Portfolio Exclusive to Emirates First Class and Business Class
Green enerGy Power From Waste PlacinG BiG Bets Microsoft’s New Approach skills MisMatch China’s Labour Problem
Margrethe
Vestager The EU Takes On Google
Issue 114 n June 2015
This issue JUNE 2015
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7
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Cover Story 30 Google’s Steely Adversary Margrethe Vestager, former Minister of the Economy for Denmark and now the European Union’s commissioner for competition, has chosen a mighty adversary in Google. But Vestager, the “Iron Lady of Denmark”, is renowned for having the mettle to take on big tasks.
Features 36 China’s Changing Job Market
52 Television’s Kingmakers
A shrinking pool of migrant workers and a shortage of
HBO has been on a winning streak lately, but competitors
white-collar jobs for new college graduates points to a skills
like Netflix and Amazon are nipping at its heels.
mismatch that may affect China’s economy.
42 Turning Food Scraps Into Energy
56 A Far-Out Vision Microsoft, under CEO Satya Nadella, appears to be far more
It is estimated that in the US, food waste amounts to 34
willing to place big bets on new technology such as the
million tons a year. It mainly ends up in landfills, but there are
HoloLens.
now efforts underway to turn it into energy.
36
46 Clinging to a Future Beyond Film Kodak is a cautionary tale of what happens to a tech company when it is slow to change. The company is now mining its history in search of new tech ideas.
46
52
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Essentials 61 The Learned, the Fat and the Red Bologna is described by the three sobriquets, ‘La Dotta’ (learned) ‘La Grassa’ (fat) and ‘La Rossa’ (red) in reference to the city’s famed university, the bountiful culinary tradition and the colour seen in the resplendent architecture.
66 Giving Northern Cuisine Its Due The Northern Chef Alliance is trying to push northern US
61
cuisine to the fore and get rid of the misrepresentations that have grown around it.
70 Cutting In On the ‘Dancing Grannies’ China’s aging population, especially the women, gather in parks and squares for public dancing. But this has provoked the ire of residents and caused a national debate.
74 Teutonic Timepieces Since 1845 the small town of Glashütte has been the
66
cradle of German watchmaking and remains home to the prestigious watch manufactory, Glashütte Original.
76 A Twist to Arranged Marriages in India Online matchmaking, as well as urbanisation and cellphones, have altered the face of India’s arranged marriages.
80 A Modern Threat to Hue’s Heritage Hue’s World Heritage Sites have endured time, weather, modern armies and neglect, but the biggest threat they now
76
face is development.
Departments
84 Lake Nicaragua Under Threat
11 Notebook
The plan to build a $50 billion canal across Nicaragua, 90
World business in a nutshell.
kilometres of which would traverse Lake Nicaragua, could prove to be an environmental disaster.
19 Observer Spotting and analysing business trends.
28 Column: Thomas L. Friedman
88 Other Business Portfolio takes a light-hearted look at the latest business news.
Germany, the Green Superpower
Published for Emirates by
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Editor-in-Chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer Managing Partner & Group Editor Ian Fairservice Editorial Director Gina Johnson Group Editor Guido Duken Deputy Editor Vishwas Kulkarni Junior Writer Mary Sophia Picture Researcher Hilda D’Souza Editorial Assistant Londresa Flores Senior Art Director Tarak Parekh Senior Designer Charlie Banalo General Manager – Production S Sunil Kumar Production Manager Murali Krishnan Chief Commercial Officer Anthony Milne Email: anthony@motivate.ae Group Sales Director Craig Wagstaff Email: craig.wagstaff@motivate.ae International Sales Manager Martin Balmer Email: martin.balmer@motivate.ae Group Sales Manager Jaya Balakrishnan Email: jaya@motivate.ae Senior Sales Manager Michael Underdown Email: michael@motivate.ae INTERNATIONAL MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND Okeeffe Media; Tel + 61 412 080 600, licia@okm.com.au BENELUX M.P.S. Benelux; Tel +322 720 9799, francesco.sutton@mps-adv. com CHINA Publicitas Advertising; Tel +86 10 5879 5885 GERMANY IMV Internationale Medien Vermarktung GmbH; Tel +49 8151 550 8959, w.jaeger@imv-media. com HONG KONG/MALAYSIA/THAILAND Sonney Media Networks; Tel +852 2151 2351, hemant@sonneymedia.com INDIA Media Star; Tel +91 22 4220 2103, ravi@ mediastar.co.in ITALY & SPAIN IMM International; Tel +331 40 1300 30, n.devos@imm-international.com JAPAN Tandem Inc.; Tel + 81 3 3541 4166, all@tandem-inc. com NETHERLANDS GIO Media; Tel +31 6 29031149, giovanni@gio-media.nl TURKEY Media Ltd.; Tel +90 212 275 51 52, mediamarketingtr@medialtd.com.tr UK Spafax Inflight Media; Tel +44 207 906 2001, nhopkins@spafax.com USA Totem Brand Stories; Tel +212 896 3846, faith.brillinger@totembrandstories.com
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Portfolio
F O R
S H O P P I N G
L O V E R S
CA S T E L L A N A
S TO R E
S TO R E
M A D R I D / D I AG O N A L
DEPARTMENT STORES SPAIN & PORTUGAL
BA R C E LO N A
11
Notebook B U S I N E S S
N EW S
Eurozone Set for Growth
I N
B R I E F
and the economy, the commission said.
growth of 0.6 per cent, according to the
Lower oil prices, the euro’s depreciation
forecasts. Greece will grow 0.5 per cent
and steady global growth also are
in 2015, the commission projected. That
supporting the European economy.
compares with a 2.5 per cent prediction
A significant weakening in the euro and a decrease in the price of oil has
published in February. Euro-area consumer prices ended a
The european Commission raised its
also helped the euro area recovery, the
euro-area growth forecast as the impact
commission said. The euro has fallen
four-month streak of declines in April,
of a weaker euro and the unprecedented
more than eight per cent against the
underpinning ECB President Mario
monetary stimulus help the economy
dollar since the start of year. The cost of
Draghi’s claim that his programme
overcome pressure on confidence from
oil decreased by more than half since a
of quantitative easing is already having
the continuing crisis in Greece.
peak in June.
an impact.
Yet while the euro area is slowly
Unemployment in the euro bloc
19-nation currency bloc is forecast to
recovering, France, the bloc’s second-
looks set to “remain intolerably high
increase 1.5 per cent this year, up from
largest economy, will not expand as
for a long time,” according to Marco
1.3 per cent in February, according to
quickly in 2016 as the EU forecast just
Buti, the head of the commission’s
the commission.
three months ago. France will grow by 1.1
economics department. It will gradually
per cent this year while Italy, the third-
decrease from a projected 11 per cent
quantitative-easing programme “is having
largest Eurozone economy, will see its
this year to 10.5 per cent in 2016, the
a significant impact” on financial markets
debt pile get larger this year as it records
commission said.
Gross domestic product in the
Photos: Getty Images, Reuters
in the EU’s most recent forecasts
The European Central Bank’s
June 2015
12
Notebook N u m b e r s
G a m e
The world in figures
60%
of the 41.8
auction. The previous world
million tonnes
record was £90.5million for British
of electronic waste thrown away
painter Francis Bacon’s Three
in 2014 is dominated by kitchen
Studies of Lucian Freud
waste including microwaves
in 2013.
and dishwashers according to a UN report. The report found the US to top the e-waste list by
$22
$1.6
million acquisition
generating 7,072 kilotonnes last
of Colgate-Palmolive’s laundry
year. China came second with
brands in Australia will make
6,032 kilotonnes and Japan third
German consumer goods giant
with 2,200 kilotonnes.
Henkel one of the biggest players in the Australian market with a
12 billion worth of deals struck between China and India is set to boost economic ties between the neighbours. The agreements have a bilateral commercial engagement in sectors such as renewable energy, industrial parks, power, steel, logistics finance and media and entertainment.
€220
-year-old Zuriel Oduwole, recognised as the world’s youngest filmmaker, has made four films and interviewed 14 heads of state including the presidents of Tanzania and Kenya. The young trailblazer was named by Business Insider as one of the world’s 100 most powerful individuals last year.
portfolio of brands such as Persil, Schwarzkopf, Fa and Loctite. The transaction will be completed in the third quarter of the 2015.
£1.3
billion innovation fund needs to
be drummed up by the global pharmaceutical industry, says a UK government-appointed
trillion in
of the GDP of the continent. Air
financial cost
pollution has long been known to
is borne by Europe every year
be a major environmental burden,
due to air pollution according to
but the costs in human and
Picasso’s Women of Algiers has
people a year worldwide by
the World Health Organisation.
economic terms have not been
set a new record for the most
2050 and cost $100 trillion in
This equates to about a tenth
categorised before.
expensive painting to sell at an
economic output.
research team. The research
£102.6
million
findings warn that drug-resistant
for
microbes could kill 10 million
Gucci Sues Alibaba China’s leading online marketplace Alibaba, is being sued by the owner of Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Puma and other fashion brands. Paris-based Kering has accused the firm of making it possible for US shoppers to order counterfeit goods in bulk from Alibaba’s various websites. The lawsuit follows a failed attempt to resolve the matter outside the courts. Kering originally took legal action against Alibaba last July, but dropped the case after the two sides agreed
to discuss possible anti-counterfeit measures. Following the breakdown of talks, the French firm has filed a fresh, lengthy complaint with a court in New York. This is not the first time Alibaba has been criticised over illegal sales made using its platforms. Its Taobao shopping service had appeared on the US Trade Representative’s list of “notorious markets” until 2012, at which point the US authorities recognised it was making efforts to combat the problem. Portfolio
14
Notebook Workers Lack Job Security Only one quarter of workers around the world have permanent jobs, according to a report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The remaining three quarters of the workforce are employed on temporary or short-term contracts, along with informal jobs often without a contract. The ILO also found that many workers without full-time employment have no pensions or benefits. The UN agency said the study covered about 84 per of the global workforce. Part-time jobs outpaced full-time ones between 2009 and 2013 in a majority of countries where the data was available. The ILO says flexibility in employment does
widespread insecurity that’s affecting many
have some advantages, but it also adds to
workers worldwide today,” he added.
the risk that workers will be exploited. The study shows an increasingly
Women were a big part of the current
Meanwhile, the income gap between permanent and non-permanent workers has also increased as benefits such as pensions
trend of rising part-time employment,
and unemployment benefits are still mainly
diversified global workforce, said director-
according to the ILO. They accounted for
available for permanent employees.
general Guy Ryder, with some forms of
24 per cent of people working less than
“non-standard” work helping people get
30 hours per week across 86 countries –
governments to ensure income security
a foothold into the job market. “But these
nearly double the percentage of men at
for all types of workers, not just those on
emerging trends are also a reflection of the
12.4 per cent.
“stable contracts”.
The ILO is calling for policies by
Students Lucrative for UK Economy Analysis by London First and PwC suggests
UK. The students support nearly 70,000
students attending London universities –
international students contribute £2.8
jobs in London. And despite Home Office
making up 18 per cent of the total student
billion each year, while providing them
concerns about international students
population in the capital, and 22 per cent
with public services costs £540 million.
overstaying after completing their studies,
of the 310,000 international students
the report says only 12 per cent stay in the
across the UK.
The report by the business lobby London First and the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) consultancy aims for the first time to quantify the economic costs and benefits
UK after graduating. According to the report, in 2013/2014 there were almost 67,500 international
Yet more than a third of students surveyed said the complexity of the immigration system had impacted
of non-EU international students studying
negatively on their experiences as UK
at the capital’s universities to both London
students. The report reflects widespread
and the UK economy.
concerns about anti-immigration rhetoric
Far from being a burden to public
surrounding international students who
services such as the NHS, the report says
are currently included in the government's
international students contribute £1.32
net migration target, and fears that
billion in fees; £1.36 billion in subsistence
Britain's higher education sector is losing
spending, and £121 million from their
out to other countries, which are seen as
friends and families who visit them in the
more welcoming. Portfolio
16
+++ ++ + ++++++ +++ + +++Ras + alAjman ++++++ Khaimah Sharjah +++ ++++ +++++++ +++++++++++++++++ Dubai ++++++ ++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++ Jebel Ali ++++ ++ +++++++++++++++++++++++ ++ +++++ +++ ++ + ++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++Fujairah + +++ ++ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ++++++++ +++++ +++ ++ +++++ + ++++ ++++++++ ++++++++++++ + +++++++++++++++++++++ ++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ++++++++ ++++++++ +++++++++++++++++ +++++++ +++++++ Dhabi ++++++++ +++++Abu ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++ + + + + + + + +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Al Ain ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 8-10 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++ +++++ + + BUILDING HEALTHCARE +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++ +++++++ ++++++++ + + + + ++++++++++++++ ++++++++ ++++++++ Dubai International Convention & + +++ ++++ ++ +++++ +++++++ +++++++ +++++++ Exhibition Centre + +++++++ + ++ +++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ buildinghealthcare-exhibition.com +++++ ++++++++ D U B A I D I A R Y ++ +++++ ++++++++ This event provides a platform to discuss +++++++ ++++++++ +++++ +++++++ new healthcare projects, share best practice ++++++++ ++ in design and construction, and source ++++
Notebook
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
June 2015 2-3
MIDDLE EAST EVENT SHOW JW Marriot Marquis Dubai me-eventshow.com Now in its fifth year, this networking event gives visitors the opportunity to source new MICE, as well as entertainment industry suppliers. Management agencies, conference organisers and marketing and public relations agencies will all benefit by comparing hundreds of products and services under one roof and mingling with top suppliers in the event industry. GES (Global Experience Specialists) will be hosting Event Central this year, which is an integral part of the show. GES will enable exhibitors to reach a global audience by providing creative suggestions, technology and hosting talks that will promote an exchange of ideas.
2-4
AUTOMECHANIKA DUBAI Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre automechanikadubai.com This leading trade fair for the automotive industry covers the full range of automobile,
accessories and tools. Visitors can find out more about new products, source new suppliers and compare product alternatives. Last year the show drew 1,696 exhibitors from 59 countries and 28,709 visitors from 130 countries. This edition is even bigger with the launch of new products and attracting world-class auto parts manufacturer including Besf1ts, Spheros and ACDelco.
8-9
iOTX (INTERNET OF THINGS EXPO) Dubai World Trade Centre iotx.ae The region’s first dedicated Internet of Things event will bring together the finest minds in IT, as well as practitioners and innovators from business and government to discuss and create smart ecosystems. The event will contribute by promoting local and regional firms to explore business opportunities in a society increasingly buying into internet-ready devices, machines and product feature. There will be several seminars, conferences and roundtable session showing how practical issues can be solved using IoT technologies.
technologies and services that will maximise facility operations and improve patient experience. Key topics being discussed involve designing user-friendly facilities, adopting a patient-centred approach to healthcare investment, and successfully using technology. The three-day event will culminate in an awards ceremony with the world’s top builders competing in the toughest category for building exceptional hospital facilities in the Middle East. The ‘People’s Choice Award’ is a new award category introduced this year and will be voted for by visitors at the exhibition.
11-13
INDIAN PROPERTY SHOW Dubai World Trade Centre indianpropertyshow.com Non-resident Indians can catch a first glimpse of brand new commercial and residential projects being unveiled by some of the biggest Indian property developers. More than 400 projects will go display and there will be plenty of pre-launch offers, discounts on sizeable upfront payment, free to attend investment seminars, free legal advice, and vaastu consultation. There will also be a raffle draw offering buyers a chance of winning amazing prizes such as money and apartments.
Portfolio
Observer BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF
A Low-Tech Addition Uber is renowned for its ultramodern car service, but in Delhi it is trying to make auto rickshaws part of its business model, reports Nida Najar.
always there, we are just making it more convenient and more Uber.” “More Uber” in this case means making do with what exists. Auto rickshaws are a far cry from the Cadillac Escalades and Lincoln Town Cars used to ferry professionals in San Francisco and New York when the company started out. The
© 2015 New York Times News Service
three-wheeled vehicles are light on shock Auto rickshAws Are the mangy
clinging to the sides of the vehicles. Few
absorption to cushion teeth-clattering
donkeys of New Delhi transport, glorified
use their meters without a fight. Now
rides over potholed streets. And seatbelts
golf carts that are a cheaper open-air
Uber, the app-based car service that
are not an option, leaving riders gripping
alternative to taxis, and whose drivers
made its name matching technology
their seats for security. But the company
enthusiastically embrace Delhi’s perpetual,
with luxury, is trying to expand its
is trying, at least, for a new emphasis on
honking traffic chaos.
ultramodern business model from cars
niceties that have rarely been part of the
to Delhi’s auto rickshaws, which are the
auto rickshaw experience.
Some of the green-and-yellow “autos” come equipped with speakers in the back that blare Bollywood hits. Many drivers
definition of retrograde. “Autos are pretty much the lifeline of
“They tell us to say ‘namaste,’” a common Indian greeting, said Baljeet
will allow more than the legal maximum
Delhi,” said Gagan Bhatia, the general
Kumar, 35, a driver or “autowallah”
of three riders, leaving some passengers
manager of Uber Delhi. “The product was
who recently sat through an hour-long
June 2015
19
20
Observer Uber training course. Until now, his
Kumar said that most of the drivers in
job demands had less to do with polite
his training class of 60 had no idea how to
chitchat than with the cunning it takes to
use the app on the Samsung smartphones
navigate streets filled not only with cars
they were given. “It’s all in English and
and buses, but also cows, stray dogs and
many of them are illiterate,” he said.
peddlers who rush up to vehicles caught in
Ola has its driver interface in Hindi and
traffic to thrust their wares at riders.
other regional languages. Plus, many auto
Uber encourages drivers to use their meters, and pays its drivers an additional
drivers he knows are reluctant to sign up, wondering how Uber makes money.
40 rupees (just over 60 cents) per ride
“A lot of them are innocent, and they
on top of the fare, according to drivers.
are scared,” he said. They wonder if Uber
It also encourages drivers to live by the
will one day take their vehicles, he said.
three-rider limit and to use GPS on the
“They are perplexed. Where is Uber
smartphones it provides rather than the
getting their earnings from?”
usual method of finding directions to an
For the moment, the company is not
unknown address – shouting to passers-by
making money from the auto rickshaws
to see if they know the way.
in Delhi, putting its emphasis for now
his smartphone from Uber, which he
on signing up new drivers. Bhatia would
mounted just above a bronze miniature of
free of certain inconveniences that typify
not divulge the number of auto rickshaws
the Hindu monkey god Hanuman.
an April afternoon auto ride in Delhi: the
that have joined the service, other than
oppressive heat, made worse by occasional
to say “not enough.” Indeed, several
some successes. On three recent auto
gusts of rancid-smelling air, and the
recent attempts to book Uber autos were
rickshaw rides booked through Uber,
nuisance of a mattress-laden wagon
unsuccessful because there were none
the drivers did not attempt the normal
attached to a bicycle moving slowly down
available in the area.
litany of reasons for not turning on their
Still, the drive with Kumar was hardly
the road.
Pawan Kumar, 30, who has signed on
Despite its difficulties, Uber has had
meters (“Madam, there’s lot of traffic.” Or,
as a driver with Uber, said so far he books
“Madam, it’s Sunday.” Or, “I won’t find a
in April, is part of an effort to expand
just two or three passengers a day through
passenger at the other end of the ride.”)
quickly in a country that it says is already
the app, compared with about 15 a day
its second largest market, but where it
from the road and up to 10 from Ola.
clicking on their meters, then puttered
faces stiff competition. Ola, an app-based
On a ride last week, he navigated using
into traffic.
For Uber, the new service, which started
Instead, they started the ride by quietly
competitor that operates in 100 Indian cities to Uber’s 11, offered auto rickshaw rides months ago. Uber is also fighting its way back from a public relations disaster. Last year, a passenger in Delhi alleged that her Uber driver raped her, and the company faced criticism for its licensing and screening procedures. The city promptly banned app-based taxi services, but Uber has continued to operate by offering rides in Delhi without taking a commission, until what they describe as the regulatory ambiguity is resolved. Even apart from that episode, the marriage of Uber and auto rickshaw has had its share of problems. Portfolio
M ESUR E ET D ÉMESUR E *
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Observer
22
O N E
2
w a t c h
Text: Hilda D’Souza
as network gear maker Meraki for $1.2 billion in 2012. Analysts say Robbins faces the formidable task of steering the networking giant through disruptive industry changes, as well as transitions within his own company. Robbins will need to steer Cisco as it moves into emerging areas such as the Internet of Things, new private Cloud deployments that is estimated to be a $50 billion business, and next-generation online security and new architectural plays such as software defined networking that offers a whole new way to build networks that makes them faster, cheaper and easier to manage.
Chuck Robbins CEO, Cisco Systems
Robbins is looking to leverage from these emerging technology, including the “Internet of Things” that he believes could expand the market opportunity for Cisco tenfold. Robbins said that, “The opportunity that lies
Cisco Systems, the US computer network
ahead for Cisco is enormous, and the ability
giant, has elected company veteran Chuck
to lead this next chapter is deeply humbling
Robbins as its new chief executive officer.
and incredibly exhilarating.” Talking of his
Robbins is currently Cisco’s senior vice
future plans he added, “I am focused on
president of worldwide sales. He succeeds
accelerating the innovation and execution
long-serving head, John Chambers, who
that our customers need from us. Their
will still be involved with the company
success will continue to drive us. At a
as executive chairman. Robbins will
time when our industry is on the cusp
assume the CEO position from Chambers
of more disruption than we’ve ever
on July 26.
encountered, I couldn’t be more confident
Robbins, 49, has steadily risen through the ranks at Cisco for the past 17 years,
Photos: Getty Images
working mostly on sales. In his most recent
in our ability to win, or more honoured to lead this great company”. That said, the challenges for Robbins to
role as vice president of worldwide field
keep Cisco relevant are significant. “It’s not
operations he led the company’s global
smooth sailing from here,” said a senior
sales and has been responsible for driving
analyst at Needham. “At the end of the
annual sales revenues of $47 billion. He
day, there are lots of challenges. They’re
is also credited with helping grow the
a low-growth company and struggling to
company in the commercial business
sustain margins. They’ve got a lot of work
segment, that now makes up 25 per cent
in front of them to stay relevant. The trends
of revenue, by playing a key role in recent
of open source and open environment fly in
acquisitions such as security company
the face of Cisco’s business model over the
Sourcefire for $2.7 billion in 2013, as well
last decade.”
++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ Fossil Fuel ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ Subsidies ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ Fossil fuel companies are benefitting ++++++++++++++++++ from global subsidies of $5.3 trillion ++++++++++++++++++ a year, equivalent to $10 million ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ every minute of every day, according ++++++++++++++++++ to a startling new estimate by the ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ International Monetary Fund. ++++++++++++++++++ The IMF calls the revelation ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ “shocking” and says the figure is an ++++++++++++++++++ “extremely robust” estimate of the true ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ cost of fossil fuels. The $5.3 trillion ++++++++++++++++++ subsidy estimated for 2015 is greater ++++++++++++++++++ than the total health spending of all the ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ world’s governments. ++++++++++++++++++ The vast subsidy derives largely ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ from polluters not paying the costs ++++++++++++++++++ imposed on governments by the burning ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ of coal, oil and gas. These include the ++++++++++++++++++ harm caused to local populations by ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ air pollution as well as to people ++++++++++++++++++ across the globe affected by the floods, ++++++++++++++++++ droughts and storms being driven by ++++++++++++++++++ climate change. ++++++++++++++++++ The IMF, one of the world’s most ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ respected financial institutions, said that ++++++++++++++++++ ending the subsidies to fossil fuels would ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ cut global carbon emissions by 20 per ++++++++++++++++++ cent. That would be a giant step towards ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ taming global warming, an issue on ++++++++++++++++++ which the world has made little progress ++++++++++++++++++ to date. ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ Portfolio
24
Observer Japan’s Economy Gains Pace Japan’s economy grew faster than
Japan’s economy is facing some
expected between January and March,
headwinds though. Wages have remained
boosting hopes that the economy is
stagnant for several years, which
recovering from last year’s recession.
combined with a weaker yen, makes
The economy expanded 0.6 per cent in the period compared to the previous quarter, marking its second consecutive
imported goods more expensive for consumers on the home front. On the upside however, the weaker
quarter of growth. The result was also far
yen does give a boost to the country’s
better than the 0.4 per cent analysts had
big exporters, like Toyota, as it makes
expected. On an annualised basis, the
their goods cheaper to buy overseas. It
economy grew 2.4 per cent in the period
also helps their bottom line when they
against forecasts of 1.5 per cent.
repatriate money made from overseas
Japan relies on domestic consumption for about 60 per cent of its economy,
operations. The Bank of Japan’s current easing
but it has been recovering from a sales
programme is designed to stimulate
tax hike which has dampened spending.
the country’s economy by encouraging
Private consumption and capital spending
more lending, which in turn should see
were both up 0.4 per cent in the quarter,
increased consumer spending. It also
but capital spending was expected to rise
hopes to drive greater investment activity
chances of further near-term easing
by 0.8 per cent.
and boost inflation.
has diminished.
The latest growth figures mean the
Scottish Housing Boom The centre of Britain’s house price boom has shifted to Scotland, according to official figures which show the annual
cent, the UK Office for National Statistics said. The average sale price for a home in the UK was £273,000,
rate of increase there accelerated to 14.6 per cent in the year to
and for first-time buyers it was £206,000, raising fresh
March 2015.
concerns about affordability.
Price growth in the Scottish market is significantly outpacing that in London, where prices are increasing at a rate of 11.2 per
Separate figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders showed a mild recovery in lending during March – but led by increases in lending to landlords, with fewer loans advanced to first-time buyers, who borrowed £9 billion in the first quarter of 2015, down twelve per cent on the same period last year. Buy-to-let lending soared to £7.8 billion, up 28 per cent on the first quarter of 2014. The marked bounce in Scottish house prices comes after a prolonged period in which the country enjoyed lower price inflation than London and the south-east. Prices in Edinburgh fell markedly after the credit crunch hit the city’s major employers particularly hard – especially RBS and Bank of Scotland. The figures suggest expectations that the falling oil price would send prices spiralling downwards were wide of the mark, although some of the increase may be down to stamp duty changes. Portfolio
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26
Observer T H E
W O R L D
toP Text: Hilda D’Souza
1o
uBs Pays $545 million settlement
AMERICA’S MOST EXPENSIVE ZIP CODES Rank
addRess
1.
94027 Atherton CA
PRice $ 9,026,885
2.
11962 Sagaponack NY
6,433,077
3.
10013 New York NY
6,054,610
4.
10065 New York NY
5,931,289
5.
10075 New York NY
5,368,191
6.
7620 Alpine NJ
5,025,423
7.
81656 Woody Creek Co
4,953,269
8.
10011 New York NY
4,902,866
9.
10014 New York NY
4,859,972
10
10012 New York NY
4,773,818
Source: Forbes
MOST INNOVATIVE COUNTRIES Rank
countRies
1.
South Korea
scoRe 96.30
2.
Japan
90.58
3.
Germany
88.41
4.
Finland
88.38
Swiss bank UBS has paid US authorities a total of $545 million to settle an investigation into the manipulation of foreign exchange rates. The total includes a $203 million fine after
5.
United States
86.92
UBS pleaded guilty to a charge it rigged Libor benchmark
6.
Sweden
86.52
interest rates.
7.
Singapore
84.92
US and UK authorities are expected to hand out penalties
8.
France
84.66
9.
United Kingdom
83.90
to major banks totalling about $5 billion related to the foreign
10
Denmark
83.82
Source: Bloomberg
aRtist
1.
Andy Warhol
Banks have sought to avoid criminal charges, which can add complications to their businesses. UBS rival Credit Suisse Group
WORLD’S TOP SELLING ARTISTS Rank
exchange investigation.
total sales ($m)
AG, pleaded guilty last year to a charge of aiding US tax evasion
653.21
by providing undeclared Swiss bank accounts to American
2.
Pablo Picasso
448.74
clients. Credit Suisse has experienced some wrinkles in its US
3.
Fracis Bacon
306.05
businesses as a result of the plea, related to its ability to manage
4.
Gerhard Richter
294.68
5.
Mark Rothko
281.05
money for pension funds and to quickly raise capital.
6.
Qi Baishi
252.62
French bank BNP Paribas SA pleaded guilty last year to dealings with sanctioned countries.
7.
Claude Monet
252.07
8.
Alberto Giacometti
235.24
UBS is expected to be one of a handful of big banks that are
9.
Zhang Daqian
226.97
soon to settle foreign-exchange rigging probes with the Justice
10
Jean-Michel Basquiat
172.19
Department. Barclays PLC, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Citigroup
Source: Bloomberg
Inc., and Royal Bank of Scotland are expected to enter guilty pleas related to the foreign-exchange probes. Portfolio
Commentary
28
Thomas L. Friedman how about national power? Two generations after World War II, Germany’s reticence to project any power outside its borders is deeply ingrained in the political psyche here. That is a good thing, given Germany’s past. But it is not sustainable. There is an impressive weight to Germany today – derived from the quality of its governing institution, its rule of law and the sheer power of its economy built on midsize businesses – that is unique in Europe. When you talk to German officials about Greece, their main complaint is not Photo: Corbis
about Greek fiscal policy, which is better lately, but about the rot and corruption in Greece’s governing institutions. The
Germany, the Green Superpower
Greeks “couldn’t implement the structural
A week At the American Academy in
make them mainstream, affordable options.
institutions are a mess.
Berlin leaves me with two contradictory
And, in that, the Energiewende has been an
With the United States less interested in
feelings: One is that Germany today deserves
undiluted success. With price drops of more
Europe, Britain fading away both from the
a Nobel Peace Prize, and the other is that
than 80 per cent for solar, and 55 per cent for
European Union and the last vestiges of its
Germany tomorrow will have to overcome its
wind, zero-carbon energy is now competitive
being a global military power, France and
deeply ingrained post-World War II pacifism
with fossil fuels here.
Italy economically hobbled and most NATO
and become a more serious, activist global
German financial official said to me. Athens’
members shrinking their defence budgets,
happily, as the price fell, the subsidies for
I don’t see how Germany avoids exercising
new installations also dropped. The Germans
more leadership. Its economic sanctions
done in converting almost 30 per cent of
who installed solar ended up making money,
are already the most important counter to
their electric grid to renewable energy from
which is why the programme remains
Russian aggression in Ukraine. And in the
near zero in about 15 years has been a great
popular, except in coal-producing regions.
Mediterranean Sea, where Europe faces a rising
contribution to the stability of our planet and
Today, more than 1.4 million German
tide of refugees (and where Russia and China
its climate. The centrepiece of the German
households and cooperatives are generating
just announced that their navies will hold a
Energiewende, or energy transformation,
their own solar/wind electricity. “There
joint exercise in mid-May), Germany will have
was an extremely generous “feed-in tariff”
are now a thousand energy cooperatives
to catalyse some kind of EU naval response.
that made it a no-brainer for Germans to
operated by private people,” said energy
install solar power (or wind) at home and
economist Claudia Kemfert.
power. And I say both as a compliment. On the first point, what the Germans have
receive a predictable high price for the energy
And it has created so much pushback
The relative weight of German power visà-vis the rest of Europe just keeps growing, but don’t say that out loud here. A German
against the country’s four major coal/
foreign policy official put their dilemma this
nuclear utilities that one of them, E.On,
way: “We have to get used to assuming more
the feed-in tariff was expensive. The subsidies
just split into two companies – one focusing
leadership and be aware of how reluctant
cost billions of euros, paid for through a
on squeezing the last profits from coal, oil,
others are to have Germany lead – so we have
surcharge on everyone’s electric bill. But the
gas and nuclear, while the other focuses on
to do it through the EU.”
goal was not simply to buy more renewable
renewables. Germans jokingly call them
energy: It was to create demand that would
“E.Off” and “E.On.”
generated off their own rooftops. © 2015 New York Times News Service
This is a world-saving achievement. And,
reforms they needed, if they wanted to,” one
There is no denying that in the early days
drive down the cost of solar and wind to
So if that’s the story on renewable power,
Here’s my prediction: Germany will be Europe’s first green, solar-powered superpower. Portfolio
CASHMERE, SILK & CROCODILE CONCEPT
Profile
30
G O O G L E ’ S S
T
E
E
L
Y
A D V E R S A R Y MARGRETHE VESTAGER, FORMER MINISTER OF THE ECONOMY FOR DENMARK AND NOW THE EUROPEAN UNION’S COMMISSIONER FOR COMPETITION, HAS CHOSEN A MIGHTY ADVERSARY IN GOOGLE. BUT VESTAGER, THE “IRON LADY OF DENMARK”, IS RENOWNED FOR HAVING THE METTLE TO TAKE ON BIG TASKS, REPORT NATASHA SINGER AND JAMES KANTER. Portfolio
31
June 2015
Profile
32
Margrethe Vestager, the European
grudge, we have no fight with Google,”
toughness in a phone interview recently,
Union’s commissioner for competition,
she told an audience after a speech at
Vestager acted taken aback. “I don’t think
who recently took on the colossus that is
the Peterson Institute for International
of it as toughness,” Vestager said.
Google, has a reputation for toughness.
Economics. “We have a focus on a certain
She is also an accomplished knitter. Last
Of her approach to her new job, she
conduct, a certain behaviour, which, if our
added: “Consumers depend on us to make
year, as Vestager was leaving her job as
doubts are going to be proven, we would
sure that competition is fair and open, and
Denmark’s minister of the economy, she
like to change because we believe that it
it’s my responsibility to make that happen.”
gave her successor a hand-knit toy elephant
hampers competition.”
– she often works on them during staff
The charges Vestager levelled against Google jump-start an antitrust case against
meetings – noting that the animals “bear
Vestager took oVer as the
the company that had been percolating
no grudge, but they remember well.”
European antitrust chief last autumn after
in Brussels for more than five years. The
having served as Denmark’s minister for
overarching issue is whether Google abused
Vestager, who was recently in Washington
the economy and the interior. The fact
its market dominance. In some countries in
meeting with government officials,
that she had the mettle to take on Google
Europe, Google has a 90 per cent or larger
making television appearances and public
comes as no surprise to her political
market share, giving it greater dominance
speeches – and being barraged with
colleagues and rivals back home. In
than in the United States.
questions about Google.
certain circles, she is known as the “Iron
That is something of a motto for
In Brussels recently, she filed formal antitrust charges against the company,
Lady of Denmark.” As minister of the economy, for instance,
Vestager’s predecessor, Joaquín Almunia, had pursued a wide-ranging investigation into the company’s
saying that the search engine giant
she pushed for changes to Denmark’s
practices. But he tried and failed three
had abused its market dominance
generous social welfare benefits, including
times to reach a settlement with Google.
by systematically favouring its own
substantially curtailing unemployment
She has taken a narrower and more
comparison shopping service over those
benefits. Subsequently, a group of jobless
assertive approach. “It was obvious that a
of its rivals. If Google fails to refute the
builders presented her with a gift: a life-size
negotiated solution was not a possibility,”
charges, the company could face a fine of
sculpture of a hand with a raised middle
Vestager said in the phone interview. “So I
more than ¤6 billion.
digit. She keeps the artefact prominently
felt we should go in another direction.”
On a recent Thursday afternoon, Vestager, 47, was sitting with notably confident bearing on a stage in
displayed on a coffee table at her office in the European Commission. “You can accuse Margrethe Vestager
That direction was filing formal charges, called a statement of objection, accusing Google of favouring its own comparison
Washington and listening to an audience
of many things,” said Bo Lidegaard, the
shopping service, called Google Shopping.
of policy wonks and technology trade
editor-in-chief of Politiken, a Danish
In practical terms, the commission found
group executives challenge that decision.
newspaper, “but not of being afraid.”
that when a consumer used Google to
Why pursue Google for anti-competitive
When asked about her reputation for
search for shopping-related information,
practices, her American interrogators wanted to know, when antitrust regulators in the United States had closed a similar inquiry without formally finding wrongdoing? And why bother with the online shopping sector at all, they asked, when Google was competing with the likes of Amazon? Vestager delivered her standard, steely, it’s-not-personal rebuttals. “We have no
Right: The commission found that when a consumer used Google to search for shopping-related information, the site systematically displayed the company’s own comparison product at the top of the search results. Portfolio
33
The facT ThaT she had The meTTle To Take on GooGle comes as no surprise To her poliTical colleaGues and rivals back home. in cerTain circles, she is known as The “iron lady of denmark.” the site systematically displayed the company’s own comparison product at the top of the search results – “irrespective of whether it is the most relevant response to the query,” Vestager said in a commissionissued statement about the charges. Google has 10 weeks to respond, she said, and has the right to call a hearing to present the company’s views. In a recent blog post, Amit Singhal, senior vice president for Google Search, disputed the charges. “While Google may be the most used search engine, people can now find and access information in numerous different ways – and allegations of harm, for consumers and competitors, have proved to be wide of the mark,” he wrote. Vestager may have a wider agenda. In addition to the formal complaint related to Google Shopping, Vestager said her office was still looking into accusations that Google had restricted its advertising partners from using rival platforms and that it scraped online content from competitors. She also announced a separate “in-depth investigation” into accusations of anti-competitive company practices regarding Google’s relationships with device manufacturers that rely on its Android operating system. In a recent blog post, a Google executive said the company’s partnerships with manufacturers that relied on Android were voluntary and offered June 2015
Profile
34
If Vestager preVaIls agaInst google It could make It easIer for her to brIng a case agaInst gazprom, the russIan natIonal gas behemoth, a company whose market power her offIce Is also InVestIgatIng. benefits to consumers and manufacturers. Long-time observers of Vestager
form a coalition government in 2011,
well as with Google executives. After that,
she insisted that her counterpart, Helle
she decided that the case had merit.
theorised that she had chosen to initially
Thorning-Schmidt, the leader of the
pursue a narrow case in which she had the
centre-left Social Democrats who is now
most confidence, while keeping pressure
Denmark’s prime minister, agree to major
on her adversary to settle by opening
budget reforms.
parallel lines of inquiry.
“When they emerged” from the talks,
“It was my responsibility to take the case forward,” Vestager said. But tackling Google first was also a strategic move. If Vestager prevails against Google, some antitrust experts say, it
Lidegaard, the newspaper editor, said,
could make it easier for her to bring a case
it’s about how much power she has
“there were countless points on which
against Gazprom, the Russian national
and how much power her adversary
you could accuse Helle and the Socialists
gas behemoth, a company whose market
has,” says Martin Krasnik, the host of
of giving up promises and not one major
power her office is also investigating.
a late-night current affairs show on
point where Margrethe had lost, or where
Danish national television who describes
she said she had to compromise.”
“It’s about power. Any deal she makes,
“There is a new marshal in town,” says Christian Bergqvist, an associate professor of competition law at the University of
Vestager as the most impenetrable
Vestager says there’s no mystery to why
politician he has ever interviewed.
she chose to grapple with Google. After she
Copenhagen. “She wants to send a signal
arrived in Brussels, she says, she simply
that she is tough on crime.”
“She’s totally unsentimental,” he said.
asked the commission’s staff to update the
Among antitrust regulators, Vestager
Vestager came to prominence in
files on the Google case and then she met
may be the only marshal self-assured
Denmark as the leader of the centrist
executives at companies who had accused
enough to carry around half-knitted
Social Liberal Party. During talks to
Google of anti-competitive practices, as
elephants in her purse. Portfolio
Employment
36
China’s Changing Job Market A shrinking pool of migrant workers and a shortage of white-collar jobs for new college graduates points to a skills mismatch that may affect China’s economy, reports Neil Gough.
Portfolio
37
The job market – and its lopsided pockets of supply and demand – presents a critical test for policymakers. For more than a decade, China’s urban workforce swelled and incomes rose in the double digits, matching or exceeding the heady economic growth rates in those years.
is booming, driving job creation across the entire economy. Around 300 million people now work in services in China, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the world’s largest workforce. But workers are not easily making the switch. Unskilled or semiskilled workers like Wang can be a bit choosier now as growth of the pool of migrant workers slows. At the same time, soaring university enrolment means new graduates often struggle to find the high-paying white-collar jobs they were expecting. The job market – and its lopsided
W
pockets of supply and demand – presents ang Junping worked as a farmer in his native Hebei
a critical test for policymakers. For more
Agriculture jobs have been declining
than a decade, China’s urban workforce
for years, the result of urbanisation
swelled and incomes rose in the double
miner in Inner Mongolia. But on a recent
and the country’s continuing economic
digits, matching or exceeding the heady
afternoon, Wang, 49, smartly dressed in
transformation. And China’s huge
economic growth rates in those years.
a suit jacket, was awaiting lessons at an
manufacturing sector is showing
Now, the nation’s economic outlook is
employment agency on the proper way to
new signs of stress, as some
slowing. Gross domestic product rose
use a broom and mop to clean Beijing’s
companies struggle with rising debt
seven per cent in the first quarter, which
sprawling subway system.
and rampant overcapacity.
represents the slowest quarterly growth
province and as a coal
A high school graduate, Wang quit his © 2015 New York Times News Service
China has a job market mismatch.
China’s services business, which
job at a mine last year after his pay was
includes industries like logistics, retail,
cut in half. Still, he decided against the
information technology and sanitation,
importance of the GDP growth target,
low, at around $320 a month. “Beijing cultural and political exchange,” Wang said. “I believed it would be easy to find jobs. But actually it’s not that easy.” June 2015
China’s premier, Li Keqiang, recently sought to play down the
cleaning job because the salary was too is the capital city and the window for
since early 2009.
Opposite page: Chinese graduates look for scarce job openings at a recruitment fair. Top: The head of a real estate agency explains the sales pitch to a team of sales people in Beijing.
saying instead that he preferred to focus on whether the economy was expanding in a way that created new jobs. And so far, it appears to be doing that. China added
Employment
38
the service sector’s ability to continue to
“Risks is not the right term, but there are some imponderables,” Conrad added. “if you look at the magnitude of the structural changes going on, it’s not always easy to predict the outcomes, including for employment.”
create jobs.
Instead, shifts in the health of the job
“If people, including migrant workers,
market tend to show up more clearly
were used to salary increases of 15-20 per
in wage and recruiting trends. Here,
cent every year, and all of a sudden they
two overarching factors have emerged
are down to 10 or even eight per cent, how
in recent years: the pool of migrant
will they respond?” said Jurgen F. Conrad,
workers is tightening as the returns from
head of the China economics unit at the
urbanisation diminish, while a shortage of
Asian Development Bank in Beijing.
white-collar jobs for new college graduates
“Risks is not the right term, but
points to a skills mismatch.
there are some imponderables,” Conrad
“It is difficult to hire workers, even if
added. “If you look at the magnitude of
the economy is not doing that well,” said
the structural changes going on, it’s not
Juble Lu, a manager at the Zhihua kitchen
13.2 million new urban jobs last year,
always easy to predict the outcomes,
cabinet accessories factory in the southern
surpassing Li’s official target of 10 million
including for employment.”
city of Guangzhou.
Data on China’s job market lack
China’s migrant workforce of 175 million.
It does not factor in jobs that were
the frequency and general quality of
But this pool of labourers is growing today
eliminated. And more important, income
figures in more developed markets.
at about only one per cent a year, much
growth is decelerating, down from double
For example, the official urban
digits to around eight per cent last year.
unemployment rate, published quarterly,
Any resulting pullback in consumer
has ranged from four to 4.3 per cent for
spending would have a direct effect on
the last decade, a level of stability that
Factories like Lu’s rely largely on
such jobs. But Li’s jobs target is a gross figure.
Photos: Getty Images
economists say is hard to achieve.
Top: Workers manufacture blue jeans at Yilin textile factory in Dongguan, Guangdong province. Portfolio
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Employment
40
Clockwise: Suntech employee He Chunyu checks the printing process of solar cells; Prospective employees are given lessons in how to clean Beijing’s subway system; Unskilled labourers are more employable than China’s new graduates.
According to official data, about 88 jobs
“The reality is that a taxi driver in
requiring graduate-level education are
Beijing, unskilled, can make more money
slower than the broader economy. That
available for every 100 such job seekers.
than a new university graduate, at
tighter market tends to give bargaining
For those with only vocational high school
least initially,” said Conrad of the Asian
power to workers and push up wages. For
qualifications, the ratio climbs to 104 jobs
Development Bank. “This is of course
skilled workers, Lu said, wages could rise
for every 100 candidates.
shocking for these young people.” China’s new graduates have traditionally
by as much as 20 per cent a year. Contrast this with the situation at the other end of the job market. Having prevailed in the country’s ultracompetitive entrance examinations, new university graduates, usually from one-child families, have high expectations as they seek their first jobs. But the realities of the market quickly set in. At nearly seven million a year, China today produces twice as many university graduates as it did 10 years ago. The supply appears to be outpacing the demand from prospective employers.
“The reality is that a taxi driver in Beijing, unskilled, can make more money than a new university graduate, at least initially,” said Conrad of the Asian Development Bank. “This is of course shocking for these young people.”
shied away from working in factories, seeing this as a sign of lower status. But, perhaps because of the slowdown, there are signs this is changing. Dai Chaoyang, general manager of Shanghai Kadun Power Tools, says his company, which manufactures power drills, has started hiring new graduates in managementtrainee positions. “They do not mind working in a factory environment,” Dai said, “as long as they are not working on the assembly line.” Portfolio
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Energy
42
Turning Food Scraps Into Energy
Top: Solid organic material is loaded onto a truck. Below: A belt press turns liquid organic material into a solid at the Quasar Energy Group’s Collinswood plant.
It is estimated that in the US, food waste amounts to 34 million tons a year. It mainly ends up in landfills, but there are now efforts underway to turn it into energy, reports Diane Cardwell.
disposal maker, the machine grinds all types of food waste, including skin, fat, flesh and bone, into a slurry that is later transformed into energy and fertiliser at a plant operated by the renewable energy company Quasar. As governments and industry seek to reduce emissions of methane – a more powerful heat-trapping gas than carbon dioxide – by limiting the amount
© 2015 New York Times News Service
of organic waste in landfills, large
W
food processors are looking for new
Cleveland, as players warmed up on the
Protection Agency’s most recent figures, is
jewel-green field, it was business as usual
the largest component of landfills, which
in the garage behind left field for C.L.
are responsible for roughly 18 per cent of
Gholston, a dishwasher.
the nation’s methane emissions.
ell before the start of a
ways to get rid of their leftovers. Food
Cleveland Indians game
waste, an estimated 34 million tons a
at Progressive Field in
year, according to the Environmental
He had wheeled down grey bins full
Here in Cleveland, the Indians began
of kitchen scraps – pineapple and melon
using the process last year, following
rinds, carrot shavings and tomato ends –
the Browns, who started in 2013,
that were all part of the mix he fed into a
and a casino has recently joined the
contraption he calls the energy machine.
effort. InSinkErator’s system, called
Built by InSinkErator, the garbage
Grind2Energy, is winning customers Portfolio
43
Left: A food worker at Progressive Field prepares vegetables, whose scraps are recycled. Above: C.L. Gholston, preparing bins of food scraps that will be fed into a grinder.
elsewhere as well, including at some
producers to a digester for years as part
of the Washington State University
Whole Foods stores in Boston.
of a federal pilot programme, and some
Centre for Sustaining Agriculture and
cities have experimented with similar
Natural Resources, chief among them
Smith, Quasar’s chief financial officer.
diversion efforts. Harvest Power, a startup
that it increases methane production.
The company, he said, repurposes
backed by Waste Management and
But without an infrastructure in place
“material that is either being landfilled,
Kleiner Perkins and based in Waltham,
to handle, transport and process the
incinerated – that’s not good for the
Massachusetts, has been operating a
material, building that kind of energy
economy – and we extract the energy and
facility in Orlando, Florida, since 2013
system has been too difficult and
concentrate the nutrients, and we have
that turns waste from Disney World into
expensive to spread widely.
water at the back end.”
fuel and fertiliser.
“We’re a wasteful nation,” said Steven
Both InSinkErator and Quasar see
In theory, adding food to digesters
“We’ve kind of stalled out on some of these issues,” he said. “That said, the
potential in their system, which uses
processing manure or sewage has
industry, the composters, in particular the
naturally occurring bacteria to speed up
advantages, said Chad Kruger, director
bigger ones, are really set on this – they
the decomposition process. Less than
think it’s the right thing to do.”
five per cent of American food waste is recovered and recycled, but it can be a potent source of energy for electricity, heat and transportation fuel. As government policies shift to encourage extracting the energy from organic trash, the United States is beginning to catch up. The East Bay Municipal Utility District in California, for example, has been funnelling food waste from restaurants and other large June 2015
The partnership between Quasar and
“We’ve kind of stalled out on some of these issues,” he said. “That said, the industry, the composters, in particular the bigger ones, are really set on this – they think it’s the right thing to do.”
InSinkErator follows years of research and development at both companies. Managers at InSinkErator had been looking into the potential of anaerobic digestion and energy production at wastewater treatment plants. They came upon Quasar, a fast-growing company that was incubating its business at Ohio State University’s agricultural research campus in Wooster and was aiming to
Energy
44
Left: InSinkErator produces clean feedstock of organic material that is converted into energy.
that it is full, Quasar is alerted to send a
any independence you can get from the
“One of the things that they basically
truck to take the mass to its plant, where
Middle East is best.”
were looking for was a clean feedstock of
it is put into giant anaerobic digesters full
organic material that was consistent and
of bacteria that break down the slurry.
Saiter, 60, and her brother Bob, 63, also
low in contamination but had high energy
The system captures the released gas,
welcomed the approach.
content in terms of methane potential,”
which is then converted into electricity
“Using it as an energy source – that
said Matt Whitener, general manager of
for the grid or transportation fuel. The
works,” she said. He agreed: “Too many
the Grind2Energy business at Emerson,
leftover solids become fertiliser.
people waste – it’s a throwaway society.”
“On-site, point-of-generation grinding
For now, workers are feeding
trips to the energy machine during games
technology was kind of the missing piece
only pre-consumer waste to the machine,
and took roughly six minutes to process
to make an efficient model where the
except for food from the Terrace Club,
about nine kilograms of food scraps, said
food waste generator has a mechanism to
where workers scrape plates and can
it had changed his habits. “It made me
convert their food scraps into a slurry.”
keep contaminants like paper napkins or
think about being green at home,” he said,
At Progressive Field, Gholston and the
plastic wrappers out of the mix. Indians
as hundreds of Progressive Insurance
other dishwashers feed loads of food waste
fans dining there were largely unaware
employees wearing aprons like their
into the grinder, which is about 13 to 20
of the fate of their leftover fried pickles
pitchwoman, Flo, prepared nearby for
times as powerful as home models. The
and uneaten cheeseburgers, but expressed
pregame festivities.
milkshake-consistency slurry that results
support for the programme.
build a digester network nationwide.
And Gholston, who makes about eight
the parent company of InSinkErator.
from the discarded fruit and vegetable
At a table just below them, Barb
“That’s better than going to the landfill
He and his wife recycle more now, but he is also simply fond of the
peelings, uneaten pasta, used cooking
– reuse, energy, that’s all cool,” said Jim
contraption. “I enjoy big machines,” he
grease or leftover hot dogs that cannot
Vanco, 57, a commercial real estate broker
said, pointing out how the slurry moves
go to a food bank is then pumped into a
who was eating wings, calamari and
from the grinding apparatus up through
11,350-litre tank.
crab dip with his son John, 27, and their
tubes into the tank. “I’m just a guy that
friend Roger Riachi, 49. “Wind, solar –
likes any machine.”
Once the tank signals to Grind2Energy
Portfolio
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Innovation
46
Clinging to a Future Beyond Film Kodak is a cautionary tale of what happens to a tech company when it is slow to change. The company is now mining its history in search of new tech ideas, reports Quentin Hardy.
Portfolio
47
O
f the roughly 200 buildings that once stood on the 525-hectare campus of Eastman Kodak’s business park in
Rochester, New York, 80 have been demolished and 59 others sold off. Terry Taber, bespectacled, 60, and a loyal Kodak employee of 34 years, still works in one of the remaining Kodak structures, rubble from demolition not far from its doors. Taber oversees research and development at Kodak. Many people might be surprised to know that Kodak is still in business at all, much less employing someone in the hopeful-sounding enterprise of developing new technology ideas. But if the film company, which emerged from bankruptcy in 2013, has any light in its future, Taber is likely to have something to do with it. In a warren of basement labs, some of the 300 scientists and engineers who work for Taber are studying nanoparticle wonder inks, cheap sensors that can be embedded in packaging to indicate whether meats or medicines have spoiled, and touch screens that could make smartphones cheaper. Much of this is old stuff, left over from the company’s glory days. But Taber’s boss hopes that somewhere in those projects there might be a nugget of gold. “I’m mining the history of this company for its underlying technologies,” said Jeff Clarke, 53, who became Kodak’s chief executive last year. Clarke has no delusions that Kodak could bring those technologies to market on its own; it will need corporate partners to make actual products. “We’ll never be able to prosecute the value of our intellectual property with Kodak-branded sales,” he said in an office in the same tower where George Eastman once looked out on his global tech empire. What happens after a tech company is left for dead but the people left behind refuse to give up the fight? At Kodak the answer is to dig deep into a legacy of innovation in the photography business and see if its remaining talent in optics and chemistry can be turned into new money in other industries. Once a household name as big in its day as Apple
© 2015 New York Times News Service
and Microsoft have been for later generations, Kodak
June 2015
was part of everyday life, its film – sold in a yellow box – recording births, vacations, weddings. And then Kodak became a cautionary tale about what happens when a tech company is slow to change. For Kodak, the advent of digital photography was ruinous. Today it has $2 billion in annual sales, compared with $19 billion in 1990 when consumer
Innovation
48
Top: Kodak researchers develop nextgeneration touch-screen sensors. Right: Jeff Clarke, the new chief executive of Kodak, at his home in San Francisco. Below: Chemicals used in the manufacture of touch screen sensors at Kodak’s Eastman Business Park in Rochester.
count mesh of silver wires, thinner than a credit card, in one second. That technology could be the basis of a new kind of phone screen, cheaper and more useful than the touch screen. It is work that Taber and his veteran team are clearly proud of. “People ask me why I’m still here,” he said. “It’s
film was king. It now has 8,000 employees worldwide; it had 145,000 at its peak. Since
because I see the possibilities.” Clarke is impatient. He came to Kodak
emerging from bankruptcy, the company
a year ago and says he was shocked that
the industry through several periods of
has mostly served niche film markets –
the company had done so little to capitalise
upheaval. Clarke started at the Digital
there are still a few die-hard directors
on the work of its scientists. Kodak’s
Equipment Corp., another tech giant
who refuse to shoot digital – and provides
technology for packaging sensors, he
doomed to miss a big technology change,
equipment for printing newspapers, on
noted, was developed years ago. No one
the PC boom of the 1990s. DEC eventually
packaging and the like.
figured out what to do with it. “We missed
merged with Compaq Computer, a PC
enormous opportunities,” he said. Kodak
maker, in 1998. When Compaq then
legacy businesses. For Kodak’s new chief
currently has a market capitalisation of
merged with Hewlett-Packard in 2002,
executive, along with veterans like Taber,
about $800 million.
Clarke, by then a well-regarded financial
Much of its revenue comes from
the key to survival is in its research legacy,
Clarke was raised in Hamilton, New
manager, was one of two people in charge
thousands of patents and a coterie of
York, not far from Rochester, and got an
of the merger and of shedding 15,000 of
scientists who are making new discoveries.
economics degree from the State University
145,000 combined employees.
At the research lab, a laser prints a 256-
of New York at Geneseo. He has seen
The merger created years of internal strife, but saved $2.5 billion and gave HP a commanding market share in personal computers and computer servers. In line to become HP’s chief financial officer, Clarke left the company abruptly in 2003, saying he was tired of waiting for the job. HP termed his exit “mutually agreed to and appropriate.” He came to Kodak last March, having been contacted by a headhunter retained by the private equity groups that bought most of Kodak’s debt. Kodak reappeared on the public markets in September 2013, though the bulk of the company is still owned by private equity and investment firms. With about $750 million in cash, a 2014 net loss of $114 million and possibly more losses this year, the company needs to find partners to help develop and Portfolio
Innovation
50
Left: The Kodak Tower in downtown Rochester, where the now-faded tech giant once occupied roughly 200 buildings. Below: A worker processes chemicals used in manufacturing.
pricing. They might never get to profitability on the new stuff.” In 2013, Kodak sold 1,100 patents related to digital image capture to a group of 12 companies, including Apple, Samsung and Facebook, for $527 million. Kodak retained the same access to the patents as the bidders, should it wish to compete sell what Clarke thinks Kodak can offer.
“We have invisible inks that people
in, say, photography once again. And it
Among his partners for future business is
could use in anti-piracy or counterfeiting,
kept about 7,000 other patents, largely
Bobst, a $1.3 billion Swiss company that
sensors for smart packaging, maybe
connected to the chemistry and physics of
makes machinery to manufacture cardboard
antimicrobial threads for medicine that
creating images.
boxes. Bobst is interested in using Kodak’s
use silver,” said Eric-Yves Mahe, Kodak’s
Clarke says the culture George Eastman
digital printing technology to personalise
head of software and the head of Kodak
created is a problematic legacy. At an October
packaging, said Jean-Pascal Bobst, the chief
Technology Solutions.
meeting of 80 employees, he was asked when
executive. “It could be revolutionary for
Spend much time around Kodak, and the
Kodak’s 20-plus years of layoffs would end.
corrugated boxes.” Other partners include a
company’s faded glory is apparent. Clarke
“My answer, of course, was ‘Never,’” Clarke
printing company in Utah and a machinery
emphasises the power that history still gives
recalled. “No individual company can say
company in Rochester that is owned by a
the Kodak brand. But the odds are stacked
that things aren’t going to change.”
refugee from the old Kodak and is working
against his salvage job.
on the touch screens.
“The question isn’t tech-related, it’s
Some people thanked him for the candour, after years of promises that
competition,” said Amer Tiwana, an analyst
this cut would be the last. In December,
packaging sensors, existed inside
at CRT Capital Group. “Kodak’s intellectual
Clarke made good on his word, with more
Kodak long before Clarke arrived. Last
property seems to be slightly better, but the
restructuring and layoffs.
summer, Clarke created a new division,
hazard is that their competitors, eight or
Kodak Technology Solutions, to incubate
10 strong ones in each market, kill them on
Much of the technology, like the
There is, indeed, no sign that the changes will stop coming.
more businesses.
In a warren of basement labs, some of the 300 scientists and engineers who work for Taber are studying nanoparticle wonder inks, cheap sensors that can be embedded in packaging to indicate whether meats or medicines have spoiled, and touch screens that could make smartphones cheaper.
Portfolio
Entertainmnet
52
Television’s Kingmakers HBO has been on a winning streak lately, but competitors like Netflix and Amazon are nipping at its heels, report John Koblin and Emily Steel.
overlooking Bryant Park. Plepler, 56, was on his couch, his legs propped up on a coffee table strewn with newspaper clippings. He would never admit that
© 2015 New York Times News Service
the network is taking a victory lap, but it
I
certainly looks like one. n 2007, just as Tony Soprano faded
network as “HB-Over.” That seems like
to black, HBO fell into a deep
ages ago.
slump. Forgettable shows like John
“Anybody who was writing our epitaph
“Interesting, isn’t it,” he said, “that at a time that’s been called the most competitive moment in our industry’s
From Cincinnati and Tell Me You Love
was obviously doing so erroneously,”
history, we have, in my opinion, the best
Me did poorly, each lasting only a season.
Richard Plepler, the chief executive of
array of content in our history.”
Its content cupboard was bare, and rival
HBO, said recently, sitting in his corner
TV executives openly referred to the cable
office on the Avenue of the Americas
That morning, the comedian John Oliver made headlines after landing an Portfolio
53
Opposite page: Richard Plepler, chairman and chief executive of HBO. Centre: Andrew Jarecki directed the critically acclaimed The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst for HBO. Left: Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Bewkes said that HBO’s success is vital to Time Warner’s business.
on the case or the evidence presented in the series. So why was he on the phone? “What’s happening at HBO right now is extraordinary, and I want to endorse the choices that they are making and the risks that they take,” Jarecki said. Taking those risks is necessary. Competitors like Netflix and Amazon are pouring money into original the arrest of the real estate scion Robert Durst. And the new season of the most
critically acclaimed and popular shows
watched show in HBO’s history, Game
of their own. And within HBO’s parent
interview with Edward Snowden that
of Thrones, premiered, a few weeks after
company, Time Warner, which last year
aired on his HBO show the night before.
the network gave a party for it in San
rejected an $80 billion takeover bid from
That evening, Plepler was at Gotham
Francisco, an event so lavish that Andrew
Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox, the
Hall celebrating the new season of Veep,
Jarecki, director of The Jinx, said it looked
network’s profits – $1.8 billion last year –
mixing with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and
like “a coronation.”
are now taking on an outsize importance.
Katie Couric. The next day, he would Photos: Getty Images
programming, creating
That is the same Andrew Jarecki
Time Warner has spun off numerous
launch HBO Now, the network’s stand-
who cancelled interviews with the press
businesses in recent years, making growth
alone streaming service he introduced last
after the finale of The Jinx. Because he
at HBO critical.
month on stage at an Apple event. Around
is expected to be called as a witness at
Indeed, the Time Warner chief
that time, HBO aired the acclaimed six-
Durst’s trial, Jarecki has been asked by
executive, Jeffrey Bewkes, said that
part documentary, The Jinx, that led to
law enforcement officials not to comment
HBO’s success is vital to Time Warner’s
June 2015
Entertainmnet
54
want HBO,’” Plepler said. “Why is that
business and that HBO Now – a standalone service for $15 a month that doesn’t require a traditional TV subscription – will create a blueprint not only for the future of the network but also for the entire industry. “We are building a foundation for the transformation of television networks, so that they will be available on demand and on mobile devices with a seamless interface for search,” he said. “This is leading the way for everybody.” With the new service, Time Warner and HBO have to tread carefully so as not to jeopardise their core businesses.
With the new service, Time Warner and HBO have to tread carefully so as not to jeopardise their core businesses. Both HBO and the other networks owned by Time Warner, including TNT and TBS, receive billions of dollars from cable and satellite companies for their programming.
not a win-win-win-win for everybody? Nobody’s been able to give me a good answer to why it isn’t.” A day after Plepler announced HBO Now, CBS unveiled its own streaming service, and one for Showtime, which CBS owns, is also in the works. CBS chief executive Les Moonves said the timing of his network’s announcement was a coincidence, but he did not have what Apple offered to Plepler months later: An invitation to introduce HBO Now on the same stage where Apple unveiled its new watch. “I admired the theatricality of
Both HBO and the other networks owned by Time Warner, including TNT
who refuse to pay for cable or satellite TV.
it,” Moonves said. “It made the
and TBS, receive billions of dollars from
Yet some cable and satellite executives
announcement more important. It
cable and satellite companies for their
complain that HBO Now has the potential
was show business. It got the attention
programming. Bewkes and Plepler argue
to undercut their offerings. For some
they both wanted. I mean that positively.
that the new service is complementary to
smaller cable operators, the cost of HBO
I was jealous.”
their existing business, appealing to those
Now is cheaper than the rate they charge for HBO packages.
Below: Game of Thrones has been a huge hit for HBO. It is currently the world’s most pirated television show.
“What we’re saying to our partners, old
To the people at Apple, its first partner on HBO Now, the invitation was a no-brainer. “I think they have the best
and new, is, ‘Join us, use us in going to get
content on the planet,” said Eddy Cue,
all those people in the consumer base who
the senior Apple executive in charge of
Portfolio
55
brokering deals with media companies. And at a time when many media companies want to be known as technology businesses (tech companies
quality with the best sound, then the
rid of it. “That’s just a large and growing
closest thing to that in the home is HBO,”
audience that didn’t have an opportunity
he said.
to get HBO, and that’s a shame.”
But in a world where people
But before too long, Plepler is back
command higher valuations from
increasingly watch TV on their laptops
to talking about his shows like Game of
investors), Plepler remains focused on
and smartphones, Jarecki sounds almost
Thrones, True Detective or the network
talent and content. Technology? The tech
quaint. HBO Now is targeting those
having “more half-hour comedies across
backbone for HBO Now was farmed out
viewers who pay for internet access but
a range of genres – from Girls to Silicon
to the media-technology arm of Major
not TV subscriptions.
Valley to Veep – than we’ve ever had in our
League Baseball. Shortly after that, the
“It’s no secret that millennials
history,” he said.
company’s chief technology officer, Otto
disproportionately will make up cord-
Berkes, who had been working on HBO
nevers and cord-cutters,” Plepler said,
sauce,” he continued. “It goes right back
Now, resigned from the company.
referring to those who have never
to its essence: Where does the talent want
subscribed to cable and those getting
to paint?”
But Plepler has been forced to turn toward the West Coast because that is where the competition is. Netflix, which has its origins in Silicon Valley, has pushed aggressively into content. It is expected to spend more than $450 million on original programming this year, from $243 million in 2014, according to the MoffettNathanson research firm. HBO will spend about $1 billion this year on programming and sports, the research firm said. “The goal is to become HBO faster than HBO can become us,” said Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer, two years ago. Some in Hollywood have complained that the network has overdeveloped in recent years, meaning it has bought rights to programmes that it has not ended up creating. Meanwhile, streaming outlets like Netflix and Amazon are wooing talent with big paycheques and promises to get their shows distributed more quickly and in a format viewers can binge watch. Jarecki, whose past projects have debuted with theatrical releases, explained why he chose HBO. “As a filmmaker, if your history is to see your work on the big screen in a movie theatre where it won’t be subject to distractions and interference and where it will be shown in the highest Clockwise: HBO Now is aimed at millennials who have internet connections but no TV subscriptions; Veep and Silicon Valley are just two of HBO’s successful comedy shows. June 2015
“The content remains the secret
Technology
56
L
ast June, in the basement of
augmented reality product had the
cutting measures and mass layoffs, would
the Microsoft visitor centre in
potential to be the next big thing in
kill it for being too risky and far-out.
Redmond, Washington, Todd
consumer technology, as groundbreaking
Nadella didn’t flinch.
Holmdahl, a Microsoft hardware guru,
as the PC and the smartphone. But
and others nervously walked Satya
this was Microsoft, the company that
that we’re going to do,’” Holmdahl said.
Nadella, the new chief executive, through
had managed, time and again, to take
“We are going to create a new product
a demonstration of a secret project.
ingenious innovation and bungle it on
category, and this is the type of thing that
the way to store shelves. Microsoft had
Microsoft should be working on.”
© 2015 New York Times News Service
More than a hundred people had
“He said right away, ‘This is something
toiled for several years on the ambitious
its software on smartphones years before
effort, which would eventually be called
Apple released the iPhone. Few cared.
reshaped Microsoft that Nadella envisions
HoloLens. At the time, the HoloLens
A full decade before the Apple Watch,
– one with fewer internal fiefs and with
headset was a clunky web of straps, wires
Microsoft introduced its own computer on
more willingness to favour big bets
and electronics. But it was able to project
a wrist. It did not take off.
on new technologies over protecting
images onto lenses in front of people’s eyes,
The HoloLens team members were
That response says a lot about the
legacy cash cows. Part of that rebuilding
adding virtual landscapes and objects on
confident in their creation. But they
occurred at a Microsoft conference
top of the view of the natural world.
worried that Nadella, a two-decade
recently in San Francisco, where he sought
Microsoft employee then looking at cost-
to mend Microsoft’s frayed relationship
The team leaders thought this
Portfolio
57
A Far-Out Vision Microsoft, under CEO Satya Nadella, appears to be far more willing to place big bets on new technology such as the HoloLens, reports Nick Wingfield.
with software developers, making it easier
wearables and other devices. To better translate Microsoft’s innovation into
and Google’s mobile operating systems to
a different place from the infamously
products people want to buy, he has
run on Windows.
balkanised one Nadella inherited from
directed the company’s research group,
Steven Ballmer in February 2014. Not
the biggest in the technology industry, to
he and the company had learned from
long ago, the company had about a half-
work more closely with product engineers.
its mistakes. His Microsoft understands,
dozen internal systems for managing
he says, the discipline needed to build
the development of software; Nadella is
Nadella told the team how he wanted
products that look and feel polished.
pushing everyone to use a single one, in
the project to proceed. It was not going
Every part, from hardware to software to
the belief that top-notch internal tools will
to be organised like Xbox, the company’s
online services, must work in harmony.
help it create top-notch products.
In a recent interview, Nadella, 47, said
“One lesson learned is you’ve got to Photos: Getty Images
creation of categories.” In some ways, Microsoft is already
for them to convert apps written for Apple
He has taken up an effort started under
finish the scenario with excellence,”
Ballmer to end the factional strife inside
Nadella said. “You just cannot stop.
Microsoft, making the 118,000-strong
You have to complete this, and I think
workforce nimbler. He has rallied them
that’s where Apple has taught us all
around mantras, like making personal
what experience excellence means in the
computing more personal through
June 2015
At the meeting about HoloLens,
Opposite page: The HoloLens augmented reality headset was demonstrated at the Microsoft Developers Build Conference in April. Above: Steven Bathiche, a Microsoft researcher who works on the firm’s Surface tablet, demonstrates new stylus technology, in Redmond, Washington.
Technology
58
video game system, which developed as a semiautonomous republic. He wanted the group to be fully integrated into Microsoft. That meant collaborating with people developing Skype, the company’s online voice and videoconferencing service, as well as the
A big part of Microsoft’s fate rests
Windows and video games teams. The
with its research arm, the quasi-
HoloLens group had already started
academic group responsible for conjuring
moving in this direction even before the
breakthroughs that will keep Microsoft
meeting with Nadella, but his orders
relevant for generations to come.
galvanised them. Microsoft says HoloLens
On a recent Monday, Harry Shum, the
will go on sale “in the time frame” when
Microsoft executive vice president who
Windows 10, its new operating system, is
oversees the research operation, was
released this summer.
bursting with pride while demonstrating
In other words, the HoloLens is only
Skype Translator, a new product that
a crucible for the new borderless
incorporates years of work by researchers
Microsoft that Nadella is seeking to
to convert voice conversations from one
create. No pressure.
language to another in real time.
Clockwise: Chief executive Satya Nadella at the headquarters of Microsoft; Researcher Steven Bathiche and engineer Falvio Ribeiro work together on the latest technological innovations; Harry Shum, a Microsoft vice president, overseeing research and development; A Microsoft employee demonstrates the new PixelSense technology; The Visitor’s Centre at Microsoft Headquarters campus in Redmond.
opportunities. He has pushed researchers
Nadella is trying to avoid missed Inside the old Microsoft, the translation
and product engineers to work closer
technology could easily have languished
than ever before. He invited Shum to
as a cool demo and nothing more. Product
attend a regular Wednesday-afternoon
groups would have been slow to embrace
meeting of a small group called the
an experimental technology that could
product leadership team; Shum is the first
introduce new costs not to mention
representative from Microsoft Research to
uncertainty into their release schedules.
participate in the sessions.
HoloLens, too, is jammed with Portfolio
59
technologies that started in Microsoft
explore finished architecture while on a
their initial cost. One current Microsoft
Research, including the display technology
project still in construction.
executive said HoloLens would cost
Those examples fill nice niches, but they
used to paint virtual images on lenses in front of people’s eyes. It uses cameras
certainly don’t scream mass market. For
developed by Microsoft researchers and
that, Microsoft is turning partly to games. In September, Microsoft paid $2.5
first used in Kinect, an Xbox accessory,
significantly more than a game console, which runs more than $400. Even Nadella hints at uncertainty when discussing the kind of impact HoloLens
to map a person’s surroundings so virtual
billion for Minecraft, the video game
will have. “I don’t want to overhype it like
objects stay where they’re supposed to.
played by tens of millions of people. By
Google Glass and say this is the next,”
January, the logic behind the purchase
he says, trailing off. “I want us to be
Slick hardware, though, will
started to become a little clearer when the
deliberate about what it is.”
go only so far. If HoloLens has any chance
company showed the game on HoloLens.
of becoming a breakout hit, it will need
In Minecraft, players can build and
appears to be skating to where the puck
must-have applications – add-ons that
destroy structures, sort of like playing
could be headed in technology, rather
will do for augmented reality what wildly
virtual Legos.
than where it has been. Brad Silverberg,
At least one thing is certain: Microsoft
popular services like Instagram and
At least with HoloLens, Microsoft
a venture capitalist in Seattle and a
will have a lot of competition. And
former senior executive at Microsoft, said
doubters have already lined up with
he was encouraged that the company was
Francisco, the company showed examples
HoloLens, certain that Microsoft will
doing that rather than playing catch-up
of how HoloLens will be used. In one, a
once again trip over itself. The product
in smartphones.
medical school expects to adopt HoloLens
looks as if it will be far more expensive
to let students learn anatomy. In another,
than smartphones, which benefit from
lost,” Silverberg said. “You’ve got to
a building developer plans to have clients
subsidies from wireless carriers that lower
change the game.”
Snapchat have done for smartphones. At the Microsoft conference in San
“That battle is already fought and
Make sure you're in the elite www.elitetravelconnectivity.com UK · Elite Connectivity Ltd ID 9235452 / ES · Elite Connectivity SL CIF B54831847
June 2015
61
Essentials
THE BEST OF LEISURE AND LIFESTYLE
The Learned, the Fat and the Red
Photos; Corbis, Arabian Eye
Bologna is described by the three sobriquets, ‘La Dotta’ (learned) ‘La Grassa’ (fat) and ‘La Rossa’ (red) in reference to the city’s famed university, the bountiful culinary tradition and the colour seen in the resplendent architecture reports Nick Rice.
June 2015
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Travel
condition of the piazzas and palazzos
ample starting points. The university
(squares and palaces). In the late 70s a
area is clustered around Via Zamboni,
meticulous conservation and restoration
the colourful heart of current student life
policy was implemented to rectify the
today. The university is the oldest in the
damage caused by war and urban decay.
Western world and dates back to 1088.
The successful scheme has resulted in one of Italy’s most unspoiled historical centres. The cityscape is given unique character by the elegant and extensive porticos (covered porches supported by columns)
T
for which the city is famous. In total there
he ancient city of Bologna can
are 45 kilometres of porticos, with the large
be overshadowed by nearby
majority found in the city centre. So not
destinations – such as the famous
to worry if it rains, you can still go out for
and flamboyant sisters of Florence, Milan and Venice. Millions of visitors also flock
hours and avoid getting wet. There are enough museums, landmarks
each year to the Adriatic coast and Tuscany,
and tourist attractions to keep any visitor
but their trips could only be enhanced with
busy for weeks, but some are essential.
a detour to this splendid city.
The various faculties and museums that
Capital of the Emilia-Romagna region,
Arriving in the city centre, one is immediately struck by the well-preserved condition of the piazzas and palazzos (squares and palaces). In the late 70s a meticulous conservation and restoration policy was implemented to rectify the damage caused by war and urban decay.
comprise the University of Bologna provide
which is one of the most developed and affluent places in Europe, Bologna has the strongest economic growth rate in all of Italy and tops the tables for the country’s ‘quality of life’ surveys. Besides the sturdy
Photos: © Comune di Bologna
economy, the reasons the city thrives are simple – a rich cultural history, stunning architecture, amazing food, and vibrant social scenes encapsulating a broad range of sciences and arts. What’s not to like? Arriving in the city centre, one is immediately struck by the well-preserved
Above: Marco Fadiga Bistrot. Left: Flower shop on Via delle Pescherie, the market district, in Bologna. Below: (L-R) Via dell’Indipendenza; Bologna University’s Anatomical Theatre.
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The actual word ‘university’ was coined at the institute’s foundation. As the first degree-awarding institute in Europe, the university’s legacy continues to inspire. Former students include Dante, Erasmus and Copernicus, and among the professors were lauded scientists such as Luigi Glavani, Marcello Malpighi and Ulisse Aldrovandi. In the present day, the likes of Umberto Eco, world-famous novelist and philosopher, are among those teaching. The Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio is one of the most important buildings not only of the university, but also in Bologna
Right: The two Due Torri towers dominate Bologna’s skyline. Below: Side altar and ceiling fresco in the Church of San Bartolomeo.
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Essentials
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itself. With its lower porticos, large inner
museums covering the history of the
courtyard and walls filled with seven
university, plus physics, astronomy, natural
thousand coats of arms of former students,
science, oriental art and much more…
it is imbued with a scholastic ambience.
something for all interests.
The Anatomical Theatre housed within is
Above: (L-R) University students study in the library at Palazzo Archiginnasio; Bologna is famed for its food; Finely decorated portico in Cavour Square.
To get some air and wonder about how
a stunning amphitheatre that makes the
much you’ll never know, visit the city’s
ravages of earthquakes, fires and warfare...
mind reel at the thought of a millennia
two iconic inclined towers, the ‘Due Torri’.
but you’ll still be glad to get your feet back
of education. Ercole Lelli’s Gli Spellati
Comprised of the Asinelli and Garisenda
down from the nearly one-hundred-metre
(skinned ones) – two statues of skinless
towers, these two leaning landmarks
high viewing platform.
men – crowns the ornate seat where a long
dominate the centre of Porta Ravegnana
line of professors has taught throughout
Square and are a popular symbol of
is the centre-point of the city, the vast
the ages.
Bologna. Climb the 498 steps of the
expanse of the Piazza Maggiore.
For even more pedagogic immersion
Asinelli tower, which shows ample sign of
A short walk from the base of the towers
The square is lined with grandiose
visit the University Library of Bologna
being 906 years old, for heart-pounding
buildings that display the coexistence of
at 35, Via Zamboni. Opened to the
views. Although seemingly ramshackle
dominant powers. The Palazzo Comunale
public in 1756, this spectacular institute
and age-worn, the tower has survived the
and Palazzo del Podesta are the seats
is a monumental source of printed and written heritage and houses over 1.25 million volumes, many of which are unique. The library also displays an art collection that includes more than 400 portraits of illustrious figures. The 16th century frescoes, only recently restored, are the icing on the cake. Less grand but still worth a visit for library lovers is the Salaborsa library in the Accursio Palace. A more modern establishment and a multimedia centre – it is also a visual treat and a treasure trove of knowledge. Nearby on Via Zamboni is the Palazzo Poggi which houses a collection of
of the municipal authority, Palazzo dei
For even more pedagogic immersion visit the University Library of Bologna at 35, Via Zamboni. Opened to the public in 1756, this spectacular institute is a monumental source of printed and written heritage and houses over 1.25 million volumes, many of which are unique.
Notai and Palazzo dei Banchi house the medieval guilds, and the imposing Basilica San Petronio is the symbol of religious tradition. As well as being the civic, political and religious heart of Bologna, Piazza Maggiore is also a great place to people-watch and enjoy a variety of events. Choose from any of the surrounding cafés and trattorias (small informal restaurants) and watch the world go by over a real Italian pizza and a cappuccino. The Piazza Maggiorre is also a good starting point for those who wish to expend some energy by walking to the Basilica Portfolio
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de San Luca, a beautiful landmark that can always be seen above the city and is a handy navigation point. The walk is along the Portico de San Luca – a roofed arcade spanning nearly four kilometres and ascending from the city centre to the top of a high hill. Start on foot from the Porta Saragozza or cheat a little and take
Clockwise: Customer shopping at a green grocer on Via delle Pescherie; Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese is universally known; Bologna has a large student population.
the No. 20 bus from Piazza Maggiore to the Meloncello Arch – the base of the portico and where it starts to rise. Passing under
in the city and for over a century it has
fun to assemble your own picnic of local
666 archways and up 300 steps, it’s a good
hosted a long line of illustrious guests. Old
produce. For this visit the Quadilatero
urban trek to get the blood flowing. As well
world refined service is allied with precious
neighbour – a warren of narrow
as greeting old ladies steadily plodding
paintings, draperies, silk walls and four-
cobblestone streets in a quadrilateral
upwards you’ll also be passed by plenty of
poster beds. Do not miss dining beneath
taking in Via Rizzoli, Via Castiglione, Via
joggers zipping by. The unique porticos and
the recently restored Carracci frescoes in
Farini and Piazza Maggiore. This is the old
the rewarding view at the end make this
the hotel restaurant, which serves regional
medieval market and has been in the same
two-hour jaunt very much worth the effort.
haute cuisine.
place since Roman times.
When it’s time for some well-earned
the highest rated restaurant in Bologna
and buy manifold culinary delights. The
food and rest, Bologna does not disappoint.
according to the Michelin Guide – the I
Tamburini delicatessen at 1 Via Caprarie
The Bologna Art Hotels Group has four
Portici, within the hotel of the same name.
is recommended – it’s a local institution
properties in the heart of the city, each
In comparison to the rest of the city, the
and is still managed by the same family
with distinct character and charm. The
I Portici hotel and restaurant embrace
that gives the shop its name. Also not to be
Novocento, just a stone’s throw from Piazza
modernity. The lobby is a calm zone of
missed is the Ambassador bookshop and
Maggiore, is where the Italian President
sleek white lines and contemporary art and
café where you can educate yourself, eat
and First Lady stay. It is comfortable and
the restaurant continues the red thread by
well and enjoy the good life – as Bologna
understated with warm and friendly service
serving classic Bolognese dishes but with
demands you should.
and the reception will reveal all the best
an unmistakably modern twist.
Further down Via Indipendenza is
Wander into any of the stores to browse
As Giorgia Zabbini from the Bologna
Eating out in Bologna is a real pleasure,
tourist board concludes, “Bologna is more
with wonderful meats and cheeses, sublime
and more an attractive city for visitors for
pizza, lasagne, and the popular Bolognese
its history, art, style, good living and for its
in itself. Less than two minutes walk
sauce of course – known by Bolognesi
important Guglielmo Marconi Airport and
from the Piazza Maggiore at 8, Via
simply as ‘ragù’ and served with tagliatelli
Railway station, which make Bologna an
Indipendenza, it is the only five-star hotel
pasta as opposed to spaghetti. But it’s also
easily reachable destination”.
trattorias and restaurants tucked away in the vicinity. The Majestic Grand Hotel is a destination
June 2015
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Essentials
Cuisine
Portfolio
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Giving Northern Cuisine Its Due The Northern Chef Alliance is trying to push northern US cuisine to the fore and get rid of the misrepresentations that have grown around it, reports Jeff Gordinier.
J
eremy Charles tipped a frying pan over a flame and spooned hot butter on some scallops. “Got a bit of thyme
with you?” he asked. Someone passed him an herb bouquet. He dropped it into the pan, and the air was filled with the intoxicating scents of fresh shellfish, hot tea, thyme, butter and wood smoke. Above him, tantalised gulls hovered. No, this culinary display did not take place in a gleaming restaurant kitchen. Charles, the chef at the acclaimed Raymonds in nearby St. John’s on Newfoundland, and a leader in a growing movement to celebrate the cuisine of the North, was so determined to show off the essence of his cooking that he, a fellow chef and two scuba divers had taken a small boat out to an isolated beach covered with rocks, weatherbleached logs and stubborn patches of snow. In summer, the water here is cold enough
© 2015 New York Times News Service
to harbour icebergs that drift south from
June 2015
Greenland, and summer was still a couple of months away. Still, the skin-blueing temperatures could not dissuade the divers from jumping into the water to gather scallops from the bottom of the bay. “I don’t want to go back to civilisation,” Charles, 37, said as those scallops, freshly
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Cuisine
knifed out of their shells, simmered over the
like Sean Brock, who has restaurants in
not?” he said. The Townsman rendition,
driftwood fire. “I miss my children and my
Charleston, South Carolina, and Nashville,
topped with black, crumbly squid-ink
wife, but every time I go hunting or fishing
Tennessee, have drawn customers and
crackers and suffused with cream from
like this, I never want to go home.”
critical acclaim by giving traditional
Mapleline Farm in Hadley, Massachusetts,
Southern-food tropes a fresh spin.
and country ham, manages to be lighter
Both at sea and far inland, chefs from some of the chillier regions of North
But despite centuries of practice,
than its clam-shack antecedents, yet deepened with extra fathoms of flavour.
America are making an effort to dive deeper
Northern food seems harder to pin down.
into their habitat. From New England up
Is it poutine in Montreal? Chowder in
through the Maritime Provinces of Canada
Boston? Fried clam bellies? Can such a vast
tower of molasses-hued bread that looks as
and west to Montreal and Toronto, they are
stretch of gustatory territory have much in
if it has been baked in a can. It has. Before
doing culinary work that poses questions
common? Dixie does, but few people talk as
opening the restaurant, Jennings asked his
without simple answers: What exactly is
romantically about Northern cooking.
pastry chef, Meghan Thompson, to recreate
Every table at Townsman gets a little
and refine this far-from-chic New England
Northern cooking? And how do you make that identity clear and compelling to diners?
“The mosT imporTanT thing
staple, which he had grown up eating with
Just think of shrimp and grits, jambalaya,
I have learned is that it’s completely
franks and beans. Her version, served with
pimento cheese and pecan pie, and you
misrepresented,” said Matt Jennings, 38,
maple-and-honey butter scattered with
will recognise that Southern food has done
who opened a Boston restaurant called
handmade togarashi, gets an undercurrent
a bang-up job of branding itself. Chefs
Townsman in February and who serves
of funk from a decidedly un-Puritan
as the de facto leader of a loose group of American and Canadian chefs known as the Northern Chefs Alliance. “We still have this stigma that New England food is creamy and heavy and bad for you. It’s so much more than that.” At Townsman, Jennings and his team counter some of those clichés by reinventing them. “I thought it was my duty to put a chowder on the menu, because why the hell
Clockwise: Jeremy Charles, the acclaimed chef of Raymonds in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, cooks cod and scallops on a nearby beach; Charles knives scallops off their shells; and cooks them; Evelyn Wu and Wayne Morris in the kitchen at Boralia in Toronto; Charles, a growing leader of the Northern cuisine movement, in the kitchen at Raymonds.
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ingredient: the Korean soybean paste known as doenjang. The Northern Chefs Alliance, which Jennings helped start about four years ago mostly because he wanted to hang out with Canadian friends like Matty Matheson of Parts & Labour in Toronto and Derek Dammann of Maison Publique in Montreal, meets every summer for a public event in which the members celebrate local
produce from close by. Jason Bond, 44, the
ingredients, raise money for charity and
chef at Bondir, likes to rhapsodise about Boothby’s blond cucumbers and Waldoboro
(with a suitably Yankee lack of ceremony) heighten awareness of Northern cooking. The next such gathering, hosted by
something else, too: “We have wildness.” That wildness is evident on menus
green-neck turnips and the deep flavour of Randall Lineback beef. “Those are the cattle that George
Charles, will take place in July in the moose-
throughout Canada and New England. At
teeming reaches of Labrador, an area of
Restaurant Manitoba in Montreal, Chris
Washington used to pull cannons up to
Canada so rustic it makes Cape Cod look
Parasiuk, 25, is honing what he referred to
Dorchester Heights,” he said. “I think it’s
like Hong Kong. The invitation promises
in a phone interview as “deluxe campfire
pretty cool we still have them.”
“whale watching & icebergs.”
cooking.” He deploys ingredients like
If the new interest in Northern food has
deer kidneys, cod collars, Canadian dwarf
an ultimate avatar, it’s surely Charles, who
cuisine here for hundreds of years,”
cornel berries and Labrador tea jelly, while
with his thick beard, squinty eyes and knit
Dammann, 38, said, Canadian gastronomy
Manitoba’s website declares, “We wanted
cap even looks like a hardtack-chomping,
remains a huge blank for the same global
a taste of the forest in our plates, a taste of
harpoon-wielding whaler from the 19th
diners who flock to cold-climate restaurants
nature in our glasses, wood, rock, wind.”
century. Newfoundland is one of the few
Even though “we’ve had indigenous
places in North America where a restaurant
like Noma in Denmark. “It has a stereotype,” he said. “It doesn’t have a defined cuisine.”
For many cheFs, defining Northern
can legally serve wild game, which means
At Maison Publique, he likes to serve
food also involves rediscovering relatively
that when you find moose, arctic hare and
a Mediterranean fixture like boquerones,
obscure ingredients. Whelk crops up on the
partridge on your plate at Raymonds, the
signified by anchovies in Spain, but he
menu at Boralia, as it does at Raymonds
meat does not hail from some government-
swaps in capelin, a North Atlantic baitfish
in Newfoundland, where some locals have
regulated farm. It comes from a hunt, and
famous for coming ashore to spawn and
been known to refer to whelks as “tire plugs”
your server will warn you not to chip your
being collected by hungry humans.
before shipping them off to Asia.
teeth on buckshot.
“We have all the resources here to do
Restaurants across New England (Bondir
“We shoot a moose, and a week later it’s
everything they do in Spain and Italy and
in the Boston area, for example, as well as
on the menu,” Charles said. “We’re actually
all those great food countries,” Dammann
New Rivers, North and Birch in Providence,
doing what we say we’re doing,” he added
said. Expanses of Canada, he added, have
Rhode Island) are stressing their Northern-
later. “We’re out there. On the water. In
ness simply by remaining mindful of the
the woods.”
seasons and by cooking with meat, fish and Top: (L-R) Matt Jennings with a platter of New England shellfish and house-made charcuterie, at Townsman in Boston; A snack plate featuring cod, mackerel and moose at Raymonds, a fine dining restaurant. Left: (L-R) Lightly-charred beets with sweet and pickled onions, popped sorghum and herbs, served at North in Providence; Maple-burnt bone marrow with roasted black radish, swiss chard and elderberry, served at Restaurant Manitoba in Montreal. June 2015
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Culture
Cutting In On the ‘Dancing Grannies’ China’s aging population, especially the women, gather in parks and squares for public dancing. But this has provoked the ire of residents and caused a national debate, reports Andrew Jacobs.
T
he offenders usually emerge at dusk, occupying prime real estate in public plazas or parks as they
sashay to treacly Chinese pop tunes with their synchronised dance moves. In recent years, these cardigan-clad packs of “dancing grannies,” as they are known, have descended on tranquil neighbourhoods across the country, occasionally provoking virulent responses from local residents who object to their amplified music. In 2013, a Beijing man seeking to chase off retirees dancing near his home was arrested after he fired a shotgun into the air and set three Tibetan mastiffs on the group. That same year in the city of Wuhan, angry neighbours dumped trash from the upper floors of a building onto a troupe of grey-haired women below. Last year, in Wenzhou, residents pooled $42,300 to buy a sound system to blare warnings to dancers about violating noise pollution laws. Recently, the Chinese government stepped into the breach, issuing rules that aim to regulate the ad hoc public
© 2015 New York Times News Service
dancing that has become hugely popular in recent years and has pitted neighbour against neighbour. The regulations, developed after a joint study by the General Administration of Sport and the Ministry of Culture, are intended to foster “healthy, watchable, scientific and wideranging” dancing, according to the state Portfolio
71
Opposite page: Women do Tai Chi on Singapore’s Bund. This gentle martial art has known health benefits. Left: Loud music, monopolising public spaces and questionable health benefits has raised the ire of Chinese officials. Below: Men and women of all ages take part in a mass dance in downtown Beijing.
retirees but some much younger – flock to parks and plazas after dutifully serving their families dinner, reaction to the news was met with disdain. “That’s ridiculous,” said Xiao Kai, 50, taking a break from dancing at an office complex that drew more than 100 women and a smattering of men. “This isn’t a business. Dancing is free and voluntary, so why does the government need to get involved?” The governmenT’s decision to intervene in one of the nation’s few unregulated public activities comes at a time when the Communist Party is seeking to impose its vision of popular culture, intellectual discourse and civic behaviour on this nation of 1.3 billion people. Censors have increased their vigilance online, educators have been warned against teaching nefarious “Western” ideas and functionaries have declared war on what they see as excessive cleavage on television. news media. To that end, an expert panel
Xinhua said that in the future public
has developed 12 model routines that will
dancing would no longer vary from place
be taught nationwide by instructors who have received official training. “Dancing in public squares represents the collective aspect of Chinese culture, but now it seems that the overenthusiasm of participants has dealt it a harmful blow with disputes over noise and venues,” Photos: Getty Images, Reuters, Corbis
Liu Guoyong, chief of the General Administration of Sport’s mass-fitness department, told the state-run China Daily newspaper. “So we have to guide it with national standards and regulations.” In Beijing, the nation’s capital, where tens of thousands of women – mainly June 2015
“dancing in public squares represents the collective aspect of chinese culture, but now it seems that the overenthusiasm of participants has dealt it a harmful blow with disputes over noise and venues,” Liu guoyong, chief of the general Administration of sport’s mass-fitness department, told the staterun China Daily newspaper.
to place, but would become “a nationally unified, scientifically crafted new activity that brings positive energy to the people.” Although the Chinese news media frequently lampoon the “dancing grannies” – especially the social disharmony they sometimes provoke – the new regulations appear to have hit a nerve. Recently, newspaper commentaries and social media chatter responded to the news with ridicule, with many complaining that the regulations had largely sidestepped the issue of noise that is at the heart of many complaints.
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Essentials
Culture
“What the grannies need are venues, not
during the Korean War, and scores of low-
of China Culture Daily, the official
regulated routines,” the online news portal
impact routines that detractors call the
newspaper of the Ministry of Culture.
RedNet wrote. “Only an increase of public
“zombie dance” because their participants
sports venues can satisfy urban and rural
tend to shuffle along with arms held in
that were posted online prompted a
residents’ need for fitness routines such as
front of them.
torrent of derision, with some people
Recent videos of the new dances
saying the routines were too challenging
football and square-dancing, and lessen
for amateurs.
the phenomenon where square-dancing
Asked About noise complaints, one
disturbs residents and takes up all the
58-year-old retired public servant threw
parks and public spaces.”
her head back with a laugh and did a little
grannies hurt themselves doing these?”
jig. “The louder the music, the more fun it
asked someone on the microblog account
is,” she said.
of the national broadcaster, CCTV.
Another commentary posted by the Xinmin Evening News said the government would do better to address
In interviews, many women described
“Who pays the medical bills if the
But in an recent interview, Wang
the yearning for social interaction among
how their lives had been transformed after
Guangcheng, a 29-year-old fitness trainer
the nation’s booming population of
taking up dance.
who choreographed the routines, said they
retirees. “The biggest tragedy is not the
“I used to be quick to lose my temper,
were easier than they looked.
square dance by grannies, but the fact
but now nothing bothers me,” said
“I tested them on several groups of
that grannies have nothing else to do than
Yu Xiuhua, 64, a former paper mill
grannies, and they had no problem,” he
square-dance,” it said.
worker who was prancing to a 1960s-era
said. “Some even asked that the moves be
liberation song. “When I dance, I forget
more complicated.”
Public dancing in China took root in the 1990s, its ranks fed by the growing legion
all my cares. And I can also hike up
of women whom the government forced
mountains with little effort.”
into retirement in their mid-50s.
Guidelines on when and where dance
Wang said many of the popular routines he saw on the streets of Chinese cities provided inadequate exercise. His goal, he
activities should be held, and how loud
said, was to come up with alternatives that
styles to choose from. On a recent Tuesday
the music should be, have yet to be
worked the entire body, while introducing
night, along the landscaped fringe of
developed, but preparations are underway
the dancing public to more up-to-date
highway known as the Second Ring
for a national outdoor dancing association
styles like samba and Zumba. “I want to
Road, there was a waltz group, a troupe
to “strengthen management and promote
see more young people dancing in public
whose participants dressed in green
healthy development” of the activity,
squares,” he said.
fatigues and danced to songs popularised
according to a report on the website
These days, there are scores of dance
Recently, some news outlets took a different tack, suggesting that public dancing not only provoked social strife, but also could be ruinous to the body. The Taiyuan Evening News quoted a sports medicine expert who said that squaredancing, as it is called, was potentially dangerous, especially if practiced for more than an hour at a time. As she took a break from a synchronised line dance on a recent Monday night, Wang He, 47, scoffed at the suggestion that dancing might be unhealthy. Wang, who wore a spangled blue spandex top, said the alternative was far less healthy. “It’s much better than sitting at home and just watching TV,” she said.
Left: Chinese women holding toy guns dance to a revolutionary song at a square outside a shopping mall in Beijing. Portfolio
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Essentials
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Luxury
Teutonic Timepieces Since 1845 the small town of Glashütte has been the cradle of German watchmaking and remains home to the prestigious watch manufactory, Glashütte Original, reports Nick Rice.
of it. If you look at the 170 years of our heritage you will notice so many challenges and obstacles, frequently changing political conditions and craftspeople firmly rooted in their profession and their region. It is absolutely amazing what has been achieved at Glashütte Original during the last years
T
the division of Germany, communist rule
capital ‘S’ when it comes to the
and economic calamity in the aftermath
world’s finest watchmaking. Yes,
right now.” The indomitable spirit of Saxony and its
of World War II. With the reunification of
technically advanced people kept the brand
there is Swiss-made, but it would be remiss
Germany in 1990 the company Glashütter
alive, and under the auspices of the Swatch
to overlook Saxony – the state in Germany
Uhrenbetrieb GmbH was founded and
Group the future holds more promise. As
where the town of Glashütte is found. This
since 1994 Glashütte Original has been
Gamard adds, “Being part of the Swatch
is where German watchmaking began and
synonymous with technical eminence
Group was and is absolutely essential.
is the base for one of the region’s premier
and bold design. With Swatch, Glashütte
Without the support of the Group, we
brands, Glashütte Original. Which brings us
Original’s journey evolved from being a
couldn’t have opened the German Watch
to another essential ‘S’… that of Swatch.
respected watchmaker from a renowned
Museum or expanded our production
region, into a bonafide global luxury brand.
capacity or our international distribution.
Discussing the long road travelled with
Thanks to the Swatch Group, we now own
Glashütte Original joined the Swatch Photo: Getty Images
and decades… and the story continues
here is more than one important
Group Ltd. (the world’s top producer of finished watches) at the turn of the century.
Yann Gamard, the CEO of Glashütte
our own dial manufactory and could thus
This significant union is part of a fascinating
Original, he says, “I feel intrigued by the
further enhance our production depth.”
history spanning 170 years, which entailed
history of our brand and proud to be part
The German Watch Museum Glashütte Portfolio
75
was established in 2008 to illustrate
– the world’s biggest watch and jewellery
the roots of the watchmaking industry
fair. The brand also announced a global
with the German Bauhaus art school and
in Glashütte within a comprehensive
roadshow at the fair entitled ‘360° – The
the ‘form follows function’ philosophy that
exhibition itinerary that showcases
Facets of Glashütte Original’.
has informed German design for over 80
humanity’s sense of time and the tools we
This event will travel from city to city for
It’s a popular artistic code that is resonant
years. Glashütte Original watches have
use to measure it. And while it’s vital to
the rest of the year unveiling a circular setup
multiple signature style elements, such as
respect and safeguard the details of the past,
based on three pillars: the rich heritage,
substantial size and weight and enlarged
Glashütte Original also embraces the future,
the exciting present and the promising
date apertures on important pieces, but the
focusing on new accomplishments alongside
future of the brand. Visitors can expect to
core characteristic is, “Teutonic”.
the preservation of heritage.
admire Glashütte Original watches from
Founded in 2002, the Glashütte Original
With ever more innovative and
the four collections: ‘Quintessentials’ with
highly desirable timepieces in the
Alfred Helwig School of Watchmaking
its traditional classicism, ‘Art & Technik’ for
pipeline, Glashütte Original continues to
represents such dedication to the survival
extreme innovation, ‘20th Century Vintage’,
consolidate its position as one of the most
and progression of watchmaking in the
which rejuvenates past icons, and ‘Ladies’ for
prestigious and masterful brands in the
region. Without the training of new young
bold and beautiful watches.
luxury watch industry.
its superlative wristwatch creations would
The disTincTive design of all
Yann Gamard concludes, “What I hope for
be halted. With healthy enrolment figures
Glashütte Original watches is, according to
in the next 10 years can be summarised
the school is proving to be a great success.
the Head of Design at Glashütte Original,
in three major points: first, increase our
The guarantee of a job with a Swatch Group
because, “The German design approach
production so that we can satisfy our
Ltd. Company for every successful graduate
is inside out. We start with what the
customers world-wide. Second, manage to
is doubtless very attractive for younger
product is for, how it will be used and
find, train and retain enough young talents
generations in uncertain times.
then build the design from there. Its idea
so that we can continue to grow and thrive.
emerges through the process. It’s not about
We need enough ‘fresh blood’ to allow our
to global financial instability, such as the
making something pretty by putting on
experienced masters and craftspeople to
unpegging of the Swiss franc from the euro
embellishments afterwards.”
pass on their knowledge. Third, I hope
watchmakers the evolution of the brand and
The watch industry is always susceptible
Considering the short-term future, CEO
in January that caused the biggest fall on the Swiss stock market in 25 years, but overall the watch business is in good shape. Glashütte Original is certainly buoyant after a positive start to the year with increased orders during Baselworld 2015
June 2015
that the love for beautifully manufactured Below left: Yann Gamard, Glashütte Original CEO, and Katarina Witt at the ‘Glashütte Original presents new collection for women’. Below right: Visitors at the Glashütte Original display at Baselworld 2015.
timepieces and excellent German engineering will continue to grow and that more people around the world will discover Glashütte Original and appreciate its works of art.”
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Portfolio
Essentials Culture
77
A Twist to Arranged Marriages in India
Online matchmaking, as well as urbanisation and cellphones, have altered the face of India’s arranged marriages, reports Gardiner Harris Harris.
F
or thousands of years, fathers in India have arranged the marriages of their children, and
Garima Pant – like an estimated 95 per cent of her millennial peers – was intent on following this most Indian of traditions. Her father found a well-educated man in her caste from a marriage website that features profiles of potential mates and presented his choice to her. And that was when her rebellion began. “I don’t think so,” responded Pant, a 27-year-old special education teacher, after seeing a picture of a man with streaks of colour in his hair. So her father picked another profile. “Are you kidding?” And another. “Ugh.” And dozens more.
tradition yet again, finding the man’s Umbrella in hand, Manas Pant’s father greets his son on his wedding day.
cellphone number and secretly texting him. Her boldness made the match. By the time the fathers discovered that their families were of the same gotra, or subcaste, generally making marriage taboo,
June 2015
© 2015 New York Times News Service
When a profile of a man who intrigued her finally appeared, Pant broke with
78
their children had texted and emailed enough that they were hooked. Months later, the couple exchanged vows with their fathers’ grudging blessings. Theirs was one of a growing number of “semi-
Under such strains, families have sought
arranged” marriages in which technology
larger networks, increasingly through
has played matchmaker, helping whittle
matchmaking sites. The websites – India now has more than
away at an ancient tradition, but with a
1,500 – nationalise the pool of prospective
particularly Indian twist.
spouses, giving parents thousands more IN A SOCIETY where marriage is largely
choices while still allowing them to adhere
still a compact between families, most
to long-standing restrictions regarding caste and religion. (Candidates who fail to
parents, especially fathers, are in charge of the search for a mate, including by
time on their wedding day. Refusals can
identify their caste get far fewer responses,
scouring the now ubiquitous marriage
be met with violence and, sometimes,
matchmakers and marriage brokers say.)
websites for acceptable candidates. But
murder. In one case in November, a
a growing number, especially in India’s
21-year-old New Delhi college student
India’s young people remain exceptionally
cities, now allow their children veto
was strangled by her parents for marrying
open to their parents’ input on mates.
power. Even siblings have begun weighing
against their wishes.
in; Pant’s younger brother became an
The shift away from fully arranged
The system works, analysts say, because
“Intergenerational relationships in India aren’t hostile. Our teenagers don’t
early booster of the man she would
marriages is being driven in good part by
have angst. They don’t rebel or misbehave
eventually marry after seeing his profile
simple market dynamics among Indians
with their parents,” said Madhu Kishwar,
photo with a black Labrador retriever.
who have long seen marriage as a guarantor
a prominent feminist author and a
of social status and economic security.
professor at the Centre for the Study of
Human rights activists have welcomed the evolution as a significant change in
For centuries, fathers sought matches
the status of women worldwide and are
among their social connections, often
hoping even poor, rural families begin to
with the help of local matchmakers who
allow marriages based on choice.
carried résumés door to door. But village-
Each year, they note, roughly eight
based kinship networks are fading as
million mostly teenage brides marry men
more families move to cities, and highly
chosen entirely by their parents, with
educated women often cannot find
many meeting their grooms for the first
men of equal standing in those circles.
Developing Societies in Delhi. “And the reason marriages in India are more stable Clockwise from top left: Members of the bridal party watch a henna ceremony; Manas Pant and relatives wait for transport to a wedding ceremony; A bridal party escorts Garima Pant to her wedding ceremony. Portfolio
Essentials Culture Left: Those urbanised Indians shifting to semi-arranged marriages say the change could not have happened nearly as quickly without the growth of matrimonial websites and the proliferation of cellphones Bottom: Newlyweds Manas Pant, left, and Garima Pant pose for a photo during their wedding ceremony.
prying ears of their families. As prospective brides and grooms increasingly take a role in their courtships, the marriage websites’ formulas for suggesting possible mates have had to change, said Gourav Rakshit, chief of operations at Shaadi.com, the largest such site. “We have seen marked shifts in people using compatibility factors for their searches instead of only the more restrictive parameters of the past,” like wealth and caste, Rakshit said. In the end, Garima Pant, whose cellphone became a tool of rebellion, mainly got her way. She insisted on meeting her future husband, Manas Pant, alone before making a decision, a oncerare demand that is now routine in semiarranged marriages. A date was set for Café Turtle in New Delhi’s upscale Khan Market, and Garima Pant agreed to drive Manas Pant (whose surname was coincidentally the same as hers). Mistake. “I was 20 minutes late picking him up, and he hates it when people are late,” Garima Pant said. Manas Pant, 28, a marketing
than those in the West is because families
human rights activists say leaves girls
professional for technology companies,
are actively involved.”
especially vulnerable.
had a slightly different take: “Actually, she
But even as social mores shift, relatively
“Marriage is the single biggest risk to
was 25 minutes late,” he said. “Then she
few young Indians, including those who
Indian girls,” said Joachim Theis, chief
hit a car.” But he was already committed
demand more of a say in their marriages,
of child protection at UNICEF in India,
to marrying her, and she was impressed
are straying too far from tradition. Dating
which says the country has a third of the
by his reaction.
– or at least openly dating with parents’
world’s child brides. “They drop out of
consent – is still relatively rare. And
school; they lose their freedom; they are
she said. “It was a joke, and I thought, ‘OK’
many of those who choose semi-arranged
under the control of their husbands and
I’m not saying I heard bells or anything,
marriages say that romantic love, the
mothers-in-law; they lose their social
but it was the right thing to say.”
head-spinning Bollywood kind, is not
network; and they are more likely to die
their goal. Compatibility is, as is a sense of
than unmarried adolescent girls,” he said.
control over one’s destiny. “I wouldn’t say that I’m head-over-heels madly in love with my husband,” said Megha Sehgal, a flight attendant. “But
Many of the deaths are linked to
“He said, ‘Well, we’re off to a good start,’”
After a two-hour date, she dropped him off and drove home, where her father, mother and brother were eagerly waiting in the living
disputes over dowries demanded by the
room. That night, Manas Pant texted: “I’m
grooms’ families.
telling my father to go ahead. OK?”
Those urbanised Indians shifting to
It was the equivalent of a man in the West
he gives me a lot of comfort, and I see a
semi-arranged marriages say the change
going down on bended knee. The families
friend in him.”
could not have happened nearly as quickly
would still have to meet, and horoscopes
without the growth of matrimonial
would have to be consulted. But in a
For poor, rural women, the
websites and the proliferation of
monumental change, nothing could happen
notion of even semi-arranged marriage
cellphones, which have given young
without Garima Pant’s approval.
is still mainly out of reach – a fact that
Indians a way to converse away from the
June 2015
She texted back, “Yes.”
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80
Essentials
Heritage
Portfolio
Essentials Heritage
A Modern Threat to Hue’s Heritage Hue’s World Heritage Sites have endured time, weather, modern armies and neglect, but the biggest threat they now face is development, reports Edward Wong.
S
traddling the Perfume River in central Vietnam, Hue was the seat of the last imperial dynasty, and it
All the while, the city’s climate remains as persistent a threat as time. “The humidity makes it hard to restore,”
has long been known for what the Nguyen
said Truong Dinh Luat, 47, a Hue native,
emperors left behind: the imposing
as he guided visitors around the Citadel
walled Citadel with its former palaces and
on a recent morning. Bullet holes from
pleasure gardens; the ornate royal tombs
1968 still scarred some walls, and the
scattered across the verdant hills; and the
rubble of fallen stonework lay in small
wooden villas of their mandarins.
piles in a few areas. “The workers have a
These buildings have endured the
tough job,” he said.
infamous Hue weather – dank and misty and grey much of the year – and the brutality of
WilliAM logAn, A scholar of heritage
modern armies. Some of the bloodiest urban
and conservation at Deakin University
combat the US Marines have ever faced
in Australia, sounded an alarm over the
took place in the Citadel during the 1968
challenges to preservation last October
Tet Offensive, a battle depicted in Stanley
at a conference on wooden architecture
Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket.
here. He said that Hue’s monuments were
The monuments have also withstood
at risk of losing the World Heritage Site
decades of rule by the Communist Party,
status bestowed by UNESCO, the United
despite being symbols of the feudal
Nations cultural agency.
traditions the party was trying to exorcise from Vietnam. But what weather, war and ideology
“If the province fails to monitor and better manage its preservation of the monuments, the entire complex’s
had not yet undone, a newer threat
overall value will certainly be hugely
may: the economic boom that has
undermined,” Logan said, according to
been transforming the character of this
a report by Tuoi Tre News, a Vietnamese
central Vietnamese city of 340,000
state-run newspaper.
people in recent years. Preservationists
Logan expanded on his remarks in a
are struggling to ensure that officials,
telephone interview. “If the problems aren’t
businesspeople and residents here
addressed, the World Heritage Committee
properly protect Hue’s heritage.
can consider putting the property on the
A freeway now runs through hills facing
World Heritage Endangered List,” he said.
the baroque tomb of Khai Dinh, a Nguyen
“No country likes that. It’s a loss of face. It
emperor, compromising the tomb’s feng
can impact negatively on tourism.”
shui, or geomantic qualities. A tourist
“Heritage is fairly low down on the list for
resort has been built along the Perfume,
governments – they all want development,”
a languid, tree-lined waterway, and there
he added. “It’s hard to convince
is talk of apartment towers being erected
governments they can have heritage and
within sight of the Citadel’s ramparts.
development at the same time.”
June 2015
81
82
Tourism in Hue got a boost in 1993 when
– and more modern villas built late in the
the city’s major sites were given World
imperial period. Though not recognised as
Heritage status. No other city in Vietnam is
World Heritage Sites, those houses have
as boastful of this honour as Hue is. Signs
their proud residents.
outside the Citadel and the Nguyen royal
“I still believe in the heritage of Hue,”
Above: Red lacquer doors at Hung Mieu Temple inside the Citadel, built by Nguyen Dynasty emperors.
Vietnam and was on home leave in Hue
tombs declare that last December, officials
said Hoang Xuan Bat, 83, as he sat in
when the Tet offensive began. Truong
recognised the 30 millionth person to visit
the dark living room of a European-style
said his father threw his uniform into the
the city since the designation.
manor dating to 1910. “I respect its history,
Perfume River to avoid repercussions as
and want to tell foreigners about it when
the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces
they visit, but I can’t speak English.”
advanced, and then attached himself to the
The Nguyen dynasty made Hue its capital from 1802 to 1945. The Citadel
US Marines as an interpreter when they
was begun by one emperor, Gia Long, and completed 29 years later by his
When it rains in Hue, which is often,
successor, Minh Mang, who was known
some of the challenges to conservation
Much of the Citadel was destroyed
in part for having had 142 children with
become obvious. One wet morning in a
in the fighting, he said, but the former
scores of women. (Numbers vary, but
throne room of the Citadel, pools of water
imperial library was not, so it was possible
some accounts say he had a total of 500
collected on the floor in front of the gold-
to restore it. Its interior has been given
wives and concubines, kept in the Purple
painted throne. More pools could be seen
new wooden beams and doors, and
Forbidden City deep inside the Citadel.)
along a wood-planked hallway.
construction workers were there during a
In lanes near the Citadel are nha ruong
“Every time it rains, water comes down
– wooden garden homes that once housed
from the roof,” said Truong, the tour guide,
mandarins and other personalities of note
whose father was a soldier for South
arrived to retake the city.
recent visit, wearing masks and walking on a layer of sawdust. Logan said he was concerned that Portfolio
Essentials Heritage property developers might gain permission Top to bottom: Colourful gate at the Citadel; Sunset over the Imperial City in Hue; La Residence, once part of the former colonial governor’s residence and reborn as a luxury hotel in 2005; Carpenters work on support beams for the main entrance of the Citadel.
to build high-rise towers around the Citadel and other sensitive sites. He said nothing should be built there that extends above the treetop canopy. At the request of the World Heritage Committee, the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre, a government organisation, is drafting a plan to improve conservation of the sites. Phan Thanh Hai, director of the conservation centre, said that “Hue history may be the most impressive” in all of Vietnam because Hue was once the home of “many skilful craftsmen, famous poets and intellectuals.” But he acknowledged that Hue’s monuments had suffered from “inappropriate management” around the historic sites, as well as “impacts from natural disaster, and from harmful insects, microorganisms as well as fungi on wooden components.” Logan has suggested that Vietnam try to nominate Hue for UNESCO designation as a Cultural Landscape that would make a whole stretch of the city a protected site. Ideally, he said, the area would include a green wedge of land running southwest from the Citadel as well as the Perfume and the mausoleums in the south. “It’s the river that binds all the serial sites together,” he said. “Bodies were taken up and down the river to be buried.” Traditionally, an emperor who died would lie in state at the Citadel, and then would be carried by boat to a tomb that he would have had built during his lifetime. Some emperors even spent leisure time at the tombs they built, drinking wine and composing poetry. That was the case with Tu Duc, the fourth Nguyen emperor, whose tomb has a small lake with a wooden pavilion. Officials allowed a two-lane highway to be built toward Tu Duc’s tomb years ago, but construction was halted before it reached the mausoleum. The tomb remains intact, with a symbol made of glazed blue tiles on one wall that means “long life.”
June 2015
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Essentials
84
Environment
© 2015 New York Times News Service
Lake Nicaragua Under Threat
The plan to build a $50 billion canal across Nicaragua, 90 kilometres of which would traverse Lake Nicaragua, could prove to be an environmental disaster, reports Elizabeth Zach.
As the Che Guevara ferry lurched with
go from dazzling to engrossing. The
determination across Lake Nicaragua,
countryside at the foot of the volcanoes
moving toward Isla de Ometepe, it was
is blanketed by generous thickets of
difficult to decide where to train your
bougainvillea, poinsettia, hibiscus, palms
eye. On one end of the island is Volcán
and banana trees. The volcanoes dominate
Concepción, an active stratovolcano whose
the rough island, although 30,000 mostly
frequent eruptions leave in their wake neat
agrarian residents who settled there and a
streams of ash that, when the wind is right,
perpetual parade of tourists wedge their way
resemble the detritus of a giant smokestack.
in. Islanders ride horseback across grassy
On the other is Volcán Maderas,
fields or herd goats, and young northern
Concepción’s smaller, lusher cousin.
European tourists whiz by on mopeds.
Regardless of where your gaze rests,
This pastiche of natural and exotic
the $3 ferry ticket (prices are often quoted
wonder feels a world away from the bustle
in US dollars in Nicaragua) is a bargain,
of mainland Nicaragua. Ometepe sits
considering the staggering view: a span
amid the largest freshwater lake in Central
of deep blue water bookended by two
America, and that is one reason agua
formidable summits, shrouded in
(water) is part of the country’s name.
swirling mist. Once you make landfall, the views
Ometepe and Lake Nicaragua have remained a respite from occasional Portfolio
85
Right: A monkey along a hiking trail on the slopes of Maderas; Bottom right: A snowy egret spotted among the quiet channels and lagoons of Las Isletas.
15 MILES
NICARAGUA
P
CARIBBEAN SEA
LAKE NICARAGUA
A C
IF IC
O
C
E
A
ISLA DE OMETEPE N
Brito o San Juan nD De Del Sur
The 172-mile canal would run from Brito, through Lake Nicaragua, to the Caribbean Sea.
San Ca Carlos
R E S E R VA B I O L Ó G I C A INDIO MAÍZ
The Panama Canal is about 250 miles southeast.
THE NEW YORK TIMES
political and military flare-ups. In the
Panama Canal, about 725 kilometres
civil war that ended 25 years ago, the
south of the proposed route.
stands in the way of its construction. I visited Nicaragua in January and went to see Ometepe and the lake,
region saw virtually no combat, because islanders went to the Honduran border or
In late December, workers
where a good portion of the million-
elsewhere on the mainland to fight. The
began building access roads for the
plus international tourists who visit the
beauty of Ometepe and the vast waters
$50 billion canal. It represented enough
country every year go. The island is an
of aNews step Service forward that it sparked protests. of Lake Nicaragua are two immutable N.Y. Times But the future of the project remains constants that Nicaraguans can rely on.Date: 4/28/15 Graphic Slug: NICARAGUA ZACH LSPR in question, not least because of Lake Size: 11.5 x 4.1 (BC--NICARAGUA ZACH LSPR--NYT) Nicaragua itself. Jing, a Chinese billionaire, has his way. With Story:
That is bound to change if Wang
essential element of a burgeoning ecotourism industry, one whose selling point is the fact that Nicaragua has 0.01 per cent of the world’s land mass but seven per cent of its biodiversity.
A consortium he led won approval last
If the canal is completed, 90 kilometres
year from the Nicaraguan government
of it would cut across the freshwater lake,
The Nicaraguan government has yet
to build a canal across the country. The
transforming its bed and local rivers, but
to commission an environmental impact
plan, which would connect the Atlantic
could also make this main source of the
assessment on the canal plans. The
Ocean to the Pacific and shave about
country’s drinking water no longer potable.
company behind the canal, HK Nicaragua
800 kilometres off the shipping route
This magnificent body of water could
Canal Development Investment Co., or
from New York to Los Angeles, is the
very well be both the inspiration that first
HKND, paid a private British firm,
realisation of a centuries-old dream that
led explorers dating back to Napoleon to
ERM, to do so.
has outlasted the construction of the
dream up the canal and an obstacle that
June 2015
Like most visitors, I first saw Lake
86
Above: Augusto Taylor Jackson, who has worked as a tour guide for 12 years, encounters a starfish while snorkelling in the Pearl Cays. Top left: Volcan Concepción can be seen from Finca Magdelena, a working coffee plantation and hostel on Ometepe Island. Left: Concepción, the taller of two volcanoes that form Ometepe Island.
Nicaragua while travelling through the picturesque, vibrant colonial town of Granada, which sits on its northwest shore. I continued on to the desolate Centro Turistico, a lakefront park, and was gradually accompanied by Santo, a wizened and toothless man on a bike who offered to rent me a kayak as he ushered me along to a shop at the end of the park’s main road. There, I was introduced to Lorenzo, a young man
Nicaragua’s indigenous communities such
from Las Isletas, an archipelago of more than
as the Rama, Garifuna, Mayanga, Miskitu
300 tiny tropical islands scattered about the
and Ulwa. The government maintains
northwest edge of the lake.
that the canal would provide an economic boost to a country sorely in need of one,
After settling into our kayaks
where many earn $1 a day. The canal is expected to provide 25,000 jobs for
on the beach, we maneuvered across the choppy lake, finally reaching the quiet channels and lagoons of Las Isletas.
We paddled around one island with
Nicaraguans, HKND has said, and the
a well-manicured manor house draped
Nicaraguan government projects that
in vines and surrounded by waterside
revenues could lift 400,000 people out
Lorenzo pointed out kingfishers and
gardens and a metal fence. Lorenzo told
of poverty in the next three years.
warblers swooping into the waters,
me it was the vacation home of Violeta
swallows perched on lily pads and egrets
Barrios de Chamorro, Nicaragua’s
line the pockets of interests beyond
gingerly traversing marshes. He grew
president from 1990 until 1996.
Nicaragua by providing a cheaper route
As we glided through Las Isletas,
excited at the yellow-chested oropendolas,
As we headed back to Granada, Lorenzo
The canal would, of course, also help
that accommodates the increasingly large
with their ball-shaped nests dangling
asked me if I knew about the canal. I
ships used to transport goods from the
from tree branches, and then, barely
nodded. “If it’s built,” he said, “the waters
eastern United States to the West Coast,
visible in another tree, an iguana glaring
will go up and they will go down. But
and from Latin America to Asia.
down at us. At one point, he silently led
either way, we don’t know if we will be
me beneath a gargantuan mangrove and
able to fish here like we do now.”
pointed with his oar under a limb before dozens of bats set off toward us.
The canal project threatens not only Las Isletas’ residents, but also several of
the cost, however, is “staggering environmental devastation,” according to Axel Meyer, a professor of zoology and Portfolio
Essentials Environment From top to bottom: Aoife Bruce, 10, hikes with her family amongst the coffee trees growing on the slopes of Maderas, one of two volcanoes that form Nicaragua’s Ometepe Island; A beach house in Pearl Cays, on Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast near the terminus of a proposed trans-oceanic canal; Locals in a spring-fed swimming pool at Ojo de Agua, a natural reserve on Ometepe Island.
evolutionary biology at the University of Konstanz in Germany who has conducted ecological research in Nicaragua for 30 years. One of the habitats standing to lose much is Ometepe, which relies on the lake for irrigation and is home, Meyer said, to its own unique flora and fauna, including a lungless salamander first discovered and described in just 2008, and Tomocichla tuba, a relatively rare cichlid fish. My guide on Ometepe was Enoc, who first took me to the coffee plantation at Finca Magdalena, leading me later on a hike among the coffee trees that cover the higher slopes of Volcán Maderas. Descending the trail, I could hear shrieking. “Monkeys,” Enoc said when he saw my puzzled face. “But if you want to see them, we’ll have to go off trail.” I followed him through the brush and under barbed-wire fences until we reached a shaded grove, where Enoc motioned for me to be still as he pointed upward at a family of white-faced Capuchin monkeys – some with babies on their backs – clinging to the highest branches, their tails leisurely unfurling downward. The prospect of Nicaragua’s canal perhaps provides the best reason to visit the country now, adding drama to what might otherwise be a pretty postcard tour of the tropics. I think of this when I recall Enoc on Ometepe, when he pointed to the lake and at the Isla de Quiste, and beyond, two ferries shuttling between the island and the mainland. I took a long moment to absorb the dreamlike view, noticing the particularly tranquil waters stretching toward the horizon. June 2015
87
Essentials
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Photo: Reuters
Other Business
At a salon just outside the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, artistic hairdresser Nariko is offering a stylish option – etching the profiles of the famous onto the sides and back of his clients’ heads. The 27-year-old has been getting creative for a about a year now, reproducing images of rapper Snoop Dogg, Lionel Messi and even Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper on scalps. Clients bring a picture of their favourite celebrity and Nariko gets to work with a hair clipper to cut the image. With the basic outline in place, he then carefully uses a razorblade to cut in smaller details, sometimes adding colour. A haircut at Nariko Hair Style costs between 20 to 50 reais ($6.55 to $16.40) while the sculpting of a face increases to 120-140 reais.
Photo: Getty Images
Fit for a True Fan
Treasure in Urugay The ancient lure of gold, rum and other treasure is drawing a horde of modern speculators to the salvage of a British warship that sunk in 1763 off the coast of what is now Uruguay. The wreck of the Lord Clive – which was destroyed by Spanish cannon fire during a botched attack on the city of Colonia del Sacramento – was discovered in 2004, but it was only this year that the Uruguayan government gave permission for the vessel to be recovered. Whether the wreckage has been looted is unknown, but Argentinean explorer Ruben Collado believes it will still contain the gold coins the captain was given to pay for the intended three-year expedition, thousands of litres of rum, 64 bronze cannons and booty the crew had earlier seized from another ship.
No Anthem for Mobiles Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has banned
on the first 10 lines of a 1905 song
the use of the national anthem as a
written by Rabindranath Tagore, the
ringtone for mobile telephones or for
first non-European to win the Nobel
any other commercial purpose.
Prize for literature. The song was
a business tool,” the Supreme Court said, upholding a 2010 high court ruling. The national anthem, Amar Shonar Bangla or My Golden Bengal, is based
adopted as the anthem in 1972. Bangladesh is one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the region, with 124 million mobile phone users.
Photo: Getty Images
“The national anthem can’t be used as
Portfolio