Australian Anthems

19 Sep 2010 - Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart issued orders to more than 200 catholic churches that some popular sports anthems and songs as Frank Sinatra's My Way have to be banned from funerals. The Archbishop said sport songs were not appropriate for a service that emphasized the solemn nature of death. The edict follows a study that found the signature song for Australian Rules Football team Collingwood was one of the the top requests at Melbourne funerals, along with My Way and Bette Midler's The Wind Beneath My Wings. Other favorites are Louis Armstrong's Wonderful World and Unforgettable by Nat King Cole. It is not known what music the Archbishop recommends, but he probably fancies hymns, gospels and cantates. It is rather sad that one cannot select one's favorite music for the last moments among near and dear ones.      

The World's First Share

18 Sep 2010 - From time to time we all dream of finding the pot with gold on a treasure hunt. A Dutch history student from the ancient city of Enkhuizen did not dig gold, but unearthed the world's first share as issued by the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC) - still an impressive find. The share was locked away in forgotten city archives of Hoorn, where he was doing research for his thesis on company finance during the Dutch Golden Age. The share was made out to a gentleman called Pieter Harmensz, a resident of Enkhuizen who served as an assistant to the city's mayors. The Dutch East India Company was one of the world's largest trading firms in the world in the 17th and 18th centuries, and it was the world's first company to issue stock. The VOC share will be put on exhibition in the West Fries museum in Hoorn from September.

What a Way to Go ...

17 Sep 2010 - Most us aim to have some control over lives, but we rarely can control our death. People die in all kind of extreme circumstances, but the recent death of a Hong Kong cleaner is probably one of the most unfortunate examples in quite some die. The poor man was doing his duties and cleaning the halls of one of Hong Kong's high rise building, but slips when throwing garbage into the refuse chute and tumbles 19 floors down. He is seriously injured, but - as autopsy later shows - survives. However, he looses consciousness and gets buried in the trash. Hidden in the trash, he is loaded onto a rubbish truck and taken to a refuse transfer station, where his body is not noticed. Instead, he is dumped on a landfill site, where he is later found after his employer alarms the police.

Up

17 Sep 2010 - I do not like these long haul flight, but the inflight entertainment system helps. It is a good opportunity to check the movie's that somehow were missed when on show in the cinemas, like Disney's Up. Up is a computer-animated comedy-adventure film (that's a whole mouthful - sorry), which was nominated for the Oscar for best movie. It is only the second-ever animated film to receive such a nomination. The film did not win, but it got the Oscars for Best Original Score and Best Animated Feature. The film also opened the 2009 Cannes Film Festival - the first-ever animated movie to do so. It was produced in the widely successful Pixar Studios, which also made hot movies like Toy Story and Finding Nemo. The film received almost entirely positive reviews - with a 98% score on the Rotten Tomatoes website. All this to say that I greatly enjoyed the movie - too bad I did not see it in the cinema. And of course a great opportunity to place this funny picture!

Great Picture (18)

16 Sep 2010 - One wonders what goes on between these two men. The picture (from Reuters) shows a cheeky moment between a member of the People's Liberation Army honour guard and one of his superiors, and was taken at the arrival of Myanmar General Than Shwe. Than Shwe, famously known as a rather reclusive leader, made only his third ever state visit to China. China is often criticized as one of the most important backers of the military junta in Myanmar. It was reported that a new generation of military leaders was introduced to senior Chinese officials and that a briefing on the upcoming Myanmar election was provided. China is keen to keep friendly relations with its southern neighbor, which it needs to guarantee access to the Indian Ocean, but has concerns over the activities of rebel armies and drug lords on its border. In 2009 35,000 people fled from Myanmar into China after fighting erupted in the Kookang area.

Recycled Uniforms

15. Sep 2010 - You may have missed it, as it a not-so-new variation of good-old KLM blue, but the airline has recently introduced new uniforms for its flight attendants. It leads to the question what to do with the old uniforms. It was company practice to burn the used uniforms to prevent abuse and fraud, but KLM has decided to change its policy and will recycle the old uniform in an effort to contribute to a better, cleaner environment. The old uniforms will be shredded by special machines and the remaining thread will be used to produce new products. Peter Bos from Texterium, the company responsible for the recycling, explains that KLM will have bags and slippers made from the old uniforms. In addition, the process will also create jobs for a few dozens jobs. So, good for KLM!

Quote of the Day (21)

14 Sep 2010 - I have a long quote this time. The quote comes from the book "The New Asian Hemisphere" written by Kishore Mahbubani. The book is a must-read for all Westerners in Asia, and for all other Westerners who want to know about the changing world. I like this quote about China: "The acceptance of poverty is much easier if it is seen as a result of destiny. Gradually, this belief in inevitability of destiny is being corroded by the growing application of Adam's Smith principles and the sense of empowerment they create. When many Westerners look at China, they cannot see beyond the lack of democratic political system. They miss the massive democratization of the human spirit that is taking place in China. ... The real value of the free-market economics is not just in the improvements in economic productivity. It is about how it uplifts the human spirit  and liberate the minds of hundreds of millions of people who now feel they can finally take charge of their destinies. This is why Asia is marching forward." 

Lyndhurst Terrace

14 Sep 2010 - Lyndhurst Terrace in Hong Kong's Central district is one of the most buzzing streets in the Big Lychee. But little is known about the history of the street. It's name is a good example of the history and the culture of the city. The English name reflects the history of the colonial power, as John Lyndhurst was an assistant magistrate in the 19th century. More interesting is the Chinese name, which loosely translates as "Arrange Flowers street". Lyndhurst Terrace used to be lined with upscale brothels and flower shops made good business with men buying a bouquet for their love for the night. Sometimes it is a pity that the English street names do not truely reflect the city's past. And one wonders how long Hong Kong will hold on to some of the colonial street names?

Missing Elderly

13 Sep 2010 - More than 234,000 people listed as alive and at least 100 years old in Japan cannot be found at their registered address - including 884 who would be 150 years or older - according to the Justice Ministry. Japan, famed for its longevity, launched a nationwide survey after a recent string of grisly discoveries - including a mummified man in his bed and an old woman's remains in a backpack - sparked alarm about the fate of many elderly. The cases also triggered soul-searching over elderly people living in isolation, and public outrage at relatives of those missing who have kept their deaths secret in order to keep receiving their pension payments. So maybe the story of eating lots of fresh fish and sushi's for good health and long life are myths too?

Gorgonzola

13 Sep 2010 - I love gorgonzola, but unfortunately it is madly expensive in Hong Kong. The distinctive green-blue veining is characteristic of gorgonzola and other types of blue cheese used to come about naturally as the cheese was aged in damp caves, which had edible penicilium spores floating about in them. Nowadays, the spores are mixed in or injected into the cheese curds. The amount of mould gives an indication of the ripeness of the cheese - as it matures , the veining becomes more prominent. There are two types of gorgonzola: dolce and piccante. The former has a creamy, mild taste, with a soft texture. The Gorgonzola piccante is crumbly, drier and much saltier, sharper and stronger in flavor. The gorgonzola can be used to make a pasta sauce, but I think it is best on a cracker with a glass of red wine.

Baby Hatch

12 Sep 2010 - The first 'baby hatch' in Malaysia was opened last week by a local charity. The baby hatch is a small cot with an alarm that triggers the air-conditioning as soon as the baby is placed in the cot. The baby is safe until found by the caretaker, and the mother will never be known. Most mothers are believed to be single mother who are too ashamed to take care of their babies. The charity hopes that the initiative will safe more unwanted babies. In Malaysia, more than 500 babies were abandoned since 2005. Some were left at prayer halls, others were found at the doorstep or even in rubbish bins - most were found dead. Sexual education in Malaysia mainly focus es on abstination and it is illegal for Muslims to have sex outside their marriage. Critics say the programme will make it too easy for mothers to abandon their babies, encouraging extra-marital sex.

Gai Daan Tsai

12 Sep 2010 - People come from all over the world to enjoy Hong Kong's food delights. Although everything from Lebanese to Dutch is available, the Cantonese kitchen is of course a major attraction. Sadly, Hong Kong's street food stalls are slowly but steadily disappearing. One of the city's street food treat is the gai daan tsai, a golden cake of miniature eggs-shaped balls attached to each other like a piece of oversized bubble wrap. The origins of the gai daan tsai are not clear. Some say the post-war generation created the cake to make up for their eggless diet, but others say street hawkers bought damaged eggs on the cheap to work them into a batter, resulting in the golden color. These Hong Kong waffles look easy to make, but attempts in the home kitchen often turn out to be a disappointment. So better support the street stalls and buy from the experts.

Lane Crawford

12 Sep 2010 - Hong Kong is slowly but steadily moving up on the ladder of international fashion. Luxury store Lane Crawford - with its stores omnipresent in the city - is greatly contributing to the city's new image of style and glamour. When visiting Lane Crawford nowadays it is hard to believe the shop was once nothing more than a humble shed. Lane Crawford has been serving the Hong Kong public for more than 160 years. The brand was founded by Scottish merchants Thomas Ash Lane and Ninian Crawford to provide goods to British crews and their families. It billed itself in the late 1880s as "the place to buy anything from a pin to an anchor". According to the company's website, Lane Crawford's first shop was housed in a makeshift bamboo structure on the waterfront of what is now Des Voeux Road on Hong Kong island. Today the luxury retailer stocks a wide selection of international brands in six stores, and is widely known for an eclectic collection of fashion and design items from around the world.