Ritz Carlton Hong Kong

31 July 2010 - First there was the Park Hyatt in Shanghai and next the opening of the Armani Hotel in Dubai, but Hong Kong will soon also have its hotel rooms in the sky. The Ritz-Carlton is about to re-open in the city in December this year and has selected the top floors of the newly built International Commerce Center as its home. The Ritz-Carlton will occupy the 102nd - 118th floors with magnificent views over Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong island and Kowloon. The gym and the pool (see picture) will be on the highest floor, and the spa will be two floors lower. The rates for the rooms have not been announced yet, but most likely you and I will only be able to dream of dreaming in the sky. However, an Observation Deck is planned for on the 100th floor, so Joe the Plumber and other avarage Hong Kong folks will also be able to enjoy the views.

Great Picture (10)

31 July 2010 - Remember that famous picture of the green-eyed girl from Afghanistan in The National Geographic? The eyes are the mirror of the soul, so I wonder what goes on in the mind of this beautiful girl from South Sudan. Her eyes are just unbelievable. The picture was taken by one of our dear doctors, Rey Anicete. It turns out that many doctors are actually gifted photographers too.

UFOs in China

30 July 2010 - The image of an UFO that shut down the airport of the eastern city of Hangzhou for nearly an hour earlier this month was identified as a descending plane, according to Chinese officials. Hangzhou residents took pictures of the flying object, which showed a hovering object bathed in golden light and exhibiting a comet-like tail. However, one researcher did not rule out that the object, which did not show on radar but was spotted in the skies, was extraterrestrial, citing lack of evidence. Hangzhou airport authorities simply commented that the airport was shut down for security measures. US experts said that the incident might have been the launch of a Chinese ballistic missile. The Hangzhou incident comes after a string of recent UFO sightings in the mainland. Eight days after the Hangzhou sighting another UFO was reported in the sky over Chongqing. So better be careful, as the aliens may already be among us.

Add Oil

29 July 2010 - The Gulf of Mexico, Dalian and now Hong Kong: the pristine beaches of Repulse Bay have been polluted by a thick, smelly oil slick. One official described the slick as "rainbow colored oil-sheen". The authorities of the local Environmental Protection Department have - in all their wisdom - come out with a statement that the oil does not originate from land, but have otherwise drawn a blank. Thanks very much for their helpful contribution (... ). The beach on Hong Kong island was closed yesterday for a clean-up, and it was not clear if the beach would remain closed for the weekend or not. One Marine Department official said it was probably fuel oil and samples were being collected to determine the properties of the oil. However, he also acknowledged that finding the source of the oil was probably slim. Hundred of container ships and tankers pass south of Hong Kong on a daily basis. What frustrates me is that nothing can be done about this.

Flower Power

29 July 2010 - A robber in New York came up with a disarming way to pull off his latest bank heist, approaching the teller's window with a large bouquet of flowers and handling over a hold-up note. The charm offensive did not work and the thief has been arrested. A security camera showed the suspect standing at the teller's window holding the bouquet wile handing over the note, which reportedly read: "Give me all your hundreds, fifties, don't be a hero". The man fled the scene after the teller handed over USD 440. This was the second known bank heist by the suspect, who last week robbed a different New York bank armed with a potted houseplant.

Long Live Andorra!

29 July 2010 - I learned that life-expectancy in the tiny principality of Andorra, tucked away in the Pyrenees mountains between Spain and France, is the longest in the world with 83,5 years. It must be all that fresh mountain air, because Andorra is located at 1996m. It is also a sporty places: skiing in winter, and hiking and cyclng in the summer. The place is a shoppers' heaven, because with more than 2,000 shops there is one shop for every 40 inhabitants. Food is fantastic too: river trout, blackberries from the forest and roasted pork. Maybe most important is the fact that Andorra has not been at war for more than 700 years! In short, this place sounds like paradise and one wonders why we do not hear more about it? I checked Lonely Planet and there is a warning, because greed and uncontrolled development risk having a negative impact on the place. So better hurry to Andorra y'all!

Culture is Back

28 July 2010 - After decades of following the motto "to get rich is glorious", people in China's Guangdong province are starting to focus on culture. Last weekend, top leaders met to approve a guideline for promoting Cantonese culture. Guangdong is proud of itself as a land of opportunities. It was the first province to open up to foreign investors, and in the last three decades it developed rapidly into the factory of the world. The pragmatic attitude of Guangdong people gave them a reputation as being street-smart, competitive, adaptive and indifferent to politics or ideological debates. But people increasingly start to realize that something got lost on the way. In the 1980s and up to the 1990s Guangdong served as the center of China's popular culture, but now people have to travel to Beijing for their dose of culture. The guideline says that by 2020 Guangdong's culture industry should become one of the pillars of its economy. Will Guangdong be possible to turn the tide?

Great Picture (9)

28 July 2010 - This picture by Elmer van der Marel (Parool) comes together with my next blog about bamboo scaffolding in Hong Kong. I enjoy observing the castles of bamboo that are put up in the Hong Kong construction industry. But as mentioned, bamboo is not widely used elsewhere. This picture - of the renovation of the Maritime Museum in Amsterdam - shows an amazing amount of steel and iron. Beautiful picture, but bamboo would have been better.

Bamboo Scaffolding

28 July 2010 - Come to Hong Kong and you will see dazzling structures of bamboo scaffolding. Using bamboo in the construction industry is probably a Hong Kong only (maybe in the mainland too) and one wonders why the material is not used elsewhere. It is an eco-friendly and cost-efficient material, and it is strong and durable enough to carry the weight of the builders, who can climb like monkeys up and down the structures. Unlike metal scaffolding, bamboo can also be cut and tailor-made to suit any contour of a structure.It takes very little time to build up and can easily be transported to new sites, where it can be used over again. Needless to say that the bamboo needs to have been completely dried out and be free of any cracks or rot. Bamboo rocks.

Welcome to Hong Kong

27 July 2010 - I like to pick up a subject that seems to be widely reported during my holidays in Japan: Horrible Hong Kong tour guides giving mainland tourists a poor treatment. Last week there was another incident of shouting and abuse, but a clever tourists filmed the whole incident and put it on the internet. Consequently, the incident is making headlines, including in China. One wonders why these tourists are putting up with such foul behavior, but it is also typical that mainland tourists are still treated as backward peasants in Hong Kong. It would go a bit too far to call this racism. It could probably best be labeled as class snobbery, which is a bit ironic too, as most mainlanders coming to Hong Kong are far wealthier than most Hong Kongers. It seems Hong Kong mentality is a bit backward here.

More than a Moustache

27 July 2010 - The moustache is no mere facial adornment in Turkey - its style carries potent political implications. Last week Huseyin Celik, the deputy chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party said in a televised interview that "... newly created professional soldiers to fight Kurdish rebels would not be types with moustaches with down turned ends". His remarks angered the opposition and questions were asked whether the new forces would instead have almond-shaped moustaches, referring to the small and trimmed classic moustaches that is favored by the Turkish Islamists. There is also a third moustache leaving its imprint on Turkish politics: a full grown one drooping over the upper lip - a bit Nietzshean - which is recognized as the sign of a leftist.

Paul the Octopus

26 July 2010 - So far I avoided the topic of Paul the oracle octopus, but here we go. The story of Paul will be made into a Chinese film scheduled to hit the big screens soon. It was reported that Paul - who was allegedly caught in English waters but now living in a German aquarium - will be played by a Chinese octopus instead. Although the Chinese national team failed again to reach the World Cup Finals, the country was gripped by World Cup fever, and was completely enamoured with Paul, who arguably became the biggest star of the tournament. Shanghai Expo organizers have issued a special Paul's stamp. One word of caution though, it is not known if the movie will pass the mainland's notorious censors.

Quote of the Day (17)

26 July 2010 - "Honi soit qui mal y pense" is what my father used to say, but I did not really understand the full meaning of that mysterious line. Only now I learned that this is French phrase attributed to King Edward III of England more than six centuries ago that more or less translates as "shame will be to whom who thinks evil of it". After King Edward III said it, the phrase became the motto of the English chivalric Order of the Garter. The motto also hung in Hong Kong's Legislative Council chamber until the handover in 1997.

Pizza Man

25 July 2010 - A laid-off paramedic who turned to delivering pizzas to make ends meet has been credited with saving the life of a man who had a heart attack just as the pizza was delivered. Christopher Wuebben, 22, was delivering a pizza last week to the Denver home of George Linn, when he heard the man's wife screaming for help. Wuebben told the woman that he was trained in resuscitation and knew what to do. He put Linn on the floor and brought him back to life before the fire department showed up. Linn was taken to hospital where he was listed in serious condition. It is not known if Wuebben was tipped for his heroic efforts. The pizza got cold.

Great Picture (8)

 

25 July 2010 - After vuvuzula and octopus, there is another word dictating the headlines this summer: oil spill. We hear a lot about the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, but less so about the oil slick close to Dalian in China following a pipeline explosion at the port of Xingang. About 1,500 tons of crude oil leaked into the sea; the biggest oil spill ever reported in China. Authorities mobilized thousands of civilians to help with the clean-up This worker carries a bag of toxic oil sludge along the polluted beach. The picture comes from AP.

Rolling Stones

25 July 2010 - Bad news. Dutch media reports that time has finally caught up with the most famous and fabulous rock 'n roll band ever: the Rolling Stones. The Dutch newspaper Telegraaf (not always the most reliable source of information) reports that The Rolling Stones have decided to call it quits after their planned concert tour in 2012. Drummer Charlie Watts has reached the respectable age of 70 years, and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are both 66 years. The guys said they want to end at their peak. Most fans would agree that they are a bit beyond their peak, but no matter what they are still the greatest rock 'n roll 'n band on the planet and will be dearly missed. The band sold worldwide more than 200 million records and we are still counting. Satisfaction at last?

Siu Ling-tsz

25 July 2010 - I read a short interview with housewife / kitchen princess Siu Ling-tsz. She publishes a free monthly magazine Zhu Fan Zai ("cooking" in Cantonese), which can be picked up at G.O.D. Mrs. Siu feels that cooking is indispensable for a family, because it helps maintain good family relationships. So far so good. But she goes on to say that, to her opinion, a wife needs to understand her husband's appetite, as it is a crucial part of maintaining a happy marriage. She also says she wants her husband's approval, so she cooks many dishes until they reach a state of perfection. She sees herself as a role-model (?) and has some further advice for Hong Kong housewives, as she recommends to abandon sugar, salt and soy sauce, but become more adventurous with malt sugar, sour plum and citron honey. Maybe Mrs. Siu should also be a bit more adventurous in her conservative opinions?