The sad week noted on my earlier post turned sadder still. The only pro-democracy newspaper media company, Appledaily, folded and printed their last newspaper on Thursday after being raided by police and had their financial accounts frozen the week before. They printed a record 1 million copies and it was already sold out when I went downstairs to buy bread at 0930. Luckily, my sister searched around town and found a copy for me.
The brutal death blow to Appledaily signaled an end to any hope of democracy and press freedom in the city. I remember asking my sister a few years back when we should consider moving back to Canada, she answered firmly saying the death of Appledaily will be a good indicator. I didn’t quite understand her logic back then, but I awfully understand the sad truth now that it happened in such a short time. To make the matter worse, those in charge of the killing of Appledaily were promoted just a couple of days after the last newspaper was published. With the now second-in-command of HK having a police background, the city has officially become a police state, favouring security over basic human rights of freedom and justice.
Have been feeling really low in the last few days like many others in the city. I made an effort to finally pick up my running practice again. Ran on two nights, the exercise and its associated dopamine released seemed to ease my mood a little. Needing to pick myself up from the rut, I searched and found that there’s still a possibility that a marathon can take place in Toronto in Oct. if the pandemic continues to improve, that would be a very good time to visit my other home and catch up with my old family and friends there. This sure is something to look forward to in midst of our current darkening city.
