Came back home with a heavy heart last night.
A family friend of ours, Ngao, died in a road accident on the Tsuen Wan highway. His wife's in ICU and 17 other people including his son were injured.
Ngao was a good guy - he was my late great grandad's most trusted friend (they were also in the triads), helped me refurnish my apartment and even introduced me to a doctor for my skin condition - although his meds didn't help.
In my quest to unofficially help my ex-colleagues at ATV to look for a successor [edit], I had suggested last week the editor post an ad on JobsDB.com.
Sure enough I turn up today for some unfinished business and lord behold he drops a stack of 50 CV's in front of me. That's how many he's received since posting the ad, yet all of them were junk, while a different pile of about nine made it to the "decent" pile. Looking through most of them I was amazed at how many foreigners applied. Some I could say were overqualified for the position... some held editor positions, worked for BBC etc. - why would these people be in Hong Kong?!
Heh, now they're thinking whether the overqualified candidates would be willing to stay long enough - since it is a part-time position - or just go for a rookie who won't demand much.
A reply to an anonymous commentator
This is in reply to a comment to a short rant "Get Over It".
Usually I'd just reply in the comment box but this actually articulated my thoughts more, hence a new post for you!
But Anson and Regina are only newsworthy because of who they were.I would have thought that in the news, you need to qualify who people are or were.Former president Bill ClintonHeir to the throne WilliamHeiress Paris HiltonFormer Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwaIf Anson Chan was not a former CS, would anyone pay any attention to her?ps It's not a criticism of Anson, it's just the way it is.Former ATV reporter Ed Lee ...I'm not disputing the usage of titles for such individuals, I know how they work, just don't always agree with them. And I'm talking about formers and ex's only, so no need to remind me with your other irrelevant examples. And I'm also talking within the vicinity of Hong Kong - because the media here just loves to bring in the oldies.
I don't know if all those people from the I-used-to-be-important group would still relish media attention on current issues. Anson Chan seems to appear everywhere regarding the 10th anniversary. And frankly I don't give a fuck what she thinks on democracy - her words only have an impact because it's amplified by the media, because frankly, she and all those former politicians can say what the hell they want cos they have no power or responsibility!
But if I was like Regina Ip - who heads Savantas - I would rather be interviewed because of what I *actually* do now, namely promoting whatever Savantas does. Yet she's still happy in yapping away good English bites about issues she has no control of and of which don't affect the decision-making process.
I know the *esteemed* Newsline host Michael Chugani tried to get certain guests for the intolerably boring 10th anniversary series, and some formerlites have said they're sick and tired of the whole media spectacle surrounding the event (I access the raw tapes) - which I had ranted about not so long ago... it's only been a fucking short 10 years, it's just a number!!
So you see it's about my deploration of newsmakers assuming that what these formerlites say is relevant to what goes on today. And those who think themselves still are, are only living in their former shadows.
So I say again, Get Over It.
PS: I was not a reporter at ATV. I just handled those lovely formatted subtitles you see.
Not often you get to see good comedians on Hong Kong!
Labels: russell peters hong kong comedian stand up
Get over it
Why do does the media still label Anson Chan and Regina Ip or whatever ex-government cronies as "Former" this or "Ex" that?These people have moved on! Get over it already!
Hong Kong 10 years on...
No sorry I'm not going to give you any spiel on the upcoming 10th anniversary of the handover, because all media branches have been inundated with their own series on the event.
But I'll tell you how the mainstream media has been bombarding us with theirs instead, since all seem to be clamoring to make the most sensational and securing interviews with the top brass.
TVB's Pearl Report so far is the most comprehensive - a six-part series focusing on main issues like politics, economy and overseas Hongkongers.
My ex-colleagues at ATV News have been their little short stories with the usual crowd of popular opinion makers, while Newsline has done the same. This Sunday's episode will feature HK's most famous Canadian Allan Zeman, and he seems to be the first one to *not* say Hong Kong should have democracy, much to the chagrin of host Chugani, who keeps saying what we have now is not real democracy. Actually Zeman does make a good point about democracy not being a panacea to Hong Kong's problems, but rather we should obey China, throw out fantasies of American style democracy and work to better the lives of ordinary Hongkongers. He better hopes he doesn't run into Longhair in a dark alleyway.
Both him and Liberal Party's James Tien expressed their concerns on the declining level of English, one which is cutting wounds into the city's international and competitive edge.
One may think it's just a bunch of expats and relics of the colonial era who would say this, but in the bigger picture, if Hong Kong doesn't want to end up like another inefficient Chinese city, the education system had better start shaking things up to improve students' English. I just feel that being able to speak English, even at a basic level, propels Hong Kong's image of internationalism even further. This is a great way to attract foreign talent, not just from the West, but other Asians who don't speak Chinese. It also makes it more appealing culturally in terms of bringing visiting tourists, artists, musicians, performers etc.
TIME Magazine based their international issue on the handover last week, with some in-depth articles including one on how the expatriate populations is becoming more globalised.
And yes the SCMP of course has been following suit, our podcasts have featured heavyweights Anson Chan, Martin Lee, Tung Chee-hwa and Chris Patten, as well as people from the entertainment and arts world with their take on a decade later.
Overall I would say the sentiment has been positive, except for some who still yearn for full democracy. Anyway, I'm just glad the media spectacle is almost over.
See you on the streets.
Labels: hong kong handover 10th anniversary media analysis
Hong Kong = fun?
I was recently thinking what's *fun* to do in Hong Kong for tourists other than shopping, dining and sightseeing the urban landscape.
Sure you can see the world's tallest that and Asia's biggest this, but in the end every attraction would end up emptying your wallet.
Hong Kong may be the so-called worldly international city but it's not even a place to experience authentic Chinese culture. Everybody seems to be talking up China, and sadly most is true. Hong Kong really needs to revamp its tourism industry, but it's hard to shake the old hands when most of Hong Kong's tourists are mainlanders, ya know, the one's who can't afford to go to Japan's Disneyland and buy non-fake goods. (Well, except for that mongoloid jeweller who sold fake goods to mainlanders a while ago - what an idiot - trying to outfake mainlanders!)
We don't have hutongs like Beijing, the colonial taste of Macau, the modern oriental fusion archticture of Shanghai or the cultural attraction of the Japanese.
Especially since we're such a small territory, there's not a whole lot to do outdoors unless you're willing to pack like commandos going to war to places like the outlying islands or good hiking spots like Tai Mo Shan. And you really do need a car.
And sports? Well, I don't like to play any sport on concrete, or fake grass for that matter.
All the cool little spots around the city like the public snake butcher or the vibrant markets that didn't sell out to tourists have all gone. - paved over in the name of development, and er, health regulations.
And all the other good little things one can do, it can be done within a few days. It's hard to sustain *fun* here, except if you've got a determined set of friends and a designated drinking spot, you'll be bored out of your mind. Unless you're filthy rich of course.
Labels: hong kong tourism
The smell of competition
We got whiff that other media outlets here are beginning to invest in podcasting. Although SCMP is the current forerunner in Hong Kong, it's not hard at all for established companies to barge into the industry. Now it's just a matter of doing better shit to keep the viewers enticed. Still, I don't think we're shaking too much.
Though I'm not enthused at the fact that we would do more 'commercialised' material to woo advertisers. But such is the case in order to expand. I just hope we can maintain journalistic integrity and not being a bunch of fucking sell-outs like RoadShow!
Friggin' weather
This morning had a freak thunderstorm that woke me up.
But still it ended up being a few degrees cooler today.
The Hong Kong Observatory had a few interesting things to say recently, first it said Hong Kong's nights were getting warmer because of the trapped heat being released in the evenings.
Then its director said by 2050, our winters would drastically be reduced to a couple of days, and there will virtually be no cold days by the end of the century.
The reason? You guessed it, but also the reason mentioned with trapped heat due to intense urbanisation.
It's something to be worried about, but so long as we don't always have these 30+ degrees and intolerable humidity I'd be happy.
Labels: weather hong kong observatory winter
Grumpy models
Went to an agonising video shoot for Style Magazine recently.
The make-up went on for two hours and the actual photo shoot took only 15 minutes.
Anyway, the model, who was Eastern European, was all grumpy and frowns, and looked like she wasn't enjoying the process nor the attention.
You know when you see all those models' poses where they look real constipated or just downright pissed? Well that's because they all really are! OK probably not constipated.
Apparently, someone gave me the lowdown that East Europeans and Latin Americans are the worst to work with. Some just have an attitude you could cut with a butcher knife, either because they worked their way up from the 'ghetto' or the stuck-up syndrome.
Although the vid shoot with rising star Isabella Leung was more fun. (Chick from 'Isabella' and 'Spider Lillies' yes the lesbo action one)
Labels: grumpy models style magazine scmp south china morning post video shoot photo
