A HONG KONG businessman was fined for attempting to bribe Shenzhen customs officers with pornographic magazines when crossing the Lo Wu border. According to the Oriental Daily News Mr Chow's spicy reading material was discovered by mainland officials during a routine security check-up. It is illegal to take pornography into China, so Chow tried to bribe them with the magazines in return for turning a blind eye. They weren't amused. As well as stinging him with a hefty fine, they also forced him to write a repentant letter.
However, Chow later told a different story to Hong Kong reporters. Not only did he say he didn't regret what he tried to do, but he insisted that he thought he was acting legally. He had previously given a porn title to a mainland security officer as a friendly gesture when crossing the Lo Wu border. This was gratefully received, with no mention of inconvenient customs laws. Not only was Chow left puzzled and infuriated by the double standards of the Lo Wu customs men, but he was trapped in Shenzhen - his passport was confiscated because he didn't have enough money to pay the fine.
sozzled at school A 14-YEAR-OLD student's adventure with alcohol got the better of him, according to a story in the Sing Tao Evening Post. It seemed to be a normal day for form three at the student's secondary school in Kowloon City. But during the morning's lessons he fell off his chair and collapsed on the ground unconscious. A panic-stricken teacher rushed to see what had happened, fearing the student might have had a heart attack. As he knelt down close to the boy, however, he became aware of an overpowering smell of alcohol, and discovered a small bottle of spirits in the boy's pocket. The school wisely sent the inebriated youngster to hospital to sober him up a bit before informing his parents.
femme fatale FEMALE martial arts champion Ng Shiu-ching was given a bloody nose by a man outside the Hong Kong Sports Institute in Sha Tin, according to an Apple Daily report. The 27-year-old world champion was punched on the mouth and nose during a brawl. The source of the row remains a mystery, as Ng insists she had never seen her attacker before. Whatever they were rowing about, the man felt sufficiently incensed to throw a nifty right hook which caught Ng unawares and threw her off balance. By the time she was back on her feet ready to deliver a lethal counter attack, the man had fled. A wise move, considering Ng has represented Hong Kong in the Asian Games, the East Asian Games and the World Martial Arts Tournament several times over the last five years.
court room scandal A JUROR was so disgusted by conditions in the court room and the meagre payment for jury service that he tried to sneak out, reported the Hong Kong Economic Times. The juror, who is a businessman, tried to creep out of the court room for an important meeting back in his office. He was grabbed by court officials and ordered to return to the jury box. After the trial had finished, the disgruntled man complained that life in the jury box had been hell. 'Everybody in the court was rewarded except the jurors,' he said, and even compared his lot to that of an ill-treated animal - after all, he reasoned, sitting in a crowded, dirty court room with no water for hours on end would be enough to kill anyone. And, worst of all, the jurors were paid a meagre daily allowance of just $280. It's enough to make you lose faith in the law.
tough love AN AGGRESSIVE mother and father took their son's love life into their own hands when they attacked his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend with broken glass, the Hong Kong Daily News reported. Au-Yung May, 39 and her husband, Wong Chek-wing, 35, attacked 19-year-old Ng Chun-chun and her 25-year-old boyfriend Leung Chin-wan to exact revenge for their jilted son. The broken relationship had, apparently, left their poor little darling sunk in gloom. The attack happened while the young couple were walking in a Yau Ma Tei park. Mummy slashed Ng's mouth and finger with broken glass, while Daddy got to work on Leung, punching him in the face. May was sentenced to 18 months in prison, while Wong was put away for six months.
