We all know that, in
general, Asian values are more paternalistic (reference: Confucian teachings)
whereas Western values are less hierarchical (reference: John Stuart Mill).
“To use a metaphor,
I’m a mother too, I have two sons,” she said. “If I let him have his way every
time my son acted like that, such as when he didn’t want to study, things might
be OK between us in the short term.
“But if I indulge his
wayward behaviour, he might regret it when he grows up. He will then ask me:
‘Mum, why didn’t you call me up on that back then?’”
— Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, CE, HK
This is why the
majority of Hongkongers do not respect Carrie Lam. Lam treats Hongkongers, to
use her own metaphor literally, as though she is the authority figure who
must be obeyed by the lesser experienced, lesser educated and lesser evolved
citizens. Lam does not respect other people’s views, especially those who are
beneath her. The only individuals who Lam will listen to are those who are
hierarchically above her (ie, the head of the China Liaison Office in HK and
obviously China’s supreme leader Xi Jinping who can stay on as supreme leader of China
indefinitely.
Hong Kong does not
have a strong independent leader ... but most Hongkongers know this anyway because China chooses who becomes the chief executive of Hong Kong, which means the chief executive of Hong Kong always knows her/his place within the paternalistic hierarchy of China.
I randomly came across this video of someone giving a lecture in English to 5-6 year old Chinese children in Hong Kong about the sharks fin industry.
At one point, Bertha Lo of the Hong Kong Shark Foundation told the audience that "26 million to 76 million sharks are killed [every year]" (1:08 on the video). Yes, this is a shocking number ... but what is more shocking is that these numbers have absolutely no impact or meaning to a group of 5-6 years olds !!!
I think the kids would rather see some real sharks or at least some videos of sharks swimming in their natural habitat. Providing children (at this young age) with the beauty of these animals is probably much more effective in getting them to first appreciate the wonders of our natural world. When it comes to giving them the "real and dirty facts" about the sharks fin trade (and other gruesome facts), perhaps this should be given to children of slightly older grades?
For those who may not know, Mike Rowse (also known as "Mickey Mouse") from Hong Kong is a retired civil servant from the British colonial era, who probably objectifies women like any old fashioned British gentleman does.
The SCMP takes very seriously our
role as a forum for meaningful discourse in society. We welcome diverse
views and never shy away from controversial issues. However, we will not
be a platform that perpetuates the objectification of women, nor the
demeaning of any group in society.
In this case, our online posting of the
column “How Hong Kong women manage to dress so well in cold climes”
represented a serious lapse in judgement. We realised shortly after
posting the column online that it did not meet our high standards. We
removed the article from our website and deleted the relevant Facebook
post and tweet as soon as was practicable. We also removed it from the
list of articles to be published in the next morning’s print edition.
We did so not because the article was
controversial, but rather because it goes against the SCMP’s editorial
and company values. We have notified the author of our decision and
stand by it.
We take full responsibility for this
mistake and apologise to our readers for not living up to the standards
that they deserve from us.
The most high-profile corruption trial in HKSAR's history, which opened in June 2014, has found Rafael Hui Si-yan (former Chief Secretary of Hong Kong), Thomas Kwok Ping-kwong (co-chairman at Sun Hung Kai Properties), Thomas Chan Kui-yuen (aide and executive director at Sun Hung Kai Properties) and Francis Kwan Hung-sang (ex-stock exchange official) guilty.
Youngest brother Raymond Kwok Ping-luen (pictured centre), was acquitted of all his four charges. He said: "I have conflicting emotions," and thanked his wife, mother, children and God.
Oldest brother Walter Kwok Ping-sheung said he was "very glad" to see Raymond cleared but was "deeply sorrowful" that Thomas was convicted. "The issue raised lots of arguments and rumours. What is right and what is wrong, I think God will have his say on the matter".
Why? What has God got to with it? There is no doubt that religious and corrupt individuals are clearly deluded in believing that they are somehow special and that there is a supernatural being that looks after them.
Based on this, Thomas Kwok must be thinking his God loves him the most because first, he has a face that looks like a clown, and second he is the one convicted while his brothers have escaped prison.
Rafael Hui looks like a hamster and Thomas Kwok looks like a clown. God dealt them this hand and God has all the answers, apparently.
The
long trial ends in shame for former chief secretary Rafael Hui (right)
as he is taken away in a prison van following the verdict. Photo: AP
Hong
Kong's former No 2 official Rafael Hui Si-yan and property tycoon
Thomas Kwok Ping-kwong spent their first night behind bars after they
were convicted of corruption yesterday in a marathon trial that gave a
rare glimpse into collusion between the political elite and big
business.
Kwok's younger brother, Raymond Kwok Ping-luen, was acquitted of all
his four charges. He now takes sole charge of Sun Hung Kai Properties,
the city's biggest property developer by market value, as its chairman.
Red-eyed and weary, the 61-year-old walked free from the High Court alone as two other co-accused were also found guilty.
"I have conflicting emotions," he told the media circus waiting
outside court. Thanking his wife, mother, children and God, he added:
"On the one hand, I'm happy … I've been proven innocent after these two
years of struggles. On the other, I'm very unhappy because Thomas Kwok
and Thomas Chan … are convicted. We will continue to support [them and
their] families."
Thomas Kwok, 63, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit
misconduct in public office. The brothers' top aide Thomas Chan
Kui-yuen, 68, was found guilty of two counts - a fate shared by ex-stock
exchange official Francis Kwan Hung-sang, 64.
Last night, SHKP said Thomas Kwok and Chan would appeal against their
convictions. Both resigned from the property giant after the verdicts.
The man at the centre of the storm, Hui, was convicted of five out of
eight charges, making him the highest-ranking official in Hong Kong's
history to be convicted of taking bribes.
The case marked the dramatic fall of a man who was once the most
influential and decorated star in local politics. Failing to escape the
long arm of the law, a fragile Hui, 66, nodded blankly in the dock
yesterday as the jury delivered its verdicts at 2.45pm.
Chan, who sat behind Hui, turned red in the face, while Raymond Kwok
laid a hand on the shoulder of his elder brother. As he prepared to
leave the dock, Raymond paused to speak to the court guards, as if to
confirm he really could go.
All four criminals were taken away by Correctional Services
Department officers. They may be sentenced as soon as Monday when Mr
Justice Andrew Macrae hears mitigation pleas. By last night, Hui and
Kwan had yet to decide if they would appeal. Macrae ordered a doubling of fees for the nine jurors to HK$820 a
day, meaning each could claim about HK$100,000 for their work on the
case. He exempted all nine from jury service for five years, thanking
them for showing "why retention of the jury system is so important in
the city". The case, lasting 131 days, was a close fight to the end. The jurors
alone took five days and four nights to make up their minds, and had to
seek directions from the judge once. And although four of the five were
convicted, only 10 out of the 19 verdicts were in favour of the
prosecution.
"[Thomas Kwok] considers the verdict very strange," his lawyer
Lawrence Lok SC said outside the court. "Why were some defence arguments
accepted but not others, when they were part of the same thing?"
Of Hui's five convictions, three counts were about misconduct in
public office. He concealed from his public-sector employers financial
benefits totalling HK$16.582 million.
Thomas Kwok was convicted of paying Hui HK$8.5 million, via middlemen
Chan and Kwan, days before the latter became chief secretary in 2005.
All four were found guilty of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public
office in a 7-2 jury decision. But the Kwoks were cleared of involvement
in HK$11.182 million in bribes for which the other defendants were
found guilty.
The billionaire brothers and Hui were cleared of paying HK$5 million and HK$4.125 million in bribes in 2005.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption said it would continue
to exercise the law "regardless of the background, status and position
of the persons involved". SHKP and two listed subsidiaries, Smartone and
Sunevision, were suspended from trading at 2.45pm.
Additional reporting by Enoch Yiu, Julie Chu and Thomas Chan
The Equal Opportunities Commission has disciplined an employee for damaging the credibility of the organization. Josiah Chok Kin-ming has clearly been indoctrinated by his faith and can no longer be trusted to think and act critically. There are religious-based names and then there are religious-based names (for instance this Josiah and this Moses appear to be really religious).
Josiah Chok (inset) was stripped of his role in a review of the laws while Equal
Opportunities Commission head Dr York Chow said the public consultation
on reform of the laws will not be affected. Photos: David Wong, EOC
Official was stripped of role in anti-discrimination review after helping church group oppose reform of laws PUBLISHED : Friday, 29 August, 2014, 2:58pm
Jennifer Ngo jennifer.ngo@scmp.com
A top official at the equality watchdog who helped members of his church to oppose reform of anti-discrimination laws has damaged the credibility of the body, its chairman said.
Josiah Chok Kin-ming was stripped of his role in a review of the laws after it was reported that he organised members of his church to make submissions to the consultation to counter those by gay-rights supporters.
The consultation is being conducted by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).
“The credibility of the EOC will more or less be affected,” said its chairperson Dr York Chow Yat-ngok on Friday.
Chok has not been fired and an internal EOC investigation is ongoing.
“[Chok’s] responsibility was to explain and answer questions at consultation sessions and not to analyse collected suggestions. Other colleagues have taken over his work,” said Chow.
The public consultation will not be affected, he said. EOC officials should refrain from actions which are against the commission’s principles and might adversely affect public perception of the watchdog, Chow added.
Earlier this week Apple Daily revealed that Chok had spoken at a church forum and handed out sample letters of opposition to reform.
The reports left gay rights groups outraged, and one called on Chok to quit.
The EOC last month launched a three-month consultation on proposals to outlaw discrimination on the grounds of marital and residency status.
It did not include legislation against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation – subject to a separate study in which Chok is not involved – though gay rights groups had made submissions in support of some of the proposals.
Chok reportedly told churchgoers that the draft laws discriminated against church groups. He later told reporters his comments were his own opinion and did not conflict with his role at the EOC.
Commission convenor Dr John Tse Wing-ling said Chok’s behaviour was “inappropriate” and that there was an obvious conflict of interest.
“A top official’s job is to collect public opinion, not to create and to organise opinions,” Tse said.
Lawmaker Cyd Ho Sau-lan said she would raise the matter at the Legislative Council’s constitutional affairs committee.
What rotten luck! Hong Kong's hard, huge, heavy hailstones missed their target ... feng shui master Mak Ling-ling. Ms Ling-ling (pic here) spouted verbal diarrhoea by saying the bad weather is a warning sign of an upcoming and unstable economic or political environment.
"Hong Kong has seen
hail many times in history. But hailstorms in large areas, including
Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong are rare. It could be a
case of people's complaints not being heard," she said.
Had the hailstones hit their mark, they might have knocked some sense in to Ling-ling ... and/or knocked the $h!t out of her!
Hailstones the size of golf balls battered several areas of Hong Kong last night causing extensive damage and forcing the Hong Kong Observatory to hoist the first black storm warning of the year.
Though this was lowered after two hours, the damage was heavy with torrents of rain cascading through shattered window panes at the glitzy Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong.
Elsewhere, more than 20 containers collapsed at Kwai Chung terminal, scores of trees were uprooted and there was extensive flooding in several areas, especially the northwest New Territories where farmers said crops were ruined.
The amber rainstorm warning was raised at 7.45pm before intensifying to red at 8.15pm. Shortly after 8.30pm the black signal was raised together with a warning that rainfall in excess of 100mm an hour was expected in several areas.
By 8pm, Yuen Long, Tuen Mun and Wong Tai Sin all reported heavy rain and flooding. Hail hit Wong Tai Sin, Yuen Long, Tsing Yi, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun, Kowloon Tong and North District.
At Tsz Wan Shan the hailstorm lasted for more than five minutes. At Sham Tseng, Lok Fu and San Po Kong the hailstones measured about 3cm across.
Flooding was also reported in Wong Tai Sin and Kowloon Tong MTR stations forcing commuters to roll up their trousers or pick up their skirts.
Train service was also temporarily disrupted due to heavy rains affecting services at Kowloon Tong MTR station. Trains ran at 12-minute intervals between Hung Hom and Tai Wai at one poi nt, and at eight-minute intervals between Tai Wai and Lo Wu.
Curtains of rain poured through the glass ceiling of the seven-story Festival Walk as staff fought to block the water from entering their shops and restaurants.
Workers were later kept busy mopping up with shoppers taking pictures.
More than 130 flights were either diverted or postponed at Hong Kong International Airport. The Education Bureau asked schools and tuition centers not to release students until it was safe.
Though the black signal was lowered at 10.30pm the observatory said the thunderstorm warning would remain in force for several hours. The downpour was blamed on a trough of low pressure that brought thunderstorms, hail and heavy rain to the coastal areas of Guangdong. In addition, a fresh to strong easterly airstream is affecting the coast of southeastern China.
The observatory said the skies will remain cloudy today with rain which will be heavy at times with squally thunderstorms. Temperatures will range between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius with the weather remaining unsettled for a few days.
Feng shui consultant Mak Ling-ling said hail in large areas generally means a warning of an upcoming bad economic or unstable political environment.
"Hong Kong has seen hail many times in history. But hailstorms in large areas, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong are rare," she said. "It could be a case of people's complaints not being heard."
Fung Shui "master" Tony Chan, who changed his English name to Peter Chan following his "enlightenment" with Jesus, was sentenced to twelve years on Independence Day (oh, what irony!) for forging the will of Nina Wang Kung Yu-sum, the late chairwoman of Chinachem and Asia's richest woman.
Take a look at the last line of the story (below), where journalist Patsy Moy's playful pun using "real heir" got left in. Sweet!
Has anyone ever noticed that dodgy hairdos appear to be a common theme amongst conmen …?
Speaking of which, take a look at this excellent music video along the same lines as evangelical con artists. It speaks volumes.
NINA WANG SAGA Peter Chan Chun-chuen, who used to go by Tony Chan, is a Hong
Kong-born businessman and former fung shui practitioner born in December
1959. In 2013, Chan went on trial accused of forging the will of Nina
Wang Kung Yu-sum, the late chairwoman of Chinachem and Asia's richest
woman. Chan denied the charges, but was found guilty in the Court of
First Instance on July 4, 2013.
Conman Peter Chan 'joyful' in prison after 'Holy Spirit spoke to him' (SCMP; paywall)
Will forger who has just started 12-year stretch said to be 'joyful' in his lucky cell No 7 and is happy with what God has in store for him Friday, 19 July, 2013, 10:28am
Patsy Moy patsy.moy@scmp.com
Prophecies, mystical numbers and holy voices have left jailed feng shui conman Peter Chan Chun-chuen "joyful" after his first two weeks behind bars - and he has already started writing a book, according to one of his visitors.
Chan, who recently renounced geomancy for Christianity, was not desperate to get out; rather the man jailed for 12 years for forging the will of the late billionaire Nina Wang Kung Yu-sum believes his fate is in God's hands. But he has filed an appeal. Peter said he was completely satisfied with what God has arranged … and he has no immediate desire to leave Stanley
The friend who went to see him in Stanley Prison spoke to the South China Morning Post on condition of anonymity. "Peter said he was completely satisfied with what God has arranged … and he has no immediate desire to leave Stanley," his visitor said.
The friend described Chan, 53, as "joyful" after meeting many Christians in the prison who had prayed for him and comforted him, and he had not been ill-treated by other inmates. This is contrary to earlier reports that Chan was depressed and feared violence from other inmates.
According to the friend, Chan said he had been told in February by a prophet from India that God would prepare something "unusual" for him in July. Chan was sentenced to 12 years in jail on July 5 for forging a will he claimed was Wang's.
The friend described how the prophet was said to have stressed the importance of the number seven.
"Chan said that when he arrived at his cell, it was July 7 and 7pm. And the cell number? Seven.
"He told me that when he first stepped into the cell it was very dark and the light was not on. But inside it seemed very bright and a voice told him the No 7 cell would be his study to equip and prepare himself. "Peter told me he was very touched at that moment," the friend said.
Yesterday, the Correctional Services Department refused to disclose the number of Chan's cell, nor is it known on what day he was assigned to it.
Chan had another religious experience on his way to the prison, according to the friend.
"Peter recalled that when he was inside the prison van, the Holy Spirit had spoken to him to remind him to keep peace of mind," he said.
"The Holy Spirit told him that nothing was beyond his ability to shoulder and God had arranged a guiding angel to walk the path with him."
With leave to appeal yet to be granted, Chan told his friend he had started writing a book and planned to spend his time in prison studying theology, philosophy and English.
Chan, who picked up fung shui from a book, was once worth HK$2.7 billion after becoming Wang's fung shui guru and, the court heard, her lover.
Chan said Wang regularly gave him cash payments of between HK$300,000 and HK$1 million, boosted considerably by three mammoth payments of HK$688 million each.
Now he earns HK$70 a month gluing envelopes. His friend said he would get his first wage in the middle of next month and planned to spend the money on stamps so he could write to people, including his friends from the church.
The forged will made Chan - who was known as Tony before he became a Christian - sole beneficiary of Wang's HK$83 billion estate. But in a drawn-out legal case, Wang's Chinachem Charitable Foundation was ruled the real heir.
"The biggest headache regarding traditional Chinese medicine is that its effectiveness often cannot be explained. The curing process can be so sophisticated it may not be simply explained scientifically, physically or chemically."
Claims Dr Dong Xieliang, president of the Xian Xietong Hospital in Shaanxi.
Dr Dong and other idiots-in-prominent-positions who blindly champion traditional Chinese medicine cannot get their brains to work critically. They do not know what evidence-based medicine means.
It is useless to tell them that the placebo effect is one such simple explanation.
China health officials' TCM advice in flu fight draws fire (SCMP; paywall)
Recommended remedies from some mainland officials will do little to stop spread of bird flu Friday, 05 April, 2013 [Updated: 05:16]
Stephen Chen and Lo Wei
A doctor collects blood from a chicken yesterday during a test for bird flu in a market in the Shanghai suburbs. Photo: Simon Song
Mainland health officials have been criticised by some doctors for suggesting traditional Chinese medicine and other alternative treatments to help ward off bird flu as the months-long process of creating a new vaccine gets under way.
Gansu's health commission, for instance, encouraged residents to go outdoors, preferably into wooded areas, for fresh air and sunshine. Listening to music was also deemed an effective way to keep the H7N9 virus at bay.
Massaging the side of one's nose was also said to help, as was exposing parts of one's legs and stomach to incense once a day.
Health authorities in the eastern province of Jiangsu suggested a long list of herbal drinks, including the popular ban lan gen, a type of root that is often taken to fight the flu and was prescribed during the Sars outbreak a decade ago.
Dr Fang Shimin , biologist and a popular science writer on the mainland, was among those who questioned the clinical effectiveness of these methods.
In his microblog on Sohu .com he reminded people that Gansu health authorities have promoted the eating of pig's feet as an effective treatment for various diseases, including Aids and cancer.
"The traditional Chinese medicine industry is trying to cash in," he wrote.
Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, who teaches respiratory medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said there was no scientific evidence to show that ban lan gen is effective at preventing influenza.
David Fong Wang-fun, a retired professor of Chinese medicine at Hong Kong's Baptist University, said Chinese medical theories have long shown that ban lan gen functions as a health supplement, but it is not for emergency treatment.
Traditional Chinese medicine, even when effective, is sometimes greeted with scepticism because much of its purported benefits are not backed by the kind of laboratory evidence for its Western counterparts.
"The biggest headache regarding traditional Chinese medicine is that its effectiveness often cannot be explained," said Dr Dong Xieliang, president of the Xian Xietong Hospital in Shaanxi . "The curing process can be so sophisticated it may not be simply explained scientifically, physically or chemically."
Dong said mainland doctors found several herbal therapies helpful in relieving patients' ailments during the fight against Sars and other flu outbreaks over the past decade.
However, a challenge has been that every herb has a side effect, and prescriptions are often very sophisticated, with more than a dozen herbs needed for maximum effectiveness.
Dong expressed concern that some misleading therapies proposed to fight the new bird flu could further damage the reputation of traditional Chinese medicine on the mainland. "Some advice is obviously wrong, such as going outdoors and eating certain kinds of food or herbs," he said. "Effective treatment should be much more sophisticated."
DOS AND DOUBTS
Preventive measures advocated by health organisations in China and elsewhere
National Health and Family Planning Commission
- Avoid eating raw or half-cooked eggs and birds. - Beijing Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and Centre for Preventive Medical Research - Avoid contact with dead animals and wash hands frequently.
Jiangsu Health Bureau
- Consume Chinese medicines ban lan gen (woad root) in granules and radix astragali oral liquid. - Guangxi Centre for Disease Prevention and Control - Avoid consumption of raw chicken and cook animal foodstuffs thoroughly.
Gansu Health Bureau
- Massage facial acupuncture points and consume traditional Chinese medicine.
Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection
- Cover the nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing, hold the spit with tissue and put it into covered dustbins.
World Heath Organisation
- Cook food so that it reaches 70°C in all parts (with no pink parts).
We've seen Bogus Buddhists and Plagiarizing Priests being outed. Now let's see if that Criminal ex-head of the Catholic Church will be charged. Pope Benedict XVI says he will stay in the shadows within the Vatican, which means this is his way of avoiding any legal proceedings aimed at him.
Reference
Priests' plagiarism sees exodus from Anglican church (SCMP; paywall)
Some 17 families have left the Anglican diocese after St John's Cathedral confirms claim that priests are still using online sermons dishonestly Sunday, 24 February, 2013, 12:00am
Lana Lam lana.lam@scmp.com
St John's Cathedral appears to be fighting a losing battle against plagiarising priests - a practise that has already led 17 families of believers to leave the Anglican church.
A former parishioner at the Emmanuel Church in Pok Fu Lam, a St John's affiliate, said four priests were guilty of using sermons from the internet and preaching them as if they were their own.
He said they had been doing so for 18 months.
The Very Reverend Matthias Der, the new dean of the cathedral, confirmed that some priests had persisted with their plagiarism despite his warnings against the practice at his first meeting with them in September.
"There is still bad practice in some of the priests," Der said on Friday, without confirming the number of clergy involved.
"I told my clergy that any kind of use of outside sources needs to be attributed," Der said of the September meeting.
"I understand that when we do research, we will look at other people's writing, but if we are using direct quotes then we need to attribute them. Plagiarism is not acceptable."
Several priests are still failing to cite their sources. Der said: "When I learned of this a few weeks ago, I [again] made it clear to my colleagues that it was not acceptable."
The former parishioner, who had attended Emmanuel Church for almost a decade, said he left recently because of the dishonesty of the priests and the inaction of the church.
"It is very disappointing to see the extent of plagiarised sermons published on the websites of St John's Cathedral and Emmanuel Church, even though this was brought to the cathedral's attention 18 months ago," he said.
The church keeps an online audio archive of its sermons. It shows a number of priests have included direct quotes from sermons or church newsletters found online with no attribution of the original source.
The Sunday Morning Post contacted some of the priests accused of plagiarism, but they refused to comment.
Two of them told the Post to speak to the dean, while another denied the allegation.
Der said the priests accused of plagiarism "all have different reasons" for their actions.
He said he was surprised when he realised what was happening.
"I had heard of [plagiarism by priests] before, but I had never met anyone who had done it," he said.
Der said plagiarism called into question a person's honesty.
"If we borrow, we need to attribute and that is the part they didn't do," he said. "It's an unfortunate issue and it's not something I condone or support."
Der said he always advised his clergy to prepare original sermons.
"While we research and look at other sources, the sermons we deliver are meant to be from our own preparations," he said.
Referring to the departure of the 17 families because of the ongoing plagiarism by priests of the church, he said: "Losing a single parishioner pains me, but unfortunately that has happened.
"Under my watch, this is an issue I take seriously and I'm doing my best to amend it.
"I trust my colleagues will comply or there will be more serious consequences."
Call for visa crackdown on bogus Buddhist monks (SCMP; paywall)
Police want immigration to crack down on bogus Buddhist monks working as beggars in the same way that they deal with prostitutes Sunday, 24 February, 2013, 12:00am
John Carney and Jennifer Cheng
Mainland beggars masquerading as Buddhist monks should be treated the same as prostitutes, and the immigration authorities should crack down on the practice, according to police.
One police source familiar with a rising trend of bogus Buddhist monks visiting Hong Kong as "professional beggars" said they may be violating their three-month visitor visas.
Over the past 12 months, the city had seen a major increase in the number of people clad in monks' robes and begging in Central, Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui, the source said. The police arrest people for begging, particularly in Central. But unlike prostitutes, whose work is illegal because they enter Hong Kong on tourist visas, according to the Immigration Department begging does not constitute working.
Stronger penalties would deter bogus monks from coming to the city, the source said, adding that the police wanted a change in immigration laws.
"If these bogus Buddhist monks come here specifically to beg on a three-month tourist visa, why isn't this a breach of their conditions of stay?
"If you come to Hong Kong as a mainland prostitute on a tourist visa, you will be arrested by police for breaching your conditions of stay. Why are these bogus monks not treated the same?"
On Friday night, one man dressed like a Buddhist monk in Lan Kwai Fong tried to sell a wooden beaded bracelet to the Sunday Morning Post. The bracelets - which he said could bring blessings - cost HK$100 each.
The sale of these bracelets constitutes working and is a clear breach of tourist visa laws.
But an Immigration Department spokesman said it was difficult to define whether begging should be classed as work. He noted, however, that it was the police's duty to tackle begging.
"In the case of mainland prostitutes, they breach the conditions of their stay by establishing a business here. It is a clear immigration issue," the spokesman said.
"But it is also clear in the police ordinance that they prosecute beggars. The police are the appropriate authority to enforce the law here. There is no loophole in the immigration law."
Entrepreneur Rory Hussey, whose bar Solas is on Wyndham Street, Central, called the bogus monks a "plague".
Hussey recalled how he went on holiday last year to Thailand and a group of bogus monks were on the same flight, dressed in civilian clothes. "I see them every night, so I recognised them on the plane straight away. A few of them even had girlfriends with them," he said.
In Tsim Sha Tsui, Mike Brown, bar manager of Ned Kelly's Last Stand in Ashley Road, said the impostors "would try to get away with anything".
"They'd blatantly walk in here and ask my customers for money," Brown said. "They're regularly annoying tourists all along Nathan Road."
At Delaney's in Luard Road, Wan Chai, general manager Clare Kirkman told how up to 12 monks could be patrolling up and down the streets.
"They work in pairs; while one begs, the other keeps a lookout for police," she said. "They're a nuisance but they are very well-organised."
Last weekend, authorities in the northern province of Shaanxi closed down two temples on a sacred Buddhist mountain and arrested six people after tourists complained of bogus monks deceiving them into donating money.
Reflections: what's in a name? (Sunday Morning Post Magazine; paywall)
Wee Kek Koon
Some Hongkongers are unhappy that a facility in the West Kowloon Cultural District will be named the Xiqu Centre, arguing that "Chinese Opera Centre" would be more appropriate. However, calling traditional Chinese theatre "Chinese opera" is like calling spaghetti bolognese "Italian zhajiang mian": it's inaccurate and implies it is a lesser or ersatz version of the genuine article - European opera, or Chinese noodles with meat sauce.
If Japanese kabuki theatre remains as is when referred to in English, I fail to see what's wrong with xiqu.
It amuses me to see Chinese Hongkongers who give themselves foreign names such as Johnny or Yumiko go ballistic when a pinyin name appears on a building. It's obvious what's going on here. Some try to explain their pinyin-phobia by arguing that it is "difficult" for non-Putonghua speakers to pronounce. But while consonants such as x, q and c do twist many a tongue, pronouncing pinyin is no more difficult than pronouncing Irish or Czech. Non-speakers will never replicate the actual sounds of words via transliterations but in the case of the ancient Xiongnu people, Chinese transliterations give us a clue as to who they were.
Active from 200BC-AD400, the mysterious Xiongnu founded kingdoms in China and empires across Central Asia but left no written records. Linguistic analysis, however, offers tantalising hints as to who they might have been. The word " Xiongnu" would've been pronounced "hiung-no" in archaic Chinese, leading to speculation that they might have been the forebears of the Huns.
Too many broken hearts have fallen in the river Too many lonely souls have drifted out to sea, You lay your bets and then you pay the price The things we do for love, the things we do for love ...
Rainbow Ng and Mohammed Naveed Kahn hosted a Pakistani-style wedding with 250 friends and relatives in January 2013
Why does it appear to always be the woman who bends over backwards for the male muslim? Cecile, over at China Droll, knows the answer!
The most high-profile example is cricket great Imran Khan and his wife Jemima, who converted to Islam. Let's see whether Rainbow Ng will do the same.
The SCMP has been running their weekly Wedding Snippet for quite some time now, which always spews on about hopes, dreams and happily-ever afters.
Considering the divorce statistics (from The Economist), it would be complementary for the media to run a Couples Spilt Snippet, which can offer their experiences of their marriage so that real and useful advice can be imparted.
Too many broken hearts have fallen in the river Too many lonely souls have drifted out to sea, You lay your bets and then you pay the price The things we do for love, the things we do for love. Communication is the problem to the answer You've got her number and your hand is on the phone The weather's turned and all the lines are down The things we do for love, the things we do for love. Like walking in the rain and the snow When there's nowhere to go And you're feelin' like a part of you is dying And you're looking for the answer in her eyes. You think you're gonna break up Then she says she wants to make up. Ooh you made me love you Ooh you've got a way Ooh you had me crawling up the wall. Like walking in the rain and the snow When there's nowhere to go And you're feelin' like a part of you is dying And you're looking for the answer in her eyes. You think you're gonna break up Then she says she wants to make up. Ooh you made me love you Ooh you've got a way Ooh you had me crawling up the wall. A compromise would surely help the situation Agree to disagree but disagree to part When after all it's just a compromise of The things we do for love, the things we do for love....
Reference
Compromise paves path to future for Rainbow Ng, Mohammed Khan (SCMP; paywall)
Ethnic and cultural differences no barrier to couple who cherish their core values Saturday, 16 February, 2013, 12:00am
Vivian Chen vivian.chen@scmp.com
Rainbow Ng is a Hongkonger born and bred, while Mohammed Naveed Khan is of Pakistani descent. Although they are from different cultural backgrounds, their willingness to compromise has led to a lasting relationship.
Rainbow, a personal assistant, and Naveed, who works for an airline, wed last month in a Pakistani ceremony at Duetto, an Indian-Italian restaurant in Wan Chai, celebrating with 250 friends and relatives. They will host a Chinese banquet in July.
The couple were introduced by a colleague three years ago when they were working for the same airline.
"He seemed really nice, but I was a little nervous when I first met him because he was quite senior at work," Rainbow said.
It took three months before they realised there was more than friendship between them.
"I was on holiday overseas with my family and my mother fell ill. Naveed was really helpful, sending me advice by text message," Rainbow said. "We really missed each other."
When she got home they went on their first dinner date.
"It was a very romantic and memorable date that showed me another side of him - his gentleness and great sense of humour," Rainbow said. "He's a big guy and he's also got a big heart."
They started dating regularly and Rainbow decided she was ready to take a big step that would please Naveed.
"Naveed is a Muslim so he doesn't eat pork. I decided to give up pork out of respect for him," she said.
It was only later that Rainbow realised how big a commitment she had made.
"It was hard to give up my mum's soups," she joked.
Naveed was moved by Rainbow's devotion, as were their friends and relatives, who offered her support.
"When I was prepared to honour his beliefs, I realised I had found the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with," she said.
Last May, the couple went to Paris for a holiday.
"I thought that maybe he'd propose during that trip, but he scolded me jokingly, saying he'd never do it in Paris," she said.
That turned out to be a well-intentioned lie. When they arrived at the Eiffel Tower, Naveed made an excuse to leave and left Rainbow waiting alone in the plaza. A stranger walked up to her and gave her a rose. A few seconds later, another stranger handed her one, and the roses kept coming.
Next, Naveed returned, got down on one knee and pulled out a ring. Amid a crowd of tourists, he asked Rainbow to marry him, and the teary Rainbow said yes.
Rainbow said she loved Naveed's charisma, kindness and, more importantly, his family values. "He really loves his parents and relatives, and mine as well. I think that's essential in a relationship," she said. "Naveed speaks fluent Cantonese so he can communicate with my family easily. My heart melts every time he and my mum crack a joke."
Fung Shui is just a scam and a Chinese version of Hocus Pocus
Reference
Taoist omen warns Hongkongers to beware of 'wicked people' (SCMP; paywall)
Fortune-tellers interpret unlucky 95 as meaning CY's policies may fail and he may face turmoil Tuesday, 12 February, 2013, 12:00am
Ada Lee ada.lee@scmp.com
Heung Yee Kuk chairman Lau Wong-fat. Pic Felix Wong
Hongkongers were warned they faced "wicked people" and obstacles in the Year of the Snake, after one of the unluckiest possible omens was drawn in a Taoist ceremony yesterday.
A stick bearing the number 95 was drawn by Heung Yee Kuk chairman Lau Wong-fat at Sha Tin's Che Kung Temple in the annual ritual. The prediction for stick 95 says: "In a splendid carriage you embarked on your journey. Today, you came home barefoot. Is it that you failed the imperial exam? Or did you lose all your gold in business?"
It reminds Hongkongers to "beware of wicked people", and says "nothing is going well".
Mak Ling-ling, one of the most famous fung shui masters in the city, said the stick could be saying the policies put forward by the government could fail although they sounded glamorous in the beginning.
"It could mean the government's strategy was not right. It might be confident, but there are obstacles," she said. She did not think "wicked people" was a specific reference.
This is the third bad-luck stick to be selected in a decade; following one in 2003, when Hong Kong was hit by the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak, and another in 2009, when it was hit by the global financial turmoil.
Chu Ling-ling, a fortune-teller at the temple, said the stick meant uncertainties would trouble the economy. The horse carriage in the verse was a reference to Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, who was born in the Year of the Horse, she said.
There would be political turmoil, and although Leung would not fare too badly in the first half of the year, he could face trouble towards its end. "Leung needs to change his way of doing things. He should refrain from being too tough, and he needs to rebuild his credibility, so people will trust him again," she said.
Lau tried to put a positive spin on it, saying: "Hong Kong will continue to be prosperous and stable ... An unlucky stick could be good, too."
Meanwhile, Hong Kong's first Year of the Snake baby, a girl, arrived at Union Hospital in Sha Tin at 0.17am on Sunday.
Good fortune awaits as the Snake slithers in (SCMP; paywall)
Saturday, 09 February, 2013, 12:00am
Phila Siu and Ng Kang-chung
Fung Shui master Mak Ling-ling. Pic David Wong
Chill out Hongkongers, the economy in the Year of the Snake will be better than it was last year.
That is the verdict of fung shui masters as the city bids farewell to the dragon and greets the snake tomorrow morning.
The fung shui masters differ in their forecasts of what lies ahead for Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and the government.
"The economy will be better than last year, although it will still not be very bustling," master Mak Ling-ling said. "But for C.Y., his Chinese zodiac sign is the horse, and that is not a good thing in the Year of the Snake. In Chinese we have a saying that the snake winds around the legs of the horse when the horse tries to move."
Master Ma Lai-wah forecast the economy would continue to grow but cautioned that people would not have more money in their pockets until August.
The key is to invest in exports and avoid speculation in property, as prices will rise and fall about 10 per cent several times, he predicted. "And be ready for more disharmony between Hongkongers and mainlanders, because the cultural differences will get deeper."
Ma said Leung had the characteristics of an eagle, which do not get along well with snakes.
But Raymond Lo, popularly known as "Fung Shui Lo", predicted an easier year ahead for Leung. "The Year of the Snake is symbolised this year by water sitting on top of fire," Lo said. "The animal sign for horse does not directly clash with the snake. So it will be a comparatively more stable year for Mr Leung.
"For people born in the Year of the Horse, a snake year brings the flower of romance, so they can expect a more sociable year. In short, Mr Leung will still face challenges but he will remain OK."
As for Hong Kong's economy, Lo said the fire symbol attached to a year often generated optimism, and the economy should turn more stable compared with the dragon year.
"Banking is [associated with the element of] metal and it needs fire to melt it into useful tools. And finance and stock market are more related to fire," he said. "We may expect improvements in the economy."
Cottage Vineyards will have a pun choi ("basin meal") meets Cordon Bleu lunch on Saturday at Chez Les Copains in Sai Kung. The traditional dish, made by the restaurant's chef, Bonnie So, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, includes Iberico pork belly, poached free-range Bresse chicken, and premium shiitake mushrooms and golden oysters braised in home-made oyster sauce, and will be accompanied by wines such as Domaine du Grangeon Fermiget 2006, Frederic Lornet Arbois Ploussard En Fertand 2008 and Pfaffl Blauer Zweigelt 2008. The price is HK$980. Bookings: 2395 1293
St Betty restaurant in the IFC Mall in Central is celebrating Australia Day on Saturday with a menu that costs HK$698 plus 10 per cent. Diners will taste dishes of Queensland spanner crab salad with avocado crème fraiche and sesame seeds; yabbies and Tasmanian salmon with Jerusalem artichokes and pickled mushrooms; and roasted black Gippsland angus with Parmesan polenta. Bookings: 2979 2100
The Chinese Restaurant at the Hyatt Regency in Tsim Sha Tsui is featuring abalone, fish maw and sea cucumber until the end of February. The menu includes braised sea cucumber with glutinous millet and oyster sauce; braised sea cucumber filled with shrimp mousse and shrimp roe sauce; sea cucumber with braised minced pork, dried scallops, black mushrooms and abalone sauce; and double boiled pork shank soup with fresh abalone. Bookings: 3721 7788
The Balcony at the Cityview Hotel in Yau Ma Tei is serving a coral lobster and abalone set meal until the end of February. Priced at HK$438 plus 10 per cent, it includes braised whole abalone with black mushrooms; baked grouper fillet with bean paste; coral lobster in cream of abalone soup; and crispy chicken roll with cuttlefish mousse and chicken liver pâté. Bookings: 2783 3286
Café on M at the InterContinental Grand Stanford hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui has Norwegian salmon and seafood on the lunch and dinner buffets until the end of February. The rotating selection includes whole salmon baked in salt crust and Norwegian black mussels in white wine sauce. The lunch buffet is HK$265 plus 10 per cent (HK$215 for children) Monday to Friday and HK$325 (HK$245 for children) on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. The dinner buffet is HK$445 plus 10 per cent (HK$305 for children) Monday to Thursday and HK$515 (HK$365 for children) from Friday to Sunday and on the eve and day of public holidays. Bookings: 2731 2860
The article (see below) about tourists in China shooting live chickens with arrows reveals how atrocious and diverse people's values are. China never ceases to amaze me about many inhumane practices that occur, nor how many people there tolerate or accept such practices that show a blatant lack of empathy and disrespect for life.
This also reminded me about a recent article in The Guardian about Jared Diamond, seemingly a proponent of the Noble Savage, who believes modern society has a lot to learn from primitive cultures. Diamond's story about widow-strangling was particularly memorable. Just because a culture exists (and hence, the existence of it's own particular cultural values), does not mean we must respect them, their values and their traditions. One should have better reasons to live their lives and value others than simply using a poor reason such as "tradition".
Take the recent case of sharks fin soup (see Playing the Race Card). The traditionalists (and people in the business) will always resort to saying "Respect our culture; respect our tradition" as if this was a rational method of argument.
Reference
Live chicken shooting game sparks controversy (SCMP; paywall)
Wednesday, 16 January, 2013, 1:08pm Amy Li
An Ice festival in Jilin has invited tourists to shoot at live chickens. Photo: Screenshot from Weibo.
Organisers of an ice festival in China’s northern Jilin province thought they were being clever by inviting tourists to use live chicken as shooting targets. Instead, it has sparked controversy and anger when people across the country learned about the cruel game.
The photos, published by major newspapers including the People’s Daily, showed people shooting arrows at live chicken at an ice park. In one photo, a chicken is seen struggling after being shot with two arrows.
Festival staff said they were only following tradition in using chicken as prey, but many have found it too unpleasant to watch.
After China’s influential Southern Metropolis Daily posted these photos on their official Weibo on Tuesday, netizens responded with different opinions.
“If this is cruel, what about the chicken humans kill and eat everyday,” said one Weibo user. “How is this killing different,” he asked.
“Not even human lives are valued in this country," said another netizen, "so who cares about animals.”
Others were more sympathetic .
“Imagine if humans were killed the same way by more powerful creatures,” commented a netizen, “Would you still be so callous?”
Reference Susan Jung: How a restaurant's name landed me in the soup (SCMP; paywall)
Thursday, 17 January, 2013, 12:00am
Susan Jung susan.jung@scmp.com
What's in a name? A lot, as I found out recently when I reviewed the new Fu Sing Shark Fin Seafood Restaurant in Central.
It was a rather tepid review - I liked some things I ordered, but didn't find this branch as good as the original in Wan Chai. But it wasn't my criticism of the too-lean roast pork belly or the too-salty beef brisket that attracted name calling and irate comments from readers when excerpts were published on the South China Morning Post's Out and About Facebook page - it was the name of the restaurant. The phrase, "shark fin", was like a red flag to a bull. It didn't matter that I hadn't ordered any shark fin; the fact that I was writing about a restaurant that served it was enough.
The comments on Facebook were quite interesting, if only because they show how people can sound unreasonable when they're angry about something; they'd be more persuasive if they kept their emotions in check and tried to convince, rather than bully. The thing is, I actually agree with them, to a point. I think finning (removing the fins from the live shark, then throwing it back into the ocean to die) is abhorrent. I don't order shark fin - when I review a restaurant, or when I'm dining out with friends. I never write about shark's fin promotions, when I get e-mails about places serving it on buffets or as special dishes, I delete them.
It's obvious that many of those who responded didn't bother to read the review, because some of them accused me of eating shark's fin soup. The most extreme posters said I should boycott all restaurants that serve shark's fin - which would mean avoiding most mid-range to expensive Chinese restaurants (there are some hotel groups - such as The Peninsula and Shangri-La - that don't serve shark fin).
The first Fu Sing opened in about 2005. In this day and age, most of us would agree that the restaurant has a misguided name. While shark fin is still considered by many to be a status symbol, there is a growing movement to avoid eating it. But just because a restaurant doesn't have shark fin in its name doesn't mean it isn't serving it. And just because a restaurant that opened seven years ago has shark fin in its name doesn't make it any guiltier than other places that also have it on their menus. It just makes it an easier, more convenient target.
COMMENTS
tomonday Jan 18th 2013 5:49pm here we go again, blah blah blah...
honger Jan 18th 2013 9:29am There are thousands of good restaurants out there - but Ms Jung opted to review a new branch of the SAME shark's fin restaurant she visited before in Wanchai. Just why did she choose the two to give free publicity to - promote - when thousands out there merit more press? One wonders............
simon.hill.779 Jan 17th 2013 8:24pm Ms Jung, you miss the point entirely. It has nothing to do with "What's In A Name?" and everything to do with the fact you gave this establishment your patronage, despite professing your abhorrence at the practice of finning. Having read your rebuttal I can't even discern a sense of remorse; that maybe by inadvertently promoting a shark fin restaurant you had made a mistake and owed an apology to a great number of your paper's readership. Instead you have chosen to be both defensive ("I don't order shark fin") and aggressive ("It's obvious that many of those who responded didn't bother to read the review") which indicates you stand by your decision. As for your ridiculous statement "I never write about shark's fin promotions, when I get e-mails about places serving it on buffets or as special dishes, I delete them" then what, pray tell, were you thinking when you opted to do a review of 'The Fu Sing Shark Fin Seafood Restaurant'? Did you conveniently forget all those e-mails you've allegedly deleted? There's no place for double standards in journalism. As the other respondent has succinctly put it, you are being disingenuous at best.
sales@amr4u.com Jan 17th 2013 7:25pm I think you are being disingenuous at best. Quite clearly most people read your review and noted that you did not mention ordering or eating sharks fin. That was not the point of the criticism. You reviewed, and promoted a restaurant that serves and indeed builds it's reputation on being a sharks fin restaurant - thus continuing the barbaric practice. There are plenty of restaurants to review and those that do use sharks fin may be encouraged to stop serving it, or at least minimise its use if they were not reviewed and promoted. At the very least they might stop so proudly describing themselves as servers of sharks fin.
How despicable, outrageous and immoral for Shark Fin traders to claim they are being victimized by an "anti-Chinese conspiracy".
Since they are unethical anyway and are simply exploiting an unsustainable and irresponsible business, it is perhaps no surprise that they have played the race card.
For example, veteran trader Chan Pak-luk, owner of the Wo Loong Ho Sharksfin Company, said it was unfair for concern groups to blame China alone for the dwindling shark population. "Westerners have shark meat for meals regularly. We just consume different parts of the fish," he said.
How disingenuous. Here's what Alex Hofford, of the Hong Kong Shark Foundation said: "People who consume shark fin soup are greedy [because they ignore the animal rights issue]."
References
Thousands of shark fins found drying on Hong Kong rooftop (The Guardian, video report)
Shark fin trade 'victim of anti-Chinese conspiracy', say traders (SCMP; paywall)
Criticism from Western-led green groups has slashed industry by 50 per cent in past year Saturday, 05 January, 2013, 12:00am
Thomas Chan thomas.chan@scmp.com
A worker lays shark fins on mats to dry outside a seafood store in Western District. Photo: Sam Tsang
Shark fin traders in Hong Kong blasted an "anti-Chinese conspiracy" by environmentalists, whose constant bombardment of criticism they say is killing their business.
"The whole industry has recorded a [sales] decrease of 50 per cent on last year," Shark Fin Trade Merchants Association chairman Ho Siu-chai said. "[The decline] is mainly due to the omnipresent advocacy by green groups."
Ho said his industry was being targeted by an anti-Chinese conspiracy led by "Western" environmental groups. "They always blame us for cutting off fins and dumping carcasses at sea. This is not true and is distorted," he said.
The strong hostility to the trade has seen about 30 per cent of shark fin shops close down in recent years, Ho estimated, adding that some traders had been forced to sell other dried seafood, such as abalone and scallops.
Ho's shop Siu Fung Shark Marine Products is at the western end of Des Voeux Road in Sai Ying Pun where rows of musty shops sell a vast array of dried food, from mushrooms to seahorses.
It is also a hub for the global shark fin trade, taking about half the world's total fin harvest, says environmental group WWF.
Veteran trader Kwong Hung-kwan, owner of Shark's Fin City in Sheung Wan, said Hong Kong had become an entrepot for the product. "Nowadays, Hongkongers consume about 10 per cent of our imports," he said. "The rest is shipped to China, the US, Canada and Malaysia for Chinese there to consume."
Census and Statistics Department figures show that shark fin imports have reduced from 10,292 tonnes in 2011 to 3,087 tonnes last year, up to November.
Fins now mainly come from the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Indonesia and Taiwan.
"It's getting more difficult to do business in the city because of the conservationists," Kwong said. "That's why traders now import less."
Environmentalists have campaigned against the trade in fins - an expensive staple at weddings and banquets - saying the harvesting methods are cruel and that shark populations have declined dramatically as a result.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature says a third of all shark species are threatened with extinction.
Correction: In the eighth paragraph, the numbers of 2011 and 2012 shark fin imports should be "10,292 tonnes" and "3,087 tonnes" respectively, instead of "10.3 tonnes" and "3.1 tonnes," as stated in an earlier version.
Perhaps Thomas Jefferson said it best with: “Reason and free inquiry are the only effectual agents against error“. Much error exists in the world and this blog, from the perspective of one Hong Kong SAR resident, is a small attempt to minimize errors.
(this site was formerly HKSAR Blog)
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