Flower Lounge -- Diaries from a Hong Kong Jail
- James Tam
- 3 days ago
- 1 min read
<Flower Lounge>
/ noun
1 archaic/ a garden parlour in a stately mansion in southern China.
2 archaic/ a private salon in an exclusive brothel.
3 slang/ prison in Cantonese Triad parlance, reflecting a sense of defiance: Jail? Big deal! Just a Flower Lounge with free accommodation, three meals a day, and plenty of mates to party with.
FLOWER LOUNGE is a true story. True because all the events took place. I lived through them, met and interacted with the characters, reflected upon these encounters in my plentiful spare time as a prisoner, and recorded them in three notebooks. But it’s a story after all; reality can only be fully depicted through fiction. Behind bars, the world looked more distant, detached, unreal, and ridiculous.
The book focuses on my experience as a prisoner from the moment of conviction to eventual discharge, and how I responded to the abrupt transition physically and emotionally. In my descriptions of prison life, I've shared selected stories of the inmates and guards, as well as some lighthearted moments. Yes, there are lighthearted moments in jail.
Flower Lounge also made me rethink the judiciary traditions and social dynamics in Hong Kong from a different angle, and inspired contemplation on the delusive nature of freedom and justice. Do most people really want freedom as they claim they do? When a justice system tilts wordily in favour of those with money and resources, is it effectively sanctioning social inequity?
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