SorLo (傻佬)

"Old Idea" - Leonard Cohen

2012-01-26T11:17:00.000+08:00

The long wait is finally over. Leonard Cohen new album is about to hit the street. You can listen to it online, courtesy of NPR. The streaming is available for a limited time. So grab a single malt, dry martini, espresso, whatever, dim the light and enjoy.

You can pre-order the album here. You can also read the poetic lines of the first track "Going Home" In New Yorker's Poetry page.

Comments Moderation

2012-01-21T17:22:00.000+08:00

A fellow blogger has been receiving comments from those who don't know the difference between the right to speak and the right to bully. As I'll hate to see this little personal blog turn into a mud wrestling field, I do moderate comments. Luckily I seldom get nasty comments from my readers and I have deleted comments from no more than 2 individuals. The first of whom was too keen to find out who I am, comments deleted; the other had the tendency to post some nasty remarks about another reader of mine, comments deleted. When I delete a comment, I ignore it completely. No rebuttal; no reply. It always works. People disappear after being ignored a few times. It's probably not very polite of me to completely ignore a comment but, hey, not all comments deserve a reply, do they? And, more importantly, I consider it rude and unfair to the one whose comment gets deleted if I comment on his/her comment after exercising my right to delete it. So, as a rule, I don't mention deleted comments. They just silently disappear.

I love the delete key.

Angry Bird and London Philharmonic Orchestra

2012-01-15T21:04:00.000+08:00

A Romantic Story on Christmas Eve - A Real Story from a Book of History

2011-12-24T20:51:00.000+08:00

(Portrait of Praskovya Ivanovna Zhemchugova-Sheremeteva by Nokolai Argunov, from Wiki File)

The musicallife of eighteenth-century Russia was dominated by the court and privatetheatres such as the Sheremetev's, which was considered as good as the court'stheatre in St. Petersburg. BorisSheremetev, the head of the Sheremetevs, was a long-standing ally of Peter theGreat. When Boris Sheremetev died in1719, the Tsar told his widow that he would treat Boris' children as hisown. Pyotr Sheremetev, his sole surviving son, was brought up in the court andbecame one of the few companions to the future Tsar (Peter II). As a result of the close connections with thecourt, the Sheremetevs became unimaginably wealthy, so wealthy they owned 200,000"census serfs" (which meant actually a million serfs). Pyotr was survived by Count Nikolai PetrovichSheremetev, who turned out to be an admirer of European cultures. From the 200,000 census serfs, the Countwould select a few hundred and train them as artists, singers, architects,painters, furniture makers, actors and sculptors. The painting above was painted by NikolaiArgunov, Nikolai Petrovich's favourite serf painter.

The lady inthe painting was Praskovya Sheremetev, one of the many Sheremetev's serfs. In the painting Nikolai Petrovich was reducedto a miniature, suspended from Praskovya's neck. Praskovya was born to a family of serfs onthe Sheremetev estate. Noted for herbeauty and her voice, she was selected to be trained for the opera. She also learnt Italian and French, both ofwhich she spoke and wrote with fluency. She made her first appearance on stage at eleven, in 1779, and within ayear, she played the leading roles in major performances. The Count, who frequented the theatres, was a fan of her.

One summerevening in 1784, Praskovya was driving her father's cows down to the streamwhen some dogs in the count's hunting group began to chase her. Nikolai Petrovich called the dog away andwalked to Praskovya. When he knew thatPraskovya's father was intending to marry her off to a local forester, the Count said that he would forbid any such marriage. 'You weren't not born for this! Today you are a peasant but tomorrow you willbe a lady!'

By thebeginning of the 1790's Praskovya had become Sheremetev's de facto wife. It was nolonger just the pleasures of the flesh that attracted him to him but, as hesaid, the beauty of her mind and soul. For a very long time the count would remain torn between his love forher and his own position in the society. Marrying a serf girl was unthinkable. It was not even clear, if he married Praskovya, whether he would have alegitimate heir. Somewhat he was forcedto choose between his own romantic feelings and the customs of his class. Praskovya's secret relationship with thecount also placed her in an almost impossible situation. When rumours went from one house to another,her fellow serfs became resentful of her privileged position and called her spitefulnames. She was also shunned by society. People would come to snoop around her houseand sometimes taunt the "peasant bride". It was only through her strength of characterthat she managed to retain her dignity.

The EmperorPaul, an old friend of the count, assumed the throne in 1792. Paul appointed Sheremetev Senior Chamberlain,the chief administrator of the royal court. Sheremetev had little inclination towards court service but he had nochoice. It was at that time that thefirst signs of Praskovya's illness became clear. The symptoms were unmistakable: it wastuberculosis. Her singing career came toan end and she was confined to the Fountain House, the count private estate.

Praskovya'sconfinement to the Fountain House was not just the result of her illness. The snobbish prejudices of the noble class andthe resentment of her fellow serfs had left little breathing space for her. All she could do was to spend the days withthe count, play the harpsichord or do needlework. The vast reception rooms of the FountainHouse were empty - and the only people who would ever visit were loyal childhoodfriends and artists who were above prejudices and resentment. The Emperor Paul was in this category. He always believed that the Sheremetev familywas different from other aristocratic clans, a little bit above the socialnorm. Several times he would arriveincognito at the back entrance of Fountain House. Paul was enchanted by Praskovya and presentedher with his personal diamond ring, which she wore for her portrait by Argunov.

In 1801,the count married her in a secret ceremony at a small village church on theoutskirts of Moscow. One year laterPraskovya gave birth to a son, Dmitry. She was weakened by the birth and died after three weeks of painfulsuffering. At this moment, the mostdesperate time in his time, the count was abandoned by the whole of Petersburgsociety. In preparation for the funeralhe publicised the news of Praskovya's death. Few people came - so few that the viewing of the coffin was reduced fromthe customary three days to five hours. There was only a small group of mourners - close friends of Praskovya, afew serf performers, some domestic servants, and a few close friends of thecount. There was no one from the court(Paul was already dead); no one from the noble families; no one from theSheremetev family.

Lost ingrief, the count resigned from the court, turned his back on society, remained a widower and,retreating to the country, devoted his final years to religiousstudy and charitable work in commemoration of his wife. He spent vast sums on building villageschools and hospitals, set up trusts for the care of orphans, endowedmonasteries to give the peasants food when the harvests failed. The most ambitious project was the alms housewhich he founded in Praskovya's memory on the outskirts of Moscow - theStrannoprimnyi Dom, which was by far the largest public hospital in Russia. For years the grief-stricken count wouldleave the Fountain House and walk through the streets of Petersburgdistributing money to the poor. He diedin 1809, the richest nobleman in the whole of Russia, and no doubt theloneliest as well.

Praskovyawas buried at Alexander Nevsky Monastery, next to the grave of the count'sfather - a place that was reserved for the count himself. She died a lonely woman, but she was laterjoined by the like of Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Dostoevsky, at the Monastery.

The painterof Praskovya's portrait, Nikolai Argunov, died as a serf. But his children were among those liberated byNikolai Petrovich.

Bad Taste

2011-12-23T09:43:00.000+08:00

I don't expect good taste from everyone, but find it hard to believe that so many people think it's fun and appropriate to dedicate that silly little song of Steve Martin to Christopher Hitchens upon his death.

Merry Christmas to everyone, atheists or theists. (BTW, I do consider the current "Happy Holidays" v. "Merry Christmas" debate in the US utterly nonsensical.)

No No No

2011-12-09T16:25:00.001+08:00

The Iron Lady does make other European leaders look completely stupid, doesn't she?

I am a runner

2011-12-07T18:39:00.001+08:00

I've been running since October. Having greatfun. Feeling good to call myself arunner.

Should I callmyself a runner? How many kilometers must I have run to be a runner?

Some identifiescan be had without practice or repetition. One only needs to kill once to be akiller, cheat once to be a cheater, or buy the "right" lottery ticket to be alottery winner. To be a runner,singer or painter, however, one has to have committed to the activity and done afair amount of running, singing or painting. Some other identities, say, a parent or a good friend, take time and efforts to maintain.

It would appearthat those identities that are hard to acquire or maintain are capable ofdelivering greater and more long-lasting happiness. It may well explain why people are not necessarilyhappier as they become richer – they do not acquire any new identity as theymove up the rich to richer to obscenely rich ladder. Indeed, people report that they are happier if they kiss goodbye to some of their money. They give, and they become philanthropists,educators, patrons of art and supporters of scientific discoveries.

There are people whose only sense of self-worthappears to derive from their status as one of the very rich. They are glad that they are ten timesricher than their peers but constantly fear that they may one day wake up formtheir sleep only to discover that they are nine, not ten times richer than their neighours and old friends. My most humble advice to them – geta life, get a new identity, no matter what, or do some running.

Financial Updates

2011-11-23T17:04:00.001+08:00

After a long day of work it's time for some truly entertaining financial updates.

Alarmed by the news that China's manufacturing activities have actually contracted, this bloke at the Hang Seng Bank is suggesting that the Chinese government should dump RMB10 trillion into the South China Sea.

And, following a mere 2.5% drop in the Centa-City Index (a real property index), Mr. See of Centraline Property is calling for a reduction in land sale, abolition of special stamp duty and, what, excuse me, a restriction of bank loans to overseas especially Chinese borrowers?

Something very wrong in the air today.

Remembrance Day

2011-11-11T10:30:00.001+08:00

When I was small I didn't really care about the Remembrance Day. I called the poppy a cliché.

I can't tell since when I have changed. Walking in Central this morning and seeing the poppies on people's lapel, I find the little red flowers both moving and striking. It is an open expression of love, solidarity, endurance and respect for those who have sacrificed their lives for others.

Let's not forget.

The Hong Kong Ex-Servicemen's Association will hold "The Remembrance Sunday" on the coming Sunday at the Cenotaph, Central. It is a multi-faith memorial service attended by members of the Ex-Servicemen's Association, some government officials and representatives from the Anglican Church, the Roman Catholic, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Buddhist and the Muslim communities.

Illényi Katica Again

2011-10-17T23:01:00.000+08:00

Realised just now that I'd shown the violinist side of Illényi Katica but not her singer side. Here we go:

Can't stop watching her videos. What a talented and stunningly beautiful elegant woman.

Three Beautiful Talented Women Who Can Sing and Play an Instrument

2011-10-17T14:37:00.001+08:00

Eva Cassidy

(The above is a snapshot of Eva's performance at Blues Alley in Washington, D.C., where she regularly performed. Live at Blues Alley, a classic already, is the only live recording of her.

Illényi Katica

Lori Lieberman

Into the Wild (2)

2011-10-13T17:48:00.000+08:00

The kids are back from the wild. Covered in mud and completely exhausted though, they are all full of joy and pride.

The parents, lining up in front of the main gate and welcoming them as if they are soldiers returning from a war, are more happy and proud. You may think we are over-reacting. But if you are in Hong Kong you should know the weather that we are now having. Wind, rain, lots of wind and more rain. In the last few days, the kids hiked with their gears in downpour and spent their night in the open with nothing but a plastic sheet over their heads and another plastic sheet beneath their sleeping beds. They were cold and wet but their spirits remained high. The kids from an ESF school left after the first night (and they got tents!). So did the kids from Guangzhou. But the ISF kids marched on, faced the rain, ate their soaked bread, took care of each other, looked for the right branches to make their rain shelters...

"I feel for the refugees", "Four walls and a roof are so precious", "My legs shook uncontrollably when I reached the camp site", "I was so happy to have reached the top of the mountain. It's beyond words", "Sai Kung looks even more beautiful in rain", "The raft broke in the sea", the kids just can't wait to share their experiences.

"They have grown so much in just a few days. You have to see it to believe it", a teacher who went with them said.

A big thank you to the teachers and trainers from Outward Bound.

Into the Wild

2011-10-11T19:55:00.002+08:00

October is always a month blessed with nice weather. It also marks the beginning of the hiking season. Not this year. A strong easterly monsoon, a broad area of low pressure and a tropical depression over the Western Pacific are working together to bring us a lot of rain and strong wind.

After learning the lives and writings of Voltaire, John Locke and William Wilberforce in their humanity class in the comfort of an air-conditioned classroom, the Grade 8 kids at ISF kids are out in the wild to experience the fears, feelings and life of a refugee. This year annual camping (called experimental training) is designed to be tough and meant to let the kids have a taste of the life of a refugee. On day one, after visting Christian Action Workshop, a service development for ethnic minority residents in Hong Kong, the kids are bused to Sai Kung and spend their first night in some makeshift shelters (no tents, just a few plastic sheets). They have to cook their own food with some very basic stuff. On day two, the "refugee simulation" continues, they will hike to no.19A campsite and spend the night in the wild. On day three, they will experience a "shipwreck" - raft building at AYP Water Sports Centre and rafting to BGCA Bradbury Camp, followed by further hike to HK Adventure Corps camp at High Island Reservoir. On day four the last day, they will have some group sharing and do their "Life Run", mini solo presentation, with a human rights theme.

Rain and wind outside. Am I worried? Not really as I know the kids are in the right hands. True that it is going to be tough in this weather. Some wet maybe, but the kids will grow wiser and stronger from the experience.

A French Classic Reborn in Hong Kong - Leclair 6 Sonatas for Two Violins, Op.3. by Tengfei Zhou

2011-10-04T01:00:00.000+08:00

Jean-Marie Leclair (1697-1764) is not one of the hottest composers and there are not many recordings of his works these days. Tengfei Zhou, a member of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, has taken up the difficult task of performing both violins in this unique recording of Leclair's Complete Six Sonatas for Two Violins, Op.3. It's a 100% Hong Kong production, which makes me feel absolutely proud to be a Hongkonger. This CD (available at Amazon, Erotica and ArkivMusic (my favourite)) is one of the best-buys if you into Baroque music or French classic.

Zhou, born in Shanghai, received initial training with his father and attended the Shanghai Conservatory of Music at the tender age of 10. In 1992, while under the tutelage of Roy Malan, he made his solo debut with the San Francisco Symphony. He continued his training at the Oberlin College and then at the Julliard School with Stephen Clap. He was appointed the Concertmaster of San Diego Symphony at the age of 15, and toured with the Orchestra in Europe. He finally joined the Hong Kong Philharmonic and settled in Hong Kong. Through his teachers, he could claim descent from Tartini and Corelli, both unquestionably influenced Leclair. In this unique recording, Zhou plays both parts of the sonatas. And, the result can only be summarised by two words - elegance and clarity. The CD, once released, received critical acclaims: "Tengfei offers neat accomplished and characterful reading of the sonatas, crisply articulated ... with charming lightness and spirit (The Strad), "Impressive and highly enjoyable... comparably favorably with those of Kogan/Gilels and Perlman/Zukerman (the Fanfare).

There is a recording of the Pachelbel's Cannon in D as a bonus track. Zhou played the cello part on a synthesiser. He added the bonus track to his CD because of his own wedding (Is there an end to his genius?). See the interesting interview with artist here.

Tengfei is the first recording artist I personally know. I love you, Tengfei.

At 76, Leonard Cohen Can Sing

2011-08-10T17:44:00.001+08:00

Raining cats and dogs and got stuck in a restaurant. After being forced to listen to some unknown songs played at over 60dB for 30 minutes, I decided to ignore the rain and leave. Luckily the rain stopped right after I'd settled the bill. Hallelujah.

The Dog Whisperor - A Good Parenting Show

2011-08-08T21:37:00.002+08:00

I love dogs and watch Cesar Millan's Dog Whisperer together with my daughter every Wednesday on the National Geography Channel. It always strikes me how similar dog training is to parenting.

Watching the show you will keep hearing Millan say, "I don't train dogs - I rehabilitate dogs, and train their owners", "It’s not about the dog. It's always about us", "Dogs are pack animals, they need a stable, assertive and calm owner as their pack leader", "You can say as much as you want, but the dogs are picking up what is inside of you from your voice, your move", "It's always about us. It’s up to us to create an environment and circumstances in which the dog can thrive and be itself”, "To be happy, dogs need a good job, and good food, and a pat on the head. Americans tend to over-do on the affection and under-do on the job...".

Millan repeatedly stresses that dogs need a pack leader with a calm and positive energy. He approaches dog behaviour by teaching dog owners to understand the dogs' natural needs and to respond to them properly. In his book, dogs need work and discipline. If a dog is deprived of work and discipline, it is going to have some behavioural problems.

Millan prioritises fulfilling and balancing a dog's primary needs: exercise (work), discipline and affection - in that order. In other words, it is the owner's responsibility to fulfill the dog's needs through challenging exercise; clearly communicated rules, boundaries and limitations; and affection at the right time. Millan encourages owners to give affection, but to give affection when the dog is in a balanced state of mind, not when the dog is fearful, anxious, in avoidance or over excited - when the affection itself can reinforce imbalance. According to him, a common pitfall for dog owners is to give a great deal of affection with very little discipline and even less exercise. He emphasises the importance of walking a dog, not only for the dog's exercise, but for the owner and dog to bond - with the dog ultimately recognizing the owner as its role model. He encourages owners to watch their dog for subtle cues in the dog's posture, movement and facial expression, and to eliminate poor behavior before it arises or escalates. And he also encourages owners to understand the profound effect their own attitudes, internal emotions and physical postures have on a dog's behavior, counseling owners to hold strong posture (i.e. shoulders high and chest forward) and to project energy that is calm-assertive.

One only needs to substitute "children" for "dogs", and "parents" for "dog owners" to have an excellent parenting guide. A lot of what Millan says about dog echoes what John Rosemond says in his excellent but somehow neglected book Six-Point Plan for Raising Happy, Healthy Children. To raise happy and healthy children/dogs, parents/dog owners must first look into themselves and make themselves better parents/dog owners.

I am of course not saying that children should be treated as dogs but the basic rules are the same. After all, it is not about the children/dogs, it is about us. If you love dogs or care about parenting, don't miss the show. Trust me, it's a good parenting show.

A Question from a Dummy - Can God Save the U.S. Economy after the S&P Downgrade?

2011-08-08T21:01:00.000+08:00

I always try not to assume too quickly that George W. Bush represents people from Texas. However, it seems that Texas Governor Rick Perry, one of the leading Republican presidential hopefuls, wants to persuade me to stop trying. Really amusing news: Can God Saves the US Economy after the S&P Downgrade?

Is Hong Kong still Hong Kong?

2011-08-04T10:19:00.006+08:00

I am completely absolutely annoyingly distinctly gutted by the whole "Right of Abode for Domestic Helpers" sage (see Spike's posts here and here).

People seem to have forgotten that Hong Kong has always been a city for refugees/immigrants. Many people's parents and grandparents were refugees from the Japanese invasion of China, war between the so-called Nationalists and so-called Communists, genocide in Burma, civil unrest in India and Pakistan, and the war in Vietnam. If we could deal with the waves of refugees in the 30's, 40's and 50's, which doubled the population every few years when a large number of us were living in poverty, why the hell should we feel alarmed by a few more immigrants from the Philippines and Indonesia? If the Basic Law says that "Persons not of Chinese nationality who have entered Hong Kong with valid travel documents, have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years and have taken Hong Kong as their place of permanent residence" are permanent residents of the HKSAR, then, those who have satisfied the requirements are us. The Hong Kong miracle is mostly attributed to British administration and the hardworking immigrants, who are undeniably more able and ready to adapt to changing environments. If we are to lose our tolerance and readiness to accept new immigrants, we are doomed.

By the way, I do not for a second believe the government's propaganda that some 250,000 people will become permanent residents overnight. How many of the domestic helpers working here can satisfy the requirement that they have taken Hong Kong as their place of permanent residence? You tell me.

Internet Explporer for Dummies?

2011-08-03T20:59:00.002+08:00

You probably have read reports about the findings by the psychometric consulting firm AptiQuant that users of Microsoft Internet Explorer have the lowest IQ among all internet users: See here, here and here. As a Firefox/Safari/Opera user (I use Firefox/Safari at home and Opera at work), I am delighted to learn that Opera users have the highest IQ and Firefox/Safari users are doing well. However, having been reminded that one should verily the facts before posting (see comments under this post, for which I am grateful), I did some research, Ummm ..., it seems that it is nothing but a very well-executed hoax (see here and here).

My hat off to those behind the hoax. It is soooooooooo funny. Even BBC, The Altantic and Freakonomics got tricked. (The BBC is quick is remove the earlier report from its website but the Atlantic and Freakonomics have so far done nothing.)

Ozone Bar - World's Highest Bar

2011-06-25T18:47:00.004+08:00

As I sat down and prepared to write something about the Ozone Bar I noticed that Joyce had just blogged about it. Bad. Why should I choose a topic that a NYT writer had just written about?

Me and the other three gang of four went to the newly-opened Ozone Bar yesterday. A fellow member of the gang managed to reserve a table in a quiet corner. (The place did not take reservations and I had no idea how he managed to reserve a table. Didn't ask.) As I was early I ordered a drink and went to the open-air deck. Before I reached the deck a waiter came to me and very politely asked for my credit card. Fine. Not an unreasonable practice given that people were moving around. When I was admiring the view from 480m above ground, the English gentleman to my right turned to me and identified himself as Keith McGregor, the author of An Eye on Hong Kong. He pulled out a MacBook Pro and showed me his work, which only got me to WOW, AH, OMG. One of the photos of which he was most proud was the one that he took less than two years ago from where we were. It was a stitched panorama of 28 photos of the Victoria Harbour that he took with a Nikon D3x from the top of ICC, which was then still under construction. "I just sold it to Mr.X [it sounded like someone I should know but, sorry, I did not register the name] for US$X". Shame that the Hong Kong Tourist Board did not buy it", he said. And he added, "It's not ordinary Photoshop stuff. The software cost me an arm and a leg and I spent many nights on it." We then chatted about photography, cameras, travelling, wine and old Hong Kong (he lived in Hong Kong for some years before the handover). Half an hour later my friends arrived and I returned to our table. A lovely little chat with an interesting man.

What about the Ozone? Service is good and the atmosphere is excellent. Food is so-so but the drink list is impressive. Not cheap but not as pricy as one may think. My only complaint is the elevator connecting the hotel lobby on 103/F and 118/F, where the bar is. It is tiny by any standard. And its high ceiling only serves to make it look more creepy. I can imagine that people with claustrophobia will refuse to walk into that elevator.

"Lady Blunt" Sold for US$15,894,000

2011-06-21T15:53:00.003+08:00

A new record is set.

After a brief reunion with the Messiah at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, the "Lady Blunt", a Stradivari violin that is named after Lady Anne Blunt, one of its previous owners, grand-daughter of English's poet Byron, is sold in an online auction for US$15,894,000, over four times the previous record set for a Stradivari violin.

Lord Menuhin plays the ‘Lady Blunt’ from Tarisio on Vimeo.

What strikes me most is not the price (everybody watching the auction is expecting a new record), but the fact that the new record is set not by Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams or Bromptons, but in an online auction. Well done Tarisio.

The rising online auction house is named after Luigi Tarisio, the "Violin Hunter" as he is called, who lived the most extraordinary life. There is an interesting book about him: The Violin Hunter: The Life Story of Luigi Tarisio by William Silverman, which, with many facts about the mysterious man though, reads like an adventure story. If you like violins and stories, you won't, I guarantee, put it down after reading the first few pages.

(Bad) Telephone Manner

2011-06-15T22:44:00.003+08:00

I must admit I have the worst of all bad telephone manners - I don't answer calls.

Ever since the first day I got a mobile day I have permanently left my phone on vibration mode. Don't know why but I absolutely hate my phone making a sound. The result - I always miss calls, a lot of calls.

As one of my self-imposed, crazy, nonsensical, Monkish and annoying to everyone but myself rules that I adhere to religiously, I don't answer calls when I'm having a conservation, in a restaurant (any restaurants, be it McDonald's or one in the Michelin), or traveling in a bus, MTR, ferry or whatever means of public transport. Incoming calls are intrusive. I hate being intruded and avoid intruding into people's life. The Blackberry/Android/I-Phone have come to my rescue. I can sms/whatsApp first to confirm it is OK to call. And I can tell people they should sms/WhatsApp/email me instead of calling me. Love it. Great.

Parenthood is tragic

2011-06-14T12:05:00.000+08:00

A friend of mine, a very tough and strong looking man, is sending his little girl to boarding school. He sent an email to a close cycle of friends this morning telling us how he bawled my eyes out last night just thinking this will be the last week he will be driving his girl to school. Must be due to something in the air - it triggered a wave of replies and almost drove some moms and dads into tears. This little note from a mom struck a chord:

Parenthood is tragic - in no other relationship would anyone work so hard to push the ones that he or she loves so much to go so far away ... and we're so unprepared when we succeed ...

How true it is. Parenthood is tragic.

Planetary Pegs for Violin/Viola/Cello

2011-05-27T18:38:00.001+08:00

My daughter is big enough to use a full size violin. Excepting tuning with the pegs part, the transition is a very smooth one. I don't like four fine-tuners on the tailpiece. They looks ugly and add unnecessary weight to the tailpiece, which may dampen the sound. Finally I decide to give the internally geared pegs a try. There are two products in the market - the Perfection/Knilling/Pegheds pegs from the States (they are the same thing marketed under different names) and Wittner pegs from Germany.

The Perfection/Knilling/Pegheds and Wittner have different gearing ratios: 4:1 and 8.5:1 respectively. The difference is not as big as it sounds. I have tried both in real life and found them equally functional. I slightly prefer the Perfection/Knilling/Pegheds as they look more pleasing to my eyes and are a little lighter. These pegs look exactly like traditional wooden pegs. Without close examination you cannot tell a violin with planetary pegs from one with wooden pegs. They work most charmingly and make tuning a completely effortless, almost joyful thing to do. Installation is easy. All that you need is a reamer, a small saw and a piece of sand paper or a file. It took me less than 2 hours to finish the job, and that includes the time going through the detailed installation guide, which is available online here. Living in Hong Kong where relative humidity can rise from below 50% to over 90% in a day, these pegs are godsends. They are especially useful to children who don't have the fine motor skill and physical strength to turn traditional wooden pegs. Will they cause any damage to the pegbox? I don't think so. The friction and tension caused by traditional pegs probably exceeds that caused by these pegs. At least there is no erosion of the wood from constant turning. If known violin makers and collectors like David Burgess, Michael Darlton and Giovanni Gammuto say they are fine, I bet they are. See the discussions here, and here if you are interested.

By the way, violin shops in Hong Kong don't carry these pegs. I got my set from Gostrings, which I cannot recommend highly enough. Their price is unbeatable and their service is simply superb.

Chinese secrets agents no Sean Connery

2011-05-26T22:30:00.002+08:00

Why can't these Chinese secret agents be more like Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig?

Must Must Must

2011-05-25T22:13:00.002+08:00

Whilst I'm happy to see Isaac Asimov's "The Roving Mind" appear in yet another "Must-Read" list, I find myself gradually running out of patience with those "Must-Read", "Must-Do", "Must-See" and "Must-Have" lists. What do people mean by Must? So what if I have never read or heard of any of them? Should I consider myself a well read person or a fool simply because I have read or not read all of those Must-Reads?

I am inclined to think that all those "Musts" only serve to create a sense of deprivation, insecurity and a void in the mind. The fact is, finishing another "Must-Read" list, watching all the movies in another "Must-Watch" list and going to all the places in yet another "Must-Go" list simply does not make any difference. At the end, I am bound to miss almost everything.

Let's say I read a serious book a week (which is not quite possible). That lets me finish say 50 books a year. If I am lucky enough to have sufficiently good eye sight and health for a sufficiently long time, I can probably finish another 2,000 books. That doesn't sound a lot, does it? Compared to the vast number of books out there that are worth reading, the number 2,000 has no significance. It is just a pale gray dot in a space full of books. And, that's books alone. I am going to miss a lot of excellent music, films and literature. Statistically, I will die having missed almost everything.

So, my dear, I'm not going to give a dame to all those Musts.

China's Answer to Susan Boyle?

2011-05-25T12:41:00.003+08:00

A FaceBook friend posted the video on FB. Didn't bother to take a look - such shameless and boring copy of the "Got Talent". However, when I saw the kind remarks left by another friend who is a serious singer, I changed my mind and took a look... Fine, the lyrics are fun and the singing is not bad, but, looking at the Hello Kitty apron, I can't help thinking that the whole practising singing while selling in the wet market thing is staged. And, still, the show is just a shameless copy.

Google - Hong Kong First Guide Dog

2011-05-24T20:29:00.002+08:00

8-month-old Labrador guide dog Google

A friend of mine, another ISF parent, is fostering Google, Hong Kong first guide dog (guide dog trainee to be precise). As its foster owner, she has to take Google with her wherever she goes to familiarise it with different places and different means of transport. Most of the time Google is very well received, but occasionally a restaurant owner or a security guard will stop it at the door. When that happens, my friend will give the restaurant owner or security guard a lecture about the use of guide dogs, how valuable they are to the visually impaired and how really nice they are. Google is indeed a very nice dog. It's always calm, confident and well composed. Never will it beg for food, jump on people or get distracted by things in the street. It is now 8 months old and will be with my friend for another year or so before it is ready for advanced training. When the time comes, I'm sure it'll hard for them to kiss each other goodbye.

Join the Hong Kong Guide Dogs Association's Facebook page.

Back to Blogging

2011-05-17T22:46:00.000+08:00

As one of the self-absorbed narcissists who is able to swindle himself into thinking that he is making some kind of difference just because he's found a wall in the cyberspace on which to spray-paint his graffiti, and having decided not to let this little blog be a place to let go of the negative energy that I have accumulated in real life, I did not blog as often in the last few month. With some of the negative feelings gone, I'm back to blogging. Here comes Sorlo.

Arrogant

2011-05-17T21:48:00.001+08:00

When I'm humbled by the vastness of the universe and awe of nature and not fearful of being tiny, and finally able to concede that the entire universe is not designed for me and that I'm too small to be an image of God, people say I'm arrogant.

Chinese Valentines's Day and HSBC Bank

2011-02-17T21:17:00.002+08:00

HSBC loves to call itself a bank with "global knowledge and local expertise". How come it decides to have its annual dinner on the Chinese Valentines Day then?

Happy Chinese Valentine's Day.

A More Peaceful Way to Solve Political Deadlock

2011-02-10T11:32:00.001+08:00

After 241 days without a government, Senator Temmerman, a gynaecologist turned politician, is calling for a sex ban over some of her colleagues.

It sounds like a good line to take: "Fix it or go fxxk yourself".

Some People Never Change

2011-01-31T17:20:00.002+08:00

I wrote about my cousin not too long ago (People change, myself included). How embarrassing it is that I have to correct myself so soon. Some people never change, never ever.

I just can't believe it. The whole re-establishing a connection thing turns out to be part of my cousin's and her dear sister's plan to dump their mother.

My dear elder cousin called my father from Australia. After 10 minutes of nonsense he told my father that he and his sister had had enough of their mother and decided to relocate her to Hong Kong. He informed us that he had planned to let her stay with us for "a period of time". What the hell! You did not call for 20 years and suddenly you ask us to adopt your mom?! You may well consider your garden house in Sydney suburb too small for a family of four, or you don't have any money left after buying a house as a wedding gift for your son, but your mom is none of our business. YOUR mom is YOUR mom, not OURS. WE ARE NOT GOING TO ADOPT HER. END OF DISCUSSION. PERIOD.

I am a pianist; I'm not a politican

2011-01-26T09:30:00.028+08:00

The whole "Let the Bullets Fly" craze has actually killed my interest in the movie. There must be a "Let's-See-Who-can-Find-More-Hidden-Messages" competition going on between some Americans and the hotheaded Chinese boys?

The Joy of Being a Parent

2011-01-25T10:31:00.002+08:00

"Dad, I want to play something new", the little lady stopped practising the Accolay and called from the study. I handed her the music of Csárdás by Vittorio Monti that I'd been working on for weeks. She tried it for 10 minutes, and, holy cow, she could play at twice my speed!

It feels soooooo good to be outperformed.

People Change, Myself Included.

2010-12-31T01:03:00.005+08:00

Went to a family gathering this evening. Didn't want to go but am extremely glad that I went.

I very briefly mentioned my uncle here.

When was the last time I met my cousin? Must be some 20 years ago, probably during my uncle's funeral. As my uncle had determined not to work, my father took care of his two kids. After graduating from college and becoming a physiotherapist, my elder cousin moved to Australia. Since then I haven't talked to or met him. I was always mad with him. My father paid his college fee, brought him clothes and offered him things we didn't get, and he just vanished. Not a note of thanks, a phone call, or an email for nearly 20 years.

A few days ago my father received a phone call from my cousin. He was coming to Hong Kong with his wife and kids. My father was overwhelmed with joy. He called me and my brothers and sister three times a day to ensure that we would attend the family dinner today. It sounded like the greatest news to him in many year. Not wanting to spoil my father's mood, I went to the dinner, reluctantly.

Surprise. Surprise. I enjoyed the gathering, very much, a lot. I actually felt happy to meet my cousin, his wife and children. Wasn't I supposed to be filled with hatred, disrespect and a feeling of annoyance? Honestly I wasn't. Not a bit. My cousin is now living a good life and has a lovely wife and two wonderful children (one is, like his father, a physiotherapist and the other is a medical doctor to be). Not in a million years can I imagine that it can be so satisfying and joyous to see someone who are somewhat blood-related to me becoming polite, well-mannered and wonderful young man and woman. Filled with joy, I thanked my cousin for breaking the ice and coming here to visit us. I meant it. A big thank you indeed.

On my way home, I kept wondering how foolish I was to let myself be blinded by prejudice and close-mindedness. If only I had taken the first step and contacted my cousin, I'd have had all the joy of seeing my niece and nephew grow. I'm glad that it's not too late.

I have been telling my daughter that doing something that you don't want to do may bring you some totally unexpected joy. I am right.

Vivian Maier

2010-12-30T16:44:00.004+08:00

Not sure whether this humble nanny would like to be known, but she is bound to be referred to as an unknown Henri cartier Bresson, Robert Frank, Eugene Atget or Garry Winogrand.

More examples of her work are available here and here.

Looking at these vintage photographs, I can't help but wonder how many other Vivian Maiers are left undiscovered. Street photography must be Vivian Maier's second nature that she did not realise what an incredible eye she had. Living in a man's world and probably a bit introverted, she might find it easier to stuff the negatives and prints under the bed than making an effort to show them to people. Some critics say that her work does not stand out from other street photographs. "Not enough irony or wit, and, not keeping a distance from their subjects", they claim. What? Since when has getting close to the subjects become a vice, and adding irony or wit a virtue? The greatness of Maier's work lies in her connection with the subjects, not any calculated irony or wit. I am pretty certain that she never pre-contemplated a ironic or witty scene, and waited for the perfect magic moment to come; she just brought her Rollei to her eyes when she saw something interesting and pressed the shutter. That was it.

If the purpose of life is to create something that will last, she successfully achieved this very purpose. Her work is going to last.

Good that there were films and nothing digital half a century ago.

石悅《明朝那些事兒》 (Shi Yue: Those Ming Dynasty Stuff)

2010-11-07T16:57:00.002+08:00

Sometimes I feel embarrassed by my ignorance of China, which is less than an hour away. There are some household names that I am completely unaware of. An recent example is 石悅 (Shi Yue) and his bestseller 《明朝那些事兒》(Those Ming Dynasty Stuff).

A few things about Those Ming Dynasty Stuff:

First published in 2006;
Over 5 million copies sold in 3 years;
Best-selling history book ever;
One of the 30 best-selling books since 1949;
Winner of Best History Book Award;
Has been translated into English, Japanese and Korean.

Those Ming Dynasty Stuff is a seven-volume set about the history of Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644) by 石悅, Shi Yue. One may tend to think that Shi is a wise old historian at one of the major universities. Wrong. Shi, who was trained in law, is a custom officer. He wrote the first volume of Those Ming Dynasty Stuff when he was 26 and completed the seventh and last volume just before he reached 30.

There is an interview of Shi by CCTV, which is quite interesting. How on earth would a 7-year-old pick up the "24 Histories" (二十四史) and start reading? (By the way, the "24 Histories" is not an ordinary book of history. The whole set contains 3213 volumes and about 40 million words, written in traditional classical form.) Why should such a young person, who also enjoy video games and comic books, sometimes talk like someone who has lived many lives? Was he a historian in his previous life?

Secret for a Long Life - the Violin

2010-11-06T18:45:00.000+08:00

Many violinists are able to play at advanced age (Ivry Gitlis, Ida Haendel and Nathan Milstein to name a few). Here is a video of Ida Haendel playing Bloch - Nigun at the age of 81. Absolutely unbelievably amazing. You have to watch the video to believe it. (Embedding is disabled at the request of the owner of the video so you have to click on the link to view it.) Violin making also appears to be a good sports to maintain one's physical and mental health. Stradivarius was still making violins at 90 when his contemporaries lived an average life of 50 something. Is violin playing/making the answer to aging? Probably, but one has to avoid travelling too much to let the magic work. A number of top violinists actually died in train (David Oistrakh and Leonid Kogan for examples) or in a plane crash (Ginette Neveu, who won the Wieniawski Violin Competition at the age of 15 over 180 contestants, including David Oistrakh the Great, who finished second).

Eye Candy for Girls

2010-11-03T10:40:00.000+08:00

The ladies in my office are always calm and quiet. But they go crazy this morning over a young, brave and good looking fresh graduate from the police training school who rescued a tourist from the sea. Link here.

I wish I were there

2010-11-02T22:12:00.001+08:00

There are thousands of historical moments that I wish I were there to witness. One is the performance by the "children orchestra" in 1939.

From Nathan Milstein's From Russia to the West:

"Toscanini's legendary temperament, well known to the musicians and the public, exploded once in my presence in a very funny way. In New York in 1939, a benefit was held for the Chatham Square Music School. The star attraction of the program was the "children's orchestra", as it was advertised. The orchestra's violinists included Heifetz, Adolf Busch, Oskar Shumsky, and me, and I remember that one of the violists was William Primrose. The cellists included Emmanuel Feuermann, Piatigorsky, and Alfred Wallenstein.

All eighteen or twenty of us "children" came out onstage in shorts, even Busch, a big, red-faced man who was almost fifty then, yet looked younger than the rest of us.

The conductor of our "children's orchestra" was none other than Toscanini. We played Ferdinard Rie's "Perpertuum mobile." Heifetz said before the performance, "Let's surprise the maestro! He'll be keeping a strict beat, as usual. But we'll start an incredible acceleration. Let's see how Toscanini reacts."

The maestro came out to his "children's orchestra" in a long, old-fashioned coat, like a school teacher. He began conducting and we followed Heifetz's plan and played faster and faster. Toscanini could not understand what was going on! He was so angry that he dropped his baton and ran off!

The "children's orchestra" was a great success; the audience loved it and thought that the trick with the tempo had been planned that way. The maestro, however, was furious and would not come out for a bow. Instead Wanda [Toscanini's daughter] came out, dressed in a man's suit (she had borrowed my pin-striped pants) and with a hat in her hand. She even twirled a drawn mustache, as if she were the maestro. The audience was certain that this too was part of the grand design and went wild."

Locatelli Sonata in F Minor, Op.6 No.7

2010-10-25T17:27:00.000+08:00

I have been looking for David Oistrakh's version of the Locatelli's sonata. Not much luck still. The only recording that I have is the one by Leonid Kogan. A wonderful CD by the way.

Noah's Ark

2010-10-14T11:43:00.001+08:00

Fascinated by the greatest creation by mankind ever (which is, God), a Christian friend of mine has been sending me me links to the "discovery" of Noah's Ark on Mount Ararat in Turkey by Noah's Ark Ministries International (NAMI), a Turkish-Chinese coalition formed to search for remains of the Noah's Ark.

He doesn't follow the news too closely.

Dr. Randall Price, a devoted evangelical Christian and former member of the NAMI's team who was once hailed as one of the top experts in biblical archaeology by NAMI, pulled out of the project a few months ago, believing that NAMI had been taken advantage of by the Kurdish guides. The "remains of the Noah's Ark" were, according to Dr. Price, probably planted by the Kurdish guides at the site for the NAMI's team to discover. He said,

I was the archaeologist with the Chinese expedition in the summer of 2008 and was given photos of what they now are reporting to be the inside of the Ark," he wrote in his message dated April 26.

The photos were reputed to have been taken off site near the Black Sea, but the film footage the Chinese now have was shot on location on Mt. Ararat. In the late summer of 2008 ten Kurdish workers hired by Parasut, the guide used by the Chinese, are said to have planted large wood beams taken from an old structure in the Black Sea area (where the photos were originally taken) at the Mt. Ararat site. In the winter of 2008 a Chinese climber taken by Parasut's men to the site saw the wood, but couldn't get inside because of the severe weather conditions.

During the summer of 2009 more wood was planted inside a cave at the site. The Chinese team went in the late summer of 2009 (I was there at the time and knew about the hoax) and was shown the cave with the wood and made their film. As I said, I have the photos of the inside of the so-called Ark (that show cobwebs in the corners of rafters – something just not possible in these conditions) and our Kurdish partner in Dogubayazit (the village at the foot of Mt. Ararat) has all of the facts about the location, the men who planted the wood, and even the truck that transported it.

To my knowledge, the Chinese took no professional archaeologist or geologist who could verify or document the wood or the structure. (Copied from WorldNetDaily)

Dr. Price's view is shared by other experts, including those who are Christian (see for examples, here, here and here). Some mainstream churches have also quietly banned NAMI's propaganda.

The guys at NAMI are giving Christianity and Chinese Christians a bad name. I just can't help wondering whether their true mission is to make Christianity sound stupid and Chinese Christians look quibble and desperate.

And, so what if the remains of the Noah's Ark are found and one of the myths of an ancient tribe proved? Is discovery of the grave of Shennong Shi (神農氏) proof of the existence of a God of Medicine that is relevant to all people?

The Bach's Chaccone is greater than any PRESENT Gods. Chances are that 500 years from now people are still listening to the same Chaccone and admiring Bach as we are doing now, but the PRESENT gods will become nothing but names mentioned in books about history of religions like Mithra, Nero and the many other gods before and after the Council of Nicaea.

We Will Miss You

2010-10-07T10:47:00.000+08:00

After devoting her entire life to education, Shirley Lee, ISF Academy's Principal before Malcolm Pritchard, passed away on Wed, Oct 6, 2010.

A note from Shirley's children:

"Our mother, Shirley Lee, passed away in the early morning hours of Wednesday, October 6, 2010. During the last week of her life, she was comfortable and with little pain. She was comforted by all of you who visited, spoke with her on the phone, and sent your thoughts, prayers, and blessings our way.

Shirley was a force with which to be reckoned and should be remembered for her boundless energy, bottomless compassion, and absolute belief in the potential of her students, her community, and her culture. We are all blessed to have spent whatever amount of time we had with her.

She is survived by her two children, Lily Panyacosit Alisse and Tawal Panyacosit Jr., her two beautiful granddaughters, Eden and Celeste, and all of you who loved her as we did.

A memorial service will take place in the next few weeks and we will do our best to apprise you of its occurrence. Please forward this announcement to all who would care to know.

Thank you again for all the love and support,
Lily and Tawal"

Lily and Tawal have expressed that, in lieu of flowers, those who wish to remember and honor Shirley should instead send donations to an organization that they will designate within the next few days.

Wanchai Market

2010-10-06T00:59:00.008+08:00

Our daughter's violin teacher has been politely nagging us about our relaxed attitude and reminding us that we should have given her music theory lessons long ago. Running out of patience, she ordered us to prepare her for the Feb/March 2011 music theory exam. Unable to resist an order from such a lovely lady, we enrolled our daughter in a music theory class. So, starting from about a month ago, my wife and I have been living our new schedule - every Saturday for half an hour when our daughter is having music theory lesson, we wander around in the Wanchai market, looking for fresh meat, good produces and other interesting things. The following is what we have discovered so far.

Hong Ning Dairy - The only organic dairy farm in Hong Kong. It is a very small operation - daily production is less than 6,000 bottles. Given its extremely small production, the farm does not bother to have an outlet on the island side. (A list of its outlets in Kowloon and the New Territories is here.) Yet, if you drink milk, you can find Hong Ning milk at a little shop in Wanchai market, which manages to get allotted 20 to 30 bottles per day. The shop is called 菜菜子 Oh My Farm, shop B3, 3 Wanchai Road. The milk is priced at HK$12 a bottle (should be HK$11 a bottle as you can have a dollar refund when you return an empty bottle). Not cheap but at least we don't have to travel to the Kowloon side to buy a bottle of milk. At 菜菜子 Oh My Farm, you can find a great variety of organic produces, which can be had at half of 3Sixty/City Super's prices. The ladies there are extremely helpful and friendly. You are going to like them, I guarantee.

Walking along Wanchai Road in the direction of Johnston Road you will see a little hole in the wall stall which sells fresh poultry (平靚正家禽). There you can find Kamei chicken (lean, hormone and god-knows-what-it-is free chicken) developed by the Kadoorie Farm. Cheap by 3Sixty's standard but still not inexpensive (HK$30 or so for a drumstick or HK$50-60 for a piece chicken breast). If you, like me, haven't developed into a 100% veggie though, agree that it is better to give up bulk of junk for better quality stuff, you will appreciate Kamei chicken (by the way, how much can one eat?). A warning: there is no turning back - you'll either be a 100% veggie or stick to Kamei chicken. You won't touch KFC again.

Further down the road you will find Sun Kee Butcher (新記健味豬, No.40 Wanchai Road, Tel: 25757675). If you prefer organic farming you should go to Sun Kee Butcher. This tiny stall is the last castle of Tam Keung, one of the very few farmers in Hong Kong practising organic farming. His other outlets in Kowloon City and Shatin are gone as there are not enough customers who are willing to pay 10-15% extra for what looks like the same thing that they can get at Park'N Shop. Luckily, his stall in Wanchai is thriving. If you go there after 2 p.m., you probably will have to leave empty-handed. Ah Tak, the man in charge of the stall, is extremely friendly. He is most willing to chat with his customers and share his knowledge about cooking and Wanchai history. Call him at the above number and he'll reserve your order for pick-up later in the day.

If you have a half day off and are fed up with Pacific Place or IFC, take a detour to Wanchai. It will be fun.

Self-Pitying Wealthy Poor

2010-09-30T22:22:00.007+08:00

A couple earning well over US$300,000 a year, who own a house with big lawn and two nice cars should feel contented. Not necessarily, at least not in the case of a law professor at the University of Chicago.

Following Obama's proposal to let Bush's tax cut expire only on incomes above $250K, the law professor wrote and published on the internet an article explaining why he should, after paying taxes, mortgage, contribution to 401K, his children's private school education, etc., feel strapped. His article drew hate-mails from across the States. And, finally, "after a big fight with his wife", the professor deleted the article from his website. (Google "whining of the rich" or "whiny law professor" if you are interested.)

I guess the professor is not very smart. What made he think he should tell the whole world how much he and his wife are earning, how much taxes they are paying and how much they need to pay for their children's education is beyond me.

The whole episode gets me thinking though. Are there any comfortable-but-non-big-bucks options for the upper middle-class?

A few months ago a friend lent (gave?) me a book called 窮得有品味, Chinese translation of Die Kunst des stilvollen Verarmens by Alexander , Count of Schönburg-Glauchau. From the author's name, you can probably tell that his ancestors were members of one of the noble families in Germany. Now a poor journalist though, the author, by reason of family heritage, can tell an authentic Chagall from a well executed fake, the best champaign from the second best and know the top painters and sculptors. His book is about means to live like a noble in the most inexpensive way. Extremely entertaining and most inspiring, I really love the book. Strange that there is no English translation of it (I did a quick Wikicat and GoogleBook search and it appears to be the case. If I am wrong, please correct me). If you can read either German or Chinese or Japanese (there appears to be a Japanese version), I sincerely recommend it. It's so true that we don't need to live in the biggest houses, fly first class, go to the fanciest restaurants and drink Romanee Conti to live a good life.

Yesterday, a very good friend invited us to go to dinner at one of the most expensive restaurants in town to celebrate her birthday. Not that I don't want to go out with some good friends, but, what the point of spending many thousands of dollars to risk bumping into some celebrities who will spoil my mood? I don't fancy fancy restaurants and derive no satisfaction from going to places like Amber. Call me a cheapo but I prefer small restaurants with less than 20 tables that are owned by the chefs. I'm not sure whether I'm getting old or what (maybe wiser?) but I'm really tired of the rat race. Two weeks ago we sold our apartment and made a tiny profit. We have decided to move into a cheaper place. Moving into a smaller and cheaper place has multiple benefits: First, there are more options to us - my wife can choose not to work if she wants to and spend more time with Ho-Sum; I can have more time for books and music and can refuse to work with people I don't like. Second and perhaps more importantly, we do believe that we are doing our daughter a disservice if she lives too comfortable a life. It's about time she goes to school on public transport and takes care of herself. Living too ISFish won't do her any good.

富得有品味 is nothing; I prefer 窮得有品味.

A Little Prayer

2010-09-28T15:59:00.004+08:00

Wondering what the 2nd encore Evelyn Glennie played in her concert was, I posted a question to a local music newsgroup that I randomly found on Google before I went to bed yesterday. Got answered by another percussionist from China this morning. It is A Little Prayer composed by Evelyn Glennie herself.

A short video that I found on Youtube

And, Evelyn Glennie in Sesame Street.

Evelyn Glennie and CIty Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong Again

2010-09-27T18:23:00.001+08:00

Glad that we attended virtuoso percussionist Evelyn Clennie's concert on Sept 25. What an evening.

Seldom do I immediately fall in love with a modern piece but I love the Marimba Concerto by Alexis Alrich. A surprise to myself as I am neither a big fan of modern music, nor the marimba. The concerto does not try to impress by presenting a grand structure but is extremely picturesque. Listening to it I can actually see some ancient caravan merchants carrying loads of silk and china, spices and jewels, leaving Xian from the East and Byzantine from the West, entering the desert with dreams of wealth and glory. The composer, Alexis Alrich, was among the audience witnessing the premiere of her concerto. She must be proud of her work and glad that the concerto was so well received.

Evelyn Glennie is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in November to raise funds for AbleChildAfrica. You can make a donation through JustGiving.

Health Check

2010-09-25T17:12:00.005+08:00

Can't remember when I had my last health check. "It's long overdue", my lovely wife has been constantly complaining.

I don't believe in health check.

Numerous researches have proved that "self-rated health" outperforms complicated procedures by medical doctors. In such researches, doctors typically go through the medical history, conduct tests, see the results of the tests, and carry out detailed examination for each persons concerned. Independently of the doctors' prediction, the persons are asked to answer a simple, multiple-choice question such as the following:

In general, how would you say your health is: (a) Excellent (b) Very good (c) Good (d) Fair (e) Poor?

It may sound a bit surprising but the results are always the same: self-rated health scores provide more accurate indications of how much longer people will live than the doctors' predictions.

There is nothing modern about modern medicine. In Dance with Chance, the authors gave a vivid description of the then most advanced treatment given to King Charles II by fourteen of the best doctors.

The King was bled... to the extent of a pint from his right arm. Next [the doctor] drew eight ounces of blood from his left shoulder ... gave an emetic to make the King vomit, to physics, and a enema containing antimony rock salt, marsh-mallow leaves, violets, beet roots, camomile flowers, fennel seed, linseed, cardamon seed, cinnamon, saffron cochineal, and aloes. The King's head was then shaved and a blister raised on his scalp. A sneezing powder of hellebore root was give to purge his brain, and a powder of cowslip administered to strengthen it... A plaster of pitch and pigeon dung was put on the King's feet. Next there was more bleeding followed by the administration of melon seeds, manna, slippery elm, black cheery water... To this mixture were added forty drops of the extract of human skull. Finally, in desperation a bezoar stone was tried. The King died.

I am not trying to belittle doctors and medical researchers. No, not at all. But, thank goodness, the study of medicine is evolving and will continue to evolve. I am a hopelessly optimistic person. I am confident that two hundred years from now people will consider MRI, CT Scan, PSA test (prostate-specific antigen test) etc. the like of extract of human skull and pigeon dung. Why then should I be obsessed with the magical effect of MRI, CT Scan and PSA test?

There is an interesting study about prostate cancer and PSA tests. In his excellent book Calculated Risks: How to Know When the Numbers Deceive You, psychologist Gigerenzer said the following about PSA test:

People who take PSA tests die equally early and equally often from prostate cancer compared with those who do not. One cannot confuse early detection with mortality reduction. PSA tests can detect cancer, but because there is as yet no effective treatment, it is not proven that early detection increases life expectancy...The test produces a substantial number of false positives, and therefore, when there is a suspiciously high PSA level, in most of these cases there is no cancer. That means many men without prostate cancer may go through unnecessary anxieties and often painful follow-up exams. Men with prostate cancer are more likely to pay more substantial costs. Many of these men undergo surgery or radiation treatment that can result in serious, lifelong harm such as incontinence and impotence. Most prostate cancer are so slow growing that they might never have been noticed except for the screening (out of 154 people with prostate caner only twenty four die of the disease). Autopsies of men older than fifty who die of natural causes indicate that about one in three of them has some form of prostate cancer...

In other words, a lot of men die with prostate cancer than from prostate cancer.

Speaking of PSA test I have a personal encounter with the test. Not exactly mine but my father's. Devastated by the death of my mother, he looked like a dead man. We took him to a doctor and he was given some tests. One of them was the PSA test. The result was positive, so positive that the doctor, reading from the most authoritative texts, was almost certain my father had prostate cancer. It turned out to be a false positive. The exceptionally high PSA reading, as the doctor was trying to explain with hindsight, was due to emotional stress. Any lesson to learn? Well, there is much truth in conventional wisdom - if you want good health, try to be happy. If you doctor tells you there is a high cancer risk, take a vacation, relax and have a second opinion.

There is a downside to health check: it promotes an illusion of control. It makes people believe that if they follow certain guidelines and have early symptoms detected, they'll live a longer and healthier life. I don't see any real difference between this health related illusion of control and the illusion shared by a great number of parents: the belief that if they can get their kids into the most famous schools and colleges, their kids will live a happy and successful life. Is there such certainly in life? Let's see what people will say about our medicine and schooling two hundred years from now.

P.S. I will make an appointment for a health check after posting this. You know, what I think doesn't matter; I have to obey the Almighty in our house.

Light Bulbs and Asian Game

2010-09-22T16:40:00.005+08:00

I have been saying that Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing's only function is to make other secretaries look less stupid. Now I have proof.

Yesterday, Hong Kong's environment chief Yau Tang-wah announced that the energy-saving light bulbs plan had been dropped after some "internal discussion". At the same time Tsang launched a public consultation on the intended bid for the 2023 Asian Game, which is going to cost not less than HK$44.7 billion.

Who in his sane mind will believe that Hong Kong people will say yes to the intended bid?

Yau should say thank you to Tsang.

Fujifilm FinePix X100 Large-Sensor Compact & An Ugly Leica

2010-09-21T18:15:00.003+08:00

As people are waiting for a digital rangefinder from Voigtländer, Fujifilm unveils a "Large-Compact" digital rangefinder.

Not that I am going to buy one but I am really impressed. It's proof that not all camera makers have gone insane. It also makes all those Nikon and Canon wonderbricks look like headless chickens with giant heads. Could be a Leica X1 killer too. Details here.

And, the Most-Ugly-Camera-in-Photokina Award goes to ... a limited edition Leica designed by Walter de'Silva priced at £19,800.

Tribute to the Disturbed Expatriate Women’s Canine-Worship Cult and AFCD

2010-09-16T17:53:00.003+08:00

A puppy called Garland, newly adopted from Hong Kong Dog Rescue (HKDR), was lost in April 2010. Its owner was devastated and felt guilty for its loss. The HKDR volunteers and members of DEWCWC (Disturbed Expatriate Women’s Canine-Worship Cult, as a popular gweilo blogger prefers to call them) had been searching for Garland in the Pokfulam area since April. Bad luck. No trace of Garland. Finally, members of DEWCWC had to give up. After all there did not seem to be any real chance for a puppy to survive on its own for so long.

Two days ago, Garland was sighted in the area off Victoria Road near West Island School. In very poor shape though, it was Garland. Its overbite (upper jaw much longer than lower) was unmistakable. It turned out that Garland had been visiting a construction site along Victoria Road, where it could find some construction workers who were kind enough to share their lunch with her. The HKDR volunteers rushed to the site to try to catch her. It wasn't an easy job as you can imagine. The poor dog was so scared that it escaped from its rescuers. In despair, they called the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, which sent out a team as soon as they were called. They set up a trap and wait. Finally, they caught Garland. Hooray. My hat off to HKDR volunteers, members of DEWCWC, the construction workers and AFCD.

(Photo from HKDR's Facebook)

Right Results for the Right-minded

2010-09-15T16:17:00.000+08:00

Not wanting to lag behind the Jews and the Muslims, who already have their own religiously correct search engines (Jewogle for Jews and I'mHalal for Muslims), a group of Christians in the States have created SeekFind, a search engine that only returns results from websites that are considered consistent with the Holy Bible. According to the people behind it, SeekFind is designed to promote biblical truth by excluding information that does't meet the Christian standard.

It looks interesting. Let's give it a try.

I type "Obama" in the search field and SeekFind produces 115 results. The top search result is, "Is Barack Obama the antichrist?" I try "Terry Jones" and the search engine takes me to a review of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". I search "Democratic Party" and it shows me the nexus between the Democratic Party and Marxist politics. What about "sexuality"? I enter "sexuality" and am rewarded with a lecture on monergism and told why the Holy Spirit is the only agent which effects regeneration of Christians.

I am not sure whether these guys are doing a service or disservice to their beliefs.

Insanity on a Global Scale

2010-09-13T15:37:00.003+08:00

After a 10-year experiment in “pressure-free education”, Japan has determined to go "back to basics" and add some 1,200 pages to the standard textbooks for elementary school students and give them more homework. The move, according to the "experts", is necessary to ensure that the Japanese students can compete with students from other countries and places like S. Korea and Hong Kong. (http://www.blnz.com/news/2010/09/05/Japan_fattens_textbooks_reverse_sliding_9bee.html)

The world is becoming more and more uniform. There is now a standardised test called PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) for students from all over the world. And, students in the US, from Florida to Alaska, are expected to live up to the "Common Core State Standards", a set of standards devised by the folks at the Council of Chief State School Officers who, after drinking who knows what it is, believe that they are capable of devising a set of uniform standards.

Longer school hours, more homework, more assessment and yet more homework...

Great. It sounds really great. Things won't get better until they can't get worse. Let more people join the mass of hysterical sleep-deprived zombie-like parents marching in the hall singing, "Top Scores to Our Children!"

Angel Queen 千年女王

2010-09-11T18:57:00.010+08:00

My sleeping habit is really bad. Very rarely do I sleep through the night. Even in a good day, I'll wake up two to three times. Sometimes, not wanting to go back to sleep immediately, I'll listen to the stereo or radio. This morning, waking at around 3, I turned on the radio, and I heard this:

I am sure a lot of people born in the 60's and 70's know this song. It is the theme song of a Japanese animated cartoon called Angel Queen, a.k.a. 1000-Year-Queen, Millennium Queen or Galaxy Express. It is a very sad story about sacrifice and salvation based on the work of Leiji Matsumoto (松本零士). The main character, Angel Queen, was destined to engage in thousands of years of conflict with her twin sister. It was upon the final resolution of the conflicts that the twin sisters could work together to save the Earth, by having themselves killed. I am fairly certain that Leiji Matsumoto knew history well, in particular the history of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Why Leiji Matsumoto should write such a story for kids is beyond me. Maybe he did not have kids in mind.

What follows is another song from Angel Queen, which helps make it so memorable.

Evelyn Glennie and CIty Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong

2010-09-06T16:15:00.004+08:00

I am sure some of my readers will love to attend this concert - Evelyn Glennie in Hong Kong. Details of the concert here.

Hearing impaired Evelyn Glennie is a renowned solo percussionist, an educationalist, a jewelry designer and a real life fighter. Given the number of fans she has, reserve your tickets now.

A TED video featuring Evelyn Glennie:

Hawking: God Did Not Create Universe

2010-09-04T00:34:00.002+08:00

Today's headline reminds me of Isaac Asimov's "The Last Question", one of the most inspiring short stories ever written. You can read it here.

... "LET THERE BE LIGHT!"
And there was light ...

Hong Kong Eonomic Journal 信報

2010-09-03T16:18:00.007+08:00

I have been reading HKEJ (Hong Kong Economic Journal, 信報) for over 20 years and been feeling proud of it. Not only is it the highest quality newspapers in Chinese language, it is in fact more readable than many big names worldwide. There has been some recent changes that leave a nasty taste in my mouth. First the inclusion of the so-called LifeStyle, which is nothing but a collection of boorish advertisements of luxury items, then the sudden suspension of Chen Yun's column (陳雲 - 我私故我在) following his criticisms of some of the local property developers, and the announcement today that there will be a new property page (probably sponsored by one or more of the property giants), which is going to replace the following columns of the more out-spoken writers: [商思話] 程逸; [繁星哲語] 梁巨鴻, 朱耀偉, 王建元, 梁燕城, 陳載禮, 郭少棠, 文潔華, 陶國璋; [文耕草莽] 文啟明; [上海通信] 柳葉, 毛尖, 張惠清, 愷蒂...

What the hell!? Not even a note of thanks to the out-going writers? People like 程逸 have been there since the day HKEJ was born! Don't tell me these are not murders en masse committed by the new owners of HKEJ and his friends in the Hong Kong Property Empire. I am not a three-year-old.

Stornoway - Fuel Up

2010-08-29T21:44:00.000+08:00

Mooncake

2010-08-29T17:59:00.003+08:00

Not liking any of the mooncakes that one can buy and finding them too sweet and greasy, my father decided to make his own mooncakes. These are the low sugar, low fat organic mooncakes he made over the weekend. The darker coloured ones have date paste and the lighter coloured ones have green bean paste in them. It is his first attempt and the results are just perfect.

My father never fails to impress.

He was born in the 30's at a time when there were only wars, more wars and yet some more wars. A few months after the Japanese had surrendered he came to Hong Kong. As a 13-year-old young refugee who had never been to school and did not know anyone in Hong Kong, he found a job as a junior sailor and went on-board a cargo ship to Malaysia. With the very little money he earned, he managed to support the livings of his parents and his brothers and sisters, who were then all stuck in Tianjin. He taught himself English and continued to perfect his skills as a sailor. One examination after the other, he finally became a Captain, before he turned 26.

My father spent half of his life on ocean going ships. As a father of four and uncle of kids of my other uncles who preferred not to work, he had to work extremely hard. He never took any extended leave so that he could earn the extra bonuses. In my younger days I saw him probably less than 20 days in a year. Although we had very little time together, I was somehow more attached to him. I guess it was because he was the easy to identify hero and I, foolishly enough, did not have the wisdom to see all the sacrifices and contributions of my stay-home mum.

A few years after his retirement my father took up another job - to take care of his wife who was suffering from Pick's disease. Anyone who has experience with patients of dementia will know what it is like to take care of a patient whose brain steadfastly decides to shut down a part of it every day. When she was formally diagnosed as a Pick's disease patient, all the doctors predicted that she would live for another three or four years. It turned out that she lived another eight whole years, thanks to my father's 24/7/365 care and attention. My father's place was like a hospital ward. There were breathing aids, wheelchairs, mechanical mattress, electrical nebulizer, feeding apparatus and all kinds of tubes.

Witnessing the whole degeneration process (memory loss, personality change, loss of speech, immobility, incontinence, inability to swallow, breathing difficulty and finally death) was painful. My mother left two years ago. I did not feel particularly sad when she died. There was this guilty feeling of relief...

There were times that we were worried that our father would not recover from our mother's death. Every time we went to his place he would tell us things like, "Your mum died 435 days ago", "it would be your mum's birthday in 112 days", and so forth. The mooncakes shown in the picture above are testimony to his partial recovery from his wife's departure. He is always a curious and energetic man and wants to try something new. I hope he will remain so.

Don't feel like blogging today but

2010-08-26T20:53:00.005+08:00

Don't feel like blogging today after the incident in Manila but am deeply annoyed by some senseless remarks left by some juvenile adults who are compelled to write something everyday to belittle others so that they can have a higher regard for themselves. For instances:

"[Based on RUMOURS that ONE family in Hong Kong has decided to fire their Filipino helper after the incident], [a]lways stimulating to see the Chinese indulging in what they do best: xenophobia and racist hysteria."

"The same number of innocent people were killed yesterday in Afghanistan but they were not Chinese so do not count."

When people are mourning, shut up. What you say is useless. To deride is easy, just too easy to do it with any real grace.

Cat and Dog

2010-08-20T14:43:00.010+08:00

Soon after we had got married my wife suggested that we should have a cat. As a great admirer of the feline creatures, I jumped at the chance and promised to get her one. When searching for a cat we bumped into Mr and Mrs H, a couple from Holland who were breeders of the Balinese breed (long hair Siamese). They happened to have a new-born Balinese which we fell in love with at first sight. When the little hair ball was 3 months old, we brought it home and gave it a new name - Mui Mui.

As the only kitten in the litter and having seen more men and women, boy and girls than other cats, Mui Mui was deeply convinced that she was a member of the human race. She was very attached to us. Every evening if I was not home by 9 p.m., she would become agitated. If we went on vacation, I had to call back home every now and then to talk to her, or she would refuse to eat. When we were happy, she was happy; when we were sad, she knew. She was always interested in the books that we were reading (as if she could read) and food that we were eating. I once put a glass of red wine in front of her. After some hesitation she gave it a try. And, I can't describe it. You have to see it yourself to believe that a cat is capable of making such a face - eyes squeezed to a line, whiskers pulled to the front and mouth pulled back. Very funny indeed.

Mui Mui was some 4 to 5 years old when our daughter was born. She was the most wonderful elder sister. Whatever our daughter did to her (poking her ears, pulling her tail, throwing toys at her), she would never fight back. When her younger sister was asleep, Mui Mui would sit next to her, guarding her, not making a sound. When she was awake, she would jump to the living room and meowed to us, commanding one of us to attend to her immediately.

Mui Mui passed away some three years ago. Sad. All good things will come to an end, won't they? We thought of keeping another cat, but, as our daughter turned out to be allergic to all other cats, we had to give up the idea. Our daughter loves dogs. Ever since she was able to read she has been reading everything about dogs, from dog breeds to dog training to dog history. I dare say that our daughter is one of the least materialistic girls. She never asked for anything, be it toys, modern gadgets, new cloths or new school bags (I guess she is the only student at her school who use the very same school bag from grade 1 through grade 5). So, when she asked for a puppy we found it hard to say no. Because of her allergy and asthmatic tendency, poodle appeared to be the only breed open to us (I'm not Obama and can't order someone to find me a non-shedding Portuguese water dog). We then found her a poodle...

I once said that I did not want a kid in my life. It turns out that I am a happy father. I also said that I hated small dogs like poodle and Yorkshire terrier. Now, I have a tiny poodle sitting next to me as I am typing this. Never say never.

Yashica EZ F521 Review

2010-08-17T20:57:00.004+08:00

There are two major drawbacks that turn me away from this little Yashica.

First, it takes three seconds to boot. Not fatal per se but, given that it loves to turn itself completely off (not stand-by) after 60 seconds to save power, if you are not shooting non-stop and there is a 60 second gap between two pictures, you have to turn it back on and wait for another three whole seconds before you can shoot on.

I also hate that there is no way to turn the monitor permanently off. Yes, you can suspend the monitor by pressing the display button a few times. But the slightest touch of shutter release will bring it back on. I do not "chimp" and only use the viewfinder to frame. That means I have to constantly struggle with the display button. To make things worse, the shinning bright light from he monitor, which is very close to the viewfinder, is more than distracting. It makes the viewfinder hard to use. Why bother building into a camera a viewfinder that is not usable?

These two things together, my shooting mode is like this: turn the camera on, wait for three seconds, press the display button a few times to turn off the monitor, frame and shoot, press the display button again to turn the monitor off, frame and shoot...(60 seconds later)... turn the camera back on, wait for another three seconds...

This little inexpensive Yashica feels good in the hand and produces images of acceptable quality. It is a pity that it tries too hard to impress by pretending to be capable of doing things that are not expected of a supposed to be simple and fun to use camera. Take away the all the built-in filters, cancel the video mode and limit the monitor for pictures review purpose, it will then be a great fun camera.

Han Yuan Book Store 漢源書店

2010-08-15T15:42:00.007+08:00

Han Yuan Book Store (漢源書店) is more like a friend's place than a book store or a cafe. It is is located in a quiet corner of the former French Concession, surrounded by publishing houses, traditional Shanghai-style residences and trees. The exact address is no.27 Shao Xing Road, Shanghai (5 min walk from Shan Xi Road South station, Line 1).

The owner of Han Yuan, Deke Erh, is a photographer based in Shanghai. Signed copies of his books are available at Han Yuan at no extra cost. The book store carries books on photography, fashion, literature and old Shanghai customs and cultures. Scattered over the place are some old furnitures and antiques from Erh's own collection, which include antique tea sets, calligraphies, paintings, lamps, cameras and aged books. Some photographs of Han Yuan here.

Han Yuan is just the perfect place to have a cup of coffee and to read. You can bring your own books, sit down, order a cup of coffee and stay there for a whole day. No one will ever ask you to buy a second cup of coffee or disturb you from your reading. Sitting in Han Yuan takes you back to the old days, the days when you could idle in the yard in the lazy days of summer, when time seemed to pass slowly and nobody was in a rush. We went to Han Yuan on a Sunday and spent our entire afternoon there. Our daughter found a copy of Sophie's World (an early print which is not for sale). After reading the first 20 pages she fell in love with it. She found in the middle of the book a bookmark with some scribbles on it which said, "Please leave this bookmark in its place. I love this book and will come back to finish it.". My wife found a reprint of 楊絳《雜憶與雜寫》 and I managed to finish 龍應台《目送》which I never had time to finish. We went to Han Yuan the next day and spent another afternoon there. If there is something in Shanghai that we really miss, it is Han Yuan.

Amanfayun, Hangzhou

2010-08-13T17:01:00.014+08:00

Hidden deep in 飛來峰 (Feilai Peak, the Peak from Afar) are seven ancient temples. The most famous of which is 靈隱寺, Lingyin Temple (meaning: "Temple of the Soul's Retreat"), first built some 1,700 years ago during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, around the time when Constantine summonsed the Council of Nicaea. To the West of Lingyin Temple there lies a historic village called 法雲古村 (Fayun Historic Village). From its name, 法雲 (Fayun), one can readily guess that the village formed part of the seven ancient temples. According to some publications, the village was established by the monks and nuns of the nearby temples who had chosen to return to civilian life but wished to live close to the temples. A few of the farm houses in the village have been turned into AmanFayun 法雲安縵, a resort run by Aman Resorts. The farm houses have been kept in their original state. From the outside, the Aman villas look exactly like the other farm houses. Unless you already know, you cannot possibly tell that farm houses are now Aman villas.

Although the village is open to public, it is very little known. Chances are that you will not come across more than a few visitors in a day. The place is extremely well preserved. I can imagine that it looked exactly the same hundreds of years ago. There is an old Chinese story about a man who walked into a mountain and stayed in a hut for a night, only to find out the other day when he walked out of the mountain that the outside world had changed beyond recognition. I cannot help thinking that the story actually happened here. Time seems to have frozen at Fayun Village and there seems to be a spirit in every tree and every piece of stone. It is kind of surreal, almost dream-like. If someone tells me that the little spider on the twig, having listened to the monks' morning and evening prayers for over a hundred years, can recite a script from a Buddha text, I will believe it.

AmanFayun does not offer facilities common to other resorts. There are two small restaurants, a tea house, a library and a spa but there are no gym, swimming pool, karaoke or the like. To keep the ambience of the place, things are TVs and bath tubs are not to be found in the rooms and villas. Our villa is some two or three hundred metres away from the restaurants and spa area. Not very conveniently located one may think, but we love walking on the stone path.

This is our first Aman experience and we are Aman Junkies already. True that Aman is twice as expensive as other resorts like Banyan Tree but Aman is a hundred times better than others. If I have to choose between a paid night at AmanFayun and a free week at Banyan Hangzhou (which comes with meals in any restaurants in Hangzhou of my choice and a limo with driver), I will go for a night at AmanFayun, definitely. There are five more temples that I need to visit.

My next blog will be about another great find in China - a cheap one.

Two More Days To Go

2010-07-27T21:59:00.002+08:00

I did not blog in the past week as I was heavily involved in a piece of work which took up more than 16 hours of any day of mine. With 4 or so hours of sleep everyday I really didn't think I could produce something marginally worth reading. Luckily, in 2 days' time, I can have my vacation, a much overdue vacation. Save that I know where my wife will take me to, I have no idea what she has planned for the vacation. I do know, however, I am going to enjoy whatever she has planned.

I am going to leave my heavy gear at home and take nothing but a toy camera with me. It's a Yashica EZ F521. I am always a big fan of Yashica/Contax. Although it costs me no more than HK$680 (about US$87), it has everything I want - an optical viewfinder and a fixed-focal lens which is not too slow (it has a 42.5mm f.3.0 lens). This 100% plastic little camera is amazingly light, lighter than my very light Summicron 50/2 alone. I'll write a review of this little Yashica when I'm back from vacation.

To make this vacation a real vacation, I'll be away from phone, computer and internet. So, there will be no update to this blog before August 13th.

Creepy Songs

2010-07-19T20:32:00.008+08:00

This post should be read after the clock strikes 12.

Gloomy Sunday is probably the best known creepy song. Legends have it that the original version was cursed, something about there being a subliminal message in the Hungarian lyrics and that people would kill themselves after listening to it on a bad day. Here is Bille Holiday's cover, which, people say, does not carry the dark magic.

夜夜痴纏 is a Hong Kong's answer to the Gloomy Sunday. Said to have been banned in the 80's following some strange occurrences to the DJs who were stupid enough to play it after mid-night.

I do not find 夜夜痴纏 creepy. If there is a creepy Cantonese song, it is this one:

This must be the most creepy Bach of all. BTW, whether or not you believe that there is a memorial to Bach's wife hidden in it, this rendering of the Chaconne is deeply affecting. BBC review of the Morimur here.

And, there is nothing more creepy than this: a 7-year-old playing a Paganini Caprice. (The lovely little girl got accepted by Julliard School and became the school's youngest student after playing Paganini Caprice No. 24, Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto No. 5 and Bach Sonata No.1 in front of Itzhak Perlman and Stephen Clapp. Here is her short biography)

Education and Lottery

2010-07-18T15:51:00.013+08:00

The Hong Kong A-level Exam results were out some two weeks ago and the IB Diploma results were released just now. Parents of kids who did well (my congratulations to them) were reported to have said that getting 5As in HKAL or 40+ in IB and securing a ticket to one of the top universities is like finally winning a big lottery or a mega jackpot.

Numerous researches have shown that winners of mega jackpots live a short life, are far more likely to go bankrupt and have their marriage ended by way of a divorce.

Do you still want to win a big lottery or mega jackpot?

We often see in the papers stories of people winning a mega jackpot. What about the people who did not win? I bet you've never read any news about Peter's not winning, Paul's not winning, Mary's not winning ... If we require a TV station to run a 30-second interview with each loser every time they interview a winner, the losers in a typical lottery in the US will require nine and a half years of your uninterrupted attention just to watch them say, "I did not win", "I lost", "Neither did I"... (There is an interesting TED video on this.) The media bias creates an illusion that lotteries are winnable and makes people buy lottery tickets.

Is it the same with the attraction of the top universities?

We have stories in the papers and fancy magazines (which very often are more pornographic than the real pron magazines) that Simon Junior, graduate of Princeton, joining Goldman Sachs as its youngest partner, and Ann, grand-grand-grand-daughter of Peter the Great and a graduate from Yale, becoming CEO of one of the Fortune 500. It's not that likely that we'll find in the papers stories of Simon, graduate of Harvard, becoming a police officer, or Peter, a Cambridge's graduate, becoming a pharmacist or a teacher.

Is there a similar illusion, like the lottery one, that makes people believe that going to one of the top universities will bring us happiness and success?

Winners of medium-sized lotteries are generally happier. If Oxbridge and Ivy League = the biggest lotteries and second-tier universities = medium-sized lotteries, what do you prefer?

Hong Kong Book Fair and Stephen Fry

2010-07-13T16:33:00.001+08:00

Although you are not going to see Chrissie Chau and other underage pseudo models in person, this year speaker lineup for the Hong Kong Book Fair has its own attraction. The guest speakers include:

Han Han, Chinese blogger, named one of the "100 most influential people" by Time Magazine;
Frederick Forsyth, author of thriller books The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Dogs of War and The Devil's Alternative;
Stephen Fry, actor, comedian, author and Twitter user with more thn 1.57 million followers;
Andrew Roberts, historian and author of Hitler and Churchill;
Jade Y Chen, best-selling novelist and playwright from Germany.

To take part in the guest speaker forums, you have to register ahead of time. Act now. Chances are that all the places for Han's and Fry's forums will be taken very quickly.

Here is Stephen Fry. (If you, quite understandably, don't want to see too much of Ann Widdecombe, jump to 1:15).

Hong Kong's Best Kept Secrets Series - Tiao Yuan Soya Sauce 調源醬油

2010-07-09T13:50:00.012+08:00

It's a very well kept secret.

An extremely low profiled old money family in Hong Kong has been producing the Tiao Yuan soya sauce since time long forgotten. The family, among the very rich though, is little known. Members of the family have been patrons to China Care Fund, a local charity that is quietly helping many poor students (especially girls) in the more remote parts of China. The family once hosted a causal party for the China Care Fund's people at the family mansion in Fanling. I was lucky to be invited. It was not a fancy party like the ones at Four Seasons but there were good friends, good food and good chats. After the party the guests were presented some souvenirs - two bottles of Tiao Yuan soya sauce, freshly brewed from the in-house brewing facilities, which were behind the mansion and next to the private peacocks garden (there were some real peacocks!). Nice party souvenirs indeed. The soya sauce is brewed in the way their great grandparents did it. No chemicals added; no preservatives, no artificial colouring and nothing of those substances whose names I cannot spell. Just good materials and a lot of attention and a lot of time. The soya sauce making business is now more a family heritage than a money-making business. They are making it for friends, relatives and old customers who still remember them. Production is extremely small. There used to be an outlet in Causeway Bay but it is now gone. To buy the soya sauce you need to go to Sham Shui Po and look for a little shop called Tai Hing Food, which is right opposite to Pei Ho Street Market Building. Trust me, it is the best soya sauce you can find. The price is a little unreal - it's HK$20 per bottle. It makes the price for the balsamic vinegar from Modena or Reggio Emilia sound like a joke.

It's Complicated

2010-07-06T22:59:00.005+08:00

Summer must be a time for divorce.

A few friends of mine have their problems with marriage resolved by way of a divorce recently. The common issue - a third party. The complication of having a third party is always under-estimated. Consider this: two cake lovers wish to share a cake so that each is satisfied that they have a fair share. How to divide the cake between the two? It's not that hard when there are only two cake lovers involved - A cuts, B chooses. The problem gets tricky when a third cake lover is brought into the picture. How to divide the cake among the three so that each is satisfied that they have a fair share? I'll give you a moment to deliberate on it.
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Don't get frustrated if you can't think of an answer. The question, posted hundreds of years ago, was left unresolved until 1944 when a group of Polish mathematicians came up with a somewhat right solution. A tripartite situation is more tricky that one can imagine. Anyone who thinks that he (seems that it's always he) can resolve a tripartite marriage is either completely stupid or hopelessly arrogant.

Ironically, if one can divide a cake fairly among three persons, he can divide it among four, five, six or more (see How to Cut a Cake if you are interested).

Chinese Lesson (1) - 山人仙谷俗

2010-07-06T19:02:00.002+08:00

人: man; person; people.
山: mountain; hill.
仙: immortal; god; divine; heavenly.

人 + 山 = 仙. Therefore, to be immortal and divine, a man needs to go deep into the mountain, away from the material world.

人: man; person; people.
谷: grain, corn, harvest.
俗: worldly, materialistic, vulgar.

人 + 谷 = 俗. So, a man who eats is bound to be worldly, materialistic, or even vulgar. The more he eats or the more harvest he keeps, the more vulgar he will be.

Hou Yeh Pinoy! Great! Filipinos! 好嘢!菲律賓人!

2010-07-02T18:28:00.002+08:00

Traditionally, people don't talk much about the Philippines except the beaches in Cebu, Imelda Marco's shoes, Freddie Aguilar's Anak and, of course, export of domestic helpers. But, it seems that things are starting to change. These days, local newspapers carry stories of Walden Bello, and the Hong Kong Arts Centre is hosting the first Philippine Film Festival. (I really want to watch Voices/Boses but my work schedule for the coming week sucks.) A welcome change.

A Quick Rreview

2010-07-01T22:13:00.008+08:00

This blog has been up for a few months. It's time for a quick review.

1. Microsoft is out

2. The Metro Vocal Group is in
I notice that in the last few days, quite a number of the new readers were directed by Google to this post as they were googling "Metro Vocal Group". They were from everywhere: Thailand, the Netherlands, New Zealand and ... Romania and Russia? It seems that people all over the world are suddenly interested in the Metro Vocalists. Their new video "Under a Vast Sky" got almost 100,000 hits in less than 3 days.

3. Top referral site
Gweipo leads by a big margin, followed by Joyce and Ulaca.

4. Apparently most loved post
On fatherhood. Surprisingly, people like it. I guess the cute video helps.

5. Apparently most influential post
On fatherhood again. One reader said in a private comment that he (or she) may reconsider the kids issue.

6. The worst post (nominated by SorLo)
Application for permission to date my daughter. It's a shameless copy and paste, and completely devoid of originality. (But I know parents in my situation will forgive me.)

Bach's "Sleepers Wake" and ISF Orchestra

2010-06-29T21:22:00.000+08:00

As I was listening to Bach's "Sleepers Wake", my daughter told me they had played it during orchestra practice. A BIG THANK YOU to Ms Howard.

Report Card

2010-06-28T21:42:00.000+08:00

ISF is now distributing report cards by electronic means. Despite all the emails and SMS reminders, my wife and I somehow managed to completely forget about the latest report card. Should we declare victory over schooling or call ourselves lazy parents?

Animals Schooling

Important Chinese Painter Wu Guanzhong (吳冠中) died at 91

2010-06-26T16:13:00.000+08:00

Wu Guanzhong (吳冠中), important Chinese painter and a rare talent who really understood Chinese and Western art, passed away yesterday in Beijing. He was 91.

Mr. Wu, an engineer by training, studied painting at the National Arts Academy of Hanzhou and the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts. He was the first Chinese to be made an Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. Hong Kong was home to Mr. Wu for many years and the Hong Kong Museum of Art is home to many of his paintings. I hope the museum will very soon show his paintings in an exhibition.

Delay?

2010-06-25T19:45:00.005+08:00

I'm sure some of my readers already know this excellent article in The New Yorker by Jonah Lehrer: Don't! The secret of self-control. It is about the importance of delayed satisfaction and explains why kids who manage to resist the temptation of a marshmallow at age 4 tend to score two hundred and ten more points in S.A.T.

I have been thinking whether adults will benefit from delayed frustration/disappointment/anger/judgment as kids will benefit from delayed satisfaction. True, life is not perfect. But, I don't know, would it make any difference if we can delay our feeling for say 30 minutes?

Even the almighty sun has its own ups and downs.

When I'm down and troubled, I'll turn to Bach for some comfort. Let's see if this works for you.

Mid Age Crisis

2010-06-23T21:10:00.011+08:00

Gweipo's post reminds me of Life after 50 - Reboot, a book by the Japanese management guru Kenichi Ohmae 大前研一 (Kenichi Ohmae's biography here). You may not like the tone of the author but I do appreciate the 100% openness on his part. It seems that this somewhat neglected book has not been translated into English yet. Every man aged 40 or above who can read Japanese or Chinese should grab a copy and read it from cover to cover.

Kenichi Ohmae made the following points:

If you love singing/dancing/acting/painting/music performing and cannot make yourself a known singer/dancer/actor/painter/performer before 40, forget about it. You won't be a renowned singer/dancer/actor/painter/performer.

If you can't make yourself a partner of McKinsey & Company, Inc. before you attain 40, you just won't be a partner of McKinsey. Face the fact and accept it.

If you are over 40 years of age and still complaining about unfairness and lack of opportunities, you probably will spend the rest of your life complaining and mourning for yourself.

Retirement from your present job is not a ticket to grave. If, by age 45 or 50, you still hasn't reached the highest point you thought you would be up to, you need a mental reboot. It's time you leave your present job behind and try something new. Start a new venture, learn a new skill and start a new hobby.

You don't need to prove anything to your wife. If she is still with you when you are 50, she already knows who you are.

If you don't need to prove anything to your wife, you don't need to prove anything to anybody.

Go to the country or a smaller company. Your skill, not the highest rated though in the biggest companies, is much needed elsewhere. You are more useful than what you think.

Sell your heavily mortgaged house and buy a smaller one in the less prestigious location. Yes, you can live in a smaller place. No, you don't want to be bothered with mortgage when you are 60.

Learn how to purchase tickets to movies on your cell phone; try what you used to hate to eat; learn an instrument or a new language; learn how to swim if you cannot swim.

You may not be the most charming flower in the field, but you can be the ground that nurtures that flower. Don't underestimate the value of your knowledge and experience to the youth.

By 50, you should be able to tell what you can change and can't change. What you can't change, you can't change.

Do what you really want to do.

You should be able to ignore noise.

Stay away from negative people.

I'm just reading ahead. Will have to live a few more years before I attain 50.

Violin Shops in Hong Kong

2010-06-22T12:08:00.004+08:00

Bumped into another parent who is also learning the violin after the ISF Grade 6/7 Musical and had a brief discussion with him about violin shops in Hong Kong. Here is my list of violin shops in Hong Kong (most of them also carry other stringed instruments).

Orfeo Strings
I love and hate Orfeo. Their collection is good (this is the place where you can see and try bows by Thomassin and Vigneron) but I'm really fed up with all the bullshit from one of the guys there. Visitors to the shop who are identified as someone who can afford better instruments will be told that their children need a Laberte for grade 6 and up violin examinations, and that Chinese and Eastern European violins are for beginners.

Hong Kong Strings
A nice shop in Central with a fairly good collection and helpful staff. Prices are reasonable too. However, a neck resetting job that needed to be completely redone keeps me from rating it more highly.

Violmaster
Mr. Au and his apprentices, all quiet and timid men, are extremely helpful. They carry Chinese stringed instruments of different grades.

Andre Jutras
A small one-man operation in Wanchai. A French husband to a Chinese lady and father of a teenage girl who is also playing the violin, AJ is one of the very few violin makers here. These days he is more a dealer of Chinese instruments than a maker/restorer but he does more than just buy and sell. He will make sure that all the instruments that leave his workshop are properly set up and in playable condition.

Solo Strings
Another no-fuss and honest violin shop in Wanchai. The shop that I now go to for repair and maintenance.

Some violin shops are less honest than the other. So be careful. An unlabeled instrument that is sold for less than US$400 in a Tarisio auction may somehow find its way into a shop in the New Territories and become a HK$50,000 violin with an Italian label.

Vadim Mazo First Recital in Hong Kong

2010-06-20T00:55:00.003+08:00

Just back from Vadim's mini recital at the newly opened Geofferik Studio in Causeway Bay. (Something about Vadim here).

The programme:

Prelude and Allegro (Kreisler)
Sonatina in 4 movements (Dvorak)
Romance in F (Beethoven)
Meditation from Thais (Massnet)
Etude (Fiorillo)
Fishermen Song (Koichi Kishi)

Violin: Vadim Mazo
Piano: Li, Geoff Erik

The Etude by Fiorillo is added as a reminder to the students that an etude is a song, not an exercise, and should be practised and played as a song. The Fishermen Song, Hong Kong premiere probably, is a song written by a Koichi Kishi, a Japanese composer who died in the US at the age of 29.

It is indeed my great pleasure to be at the recital. I came to know Vadim two and a half years ago when he came here to teach. We became good friends during our week's stay in St. Petersburg in the Summer that followed. Vadim is the most devoted and passionate music teacher I have ever met. Educating the younger generation and passing his knowledge to them is his priority, an self-imposed task, a mission and an uncompromisable part of his life. Despite his not very good health, he is back to Asia with his violin and his passion for music and life.

Vadim is also bringing Tomoko from Japan, an adorable violin teacher whom kids really love. He says he needs to learn a few things from her as to how to deal with the younger violin learners. Tomoko is arriving in Hong Kong on Tuesday and we will be having dinner together on Thursday after my daughter's lesson with them. Can't feel more happy and excited.

Application for Permission to Date My Daugher

2010-06-16T01:32:00.015+08:00

This post is not original, but who cares, this is an EMERGENCY SITUATION.

Mr you know who you are, please read this very carefully and follow the following instructions and rules strictly.

Note: This application will be incomplete and rejected unless accompanied by a complete financial statement, job history, driving record, family lineage and current certified medical report (including drug test) from doctors nominated by me.

By submission this form, you understand that your application will not be processed until my daughter is 16.

Name: _________________________________

Date of Birth: _________________________

Height:_____ Weight _______ I.Q. ______

Passport/HKID # ________________________

Drivers License # ________________________
(If you are not old enough to hold a driving licence, wait until you get one)

Highest rank reached in school ___________________________________________

Lowest rank reached in school ____________________________________________
(Give full particulars, when, where and why)

Email Address _________________________________

Facebook/Twitter/Other social Networking accounts: __________________________________________________________
(You warrant that you don't have any other social networking accounts except the above and undertake to add me and my wife as your "friends".)

Do you have one Male and one Female parent? If No, Explain_________________________________________________

Do you have a tongue ring, nose ring, belly ring, nipple ring or a tattoo? ______ If “Yes” please discontinue application and leave.

Are you sure you understand what does “Don’t touch my Daughter” mean? __________

In 50 words or less, what does “Late” mean to you?

In 50 words or less, explain how to achieve peace in the Middle East.

Name of Church you attend ___________________
How often ___________________

In 50 words or less, explain why you bother to attend a church?

In 50 words or less, explain why you don't go to church?

When would be the best time to interview the following people?

Your Father ______________ AM or PM, Best Contact Phone _______________

Your Mother _____________ AM or PM, Best Contact Phone _______________

Your Minister ____________ AM or PM, Best Contact Phone _______________

Your School's Head ________ AM or PM, Best Contact Phone _______________

Answer by filling in the blanks. Please answer freely. ALL answers are confidential (That means I won't put them on Youtube without the permission of my wife, or my dog).

If you were shot, the last place on your body you would want wounded would be:
________________________________________________________

If your were beaten, the last bone you would want broken would be:
________________________________________________________

How private should private parts be:
________________________________________________________

Things I hope this application does not ask about me is (must name at least three):
________________________________________________________

When I first meet a girl, the first thing I notice about her is:
_________________________________________________________

I swear that all information supplied above is true and correct to the best of my knowledge under penalty of death, dismemberment, Native American Red Ant torture, Electrocution, Chinese Water Torture, and Red Hot Poker Treatment.

X_________________________________________
Signature (that means your name in cursive)

Thank you for your interest in my daughter. Please allow 4 to 6 YEARS for processing. You will be notified in writing if you are approved. Please DO NOT try to call, email or write. If you do attempt any communication before your application is approved, automatic disqualification will result.

Do you still want to date my Daughter?

_________ Yes, please submit my application (I agree to the attached “Rules.”)

_________ No, I have the wrong house, I am terribly sorry to disturb you.

Accompanying Rules for dating my Daughter:

(1) If you pull into my driveway and honk, I will assume that you are delivering something, because you are not picking anything up.

(2) You do not stare at my daughter. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off my daughter, I have your authority to remove them, and I will.

(3) I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don’t take this personally, but you and your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be open-minded. So, if you come to the door with your underwear showing I will take my electric nail gun and fasten you trousers securely in place to your waist to ensure that during the course of your date your trousers do not come off.

(4) I’m sure you have been told that in today’s world, sex without some sort of “barrier method” of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate. When it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.

(5) It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics and other current affairs. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS. The only information I require is what time I can expect my daughter to be home safely, and the only acceptable answer is “Early.”

(6) I have no doubt that you are a popular guy, with many opportunities to date and flirt with other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little princess, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you.

(7) If you make my little girl cry, I will make you cry.

(8) As you are waiting in my front entry for my daughter to appear, and some significant time goes by, do not sigh or fidget. If you want to be on time, you should not date my daughter. My daughter is putting on her makeup, fixing her beautiful hair and choosing an outfit that will pass my inspection. Instead of standing there, please do something useful, like mowing my yard, taking out my trash, or changing the oil in my car.

(9) Do not lie to me. I may appear to be advancing in age and intelligence, but I am all knowing when it comes to my daughter. I have a shotgun, a shovel and some extra land. Do not mess with me.

(10) The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter:

Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool; places where there are no parents, policemen, or pastors in eyesight; places where there is no presence of light; places it is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops or anything other than overalls, a sweater and a goose down parka zipped to the top; movies with romantic themes; places where there is dancing, holding hands or happiness; places where alcohol is provided. Please note that the above list is not exhaustive. Additions to the list may be made retrospectively and without notice at my absolute discretion.

Eva Cassidy's Fields of Gold

2010-06-14T14:46:00.001+08:00

Every now and then I get haunted by tunes that keeps replaying in my head. It can go on for hours, and sometimes on and off for a couple of days. It may well be due to a disorder with a fancy name that one of the patients of Oliver Sacks was found to have suffered, as described by Sacks in his interesting book Musicophilia. This morning, awaken by the rain at 3 a.m., my brain decided to play Eva Cassidy's Fields of Gold. And it is still ringing in my head now. Although I really love Eva Cassidy's cover of the song (I hope I won't get stoned by Sting's fans - I love it more than Sting's version), I don't feel like Eva Cassidy right now. Hey, my dear little brain, whatever your reason for playing it, please stop.

Eva Cassidy's Field of Gold from Live at Blues Alley (a great album by the way)

Fake Science and Bad Taste

2010-06-08T13:23:00.003+08:00

According to this research: "A sense of humor helps to keep people healthy and increases their chances of reaching retirement age. But after the age of 70, the health benefits of humor decrease."

I don't think this is a correct summary of the data. The conclusion should read: A sense of humor helps to keep people healthy and increases their life expectancy, until they die.

And, here is the bad taste bit:

See you at Victoria Park on June 4

2010-06-03T22:34:00.001+08:00

I'm a hopelessly optimistic man. I'm optimistic that we don't have to wait too long to put things right. Show me a dictatorship that lasts for more than 4 generations - Hu belongs to the 4th generation.

See you at Victoria Park on June 4.

On Fatherhood

2010-06-02T23:15:00.005+08:00

No babies, thank you.

My wife and I had decided not to have any kids. So it was a not so pleasant surprise to us when we found out during our holidays in Provence that she was pregnant. How could I handle a baby? I was among those men who would actually step back on seeing a crawling toddler, or leave a restaurant immediately if there was a baby-like creature in it. Our apartment was a no-baby zone and my friends had to drop off their carry-on babies and have them checked in somewhere before they came in. I did, once, foolishly agreed to allow a toddler girl in our place for some six hours, and, consequently, I had a fever in the six days that followed. Seriously, I did not like kids. They scared me.

My wife was not fond of babies either, but she did not hate them. My serious allergy to babies nevertheless, we accepted the surprise and got prepared for changes, and things changed indeed...

A man (masculine includes feminine) is a dot on a piece of paper, or a plane. As the man grows older, he becomes a circle. With time, knowledge, experience and maybe some wisdom throwing in, the circle gets bigger and bigger, and bigger. One day it may evolve into a giant circle. Glaring and admirable as it may be, it remains a circle, and continues to spin around its centre, its own self, on a plane.

Things get interesting when the circle meets another circle. Both will have to give up part of themselves. They are no longer separate circles - no more spinning around one's own self. But the intersection brings along sparks, dynamics, provocations, good times, not so good times... Life is simply more interesting and fulfilling.

But still, these are two circles on a 2-D surface. Not completely independent though, they have their respective centre.

When a child is born, it's all different. One cannot live only with the rules of the 2-D world. It's a 3-D world. One does not choose the sex, personality, degree of intelligence, etc. of the child as one chooses the other circle. You take what finds you, come what may. There is nothing but rethinking and relearning and rethinking, struggling and letting go, accepting and compromising. Life is 10x(square) more rich and full. Never has the silly circle realised that watching another circle grow can be so satisfying. Never has it viewed things from so different an angle. And never has it experienced the unspeakable joy of looking into itself and watching its own centre, the very same centre it used to cling onto, diminishes.

I just love the world more with the coming of my girl.

Although I do sometimes get overwhelmed by the privilege of being your father, my dear girl, I promise that I'll keep my sanity, remain aloof and won't let what I aspire to be or long for becomes your burden. So profoundly enriched my life you already have, there is nothing, absolutely nothing that I can ask of you. This is your life, your world.

Handy Recorder

2010-06-02T18:11:00.001+08:00

It's amazing what US$99 can buy these days. I'll order one when it is out. Details here.

LCSD Promoting Film Banned in China?

2010-06-01T11:10:00.004+08:00

Reading HKEJ, I am a bit surprised that this documentary "Please Vote for Me", banned in China, is featured in the International Children's Film Carnival 2010. Seems that there are people with some real guts at the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (let's assume they know what they are doing).

By the way, the Dutch film Frogs & Toads, Polish film The Magic Tree and Svein and the Rat from Norway appear to be very good stuff. Good job, programming people.

Is this real?

2010-05-29T23:11:00.002+08:00

Is this real or Hong Kong's version of Joshua Bell playing Bach's Chaconne in the subway experiment?

Caution: Baby Video

2010-05-28T17:48:00.000+08:00

Another great debater.

Bypassing the Great China Firewall

2010-05-24T23:16:00.005+08:00

A friend of mine who is working in Shanghai seems to have unrestricted access to the Internet. Curious about it, I ask him how come he is able to update his Facebook and read Apple Daily while he is in Shanghai. "The wall is for those who voluntarily submit to it. Many kids in the bigger cities have their ways to bypass it." He sends me this link which offers a number of ways to bypass the wall: http://hostintruder.wordpress.com/2008/07/18/how-to-bypass-blocked-websites/. As the freebies are not very reliable, he and his colleagues are using a paid service called Strong VPN, which allows them to surf the web freely for something like US$7 a month.

I am totally ignorant to Swedish Sami culture. Thanks to Jonna Wibelius and Internet, I am able to enjoy the lovely music of Sofia Jannok. Keep the Internet free and unrestricted.

Don't you say no, Audrey.

2010-05-20T15:38:00.015+08:00

The Chief Executive, Donald Tsang, has openly challenged Audrey Eu, leader of the Civic Party, to debate the 2012 political reform package on TV, live.

I thought I heard it wrong when the news reached my ears. Public debate is no news in the Western world. But, according to 練乙錚, there were no more than three open debates between the ruling parties and the opposing parties in the entire history of China (the last and third of such debate happened less than a month ago, between 馬英九 and 蔡英文 - if you count Taiwan as part of China; the first two happened over a thousand years ago).

Don't you say no, Audrey. People in China don't have too many a chance to witness a debate between the ruling and the opposing parties on China's soil.

I am looking forward to it.

Where have the boys gone?

2010-05-17T10:46:00.006+08:00

Was reading the blog of Sally Anderson (founder of Hong Kong Dog Rescue) over the weekend. 1st of May was a big day for Hong Kong Dog Rescue - it was time they had to leave their kennel in Pokfulam and move to their new home in Tai Po. The big move was filmed and you can watch it on Youtube. I couldn't help wondering while watching the video: How come most of the volunteers are girls? Where have the boy gone?

This book, "Why Boys Fail: "Saving Our Sons from an Educational System That's Leaving Them Behind" got mentioned in the Hong Kong Economic Journal. Out of curiosity I downloaded a sample from Kindle Store. Don't like it. It reads amateurish and contains mostly second-hand information. Looking for something better to read I found Peg Tyre's "The Trouble with Boys: A Surprising Report Card on Our Sons, Their Problems at School, and What Parents and Educators Must do". There are a few things in the book that are new to me. For instance, I never realised that it could be a political issue as such - some "pro-boys" measures are simply perceived as "anti-girls" and strongly opposed by the feminist groups and parents of the high achieving girls. The whole system, as pointed out by the author, does seem unfair to the boys. When boys are treated as girls at homes and judged as girls at schools, how can boys not be defective girls? It is a good read and I recommend it to all parents (not just parents of boys).

A New World

2010-05-04T11:08:00.017+08:00

When I had the Kindle in my hands for the first time, I fell in live with it instantly. As a new convert, I let my wife and daughter try it. Big mistake. They privatised it on their first try. It's true that the Kindle is very limited and capable of only one thing. But it does what it is supposed to do, and does it really well. It doesn't look like a book but it feels like one in your hands as you actually use it. Retiring to the couch with a kindle is as relaxing as reading a book with a bottle of beer and a wide-brimmed straw hat under the sun. It's the user experience that counts and the Kindle passes with flying colour in that area. A friend of mine got a Kindle DX for her mother as a present. She thought it was a crazy and useless gadget but, after trying it for 15 minutes, she was a joyous woman. After all, having given up reading for over a decade because of failing eyesight, she can now swim in the sea of books. It's a whole new world for her.

When the iPad came out many said the iPad was a stupid idea (some still do). It can't multi-task, it doesn't have Flash and it doesn't exactly do anything a laptop can't do. But the iPad, like the Kindle, are supposed to be used when you don't need all those serious stuff. Who need a powerful device that can do serious word-processing, photo-shopping, and multi-tasking when they are enjoying a glass of wine or a bottle of beer in the couch? If you are supposed to do some serious work, go back to your desk and concentrate on your work. Forget about Youtube, Flash movies and all the stupid resources-demanding games. The beauty of the iPad lies in its simplicity and its Do-Not-Bother-Me-with-That attitude. It breaks away from the the more powerful the better cycle. Lovely. Even a 100-year-old computer illiterate can learn to use it. I have proof.

Metro Vocal Group

2010-05-03T10:36:00.003+08:00

Not only have these happy gweilos made Hong Kong their base, they are singing Cantonese pop too.

Glass Bottle Recycling

2010-05-03T10:28:00.005+08:00

Here in Hong Kong you can find recycling facilities for papers, plastic bottles, dated appliances... but nothing for glass bottles. The costs of recycling, as it were and was often said, prohibitively high. Glad to read from today's papers that the Hong Chi Association (a non-profit making organisation to help people with intellectual disabilities) is going to launch a glass bottle recycling campaign. The only bad news is that they only have one collection point on the island side in stage one, which is far from where I live. Details here.

It's purely random.

2010-04-26T17:25:00.028+08:00

Just finished reading Dance with Chance. Readable but not nearly as good as Fooled by Randomness. I am intrigued by a few recently published books like The Greatest Show on Earth, The Lucifer Effect and Outliers. In these books, numerous examples are given for the power of fate: one's birth date or birth place is more important than his IQ or how hard he works; the performance of a trader depends entirely on his luck; Malcolm Galdwell became Malcolm Galdwell because of an accidental decision on the part of his grand-mum; a killer became a killer because anyone in his situation was doomed to be a killer, evolution is a purely random process... These books share one common theme: "it is purely random; You cannot plan your own destiny." Intriguing is it that this anti-heroic theme, which should somehow sound familiar to those who have some exposure to Buddhist and Chinese philosophy, seems to be getting ground in the Western world. Surely a lot of people will disagree with the notion that talents are over-rated and most of the wealth is undeserved. Some will argue, "Look at say Warren Buffett. He is one in a billion. You can't explain his success by reference to luck, can you?". I tend to think the argument from the opposite side has more force: "Given a billion wealth seekers, there is bound to be a person who is going to be the richest amongst the rich, a Warren Buffett."

A few weeks ago I went to the Waterfall Bay again. The little waterfall there does not even have a name and is now nothing but a trickle (thanks to the Pokfulam Reservoir upstream). Tiny though, it is a rare example of a waterfall which falls directly into the sea. The waterfall was of great value to British merchants two centuries ago. Before Hong Kong became Hong Kong, British merchants en route to Canton used to visit the place to stock up on water. Attracted to the place, the British decided to make Hong Kong their base in the Far East... And, you know the rest of the history. If you agree that the rise of China is an important event in modern world history and if you know the importance of Hong Kong in the process, you will agree that this tiny waterfall has indeed changed the world. But who would have thought that this tiny waterfall was going to change the world?

There is an old painting of the waterfall at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Take a look if you happen to be in Hong Kong. BTW, on the other end of the Waterfall Park you will find hundred of tiny statutes of Chinese goddesses and gods. They are shinning bright. I am sure the old ladies are still going there regularly to clean them, to pray to them and ask them to bring peace and fortune to the world. If you bump into them, slow down and watch them. Watching them you will see a lot of love.

The world is a better place because you are here!

2010-04-15T09:30:00.007+08:00

At the end of every school year 2 students (one from primary division and one from secondary) at ISF will be given the "ISF Principal's Award". The awards are not given according to a long list of assessment criteria. It is as simple as this: “The ISF Academy is a better place because you are here!” Love it - simple, elegant, and relevant to everyone. I wish I could say to everyone that the world is a better place because I'm here.

One Day Some Parents will Employ a Pro to Teach Their Kids to Ride a Bike ...

2010-04-14T15:39:00.031+08:00

I jokingly said the above two or three years ago in a meeting of a group of ISF parents. Seems that it is happening.

My daughter's school is one of those schools in Hong Kong which sadly have become home to some of the more well-off who, feeling insecure 25 (twenty-five) hours a day, are very keen to make available what they think are "the best" to their children. Here you can find parents who, believing that the sky will collapse if their 8-year-old son does not speak like Sir David Attenborough and their 6-year-old daughter does not sing in the most angelic voice, will pay over US$10,000 to enrol their kids in some "exclusive" Summer programme in the UK and get Teresa Carpio to teach their kids to sing, one-on-one. This group of parents always tend to moan and complain a lot more than others. Meeting them for more than a quarter of an hour you will wake up in a cold sweat at night with visions of a house full of the most desperate househusbands and housewives (sometimes, the former may look more desperate than the latter). At ISF there exist another group of parents - they don't complain about this and that and are more ready to accept things as they are; they don't feed their kids with all the "required" private lessons and don't assess their kids on a daily basis. And, you know what? Their kids are happy and turn out just fine. My daughter is one of the kids who do fairly well at school. A few months ago I attended the PTA drink gathering at the Red Bar. A lady parent approached me and asked, "Your girl does not have any extra private tuition and have only two outside school activities? How come she does so well at school?" "People get themselves mixed up with cause and effect," I said, "She does well because she is not burdened with private lessons or too many activities." My honest answer wouldn't be well received, I knew...

Some parents are determined, very determined to make their own lives, their spouses', their kid's and everybody's lives miserable. I am determined to stay away from them and stick to the happy ones. Life is too short to stay close to the negative energy generators. It's not that they are bad or foolish people. No, not at all. In fact, a lot of them are very good people and high achievers in their own fields. Yet, it seems that they are convinced that they can plan everything and everything should proceed as planned. They also religiously believe that all the good things are must-haves (or must be offered) and that if they plan well, follow the right method, get the right school, etc., their kids will turn out fine. Is that so? Did any of these successful men and women have any of the wonderful must-haves that their kids have?

Turns out that Shakespeare was a psychologist

2010-03-19T16:53:00.007+08:00

People prefer choices. Apparently, if we have many choices and get what we want, we will be happy; if not, we will be unhappy. But, is happiness out of so called free will or free choice more lasting than what Dan Gilbert called "synthetic happiness"?

"Tis nothing good or bad. But thinking makes it so" ~ William Shakespeare.

Shakespeare was right, I guess.