Simpson's World

8 May 2010 - I just watched a great episode of John Simpson's World on BBC World. This time John Simpson is in Chongqing in China's Sichuan province. Chongqing is the world's biggest metropolis, but - as Simpson also points out - nobody seems to have heard of it. Simpson walks down the steps into one of the cities oldest neighborhoods, and gets very excited about all the life and buzz around him. He wonders about the "intellectual and personal beauty" of the place, and comments that this is how life has been in China for hundreds of years. He visibly falls in love with the place.He quotes writer Gertrude Stein who went to one of California's cities and said "There is nothing there, there". Simpson argues there is still a lot of something in old Chongqing, which is about to be knocked down for new high rise development.

White Girls

8 May 2010 - Arts lovers in Hong Kong better hurry to Korkos Gallery in Mid-Levels today, because the Hong Kong police has moved in after receiving a complaint that the works on display are obscene. The exhibition of 67 works by Jonathan Thomson is titled "White Girls". The artist said he wanted to celebrate the beauty of women and that there is nothing obscene or indecent about that. Government body Tela will now have to rule if the exhibition violates the Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance. Maybe the Tela members should have a look at (art) history, because Mr. Thomson rightfully pointed out that people were already painting naked figures on cave walls. I also recommend them to visit the MTR where (almost) naked women smile at us from posters all around.

Sinking Feeling

8 May 2010 - I read an amazing fact in today's newspaper: some parts of Mexico City are sinking 40 cm per year. Mexico City is one of the biggest, most densely populated mega-cities in the world, and its an ongoing challenge to provide all inhabitants with access to safe drinking water. Today, the city is sucking up water from the natural sources at twice the rate they are being replenished. Experts raise concerns that buildings may collapsed and the cities' infrastructure is under threat. I always thought Holland was on top of the list to go under in times of change and global warming (or maybe Maldives or Bangladesh), but at this stage Mexico City will go first. Will Mexico City be the new Atlantis?

Feeling Blue

7 May 2010 - It is that time of year again: travel-season. Sigh. It is the season of general assemblies, key meetings, coordination weeks and Board stuff, so time to fly to Europe and South Africa. As Gold Member with KLM / Air France I can collect some air miles to keep my Gold Card-status as Flying Blue member. But increasingly I wonder about the advantages??? The KLM / Air France frequent flyer programme is consistently downsized, minimized and frustrated. It is almost if the company aims to scare their loyal passengers away, by combining lousy service with crappy planes and moody staff. Skytrax called KLM a 'three-star airline" (eg. CX is 5 star, and AF is 4 star). KLM gives "feeling blue" a whole new meaning.

The Chinese Garfield

7 May 2010 - Bus 904 or 905 which brings me to work every morning stops at Mong Kok wet market. It is a lively area, with people pushing cars with fruits and veggies to be sold later in the day. Lots of elderly people are buying their daily meal. in the midst of the chaos, a big red cat has posted himself strategically at the entrance of the wet market. Most of the time he has his eyes closed, pretending he sleeps through all the madness around him, but I don't really believe he is in dreamland. He seems to be quietly watching over all the hustle & bustle around him. He only wants to mind his own business. I don't think he wants to be touched, probably thinking that all these shoppers are "inferior". He looks supreme and a bit arrogant. He is the Chinese Garfield.

Too Fat or Too Skinny?

7 May 2010 - A study, commissioned by the Center for Food Safety, involving 5,008 people aged between 20 - 84 found that Hong Kong people eat a healthy diet, yet 47% is overweight. That does not make sense, does it? The study found that people have a healthy intake of vegetables and fruits, and are careful with red meat, salt and sugar. People also claimed to have a minimal intake of soy sauce. Yet, the study did not explain why 47% was considered overweight or obese, and why men were considered to be more overweight. Maybe most alarmingly was that 8.5% (that is 426 people!) was underweight, mainly young women. Maybe this could be a trigger to do something about the silly advertisements in the MTR with skinny women portraying a happy and healthy image?

Bird's Market

6 May 2010 - Just around the corner from where I live is Hong Kong's Bird Market. It is a place for bird lovers, and although I do not fall into that category it is still a place I love to visit. I don't go for looking at the birds, but for looking at the people. The market is frequented by old Chinese men who keep their birds in wooden cages. It is easy to see that these guys love their birds. They parade them around, while socializing with the other bird owners. Sometimes they place the cages in the high grass, and the caged birds start competing with each other in who can sing the most beautiful songs. It's like a local version of American Idol, in particular because their owners criticize the performances. It is just an every day scene, but I can imagine the scene is already centuries old.

In The Navy

6 May 2010 - "China's neighbors must get used to the presence of the Chinese navy in Asian waters," a retired Peoples' Liberation Army general said in response to Tokyo's protest over a vessel chasing one of its surveying ships out of an area under dispute. The presence of the Chinese navy reportedly caused an uproar in Japan. "China's absence in its exclusive waters over the past decades was an abnormal historical accident and now it is just advancing to normal operations," Xu Guangya said. Xu said the maturing of the Chinese navy was driven by its continuation of national interests abroad over the past decade, including its oil investments in Africa and energy transport route from the Middle East and Africa, as well as its duty to protect Chinese nationals. I am just reading the book "The Next 100 years" by George Friedman, who claims that the USA navy will rule the oceans for the next century to come. Maybe the title of the book should be changed into "The Next 10 years"?

The Dark Side

6  May 2010 - One would think Hong Kong is a small place and that the best public transport in the world would make it easy for people to travel around. Well, not for Hong Kong people: they like to stay put. I am always surprised when Kowloon people tell me they seldomly go to Hong Kong, and vice versa. How is it possible that people do not expand their world? Why are they not more curious and outgoing? The City of Buzz is one of the most vibrant, dynamic and interesting places on the planet, yet people do not care (dare?) to explore. The islanders are too arrogant to go to the mainland (they call it "the dark side"), and Kowloon folks feel the Hong Kong side has nothing to offer they cannot get cheaper on their side of Victoria Harbor. Why waste money to go & see? They probably think Lamma is a planet beyond Pluto.

Big Bill

6 May 2010 - This years Time's Top 100 of most influential people has four categories: leaders, artists, thinkers and heroes. The chapter on Heroes opens with the portrait of one of my personal heroes: Bill Clinton. I had the pleasure being one of the facilitators when the Clinton Initiative came to Hong Kong in late 2008 and was invited to attend some workshops, talks, "chats" chaired by Mr. Clinton. It is maybe a silly question to ask what it takes to become US President, but one possible answer is charisma. Because wow wow wow Mr. Clinton can fill a room. He is such a gifted speaker and is intelligent, funny, quick and charming. One thing I try to remember is how incredibly slow he spoke. Every word became a punch, and listening to Bill Clinton was like a master-class in public speaking. I can see how Barack Obama became President too, but what was it again about Mr. Bush that got him in the saddle?

Mind My Head

5 May 2010 - TVB News reports tonight that many signboards hanging in Hong Kong's streets are a threat for tall people in the territory. With my 1.96m I can identify with this statement. I learned that Government Regulations require that signboards are hung 3.5m above street level. In reality, a stroll in Tsim Sha Tsui and many other areas in Hong Kong becomes a threat to life, as the boards are often below 2m. I only bumped my head once, but I still remember it, as it was a rather painful experience. Some European tourists were interviewed and a Romanian man said with a heavy accent that he had "already broke his head many times". He looked like he spoke the truth.

Quote of the Day (9)

5 May 2010 -  From the TV series CHEERS: 'Well you see, Norm, it's like this . . . A  herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the  herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are  killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole,  because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by  the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the  human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as  we know, excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it  attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of  beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more  efficient machine. And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers.'

Han Han

5 May 2010 - It is now a few weeks since I relaunched my Water-Trotter blog, and so far so good. I notice that blog-writing helps me to critically look at the world around me, because there is an article in everything. It also helps that I write in english, because I have to carefully search for words as it is not my mother tongue. I struggle, juggle and learn. Therefore, I like to pay tribute to Han Han, who is considered Chinese most influential blogger in the mainland. Unfortunately I cannot read his blogs, but I was told he zooms in on peoples' lives and on peoples' "struggle for survival" in modern China. It must be quite a challenge to stay within the permitted boundaries, and Han Han must have a constant concern that somebody somewhere on the other side of the curtain rules him a "threat". Let's hope that his success will not be his downfall.

Ten billion

4 May 2010 - The year 2009 will be remembered for the financial tsunami, which started in the United States. Thousands of people got laid off or could no longer afford their mortgage payment. Yet, figures were recently published that USD 10 billion is the approximate amount Americans spent in 2009 on plastic surgery  procedures. The top five procedures were breast augmentation, nose reshaping, eyelid surgery, liposuction and "tummy tuck". So Americans may be poor, at least they look beautiful (they think).

Smile!!!

4 May 2010 - I went to the dentist today. Alarmingly, it was yesterday announced that the Hong Kong Dentistry Council failed to set up an accreditation process for the cities' only training school for dentists. On top of that a Dental Association survey found that 40% of graduates between 2004 and 2008 were not confident about practicing independently and only a quarter of employers of new graduates found their skills up to scratch. All of that is luckily not relevant for me, because my dentist looks 100 years old and is from New Zealand. He plays jazz and was the specially assigned dentist for "rugby sevens" dental victims for many, many years. He does a great job and I can smile again! hahaha!

Top 100

4 May 2010 - Like many other people, I like all lists. So Time's annual "Top 100 Most Influential People in the World" is a treat. There are people who one would expect on the list like Barack Obama, Dominique Strauss Kahn, Steve Jobs and Oprah Winfrey. But of course it is more interesting to read about people who I did not know or did not expect. China is represented by Bo Xilai, the mayor of Chongqing, who started his admirable fight against local snake-heads and corruption. Another Chinese is Robin Li, the CEO of Chinese search engine Baidu and also the man who beat Google in China. I am somewhat worried that Sarah Palin has appeared on the list. And Nelson Mandela is missing! I want to suggest to Time to put him on top of the list for as long as he lives (I put his picture to make it up to him). Also for next year's issue: I would be interested to learn more about who have influenced these Top 100.

Labor Day Holiday

3 May 2010 - It was reported that the number of mainland tour groups coming to Hong Kong over the Labor Day holiday is expected to fall 10% because of the World Expo. This week is peak travel season for the mainlanders, who usually flock to Hong Kong to shop and see the sights. Mainlanders make up two-thirds of the city's visitors. However, the first days after the opening of the Expo have been everything but smooth. Long queues, chaos at the entry gate, people fainting in the summer heat and disappointing numbers of  visitors. Maybe the mainlanders have already found out that Hong Kong is a much nicer city than Shanghai. And by now probably cheaper too!

Quote of the Day (8)

3 May 2010 - Stephen Hawking is a British physicist who has amazing ideas about the development of man, the planet, the universe. Recently he made the following comment in a Discovery Channel documentary, when hypothesizing about the consequences of aliens visiting earth: "I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which did not turn out very well for the native Americans."

FC Twente

3 May 2010 - FC Who? For the first time in its history FC Twente became the champions of the Dutch football league. The "tukkers" from the east of the country controlled their match against NAB Breda and won with 2 - 0, leaving Ajax Amsterdam with empty hands. I am completely partisan and still believe Ajax is the best team in The Netherlands, but a competition is played over 34 matches and the Amsterdam team did not perform well in the first part of the competition. So congratulations to FC Twente. Now let's forget about this competition and go orange all the way to South Africa. First match on 14 June against the Danes ...

Dumbo

3 May 2010 - Residents of an Italian village were surprised to find an elephant relaxing in their back garden after she escaped from a travelling circus. The 3,5 tonnes elephant, named Dumbo, took a walk from her cage shortly after the circus arrived in the village of Bassano. The 40-years old elephant walked a few hundred meters into a house garden, where a dog alerted the owners, who called the fire brigade. Dumbo's trainer also arrived to escort her back to the circus. It did not became clear if the dog was rewarded.

Quote of the Day (7)

2 May 2010 - From the Standard Chartered Commercial "Not everything in life that counts, can be counted". That is a nice slogan for a bank.

Health care in the DPRK

2 May 2010 - A few years ago I had the opportunity to visit North Korea for a work-related exploratory mission. We visited hospitals in Pyongyang, but also in more rural areas including on the Chinese border. Today I read that WHO head Dr. Margaret Chan said - after visiting the country - that North Korea's health care system would be the envy of many developing countries, because of the abundance of medical staff that it has available. I do remember the medical staff: sweet, humble, hard-working people who were trying to do their best with the limited resources in dilapidated buildings. We visited in May, and I can only imagine the bitter cold in winter. Earlier this year news reports said that North Koreans were starving again, and even Dr. Chan admitted that (quote) "nutrition is an area that the government has to pay attention to ...". One wonders what Dr. Chan wants to achieve with such ignorant comments.

Clear Water?

2 May 2010 - One of the delights of living in Hong Kong is that nature is always close-by. Today I went to the beach in Clearwater Bay. It is not the best of Hong Kong's beaches, but its closest to my home. It is a typical family beach, with kids playing in the sand and HK families around the BBQ pits. The water is relatively clean, although the name "clear-water" is a bit of an exaggeration. The bay is surrounded by hills and full with pleasure boats. It is the perfect environment for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Happy Street

2 May 2010 - We have not heard much of the Dutch Pavillion at the Shanghai Expo. I don't know if that's a good or a bad sign. but in "Hello Kitty land" the theme "Happy Street" seems appropriately chosen. It is constructed in a figure eight - the lucky number in Chinese culture. It is mainly composed of a 400 meters pedestrian street, lined by 26 small houses. Built completely on stilts, the street looks like a roller-coaster. The idea is to give the visitors an impression what it means to live under sea-level, but I am somewhat worried that people think Holland is a theme-park. But maybe that is the point!!?