https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/6611/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg We are going on a tour of a Hong Kong that could have been. During our trip, we’ll travel the 10km from Sai Kung to the High Island Reservoir in a cable car, passing above golf courses, theme parks, pristine countryside and quiet waterways; we’ll dine 300 metres above Victoria Harbour, in a restaurant built into a bridge, as passenger ships, sampans and freighters sail beneath; we’ll watch the evening light show from a giant Ferris wheel atop Ocean Terminal, on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront; then... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/2133530/how-hong-kong-might-have-looked-landmarks-didnt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/2133530/how-hong-kong-might-have-looked-landmarks-didnt?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Feb 2018 05:15:15 +0000 Few challenges come tougher for a writer, especially in Singapore, than being asked to write a short story about homosexuality - then to read it in public ... to members of a church. That was the request made to author Suchen Christine Lim by the Free Community Church, one of the few places open to gay and straight worshippers in a city state where homosexual sex can still lead to prison time. So on Christmas Day 2005, Lim read The Morning After, the story of a young man telling his mother he's... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/696367/what-lies-beneath?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/696367/what-lies-beneath?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:00:00 +0000 If you have a large commercial area you want to fill with a homogenous international bar or restaurant for the sole purpose of making money, don't call India Mahdavi. She's been there, bought the T-shirt and now it's time to move on. The designer is in the enviable position of being able to cherry-pick her projects, and for now she's looking to work only on spaces that will prove fulfilling in some way, not necessarily monetarily. 'I'm trying to go in a direction where I feel more comfortable,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/693487/incredible-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/693487/incredible-india?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Edwin Thumboo leans forward in his chair and under his breath uses a four-letter word to describe Queen Elizabeth. The multi-award-winning Singaporean poet is a mellower version of the one arrested in 1954 for sedition (and subsequently acquitted) by the British colonial government. So the description of the former ruler of his home is not a personal attack; it forms part of our discussion on the state of free speech in modern Singapore. He says describing the queen thus in England could land... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/692982/poetry-emotion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/692982/poetry-emotion?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Where to start with Sir Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, The Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, or Paddy Ashdown to those who know him? He has been a Royal Marine, a member of the elite Special Boat Service (SBS), diplomat, spy, author, politician and leader of Britain's Liberal Democrats, EU High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and now he's a member of the House of Lords. It's no surprise his autobiography is called A Fortunate Life. 'I don't claim wisdom because my life is different, my... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/690409/peer-factor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/690409/peer-factor?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Aug 2009 16:00:00 +0000 In the Laotian capital, Vientiane, down a street so small it doesn't have a name, sit several traditional timber-framed homes in various states of disrepair. Blackened lime plaster is falling off in chunks, exposing bamboo lathe. Unpainted wooden shutters hang limply from windows. Roof beams riddled with termites sag under the weight of clay tiles. Also on the street are several restored homes with manicured gardens, modern bathrooms and constructed from many traditional building materials. ... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/684843/old-times-sake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/684843/old-times-sake?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:00:00 +0000 There's a green revolution taking hold in Hong Kong households, and it has nothing to do with energy saving or recycling. Where once a neglected dracaena or the yellowing saw-toothed leaves of a sword fern might have sat forgotten in the corner of a balcony, you're now more likely to find the plump purple fruit of an aubergine, or the crisp fresh aroma of a small mint bush. If you think vegetable and herb gardening is the privilege of those blessed with a garden, think again. There is a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/676327/graze-roof?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/676327/graze-roof?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Xiaolu Guo tried to overcome the problem of her latest novel coming across as a piece of journalism by setting the action around a UFO sighting in 2012. It's an interesting idea, yet aside from the date and the unusual context, the story reads like journalism - albeit from the perspective of those people affected by the events depicted. UFO in Her Eyes tells of how the lives of the mainland's rural poor are being affected by the country's economic development. A village head sells off... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/674134/aliens-among-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/674134/aliens-among-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Not every book needs a story and Julia Whitty's latest, The Fragile Edge: Diving and Other Adventures in the South Pacific, is a master class in what the filmmaker cum author describes as creative non-fiction. If you're looking for a book cataloguing man's destructive impact on a part of our natural world that ends with a neat conclusion, then this is not for you. 'It's truly deeply plotless and that's one of the joys of it, for people that like it,' Whitty explains from her home in Sonoma... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/672495/chain-reaction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/672495/chain-reaction?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:00:00 +0000 1. Stevenson House, Edinburgh This 200-year-old Georgian town house was once home to Robert Louis Stevenson. The author lived here for 24 years from the age of six, and this is where his mother nursed him through many childhood illnesses. Seeking a climate more suited to his frail health, Stevenson travelled extensively, before settling on the Samoan island of Upolu. It was during his globe-trotting that he penned The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Treasure Island and ... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/657687/writers-rooms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/657687/writers-rooms?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000 There must be easier ways of researching a book than travelling through India by train and cooking British food for people. After all, the subcontinent is known for its spice-laced dishes and culinary diversity. Why would a group of Delhi socialites be interested in eating bland, mashed potato-topped mince whipped up by a Glaswegian Sikh who has just stepped off a train with no ingredients and a bad dose of Delhi belly? It's a question Hardeep Singh Kohli asked himself more than once during... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/656852/i-did-it-pie-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/656852/i-did-it-pie-way?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Surely, for the person who discovers a definitive solution to the problem of cultural integration faced by immigrants to a new country, global recognition, and perhaps even a Nobel Peace Prize, would await. I put it to Ziauddin Sardar, author, academic and journalist that, like the fantasy science of alchemy, finding a single solution to complex issues is just that: pure fantasy. Pakistan-born Sardar has spent the best part of his 57 years searching for answers to such questions and has... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/655132/herd-mentality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/655132/herd-mentality?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Yiyun Li believes she may have been among the last of a generation of writers born into a different China to the economic powerhouse we all know today. Now 36, the author can still recall a country gripped by the aftermath of the fear, paranoia and deprivation of the Cultural Revolution. She remembers being forced to squat in a schoolyard with her classmates and shout 'Death to the counter-revolutionary hooligans!' as four heavily bound men were paraded before them in the back of a truck on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/654298/shades-grey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/654298/shades-grey?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Sep 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Tony Parsons could be any other Londoner standing outside Hampstead tube station, chatting with the newspaper seller about Arsenal's defeat in the Champions League the previous night. In his green flat cap, brown leather Belstaff Trailmaster jacket and satchel thrown over the shoulder, he epitomises the indigenous casual middle-aged parent that roams this plush suburb on the capital's Northern Line. It's only later over a breakfast omelette when the 55-year-old casually drops a line into the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/636327/shanghai-fling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/636327/shanghai-fling?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 May 2008 16:00:00 +0000 What's up with water? Some consumers are willing to pay up to US$100 for a litre of the stuff in a bottle, in the belief it is healthier than the water that flows freely from the tap. The pricey liquid in question, 420 Volcanic, is marketed as natural spring water filtered through 200 metres of volcanic rock. But while the World Health Organisation acknowledges that in some instances (such as in third-world countries) bottled is preferable to piped supplies, it says certain packaging... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/630241/when-it-comes-liquid-assets-cost-earth-have-you-got-bottle-drink-tap-water?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/630241/when-it-comes-liquid-assets-cost-earth-have-you-got-bottle-drink-tap-water?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 History lovers can thrill to the sound of battle, immerse themselves in medieval or Viking life and watch the modern army at work at a host of sites across the UK. 1. Battle of Hastings One date in British history that sticks in the mind is October 14, 1066. On this day, an invading army of Normans, led by Frenchman Duke William of Normandy, defeated the English, led by King Harold II. The battle took place on Senlac Hill - about 10km north of Hastings, in southeast England. An abbey... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/628327/military-britain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/628327/military-britain?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 It's my second day on the island of Islay, off Scotland's windswept west coast, and whoever controls the weather hasn't read the script. Like most visitors to this part of the world from October to March I'm prepared for buffeting winds, torrential rain and near-freezing temperatures. So the clear blue skies and dry, mild conditions have caught me by surprise. Although the grim weather I was expecting is hardly unheard of at this time of year, the warm waters of the Gulf Stream keep... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/626869/isle-be-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/626869/isle-be-back?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Heat bars and heat lamps Heated towel bars in the bathroom add warmth and do double duty by keeping towels warm in winter and drying them in summer. Heat levels can be adjusted on some models and boosted in the cooler months. Buy a heat lamp for the bathroom that can be mounted as a separate unit or replace the existing ceiling light. Upholstery Use heavier textured fabrics such as chenilles, cotton and wool mixes for sofas and chairs. A misconception is that wool is 'hot'; it can keep you... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/619535/think-warm-thoughts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/619535/think-warm-thoughts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Dec 2007 16:00:00 +0000 Basic flat design has changed little in the past 100 years, with today's high-rise concrete boxes barely different from the beam-and-pillar walk-ups of the early 1900s. This may favour Hong Kong's summer months, but it's a different story when the mercury dips below 20 degrees Celsius. For many this means a miserable few weeks sitting on top of a bill-boosting electric fan heater. However, with a little careful planning and the right choice of materials it's possible to take the edge off the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/619528/light-my-fire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/619528/light-my-fire?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Dec 2007 16:00:00 +0000 A family of four, perched precariously on their moped, buzzes along the water's edge on a beach in Vietnam. A farmer ushers his herd of water buffalo onto the sand; the beasts crunch shells under hoof as they amble to fresh pastures. As the sun begins to set and the heat of the day subsides, families with young children hunt for crabs in the shallows. The fishermen lay their nets out to dry on the sand or slap another layer of waterproof on the coracle they use to reach their boats moored off... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/612382/time-and-place?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/612382/time-and-place?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Oct 2007 16:00:00 +0000 There's no better place to hit the road on a Harley-Davidson, listen to jazz or indulge in the finer things in life than this sunny winery district. 1. Hess Collection (below, top centre) Nothing calls for a glass of fine wine like good food and thought-provoking art, and the latter is on display at the Hess Collection. At the end of the shady tree-lined Redwood Road lies a 19th-century stone-built winery nestled among the Veeder Hills. Owner Donald Hess began buying art in the 1960s and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/603036/napa-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/603036/napa-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Aug 2007 16:00:00 +0000 A mysterious lump on her bottom prompted Lily Chung to try self-diagnosis on the internet. 'It was one of those things you just didn't want to take to a doctor,' says the 42-year-old teacher, who prefers not to disclose her real name. On doing a Web search of her ailment, she was presented with several pictures and descriptions of boils and cysts. For four months she tried the diets, creams and supplements suggested by the forums she visited in the hope it would disappear. It didn't, so she... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/601498/web-terror?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/601498/web-terror?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Jul 2007 16:00:00 +0000 Tired of feeding your children chips and burgers? Here's a handful of eateries where the whole family can fill up on reasonably healthy fare: Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Lantau Fat Angelo's, locations include Central, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and TST Cafe Deco, Level 1-2, Peak Galleria, 118 Peak Rd, the Peak, tel: 2849 5111 Life Organic Health Cafe, 10 Shelley St, Central, tel: 2810 9777 ThreeSixty, 4/F the Landmark, Des Voeux Rd, Central, tel: 2111 4480 Veggie Palace, 1/F Ming Fung... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/600226/where-get-good-grub-when-youre-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/600226/where-get-good-grub-when-youre-go?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:00:00 +0000 Seated at a long table in a popular western eatery, adults and children are enjoying an unlimited Sunday buffet. As the parents tuck into the salads, seafood and pasta from the buffet table, the children get to choose from the a la carte menu. Of the nine items on the Kids' Menu at this restaurant, six contain the word fried, four contain the word cheese, and there's not even a hint of a fresh vegetable. Is it any wonder children are becoming obese? The numbers of obese school children ... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/600227/food-fraught?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/600227/food-fraught?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:00:00 +0000 Bodyguards, fan mail, queues of adoring admirers demanding autographs and performances around the world. It sounds like the life of a Hollywood actor or rock star. Except that this particular celebrity is 13 years old and goes to King George V School. Ryutaro Yanagita will be sharing the title role with schoolmate Michael Lin in the musical version of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan when the production makes its return visit to Hong Kong next month. The show will give Ryutaro a chance to use ... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/594465/boy-wonder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/594465/boy-wonder?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 May 2007 16:00:00 +0000 James Pollard lays out the tools of his trade in front of him: a wooden mallet, a blowtorch, a nitrogen pump and some long-handled metal instruments. But the 28-year-old isn't about to plumb in a new tap or replace someone's hip. He's going to mix a cocktail. Molecular gastronomy - the art of combining foods with different chemical and molecular compositions, made famous by chefs such as Ferran Adria of El Bulli in Spain and Heston Blumenthal of the Fat Duck in Britain - is gaining... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/593110/alchemists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/593110/alchemists?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 May 2007 16:00:00 +0000 I've managed to make it into a deep pot bunker to the right of the fairway in front of the first green without causing anyone serious injury. My introduction to the Tiger Beach Golf Links in Shandong province is not going well. Owner Beta Soong and in-house instructor Liu Anda, along with a bevy of caddies, watch as I hack away at my ball with a sand wedge. At my first attempt I manage to bury the head of the club deep into the sand. I hear Soong mutter, 'Oh dear,' under his breath. After... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/592648/east-west-links?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/592648/east-west-links?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 May 2007 16:00:00 +0000 If you think making your flat environmentally friendly means getting rid of your furniture and spending vast amounts on a wind turbine for your balcony, think again. Opening a window, or putting two plastic bottles of water in your toilet's cistern can halve your electricity bill and help save the planet's natural resources without costing you a cent. Based on government figures, Friends of the Earth calculates that, whereas Hong Kong's population grew 19.9 per cent from 1992 to last... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/592324/green-and-bear-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/592324/green-and-bear-it?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 May 2007 16:00:00 +0000 There are a number of firsts associated with writer-actor Robert Tsonos' upcoming play The Hum. It's having its premiere in Hong Kong; it will be the first performance for the Canadian's Sometimes Y Theatre group; it's the first time this group of actors has worked together; and, for producer Penny Day, it will be her first foray away from family-friendly productions. 'This is [Tsonos'] first production in Hong Kong and it was exciting to be on the ground with a brand new thing here,' says... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/591651/sometimes-y-thirst-firsts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/591651/sometimes-y-thirst-firsts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 May 2007 16:00:00 +0000 With an abundance of natural light to illuminate his handiwork, one interior designer focused on the finer details when renovating his home. As a young bachelor, interior designer Gary Lai readily admits to having spent little time in the kitchens of the apartments he has shared for most of his adult life. Which is probably why his shiny new kitchen has not ignited a sudden interest in cooking at home. 'It was rare for me to use the kitchen except maybe for breakfast, but I liked the idea... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/591772/empire-sun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/591772/empire-sun?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 May 2007 16:00:00 +0000 The tight whirl of ballroom dance is about to be turned on its head. Next month, Burn the Floor infuses the traditional beats of Latin dance with energy - and acres of bare flesh - over three nights at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The 70-minute show also portrays the evolution of Latin dance from its bordello origins in South America, through the stuffed shirts and cheesy grins of the 1970s, to the global recreation it is today. The show is performed by a 20-strong cast... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/589228/flesh-rhythm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/589228/flesh-rhythm?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:00:00 +0000 Katie Targett-Adams isn't your typical wedding singer, although the 27-year-old Edinburgh native has just spent the past couple of hours serenading about 50 guests in a harbour-facing reception room at one of Hong Kong's five star hotels. Considering that she has played her clarsach (Gaelic for 'small harp') for Britain's queen, Florida governor Jeb Bush, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and 30,000 Chinese fans, you can't help wondering if perhaps she has sold herself short. But she... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/589004/plucky-break?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/589004/plucky-break?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Apr 2007 16:00:00 +0000 Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps, please. Ah, those were the days. Unfortunately for bars around the city, it now takes a lot more to attract the discerning Hong Kong worker after a day at the office. So, in the battle to stand out from the crowded field of watering holes, customers are being lured with a new gimmick: the free fancy bar snack. An increasing number of bars and restaurants have caught on to the fact that better-than-average snacks served throughout the evening can... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/588557/snack-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/588557/snack-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Apr 2007 16:00:00 +0000 A family of three enjoys life on many levels in their stylish, 2,500 sq ft Mid-Levels home. Altruism was the furthest thing from the mind of Joey Ho, creative director of Joey Ho Design (tel: 2850 8732; www.joeyhodesign.com), when he recommended Victoria Kwan and her husband, John, buy their Robinson Road home. Ho was immediately drawn to the challenges posed by the project. But the Kwans weren't convinced bout the flat's layout: two split-level flats, one above the other, had been turned... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/588171/split-personality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/588171/split-personality?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Apr 2007 16:00:00 +0000 After a battle of wills, two vastly different styles join forces in an eclectic Macdonnell Road apartment. There is conflict in the lives of newly-weds Connie Lee Hong-yee and Wallace Lam. Fortunately, it's only about the interior design of their 2,200 sq ft Macdonnell Road apartment. 'When I first approach a client, I study their style and personality because I want to create a home that matches,' says Lee, who runs an interior design firm, Cense (tel: 9166 2233; censedesign@gmail.com).... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/587393/easy-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/587393/easy-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Mar 2007 16:00:00 +0000 These sites list local produce sellers and some discuss food miles: Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department: www.afcd.gov.hk Fish Marketing Organisation: www.fmo.org.hk Hong Kong Organic Farming Association: www.hofa.org.hk Hong Kong Organic Resource Centre: http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~hkorc Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden: www.kfbg.org Lions Club Nature Education Centre: www.hknature.net The Organic Farm: www.organic-farm.com Vegetable Marketing Organisation: www.vmo.org 100... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/586858/close-and-personal-where-get-local-goodies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/586858/close-and-personal-where-get-local-goodies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Mar 2007 16:00:00 +0000 The fresh food in my kitchen last week had travelled about 128,000km before it reached me. That's more than three times around the globe - by plane, train and truck - from field to fridge. This week, in an effort to reduce my so-called carbon footprint on the environment, all my fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, tea, eggs and herbs have come just 32km, by bus and ferry. The movement to eat locally has been growing overseas, especially in areas close to farming communities. It's big... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/586859/greens-we-trust?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/586859/greens-we-trust?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Mar 2007 16:00:00 +0000 It took 12 workmen and a four-tonne forklift truck more than two hours to erect the US$1.7 million Space Venus by Salvador Dali in Exchange Square in the early hours of Saturday morning. The 1,000kg piece is one of three monumental sculptures and six museum pieces on public display throughout Central until April 15, as part of the Hong Kong Land-sponsored exhibition MasterPieces & Beyond - Sights Unseen. With two other monumental pieces located at Open Plaza, a platform directly above the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/586326/dali-sculptures-inch-central-surrealism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/586326/dali-sculptures-inch-central-surrealism?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:00:00 +0000 THE ARRIVAL AND auction of more than 90 works of art by European masters could offer an exciting alternative to the contemporary Chinese art on Hollywood Road. With an insurance value in excess of US$90 million, the paintings and sculptures by the likes of Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Bernard Buffet, Marc Chagall and Fernando Botero will be here until April 15 as part of the Hong Kong Land-sponsored auction MasterPieces & Beyond - Sights Unseen. Shirley Ben... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/586327/lots-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/586327/lots-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:00:00 +0000 YOU MAY NOT think Helen Lai Hoi-ling has a lot to smile about. The modern dance choreographer is trying to compress more than two hours of material into a slick, 80-minute performance featuring 16 dancers aged between 30 and 70, all of whom have prepared their pieces independently of one another. Asked how she's managing to create the show My Life as a Dancer, which is part of the Hong Kong Arts Festival programme, she laughs. 'It's very difficult. I'm just trying to put the pieces in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/585432/piece-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/585432/piece-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Mar 2007 16:00:00 +0000 Morris Gleitzman likes corned beef - tinned meat popular in England where he was born - but which he couldn't find when his family moved to Australia when he was 16. Why is this important? It's not, except that Gleitzman makes several references to it on his website (along with the belief he may have been kidnapped by aliens). What it does indicate, however, is that the 54-year-old author has a sense of humour. But then he can afford to have with 25 successful children's books to his... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/584750/guaranteed-make-you-laugh?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/584750/guaranteed-make-you-laugh?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Mar 2007 16:00:00 +0000 A lifetime in male company led one fine-arts graduate to plan for less clutter when it came to redecorating her Stubbs Road apartment. There is an executive penthouse feel about the Stubbs Road apartment Karen Wong shares with her husband and two sons. The ambience comes from built-in wooden cabinets, reproduction 1940s furniture, beiges and browns, and art and sculpture produced by European, North American and Asian artists. Wong, a fine-arts graduate, says her decorative tastes have been... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/584537/what-men-want?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/584537/what-men-want?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Mar 2007 16:00:00 +0000 'It's a 24-hour job as I'm on call all the time. I get up at 6.30am because then I have time to read the newspapers, usually The Daily Telegraph and The Times. I check the births, marriages and deaths so I can ring clients when I get to the office and congratulate them if they've had a child or commiserate if their husband has died. I live in Kent, so I'll catch the 8.15am into Charing Cross. I'll walk from the station to the Garrard office in Albemarle Street, which takes about 15... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/584559/david-thomas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/584559/david-thomas?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Mar 2007 16:00:00 +0000 Julia Donaldson is only responding to interview by e-mail says her publisher, because of her busy schedule. It's easy to see why. Prior to her arrival for the Man Hong Kong International Literary Festival, Donaldson and her husband Malcolm, a doctor at a hospital in the couple's hometown of Glasgow, will visit Bermuda, Chile, New Zealand, Australia and Singapore. After Hong Kong, it's Korea, Mainland China, India and Nepal. 'I think the title would be 'Around the World with Malcolm' because my... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/583883/around-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/583883/around-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Mar 2007 16:00:00 +0000 It is like having the Man Booker Prize winner, a Nobel Laureate in Literature and Dan Brown all in one room, say the organisers of this year's Man Hong Kong International Literary Festival of their lineup of children's authors. Putting JK Rowling and her Harry Potter phenomenon aside, most people would probably struggle to name more than six contemporary children's authors. And there are few writers of children's books that generate the kind of headlines enjoyed by Rowling and her peers in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/583688/treats-store-leading-lights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/583688/treats-store-leading-lights?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Mar 2007 16:00:00 +0000 Discovery Bay Plaza - G/F 1 Pacific Coffee, shop G01A, tel: 2987 1662 2 Wildfire Fresh, shop G01B, tel: 2987 2802 3 Cafe de Paris, shop G01B, tel: 2987 8203 4 McDonald's/McCafe, shop G02, tel: 2987 1033 5 Subway, shop G03B, tel: 2914 0005 6 Ebeneezer's, shop G03A, tel: 2987 0036 7 Zaks, shops G04/103, tel: 2987 6232 8Ippu Japanese Restaurant, shop G05, tel: 2987 2886 9 La Creation, shop G05, tel: 2987-1829 10 Jaspas, shop G07, tel: 2987 2995 11 Caramba, shop G08A, tel: 2987 2848 12... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/583268/discover-great-outdoors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/583268/discover-great-outdoors?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Feb 2007 16:00:00 +0000 THE BEST WATERSIDE al fresco dining in Hong Kong has traditionally been at seafood restaurants on the outlying islands or the eateries dotted along the coast of the New Territories. But a HK$100 million revamp has brought a new look to the old Discovery Bay Plaza, ushering in what landlord HKR International hopes will become a popular new dining destination. Renamed Water Margin, there's now outdoor seating for the 20 restaurants, bars and coffee shops that line the new promenade facing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/583269/outsiders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/583269/outsiders?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Feb 2007 16:00:00 +0000 Born in the United States to Korean parents, children's author Linda Sue Park says her heritage has provided a rich source of inspiration for most of the 10 titles she has had published. And the fact she speaks only a little Korean, has only visited the country twice, can only read the alphabet and write her name, hasn't hindered her in drawing on many aspects of the country's history and culture for her stories. 'I think it definitely gives me a different perspective, and sometimes distance... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/582948/inspired-tradition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/582948/inspired-tradition?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Feb 2007 16:00:00 +0000 ANYONE WHO HAS answered the call of nature in the middle of the night knows the perils of protruding chairs, low coffee tables, sharp-edged furniture and lamp switches so small and fiddly it hardly seems worth the effort. So imagine attempting the same task with joints stiff with rheumatism, failing eyesight and brittle bones. If you're having trouble imagining it, don't worry - it's called old age and you'll be living it soon enough. Hong Kong's population is ageing rapidly and many of us... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/582143/safe-houses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/582143/safe-houses?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Feb 2007 16:00:00 +0000 THEY'RE OFTEN THE most valuable members of any hotel staff, the ones to turn to for something as simple as an umbrella or as tricky as getting a last-minute reservation at the hottest new restaurant on a Saturday night. A good concierge should be equipped with a mental global positioning system for the city, know all the best places to eat and, more importantly, know every maitre d' by name so a fully booked restaurant can magically find a table for a guest. For visitors to a ... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/582047/local-flavour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/582047/local-flavour?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:00:00 +0000