'How many times have I proposed? Ah ha, more than five and less than 10.' HOW to get an actress to take her clothes off. Chua Lam, film producer of Erotic Ghost Story.

'You double her money, then double it, then double it again, and so on. Eventually her pants fall off automatically. Seriously, though, money is important but it's not the only thing. You have to have a reasonable script.

'Nowadays actresses will not play a part that is just a matter of jumping from one bed to another. They all want a chance to act, to show off their talents if they have any. So if the script is good and the money is good, it's not too difficult to convincethem.' HOW to cope with being a prisoner of war. Mr 'Mogadishu', private intelligence investor, interviewed in Manerplaw, Burma.

'Never beg or grovel. If you have been captured by patrolling soldiers look at the state of their uniforms: the more tattered and ill-equipped they are the more trouble you're in. In the worst case scenario they will be young, ragged, brainwashed and violent.

'Never grovel. Never beg. Pander to their egos but don't allow them to imagine you are worthless. Your only hope is to give the impression you are an important prisoner of war. You must go on hunger strike. Reject all food in a way that makes it clear you are protesting - that way you will be passed up the chain of command and the chances of you being killed or tortured for the hell of it are considerably lessened.' HOW to survive a cocktail party, social gal about town Elisabeth Cassegrain-Thomas.

'The secret of small talk is listening. Pretend to be interested even if you are not and try to steer the conversation away from stuffy-talk. Let them talk about themselves a bit, get them going with compliments on their hair, suntan or whatever. Once people relax and start having fun they always become more interesting.

'It is wise to research someone before you go up to speak to them, but if you are caught out and cannot remember a name - never admit it. Better to slip away, check who they are and then go back and chat to them. Always escape from people by introducing them to others. It's nice to drink a glass of wine, but don't overdo it.

'The same with flirting - just a hint. Eating is not a good idea, what with handshakes, card-passing, drinking and smoking, it is too risky - unless you juggle. Thirty minutes is more than enough at any cocktail party. If you have to go to another one, always put any gifts with the hotel concierge. The next day write a thank-you note. That impresses more than any amount of small talk.' HOW to kiss a killer whale, Ocean Park killer whale trainer and show manager, Gary Wong.

'The kiss we do during the show isn't just a trick, it is a real kiss - about real feelings and love. Hoi Wai and I kiss a lot during training. It is a way of rewarding her for doing something correct and a way of showing her I am her friend.

'I lean over the side of the pool so she can see my face, she swims up and we touch lips for a few seconds. It doesn't hurt. Sometimes she will be in a bad mood and will only allow me to do a quick peck. Other times, if she is in a good mood she can be very affectionate.

'We never use tongues - marine animals are very prone to infection - in any case, although she can be a bit of a flirt, our relationship is purely platonic.' HOW to survive an attack by a python, Canon Sehoza, explorer (first published in The Daily Express, 1937).

'The first thing to remember is not to run away. Pythons can move faster than you. It may be 20 or 30 feet long. The thing to do is to lie flat on your back with your feet together, arms to your sides, head well down. The python will then try to push its head under you, experimenting at every possible point.

'Keep calm: one wriggle and he will get under you, wrap his coils around you and crush you to death. If you remain plastered to the ground, he has no power in his head alone to raise you. After a time the python will probably get tired of this and will probably decide to swallow you without the usual preliminaries.

'He will very likely begin with one of your feet. Keep calm. You must let him swallow your foot. It is quite painless and will take a long time. If you lose your head and struggle, he will quickly whip his coils around you. If you keep calm, he will go on swallowing.

'Wait patiently till he has swallowed up to about your knee. Then, carefully, take out your knife and insert it into the distended side of his mouth and, with a quick rip, slit him up.' HOW to cook perfect rice, Martin Yan, TV star and cook book author.

'Always use long grain rice. Mix a portion of rice with an equal portion of water in the bottom of a heavy saucepan. Don't bother soaking the rice beforehand as you will lose starch and destroy the texture. Put the saucepan on the stove on a high heat. Do not cover the pan. Allow the water to boil until, after a few minutes, the rice is the same level as the water level and appears to bubble.

'Then cover the pan, turn down the heat to the lowest simmer and leave for 20 minutes. The Chinese don't add salt to their rice. If you want extra flavour try adding chicken stock before you put the pan on the stove.

'There is another way of cooking rice that is much easier - buy a rice cooker.' HOW to seduce women. James 'Huggy' Barnes - who he?.

'Seduction is chess. Make each move in response to hers. If you think there is a strategy which will allow you to win every game, then you are thinking of fool's mate, checkmate in four moves, and that is not seduction - that is Joe Bananas on a Wednesday night.

'When making your first move on a girl you don't know never approach her directly. Speak to people around her, let her make the first move. The secret of chatting up a woman is listening. Let her talk and she will think you a dazzling conversationalist.

'Show her you are listening by echoing what she is saying. Never look as if you are making a big effort to impress, that goes for clothes too: don't be flash, be yourself. If you are taking her out for dinner, don't choose anywhere too intimidating or fancy. Intimate is better. Never make a big fuss about paying the bill. If she wants to go dutch let her.

'Women get very difficult if they think you expect to go to bed with them in return for a meal. When getting them back to your apartment avoid pressure. A line I like is: 'You can come back for coffee if you like so long as you don't try anything.' If she intimates that she does not want to, don't push it. Much better to retreat and fight another day. Above all, be confident and be yourself.' HOW to fend off a would-be seducer. Sophie Neilan, artist and single girl.

'Never, never say you are a lesbian. That just excites them. Remember the longer you let someone you don't fancy chat you up the more brutal you are going to have to be getting rid of them. Thus, if you must give him your phone number - make it someone else's. Try 368-9902 - the Leather and Silk Massage Agency. Every sensible single girl should have an answering machine. But if you don't screen calls, and you find yourself talking to Mr Wrong, sound harassed and tell them your mother is staying.

'When wheedling out of dates, the worst excuses are best simply because they sound so made up. Hong Kong versions of 'I'm washing my hair' might be 'I want to listen to Rick O'Shea', 'I want to catch up on the latest Sino-British talks' or 'sorry I'm goingcanvassing for the Liberal Party'.

'When brushing off your boss as he tries to pin you to the bar of Joe Bananas, I recommend slipping away to the phones and paging yourself.' HOW to write a book, Johnny Yip, one of the world's most prolific published authors, currently working on his 300th novel.

'I find it is best to have three or four books on the go at once. Some take a month, others a year. I like to have the whole thing visualised before I write anything and coming up with fresh plots and characters is by far the hardest part of the process.

'My advice to anyone writing a novel is to carry a notebook and pen, write down your ideas the moment you have them or, as more often happens, see something on television, in the newspapers or in conversations that you can adapt and use.

'These days I put all my ideas into a databank so when the inspiration hits me I can just call up all the detail I need on places, plots and character.

'As for the mechanics of writing, I suggest setting aside the same time every day and sticking to it. Once you are at the desk, don't mess around. If you have writer's block, write through it. It is always easier to go back later and change things rather than sit staring at a blank sheet of paper because you can't think of the perfect sentence.' HOW to convert an atheist, the Reverend Ben Wong.

'You cannot convert an atheist by debate, argument or intellectual reason. You both have world views which are irreconcilable. You convert atheists by persuading them to try, one time, to open up their hearts to God. You say: 'Hey, if God doesn't exist youhave nothing to lose so give it one try.' All atheists are lonely, so sooner or later they might give it a try. The biggest advertisement for Christ is Christians.

'I have seen many atheists converted because they have seen changes in people who have found Christ. They have seen people being healed by the spirit and people taking on new leases of life, discovering happiness.

'You can argue about philosophy and science until you are blue in the face, but a converted Christian is an instant testament to the power of Christ.' HOW to turn an actor into a box office hunk, John Woo, award-winning director of action epics.

'Whenever you make a movie, you have to get to know the actor or actress very well, get inside their mind, understand their character and learn what makes them tick. Then you know how they can best perform. It doesn't matter if it's Chow Yun-fatt or SharonStone. In fact, if I was directing Sharon Stone, I'd do it the same way as with Chow: I'd say you're romantic, intelligent, strong, beautiful and you shoot with two guns.' HOW to tail someone, Ken Allan of Fact-finders, the largest and oldest intellectual property company in the world.

'Hong Kong is a notoriously hard place to tail people. Problems arise when the target takes the last seat on a mini-bus, a rare taxi in the rain and uses the MTR at rush hour. It is important therefore to conduct surveillance in close order with at least four, but preferably six, people.

'If the team is small, then use simple disguises: a reversible jacket, a tracksuit which can easily cover other clothes and be removed quickly. The team should be average looking and blend into the background. This is another problem in Hong Kong, you needto be able to follow someone from, say, a Wan Chai market into a five-star hotel so it may be necessary to introduce additional team members who are more smartly dressed.

'One final point - if your target eats at a restaurant, take a table nearby but order simple food and pay in advance. Otherwise any quick exit will leave you with jam on your face.' HOW to keep a secret, Norman McLeod, hair stylist to local society and Margaret Thatcher when visiting.

'If you can, forget the secret. If you can't, remember that the irony of gossip is that no one tells the good stuff to people who can't keep a secret. The more people trust you, the more they will tell you.

'If someone pressures you to reveal something about someone else, deny all knowledge. If you give them even an inkling you know what they want to know, they won't stop questioning you. Remember you can hold a secret forever, but once you give it away, it is lost.' HOW to deal with arrest, solicitor Mike Vidler.

'Produce your ID card or passport, smile and be courteous. If the charge is serious and you are unable to produce a good explanation or corroboration for your story, get a solicitor. When you reach the police station make it clear, without being cocky, that you know your rights and would like your telephone call.

'A solicitor will cost you between $3,000 and $5,000 during the day, perhaps double that at night. When dealing with the police always think of the end penalty for the offence you are charged with.

'Never sign anything just because you want bail. Think long term. Do not attempt to give a full story unless you are absolutely sure of the details and it can be supported with evidence. In interviews be prepared to say nothing or everything. If you chooseto say nothing do not answer any of the questions, even the most mundane. 'You staying in Hong Kong?' Answer, 'no comment'. 'A friend of John's are you?' Answer, 'no comment'. Easy.' HOW to win on the stock exchange, Marc Faber otherwise known as Dr Doom.

'Buy small, sell big - but not too big. Early buyers and early sellers make profits. Late buyers and late sellers run huge risks and often lose money. When foreigners are moving into a market and heavily buying, it is definitely time to get out.

'It is very hard to win on the stock exchange right now. The whole world is looking to Hong Kong, you should be looking some place else. The Hong Kong stock market is in the last stages of mania, profits are sharp, fast and very high risk. It is like 1927 or 1928 in America.

'There is still money to be made, but the crash that is coming will be huge. The short answer to 'how to win on the stock exchange' is - don't try.' HOW to get a taxi at Kai Tak.

'Ignore the taxi queue that snakes out the front of arrivals. Double back and take the escalator to departures. Either approach a taxi which has just dropped someone off or wave to empty cabs as they pass by, doing the 'I'm going under the water' movement with your hand.

'No cabbie wants to queue up with all those other cabs down in arrivals, so it is a win-win situation. You will be picked up within two minutes - and as your cabbie has to go back to Hong Kong Island anyway you might even get out of paying the tunnel toll.' HOW to ride a winner, Hong Kong jockey Tony Cruz.

'The jockey's job is to pilot the horse, push the right buttons, make the luck happen. Most horses have the ability to win a race in their own class, you just have to know how to use their potential to the full.

'I know exactly how I am going to run the race as soon as I get on the horse. A good rider can learn a horse's strengths and weaknesses in that pre-race ride. Everything is down to feel.

'A horse can look like s*** but run very well. Always treat a new horse like a stray dog. Remember they are animals with feelings and personality. If he is nervous, be kind to him, show him some love. It is a big mistake to use the whip too much - it only makes the horse fear racing and sweat to hell before he even gets on the course.

'When I run the race, for the first three quarters I whisper encouraging noises in his ear, 'woo, wooo, wooo' - like that then down the last straight I yell my head off.'