Food Capital

22 Sep 2010 - The Chinese city of Guangzhou is gearing up for the organization of the East Asia Games later this year. Athletes and officials will be in for a treat, Guangzhou has recently been named the mainland's "fine food capital", with he average resident spending RMB 6,000 a year on eating out, the Yangcheng Evening News reports. A panel of experts from the China Cuisine Association and the Wold Association of Chinese Cuisine , who chose Guangzhou, said the residents themselves were the real experts on fine dining. Guangzhou has more than 40,000 restaurants, and last year the city's food and beverage industry make 61 billion RMB, about a quarter of the sector's earnings in Guangdong province. Hopefully the East Asia Games will be a success, but some spectators may flog to the city for the food and not to watch the sports.

Oktoberfest

22 Sep 2010 - In a few more weeks the German state of Bayern will celebrate its traditional Oktoberfest, with many in 'lederhosen' and women in 'dirndl dresses' eat and drink as much as they can to celebrate life. The Bayern region is the top producer of beer in Germany, and Germany is only topped by the Czech Republic in beer consumption per capita. Every year about 6 million people join the Oktoberfest, but the consumption of beer has almost doubled in recent years. A few decades ago people drank 3 million liters, but last in total 6,5 million liters of beer was consumed. People do not only drink they also sing, dance and eat. The Oktoberfest organization committee published the amount of meat that is ordered for consumption this year: 459,356 chickens, 53,736 pork legs, and 104 cows. But overall meat consumption is on the decline: in 1981 people ate 350,000 sausages, but this year only 116,000 were ordered.  

The Mirhbox

21 Sep 2010 - There is money in everything, but people fail to see it. A Paris imam saw his opportunity though. The imam is also a part-time inventor and created a portable mosque to help the faithful concentrate better on their prayers wherever they are. He invented a two meters high structure called the Mirhbox, which takes the form of a mirhab - a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the direction of the holy city of Mecca - whenever in use. The Mirhbox may be a bit bulky, but it can easily be carried in an average car. The price is reasonable, as for Euro 450 (HKD 4,450), for a top range model, which includes a built-in loudspeaker, to as little as Euro 69 for a smaller children's model. The imam is working on the portable mosque next.

Panda War

20 Sep 2010 - Tensions between old rivals Japan and China over disputed sea waters are on the rise again. China traditionally uses its panda diplomacy to calm things down, but it may think twice before sending more pandas to Japan. Last week, the death of giant panda Kou Kou in the Oji Zoo in Kobe created a stir. Kou Kou died of cardiac arrest after failing to recover from an anaesthetic. Veterinarians has sedated the 14-year-old male as part of a programme to impregnate his partner. Experts believe Kou Kou may have died from an overdose of sedatives and questioned why the vets were extracting semen outside the animal's mating period. There are only 1600 pandas left in the wild. Nearly 300 others are in captive-breeding programmes. Pandas are notoriously slow at reproducing in captivity.

GayLM

20 Sep 2010 - The KLM is aiming for the pink dollar. The Dutch Royal Airlines have started an advertising campaign in the UK particularly targeting gay customers. A special website is developed to motivate the gay community to fly KLM to the gay capitals of the world (Amsterdam, San Francisco, Berlin). The KLM will soon fly from 15 cities in the UK to Amsterdam, and from there to cities all over the world. Gay people are considered an attractive clientele, because they travel a lot and have good money to spend, as many do not have the responsibility for children. KLM marketing manager Verane Brissaud argues that gays also have more free time to travel, as they do not need to raise the kids. However, he also plays down the extra attention for the gays, as he explains that KLM also has special campaigns for business men and women, golfers, sun-lovers and elderly. KLM's marketing strategy is merely a matter of increased segmentation, which is a worldwide trend. SAS has already responded, they have opened a special flight from Stockholm to New York offering the possibility to gay couples to get married in mid air.

Mooncakes

19 Sep 2010 - It is almost Mid Autumn Festival. Traditionally, People exchange mooncakes for the event., while people hope for a bright full moon on this special night of the year. However, dietitians warn to be careful with the delicacies. Since the Hong Kong Government introduced compulsory labeling of all foods, it is possible to learn the fat and sugar content of the delicacies. And it is not good! Some mooncakes contain almost one-and-a-half times an adult's recommended daily intake of sugar , while for others a single cake could account for a full day's fat consumption. A dietitian warns that a mooncake contains as much energy as three bowls of rice, but people should not worry too much as long as they know when to stop eating. She says that eating a quarter of the mooncake sis totally acceptable. She also recommends to eat less rice during the festival as it will compensate the heavy mooncakes intake.

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.

Great Picture (17)

11 Sep 2010 - This impressive picture was published in the SCMP of today (the picture is by Aani Andriani). It is not Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur or Surabaya, but Hong Kong. It shows ranks of Muslim domestic workers packed together to celebrate the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, the festival Eid al-Fitr. The newspaper also paid rightfully attention to the plight of millions of Pakistanis, who are affected by the worst floods in the country for decades. They are still displaced, have no home to return to and no mosque to go to for prayer. Traditionally, people wear their new clothes for Eid, but this year there are no gifts and no new clothes. Many people xpress a feeling of helplessness and despair.

Lying Pilots

11 Sep 2010 - China's flight safety record has dramatically improved in recent years. But a recent string of accidents and near-accidents have put the focus on pilot's credentials. More than 200 pilots have exaggerated or lied about their experience in the past two years, mainland authorities said. In particular pilots working for Shenzhen Airlines stand out as a lying lot, and it is pointed out that Shenzhen Airlines owns Henan Airlines, the carrier responsible for the fatal crash a few weeks ago that cost 42 lives. China Business News quoted a senior manager as saying pilots who faked credentials had easily switched between different employers and had colored their resumes or were former military pilots, who mainly had experience flying small military planes. It was explained that a major cause of pilots' falsified credentials was the pilot shortage that has plagued mainland aviation for years.

Pin Up Diana

11 Sep 2010 - The "Made in China" brand is trying to polish up its image after the dramatic milk powder scandal and poisonous toys. However, sometimes things go a bit off track and controversy arises. A British journalist picked up the attached advertisement for women's lingerie called Diana. Guess three times who they are referring to (I have to admit that the tiara is a bit of a give-away). The advertisement was posted at an airport in Southern China and put on display on 31 August, exactly 13 years after the death of the famous princess. The journalist said he could not believe his eyes, as the model is a very close look-a-like of Princess Di. It is not totally clear what Wills is doing - nor what he is wearing - on the right side of the corner, but he seems very happy. As far as I know Buckingham Palace did not comment on the images.

Great Picture (16)

10 Sep 2010 - It is September and the summer is almost over. It was summer to remember: floods, storms, drought and lots of rain in other parts of the world. Is it really the 'El Nino" effect? Amsterdam had a lousy August, but beautiful June and July, as this picture from Elmer van de Marel proves.

Malaysian Santa

10 Sep 2010 - Happy Eid! Muslims all over the world celebrate Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. A Malaysian television station scrapped a commercial tied to the biggest Muslim holiday after viewers complained it appeared influenced by Christmas and Santa Claus. The ad depicted children travelling in a flying trishaw driven by a white-haired, elderly man to a fantasy land with sparkling lotuses and oil lamps. People believed the man was reminiscent of Santa Claus, and lotuses and oil lamps should not be depicted, saying those images seemed linked to Buddhism and Hinduism. The ethnic Malay population, who comprise nearly two-thirds of Malaysia's 28 million people, are mostly Muslim, while monirity groups practise Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity. New anchors on the TV3 channel apologised for the commercial during a news broadcast on Sunday night.

Human Heat

9 Sep 2010 - The warmth generated by human bodies in the Parisian metro will help heat a public housing project in the city center. The building, located in the Rue Beaubourg close to the Pompidou museum, is being renovated in an environmentally friendly way. "the building is connected to the metro through a staircase," said Francois Wachnick from Paris Habitat., the capitals largest owner of social housing. The calories emitted by passengers, about 100 watts per person, combined with the heat generated by the trains moving along the tracks underground and the heat from the surrounding buildigs, mean that corridor temperatures can be kept at a reasonable 14 to 20 degrees Celsius all year round. I never knew French people were that cold?

Zebra Crossing

9 Sep 2010 - Drivers in Moscow were confronted by zebras walking back and forth across some of the city's busiest intersections last Friday. It was part of a police campaign to call attention to the importance of pedestrian crossings, known as zebra crossings, which are routinely ignored in the Russian capital, as in many other cities. The ignorance contributes to the horrific number of pedestrians who are mown down by passing cars, buses and trucks. The "zebras" were actually light grey circus horses painted with black stripes and they carried yellow signs on their backs that read: "careful, children are on their way to school." Drivers are aggressive and impatient in Moscow - as elsewhere - , where it is not unusual to see cars zipping down footpaths or through red lights. Drivers say it is too risky to stop because the ca behind them is unlikely to extend the same courtesy. It is not known how many zebras were ran over.

Trainspotting

8 Sep 2010 - Do you remember playing with the little toy trains as a kid? Well, a hotel in Japan has a unique star room that comes with a large built-in train set. The Washington Hotel in Tokyo's Akihabara district has built a train set into a 13th floor twin room that feautures a model of Tokyo Tower, a mosaic of the city's neighborhoods and the resort area of Hakone. It takes up four square meters and guests can run their own trains or rent one for Yen 1,000. 'The railway room is very popular with train lovers who start playing from the moment they enter the room until check-out, as well as with families," as hotel spokesperson said. Train-lovers pay up to Yen 25,000, twice the single room rate for the special suite, which opened in May. Bookings have been flowing in and the rooms is booked months in advance. However, this is probably not a good idea for the honeymoon.

Halal Burger

8 Sep 2010 - In the middle of the Ramadan and French fast-food chain Quick started serving halal-food only in 22 of its French outlets. Quick targets the underexploited market long ignored by other business. The bacon is gone from the bacon burger, replaced by smoked turkey. A new certificate on the wall proclaims that the rerstaurant's beef comes from cows slaughtered in line with Islamic law. Quick says that sales have doubled in the restaurants where they tested the concept, but the move has also triggered another debate about what it means to be French. Some fear Quick's policy will lead to further segregation with people eating in separate restaurants. Others said the restaurants will become muslim hang-outs preventing them from mingling with others. But Kentucky Fried Chicken France said it already serves halal chicken in its outlets for 19 years. Quick responded by saying it simply wants to sell its products to a larger number of people. Who is right?

Chinese Dictionary

7 Sep 2010 - The beautiful thing about language is that it evolves. New fashionable Chinese terms, commonly used in online forums, have made it into the language - or at least into the new Oxford Chinese - English English - Chinese dictionary. The book is said to be the largest single volume dictionary of its kind, it contains about 670,000 words and phrases with pronounciation in putonghua. Sixty editors worked on it for six years and there were no political considerations in the decisions on which words would be included. Shanzhai, used to describe China-made imitation products made it into the dictionary, as well as shengnu - used to describe a single woman beyond the usual age for marriage. Other included words that are symbolic for the sign of times are fangnu (mortgage slave), duanbei (homosexuality) and rouduganjun (botox). The dictionary does not include hexie or "river crab", which is widely used in internet forums to ridicule censorship attempts.

Sanlitun SoHo

7 Sep 2010 - I still remember going to Beijing's Sanlitun area in the 1990s and enjoying a beer in one of the (very) local bars. Who would have thought that a bit more than a decade onwards the area would have changed into one of the funkiest on the planet? The huge, upscale Sanlitun SoHo area was recently opened and completes the development of shopping malls, hotels and restaurants in this part of northeast Beijing. The project was developed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, who says he remained faithful to his design obsessions - to soften hard urban lines and incorporate, rather than ignore, local contexts. An open development with no walls and the neighbourly feel of its New York namesake, one of the Sanlitun's SoHo's most striking features is what he calls the "Grand Canyon effect" achieved by the water pathway that runs through the length of the complex. The area is a must-see for every visitor to Beijing .   

Smoking Boy

7 Sep 2010 - A two years old Indonesian boy who smoked about 40 cigarettes a day has kicked the habit after receiving intensive specialist care. "He doesn't ask for cigarettes anymore," National Commission for Child protection secretary general Artists Merdeka Sirait said. A video of Ardi Rizal drawing heavily on cigarettes appeared on the internet in May and drew attention in Indonesia's failure to regulate the tobacco industry. Six months after his father gave him his first cigarette, the overweight boy was smoking two packs a day and threw tantrums if his addiction was not satisfied. Accompanied by his mother, the little man underwent treatment for his nicotine habit in Jakarta in July. Great parents - maybe they need some specialist help as well?

Corneille

6 Sep 2010 - Yesterday Dutch painter Corneille, co-founder of the avant-garde Cobra movement, died at the age of 88. Corneille, born as Cornelis Guillaume Beverloo, died in France where he lived and worked. The Cobra movement was founded after the second World War by artists from Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Brussels. The group preached freedom of color and form, and drew inspiration from children's drawings, primitive art works and the works by Joan Miro and Paul Klee. Corneille is considered one of the most important modern graphic artists of the last century. The group had great influence on Scandinavian art, and fellow Cobra member Karel Appel became world-famous. Corneille was also avant-garde in the sense that he commercialized his art at an early stage, by selling his prints to be used on t-shirts, pens and ties. His commercial instincts were not always appreciated in the art world. R.I.P.

Pornographic Pens

6 Sep 2010 - All over the world children are returning to school now the summer holidays are over. To sweeten their first day at primary school, German children are normally given a cardboard cone filled with sweets, but schoolchildren in Essen this year opened their cones to find pens that projected erotic images of women. Children attending the Adolf Reichwein school in the northwestern city received the cones from the German Communist Party the headmaster said. Angry parents who discovered what the pens given to their children showed informed the headmaster. The party said it had bought the pens from a discount store, which had said the pens lit up at the push of a button. "The German Communist Party deeply regrets what has happened and is outraged that this kind of things, which border pornography, can be purchased in normal shops," it said. It had offered to exchange the pens for something more suitable for children.

Playing the Violin

5 Sep 2010 - A Taiwanese violinist borrows an antique violin from a Museum for a performance in Hong Kong. The concert is a great success and after the performance he takes the ferry to relax a bit and enjoy the view on Victoria Harbor. Unfortunately he falls asleep. An observant thief sees the opportunity and steals the violin, but he does not know that it is valued at more than HKD 2,5 mio. He takes the instrument home and puts it on top of the cupboard. The ever observant Hong Kong police catches the thief through their CCTV system and brings the violin back to the distressed violinist. It seems a happy ending, but the museum decides to lend the artist any musical instrument again. The violinist promises himself never to fall asleep on a ferry ever again.

Baby Kingdom

5 Sep 2010 - Many developed Asian countries are confronted with low birth rates, and Governments despair how to boost up the birth rate. Taiwan unveiled a new slogan on Wednesday aimed at encouraging couples to have more babies in its latest bid to boost the island's dwindling birth rate, which is among the world's lowest. "Children - our best heirloom" is the somewhat awkward choice. The slogan was chosen via an online poll after garnering nearly a third of the 31,000 responses, followed by "Happiness is very easy; baby one, two, three" and "it's good to have a child", said the Interior Ministry spokesperson. The slogan's writer will get a prize of NT 1 million (HKD 242,600) while the phrase will be printed on government literature and leaflets, it said. Taipei also plans to start paying couples NT 20,000 for every newborn from next year onwards.

Historic Transplant

5 Sep 2010 - We had a lot of bad news in Hong Kong in recent weeks, so here is for some good news to start the week with. Last week the first combined heart and liver transplant in the city was successfully performed in Queen Mary Hospital. A 27-year-old woman with a rare hereditary condition which makes toxins accumulate in her liver and suffering from heart failure is the beneficiary. She was fortunate enough that a brain-stem dead man donated his heart and liver. The recipient donates her failing but still usable liver to a liver cancer patient. More than 65 medical staff work over 20 hours on the surgery. The two patients are expected to be discharged in two weeks. I wonder how it feels to be living with a donated heart - would it feel any different?

What's in a Name?

4 Sep 2010 - Two hundred people sharing the surname Shan in a village in Shandong province have been forced by China's unbending bureaucracy to change their family name as the character is so rare it cannot be typed. So far, they had no problem when identity cards, driving licenses and other documents could be handwritten, but now they have to be printed using computers. Their name is so unusual that it does not exist in word processing programmes. "Nobody wants to do it, but under the circumstances we have no chance," villager Xian Xuexin (new name) told state television, using a new, easy to type family name. People may ask "What's in a name?", but your name is part of your identity.

Great Picture (15)

4 Sep. 2010 - Dutch newspaper the 'Parool' published this great shot by Elmer van de Marel. It shows the preparations for the annual Dam-to-Dam run, a half marathon in Amsterdam city. It reminds me how much I miss my bicycle. Normally it is not allowed to cycle through the IJ-tunnel, but these officials got the treat. Look at the speed! Exciting.

823 (2)

3 Sep 2010 - OK, I am sorry, but this is going to be a bit of rant. Yesterday it was reported that three of the coffins containing the bodies of the Manila hostage disaster were wrongly labeled. The errors were discovered when members of one of the Hong Kong families went to identify the body of their loved one and found that the body in the coffin was not their relative. The other seven coffins had to be opened for inspection after the discovery and it was found that three coffins were wrongly labeled. The Hong Kong Government said the error had occurred at the Manila funeral home. How much salt needs to be added to open wounds? I am outraged how Philipino officials make mistake after mistake, and it leaves me with the impression of total chaos in their system and disrespect for the victims and their families. It is very frustrating that there is nothing we can do about it. Damn. And how about the Hong Kong officials who were sent to Manila to ensure that the reception, identification and transport of the bodies was well taken care of? Damn Damn Damn.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall ...

3 Sep 2010 - From a Fung Shui perspective, the incorrect placement of mirrors may create problems. For instance, having a mirror on the ceiling above your bed will result in poor sleep and could lead to arguments between your partner and you. Likewise, a mirror on the ceiling above the dining table will result in stress and tension when eating and impaired concentration could mar your work if your desk is below a reflective surface. If a mirror is in such a position that it can't be moved, one may consider painting over it so that it is no longer reflective. Hanging a mirror at the foot of the bed is less of a problem, as long as you do not see yourself, but take note that the mirror will still reflect your chi, or energy, when you are moving around in your sleep. Fung Shui masters claim that you will feel the difference when you remove such a mirror.

Wealth Gap

2 Sep 2010 - We hear a lot about the (growing) wealth gap in Asia, but sometimes it is difficult to get some facts about this phenomena. Edusports, an Indian agency promoting sport in schools, just published a survey about the health status of India's city children. The shocking result is that 23% of these children aged between five and 14 in city schools is considered overweight. About one in 10 were even considered obese, according to the measurements of the WHO children's body mass index. There are no figures available about teh health status of the same age group in rural areas, but it is fair to assume that a good part is still considered underweight. These statistics point to the widening wealth gap between India's booming cities and impoverished rural areas. And I am pretty convinced that other Asian countries, notably China, show similar trends.

Thai Food

2 Sep 2010 - A woman, weighing 274 kgs. and believed to be the heaviest in Thailand, has left her flat for the first time in three years with the help of Bangkok city officials and a forklift. Neighbors of the 40-years old woman contacted the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority when they learned that she needed medical attention to remove a tumor in her right leg. Media-savvy governor Sukhumband Parlbatra summoned camera crews to document the event, rescue workers, demolition crews, doctors and nurses. The patient said she could walk only a few meters on her own and was confined to her studio apartment, where she runs a laundry service with the help of her two adopted sons. She flashed a "V" sign for victory as she was lowered from the apartment by a lift constructed outside. A forklift then transferred her to an ambulance that took her to hospital.

Video Game Addiction

1 Sep 2010 - Only in America! District judge Alan Kay in Honolulu, Hawaii, ruled that four out of eight charges can go ahead in a lawsuit brought by a man who claims he is psychologically dependent and addicted to an online video game, called Lineage II. Craig Smallwood , 51, said he had played the online role-playing game for more than 20,000 hours since 2004 and was now unable to function independently in daily activities, such as getting dressed., bathing or communicating with family and friends. He said the game South Korean's maker, NCSoft, which demanded the case to be dismissed, had not warned him about the risk of addiction. Stay tuned, because if he looses the case he may sue his mother for putting him on the planet in the first place. And I eat my hat if NCSoft is not quietly very happy with all the free attention for their product?

Migraine

1 Sep 2010 - Migraines affect about one in six women and one in 12 men, and have been estimated to be the most expensive brain disorder to society in the European Union and USA. Not only are migraines painful, they can also be disabling and are often a life-long condition. The exact causes of the disorder remain unknown. However, migraines are believed to occur when inflammatory chemicals are released around the nerves and blood vessels in the head, inducing pain that can be excruciating. The condition is sometimes accompanied by nausea and hyper-sensitivity to light and sound. An international scientific team has now for the first time identified an inherited risk factor associated with migraines and say the research could open the way for new treatments to prevent attacks. It was found that patients with a certain DNA variant affecting regulation of a particular brain chemical have a greater risk of developing migraines.

The New Stethoscope

31 Aug 2010 - For a long time the stethoscope has been one of the symbols of the medical profession. However, the stethoscope - medical icon, life-saver and doctor's best friend - is increasingly disappearing from hospitals across the world as physicians use their smartphones to monitor patients' heart beats. More than three million doctors have downloaded a HKD 7 application - invented by Peter Bentley, a researcher from University College, London - that turns the Apple iPhone into a stethoscope. Experts said that the software has saved lives and enabled doctors in remote areas to access specialist expertise. Bentley's iStethoscope application is not the only tool lightening doctors' bags: there are about 6,000 applications related to health in the Apple App store. The uptake has been rapid. It was reported that two-thirds of the doctors are using smartphones, and 80% of doctors they will own a smartphone by 2012.

John Lennon's Pot

31 Aug 2010 - Last week we had a media frenzy about the news that the Liverpool birth house of Beatle Ringo Starr (with double 'rr' if I remember well) was up for demolition. Well, fasten your seat-belts for another media storm because it has been made public that John Lennon's toilet was sold for GBP 9,500. That may sound like a good deal assuming the water closet was made from gold, but unfortunately it just a simple porcelain sample. The toilet is painted with blue flowers, and belonged for many years to John Lennon. The item was sold to an overseas buyer at the 33rd annual Beatles Convention auction in Liverpool for nearly 14 times the expected price. Lennon owned the toilet at his Tittenhurst Park home (sorry I cannot help that name) in Berhshire, from 1969 to 1972. It is not known if Lennon got the inspiration for some of his famous songs while sitting on his porcelain throne.

Mak Fung

30 Aug 2010 - There is a great photo exhibition about our city's history going on. Late local photographer Mak Fung became famous in his later years for the treasure trove of photographic heritage he collected over his lifetime, showing in remarkable detail the transformation of Hong Kong. The Upper Station Gallery is currently hosting an exhibition "Hong Kong as it was" to showcase Mak's images of the city's history. Mak said "I was only trying to capture the street scenes with a few friends in the 1950s. It was relevant to our humble backgrounds, and we did not have much ambition beyond reflecting the lives of the common folks ... I thought photography should be about human life, just like literature, and I de-emphasized the aesthetic aspects". The Upper Station Gallery is at 22 Upper Station Street in Sheung Wan, and the exhibition runs til 17 October 2010. Highly recommended to everybody who wants to learn about Hong Kong.

Warren Buffett

30 Aug 2010 - Today is the 80th birthday of the "world's greatest investor" Warren Buffett. Mr. Buffett is probably also known as one of the world's most generous philanthropist, because he has given about USD 30 million to charity - the largest donation in history. He is a big donor to Bill Gates' Gates Foundation. A man of few material needs, Buffett has planned all along to give his wealth away. He told the New York Times that he does not believe in dynastic wealth, and described those who grow up wealthy as "members of the lucky sperm club". Currently Mr. Buffett is ranked as the third richest person in the world. Buffett was born in Omah (nebraska) and has earned his nickname the "Oracle of Omaha", because his investments - through his company Berkshire Hathaway - are so successful. I wish him a Happy Birthday!

Voting Diplomats

29 Aug 2010 - There is an ongoing debate in Hong Kong about universal suffrage for the Hong Kong people. So I was surprised to read in HK Magazine that some diplomats in the territory can vote. Among the seven million people in Hong Kong, only 226,000 people are eligible to vote for the functional constituencies in the Legislative Council (Legco). So it is astonishing that Cable TV discovered that some foreign delegates stationed in Hong Kong actually are eligible to vote too, because they are members of the chamber of commerce in Hong Kong. They can vote for the legislator representing the commerce sector. It means that even the de facto Taiwan representatives, not immediately China's best friends, can vote, while millions of Hong Kong residents can not. How absurd is that?

Madame Tussauds

29 Aug 2010 - I have never been to the Madame Tussauds Museum on The Hong Kong Peak. I remember seeing the waxed figures for the first time in London many years ago, and they looked somewhat scary - almost ghost-like. Also, most wax figures did not really look like the original, because there was no light in their eyes and no soul in their guts. Madame Tussauds Hong Kong Manager Kitty Tang explained in an interview how her staff walks around every morning from 8 am to 10 am to ensure the wax figures look perfect. The hair needs to be tidied and they need to zip up the male figure's pants as visitors are very curious to see if some special body parts are wax as well. Shirts need to be replaced because they get covered with lipstick. People also shake hands with the figures, so a set of spare hands is available because the hands get dirty. The most popular figures in Hong Kong are Jackie Chan and Andy Lau. Unzipped and covered in lipstick.  

Quote of the Day (20)

29 Aug 2010 - I came across this interesting line: "Tough times don't last, but tough people do." It is a good quote and it is probably true, but it made me think if one always needs to be tough to get through the tough times. Probably not - it seems helpful to sometimes loosen up a bit.