army advanced westward toward Penang, Japanese bombers subjected the island to daily raids. British command, recognizing the island as indefensible, evacuated European residents on December 17th—leaving the local Malay population to face the Japanese. Mrs Muriel Reilly's recollection captures the moment's bitter legacy: "it still hurts to think how the white race 'let down hundreds of similarly faithful servants who trusted in us, and looked to us for protection from the hated Japanese." The abandonment had strategic consequences. In their haste, the British left massive stockpiles of arms and supplies in Penang that fell directly into Yamashita's hands. More profoundly, local Malays turned against their former colonial rulers. Some historians now argue "the moral collapse of British rule in Southeast Asia occurred not at Singapore, but at Penang." Under subsequent Japanese occupation, Penang endured three years and eight months of hardship—food shortages, rampant hyperinflation from the "banana dollar," and systematic repression including comfort women camps and the Sook Ching massacres targeting Chinese communities the Japanese feared might become guerrillas.  The Japanese occupiers' fears about Chinese resistance were prescient. Among the Chinese communities of Malaya and Singapore, anti-Japanese sentiment had been building for over a decade. Since Japan's 1937 invasion of China, ethnic Chinese populations had viewed Tokyo with deep hostility. The Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, followed by the escalating horrors of the Second Sino-Japanese War, had created a reservoir of determination to resist Japanese expansion wherever it might emerge. As British colonial authority crumbled, this sentiment transformed from passive resentment into active organization. The Battle of Jitra exposed a fundamental miscalculation: attempting to defend all of Malaya with an undersized army. A more strategic withdrawal to Johore would have shortened British supply lines while extending Japan's. As December ended, Murray-Lyon was dismissed from command—a casualty of circumstance. He had spent weeks preparing for the cancelled Operation Matador while neglecting proper defenses at Jitra and Gurun. At fifty-one, this decorated soldier, who had earned the Military Cross and Distinguished Service Order in the Great War, became a civilian during Britain's darkest hour. He was replaced by Brigadier Archibald Paris, equally inexperienced in jungle warfare, who paradoxically proved more effective by facilitating the retreat of Murray's division while inflicting unexpected casualties on overconfident Japanese units. By December 26th, the Japanese 5th Division and 4th Guards Regiment crossed the Perak River, preparing an assault on Kampar. This position was crucial—located halfway between Penang and Kuala Lumpur, its terrain was unsuitable for tanks and difficult to outflank, offering a rare opportunity to make a stand. Paris gathered infantry battalions, many composed of Jitra and Gurun survivors: British battalions from the Leicesters and East Surreys, along with Jat and Punjabi units including Sikhs. The 12th Brigade hastily dug trenches, strung wire, and cleared fields around Kampar's ridges to improve visibility. After three weeks of continuous fighting and retreat, the defenders' morale had collapsed. Colonel Alfred Harrison observed on Christmas Day: "fatigue had stretched the men's mind to the limit and the moral ascendancy which the Japanese had achieved in these few weeks included a 'psychic' side. The troops were beginning to attribute almost supernatural powers to the Japanese." The Japanese, by contrast, had grown accustomed to victory and approached each engagement with unshakeable confidence. Yamashita employed German-inspired tactics using aircraft as mobile artillery—vital in terrain where conventional gun placement was impossible. Engagements began with bombing raids on Allied positions, followed by frontal assaults to establish a line, then flanking maneuvers through jungle to encircle defenders. When the assault came from the western coastal roads, Japanese tanks struck the 12th Brigade along a three-mile rural stretch near Gopeng. Small arms and heavy machine gun fire erupted as infantry dismounted from trucks and spread into the brush. Some tanks advanced alone onto a bridge near Dipang, where they encountered defenders with Lanchester submachine guns and Bren gun carriers equipped with anti-tank rifles. Lt Colonel Ian Stewart noted the grim reality: "the anti-tank rifle made no impression against the Jap mediums, while their 37 mm guns went through our armour like paper." The Japanese tankers, closing their hatches in the oppressive subtropical heat—what they described as a "Turkish bath"—approached cautiously, aware of potential counterattacks. British defenders fired desperately at vision slits, their bullets ricocheting uselessly. A 2-pounder anti-tank gun destroyed a single tank, prompting Japanese armor to withdraw and wait for infantry support. Meanwhile, two hundred defenders on the opposite side prepared to destroy the bridge. Fortunately, Kampar's shallow water allowed most to wade across a mile downstream. Stewart's 12th Brigade had purchased time. The British established a strong perimeter around Kampar Hill, resembling a "goose egg" on the map. Their artillery, better supplied than the Japanese equivalent, was concealed in the jungle with two hundred rounds stacked beside each gun. The 15th/6th Brigades occupied the low ground where the road and railway ran through town. Unlike earlier battles where Japanese forces kept defenders pinned with close contact, Kampar's expansive fields of fire and terrain offered space to maneuver—a rare advantage the British would finally exploit. Major General Saburo Kawamura led the attack on Kampar with his 9th Brigade. On December 31st, he probed the 28th Gurkha Brigade entrenched on the hill. Japanese howitzer fire drew return artillery that effectively repelled their advances. At midnight on New Year's Eve, Lt. Colonel Augustus Murdoch ordered a 12-gun salute fired at the Japanese—perhaps a cheeky gesture. Seven hours later, Kawamura launched his main assault on the western side targeting the trunk road. The brunt fell on a newly formed British battalion, the Leicesters and East Surreys, under Lt. Colonel Esmond Morrison. The 48-year-old, though some dismissed him as a "polo-playing playboy," proved a serious soldier despite his peacetime reputation, frequently sharing front-line dangers with his men. Japanese infantry emerged from the mist carrying mortars. Mortar fire became intense—one casualty was a company commander whose jaw was shattered by a splinter. However, observation officers from the 88th Field Regiment pinpointed Japanese advances, unleashing devastating artillery fire. Colonel Masanobu Tsuji observed "a continuous stream of casualties coming back down the hill to safety, either carried on stretchers or supported on the shoulders of comrades who were themselves wounded." Japanese artillery pieces were covertly moved through secondary jungle to hide their positions. During the fighting, one of Morrison's lieutenants encountered Japanese soldiers in a trench, fired his revolver, and retreated. A gunnery driver named Walker, noticing a nearby Bren position overrun, exited his vehicle armed with a Thompson submachine gun and launched a surprise attack, forcing the Japanese to retreat—earning him a medal. Troop Sergeant Major Hugill, commanding an outlying observation post connected by field telephone, received a distinguished conduct medal for calmly calling in protective artillery fire while cut off. When the attack subsided, he encountered isolated Japanese soldiers who had captured a Vickers-Berthier machine gun. Hugill gathered five infantrymen and led a bayonet charge to reclaim it. Emergency commissioned officer Lt. Edgar Newland commanded a platoon of 30 men in one of the most forward positions. His platoon was surrounded for much of the battle yet successfully repelled numerous assaults over two consecutive days. General Percival specifically praised Newland and his men. Newland received a Military Cross; his platoon sergeant, Euan McDonald, received a distinguished conduct medal. After two days, Japanese forces captured part of Thompson's Ridge. Morrison ordered two platoons of Sikhs and Gujars to bayonet charge under mortar fire. Tragically, 34 soldiers died, including their 21-year-old commander, Charles Lamb, killed in the initial charge. Captain John Graham lost both legs to a grenade but continued encouraging his men, throwing grenades at Japanese trenches before bleeding to death—but they had retaken the position. Courage, artillery, and terrain proved insufficient. Yamashita decided to outflank Percival with seaborne landings on the Malayan west coast. He transported 40 small craft by rail to Alor Star and ordered landings near Telok Anson, 30 miles southeast of Kampar. If successful, he would cut off Percival's 11th Indian Division defending Kampar. Yamashita devised a three-pronged attack: the Imperial Guards Division would paddle down the Perak River into town; another force would approach from the west on landing craft entering from the opposite direction; a third would move up the Bernam River and march north toward Telok Anson. Lt. General Takuro Matsui commanded the landings. While Kampar held, 1,500 of Matsui's men crowded onto landing craft. One steamer towing ten craft went too far south, attempting the Selangor River defended by a Jat battalion with artillery. The Japanese were repelled, losing one to three craft before moving north. In Perak, four landing rafts ran aground on a sandbar and required rescue. A British patrol boat spotted them but left to report—no action followed. Percival later remarked: "unfortunately neither the navy nor the air force were able to take advantage of this unique opportunity." Despite setbacks, Japanese forces landed and advanced on Telok Anson. On January 2nd, they encountered the 3rd Indian Cavalry and 1st Independent Company under Stewart, equipped with armored cars and Thompson and Bren guns. They inflicted significant casualties but with only 250 men couldn't hold. Stewart ordered delaying actions instead. Telok Anson fell, leaving Kampar defenders at risk of encirclement. Although Kawamura's forces showed no signs of breaking after four days of fighting, Paris feared his main supply route had been cut. He requested permission from Percival to withdraw to the Slim River defensive line. Paris prioritized preserving troops over territory: "With no reserves in hand, we were still in a position of being unable to accept major losses." The 12th Brigade held while Paris organized the division's withdrawal. An unusual discovery emerged during delaying actions: Brigadier Stewart found the body of a dead European cyclist in British uniform. Earlier, a Punjabi sentry had shot a man on a bridge attempting to grab his Thompson. Both were likely German deserters from Vichy Indo-China's Foreign Legion, in contact with the Nazi embassy. The British Legation in Bangkok had warned of such infiltrators offering sabotage and espionage assistance. Percival was particularly struck by the German who tried single-handedly to disarm a sentry and seize a bridge. The 12th Brigade discovered another European body—a German political refugee and former mining engineer who had disappeared weeks earlier. Exhausted after three weeks of near-constant combat, the 12th Brigade continued delaying actions. Japanese air forces wreaked havoc on vehicles; Stewart estimated half his casualties—around 90 killed and wounded from 4,000 troops—resulted from aerial attacks. Stewart expressed satisfaction: "It had been an eminently successful battle," though it was more a series of brief skirmishes than traditional battle. Kampar fell when Telok Anson was captured. Percival might have committed Australian brigades from Johore or garrison battalions from Singapore, but concentrating forces at Kampar risked prompting Yamashita to attack elsewhere. The Kampar defenders retreated 30 miles to the Slim River. Tsuji reluctantly acknowledged Yamashita's breakthrough was impressive, if risky. On the east coast, defenders faced more resistance at Kuantan. Percival clung to the airfield, determined to deny the Japanese RAF facilities and limit their ability to strike at reinforcement convoys approaching Singapore. The first convoy from Bombay, carrying the half-trained 45th Brigade under Brigadier Horatio Duncan, was 24 hours away. The 22nd Indian Brigade, led by Brigadier George Painter, defended Kuantan against the Takumi detachment of the 18th Division. One battalion, commanded by a veteran of Kota Bharu, fortified the airfield with barbed wire and trenches. When Takumi's forces approached, the Japanese encountered 4.5-inch howitzer fire inflicting significant casualties. The defenders fought fiercely, each equipped with six grenades instead of two, creating deadly chaos. Tsuji noted the airfield "was obstinately defended," particularly at night when grenades rolled into confined trenches with devastating effect. Word reached the defenders that General Barstow's entire 9th Indian Division was retreating through Kuala Lipis-Jerantut-Raub. The 22nd Brigade demolished installations and prepared to withdraw, though their rearguard risked encirclement. One night, investigating his southern flank with Captain Ian Grimwood, battalion commander Cumming spotted Japanese soldiers climbing barbed wire meters away. Armed with a .455 Webley revolver, Cumming and Grimwood faced seven Japanese soldiers charging with bayonets. They fired as they were knocked down, killing all attackers, but Cumming suffered two bayonet wounds to his stomach. Grimwood dragged him to battalion HQ for first aid. As the airfield was overrun, Cumming ordered withdrawal. A grenade or mortar round knocked him unconscious. He regained consciousness in a vehicle where Private Albel Singh reported a Japanese roadblock ahead. Spotting a fallen tree creating passage, Cumming ordered Singh to charge through. Machine gun fire rained down; Cumming was hit again with a shattered arm, possibly from an anti-personnel mine, while Singh endured a .256 armor-piercing bullet through both thighs yet maintained control, driving 30 miles per hour. The vehicle arrived at brigade HQ covered in blood from six occupants. Cumming would receive the Victoria Cross for his heroism. Painter held the airfield long enough for reinforcements to approach, though it cost much of one of the best Indian battalions. Painter, fixated on flanking fears, believed it "better to lose half a battalion than an entire brigade." The 22nd Indian Brigade lost a third of its strength but retreated by January 3rd. While this unfolded eastward, Yamashita's forces advanced south. Defenders prepared a new defensive line at Trolak, five miles north of Slim River. Reinforcements had arrived; the 45th Brigade was immediately dispatched to repel the enemy's advance on Kuala Selangor, which held another crucial airfield. Whether defenders could withstand Yamashita's onslaught remained to be seen.   While British forces retreated in disarray toward Singapore, another chapter was quietly beginning in the shadows of the collapsing colonial order. On December 25, 1941—Christmas morning, even as Governor Young raised the white flag over Hong Kong—Chinese volunteers in Singapore formalized their resistance. That day, the Singapore Overseas Chinese Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army, officially known as Dalforce, was established under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Dalley. Dalforce emerged from urgent necessity. As the Japanese invasion accelerated and British defenses crumbled, recruitment of local Chinese volunteers escalated dramatically. What had begun as an informal volunteer effort in 1939 now crystallized into organized military structure. The initial cadre of 200 volunteers swelled to 4,000 members as the invasion reached Singapore's doorstep. These were not professional soldiers—Dalforce members came from the Chinese civilian population, motivated by the knowledge that Japanese occupation would target them specifically. Many lacked military training; some were armed only with sporting firearms due to critical shortages of military weapons. Supply ships intended for Dalforce, such as the SS Empress of Asia, were sunk before their cargo could reach Singapore. Yet the volunteers pressed forward, organizing themselves despite severe handicaps: makeshift uniforms, inadequate equipment, and internal divisions between Communist and Kuomintang factions, each trained separately by British officers. Dalforce would soon earn the nickname "Dalley's Desperadoes" from British forces—a name reflecting both affection for their fierce combat effectiveness and incredulity that such a hastily assembled, poorly equipped force could fight with such determination. Unlike the demoralized British and Indian troops retreating southward, these Chinese volunteers were not defending a colonial order they had experienced as oppressive. They were fighting for their homes, their families, and their survival against an enemy they had every reason to fear and oppose. As the Malayan Campaign entered its final phase and the focus shifted to Singapore itself, Dalforce would play a role that British military historians had largely overlooked but that Chinese participants would never forget. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me.   In December 1941, Japan invaded Malaya. British commanders placed their faith in "impregnable" Singapore, but disaster struck immediately. On December 10, Japanese bombers sank Force Z—battleships Prince of Wales and Repulse—in a stunning air attack.Using tanks and bicycles in a lightning "Bicycle Blitzkrieg," Japanese troops shattered Allied lines at Kota Bharu and Jitra, sending exhausted British, Indian, and Australian forces reeling southward in chaos.  

Hello, Happy New Year! And welcome to the Wise Not Withered podcast. We are on Season 4, and this is episode number 11. Today's guest is Helen W. I found her on Instagram. Her username is 50_over_and_beautiful. And I really loved the vibe of her profile, just so colorful, she looks so happy. Lots of modeling, clothes and food and drinks, and all kinds of different places that she has traveled to. There's a lot of different performances where she has sung. And she talks about all of those things in our interview. She is truly a citizen of the world. She grew up... And actually, I'll let her tell you where she grew up and where she has lived all throughout her life. It's pretty interesting, pretty unique. In addition to all the places where she has lived and visited, she talks about her pretty complex job, and also the intricate family dynamics, of her upbringing with her family of origin, and her dynamic with her son currently. And she also talks about just her experience being an older woman in today's society... What that means, how she's been treated by other women, especially—older and younger, and a pretty interesting work-life balance that she has maintained for a pretty long time. So without further ado, here is Helen! All right, so what is your age? I just turned 60! Oh, you just turned 60! When was that? I turned 60 in September. I think before turning 60, you have this fear, like, “Oh my god… Another decade.” And people regard you as “old”. You think of retirement, yeah… But yeah, I was thinking, because at 60, you get this “Joy Card” in Hong Kong. And then you get like discounts for transportation. Ohh okay! Anywhere you go, you'll be paying 2 Hong Kong dollars. Which means everybody will know that you're 60. And I was thinking, before I got the card, “Oh, would I actually use it? I'll use it when I'm alone… If I'm with people, would I use it? Cause then everybody would know I'm 60.” Then when I got it, it's like… What the heck! Just use it! I mean, I'm entitled to this! (Laughs) This discount to travel, because I've actually lived on Earth for 60 years, and contributed, and yeah! I should be proud! Amazing! I love that!! And what did you call it? Just a discount card? Or did it have a special name? It's called a Joy Card! A Joy Card! Which is is nice name, isn't it? Right! It's a nice name, right? Yeah. I love that!! Be happy! In your senior age. Yeah. That is so cool! Yeah. Let's see, so you live in Hong Kong right now. Did you grow up there? Where else have you lived? Okay. Yeah… I'm quite multi-national, in terms of where I've lived. So I was born in Japan. My parents are from China. But I was born in Japan, Tokyo. So I'm Chinese, born in Japan. Okay then, I did not actually do schooling in Japan, cause the family moved. I moved with my mother to Macao. And then from Macao… My parents divorced, so we were living there with my mom—me and my brother, in Macao. And then she found someone and remarried—an Australian Chinese. So we all moved to Sydney. Oh, wow! So in my teens, I actually moved to Australia, and grew up in Sydney. Did my education there, did my university there. Then after a few years, I married a Malaysian Chinese. And we moved to Singapore. And then the relationship didn't really work out, so my child was born in Singapore as well. So we divorced. And then the boss that I was working for, he was a Hong Kong Chinese, and he announced he was moving to Hong Kong, so would you like to come and work for me in Hong Kong? He just got a position, so he invited me if I was looking for something. So I said yeah okay, I'll come along with you. So that's how I ended up and stayed in Hong Kong. Read the full transcript on wisenotwithered.com!

Delighted to welcome legendary Event Producer & Creative Director Dan Tsu to 'The Clearing'. Dan was passed the "Golden Baton" to be here in the 'Clearing' by Performance Poet Toby Thompson.Dan is an Event Producer, Live Promoter, International Facilitator & Teacher of Event Management. Co-founder of  the infamous Glastonbury Festival venue "Rum Shack", he has being hosting innovative and independent live shows for the last 15 years.  Dan  holds a reputation for championing and collaborating with young talent, working closely with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Akala & Kate Tempest, to name but some of many many more.Dan is also founder & director of the Live Events & Education company Lyrix Organix: A design consultancy for groundbreaking programmes, working collaboratively with major youth organisations and charities.  Lyrix Organix uses rap, poetry, music & and cross-disciplinary approaches to amplify social action.When Dan Tsu describes himself as a ‘Jack of all Trades' he does not begin to do himself justice. As his name may suggest, Dan is mixed heritage: Anglo-Chinese, Singapore British, Hong Kong Chinese. At school Dan began to hone a particular skill in being able to be both an 'outlier' and an 'inlier', able to get the best from relationships around him.  He made friends easily, with an ability to be able to move freely between a variety of different ethnic and religious groups, who all tended to sit in different corners of the classroom and not necessarily mix with each other in the playground.  Dan was a free spirit, without an obvious ego, therefore able to weave his way into all kinds of diverse and interesting circles. He has always been inspired by words, poetry and by music like hip-hop and rap. His signature venue "Rum Shack" at the Glastonbury Festival is particularly important to him, as is Glastonbury implicitly for its unique authenticity & ‘irreplaceable and indescribable' spirit.Dan created early opportunities for the now superstar singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and the rising star performance-poet, Toby Thompson, as well as scores of others.  Dan does not speak Chinese but he is still inspired by the iconic Chinese artist and activist Ai Wei Wei. Dan's personal goal is to ‘change the world in small ways.'As a facilitator, educator, events producer and creative director, Dan Tsu is creating his own dynamic legacy, on a daily basis. He is delighted when people acknowledge the difference he has made to their lives - which people regularly do now, in random encounters, on average now once or twice a week!Dan sees himself as a Londoner.  Happy both in the darkest corner of a lively nightclub or in the solitude of ancient woodland in Dulwich.An extraordinary & distinctive story indeed.Enjoy!Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website. Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk Twitter thatchrisgrimes LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/ FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860 Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :) Thanks for listening!

MedLink Neurology Podcast is delighted to feature selected episodes from BrainWaves, courtesy of James E Siegler MD, its originator and host. BrainWaves is an academic audio podcast whose mission is to educate medical providers through clinical cases and topical reviews in neurology, medicine, and the humanities, and episodes originally aired from 2016 to 2021.Originally released: March 4, 2021As many as 1% of the world has epilepsy, but far more will have a seizure in their lifetime. Not everyone needs a seizure medication, some people are even harmed by them. So who warrants treatment, and what do you start with? Consider today's program an intro to antiepileptic drug decision-making. For educational purposes only, of course. Not to guide any healthcare provider's decision-making.Produced by James E Siegler. Music courtesy of Lee Rosevere, Cellophane Sam, Jon Watts, Josh Woodward, and Rafael Archangel. The opening theme was composed by Jimothy Dalton. Sound effects by Mike Koenig and Daniel Simion. Unless otherwise mentioned in the podcast, no competing financial interests exist in the content of this episode. BrainWaves' podcasts and online content are intended for medical education only and should not be used for clinical decision-making. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @brainwavesaudio for the latest updates to the podcast.REFERENCESAnonymous. Randomized clinical trial on the efficacy of antiepileptic drugs in reducing the risk of relapse after a first unprovoked tonic-clonic seizure. First Seizure Trial Group (FIR.S.T. Group). Neurology 1993;43(3 Pt 1):478-83. PMID 8450987Bouma HK, Labos C, Gore GC, Wolfson C, Keezer MR. The diagnostic accuracy of routine electroencephalography after a first unprovoked seizure. Eur J Neurol 2016;23(3):455-63. PMID 26073548Fisher RS, Acevedo C, Arzimanoglou A, et al. ILAE official report: a practical clinical definition of epilepsy. Epilepsia 2014;55(4):475-82. PMID 24730690Fountain NB. Choosing among antiepileptic drugs. Continuum (Minneap Minn) 2010;16(3 Epilepsy):121-35. PMID 22810318Hauser WA, Rich SS, Annegers JF, Anderson VE. Seizure recurrence after a 1st unprovoked seizure: an extended follow-up. Neurology 1990;40(8):1163-70. PMID 2381523Hui AC, Tang A, Wong KS, Mok V, Kay R. Recurrence after a first untreated seizure in the Hong Kong Chinese population. Epilepsia 2001;42(1):94-7. PMID 11207791Koepp MJ, Woermann FG. Imaging structure and function in refractory focal epilepsy. Lancet Neurol 2005;4(1):42-53. PMID 15620856Krumholz A, Wiebe S, Gronseth GS, et al. Evidence-based guideline: management of an unprovoked first seizure in adults: Report of the Guideline Development Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society. Neurology 2015;84(16):1705-13. PMID 25901057Leone MA, Giussani G, Nolan SJ, Marson AG, Beghi E. Immediate antiepileptic drug treatment, versus placebo, deferred, or no treatment for first unprovoked seizure. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2016;2016(5):CD007144. Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2021;5:CD007144. PMID 27150433Manjunath R, Davis KL, Candrilli SD, Ettinger AB. Association of antiepileptic drug nonadherence with risk of seizures in adults with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav 2009;14(2):372-8. PMID 19126436Marson A, J

What is confinement and why do Asian cultures insist on it in the postpartum period? I chat to Lucy, who adhered to a traditional Hong Kong Chinese confinement routine after the birth of her second child. We talk about what confinement it and involves, as well as the reasons behind the rules. We discuss foods, recipes and recovery, and what western culture is missing out on! If you'd like to read up on confinement period recipes you can find lots, week by week, on Lucy's blog: https://www.lucylovestoeat.com Disclaimer: The information and provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. We reserve the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time. The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the content of the podcast are hereby expressly disclaimed. Your use of content contained in or linked to this podcast is entirely at your own risk. The Better Birth podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

Konichiwa! (Greetings!) I am Winson from Hong Kong. I started my life in Japan from 2010 when I was a language school student. Back then, I never expected to trade a Japanese citizenship for my special ex-colonial national status, as both a British Nationals Oveseas and a Hong Kong Chinese, until 2020. I am now a Japanese citizen, working in a major anime and game production company as a foreign marketing director for Japanese games. Nippon Anime Banzai! (Long life Japanese Animation!)

Analysts at UBS Securities recently said that it is difficult for funds to flow into the Chinese stock market due to factors such as the U.S. Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes and Beijing’s “zero-COVID” policy. Moreover, A-shares and Chinese stocks listed in Hong Kong are under pressure due to foreign capital withdrawal. Meng Lei, a […]

China Update is about China economic and political news and analysis, today we discuss the Chinese economy, the Evergrande Housing Crisis and home prices, China's words on Ukraine, Hong Kong, plus other China news #chinaupdatePlease Support China Update: https://www.patreon.com/chinaupdateClick "Join" to became a channel member

Rainbow Chan is a musician, producer, vocalist, and interdisciplinary artist of Hong Kong-Chinese descent, living in Sydney. She sat down with Mia to roll through her earliest memories in Hong Kong, entry into the world of performance and music, her first heartbreak, seeking uniqueness and authenticity in her musical and artistic odyssey, and creative passion projects moving forward. Rainbow's new EP 'Stanley' drops today (25/11/21) across all platforms. With all tracks written, produced and performed by Rainbow herself. This episode was produced by Mary Ventura. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join the boys as Zac subjects Morgan & Alex to the 2016 Hong Kong-Chinese fantasy film 'League of Gods'. This perfect mess of a film has everything including sewer surfing, skyfire wheels, a golden Power Ranger and much much more!!! Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpikyTrap Check out our Facebook: https://facebook.com/SpikyTrap

Last year late one evening, I sat down and watched a martial arts film entitled, The Grandmaster, a 2013 Hong Kong-Chinese martial arts drama film based on the life story of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_Chun https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandmaster_(martial_arts) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ip_Man. There are a number of Ip Man films starring Donnie Yen  that I have enjoyed watching. The following is a synopsis of The Grandmaster: For the first forty years of his life, Ip Man (Tony Leung) leads a fairly simple life.  He begins his study of the martial arts at the age of seven, starts a family with his wife Cheung Wing-sing (Song Hye-kyo), and focuses on perfecting his Wing Chun.  In the 1930s, martial arts grandmaster Gong Yutian (Wang Qingxiang), a master of Xingyi and Bagua, announces his retirement.  He's appointed his longtime apprentice Ma San (Zhang Jin) as his heir in the north.  He comes down to the town of Foshan to identify his successor in the south.  Having witnessed Ip Man in action defeating a dozen men including arch nemesis The Razor (Chang Chen), the retiring grandmaster believes that the young Wing Chun master is the right man to succeed him.  Gong Yutian's daughter Gong Er (Zhang Ziyi) thinks otherwise. To determine his heir, Gong Yutian issues an open challenge to the south.  As part of this challenge, the masters of the south are to select a representative to face the grandmaster.  Though many masters jockey for the opportunity, Ma San bars them all.  As Gong Yutian hopes, the masters ultimately end up selecting Ip Man to challenge him.  After some preparation, the young Wing Chun master meets the retiring grandmaster for a match of wits.  In order to win, he must break the cake in Gong Yutian's hand.  After a fierce back and forth between two magnificent warriors, Ip Man does just that and prevails.  Unhappy about her father's defeat, Gong Er introduces the new grandmaster to her 64 Hands technique and leaves a lasting impression on him.  As time marches on, the Japanese invade China, and Ip Man is forced to flee to Hong Kong.  There, the grandmaster begins a martial arts school and reunites with friends and foes alike. Accessed from http://www.sobrietytestmoviereviews.com/current-movie-reviews/review-when-ip-man-s-wing-chun-meets-gong-er-s-64-hands-in-the-grandmaster-everybody-wins-the-chess-match on March 27, 2021. The next morning I sat down with Brad Ames at Starbucks in Hendersonville and after we had finished our opening dialogue he asked me, “Carroll, are you familiar with the chess prodigy, Bobby Fischer?” I had never heard of him and so Brad begin to tell me of the first and only American-born world chess champion, a grandmaster around 1972 and eccentric genius beloved to have an I.Q. of 181, today he is ranked #3 all-time best chess player. What really caught my attention was that Brad kept speaking of the 64 squares on the chessboard, Brad kept speaking of our enemy and how he could out maneuver us if we didn't walking humility. For me I was sitting there thinking about the invitation I had recently been invited into with the Lord concerning the northern campaign that Joshua had led in the taking of the promise land. There's so much to this but in short Joshua lead the conquest primarily through two campaigns, one in the south and one in the north. In the south there were nine kings defeated and in the north twenty-two for a total of 31 kings. It will not be until David rightfully becomes king after Saul's unification of the nation that you will see the South (Judah) and the North (Israel) become one untied Monarchy or more properly Theocracy. MZHOP had covered 7 of those kings, OOMZ had covered 2 but when we launched Asheville Collider we were already in the 10th king (PH10; see below) and ascending in the Northern campaign. Presently we are up against the 16th (7th Hebrew letter Zayin) out of 31 kings. Decrease time over target: paypal.me/mzhop or Venmo @clastronaut

As many as 1% of the world has epilepsy, but far more than will have a seizure in their lifetime. Not everyone needs a seizure medication, some people are even harmed by them. So who warrants treatment, and what do you start with. Consider today’s program an intro to AED decision making. For educational purposes only, of course. Not to guide any healthcare provider’s decision making. Produced by James E. Siegler. Music courtesy of Lee Rosevere, Cellophane Sam, Jon Watts, Josh Woodward, and Rafael Archangel. The opening theme was composed by Jimothy Dalton. Sound effects by Mike Koenig and Daniel Simion. Unless otherwise mentioned in the podcast, no competing financial interests exist in the content of this episode. BrainWaves' podcasts and online content are intended for medical education only and should not be used for clinical decision making. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @brainwavesaudio for the latest updates to the podcast. REFERENCES Hauser WA, Rich SS, Annegers JF and Anderson VE. Seizure recurrence after a 1st unprovoked seizure: an extended follow-up. Neurology. 1990;40:1163-70. Randomized clinical trial on the efficacy of antiepileptic drugs in reducing the risk of relapse after a first unprovoked tonic-clonic seizure. First Seizure Trial Group (FIR.S.T. Group). Neurology. 1993;43:478-83. Hui AC, Tang A, Wong KS, Mok V and Kay R. Recurrence after a first untreated seizure in the Hong Kong Chinese population. Epilepsia. 2001;42:94-7. Koepp MJ and Woermann FG. Imaging structure and function in refractory focal epilepsy. The Lancet Neurology. 2005;4:42-53. Marson A, Jacoby A, Johnson A, Kim L, Gamble C, Chadwick D and Medical Research Council MSG. Immediate versus deferred antiepileptic drug treatment for early epilepsy and single seizures: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2005;365:2007-13. Manjunath R, Davis KL, Candrilli SD and Ettinger AB. Association of antiepileptic drug nonadherence with risk of seizures in adults with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav. 2009;14:372-8. Fountain NB. Choosing among antiepileptic drugs. Continuum (Minneap Minn). 2010;16:121-35. Fisher RS, Acevedo C, Arzimanoglou A, Bogacz A, Cross JH, Elger CE, Engel J, Jr., Forsgren L, French JA, Glynn M, Hesdorffer DC, Lee BI, Mathern GW, Moshe SL, Perucca E, Scheffer IE, Tomson T, Watanabe M and Wiebe S. ILAE official report: a practical clinical definition of epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2014;55:475-82. Krumholz A, Wiebe S, Gronseth GS, Gloss DS, Sanchez AM, Kabir AA, Liferidge AT, Martello JP, Kanner AM, Shinnar S, Hopp JL and French JA. Evidence-based guideline: Management of an unprovoked first seizure in adults: Report of the Guideline Development Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society. Neurology. 2015;84:1705-13. Bouma HK, Labos C, Gore GC, Wolfson C and Keezer MR. The diagnostic accuracy of routine electroencephalography after a first unprovoked seizure. European journal of neurology : the official journal of the European Federation of Neurological Societies. 2016;23:455-63. Leone MA, Giussani G, Nolan SJ, Marson AG and Beghi E. Immediate antiepileptic drug treatment, versus placebo, deferred, or no treatment for first unprovoked seizure. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2016:CD007144.

Global News Watch -Looming deadline of a no-deal BREXIT -US's sanctions on officials in Beijing and Hong Kong -Chinese spy targeted at US politicians -Final agreement on Mount Everest's height by China and Nepal -다가오는 노딜 브렉시트 마감일 -중국을 향한 미국의 새로운 제재 -미 정계 타깃한 중국 스파이 -중국과 네팔의 에베레스트 산 높이 합의 Guest: Nicholas Moore, Reporter

Helen is a Hong Kong-Chinese researcher, community organiser, zine-maker, illustrator, plant auntie, lover of noodles and a bit of everything else. We talk about Helen's research work (including Asian Feminist Project Aotearoa), Migrant Zine Collective, Asian-New Zealand identity and “fitting in”, love, activism, academia and more. ☕️ SUPPORT the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/asianinaotearoa

All the way from Rosslare Harbour in Wexford in Ireland Samantha Kelly is the founder of the global Women’s Inspire Network. We talk about inspiring female entrepreneurs, the people who have inspired us, arriving by boat to Ireland on the way to the Seychelles, working as a waitress in a Hong Kong Irish Pub, the joys of dancing on bars, the joys of Irish pubs, getting engaged in New York and how the human connection, the things that bond us and make us smile, are more important than ever. A truly uplifting episode.    On this episode we cover:   The family arriving by boat on the way to the Seychelles But making it as far as Ireland and staying forever Being inspired by her ‘Del Boy’ Dad Going sober Starting her business Women’s Inspire Network Supporting other women Seeing a gap in supporting women to work online Lisa finding it’s suddenly okay for women to have kids and work from home Feeling that women can sometimes be the underdog in business How dynamics can change when people have children Starting her business as a lone parent Covid lockdowns bringing more people online Traditional music in wonderful Irish pubs The one-legged musician that drove them home The dish that reminds her of her dad The pub she went into cry Being in the Hairy Lemon recipe book alongside Bono How being vulnerable can lead to engaging special moments Being proposed to on top of the Empire State building Coming home pregnant from Hong Kong Feeling the weight of Irish history when crossing to New York Working as a waitress in a Hong Kong Irish bar Whether plastic Paddy is a derogatory term Lisa having some of the best nights in her life in Irish pubs around the world Singing and dancing on the bar for a boat load of Navy arrivals Lisa’s night dressed as a schoolgirl dancing with the Navy in Dublin How a night out in Dublin can leave you needing a holiday The beautiful coast of Dublin Spending a year in Paris as an au pair Loving the sights and the sounds and the baguettes and the men Only allowed to dance on the bar if you’re a good dancer and good looking Covid life uncertainty making everyone tired and stressed Human connection more than ever Her Irish family and her Hong Kong Chinese daughter Her father’s wonderful attitude to life Alcohol in Ireland being too normalised Old school Irish men dying young Being on state age ten singing Abba Speaking gigs in New Zealand, San Diego and more The woman with the suit on in the airport she wished she could be like Lisa’s ‘girl with the apple’ moment at Frankfurt How Stupid Girl by Garbage made Lisa feel she had wasted her life But she later became just like the girl with the apple Realising you got there! How the person next to you could change everything for you Being the nervous flyer, crying on take off Lisa laughing hysterically on the worst flight of her life How airports are transitional places that can make you evaluate your life How dancing on the bar to ABBA can be the best feeling in the world 

In the episode I interviewed Emily she lives in China and we talk about the life there, Hong Kong,chinese food etc. Follow me for more on Instagram:https://instagram.com/taekwondoartist?igshid=g6ipj368cm03 Follow Emily on Instagram:https://instagram.com/glowgoals__?igshid=1ujccdoguwy61 here are her other links:https://linktr.ee/Emilygong

Xi Jinping’s Communist Chinese Regime versus Chinese in Hong Kong and abroad. UK PM Boris Johnson, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, suspending extradition treaties, offering visas, and paths to UK citizenship for Hong Kong Chinese citizens. Vladimir Putin’s Russian Regime versus Russians, including Khabarovsk Governor Sergey Furgal, and former defense journalist Ivan Safronov. Democrat leftists and their ruinous, anarchy-enabling, flip-flopping…rule, including Mayors Jenny Durkan, Seattle, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Atlanta, and Bernard C. “Jack” Young, Baltimore. Blacktivism, Black Lives Matter Most, Only Black Lives Matter, Black Mob rule. The grand leftist scheme of things, the grand plan…versus political pragmatism.

China has warned the UK not to interfere with Hong Kong following the imposition by Beijing of a sweeping new national security law. Ambassador Liu Xiaoming said the UK's offer of a path to citizenship for up to three million Hong Kongers amounted to "gross interference". Also in the programme: Bolivia's health minister tests positive for COVID-19; and we hear from Daryl Davis, a black musician and activist who for decades has been befriending members of the Ku Klux Klan and getting them to quit. Picture: Pro-democracy activists Ivan Lam, Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow arrive to the Eastern Court for hearing in Hong Kong, China July 6, 2020. Credit: REUTERS.

Hong Kong: Chinese ambassador warns UK over 'interference'.

This week I’m in conversation with Mark Clifford, a long-time resident of Hong Kong, a former journalist and Editor-in-Chief of the South China Morning Post, and for the past 13 years, Executive Director of the Asia Business Council. In our conversation we look to Hong Kong. It’s been 23 years since the handover of the former British colony to to the People’s Republic of China. In that time, economic prosperity has grown, but so has political disharmony. In years past, public protests – sometimes in the millions – have provided Hong Kong residents with the means to make their voices heard. With the exception of pro-democracy marches in December 2005, the first of five promised decades of guaranteed autonomy went relatively well. Hong Kong had its issues like any other major metropolitan center, but China – for the most part – behaved, leaving Hong Kong to do what Hong Kong does best – make money. Maybe it was the jarring of the global economic crises in 2008 or repeated failed promises by Beijing to allow universal suffrage, but by 2010, tensions mounted. For nearly every year since then, the people of Hong Kong have taken to the streets, tongue-lashing China for it’s sometimes subtle – and sometimes not so subtle – infringements on Hong Kong’s sovereignty. Security laws have been cause for the largest protests. One year ago, an estimated two million people turned out when the Hong Kong legislature – at Beijing’s behest – tried to push through a controversial bill allowing criminal extradition to China. Two million Hong Kong Chinese can’t be wrong. They’ve lived on the edge of the world’s most powerful communist country and many are all too familiar with how the mainland bends the law to support its own ends. So what does this all mean for Hong Kong’s economy and the companies vested in its future? Listen to my conversation with Mark and find out.

James traces America’s “China Mirage” from George Washington to today's Hong Kong streets.

Fraser Nelson reads his cover piece (https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/our-duty-to-hong-kong-the-case-for-granting-full-british-citizenship) campaigning for the British government to offer citizenship to the Hong Kong Chinese; Douglas Murray asks (https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-are-street-protestors-exempt-from-the-corona-clause) - why do the Black Lives Matter protestors get to be exempt from the lockdown? And Tanya Gold reviews (https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/repulsive-depraved-and-oddly-political-monster-munch-crisps-reviewed) : Monster Munch. Get a subscription to The Spectator as well as a copy of Lionel Shriver's book, all for free here (https://subscription.spectator.co.uk/?prom=A571G&pkgcode=03) .

Rowena is back(!) along with her husband, D.O., to talk about their experience in an international relationship, the added complexity of cultural differences, and their thoughts on raising a multicultural child.

About: Half Danish and half Hong Kong Chinese, Martin Yam Møller enjoys large and jarring contrasts. He composes music in many genres, from lyrically ironic lofi-folk-pop to instrumental soundscape ambient music, which is represented in his DataCult Audio episode. He draws Inspiration a range of sources, from the classics Beatles and Boards of Canada to instagram musicians Hainbach and R Beny. The tools he uses to make music can be both old and slightly broken 4-track cassette recorders or the latest and greatest VSTi plugin or semi-modular synths. Even acoustic guitars have their place in his compositions, played both traditionally or with chopsticks and an eBow. When inspiration wanes, he makes sample packs and releases it through his email list, which can be signed up for on his website: http://martinyammoller.com/ DataCultAudio Ep.128 music composed and recorded by Martin Yam Møller sept 2019 Extra tape music for this release contributed by Rasmus Rune Larsen. Links: Video of full DataCult Audio Ep.128 can be seen here: https://youtu.be/uefEJH7JX-Q Follow Martin Yam Møller on instagram: https://instagram.com/martinyammoller And find his youtube channel here: https://youtube.com/martinyammoller

UK officials discussed resettling 5.5m Hong Kong Chinese in Northern Ireland (The Guardian) The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon Follow us at @culturescast, and our hosts on Twitter at @adrianhon @naomialderman @andrhia We're on Mastodon at @adrianhon@mastodon.social @naomialderman@mastodon.social @andrhia@wandering.shop

This week Marty and Matt sit down on the 4th of July to discuss: - Bitcoin's revolutionary nature - Sats App announced by Casa https://blog.keys.casa/announcing-sats-app-with-satsback/ - 300 tickets sold for Bitcoin2020 - LND 0.7 released https://twitter.com/lightning/status/1146107267592445952?s=19 -Zap desktop 0.5 released https://medium.com/@JimmyMow/announcing-zap-desktop-0-5-0-beta-7622672ce582 - Coldcard v2.1.1 update adds dice support https://twitter.com/COLDCARDwallet/status/1146410794315390977?s=19 - US House of Reps Committee of Financial Services asks Facebook to hold off on Libra https://financialservices.house.gov/uploadedfiles/07.02.2019_-_fb_ltr.pdf - Cloudflare went down due to faulty upgrade https://techcrunch.com/2019/07/02/a-cloudflare-outage-is-impacting-sites-everywhere/ - Whirlpool desktop 0.7 released with full tor support https://twitter.com/SamouraiWallet/status/1145998882947682304 - Hong Kong - Chinese border guards put spyware on phones at Xinjiang border https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/02/chinese-border-guards-surveillance-app-tourists-phones - Bitcoin as a safe haven in FT https://www.ft.com/content/f7643858-98f8-11e9-9573-ee5cbb98ed36 Shoutout to this week's sponsors: Cash App. Head over to the App Store or Google Play Store, download cash.app and start #stackingsats today. Use the promo code: "stackingsats" to receive $5 and contribute $5 to OWLS Lacrosse you download the app. Unchained Capital. Head over to www.unchained-capital.com/vaults and checkout their 2-of-3 multisig vaults. You get 3-months free of Saifedean Ammous' The Bitcoin Standard Research Bulletin when you sign up.

ESWS 254 - Hollywood on Hong Kong: CHINESE BOX (1998) Hong Kong Cinema Podcast Podcast episode 254 - ESWS 251 - Hollywood on Hong Kong: CHINESE BOX (1998)) 2 It's the third episode of the sub-series Hollywood on Hong Kong. This time Kenneth Brorsson (Podcast on Fire www.podcastonfire.com) and I take a look at Wayne Wang's 1988 feature titled CHINESE BOX., which features a range of Hollywood and Hong Kong actors set amidst the backdrop of the territory's handover in 1997. Show notes and details can be found at our main website. visit us at www.kongcast.com or email us at eastscreen@gmail.com As always, thanks for listening!

Rebekah Pine shares her journey of being a student of Middle East studies living in Egypt and Jordan and how years later, now a wife and mother of three children, feels a draw by God to return to Jordan to help alleviate the suffering of refugees fleeing from the Syrian civil war. Along the way Rebekah shares how her own faith was enriched and deepened as she navigated a Muslim world. Show Notes: 2:30- (Intro) Steve & Tammy muse about Shakespeare 17:19- Rebekah shares how she first got interested in the Middle East 22:57- Moving to Egypt 26:10- Encountering the Muslim faith for the first time 42:10 - Having a humility in our understanding of God 43:14- Dialogue with Muslim friends 47:24- Rebekah shares anecdotes of being a female Hong Kong Chinese in the Middle East 50:52- Moving to Jordan

On this episode, Billy, Kyle, and Joy discuss the colonization of Hong Kong, 4 chan, left Facebook, editing Wikipedia pages for Feminism, and why Draymond Green is kind of a surrealist. Articles and books discussed are "Collaborative Colonial Power: The Making of the Hong Kong Chinese" by Sang Law and "An Oasis of Horror in an Internet of Boredom" by Angela Nagle. Song Credits: Silver Soul: Beach House Dice Throw: Projection Hotline Strangers: Car Seat Headrest

The China History Podcast is back with another episode. This time we look at the life and times of a personal favorite of mine., Sir Y.K. Pao. In telling the story of Sir Yue-kong Pao (Bao Yugang in Mandarin) we can also relive the periods in China and Hong Kong during the 1960s, 70’s and into the ’80s. Through the life of Sir Y.K. Pao, we can also look back on those difficult times between China and Britain that preceded the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration in December 1984. Sir Y.K. lived an amazing but all too brief life and was one of the early Hong Kong Chinese to rush to aid China when Deng Xiaoping emerged and began setting China on the path of reform and opening up to the world.

Join the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra for a lecture and demonstration explaining each of the four sections of the Chinese orchestra as well as some of the individual instruments.