7 Money Talk: Avoid Crowded Trains – Achieve Better Returns 8 Feature: Super League Spending In The CSL J
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12 Dining: Ban Ban, Wonderland And FIELDS’ Absurdly Easy Homemade Ice Cream 15 The Seoul Hotel Supplement
Splendid Sri
Lanka
The Jewel Of The Indian Ocean
June17 TalkMagazine
UPFRONT
COVER STORY
Splendid Sri Lanka The Jewel Of The Indian Ocean Nyima Pratten
Sri Lanka is a country steeped in colonial history, bursting with flavours and fragrances and alive with the buzz of a young population and growing economy. Visit the island nation in the sparkling Indian Ocean for an unforgettable holiday experience.
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wo direct flights service the route between Shanghai and Colombo, one with Sri Lankan Airlines and the other with China Eastern. Although the flight is a long slog, coming in at just over seven hours, the time investment definitely pays off when you touch down in Colombo and switch on your out of office reply.
When visiting the city, make sure that a sun downer at the Galle Face Hotel is on the top of your list of things to. Stay at the Banyan Treethe Club & Spa was Seoul whileonit by hasfour Originally a Dutch Villa, building taken beenentrepreneurs transformed into a white complete British in 1864 andwonderland quickly became known with a magical ice rink winter. With the Winter as the best hotel East of thethis Suez Canal. Watch the sun set Wonderland Package, will receive benefits in one of the hotel’s bars, you Chequerboard, which is set out including foroftwo Granum Lounge, on the lawn inbreakfast the heart theathotel facingDining the ocean. Each food, and spa bagpiper vouchers plays alongas with access night, thebeverage hotel’s resident thefree country’s ice rink. Thelowered. delightfully snowy setting will also flagtoisthe ceremoniously be a beautiful bonus.
Magic Winter Package
Start any trip to Sri Lanka in the commercial capital city of Colombo, where you can build
Unwind
your first impressions of the island nation. Set on the Of course, when talking aboutis the Banyan metropolis, Tree, the with Western coastline, Colombo a budding naturally must getfrom a mention. Banyan arenowned myriad ofspa foreign investment other Asian nations, Treecommercial Spa offers a range of servicesbuildings to hotel guests, new and residential are popping up club members, well as theproject generaltopublic. Theland Spahas also all over the city,asand a large reclaim features restarted, 11 treatment rooms, including recently after funding issues. five deluxe single rooms, four deluxe double rooms and two spa suites. Allistreatment rooms include bathroomshistory, and Colombo a city with a long and prestigious relaxation areas and the spa suites are port equipped with having been an international trading for thousands of Rainmist rooms unique Rainmist years. It was also for thethe capital cityTropical of the country during the experiences. time of the British Empire, when the country was referred Finally, theCeylon, hotel also great still dining to as British andhas as such hasand a lot of beautiful drinkingbuildings. options; Granum Dining Lounge, with an colonial
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June17
Drinking
Shopping
There are so many great ways to spend your evening in Seoul. We suggest partying it up in Hongdae, where you are surrounded by cheap and cheerful dive bars, with exotic drinks, reasonable prices and interesting clientele. Nestled in the heart of a university zone, this area is always buzzing so you can be sure to find a bit of mischief to get up to. If you fancy something more refined, you should definitely take this opportunity to get your Gangnam Style on. Head over to Ellui to see and be seen. As one of the largest clubs in Asia, it regularly attracts international acts making it one of the most popular spots in town. You may even bump into a K-Pop star or two.
Seoul is in a league of its own when it comes
Eating
There is such a variety of food in Seoul and not enough time to try it all, but you can certainly give it your best shot. Shoot over to Meyendong after 4pm every day to experience the bustle of a busy high street crammed full of food stalls. The winter season is quite possibly the best time to visit for the grilled chestnuts, sizzling hotteok (a sweet Korean, fried pancake), warming tteokbokki (thick rice cakes and fish cakes in a unique chilli sauce), dried cuttlefish, squid and octopus along with our favourite, gyeran bbang (a sweet egg bread best eaten hot off the stove). Alternatively, Itaewon, also known as Western Town, has a wide array of eateries and some great Korean bbq restaurants with top quality beef. Make sure you order the Korean signature bibimbap (a mixed rice dish served in a searing hot bowl with a raw egg, meat, sautĂŠed vegetables and a vibrant red chilli pepper paste). June17  TalkMagazine
UPFRONT
COVER STORY
Food options abound in Colombo, but make sure you check out Ministry of Crab, situated in the Old Dutch Hospital, a refurbished, trendy dining and entertainment venue first built in 1677. The restaurant is listed in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, and specialises in Sri Lankan crab, which is exported all around the world. The chilli crab is phenomenal and fresh, with other seafood options also available. After getting your fill of Colombo, take the coastal hugging train from the city to the seaside town of Bentota. The train journey itself is an experience, with locals jumping on and off the train and only standing room available during the busiest times of day. In Bentota, make sure you visit unique, boutique hotel, Paradise Road The Villa Bentota, designed by iconic Sri Lankan architect, Geoffrey Bawa. The original buildings date back to the 1800s and are set back from the coastal train line, reminding visitors to the country of the important transportation vein travelling North to South fueling the economy. The beach is accessible after crossing the train tracks and there are manicured gardens, mangrove trees and a pool surrounding the rooms themselves. This is the town for relaxing by the beach and indulging in Sri Lankan delicacies such as hoppers, a rice flour bowlshaped bread, and cashew nut curry.
After rest and relaxation in Bentota, head further down the coast to Galle, the old fort town in the South West of the island. Portuguese traders first arrived in Galle in the early 1500s, after getting lost on their way to the Maldives. In 1640, the Portuguese surrendered the town to the Dutch East India Company, who built the present fort. Take a stroll around the beautiful old town, with its red tiled roofs and crumbling fort jutting out into the sea. When in Galle, don’t miss the opportunity to have afternoon tea in the Amangalla, set in the heart of the old town. The hotel is set in a period building from 1684, which has been lovingly restored to its original glory.
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Nibble on scones and clotted cream and sip on the finest Ceylon tea as you are transported to a bygone, colonial era. Sri Lanka is a wonderful mix of old worldly charm and optimism for the future. Although the country is currently suffering from terrible floods, this is an island that has seen much upheaval in its recent history, yet is warm and welcoming to all visitors that cross its shores. Make Sri Lanka your next travel destination.
CITY LIVING
MONEY TALK
Avoid Crowded Trains – Achieve Better Returns People trying to stuff themselves into trains is as futile — and nauseating — as Chris Christie trying to squeeze himself into skinny jeans.
Bill Longstreet
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he other night we were trapped in the transportation hell-hole called Jinan Station. There was some sort of “signal” problem, which ended significantly delaying the subway during rush hour. When this happens, a nuclear chain reaction ensues. Since so many trains are delayed, the crowd then tries to pack into the next available one. Simple mathematical laws then take over. When one train has to carry the contents of the four trains, massive chaos is the result. Panic causes passengers to act irrationally; catching one of these inhumane cargo containers is on par with evacuating a plague-ravaged NYC in the film Legend. In the words of one rider, “People tearing open doors and begging
to make more room like this is the last life boat leaving the Titanic”. To compound the misery, and enhance anxiety, gates were put up and newly arrived passengers were not allowed to enter the station. Talk about exacerbating the fear of the unknown. We then made a calculated decision. Stay in this lunatic asylum or leave and have dinner, hopefully coming back in a few hours to a later train but calmer situation. We left. This made me think of investing. When the market makes its (one in every three years or so) 20 per cent market corrections, people tend to act like those trying to pry the train doors open. They behave even worse when the really scary 50 per cent drops occur. They follow the shrill advice of dead-enders prophesying the apocalypse has arrived. They issue orders to “Sell at any price, just get me out!” They make irrational assumptions to go to cash but, “get back in when things are more certain”. They pay enormous fees for “market insurance” after most of the damage to their portfolios has already taken place. They make awful decisions about short-term events that will irreparably damage long-term plans. All of the above are precisely the wrong things to do. In the words of the famed Templeton fund manager Mark Mobius, “Sometimes, when there’s too much traffic clogging up the road you need to take a different route”. Following the same path as everyone else can stall your progress in reaching your investment goals too. Templeton’s founder, the late Sir John Templeton,
was a proponent of not following the crowd. One of his more famous contrarian quotes is, “To buy when others are despondently selling and to sell when others are avidly buying requires the greatest fortitude and pays the greatest ultimate rewards”. My solution to this train panic was to look at the big picture while others were losing their minds. We decided to buy into the panic in the form of leaving, instead of following the crazed herd that was selling. This is not easy. The best way to avoid panic in train stations and investing is to side-step the people who are panicking around you. Instead of throwing myself onto the tracks and demanding a seat on a train (that violated every fire hazard rule in the nation), we left the madhouse and had some grilled octopus over arugula. We got home a couple of hours later, but avoided massive stress and stupid decisions. This was well worth the price in my book. The next time the market starts to puke, take a step back and observe the panic around you. Ask yourself a question: “Is this where you want to be?” If not, turn off the TV and get yourself a pizza (or octopus, if you’re into that sort of stuff). Your portfolio will thank you later. Bill Longstreet is a partner with Shanghai based Caterer Goodman Partners, a fee-only financial advisory firm. For more tips on how to handle your savings, check out their blog www.chinaexpatmoney.com.
EDUCATION TALK
Dulwich College Shanghai’s D’Oscars By Amy, Emilei and Ms Foster
On 5 May, the Junior School held its annual Film Award Ceremony: The D’Oscars. It was out of this world!
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his event is the highlight in the Junior School calendar and is designed to capture students’ imagination through storytelling and film. Every student is involved in creating their very own film throughout the year and these are all entered into the D’Oscars film competition. The D’Oscars award ceremony started off with the usual dramatic entrance for the Head of Junior School, Mr Stewart. He leapt from the ceiling, and - just in the nick of time - saved the D’Oscars from the evil pirates. It started with a glorious sword fight, and then Mr Stewart (Code Name: Captain Hook) managed to push his enemy to the ground to claim the
microphone and begin the show. The D’Oscars dancers then wowed with their amazing moves before Mr Stewart took to the stage to give a magnificent opening speech. The Year 3 students stunned with their one-minute myths and the winning film: Perseus and Medusa took spectators’ breaths away. The Year 4 students presented information about how to look after the planet with their environmental awareness videos. The winning film: Tree planting inspired everyone to do his or her bit for the world. Year 5 students showed everyone what fantastic sleuths they were in their Whodunit movies. All guests were all shocked to find out the culprit in the winning film: Cup It!
The Year 6 entries – You’ll Be in Stitches - made everyone laugh until their sides hurt. The winning film: The secret behind the Music Class was outstanding. With everyone agreeing they will never view their music classes in the same way. Further congratulations must go to: The Glasson and Chan family for winning the Family and Friends category, Gavin and Isabella for becoming the first recipients of the Phil Stewart Award: Best Performers and Dulwich College for scooping the top prize in the Dulwich Group division. Of-course, the most exciting part of the night was the announcement of the overall winning film. This year, it was claimed by a Year 5 film by Year 5RG – Cup it! Throughout the whole D’Oscars experience, students learned the value of teamwork and planning. The award ceremony itself was an exciting way to end as students journeyed through the magical worlds of filmmaking. June17 TalkMagazine
CITY LIVING
FEATURE
Super League Spending China’s Footballing Fixation Daniel Newman
The Chinese Super League has recently been grabbing headlines both in China and overseas. This is largely because of the huge amounts of money that has been spent by China's top clubs on world-class foreign players. But as Daniel Newman from ChineseSuperLeagueFootball.com explains, not all of the big money signings are paying off.
Ricardo Goulart
Eran Zahavi
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ne of the biggest sports stories of the year so far was when Shanghai Shenhua signed Argentinian striker, Carlos Tevez. Although he is already 33 years old and therefore nearing the end of his career, Shanghai Shenhua is reportedly paying him a world record breaking RMB 5.3 million per week since signing him at the end of 2016. Since then, Tevez has played in just five CSL games, and has scored just one goal (a penalty). He missed a number of games through injury, which is of course no fault of his own, but he received much criticism for going to Shanghai Disneyland with has family rather than traveling with his team mates to see them play against Changchun Yatai.
Burak Yilmaz
Forking out tonnes of money on foreign players has, however, been a bigger success for Shenhua's rivals, SIPG. Their signing of Brazilian midfielder Oscar dos Santos Emboaba Júnior in January 2017 for RMB
521 million was the most money ever paid for a footballer in Asia. But Oscar has performed well, and his partnership with fellow Brazilian, Givanildo Vieira de Sousa, aka Hulk, has been a key factor in enabling Shanghai SIPG to contend for this season's title. Nevertheless, it is notable that the best foreign signings in the CSL have not been the most expensive. The highest scoring player in the league is Guangzhou R&F’s Israeli attacking midfielder, Eran Zahavi, who cost just RMB 55 million, and is only being paid RMB 30 million per year. And this isn't just one unusual anomaly. Indeed, if you look at the CSL’s other top scorers, you will see that most of them are being paid a fraction of what Tevez and Oscar are receiving. Notably, the league's five top goal scorers as of the beginning of June 2017 were Nikica Jelavić, Burak Yilmaz, Lei Wu, Ricardo Goulart
Nikica Jelavic
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