The Correspondent, July - September 2022 by The Foreign Correspondents' Club, Hong Kong

COVER STORY

T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E F O R E I G N C O R R E S P O N D E N T S ’ C L U B

HONG KONG

J U LY 2 0 2 2

The Art at the Heart of the FCC A tribute to Nic Gaunt (and his confrères)

25 Years On Looking back on the Handover

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On the Front Line Seven reports from around the globe

FCC President Keith Richburg ‘We stand for press freedom’

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PARTY ON!

Whether you’re planning a cocktail party, a conference or a wedding reception, something even bigger or something much smaller, there’s a space (Dining Room, Verandah, Bert’s, Hughes and Burton Rooms) at the FCC for you. Contact our experienced Banqueting Team for more details. Email: banquet@fcchk.org; Tel: 2844 2838

www.fcchk.org

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CONTENTS LEAD STORY

14 THE HANDOVER A quarter-century on, memories are still as vivid as ever, as a very mixed bag of contributors – journalists, lawyers, waiters and Chris Patten – makes abundantly clear. Cover photo: This issue’s cover pays tribute to the artistry of late FCC member Nic Gaunt, with his photo of Yuko Yamaguchi, creator of Hello Kitty (ハロー・キティ).

UPFRONT 2 Editor’s Letter 3 From the President 4 Club News The unalloyed joy of Quiz Nights; a plea for assistance from a mystery former member; the inner life of Jack He, who has been the FCC’s Mr Ubiquitous Fixit for the past 14 years; plus another rip-roaring cartoon from Harry Harrison. 8 Wine & Dine A heroic cocktail; musings on the subtle delights of asparagus and French onion soup; upcoming summer desserts and an American food promotion. 10 White’s Bites Boldly going where no Adam has gone before, The Correspondent’s newly appointed Food Reviewer in Chief builds his own burger. With astonishing results. 12 Member Insights Former Cathay pilot Chris Lawrence switched from flying to helping stressed execs become more grounded.

THE CORRESPONDENT

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FEATURES 20 At the Sharp End In the face of considerable peril, seven journalists in some of the world’s worst trouble spots talk about the difficulties of reporting while doing their utmost to stay alive. 26 Striking the Right Balance Diversity, equity and inclusion have become some of this decade’s buzzwords. Ambrose Li reports on how Asia is faring. 28 Meet the New Board Attaching faces, and a few biographical titbits, to the new names on the Board of Governors. 30 On the Wall Catching up on four exhibits – Mongolia, Arctic surfing, Hong Kong wildlife and Hong Kong streetlife – which graced the Van Es Wall earlier this year.

THE REGULARS 34 New Members Introducing the two-score-andseven who are now referring to the FCC as ‘my club’ with more than a smidgen of pride. 40 Speakers Louisa Lim on the indelible city that is Hong Kong; and FCC President Keith Richburg talks with industry leaders about the state of journalism in the city. 43 Obituaries Looking back over the lives of Nic Gaunt and Robin Lynam. 46 Book Review The FCC’s Zela Chin was one of the contributors to a collection of writing about the problems faced by women journalists in Asia. 47 Reading List Presenting some of the best books by journalists from around the world. Who knew Athens was hit by something like COVID-19 two millennia back? 48 10 Minutes With… Gina Chua One of Asia’s most prominent editors lets slip a little information about her new role at media start-up Semafor.

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The Foreign Correspondents’ Club 2 Lower Albert Road Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2521 1511 Fax: (852) 2868 4092 Email: fcc@fcchk.org Website: www.fcchk.org

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS’ CLUB HONG KONG

EDITOR’S LETTER

The Board of Governors 2022-2023 President Keith Richburg First Vice President Hannamiina Tanninen

Dear FCC Members,

Second Vice President Tim Huxley

Never in my life had so many females wanted to kiss me.

Correspondent Member Governors Olivia Parker, Jennifer Jett, Rebecca Bailey, Peter Parks, Kristie Lu Stout, Kari Soo Lindberg, Lee Williamson

The place was (but, of course) Lan Kwai Fong and the time some hours before midnight on 30 June 1997. I had waggishly donned a lifelike Prince Charles mask, provoking the assembled multitude into peals of mirth, ribald cries or urgent entreaties along the lines of “Give us a snog, then, Charlie!” Grievous to record, the mask’s lips opened no further than a quarter of one inch, and removing it altogether proved an automatic passion killer. At least I’d found an angle for my Handover story.

Journalist Member Governors Joe Pan, Zela Chin Associate Member Governors Genavieve Alexander, Liu Kin-ming, Christopher Slaughter, Richard David Winter Club Treasurer Tim Huxley

A quarter-century on, from some angles the Handover seems like a cross between a pantomime and a disaster movie. Hong Kong has changed so drastically in the space of a generation that it might almost be a different city.

Club Secretary Liu Kin-ming Professional Committee Conveners: Hannamiina Tanninen, Keith Richburg

Indeed, change is one of the subtexts of this issue of The Correspondent. Like old soldiers, old and not-so-old FCC members fade away. We bid farewell to a brace of club stalwarts within these pages: writer Robin Lynam, so long – to quote from his obituary – a part of the Main Bar furniture; and Nic Gaunt, a supremely gifted photographer, one of whose more striking images graces the front cover. Such is the vast respository of talent that exemplifies the club’s membership.

Press Freedom Committee Conveners: Jennifer Jett, Hannamiina Tanninen, Keith Richburg Constitutional Committee Convener: Liu Kin-ming, Richard Winter Membership Committee Conveners: Jennifer Jett, Rebecca Bailey Communications Committee Convener: Genavieve Alexander

There are editorial changes too. The Who Was Who And Where They’ve Gone listicle pages dubbed Member Movements have themselves moved permanently to the broad sunlit uplands of the FCC website, making room for slightly more gripping reading. And rather than making a mess in the kitchen at home trying to follow the recipe that used to appear in the Wine & Dine section, members can now put themselves in the hands of the club’s expert brigade of chefs by following the recommendations of Adam White, who nobly volunteered both his extensive alimentary canal and grey matter for his inaugural food review: Build Your Own Burger.

Finance Committee Convener: Tim Huxley House/Food and Beverage Committee Conveners: Hannamiina Tanninen, Genavieve Alexander Building - Project and Maintenance Committee Conveners: Christopher Slaughter, Liu Kin-ming Wall Committee Conveners: Kristie Lu Stout, Peter Parks General Manager Didier Saugy

Finally, Harry Harrison steps into the breach with his customary wit and expertise, possibly hinting that this magazine would work even better as a 48-page cartoon strip.

Editor Ed Peters Email: edapeters@yahoo.com Publisher: Artmazing! Noel de Guzman Email: artmazingcompany@gmail.com

Ed Peters

Printing Elite Printing: Tel: 2558 0119

(who undertakes to reply to emails sent to: editor@fcchk.org)

Advertising ontact

ront ffice

ILLUSTR ATION: SHUTTERSTOCK

The Correspondent is published four times a year. Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the club.

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THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 9:41 AM

FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear FCC Members, The FCC is a press club, with a press freedom committee, regular public statements, journalism conferences and training sessions, and lunchtime speaker events. And the best bar in Hong Kong for mixing with journalists on any given night. The FCC is a social club, with themed dinners, quiz nights, lunchtime speaker events, live jazz and a rollicking New Year’s bash. And also the best bar in Hong Kong on any given Friday night. Can those two halves fit comfortably together? That split personality has long made for an uneasy coexistence, with occasional outbursts of friction. Many members, mostly correspondents and journalists, say they joined the FCC because of its stalwart reputation as a defender of press freedom. Many others, mostly associates but also some correspondents, say they want a conveniently located watering hole to meet with friends, colleagues and sources, plus a decent workspace in Central.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

I saw the tension when I first joined the club 27 years ago – arriving in Hong Kong to open the Washington Post bureau two years ahead of the handover. There were those who felt strongly the FCC had a duty to publicly press China to uphold its commitments to press freedom after resuming sovereignty over Hong Kong. Others felt just as strongly that the club should stay quiet and steer clear of controversy. The question of the FCC’s making public statements that might potentially antagonise the Chinese Communist authorities was among the most vexing issues I had to navigate as President in 1997. Of course, we continued issuing strong statements. But it’s no surprise that the issue has arisen again, particularly after the imposition of the National Security Law, during this period that I call Hong Kong’s second handover to China. The club’s articles say the FCC’s purpose is to hold “meetings, dinners, concerts and other entertainments”, which some argue means it’s primarily a social club, but the next sentence reads: “To provide facilities for and to conduct such functions as are customary to press and correspondents’ clubs.” Most other correspondents’ clubs issue public statements on press freedom issues. So which is it? I believe the FCC Hong Kong can still be both. We must continue to stand strongly against threats to press freedom. We will do so with a responsible tone and always staying within the law, but we will speak out. We must try to engage with the SAR government, the police and the Central government on media-related matters. We are an independent press club, but not a political organisation and not part of the anti-government opposition, although some wrongly see us that way.

We must continue to stand strongly against threats to press freedom.

But we should also remain the best entertainment and social venue in Central. I suspect this debate will continue, probably for another 25 years around the bar. Keith Richburg @keithrichburg Hong Kong July 2022

THE CORRESPONDENT

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CLUB NEWS

Ka-ching, ka-ching, tra la la May was a very, very merry, merry month for the club as Covid-19 restrictions were pushed back and the working day at 2 Lower Albert Road pretty much returned to its default setting in what seemed like the blink of an eye. “It was like a car accelerating from nought to 100,” said General Manager Didier Saugy. “We had been required to close at 6 pm, limited to two diners per table, with banquets an absolute no-no. Then, on 5 May, the rules changed – open till 10 pm, groups of eight dining together, banquets for up to 20. “It was like a total relaunch. And it got even better after the 19th, when

we could stay open till 12 midnight. Revenues doubled practically overnight.” Saugy said that staff morale – which had languished during the days of uncertainty when there was nothing much to do – suddenly got a tremendous fillip. “It was great to see members who we had not seen for a long time coming back and bringing friends along,” he added. Strange to relate, Covid-19 has had one good effect. “Business at weekends, which used to be a bit dead, has perked up considerably, probably because members are less able to jet off for a quick holiday, so they’re taking a break at the FCC instead. Well, they’re more than welcome!”

Of loos with views and other news

Discreetly tucked away in the top right-hand corner of the FCC website in its very own yellow box is access to the Members’ Area – not quite on a par with Alice stepping through the looking-glass but certainly an entrée to a pack of very worthwhile benefits. These include a secure log-in, a personalised dashboard and being able to set your account preferences. Naturally, you can search for events and private functions, make dining requests and book all three. Confirmations are sent out by email. More items (F&B, books, merch) are being added to the club’s e-shop on a regular basis. The members’ area also features push notifications, and scads of information about reciprocal clubs (90 at the last count), which include various FCCs in Asia, The Athenaeum in London (pictured) and the marvellously titled Bombay Presidency Radio Club Limited. If you haven’t signed up already (the work of moments: there’s even a step-by-step video for the technologically challenged) – what’s taking you so long?

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PHOTOS: IAN LLOYD & DAVID ILIFF

Fly more on berms (anag)

Ms Susannah Jayes, a London-based freelance picture researcher, has put out a request for photos of the Sutherland House FCC to illustrate a soon-to-bepublished memoir by a former member. Who he is, she won’t say: but she has confessed that he worked in public relations in Hong Kong in the 1970s and his kiss-and-sell tome is more about him than specifically about the club. It’s not Ted Thomas. Phew. Anyone with a pertinent faded Polaroid (millennials are allowed to Google) or two gummed into an album in their attic or similar is enjoined to contact Ms Jayes at the following address: scjayes@btinternet.com PS Of course, she’s already got R Ian Lloyd’s Loo With a View shot.

THE CORRESPONDENT

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hich came first the chicken or the ui RTHK newscaster and all-round top chap Andrew Chworowsky has been MCing FCC Quiz Nights – in company with Chris Bhojwani – for donkeys’ years, and has the scars to prove it. High time we put him on the spot. 1. On a scale of farquit-to-genius, how do the Quiz Night questions rate? It’s been said that they are fairly difficult, so we have made them “more accessible” lately. That said, you do want a broad range of expertise on your team. 2. Who sets the questions? The pair of us, and they cover just about every area of general knowledge. 3. Glittering prizes? Nothing enormous: bottles of wine, a round of drinks, that sort of thing. 4. Backstabbingly competitive or cordial rivalry? We see a lot of the same teams returning each month. We’ve had as many as 16 some nights. It’s fun, but a lot of people take it quite seriously. 5. What are your thoughts on the biological basis of consciousness? (That’s enough questions. Ed)

Nuts and bolts: HK$2,100 for a team of six, including dinner. Future fixtures: 28 July, 25 August, 29 September. Reservations: 2521 1511, concierge@fcchk.org or via FCC website members’ area.

Board to be wild

The elections for the Board of Governors passed off smoothly on 19 May. The results, together with the number of votes, are listed below. Glowing pen portraits of almost all the new members appear on pages 28 and 29. Dan Strumpf initially stood for election but withdrew his candidacy. President

First Vice President

Second Vice President

Keith Richburg

103

Hannamiina Tanninen

Tim Huxley

Correspondent Governors

Jennifer Jett

Rebecca Bailey

Kari Soo Lindberg

Kristie Lu Stout

PHOTOS: FCC

Journalist Governors

Zela Chin

THE CORRESPONDENT

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Shai Oster

Olivia Parker

Peter Parks

Associate Governors

Joe Pan

Genavieve Alexander

Liu Kin-ming

Christopher Slaughter

Richard Winter

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CLUB NEWS

ere s a health unto our a esty Q: What’s the best way to persuade French Foreign Legionnaires to take their daily dose of quinine? A: Invent Dubonnet.

The story may be apocryphal, but there’s no denying the popularity of this particular tipple (red wine base, herbs and spices, cane sugar and cinchona bark), not least because it’s still going strong after 176 years. Likewise Queen Elizabeth II, who aged 96 celebrated umpteen decades on the throne this June. The FCC got into the spirit of things with live TV coverage of platinum goings-on in Blighty, a specially created and utterly regal two-course meal and – bien sur – many a glass of Monsieur Joseph Dubonnet’s best-known creation, which just so happens to be one of Her Majesty’s favourites.

ma e and surprise your friends

CREDIT: FCC & JOEL ROUSE/ MINISTRY OF DEFENCE / HARRY HARRISON

Functional, comfortable, practical and stylish – and a very neat reminder that 2022 marks 40 years on Lower Albert Road and 70 in Hong Kong – our navy blue branded tote bag and ditto vacuum insulation cup (to give it its full title) are on sale at the club’s Front Desk, part of a growing coterie of what some are daring enough to call “merch”. There’s some very neat FCC wine glasses in stock too. Cheers!

Sovereignty “Retained”

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THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:02 AM

CLUB NEWS

STAFF PROFILE

‘Everywhere’s my office’ Senior technician Jack He Weiji started working at the FCC in 2008. He speaks to Ambrose Li about his time at the club and how he unwinds.

There is a real sense of mission in looking after a heritage building such as this.

PHOTO: BEN MAR ANS

o you have a specific office at the Jack He: Everywhere’s my office – I could be checking for leaks on the roof, fixing the boiler in the kitchen, or working on the lighting in the main lounge. I don’t like being stuck in one place. Primarily, I am responsible for looking after the air-conditioning, as well as water and electricity supplies for the club. The most substantial project I was involved in recently was the installation of the automatic sensor taps and flushers in the washrooms. Previously, I had to look after the wood and the audio-visual systems for the club as well. However, we have now expanded and have employed dedicated members of staff to look after those, so I am concentrating on other areas. My experience as a renovation worker prior to joining the FCC has come in very handy for this job. odern technology in an old building – a headache JH: There is a real sense of mission in looking after a heritage building such as this. It’s why I am particularly

THE CORRESPONDENT

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careful when I work – the needs we have as a club now were obviously not anticipated when the building was designed as an ice house. Whenever work has to be done on the building, be it major or minor, we make every effort to avoid any drilling, or to do anything that would damage the structure. The main reason is safety, of course; and we endeavour to keep alterations to the building to a minimum while ensuring its functionality as a club. as there ever been an emergency during your time off JH: Yes, occasionally. I was called back once on a weekend when a fuse tripped and electricity was partially suspended in the club. I was actually on my way to Tai O for a hike, but I rushed back anyway as I am the only staff member with a licence to work with electricity. At other times, I asked to work overnight because it’s impossible to carry out some tasks when members are around in the club. A good example is repairing and cleaning the air-conditioners, as we have to turn the them off, otherwise the dust within would scatter all

over the club. Fun fact: there are two main air-conditioners on the roof, mostly functioning alternately to avoid overloading, but in the summer months, they’re often turned on at the same time to meet the very heavy demand. Tools down what do you do in your spare time JH: I am very keen on astrophotography, which complements my other hobby, hiking, very well. It all started in 2016 – I even took some classes to learn about how to take photos of the stars. I often do late night hikes that would last until 4 am in places such as Clearwater Bay, Po Toi and Shek O – basically anywhere that is far from crowds and light pollution. I love the tranquillity when I’m in the mountains. You don’t need special equipment: a wide-angle lens will do, or even your phone; you just need longer exposure time. You could also do a time-lapse that goes on for two, three hours with hundreds of photos taken. I also had to study when the Milky Way would be most visible at different times of the year. n

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WINE & DINE

‘The whole point is generosity’ The late Sir Kingsley Amis, Booker Prize-winning novelist and author of Everyday Drinking, once wrote: “With alcoholic ritual, the whole point is generosity.” So it should come as no surprise that he was as good at inventing cocktails as he was at thinking up names for them – viz. a hefty measure of bourbon, plus apple juice, raisins, cinnamon stick and lemon slice, dubbed The Broken Leg. As a huge fan of grain and grape in all their manifestations, Amis would undoubtedly approve of the FCC’s very own 40th on Ice, concocted to celebrate four decades’ putting the Old Dairy Farm building to its best ever use. This particular pick-me-up takes as its base Two Moons Gin, distilled on the doorstep (well, in Chai Wan, anyway) with an added slug of Campari and another of house Champagne to liven things up. Angostura Bitters, thyme and quaffable flowers round things out. In short, it’s worth its weight in liquid gold, but actually costs just HK$40.

Sweet Truth An exotic fruit salad? Eton Mess (aka Boris Johnson)? Tangy lemon tart? Pavlova? Knickerbocker Glory? Or simply bulldozer-sized scoops of ice cream? Of course, Summer Pudding elbows its way to the top of the shortlist. The FCC’s covey of official tasters were still chewing thoughtfully as this issue went to press: expect to see the results on a menu near you very shortly.

PHOTOS: BEN MAR ANS

Readers who are in the unfortunate position of lacking a sweet tooth should look away now. Summer is emphatically here, and with it the FCC summer – call it dessert, call it pudding, call it sweets, call it seconds, call it afters – menu. It all boils down to the same thing: a dish that’s fresh, fun and light and espouses everything that everyone’s favourite season stands for – even if it is shaped like a toadstool.

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THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:02 AM

In praise of Asparagus and The ’Umble Oignon Soupe As Hong Kong ruminated on the success of the annual culinary fest that is French GourMay (geddit?), longtime FCC member Chef Jean-Paul Gauci jotted down a couple of tasty thoughts about two of his favourite dishes: “Onion soup can be found as far back as Roman times: onions are indeed a species that is particularly easy to grow. They are also very abundant, and therefore accessible to most people. Thus, onion soup was originally a dish mainly consumed by the modest fringes of the population. However, there’s also a story that French onion soup was invented by King Louis XV. Late at night, while in his hunting lodge, he discovered that his only provisions were onions, butter and champagne. He cooked the three ingredients and made the first French onion soup.

So here at the FCC, I’m all too happy to feast on the original French onion soup, which happens to be white and not brown. It’s light and perfect for spring or summer, especially with grilled cheese on toast, and of course delicious with a glass or two of Chenin Blanc.” From French onion soup, it’s a short step to another favourite European (and FCC) dish, asparagus. Chef Gauci explains: “White asparagus has a more delicate flavour than the green variety, along with a hint of bitterness and a nutty note. It is gentler, sweeter and more subtle in flavour. Both pair exceptionally well with crisp white wines. I’d recommend trying them simply steamed with ham or poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce. The soup with pistachios is delicious too.”

Wines to savour

PHOTOS: BEN MAR ANS

Following a thoughtful, and highly enjoyable, wine tasting mid-June, during which 30 brands of rosé were sampled, the final selection of six will be on sale at the FCC until mid-September. The wine-tasting group is made up of a group of dedicated experts, who later this summer will be getting together to choose a suitable Prosseco, while in the autumn they’ll be mulling potential Champagnes. “Both our Prosecco and Champagne selections are mainly chosen from local wine suppliers who have a stable supply which can meet our huge consumption needs,” says Food & Beverage Manager Michael Chan.

THE CORRESPONDENT

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Yankee doodle fi e a d da d You don’t have to be a US passport holder to enjoy the American Food promotion running from 11-24 July, but it might just help. Build Your Own Burger (see pages 10-11) will be featuring prominently around the club, but otherwise some of the best of the rest from the land of the brave and the home of the free will be gracing the club’s tables. American wines will be on offer too. he ovid erfuffle is playing merry hell with menu planning, but expect details to come e-winging your way courtesy of Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee OM KBE FRS FREng FRSA DFBCS at some point in the not too distant future.

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20/6/2022 10:02 AM

WHITE’S BITES

The Build Your Own Burger Challenge ea d d re e

sed a d dr er s t e s

e er s s t st e ste t a dra

Adam White kicks off a new regular e a fir e te .

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PHOTO: MIKE PICKLES

Pick from one, two, three or more of 12 toppings – onion here is a certain genre of food that demands a little marmalade to applewood smoked bacon, Emmenthal more from the consumer than the average meal. A to gherkins, a fried egg to half an avocado. Any of four bit of buy-in, some of the sweat from their brow. condiments to sit on the side. Or, perhaps all of the above. Before you eat, you will work for your meal. Who’s to stop you but yourself? Exhibit A is cook-it-yourself cuisine: meals in which the We order three burgers, trying to make the wisest ingredients are brought to you in some degree of disarray, choices we can. and it is for some reason your job to carry out the alchemy 1) A fairly straightforward bacon cheeseburger. Onion required to transform them all into something delicious. marmalade, Emmental, lettuce, tomato, gherkins, on a Prime examples are fondue, hot pot, yakiniku, Korean sesame bun. The McDonald’s glow-up. The burger is very barbecue. In each there is a single difference between, say, good, medium-rare as it should be (there’s no guarantee of tender tofu and disintegrating mush. Between perfectly that in this town). Enough char for flavour, pink enough tender wagyu beef and an expensive piece of charcoal. That to stay tender. The cheese needs to be more melted. A stiff difference is you. square sitting on a toasted bun is a sad thing to behold. Many go out to eat to avoid these troubles. You order 2) Teriyaki Philly steak slices on ciabatta with red cheddar, beef in a restaurant and expect, reasonably, to be served a jalapeño. Bafflingly, the steak arrives in a small bowl, with well-cooked steak, not a well-done one. You are happy to the ciabatta containing everything else beside it. The reason have left the cooking to the professionals. But when I’m is soon clear: the teriyaki sauce is plentiful. Constructing searing short ribs at a Korean barbecue joint, or dunking and eating this burger is a sloppy affair, though the sauce is bone marrow into a hotpot broth for just long enough excellent with the fries. – for a shining bite-sized moment, I can pretend I’m a 3) Falafel in a brioche, with lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and professional too. The difference is me. There is, of course, the other form of food which demands half an avocado. Peri peri sauce for a bit of zing. The falafel patty is large, dense and well-cooked though it’s a struggle a little more work. Exhibit B: the build-it-yourself meal. In to see it through to the end. This might have been because which you are presented with a galaxy of options, and asked we ordered three burgers for two people. The peri peri sauce to choose wisely. The hotel buffet, the Pizza Hut salad bar tastes like a black bean sauce from a cha chaan teng, which is of Hong Kong legend, the cart noodle stand. It’s dealer’s confusing. choice: now craft something delicious. This is perhaps much The service is, as ever, impeccable. Michael, Andrew and harder than the cook-it-yourself meal. Dunking balls at a Allan swing by with plentiful drinks (HK$50 draft beer hotpot – that’s easy. Choosing the flavours which merge into when you order the burger menu). I mull something greater: well, that takes a little the results of my choices, sitting before me more skill. on mostly empty plates. Enter, then, the FCC’s Build Your Own I’ve done the maths because it seemed Burger: a HK$148 checkboxed crash course like an amusing thing to do. Do take my in the tyranny of choice. word for it when I say that there are eleven You are handed the menu and a pen, and million, ten thousand and forty-eight you make your selection from the ground possible unique combinations to order on up. Choose one of four bases – sesame or the FCC’s Build Your Own Burger menu. brioche bun, ciabatta or English muffin. I think I’ve chosen fairly well, on the Choose your patty, one of seven: ranging White whole. But the question becomes: how from wagyu beef (an extra HK$30) to Adam Hong Kong born and raised, many of these 11,010,048 choices would chicken burger, soft-shell crab to the vegan Adam White is group editor at have been a disaster? Most of us can get on Beyond patty. Choose your potato iteration Cedar Communications, where he is in charge of content for board with a bacon cheeseburger. But does of choice: chunky steak fries, skinny French Cathay. He is a former FCC Cajun soft shell crab topped with jalapeños fries or potato wedges. (Get the potato board member of slightly too many years’ standing and and mustard engender quite the same wedges: they’re excellent.) previously worked at the SCMP’s enthusiasm? And now the options open up like Inkstone and ran city-living bible HK Magazine. In terms of sheer numbers, what’s the a burger van hitting an open highway.

THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:02 AM

PHOTO: BEN MAR ANS

Build Your Own Burger menu:

difference between the two? Nothing. It’s just another possible combination in a list of 11 million and more. The only difference was me. We make more than 11,010,048 choices in a lifetime, and not every one of them can be a success. For every bacon and cheese, there’s chalk and cheese out there instead. Ordering a burger is just another choice. An opportunity to maybe get it wrong. Yet we learn from our mistakes: if you order a burger

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poorly, then you have learned, and you have grown. You have learned that your choices in life lie open before you like a burger menu, 11 million and many more. You learn to lick your wounds and the grease from your fingers, and to choose better the next time. That’s why you owe it to yourself to try the Build Your Own Burger Menu. You need to discover that the difference is you. n Build Your Own Burger throughout the club from 4-31 July.

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20/6/2022 10:02 AM

MEMBER INSIGHTS

Providing relief in a stressed Hong Kong Chris Lawrence, lead counsellor and founder of Perspection, shares how his career in Hong Kong has evolved, and how his work today supports the city’s professionals. By Morgan M. Davis

rom flying people to guiding people was perhaps not such a huge career change for hris Lawrence.

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06 Member Insights 4.indd 12

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

ince landing in Hong Kong on the auspicious date of career, I should be doing something that I enjoy. At 8 August 1988, Chris Lawrence has led a colourful the time, I had been counselling someone for about 11 life. He balanced his career as a Cathay Pacific Senior months, and it was really satisfying that I’d been able to Captain with interests in sustainability and mentoring, help him avoid being terminated, and he got his career turning the latter into a full-time job. Today, Lawrence back online. So I thought: that’s what I really want to do. leads Perspection, a therapy centre based I did a master’s degree at Monash University in Central where stressed professionals can in Melbourne, and then formed Pathways, meet with counsellors and work through which later became Perspection. their personal and work-related troubles. We have equal numbers What sparked your interest in counselling in the first place You’ve had a very interesting career of men and women path going from ying Boeing s and counsellors, and have Airbus A350s to leading a counselling equal numbers of expats CL: Seeing people in distress. I’ve always been centre. How did that happen? someone who moves towards helping people. I and locals was naturally drawn to some very strong ethicsbased things to help people concerned about Chris Lawrence: I’ve been counselling climate sustainability efficiency. I designed systems before I for about 22 years now. But the majority of it was came out here, in the mid-1980s. Then I was involved with a volunteer work for various organisations and helping colleagues. About eight years ago, I started to contemplate company in Australia which was using biomass to produce a new platform chemical. Those are the sorts of things that I’m what life outside flying would be like. I had an epiphany interested in, so helping people is just what fits in naturally. and said to myself: if I’m going to switch to another

THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:03 AM

What kinds of stressors are your clients generally dealing with?

CL: I have people come in here and say, “What’s wrong with me?” The answer – 98 percent of the time – is: “Nothing’s wrong with you.” You perhaps lack the tools; you may lack the clarity. There’s no diagnosis. You’re just struggling like all of us. We all struggle at various times when we don’t have the right tools and the right knowledge and the right support structure. Especially with COVID-19 and the social unrest before, we’ve had three years of incredibly tough times in Hong Kong. The volume of clients is a little bit higher now, but not as much as you might think. But people who are coming in for other issues are inevitably affected by what I call the “background stress”. No one really accepts or owns the stress that COVID-19, social protests and everything else have caused. People think: I can’t claim that I’m stressed because of COVID-19 because the rest of the population is stressed because of COVID-19. But that doesn’t mean you’re not stressed. We don’t own that stress, and therefore our ability to deal with stressful situations and decisions and everything else is consumed.

ounselling is li e needing to learn a new s ill, ust as golfers need golf lessons.

financial analysis and communicating concepts of good finance to people. What tips would you suggest for professionals in Hong Kong as we balance these stressors?

CL: First of all, own the stress. Many companies run employee assistance programmes, or EAPs. We are contracted with the largest global programme covering Hong Kong. With these, there is an opportunity to reach out in total confidence. Someone else, your company, has paid because it’s beneficial to them. How do you meet the unique needs of There’s going to be less absenteeism or lower Hong Kong professionals? sickness rates. And you’re going to make better decisions because you’re thinking CL: When I formed Perspection, diversity and inclusion were front and centre of my It’s not a failure to seek more clearly, so it’s a win-win situation. There are barriers to entry for counselling. thought processes. We have equal numbers counselling. It’s just the of men and women counsellors, and have same as needing to learn One is financial and the second one is stigma. With EAP, there’s no financial barrier equal numbers of expats and locals. And it’s a new skill. because it’s totally free for the employees. not just about counselling or psychotherapy. But we still look at the stigma and the social It’s also about training, group sessions and norms associated with acceptability, which is where we are things like that. For instance, one of the unique services we behind in Hong Kong, and in Asia in general. It’s not a offer is run by Kevin Donahue, who is the only accredited failure to seek counselling. It’s just the same as needing to financial counsellor in Hong Kong. There’s a lack of financial learn a new skill. If I’m going to take up golf, I take golf knowledge in some areas in Hong Kong. In the past, many lessons. If I’m going to deal with a lot of stress in my life, people were paid well and didn’t have to think about money. I’ll need some assistance. Counselling is not like friendship Times have changed. We do not give any recommendations, groups. You’re in a non-judgmental environment. n but Kevin has special software and he is very skilled at doing

CHRIS’ TOOLKIT eflect on your life stressors and how to deal with them by chec ing out these sources

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

our office E

any organisations in Hong ong offer employees a confidential, cost free option to support their mental health. hec with your human resources department for more information. therwise, chec to see what your health insurance covers.

THE CORRESPONDENT

06 Member Insights 4.indd 13

Sleep is your superpower

n this ed al , sleep scientist att al er e plains the benefits sleep has on our physical and mental wellbeing. ted.com/talks/matt_walker_sleep_is_ your_superpower

The best career path isn’t always a straight line

ur ob, career and profession are three levels of our wor . hin about how they can be independent and positive forces as we maintain our control and personal values in our wor lives. ted.com/talks/sarah_ellis_and_helen_tupper_the_ best_career_path_isn_t_always_a_straight_line

JULY 2022

20/6/2022 10:03 AM

LEAD STORY

THAT WAS THE HANDOVER THAT WAS O

n one side of the house it was an occasion for national rejoicing; others saw it as a “jollification-cum-wake”. And of course, whatever the medium, there were reams of copy to file. Whichever way you looked at it, 30 June 1997 had long been double-underlined in everybody’s diary.

PHOTO: PAUL LAK ATOS / AFP

A quarter-century on from one of the most momentous days in Hong Kong’s history, members, staff and fans of the FCC dish up their most potent memories.

Done deal: the military march off, the politicians gaze as politely as circumstances allow, and Hong Kong is rather unsurprisingly thrust into a new era.

JULY 2022

07 Handover 8.indd 14

THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:04 AM

are ad s e fi a sett ed s s e could be present at the Handover – she’d waited for the Joint Declaration in 1984, and then it was ‘only’ a dozen years till 1997. She was interviewed by all the parachute squad r a sts e t e sta t a experts. She had, of course, seen many dramatic governmental changes before – in Bucharest, Palestine, Aden and so forth. I think most people would have expected her to leave after that... but she stayed, indeed she lived on another 20 years, despite having lost her access to the swimming pool at Government House and t e rts r es fi ers ess at a ar.

As Managing Editor of ATV’s Inside Story feature programme, Susan Yu found there were just too many stories to cover in such a short time. Yet she did manage to bag some of the star players.

ter e ed r er r t s r e ster ar aret at er at t e a dar r e ta . e as r with pride that Great Britain had done its utmost to secure the best for Hong Kong. But my interview with Hong Kong’s longest serving er r rd rra a e se str a ete different tone. He was contemplative and subdued. He recalled with great clarity his 1979 meeting with China’s Premier Deng Xiaoping in Beijing, when he raised the ss e r ta s ear ease t e e err t r es. He had a very dim view of Britain’s highly politicised a a e e t d r ts fi a da s. Fifteen years later, I bumped into a British former diplomat who had been a key member of Britain’s 1997 e t at tea . as ed e ad a re rets. ere was a long pause. With a very deep sigh, he said ‘We could’ve done more. We should’ve done more’.”

THE CORRESPONDENT

07 Handover 8.indd 15

PHOTO: MANUEL CENETA / AFP

For the doyenne-with-a-capital-D of Hong Kong’s foreign correspondents, the late Clare Hollingworth, the Handover was the reddest of red letter days, as her biographer, Patrick Garrett, relates:

Looking somewhat bemused at their 15 minutes of fame, People’s Liberation Army soldiers wave tentatively as they cross the border.

Uppermost in the minds of just about every working journalist was the need to ferret out some sort of angle, as Mark Graham, writing for the Sunday Times, recalls:

My most vivid and enduring memory took place a while after witnessing the formal midnight military handover at HMS Tamar. Reporting mission completed, I wandered down to the waterfront, where the crowds were watching the Royal Yacht Britannia, with Chris Patten and Prince Charles on board, edge its way slowly out of the harbour. Two teary-eyed Hong Kong teen girls, clearly overcome with emotion, waved frantically towards the departing vessel and called out five words that have stayed with me ever since. ‘Goodbye, we will miss you,’ they chorused, summing up the views of a great many people in Hong Kong.”

Margaret Thatcher was brimming with pride that Great Britain had done its utmost. – Susan Yu

JULY 2022

20/6/2022 10:04 AM

LEAD STORY

One of the most distinct memories for many people, and for Hong Kong Economic Times editor Liu Kin-ming in particular, is the nigh biblical downpour on 30 June.

For the British, the rain was God mourning the loss of a crown jewel colony. For the Chinese, it was heaven washing off the nation’s humiliation over a century. I finished work in the newsroom and rushed to the Legislative Council (where the Court of Final Appeal is currently housed) before midnight. Standing at the balcony, the opposition, led by Martin Lee Chu-ming, vowed to fight on. On the first day of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, I spoke at a panel discussion at the FCC organised by the Freedom Forum, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. Twenty-five years on, the FCC is still standing.”

For some journalists, the Handover provided a grand opportunity for a stunt, as Hong Kong’s master of wit and repartee Nury Vittachi relates:

Gauging the event from a rather different perspective, Key-young Son, now employed at the Asiatic Research Institute, reported from Beijing for the Korea Times.

One of the many celebrations I attended was at the Workers’ Stadium – the fireworks were fantastic: it was like a battlefield. One of the songs they played was that haunting melody Arishan Girl (阿里山的姑娘). The whole city was in a festive mood, and I felt a strong sense of nationalism. It was certainly a watershed moment.”

For the British, the rain was God mourning the loss of a colony. For the Chinese, it was heaven washing off the nation’s humiliation. – Liu Kin-ming

As a practical lesson in promoting tolerance and understanding, I and 19 others spent 24 hours from noon on 30 June handcuffed to a person of different sex, culture, ethnicity or all three.

PHOTO: STEPHEN SHAVER / AFP

“It was an adventure. One pair was detained by police. Another couple later got married. I was attached to Fujian architect Scarlet Choi, who accompanied me on my reporting duties. But somehow we managed to find ways to enable the other person to eat and sleep and use the toilet. At the crack of dawn on 1 July, the two of us set off to be interviewed, still cuffed, live on CNN. “Scarlet’s English was almost as bad as my Chinese. Live on air, interviewer James Lee explained that we were two strangers from opposite sides of the border who had agreed to be manacled together. “He asked: ‘Scarlet, do you regret it?’ Uncomprehending, she smiled brightly at him. ‘Oh yes!’ she replied.

JULY 2022

A new look for the Central Government Offices – photographers described it as The Picture: goodbye Britain’s coat of arms, hello national emblem of China.

THE CORRESPONDENT

PHOTO: PETER PARKS / AFP

ut out more flags , as Lin utang

velyn

augh might have said.

More or less at the top of the bill of the Handover extravaganza, Governor Chris Patten was both moving house and changing jobs while being subjected to continuous media scrutiny.

e se as a ases s t ases a d personal friends coming to say goodbye, while at the same time we were welcoming the Prince of Wales and lots of distinguished journalists and politicians. So it was a matter of personal sadness at leaving a city which my whole family had loved and where we had so many friends, while at the same time going through ceremonies watched by so many people around the world marking events of global s fi a e.”

A humble missive despatched to Clarence House requesting some pensées, bon mots or a simple ‘jolly good show, chaps’ from His Royal Highness Charles Windsor, who stood in for Queen Elizabeth II at the Handover, failed to draw much in the way of a reaction before this issue went to press. Tant pis.

THE CORRESPONDENT

07 Handover 8.indd 17

Then as now, Keith Richburg was FCC President. Having vowed to be present for the Handover after his first visit to Hong Kong in 1983, he was granted a unique viewpoint.

Perched on the balcony of my apartment on MacDonnell Road, I was treated to an extraordinary panorama of many of the city’s iconic sites. And almost directly in front of me and below was Government House. The colonial-era mansion appeared almost in miniature, the Royal Hong Kong Police honour guard like toy soldiers. But the view was completely unobstructed, thanks to Hong Kong Park just below. I watched as Chris Patten exited from the huge brown front doors beneath the portico, behind his daughters and walking next to his wife as they left their residence of five years for the last time.”

JULY 2022

20/6/2022 10:04 AM

LEAD STORY

Two out-of-towners, barrister Neville Sarony and Zela Chin, now principal reporter on TVB’s Money Matters programme, also watched events unfold from afar.

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Sarony: “I watched from my Kathmandu home, as the rain poured down on the barely-completed-in-time Convention Centre and assorted dignitaries sheltered their carefully coiffed and groomed selves for a suitable t . s fir ed de s t a se t se r t e fi at a e t e a d er.

Jon Resnick (above right) had not been slow to see the potential to make a buck or two out of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

As with every functioning takeaway, they were bound to leave behind a detritus of soggy programmes and snack wrappers. A suitable epitaph to the end of an era. Whether t e r a t e t e tr ste s d be deployed so as to preserve the liberal rule of law, only time would tell.” Chin: “I was in my early teens at the time, and I watched the Handover on television at home in Los Angeles with my mother, who had grown up in Kowloon. She was quite antsy, pacing back and forth in front of the television. I recognised Prince Charles. And the pageantry was beautiful.

Our jokey souvenir – Canned Colonial Air – was a tongue-in-cheek poke at the British Empire and the rarefied airs and graces that often characterised colonial rule. My friend, publisher Guy Nicholls, and I were just having a bit of fun, and never expected it would garner worldwide publicity. If only we had had the viral power of social media back then.

t r a dd t te dersta d t e s fi a e of that moment until I went to Duke University, in North Carolina. During my Chinese culture class the professor said something about Hong Kong’s business community having been happy about China’s resumption of sovereignty. Suddenly, the memories of the Handover a e d a t e a d rea sed at ad a t a transpired that day.”

The inspiration came from my first trip to New York in the 1970s, where I saw the city’s water sold as a souvenir. So canning Hong Kong’s colonial air was a logical extension, and together we sourced the photo of top-hatted Brits and came up with some humorous wording. It sold for US$7 apiece in clubs, hotel gift shops and touristy places like the Star Ferry. And we delivered one to Government House.

PHOTO: MANUEL CENETA / AFP

Needless to say, we didn’t retire on the proceeds.”

As far as literal translations are concerned, ‘Go Abroad’ pretty much summed up the Handover zeitgeist, not least for troops making a ceremonial border crossing from China.

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07 Handover 8.indd 18

My great-aunt, Clare Hollingworth, was interviewed by all the parachute squad who flew in to be instant China experts. – Patrick Garrett

THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:04 AM

HARBOUR FESTS

I was on the late shift – 4 pm to 1 am – t e . t as a da normally the quietest night of the week, but I was rushed off my feet – I only had half-an-hour for a short meal. I didn’t get to bed until the early hours. e a d er as r ad ast e – I was excited by it, of course, but really saw it as just inevitable. I had the day off on 1 July and had a good long rest, thinking ad st t essed a rea s fi a t moment in history.

PHOTO: STEPHEN SHAVER / AFP

Many journalists may have felt they had their hands full, but ministering to their needs was no walk in the park, as Jacky Ku Lui, now Assistant Head Waiter at the FCC, can attest.

Mad dogs and Englishmen: for many, the Handover was simply a chance to party the night away.

The effect of the Handover on Hong Kong’s economic fortunes had been preying on the minds of just about everyone in business, but Robert Grieves, Merrill Lynch’s head of marketing and communications, remained upbeat.

ers e t e at t at t e as t st t at a d open its markets and become, over time, more like Hong Kong. At a art t t e a t rs a a d ra r t e t t e Handover, I looked down into the crowded street below. A young Chinese woman, sitting on the shoulders of a muscular European, s dde r ed er t . t t s are t a e around here.”

THE CORRESPONDENT

07 Handover 8.indd 19

One of Hong Kong’s major success stories, billionaire Jim Thompson, set up Crown Worldwide Group. Perhaps more than anyone else, he had a lot riding on the successful outcome of the Handover. “My company was in the moving business, so we certainly had some busy years in the 1990s. I recall the Fortune maga ine cover story The Death of Hong Kong written by the late Louis Kraar. Obviously he got it wrong but it added to the tension during that period. My feelings about it all were more along the lines of curiosity about what the future would bring, rather than fear. The agreements between China and the UK had been hammered out over many years and I felt they would have covered everything by 1 July. My company had been headquartered in Hong Kong since the mid-1970s and I had no intention of relocating. I was also on the Board of the American Chamber of Commerce and there was no panic among the member companies about this transition. I think everyone was of the mind, “Let’s just carry on and see what happens”. Six years later, in 2003, I was called on to produce the Harbour Fest with the Rolling Stones, Santana, Neil Young, Prince and others to help the world see that Hong Kong was safe from that was a hell of a lot more fun.” n

JULY 2022

20/6/2022 10:04 AM

FEATURE

AT THE SHARP END

PHOTO: ANGELA WEISS / AFP

There’s no shortage of trouble spots around the world. Lauren Lau talks to seven journalists who are all too aware that ‘deadline’ carries a double meaning.

Protesters take a knee at Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn, New York, while demonstrating against the death of George Floyd.

USA

KATIE NELSON

Katie Nelson @katiegnelson

JULY 2022

08 Frontline 4.indd 20

he United States might not spring to mind as a trouble spot, but covering controversial events there has become increasingly difficult in recent years, as Katie Nelson discovered after reporting the George Floyd case – which ultimately sparked the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement – for The New York Times. She is one of the plaintiffs represented by the American Civil Liberties Union in a case that a group of journalists filed against law enforcement agencies for assaulting them during their reporting on BLM. She claims that time and again officers from various agencies in Minnesota assaulted her and multiple journalists,

many of them freelancers, who covered the BLM marches, protests and riots in the Midwest. “The last three years have marked a significant shift in the way that the press is treated in the US, both by the public and by public officials and law enforcement. It felt like suddenly, we were the enemy,” says Nelson. She says officers treated journalists as if they were criminals. They often tried covering up their badges, and denied that some events took place. “In other countries I’ve been stopped, I’ve been harassed, but never in my life did I think it was going to happen in my own hometown,” she says.

THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:05 AM

THE PHILIPPINES

RAMBO TALABONG

anyone carrying drugs ran the risk of being killed outright. It is widely alleged that law enforcement agencies simply eliminated perceived opponents. “Policemen would stop us from recording them and warned us to be careful. In order to record the number of arrests, we would have to go to the police stations to see for ourselves; however, because of these threats, we would go to different police stations every day to forestall any attacks against us. We changed our routes every day, as we did not want to be recognised,” says Talabong. To further protect themselves, Talabong and his colleagues are highly conscious of cybersecurity, changing their passwords frequently and using up to five different messaging applications. “The new president did not even bother to meet with the press during his rallies, or explain his political plans to us,” says Talabong, adding that many journalists have left the country for fear of what the Marcos presidency might mean for them.

Rambo Talabong @ramboreports

PHOTO: NOEL CELIS / AFP

he latest Filipino election was a bad omen for Rambo Talabong, a journalist at Rappler, founded by Nobel Prize winner Maria Ressa. With President ‘Bongbong’ Marcos having just taken over the reins, Talabong believes this can only mean even narrower press freedoms and heightened threats against journalists. “The biggest problem we face is that no one believes in us,” says Talabong. He explains that journalists are seen as obstacles by many, and getting rid of them is regarded as patriotic. As a result, many digital reporters are targeted and attacked online by government supporters: being hacked has become the new normal. “I have received messages online, threatening to kill me, telling me I should die, threatening to do things to my family,” says Talabong. Covering the anti drug war, a wideranging campaign initiated by former President Rodrigo Duterte, had its risks for journalists who sought to reveal that

A suspected drug dealer lies dead following a shootout with authorities in Manila.

THE CORRESPONDENT

08 Frontline 4.indd 21

JULY 2022

20/6/2022 10:05 AM

PHOTO: STR / AFP

FEATURE

The August 2020 ammonium nitrate explosion in Beirut killed more than 200, injured 7,000 and left some 300,000 homeless.

LEBANON

DAVID WOOD

D David Wood @Davidrobwood

JULY 2022

08 Frontline 4.indd 22

avid Wood is an Australian journalist and policy researcher based in Lebanon. Although Lebanon has been called out for its shrinking press freedoms, Wood believes that while the country has a history of harassing journalists, there is still some freedom to report, although there is a need to take care not to become a red flag to the government. Lebanon’s political structure makes it difficult for investigative journalists, says Wood, as the government is made up of half-a-dozen very powerful community factions. “Self-censorship can be an issue, because a lot of people worry about the ability of community leaders to mobilise an electronic army, or keyboard warriors,” says Wood.

Once a journalist tries to investigate or expose government officials or problems with public policy, they could be subjected to threats to their safety. Wood recalls that one of his former colleagues released a video of the Beirut port explosion in August 2020, laying the blame on incompetent officials. He received many death threats afterwards and went into hiding for a couple of weeks. In some parts of Lebanon, journalists can also get into altercations with local security forces. It is also incredibly difficult to get access to public information, says Wood. “There is a kind of censorship here, in the sense that you don’t want to be seen as criticising just one community – because that community certainly won’t like it,” he adds.

THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:05 AM

SRI LANK A

ROEL RAYMOND

“The standard joke is that the only two professions that don’t look for qualifications are journalism and politics. Nobody is taught how to report ethically or accurately,” says Raymond. Transparency within the government is low, as public information is difficult to obtain, though it is entirely lawful to request it. “There’s a lot of bureaucracy or people protecting each other, so it’s very difficult to make any headway. Over the last 10 years, journalists have held back from messing with things that they know will get them into trouble; because if you start exposing them, the likelihood is that you will have to leave the country,” says Raymond. While the aftermath of the Sri Lankan Civil War prompted a wave of murders and disappearances, the government has also found ways to detain journalists for reasons that are more “sophisticated’’. She adds that instead of staying to report, journalists have opted to leave quietly rather than self-censor.

Roel Raymond @roelraymond

PHOTO: L AKRUWAN WANNIAR ACHCHI / AFP

oel Raymond is the Editor in Chief of Roar Media. Public opinion of the government’s trustworthiness has changed, Raymond says, and the young digital-native generation is coming to realise that the authorities’ operations are opaque in the extreme. But the culture of targeting journalists for reporting on public matters still exists. The media landscape is unregulated, Raymond says, and fake news proliferates. Much of the media is also controlled by politicians, so almost all outlets are affiliated to one political party or another. Television remains the main conduit of public information. “It’s alleged that these television networks give out cash,” says Raymond. “So they’ll run a lot of television programmes, and they’ll come to your village and they’ll hand out cash. And then people just believe, I guess, when it’s on that television station, especially when you’re selling a nationalist view,” says Raymond. She adds that journalists are not taken seriously by Sri Lankans in general.

Sri Lankan activists in Colombo hold placards during a vigil organised to pay tribute to colleagues who were unlawfully killed.

THE CORRESPONDENT

08 Frontline 4.indd 23

JULY 2022

20/6/2022 10:05 AM

FEATURE

TURKEY

DIEGO CUPOLO AND GONCA TOKYOL

G Diego Cupolo @diegocupolo

them have been convicted, they are behind bars for newsgathering.” She says that before the 2016 coup, her then company had run investigative pieces that looked into one of the organisers; three years later, police came knocking on the door to bring in the journalists who covered the story. Round-ups like these often result in journalists being put in custody, resulting in less important stories coming out of Turkey. Tokyol says her biggest fear about being a journalist in Turkey is being jailed having been roped into a case by accident. She explains that even a routine story could be nit-picked and interpreted as insulting the government. However Cupola says his biggest fear is not being heard. “My biggest fear would be that we take these risks, but if what we write doesn’t get read by anyone we become irrelevant. “And then I just wonder what our reporting is for, and why are we taking these risks?”

PHOTO: GURCAN OZTURK / AFP

Gonca Tokyol @gonkatokyol

onca Tokyol and Diego Cupolo, who both freelance, say the optics are grim for working journalists in Turkey, now officially called Türkiye. About 90 per cent of the media is progovernment, so it is difficult to get unbiased information. The polarised environment makes it difficult for independent media to survive, while the range of topics that they can freely cover is extremely selective. “There’s a censorship issue,” says Cupolo. “A lot of people get investigated for ‘insulting the president’, and the authorities define exactly what constitutes an insult. You can go to trial for basic comments about public officials that wouldn’t be illegal in other places.” Tokyol says that sourcing is difficult as regular citizens do not like to comment on public policies and social issues, even on simple stories, and opt to remain anonymous most of the time. “To put it simply, things are not good,” says Tokyol. “There are more than a dozen journalists in jail. Even though not all of

Demonstrators take to the streets near the Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridge during clashes with the military in Istanbul in July 2016.

JULY 2022

08 Frontline 4.indd 24

THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:05 AM

PHOTO: SERGEI SUPINSK Y / AFP

A Ukrainian soldier stands on the turret of a disabled Russian T-55 tank not far from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

UKRAINE

LUKE HARDING

uke Harding is a senior correspondent for The Guardian who has reported widely on Ukraine over past last year. To Harding, receiving threats and being hacked is part and parcel of his job, having previously covered Russia extensively. Currently [June 2022] on the ground witnessing the invasion of Ukraine, personal safety is of the utmost importance. “I take a flak jacket, a first aid kit, helmets (plural), a satellite phone and lots of dollars,” says Harding. “Very sadly, quite a few Western journalists have been killed already, especially in the early weeks of the war. “The Russians, by contrast, are able to control their media completely. They lie all the time: there’s no independent kind of journalism. Most of the Russian investigative journalists I was working

THE CORRESPONDENT

08 Frontline 4.indd 25

with have all fled the country this year, or their news outlets have been closed down.” Harding explains that his biggest challenge is staying safe while continuing to produce first-rate stories. “If you don’t speak Russian or Ukrainian, you need a good fixer, someone who’s brave without being foolish. You need people with local knowledge. It’s worth pointing out that it’s not just international correspondents who come in and do this stuff – it’s locals too,” says Harding.

Luke Harding @lukeharding1968

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Lauren Lau is a freelance multimedia journalist and a newsdesk researcher and producer for CNN. She has written for SCMP, The Standard and The Correspondent, and previously reported for iCable News.

JULY 2022

20/6/2022 10:05 AM

FEATURE

UNITY IN DIVERSITY IN ASIA

onversations around diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are only just starting in Asian newsrooms, according to K. Oanh Ha, the President of the Asian American Journalists Association’s Asia Chapter (AAJA-Asia). To understand how the issue is perceived, the chapter published a 48-page report in March. Advancing News Diversity in Asia entailed multilingual focus group discussions and an extensive survey distributed in seven Asian markets, collecting 624 valid responses. During a panel discussion hosted by Telum in May in response to the report, Ha, plus South China Morning Post (SCMP) Special Projects Editor Cliff Buddle, Angie Lau, Founder and Editor-in-Chief at Forkast, and Anjali Kapoor, Director of News

JULY 2022

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Partnerships, APAC + MEA for Meta drilled down into the issue. An Asian perspective While DEI is deemed a core value by journalists in Asian newsrooms, its Asian perspective needs to be established.

“Diversity in Asia carries more overtones than merely visible elements.” – K. Oanh Ha

Ha explained: “Diversity conversations and initiatives in the US tend to be more focused on race, ethnicity and gender, and increasingly also tackling other experiences of marginalisation. But diversity in Asia carries more overtones than merely visible elements.” Lau, who moved to Asia in 2011 having worked in the US and Canada for over a decade, commented: “When I arrived in Hong Kong, the notion of diversity upon ethnic and racial lines was visually erased. “But it took on a more complex nature… as unconscious bias, patriarchal and colonial nuances shaped workplace culture.” This layered nature of diversity in Asian newsrooms also showed up in the report. While journalists in Asia overall highlighted the importance

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

ILLUSTR ATION: NOEL DE GUZMAN

Four veteran journalists from around the region mulled the complexities of diversity, equity and inclusion. Ambrose Li reports.

THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:06 AM

of coverage of class and gender, each market has different diversity priorities. For example, journalists in Indonesia deemed race and disabilities as the most important issues, while Japan lent more towards class. “Asia itself is an amalgam of diverse cultures, races, languages and societies. The truth is that Asia can’t be contained by one word: we have to shatter that notion for a healthier discourse on diversity,” Lau added.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

The hurdles Respondents showed overwhelming support for DEI in Asian newsrooms, saying that it improves the quality of news (90 per cent) and that diverse reporting attracts a wider audience and improves experiences in the newsroom (83 per cent). However, the enthusiasm did not translate entirely into reporting, with time being a major hurdle. About 62 per cent of journalists said little time is left for DEI stories, and about 58 per cent said the pressure of deadlines makes accessing diverse sources difficult. Also, 39 per cent of journalists expressed concerns over negative feedback online. Cliff Buddle, who joined the SCMP in 1994, believes that audience sensitivities should not prevent DEI stories from being written. “If we accept that there’s public interest in these stories… in giving a voice to people who don’t have the opportunity usually to get their views across, we shouldn’t shy away from doing that,” he remarked. “It’s a question of what journalism is about: it’s about informing, educating and furthering understanding. I don’t think you can have too much DEI.” Ha added: “As a journalist, I feel

“Journalism is about informing, educating and furthering understanding.” – Cliff Buddle

THE CORRESPONDENT

09 Diversity 2.indd 27

“Diversity is our strength, but it also takes work.” – Angie Lau

it’s my responsibility. I’m not fulfilling my mission if I’m not covering the richness and diversity of the community that I’m supposed to be looking at, mirroring and really telling their stories.” What’s happening now? Respondents to the report felt that digital media organisations have a more progressive corporate culture than print or broadcast outlets. Lau, who founded Forkast in 2018, commented: “Having a progressive business culture is simply how we must run our business: we are ‘remotefirst,’ which means we can work with the best in the world – diversity is our strength, but it also takes work.” Kapoor commented: “It’s inspiring to see women going out there starting their own businesses: in a way they can speak for those who maybe do not have a voice within traditional organisations.” Ha said she counts herself lucky that the newsrooms she has worked for all valued diversity and inclusion, be it in the US or Vietnam. She also said that Bloomberg, where she serves as a senior reporter, has a New Voices initiative to train and increase the representation of women and minority executives as sources. “It’s hard work finding these people sometimes. It’s not the easy dial-andquote kind of people who really make themselves available. I feel it’s our job to seek these people out… and to cultivate them and make sure we have diverse voices in all of our coverage,” she said. Buddle said that the SCMP has always carried DEI stories. About a decade ago, as acting editor-in-chief, he ran a front page photo of two women kissing during a Pride march

in Hong Kong. “This was quite a big deal for Hong Kong at the time… I couldn’t remember seeing a picture like that in the Post before. I didn’t get a single complaint, although our readership might not be representative of Hong Kong as a whole.” Buddle has also witnessed an increasingly diverse SCMP, which now boasts 24 nationalities in the newsroom. “It makes more sense to look at nationalities. We may have a lot of people who are ethnically Chinese, but they come from all over the world,” he said. Going forward More than 60 per cent of journalists in the report indicated that editors and executives need DEI training, although who would train them remained a moot point. Buddle said: “It’s certainly something worth exploring: there may be a need for more formal training, but journalists who have excelled in reporting in these areas passing on their experience would be very valuable.” Respondents said DEI training should focus on helping news leaders transition from a culture of diversity and equity to a systematic practice of inclusion. “Writing about DEI doesn’t mean that it has to be… a story about a specific character or identity,” Ha said. “It’s a consciousness to make sure every story you write, you’re including diverse voices.” Lau added: “We also have to reflect and be honest and authentic about what the leadership issues and concerns are within the newsroom. We can only do our best work when internally we are our best at work.” n

Ambrose Li is a trilingual reporter, writer and documentary producer with a keen interest in social and environmental issues. He is currently a video producer at the SCMP’s Morning Studio.

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FEATURE

NEW

MEET THE BOARD

Half-a-dozen new names feature on the masthead following the elections to the Board of Governors in May; here we discover a little bit more about what makes them tick.

Jennifer Jett

Correspondent Member Governor When I came to Hong Kong in 2010 to pursue a master’s degree in journalism at HKU, I assumed I’d stay for a year or two and then move on. More than 10 years later, I’m committed to Hong Kong – and the FCC – more than ever. What drew me to the FCC, which I joined in 2013, was the sense of community and the opportunity to connect with fellow members. Now that we’re (hopefully) moving past the pandemic, I’m excited for the club to come roaring back to life and for new members to join. I’ll be co-convening the Membership Committee, so please send applications my way. You’ll sometimes find me at the bar or in the workroom for my day job as Asia digital editor for NBC News. Outside of the FCC, these days I can most often be found at the dog park with my two-year-old rescue, Inez.

Kari Soo Lindberg

Correspondent Member Governor I may have set a record for holding FCC membership for the shortest length of time before being elected to the board – some two months. After covering politics for over a year at Bloomberg, I finally took the plunge and became a member earlier this year. While I don’t have much experience with the club, what I lack in exposure I aim to make up for in enthusiasm. As a long-time member of the Asian American Journalists Association, I’ve seen first-hand the power of journalists’ groups, their ability to engage members and reach out to the community. I’m excited to bring the same spirit to the FCC. After several years as a nutritionist in New York City, I decided to try and make it in journalism, which led me to Hong Kong in 2018. I caught a lucky break with an internship at Bloomberg covering the city’s 2019 protests, and was hired shortly afterwards.

Correspondent Member Governor I ordered four books before arriving in Hong Kong in 2017: Gweilo; The Honourable Schoolboy; a Cantonese phrasebook; and A History of Hong Kong. The first two persuaded me

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that this idiosyncratic city would fulfil my wish for discovery; I never opened the other two. The discovery has been constant. Little about editing

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

Olivia Parker

THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:07 AM

at the Daily Telegraph in London lined up with experiences I had at Campaign Asia, my first job in Hong Kong, like hosting award shows in Shanghai or reporting on the Global Gaming Expo in Macau. I moved to The New York Times in 2019, and rediscovered the draw of producing a print newspaper every day. I discovered life-altering loss, too: my partner Laurence died 10 months after we moved here, and I subsequently found a deep connection to Hongkongers working for better mental health understanding. I hope over the next year to merge this work with our journalism community here, in part through the FCC, to see how we can continue to challenge stigma and support each other.

Peter Parks

Correspondent Member Governor I am a staff photographer for Agence France-Presse and I see myself as having come full circle, returning to Hong Kong and the FCC in 2020 after 16 years away.

One of my first memories of the FCC is meeting the late Hugh Van Es at the bar. He immediately admonished me for holding my camera from the shoulder with the lens turned out. “Turn it round,” he blared. “Protect the lens”. I’ve been carrying my camera the “correct” way ever since. Thanks, Hugh. As a photographer, I was drawn to the Wall Committee, which had always done an amazing job. I felt with my experience and contacts, we could make it even better. It’s a great team with our “boss” Kristie Lu Stout at the helm, and we have a good number of projects in line for exhibiting over the next six months. Of course, we had a major setback with the cancellation of the planned exhibition of the works of the nowsuspended Human Rights Press Awards, and that has cast a shadow over the club. But ultimately survival is key, and our position on press freedom has not changed. We followed up the cancellation with a powerful exhibition of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which shows the brutality of war and the cruelty of which a brutal dictatorship is capable.

Joe Pan

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

Journalist Member Governor For most of my 20-year career, I have been in journalism and media management, including work at traditional newspapers including weeklies, the Los Angeles Times and a radio station. I have taken a few detours to get involved in consulting gigs on political campaigns and investor relations. I launched my own consultancy after moving to Asia in 2007. To those familiar with the well-worn “home-away-fromhome” cliché, I would like to suggest that the FCC is my office away from my office. The club’s library has served me well during my transitional period from Forkast News to starting a new media venture covering non-fungible tokens. As a foodie and supporter of smart farming and local suppliers, I hope to contribute to the House/Food and Beverage committee, and see the club continue its traditions while selecting from sustainable food producers and providing the best organic cuisine possible.

THE CORRESPONDENT

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Rebecca Bailey was also elected as Correspondent Member Governor but preferred not to submit any biographical details.

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ON THE WALL

A Panoply of Heroes Photographs taken over seven years furnish a compelling portrait of Mongolia, one of the most enigmatic countries in East Asia.

aul Cox’s passage through life has been intriguingly unconventional, to say the least, pinballing from growing up in Zimbabwe to service with Britain’s Royal Artillery and Royal Marines to sailing the Mediterranean in a small boat and renovating a house in Spain. But he reached a watershed after taking a diploma in photography, which in turn led him – by great good luck – to Asia, where he now freelances and works with a charity (tifcharity. org) in Ulaanbaatar. Red Hero, the title both of Cox’s coffee table book and his exhibit at the FCC, brought together a series of stunning photos taken over seven

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years in some of the poorer parts of the Mongolian capital and elsewhere in the country. No captions are needed to explain that day-to-day existence is a struggle here, and poverty widespread. Cox commented: “My association with the Tsolmon Ireedui Foundation – which runs a day care centre for around 60 children, providing them with schooling, warmth and food during the day so their mainly single parents are freed up for work – has given my work both purpose and privileged access. This offers, I believe, a unique and intimate perspective on the country I love.”

PHOTOS: PAUL COX

1 Garbed against the cold, snuff bottle vendors weigh up price and quality in a street market. 2 Perfect light, three obliging models and an 80-year-old classic camera lens make for a classic shot. 3 Me and my umbrella. A proud moment for a youngster, alone in the family ger. 4 Wrestlers display their physique, and a very nononsense attitude, in a line-up whose eroticism is only casually concealed.

More information: c8x-photography.com

THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:07 AM

High Jinks and Rock Bottom Temperatures Ironman Triathlons and similar sporting trials of endurance almost pale t s fi a e a a st t s t t e r d ast e.

he words “Arctic” and “surfing” would seem not to belong in the same sentence. So AFP photographer Olivier Morin’s (oliviermorinphotography.com) sublime and, at first blush, ridiculous exhibit showcasing precisely those two words was all the more compelling, not least for featuring images of human beings at their most sportingly absurd. At Unstad Beach, about 200 kilometres from the Arctic Circle in Norway’s Lofoten Islands, winter temperatures hover around freezing, but can drop to minus 10 Celsius if the wind gets up. Rather than being the purlieu of a bunch of daredevils, Arctic surfing is

pretty much a regular recreation – not unlike going to a skating rink in Hong Kong – and becomes more popular when the days get longer. Technically, the shoot had its fair share of challenges. “I was sometimes within one metre of the surfer so I had to be very careful to avoid not only the surfer but also from getting caught in the current. It’s demanding physically so you have to be in very good shape.” Morin, who is based in Italy but previously worked in Scandinavia, was also lucky with the weather. “I also saw my first Aurora Borealis – as the colours started to dance across the sky, I was filled with euphoria.”

1 Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, put on a spectacular show at the end of a day s surfing. 2 our decades on from his surfing heyday, and in very much cooler climes, Australia’s Tom Carroll proves he’s still got what it takes takes at age 55. 3 Australian 1980s surf legend Tom Carroll casually pedals down to the sea for a morning’s surfing. 4 A surfer waits for waves while sitting on his surfboard, which has been carved from ice.

PHOTOS: OLIVIER MORIN

THE CORRESPONDENT

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ON THE WALL

A Walk on Hong Kong’s Wild Side t

r a st a re t at t r es

e t rt e

tra ed d t e er ta e e t t e t s r es.

a s r

t is a truth universally acknowledged that roughly three-quarters of Hong Kong is countryside, and that large swathes of it are officially designated as country parks. Less is generally known about the wildlife that flourishes in and around their 440 or so square kilometres, which is why the exhibit by Hong Kong-based British freelance photojournalist Lawrence Hylton – Evenings with Hong Kong’s Wildlife – proved to revealing and surprising in equal measure. Snakes, frogs, turtles, spiders, skinks – all gazed back imperturbably in all their natural glory from the Van Es Wall, with only a speech bubble (“What are you doing here, eh?”) missing.

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To give added point to Hylton’s work, and a fairly hefty dollop of irony: despite the “concrete jungle” moniker, Hong Kong houses some animals which are in danger of extinction elsewhere in Asia, yet is Grand Central Station for the region’s illegal wildlife traffickers. Hylton commented: “This exhibition was a display of the unique charm of the unseen residents in our city and a fresh take on their mysterious beauty – a reminder of why it is vital to keep our animals safe and thriving.”

PHOTOS: L AWRENCE HYLTON

1 The red-necked keelback (rhabdophis subminiatus) is often found on the ground, but climbs onto shrubs and plants to rest at night away from potential terrestrial predators. 2 The white-lipped pit viper (trimeresurus albolabris), also known as the bamboo pit viper, can often be found lying in ambush for geckos on the side of paths at night. 3 A juvenile collared scops owl (otus lettia) found with a broken wing, and later treated at a wildlife centre. 4 A female atlas moth (attacus atlas), Hong Kong’s largest moth species, laying eggs on a lychee tree.

Prints of all the images from the exhibition, and many more, are on sale for HK$2,500 each; lawrencehylton.com

THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:07 AM

Last call for Hong Kong streetlife Sunset Survivors a t r e t r des a e at e s a s t s

ever mind the gargantuan infrastructure projects and reclamation works – nothing has changed Hong Kong quite so much over the past generation as the gradual erasure of its street culture. Hole-in-the-wall photocopy outfits, barbers with little more than a chair and a pair of scissors sheltering beneath an awning, one-man-band pavement watch repairers and key cutters and their coevals: there’s little room for any of their characterful enterprise in a city stuffed to the gills with – yawn – homogeneous upscale branded shopping malls. This is precisely why the coffee table book Sunset Survivors – authored with a finely judged passion by Lindsay Varty

dsa art a d e t e t st

and tellingly illustrated with Gary Jones’ black-and-white images – worked so well as an exhibition. Everyone featured had a moving end-of-an-era tale to tell, a chronicle of hard-won expertise and sheer determination. One of the most vital stories featured a Central shoe shiner who to make ends meet had had to take over her husband’s pitch after he died. Nowadays, she said, rather than natter, customers barely looked up from their smartphones, and the whole transaction was conducted in silence. A sign of the times, and not an encouraging one.

ar es t traders.

1 Wong Tak Kam continues to deliver rice on his 45-year-old bicycle and uses the same 30-year-old rice cleaning device that his father left him. 2 Master Raymond Lam is the very last bamboo dim sum steamer craftsman in Hong Kong. If he works all day long – which he does every day – he can make up to seven average sized steamers. 3 Traditionally, women had their entire faces threaded before their wedding day to “open their face to the groom”, but today, most people just want their eyebrows done. Business has grown since Li Wai Mui’s daughter helped her set up a Facebook page. 4 Master Kan Hon Wing is the owner and master tailor at Mei Wah Fashion – the last place in Hong ong where you can find a handcrafted qipao.

Sunset Survivors is available at most bookshops for HK$290, and also via sunsetsurvivors.com.

PHOTOS: GARY JONES

THE CORRESPONDENT

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NEW MEMBERS

Drum Roll, Please A retired prison superintendent who’s taken up cooking; the former pilot who’s turned to counselling; and the veteran man-at-arms; plus two-dozen others who make up the rich tapestry of FCC membership.

RICHARD ARNDT

CHEUNG KWONG-KEI

I am vice president, trade lane, for Toll Global Forwarding Asia, which is part of Japan Post. I have been living in Hong Kong for more than three-and-a-half years and have enjoyed my time here. Prior to moving to Asia, I lived in Los Angeles, California, for many years. My interests range from travel, hiking, biking and scuba diving to reading books. I have two adult sons who currently reside in the US.

I was behind bars for over 30 years – as the head of Hong Kong’s major prisons – including Stanley, Lai Chi Kok and Siu Lam. Early retirement from this role granted time to pursue my interests, like volunteering, travelling and photography. My new hobby of cooking also gives me a great sense of achievement. My work taught me about security management and dealing with people from all walks of life, and I am currently the director of communications of an international federation that works against copyright theft. Having been away from life behind bars for years now, I look forward to being inside bars again – this time at the FCC.

linkedin.com/in/richard-arndt-logistics

FRANCESCA BIROLI

I was born and raised in Italy, where I studied law at university. I moved to Hong Kong eight years ago and consider it my home. I have been working at the law firm de Bedin & Lee since I moved here.

ANGELA CHEUNG WONG WAN-YIU

I am an educator. My interest is in educational policy formulation and administration, organising functions and education conferences. Now in retirement, I still hold the roles of vice president of the UNESCO Hong Kong Association; school manager at the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Group Lee Shau Kee College; and member of the fundraising committee at St Stephen’s Girls’ College. Before my retirement, I was viceprincipal and acting principal at St Stephen’s Girls’ College, then became the education services secretary of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals. My hobbies are photography, music, reading and writing.

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THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:09 AM

PETER CREWE

JOHN CORBETT

Originally from Melbourne, I moved to Hong Kong in 2004 and have recently returned to Hong Kong after living for the last eight years in Jakarta. I have degrees in law, theology, history and psychology. I am an immigration lawyer, registered psychologist and executive recruiter. I am the proud father of three adult sons and two grandsons. A keen sportsman, I follow many sports including Australian rules football, supporting the Melbourne Demons. As a passionate traveller and lover of good food and wine, I love the convenience, energy and diversity of life in Hong Kong.

I am of Irish heritage and was born in the UK. I moved to Hong Kong in 1998. I have also lived and worked in Brunei, Indonesia and Australia. After 32 years on the corporate side of the insurance industry, I retired and set up my own small company for angel investing, consultancy, board advisory and independent non-executive director services. Hong Kong is my home – I love its diversity and energy. Food and wine are my passions, history a lifelong interest and digital a learning curve – plus I’m a supporter of my hometown football club, Aston Villa. linkedin.com/in/petercrewe

johncorbett.com

DAMEN HOLMES

I am a Eurasian who was born in Hong Kong and am fluent in Cantonese. Sentenced to boarding school in Tasmania at the age of nine, I also went to university there. I became a solicitor in 2009 and practised law in Melbourne. I was paroled back to Hong Kong in 2016 and am still a solicitor, specialising in commercial litigation. I am a lover of all sports, especially cricket, having proudly represented Hong. But as time has gone on, my bowling averages have gone up and my batting averages down.

EDWARD GREEN

I have served in the United States military for more than 17 years, performing long tours in Iraq and Korea, and have travelled and lived in many parts of east Asia, including a year in Taiwan. I hold a master’s degree in Chinese studies and speak both Mandarin and Korean. My wife, Jessica, and our five children have joined me in Hong Kong, where I am the army liaison officer at the US Consulate. My hobbies include skiing, hiking, mountain biking and motorcycle riding.

NATALIE KOH

I have been in Hong Kong for about four years, mostly with the South China Morning Post as a digital producer and news editor. Now, I work at Haymarket, leading the AsianInvestor editorial team as their managing editor. In my 10-year career, I’ve been tasked with helping editorial teams adapt to a digital-first world, by integrating data analytics into news flows and introducing digital best practices to news teams. I also work to improve gender representation in workplaces. In 2018, I led the winning team at the SCMP hackathon with a strategy to improve the representation of women in our coverage. @NatalieOnLoop (twitter.com/NatalieOnLoop) linkedin.com/in/kohnatalie/

THE CORRESPONDENT

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NEW MEMBERS

BEN LAU

CARMEN LAM

After many years in travel, hospitality and real estate, I left full-time employment in 2019 and returned to Hong Kong to become an exponential performance consultant, to help organisations develop the culture, mind-set and techniques to disrupt themselves before they get disrupted by others. Organisations are made up of people and my focus is on how to upgrade people and companies from Industry 2.0 education and systems to meet the challenges of Industry 4.0. I utilise a number of assessment tools and researchedbased models to measure and manage multi-level change and transformation to achieve desired strategic outcome for my clients.

I grew up and studied in Hong Kong. After completing my bachelor’s degree, I travelled to the US to pursue my postgraduate studies at Princeton University, where I earned a Ph.D. in physics. I since have worked for various investment banks, first as a quantitative analyst and later as a financial engineering specialist. I currently work as a senior scientist at Shell Street Labs, where we conduct machine learning/AI research to improve society. I am passionate about golf, music and volunteering services. I am currently president of the New Era Lions Club. I am also learning to play the drums and my first live music show was at the FCC.

CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE

Starting work in Hong Kong on 8 August 1988 proved to be auspicious. I joined Cathay Pacific as a pilot after working at the now-defunct British Caledonian, and British Airways. It was an adventure in those days. I was a pilot for 47 years and recently retired. Over 20 years ago, I began an interest in mentoring, counselling and supporting those who may find their particular circumstances challenging. I obtained several qualifications and a master’s in counselling at Monash University. With a desire to improve the standards and support of the counselling community, I formed the counselling practice Perspection, with a team of eight counsellors (see page 12).

BRIAN NG

I am a young Hong Kong native working in finance and interested in all things to do with economics and environmental, social and governance matters. I find great enjoyment in travelling and seeing the world, meeting new people and experiencing different cultures. As an avid reader, I am interested to see the world and current events through the eyes of those who are closer to the subject. I’m also a great fan of football, basketball and tennis, and spend my spare time playing sport to stay healthy and fit. It is great to be a member of the FCC and to enjoy all the things the club offers. linkedin.com/in/briannhs/

SHIRLEY NG

Hong Kong: I love this city, which is dynamic and full of joy and opportunities. That’s why I have been based in Hong Kong for most of my life. I have travelled to China, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand and the US and would really like to spend more time in each of those countries to experience different cultures, and to enrich my life experience. But Hong Kong is always home to me: I love her shimmering appearance and rich inner beauty.

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THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:09 AM

FILIPE PACHECO

I arrived in Hong Kong in August 2021 to cover Asian equity capital markets for Bloomberg News. Many asked me why, as a journalist, I would move to the city at a time when many are deciding to leave. My answer: I want to see a place in transition with my own eyes, and report on it. My journalistic carrier started in my hometown of São Paulo, Brazil, 15 years ago. From there I relocated to Dubai for five years to cover emerging markets within Europe, Middle East and Africa. I’m hoping Hong Kong will soon allow normal travel again – I am ready to explore the region. filipepacheco lin edin.com in filipe pacheco

WINNIE PUN

I started my career as an auditor, became a portfolio manager and moved on to sales before taking on a role heading up public policy for Asia-Pacific at BlackRock. As my job exposes me to a lot of policy debate, I am particularly interested in the talks hosted by the FCC. I lived in Australia for eight years before returning to Hong Kong in the 1990s. I love music and travelling, but the COVID-19 lockdowns in the last two years have driven me to explore many Hong Kong neighbourhoods that I had never visited before. lin edin.com in winnie pun b

QIN FENG

I have 17 years’ news reporting experience on China politics, diplomacy and international issues. The most unforgettable experiences for me were during the Libyan war (eating braised camel tongue), the Xinjiang chaos (so many crying faces), the Fukushima earthquake (a hushed refugee camp), a business trip to North Korea (one woman carried a AK-47 on the subway), CCP’s conferences (some of the high-ranking officials losing control of their tempers) and the 2019 Hong Kong Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement. I have travelled to 61 countries, enjoy making connections with people, enjoy being alone and enjoy being in company.

DOMINIC RIGBY

I came to Hong Kong from London in 2007 for a three-week secondment that was continually extended over a six-month period. Fifteen years later, I find myself still here, with the only regret of having not visited Asia sooner. The food, city lights, clash of cultures and lure of the hills and water in such close proximity have made it an easy decision to stay, along with the odd beer and glass of wine. I work as finance director for a small financial services firm. I am happiest on the trails or a bike – being an avid runner and cyclist. linkedin.com/in/dominicrigby

THE CORRESPONDENT

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DANIEL RUPP

After growing up in the mountains of North Carolina and attending UNC Chapel Hill, I began travelling and have spent the majority of my adult life outside the US. I taught maths and science with the Peace Corps in Cameroon and English with the JET Programme in Japan. After earning my Master of Business Administration from Yale School of Management, I moved to Hong Kong and joined Overlook Investments, where I am currently Research Director. Overlook manages about US$6 billion in a concentrated portfolio of long-only public equities across Asia. I am also co-chair of both the UNC and Yale School of Management Alumni Clubs of Hong Kong.

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NEW MEMBERS

COLIN SYMMONDS

JOOST SCHOKKENBROEK

I arrived in Hong Kong in late February 2021, leaving my wife and four adult children behind in the Netherlands, to helm the Hong Kong Maritime Museum at Pier 8 in Central. Previously, I held curatorial and managerial positions at the Kendall Whaling Museum in the US, the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and the Vancouver Maritime Museum in Canada, combined with professorial positions at universities. The FCC is a great club, where three important Cs – congeniality, creativity, critical thinking – fuse. I like sports, hiking, reading and going to the movies.

I am the CEO of Joint Dynamics and a physiotherapist. I’ve worked in Africa and North America with many different patients and have also set up a women’s soap-making cooperative in South Africa. Joint Dynamics has grown from a team of four in 2013 to a firm with more than 50 healthcare professionals today, and I remain committed to serving Hong Kong and its community. I have special interests in back and neck injuries, especially chronic pain. I am currently retraining in all things related to men’s health. Even at 57, I remain a keen video gamer, soap maker and power-lifter. jointdynamics.com.hk lin edin.com in colin symmonds

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: facebook.com/colin.symmonds/

KENNETH TSANG

I am a building services contractor. In my spare time, I like to read and write. I recently finished writing a memoir in Chinese about my teenage years spent in Vancouver, Canada. It brings me much joy to finish a piece of good writing. I also have a great passion for golf. My heroes in the sport are Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player – the legendary Big Three of golf – and Tiger Woods, who has electrified the game tremendously.

linkedin.com/in/joost-schokkenbroekphd-297b5735/

pyrofoe.com.hk

AMY WONG

KIMBERLY WHILEY

I arrived in 1989 on a one-way ticket to attend the Chinese University of Hong Kong for my final year at university. After graduation, I quickly found a job in the manufacturing world and have been in the industry ever since. I started Tamco Holdings in 2004 but have embarked on many other ventures along the way, like writing The Hong Kong and Macau Taxi Guide and consulting with groups who needed my network on projects while still running my core business. My passion is to help women entrepreneurs understand what is needed to scale and exit their businesses, and I co-founded The Women Entrepreneurs Network. wenhk.org

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I was born and raised in Hong Kong. I swam competitively as a kid and took weekly horse-riding lessons. In 2006, I continued my love for the outdoors and sports in Sydney, Australia, where I pursued a bachelor’s degree in commerce. My life has transformed significantly in the past seven years. I was a risk analyst at Citibank before pursuing an EMBA from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. With over 10 years’ experience in technology and business operations, I am passionate about bridging the gap between technological leapfrogging and traditional business practices. In 2020, I co-founded a digital media agency here in Hong Kong. lin edin.com in amy wong

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THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:09 AM

TRACY WONG

As a Hong Kong-Canadian from a family of Chongqing restaurateurs, my passion has always been rooted in authentic Sichuan cuisine, which is why I founded Chilli Fagara with my mother, executive chef Chan Kai Ying, in 2005. To me, the beauty of Sichuan cuisine is its concept of numbing, burning and neutral tastes, the use of fresh Sichuan peppercorn and hand-made chilli sauces based on recipes that have been passed down through generations. We also love exploring new food trends. This is what makes our Michelin-recommended Sichuan mainstay unique, and I am very proud to share this passion with my mother and team.

KELVIN YEUNG

I was born and raised in Hong Kong and have been a fixed income fund manager for over 15 years. I care about my home city as well as my alma mater, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. I have been active in alumni affairs there since 2009 and was elected the chairperson of the CUHK Convocation in 2021. I believe our community interest can be best served by permitting free expression of views and academic freedom. linkedin.com/in/kelvinymyeung

ANGUS YIP

I have been working in the banking and asset management fields for more than 30 years, though I am not a money-minded person – I am just making a living. Over the past 10 years, I have tried very hard to find my real passion. Luckily, I found it in sustainability, which is the theme of the second chapter of my life. I studied for a degree in the field and set up an NGO. Lifelong learning is my philosophy – the fire of curiosity still burns in my heart. I am blessed to have a supportive wife and two lovely daughters. linkedin.com/in/angus-yip-9a079377/

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE Volunteer for one of the FCC’s committees if you want to get your voice heard To find out more, contact President Keith Richburg on president@fcchk.org

www.fcchk.org

THE CORRESPONDENT

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JULY 2022

20/6/2022 10:09 AM

SPEAKERS

Hong Kong’s free speech hangs on ‘by a thread’ Three Hong Kong-based journalists debate the question many around the world are asking: does press freedom still exist in Hong Kong? By Morgan M Davis

From left: Ronson Ron-Sing Chan, Sharron Fast and Keith Richburg.

Richburg, Chan noted how ravaged Hong Kong media has been, but he still maintains that enough press freedom exists that journalists can report on important topics in Hong Kong. “We have to recognise that the environment has changed,” said Chan. “We cannot get back the good old days, but there are still jobs and a mission for journalists in Hong Kong. “Journalists in Hong Kong are still willing to work harder and harder, but they are aware that with sensitive topics they need to be alert.” The main problem with the National Security Law and related attacks on the press are the newness of the regulations and the ambiguity they have stirred up, the speakers agreed. Fast said there is a “profound sense of uncertainty” around the new law and how it can and will be applied, as in some cases it is being used retroactively. “That really leaves me with the view that I would not be PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

pple Daily, Citizen News and Stand News are all shut. The 2022 Human Rights Press Awards were scuppered. Reporters Without Borders now ranks Hong Kong 148th out of 180 locations. In May, Sharron Fast, deputy director of the Master of Journalism Programme at the University of Hong Kong, Ronson Ron-Sing Chan, chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, and FCC President Keith Richburg debated the status of press freedom in Hong Kong and what role the FCC can play in the city and region going forward. Jennifer Jett moderated. To Richburg, press freedom in the city is hanging on “by a thread”. “Press freedom is still here, but it has been badly damaged,” said Richburg. Chan was the deputy assignment editor for Stand News when its former and incumbent editors-in-chief were arrested for violating the National Security Law. Like

The main problem with the National Security Law and related attacks on the press are the newness of the regulations and the ambiguity they have stirred up, the speakers agreed.

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THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:10 AM

EVENTS

In Case You Missed It

The Scottish Botanist Who Stole the China’s Tea

With Mark O’Neill, journalist and author When one thinks of tea, one might initially think of the British. But the story of how the British developed their tea habit boils down to one of the greatest thefts in history. O’Neill (top left) shared with the club how Robert Fortune (top right) stole China’s tea and made it synonymous with the UK. Watch the conversation here: https://www.fcchk.org/event/club-lunchthe-scottish-botanist-who-stole-the-tea-of-china

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

Richburg, Chan and Jett were joined by Fast online.

as certain as to what the red lines are,” said Fast. “If there are definitive red lines, I am at a loss to elaborate them.” Richburg likened the situation in Hong Kong to his past experiences reporting in other parts of Asia. Over time it becomes easier to see what lines have been drawn, and journalists learn tricks to write and report in ways that will still get the message across without using the explicit words that may get them in trouble. “There are ways you can say the same thing and not get kicked out,” said Richburg, who was banned from Indonesia for two years for writing about how the president had taken power in a coup. “You learn to navigate the red lines. The problem in Hong Kong is that everything is new. It is hard to adjust.” One of the most striking moves to navigate the new red lines was the cancellation of the Human Rights Press Freedom Awards, which should have been announced at the beginning of May. Many have disagreed with the FCC’s decision not to proceed with the awards, which will be run by Arizona State University from next year, but Richburg said the club was left with little choice. “It’s a sad state of affairs for press freedom in Hong Kong that it couldn’t be done here,” said Richburg. But the club had to balance the needs of staff, the protection of awards judges and the future of the club with its desire to proceed with the awards. “I didn’t have the luxury of taking a stand,” said Richburg. “We are living in China now. We have to deal with the rules where we are, and we have to be smart about it.”

THE CORRESPONDENT

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Book Talk: The Disappearing Act: The Impossible Case of MH370

With Florence de Changy, author Longtime journalist and former FCC president de Changy explored one of the greatest ever aviation mysteries: what happened when Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 disappeared on its way to Beijing in 2014. Watch the conversation here: https://www.fcchk.org/event/club-lunchbook-talk-the-disappearing-act-the-impossible-case-of-mh370

Crisis in Ukraine

With Dr. Mher Sahakyan, founder of the China-Eurasia Council for Political Strategy and Strategic Research in Armenia; and Kaoru Ng, photojournalist Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the world has struggled to understand what is happening in the Eastern European nation. From Hong Kong, this FCC panel discussed the role of journalists in covering the conflict, as well as China’s diplomatic position. Watch the conversation here: https://www.fcchk.org/event/clubonline-zoom-event-crisis-in-ukraine

JULY 2022

20/6/2022 10:10 AM

SPEAKERS

Writing a modern book of Hong Kong history Native Hong Kong journalist Louisa Lim reflects on her latest book and how modern Hong Kong came to be.

Interested in the FCC’s online and offline conversations? Check our calendar of upcoming events: fcchk.org/events.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

ife in Hong Kong has begun to feel dystopian in recent years, from the 2019 protests to the implementation of the National Security Law and now ongoing Covid-related restrictions. In May, halfChinese, half-British Hong Kong journalist Louisa Lim visited the FCC to discuss her new book Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong, which examines Hong Kong from the British takeover in 1842 to the city’s tussles with China today. Lim began the conversation by speaking out about the FCC’s decision not to hand out the Human Rights Press Awards this year. Lim, a past award winner, said she had thought about cancelling her FCC event because of the decision, but ultimately decided to proceed to keep transparent conversations happening. “I think it’s a really sad day,” said Lim. “Postponing the awards feels like an abandonment of journalists at a time when press freedom is more important than ever before. “This feels like a hollowing-out of the core mission of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club.” Much like her book, Lim’s FCC event was filled with personal stories, and raw emotions and reflections on some of Hong Kong’s most difficult times. She recalled, for instance, covering the 2019 protests in the city. “Many journalists struggled with how to write about the protests in 2019, particularly when they first started,” she said. Lim and many others, especially those working for the local press, balanced their ties to the community with the need to cover the protests as a neutral observer. But Lim said she soon gave up on what she called a “slavish devotion to evenhandedness” that had resulted in coverage that referred

to protestors as “rioters” or leaned too heavily on quotes from officials. Media coverage during the Handover in 1997 was just as skewed. While journalists worked day and night to cover every step of the official events, following then-governor Chris Patten and his family around the city, little was done to think about the bigger picture, said Lim. “The story that we covered was the withdrawal of the British. It was not the return to Chinese sovereignty,” she said. In her book, Lim strives to take a deeper dive into these Hong Kong moments, using voices of locals and unofficial players that have not been featured as heavily in past looks at Hong Kong. Lim was able to speak with Patten for her book, but she also includes old interviews with people like Sze-yuen Chung, a former Hong Kong politician, whose unofficial statements shine a different light on the Handover. Also featured in the book is the late Tsang Tsou Choi, otherwise known as the King of Kowloon. Nowadays, Tsang’s political graffiti can be found in places like Art Basel, but during Lim’s childhood, the artist was a “elderly, mostly toothless, quite stinky trash collector”, Lim said. Tsang repeatedly tagged Hong Kong’s electric boxes and other public property with his graffiti, becoming one of the first street artists and political commentators. “In his lifetime… people thought he was completely crazy,” said Lim. “If you look back now at what he did… in a way he gave Hong Kongers a way to think about these issues,” such as the ideas of sovereignty and identity. n

Louisa Lim

“Many journalists struggled with how to write about the protests in 2019, particularly when they first started.”

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THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:10 AM

OBITUARY

NIC GAUNT:

‘LIKE THE MAN BEHIND THE LENS, HIS ART WAS SUBTLY FOLDED WITH LAYERS OF MEANING’ by Kate Whitehead

PHOTOS: NIC GAUNT

hotographer Nic Gaunt, a long-term club member and a friend to many, died in April after a short but brave struggle with cancer. He was just 52. The loss felt by Bex, his wife, and Cymy, their daughter, will also be felt by all those who came to know Nic the world over and especially by those he befriended after arriving in Hong Kong in 2009. Although he had no prior connections in the city, his talent and his charm swiftly saw him emerge as one of its most sought-after photographers. This resulted in his work being featured in many leading Hong Kong publications, including the South China Morning Post, Tatler and Gafencu. He also made a huge contribution to the success of many brands. He joined the FCC within a year of arriving and his trademark long locks and ready smile became a familiar sight around the bar. He also willingly gave his time as an active and committed member of the Wall Committee. Born and raised in the West Midlands in England, he was a keen photographer from an exceptionally early age, with his talent seeing him admitted to the local photographic society at the age of nine, five years earlier than regulations stipulated. Aged 12, he was acclaimed as the BBC Young Photographer of the Year. This would prove just the first of many such awards. He went on to study photography at the University of Creative Arts, in southern England, where he met Bex. It was love at first sight and the two were inseparable ever after, marrying 10 years later at an impromptu service in the Little Chapel in Las Vegas. Prior to leaving the UK, Nic had built up an impressive portfolio, regularly undertaking high profile commissions for the likes of Chrysalis, Virgin and Capital Radio. Once established in Hong Kong, he and Bex built a highly

Drag Queens’ Last Supper – a typically bold composition by Nic Gaunt.

THE CORRESPONDENT

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Bex and Nic Gaunt.

regarded photographic business, with Nic as the creative force and Bex managing the logistics. This proved to be a winning combination and saw them keenly sought out by clients big and small. It’s fair to say that Nic’s work was frequently daring and edgy, while also tending towards the unconventionally erotic that truly pushed boundaries. It was certainly bold, but it was never brash. Like the man behind the lens, his art was subtly folded with layers of meaning, often commenting on society and its innate complexities. Typical of this was his 2014 collection, Obsession, a series of 21 images of male and female nudes, all rendered in chalky white paint, delivering a sculpture-like look. Behind the edgy compositions, though, Nic also had a very gentle side and a genuine concern for others, often trying in his work to outline mental health concerns. Even with his work, family and club commitments, he still found time for the other passion in his life – motorbikes. Not only did he head up the Hong Kong chapter of the Outlaws Club, he also rode across much of mainland China and Vietnam. While the family returned to the UK in 2020, Hong Kong was never far from their thoughts. Inevitably, the pandemic put paid to their plans to return on a regular basis. Reflecting on the man she long shared her life with, Bex said: “He was the most charismatic, mad, creative, off-thewall person you can imagine. And I will miss him forever.” No doubt many of those fortunate enough to get to know Nic in one or more of his many capacities will share those sentiments and that sense of loss. n

JULY 2022

20/6/2022 10:10 AM

OBITUARY

‘A KIND, CLEVER AND CARING SOUL’:

REMEMBERING ROBIN LYNAM by Andrew Dembina

Eugene Pao writes: In 2016, I was working with pianist Jeremy Monteiro on To Paris With Love: A Tribute to the Genius of Michel Legrand. Robin, who I had known for many years, got to hear about this and suggested doing an interview for the Post. I told him I’d just got back into listening to vinyl and had got a great music system so he should come over to my place. What with the records, and a lot of chat, and quite a lot of beer, we never got around to doing an interview the whole day. But I am glad one of my most significant memories of him combined two of the things he was most fond of.

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PHOTO: K ARIN MALMSTROM

an Morrison’s playing reminds us that he used to be quite a sharp acoustic guitarist… a welcome inclusion on an engaging, enthusiastic but inessential set.” So concluded an incisive review of a then new CD called The Skiffle Sessions, published in the May 2000 issue of HMV’s now defunct magazine The Voice, penned by the late longtime Hong Kong resident and part of the furniture at the FCC’s Main Bar for decades: Robin Piers Lynam. While pulling no punches in his music writing – mostly on rock, jazz and blues – for a great many publications, Lynam reached his conclusions via a wide, long-accrued knowledge that was closely rivalled by his in-depth understanding of food and (alcoholic) drink, another of his preferred areas of focus as a contributing writer. While he would often tell it like he saw it in media or social gatherings, Lynam was not one to put someone down for the sake it – generally, that is. On occasion, I recall him reaching boiling point when a know-it-all at a media gathering veered into verbose overdrive – or, even worse, got a fact wrong. Anyone who knew him well loved this acerbic side of the otherwise exceptionally courteous, intelligent and witty Lynam. He “put the ‘gentle’ into gentleman” was one of the most apt tributes to appear on the Facebook page of Karin Malmstrom, his long-term partner, following his premature passing in the early hours of 20 February. A struggle with prostate cancer which shifted to his colon, bouts of chemotherapy and finally, ensuing surgical procedures were to take an accumulated toll. Laudatory remarks about Lynam, in social media and elsewhere, also expressed shock that he was gone far too soon, having just turned 63. Despite illness hampering his activities for a while, Lynam had managed to catch up with his good friend and host of a longstanding Christmas get-together, Chris Davis, editor of Banking Today, in Hong Kong. “Lynam was a great pal for more than 30 years – it was not unusual to see each other two or three times each week,” he says. “He and Karin joined us for our journos’ and friends’ Christmas lunch for 20 years or more.

Half empty or half full? Lynam would have found the question superfluous.

“Last year, he had to see us just before that lunch, as he couldn’t be exposed to many people [in his condition]. Previously, he was always the first to arrive and last to leave – his conversation was always as eloquent on his first glass as it was after his third bottle. With a pithy comment, he could say or write in one sentence what might take others 1,000 words. “They both also played music at my wedding party in 2005. I miss him so much – he was one of my closest friends.” Lynam was born in London in February 1959. Both his father and brother served in the British armed forces and he spent part of his early childhood in Tripoli, Libya, while his father was posted there. Family bonds were strong. “Robin was very close to his mum and dad,” says Malmstrom, “and he adored his [late] brother Jeremy [who was stationed in Hong Kong for some years].” Lynam attended Dulwich College Prep School and Cranbrook School, before moving to University College London to study English literature. He was also very fond of his cousin, the English actress Jenny Agutter, who he would occasionally see in London. “My best memory of Robin is through knowing him as a child,” recalls Agutter, who was six years his senior. “Spending time with him over many years, I think always of his warmth and humour. When my husband and I visited

THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:10 AM

Malmstrom, Lynam and A N Other at La Floridita in Havana, Cuba.

PHOTOS: PETER R ANDALL & SUPPLIED

Hong Kong, we had the benefit of his wealth of knowledge about food, and the joy of discovering great restaurants with him. I loved being in his company.” British TV presenter Sankha Guha, who studied at UCL at the same time, says: “Lynam was one of my closest friends over the years and across continents. From the moment we met, we plotted the hijacking of the university newspaper together.” Upon arrival in 1982 in Hong Kong, Lynam’s first work was for Hong Kong Tatler and Hong Kong Business magazines. The editor of Tatler at that time, Steve Knipp, recalls his impression of the budding contributor: “a lovely guy, he was a true Edwardian-era English gent. “As our arts and culture correspondent, he penned a stack of insightful, beautifully written film and book reviews, plus profiles of visiting jazz musicians. “Lynam told me he had zero interest in ever taking a fixed staff post. I think installing him in a petite office cubicle would have been like trying to put a seagull in a birdcage – very noisy, quite messy and short-lived. “Later, when I joined Travel & Leisure, I sent him on trips, including to then-exotic Shanghai on an old rustbucket coastal liner. He loved it.” Malmstrom, a strategic advisor to Cotton Council International who arrived in Hong Kong in 1980, met Lynam at the FCC. They became a romantic item in 1996, having both worked together planning events on club committees when she was Second Vice President. “At that Ed Peters writes: Travelling back to Hong Kong from California in 2008, Mr Lynam (we took a perverse pleasure in employing formal terms of address) and I were plunged into the hideous circus of Los Angeles International Airport’s Departures. We queued for over 90 minutes, harangued by security dudes, jostled by fellow passengers and in earshot of a number of distinctly un-mellow mobile phone conversations. It was only later, and as an aside, that he mentioned that he had some sort of airline membership deal that would have allowed him to sail through in minutes flat, but he would have felt bad leaving me on my own. Such gentil (correct spelling) courtesy was Mr Lynam to a T.

THE CORRESPONDENT

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Lynam at a Kowloon recording studio sometime in the early 1980s.

Colin Tillyer writes: I have so many fond memories of Lynam performing as lead guitarist for Mind Your Head rhythm and blues band. I sat behind as drummer for many years. He possessed the ability to play in an understated yet assertive way under the gravelly vocals of front man Bill Barker, but stood out with deftly crafted and often searing guitar solos conjured effortlessly from his trusty red Telecaster. MYH played regularly during the 1990s through to the early 2000s, with Karin adding an extra dimension during the latter years.

time, one of his Mind Your Head bandmates retired and they invited me to join [playing an electric blue violin]. Being in his company sparked so much happiness. “He was always so thoughtful,” she continues, describing their blossoming as a couple. “He made me feel very appreciated. He would surprise me with all sorts of information, insights about so many topics, especially arcane facts about 1960s and 1970s musicians and old movies.” The couple enjoyed travel but with different preferences: “He was used to five-star hotels, I didn’t mind a backpacker hostel,” Malmstrom says. “We met in the middle and enjoyed years of globetrotting. He loved Paris and each time we visited he insisted on making a pilgrimage to Harry’s New York Bar [known for its live jazz, as much as its cocktails].” Other journeys took them to North Korea, Cuba and the Blues Highway from Chicago to New Orleans – in time for its annual jazz festival. “We were fortunate to squeeze in possibly the best trip – just before COVID-19 hit two years ago – when we lazily cruised aboard The Strand Hotel’s luxury riverboat on the Irrawaddy. Lynam was formerly married to Gillian Smith “and they have remained good friends throughout the years,” says Malmstrom. And how would Malmstrom most want Lynam remembered? “He was a kind, clever and caring soul whose wit and humour filled people’s lives with joy,” she replies, which seems spot-on – as long as some fool was not spouting nonsense within earshot for too long. n

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20/6/2022 10:10 AM

BOOK REVIEW

‘WHERE WILL YOU PEE?’ A collection of writing by female journalists from around the region strikes a distinct chord with Hollingworth Fellow Amy Sood.

riter and editor Reta Lee’s debut book, The Stories Women Journalists Tell, features 22 candid essays by female journalists in Southeast Asia who recount their personal and professional experiences in the media industry. Spanning politics, culture, travel, human interest and lifestyle, they tackle some of the challenges faced by women journalists working in newsrooms that are – more often than not – dominated by men. A daring account by Kuala Lumpurbased veteran journalist Seema Viswanathan sheds light on some of the prejudices female reporters are face when pursuing stories on the ground. “Where will you pee?” reads the intro – one example of the absurd questions and attempts used to dissuade Viswanathan from reporting on a military operation in the state of Perak. Viswanathan and her colleague, the late Claudia Theophilus, inspiringly stand their ground, fighting to cover the story that gripped Malaysia at the beginning of the century. Similarly, Malaysian journalist Melizarani T. Selva

was asked if she “had a heart” when writing about victims of the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 flight, pondering whether her male counterparts ever faced the same questioning. In her moving essay, Poverty in the Time of Covid, award-winning reporter and FCC Journalist Governor Zela Chin describes how she was deeply affected by a story she covered on the impacts of the pandemic on the poor and marginalised in Hong Kong. In a story that will resonate with many, Chin was reminded why she chose to become a journalist, as she amplified the voices of those who often go unheard. The essays in this book will undoubtedly reverberate with people regardless of their age, gender or background. The collective experiences of these women offer a vivid insight into the nature of the media industry, and also a range of perspectives from reporters covering different beats across the Asia-Pacific region. In short, this book is a treasure trove of wisdom from inspiring women journalists speaking candidly about both their highs and their lows. n

PROFESSIONAL CONTACTS PHOTOGRAPHERS CARSTENSCHAEL.COM – Award-winning Photographer. People - Corporate - Stills - Food Architecture - Transport. Tel: (852) 9468 1404 Email: info@carstenschael.com JAYNE RUSSELL PHOTOGRAPHY – Editorial People - Food. 18 years Fleet St, London experience. Tel: (852) 9757 8607 Email: jaynerussell@me.com Website: www.jaynerussellphotography.com

SOOTHE YOUR SOUL, LIGHTEN YOUR SPIRIT, GLADDEN YOUR HEART HOUR OF LOVE - AM 1044 METRO PLUS Prison Visitation on the Air Every Sunday 8:30-11:00 pm Live on Facebook

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THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:11 AM

READING LIST

URGENT COPIES

Presenting a round-up of some of the best books by a range of international authors that take journalism as their leitmotif, touching on major events that have affected Hong Kong, China, Asia and beyond.

The Kindness of Strangers by Kate Adie. If trouble was brewing somewhere in the world between 1980 and 2003, Adie was usually reporting on it before – and very much better than – anyone else.

Anyone Here Been Raped and Speak English? by Edward Behr. An over-earnest BBC reporter in war-torn Congo unwittingly provided the title. Behr, a global “fireman”, obviously relished his metier.

At the Barricades by Wilfred Burchett. As the first to break the news of the devastating effects of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, Burchett arguably pulled off the best scoop of the 20th century.

The Faber Book of Reportage by John Carey. A very broad look at a wide variety of reporting, ranging from a COVID-19like plague in Athens in 430 BC to President Ferdinand Marcos’ downfall in 1986.

All the Wrong Places by James Fenton. Whether dicing with the Vietcong after the fall of Saigon or sleeping through a massacre in South Korea, Fenton never loses his objectivity while reporting tumultuous events.

The Face of War by Martha Gelhorn. Many would agree that Gelhorn was a lot tougher than her husband (Ernest Hemingway), much more humane and a far better writer.

Editor by Max Hastings. Much of this entertaining Fleet Street saga concerns Hastings’ sparring with the Daily Telegraph’s proprietor, the bullish Canadian financier Conrad Black.

Borrowed Place, Borrowed Time by Richard Hughes. The doyen of Hong Kong correspondents must have had a crystal ball. By no means dated, despite first being published in 1968.

My Trade by Andrew Marr. Now an unforgettable face on prime-time television, Marr started pretty much at the bottom of the ladder. His book is as much a history of journalism as it is autobiography.

Tell Me No Lies by John Pilger. Pilger is not without his detractors, but his excellent compendium showcases investigative journalism at its finest, from Nazi concentration camps to the Iraq War.

A Dirty War by Anna Politkovskaya. This hardhitting exposé of Russia’s brutal repression of Chechnya has distinct parallels with the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Best of Granta Reportage by Kapuscinkski Ryszard. Granta is known for its ability to surprise and intrigue, and this slim volume enhances the magazine’s reputation for championing “the power and the urgency of the story”.

THE CORRESPONDENT

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JULY 2022

20/6/2022 10:11 AM

10 MINUTES WITH...

GINA CHUA

Executive Editor, Semafor

bias in coverage and polarisation. We don’t have a launch date just yet. I’ve never been part of a start-up; my entire career has been in large organisations. This should be fun, and certainly interesting. I honestly don’t know yet exactly what I’ll be doing. What’s really great is the opportunity to build something from the ground up – plus the chance to make my own mistakes, rather than deal with legacy issues from decades ago. As for compensation – I can’t complain. You went to school in Singapore, the Philippines and the US. Would you recommend multi-cultural education?

I’ve been lucky to have been immersed in multiple cultures as I was growing up. It helps give different perspectives on life, and can teach you to better communicate across different communities. (Although I wish I was good at languages; I can only pretty much manage English, and not as well as I should). In any case, I certainly wouldn’t trade my journey for any other. Jan Morris lamented that her memoir Conundrum stimulated far more comment than all her many other rather more learned and thoughtful works. Does this strike a chord?

Please pack the Gina Chua you know best into a moderately sized nutshell.

Transition has been wonderful for me in so many ways, but comment from the outside world has mostly not been part of it. I suspect I’m a little more recognisable now, but whether that’s because of career changes rather than gender transition is an open question. What I have been told is that I seem happier now, and smile more, and I think that’s true. I’m certainly more at peace with myself, and that’s probably the most important thing.

I’m not sure how big a moderately sized nutshell is, but I’m a 60-something Singaporean New Yorker journalist, parent, child, partner, nerd somewhere on the Asperger’s spectrum. I’ve been blessed to have a long career over five organisations in four countries and two genders, and am about to embark What’s really great is on a new job in a new newsroom. We’re appointing two new Clare the opportunity to build Getting into journalism – which something from the ground Hollingworth Fellows shortly: please I love – was an accident. I originally supply some pithy and non-lisping up – plus the chance to wanted to be a scientist, but flunking words of advice for them. make my own mistakes a second-year physics course quickly Keep learning. The field keeps dissuaded me. changing, and the pace of change is What excites me most about journalism is accelerating. Don’t ever lose sight of the mission: planning, organising, finding resources, thinking we’re here to help people – audiences, communities, about the audience. Along the way I returned to my societies – be better-informed, and hopefully make roots in science and maths, and embraced the value better choices. Enjoy the bar at the FCC. of data and computational journalism and visual narrative. It hasn’t been boring. You’ve lived in Gotham/The Big Apple for more than

I have just started as Executive Editor with Semafor, a start-up founded by Justin Smith (ex Bloomberg) and Ben Smith (former editor of BuzzFeed). Our goal is to create a news organisation for a global audience, addressing information overload, perceived

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People regularly pass through, which makes it a perfect location for catching up with far-flung friends. And this city is a state of mind. There are people who grew up here, of course, but it’s also a place that’s very welcoming of newly minted, selfdescribed New Yorkers. If you embrace the city, its ethos and its energy, you too can be a New Yorker. And so I have become. n

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

a dozen years: conclusions?

And let fall some crumbs of information about a) Semafor, b) what you’ll be doing there and c) how much you are getting paid.

THE CORRESPONDENT

20/6/2022 10:12 AM

16 Ten Minutes.indd 1

20/6/2022 10:12 AM

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www.stevevickersassociates.com 16 Ten Minutes.indd 1

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