Demon's Polity

突埃科技界：社交網為人充權

2011-04-18T20:43:00.001Z

在今年年初的突尼斯「茉莉花革命」和埃及革命，網絡的作用備受關注。上周來港的兩國科技界人士表示，社交網站為大眾充權，而且阻止人民從網絡上獲得資訊上是防不勝防，令政府無法再靠網絡及傳媒審查國民。

埃及政府通訊和訊息技術部顧問Effat El-Shooky上周出席香港舉行的世界訊息大會大獎（WSA）時表示，埃及的經歷可稱為「青年人革命」，互聯網則是其充權平台。她說，他們早在前年 12月已在網上推動改革對話，但政府不曾想像最終演變成革命，而且亦沒能力阻止他們溝通。

突尼斯資訊科技公司R2i總經理Faouzi Zaghbib指出，起義期間揭示政權貪污的資訊廣為流傳，大家均曾收到上街到內政部的號召。有說突尼斯的網上審查僅次中國及伊朗，但Zaghbib說，突尼斯連9歲小童都懂得使用私人代理伺服器（Proxy Server）翻牆，官方根本禁不住人民。

Zaghbib認為，突尼斯人學歷較高，促成了革命。他說，去年12月中起的兩個月，該國Facebook（FB）使用率達全球最高的64%，因為人們視之為最容易的溝通途徑。前總統本．阿里（Zine El Abidine Ben Ali）一度干擾手機服務，但Zaghbib指民眾在2月止的三個月通訊量急升，服務供應商收入倍增。

WSA主席布魯克（Peter Bruck）說，資訊審查本質被動，已不合時宜，要把敢言民眾都關進牢中既不可行，倒不如尊重人民基本自由。他認為，社會網站要演化為成熟的工具，在成功推翻獨裁政權後，下一步是協助民主政制及人民共處。

埃及軍政府早前設立了FB專頁，收集對新憲法的意見，又公布所有最新資料。El-Shooky指那非常令人驚喜，跟青年人溝通的希望是箇中原動力。她認為，部分民眾以往可能不完全理解國內情況，但討論令人民更了解自由及民主的真義。

她建議埃及政府未來靠訊息和通訊技術（ICT）創造就業，解決高學歷年輕人失業問題，而她亦正着手以ICT連繫社區，為大眾充權。她認為，全球若能仿效歐盟集中統籌ICT工作，可避免各自為政造成的浪費。

Zaghbib說，突尼斯政治生態於革命後劇變，傳媒已完全自由化，政黨數目大增。

Timely move

2010-12-06T18:49:00.001Z

Derek Yiu

Monday, December 06, 2010

A decade back, Vacheron Constantin could sell only one or two watches each year in certain mainland cities. These days, mainlanders easily snap up a large share of the 18,000 watches that the Swiss watchmaker makes each year.

The worlds oldest watch manufacturer established in 1755 even made headway in the up-and-coming mainland market during the financial crisis, according to Charlie Lai Si-keung, managing director for Hong Kong and China.

Centralized official decisions meant that the country faced far fewer economic problems and made the first rebound worldwide, Lai said.

He is more confident about the luxury watch market as mainland big spenders weathered the crisis nearly unscathed.

At our head office, we allocate certain numbers of watches to Europe, the Americas, Asia and so on, he said. Once the financial crisis appeared, demand in other countries slowed, so we could get a larger share.

Higher supply meant that the time- tested watchmaker turned in especially good results in China as the crisis peaked last year.

Performance so far this year continued to improve, but the magnitude was no longer as stellar as a year ago since other markets also retrieved some lost grounds, Lai admitted.

With the uniqueness of its watches, Vacheron Constantin was clear about the need to educate the public when it tapped the mainland more than 12 years ago.

Lai said people need to make tough decisions before buying a watch that costs tens of thousands of dollars.

Our wa

tches tend to center around high complexity, Lai said. They look different from watches with embedded gems that can easily be seen as expensive.

Vacheron Constantin held its first traveling exhibition in the mainland in 2000. In stark contrast to the common practise then of inviting endorsers to dinner banquets with VIP guests, the company imported more than 100 luxury watches to showcase. We aimed to cultivate future clients or make people understand better the art of Swiss watch-making, Lai said.

Our products were our stars.

While the bulk of other watches on display only came with a number tag each, the Swiss firm included price tags for about 10 watches with complex functions such as tourbillons and perpetual calendars.

Lai said some guests and reporters who had not seen luxury watches were doubtful about the prices of some plain- looking models.

Without a single diamond, a watch can cost more than 2 million yuan (HK$2.33 million), Lai said. They counted the zeros and asked whether the price tag was wrong.

It was a surprise then that only three or four years later during the second roadshow, instead of querying about the price, some clients began asking when the watches could be delivered.

Chinas ancient Zangs Bag Facial Mask featured in Vacheron Constantins Metiers dArt Les Masques collection in 2007, but commerce was not the main driver for the move.

In fact, commercial considerations should not determine a brands direction, Lai said.

And the watchmaker is against raising annual production to boost sales at the expense of quality, although this means some sales may be channeled to other brands.

If were doing business, giving clients everything they need is a good service, he said. But if youre a brand or art maker, you must have your brands DNA in the products.

But still quality service is paramount. Two years ago it launched Vacheron Constantin Maison the second of its kind after Genevas more than 100 years ago in an old villa in Shanghai.

The first floor accommodates sales and showcase areas, but a large area is allocated for after-sale and safekeeping services and a display of not-for-sale antiques.

The firm has hired a veteran watchmaker from Switzerland to provide the quickest and best service in Shanghai.

There are 18 safes which selected collectors can store watches they like or value best, while fellow connoisseurs can get together in the salon to discuss watches or conduct research.

Lai said some mainland clients are well-versed with watches, but many are still learning.

He believes many people suffered in the past, so as they grow richer they want to satisfy themselves and show others how they have changed.

They may go for whatever wealth is perceived to be, but their tastes will naturally evolve over time, Lai said.

He said people who grew rich a decade back were attracted by Hong Kongs geographical proximity and cultural similarities and saw it as the first choice to see the world. While mainlanders still account for a lions share of sales in the city which ranks among the top three worldwide for Vacheron Constantin the seriously affluent travel farther to Europe and the United States.

With 23 retail points in the mainland, Vacheron Constantins future development will center on two aspects increasing the market share appropriately and paying more attention to detail and craftsmanship, Lai said.

Craftsmanship, he noted, is on par with supply as his uppermost consideration.

Showing a US$20-golden-coin- turned watch, Lai said, the Swiss watchmaker keeps searching the secondary market for well-kept coins.

He said money sometimes cannot buy such a watch. A Guangzhou client, for instance, waited for 18 months.

He visited our traveling exhibition and was most interested, but we were unable to tell him when one would be available. He just made a downpayment and said he wanted it whenever it became available.

Lai started as a watch technician at the age of 15 in the early 1980s.

Thirteen years later he joined the Swiss watchmakers local agency as a salesman but his enthusiasm led to greater things.

I wanted very much to learn the craftsmanship to make watches of different price levels, and the marketing techniques, he said. And I yearned to find a brand with potential to see how far I could bring it .

But Lai believes that however established a firm is, there must be some weaknesses.

Quoting McDonalds introduction of McChicken to tap the Chinese market, he said companies may have to make slight adjustments. The Swiss watchmaker, meantime, has to explain European culture to mainlanders.

We local people in charge are but bridges between the companies and clients, Lai said humbly.

Homeward bound

2010-09-27T17:34:00.004Z

Derek Yiu

Friday, September 24, 2010

We will soon have a chance to check Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam- kuen's backbone.

For he must bite the bullet - or spit it out - when he goes before the legislature on October 13 for a policy address that includes his administration's approach to Hong Kong's housing market.

Will he stand up to the handful of billionaires who, for all intents and purposes, decide where and when new homes will be built and, most importantly, how much people must pay for the key of their own door?

Or will he bow to the commanding thoughts of the big developers, who want a free hand in most things?

Well, there are indications he may manage to appease frustrated home hopefuls and stay sweet with developers with a mixed bag of initiatives.

But he will upset some people with plans that apparently include providing new land for homes by more reclamation and opening country parks to developers.

Uncertainties about policy, including the question about whether a line will ever be set, have hung heavy over the property market for more than a month.

Yet we're assured the administration is ready to show "determination" to ease the frustration of would-be buyers, who are trumped constantly on price no matter how long and hard they save.

This resolution, run official lines playing recently, is reflected in six prime urban plots going to auction, a plan to review rules for converting industrial sites for residential use, and offering premium loan guarantees for people who went into f

lats under the now-mothballed Home Ownership Scheme but who want room to maneuver out of purchase restrictions and into something new.

Most recently, we've had a consultation on subsidizing home ownership, which was run by the Transport and Housing Bureau and ended last Friday. About 800 written submissions were received, along with more than 5,300 comments on a Facebook site.

Among the opinions is a liking for a rent-to-buy program rather than restarting the Home Ownership Scheme or loans for first-time buyers.

A Housing Bureau official says several weeks are needed to analyze findings and that reports about the likelihood of a rent-to-buy scheme are just guesswork.

But Hang Lung Group chairman Ronnie Chan Chi-chung has several times recently offered the developers' line: just make land available and we'll take it from there.

Whatever Tsang conjures up, there's no escaping the fact that the supply of private homes has been falling since 1998, bottoming at about 7,160 last year. That is in stark contrast to the average 26,790 in the seven years before 1998. The years show that tinkering with market forces can be disastrous.

Tsang's predecessor Tung Chee- hwa moved on the market's sky-high prices in 1997, setting an annual target of 85,000 public and private homes.

Exacerbated by 1998's Asian financial crisis, prices plunged. So did many home owners - into negative equity.

Then came 9/11 and SARS, leaving then housing boss Michael Suen Ming- yeung to announce in June 2003 that the HOS scheme had been scrapped.

Yet independent economist Andy Kwan Cheuk-chiu says the officials cannot drag their heels any longer on helping with homes. For even if they make sound decisions immediately, it will be several years before results are seen.

And "when people feel that demand will continue to far surpass supply," he cautions, "irrational" notions take hold.

Yet some people are thinking well outside the regular housing box to seek ways to offset any irrational ideas.

One official source told Sing Tao Daily, sister publication of The Standard, that Tsang's October 13 address will include a three-way approach to more land for building homes: changing "obsolete" land restrictions; allowing a higher development density even at the expense of preservation; and new reclamation or cutting into country parks.

Thoughts on the three-way approach are now being aired.

Director of Planning Jimmy Leung Cheuk-fai said last Friday that the Town Planning Board is "supportive in principle" of converting 30 hectares of industrial lots to residential or composite development, providing 19,000 homes.

But rezoning can take one or two years. There's also the fact that few of these sites are under government control, which worries Eddie Hui Chi-man, a professor in the Polytechnic University's building and real estate program.

Private interests will decide on redevelopment, he says, pointing by way of example to a refusal of companies to move bus depots in Sha Tin. "There won't be any changes in five, six or even 10 years," he predicts.

David Tse Kin-wah, chairman of the housing task force for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Hong Kong), is slightly more upbeat.

As he says, lease modifications for industrial buildings with a single owner can go directly to the Lands Department, bypassing the Town Planning Board. So a change can take six to nine months "and then redevelopment can start."

Tse notes, too, that conversion fits with a new revitalization scheme.

The RICS also backs at least a partial relaxation of restrictions on density.

But Tsang will find backing for some points hard to come by.

There is the reality that more people are fighting today for the preservation of rural villages and against walled buildings - both constraints on development.

Plot ratios at about nine sites have been reduced in recent years, which translates to some 104,000 fewer homes than developers envisaged.

That trend will be hard to buck. Economist Kwan reckons there are already too many walled buildings in urban areas, while Hui says officials must be careful about raising ratios, which is a sensitive issue.

But activists are not being obstinate and rejecting development out of hand.

Environmental protection and development are often in conflict, Green Sense president Roy Tam Hoi-pong told Sing Tao. But then he turned to a personal reality as a teacher and how he's finding it hard to raise money for a home.

So land has to be developed for basic needs, and Kwan and Hui see development in country parks as acceptable.

According to the latest Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines, country parks and areas designated under the Country Park Ordinance amount to 44,004 hectares and make up 40 percent of the SAR's land area.

Hui is blunt about the outlook for country parks: "When humans have nowhere to live, what can you do? Can you just let trees or grass keep them?"

Further reclamation of Victoria Harbour is definitely out, says Kwan, though Hui points out that such an option could be valid elsewhere. Much of Sha Tin and Tseung Kwan O, for example, stand on reclaimed land.

Official inaction

At the start of the year, the official estimate was for 53,000 private homes to hit the market within four years, but that has just been revised to 61,000.

But with 36 sites totaling about 23ha still not triggered on the current land application list - that is, a developer has not met the reserve price and set in motion an auction - there are questions about official inaction.

Chairman of RICS David Faulkner says if the land application list system cannot produce more triggers from developers, then resumption of land sales in regular auctions is necessary.

Terence Chong Tai-leung, an associate professor of economics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, says relying on the land application list means developers have taken the lead and there cannot be a stable land supply.

"Given good market conditions, the government is indeed in a position to sell plots regularly, without fearing that no one will take part in an auction."

But the same insider who talked of a three-way line in the policy address says the land application list and irregular land sales meet market demand.

The administration's pledge to increase mass-end properties, however, may have hit a roadblock. Despite sending out 17 invitations, the Urban Renewal Council last week received only eight tenders for developing a Sai Ying Pun site. At least half the homes must be no bigger than 500 square feet.

According to a New World Development executive, the site does not appear too profitable, and there are concerns about "excessive" rules.

Unattractive project

In Hui's view, compulsory profit- sharing with the URA on a project that does not offer a developer substantial profit from luxury homes makes the project unattractive. So this could be a project with the URA as sole developer.

For aspiring owners, rent-to-buy homes - first proposed by the Bauhinia Foundation Research Center - appear to have become the subsidy option with general support. Under such a scheme, a person rents a publicly owned flat for a period and then uses rent paid as a down payment for buying.

But there are issues to resolve, Chong says. If home prices eventually fall, whether or not a tenant has the obligation to buy could be an issue as there may be a better deal on the HOS market. So revitalizing the HOS secondary market may prove a better option.

But asking prices of HOS flats are already beyond some hopefuls.

As of September 14, total registered sales of HOS units this year were up 52.6 percent to HK$5.32 billion, Centaline Property data shows. But transactions were only up 26.4 percent to 3,327.

The rise in prices has also spread to public estates, with this month seeing the first deals above HK$2 million. A flat in Wong Tai Sin went for HK$2.3 million and one in Ma On Shan for HK$2.07 million.

To stymie speculators, Hui suggests HOS and estate sales be restricted to people on a specific income, while the view at the RICS is that HOS flats should only be sold to the Housing Authority.

At the high end of the market, Kwan says most rich investors from the mainland appear to buy into real estate, and their activities certainly seem to have an effect on prices. His answer: ban them from investing in the sector.

Not one of the experts interviewed by The Standard thinks that direct loans by the government to aspiring buyers should be offered, which is what happened in the late 1990s. That only stokes prices when supply is limited.

And Chong wants a consistent approach to the market rather than reacting to short- and medium-term trends. "Over the past 10 years, official home policies have been rather short-sighted," he says.

"When the market slumped, the government terminated the HOS scheme and ruled out its historic value. So prices rise again, and they don't know whether or not to relaunch it."

Crowning glory

2010-09-27T17:34:00.002Z

Derek Yiu

Monday, June 21, 2010

The world's largest carmaker Toyota Motor has recalled more than eight million vehicles worldwide since November because of problems with gas pedals, brakes and other systems.

Its sole distributor for Hong Kong, however, has been largely "trouble-free" as local vehicle components are made by a different company from that of the United States.

In fact, Crown Motors only had to upgrade the braking system for Toyota's flagship oil-electric Prius cars and recall a small number of Lexus and Daihatsu vehicles.

Under managing director Patrick Lee Sai-yin, Crown not only weathered the recall crisis unscathed, but saw sales in May surging 74.4 percent year on year.

The firm's accumulated market share now stands at 28.6 percent.

Lee attributed the strong figures to Toyota's brand image and Crown's own crisis management initiatives.

Lee believes many local drivers have tried Toyota and grown to trust it.

He said Toyota has 13 "brands," or models which customers identify with and grow attached to. "Figuratively speaking, it's like having 13 water gates," Lee said. "Even if water leaks through one of them, the remaining 12 can still keep the ship going forward."

He noted Crown took care of clients independently of Toyota in the past months.

The distributor's crisis management was proactive. It directly targeted the government, staff, affected buyers and members of the public.

Crown kept the government posted all along, and the management communicated directly with

employees on the causes of problems, the actual goings-on and the corrective measures taken.

On the customer front, Lee said Crown asked frontline staff to telephone buyers as soon as they heard any news or rumors.

Despite employees' initial concerns, Lee said these calls assured customers that they would not be neglected and helped to improve customer relationship.

"Our staff learned it is better to call clients first even before all information or answers arrive," Lee said. Crown also welcomed media inquiries and provided regular updates.

Lee said from the book Marketing Warfare he learned that it is paramount to define the battlefield correctly or else everything will be vain. The marketing war takes place not in the market, but in consumers' mind, he said.

Through face-to-face contact and calls, consumers are won over and they start to develop a "brand preference."

Presumably for this reason, Lee believes in the Toyota principle of genchi genbutsu, literally translated as "go and see."

At car exhibitions and shows Lee rubs shoulders with visitors to the Toyota booth to understand first hand what they think about the vehicles.

Some patrons even get personal attention from Lee who checks to see if there are any problems with the vehicles or if a buyer requires a particular service.

The Crown chief also deploys another hands-on strategy, trying out almost all new Toyota vehicles, helping him to build a repertoire of personal stories.

During one trip with his family in a Prius, it dawned on him that the air- conditioner can be kept on for about 20 minutes after turning off the engine.

He shares such insight with his customers and encourages his salespeople to spread the message.

A marketing veteran, Lee said his earlier experience at Coca-Cola taught him an important lesson. As coke was already predominant in the soft drinks market, one had to come up with new ideas and strategies to convince consumers to keep buying the product.

Crown's products - Toyota's new models - can keep attracting buyers for up to five years after their launch. Crown recently kicked off a "Live Young" campaign, to sell the idea that Toyota cars are more than "durable."

Drawing an analogy with cosmetics, Lee said: "They do not ask you to apply more cream to make your skin more durable. Instead they say you'll be more beautiful and younger."

Lee said Crown has been trying to emotionally link drivers' youth to their cars' mechanical durability.

The Prius enjoys an extra advantage. Its secondary value is higher because it is energy efficient, and so it sold well after the financial crisis, Lee said.

He observed Hong Kong people want value for money. They spend money only when necessary and tend to avoid gas-guzzling vehicles.

People also want to spend more time with the family and many switched to multipurpose vehicles, Lee said.

"They've realized that oil prices can soar or plunge substantially," Lee said. "And so can their incomes."

With these observations in mind, Crown has adjusted its sales strategies accordingly.

It will work with Toyota to introduce more green cars, in particular, new multipurpose vehicles. The Previa and Noah models, for instance, have been equipped with cleaner engines. Lee said Crown has increased communication with Japan over the past two or three years.

"We have successfully conveyed to the Japanese company the message that Hong Kong is a small market, but it has diversified needs.

"Indeed, Toyota has many good products, which have yet to be introduced in overseas markets."

Hong Kong has become a test market for Toyota: "If a car comes to Hong Kong and succeeds, then it has considerable sales potential in the rest of the world, especially in Asia."

A new hybrid model with plug-in electricity is waiting to go on trial in Hong Kong in 2012. Electric cars are expected to hit the Japanese and Hong Kong markets that year.

Lee admitted sales of the environmentally friendly hybrid cars had slowed because of the recent vehicle recall.

But he noted help is coming from many sectors, including the government, which supports green cars.

It is buying 111 hybrid vehicles, which will join the more than 160 second-generation hybrid vehicles already in use.

Electric cars are tax-exempt for the next five years. Lee said this will boost sales but the government must also build enough recharging facilities.

He believes fuel-saving cars such as hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric cars may comprise the bulk of sales in the future as high housing costs drive Hongkongers to live further away from the city center.

Also, the completion of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge will boost transport flow.

"When you often have to travel long distances, saving oil will be a key consideration," Lee said.

"It's just that now you can't drive to Macau or the mainland. So saving oil is not a priority."

But when the time comes, Lee hopes that Crown Motors will be in the driving seat.

Fighting for `face'

2010-09-27T17:33:00.004Z

Fighting for `face'

Derek Yiu

Friday, August 20, 2010

The pull of television is truly amazing even when you're looking at a fuzzy screen.

Consider: two heavyweights from opposite sides of the Taiwan Strait - Taiwanese snack king Tsai Eng-meng and Shanghai-born, Hong Kong-minded property developer Wang Zheng - are in a bitter struggle for a core chunk of ATV shares.

Their rivalry is obvious to all, though the maze of shareholders involved and a flurry of legal action has left most people confounded about the details.

And for the casual viewer of this business reality show, cash-strapped ATV - Asia Television Holdings - does not appear much of a prize.

It is, after all, in a constant state of struggle having to challenge rival TVB (which has just reported another good half-year of earnings) even while it tries to adapt to new broadcasting technologies. And then there are the comings and goings at ATV, personality clashes and other troubles.

Things have got so bad that one rumor doing the rounds of the station is that it will be hard pressed to meet its payroll this month, which fired up more talk of it being on the verge of closure.

Industrial powerhouse

But the fact that ATV is a station in being and handily next door to industrial powerhouse Guangdong is enough for Tsai, 53, and Wang, 47, to keep their horns locked in the struggle to relieve Hong Kong's Cha family of ATV shares.

What has been going on between Tsai, Wang and major ATV shareholder Payson Cha Mou-sing is indeed complicated.

Wang, who is said

to have solid connections in the mainland, is telling people he is ahead in the struggle to get hold of a 10.75 percent stake held by Cha and his brother. But questions are increasingly being posed about Wang's financial clout.

The obviously more wealthy Tsai - he's ranked by Forbes magazine as the fourth richest man in Taiwan with a net worth of US$4.9 billion (HK$38.22 billion) - has a totally different take on the matter.

Tsai says Cha agreed to hand over control of ATV by giving him 49 percent of a company that holds a 47.58 percent stake in the broadcaster, another 2 percent of the company and then a further 2.75 percent stake in ATV itself from the 10.75 percent that Cha and his brother also held.

When Tsai balked at any more cash infusions after injecting HK$274 million into ATV, Cha tried to sell Wang the 51 percent of the holding company that he controls and the 10.75 percent stake held by him and his brother.

Cha, by Tsai's account, also tried to dilute his shareholding by issuing convertible bonds at a dirt-cheap strike price to Wang. Tsai was having none of that, and the courts have agreed with him - for now at least.

During an interview in Taipei with Sing Tao Daily, sister publication of The Standard, Tsai half-jokingly said it was the vital factor of "face" that has put him in the current stalemate as Wang and Cha ("Boss Cha" is how he refers to him) went back on their words.

There's more to it than that, of course: Tsai is convinced ATV is a sound proposition because it has a clear edge in attracting advertising from Guangdong.

Earlier this month, the Want Want China chairman admits he tried to taunt Wang into entering an auction for the Cha brothers' 10.75 percent stake, setting a reserve price of HK$137.5 million.

That sum was what Cha agreed to in 2009 to sell the 10.75 percent to Tsai but then pulled out of the deal. Cha later agreed to sell the stake to Wang for HK$80 million.

(Tsai also recalls extending the same challenge to Cha and urging him to donate anything he received above HK$80 million to Hong Kong charities, partly as "atonement" for allowing the broadcaster's woes to be aired in public. Cha is keeping his own counsel on that one.)

Wang did not rise to the challenge, pointing to Tsai having more money than him.

Instead, he asked Tsai to give ATV three additional months to repay a HK$50 million loan. The debt should be paid by the end of this month.

Tsai still believes bidding for the Cha shareholdings is the fairest way. "Wang can think of a new method, he can let a judge make a judgment, or else we can compete in the bidding. It's not the case of a rich man bullying another person. What sort of remark is that? Isn't that ridiculous? Why would you invest in a TV station when you have no money?"

They are simply bidding for the controlling rights to ATV, Tsai adds, so talk about comparative wealth is "meaningless." Instead, they should just get on with the bidding.

Tsai also bristles at Wang's suggestion that he has been too quick to take offense: "Do you think people are acting rashly when they donate money to charities? This is a love for Hong Kong."

Tsai went on to pledge that he would inject funds into ATV once the shareholding issue was resolved.

Cha and Wang's agreement on the 10.75 percent stake transfer expired after failing to win Broadcasting Authority approval by an August 2 deadline.

Tsai returns to his idea of he and Wang getting down to some serious bidding. "If he doesn't take this chance," Tsai adds, "let me take the lead."

Payson Cha holds the key to resolving a problem that he started, Tsai adds, and an open auction is the only solution.

"The crux of the matter is that Boss Cha has sold one thing to two people - to me and to another person."

Tsai also says he is willing to remain a minority shareholder in ATV with a 47.58 percent stake if Wang eventually outbids him. But he could not talk with Wang, Tsai adds, because Wang acted as if he was already the boss of ATV and was seeking cooperation.

Tsai says he had also rejected repeated calls and text messages from Wang asking for talks.

Wang had to "at least make me feel we can cooperate," he adds, appearing slightly angry at this point. He then addresses a question to Wang: "How can cooperation be possible when you've axed all my people?"

(That was a reference to ATV chief executive Nancy Hu Gin-ing being suspended from her job in mid-July by a board dominated by Wang and a vice president responsible for mainland affairs being fired in March.)

The fight for ATV has also been in the media limelight in Taiwan, Tsai notes. "The newspapers all said I was being bullied by the silver spoon clan in the mainland."

Yet Tsai and Wang did get together last year. That was after Tsai learnt from Payson Cha of Wang having an interest in ATV.

Tsai recalls that he quickly set up a meeting in Shanghai, where he showed Wang his contract with Cha.

As Tsai tells it, Wang suggested that he talk with Liu Changle, the chairman of Phoenix Satellite Television, and buy the shares he held in ATV.

"At the time it was just a 'love' triangle," Tsai says. "Boss Cha, Liu Changle and myself. But any two will do. Very simple."

Tsai says Wang then asked him to return the favor by helping him buy TVB. But, Tsai adds, it turned out that Wang went off to buy Liu's and CITIC's shareholdings in ATV without informing him.

Tsai says he is now also angry that Wang has been telling mainland leaders that he has bought ATV when he has not, throwing a couple of questions at his rival. "Have you acquired it? Or do you just intend to do so? You also want to acquire TVB."

Dream team scuttled

As for the idea of them working together, Tsai says him being paired with Wang would certainly not be a "dream team" because of Wang's lack of experience in the media industry.

Tsai also revealed that ATV winning the right to broadcast its two analog channels in Guangdong - tapping into a provincial market of around 97 million people for advertisements - was a key factor in arriving at a decision to buy into it. "China has so many rising firms that need advertisements," Tsai says.

But when it was pointed out that ATV may not be able to reach into Guangdong after television goes digital, Tsai said he would need to have a rethink about prospects.

ATV's programming is nevertheless strongly pitched toward a mainland audience, and advertisers have responded.

TVB, however, has not fared so well in the mainland. Its revenue from there in the first half fell 2.6 percent to HK$85.8 million, or just 4.1 percent of its HK$2.1 billion income.

But before ATV can challenge TVB's dominance in Hong Kong, it must sort out its financial problems.

Asked about ATV being challenged to repay the HK$50 million loan by the end of this month, Tsai says Cha or Wang will have to take the responsibility.

"Perhaps someone will liquidate ATV before I do," he adds.

But Tsai believes he has made a correct investment and says it will be bad if ATV does collapse under debt.

Changing channels

2010-09-27T17:32:00.000Z

Derek Yiu

Friday, March 12, 2010

ATV's new boss Wang Zheng has boyish looks that belie his 47 years and an infectious enthusiasm that bodes well for the "sick man" of the local free-to-air broadcasting world.

The new kid on the block is also highly ambitious - he envisions a future whereby ATV can take a great leap forward of its own to being the CNN of Asia.

"I thank heaven, Earth and destiny for allowing us to meet," the developer said yesterday of his encounter with his ATV predecessor Payson Cha Mou-sing. They are fellow members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

"I will work diligently in the Tai Po Industrial Estate [where the station's home base is] to revitalize ATV and take it to the next level," Wang said.

The property tycoon says he expects to be active in business for 20 more years and pledges to work exclusively at turning the station around, saying he is motivated by the fact that "Hong Kong cannot afford to lose ATV."

Skeptics, however, say Wang is a babe in the woods. And their retort is that ATV is more likely to end up being the CCTV of Asia instead.

The initial signals are mixed.

For example, one might be forgiven for thinking that the press conference Wang called yesterday in, of all places, Beijing was a ceremony to mark his coronation yesterday as the crown prince of ATV rather than the straight business deal that it perhaps should have been.

There were plenty of ATV beauty pageant contestants and past and present Miss Asias as well as the

usual entourage of star-struck types singing Hong Kong oldies such as Kowloon Hong Kong.

Of course, these came courtesy of Cha, a parting gift from a retiring ATV boss who has said he has too many other businesses to devote all his time to "his child" or "his orphan," as the benefactor variously likes to call his station.

For his part, Wang pulled an impressive coterie of tycoons out of his hat.

The companies they head are household names in the mainland: China Life, China CITIC Bank, Beijing Bank, Guangdong Enterprises and China State Construction Engineering Corp, the parent of China Overseas Land.

The conspiracy theorists will have a field day on the issue of how a little- known Shenzhen-listed developer called Rongfeng Holding Group with a market capitalization of just 2.3 billion yuan (HK$2.62 billion) can muster up a lineup of such corporate clout and obvious pedigree.

But with them comes much promise, explicit or otherwise: business cooperation opportunities, "technical" support, a rich vein of commercials that bring to the long-suffering station an exclusive and assured revenue stream and, of course, cash.

And plenty of cash at that, should it be needed, if and when Wang burns through the pile of HK$2 billion that he has pledged to invest in ATV.

But their verbal promises were as vague as the status Wang found himself on the day of his ATV coronation. To give the property tycoon his due credit, he was at pains yesterday to point out the deal was anything but done.

That is the effect of the complicated shareholding structure through which Cha controls the broadcaster.

He and his brother, Johnson Cha Mou-daid, hold 10.75 percent of the broadcaster under Panfair. That and the 51 percent of voting shares they hold in the joint venture company, Antenna International, they formed with Taiwanese snack king Tsai Eng-meng, translates into 35 percent of the voting rights. Effectively, the Chas paid for 10.75 percent of shares, but control the company through that stake.

It is widely believed that Wang is buying out the Chas and other more acquiescent shareholders - Phoenix TV's Liu Changle and Chan Wing-kee.

That is enough to put Wang in the lead with 52 percent - four more than Tsai, one of the richest men in Taiwan and, ipso facto, in the mainland.

The fuzzy situation has created more than its share of skeptics.

One of these is the Democratic Party's Lee Wing-tat, deputy chairman of the Legislative Council panel on information technology and broadcasting.

He is worried about the Beijing connection behind those who signed the strategic cooperation agreements with ATV yesterday and the likelihood that it may become the CCTV of Hong Kong.

He, for one, wants the Broadcasting Authority and the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau to ask ATV for more information.

In recognition of such fears, China Merchants Bank president Ma Huihua went some way in assuaging fears.

"We haven't invested in ATV. Mainlanders cannot invest in ATV," Ma said.

Yu Xu, a communication professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, is less cynical politically.

But he takes Wang's promise to develop ATV into the CNN of Asia with a huge pinch of salt.

"These are mere soundbites," Yu said. "More important are the concrete measures Wang can outline to show how ATV can get there, step by step."

For him, ATV programs have a strong ideological tone, and he hopes it will not become just another Phoenix Satellite Television.

Yu's colleague, assistant professor To Yiu-ming, says ATV faces not just an uphill battle against TVB but a veritable death zone in the myriad forms of entertainment and media alternative organizations that the brave new world of online communications can spawn.

To achieve its CNN goal, ATV would need a massive audience base and advertisement revenue, To said.

Furthermore, if ATV is to go the CNN route and serve mainland or overseas Chinese, says To, it may not meet the legal requirement to mainly serve local audiences.

But the fear that local audiences may lose out pales in comparison to the millions of dollars that Tsai has poured into ATV.

End of dream

Wang's arrival at ATV spells an end to Tsai's dream of becoming boss.

"If Tsai does not inject new funds or leave, Wang may well issue new convertible notes that will again dilute Tsai's stake," a source told Eastweek magazine, sister publication of The Standard.

According to the Broadcasting Ordinance, the controlling shareholder of any local broadcaster must be a local.

Wang, unlike Tsai, qualifies because he acquired residency soon after he made his first millions here before going back to the mainland to create a rural property empire in the 1990s.

"Tsai's dilemma is that he paid a huge lump-sum but is constrained by law from increasing his shareholding. It is now a stalemate for him: he can only inject funds but see no corresponding increase in his management clout," the source says. "If he had entrusted a person with a local identity card to represent him, instead of forming a joint venture with Cha, things would have turned out a lot easier."

Of course, Tsai is not without remedy: he filed a writ in the High Court on March 4, claiming Cha and the other shareholders approved, without his consent, an investment deal that impacts on his stake.

Tsai and his lawyers are keeping their legal cards close to their chest for the time being, but an injunction would really throw a spanner in the works.

The battle for ATV can have unexpected twists and turns, like one of the many soaps that it and its rivals at TVB air, especially with Tsai motivated by the HK$274 million he has pumped in so far with little satisfaction.

That money is what makes the ATV story a gripping read.

But just when ATV's long-suffering employees thought they had, for once, the upper hand over their arch rivals, TVB topped it again with the news that four people, including its point man and general manager Stephen Chan Chi- wan, have been arrested for corruption.

But perhaps they should look on the bright side of life. There's hope after all for ATV. That's show business.

The ultimate apprentice

2010-09-27T17:29:00.003Z

Derek Yiu

Friday, February 19, 2010

Think you've got what it takes to be a Canning Fok Kin-ning? Perhaps make as chief executive the kind of money Li Ka-shing's right-hand man earns, the kind ordinary working stiffs need several reincarnations to equal. And the job comes with a private jet to take you wherever you want.

Your resume had better be good. For you will be in charge of a multibillion- dollar empire poised for the kind of growth that would have Hong Kong's property barons drooling.

That is because the empire in question, Shui On, is one of the developers of choice of the next superpower, China.

You better be quick as well because its 61-year-old boss, Vincent Lo Hong- sui, is a man in a hurry. He told Eastweek magazine, sister publication of The Standard, he plans to retire from day-to-day operations in two years' time, concentrating on just formulating the group's strategic direction.

Lo is a tough act to follow. Expect him to be a tougher boss in the bargain.

"I'll regard myself as successful if the company is even more successful after me," he says. That ambition is quickly followed by a modest qualifier. "I don't think I'm the only one who can do this."

The move is no publicity stunt, not the kind that he carried out in the past by sponsoring Winner Takes All on his favorite turf of Shanghai. That TV show saw 16 contestants fight it out for the one million yuan (HK$1.14 million) prize that Lo personally handed over.

If anything, his real-life search for a successor is closer in

spirit to the theme of The Apprentice fronted by his famous rival, Donald Trump.

Lo's willingness to hand over the keys to his empire signals a complete change of heart and fortunes from just 16 months ago.

That was when he was struggling to cling on to the flagship of his empire, Shui On Land, as sharks circled.

It was September 2008, and the world was caught in the eye of the financial storm.

That time was also momentous in Lo's private life.

He was in love with the most beautiful Miss Hong Kong of all time - Loletta Chu Ling-ling - and the financial tsunami came as a reality check to their plans for a wedding, which took place in Singapore three months later.

But in the meantime, a US bank reneged on its promise to refinance Shui On Land's US$375 million (HK$2.92 billion) worth of convertible bonds.

Shui On Land shares plunged 90 percent in 11 months, most of it in six weeks in that fateful autumn of 2008 when the scale of the financial tsunami became decidedly obvious. Nearly HK$20 billion of paper wealth was wiped out almost overnight from Shui On's capitalization.

"Many people were trying to take advantage of our predicament, coming to us and saying, 'we will buy your prime assets at dirt-cheap prices,' " Lo says.

"It was the hardest time in all my years in business. When you went to the banks, the managers would do nothing but shrug."

That feeling of being an outcast lasted two wrenching years.

It ended triumphantly with loan backing from HSBC and Hang Seng Bank. Lo also had to make a considerable personal loan to the company.

Lo has thrived since - and now knows who his real friends are.

Today, his net worth is estimated by Forbes magazine at HK$15.21 billion. Shui On Land shares are up threefold from 2008 lows. And the company is on the cusp of an exciting new era as China gathers its breath for the next great leap forward.

Lo has learned his lessons from the financial tsunami. He has made the company leaner and meaner: lower overhead costs, a three-year hiring freeze and streamlined an unwieldy organization that spanned up to 39 departments.

The Shui On founder is also buying into the argument that project turnover has to be quicker.

Completions will see a sharp increase from the current 200,000 square meters a year to 700,000 next year and one million in three years' time.

To speed things up, he bought a private jet with his personal funds and leased it back to the company. Executives now have more time to brainstorm or land at the destination fully prepared. Decision-making has been decentralized, with project teams only requiring approval for business plans and budgets.

Lo has also admitted looking too far ahead in his plans for the group's land banks, missing the woods for the trees as it were. Where in the past he strove to create value going forward by snapping up sites one step ahead of the other developers, now he says he no longer looks out for bargains.

"Instead, I make it a point to take part in meetings that focus on the design and architectural aspects of projects."

That preoccupation with the big picture is what has made Lo respected by the tycoons, architects and even Communist Party bosses.

That and an independent streak saw him strike out in business on his own long ago with a loan of just HK$100,000 from his tycoon father.

King of Guanxi

Not for nothing is he called the "King of Guanxi" for his close connections to Shanghai party cadres who collaborated on a landmark project with him and found their trust rewarded when they ran into trouble.

Those close connections are well documented and come free of the pejorative connotations that seem to attend some of the less respectable projects built by others.

Those connections made Lo's Xintiandi in Shanghai possible and allowed him to parlay that iconic project into a brand that will cover Foshan, Dalian, Chongqing, Wuhan and Hangzhou.

His respect for history, preoccupation with quality and his vision of Shui On as more than just a profit- making enterprise remains undiminished.

That vision of Shui On as a corporate citizen who does right by the community that fosters it is one his successor needs to share.

And the group of candidates can include his daughter and son from an earlier marriage, but their father is true to his roots in neither encouraging nor discouraging them. Lo obviously sees a bit of himself in his daughter. He is encouraging her to strike out on her own. His younger son is still in university.

Covetous glances

The benefits of having his corporation managed continuously by his family may have an obvious allure for Lo, but the maverick is not convinced.

"I have told my children if they want to join Shui On, they will have to prove themselves. Otherwise, they will be better off remaining shareholders."

These days the one attracting "covetous" glances is not him nor his empire but his wife instead.

Lo is a little bashful on life with the beauty.

That stems from a very healthy respect. The missus, he says, outperforms him in all arenas except one - the corporate sphere.

"I once played badminton with her in the early days. I thought she wouldn't be my equal, what with my love of sports and all. What an illusion I was under. It turned out to be the other way around instead," his face turning slightly red at the recollection and with genuine pride.

Lo may not say it, but Chu is probably the reason he wants more time away from the company. "I have been busy my entire life. Over the past 38 years, I worked more than 12 hours every day. Holidays were really not much of an option for me. It is time for me to think about how I can reduce my workload."

These days, everywhere they go, fans inundate Chu, wanting her autograph.

It's a far cry from the days of the financial tsunami when the only signature his "fans" sought was that at the bottom of an ironclad contract agreeing to sell some prime asset or a part of his empire at a fire-sale prices.

All that makes him a very happy man indeed.

What would make him even happier, if that is possible, is if there is someone out there with the vision to take his empire to even loftier heights.

If you turn out to be that person, then you're hired.

Leap of faith

2010-02-12T17:26:00.001Z

Derek Yiu

Friday, February 12, 2010

So you're a Fire Snake or a Metal Monkey and you think you've got a good hold on the Golden Tiger's tail. But how firm is your grip on reality?

It's a serious question in Hong Kong, where many people are open to the advice of geomancers and indicators that draw on the 12 creatures roaming the zodiac. It is particularly pertinent at the start of a new Lunar New Year when looking where to put your money.

Those basic facts have not been lost on the people at CLSA. Aside from the predictable market reports and trend analyses, the brokerage has become known within and without the investment industry for its Feng Shui Index.

Lead-off notes in the latest index suggest CLSA's bosses look on the lighter side in producing it.

A main reason the index was revived in 2009 after a three-year break, they say, "was to try to cheer up clients" because "even if investors no longer put any stock in fundamentals, they might still enjoy a bit of fun."

So "with the help of all manner of heavenly and earthly experts, we've compiled another great tongue-in-cheek guide to the year ahead."

But there's rather more to it.

First, no matter the amount of "fun" that CLSA sees in the index, for many people - including some hard-nosed investors - fung shui is a serious business, and the underlying thrusts to be gleaned from the index can be considered even if not acted upon.

Second, the index delivers a good slice of publicity, and CLSA knows it.

For CLSA customers and others who get th

eir hands on one of about 10,000 copies, the brokerage offers a package of predictions on the stock market, a property guide, enlightening looks at personalities, and lots of bits and pieces that inform and entertain.

It is said to represent the combined knowledge of in-house analysts and "independent" fung shui experts.

Crunching it down as an outsider, fung shui master Peter So Man-fung says CLSA follows a cycle of odd and even years in charting the Hang Seng Index.

Years ending with an even number will more than likely see stocks fall and then rebound, while those ending with odd numbers will rise and then decline. This was the pattern in eight of the last 10 years, he says, so the index's accuracy is "pretty high."

So, who claims there is widespread acceptance of fung shui within business circles and that he has been consulted by many financial institutions seeking to improve their luck, has other thoughts on where CLSA and its experts are coming from in examining elements.

In odd years, he notes, Metal and Water are first, and stocks are more likely to rise in Water years or months. But 2010 is an even year, so Wood is first and Fire - a low point - follows.

According to CLSA, the Year of the Tiger starts with a roaring month for stocks, but it warns of a downer taking hold from mid-March.

Then come the four most inauspicious days for stocks: May 7, 16, 25 and June 3. There will be an improvement by mid-June but with volatility. July looks hopeful and August bumpy, but by the second week of September the market will be on an up that should last until the beginning of February 2011.

The most auspicious days: November 17, December 8 and January 16.

Also running a wise eye over such readings, Sincere Securities chief executive Louie Shum agrees with CLSA's point that solstices, equinoxes and eclipses often mark changes in fortune.

Since stock markets were not around when fung shui took hold, he adds, people like himself must find correlations using statistics to evaluate the ways of the Hang Seng Index. He's been using the Five Elements to judge the market for the past 10-plus years and created his own database.

Shum sees local stocks rising dramatically in the second and third month of the lunar calendar and significant correction starting in October. So buy in February and March and sell in June and July is his advice.

Firm believers

KGI Asia chief operating officer Ben Kwong Man-Bun also thinks many stock analysts are firm believers in fung shui.

He doesn't put himself among such believers but he's willing to listen to experts in the field, and in that he finds the Feng Shui Index quite useful: "If it says some months are worse than others, you may be able to shun risks."

Back to earth, Kwong points to predictions from many stock analysts last year on 2010's prospects already coming unstuck because Beijing looks likely to raise interest rates sooner rather than later and Washington seeks tougher rules for banks.

"So what the analysts forecast may go awry due to unforeseeable circumstances," he says. "Just like fung shui."

While CLSA's fung shui readings on stocks might draw mixed reviews, this year's new feature on property is sure to attract talk about where's best if you're buying.

Based on the Five Elements and "the presiding god and stars," the brokerage expects home and office prices to continue rising in the first half but sees weakness toward year's end, especially in the residential mass market.

It also divides the SAR into nine parts and rates them "Great," "Good" or "Bumpy," depending on energy potential.

Land luck

But So says it won't be Tiger- powered forces - or any other creature - that will have a bearing on property. It's "land luck" that rules in the sector, he says, and that runs in 20-year cycles.

While CLSA's graphic-based property pitch might not excite a fung shui purist, it is a paper-and-ink element that will no doubt attract and provide talking points. So will the Tiger outlooks for six famous folk who with one exception are market forces in their rights.

Shun Tak's Pansy Ho Chiu-king (Water Tiger) gets a "great" rating in her prospects. CLSA says "this may well be one of the best years of her life."

A "good" year is forecast for Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffet (Metal Horse), BYD's Wang Chuanfu (Fire Horse), Nine Dragon Paper's Zhang Yin (Fire Rooster) and Henderson Land's Lee Shau-kee (Fire Rabbit).

Odd person out in the profiles is hot model Chrissie Chau Sau-na. She's "good" because CLSA says she's "no fool with her money." Nice one.

That brings us to the publicity- generating power of the Feng Shui Index for CLSA and its everyday business.

As media consultant Gigi Lui Ho- gi remarks, "you may say it's a gimmick," though "their predictions are usually not that far off." And as CLSA is a research house as well as a brokerage, she adds, its people cannot "blabber freely."

Hitching a sales message or a marketing wheeze to a festival is old hat, of course, and nowadays you find the come-ons attached to obscure occasions and unlikely events. Yet the usual jargon of markets and the interminable up-down graphs have no place in this index. Indeed, you don't feel someone's trying to drag you back to your desk and terminal when you just want to enjoy some days off work.

Not so some others. Among brokerages also seeking to hitch a ride on the Tiger, for example, is Credit Suisse, where analysts offer us a 48-page guide on "How to Spend Your Lai See." After a few pages of Year of the Tiger references (and rather too many plays on "Hello Kitty") the rest is what you'd expect at any time of the year: industry jargon and graphs, more jargon, more graphs. Not holiday reading.

The Feng Shui Index also moves the CLSA name far and wide, including to people around the world who wouldn't know a Fire Monkey from a brass monkey and who've never had a cent riding on a stock.

For the index - a slickly designed package of close to 100 pages if you count fold-outs, and split between English and Chinese - is a media favorite.

CLSA is well aware the index is popular with the media and generates a lot of coverage, communications manager Mandy Ho admits.

She's spot-on there. Besides local media, foreign correspondents seeking to satisfy far-off editors with an offbeat story don't even have to read the index or have a basic understanding of the zodiac to be able to send off entertaining words. CLSA provides briefing papers with simple words and explanations to make reporting easy.

Journalists Jim Walker and Gary Coull, who founded CLSA in 1986, are no longer of this world, but clearly their media-savvy spirits endure.

So when all's said and done and you've accepted the opening lines in the index about "a bit of fun," there's still reason to believe many investors out there will turn to fung shui before making a final call on putting money into the stock market or buying a home.

CSLA staff could be among them.

For in the small print of the "important notices" at the back of the briefing document on the Feng Shui Index, we read: "The analyst/s who compiled this publication/communication hereby state/s and confirm/s that the contents hereof truly reflect his/her/their views and opinions on the subject matter and that the analyst/s has/have not been placed under any undue influence, intervention or pressure by any person/s in compiling such publication/communication.

So be warned or take heart.

Bank on a battle

2009-11-12T19:36:00.001Z

Derek Yiu

Friday, November 13, 2009

The Bank of East Asia is invariably referred to as Hong Kong's "leading family bank" - which means it's known for being run by a family, not for a reputation of putting the family customer first and foremost.

David Li Kwok-po, 70, who pretty much rules the roost as BEA's chairman and chief executive, seems to like it that way. But his hold on Bank of East Asia (0023) is apparently being tested by 66-year-old Malaysian tycoon Quek Leng Chan, who with his investment group Guoco is adept at using billionaire power to take over banks, as people in Hong Kong well know .

Just what it might take to prise loose the Li hold on Bank of East Asia remains to be seen, but Guoco appears to be braced for a serious scrap with Li and his family supporters, not least because it appears intent on entering China's financial market, and BEA has a strong foothold in the mainland.

That is certainly the view in the market, with speculation that Quek and Guoco are ready to mount a hostile takeover bid for BEA sending the bank's shares soaring more than 17 percent in the past two days.

A 15-percent surge to HK$28.95 on Wednesday was the most in 10 years, and BEA put on another 2.1 percent yesterday to close at HK$34.05.

As things stand, the Li family stake in BEA is at least 14.12 percent, with David Li holding 2.9 percent. Standing with the family is the single largest shareholder, Spanish investment group Criteria Caixa, which has 9.04 percent. Criteria has agreed not to increase its s

take above 12.5 percent without BEA's consent and - better still from the Li angle - it has promised never to own more than 20 percent.

Challenging that apparently united front, Guoco Group has in nine months this year increased its share of BEA from 4.7 percent to just over 8 percent. Guoco's purchases have been "unsolicited," as a director at an American investment bank puts it.

At BEA's closing price of HK$34.05 yesterday, it will cost Guoco just over HK$648 million to become the single largest shareholder.

Yet Guoco's intentions are far from clear.

As Chan Yan-chong of the City University wrote in a column: "Despite holding 8 percent of shares, Guoco has neither contacted BEA's board nor asked for board positions. Guoco's aim is clearly not at getting into the boardroom but at getting hold of the bank or cashing in the shares at high prices."

To be sure, having purchased most of its BEA shares at between HK$15.27 and HK$27.86, Guoco is free to extract the lucrative premium BEA has picked up since. It has nothing to lose even if the Li family steps up its efforts to fend off what could be a hostile bid.

Still, experts reviewing Guoco's track record expect the Malaysian group to gradually raise its stake in BEA.

"Guoco is unlikely to cash in its shares," said an analyst with an Asian brokerage. "Those familiar with it will know it is quite patient in acquiring shares. It does not speculate but holds stocks for an extended period."

Smart on the money

Quek has indeed moved smartly in three decades of dealings in the Hong Kong banking sector. From the early 1980s on, he and Guoco have successively acquired Dao Heng Bank and Overseas Trust Bank. They pocketed HK$30 billion after selling Dao Heng to Singapore-based DBS Bank for HK$42 billion in 2001.

Guoco's strides in the banking sector have not stopped there. Its indirectly- owned Hong Leong Bank and sister banks operate more than 180 branches in Malaysia, and in mid-2008 the Hong Kong Monetary Authority gave a green light to the Kuala Lumpur-listed bank to be the first provider of Islamic banking services in the SAR.

With plenty of cash in hand, Quek has been looking out for other banks to acquire. International Bank of Asia and Asia Commercial Bank are two that he narrowly missed.

So now it's Bank of East Asia and that institution's full-fledged mainland operations - which accounted for some 60 percent of BEA's first-half net profit of HK$1.17 billion - in the center of Quek's sights.

Many analysts reckon it is the presence in the mainland that makes BEA an attractive target. "That Guoco keeps raising its stake reflects the fact that BEA, with a price-to-book ratio lower than two times, is really worth buying," said Peter Lai Wai-leung, DBS Vickers Securities sales director. "Quite a few Southeast Asian financial institutions want to break into the China market but are either hindered by their scale or lack the time needed to build a network. Buying banks that have already set up bridgeheads in the mainland, such as BEA, is the quickest way to do so."

So where might Guoco look for more shares if a takeover is the intention? Criteria could be worth a look because the agreement it has with the Li family does not ban any stake sales. But the Spanish investor would not appear to have any great incentive to do so.

For one, it is making use of the local lender's service platform and expertise to tap into the Asia-Pacific market.

And as the Asian brokerage analyst noted: "Criteria still has a loss on its books from its purchase of the BEA stake." (In stark contrast to Guoco's buys, BEA shares cost Criteria from around HK$43 to HK$51.)

Additionally, said the analyst, "I don't see Criteria having any need for liquidity at the moment."

Family action

Strange as it may seem, Quek and Guoco could find sellers of BEA shares within the Li clan. "Shares are dispersed among different branches of the Li family," said an analyst at a European bank. "One cannot rule out the possibility that outsiders will set them against each other and snap up the shares."

In 1986 for example, Ronald Li, son of BEA founder Li Koon-chun and his No 2 wife, was prevented from joining the bank's board. Ronald Li then sold his entire stake in Chinese Estates, which the Li and and Fung families cofounded, to the Fungs. The Fungs wasted no time in driving all Li family members off the developer's board.

Bank of East Asia is thus the only 'family" business remaining for the Li clan, though many of them settled for other professions long ago, and David Li and his close kin do most of the managing at BEA today. Yet even if some of the clan do not care if the bank passes into the hands of outsiders, David Li certainly has close and powerful allies.

One source close to the bank said family friends and more distant relatives own up to a 30 percent of BEA and will help the Li family retain control.

According to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, David Li, his brother and former secretary for education and manpower Arthur Li Kwok-cheung, and three cousins - Aubrey Li Kwok-sing, Eric Li Fook-chuen and Stephen Charles Li Kwok-sze - increased their BEA stakes in September and October.

Even non-executive directors Mong Man-wai and Khoo Kay-peng are helping to shore up defenses.

Alhough their total share purchases of 750,000 may seem paltry in the overall scheme of things, it may well signify a sense of solidarity and do away with any ideas about a breach in the family front.

Adrian Li Man-kiu, BEA's deputy chief executive and David Li's eldest son, was giving that impression last week, saying the family is 100 percent committed to the bank.

Widely regarded as Hong Kong blue blood, the Li family teems with doctors, lawyers and judges and has good relationships with other big names in Hong Kong as well as the mainland.

When a rumor led to a bank run at BEA in October 2008, Li Ka-shing stepped in to bolster confidence by buying its shares. Also at that time, Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference member Chan Wing-kee said people should keep their money at BEA during dangerous times.

However fierce the battle for Bank of East Asia may become, three generations of Li family members can for the moment hold fire, for they are not going to lose the bank overnight to Guoco or anyone else.

For starters, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority must be notified when a foreign-owned business decides to take a stake of more than 10 percent in any local banking institution.

Master of the bargain

2009-11-12T19:35:00.000Z

Derek Yiu

Friday, November 13, 2009

Quek Leng Chan, who has been running banks here and in Malaysia for years, has always flown below the radar despite being one of Southeast Asia's richest tycoons.

He may still be low profile in Malaysia, but his sale of Dao Heng Bank in 2001 made him a banking and corporate legend in Hong Kong.

That deal put Quek right up there with Li Ka-shing and his sale of Orange to Mannesman in 1999.

Quek, like most Chinese, derives his fortune from the family.

Quek's eldest uncle travelled to Singapore as part of the Chinese diaspora. By 30, the Fujianese had founded his own ironware and construction material business called Hong Leong. After World War II ended, he arranged for his three other brothers to join him in the city, which was then part of the Malaysian federation.

When Singapore separated from Malaysia in 1965, Quek's father took over operations on the Malaysian side.

If his fortune began with the family, Quek, by now a barrister, was by no means content to just live off it.

Armed with an ability to maneuver around the Malaysian legal thicket and political sensitivities, Quek quickly consolidated his family's financial muscle into Hong Leong Bank. Today the bank is the center of a conglomerate with 14 listed companies around the world and a market capitalization of US$11 billion (HK$85.8 billion).

The Hong Kong chapter of that story is familiar. He acquired Dao Heng and stakes in other banks in the 1980s before spending HK$4.5 billion buying Overseas Trust Bank.

He merged Overseas Trust in Dao Heng and sold it off for a record premium that still stands. The 3.5 times price-to-book ratio he got makes him a visionary compared to the 1.9, 2.3, 1.5 and 1.1 times that BEA, Wing Hang, Dah Sing and Chong Hing fetch today.

Since the sale, Quek has been looking for a new bank coup.

He took on China Merchant Group for Wing Lung last year, but quit when prices rose. The financial crisis soon proved him prophetic.

At the end of June, Guoco held HK$23 billion in cash. Quek has spent just HK$1 billion amassing his higher stake in BEA.

Quek's shrewdness may come down to a simple trading principle: buy low and sell high. It is a principle that has served him well.

It has also brought him a following among Hong Kong investors in a banking sector that is often targeted by speculators because of the comparatively tenuous hold families have over the lenders.

Patrick Fung Wing-hang's family owns 21.37 percent of Wing Hang (0302). The BEA talk saw Wing Hang's share price jump 8.12 percent from its close on Tuesday. Dah Sing (2356) closed up 12.2 percent, while Chong Hing (1111) picked up 3.31 percent.

The best gains were, naturally, at BEA, which rocketed more than 17 percent in the past two days.

Still in the game

2009-11-12T18:16:00.000Z

Derek Yiu

Monday, November 09, 2009

The toy industry was badly hit by the credit crunch last year. Poor consumer sentiment in the West saw key players such as RBI Holdings (0566), Kiu Hung Energy Holdings (0381) and Matrix (1005) turning in lackluster performances.

Hutchison Harbour Ring (0715) - a unit of Hutchison Whampoa (0013) - even chose to discontinue its toy division altogether in October citing that it operated "in a very difficult business environment in the past years and this situation is expected to continue."

But Dream International (1126) executive managing director and chief financial officer Young M Lee has stayed bullish.

Lee said business started to rebound from June after facing losses since 2005. The soft-toy producer swung to a first- half net profit of HK$38.9 million this year, from a year-on-year loss of HK$51 million.

An internal revamp and focus on large buyers is helping to change the fortunes, Lee said.

The soft-toy industry is highly labor- intensive and the allure of low wages persuaded Dream, set up in South Korea in 1984, to move to Sri Lanka - its first offshore manufacturing base.

The Seoul Olympics of 1988 was a huge boost to toymakers. But political instability in Sri Lanka later drove the firm to set up a plant in Shenzhen in 1992.

"At the time everything in China was so competitive," Lee recalled. "We were able to operate our business with a lot of profits."

By 2000, the company was the largest soft-toy maker in Greater China and in 2002 it became the

first South Korean company to list in Hong Kong.

By that time, it had 10 factories and more than 20,000 workers. But labor costs were surging.

"From 2004 onwards, labor costs rose more than 12-15 percent per annum," Lee said.

So in 2005, Dream set up a plant in Vietnam with 2,000 sewing machines. A year later the firm opened two factories in Anhui and Guangxi.

Further expansion in the mainland's interior is likely after the firm shut down a factory in eastern Taicang city last year.

"In Taicang, the minimum wage was around 1,150 yuan (HK$1,300) and in Anhui, the minimum wage is just 500 yuan per month," Lee explained.

However, labor is even cheaper in Vietnam, where the firm now has two plants.

"On average the cost in Vietnam is probably around 60 to 70 percent of our inland labor costs," he said.

But Vietnam has its own drawbacks, said Lee. It still lags far behind China on infrastructure. Factories sometimes cannot source materials locally and have to import them from the mainland.

Despite the focus on labor, Lee is keen to emphasize mechanization is not the way forward for the toy industry.

Dream does use computer-aided sewing machines for tasks requiring absolute uniformity. But most tasks are still done manually.

So, maintaining quality and labor costs have proved painful for many mainland toymakers.

The number of toymakers in Dongguan, Guangdong, for example shrank from more than 300 four years back to about 75 at present, Lee said.

Of course this is good news for Dream - it now has a higher chance of getting more orders as buyer numbers have remained relatively stable.

Also, being big and listed helps as the customer knows the firm "can't just run away from the job."

"Small operations can close in one night and flee without paying workers' wages," Lee said. "If that happens, customers' business will be affected because they would not get their products on time and lose sales."

In view of the economic downturn, Dream is also trying to reduce small orders.

Mass merchandisers such as Walmart and Target and specialty stores under Disney often place huge orders for a handful of toys, hence effectively bringing down per unit research costs.

Working with big partners also improves the synergy between Dream's soft toy segment and the smaller plastic and steel toy segment.

"We are providing more variety to the same customers, because normally customers not only buy plush toys, they buy some other toys," Lee explained.

But this has not yet been the case in the mainland where Dream-made bicycles, scooters and ride-ons have been well-received.

But it faces a tough climb convincing the 350 or so franchised hypermarkets in China to buy its soft toys.

The currently immature mainland market is costly to develop, Lee said. First-half mainland sales hit HK$14 million. The firm is aiming for an annual revenue 25 million yuan from the mainland.

While Dream specializes in mass production, it hopes to tap the lucrative premium plush hand-made toy segment.

"We have to try something new. [Doing the same thing] over and over does not give us any growth," Lee said.

He expects the premium plush-toy line to be research-based and supported by a few hundred workers.

Premium plush toys could fetch up to 10 times more than Dream's present product line, Lee said.

The plush toys may be added to the firm's Caltoy brand, under which it now sells interactive educational toys.

All toy lines sooner rather than later reach their maximum revenue potential.

"Once our profit is accumulated enough, we will probably look into some other business area," Lee said.

Hefty appetite

2009-10-05T16:27:00.000Z

Derek Yiu

Monday, October 05, 2009

It may surprise people to know that Ajisen (China) (0538) started its factory in Shenzhen way before opening its first outlet in the special economic zone in 1997.

For the first half of this year, the firm's turnover and net profit recorded doubt-digit growth at HK$937 million and HK$139 million respectively.

Chairman Poon Wai credits the Shenzhen move - one of the best decisions of her life - for the robust bottomline.

The move linked manufacturing with retail centralized production for Ajisen, whose outlets primarily sell soup noodles.

Before running Ajisen in China, Poon sourced foodstuffs in the mainland and sold them overseas. But it was a risky business as some clients - who could pay on credit - eventually failed to do so.

"[Giving] credit scared me off at the time," Poon said. "I wanted cash."

Then she went on a field trip to Japan.

Established in Kyushu in 1968, Poon merely saw Ajisen as a small business selling noodles.

Yet the production plant of Ajisen's owner - Shigemitsu Industry - captivated her.

Soup and noodles were centrally produced in a 28- to 32-hectare plant. With this, she thought restaurants - the front end of the business - faced little supply or inventory problems.

That the restaurants received cash from customers and ran on credit from suppliers made it all the more attractive to bring Ajisen to China, she said.

Poon provided full details of the franchise agreement with the Japanese company right after she started the

Shenzhen plant.

Royalties were fixed at 3,500 yuan (HK$3,971) per annum for each mainland branch and HK$7,000 per annum for a Hong Kong outlet - for good. No changes were possible without a mutual agreement.

"Some of our Shanghai restaurants had [annual] revenues upwards of 2 million yuan," Poon said. "The franchise owner took only 3,500 yuan from each."

Shigemitsu also took a minor stake in Ajisen (China).

Ajisen had 315 stores by the end of last year and aims to add another 90 stores this year. Next year, it hopes to open up to 120 new branches.

"Ajisen is attractive because of the scale and speed of its expansion in the mainland," said Bernard Chu Chun- ming, analyst at Guodou Securities, who has a "buy" recommendation. At least eight other institutions have had the same rating on the stock as of September 16.

"But it has to keep opening a certain number of restaurants to maintain the current growth [momentum]. Whether it can find appropriate shops with enough customer flow is of paramount importance," Chu said.

Over the years, Ajisen's network has spread across 61 cities in 19 provinces. Faced with an economic crisis, the company has moderated its expansion drive, especially in southern China, which has been more hard hit by the global financial crisis than other parts of the country.

Ajisen has been focusing on smaller outlets in existing markets rather than expanding to new provinces.

Indeed, many people knock on Poon's door for the right to run Ajisen, which enjoys yet another permanent right - to sub-franchise as it sees fit while its annual royalty to the Japanese franchise owner remains unchanged.

Poon believes a franchise owner has more responsibilities than just charging royalties. An important element is the provision of technical support. In this sense, Shigemitsu is very supportive.

Ajisen changes 30 percent of its menu twice a year and Shigemitsu sends staff over to help with developing new items, Poon said.

"Japan spends much effort in research and development, especially in terms of flavor," Poon said, explaining why Japanese ramen tastes better and can command higher prices than Chinese hand-pulled noodles.

"No matter what you eat, it cannot taste other than sweet, spicy, sour and the like. How do you make your noodles more attractive and enrich their tastes? The Japanese are the best at combining different ingredients through endless and careful research."

With this in mind, Poon has employed a team of Japanese research specialists.

Ajisen is constructing four more production bases in Shanghai, Tianjin, Dongguan and Chengdu.

Phase 1 of the Dongguan project commenced operation at the end of last year while the one in Shanghai will start in December next year.

When the four bases come into full capacity in two to three years time, they can support between 1,500 and 1,800 branches in the mainland and Hong Kong.

With such a surge in productivity, Ajisen also expects to expand the sales of packaged noodles, currently its second largest business.

While opening self-operated stores tops the ramen chain's agenda, Ajisen has further development plans. With the support of a solid production line, it hopes to tap into the high-end market first and then break into the mass market.

It started renovating a store in the International Finance Centre earlier this month.

The ramen store - expected to open later this month - will bear a different name than Ajisen. To enhance food quality, it will ship flour from Japan to make noodles and devise a unique soup formula.

Analyst Chu believes the mass market would be the more attractive choice of the two, though Poon has as yet no detailed plan.

"Suppose there is a badly run chain with 70 to 80 restaurants, we will purchase it," Poon said. "We don't want their business, but their locations. Ajisen can take some of them. Locations that do not suit Ajisen will go to the mass market noodle brand."

There are opportunities here and there in the market, but perhaps only those with entrepreneurial spirit will spot them.

A merchandiser for 10 years back then, Poon said she had to do everything on her own, from sourcing to marketing, and staffing to accounting. This trained her sensitivity and judgment toward food, markets and people. So when an opportunity in Japan arose, she grasped it.

Along with other entrepreneurs in the catering business, Poon visited Taiwan twice this year in search of more business opportunities.

"With a high table turnover, Ajisen can do the same [as the leading coffee chain there]," Poon added. "We have the flexibility to run restaurants even round the clock, for people who want to have a hot bowl of noodles late at night."

At the end of the day, however, a sound business model matters more than anything.

Focus is key to success in tough environment

2009-09-23T19:01:00.000Z

Derek Yiu

Monday, August 24, 2009

Ng Joo Siang, 50, was born to a Malaysian family that traded in agricultural products.

As the eldest of six children, he had a go at running a business as he helped his father out, even before finishing his education.

After graduating from Louisiana State University in 1980 with a degree in international trade and finance, Ng joined his father as his right-hand man. Two years later, they ran a shrimp and fish business in Taiwan.

Established in 1986, Pacific Andes' turnover was HK$450 million when it went public in 1994.

Ng said he does not particularly admire any peer in the fishing industry. "Let's put it this way, I am not appreciative of many of my peers' directions or strategies," Ng said. "There's no shortage of smart people in the industry. But maybe they have different business focuses."

Pacific Andes has been recording double-digit growth. Its turnover of HK$11 billion last year outperformed most of its rivals.

As a family-run business, Pacific Andes benefits from having a consistent direction and clear policies.

Family members work together for their common good, unlike some other public companies where senior executives eye quick bonuses and do not stay long enough to realize their goals.

Ng has kept Pacific Andes' organizational structure simple, despite employing some 10,000 people.

People at the core still make all the important decisions and the orders flow downwards.

"The clearer the signal, the better," Ng said. "Employees don't understand fancy objectives."

Casting a wide net

2009-09-23T19:00:00.000Z

Derek Yiu
Monday, August 24, 2009

The recession, it appears, has given Pacific Andes (1174) a miss. The frozen seafood firm last month posted its largest increase in full-year profit since it listed in 1994 - earnings soared 38.6 percent to HK$517 million.

The record is all the more impressive, given that the world was in the grips of an economic meltdown.

Ng Joo Siang, vice chairman and managing director, credited the consistent growth to its business model - selling abundant fish such as Alaska pollock.

Ng said that even during a financial crisis, there are some things people still have to buy.

"Take toothpaste. Do people stop brushing their teeth when they are broke?"

Ng said Pacific Andes and its subsidiaries have not yet become a fully- integrated global company which in his view starts with fishing and ends with consumer products. However, the group plans to reach this goal in the next few years.

But there are difficulties. As a fishing business, Pacific Andes' operation increasingly hinges on quotas as governments and non-governmental organizations worldwide become more concerned about scarce marine resources.

There is much uncertainty about total allowable catch. This is based on the analysis of research institutions the year before actual fishing based on factors such as biomass and species recuperation.

For instance, the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council will not finalize the TAC for Alaska pollock next year until December.

Under the quota system, the world catch has increased roughly by 5 million tonnes to 95 million in recent years, based on statistics from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization.

"They protect fish so well that sometimes the supply is too high to command better prices," Ng said.

But restrictions and opportunities are two sides of the same coin. Knowing that Peru was about to introduce quotas for anchovies - the most abundant fish species in the world - Pacific Andes acquired around 10 companies two years ago. Because of its fleet size and historical catch records, the firm now owns a 5 percent individual transferable quota of Peru's TAC.

Ng believes the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization will impose a quota scheme in the next year or two in the world's last unprotected high-sea area.

To get a foothold in this relatively untapped region and secure a fishing quota, Pacific Andes bought a number of vessels from Ireland in the past year. It also moved some super trawlers from the North Pacific to the south and upgraded others into factory trawlers.

The company has improved efficiency in the Pacific. It now uses fewer vessels to land the same number of fish, thus lowering costs.

Pacific Andes is seeking to reduce its fleet in Chile by almost half - from 39 vessels to just 20.

And by deploying vessels to the South Pacific, the group plans to reduce its fleet in the North Pacific to 17 from 23.

The group will be mostly catching Chilean jack mackerel in the South Pacific and exporting it to West Africa.

The fish was mostly used as fishmeal, until Pacific Andes introduced it in the African market in 2005 as an alternative to another type of mackerel which Africans eat regularly. Ng said a kilogram of fishmeal sells at around 10 US cents (78 HK cents) per kg but mackerel for human consumption can fetch at least US$1 per kg.

Chilean jack mackerel was not the first type of fish converted for direct human consumption, and it will certainly not be the last.

As early as the 1990s, the company benefited from marketing Alaska pollock as a replacement for cod. After securing a larger share of Peruvian anchovies in the future, the firm will start marketing it for human consumption.

Ng is confident that marketing of abundant but Under-utilized fish species will not be affected by competition. "In this world, 99.99 percent of people are followers," Ng said jokingly. "They will only do something when they see other people have done it successfully. We are an innovator and trend-creator."

China is a major market for Pacific Andes because that country accounts for around 50 percent of its revenue. The firm's decision to spin off its supply chain management subsidiary, Pacific Andes (Holding), in Singapore in 1996 was to obtain funds for the growing mainland market.

Pacific Andes started its 333,000 meter-square processing complex in Hongdao, Qingdao, in February. With a capital investment of US$100 million, the technology-intensive plant will help expand its value-added product offerings.

This is expected to add to the firm's product line and attract more customers. Apart from the US, West European and Japanese markets, Pacific Andes is also eyeing a re-entry into potentially lucrative East Europe. The firm left the market three months before the Russian financial crisis in August 1998.

The Hongdao plant will strike a fine balance between mechanization and labor to improve efficiency. With advanced technology, Pacific Andes can make use of fish bones and internal organs to make fishmeal while its new thawing system can help retain moisture and freshness.

It is in filleting that Chinese processing plants have the most competitive edge. Ng said while western plants can get produce 2 kg of fillet from a 10kg fish, a Chinese plant can produce 5 kg.

But there are some question marks about mainland food safety. When the antibiotic chloramphenicol was found in some Chinese food products in 2002, the European Union banned imports of all Chinese products originating from animals. Some US states banned farm- raised catfish after some were found to contain fluoroquinolones.

Ng believes aquaculture is dependent on too many factors that the industry is more prone to use antibiotics. For this reason, Pacific Andes has chosen to stay out of this business.

In 2006 northern European countries accused Chinese processing plants of handling fish caught illegally in their waters.

In reaction to this, Pacific Andes became the first processor to have an on- board bar-coding system. It also employs international accountants Deloitte to ensure that its purchases comply with relevant policies. The reports are published every three months. Earlier this month Tai Fook Securities (0665) said rising oil prices can affect Pacific Andes' profitability.

The fishing firm believes oil will cost more in the future, but it is not worried. "The important thing is, are you going to sort all the cost yourself or are you going to pass it on?" Ng asked. "If you are capable of passing it on, you are the winner."

Ng believes the biggest challenge lies in ending public misconception of its gearing ratio. He said the debts of the group's listed companies are all consolidated with the mother company Pacific Andes International Holdings in Hong Kong.

Singapore-listed Pacific Andes (Holdings), as a supply-chain management business contributing 40 percent of the group's profit, should make the most money from as little as possible.

But China Fishery, the fishing division, needs long-term debts because of its business nature.

Since the Asian financial crisis, the company has become more careful in its short-term gearing. Ng said the long- term loans account for 60 to 70 percent of all loans.

"We had been preparing for another financial crisis," Ng said. "So when there was one in 2008, we did not suffer."

Deja Vu

2009-05-20T19:46:00.000Z

一直不太欣賞Wall e
太空起舞是有詩意
可是肥障人類受機械人操縱
卻是Cliche中的極致
不明白為何當初Waltz with Bashir
於Academy Awards沒能跟它一較高下
在電腦動畫混入紀錄片元素
固然早於Alter Egos已玩得出神入化
只是它對於戰爭與記憶解讀真的很有意思
整套電影觀眾跟主角一起尋找
他戰時失去了的記憶
原來忘記的因為不想記起
記得的卻又非真切經歷
二戰集中營的後記憶
盤踞戰後一代的思想
德國的猶太人不敢融入社區
以色列的猶太人殺害黎巴嫩巴人時
竟又代入了納粹的角色
主客觀條件根本一直在腦中拼拼貼貼
原來發條橙式人格污染
以至傻瓜大鬧科學城般記憶改造
都絕非痴人說夢話

十月十六日

2008-10-16T19:32:00.002Z

教科書說
良報總可驅逐劣貨
因為你今天可用最血淋淋的圖片當A1
但明天, 又再有甚麼板斧留低讀者?
如果我們的報紙進步到可像H.P.裡般互動
某報肯定已為它今天的頭條來個立體案情重組
早前塌樹案尚算能觸及公眾利益
這次則絕無理據無限放大個別事件
別人拒絕採訪後
從Facebook挖資料
又刊登私人信件
實在是無恥之極致
而且煲呔的年度報告
哪有理由只淪為金王遺孀之後的A2要聞
單是生果金改制已可將它擠到老遠吧?
比較起來
或者SCMP區區一兩個文法錯誤
太微不足道了!

P.S. 恐怖的網上討論.

This is just a modern funny story

2008-09-18T17:36:00.002Z

Thursday, August 07, 2008

話說今天跟SB到旺角的波鞋街
撿了對售價相宜的網球鞋
新鞋落地
當然要到街上炫耀一番
就算北冕的外圍雨帶有多強
仍執意往海旁的馬路跑跑
四十分鐘匆匆過去
正當我準備回家之時
有位拿著傘子
卻一直沒有離去的中年男士含糊地說
「你返屋企未...要唔要我遮埋你...」
想到數小時前在FB讀到
路人主動借傘子給組媽的故事
於是說了數次
「吓, 就返o架喇!!」
但是這位先生一直沒有理睬我
等待良久後
他指了指耳上的免提聽筒
(又或者他的手指其實一直都在那兒
只是我沒留意)
我的臉登時紅透
其時雨下得正狠
可還是顧不了
頭也不回的一直走一直走
這個世界無疑有很多好人
但
更多自作多情的人

Journalistic Mindlessness?

2008-02-19T00:25:00.002Z

To oppose the writer to the journalist is a very European way of thinking: the writer creates work with enduring value that takes part in the evolution of European literature (its poetry, fiction and drama) and is thereby the guardian of its memory and continuity; the journalist is not a creator of a work of art but a commentator on current events, on what is going on at the present moment.

If journalism at one time seemed to be an appendix to culture, today, by contrast, culture finds it is at the mercy of journalism, that it is a part of a world dominated by journalism. The mass-media decide who will be known and to what degree and according to which interpretation. The writer no longer addresses the public directly; he must communicate with it through the semi-transparent barrier of the mass media.

A European is more sensitive to this change than an American.

Milan Kundera

Baudrillard說在Hyperreality下人們看新聞是為了忘記新聞
衾棉胎似的只給最上層那張半秒注意力
再轟動的日後都會不著痕跡

Bigot

2007-12-05T21:12:00.001Z

想不到這個沒甚國族認同感的人
在這個問題上竟有"抵觸情緒"
事緣今天國際關係談及League of Nations步向衰亡的過程
日本崛起是其中之一
教授質疑偽滿洲國在國際關係慣例上的合理性
以及LoN的坐視不理
說了一句"I Only Want Him to Talk about What Is Good about Japan"
朋友就大剌剌的把原子筆放下
及至意大利的法西斯主義才再動起筆桿
我暗忖, "Bigot..."
官方的廣義強徵慰安婦論、二戰責任未定論和甲級戰犯合祀等
民間的南京事件、扶桑社新歷史教科書
日本跟德國在承認二戰罪行的態度相比
無疑有所不及
先是後二戰及後冷戰的FRG
以至企業均曾對戰爭受害人作出大額賠償
另方面德國不單全國各地有大屠殺紀念碑
連支節也一絲不苟
以柏林圍牆遺址附近的猶太紀念碑為例
設計方案推倒重來多次後
從限制鬥高鬥大防止極右或新納粹藉以歌功頌德
到選址於歐洲眾大使館旁比喻猶太人在歐洲的苦痛以及後者的損失
以至隱藏著的圖書館之象徵意義
無一不令人感到其細心
日本政客在國內右翼政客的強勢下
卻連番以二戰問題換取一時的政治利益
Martin Walser若在日本發表他的得獎宣言
大概能取得道德高地
於神社裡簽下"內閣總理大臣小泉純一郎"
還可以代表甚麼?
又, 德國和日本
你會支持那個加入安理會?

The Big Question: Why is tension rising between China and Japan over the 'Rape of Nanjing'?
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article3226375.ece

Cepelinai

2007-12-05T21:10:00.000Z

從來無法理解為何Lithuania會被譯成立陶宛, 正如它的鄰國Estonia叫愛沙尼亞一樣, 莫名其妙.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cepelinai

昨晚到Ernesta家作客, 她跟同屋花了數小時, 就是為了弄這種叫Cepelinai的東西. 磨薯仔去水混入薯蓉, 光聽步驟就覺得辛苦. 席間友人問幹麼不用攪拌機, 他們答, 要是祖母們知道我們不跟傳統步驟去做, 定會很氣憤; 在英國買到的都是瘦肉, 跟原味其實已經多少有點出入. 這種對傳統的堅持很令人感動. 一談到波蘭人, 大伙兒總不忘來一點嘲笑. 波蘭語中的'Shi'音又或是本國電視台的搗蛋節目, 笑一笑無傷大雅, 只是我不敢提自己聖誕節應該會去波蘭.

'Idenity only becomes an issue when it is in crisis, when something assumed to be fixed, coherent and stable is displaced by the experience of doubt and uncertainty.' (Mercer, 1990) 就像最近在看的教科書中, 塞爾維亞軍官說, 我們跟那些克羅地亞人是不同的. 看, 我抽的是我們的煙, 他們抽他們的煙, 明白沒有?' 作者指他看不出兩者的分別, 軍官悻悻然走開, 未幾卻又回來補了一句, '那些克羅地亞人以為他們比我們好, 是高貴的歐洲人. 不, 我跟你說, 我們都不過是巴爾幹半島的圾垃!' (Woodward, 1997) 克塞兩國本同在南斯拉夫的大傘子下. 立陶宛波蘭兩國的關係可能沒那麼密切, 但無論是十四世紀的Gediminas時期, 抑或十七八世紀的波立聯邦, 它們都可算是一個國家.

說回那個Cepelinai, 味道跟我們的糉子非常近似. 如果來一個中立Fusion版本, 就會是糯米包著碎肉和鹹蛋, 伴以酸忌廉煙肉醬, 該很不錯. 下次回香港絕對要認真學習怎樣做油角糉子砵仔糕白糖糕鬆糕. 最怕某天心血來潮想吃倫敦糕時, 沒有人知道我在說甚麼.

日報經濟

2007-08-08T19:25:00.001Z

跟上司上茶樓
同事之前不住的說他"度縮"
再三表明自己很窮
暗示大家要各自付賬
我們固然沒打算白吃白喝
但如果記者的生活真是拮据到這個程度
始終覺得有點可悲
畢竟有思想有才能的
想和真正從事報界的為數不少
該是在文匯報工作的網友阿摺所寫的文章
我大概讀再多的書都寫不出來
又超時工作的情況原來頗嚴重
先是背後的校園經濟版朋友
永遠比我們早到
卻亦永遠比我們遲放
e-Zone更幾乎是夫添留守鰂漁涌
更得悉經濟在爆發一輪辭職潮
分紅過後謀著轉職的紛紛離去
為了甚麼？
做了五年，其實沒有「發圍」的空間，上司說
是嗎？
除了蘋果外，其他中文報紙的工資都很一般
我亦辭了工打算回PR這一行，他再補充道
老實說讀者可以因為吳靄儀不再在蘋果寫專欄而轉看明報
哪會因為你明報有名叫梁紹明的娛記而繼續當長期讀者？
沒有芝大學位讓你充當南早的駐澳記者嗎？
還是再想想才進行吧
就是新聞獎也不賣錢
再好的記者到了中年都是報紙的負資產
總有充滿幹勁的熱血青年擁著來取代你
字典說‘Waves urging waves, making progress steadily’
Progress，可圈可點！

經濟日報

2007-08-03T18:13:00.000Z

已經是第三天上班
當翻譯的生活還真的頗辛苦
面試時現在的上司問我對文字有多喜愛
因為每天都要對著它們
討厭的話日子會過得很苦
但原來最討厭的
是要跟當機頻頻的電腦一起工作
多開幾個視窗就肯定要重新開機
若不是有回復檔
今天大半個下午的心血可能已全部泡湯
起先以為一天譯五版文章會相當輕鬆
最終兩天才做完
我就總是傾向低估工作的難度
肯定了在香港根本不可能用英文讀通識
詞人那篇簡直要了我的命
譯《富士山下》和《落花流水》的詞節時
看得不很明白時要到小奧私陸求救
發現以往看歌詞實在太不細心了
莫說「Savour」了, 可能連「Read」亦談不上
也更佩服曾經譯過《落》的那位朋友
愈來愈覺得自己的英文蹩腳不已
找了數本網上字典另加常可中英互換的維基
照抄原文讓上司處理的情況仍時有發生
不過幸好這不是我的獨有經驗
有次同事對添馬艦的專有名詞百疇莫展
氣得交稿時寫了一句
「Ask the writer」
更難得兩位同事都很好
大家談談Watery Faeces說說Safety in Safety out
笑笑鬧鬧的時間過得很快
最正斗是三個中文不太好的翻譯
一致裁定校園版好幾個記者的文筆完全不堪入目
有興趣的可買一份經濟日報來查證

藝發局

2007-07-24T20:33:00.001Z

一向不太留意藝發局
但近期接觸多了
又發現原來它做了不少推廣工作

書展的Hall 2有它們的攤位
賣的書除了香港風格、字花等比較有名
那些像香港年度戲劇回顧一類的書
書局裡幾乎見所未見
沒有資助的話
當中不少應該無法成書
第二次經過該攤位時
有隊名叫Joyous的A Cappella組合在表演
http://www.ftacappella.net/page04b.php
駐足欣賞至他們表演結束的十有七八
能夠在如何人流密集的場地表演
固然可以令很多人認識無伴奏合唱
歌者亦得到相當可貴的經驗
經典的《Those Were The Days》、《Stand by Me》總不會有何問題
難得土氣得要命的《皆大歡喜》也令我毛管恫
原來有好的編曲和歌手
李紫昕所說十年內最大的進步是作了《皆》這首代表作是可以成立

又今天午睡醒來繼續在電視前做我的Couch Potato時
藝力無限竟然在介紹楊學德!!
http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/tv/artsunlimited2007/20070724.html
他的錦繡藍田和標童話集系列在豆瓣可是得到一致好評
在英國恨看他的作品恨了很久
看完這短短的節目明白這個人真的很好玩
選取一種類似Stop Motion的技巧將漫畫活化這做法極聰明
不知道要做出這種效果會不會很昂貴
只知道很感動有人這麼有心地為這群有心的漫畫家製作這個高水準節目
是藝發局主導好
是香港電台負責也好
林一峰有段話說得準：
「我意外地看了那個短片有些東西留了在我的腦裡有朝一日發揮作用。
我們生命裡大概充滿著這些暗藏的引子，不經意地出現在日常生活裡，
有時即影響我們的思想行為，有些要埋在時日裡等待發芽，
忽然殺我們一個措手不及，對我們有更大的影響，
像小時候聽過一怡別人無心的話就一生記牢，默默影響價值觀。」

一定會有因為以上種種而對A Cappella和漫畫產生興趣，對香港的發展更有反思的人
我自己何嘗不是受港台那些頭條新聞、鏗鏘集和五稜鏡等節目影響不少？

一期一會

2007-07-14T16:14:00.001Z

不知是否因為至今仍無法完全闔上右眼
雙眼似乎特別易累和有紅筋
看這齣劇時完全不在狀態
那個仿地鐵幕門的燈光令我看得尤其辛苦
近三小時演出時間以舞台劇來說應該過長了
太貪心的劇本卻令每段故事每個人物都顯得片面
真愛打動彌生一段很陳腐, 拜金女神回心轉意亦然
同意朋友說Ellen和學而部份其實可有可無
柴娃娃式相睇遊戲在今天的大學生而言太純情了點吧
俊彥的爛Gag位很爛, 只是健次和直美好幾個真正笑位也不理想
我不是來看荒鬧劇, 其實不需要密集式笑彈
蝦頭被阿祖或其他人嘲弄這處理方式極欠新意
某程度上更可算是低級趣味...
既有馴情記珠玉在前, 這A貨又有甚麼可取之處
亮太確是很可愛的男生
不過作為觀眾的對他幾近一無所知
他在某時間該是甚麼顏色、會怎麼做
我再有同理心也難以代入
WTheatre可沒有把張狄嗚當作「主要演員」
偏偏全套劇均是圍繞著他來發展
是玩笑, 更是浪費
一峰間場位的獨白我不受
主角四人眾對逝者己矣的獨白更不受
感動位計算太多, 而且太過「畫公仔晝出腸」, 有欠內斂
批評得太興起, 小寶姐其實演得很好呀
「亮太係我o既!!」, 說得多有說服力
在她身上我彷彿看到第二個邵美君
一樣教人喜愛
看完《一期一會》很覺得
WTheatre和蝦頭都遇上了樽頸位

P.S. 撇開偶像創世紀和MV
今次這張Soundtrack其實很不錯

Excursion

2007-03-31T20:38:00.001Z

跟Jackie分道揚鑣, 在機場補眠
被地鐵夾住, 靠數名彪形大漢拯救
再訪露天市場, 仍覺可喜
從Bournemouth趕至Birmingham再去Wolverhampton
發現英國的Gig只比中式酒席好一點
七時恭候, 九時才有大米飯出場
某天在豆瓣閒掛, 看到Damien Rice的譯名
音譯加意譯得出令人拍案的效果
其實看過Jason Mraz的演出
早該明白不用這樣趕忙
那次好像五時多已經排隊
須知道在這些情況下─
"Excuse me, my friend's over there, could I get through?"
最後一定會愈逼愈後

起初打算將Rundown寫出來
後來覺得既然網上一定找得到
不如好好享受這場音樂會
空出雙手來拍掌
以為沒了已離去的Lisa Hannigan
效果會有所折減
原來不然
無論是I Remember或是9 Crimes
單人匹馬的Damien Rice已足夠有餘
唱起快歌來, 他歌聲的爆發力加上偶爾ad lib
效果更勝CD

唱了十餘首歌
彈過結他、Bass、鋼琴和電子琴
主角走回後台
大家用盡方法要求Encore
有人踏地、有人鼓掌、有人尖叫
終於他回來再唱了三首歌
每張大碟各一首
The Professor & La Fille Danse、The Blower's Daughter和Accidental Babies
氣氛好到不得了
現場成雙成對的戀人不少
幾乎是歌者唱一句, 他們便吻一下
最後換上藍光暗暗的照著伴奏的樂手
只剩橙光映照鋼琴前的Damien Rice
單用燈光, 原來已可以這樣深刻

Damien Rice的話不多
唱歌以外, 只說過三次話
包括最後的一句Thank You
享受了個半小時很純粹的音樂
惟一美中不足他沒有唱Rootless Tree

P.S. 我的S3 IS居然有幸跟另一位女孩的EOS看齊, 被警衛一塊扣起
P.S.2 UK & Miscellaneous

Volver

2007-03-31T20:36:00.000Z

跟Jackie約好復活節去旅行
去西班牙玩了五天
臨出門時仍未準備好
找不到幾個朋友的地址...

Day 0
機場六時才開門
得於Bournemouth教堂前露宿一晚
坐在地上石磚的寒氣隱隱透過鞋底傳來
不太舒服
這城市吸引的景點不多
只有無數的酒吧
離開市中心時有人在高處向我們擲雞蛋和玻璃樽
擊中Jackie, 幸而無礙

Day 1, Day 2, Day3
馬德里肯定是我最愛城市的三甲之選
周末鐵三角中的Reina Sofía和Prado均可免費入場
對其中普普藝術的Equipo Crónica一見鍾情
就像收音機突然調正了頻道一樣
Link 1 2 3 4

頓時很想念London的Tate Modern
這裡街頭表演的質和量均是一流
其中以El Retiro尤是精彩
發現原來很多歌也相當耳熟

"噢, Salut D'amour!!"
能夠說出歌名, 又是另一種興奮
但不懂西班牙文真的很麻煩
就是侍應很清晰的解釋了一次
最後仍不知道自己點了甚麼
Jackie提早放棄下
單人吃了碟半風乾香腸
油膩得我想完全戒吃肉
一天在Metro Sol附近遇上抱抱一族
當時猶豫了一會, 第二天己找不著他們, 深感可惜
Madrid

Day 3
臨時更改行程
反方向先去Segovia
十二時多抵達
得悉尾班車下午二時開出
簡直晴天霹靂
走馬看花的在舊城逛了一圈

Aqueduct確是鬼斧神工
Cathedral建築亦見精緻
到了這一天已對Lonely Planet完全失望
Segovia是個錯過了不會覺得太可惜
但遊覽完又教人喜歡的小鎮
Segovia

Day 3, Day 4
Salamanca的大學是歐洲大陸最古老的其中一間
整個城市的感覺很統一
用不太準確的比喻
它像淺啡色的Bath
這兒教堂林立
Catedral Vieja的四面浮雕
令人感到有點誇張
其他地方甚少有這種設計

樓下的Entry就是在這裡的網吧所寫
看店的男生很有趣
(這幾天經常無故用了廣角鏡模式拍照...)
Mika和Scissor Sisters跟這個城市連上了
正如自然卷可讓我聽到Piran Adriatic Sea的浪濤
Salamanca

Day 4, Day 5
這個西班牙前國都完全不得我心

那種又窄又密的街道實在令人煩擾
店舖食肆均打正旗號做遊客生意
這些特點令我彷彿重遊威尼斯
理所當然的不喜歡這城市
靠遊客生存的地方發展下來
總會失去個性
Toledo

Day 5
重回馬德里, 驚喜仍是不絕
由於Jackie的方向感太好
這幾天幾乎完全不用看地圖
在尋找Monasterio del Corpus Christi
希望品嚐聞名的修女杏仁酥餅時
突然重拾自遊行的感覺
明明知道進去的小門在哪
還是在外待了很久
問了第三個途人才靠他親自按門鈴把我帶進去
經過後園和長廊, 看到餐牌和旋轉門
可是只有牛油曲奇和橙味曲奇轉了出來
其它的已經售罄
把歐元轉了進去, 膠袋緊接轉出來, 很好玩

臨走時卻見到一個修女出門, 大惑不解
既然可以見我們, 何以又故作神秘?

獨裁過後的西班牙的確比很多歐洲國家開放
最高檔的大街旁竟可容納
鹵素大燈高掛的時鐘酒店、性商店和流鶯
其實想看看Almodóvar鏡頭下
有大量變性人和毒品的那個廣場
可惜據聞已被取締
走過一點在專門書店內
只找到Volver和殘舊的Bad Education
原想買Law of Desire/Women on the Verge of Breakdown給Coursemate
也只好作罷

晚上以超低價9 + 1.11 Euros吃了一個自助餐
Paella/Chorizo/Tortilla等吃過不停
卻竟也找得到炸油條
而且味精下得比較重
致使我們整晚在機場乾渴
Madrid

下次再去西班牙
希望可以一遊Granada和Seville!

食味回憶

2007-03-13T23:18:00.000Z

明報早陣子介紹勝香園
負責人姜老伯認為將麵包翻熱
最好方法是放入電飯煲
今早一試
硬得通透的麥包
果然不消一會便變得綿軟可口
想起讀小學時
我媽有時候會買兩個魚柳包回家
給我和家姐作第二天的早餐
其時家裡還沒有微波爐
早上起來
把麵包放進飯煲加熱前
得向冰凍的它們灑點水
不過還是不止一次
烘得太乾太焦
沒有他他醬的霸道
原來再造芝士也有它的風味

在香港提及芝士
泛指再造芝士
一片片有膠套那些
很近期才知道從前閃電傳真機裡
大塊大塊有洞的道具
該是瑞士的Emmental
表層發霉一樣的Brie和Camembert
都應該全片進食
上星期在Iceland買了一盒Cheese Assortment
吃Smoked Cheese時
嚐到熟悉不已的味道
努力搜畫
原來是八佰伴尚未倒閉前
常在日式超市裡購買
香腸似的小食

I'm discriminating against you, so what?

2007-01-20T05:32:00.001Z

從Koma的日記知道大學的佈告板
出現了以下的一句
" nice room.....housemates wanted....
no chinese cause they smelly"

記得某論壇上小奧貼過一篇
關於香港一個泰裔女生的故事
其時我還說香港沒有出現過
從前美國種族隔離州份
黑人要讓座給白人
又或是要上不同的學校
那般極端的情況
以證明種族歧視並不太嚴重

縱然犯罪學對我們說
今天警察仍會因為對象是黑人而有前設
致令黑人罪犯比例上仍是Over-represented
但從難以上大學到
平權運動下大學須收取一定比例的少數族裔
以至今天不少白人深感自己是正面歧視的受害者
至少制度上他們已走了一個圈

反觀香港仍是在爭論內地新移民是否該被納入
那遲遲未獲通過的種族歧視條例
屈指一算
我們原來落後了差不多五十年
感覺上少數族裔的困境完全沒有被正視過
馬時享局長早前以
"種族結構相對單一, 社會同質性強"
否定了民間電台的存在需要
這百份之四的人就是沒有被惡意歧視
也落得繼續被狠狠地邊緣化這境地
政府聲言少數族裔學生可以GCSE的中文科及格
取代會考的中文科同樣要求
教資會卻未有同步改變準則
結果他們評分被降的情況仍然存在

有說被視若無睹
比跟別人臉紅耳赤的鬧一場更加難受
要是聲嘶力竭的呼叫
也無法在社會上泛起一點漣漪
跟慘受白鴒眼大概同樣難受
那個Ad嘛?
我會說大家程度不一樣

World Aids Day

2007-01-20T05:31:00.000Z

Friday, December 01, 2006
社會運動多喜愛借絲帶傳聲
黃絲帶代表對遠征士兵的思念
粉紅絲帶旨在提昇大眾對乳癌的警覺
紅絲帶則象徵了愛滋病患者及HIV帶菌者的團結
紅色還隱含著這個意思
"connection to blood and the idea of passion -- not only anger, but love, like a valentine."
今日在Campus有賣絲帶籌款的攤擋
獨立報將相關報道以紅字列印
英國朋友的Xanga連結了教育廣告
有點感動也有點慚愧

人類於30年代首從黑猩猩身上感染變種病毒
但到1981年美國5人先後死於疾病併發的肺結核
全世界才火速警覺病毒暴發的可怕
同時慌張的亂扣帽子
GRIDS成了疾病的別號
患者都得承受社會種種污名
教授曾說20世紀80年代
美國社會出現前所未有的倒退
60年代辛苦爭取得來的各種認受性一下子消失不特已
原教主義和新保守派亦乘勢掘起

1987年戴安娜成為了名人中的先驅
握著病人手拍了張合照
克林頓在01年讚揚道,
"She showed the world that people with Aids deserve no isolation,
but compassion and kindness.
It helped change world opinion,
and gave hope to people with Aids with an outcome of saved lives of people at risk."
只是多少年後的今天
關注愛滋的機構仍不斷面對資金困難
申請資助時每每收到恐同信件惡意拒絕
梵蒂岡亦未肯讓步
北非天主教國家愛滋肆虐如昔

早前香港有醫生替愛滋孕婦接生時不慎被刺傷
真人改篇電影地久天長裡血友病患者誤輸遭病毒感染的血凝素
BBC的紀錄片揭示了Malawi無數雙親因愛滋離世的小朋友境況
The List Goes On
眼光放遠一點
會發現得病或是受苦的
不盡是只愛一夜企的玩家
或是Housemate口中的死基佬

Why Monogamy is a Problem

2007-01-20T05:30:00.002Z

Thursday, November 09, 2006
Months after the last meeting, Dr Eric Anderson gave another seminar on the topic "why monogamy is a problem". We knew institutionalised marriage is a social product, yet neither had I ever thought of the definition of monogamy, nor expected the fact that literally none can acheive the monogamous ideal out there. Even when one hasn't physically cheated on his partner, his eyes or mind can't be solely on her/him eventually. Thus monogamous and open relationships are just two ends of a contiunuum. What appalled me was the fact that men, straight or gay, were all found to have cheated on their partners in all relationships lasting over 3 years according to various studies in the states. Dr Anderson came up with a paradoxical idea that a man cheats on his mate because he loves him/her, or else he should have resorted to divorcement. That he doesn't want a break-up results in his keeping his partner in the dark. While emotional desire for monogamy dwindles as time goes by, desire of whichever kinds for anyone other than his better half climbs. Open relationship in this sense proves more healthy than its monogamous counterpart in that the cognitive dissonance between what one wants and does't want is narrowed. For the latter, chances are a man sees his spouse as standing in his way for extramarital affairs and loathing develops inevitably.

女排

2007-01-20T05:30:00.001Z

Sunday, August 20, 2006
Wendy姐和雷Sir的評述真的很差
"宜家廿四分, 再拎一分就會贏, 所以呢個時候叫暫停時間性好重要"
"呢球係線上!!" (事實上界內一個排球位有多...)
"中國排名第一, 阿塞拜彊第十九, 泰國廿六, 所以阿塞拜彊一定唔可以輸俾泰國"
"吳式(唔識)排球"
Wendy姐空有數據, 對排球幾近一竅不通
雷Sir說話內容吹水化、娛樂化, 並訴諸觀眾非理性情緒
雖偶有提及二點五、長短平拉, 但多以"鎚落去~~~~"代替, 有欠專業
排球最吸引人的地方在於戰術和技巧的運用：扭手轉線、背飛、錯位進攻、前掩後二、梯次/立體/彩虹進攻、大分瓶, 還有我最愛的雙快游動, 大都被略過
萬能老倌徐家諾確是高出好幾班

說回比賽
沒想到中國隊這場可以贏得這樣輕鬆
就連Gamova也失去了應有的光彩
打起來患得患失, 甚少出現一鎚定音的扣殺
記得Godina還是新人的時候
超手攻擊之餘還令對手怯起來
球評都說未來是俄羅斯的雙炮天下
隨全能穩健的Artamonova和世界最佳快攻手Tichtchenko退役
這隊人馬未見頂峰已告回落, 期間僅三次於大獎賽折桂
只怪古巴巴西各有Ruiz和Barros
今天202cm的Gamova和Merkulova幾乎高絕球壇
俄隊成績卻未見突出, 証明高度不是一切
自鐵血教練Karpol退休後, 球員不再全是Dinamo隊員
默契減少了, 自然更需要新板斧才能打出好成績

早年後排進攻和扣球式發球曾為女排帶來衝擊
俄羅絲算是這兩項技術先行者
同期以戰術變化一傳技巧見稱的中國隊
沒有人能掌握得到
後期黃麗娜楊昊等急起直追
王一梅的扣球式發球甚至更勝對方
雖然今天徐雲麗劉亞南等的飄忽球依舊富殺傷力
只是富有特色的發球不復存在
賴亞文是側身勾手球
何琪是貼底線正勾球
孫玥是貼廣告版高飛球
念念不忘的還有巴西某人的拜神式發球
當球類比賽趨向力量主導
球賽的可觀性卻極可能不升反跌
也就是抱著這信念, Hingis的反彈才叫人欣喜

現在朗平正執教美國隊
賴亞文已當助教多年
孫玥轉任記者, 明年出嫁
可憐Godina重進國家隊
但淪為後備

香港記者協會對處理自殺新聞的指引

2007-01-20T05:26:00.001Z

Thursday, July 06, 2006
1. 香港近期有關自殺新聞的處理, 引起社會部份人士深切關注。須要指出的是，外國學者對自殺新聞會否做成「模仿」效應仍然莫衷一是, 有研究指出, 報道這類案件可能引起「模仿」效應, 誘使更多人選擇以自殺方式來解決問題；但也有研究指出, 自殺新聞與該類案件的多寡沒有顯著關係。

2. 本會曾比較海外傳媒組織對自殺新聞的處理方式，發現它們各有不同。美國和加拿大的新聞界有不成文的共識：除非自殺者是知名人士或有關個案對公眾構成重大影響，否則不會報道個別自殺案件，只報道自殺案件的總體趨勢和原因；大部份國家會一如英國和澳洲般，不對自殺新聞的處理作出規限，不過，當地傳媒報道這類新聞時會有一定程度的自我約制, 盡可能避免產生「模仿」效應。

3. 本會認為，香港新聞界不宜完全不報道個別的自殺案件, 而應在報道自殺新聞和避免產生「模仿」效應之間求取平衡。

4. 編輯及記者尤應顧及自殺新聞對感情脆弱者的影響, 在處理相關新聞時須注意下列事項:
i) 煽情的報道手法會引致模仿效應；
ii) 不經意地美化自殺會鼓勵其他人認同自殺者的做法；
iii) 巨細無遺地描述自殺方法會鼓動感情脆弱者加以模仿。

5. 本會建議，傳媒報道自殺新聞時，除非涉及重大公眾利益，否則應按下列原則處理：
i) 新聞工作者應低調處理有關新聞, 報章應在內頁刊登有關新聞；電台及電視若真的要播報有關新聞，必須顧及電子傳媒對公眾的巨大影響力﹐而把有關新聞安排在非主要新聞時段內播出。
ii) 報道時應避免繪影繪聲地描述自殺的過程和所採用的手法。
iii) 傳媒應避免予人錯誤觀念﹐尤其是使青少年以為用自殺手段可以一朝成名，故此, 報道自殺者的名字和刊登照片之舉，可免則免。
iv) 新聞界須尊重自殺案件中事主家人的私隱，不要雪上加霜，加添他們的傷痛。
v) 自殺成因複雜, 新聞界報道個別案件時，不宜簡單地將責任歸究於任何一方；更重要的是深入探討自殺的趨勢與及相關的補救方法。
vi) 在報道個別自殺案件時，報章宜同時提供一些防止自殺的輔導機構或服務的資料, 如撒瑪利亞會和其他志願機構的聯絡電話和相關資料，以便有需要者尋求其他解決方法。

6. 傳媒應該知道，自殺新聞處理得宜，對教育公眾防止自殺舉足輕重，因為他們可在報道個別自殺案件時，讓公眾獲知可能的自殺原因、有關的先兆、自殺趨勢、最新的治療法與及一些沒有走上自殺之路而仍能克服困境人士的勵志個案。

Source: http://www.hkja.org.hk/ethics/c_index.htm

Blue Blood

2007-01-20T05:25:00.000Z

Sunday, July 02, 2006
KK曾說李氏一家內的競爭很激烈. 從那時起也認定了這個名門的人多少有點Posh. 李國寶是東亞行政總裁, 還有"三點不露"的暱稱; 李國章人稱King Arthur, 教改咨詢時一副高高在上的嘴臉; 疏遠一點的李志喜是明報法政隨筆的眾位大律師中惟一以英文行文的人.

早前在立法會的網頁瀏覽, 看到李國寶的學歷時不以為意, 以為都是因家境好連帶得來. 及至剛剛讀到劉細良的文章, 才發現自己大錯特錯, 那些經濟、會計和法律的學位都是憑真才實學拿回來 - 他在劍橋經濟及法律的碩士學位便有獎學金供讀. 單是這點, 以後的榮譽學位都不重要了. 留學期間, 他回收翻新單車地圖、套用需求理論搞舞會、將理論寫成書, 於異鄉賺了一筆又一筆. 說實的, 完全是電影情節.

卡拉OK政治論的涵蓋面無疑有點偏陝, 但其中引用的例子始終是鐵錚錚的事實, 並非光靠家族門蔭所能得到的成就. 能在過往一百六十年一直活躍於香港各界, 這個李氏家族的人, 多少總有點過人的能耐.

Ireland and Mistakes

2007-01-20T05:23:00.002Z

Saturday, June 17, 2006
這次旅行犯錯之多, 就差一點便令我的心情直插谷底...
沒有數碼相機, 逼著買用完即棄相機...
坐愛爾蘭成為了兌換外幣的羊牯, 將英鎊賤賣
不停下錯車, 最後沒機會到The Hugh Gallery看Monet的畫作
連坐Coach因睡著了而錯過Marborough Street, 瘋子一般的從Temple Mead趕回去
來回用了近三小時到訪Powercourt, 最終只是在門外的精品店遊蕩
因為前Taoiseach Charles Haughey, Bloomsday的Celebration全部取消了. 但這可以怪誰?
最後是不應該住Browns, 這是將空調調至最冷, 逼人用2 Euros租毛毯的黑店.
我誤以為他們忘了分發被子, 於是隨手在接待處"偷"了一張...錯有錯著...
還好不是抱著度假的心態外遊, 否則單是O'Connell Bridge的米型大街已足夠使人崩潰

Irish跟British共處多年, 文化上多少也與英國相似
只是相對而言, 他們煙吸得更多, 酒也喝得更狠
在市中心同一條大街上, 隨時可以看到幾間一式一樣的店鋪
賣手信的Carroll, 賣書的Eason, 還有便利店的Spar...
最喜歡那幾間叫Insomnia的小型Coffee Shop
喝咖啡為了擁有更多無眠的夜晚
Insomnia成了一個眾人渴求的End, 而不是負值的By-product

很理解George Ritzer所說的Glocalization of nothing...
Carroll和其他店舖都沒有被全球化淹死
反而發展出國家特有的手信, 這是Glocalization
同時Guinness, 三葉草, 酒心Troffe和Irish Cross等
所有東西被商品和量產化
失卻了應有創意, 心思和意義, 成了Nothing
所以同樣是一支短笛, 走到了Waltons總店購買
同樣是手製朱古力, 也走到Butler分店選購

雖然在CAP和VAT的影響下, 農產品及一般物價令人吃驚再吃驚
但在Dublin旅遊, 花費仍可以不多 (只是膠袋稅相當不便)
政府的Musuem和Gallery大都免費
Bus Pass包括了大部份市內可乘搭的巴士
對於看得多的東西果然會麻木
Merion附近相當有名的Georgian式建築物
看起來不過是白色的Bath

這次印象最深的是Kilmeinham Gaol和Casino Marino
前者是歐洲惟一一間政治犯和普通犯人共囚的監獄, 目睹了1921年獨立前後愛爾蘭最血腥的一頁
後者是漫遊歐洲七年返國的富家子弟, 參考了埃及, 希臘和羅馬的文明建成的完美對稱建築
當值職員如數家珍地介紹兩個地方的特色
都散發著一種自信的氣質

曾經說過很喜歡愛爾蘭人
至今想法依舊
Fleet Street的結他手沈澱而內斂地唱著Damien Rice的The Blower's Daughter
Grafton Street的街頭藝人使人有置身夢境的浪漫錯覺
自彈自唱的Cabaret Singer令街上的女士不顧儀態地手舞足蹈
連朱古力店也播著B廥ame Mucho
Oscar Wilde, Benard Shaw, James Joyce, Edmund Burke...
原來愛爾蘭的文人學者遠比想像中多

Andy Warhol

2007-01-20T05:23:00.001Z

Thursday, June 01, 2006
最近除了Foucault、Giddens、Baudrillard等社會學家外
看得最多的名字是Andy Warhol
知道了他的作品、被襲以至身後的一些故事
有趣的是他其實是Modern Art的大師
如果說其最有名的作品是金寶湯和瑪麗蓮夢露...
相信很多人會有印象

作品
Jameson在解釋Postmodernity時
分別用了這兩幅作品作例子

後現代社會裡Simulation充斥
原物和膺品越來越難分辨
他並且這樣定義Simulation
"The identical copy for which no original ever existed."
Warhol的金寶湯弔詭之處在於
他是對著相片, 而不是罐頭實物來畫

同樣地
我們亦從Modernist Society
Marx所說的Alienation
或另一極, Durkheim的Anomie
過渡至Postmodern Society
Jameson的Fragmentation

人們彷彿失去了真摰的情感
就如畫中那些瑪麗蓮夢露一樣

被襲
Solanas Valerie是一人女性組織SCUM的創辦人
(SCUM = Society for Cutting Up Man)
她於1968年6月3日向Andy Warhol連開三槍
最後Warhol大難不死
而Valerie亦向警方自首
並表示行兇動機是
女性應以武力重拾合理的社會地位
Vivian Gornick於71年評論道
'Solanas understands full well that the enemy is not relly men, but women
against themselves; she understands that the revolution will not occur until
women simply refuse to play their customary roles, and against this
understanding she constructs a revoluntary female whom she calls the
SCUM femal, the female who will lead the struggle.'

身後
Reuters於5月22日有一篇報道
將Warhol和Memorabilia兩字
合併為Warholabilia作標題
介紹即將在6月於紐約舉行的拍賣會
據稱他用過的畫筆、滿佈油彩的鞋子
隨時須一千美元才有交易
他為名人朋友用寶麗萊即影即有相機拍的照片
如有拳王阿里親筆簽名的
更可賣得六千到九千美元

有比能夠橫跨媒界地
被引用和報道更光榮的事嗎?
如果留芳百世是可能的話
Andy Warhol肯定是其中一人

Boy Scout, Imperialism & Racism

2007-01-20T05:21:00.000Z

Thursday, May 25, 2006
Baden-Powell是童軍之父, 很多人知道
他最初為何創立Boy Scout, Enloe有以下的說法

大英帝國在二十世紀初因各種原因而衰退
Banden-Powell跟其他帝國主義者認為
Sportmanship以及Respect for repectable women
乃其成功的基石

Banden-Powell成立Boy Scout
首要的目標
是重新提昇白人男孩的自制力
還用了以下一幅圖來闡釋他的想法

男孩要模仿的正是左面
那雄糾糾而專注的白人
白人比黑人高一等的地方
在於他懂得
對抗牙患、昂首闊步
姿勢正確地揹背包
也在於他懂得
尊重女性
尤其是母親和"The Right Girl"

至於怎樣找"The Right Girl"
最簡單直接的方法
就是跟Girl Guide結婚...

殖民主義學者認為
推崇尊重女性這概念
有助說服殖民者及本土居民相信
殖民佔領是正確和合理的做法

後現代主義者相信
世上只有對事物的詮釋, 並無客觀真相
Boy Scout起源這一套說法
在我看來
相當有說服力

The McDonaldization of Society

2007-01-20T05:20:00.001Z

However, a time might come when most systems are so highly McDonaldized that a large market emerges among those who crave a respite from McDonaldization. A chain of inefficient, labour-intensive outlets offering unpredictable goods and services might be able to carve out a niche for itself under such circumstances. However, if such a chain were successful, it would quickly come under pressure to McDonaldize. The PARADOXICAL challenge would be to MCDONALDIZE things such as INEFFICIENCY and UNPREDICTABILITY.

-George Ritzer

Cuisine is not just a way of cooking; IT IS A WAY OF LIFE. Food is much more than the answer to hunger. Food triggers MOODS and MEMORIES, reveal needs and desires, RELEASES TENSIONS and stimulates creativity.

-Newletter of Marvelous Market

林憶蓮

2007-01-20T05:18:00.002Z

Tuesday, April 26, 2006
四月二十六日
林憶蓮終於四十歲了...

其實也難怪我說"終於"
除了第一張專輯的
愛情I Don't Know和搖擺口紅等比較少女
她的歌一直是與年紀不符地成熟
這是林振強和周禮茂填詞的功力吧
芝加哥的故事、瘋了、傾斜、哭
還有最狠最狠的沒結果...

中學時好像只上過一堂教唱歌的音樂堂
那時候Ms Poon說了這樣的一句
想像聲音在你口裡轉了一個圈才出來
聽Sandy唱歌就會明白那是甚麼一回事
Incomplete是很不錯的示範

人們喜歡將Sandy, Shirley和Sally三個S互作比較
有說Sandy的歌聲很溫暖而Shirley的則很冷峻
很奇怪的是當年是Sally最受歡迎
把另外兩人均比了下來
在我看來, 秋來秋去和祝福
甚至瀟灑走一會無疑是好聽
但就少了一種跨越時代的吸引力
而今天聽赤裸的祕密和戀一世的愛
始終沒有半點落伍感
論這陣子演唱會/出碟等的話題性
林和關亦勝回漂亮的一仗
Chet說流行歌要付出流行的代價
但就是有朝一日這些歌都不再流行
我們還是會去聽, 甚至唱的

不算很清楚Sandy的事
只知灰色、杜麗莎、李宗盛這些
最基本的人和事
但如果早五、六年出世
相信我會像梁祖祖一樣瘋狂

Vatican and Aids

2007-01-20T05:18:00.001Z

Saturday, April 22, 2006
意大利的Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini說避孕套跟愛滋病比較
尤其對於已婚夫婦, 是一個"Lesser Evil"
這某程度上等於對梵蒂岡的否定
後者拒絕回應
愛滋肆虐, 教廷建議的解決方法是禁慾
對他們來說, 人的婚姻彷彿完全為了生兒育女
其實很想知道不育的夫婦是否屬次一等
就像其他一切Non-productive的relationships
再不與時並進, 只會發展成教條主義
只懂空呼反避孕、反墮胎、反安樂死和反幹細胞科技
不過是你有你厲聲反對, 我有我繼續發展

人‧心

2007-01-20T05:16:00.000Z

Tuesday, April 18, 2006
不相信人是專一的動物

有些人嗜好很多
聽歌、看書、彈琴、長跑，全部喜歡
有些人只愛音樂
而聽Janis Ian之餘，也聽Joni Mitchell、Massive Attack和John Mayer
他會說自己最喜歡Janis Ian
但不會說自己只喜歡Janis Ian
今天我最喜歡林海盛
但汶女和盧凱珠明年也有可能超越他
憑甚麼說絕對不會？

八十年代，譚張兩人的歌迷勢不兩立
事實上
譚詠麟很懂得運氣唱歌
張國榮則是聲色藝俱全
除了是意氣之爭
他們心底是否也有害怕承認「敵方」的自我抗拒？

如果人不可以一心一意
為何我們相信一夫一妻
阿當只可以配夏娃？
是的，這只是一個人為制度
通過無形的法律和道德捆綁
令你相信這就是「惟一」
再次套用Sociology的概念
承認與否，一切都是Socially Constructed的
直至現在
印尼一些母系社會部落仍奉行一妻多夫制
Polygamy，從古到今均是屢見不鮮

故此，請不要自我陶醉於永遠專一這假大空的承諾

Transsexual

2007-01-20T05:14:00.000Z

Wednesday, March 22, 2006
汽水樽裡的咖啡說的其實是Transsexual的故事
事實上不一定要經過手術的才能被界定為此類別
"男人的粗獷身體　裝了女人心"
就是對Transsexual很標準的一個闡釋

他們在Sex跟Gender的分裂再明顯不過
Anatomically, 他是一個男生
Psychologically, 他相信自己是女生
類似的另一個概念Transvestite
則是表裡如一
很病態嗎? 精神科醫生束手無策
很顛覆嗎? 他們比你更遵守Gender Norm
研究指Transsexual在Level of Femininity的得分
比真正的女性還要高
Transsexual會因應社會的客觀標準
來調節自己的行為
"I would definitely teach my kids that
boys should be boys
and girls should be girls" (Raymond 1979:78)
引文隱含的意思在這情況下似乎甚是諷刺

他們唯一危害的是整個社會的Power/Status Hierarchy
仍是某程度上男權至上的父系社會
竟有人肯放棄"特權"性別
不禁令人質疑現有Hierarchy存在的合理性
一直在說Male to Female Transsexual
而不是相反方向
原因在於前者的數量遠超後者
這現象在Homosexuality中也有出現

以西方的社會標準來看
好些地方的習俗絕對匪夷所思
在非洲, 很多部族有Female Husband這概念
在北美土著社會, 父母會因應子女的行為決定他的Gender
例子還有很多很多
須明白Gender從來都是Socially Constructed

Transsexual亦是受盡歧視的一群
歐美部份的Gay/Lesbian視Transsexuality為躲在衣櫃裡的藉口
但相對出櫃, 變性帶來的壓力看似更大
而女性則拿她們當偽女人, 因其欠缺天賦的Procreative Ability
其中一個變性人反駁道
"...All you will have left is your "ability" to bear children,
and in a world which groan to feed 6 billion by the year 2000,
that's a negative asset." (Raymibd 1979:vii)
Negative Asset一詞確是很妙

很有興趣看Felicity"女扮男變女"的Transamerica

P.S. 另不得不佩服其中一個Case的道德勇氣
從男變女後, 所選擇過的是Lesbian生活...

Your City

2007-01-20T05:12:00.001Z

Monday, February 20, 2006
Flanagan has pointed out that 'each of us lives in our city'. Each person has a personal map of the city, where the areas that they know and use are highlighted. Two people who say they live in the same city may have very different personal maps and, therefore, live in two quite different cities. As Flangann also points out, the fact that we each have a personal map also means that much of the physical city will be unknown to us and a 'world of strangers' (1993:39-40)
Fulscher & Scott, 2005, Sociology Sec ed. New York: Oxford University Press

愛麗絲

2007-01-20T05:10:00.000Z

Tuesday, February 14, 2006
我好像從小就有點怪誕的興趣, 大概早了五十年喜歡種花、養魚和養雀...
第一棵種的植物是已忘了在哪購買的仙人掌. 我媽常說漂亮的仙人掌花都是假的, 於是這一棵的花是開在枝頭的紅色"碩大球狀體"... (中文不好, 請見諒)

應該很多人也試過看完ETV立刻剪下紫羅蘭的葉子, 放在益力多樽內待它生根後移到新盆子栽種...(...我從來沒有種活過任何紫羅蘭...)除此之外, 甚麼接枝、分插, 再科學的方法我也"玩"過, 然後大多失敗而終...談及種花真的很多白痴回憶, 我試過將新年的菊花插在盆中, 期望種活它; 試過剪去所有窗台的枯葉放在一個盆中"造"腐殖質; 試過充富豪, 用五十元加抽籤投來一盆人人讚好的石竹; 試過吃完蘋果在益力多樽種出小小的蘋果'樹'. 最經典的要數到將報紙看到的冷知識加以"引申", 用過期朱古力奶淋花~

除了偶爾弄得滿屋都是泥, 我媽大抵不太反對我種花. 還小的時候我們和契媽時會到花墟逛逛. 有趣的是我喜歡盆栽, 她們喜歡鮮花. 於是每次我都要拉著裹足不前的她們往前衝, 到繽紛園藝門前才停下來. 這些年來買的鬱金香和愛麗斯頭,最終都開不了花. 當時哪有想過天氣的影響會這樣大!?

今天終於等到愛麗斯開花了,復活節遊荷蘭鬱金香園也不再是遙不可及的事. 但原來就像不再只售盆栽的繽紛園藝一樣, 自己也轉變了. 當距離目標/目的地如此近時, 似乎未有想像中的興奮...

Tony Parsons寫過一對意思大概如下的句子:
When you have something, you don't want it anymore.
The flip side is, when you don't have something, you want it for a lifetime.

林一峰

2007-01-20T05:06:00.000Z

Saturday, January 14, 2006

聽過的歌不太多, 老實說不是太懂分辨歌手唱功的高下
但喜歡就是喜歡, 當中包含了多少非理性元素, 是無法估量的

我所聽第一首林一峰的歌, 是從Vincent ICQ Info看到的雪糕車.
旋律簡單的敘事式歌曲, 跟家姐一起聽了數遍
可接著的鞦韆倒不太欣賞
問題只在於"那年我們十五歲, 嚷著要到公園去"這兩句
那時候覺得有點刺耳...

會考時完全沒有聽歌
而亦沒有聽收音機的習慣
就這樣微涼、上帝笑了這些歌
我很後期才有機會接觸到

真正開始喜歡他是在催淚的馴情記
沒料神鵰那幕竟是一個伏筆
屋村阿文重遇阿風的時候
窩心得讓我掉了幾滴眼淚
看的時候又是一個失眠的清晨

然後在銅鑼灣第一次見到他
接著有Traveling Live、抱抱、叱吒...
看了很多次的表演
有人說他唱現場的表現不太穩定
但如果不是聽Live, 其實總有點點若有所失的感覺
許是因為歌曲背後的故事
認錯, 是搭巴士出九龍所買第一張CD的歌
今天應該更高興, 是失戀後在聖誕公開唱的一首歌
我和我的影子, 是我臨考HKS前聽的歌 (笑...)

中七買了Creative的MP3機, 好一段時間
我所聽的歌離不開一峰、Pong Nan或Sandy
那數百首歌重複了一次又一次
"On My Way、By My Side、Somewhere Over the Rainbow..."
聽完了一首腦中自然會浮起接著那首的Intro
沒有試過因為聽古城上下集而留淚
但可以聽得出他將自己的感情赤裸裸的寫了出來
有人說《Travelogue 1》是很明顯地要唱給一個人聽的
而《Travelogue, too》是自己講給自己聽的說話
無論如何, 他的歌就是比別人的多了一種實感
經歷過自會有共鳴

後來有機會讀到他寫的專欄、三本交換日記和兩本個人文集 -
"沒有寄出的情書、給SATC四主角的信、鋼琴後的人、Bert & Ernie..."
不敢說他的文筆十分好, 但他看事物的眼光絕對是開闊但細膩的
總令我覺得錯過了很多很多
他每年花時間去旅行整理情緒, 看看新事物的"決心", 令人羨慕
他對音樂及愛情的那種"嚮往"及"堅持", 令我啞掉了嘴
我不會每月花過千元買CD, 然後每三日將架子執拾整理一次
我不會為了一個人港美兩邊跑, 停學一年去台灣唱歌而後毅然離開、放棄一切
卻說,他做得到/有而我不敢/可能做/沒有的可多了
語文、識見、茜利妹和少爺占、專注、信念、勇氣......
還是不一一臚列, 很多就是了
看他的文章, 見到的是一個更立體而有深度的林一峰

喜歡的還有Forum上介紹極光、為戀人絮語譜新詞和熱愛長跑的朋友
及因種種機緣而認識/深交的Cat、 MiuMiu、 Chloe、小白及Olga
我想沒多少網絡上的地方/人能給別人帶來一份暖意
那裡沒有"Old news is so exciting. jpg"
只有中學生分享老師如何分析應該拍下照片的修辭手法
和小學老師訴說在音樂堂教學生唱歌的喜悅

"變你會說昨日更好
不變又會
被盲目說不進步"

無論將來是變或是不變
《遊樂》和《一個人在途上》
意義和實質上都會是無可取代

Golden Arches East: McDonald's in East Asia

2007-01-20T05:03:00.000Z

Saturday, November 26, 2005

It's always good to read books on how the occidental see Hong Kong, as in Tony Parsons's depiction in "Big Mouth Strikes Again" and "One For My Baby". "McDonald's in Hong Kong" is the only article on Globalization I find amusing. "McDonald's" and "Hong Kong" clearly have sparked off synergy between them.

At large, there is not much distortion of the picture.
Only sporadic lines are imprecise, like
'"If you buy an apple from a hawker and he smiles at you", my Cantonese tutor once told me, "you know you're being cheated."'
'"It is embarassing, I was told by an 11-year-old acquaintance, to be seen at McDonald's with a grandfather who does not know how to eat "properly".'

There are, on the other hand, subtle insights into the McDonald's culture in HK:
'The reason is simple: napkins placed in public dispensers disappear faster than they can be replaced.'
'Without guidance, older people are likely to disassemble the Big Mac, layer by layer, and eat only those parts that appeal to him.'
'Children make ideal hoverers and learn to scot through packed restaurans, zeroing in through diners who are about to finish. It is one of the wonders of comparative ethnography to witness the speed with which HK children perform this reconnaissance duty.'

Sometime in our lives, we all regarded going to McDonald's as a treat and were mad about Uncle McDonald figures/toys. Yet going to the McDonad's has already turned into somewhat a suffering, at least for me and my perception of Mak Dong Lo Suk-Suk's being a villain can't be any stronger.

What interested me most, sadly, was not what I was reading for...