Candlelight Vigil

5 June 2010 - Last night Hong Kong remembered the victims of the 4 June 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. The annual candlelight vigil in Victoria Park attracted thousands of visitors, as many Hong Kongers still consider it a meaningful event. On Tuesday, it was reported that a mainland newspaper published a cartoon that showed a boy's drawing of a row tanks moving closer to a solitary figure. It was an apparent reference to the famous picture of a lone man holding up a convoy of tanks on a Beijing tanks (see the picture elsewhere on this blog). The cartoon was however immediately withdrawn from the newspapers' website, underlining the nervousness of the authorities over depictions of the Tiananmen events.

Going to Spa

5 June 2010 -  The practice of traveling to hot or cold springs in hopes of curing an ailment, fatigue or disease dates back to pre-historic times. However, the concept of going to the Spa is named after the Belgium town Spa in the Ardennes, whose name goes back to Roman times. The name of the town has now become eponymous with any place having a natural water source that is believed to have special health-giving qualities. Idyllic Spa is promoted as a haven of peace and quite, but once per year it becomes the location of the Belgium Formula One Grand Prix, which is probably the most noisy event on the planet. How did that happen? And what Marketing theory is behind it?.

4 June : Remember

Buzz Lightyear

4 June 2010 - Buzz Lightyear is a modern hero. He is a space ranger and one of the main characters in the movie Toy Story. Buzz also had his own movie and television series. In the original Toy Story, Buzz makes his grand entrance as a new toy for Andy. Buzz replaces Woody, who used to be Andy's favorite toy, which leads to jealousy and drama. Buzz is known for his bravery and courage, and his most famous catchphrase is "To infinity ... and beyond". Though he is a true leader, he can be a bit unemotional, which is one of his major flaws. Lastly, Buzz's name was inspired by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who is considered to have the coolest name for an astronaut ever. Except Buzz Lightyear of course.

Lost Luggage

4 June 2010 - I lost my luggage a few times during recent months, so it is every time a relief when I recognize my bag on the belt. It may sound trivial, but it is a bit of a disaster to loose your luggage. One has to buy shaving gear, shampoo, deo and clean socks + underwear. And always, always, always there are some essential documents in the missing suitcase. If the worst case scenario strikes, one has to fill in forms and answer difficult questions. "What color is your suitcase?". My suitcase is blue/grey. The employee asks "What is the brand?". It is the moment that I realize I do not care about brands, because I really do not know. The employee insists "It is very difficult to identify your luggage if we do not know the brand....". I bought my suitcase for almost nothing on the local market in Hong Kong, so I reply  that my bag has a Chinese brand. "Ah ... and imitation brand", says the employee. I am speechless and I know that it will be a small miracle to ever get my suitcase back.

Basket Case

3 June 2010 - What makes a building great? Many great buildings are famous for their beauty or ingenuity. Others have historical significance or stirred up controversy. I came accross a picture of this basket-building, which seems controversial enough. Who wants to live in a basket? Unfortunately the picture came without any caption. So who knows where is this building is - and who the architect is? It is a good example of thinking out of the box - eh ... basket. Beautiful or completely wrong?

A Dutch Octopus

3 June 2010 - One of the delights of traveling with public transport in Hong Kong is the Octopus card. The card makes it possible to travel with metro, bus, tram and ferries for a prepaid amount, and has been copied in other cities all over the world. The Dutch will now introduce their version of the Octopus-card: the OV-Chipcard. The smartcard will eventually be the only mode of payment all over the country - which is great news. It will replace the paper-tickets and infamous strippenkaart, which was a nightmare for tourists and locals alike.

Quote of the Day (16)

3 June 2010 - I have started to read an interesting book by journalist Joris Luyendijk (it is in Dutch - so I will save you the title), which starts with the following quote by Leonard Cohen "There's a war between the ones who say there's a war and the ones who say there isn't". I wonder what he had in mind when he wrote that.

Federer Express

2 June 2010 - In the last years Roger Federer played in 23 consecutive semi-finals in Grand Slams. That is an amazing record. But yesterday Swedish Robin Soderling ended this remarkable run at the French Open by defeating the Swiss Ace in the quarter finals. It also means that Federer may lose his number one spot before breaking Pete Sampras's record of 286 weeks at the number one spot. Soderling beat Nadal last year, but did not want to celebrate too much. The cool Swede said: "I always believe that I can win." I believe he can win too.

Lo Wu

2 June 2010 - Lo Wu is a place one always passes - but never stays. It is as far as one can go in Hong Kong before setting foot in the mainland. The major landmark is the Lo Wu railway bridge, where thousands of refugees and immigrants have crossed this bridge in the last century. The train connection with Guangzhou was only re-established in 1978, after it was discontinued when the communists took control power in China. Close to the railway crossing is the Lo Wu cemetery - the final resting places for many unclaimed bodies. Those on border patrol have repeatedly said they felt a strange, unseen presence around the area. Perhaps it is the grass rusting in the wind, perhaps it is something else.

TGV

2 June 2010 - I like trains, so I am increasingly impressed with the network of high-speed railways all over Europe. The TGV (Train a Grande Vitesse) is the mother of the European high-speed service. It is often forgotten that the TGV was already developed in the 1970s, and the first train went into service in 1981 between Paris and Lyon. The network has now expanded to neighboring countries, including Belgium and Holland through Thalys. For a long time the TGV had the world record as high speed train, which was said in 2007 when 574.8 km/h. was reached. Wow! But the record was broken in 2009 by the new high-speed train between Guangzhou and Wuhan in China.

The End of Belgium

2 June 2010 - I am still in Belgium, and I cannot help but thinking of the end of Belgium. Belgium is placed on one of the main cultural default lines in Europe, with a northern part speaking Dutch and a southern part more 'francophone'. The two halves of Belgium correspond with the language divide, but in reality it is more complicated. However, two sub-nations have formed that keep on drifting further apart. It is sometimes said that Belgium would have split up already if it had not been for Brussels. Traditionally Flemish, the city is now 80% francophone. The Flemish have always been reluctant to let go of Brussels, but the attitude is changing. For many Flemish, the end of Belgium is possible without them holding on to the capital. So what would happen if Belgium cease to exist?

MJ

1 June 2010 - Last years I read persistent rumors that Michael Jackson was close to bankruptcy. However, it was just revealed that his three kids inherit about USD 33 million each. That's a lot of money to be received from a bankrupt father. Via a Trust Fund, the children will also have access to 40% of their fathers estate, currently valued at USD 300 million. And it is by no means expected that Michael Jackson mania will die down any time soon, so the kids (Prince, Paris and Blanket - yes, seriously, Blanket - Jackson) will earn more in the future from merchandising, record sales and other MJ interests. MJ's father, and his ex-wives Debbie Rowe and Lisa-Marie Presley receive nothing. The chimp Bubbles was also not named in the will - so maybe the two of them were not that close after all.

Feeling Sleepy

1 June 2010 - In 1964 17 years old Randy Garner from San Diego did not sleep for 11 consecutive days and set the world record. The student suffered from memory loss, had hallucinations and behaved erratic, but stayed awake all the time. He was kept awake by Stanford University scientists around him, otherwise he would have fallen asleep within 48 hours, according to one of the scientists. People who stay awake for long periods will develop a pattern of micro power-naps (sometimes they fall asleep for only a few seconds). It is not yet exactly known how long human beings can stay awake. Rats can survive for two weeks only - they can survive longer without food, and rats are probably stronger than human beings. When Randy finally fell asleep, he slept non-stop for 14 hours.

Ryugyong Hotel

1 June 2010 - Not many people had the opportunity to go to North Korea. I went there in 2004, and it was one of the most bizar places I have ever visited. Strangely, Pyongyang is actually quite a beautiful city. It has flair and elegance, and the many large scale government buildings and wide avenues bring some grandeur to the city. One of the most striking buildings in town is the Ryugyong Hotel. When Seoul was awarded the Olympic Games a few years before 1988, Pyongyang one-sidedly announced that part of the event was to be organized in the North. Mass construction works stared, as stadiums and infrastructure needed to be prepared. The pictured Ryugyong Hotel was built to accommodate the athletes. Of course, we know the athletes never came, and the hotel was never finished. But the building is huge and can be seen from all over town. Its like a modern times pyramid - a symbol of modern times oppression.

Euromyths

1 June 2010 - I learned a new word today: euromyth. Euromyths are negative stories about the European Union burocracy (in particular in the British press), usually based on hearsay and rumor. Most stories have been repeated so many times that they have almost become truths. For example, one of these myths is the EU ban on eating cakes for competition, which was feared to affect the English country fairs and bakery competitions for charity. The Scottish Rural Women Federation went as far as issuing a press release that all cakes and scones up for competition needed to be destroyed. Consequently, the EU responded immediately and issued a statement saying that the ban was not meant for events, where food is only prepared occasionally. It appears people in Brussels are very busy.

Back to The Expo

31 May 2010 - The last weeks there was a lot of attention for the Shanghai Expo, the worlds' party for China. In 1958 the World Expo, than called International Expo, was organized in Brussels... The landmark building of this Expo, the Atomium, is still standing and has become a major tourist attraction in town. The building was designed by Andre Waterkeyn, is structure that is half between architecture and sculpture, symbolising a iron crystal by the scale of its atoms, magnified 165 billion times. I read it made the top 25 most strange buildings in the world.

Say Cheese

31 May 2010 - When in Holland - I am eating cheese. Cheese can be made from the milk of cows, but also from other mamals like sheep, goats, buffalo, reindeer, camel or yak. But lets stick to the beautiful, silky, smelly cheese made from cow-milk. The most famous Dutch cheeses are the round Gouda and Edam cheese, but - to be honest - they are not that good in taste, in particular because most Gouda sold overseas is coming from mass production. It is better to buy the cheese from the farm, or in one of the local shops. One of my favorites is the Maasdam cheese with its sweet and buttery flavor, with a fruity background, making it perfect for breakfast or as a snack. Dutch eat cheese with milk (a bit of an overkill indeed), but credit to the French, because nothing is better than cheese with wine.

Manneken Milk

31 May 2010 - One of the main tourist attractions in Brussels is Manneken Pis, just behind the Central Market. The Manneken is a famous bronze fountain sculpture, depicting a naked little boy urinating into a basin. The story goes that the little man got stolen a few times, but he always returned home. It is now reported that on June 1st Manneken Pis will become Manneken Milk, as he will urinate milk all day. The idea comes from a group of veterinarians, who want to raise awareness about the problems with the milk production and distribution in Africa. In some countries - like Mali - there is not enough water and food for the cows, and poor hygiene and a lack of trained veterinarians contribute further to the mounting challenges. Maybe it would be an idea to organize Manneken Champagne next?

Bolt

31 May 2010 - The French Open at Roland Garros are in full swing and the big question is Federer or Nadal?  And although both tennis-stars are true ambassadors for their sport, my number one sport hero today is Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt. He was the superstar of the Beijing Olympics and last year Bolt broke his already unbelievable record on the 100 meters with 0,1 second into 9,58 seconds. The big question is: can he run faster? Mark Denny from Stanford University believes the absolute limit is 9,48 seconds. No human being will ever be able to run faster, as we are simply not built as machines. Men cannot always run faster and faster and faster - there are limits. Usain Bolt may be the first man to reach that ultimate limit. It will be the ultimate record.

Singing in the Rain

30 May 2010 - Its raining in Amsterdam. I am home! The only thing that is missing is my bicycle. The rain came somewhat unexpectedly - as it was a beautiful day yesterday - so it is hilarious to see people juggle with umbrellas, shopping bags and their Amsterdam tourist maps. Amsterdam welcomes about 2 million visitors per year, but travelling to Holland should come with a rain-warning. Some tourists come well prepared and dress like condoms, but they are the exceptions. Most look like wet cats on the riverside. The only thing I forgot is that the Dutch rain is cold - and it makes you feel unpleasantly soaked. Its not like the Hong Hong rain, which always invites me to imitate the famous scene "from Singing in the Rain. Dancing in the shower.

Under Renovation

29 May 2010 - The Amsterdam Rijksmuseum, one of the most famous museums in the world, is (partly) closed for renovation. The sad news for museum-goers is that the museum will not completely re-open until 2012/13. That makes the renovation a 10 years project. Thinking from Hong Kong/China I wonder why things take such a long time, because construction (renovation) on the eastern side of the planet goes so much faster. Of course there is lots of cheap labor available in the mainland, and projects can be worked on for 24/7, but it remains unfortunate that the Dutch do not seem able to speed things up. The new metro-line will be a 15 years project! There were times that the Dutch were famous for their efficiency, but not anymore. At least one may take the opportunity to visit to the Anne Frank House - because its the last tourist attraction not under renovation.