Nearly eight decades after the Second World War, a “world war” of cognition and ideology is still ongoing. While it is often said that history is composed by the victors, great efforts should be made to learn the story of the “defeated”.
Periscope section of this issue takes readers to two museums in Nagasaki, Japan, where an atomic bomb was dropped on to bring an end to the WWII. Five minutes’ walk away from each other, the museums are telling two strikingly different tales of this city. The two tales of one city during the war illustrate the unique role of museums and tricks played by careful curation that has great impact on public perception and education.
Varsity takes readers to Thailand in the Our Community section to learn how Thai farmers are struggling to mitigate the impact caused by droughts and keep up with rice production, and then to China, where outcry burst out among diners because of ubiquitous pre-made food, the industry which the government boasts as a momentum to save the communist state’s sluggish economy.
Despite the declining property market in China, Varsity learns flat prices in districts with elite schools are still popular among parents who are willing to pay high price for these purchases. Varsity reporters also investigates how children bypass the China’s rigid internet regulations to earn pocket money by speculating NBA trading cards. Also in China, Varsity examines why girls pay to date other girls dressing up like male mobile game characters rather than real boys.
Coming back to Hong Kong, Varsity finds out how Qi Gong helps to alleviate pains suffered by cancer patients, how sports help with the growth of children with special education needs, and how students and colleges react to consecutive alleged crimes happened during university orientation.
Varsity also learns the importance of civil society. A Hong Kong NGO helps elderly with manicure, and another charity helps retired race greyhound start a new life.
Enjoy your read!
Leopold Chen
Chief Editor
