LEGISLATOR JAMES TIEN Pei-chun may enjoy the good life in his magnificent Peak residence, but he hasn't lost touch with real life, he told friends recently. The Liberal Party chairman, famous for his expensive tastes and extensive wine cellar, will sometimes order take-away meals, including sharks fin dishes, from the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Central. But he denies being a total bon viveur.
He's just as happy with simple cuisine, he insists, and there's nothing he likes better than a homely afternoon tea. When he was working near the factory districts he was happy to eat with the locals in small, shop-front cafeterias. The Hong Kong-style hot tea with milk sold there was much more delicious than the tea served at hotels, he claims.
One of his best-loved cafes is in Wan Chai, where it costs less than $20 for Mr Tien's favourite meal. That's how much the locals pay, but for the wealthy legislator, the price is several hundred dollars extra.
That's why he doesn't go there any more, but it's not a protest against profiteering. It's just that whenever he parks the limousine nearby, he returns to find a parking ticket slapped on the window. Not even his favourite hot 'chicken-tail' bun, a soft roll with sweet paste inside, is worth that annoyance.
Parking facilities in Wan Chai are hopelessly inadequate, he complains. Maybe he'll be raising the matter in Legco this session?
With a US presidential election result still pending, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) chairman Tsang Yok-sing and Financial Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen had predicted Republican George W. Bush would emerge the winner. Legislators said Mr Tsang told them at the side chamber on Wednesday that Mr Bush would win.
Mr Donald Tsang's reasoning was that Hillary Clinton winning a New York Senate seat was not a good sign for Vice-President Al Gore, as voters did not want the Democrats to dominate the Senate and would be likely to lean towards Mr Bush in the presidential vote. Mr Tsang Yok-sing's analysis was a lot simpler. He said Mr Bush looked smarter. Presumably he meant sartorially, since Mr Bush's gaffes during the debates do not suggest that an intellectual giant has one foot in the White House.