The Correspondent, April 1995

THD

GOTSPOIUIIENT The Official Publicatíon of tbe Foreign Corcesþondents'Club of Hong Kong

'Don't count me out' Ted Dunfee

tells his owfr story FCC calls

for

press law

reforms Who's this?

Turn to page J2 to find out

ZlppttOlots THD GORRDSPOTTDDNT

¡iee cbauffeur-d1 iuen limo setulce to øn.l from Kai Tal¿ in Hong Kong. To qnd Írom Londofr Heathrou and sutot nding counties in tbe safet.y antl hrxuty of a sþecially eqeiþþe¿l

Ãpril1995

Range RoùeL

FONBIGN

Letters

CORRESP'ONDENTS'

CLT'B

2l¡$'erA-lbert Telephone: 521 ,t I

Road, Hong KonB

l5ll Fu:{ß4O92

Presldent Simon Holberton Hans Vriem Flrst Vlce P¡esldentSecond Vlce P¡esldent- Dorothy Rym

iltl

4-

R.epoats of rrr¡z deattr

---

Ted Dunfee tells his owrl story

Coff espondent Dtember Govef üors Ahbh, tbejors

Paul Bayfield, Marcus w. Bnuchli, Philippe Le Corre, D¡arie Stormont, Hubert Van Es, Nury Vittachi,

ofou

Clubbouse in Heatbrcw Some thinl¿ of il as a gianl þla! rcont Otbers, a beailt þarlour Vilh a¿lnlission berngfi ee, be oh gtest an¿ make uÞ yon oen tnin¿l.

Lrrnctrlines Into the lions' den; China's media and the coming

cârl Goldstein (Hon), Michael Vestlake Jscretaryr Nury Vittâchi Journallst Member Goveñors Stuart Volfendale, Fnncis Moriarty Assælate Member Goveñror€ Àthene Choy, Kevin Egan, Ronald Ling, Kelth Shakespeare

disaster;

bubble?

Ted Dunfee

ao-

figbts back

Backl>enctrer Great news from the Posf

Professlonal C.oúmttt€e Conuenor:

will the peg burst the

IIaîsYließ

Mmbers: P^xlBryneld,

It's amazíng tbe .lìfference a feto incbes mal¿e. And our reclining sleeþer seats giue lou 15" morc legroom tban øny otber aiiline's business class

Marcus W. Br¡uchli, Phil¡ppe I€ Corre,

Frucis Moriârty Flnaûce commlttee

14.

lftre lldedla FCC calls

Tre asltrer: Dorct}.y Ry Nr

for press reform

Simon Holberton, Keith Shakespeare

Membetshtp Commtttee Conüenor:

}ItbertVurFs

Membffi: KsinF8an, Keith

Shakespeare

MichÂelVestlake

a2-

Entertai¡ment CÐñmltt€€ Co nü e no r : N\ry v ial^ctti FoÌ tlJose Øho tu¿sb to be enlettained, low þersonal uideo screen oÍerlûg a

Gou met meals ptepared b1t our Prcmiet Cbef Raltmond Blanc accomþanied b! an extensiue Øine list

fot

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connoisseurs

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Hubert Van Es, Bob Davis

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Now you know why we've been voted the world's Best Business Class five years in a row.

Club ofHong Kong Opiniom express€d bywritem in ITte Cofresþondent are not necesarily those of The Foreign Corcspondents' Club.

People David Bell; Farewell to Judy Bonavia; Speedy Thurston; Tribute to Harold Caine; Welcome to Racquel; Bob Sanders leaves town

Airline of the Year as well.

For more information or reservations, call your 6060. úavelageît orVirgin ^t2532

virgirì. atlantic DAILY NON-STOP TO LONDON * Execut¡vc Travel M^Eeiîe 1991 to 7995

28-

Golf A day out for the old folk; ,{ tough assignment

Ibe Conespondent¡s published montbly by The Foreign CoÍ€spondmts' Club ofHong Kong.

And if that wasn't enough, we've also been voted

24-

Marion Bourke, Asistant Edito¡ 2 LoÈ,erAlbert Road, Hong Kong Telephone: 2521 75ll ßax:2úa 4o92 @ t995 The noreign corcspondents'

class fare.

at tlre Seuens

on the right tracks

EDITORIALOEFICE

h -nee¿|ed

The next time you fly to London on our business class (we call it Upper Class), you'll be happy to know it has the distinction of being named the wodd's Best Business Class... for the fifth consecutive year*. \Øhat's more, you still get all this for the price of a business

The FCC

Publlcattons c-oñml ttee Conuenor: PzúBayfreld

Peter Cordirgley, Edltor

for

Geta.vrra)'Pampered in Phuket; Northern delights;

TIre Cor:respotderú

Seruice, cofrþ lete úitb aJrce (ubat else?) catc hing some

L6-

'WallC¡mmlttee

Pete¡ cordingey (Editor) FCC General Manager:Jethm Iee Mahoney

Sno oze

Sno oze-sui

Mernbüs:Mtcß V. Brauchli, Ronald Ling F &B Carñmltt€e Conu no r : Pbllippe IÆ Corre MeÌnbers: Kdlnwan, ,{thene Choy

Members: ßr ncis Moriarty, Hubert Van Nury Vtttachi, Terry Duckham,

For tbose øho ulsb to trailel undercoueL tberc's our special

Press R.elations Tackling the Sevens

32.

FCC Faces

Cranbourne grabs golf glory

PRODUCITON FST Line DesiSn & Printing Fourth Floor, 158 Welling¡on street, Central, Hong Kong T el'.

2521

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rx: 2521

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Ian Harling hrblleher Katie McGregor Mat'kettng Dl¡ector DTP Artlst Lienm Duong, Joey lf,e

Cover photograph by David Thurston

-

Aprll 7995 Tf,[ CoRRDSPoI|IIEI{T

editions.

To the

editor

.SØhat

\ù(r'here

have they gone?

have I missed? How can

cuss Ted's argy-bargy

I diswith the mir-

ror on the loo wall?

Anyway, not to worry. I read on, past all the serious stuff, past all those photos of pseudos in tartan

2

wiscits pretending to be students o, the Bard, Robbie. Then it was past "historicals" for sale, by the great Hacker, and onto the back-page profile. What do we have this month? A great photo of Keyin Sinclair - the original former smokestack, who has given up the weed and the Morning Posf. "Hates the latter almost more

\

CANON EOS. I N THE HEART OF A PROTESSIONA1 SYSTEII|I

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Thanks from Ted My first "international outing" after my near-demise in 1990 was to Hong Kong, to catch the Sevens and to re-acquaint myself with old friends. By coincidence and good luck, my birthday preceded the Sevens by a day. rü7hat better venue than the FCC in which to to celebrate?

My thanks to all. I look forward to many more parties at the FCC.

-

Mysteries in March issue Today, in my mailbox, I received ttuo copies of Tbe Corresþondent both March issues. I tried selling one to the Salvation Army, but in vain.

It was only when I

read Ted Thomas's letter "Crinkly" that I realised I had been done. Two copies of the March issue does not equal the missing Jantary and February

Hold on a moment. !(uhip back to the Hacker ad and what do I find? The top citation for an Academy Award is by some chap from the Posl called Kevin Sinclair. Is Hacker trying to off-

load his 1983 prints - the ones in which I bought No. 236 out of 500

-

or is Sinclair moonlighting fo t t}re Post?

Anyway, who cares?'When Hacker dies, all his works will be worth 10 time s as much, and I've got his braces,

which will be worth umpteen times that. He promised me them in his will.

At least he said he did.

Up yer kilts, the lot o' yer. Regards

to Sammy, Tiger and the lads.

George S. Mackenzie

-

Ted Dunfee

Shucks

BY AR-THUR. HACKER

THÉ. ZOO

Thank you for publishing the article on GloriaM. Arroyo. Yes, you're on the right track in Tbe Corresþondent.

It's much more readable now. Congratulations and keep it up. and Nida Cranbourne

-Ray

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Michael Mackey's essay on the Governor's speech to the FCC (Tbe C orr e sp ond e n t, March) was rambling, discursive and sometimes plain impu-

/-o

departure from - a self-indulgentthat the professionalism I normally dent

associate with the writing, editing and production of t}:re magazine.

Incidentally, what has happened to many of the photographs in the magazine? Those too are fuzzy

and vague.

-Anthony

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-ï

months. During that May-December 1990 period, I shed 1121b and became

Reports of my death

oo.

For the first tirrre, lfed Dunfee ha-s.wzritten do.wzn ttre stor:y of the rn)r'sterious infection that nead¡,2 killed trirn. ifhese are kris vzords, penned dr-rrirrg his recent \zisit to Hong l(ong amd tkre FCC.

unrecognisable even to myself.

Apparently, the tremendous anxiety I was displaying over the vims had prompted the Thai doctors to pre-

scribe a drug

to "ease my

rarrrpaît

confusion". Valium was chosen. But I didn't just calm down. I conked out,

stroked. Not mild, not massive, but debilitating, nevertheless.

Two months eadier, onMarcl:'24, I had celebrated ahapplly auspicious day - my 37th birthday and the birth the same day of my second son, a

brother for Sasha, who had arcived a

is," they were told. "He won't speak, he won't walk, and he probably will not even be able to think much. His brain has suffered a terrible assault."

My stfetcher to Canada took up six seats on the Canadian Aidines flight.

I was admitted to UBC'S UniversityHospital , where the medical chief told my sister, Pat, who has raised my boys almost from their birth (Sasha was 14 months and Satori two months when I became incapacitated), not to hold out any false hopes.

'Was I destined to remain a living vegetable? I think not. I proved not.

year and three weeks eadier.

Upon my second

Englishas "Enlighten-

am not

ofyears ago. My left eye haemorrhaged twice in the wake of my illness, and is now all but useless. My ophthalmologist agreeswithmewhenl saythat my right eye does the work of two.

To compensate, then, is an incred-

a

Bhuddist, butmywife

the community into a wheelchair-

claimedtobe. Inever tire of repeating both his name's meaning

accessible,

and his

governm€nt-

subsidised

special

apartment.

happily

birthdate.

fI *ur incensed, adamant that I would not do as they wanted. Five people five friends were attempting to forcibly admit- me into Bangkok's Samitiyej hospital, a proposal with which I most vehemently and vociferously did not concur.

I'm a big fellow, bigger then, but, nevertheless, despite myprotestations

and cries of "I'm fine, I'm fine", my wife, Siriporn Singhanan Dunfee, and four men continued to push and pull and insist that this was not so. 'What choice did I have? I punched one of them. Sle have not spoken since.

Of course, my friends were absolutelycorrect. Iwas anythingbut "fine".

Iwas non compos mentis. I would not eat or drink, nor would I bathe. I had been thus for some time. I had also fallen a few times - once on the Rose Garden golf course outside Bangkok and once when I demolished a Thai sweet vendor's cart outside my Bangkok office.

My friends finally succeeded in admitting me to Samitivej, in which I was quickly diagnosed as suffering from viral encephalitis - an inflammation of the brain generallyfound in tropical climes. Culex tarsøl¿'s is its medical name. It is fatal in one case in 20. How had I contracted the virrs?

The best the Thai doctors could guess was that, considering my most recent whereabouts, a mosquito bite might have been the cause.

Given the other possibilities

-

my known predilection for snuggling with my cats (of which I had three) or simply from taking a deep breath of Bangkok's air - I chose to belieye that a mosquito bite was rather more likely to blame than a mere possibility.

This was the end of May 7990.I was 37 . Shortly before, I had been on assignment in the Golden Triangle jun-

gle for Asia Magazine. I no longer remember exactly what I was supposed to be doing there, or, indeed,

how the assignment came about, but for whatever reason I found myself in the jungle.

Actually, my virus stole much of my memory. I don't recall much at all of the year or so prior to my illness or of the three years immediately afterwards. For example, I couldn't remember my two sons' births, where I had

m€t the woman who was to become

Mrs Dunfee, the jungle assignment, complaining of fierce headaches, or falling into the vendor's cart. I couldn't even rememberthat I couldn't remember these things, if you know what I mean, and haye learned about the details of my condition from others.

Unfortunately, the virus was only the beginning of my problems. I was also shortlyto become the recipient of a double whammy. A week or so after my initial diagnosis, I found myself in intensive care, able to breathe only by virtue of atubeinmytummy. The tube also served as my "kitchen" for seven

necessarily

learned through my illness. In May of 1993, after stays ofvarious lengths at Bangkok's Samitivej , Vancouver's UBC University Hospital, the G.F. Strong Rehab Centre andthe George Pearson Centre, I was discharged directly into

word translating into

I

large-print editions of Rea.der's Digest and myvision, too, returned a couple

ibly valuable tool I've

son we bestowed the name Satori, which is a Bhuddist ment".

I myself have been saying - ever since my cognizance began returning - that I will never be the man I once was. I do not believe that I will totally defeat an illness that once almost cost me my life, but I will come pretty darn close. I walk with crutches, uncertainly and only for a short distance, and myvoice is difficult to understand to the uninitiated. I have necessarily had to re-train my eyes by reading

I

avoided the Wasmystrokean Triumþbant return usual "group allergic reaction to In December home" route the drug? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Perhaps my impossibly high blood presthat year, at Univerfor those sure was reacting with the mosquito sityHospital, Ibroke with brain my seYen-month siinjuries. venom. Nobody know.

'Whatever the cause, immediately lence around the Sasha after intravenously absorbing the same time the docand Satori, tor removed the now six and Valium, my eyes rolled back into their tube from my stom- Re n eu,t ing o ld a cquaint ance s five, consockets and I blacked out. tinue to be I was rushed into Samitivej's In- ach and I began to tensive Care Unit. Atwo-foot-long tube ingest solids. I suddenly noted two raised by my sister, Pat Tesan and her husband, Ric, in the Vancouver subwas inserted into my stomach, and I familiar strangers watching from my bedside: urbs. I see them regularþ. Not nearþ was left to breathe, feed, and generally "'Where am I?" I asked, and, withignore the wodd. My mother, who, enough, but regulady nevertheless.

'W'e have not seen Siriporn since I out waiting for an answer, added: along with my father, had rushed to "What the hell happened to me? Why Bangkok from British Columbia immewas "felled". She abandoned us, or, to diatelyupon hearing of my ICU status, am I in bed? Why am I like this?" be more precise, I abandoned her, fainted. The doctor then had two The overjoyed strangers at my bedalthough I, of course, had nought to Dunfee patients to care for. sidewere, infact, Don andEnidDunfee, say in the matter. My guess is that our my parents. They had maintained a marriage was not a match made in For 45 days I lay prone, entirely oblivious to the goings-on aroundme, much as if Iwas in a coma. Bythe end

ofJulylwas deemed out of danger and

in late September, I was emergencyevacuated to VancouYer to renew my recoYery regimen. My parents were told not to expect much. "It is unlikely that he will get much better than he

bedside vigil since June. An abbreviated vigil continues to this day, despite my "release" into the community.

My mother was not surprised that I was speaking. She continues to believe, almost five years since the fateful encountef with that mosquito, that I will make a full recovery.

heaven.

Sasha enters grade one

next Sep-

tember and Satori follows a year later. 'We are all of us happy as we might expect to be, given life's uncertaintie

s.

I'm alive. I've defeated the odds,

almost.

Àpril 1995 lHX

E3tr CORRXSP0lrltDIlT

Into the lions' den?

Ilis coh-rrrrn in tll.e

--y0

Sc>t¿ty't

Cbirzct

12 roCtrina t>r-rsinessrìr.arì Danzid Chu look like ar1 erìerrra)r of \üúzestern r.ahres,, inch-rding the rnedia. So, hosr. did he l2erforrrr sztren tre addressecl the FCC? t\zlictrael Àzlacke¡z- reports -

t\4 <> r rt i rzg P <> s t

,6

s

o rrre

tilaae s rrr.ake s

./' Dauicl Chu

p I

or a man who was scheduled to

talk about the seemingll'conciliatory topic of shared interests, columnist David Chu got a bit of a roasting when he addressed a luncheon early in March.

That, though, was in the Q&A session at the encl. The speech that

preceded

it was about shared inter-

ests, not of the meclia and politicians,

and analysis' Fast' information statistics, trade For Hong Kong council' Development Trade Kong Hong the call

trut of China and Hong Kong.

It began with a simple obserwation fiom Chu that he felt "very strange".

This had nothing to do with the food, which had been good, but with the company. "\ùØith so many gtueilcts,Ifeel like I'm a minority, yet all of us paticipate in the affairs of Hong Kong and that is what makes it work," he said.

David Chu's basicviewis that there are shared interests between China and Hong Kong that are "certainly large enough to overcome the gigantic differences in ideology, size and political systems". The problem is that Hong Kong "is a foreign colony on Chinese soil". "The one country, two systems' approach is a sincere attempt to maintain the curfent system minus the colonialism," he said, adding that

concerns ebout the transition wcre "understandable".

In his view, there are two ways to acldress these fears. "One is to continlle to expand the shared interests

H Bl]tr Hon

s

Ko n g

and the second is to expand the de-

e

nt cou

lL%9""*3 SJr".Aprn

Hong Plaza' 1 Harbour Road' Wanchai' 38th Floor, Office Tower' Convention

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Kong Tel: 2584 4333

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afe not exclusive . . . it's a matter of degree," he said, conceding that the lalter had the negative value of "kçeping parties apart".

Here the speech lost its thread a little. There was a long reference to Henry Kissinger, which is never a good sign, and some platitudes along the lines of "being defensive is, nevertheless, a natural human resource ".

The logic picked up again when Chu said "it takes time to develop shared interests" - not exactly what Hong Kong has in abundance, but at least he was honest. Then he was off again, comparing shared interests to "arrangedmarriages" (so muchforfreedom of choice in partners) and relationships between fi sh and other forms of seafood.

"Once China is on ttre rnove, nothing can stol? Lrs" The analogy that he drew here was, one hopes, not directly comparable to the transition, but it macle the point. The shark supports a parasite in its mouth which feeds a toothpicking fish, until one day the toothpicking fish is eaten by the shark, which, as a result, "gets a gigantic toothache and

he learns not to do this." Get the drift?

So who, in the case of Hong Kong,

is the baddy?'Chu is in no cloubt that

the culprit i3 the British government.

Hong Kong, which he pointed out has shared a common interest relationship with China for 50 years, is now the victim of the "political equivalent of neLrtron bombs. Our security and our autonomy depends on our usefulness to China," he went on.

"Nineteen ninty seven is not a cleadline but the beginning of a new era. " In the new era, shared interests expand way beyond Hong Kong and are part of a process by which the world is re-cast. One example that he gave was in philosoplry. "Confncian concepts will help revitalise'W'estern

thinking," he said.

The future, while it might be glorious, is not all plain sailing. "China will have many, many problems, but not the problems of decay," he said.

"Once China is on the move, nothing can stop us," he said. "I would like

to ask all of yon to join me on the exciting journey ahead."

On to question time, where Chu argued that press freedom is guaranteed by the Basic Law. "This has to be the wayfor the ftiture. I challenge you to show me anything that means

it won't."

There was then a conftlsecl historical question followecl by one from the

Hong Kong Economic Times thatwas April 1995 rHE CoRRXSPoHIIII{T

Chirta's media aredthe coming disaster

short and brutal, bringing up the vexed issue of Chu's motivation.

His story is that he came back to Hong Kong "minding my own business, " but circumstances that affecte d his business forced his involyement.

"I work on the basis of necessity.

I came into this work," he said.

Part of this process involved giving up his US passport - a decision that, he admitted, was brought about by several factors, such as "patriotism and maybe some tax considerations".

Anthony Lawrence, who probably knows as much, if not more, about Chinese politics than Chu, brought up the mainland's constitution, which is severe about freedom of the press.

The answer rambled. Chu's basic thesis, though, is that the Hong Kong media's "different sofrware and hardware infrastructure and education levels," and other factors such as the number of jobs generated, will ensure the diversity and functioning of the media after 1997. In short, they are

That's why

protected by the fact t}rat they are woven into the fabric of society.

So determinedwas he to make his point that the answer endedwith these words "If anyone will touch you after 1997,yotr come and see me!"

In the next answer, in response to a question from Robert MacPherson, Chu went further. Asked about the need for Hong Kong's foreign correspondents to register via Beijing with the notorious little blue books after 1997 he said: "The Ptù(/C have not

discussed this regulation yet. In my personal opinion, foreign correspondents need not registef." Pressed, he said: "I will fight for it. It's very simple." Ken Bfidgewater asked a perti-

nent but diplomatic question about the repercussions of the article last year ir Next magaziîe about Li Peng, to Jimmy Lai losing business on the mainland.

"China's right, China's business," snapped Chu. "The Chinese governmenthave everyrightto do this, every

which led

right to discriminate against people who are undermining the government," he said.

The final question was from Reuter's Jonathan Sprague, who asked

the bubble?

Peter Erzerington is one of those lrzho t>elie'rze Hong I(ong is dr-un-k and al>out to fa-ll orzer. He e><plained wh5t at a cl-r-rl> hrrrctreon ttp I-,

xcess monetary growth is what caused the bubble in the stock

The peg cannot deal with the excess monetary growth, so it has to be

for Hong Kong to solve its problems would be for it to become more like

and properry markets." This was the core message from Peter Everington of Regent Fund Management at a club

soaked up elsewhere. An interesting

in the Tiananmen Square democracy

luncheon.

This gem was found in the text of a speech that Everington chose not to deliver, preferring, instead, to speak around it and that way deal

movement.

with many of the implications that

republic chose to absorb the inflationary pressures of international investment by letting its cuffency appreciateby some 30 per cent.

Hong Kong, "confusing brains with a bull market", chose to absorb it by inflation - but a selective kind.

This Evenington compared to a cancer because "it hits the system unevenly", operating via the stock and properry' markets and not reallythrough the CPI (Consumer Price Index).

What Hong Kong is seeing now is

Singapore, he said.

Errant teenagers need not fear as the discipline he is after is fiscal and is about Hong Kong swallowing its pride and asking for Singaporean help.

"If Singapore can do it, why can't Hong Kong?" he asked, acknowledging immediately that the problemwas one not so much a political one

.s .s

Daí Qtng

he biggest crisis facing China is not political or economical. It is environmental, and the consequences could be tragic. So says Dai Qing, once

an environmental journalist on the mainland and now Visiting Scholar at New Asia College, at Hong Kong's Chinese University.

Speaking through an interpreter at the Freedom Forum, Dai Qing said China's rapid economic growth was based on absolutely no regard for the environment. A "quick buck" mental-

ity des, and the goYernment

goes

along with it.

It will probably take half a century, withintensive education, to reach a stage where the authorities realise there is a need to legislate to protect the environment, she said - and this in a country akeady plagued with big and bad problems such as acid rain, hea.q¡ deforestation, the Three Gorges project and smog so bad that at night "Beijing children cannot see the stars in the sþ".

One of themanyreasons forthis is the media and how they operate . It is not an uplifting story but deserves to be told, particulady as a smalT magazine, Green Leaues, whichwas given ovef to enYifonmental issues, was recently forced to close by the Beijing

authorities.

It

1993, a group of rePorters got

him to define the political neutron bombs that he had talked about.

together to work for environmental

He didn't.

protection. This was in itself

E@

Will the peg burst

a

danger-

ous thing to do, given that journalists have never been forgive n for their part

Dai Qing knows this too well.

After her involvement in the pro-democracy moYement, she spent 10 months in prison and on her release was not permitted back to her job on the Guøngming Daily. "I was a cultural reporter but became an environ-

mental crusader," she managed to joke.

"Its Yery hard for environmental reporters to function in China. There is a complete lack of environmental consciousness and I don't know what to do," she said, admitting a moment later that the situation filled her with a "sense of sadness".

Part of the problem with the media is circulation and money. In China, articles on the environment simply don't stimulate circulation. "We find no takers," said Dai Qing. "If it's free, the police question your motives. If you charge, no one wants it arrryay."

That, though, is not stopping her

doing what she can, despite her marginalisation.

She

was recentþ "cold

shouldered" by the mainland's CTV about making films on the environment. Her response has been, via teaching English, to work with schoolchildren in Shenzhen on environmental

topics.

-

Michael

Mackey

[@

such a view has.

The trouble was that taking the implication in fully was made difficult

by Everington's delivery style, which

included lengthy periods spent staring at the dining-room carpet.

Everington's badic theory is that the peg, by which the Hong Kong dollar is linked to the US dollar, is the source of all Hong Kong's inflationary

woes, including property/rent inflation.

While the peg stabilised the situation in the eady Eighties, it now harm-

fully links Hong Kong's monetary policy to that of the United States, while the territory's economic activity has become linked to China.

As these two economies have been out of synch for the past five years, Hong Kong has had increasing money supply while its economy was growing as fast as China's.

"This potent cocktail of fiscal and monetary stimulation has caused Hong Kong to become excessivelydrunkon a bubble of excess liquidity," said

Everington, who summed it up as a "double whammy". What we going through now, his argument ^re ran, is the hangover periodwhich could end

up being like long-term delirium tremens.

cross-reference, according to Everington, was Singapore. The island

a major rectification of these markets, but the outlook is not good. The re-

cent Hang Sengfallof 35 per centwas, he said, "only a beginning". The best, or worst depending on how you make

your money, is to come on the property market. a fall of 50 per property values is likely. This came in a lovely jibe against the prop-

Regent believe that

cent

tul

erty suits, whose profit margins of 70

percenthe put against "the realworld, where a profit margin of 20 per cent would be considered very nice."

Everington went on to talk about the latest round of the Mexico crisis, which he argued was just one of a series. "The collapse of the Askin and 'Weil funds, Orange County, Mexico and Barings are all testimony to the global credit squeeze currently under way," he added.

Everington's conclusion, however, was about Hong Kong and contained the admission that the real core of the problem was political. The best way

-

about the political will of the Hong Kong government as about its relationship with Beijing.

It

was now time for questions, and, before long, Philip Bowring was up on his feet. "How can you maintain the peg without the banks going bust? " he asked. Everington's answer contained the words "intedinked . . .you go over the handlebars" and went on for quite a while. "Hong Kong authori-

ties have to recognise that there is a crisis," he said, advising that Chris Patten make another trip to London and Beijing to try and solve the issue.

Bowring was having none of this and asked the question again. This time Everington's answer was much

more succinct. The banks, he said almost with a smile, would be "absolutely stuffed".

Perhaps the best comment came a question at the very end.

Asked if he was a maverick, and about

in reply to

his relationship with the

media, Everington played a very cool game

with what could have been a very

tricþ question.

"I think the media is far more open

minded and I think the authorities could do with taking a lesson from them," he said.

-

Michael

Mackey

April 1995 TtrE

GOARXSPOI|IIDNT

@l

FCC calls

Great news from the Post

lFhe FCC tras urged ttre Golzernrrrent to s12eed'up reforrn of laszs shackling ttre rnedia- Here is the edited te><t of correspondence l>et.wzeen club 1>resident Sirnon l{olberton and Gor.ernor Ctrris Patten.

Marcb 17, 1995

lfkre conspirac¡r ttreorists skrould look elseurtrere - Peter Cordingle)t>elierzes the surprise appointrrrent ofJonattram Fenby a-s editor of the A4<trnirtg P<>st T\zas conapletely tronoura"l>le -

Dear Mr Patten

The Foreign Correspondents' Club would like to voice its support for the concerns expressedbythe Hong Kong Journalists' Association (HKJA) regarding protections for freedom of the press

and freedom of expression. There is rrgent need for action on a number of

alk about a shock! Who would have thought t}re Soutlt Cbina

Morníng Posf would ever appoint someone like Jonathan Fenby as editor? Come to that, who would have thought thePos/was even thinking of a new editor? After all, the challenge from the Eastern Exþress has all but blown over, so there appeared to be no pressing need to doverymuch at all

apart from continue to bring out the paper each morning and take in the advertising revenue. So why rock the boat so dramatically by appointing a new editor and one with such a liberal

perfect sense. That's where the best ideas in journalism are coming from, and that's where th€ most exciting

he clearþ misses them a lot. He visits them frequently. Presumably, he could stay on as editor-in-chief as long as he

papers are being published.

But that still doesn't explainwhy the vote didn't go to one of the many

likes, but he must be thinking now that his career lies in Australia. I'm prepared to wager a dollar or two that

editorial'technicians' in London,

rather than to a man who was deputy

editor and editor, respectively, of Britain's two proudest and oldest liberal newspapers, Tbe Guardiøn andTbe Obseruer. Things do, infact, get abit hazy here, but it may well be that Kuok was impresse d by Fenby's

reputation as an old-fashioned

"

news man".

pedigree?

One of the oddities of trying to plumb the thinking at the Post is that you are always tempted to look beyond the obvious and search for the devious. It's alrnost as if there always has to be a catch somewhere, that nothing can be quite as simple as it looks. So where's the catch with the appointinent of Fenby?

I honestly don't believe there is one. I think he was chosen for perfectly honourable reasons - because Posf owner Robert Kuok really is the

internationalist everybody said he would proYe to be, that he believes the paper's future prosperity lies not in kowtowing to China, but in reinforcing its reputationinAsia as anewspaper with W'estern values, and that he genuinely thinks someone like Fenby can do that job for him.

Given the present editorial climate in town, these are unfashionable concepts, I know, but, if this really is the case, then going to Fleet Street makes

Tf,[

CORRDSPOil¡¡ENT

Àpril 1995

By all accounts, he is fascinated

the dynamics of news gatherìng

for press reform

by

-

identifying stories, chasing them down with all the resources available and then, at the end of the day, rejoicing with his team in having beaten the opposition. Not much of that goes on at the Post these days, and, if rumours are to be believed, there is akeady a

queue of young hopefuls outside Fenby's door, waiting to bid for a role in the action to come.

So where do these changes leave David Armstrong, who is both editor of the daily and editor-in-chief of the group? Armstrong is not greatþ given to sayingwhat's onhis mind - except when he throws one of his legendary wobblies, and then you'd have to be down apothole inPapua New Guinea not to know what he's thinking - but it's no secret that his personal life in Hong Kong has not been happy.

His wife and two children never came up with him from Australia, and

will take up

an appointment there before the end of the year.

he

The big question, of course, is why Kuok should risk irritating the Chinese authorities when he has so much money tied up in investments there. The answerto thatprobablylies in the fact that since buying the paper, he has neYer once tried to influence editorial policy on China or any other major issue. He is simply not a meddler, so he can, in all honesty, tell the cadres that the daily and Sunday do notreflecthisviews. @upert Murdoch, of course, could never say that, and that's why he sold the Posf.)

You can be sure that not everybody at the Post is happy with Fenby's

appointment. Some people in very not editorial, I senior positions

-

- have been arguing for years that the paper should face up to "reality" and adopt a more "Asian" approach in its coverage. Tbe Straits Times andNeu Stra.its Times arethetr should add

models for the future, not Tbe Obseruer and Tbe Guørdíøn.

That their mischievous little plans have been undone is cause enough for celebration. And the fact that the Posf will have someone like Fenby at the helm should delight all those who believe in an independent voice for Hong Kong now and after 1997. @

fronts, yet there has been distressingly little done, despite our repeated pleas.

-Whjle statements of support for press freedoms are always welcomed, one must honestþ say that concrete actions would go much further in easing our worries, which are heightened almost

daily by increasing examples of selfcensorship, intimidation, and the abuse of libel laws to muzzle the news media.

The Government has made many promises on law reform, but the actual progress has been extraordinarìly slow, as the HKJA has pointed out in detail.

A few amendments here or there to various laws, some'of them of little consequence to journalists, is simply an insufficient response.

'W'e are also disheartened

to

see

not only that the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) plans to appeal the court's striking down of Section 30 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance, but that the Commission plans to continue prosecuting under Section 30 as if the judgment did not exist. Such action strongly suggests that the Govemment has little respect for the courts, and would seem to contradict your frequent and eloquent oratory in praise of the de of law. For journalists, the ICAC's decision is particuladydistressing, for the decision against Section 30, the press gag provision, came in a case where three Ming Pøo journalists were being prosecuted.

The court found that Section 30

violates provisions of the Bill of Rights (a decision supporting the position long held byprofessional associa-

tions, including the FCC), yet the

GoYemment, through the ICAC, has sent a clear signal that it will fight to retain the power to prosecute the news media. It does not seem logically consistent to us that one can assert the value of universal rights in one context, while challenging the Bill of Rights when it proves inconvenient to the exercise of power..W'e urge the Govemment to speak with a single, clear voice on the freedoms of press and expresslon. '$l.e

also join the HKJA in express-

ing our disappointment at the Government's attitude toward the Access to

Information Bill sponsored by the Honourable Christine Loh. The Code on Äccess to Information, recently put into partial effect, is a pale shadow of the Access Bill.

It is our sincere hope that, when

the Access to Information Bill ió brought to you for certification, the Government will not see fit to use

technicalities to stifle discussion and debate on an issue of such commu-

nity-wide importance. Such action would apper incompatible with the goal, which we all support, of greater democratisation for Hong Kong.

Simon Holberton President, FCC

Marcb 30, 1995 Dear Simon

Thankyou foryour letter datedlT

March, 1995

n which

you express

support for the concerns raised by the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) on the issue of press freedom in Hong Kong. As I have told the HKJA, the Governmenthasmade afirm commitment to protect press freedom through the Joint Declaration and the Bill of Rights. We intend to maintain

of legislation which might undemine press freedom forms part of this commitment. We will complete this task in

a comprehensive manner, and as quickly as possible.

You refer to the Attomey-General's decision to appeal the magistrate's that Section 30 (1) of the Pre-

ding

vention of Bribery ordinance is inconsistent with the Bill of Rights. That decision was taken on legal grounds.

TheAttorney-General believes that the

legal position regarding Section 30 should be clarified by the Court of Appeal. As for the view taken that, pending the outcome of the appeal, the ICAC should continue to respond to any alleged or suspected breach of Section 30 (1) in the same way as they have hitherto, this merely reflects the fact t];lat a magistrate' s decision has no binding effectin other cases and therefore does not, ofitself, effect a change

in the law.

I cannot agree

with your assertion

that the recently introduced Code of Access to Inforrnation is a "pale shadow

of the Access Bill". ì7hile it does not provide the statutory right to access documents, it achieves the same objective by imposing on civil servants an obligation to provide access on request, subject to certain widely accepted limitations.

The Code places very stringent restrictions on administrative discre-

tion to withhold idormation, but allows greater discretion to release information than most other regimes, statutory or administrative , woddwide .

Our comnitment to extend the Code's

application through the Government can hardly be described as limiting in its scope.

The proof of the pudding is, of

inwhich

course, in the eating, andwe welcome

afree and active press can operate and express a diversity of opinions under

responsible testing of the Code to see how effective it is in supporting our aim of greater openness in the Govemment.

Chris Patten

an envfuonment in Hong Kong

the minimum of regulationwhich does

not fetter freedom of expression or editorial independence. The review

Governor Äpril t9

@

Tackling the Sevens

RY

E

I ¡ t t r t I I ¡ r¡ ¡ r t ! t ¡ t ! t ¡ ¡ ¡ 1. Døuld. Tburston (tlre rugby's bebínd you Døuíd) pond.ering tbe scene.

It's springtirne in Hong l(ong. fnto tovrzla c orne battle-trardened tracks a-nd pkrotogra.pkrers l>earing the sca-rs of legendary conflicts. iFtre¡. are once firore al>out to ta-ke on one of ttre rnost tr.azard<>lts assignrrrents on the planet: ttre Rugby Serzens- tr(erzin Sinclair joined tkrern to see troxz it's done.

2. Prisnx þa.rtners Marlene lee,

3. Iøn

4

McGaban and Hongkong

PedleJ)

Ray Cranbourne, ueteran Seuen's þlrotograþlrer, tnking ¡t in bis stride

all

Sonteone sl¡ould tell bim tb¿tt tbe Ma.níla Nomads baue neuer pl.ayed at tlre

5. Tetry Duckbarn suþþort¡ng bís bome team.

Seuens.

Wm.*JHiî;t'ffiåïi: guts, I gird myself for another (Toþ) Dauid

"TL¡e

Bookie" Prìce

beer week of challenging excess. This, I

peedess panache. It's an impressive operation and one a working hack

wrong? Every aspect of organisation goesunderthe microscope to seehow things can be made better the following year. All Black captaiî Eric Rush said a-fter this year's victory that the Sevens was the most exciting rugby fixture on earth. The press agrees.

The BBC, which held exclusive

McGahan, his partner Madene Lee

tbe nxarclr þast. (AtIidd.le)

Truth be told, the Sevens for me

Sevens press arrangements ayeat be-

I

fore kick-off. The first thing on the annual calendar is to hold a full-scale post mortem a week after the event with Hong Kong Rugby Football Union officials and promotional staff from

for

pbotos, Des McGal¡an a.ryanges team

for

a.

some of tbe 162 accred.iled

carnera.men. (Bottom) TerrV DuckLsam and

Ray Cranbourne

little to do with rugby, although keep this avery dark secret from people like Des McGahan. This soft-spoken Irish FCC member is one of the has

partnersinPrism, whichputs together pr€ss coYerage of the rugby with

if

portantly, what,

efficiency.

know, is going to be tough on the legs and even tougher on the liver.

tbe þ¿tcb

the two sponsors.

'What went right, and, more im-

simply has to admire for its sheer

Ieading tl¡e míni rugby teams onto

Franticalþ try¡ng to organise offícial

Tf,E CORRf,SP0ilDDNT April 1995

Des

Bank's iylicbetel Broadbent go ouer arra.ngements in tbe þrime loca.t¡on of tbe press box.

and their team begin work on the

Cathay Pacific and HongKong Bank,

anything, went

broadcasting rights for five years but lost for for another three, April 1995 TtrE CORXISPOI|IIDNI

to grap

hing

rugby is their

lives' work.

It's the only chancetheyall have to get together at one

;

hence the tendency

time

for them to playhatd.

'SØeeks

before the matches,

invites have gone out to lo-

Pressing engagenaent at tlJe Seaens

global live audience of 100 million in 40 countries. It does an hour-long special about the weekend and a video is being made.

Prism this year accredited 106 Hong Kong reporters, 723 cameraestimates

a

men, 12 radio and 103 TV staffers.

There were 62 loreign reporters, 36

photographers, 10 radio men and 58 overseas TV crew. The Prism people reckon there are more than 600 major articles in the international press.

Come September, rugby officials and Prism start to compile a list of which overseas reporters, broadcasters, writers and photographers are going to get the nod for official invites for the next year. There are t€am changes eYeryyear - this year, Scotland were not invited to play, and the Ivory Coast made a popular debut and, naturally, press invites reflectwhat teams will take to the grass.

Anyone can apply to cover the event, but some press come as guests (mostly on Cathay Pacific, of course),

getting complimentary tickets from the Rugby Union.

If you're a spofts fepoftef in Western Samoa earning a couple of coconuts aweek, the cost of flying to Hong Kong probably equals your yearþ salary, so help from the major sponsor is

vital. Union executiyes decide who get the tickets, but Prism makes the suggestions, which are usually

cal reporters and writers.

Although Prism ensures all genuine spofts fepofters and cameramen get the valued accreditation cards, it also stretches the net as widely as possible to include feature writers and humanint€rest reporters. The Chinese-language pre ss, most ofwhom (with great understanding) regard the Sevens as a prime example of inexplicable guteilo lunacy, send reporters to cover it as a news story.

Come the Friday before the big weekend, there's the press accreditation crush. This has traditionally been held at the Hilton, but with the Hilton scheduled to be torn down, it moved across to the Furama. It's a bustle.

McGahan and Lee are careful not to tum on the beer taps before the Precious passes have been signed for, ground

des

have been explaine d and

a referee.

He's pestered unmercifully by repoters, many asking the most idiotic questions. His patience is remarkable, but,

frequenter hustles the winning teams in front of the stands for official group photographs, he's exhausted.

But more is to come. There's an

official media dinner, when scribes can let their hair down, stories by now

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We've grown with it. It never gets boring," he says. Partner Lee agrees: "Every year, you've got different prob-

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Is it worth it? Does Prism getweary

And, as you read these words, Des McGahata aîd Madene Lee are already busy planning next year's

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Behind

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Àpril 1995

yards around the stands than

welcome.

At the stadium, things went well.

Reporters such as Alvin Salley from tt;e Soutlt Cbína Morning Posf, who coYefs every game yard by yatd, take furious and endless notes, while the colour scribes wander the crowds looking

There is nothing in the rugbywodd like the Sevens, which brings 24 na-

THE CORRDSPoNIIDNT

McGahan probably runs more

Union officials have given an official

adopted.

tional teams together, so it's also a massive reunion for the scribes and cameramen, for whomwriting and pho

most newsrooms seem primitive. Before every match, Prism staff hand out last-minute team lists with statistics on everyplayer. A couple of minutes aft er every game, computef printouts, with full details of tries, goals and other details ate ready for collection. It's avery impressive, sophisticated operation. But, then, it's being handled by professionals with a lot of practice. Unisys eyenflies out special sporting computer experts from Britain to help.

phones, computers, desks,

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TVmoni-

tors and coffee machines. It makes

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FCC rrrerrrl>ers are being offered a special deal at o11e of Asia's îare boutiqr-re krotels- Panrl fliclss sets out tÍre a:ttra.ctionssked to describe their ideal holi day location, many FCC mernbers would probably imagine a pe ace-

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I I

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FASCINATING

IVTALAYSIA Malaysia Tourisrn Prornotion Board (Mirústry of Cultute, Arts & Toulism) cr ound Froo,. Maraysia Buil,rins, No.

42

'f;,:liï:;;1ìïü$;ï;;ååïÌI

- and at FCC prices!

Sounds impossible perhaps, but such a place does exist: The Boathouse, a small, elegant hotel and restaurant at the southern tþ ofPhuket's Kata Beach.

wines

The Boathouse'lØine and Grill is built above the sea wall and while you dine on the open-air tefface, waves break within just a few feet of you on the shore below. The food and service are generally acknowledged to be the best in Phuket and guests canwander around the air-conditioned wine cellar and choose from over 160 different wines. And, yes, the prices are not that

much more expensive than they would be at the FCC.

unique compromise.

Rather like a small members' club

Phuket has become one of the most popular holiday getaways for over-stressed Hong Kong urbanites, partly because the Thai island conforms closely enough to all the usual

or the beauti-fully decorated home of a wealthyfriend, itis one of anewbreed

dreamy images of paradise by the sea, and partly because it is so easy to get

to. Thai Airways offers four direct

a week from Hong Kong, or if you're prepared to go Yia Bangkok, the service runs virtually like a bus timetable with houdy Bangkok to

flights

Phuket connections.

Choosing where to stay has always been more of a problem, since there are vast numbers of hotels in assorted locations throughout the island, usually either enormous 1,000bedroom re sorts or tiny, Sp artattbeach bungalows. But the Boathouse offers a

of hotels known in the hospitality industry as "boutique" hotels. The concept is famihar enough in Europe and the United States, but has been slower to catch on inAsia. The idea is a small hideawayperhaps lacking some of the

facilities of the larger international hotels but making up for it with a much higher degree of individualised service and a sryle all its own.

With 90 staff and just 36 rooms, The Boathouse certainly fits the bill.

Service and ambience, rather t}rarrfacilities, are its strongpoints. There are lots of nice personal touches such as staff serving you with cool towels and cold drinks while you lie on the beach.

It is definitely not the place for April 1995 THE G0RRDSPOI|IIEIIT

In addition to regular exhibitions in its at gallery, The Boathouse plays host to Phuket's first wine club a chap-

- \üine ter of the Chao Phraya River

Club for Bangkok sophisticates - and a literary circle. During the summer, executive chef Tummanoon Punchun

offers weekend culinary workshops, and the Boathouse will soon be launching weekend art classes.

The Boathouse has also begun to organise gourmet eyenings with guest chefs from around the wodd. Last New

Year's Eve, Dutch Michelin star chef Henk Savelberg prepared

a

special

Northern delights \ül.lrettrer for skiing, ttre beautY of alltttrrìIa or jr-rst plain, old-faslrioned sigtrtseeing, ttre nortfl <>f Japant's Honstm islamd is u.ell vrzorttr discorrerlng.

se a-

food meal for 100 hotel guests and othef yisitors.

The

Boat-

house also has TlJe BoøtlJouse: ø

a

writer in residence: Steve

rest',urant uitb rooms

Rosse, who says he will be happy

people who are irritated by hotel staff who remember their names or their personal preferences.

The Boathouse is owned by Thai

to help

afly journalists writing stories about

land's best known architect and de-

Phuket with

signer, M.L. Tridhos¡rth Devakul, who

ideas, research, interpreting, etc.

also lives just up the road and often dines atThe Boathouse'!Øine and Grill.

M. L Tri also designed two much larger and better known Phuket hotels - The Phuket Yacht Club andLe Meridien.

The Boathouse was created I 0 ye ars

ago as just a restaurant, conceived mainly as a place for M.L Tri to €nteftain his friends in the sophisticated style to which he had become accustomed and

which he found at that time largely lacking in Phuket. The name came from the hand-painted native long-tail boat that decorated the entrance.

Likewise, general maîaget Every room has been designed Duykers will always be on hand to with a private balcony and a stunning giveinformationaboutTheBoathouse view of the Andaman Sea, although or anything else in Phuket. Like it or the rooms themselve s, while perfectly not, in such a small place, you'll most comfortable andpleasantlyfurnished, likely meet both of them every day at breakfast. are not really all that special.

E3= !(¡hat is special is the location. In Paul Hicks handles PR for The Boathouse many large Phuket hotels you barely get a glimpse of the Andaman Sea at al),

but The Boathouse is right by the shore. You can always hear the sea,

Five years ago the rooms

whetheryou are intherestaurant, by the pool or in

were added and

THE C0RRf,SPOilDEIIT

The Boathouse is offering

È q

a

spe-

cial deal exclusive to FCC mem-

a

only a-20 metre walk from the beach to the

bers. If you book the Summer Package, which offers 3 days/Z nights in

ù

fooms.

1 ,O90 per person for two sharing, you will be offered a third night frce . The offerruns fromApril 16 to October 31. The package includes breakfast, round-trip airport transfer in aprivate limousine and aThai set dinner. Bookings should be made direct to the general manager, Baft

he Japanese have traditionally dismissed the northern region of their largest island, Honshu, as "the backroads". In 1689, when he embarked on a pilgrimage through the region, Japan's best-known baiku poet, Matsuo Basho, commented: "I might as well be going to the ends of

Duykers and should mention the

the earth. " Subsequently, Basho waxed

resident expatriates looking for a more

FCC Hong Kong Special Offe¡.

cosmopolitan arrd sophisticated

Teli (6676) 33O 015 Fax: (6G76) 33o 561

lyrical and in fact wrote some of his most famous poems about the many natural beauties of the backroads.

years

of

a single room for HK$1,685 or HK$

In its five opera-

tion as a hotel, The Boathouse

April 1995

offer

your room. It is

the resort was then opened officially by former Prime Minister and prily councillor General Prem Tinsulanonda.

The focus is still on fine dining and the unique "above ground" wine cellar boasts the most diverse selection of quality labels on Phuket. Gene nl manager Bart Duykers, an affable Dutchman, still describes The Boathouse as "a restaurant with rgoms mofe than a hotel".

Special FCC

developed afollowing amongbons uiua.nts from around the globe, in-

has

cluding royalty, diplomats and rock stars. It has also become popular with nightlife than Phuket generally offers.

Despite this, the region has been slow

to attract intemational attention

as a

tourist destination; everr the majority of Japanese have discovered only a few facets of the area.

From January to March, millions of domestic tourists travel north to ski in Tohoku, as the sixprefectures north of Toþo are known. In October they go to the area to view the magnificent

autumn colours in the sizeable woodas nationalparks.

land areas designated

But for much of the year there seems to be little interest in the majestic mountain scenery, dramatic coastline,

hot springs, superb seafood or the shrines and other historic buildings from Tohoku's long and distinguished past.

With the recent expansion and upgrading of Sendai afpott, international carriers are now able to use the airport as a gatewly. Dragonair introduced a direct scheduled service Àpril 1995 Tf,[

GORRXSPONDDNT

T-

@

I

: l

between Hong Kong and Sendai late in 1993, which means that it's now possible to bypass Tokyo and avoid Haneda's ever-increasing congestion.

For the moment, however, interna-

tional tourism has yet to take off in the city, which has approximately l0,000foreignvisitors ayear, ofwhom

For the international tourist, Sendai's main interest is likely to be as a

base for exploration

ofthe surround-

ing atea, like Japan's apple capital, Aomori, at the northemmost tip of Honshu, or the cultural heritage almost as rich as Kyoto's at th.e I2t'J-

about one third are students and

century town, Hiraizumi.

Although Sendai and other towns

academics.

have been steadily expanding in

Like most

the northeast, it

many of the islands

b--

II

into

il

harshly angled slopes to which

!!

qt 1tr1

FI

ul

i

fantastic

shapes and created

IT

:,

around l million. Many companies haye established branch head-

quarters

L

-'3 L F-

population is now

and Amano-hashidate on the Sea of Japan). Basho was not using too much poetic licence whenhe described it as the most beautifnl place in allJapan.

The coastline is heavily indented and

¡

tLl

growing fast and the

from Sendai and traditionally classified as one of Japan's three most scenic regions (along with Miyajima in HiroshimaBay

F

Ë;;

is

undoubtedly Matsushima Bay,

r irlt L 'll'l t¡d

post-war cfeation,

othergreen spaces. As the officially designated regional hub of

is

or:dy 4O minutes by train

almost 300 grey limestone islands ate scattered around the bay.

Wind and water have sculpted

Japa-

nese cities, Sendai is a

with broad, tree-lined streets and wellplanned parks and

region

cling vivid green pine trees, beaten

¡-FL,

into dramaticforms

by the fierce win-

in the city,

ter gales.

ancl a "2lst century" research park is being

Severalcompa-

7z¿,

developed in the

nies operate short cruises around the

buy, plying

suburbs.

Sendai is a pleas-

between Matsushima and the next town,

antand safe city, with good museums and galleries, and plentiful shopping opportunities, especially in the extensive network of

Shiogama, one hour away. The re-

gion is

famous

for its seafood, as the many oyster

coyeredarcades. Ithas

and seaweed culti-

colourful traditional festivals during the

vation areas amply

y€ar, thebiggestbeing Tanabata or Star Festival(August 6-8), when all the streets are aflutter with colourful pa-

Matsushimaoysters

per streamers

prove.

and grilled fish

Ihis þage and oþþosite: tbe ma.ny sigbts of Honsbu

region are the almost cylindrical dolls, kokesbi. Turned on a lathe, they are hand-painted in the colours of one of 10 craftsmen's guilds in Miyagi prefecture, around Sendai. This area is also

recent decades, rural life has changed verylittle in much of the Tohoku countryside and in addition to the more

where the bestJapanese chests of drawefs, tansL!., originate. Another popular souyenir is tl:e søke, made the tradi-

vides plenty

spectacular, cleady defined tourist spots, any sightseeing excursion pro-

of opportunity to

see

something of the traditional farming and fishing lifestyle .

tional way, from the local rice, acknowledged as the best iîJ apaî nick-named "love at first sight". ^îd TEE CORRDSPOI|IIEI|T

April 1995

Matsushirna The great prize for tourists in this

nese-st14e restaurant

which sewes tra-

thefullyautomated manufacture of the fish paste through a glass panel and can sample the surprisingly un-fishy taste of the end product ând etjoy a refreshing bowl of tea whìle you choose from the selection of dried seaweed sheets as a souvenir.

An important national

treasure,

Tohoku's most famous Zen temple is close to the Matsushima waterfront.

Zuiganjiwas founded in the year 828, but most of the temple buildingswere

supply and prices

rise to the point where a very simpleroomcostsmore than the best room

in Sendai. As a

result, many skiers forsake the après-ski

delights

of a soak

ditional vegetariat-t dishes fashioned from beancurd.

Cross the red-lacquered bridge to Matsushima's nearest island to visit the 3OO-year-old Hiyoshi Shrine. It is

in a natural hot

open to the public only once every 33 years, but the exterior is well worth a visit at any time. A longer bridge leads

journeyto andfrom

to the nearby Fukurajima Botanical Garden, which is famous as a nature reserve for more than 25O species of

wildplants, and also

as

abreeding spot

for wild swans.

About 8 million domestic tourists flock to Matsushima ever year, and many of its streets seem to colì.sist of very little except souvenir shops. At the height of the tourist season, nearby areas such as OkuMatsushima provide a more tranquil alternative.

Sküng Snowfall is normally substantial throughout Tohoku and each prefecture has a number of ski centres, of which lzumigatake, literally Spring Valley, is generally regarded as the best. It is located at l,2OO metres and the quality of the skiing is particulady good, thanks to the dry winds that blow from the mountains towards the ocean to create good, powdery snow. The resort is also well equipped

fare, you canwatch

handicrafts from this

hermits. The temple grounds include a formal meditation garden and alapa-

with snow-making machineryin case

cialising in local

poles.

lichen-covered cliffs, studded with caves which were formerþ used by

famous local delica-

cies. In one of

pended frombamboo

is surrounded by lofry cedar trees and

paste are the most

Matsushima's waterfront shops spe-

sus-

Typical

Fried

built in 1609 under the patronage of the region's most important historical figure, Masamune Date. The complex

spring in favour of accommodation in

the city. The average 90-minute road

the snow fields is easily made by one of the many ski buses which leave from the fore-

court of Sendai's main railway station, in front of the Metropolitan Hotel.

-Jane

Ram

E

Available Now...

the weather turns too warm. The area

around Zao is also very popular on account of its many attractiye small Japanese inns and family-style hot spring resorts. Many of the springs in

this region a¡e believed to have medicinal properties.

To get the most out of the relatively limited season, artificial lighting enables skiers to use the slopes until 1lpm at many of the ski centres in Tohoku. Skis, boots, and other equipment can be rented for an all-in price of around 8,000 yen per day. During the high season, which lasts for the three months following December

accommodation is

1

8,

First Ever CBD Apartment Tower in this location with tennis court and full resort facilities by Central Equity...

Prc-Release eilqilit ies or ReDr¿reillût¡'e [ot

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in very short Àpril 1995

THD CORRESPoI|IIDNT

-

On the right tracks check-in desk. Tickets, passport check and other formalities are quickly despatched, a boarding pass with com-

It has tkre h-u<r-rries ;zor-r vrould e><¡2ect of a grand .{sian krotel e><ce1>t tkrat it's on sztreels and it trantels l>etu.een Singapore arld Bangkok- Jatre trÈarrr took a ride on tkre E'astern and Oriental E><1>ress-

tdy

partment and carriage number tells

*'*

Þ> 'i -/-.

ór. a

I

dedicated train{overs

capitals, plus side excursions to Ma-

of this wodd referto themselves

lacca from Singapore, or to Sukothai and the Bridge on the River Kwai from Bangkok.

Riding the train is akin to taking a cruise: this miniature wodd of make-

he

gricers. 'W'hile you do not need to be of this fringe fraternity, you rnember a hadbetter be sure that you really like trains before You embark on Asia's latest travel novelty, a cruise on wheels aboard the Eastern and Oriental Exas

oress (E&O)'

h Asia train travel is often taken as synonymous with budget travel: the ,*.ury, rough-and-tumble waY to go

frorn one town to another. The E&O, however, provides an air-conditioned

trip of j asmine-and-rose-scented splendour.

Long before air travel became com-

monplace, the Orient ExPress was

a

name to launch a thousand and one associations' Glamour, romance, intigúe,passion ancl thanks to Alfred

-

Hitchcock and 'lrgatlra Christie

-

rnysrcry and murder are all possible on

an extended train ride. The original

ttairthatplied the rails between Lon-

don and continental capitals was nothing out of the otdinary. In recent times,

believe come true has no incoming telephone calls or fax messages. Best of all, there are no deck games and there's no risk of seasickness, despite the characteristic swing and sway of the coaches as they sashay along the rails. Most of Southeast Asia's railway tracks have yet to be modernised to anything approaching the standard of European rail tracks, which are designed to carry high-speed trains with barely a mlrmuf. Never for a moment aboard the E&O can you doubt that you are riding an Asian train.

Ever-smiling and solicitous Thai stewards anticipate your every need, food is prepared by one of the most imaginative and accomplished young British chefs of today and served in damask, crystal and silver splendour.

Best of all, if you are not satisfied with

Etropean train inaugurated their East-

your fleeting view of the Malaysian kampongs and Thai villages along the way, you can forsake the air-conditioned comfort of your compaftment or the saloon for the open-sicled obser-

tween SingaPore and Bangkok' The green, brass-trimmed train makes a weekly round-triP between the two

The journey starts in unmistakable style and that's how it goes on.

The E&O has its own green-carpeted

however,

it

was given a comPletelY

new lease of life as the ultra-luxurious Venice - SimPlon Orient ExPress' Two years ago the owners of the

ern and Oriental Express route be-

øI

,*

coRnlsPoillulr Aptit7995

vation car.

you where you will be for most of the next 4l hours or so and all you have to do is await departure at230pm.

Like aidines, E&O encouragespas-

sengers to check-in eady. Unfortunatelyyou cannot board the train until a few minutes before departure and Singapore's air-conditioned waiting room is too small to hold all the assembledpassengers. Pass the time bylooking around the station, which is light and airy and, as there are only eight trains a day in each direction, it's virtually empty. You are, in effect, aheady in Malaysia, although you don't pass through immigration and customs formalities until you move orì.to Platform 2toboard the E&O.

seats are folded down into bunk beds.

Bed linen, American-made bathrobes

and towels, plus supplies of British Penhaligon toiletries more than match

expectations - inveterate souvenir hunters should note that the shop on board sells some of these items, along

with classy knick-knacks bearing the E&O crest. Orchids and fruit bowls are standard issue for all compartments; workaholics or music devotees will be pleased to fìnd that their portable computer or CD player functions perfectly from the extra power socket under the side table. All compartments have en suite bathrooms with shower, wash basin and toilet, unlike the Venice Simplon train, where a visit to the lavatory means a trip along the corridor.

Only a Cathay Pacific fìrst-class seat comes close to rivalling the combination of ingenuity and compact comfort

represented by your compaltment,

which allocates a place for every-

a pianist provides live entertainment

to match the mood of the moment. In the dining car the tables are laden with crisp damask linen and gleaming silver and crystal. Each table has at least one Twenties-style lamp and avase offresh flowers. Chef Kevin Cape perfected his skills in French cuisine at the Connaught Hotel, London. After this ardu-

ous apprenticeship he branched out

in more original directions and has tempered his classical training with subtle varitions from Chinese and Thai cooking. He has done guest chef stints in most of the best hotels of Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong, where he

also worked as a glrest chef in the flight kitchens of Cathay Pacific Airwa1's. Today he rightly prides himself onbeing able to make the best of every style and ingredient at his command.

Just as the Venice-Simplon Orient Express original wins praise for its fine food, so Cape is realistic in his hope

thing, providedthat

that E&O

you keep everything in its place.

gers will soon be drawn as much by

As you enter what will be your temporary abode, it requires a little time to take in the full details of the exquisite craftsmanship of the lotus and Chinese cloud motifs in the marquetry panelling, the brass air-conditioning grilles ancl the custom-made

Unless you have a stateroom, pack so

the culinary expe-

carpeting, curtains and upholstery fab-

to be tucked away in the baggage car

rics; opulent aff^îgements of fresh flowers fill every conceivable space at each end ofevery coach, on the dining tables and in the saloon and library (tlrose are real books in the shelves, naturally).

Spare a glance for your fellow pas-

sengers. The line between dressing and dressing up blurs in such circumstances and a number of people at the station seem to have allowed the occasion to go literally to their heads. Solar topees, even turbans - are they outof-work actors, paid to wear these outrageous gaments? It will be a while

before you ascertain that they

are, indeed, bona fide fellow passengers.

Compartments come in various configurations from basic two-berth (US$1,180) to presidential suite with double bed, and priyate sitting room ($2,950 Tor the one-way trip). Small or large, however, the decor is an exquisite mix of fine fabrics, wood veneers and hand-finished brass. At night the

passen-

thatyoucanremove whatyourequireon

rience as the scenery en foute.

Despite china

the journey and

over-

of almost

'Women in

Publishing f \,1

noosing

a

home computeror

having babies? Both were successfi¡l topics at seminars organised by the Women in Publishing Society over the past few weeks. The computer seminar provided an interest-

ing forum for getting to grips with tricky technology and unfriendly jargon. It was a valuable short session accompanied by a manual of buyer options and techncterms.

At another seminar, a few women gathefed to discuss solutions to career blockages when babies are in the picture. This provoked insights into the "glass ceiling". Fulltime pre-child women often don't reach the ceiling, while their nappy-changing sisters often have a much wider scope to do more interesting things with their careers - and with their children.

A self-publishing workshop run last year by Kim Silver (among oth-

ers) was very successful. Kim's book, Tbe Hong Kong Leisure

handyourbulkylug-

whelming ugli-

Guìde, has been on the best-seller

gage to the steward

ness, pfesentation

list for some time. WIPS decided that another seminar on the same topic was called for. It will deal v¡ith copyiight perrnission, royalties, finding a de.signer, marketing, budgets, dealing with retailers, dishow to tribution and storage - and despite get yorrr words on paper

is superb, often

Aboue and oþþosite: life on tbe raìls

until the journey's end. Irons and ironing boards are available for passenger use, but there's very

little elbow room for serious pressing jobs. Hanging space is limited and shal-

low, so, althoughyou're encouraged to dress for di¡ner, don't think of taking a full-length evening gown, nnless it's uncrushable. And bring your smallest tiara, or the container will be too large

for the safe in your compartment wardrobe.

The dining car cannot accommodate the full complement of passengers at one sitting, so your first decision will be whether to inspect Kuala Lumpur's magnificent neo-Moorish station. If it's "yes", then you have no option but dinner at 6.3O, so go easy on the delectable afternoon teawhich is served in your compartment soon after the train begins to move.

Most passengers soon gravitate to the elegant red and gold saloon, where

witty and involves mofe than a few surprises. There is an à la carte meîu

and special dietary requirements are catered to with sufficient notice, but most passengers would say you were mad to reject the set menu without

very good religious or medical reasons. The gastronomic high points of a typlcal dinner include fillet of beef with sharksfin sauce, warm quail salad with Oriental spices and, mostinspired of all, a demi-tasse of dark chocolate, filled with white chocolate mousse for dessert.

Surely,

it was never like this for

Agatha Christie or Alfrecl Hitchcock!

E&O prices include accommodation and all meals, but exclude alcoholic beverages. An overnight excursion from Singapore or Bangkok costs US$550-US$1,290 per head. @f

the distractions!

Coming speaker topics for monttìly meetings (fìrst Wedne sday of each month):

May: Illustration: who does it, who uses it, when it's needed.June: Tips on travel photography. July: Enpatriates in publishing afte r 1997 .

workshops: Ìrprtl 22: Self-publishing, Part II. June 10: How to negotiate a fulltime salary / fteelancer rates.

For more information, please contact Francine Btevetti (2574 865 3) or the WIP S office (2526 0206).

Reprinted, with permission, from Asian Business

-Robin

Bower

April 1995 THX

@ CORRXSPotrDXI{T

ï-

Grape expectations rù(/ho's this honest peasant down on the farm picking a plump clump of semillon? Could this possibly be the re-born David Bell, former Swire Group PR? Yes, it is, and the grape farmer and future winemaker has never been happier than when out under the blazing sun of Australia's Hunter Valley.

He's now tending the vines in partnership with chef/ writer Peter Mieir, food critic for the Sydney Sunday Telegrøplt-Mirror and owner of Causarina Restaurant, near the wine town of Pokolbin.

IØhen not looking after the grapes or disposing ofthe end-

product, David runs his own PR-communications company in Sydney. He also reports on Australian business and hospitality affairs for Asian-based magazines. memLike most Australian winemakers, David - anhasFCC been hit ber for ati the 26yearshe lived in Hong Kong hard by drought. Tonnage from his vineyard will be down, but, because ofthe lack ofrain and the relentless heat ofthe southern summe r, what grape s are picked will be packed with sugar. An excellent vintage is expected.

"Any FCC member who's in the Hunter is welcome to come out into the virìes," says David. "rüe might even crack a bottle. "

s .S

Ø

s Dauid Bell u.titl: a níce bunch

-

I(evin Sinclair

There goes aÍrother old-timef f t's saA saying goodbyepartto Judy I Bonavia. She is so much of the Hong Kong scene. But now, after all theseyears, she is leaving. The widow of correspondent-extraordinaire David Bonavia, a linguist and author in her own right, Judy is on her way to Buenos Aires, by way of her native Perth, to marry Jean-Marc Boillet, the Swiss ambassador to Argentina. They met three years ago when he was consulgeneral in Hong Kong.

Judy has been closely connected with the fortunes of this colony (she despises the word "teritory") since the eady Sixties. Her first job here was

with the Political Adviser's

Office, where she met David Bonavia, master-

linguist and up-and-coming correspondent. They went together to

harassing any foreign journalists who

showed the slightest interest in the dissident moYement. The Bonavias were trullied and spied upon before being expelled.

he died in 1988. By this time, her

Tl¡e Times tfren switched them to Beijing. At first the virulently anti-Soviet Chinese welcomed them, but rela-

Chinese expertise was considerable, and for the next six years she worked for the Hong Kong government thinktank, the Central Planning Unit. She also brought out her late husband's last two books, on DengXiaoping and the Chinese wadords.

Judy's departure marks another break with the grand old days of Con-

tions soured when David boldly persisted in filing stories unacceptable to particulady those, horthe regime

-

ror of horrors, concerning rumoured splits in the leadership. His coverage of the first Tiananmen riot, following the death of Premier Zhou Enlai, far as the

duit Road. Her FCC number, 393, places her among the faithful few who helped re-base and reconstruct

1976, the Bonavias moved to

the club after its eviction from

proved to be the last straw regime was concerned.

ln

as

Hong Kong, where David joined the

Nanking.

Far E østern Economic ReuíeLu. It w

She departs, Spanish phrase book in hand, with her two cats, a choice collection of Chinese treasures and the same stout courage to face the continuing challenges of life. Allmembers, I'm sure, will raise a glass to her

as

and a half miserable years. The Soviet Unionmayhave halfopenedits Stalinist

then thatJudy began cawing out her own career. She attended the Chineselanguage course at Hong Kong Universify, dabbledinlocal archaeology, took guidedtours to China, wrotebooks on tll,e Yaîgtze river and the Silk Road

doors, but

and is still working on a study of

Vietnam and were married in London

in 7967. oflondon posted David to Moscow, where they spent three The Times

it was still intent

TEE cORRfSPOlr¡¡[llT

on

April 1995

Chinese ethnic minorities.

Judyministered to David throughout the trying years of his decline and accompanied him to Scotland, where

success

-

-

FroÍlt tbe series "Bel¡eue It or Not".

An odd train of thought The acid-tongued might say that the words Thurston and Express do not sit comfortably together. For all that,David Thurston found his namesake on a trip to Fiji for t}:re Sundøy Morning Post. The old puffer (the train, that is) rests amid the lush greenery of Thurston Gardens in Suva, the capital. Historìcal exþla.natíon:Jobn Bløke Tburston tuøs a Brítislt gouernor of Fiji la.st centurj, øs uell as a bít of øn ømøteur botanist.

Posted to

Bangkok Ralph Henderson Qeft), with his new wife, Rosa, is back in Asia and sends greetings to his FCC pals. Raþh is now First Secretary with the Brazilian Embassy in Bangkok, where Mike Smith (right), on the final leg of his

wodd wanderings, caught up with him at the FCC down there.

and happiness.

Russell Spurr April 1995 THI

C0RRf,SPOImDilT

T-Farewell, Bob Bob Sanders, alias horse racing's Captain Midnight and once one of the legendary all-night Yangtze players of

the basement bar, has left town to settle in the south of England, with his family.

Bob, who still has a share in the Casa Mexicana restaurant and was formetly amajor partner in the Spaghetti House, has rented a house right next door to Paul McCartney's, in Sussex, while he looks around for Dunroamin.

So,

A man of compasslon \Zernon R.arrr pa).s trit)Lrte to long-tirì1e FCC rrrerrrl>er Harold Cairte, uztro died recentl;z-

what's he going to do in Blighty?

"Maybe I'll open

a

pub, " he says. "And,

no matter what, I'll be back in Hong Kong from time."

On the move All's well that ends well. Off to Bangkok to work on theásia Times,a business daily being launched this autumn, are formet Eastern Exþress staffersJon Marsh and Ewen Campbell. Jon

A tricLy shot

will be managing editor and Ewen production editor - exactly the titles they had when they joined tlre East-

Found at the back of a drawer was this picture taken in the 18th-floor pool room of the old Suthedand House premises. 'Wrinklies suggest it was probably taken circa 1978. Looking on, perched on the tip of his cue, is somebody who looks a lot like a younger and faster Les Leston. Is it? And who's that playing? John Lenaghan? Does anybody recognise any of the others?

ern Express

Obituary

o his maîy friends

and admirers, the death of the former magistrate Harold Caine, after a long illness, must come as a great loss. The delightful, ramrodstraight Caine, who presided over proceedings at the North Kowloon Magistracy in Tai Po Road for many years, was a particular favourite of court reporters, whom he regaled frequently with his pithy and pun-

beaten up or hauled offto court after the hawker control force had confiscated their foods.

gent pronouncements.

The magistrate was always "good copy" and instant headline material

watched wearily each day a procession ofthese hawkers being marched

most of the time.

free most of them, but quite oftenhe

The last of his generation of

On air in ChiÍra Broadcasting veteran and FCC memberC.P. Ho ispleasedwiththe response in China to his new middle-of-the-road information programme, Iooking at tbe Woild.

More than 100 mainlandTV stations have

signed up

C.P.

to receive the

programme, which, for its launch, featured items on the new Hong Kong airport, the changing face of Macau, the centenary of London's Tower Bridge and the latest fashions from Europe. Looking at tbe 'Vfiofld is produced by Eye On Ltd, which has already }rad material aired in Singapore and elsewhere.

Ho

Welcome to Racquel A-ftertwoyears as executive secretary, Karen En has left the club to set up office for a new leather company in Hong Kong. She took with her the best

wishes and gratitude of the manage-

ment and board of governors. In Karen's place, as assistant to the manager, is Racquel Chung (above), who

joined the staff at the beginning of March.

lHE

GORRDSP0ilDENT

April 1995

judi

cial officers in Hong Kong, Caine dispensed justice with warmth, humanity and impartiality after he had scrupulously weighed every shred of evidence presented to him.

Endowed with a fine sense of humour and a panicularþ soft spot for the less fortunate, down-trodden and exploited members of the community hauled in front of him, Caine

could be counted upon to give

Waheed Mamoud, the club's genial night guard, has died. !Øaheed, who };.ad a smile for everyone, was found dead in his chair when staff arrived for work on April 6.

He will be remembered as a good friend.

a

verballashing to the prosecution and police for tardiness or time-wasting tactics in his court.

The Sixties and Seventies were the years when illegal hawkers on Kowloon's pavements were a soft target for a squeeze by triad gangs and the police by turns. Those who failed to pay found themselves either

There was a limit to how many nowElsieTu, could

cases Elsie Elliot,

champion or fight for in the unrewarding struggle in those days for compensation or justice.

One manwho was deeply aware of the "no-win" plight of these poor

unfortunates was Caine, who into his court. Not only did he set reached for the poor box to hand them some money to help them over their sad predicament.

Needless to say, this didn't endear Caine to the police or the Estab-

lishment, but he seemed not th€ least bit bothered as he issued scath-

ing strictures against both for point-

less harassmenl of these poor hawkers.

Off duty, Caine was a lamiliar figure at concerts, the theatre and the FCC. Asked

if he would, like

Austin

(Myself øMandarin) Coates, write a book about his days as a magistrate, Caine broke into a wry smile and

riposted:"Howboring!" $ff Reprinted, with permission, from TlJe

Eastern Exþress.

April 1995 THE CORRISPoNIIDNT

A day out for the old folk

È,

È

o a

Equipped with a back-up supply I¿ of 400 spare balls each, about a

was generally conceded that he was definitely a contender in that category

dozen or so FCC members took on the unforgiving DiscoveryBay course for a

as

golftournamentwith adifference. Built

TrE

Cí|RRESDOtrDEII¡T

Anril lqQS

well.

into the scoring system was not just

Stableford competition, while the

each player's handicap (always a cleativeprocess), but alsohis age; thehigher the better, in both cases.

So it came as no real surprise that Ray Cranbourne - apparcntly 75 years old thatvery day and playing off a handicap of the same sort of order the winner.

- was Had John Hefltz, who organised the day impeccably, gone one step further and also built in the number of beers consumed in 18 holes, Cuddles

prizes for Neare st to the Hole went to

on the 13th in order to guarantee winning something).

David Thurston made an eady bid for special attention bybeing ordered

off the practice green for wearing politicallyincorrect clothing. But sym-

would probably have been given

a

better run for his money

it

history.

-

Thirty or so club members will be making the annual pilgrimage to Manila next month to compete in what is acknowledged to be one of the toughest stamina tests of modem times: the Cadsberg Media Golf Classic.

The Classic, which this year has attracted a maximum field of 64 entries, is taking place at the Canlubang course, roughly two or th¡ee beers from Manila, on May 7l artd 12.

The first day will be a Texas Scramble, a casual affair where even the most inadequate players can finish among the winners simply by being lucþ enough to be placed in a team of hot shots. Carlsberg's Derek Curie, who puts together the teams, often does well here.

The second day is played under Stableford competition des, where the winner picks up a trophy and $ 20,000 purse that he can donate to

Geoff Miles (on the eightþ andJohn McDougall (15th, but marker placed

pathy turned to awe when he returned in a pair of shorts purchased from the pro shop. It was the first recorded sighting of his legs in club

although

A tough assignment

John Lenaghan, in town on a state

visit from Thailand, took the

@

charity.

Cbtlllenges

aanit ln

tbe Pblllþþlnes

ApnI1995 Tf,[

GOR*XSPOI|IIEIIT

Press R.elations CanOn 10/F.,

CATHnv P¡,crrtc

Canon Hongkong Tlading Co., Ltd.

M¡ffot Tower,6l Mody Bd., Kowloon, Hong Kong

Services/Products

7/F, Swire House,

Canon cameras and video camcorders

Sole Distributor : J0S Consumer Electronics

Manager

Producl l\ilarketing

Mr Albett

Phil

Burfurd

2747 5360

Hong Kong,

C.F.

Kwan

2747 5214

Executive

China

Commercial

Chan

2565 2008

Wong

2565 2007

Hong Kong-based international airline

l\ils Louise

Pnovlsr0t{Ât AlRponr AuTiloRtrv Ho¡le Ko¡lc

3B/F 1ffice Tower, Convention Plaza,

Local lnternational

2/F Hutchison H0use, Central, Hong Kong

Poon

JimmyWan

1

Harbour Road, Wancha¡, Hong Kong

Cheung Lilburn

William

2584 4294

Nigel

2584 44Bg

THE \øHARF (HOLDINGS)LIMITED

Shriro (Hons Kons) Limtted

PL.

2747 5393

Amsterdam,Athens, Bangkok, Barcelona, BuenosAires, Chicago, Dallas, Dubai, Frankfuft, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, lstanbul, Jakada, London, LosAngeles, Mexico City, Miami, Milan, Moscow, Nagoya, NewYork,Osaka, Panama City, Paris, Santiag0, Se0ul, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singap0re, Stockh0lm, Sydney, Taipei, Tianjin, Tokyo, T0ronto, Vancouver, Vienna, Warsaw, Zurich.

Developing Hong Kong's new airport at Chek Lap Kok

Director SeniorManager

Stoyle

offices in:

Function:

Managing

Nadia

Hong Kong Trade Development Council

Public Relations Manager Phillip Bruce 28247700 Media Relations Manager Norma Fung 282477Os 28247152 Media Enquiries (24 hours)

f fircnl

Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong

Public Relations ManagerServi ces/Products:

Address:21lF,, Cornwall House, Taikoo Place,979 King's Rd, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong Senìor

I

Manager Corporate Corporate Communication Manager

Communication

:

26/F World-Wide House,

25245081 25245081

1

Chief Manager Corporate

Servicesi Prod u cls:

I

Des Voeux Road Central, Hong Kong

Affairs

NickThompson

287S-3397

Services/Products: Property investment and development in Hong Kong, Singapore and China; terminals and transport systems, hotels in Asia and North Americal Cable Television and Telecommunications.

Sole agent of Nikon cameras, Hasselblad cameras, Linhof cameras and Epson LCD portable TVs

For information on booking an insertíon, sirnply fax your name and contact numbers to 2521 8366.

Classified

Honolulu - Hawaii

futnÉe Someone

Fully equipped holiday townhouse

Jloppy!

on marina. 3bdms, 2-l I 2 baths.

Communal pool. Minimum oÍìe weeks. Further info call Leela Steiner

:9

2548 5548 (office hours).

l---rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl

I Off¡Ce

We send anywhere in the UK FOR

ALL OCCASIONS freshly cut

spGlce

cENTRAL I $",ooo - g3,ooo pER M.NTH FoR r oR rN

| , RESpEcrrvELy. LEASE FRoM I vo""=o"LE FuLLY FURNTsHED DECEMBER. | *,t" FAX AND PHorocoPrER | , FRoM LAN KwAr FoNG

"LocK I *,NG:2s37-8399 L

- -

r r r r r r

I I

naturally scented flowers. Also chocolates and champagne with spec¡al balloon message.

Please

Tel:2817 5ó98 Fax 287174+9

for prices and order form.

-

April 1995 rHD

ProbaÚyúP

a

r r r J - - Classified advertising in Tbe Corcesþond.ent is economical and easy - fax your name and contact details to 2521-8366 for more information.

-

r

I I I I

G0RRESP0I|IIXI{T

lK

portrøit of FCC ircepløceøbles

A montbly

C¡rHnv Pnclnc

Swi¡e Group

FLYTO EUROPEAND DRTVE AWAY A VOLVO On March 28 Cathay Pacific will launch the only direcr flights benveen Hong Kong and Stockholm, one of Europe's leading business centres and most beautiful cities.

Ve will fly three times a week to the Swedish capital and

to celebrate, rve're giving âway â smorgasbord* of Swedish prizes.

GRAND PRIZE - A LUXURY VOLVO 960 woRTH OVER HK$500,000! !

Drive away this stylish, state-of-the art vehicle from the world famous Swedish car manufacturer.

3 RUNNERS-UP PRIZES - A CATHAY PACIFIC BUSINESS CLASS ROUND TRIP FOR TWO TO STOCKHOLM off to Stocklrolm and enjoy 5 nigbts complimenrary äccommodation in a luxury botel.

Jet

15 WINNERS - EACH RECETVE A HK$2,OOO

IKEA FURNITURE GIFT COUPON Co furnitu¡e shopping in Hong Kong with Sweden's own

IKEA

PLUS ALL ENTRANTS WILL RECEIVE HK$289 CREDIT FOR IDD CALLS WITH CTI+ For more information on this CTI offer call 2926 7t88.

To enter, fly a round trip betweetr Hong Kong and any of

our eight European cities - Amsterdam, Frankfurt,

London, Manchester, Paris, Rome, Stockholm or Zurich - and you mnst depart between March 28 and June 30, I 995. Then send o¡re of your boarding Passes to us with a conrpleted entry form You can pick up rn entry form from any Cathay Pacific Hong Kong ticketing office, CityCheck centre or travel atent now. Or have ùn entry form sent to your fax machine- Simply dial 1783 (from your telephone or fax handset), follow the instrtrctions and enter code 747-60.

Neva Shaw Member since: Age:

Occupation:

Nationality: Least likely to say: Most likely to say:

The mad days of Suthedand House.

IJrall a century and then a tiny bit.

Showgid, social worker, nightclub proprietor, fashion maven, racontelrse, antique collector and exotic wanderef.

Holl)'woodian.

Do you think this outfit is too revealing?

More Champagne? I really shouldn't. Oh, all right, iust a little.

Pbotogrøpbed by TerrY Duckbam

Sponsored by

@

Kodak (Far East) Limited

idiÈ (iËR)É-ERa\El

'You will only HK$289 the first rinre you enter rhe lucky draw. This credir is non-rransferrable and wilt only be credired ro passenger's CTI accounr; non-CTt users should give credir card derails on enrry form so CTf can open your accounr CTI crcdirs, HKS289, is vâlid unt¡l Dec 3 t, 9J Thclrckydrawwill bemadconJuly t4, t995 Winnerswill becont¿cred personally and results published ¡n rhe SCMB Easrcrn ErPr€ss' Sins Pâo 3nd Ming Pao on Jtrly 30, !995. For furrhcr dera¡ls and comPet¡(ion regulations please crll our CX Fax 1 783, follow thc insrructions and enrer receive CTt crcdirs of

code 747-60 +A smorgasbord is a favourire Swedish meal consisring of many different dishes includ¡ns fish, meãr ând pickl€s

\¡or.vtf) Er(ñr

WHEN YOU BUITO FOR TUE, FUTURE, NEVER FORGET YOUR ROOTS.

Established

in

1886, the Wharf Group's main business relies on long term core invesrment projects

in Hong Kong. However,

as we pursue other investment'opportunities elsewhere, such as China,

Singapore and the United States, we are committed to developing property and infrastructure projects similar to the ones we have successfully completed in Hong Kong over the last 100 years. It is this

simple philosophy of always remernbering our roots that we tell our investors all around the world.

Ccrrtactnumbers: TheWharf (Holdings)

Ltd

2879 3388

r

Wharf Cable2611 6868 o OmniI-IoteĂ&#x152;sAsia Pacjtjc27383232