IQBAL - User contributions [en]

WWII sacrifice of Free French defending Hong Kong

2018-06-21T16:07:47Z

BennySpady:

Seventy-five years ago, a handful of idealistic "Free French" took up arms to defend the [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html vtr.org.vn] British colony of Hong Kong in a futile battle against Japanese invaders. But their sacrifice, though largely unknown in their homeland, is not forgotten in Asia. There are six names on the worn stele that pays tribute to them in a corner of the British military cemetery in Stanley, on a hill in the south of Hong Kong island. A French flag is draped over a memorial at the Stanley Military Cemetery, dedicated to French civilians who died fighting with the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps against the 1941 Japanese invasion of the territory �Isaac LAWRENCE (AFP) "I do not see why these people should be forgotten," says Francois Dremeaux, chairman of the Hong Kong committee of French Remembrances of China. "My job is to make their memory live by giving it meaning," adds the [http://Mondediplo.com/spip.php?page=recherche&recherche=history history] teacher, who helped oversee a ceremony dedicated to them last week. Dremeaux, who has written a thesis on the French presence in Hong Kong in the interwar period, feels there is much to learn from these men, who in 1941 chose to fight in a battle some 10,000 kilometres (6,000 miles) from their homeland. Hong Kong was a British enclave, and there was nothing forcing them to defend it, he adds. "We cannot even say they were defending their colony," Dremeaux said. "They defended an idea, freedom, and did it of their own free will, which makes their sacrifice even more noble." Apart from representatives from the French consulate and army, those attending the modest commemoration were largely students from the French international school where Dremeaux teaches. The group sang 'Le Chant Des Partisans', the anthem of the French Resistance -- a tune rarely heard on the shores of the South China Sea. - Dissident consul - By June 1940, many in the French community -- which numbered around 400 in the late 1930s, had already fled to Indochina. Those who remained largely rallied to the Gaullist Resistance cause. While the French embassy in Beijing was loyal to the pro-Nazi Vichy regime, in diplomatic correspondence Hong Kong consul general Louis Reynaud railed against the "treason" of the armistice Germany demanded and stamped his [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html tour bắc kinh từ hà nội] official telegrams with "V" for victory. A "Free France" committee was set up in Hong Kong with about 20 active members to recruit volunteers, turn merchant sailors on stopover in port or prepare propaganda broadcasts. Then on December 8, 1941, hours after their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese invaded Hong Kong, which had been living under the threat of the imperial forces since they seized the nearby Chinese city of Canton -- modern day Guangzhou -- three years earlier. Some of the Frenchmen joined the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps established by Britain to support regular forces vastly outnumbered by the Japanese. - Bayonet wounds - Dremeaux picks up the trail of the Free French at several key moments in the 17-day "Battle of Hong Kong", including the fight for the island's sole power plant. While only six names are on the stele, Dremeaux believes around ten took a stand against the Japanese. Among them was Armand Delcourt, a 42-year-old merchant who came to Hong Kong in 1926 and married a Eurasian woman of Japanese and Scottish origins, Captain Roderic Egal, who was in transit from Shanghai when the invasion began, Henri Belle, a sailor passing through Hong Kong who took up arms, and Paul de Roux a director of the Banque d'Indochine. Egal and Belle were both captured and sent to prison camps, the latter dying in captivity. Roux did not fight but set up a resistance network. He was arrested and tortured, before committing suicide to prevent the enemy forcing him to talk. Delcourt was wounded by two bayonet blows on December 21 while defending a strategic hill pass and executed two days later, shortly before the governor surrendered on Christmas Day. On January 5, 1942, brutalised by the Japanese, his pregnant wife gave birth prematurely in a Hong Kong church to a girl who for decades would not know the circumstances of her father's death. "I did not know the full circumstances of my father's death until much later when I was in Australia and received the letter from my father's close friend Carlos Arnulphy who had managed to trace me," Monique Westmore, who now lives in Melbourne, told AFP by email. "I would have loved to have known my father but when I read the documents that are attached (to the letter) I understand that he was a man of great principle -- I do sometimes ask myself 'why did you go knowing that your wife was hugely pregnant and also you weren't exactly a young man?'," Westmore wrote. "The battle of Hong Kong was a total disaster and many people lost their lives." His military death notification praised him as "a continuous example of courage and enthusiasm" in an unequal battle who "cheerfully made the supreme sacrifice, confident in the final victory of France." For Dremeaux, the path chosen by Armand Delcourt resonates strongly today, "a time of withdrawal" when countries are increasingly looking inward. "He was married to a Japanese woman, lived abroad and gave his life for Free France," he said. "To be patriotic is not a contradiction with being open to the world". Graphic on Japan's invasion of Hong Kong in December 1941 �-, - (AFP Graphic) French historian and teacher [http://www.bing.com/search?q=Francois%20Dremeaux&form=MSNNWS&mkt=en-us&pq=Francois%20Dremeaux Francois Dremeaux] poses for a photo after a memorial service at the Stanley Military Cemetery in Hong Kong �Isaac LAWRENCE (AFP) The French Consul General of Hong Kong Eric Berti (3rd R), along with military personnel and members of the public, attends a memorial service at the Stanley Military Cemetery �Isaac LAWRENCE (AFP) Advertisement

A expedition with Indochina Sails 1 June 2008

2018-06-19T09:44:14Z

BennySpady:

We got off the bus and were greeted by a guide with Indochina sails.� We were taken inside a building to wait for our boat to be ready.� We were given cold towels at the door, you know your entering luxury when you get a towel to [http://www.ehow.com/search.html?s=freshen freshen] up.� We waited for about a half hour, while our luggage was taken to the ship.� We then were put on a small boat or the "tender" and taken to the ship.� As we were drawing close to the ship, one staff member on the boat was playing a drum, it was a bit odd, feeling like your in a King Kong movie or something. We were greeted by a female staff member and were brought to the dining room on the 2nd level of the ship.� There was 13 people including ourselves.� We were given the safety speech and told a bit about our itinerary.� Then we were given our key and told to settle in a bit then return to the dining room for lunch at 1pm.� We had a room on the 2nd floor, which I think would have been better than the [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html tour bắc kinh từ hà nội] 1st level.� We had a fantastic view of the bay and our room was amazing.� Definitely one of the best showers we've seen.� It was like a 4 star hotel room. We settled in and looked at our in tin a bit closer, then headed to the dining room.� We had a set lunch, which included cream of pumpkin soup, papaya salad, prawns, fish, chicken, spring rolls and fruit salad.� Overall it was really good quality.� The prices for drinks wasn't actually too bad and they had a really good selection.� After lunch we were told we would cruise to a fishing village with 400 floating houses.� The bay is as stunning as everyone says it is!� The legend behind it involves a family of dragons that were sent by the gods to help protect the coast during times of war with China, the dragons spit out jade and emerald which turned into the islands around the bay.� After the war the family of dragons decided to stay and the mother settled into Ha Long bay and the children in other near by bays.� The islands do have an amazing dense green to them, like nothing we've ever seen.� I can see why it is a UNESCO world heritage site. We cruised for about an hour and a half before we reached the fishing village.� We all hopped on the tender and were taken around the Cua Van village by the guide.� The village is supported by the government these days and the people are provided with a basic education and health care within the village.� There were a lot of children around, some around 6-9 years old, rowing their own boats.� There was a squid fishing boat, the primary school and even a local cafe for relaxing.� It was really interesting.� After our tour we headed back to the boat and doubled back to Ti Tov beach.� We opted to go kayaking for $10 each.� We had to wait for them to bring the kayaks to the boat, which set us back a bit on our itinerary.� I've never been kayaking before, so this was going to be interesting. We got in and were on our way, everyone except one couple went.� We ended up going quite a ways to the east of the boat, a good 2km.� We came upon Bat cave, which was a opening to a otherwise closed off section, which the guide called a lake (which it wasn't).� It was cool to just drift though the cave.� The section past it was so serene and peaceful.� We drifted around for about 20 minutes then our guide took off, so we figured we should go too.� Kayaking is hard work, especially when there is a [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html du lịch Bắc Kinh] fairly strong current.� We had to pause a lot on our way back, but it was nice to really soak up the experience.� Eventually we made it back and were directly taken by the tender to the beach. The sun wasn't out but we figured we might was well go in the water.� You could climb to the top of the island, some 400 steps, but kayaking was enough for us.� The other two girls who were on our bus told us the water was actually pretty warm, they were both from B.C...� So we swam around for about 20 minutes, chatting with them and a couple from Australia.� Then we were all herded back on the tender to the ship We had some time to get ready for dinner at 7:30.� You could do a wine tasting before dinner, which was tempting but we passed.� We relaxed in our room for a bit and freshened up.� The sun, what sun there was, went down quick and it became pitch black out.� We went out to the top deck, the weather was actually quite pleasant.� Some staff was fishing for squid off the front of the boat, so we watched them catch a few.� Then we headed to the dining room for dinner, which was a set menu as well.� I had a relish glass of red wine, a rarity in Asia I think.� We had vegetable soup, shrimp and grapefruit salad, calamari and beef with potatoes and veggies.� The main course was a bit unimpressive, especially when you are used to Alberta beef.� We had chocolate cake for dessert. After dinner we could watch a movie (which was a Vietnamese dubbed classic), fish for squid or a few other activities.� We opted to try the squid fishing.� We were both unsuccessful, but other people caught a couple.� They use a bright light to attract the fish that the squid eat.� They were pretty cool, they were little and they'd squirt ink when they were caught.� It was funny to watch.� They had a 2 for 1 happy hour on all drinks from 9 to 11pm, so we had a couple beers while fishing.� Then we went up to the top deck and sat in the lounge chairs.� It is so peaceful here.� The manager told us that we were anchored at an exclusive spot.� All the other tour boats anchor somewhere else, there can be up to 50 of them when its busy.� There were 3 other boats around us.� I'm happy we're at the exclusive spot.� We took in the beautiful night, then decided we better head to bed.� We have another early start tomorrow and we were pretty exhausted [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html vtr.org.vn] from the day.� I am so ready for a comfy bed!� Ciao for now! Source: Travelpod

A expedition with Indochina Sails 1 June 2008

2018-06-18T08:35:44Z

BennySpady:

We got off the bus and were greeted by a guide with Indochina sails.� We were taken inside a building to wait for our boat to be ready.� We were given cold towels at the door, you know your entering luxury when you get a towel to freshen up.� We waited for about a half hour, while our luggage was taken to the ship.� We then were put on a small boat or the "tender" and taken to the ship.� As we were drawing close to the ship, one staff member on the boat was playing a drum, it was a bit odd, feeling like your in a King Kong movie or something. We were greeted by a female staff member and were brought to the dining room on the 2nd level of the ship.� There was 13 people including ourselves.� We were given the safety speech and told a bit about our itinerary.� Then we were given our key and told to settle in a bit then return to the dining room for lunch at 1pm.� We had a room on the 2nd floor, which I think would have been better than the 1st level.� We had a fantastic view of the bay and our room was amazing.� Definitely one of the best showers we've seen.� It was like a 4 star hotel room. We settled in and looked at our in tin a bit closer, then headed to the dining room.� We had a set lunch, which included cream of pumpkin soup, papaya salad, prawns, fish, chicken, spring rolls and fruit salad.� Overall it was really good quality.� The prices for drinks wasn't actually too bad and they had a really good selection.� After lunch we were told we would cruise to a fishing village with 400 floating houses.� The bay is as stunning as everyone says it is!� The legend behind it involves a family of dragons that were sent by the gods to help protect the coast during times of war with China, the dragons spit out jade and emerald which turned into the islands around the bay.� After the war the family of dragons decided to stay and the mother settled into Ha Long bay and the children in other near by bays.� The islands do have an amazing dense green to them, like nothing we've ever seen.� I can see why it is a UNESCO world heritage site. We cruised for about an hour and a half before we reached the fishing village.� We all hopped on the tender and were taken around the Cua Van village by the guide.� The village is supported by the government these days and the people are provided with a basic education and health care within the village.� There were a lot of children around, some around 6-9 years old, rowing their own boats.� There was a squid fishing boat, the primary school and even a local cafe for relaxing.� It was really interesting.� After our tour we headed back to the boat and doubled back to Ti Tov beach.� We opted to go kayaking for $10 each.� We had to wait for them to bring the kayaks to the boat, which set us back a bit on our itinerary.� I've never been kayaking before, so this was going to be interesting. We got in and were on our way, everyone except one couple went.� We ended up going quite a ways to the east of the boat, a good 2km.� We came upon Bat cave, which was a opening to a otherwise closed off section, which the guide called a lake (which it wasn't).� It was cool to just drift though the cave.� The section past it was so serene and peaceful.� We drifted around for about 20 minutes then our guide took off, so we figured we should go too.� [http://www.twitpic.com/tag/Kayaking Kayaking] is hard work, especially when there is a fairly strong current.� We had to pause a lot on our way back, but it was nice to really soak up the experience.� Eventually we made it back and were directly taken by the tender to the beach. The sun wasn't out but we figured we might was well go in the water.� You could climb to the top of the island, some 400 steps, but kayaking was enough for us.� The other two girls who were on our bus told us the water was actually pretty warm, they were both from B.C...� So we swam around for about 20 minutes, chatting with them and a couple from Australia.� Then we were all herded back on the tender to the ship We had some time to get ready for dinner at 7:30.� You could do a wine tasting before dinner, which was tempting but we passed.� We relaxed in our room for a bit and freshened up.� The sun, what sun there was, went down quick and it became pitch black out.� We went out to the top deck, the weather was actually quite pleasant.� Some staff was fishing for squid off the front of the boat, so we watched them catch a few.� Then we headed to the dining room for dinner, which was a set menu as well.� I had a relish glass of red wine, a rarity in Asia I think.� We had vegetable soup, shrimp and grapefruit salad, calamari and beef with potatoes and veggies.� The main course was [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html vtr.org.vn] a bit unimpressive, especially when you are used to Alberta beef.� We had chocolate cake for dessert. After dinner we could watch a movie (which was a Vietnamese dubbed classic), fish for squid or a few other activities.� We opted to try the squid fishing.� We were both unsuccessful, but other people caught a couple.� They use a bright light to attract the fish that the squid eat.� They were pretty [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html du lịch Bắc Kinh] cool, they were little and they'd squirt ink when they were caught.� It was funny to watch.� They had a 2 for 1 happy hour on all drinks from 9 to 11pm, so we had a couple beers while fishing.� Then we went up to the top deck and sat in the lounge chairs.� It is so peaceful here.� The manager told us that we were anchored at an exclusive spot.� All the other tour boats anchor somewhere else, there can be up to 50 of them when its busy.� There were 3 other boats around us.� I'm happy we're at the exclusive spot.� We took in the beautiful night, then decided we better head to bed.� We have another early start tomorrow and we were pretty exhausted from the day.� I am so ready for a comfy bed!� Ciao for now! Source: Travelpod

Prince Henrik husband of Danish monarch dies aged 83

2018-06-18T08:12:13Z

BennySpady:

Prince Henrik, the French-born husband of Danish monarch Queen Margrethe, has died at the age of 83, Denmark�s palace has said. A statement on the royal house�s website said the prince died in his sleep late on Tuesday, with the queen at his side. Henrik, who publicly vented his frustration at not being the social equal of his wife or their son, was made prince consort when Margrethe acceded to the throne in 1972. The flag at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen flies at half-mast (Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix/AP) The jovial prince was known for being frank and forthright. The palace said last week that his health had �seriously worsened� and that Olympic official Crown Prince Frederik was rushing home from the Winter Games in South Korea. He had been transferred earlier on Tuesday from a Copenhagen hospital to the family�s residence north of the capital, �where he wishes to spend his last moments,� the royal palace had said. A later statement said Henrik, who had been diagnosed with dementia last year, died in his sleep at 11.18pm and that his two sons were also at his side. In one of the world�s oldest kingdoms that prides itself on having a stable royal house with no scandals, Henrik caused one in August 2017 by announcing that when he died he did not want to be buried next to Margrethe in the cathedral where the remains of Danish royals have gone for centuries. Denmark�s Prince Henrik pictured in 2011 (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File) The queen already had a [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html vtr.org.vn] specially designed sarcophagus waiting for the couple. Born on June 1 1934, in south-western France to parents with the noble titles of count and countess, Henri Marie Jean Andre de Laborde de Monpezat married Denmark�s future queen in 1967. Henri became Henrik and converted to Denmark�s state Lutheran Church. However, he found it difficult to fit in with Denmark�s egalitarian lifestyle. He was titled prince consort, the husband of a reigning queen but not a king, and he was not in the line of succession - his oldest son Frederik being the heir. In the mid-1980s, Henrik publicly said he wanted a pay cheque instead of relying on the queen, who gets annual allowances. The law was eventually changed to give him roughly 10% of the annual allocation Parliament makes to royals each year. In a 2002 interview, Henrik again stunned Danes by saying he felt he had been pushed aside in his own home, not only by his wife but [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html tour bắc kinh từ hà nội] also by his son. This followed the annual royal new year�s reception for foreign diplomats, where Frederik had been host because his mother was unavailable due to a broken rib. �For many years I have been number two,� Henrik told Danish tabloid BT. �I have been satisfied with that role, but after so many years in Denmark I don�t suddenly want to become number three and become some kind of wearisome attachment.� Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark with Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh after the Danish couple�s arrival at Windsor Castle (PA) Henrik lived his first five years in French Indochina. He graduated from universities in Paris, learned Mandarin and Vietnamese and spent a year at the Hong Kong University from 1958-1959. After his move to Denmark, Henrik, a keen pianist, was active in different organisations and wrote poetry, memoirs and books, including a coffee table book on French gastronomy in 1999. Margrethe and Henrik also owned a chateau in south-western France where they retreated every summer. As a member of Denmark�s royal family, he held honorary ranks of general in the Danish army and air force, and was an admiral in the navy. In September 2017, the palace announced that Henrik had undergone tests at Copenhagen�s university hospital. The diagnosis was [http://www.Dict.cc/englisch-deutsch/dementia.html dementia] and �the extent of the cognitive failure is greater than expected,� the palace said. In January, he was admitted to a hospital with a lung infection. Henrik is [http://search.usa.gov/search?affiliate=usagov&query=survived survived] by his wife, sons Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, and eight grandchildren. Advertisement

Bombed and looted ancient Cambodian city poised for rebirth

2018-06-14T05:54:21Z

BennySpady:

Sambor Prei Kuk, which means [http://Www.Purevolume.com/search?keyword=%27the%20temple 'the temple] in the richness of the forest', boasts nearly 300 brick temples and heaps of ruins across a 25 square kilometre (nine square mile) compound It has survived centuries of monsoon rains, a US bombing campaign and rampant looting. Now the ancient temple city of Sambor Prei Kuk in Cambodia is finally ready for a renaissance -- and is teasing tourists to its forest-cocooned ruins. Cloistered by trees and linked by winding dirt trails, the site has played second fiddle to its much bigger cousin to the west -- Angkor Wat -- Cambodia's top tourist destination. But in July it gained a listing by the UNESCO World Heritage, promising a tourist bonanza that could breathe new life into a once-thriving 6th and 7th century metropolis. "We have already seen more and more local and foreign tourists flocking to visit our site," said Hang Than, an official who manages the compound, as he strolled towards one of several temples spectacularly wrapped in tree roots. For now the tourist infrastructure is basic. [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html tour bắc kinh từ hà nội] The ancient city in central Kampong Thom province lies down a pot-holed road where a few food hawkers cluster beneath umbrellas in the dusty parking lot. Several tour guides lounge around a small booth servicing a growing fleet of tour buses that arrive, for now, mainly on weekends. "We are very happy and we were so surprised that this site has been listed," said 45-year-old Mao Sambath, who has been making the hour-long motorcycle ride to sell a spread of tropical fruits to backpackers and Chinese [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html tour bắc kinh từ hà nội] groups. "Today we have even more vendors than yesterday." - Trees and looters - Sambor Prei Kuk, which means "the temple in the richness of the forest", boasts nearly 300 brick temples and heaps of ruins across a 25 square kilometre (nine square mile) compound. The [http://dictionary.Reference.com/browse/temples?s=ts temples] of Sambor Prei Kuk were rediscovered by French scholars in the 1880s and it took decades to pare back tree roots and lumps of earth that [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html vtr.org.vn] had consumed the monuments over the centuries The city, some 200 kilometres (120 miles) north of Phnom Penh, was once the seat of the Chenla kingdom that flourished in the 6th and 7th centuries before the height of the Khmer Empire that raised the mega-city of Angkor. The temples were rediscovered by French scholars in the 1880s when Cambodia was part of France's Indochina empire. It took decades to pare back tree roots and lumps of earth that had consumed the monuments over the centuries. "At first they only found 16 temples, but then they started to clean the sites," explained Hang Than, an archaeologist by training. But the excavation halted as Cambodia fell into war, with a hailstorm of US bombs hitting the area during the Vietnam War in the 1970s, leaving behind hundreds of craters. Destruction continued under Cambodia's ruthless Khmer Rouge regime, whose soldiers still held the area into the 1980s as looters ransacked heirlooms from the site. After the violence subsided in the late 1990s, restoration efforts were rebooted. With help of Japanese partners, conservationists spent decades hacking back trees and stabilising the structures. The painstaking work was rewarded with the UNESCO listing, which carries fresh funds to preserve the temples and manage the impact of tourism. "It was very different when I first started to work in this area," said Lay Alex, a baby-faced 24-year-old who began leading tours a decade ago. "I don't think seven guides is going to be enough anymore," he said with a smile. Advertisement

User:BennySpady

2018-06-14T05:54:03Z

BennySpady: Created page with "My name is Benny Spady but everybody calls me Benny. I'm from Belgium. I'm studying at the university (3rd year) and I play the Lute for 5 years. Usually I choose music from m..."

My name is Benny Spady but everybody calls me Benny. I'm from Belgium. I'm studying at the university (3rd year) and I play the Lute for 5 years. Usually I choose music from my famous films ;). I have two sister. I like Figure skating, watching movies and Disc golf. Feel free to visit my page; [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html tour bắc kinh từ hà nội]