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Feckin' Parentheses (A Note on Irish Rhetoric)
Posted on June 7, 2016 by noahroderick under Culture, Language
I just got into my mom's place a couple of days ago. We stayed up until two in the morning last night, talking, sipping on Jameson's, and talking. Mom has always had the gift of gab, but since Dad passed away two years ago, she's got more to say than ever. This is probably because my father was usefully employed as a 'round the clock sounding board for forty years. Mom has since had to find new places to put her words. As Dad got older, he said less and less. He could speak and speak well when he needed to, but he was far more comfortable as a listener. That's the way Dad's people are. The older you are, the less verbal flexing you need to do.
But Mom is Irish. They're drunk on words and there's no sobering up with age.
I'm not sure where I fall on the ethnic verbosity scale, but I know I've inherited a lot of strategic and stylistic traits from Mom's people. And as I was talking with her last night, I was suddenly made aware of one of the more prominent of those traits. In Irish discourse, it's parentheses all the way down. Perhaps with his stream of consciousness writing, Joyce was onto something that was distinctly Irish just as much as it was Modernist. But that's not quite it, is it? The sorts of digressions and dead ends modeled in stream of consciousness writing are merely Irish talk gone wrong. When done well, the Irish style is deeply and deliberately recursive. The Irish paragraph is not built up from a foundation, but rather continuously stretched inward with extraneous information. If you could draw an Irish paragraph, it would be a cone instead of a block.
As far as Chomsky is concerned, recursion is the sine quo non of human language. Recursed phrases are the hyperlinks of the spoken word: "Donny's rabbit, whose previous owner is his ex-wife who thinks the rabbit is mean to children, is perfectly gentle with Donny's new wife's children." The recursion in that sentence supplied us with additional information, but it was also rhetorical. The claim that Donny's rabbit is gentle with his new wife's children is rather unremarkable since we don't usually think of rabbits as being particularly mean to children anyway. Recursed phrases serve the larger sentence in which they are embedded. But in Irish rhetoric, the location of the remarkable information gets moved to those embedded phrases. Coming from my Mom, the truly interesting part of the above sentence would have been what Donny's ex-wife thought. The bit about the rabbit being gentle with kids would just be there so that the really interesting part wouldn't seem like a non sequitur. Or perhaps it's a diversionary tactic, a way of embedding a slight against the rabbit's previous owner into another point which is only slightly related. In my experience, Irish insults are not darts from the shadows but the parts of a story you almost overlooked. The point is that, in Irish rhetoric, the truly noteworthy stuff is found inside of parentheses.
I'm not sure why that is. Maybe it's the legacy of the seanchaí and their grand sagas, which would have been replete with self-contained and already well-known tales inserted into the larger narratives, and which provided rich, thematic touchstones for the listener.
Covert insult or deferred focus, the Irish parenthesis is everywhere in my speech and writing. Often without knowing it, I'll pan my way through rivers of text just to get to a single, double, or even triple parenthesis. This can be off-putting to listeners and especially to readers, so I redistribute those parentheses into footnotes and appositives as artfully as I can. I'd like to think I do that out of empathy for my audience, but perhaps it's because of that most prominent pair of Irish Catholic traits: loss of self-control and crushing guilt. Either way, whenever I do look at anything I've written in the past, I jump right to the parenthetical stuff. It's all that's worth watching on rerun.
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Although the name is Spanish (it translates as 'dining room'), South America is the foodie reference point at this refurbished eatery on Islington's main drag. The kitchen is visible through a glass panel, allowing punters to watch the action as chefs grill slabs of Argentinian beef and prepare other staples of Latin American cuisine. Ceviches, empanadas, quinoa-stuffed aubergine and chicken aji panca (strips of marinated breast in chilli sauce with yellow potatoes and huancaína sauce) could give way to a massive 700g churrasco steak with, say, rocoto pepper sauce and yuca chips, while dessert might bring traditional alfajores biscuits with dulce de leche and lemon sorbet. Comedor also turns tricks as a drinking haunt with a lively list of South American wines and a 70-strong roster of pisco sours, mojitos, piña coladas, margaritas and other cocktails.
The atmosphere was great and the food was delicious. Service was excellent as well. I would have preferred music that is Latin/Spanish but the music playing was still very nice and pleasant.
Five of us for an early meal so very quiet but to be expected. The staff were very good. The food was very good. We all had different cuts of steak. Mine was one of the best I have had. The puddings were also very good. Will definitely go back.
Ive been to Comedor with a group of friends and had a lovely time there. The atmosphere is relaxed and lively and the service was really friendly and professional. I tried the Ceviche and then the fillet, both delicious , one of my friends had the sea bass and said it was the best he ever tried. A large selection of wines we tried an Argentinian Malbec and we loved it. Good value for money Im thinking of celebrating my birthday there.


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Home > Transport > MTR
Hong Kong is renowned for its economical yet high-quality public transport system. As one of the most congested cities in the world, it has invested heavily in efficient ways for people to get around. From the historic Peak Tram to the esoteric Central and Mid Levels Escalator, the green electric Trams to the iconic Star Ferry, there are no shortage of great ways to get from place to place.
Of all the transport systems in Hong Kong, the one that carries the most people is the Mass Transit Railway or MTR. Every day more trips are taken on the system than the entire population of Singapore. With 91 stations spread over 11 interlinking rail lines, it connects the majority of Hong Kong locations with speed and efficiency on a safe, frequent and economical service.
Safety barriers on the MTR platforms
During rush-hour trains on the busiest lines depart every two minutes. It is truly impressive to see a train leave as you enter the concourse, then by the time you have walked across to the platform find another train already arriving. Even during off-peak times, most lines run at 5-minute intervals so you are rarely waiting on a platform, which is a good thing as the majority have little or no seating for people waiting!
As one of the newer underground railways it is clean, modern and spacious and a lot easier to navigate than one of the historic ones such as the London Underground, Paris Metro or the New York Subway. It also is more reliable than the similarly aged MRT in Singapore, and that is according to Singaporeans!
For visitors or new arrivers in a city, the public transport system is always a challenge. Each city system has its own quirks and these are often not explained well by locals, for who it is all "obvious". The HK MTR is no exception, but if you follow this guide you'll be using the system like an old-hand in no time!
This guide is for:
Visitors to Hong Kong who want to make use of the excellent MTR underground railway system, but not sure how to navigate it or what the best way to use it is.
Hong Kong MTR Train above ground
Using the MTR
Finding Your Route
Changing Trains
Entering Stations
Boarding Trains
Riding Trains
Station Exits
Routes With A View
Stations To Visit
Wifi And Free Computers
Customer Service Desks
With Baggage
Vs Mrt In Singapore
Vs The Tube In London
Other Mtr Operated Services
The MTR is a great way to get to a variety of different parts of Hong Kong, it is fast, cheap, clean and never gets stuck in traffic. Visitors to Hong Kong will find that many, though not all, of the places on their list of attractions and sightseeing destinations, can be reached easily with the MTR.
At the same time, the MTR is not always the best way overall for a tourist to navigate around Hong Kong, for one thing, there is no view on the majority of lines. A few do provide great views though and those are highlighted below. For some city routes, a bus would get you a more interesting experience, while some destinations are best reached via one of Hong Kong's iconic red taxis.
Every MTR station has a set of turnstiles you need to go through in order to reach the platforms, once you have gone through the turnstiles you are in the "paid area" and MTR rules apply, such as no eating and drinking. At the end of your journey, you will go through another turnstile and be outside the system, though still inside the station building.
Turnstiles take contactless cards which you can buy in any station.
MTR Turnstiles accept Octopus Cards
Three basic types of ticket are available. Each one is a contactless credit-card sized card that you hold at a reader until it goes "beep". The three kinds are Tourist, Single Journey and Octopus. Each one is good for a different type of thing, so there is no "best" ticket, it depends on what you are going to do.
Tourist day tickets – A HK$64 pass that allows almost unlimited travel for 24 hours, great for those on a whirlwind trip of the city in a day or three. Buy these at the customer service desk at any station.
Single journey tickets – A set price ticket that allows one specific trip, the price depends on the trip you select. This is a good choice if you have just one trip via MTR in your plan. Get these from the machines in any station.
Octopus pay-as-you-go tickets – The way the locals use the MTR, a stored value card that allows you to "beep" pay as you exit a station, the amount being deducted being related to the journey length. The best choice if you want to have a local experience, or don't plan much in advance and want the flexibility to jump on and off public transport as it comes along. Read our full guide to the Octopus card, the cards do a lot more than just pay for transport.
Each ticket comes in either an adult or concessionary fare version. The adult ticket is for those aged 12 to 64. Concessionary fares are for children 3 to 11 and senior citizens 65 and above. Children who are less than 3 travel free with an adult, the adult should carry them through the turnstile.
There is one other kind of ticket commonly used, full-time students over the age of 12 in Hong Kong are also entitled to discounts by using a named "Student personalised octopus card", but these can't be issued to visitors to Hong Kong.
Rides on the MTR are slightly cheaper with Octopus cards but are very cheap overall anyway. A long trip that a visitor might make would be from Central station on Hong Kong island to Sha Tin station in the new territories, that's a journey of about half an hour involving three different lines. The adult fare is HK$18, with a $2 discount if you use an Octopus card.
Using the MTR means finding the closest stations to the starting point of your trip, identifying the station closest to the destination, and then the route on the system. Given the simplicity of the 11 lines of the MTR for most trips the best route is obvious, but in a few cases there is more than one option and which one will be faster isn't obvious. Use the MTR route planner app, or simply rely upon the suggestions of Google Maps Navigation to identify the faster choice.
Google Maps isn't perfect but generally gives an acceptable route. It knows about the different speeds of the various lines and how frequent the trains run so if it is wrong it is only by a few minutes.
In streets and malls, there are often signs pointing to the closest MTR station. Sometimes the letters "MTR" are used, at other times just the shape of the logo with the two semi-circles joined by a line. Follow the signs to the MTR exit which may either be a street-level entrance with escalators or stairs going down or maybe in the basement of a shopping centre. Outside the city centre, some stations are at ground level or above ground.
Many stations have street-level entrances with a few steps up, and then many steps down. This is part of the flood control design to prevent the stations filling with water during the torrential downpours that occur during Hong Kong summers or typhoons.
MTR Entrance
Man trips may require you to change trains at some point, occasionally several times if you have a long trip to take. If you know the name of the line you need to take then there is good signposting inside the stations and the plenty of escalators to take you from platform to platform. Inside the stations the colour coding on the map is not used for signage though, so you'll need to know the name of the line such as "Island line" or "Tuen Wan line".
Once you arrive at the correct platform there are typically trains going in both directions from opposite sides of the platform. Look at the sign above the train track which shows which stations the train on this side of the platform will go to next. That's an easy way to ensure you get on the train going the right way!
Changing trains doesn't incur any additional fee, with a few small exceptions, and you won't have to go through a turnstile. If you seem to need to go past a gate when changing trains then check because you've probably got lost. Only changes between Tsim Sha Tsui and Tsim Sha Tsui East station, and changing to and from the Airport Express require you to leave the system and enter again.
Route maps inside MTR trains
When you enter an MTR station you'll generally be going down underground, the stations near the city centre are deep down in the earth. But the stairwells are wide and brightly lit so there is no feeling of going into a cave or it being dark. Often the first part of the entrance is steps going down about one or two flights, and then it changes to escalators which go down to the "concourse" level.
Here you will find ticket machines, a customer service desk, and often a wide range of small shops. The shops are an eclectic mix but typically include a convenience store, some snack foods, a gift shop or boutique or office supplies. Take away foods shops are common in MTR stations near offices. But despite the wide range of edibles on offer remember that eating and drinking are not permitted within the paid areas of the station.
After passing the shops, getting your ticket if you haven't got a day pass or octopus card, you then go through a turnstile. Finish your snacks and close your drink containers before this!
Several different types of turnstiles exist, from the oldest with three rotating metal bars at waist level, through to the sliding open and closing small doors of the latest version. Somewhere within each station, there will be at least one "wide gate" which allows those with strollers or luggage to pass through more easily. If you need the wide gate but can't see it then ask a staff member or look for signs for lifts as the wide-gate is often near the lift.
Each gate may operate in either direction, as entry or exit, and a green arrow or a red bar will show beside each gate to indicate whether it is currently an "in" gate or an "out" gate. They switch roles depending on the demands of the traffic flow.
Approach the gate and hold your card against the reader on the top right-hand side until you hear a beep, and the display lights up showing the remaining balance on your card if it is a stored value card. The beep indicates you can go forward, gates will open, or the rotating three bar gates will unlock so you can go forward. At this point, your card has not yet been charged, but it is now currently marked as "in" the system. Make sure you use the same card when you exit so you can be charged and the card can be marked as "out". If you make a mistake and somehow leave the system without beeping out then your card won't work again until you've gone to a customer service desk to have it fixed.
After the turnstiles follow the signs for trains, some of them are just an icon of a train and an arrow. In cases where there are two or more lines in a station, there will be signing stating the name of the line, such as "Tsuen Wan Line" or "Island Line".
This is why it's CENTRAL. You can connect to all metro lines from here. . . . . . . #centralstation #hongkong #mtr #centralhk #discoverhongkong #thekong #mtrhk #mtrart #unlimitedhongkong #travel #way2ill #artinmtr #urbanandrising #mtrhkg #citygrammers #bucketlist #homekong #citykillerz #streetmob #urbanandstreet #cityscape #illgrammers #gramkilla #hkmetro #lovinhongkong #wanderlust #instameethk #explorehongkong #hongkonginsta #urbanaisle
A post shared by Sanday KC (@sandaykc) on Aug 22, 2018 at 6:11am PDT
The platforms all have screen doors to keep people from falling onto the tracks, and also to keep the aircon in the station! As the partition is all glass and the doors are all glass you need to look closely to see what is actually the door, there are arrows on the ground which show where you should wait to board the train.
Most people queue up roughly in line with the arrows, at the left and right of each doorway, so you can follow the lead of others on the platform. When the train stops in the station and the doors open the announcements ask people to wait for the passengers alighting to get off before we board, but most people try to board as soon as they can so there can be a bit of a squash getting on board.
During rush hour there are platform assistants in uniform who direct people towards the ends of the platforms where it is less busy and try to stop people obstructing the doors by leaping on at the last second. At the very busiest hours, the trains may be packed full with no room at all for additional passengers to get on and the platform assistants will wave people back. There is no pushing to get more people on in the MTR as apparently happens in Tokyo!
Stop! 🛑 ✋ #rushhour #mtrhk #wheninhongkong 17082018 #oetjetrip #hktrip #HongKong #stop #stopsign #mtrstation Squished in, pack yourself into as small a space as possible.
A post shared by oetje (@oetje) on Sep 1, 2018 at 5:42pm PDT
The trains are mostly all of similar design inside with wide corridors that open the entire length of the train. Shiny stainless steel bench seats along the carriage sides seat six people each, but a lot of the time you will be standing on MTR trains. There plenty of standing space and handholds everywhere for people to keep steady.
While the train rides are generally very smooth with no sudden stops or jerky motions, all the same, it is best to hold on just in case.
Announcements quite clearly say what station is the next one and so if you have planned your next stop properly you won't have any trouble getting off when you reach the right station. Each station has a different colour theme used for the wall tiles and decorations on the platform, so if you take the same trip repeatedly you will start to be familiar with "red is Central station, I should get off here" or "blue means Admiralty, I should change trains here" and so on.
While on the trains most people remain quiet, stare at their phone, or just zone out. Nobody minds if you talk or move around a little but generally the carriages are quite quiet even at the busiest of times. There are no buskers, beggars or people having parties on the train as you might have seen in some cities.
A few seats in each carriage are marked with red signs as "Priority" chairs and it is suggested that those be offered to the disabled, elderly or those with children. Unfortunately, this suggestion is mostly ignored in Hong Kong but it is certainly appreciated when someone gives up their seat for someone in need, it is just that it isn't considered unusual if people don't.
Smoking, eating and drinking on trains is forbidden and rarely seen which may well be connected with how very clean the train carriages are.
Calligraphy on platform walls in Causeway Bay MTR Station
Exiting the stations is quite a bit different to many other underground railway systems. the MTR stations tend to have a large number of exits, many of them going directly into neighbouring buildings. The MTR Corporation owns lots of the buildings above stations and these typically have malls and office above. Even when the MTR doesn't own the building they are still happy to build underground tunnels that connect into the underground arcades that are common in Hong Kong.
This large number of exits, often spread over quite a large area around the station, means that it is important to come out of the correct one that is close to your destination. Leaving a station by the wrong exit can mean several minutes of walking, and sometimes involves routes that can get you lost.
To make it easier to get to the right exit there is a clear system of naming them. Each exit is given a letter of the alphabet and often also a number. So, for example, the exits from Central station are Exists A, B, C, D, E, F, H, J, K and L. Yes "I" is missing to avoid confusion with the digit 1 presumably. Where exits split just before coming up to the road level they may get numbers after the letter. In Central station, the D exit has two openings known as D1 and D2, while J has three J1, J2 and J3.
If you mistakenly come out of the station and J3 near Chater Garden when actually you wanted to be at D2 for Theater Lane to see the historic Pedder Building then you have a 10 minute quite confusing walk ahead of you so take care!
Signs clearly indicate which exit to take to reach which destination, the common tourist destinations such as Flower Market Road will be listed with which exit to head for.
MTR Exit Sign
Then hanging from the ceiling there are signs indicating which exit is which.
MTR Exit E
Just follow the arrows to find the right exit you need.
Addresses you read for different destinations often specify not just which MTR station to go, but which exit to take. For example, if you are going to the 10 thousand Buddha monastery then the directions will tell you to go to the Shatin MTR station and take Exit B.
When you leave the train on the platform heading for the exit there are escalators going up to the concourse where you will go through turnstiles using the ticket or card you used to enter. If your card doesn't work then look for the customer service desk, normally this is a desk is situated next to the turnstiles or gates so that half the desk is "inside" and half "outside" and the MTR staff there will be serving people both in and out of the system.
For most stations, the whole concourse area is one open room and you can enter and exit from any point, but a few of the stations have distinct separate parts. Causeway Bay is one of these. And if you take an escalator up from the platform into the wrong part of the station then it can be hard to get back down to the platform so as to go up into the right side. In a few cases, it is impossible. But there are warnings above those escalators that say "Exit to Concourse only", meaning no way back to the platform if you go up. Look out for the direction signs that say which exits are best for which destinations, and then follow signs for that exit.
MTR exit B3 at Mongkok station
A view from an underground railway? Actually, several parts of the system are not underground at all and are either at road level or on elevated bridges. These provide some interesting views of the countryside that are well worth seeing if they are on your way to somewhere in that direction anyway. The MTR was originally mostly underground, with just a few surface-level tracks, but in 2007 it took over the services of the Kowloon and Canton Railway which previously operated other ground-level train services, and together with the Light Rail trams in the western New Territories they now operate as a combined MTR system.
Tung Chung Line / Airport Express
If you arrived in Hong Kong at the International Airport at Chep Lak Kok on Lantau Island then you may well have used the Airport Express service, which is operated by the MTR thogh not strictly part of the MTR system, and so will have see the great views of the north coast of Lantau from that train. The same route is followed by the MTR Tung Chung Line which goes as far as Tung Chung just a few minutes drive away from the airport. See great views of the city followed by the countryside of Lantau. If you want to go to the Big Buddha or Lantau Peak or get to the airport on a budget, then consider this line.
Tuen Wan Line north of Lai King station
After being underground all the way from Central Station on Hong Kong Island, this line suddenly bursts out into the open air on a high elevated track once it leaves Lai King Station and gives fantastic overviews of the Kwai Chung container terminal and surrounding areas.
South island line
Take the train all the way to the end and pop into Horizon Plaza to see some of the amazing interior design and furniture shops, and yes you can buy things there even as a visitor as those shops are all quite familiar with having things shipped overseas.
On the way, you'll pass under Victoria Peak and come into the daylight at Wong Chuk Hang with the headland of Ocean Park visible on the right of the train before you pull into Ocean Park station. Watch of out for the bridge crossing Aberdeen harbour with a view of the Jumbo Floating restaurant to your right. Take the train all the way to the end at South Horizons and check out the funky local shops, look in the Marina Square East mall, and then take the 10-minute walk to Horizon Plaza along the south coast of the island.
East Rail line
The old Kowloon Canton Railway (KCR) lines from Hunghom to the border with China are above ground and go from the city through some residential and then countryside. The trains are modern MTR style but have a very slightly more train feeling about them if you actually like riding a train. And unlike other parts of the system there is a "first class" section with every-so-slightly more comfortable seating, make sure you validate your ticket as first class at one of the terminals on the platform before boarding a first class section.
East Rail Line train
The Hong Kong MTR doesn't have the grand architecture of the Moscow subway system, the historic feel of the London Tube or the Paris Metro, but there are a few spots where the designers have come up with some pretty impressive sights. Worth looking out for if you happen to be passing the right station, the probably not worth going out of your way to see.
Mural in Central MTR station
One of the oldest stations, part of the first line, there haven't been many upgrades to the station but there is a lovely tile mosaic on the platform of the Island line when you arrive from the Admiralty side. People don't stop to look at it but it is actually a very nicely done blend of old and new Hong Kong scenes all made of tiny tiles. By local artist Lucia Cheung.
The new Wampoa station in Hong Hum has a great mural along one of the concourse passageways, as do several other stations on the line.
Music in Hong Kong station – to Central station passage
This long passageway with two sets of travelators has a little area set aside for live music performances. There doesn't seem to be a published schedule, perhaps to avoid crowds forming, but when you do pass along and find musicians playing it is quite magical. It is directly oposit the huge murual called Swift and Safe by Gaylord Chan.
Kennedy Town sculpture
Right in the middle of the concourse is a giant sculpture of an apple sliced into halves. It is by Lao U-kei and Lau Lung-wah
Causeway Bay MRT Station
There is free MTR Wifi available in every station, generally near the centre of the main concourse. Several stations also have "iCentre" consoles where there are a number of small screens and keyboards that let you browse the web, perfect for checking a route on a map or sending an email if you've left your phone behind.
If the problem is your phone battery is flat, then you may be also able to charge at these stations where there are USB charging ports available. Bring your own cable though! They are always located in the paid area of the stations so they are for paid travelling customers only, and surprisingly there is rarely a queue to use them.
Look out for the iCentres at any of these stations:
Kwun Tong Line: Kowloon Tong, Kowloon Bay
Tsuen Wan Line: Tsuen Wan, Kwai Fong, Sham Shui Po, Mong Kok
Island Line: Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, Quarry Bay, Tai Koo
Tung Chung Line: Hong Kong
Sham Shui Po MTR station platform walls are
It might seem obvious that a public transport system would have public toilets, but unti recently this wasn't true. When first built the MTR had none, but the KCR did. When the two systems merged under the name MTR in 2007 it no longer seemed reasonable for the older MTR stations to have none and a slow project to introduce them into the busiest stations was started. It still isn't complete but most new stations have been built with toilets.
Those stations without restrooms are often near or directly connected to shopping arcades which do have those facilities, but not all.
Where toilets are available they are typically small but adequate and include one cubical suitable for wheelchair users which doubles as a changing room for children.
The project to add toilets to older stations is starting with the interchange stations, those where two different lines meet and hence there is the possibility of having to wait for a train. All 20 interchange stations should have toilets by 2020.
Toilets can be found at least in these stations: Admiralty, Disneyland Resort, HKU, Ho Man Tin, Hong Kong, Kennedy Town, Kowloon, Lei Tung, Mei Foo, Mong Kok, Nam Cheong, Ngau Tau Kok, Ocean Park, Prince Edward, Quarry Bay, Sai Ying Pun, Sheung Wan, South Horizons, Sunny Bay, Tsing Yi, Whampoa and Wong Chuk Hang.
Every station has at least one manned customer service centres. The staff at these desks can resolve problems with tickets, give advice on routes, and generally assist travellers. During rush hour they tend to be busy dealing with the various strange things that crop up with peoples tickets, but there will be a queue and it won't take long to be served.
Most desks are positioned on the concourse beside a gate so they can serve travellers both in the "paid" and "unpaid" areas of the station, and staff can be seen whizzing back and forth on their wheeled office chairs between the two sides of their desk! Amazingly they never seem to loose their cool and always provide great help.
You can also use them to add value to your Octopus card, but that can also be done from an automated machine if you would rather avoid a queue at the desks.
the MTR does it's bit to ensure the ongoing reputation of Hong Kong as a "Shopping Paradise". Every station seems to be packed full of shops selling a wide range of different goods. Each station has at least one convenience store but also a lot more that you might not expect.
The many choices available include food and beverage, health and beauty outlets, bakeries, convenience stores and shops selling fashions, cosmetics, accessories, gifts, herbal products and health drinks, confectionery and lifestyle goods. Some concourses are also home to dry cleaners, shoe repairers, bookshops, clinics, travel agents, banks and financial service providers.
You are not allowed to eat or drink anywhere inside the paid areas of the trains, which includes the platforms and also on the trains. That's been the rule since the MTR first opened and generally Hong Kong people are entirely ok with this, and you don't see anybody breaking this rule.
The restriction probably contributes to the great cleanliness of the stations and trains, nobody is dropping crumbs, spilling drinks or littering wrappers or packing. It also tends to make the lack of toilets less likely to be urgent!
You'll find that the rules are not always followed by visitors to Hong Kong, and sometimes this causes some disagreements or discontent from locals who don't like visitors breaking these rules.
It is particularly strange when many of the shops within the stations sell food and drinks, not just packaged foods but things like fresh buns from bakers or even hot soups. But even though you can buy these things in the stations, even within the paid areas, you better keep the containers closed and take them outside before you consume them!
Nobody likes to use a public transport system during rush hour, and that goes for local commuters as much as tourists. As a visitor to Hong Kong it is really best if you can avoid the rush-hour, particularly at the busiest interchange stations where large crowds form waiting to change lines, and the trains themselves can become cramped and uncomfortable.
Rush-hour in Hong Kong is the same time as in most cities, running from around 8am in the morning until after 9am in the morning. During this time the flow is mostly from the residential outskirts of the city towards the central business areas of Kowloon, Central Hong Kong island and causeway bay.
The evening rushour is more spread out as first schools let out in late afternoon then office workers make their way home. Any time after 4:30 is liable to be congested on routes leading back from the city centre towards residential areas.
Admiralty interchange between the island line and the Tuen Wan line is a particular congestion spot, and causeway bay tends to be busy at almost any time as it is a mixed commercial, entertainment, shopping and residential area.
MTR Ticket machines
Any public transport system tends to build up an unwritten list of "rules" of good behaviour, and while Honkongers are generally quite flexible there are a few things that you should avoid doing so as not to appear rude while using the MTR.
Don't eat or Drink on the trains. This is one of the few ones that is in fact clearly written down, that includes drinking bottled water. The only exceptions that people won't mind is eating a sweet or poping a piece of gum into your mouth, mostly because they are not particularly noticable.
Don't sit on the floor in the trains. While common in a few countries this seems very strange to Hong Kong people, anybody seen doing this seems to be inconsiderate. The same goes for squatting on the floor.
Don't put your bag on the seat next to you unless the train is really very empty, and move it promptly if anybody want to sit there.
Walk along the train only if you are really going somewhere, not just to take a walk.
Stand on the right on Escalators, giving others room to walk past you on the left. This one is inherited from the British and the behaviour on the London Underground, and isn't taken as seriously in HK as it is in London, but if there is room it is still better.
Don't use the Customer Service Counters as a travel advice centre, there are people behind you in the queue so keep your questions short and to the point. Tourist information desks do exist in the MTR, but only at the airport, Hung Hom, border cross points and for some reason at Admiralty.
If there is a lift only use it if you actually need it, for example, you have a pram or a wheelchair user or have heavy luggage. The lifts in the MTR are slow and have limited capacity so able-bodied people using them is taking away from those who really need it.
Don't be loud on the train. Although some HK people generally talk quite loudly, they don't do this on the MTR. That doesn't mean you can't have a conversation, but quietly. At any time of the day, the train tends to be a place of relative quiet and people like it that way.
Of course, for every one of the "rules" above you can point to exceptions, and show examples of local Hong Kongers disobeying these suggestions. But if you keep to them, then you'll surely be a good MTR citizen.
The MTR system is very child-friendly, with one small exception we will get to in a moment.
Children under 3 years of age don't have to buy a ticket on the MTR, but there is no facility for them to go through the gates on their own. The expectation is that they will be carried by parents, or be riding in a pram or stroller. In the latter case go to the wide gate and push on through, with the parent beeping at the turnstile to open it.
Once inside the station prams should go into lifts, but as the lifts are slow and not available everywhere people do sometimes take strollers onto escalators. This is a bad idea and frowned upon, it is dangerous and signs tell you not to. Barriers at some escalators make it difficult, but not impossible, to use them anyway.
If you have a pram then when looking for a door on the platform look for those with the wheelchair/disabled symbol next to the door. That means this door will lead into a carriage that has fewer seats and more space for wheels. Don't worry about occupying that "disabled space" as it is extremely rare to see actual wheelchair users on trains and nobody minds if prams use it.
Kids from 3 through to 11 years old have to buy a ticket. Child concessionary versions are available for all the different kinds of tickets you can use on the MTR and are used in precisely the same way.
With younger kids, it is best if the adult holds the ticket and helps them beep in and out, because if they lose their ticket then it's a pain getting out as you have to go to the customer service desk. Many locals whos kids travel on the MTR every day give their children lanyards with a cardholder around their neck. This is an ok idea, but make sure that the lanyard is a safety one with a "break-away" so that it comes off in an accident, such as getting it caught in a lift door or escalator.
Although the train stations are crowded around rush hour nobody minds kids, and they won't get crushed, but there is a risk of them getting lost if you don't keep an eye on them. The stations are large, and all look the same from a child's perspective, it is hard to know where you are at times so this is definitely a place for "hold mummy/ daddy's hand" as much as possible.
The platforms at the stations all have safety doors which means there is no danger of being pushed onto the rails; this makes the experience a lot safer for kids especially. Once on the trains, there are fewer handholds available for kids heights, but there are still plenty of places that a child can hold on to one of the verticle pole handholds located throughout the train interior. And children are often offered seats by other people on the train, but this can't be guaranteed.
As a parent with children travelling on the MTR the only real issue you will face is the lack of public toilets, if younger kids suddenly need to use the loo then things don't look so good. Although newer stations have toilets, and the major interchanges are installing them in phases, there aren't that many and some stations still have no public rest rooms at all.
For less urgent cases look at the local area maps in each station, they clearly show where the nearest public toilets are, including those in shopping arcades attached to the station. For more desperate cases ask a member of staff, they will know if there is a public toilet in the station or if not they will let your child use the staff toilet. That is an official policy, that members of the public may ask to use a staff toilet, so don't feel you are imposing. At the same time it is quite inconvenient so not a regular solution.
Officially baggage isn't allowed on the MTR, anything larger than around airport-carry-on-luggage size is not permitted without an official exception letter.
In practice, however, you see suitcases all the time, and even stranger things such as bicycles (always with one wheel detached so they become "luggage", not really a bike), and luggage trolleys used by builders to carry buckets and cement, or couriers with sacks full of parcels and so on.
If you are taking luggage on to the MTR then really you should avoid rush hour, and keep to routes where there are wide gates and lifts easily available. That isn't always possible to work out in advance, but the major tourist routes such as from the Airport Express (which does allow luggage of course) through to the hotels in Wanchai, Causeway Bay or Tsim Sha Tsui generally work fine.
Your biggest problem will be waiting for lifts, which tend to be slow and cramped. Don't be tempted to take your large suitcases onto the escalator, that's frowned on and generally not very safe when people are walking past.
As taking wheely suitcases as a way to carry your shopping has become quite a norm for tourists in the region you see more and more in the MTR. Perhaps at some point in the future they will more strictly enforce the rules against them, but for the moment you can get away with one suitcase per person quite easily outside of rush hour.
Like the rest of Hong Kong the MTR makes some effort to be accessible, but fails most of the time. There is a sense that they have done the minimum to be able to say "yes, we are accessible" without actually doing enough to make it practical. Although the official figure says that most stations have "step-free access" this isn't always easy to reach or convenient for where you are trying to enter.
Many stations such as Central Station have stairs at entrances on the street level, often just a few stairs up before another one or two flights down, to avoid flooding during heavy rain. But this causes an unnecessary burden for wheelchair users or others with limited mobility.
There are call buttons outside stations which allow you to ask for someone to come to help, and they will arrive with ramps, powered stair lifts, or simply man-power to help you. The problem is just that this takes quite a while during which you are stuck outside an entrance waiting.
Stair lifts and call buttons for accessible wheelchair access to MTR station
For example, if you are trying to enter Central station from somewhere in Peddar Street then every entrance has this problem, yes you could get to World Wide House and take the lift down to the concourse level. But how do you get from Peddar to World Wide House? It is certainly doable but it just means one more road to cross, one more extra step to your route.
This is why it is extremely rare to see any wheelchair users in the system, and travellers to Hong Kong with limited mobility basically should forego even attempting to use it.
Try instead one of the two special accessible taxi services in Hong Kong, which offer an excellent and reasonably priced service, but do need you to book in advance and it isn't as cheap at the MTR of course. Search for DiamondCab or SynCab to learn more about these.
vs. MRT in Singapore
Visitors from Singapore will find the MTR in Hong Kong to be very similar to what you are used to in Singapore. As the two systems were built around the same time they are naturally very similar in style. In fact, if your eyesight is bad you might get confused sometimes over whether you are in an MRT or an MTR station or train! But when you actually travel by train the big though you'll notice different is that announcements about stations sound so different!
Although the MTR has a reputation for being more reliable than the MRT in truth both are modern reliable railways, and it is only the very occasional fault that makes the headlines in either city.
Being a bigger and more crowded city Hong Kong's MTR is harder to navigate and a lot busier. This does mean there is less waiting for trains, but when the trains do arrive they tend to be more crowded than those in Singapore.
vs. The Tube in London
Coming to HK from London? Then you'll need to know that it is very different in the experience of The Tube and the MTR.
First of all, you have to remember that the MTR is only about 20 years old, so when you compare it to a more than 100-year-old service it is going to look a lot different. Frankly, the Tube isn't going to come off looking so good, it is complex, expensive, unsafe, unclean and very confusing for visitors.
If you are used to using an Oyster card then you'll just want to go right ahead and get an Octopus. If on the other hand, you've been using tap-and-go using a paywave contactless card then you'll be disappointed to find that PayWave doesn't work in the MTR.
On the up-side, the Octopus tickets are just as good as an Oyster for public transport; and they let you do a lot of purchase in shops and cafes, not just within the MTR system but anywhere in Hong Kong. So get that Octopus card, perhaps a 1 or 3-day tourist pass if you are just here for a short period.
When waiting for trains notice the arrows on the floor on the platform to show you where you should stand to queue to get onto the trains. Be prepared to board quickly, but at least you don't have to push buttons on doors and all the trains and stations are really similar so there isn't the variation you get on the Tube. Even the lines that run overground are not like the Overground, they are still the same basic trains as the rest of the MTR.
Finally, just like when you leave London you can hand back your Oyster for a refund, you can do the same with your Octopus. Though as it is also possible to just buy things in a convenience store until the balance is negative, why not keep it as a souvenir?
The MTR is mainly an underground train company of course, but they end up running a range of other connected and sometimes not so connected services.
Airport Express – This one makes some sort of sense in that the lines and stations overlap with the existing MTR services. You can take the airport express for a great fast, you might even say "express" trip to Chep Lap Kok where the Airport is. In fact the airport express trains actually stop within the airport building, it would be hard to be more convenient unless they went onto the runway! If you take the Airport Express don't forget the major benefit of the In-Town Check-In which saves a lot of queuing in the airport as well as saving on lugging luggage around for the last part of your trip when you depart HK.
Light Rail – Situated in the North Western part of Hong Kong the Light Rail system is actually a tram, it runs through the towns of Yuen Long and Tuen Mun, which are not exactly on the tourist map. But if you do happen to go there, and there are a few hotels and many office blocks that business travellers may need to visit, then the LIght Rail may be for you. Much less picturesque than the historic "ding ding" trams of Central Hong Kong these LRT (Light Rail Trains) operate differently to the rest of the MTR system in how you board and pay. There are no turnstiles but instead, you need to "beep" to validate your octopus card using the yellow card reader on the platform before getting on the train. Nobody checks that you have done so, but if you get caught without a validated ticket then there is a fine.
Ngong Ping Cable Car – There is no apparent connection here with the rest of the MTR services, except that it is mechanical and until the original operates of the cable car the MTR knows what they are doing. The terrible reliability of the system when it was first opened has gradually been resolved since the MTR took over, so you can now safely choose this method to ride up to the top of Lantau to see the monastery and the Big Buddha statue.
Shopping malls – Part of the deal when the MTR gets to build a new station is that they will be allowed the "air rights" over the station, which means they can build yet another giant tower block. As though Hong Kong doesn't have enough of them. And in fact, HK really doesn't have enough buildings for both residential and commercial use, so these towers are actually a good thing. The lower few floors in each one are normally given over to some type of shopping mall or arcade, which then benefits from the through traffic from the connected MTR station both to the residential or commercial space above, as well as through traffic to neighbouring buildings as the MTR is always good at making pedestrian bridges in and out of the stations.
Swedish railway – The MTR has experience with railways and is now using that to operate rail systems in places as far apart as Sweden and Australia. The Swedish MTR Stockholm AB (MTRS) is one of newest ventures and doing very well.
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Oaklanders receive results of local and state elections
Rosa Furneaux and Margaret Katcher on November 9, 2016
Oaklanders will awake to the news that marijuana has been legalised statewide, soda will be taxed across the city, and more Oakland tenants will receive protection from eviction and rent increases through Measure JJ.
Statewide, Californians chose not to repeal the death penalty through Proposition 62, while execution procedure time limits were reduced with the passing of Proposition 66. Actors in adult films will not be required to wear condoms through Proposition 60, and drug prices will be regulated to reduce costs to patients.
Republican Donald Trump will be the nation's new president. For updates on the presidential election, see our coverage here.
In the shadow of the presidential result, some Oaklanders had turned their thoughts to issues closer to home. "As a California voter, my national vote is minimized," said Ezra Gold, 30, at an election watch party at the Room 389 bar near Lake Merritt. "My vote, statistically speaking, carries far more weight on a state and local level than it will on a national level."
As of 11:29 p.m., all of the incumbents for the city council race appeared to lead in their districts. At-large councilmember Rebecca Kaplan led with 53 percent, against challengers Peggy Moore (19 percent) and Bruce Quan (16 percent.) Despite being out-funded by his challenger Viola Gonzales, District 5 incumbent Noel Gallo led with 57 percent.
In the Oakland Unified School District school board race, all incumbents led in their district, although Roseann Torres held District 5 by a narrow margin as of midnight.
At the GO Public Schools watch party, staff members and families of volunteers were joined by school board district candidates for pizza and brews. Children rushed to take pictures with Huber Trenado, candidate for District 5, as he arrived. GO Public Schools is a non-profit endorsing Jody London, Jumoke Hinton-Hodge, Huber Trenado, and James Harris for the Oakland school board.
District 3 boardmember Jumoke Hinton-Hodge, who is running to retain her seat, said, "I'm really excited about it because of the team that I built. We just rocked it out and it really brought us together."
Jody London of District 1 said she was disappointed with election turnout. "I think that we need to figure out as a city how we are going to come together after this, especially on education," she said.
Executive director of GO Public Schools, Ash Solar, said the campaign had seen many volunteers turning out to knock on doors in the run-up to the election. "California has got one of the longest ballots, if not the longest. With the progress that OUSD is finally making the stakes were just too high for this school board election to get lost in a long ballot and a crazy presidential election," he said.
District 3 and District 7 candidates, Kharyshi Wiginton and Noni Session, were also watching the results at an election party. Before the vote was called, Winginton said, "I'm anxious but excited and hopeful. It's awesome to see what strong community values, a collection of people, and two months can yield."
As a community programs manager at McClymonds High School, Winginton engaged her students in the campaigning process by having them knock on doors and distribute literature. "One of my biggest goals was how to engage folks who normally aren't engaged" in voting, she said. "I didn't want to just look at the voters who typically vote."
Carroll Fife, chief assistant to Winginton, said, "We really have to do something about campaign financing, which disadvantages grassroots candidates like these women."
A diverse crowd gathered to watch the poll results for rent protections Measure JJ at SoleSpace downtown. The crowd was led by Calvin Williams, a member of youth voter engagement program, YVOTE, in chants of "I believe that we can win". Mabel Tsang worked to pass the measure as part of the Asian Pacific Environmental Network. "We believe that building political power and passing state measures is what brings our community into the future," she said.
With 60 percent of precincts voting, 73 percent of Oakland voters were in favor of Measure JJ at 11:29 p.m.
Meanwhile, early election returns showing 61 percent of Oakland voters in favor of Measure HH were followed by loud applause at the Yes on HH's campaign headquarters in North Oakland.
The beverage table offered supporters water, wine and cold beer. There was no soda until Omar Yacoubi brought a two-liter bottle of A&W 10, a lower-sugar version of the popular root beer.
"None of these fall under the tax," he said.
Yacoubi created the Twitter handle @OakforHH after receiving many what he called "wrong" mailers from the American Beverage Association, which called HH a "grocery tax." A software designer, Yacoubi said he would tweet in response to the No on HH campaign to keep factual information in the conversation. "I felt like we needed to do something," he said. "And something is better than nothing on this issue."
Other attendees at the watch party at the Yes on HH headquarters included City Councilmember Desley Brooks (District 6), and Vice Mayor Annie Campbell-Washington, who authored Measure HH and convinced her fellow councilmembers to put it on the ballot.
"It feels great," Campbell-Washington said of the positive early results. "This really gives you have how you can make public health decisions for children."
Asked if she could promise that the funds would be used for health initiatives in Oakland, Campbell-Washington said, "Absolutely."
"All eyes are going to be on Oakland," she said. "Big Soda is hoping we will fail."
Dr. Jared Fine, former dental director of the Alameda County Public Health Department, said he felt "wonderful" with the way the ballot count was turning out. "It's a reflection of the intelligence of the voters when they're given good information," he said. "The American public is not stupid."
Roger Saechao worked with the Yes on HH campaign by knocking on doors all across the city beginning in June. The work, he said, was exhausting but worth it. "We grinded every single day," he said. "Just to see the results of what we put in was very fulfilling."
The success of the early numbers was underscored by many people who watched national polls in dismay as Donald Trump drew ahead. Many of Yes on HH's volunteers were people of color.
Late in the evening, as the count for the presidential vote continued, Campbell-Washington spoke to Yes on HH staff. She said it was hard to be happy when "our country is falling apart."
Reporting contributors for the article include Alexandria Fuller, Brian Krans, Mary Newman, Sofia Melo, and Pablo De La Hoya.
Roger Saechao, 25, taking a selfie of the big soda tax campaign winning percentage in Oakland. Photo by Nani Walker.
Ronald Towns, Kyle Svinger and Tiffany Shumate, all educators with Oakland Unified School District, attend an election night viewing party hosted by GO Public Schools Oakland Advocates. Photo by Samantha Clark.
John Jones III and Rhonda Reed of Oakland attend a party for Measure JJ at Solespace in Oakland. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Votes on Major Measures in Oakland by Nov. 8, 2016, 10:22pm. By Tian Chenwei
Election 2016 | Politics
Oakland reacts to the election of Donald Trump
After Trump win, protesters move through downtown Oakland
Roger on November 12, 2016 at 9:54 pm
another blow to the Oakland Community. Rent control makes it more difficult for new renters to find housing in Oakland while subsidizing people who do not need to be subsidized. It also degrades the quality of housing by not creating incentive for owners to maintain or upgrade their properties. Congratulations voters on making Oakland a worse community than it already is. Try section 8 style subsidies. They work much better.


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Case Profile
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Case Name United Farm Workers v. Department of Labor IM-DC-0016
Docket / Court 1:07-cv-02241-HHK ( D.D.C. )
State/Territory District of Columbia
Case Type(s) Immigration and/or the Border
Attorney Organization Farmworker Justice
On December 13, 2007, the United Farm Workers and Farmworker Justice, two worker advocacy groups, filed this lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). They filed under the Freedom of Information Act in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and the case was assigned to ... read more >
On December 13, 2007, the United Farm Workers and Farmworker Justice, two worker advocacy groups, filed this lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). They filed under the Freedom of Information Act in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and the case was assigned to Judge Henry H. Kennedy. The plaintiffs, represented by the Public Citizen Litigation Group and Farmworker Justice sought declaratory and injunctive relief. Specifically, they requested that their document requests be fulfilled without delay or cost and that the defendant's failure to produce these documents previously be declared as unlawful. The plaintiffs alleged that the DOL failed to release public information about employers who had used the H-2A visa program to hire foreign guest workers instead of U.S. workers. The plaintiffs wrote that they had made 7 separate FOIA requests, some nearly a year ago, which the DOL had either ignored or responded to in a deficient manner. The plaintiffs alleged that the FOIA requests were made in order to uncover documents which they believe will show employer abuses in the H-2A program.
On February 8, 2008, the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint after the DOL identified 32,809 documents that would fulfill the plaintiffs sixth and seventh FOIA requests but refused to produce them without reproduction costs of $723.50. The amended complaint reiterated their request for the documents without cost. On March 10, 2008, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction and a motion for summary judgment, which was answered by the plaintiffs' cross-motion for summary judgment on April 11, 2008.
Before the court decided on these motions, the plaintiffs filed a status report on July 18, 2008. The report stated that the DOL had produced documents in response to all 7 FOIA requests to the plaintiffs' satisfaction, and also granted fee waivers for all requests. The report concluded that all matters had settled except for attorneys' fees and costs. The defendants entered a stipulation of settlement paying attorneys' fees and voluntary dismissal on September 5, 2008, which was accepted by the Court on September 11, 2008. The case is now closed.
Dan Dalton - 12/21/2007
Carter Powers Beggs - 10/23/2019
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Issues and Causes of Action
click to show/hide detail
Content of Injunction
Required disclosure
Defendant-type
Jurisdiction-wide
Records Disclosure
Immigration/Border
Temporary foreign workers program
Plaintiff Type
Non-profit NON-religious organization
Causes of Action Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552
Defendant(s) Department of Labor
Plaintiff Description United Farm Workers and Farmworker Justice, two worker advocacy groups
Indexed Lawyer Organizations Farmworker Justice
Class action status sought No
Class action status granted No
Filed Pro Se No
Prevailing Party Plaintiff
Public Int. Lawyer Yes
Nature of Relief Attorneys fees
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief Settlement
Form of Settlement Voluntary Dismissal
Filed 12/13/2007
Case Closing Year 2008
Case Ongoing No
See this case at CourtListener.com (May provide additional documents and, for active cases, real-time alerts)
Court Docket(s)
D.D.C.
09/11/2008 07-2241
IM-DC-0016-9000.pdf | Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
Complaint for Declaratory and Injunction Relief
Groups Sue Department of Labor Over Foreign Guestworker Documents
Amended Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief [ECF# 7]
Plaintiffs' Status Report [ECF# 20]
Stipulation of Settlement and Voluntary Dismissal [ECF# 21]
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Judges Kennedy, Henry Harold Jr. (D.D.C.) show/hide docs
IM-DC-0016-9000
Plaintiff's Lawyers Goldstein, Bruce Nevin (District of Columbia) show/hide docs
IM-DC-0016-0001 | IM-DC-0016-0003 | IM-DC-0016-0005
Kirkpatrick, Michael T (District of Columbia) show/hide docs
IM-DC-0016-0001 | IM-DC-0016-0003 | IM-DC-0016-0004 | IM-DC-0016-0005 | IM-DC-0016-9000
Rosenbaum, Adina H. (District of Columbia) show/hide docs
IM-DC-0016-0001 | IM-DC-0016-0003
Ruiz, Virginia (District of Columbia) show/hide docs
Willenson, Marni (District of Columbia) show/hide docs
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Johnson, Michelle Nicole (District of Columbia) show/hide docs
Taylor, Jeff (District of Columbia) show/hide docs


When Verizon announced its Powerful Answers Award nearly a year ago, the company challenged innovators, developers and entrepreneurs to create ideas that would leverage Verizon's cloud, broadband and wireless networks to deliver great solutions and social good. The Award carries with it a total of $10 million in cash prizes and the potential to collaborate with Verizon's network experts.
More than 1,300 entries, three rounds of judging and lots of great conversation later, the 15 winning ideas were announced last month. On Jan. 8, 2014, the winners in the three categories – healthcare, sustainability and education – will be in Las Vegas at the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show as Verizon reveals the prize amounts for each company and the culmination of the Award program.
The winners in the sustainability category feature solutions that will help in the United States as well as in the developing world. They range from a disaster relief and assistance portal, to solutions that make investment in solar and sustainable energy easier, to collaborative consumption in the taxi/transportation industry. Other winners focus on better pest control and management and helping companies manage their waste disposal more effectively and efficiently.
Maintain resolutions with the help of smartphones.


QUINCY, Ill. - No. 15 Purdue Fort Wayne men's volleyball took a 3-0 (25-12, 25-21, 25-23) win over the Quincy Hawks on Friday night (March 29).
Pelegrin Vargas, Alex Dickmann and Tony Price each did a bit of everything in Pepsi Arena. Vargas had 12 kills with a .429 percentage and six digs. Dickmann had 11 kills on .529 hitting, seven digs and two aces. Price had nine kills, five digs and an ace.
The first set was all Mastodons after they set in. After an 8-all tie, Purdue Fort Wayne went on 17-4 run to end the set. Price picked up his ace on the penultimate point. The 'Dons held Quincy to -.240 hitting, while notching a .348 clip of their own.
In the second, Purdue Fort Wayne held a steady lead throughout, nursing a lead as many six at 22-16. Price had three straight kills on a 4-1 run that gave the Mastodons this advantage. The 'Dons hit .467 for the frame.
Quincy kept the third set close until the end, even answering a 4-0 'Don run by having a 3-0 run of its own. In the Mastodons run, Dickmann had two aces. Purdue Fort Wayne took advantage of late Quincy errors that sealed the match.
The Mastodons improve to 15-9, 7-4 MIVA while Quincy falls to 5-19, 0-11.
Loyola posted its second consecutive three-set victory with a sweep over Ohio State on Friday (March 29). The Ramblers registered eight aces to OSU's five, three of which came off the hand of Kyler Kotsakis.
"We did a good job of being aggressive at times but also being patient and it paid off," head coach Mark Hulse said. "Hopefully it's not about the sweep so much as 'we played really well and we got a win against a good team at home.'"
A 5-0 run propelled Loyola to an early 6-2 lead in the opening set. Later on, the first Rambler service of the night from Will Tischler widened the lead to 11-7 and forced a Buckeye timeout. Ohio State hung around for the middle portions of the frame and made it a four-point game at 19-15, but a 4-0 run capped off by a Kyler Kotsakis ace and Collin Mahan kill put the Ramblers back in front by a substantial margin. The Buckeyes fought off five set points, but a Dane Leclair kill finished the job at 25-21.
The teams began the middle set with an evenly played effort to the 9-9 mark. A 3-0 run sparked the first turning point for the Ramblers in what would eventually become a blowout victory. After Ohio State narrowed it back to one at 13-12, Loyola exploded for a 5-0 run that featured a pair of Tischler kills. The tempo didn't stop there, as Kotsakis nailed down two more aces to guide the home team to a final run of seven of the last eight points to blow past OSU in set number two, 25-14.
Ohio State came out buzzing in the third set, grabbing leads of 7-1 and 10-3. A Kyle Piekarski kill began a 5-0 run that got the Ramblers back in the mix to a deficit of only 10-8. The Buckeyes worked their lead back to four (13-9), but the Ramblers look over from there. Kills from Paul Narup and Leclair set the table for Mahan to register back-to-back kills and give Loyola the lead at 14-13. The two kills put Mahan over the 300-kill benchmark this season and catapulted him into the program's Top-10 list for career kills. Ohio State tied it back up again at 17-17, but the ensuing 4-1 Loyola run put the Buckeyes in a hole they wouldn't dig out of. Leclair's second ace of the night propelled Loyola to a 21-18 advantage, and the senior co-captain later closed it out with a kill to ink the set at 25-22 – consequently finishing off the sweep.
-Collin Mahan now ranks 10th in Loyola program history in career kills with 1,075 and counting.
-In the process of cracking the Top-10, Mahan became the first Rambler since Thomas Jaeschke in 2014-15 to register 300 or more kills in back-to-back seasons.
-Kyler Kotsakis tied his career high in service aces with three on Friday night. He's notched five in the last two matches (0.83 per set).
-Loyola's eight service aces is the third time this season the team has reached that total in a three-set match.
Loyola plays its final two matches of the regular season at home next weekend, beginning with an April 5th showdown with Lindenwood. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The No. 8 Lewis men's volleyball team bounced back from its first MIVA defeat with a sweep of McKendree on Friday night at Neil Carey Arena. The Flyers improve to 19-5 overall and 10-1 in MIVA play while the Bearcats fall to 11-11, 6-6 in MIVA play.
Lewis outhit McKendree .308-to-.120 in the contest and recorded 37 kills to just 24 for the Bearcats. Ryan Coenen (Franklin, WI/Franklin) led the Flyers with 13 kills while Julian Moses (Atlanta, GA/Atlanta International School) added eight. Tyler Mitchem (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook HS), TJ Murray (Barrington, IL/Barrington HS) and Mitch Perinar (Channahon, IL/Minooka) had five kills apiece. Matt Yoshimoto (Ventura, CA/Adolfo Camarillo) finished with 31 assists and Perinar and Michael Simmons (Aurora, IL/Waubonsie Valley) had seven digs each.
The opening set was a back-and-forth affair featuring 14 ties and five lead changes. Lewis trailed 11-8 before going on a 7-2 run to grab a 15-13 lead on a service error from Zach Schnittker. However, McKendree regained the lead scoring four of the next five points. That would be its last lead of the set as the Flyers answered with a 7-3 run to build their largest lead of the set at 23-20 on a service ace from Coenen.
The Bearcats wouldn't go quietly scoring three straight set points to even the set at 23 and had a chance to retake the lead but Wyatt Dimke committed a service error and then Moses ended the set with a kill.
Lewis used a 7-1 run midway through the middle set to break a 6-all tie. McKendree was able to cut it to five but the Flyers put it away closing the set on a 10-3 run to win 25-13 and take the commanding 2-0 lead.
Lewis never trailed in the final set building a six-point cushion near the midway point and eventually stretched their lead to 10. The Bearcats didn't get closer than eight points the rest of the way as Perinar finished it off with a kill.
Schnittker and Carroll had seven kills apiece to lead McKendree. Ryan Serrano handed out 19 assists while Brandon Dunn had a match-high nine digs.
The Flyers continue their four-game homestand on Saturday hosting Ohio State at 7 p.m. The Buckeyes fell in straight sets at Loyola on Friday.
Lindenwood men's volleyball upset no. 13 Ball State in five sets at Hyland Arena. It is the Lions first win over a nationally ranked foe since April 5 of last season when Lindenwood toppled No. 8 Loyola Chicago. The win propels the Lions to 9-15 overall and 5-6 in MIVA matches.
- Senior middle hitter Connor Hipelius led the Lions with 16 kills and a .542 attack percentage. It is the fourth time this season he has hit over .500 and made over 15 attacks (24 attempts tonight).
- Nick Stevenson was second on the team with 12 kills and led the Lions with 19 digs, his first double-double of the season.
- Sam Schindler notched eight kills with a .429 attack percentage. He also matched the Lions' season-high with eight total blocks.
- As a team, the Lions out-blocked Ball State 12-6.
- Senior Adam Brewster recorded 40 assists against the Cardinals.
- Senior Ben Symonds earned the start at libero, picking up 14 digs.
The Lions host No. 15 Purdue Fort Wayne tomorrow at 7 p.m. for Senior Day. Lindenwood will recognize the senior class of 2019 in a prematch ceremony.


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Home Games PlayStation 4 Crushes Xbox One in Holiday Sales Report
PlayStation 4 Crushes Xbox One in Holiday Sales Report
Darrel S. Rivers
PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are always competing against each other. However, this competition is close and there is no clear winner. Well, this is not the case anymore. The sales report for the holidays has been published and PlayStation 4 clearly came out on top. VGChartz is a UK-based intelligence and research website and it has released a new report that shows PlayStation 4 sold 145,522 more units than Xbox One. Now, this is an impressive number!
PlayStation 4 Crushes Xbox One
When it comes to specs and performances, the two consoles are equals. However, this is not what's going on in the sales department. PlayStation 4 has lots more fans than Xbox One and the sales report is showing that Sony has sold a total of 31,411,653 PlayStation 4 units in 2019 while Microsoft sold 26,845,074 Xbox One units.
"In November 2019 the gap in the US between the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One grew in favor of the PlayStation 4. The PlayStation 4 sold 154,522 more units than the Xbox One in the last month. The PlayStation 4 has also sold 701,767 more units in the last 12 months. The PlayStation 4 currently leads by 4.57 million units," says VGChartz.
Exclusive Games are the Secret
Since the two consoles are competing on an equal field in terms of performances, we can't help but wonder how does PlayStation 4 sell so much better? The answer to this question and the secret behind Sony's success is exclusive games. Sony has always invested in creating AAA games that are launched exclusively on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One fans who want to play them can't do anything else than buy a PlayStation 4.
On the bright side of things, Microsoft is aware of the advantage that Sony has and it keeps purchasing game studios. We can be sure that Xbox One fans will receive access to the same amount of exclusive titles in 2019 as PlayStation 4 fans.
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Darrell is a blogger who likes to keep up with the latest from the tech and finance world. He is a headphone and mobile reviewer and one of the original baker's dozen editorial staff that founded the site. He is into photography, VR, AR, crypto, video games, science and other neat things.


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Shark Attack Survivors News Archive
Board index All Years of Reported Shark Attack Related Incidents 2013 Shark Attacks Recent Shark Attacks 2013
11/22/2013 - Andrew Gardiner - Oregon - No Injury
Recent Shark Attacks in 2013 and 2013 Shark Attacks and Related Incidents
Post by alb » Fri Jan 03, 2014 1:52 pm
Maine surfer who survived shark attack: 'There are animals out there that can eat you'
Two Maine surfers were catching waves off the coast of Oregon when they came face to face with death, in the form of many people's worst nightmare: a shark.
"We were chillin' in the moment, taking it all in," 25-year-old Andrew Gardiner of Eliot said. "And I just felt this hard knock to my board. It's kind of indescribable. Usually you feel hard knocks from waves or your tail bouncing. This was different — like banging up against cement."
Gardiner twisted to look behind him, and he was greeted by the sight of a shark gnawing on the tail of his surfboard.
"I saw the top of his head and an eyeball," he said. "I didn't register it was actually happening. Fight or flight kicked in … I looked back at him and I just thought, 'I gotta go.'"
With the safety of Gleneden Beach 50 yards away, Gardiner and his friend, 26-year-old Nolan Collins of York, faced a race neither had expected.
Gardiner remembers the shark shaking the board left, then right before he was thrown into the water.
"So I'm now in the water, and I realize it's a shark," he said. "I went straight for the beach. I didn't know if the board was still attached to my foot."
Collins, who sat on his surfboard nearby, turned to see his friend treading water. At first, he assumed Gardiner had been spooked by a curious seal, which had happened earlier that week. Then he saw the dorsal fin.
Gardiner began to panic when he saw the expression on his friend's face.
"I just see his eyes light up," Gardiner said. "And I think, oh God, this is it. I'm going to get eaten right here, have my legs chomped on. Just the worst feeling you could ever have."
Gardiner swam to his friend, who reached down and grabbed his arm. Together, they paddled toward the beach as if their lives depended on it — because they did.
"Those moments literally lasted forever, even though it happened in the blink of an eye," Gardiner said. "That swim was just crazy. I thought Nolan was going to be playing tug of war with me and the shark at any moment."
Gardiner remembers Collins looking up at a wave rolling toward them and saying, "This is the one that's going to take us in."
The same powerful waves they'd been surfing tossed them ashore, where they walked, arm-in-arm from the water and collapsed on the sand.
"There were tears in my eyes," Gardiner said. "It was such an intense emotional experience, all I could do was lay there on the beach."
After a few moments, he looked down at his ankle. The leash that had attached him to his surfboard was still there — partially. About 10 inches of cord, frayed at the end, dangled from his leg.
Eventually, they walked to the beach parking lot and called the U.S. Coast Guard to report the shark. They then began their search for a boat that would take them on a search for Gardiner's favorite surfboard — a 6½-foot long, wooden shortboard built by Grain, a Maine-based company that both men work for.
They found an available skipper at Dockside Charters in nearby Depoe Bay.
"I was just stumbling around here in my charter office, minding my own darn business," Loren Goddard said. "And I got a phone call from one of the fellas.
"They told me what was going on, that they had a close call with a shark and were unwilling to go into the water themselves to retrieve the board, which was worth about $1,800 or so. They really wanted to get it back — if they could do so without getting eaten."
In his 36-foot cruiser, the "Affair," Goddard motored the two surfers along the coast. An hour into the search, they spotted the damaged board, floating among debris and seabirds close to shore about a mile north of the attack site.
"The board was indeed displaying teeth marks," said Goddard.
As they lifted the board from the ocean, water poured from its cedar frame. The hollow interior had been punctured. The fin was gone — eaten or destined to become driftwood. An arc of teeth marks scarred the tail of the board, spanning 13 inches at its widest point.
"It's highly unlikely that it was a salmon shark, which we do have, but very likely that it was a great white [shark]," Goddard said. "And a couple of days ago, we had a couple of sightings of another great white in that area."
Great whites are the largest predatory fish on Earth, growing to an average of 15 feet in length and weighing up to 5,000 pounds, according to National Geographic. Of the 100-plus annual shark attacks worldwide, up to 50 percent are attributed to great whites. However, most of these attacks are not fatal, and the word "sample biting" has been used by researchers to describe great whites releasing rather than preying on humans.
Gardiner recalls the solid grey back of his attacker, which also supports it being a great white, which has a slate-grey upper body to blend in with the rocky coastal sea floor. It gets its name from its white underbelly.
"I've never really had a fear of sharks," Gardiner said. "I thought 'Jaws' was funny. I didn't think it was a big deal — but it's everything you'd imagine. It's a giant shark. I've learned I'm just a part of the world and there are animals out there that can eat you."
After recovering the board, Gardiner and Collins hit the road and turned on some upbeat music, eager to leave the scary situation behind. Instead of rehashing the story to family and friends on the East Coast, they turned off their phones. Nevertheless, the news spread like wildfire through social media, starting with a story on a local news website in Oregon.
Two days later, they stood on a beach in northern California, ready to face their fears and return to a sport they both love.
"It was spooky at first," Gardiner said. "That was really hard, to get back in the water. Every wave was a party wave that day; we were like, 'if you're going, I'm going.' We just cruised the waves together, and we didn't stay out very long."
Gardiner and Collins surfed nearly every day after that.
"The fact that a shark had to come up and screw up our day sucks, but if I didn't go surfing anymore, I wouldn't be doing what I love, and that's basically not living to me, it's not being alive or human," Gardiner said. "It's the only way to get over something like that. The longer you let it linger, the more it's going to get in your head and you'll lose touch about what you're actually out there for."
He has considered taking his damaged board to a shark expert to get the bite marks examined. And he also plans to write a blog post about the experience; that way, he won't have to repeat the story as many times.
While he understands that people want to hear his story, he also doesn't want to dwell on what happened on an otherwise perfect day spent doing what he loves.
"I feel it's something I shouldn't tell a ton or think about all the time," he said.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed a quote by Gardiner to Collins. It should read: "There were tears in my eyes," Gardiner said. "It was such an intense emotional experience, all I could do was lay there on the beach."
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2014 Great Club – New Norfolk District Football Club
The Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame Great Club for 2014 is the New Norfolk District Football Club.
New Norfolk is located on the Derwent River in Tasmania's South East and has a population of more than 5,000. Being around 32 kilometres from the city of Hobart it is considered to be a country town and has a rich pioneer heritage dating back 200 years.
The game of football was played on a social basis in New Norfolk as early as the late 1860s and the district is one of the earliest in Tasmania to play the game. The New Norfolk Football Club's origins date from that time but officially appear from 1878, making it amongst a handful of clubs that emerged in the 1870s that can claim to be amongst the oldest in Tasmania.
After spending the first 69 years of their football history in country competitions, New Norfolk graduated to the big time of Tasmanian football in 1947, along with rivals Clarence, as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL) expanded and moved to 'district' football after the Second World War ended.
In the immediate post-war period the productive farming centre that was New Norfolk was expanding as the newsprint mills (Norske Skog) at Boyer continued to grow the population of the district and support the local community. With the establishment of their new home ground at Boyer Oval and the opportunity to join the TFL, the club began its most illustrious era.
Upon joining the TFL the club took some time to establish itself as a competitive force and it wasn't until the late 1950s that it made a grand final. Further heartache followed throughout the early and mid-1960s and this was only partially off-set by the emergence of the regions greatest footballer, Peter Hudson, who catapulted the Derwent Valley to football prominence in the four years preceding 1966 as every club in Australia chased the imperious goal-kicking skills of 'Huddo'.
The emergence of Peter Hudson coincided with the appointment of prominent Tasmanian rover, Trevor Leo, to the captain-coach role and the Eagles' most successful era. When Peter Hudson joined Hawthorn for the 1967 season it appeared that the opportunity for the ultimate victory may have slipped from the Eagles' grasp. However, in 1968 the long-awaited title of 'best club in Tasmania' was finally theirs when the team swept all before them in defeating North Hobart and then Scottsdale to take the TFL and state premiership titles.
The Eagles once again challenged for TFL regional honours in the early 1980s under strict disciplinarian, Robbie Dykes, and took the 1983 title over Glenorchy. In the new state competition that began in the late 1980s the Eagles had a struggle to compete, but in the early 1990s the club entered the 1994 state premiership decider as favourite under the leadership of Darren Denneman, though it had to settle for runner-up to Clarence.
When the structure of Tasmanian state football underwent a drastic overhaul at the end of the 1990s, New Norfolk found itself in the newly reformed Southern Tasmanian Football League (STFL) where the club has established itself as a key member of the competition.
As far as premiership wins are concerned, New Norfolk has enjoyed its most successful era in the last decade. After breaking a 23-year drought in 2005 the club has dominated the Southern Football League since 2009, playing in every grand final and achieving two premiership doubles in 2009 and 2010 and then again in 2012 and 2013.
A total of 23 country and regional senior premierships plus one state flag is a very creditable record, only further enhanced by the list of illustrious names to have taken the field over the years wearing the Eagles' black, red and white.
Along with regular Tasmanian interstate representatives like Geoff Hill, Ricky Graham, Hedley Thompson and the Fox and Hunnibell brothers, and multiple William Leitch Medallists Roger Browning and Roger Belcher, New Norfolk has been home to four champions who would have to be accorded legendary status regardless of either the era or the company.
Of these, Peter Hudson has acquired an Australia-wide reputation, however, the other three regional champions—Rex Garwood, Trevor Leo and Michael Eiszele—lose nothing in comparison and are also numbered amongst New Norfolk's favourite sons.
The New Norfolk District Football Club deservedly takes its place amongst the 'Great Clubs' of Tasmanian football.
Club details and achievements:
> Name: New Norfolk District Football Club.
> Home ground: Boyer Oval, New Norfolk.
> Previous home grounds: Magra Showgrounds, Kensington Park, Arthur Square.
> Established: 1878.
> Playing colours: Black, white and red.
> Emblem: Eagles.
> Club song: "We are the mighty Eagle team" (Tune: "Road to Gundagai").
> Affiliations: Various country associations including Derwent Valley, Southern Country Football Association (1878-1933), Southern Districts Football Association (1934-46), Tasmanian Football League (1947-99), Southern Football League (2000-14).
Premiership titles
Country association premierships
> 1891, 1892, 1904, 1906, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1913, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1928, 1930, 1933, 1939, 1945.
TFL or SFL regional league premierships
> 1968, 1982, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013.
Tasmanian state premierships
> 1968.
Individual medal winners
TFL or SFL Best and Fairest
> Jim Brown, 1948; Rex Garwood, 1951; Cliff Busch, 1952; Bruce Roe, 1954; Rex Garwood, 1955 and 1958; Roger Browning, 1961 and 1962; Ricky Graham, 1972; Tony Browning, 1974; Robbie Dykes, 1981; Graham Hunnibell, 1985; Ricky Hanlon, 1990; Rene Peters, 1993; Matthew Jones, 2002; Brock Ackerley and Roger Belcher (tied), 2004; Brad Carver, 2007; Roger Belcher, 2009; Nathan Ross, 2011; Michael Thompson, 2012; Nathan Ross, 2013.
Darrel Baldock Medallists (best player afield ¬in the TFL grand final)
> Jason Wilton, 1994.
Lefroy Medallists (best Tasmanian player in interstate football)
> Peter Hudson, 1965; Graham Hunnibell, 1982; Michael Hunnibell, 1983; Wayne Fox, 1984 and 1985.
Weller Arnold Medallists (best TFL player in intrastate games)
> Barry Browning, 1966; Ricky Graham, 1970.
All-Australian players
> Peter Hudson, 1966.
Competition leading goalkickers
TFL or SFL leading goalkickers
> Peter Hudson (79) 1963, (86) 1964, (110) 1965 and (103) 1966; Wayne Fox (135) 1983, (93) 1984 and (130) 1985; Paul Dac (80) 1987, (103) 1990 and (133) 1991; Matthew Smith (67) 2003; Sean Salter (69) 2005; Adrian Burdon (106) 2009; Michael Thompson (103) 2012.
Club record games holder
> Rodger Belcher, 265.
> Chris Sproule, 264.
> Hedley Thompson, 254 (300 when intrastate and interstate games included).
Club record home attendance
> 4,710 v Clarence at Boyer Oval on 25 April 1964 in the TFL.
(An unofficial crowd just short of 5,000 was reported to have attended a home match against Huonville at Boyer Oval on 16 June 2012 in the Southern Football League.)
Club record finals attendance
> 24,413 v Clarence for the 1970 TFL grand final at North Hobart Oval.
Club record score
> New Norfolk 40.25 (265) v Brighton 6.4 (40) on 26 April 2009 at Boyer Oval.
Most goals in a match by one player
> 18.6 by Brendan Fevola v Huonville on 16 June 2012 at Boyer Oval.
Club Legends and Hall of Fame members
> Legendary coaches: TFL coach: Arthur Oliver (1951-53); first TFL and state premiership coach: Trevor Leo (1968); premiership coaches: Robbie Dykes (1982), Matthew Smith (2005, 2012), Anthony McConnon (2009, 2010), Jon Murray (2013).
Legendary players:
> Roger Belcher, Roger Browning, Tony Browning, Noel Clarke, Cameron Clayton, Robbie Dykes, Graham Fox, Wayne Fox, Rex Garwood, Ricky Graham, Robert Graham, Rick Hanlon, Geoff Hill, Peter Hudson, Graeme Hunnibell, Michael Hunnibell, Michael Eiszele, Trevor Leo, Garth Smith, Jason Taylor, Hedley Thompson, Michael Thompson, Gary Williamson.
Legendary officials/volunteers:
> Les Hepper, Pixie Turner.
> Australian: Peter Hudson, Arthur Oliver and Darrel Baldock.
> Tasmanian: Roger Browning, Noel Clarke, Robbie Dykes, Graham Fox, Wayne Fox, Rex Garwood, Rick Hanlon, Les Hepper, Geoff Hill, Peter Hudson, Graeme Hunnibell, Michael Hunnibell, Trevor Leo, Len Pye, Garth Smith, Hedley Thompson, Gary Williamson.
State premiership glory for the Eagles in 1968
New Norfolk entered the 1968 Tasmanian Football League regional grand final as a rank outsider in many pundits' eyes. They were up against the John Devine-led North Hobart, who were hot favourites, having won the second semi final easily and given they were reigning premiers.
The Trevor Leo-led Eagles were, however, on a mission to achieve what no other Derwent Valley team had achieved: to win the TFL premiership and then the state premiership.
After winning the club's first TFL premiership, the Eagles took the task of defeating Scottsdale to win the state premiership title in their stride. In a dour struggle, the New Norfolk team were able to rally in the last quarter and draw away from a gallant Scottsdale team to achieve the greatest moment of any country senior football team in the history of football in Southern Tasmania.
TASMANIAN STATE PREMIERSHIP – 1968 – North Hobart Oval
New Norfolk v Scottsdale Date: 5 October
New Norfolk: 1.4 3.10 5.11 9.13 (67)
Scottsdale: 1.0 3.4 6.9 7.12 (54)
Best:
New Norfolk: R. Lynch, G. Hill, A. Besier, J. Windsor, G. Smith
Scottsdale: Taylor, Mounter, Rattray, Leitch, Davidson, Millwood
New Norfolk: G. Hill 4, B. Nusteling 2, T. Leo 1, C. Goggin 1, M. Booth 1.
Scottsdale: Mounter 1, Taylor 1, R. Hall 1, Salter 1, Dent 1, French 1, Millwood 1.
Umpire: Don Blew (VFL)
Crowd: 11,395
Gate: $6,618
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