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HongKabulary
Street Talk
The Andy Lau Effect (ðiː ændiː laʊ ɛfɛkt), n.
The baffling phenomenon by which male Cantopop celebrities
seem to get younger as time passes.
“Have you seen Ekin Cheng playing Chrissie Chau’s boyfriend in his
latest film? He must be younger than I thought!”
“It’s the Andy Lau effect. He’s actually 46.”
Caption This
HONG KONG—Police officers search for evidence on Sheung Lok Street in Ho Man Tin.
(Edward Wong/SCMP)
Sniffer Dog Budget Slashed
Fast Facts
Triad by Jury
Why is the internet mistaking us for a triad?
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Police Still Searching for a Sign
Listed “chopping” under Facebook interests.
Twitter handle is @TriadBieber_123.
Elite Kowtow Brigade Called Into Action
Last Google search was “beat up journalist wikihow.”
Bought 20 gallons of red paint on Taobao to touch up door jambs.
Regrettable hashtags: #initiationceremony #organizedcrime #yolo
Seems like we’ve come a long way since the classic
Nokia 3310 cell phone. But Spandau Tam is keeping the
memory alive. Ahead of an exhibition of his classic handsets,
the collector talks to Melody Kong about all things cellular.
HK Magazine: What got you into
HK: Android or iOS?
collecting mobile phones?
ST: Android. IOS is constantly trying to make
Spandau Tam: I became really passionate itself the isolated, unique one. Android is
after I bought my first phone, an Ericsson more user-friendly, and suits users’ needs.
GF337, in 1995. It’s my favorite because it
marked the start of my collection. I’ve kept HK: Do you think that there are health
an eye on the telecommunications industry risks associated with smartphones?
ever since, browsing everywhere looking for ST: I think it’s true, especially for our eyes.
different brands and intriguing designs. It’s more dangerous when we stay up at
night staring at the screen without any other
HK: How many phones do you have? lights on. And I think people are now getting
ST: At least 420. For this exhibition, I’ve too attached to their smartphones: it’s
worked with a couple of my friends who almost an epidemic. It’s as if smartphones
are also passionate about phones and have taken the lead and people haven’t.
altogether we’ve included over 600 models.
HK: The Motorola MH1 (pictured, inset)
HK: Does your family complain?
was one of the phones known as “dai
ST: Yes. Especially my wife, because I used gor dai” [big, big brother]. It’s huge!
to store my collection at home. Now I keep How did people carry it around?
it at my office and it’s solved the problem. ST: They just carried it with their hands. In
the old days, having a MH1 represented
HK: Do all of your phones still work? wealth. Having it meant you were rich and
ST: Almost all of them do. But some of the prestigious. Because it was expensive, only
batteries are old and out-of-date, so I can’t businesspeople could afford it. They loved
use them anymore. To keep my phones in to put it right in front of their tables when
good condition, I store the batteries and the they dined: it’s hilarious.
phones separately in different bags.
HK: What’s the weirdest design you’ve
HK: Some of these phones could be come across?
worth a lot. Do you plan on selling any? ST: It’s definitely the Xelibri by Siemens. This
ST: I’m definitely not going to sell them. series of phones was very unconventional
They’re full of memories to me. Sometimes and creative. There was a phone shaped
when I look at them or flip them open, like a compact, and there was a tiny round
I reminisce about the times when we could mirror that was surrounded by the keypad.
only use a phone to make calls. They are like
milestones in the development of phones HK: What do you love about collecting?
for the past 20 years—from a big, rough ST: The memories phones bring back
giant to a sleek smartphone that can almost to people. When I walked around the
do everything.
exhibition, people were really excited.
I heard them remembering old times when
HK: What do you think of smartphones? they saw the phones they used to have.
ST: Nowadays smartphones are a daily One said, “I used to have this phone when
necessity. But what I don’t like is that their my wife and I were still dating!” I’m really
designs are dull and flat. A big rectangular glad my phones have reminded them of the
screen and nothing more. So they’re usually invaluable times they have had before.
of little value to collectors. Whereas “feature
phones” [older, non-smartphones] came Check out Tam’s Mobile Phone Retrospective
in different shapes and designs, and were Show through August at Pioneer Centre,
much more fun and innovative.
750 Nathan Rd., Prince Edward.
12 HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, August 15, 2014