Pac Man

22 May 2010 - I realized I am getting old when I read that Pac Man is celebrating his 30th birthday today. Super Mario must be of similar age. Both are icons of the 1980s. They spoke to people from all over the world and have become synonymous with video-games. Despite that their names are familiar, I do not really know these characters. They shot to fame when I had already grown up - and I am not really into computer games. It find the nerve wrecking accompanying electronic sounds in particular annoying. Of course it is possible to turn off the electronic noise, but I have to admit that it is less fun playing in silent mode.

Beer Belly

22 May 2010 - A US study among more than 700 adults has shown that being overweight is associated to smaller brain volume, a factor linked with dementia. So people who carry a lot of fat around their waste are at risk of going gaga. The study was in particular strong for those with high levels of visceral fat - fatty tissues that sits around the organs. The study leader concluded : " Although these findings are preliminary, they could improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the relationship of obesity with dementia, with potentially important implications for prevention strategies." Maybe I should consider the South Beach diet after all (see next article).

Black Spot

22 May 2010 - The Hong Kong police are likely to stop using the term "traffic black spot" after a fatal crash in town exposed differences in the way the police and the HK Transport Department define them. Instead of using "black spot", the force will consider using "traffic accident spots that the police are interested in or concerned about", an officer from NT south regional headquarters told a meeting. Talk of change in terminology comes after the police described Monday's crash site as a 'black spot', while the Department said it was not. This may sound like a scene from Monty Python or so - but it is the reality in Hong Kong in 2010. I would say to the Police "go, go, go & catch thieves".

South Beach

22 May 2010 -  I went to the restaurant, where the waiter gave me the menu. So far nothing unusual, but than it happened. The waiter said: "I will give you our South Beach menu". I did not know what a South Beach menu is, but I thought of Hawaii, coconuts and pina colada's. He gave me a menu with vegetables and Kcal.mentioned for every dish. South Beach is a diet! I wondered if I should be offended, as the waiter obviously felt I was too fat and should eat carrots. The waiter said that it worked for him, and I wondered if he was flirting with me. Later, I googled "South Beach", where I learned that I need to change my lifestyle. Hmmm. I don't want to eat diet food in a restaurant, so I ordered French Fries.

A Big Soup

21 May 2010 - I read in the Magazines that soup-bars are on the rise in Europe. I don't know if it is true or not (but 'soup kitchen' sound very recession-like), but I do not totally understand the development. Most of the time I don't like soup. I realize that the idea is that soups functions as an appetizer, but most of the time they just fill me up. Also, I found it rather annoying to eat soup with a spoon. It is so terribly slow for these modern and fast times.Why can't we drink our soup? It tastes better and is a lot faster too.

Aizhixing

21 May 2010 - The Aizhixing Institute, a prominent AIDS activist group in China, is facing investigation by the authorities. Wan Yan hai, its founder, who recently fled the country, fears its closure is imminent. Investigators from the Tax Bureau visited the Aizhixing office on Wednesday, asking for documents about overseas funding back to 2002. Wan said it was simply impossible to find all the documents in time, which may lead to closure of the Center. Another scenario is that the Center will be faced with heavy fines, also leading to its closure. This latest initiative of the authorities has stoked fears of a further crack-down on civil society groups. Sadly, what it all comes down to is that HIV/AIDS patients in China will suffer.

WHAM!

21 May 2010 - I heard Wham! on the radio. Initially the name of the band was written with the exclamation mark, but it got lost as the boys shot to fame. George Michael and Andrew Something sang "Wham!, Bam, I am .. a man" and made a name for themselves in the 1970s and 1980s. Who cannot remember the melodramatic Careless Whisper, which was all George and very little Andrew, and Club Tropicana (where drinks are free). Or the annoying Last Christmas (I gave you my heart), which is still played at boring Christmas parties. These days George seems to be pretty miserable, but he is probably too stoned or drunk to really notice it. Andrew (I suddenly remember his last name: Ridgeley) has disappeared all together, but I like to think that he came out as the big winner of it all, and is somewhere living his happy life. And The Winner Takes It All, although that was sung by another band from those days. Poor George.

Quote of the Day (12)

21 May 2010 - "Hong Kongers should not complain about the bad behavior of the Shanghainese at the World Expo when at home they are perfectly willing to break wind in a full MTR carriage." I read it on www.bigwhiteguy.com.

Stonecutters Bridge

21 May 2010 - A few months after its opening I finally made the bus-ride over the brand new Stonecutters Bridge. Its the bridge that connects Kowloon with Tsing Yi, and all all traffic from HK island to the airport is supposed to make use of it. It is one of the longest span cable-stayed bridges in the world. I can see the bridge from my office window and for the last three years I have seen how the bridge was slowly and carefully built up. Its really beautiful. Unfortunately, it does not look as sexy by night, because some design-idiot has decided to put blue/green/red/purple christmas lights in the two pillars. Maybe somebody should inform Santa to turn off the lights.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g748P5GL1rU&feature=related

Wenlock and Mandeville

20 May 2010 - London Olympics 2012 organisers have unveiled the mascootes for the event: Wenlock and Mandeville. It is reported that focus group discussions with children and families helped the designers, but it remains unknown why the end result is nothing more than two one-eyed Martians. The characters are named after the village of Much Wenlock, which hosted the precursor of the modern Olympic Games in the 19th century and the Stoke Mandeville (Man Devil?) Hospital, the birthplace of the Paralympic Games. The Wenlock Games gave inspiration to Pierre de Coubertin as he formed the concept of the modern Olympic Games in 1896. In a homage to London taxis each characters has an orange light on top of its head. Interestingly, it was reported that children in the focus groups said they did not want any furry animals. The times they are a-changing ... ?

Say Cheese

20 May 2010 - A lot has been said about the Shanghai Expo, but here comes another warning. I read that foreign visitors are often grabbed by locals to take pictures with them. The big Expo is offering mainlanders, barely 5% of whom have been abroad, a rare opportunity to interact with people from other parts of the world. When watching performances from other countries at the Expo site, mainland visitors whisper about the color of the artists' hair, eyes and skin, as well as their body size. Most visitors do not speak English and turn to body language pointing at their cameras and them themselves. But maybe this is a match made in heaven, as the Chinese want to take the opportunity to get to know people from overseas, while most foreigners in China are keen to learn more about the Middle Kingdom.

Shoes make the Man

20 May 2010 - A good suit can help to make a proper first impression, but a bad pair of shoes can completely ruin the outfit. I think many Hong Kong guys are quite well dressed (go to Mongkok or Central to see), but sometimes they completely miss the point. The other night I saw this young banker in the metro. He had obviously heavily invested in a power-suit from an expensive Italian designer, but his black rubber sneakers made him look like a second hand cars salesman. I felt a bit sorry for him, because his face was telling me he knew he was more acting the big banker than actually being one.

Marching On (2)

19 May 2010 - A court in South China has jailed two "boot camp" instructors for causing the death of a teenager who was being cured from his internet addiction. The two instructors reportedly beat 15-years old Deng Senshan with wooden boards, bamboo and other weapons. Deng's death in August last year provoked an outrage throughout China and prompted the Government to issue new rules for internet rehabilitation clinics. The media uncovered a string of abuse at many of the nation's hundreds of such boot camps. China's online population , already the largest in the world, reached 404 million earlier this year, official data showed. At the time of Deng's death, the media estimated that the mainland had up to 10 million teenage Web addicts.

Marching On

19 May 2010 - Forty teenagers undergoing disciplinary training completed a 1,100 km hike from Shijiazhuang to Yanan. Fourteen girls and twenty-eight boys, aged 12 - 17, from Beijing, Shandong, Shanxi and Heilongjiang were sent to a disciplinary center in Shijiazhuang for various reasons such as internet obsession, dropping out of school, fighting and running away from home. They walked an average of 35 km a day for 33 days and slept in trucks at night. They took a train back home after visiting some monuments and museums. Most of these kids were put in the center by their parents - but one wonders if a little bit more parental attention (like loving tender care) would do the trick?

Plugged In

19 May 2010 - Hong Kong's first home-grown electronic car is expected to enter the US market next year after its co-developer was acquired by an American carmaker in a HKD 100 million deal. Hong Kong company Eu Auto Technology developed the all-electric vehicle - called MyCar - with the Polytechnic University. The Chairman predicted that 10,000 to 20,000 cars would be made available in the US every year. MyCar was launched in Hong Kong last year with a price tag of HKD 97,000 and attracted the Airport Authority and the MTR Corporation among the first buyers. A small car, but a big step for Hong Kong?

Up in the Sky

18 May 2010 - It is probably fair to say that I traveled a lot in the last 48 hours. I returned from Johannesburg to Hong Kong, and left the same evening for Beijing. Now back in Hong Kong. I have had more plane food than normal food and feel my knees hurt from sitting for too long in uncomfortable seats with little leg-room. And I probably collected enough Airmiles to claim a toaster or new iron. There is little to say or to write about my adventures in the sky, as I tend to go into Zen-mode and try to be as little aware of the world around me as possible. Happy to be home ... but next week it is Amsterdam, Brussels and Geneva again. Who said flying was fun?

Walk The Line

18  May 2010 - We all remember how Jamaican Usain Bolt set an Olympic, World and probably Universal record at the 100 and 200 meters at the Beijing Olympics 2008. It must have been a frustrating experience for the competition as Bolt was flying. American sprinter Tyson Gay found a solution, as he dashed to a new record for the 200 meters in a straight line. Gay, the world 100m silver medallist clocked 19.41 seconds at the Great City Games in Manchester, beating Tommie Smith's record set in 1066 y 0,09 seconds.Gay said that it wasa tough record to break. I wonder if Usain Bolt would feel the same.

Banging the Drum

17 May 2010 - While in Johannesburg, I participated in an African drumming session. It was great fun, and amazing to hear the power and beat of more than hundred drums. I felt it was impossible to sit still. The session was led by a master-drummer, who joked about the criminal record of his home-city. At the start of the session he advised us to all take of our rings and bracelets, and kindly hand them over to him. A silence followed - the cheeky smile said it all. It is a stupid joke, but I laughed anyway.