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Ben Kwok

mamasans in the red for the changing of the guard

Just when the 20-year-old China City Night Club announced it would close next Friday, with 20 mamasans facing unemployment, a New York-style nightclub is to open on Thursday on the other side of the harbour.

Sylvio Wang, who founded the once-popular disco bar Manhattan, is to launch Tribeca at the same premises in the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel. Named after the famous former meatpacking district-turned-nightlife zone in New York that rose to fame after Robert De Niro opened a restaurant there, Tribeca hopes to enliven the club scene in Hong Kong.

The 25-year nightclub veteran has brought in Carl Jaeger to help, the guy who created spots such as Bungalow 8, which featured on 'Sex and the City'. The New Yorker said his mission was 'not to just produce another 'chichi' club but an experience to be remembered.' Lai See can only imagine. It is named after a place that had a meat market, after all.

Saint nicholas

or old nick?

Apologies to all our readers, who missed the picture of the day (because we had insufficient space to run it yesterday). HSBC's festive offering: Santa or Satan? The Christmas lights are on, have a devilish season.

activist gets things into proportion

Hong Kong's corporate crusader has turned political activist. In the run up to the December 4 March, the fastidious David Webb has found a loophole in the proposed constitutional proposal and is threatening a judicial review against the government.

His finding: the government proposed to increase the number of legislators to 70 from 60 but they also proposed to maintain the existing non-Chinese nationality legislators at 12. That however contradicts the Basic Law which states that the proportion of non-Chinese members shall not exceed 20 per cent, which means 14 as the floor limit. So in the interests of other non-Chinese permanent residents with the right of abode, Mr Webb may bring a judicial review.

As with other democracy protests, don't be surprised to see Mr Webb. He'll be the one holding the placard '20 per cent of 70 is not 12.' The government may come to regret not doing its math on this one.

analyse this contribution

So just how good a life can you have as a top analyst? Look at the example of Eric Gan Fock-kin, former telecom analyst at Goldman Sachs (Japan) between 1993 and 1999. He has just joined SmarTone Telecommunications as an independent non-executive director.

Mr Gan, 42, founded eAccess in Japan five years ago and now is its chief financial officer. His company's subsidiary, eMobile, recently won a national mobile network licence in Japan where Hong Kong-listed ABC Communications is a minority shareholder with a 1.54 per cent stake (for $32 million) as disclosed yesterday.

SmarTone will pay Mr Gan  $200,000 for his contributions. Sounds pretty good to Lai See.

nice work if you can get it

Savio Tung Wai-kok has joined BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) as an independent non-executive director. Mr Tung is a founding partner and managing director of Investcorp, a US financial adviser firm. He has served on boards in his portfolio such as Circle K and Saks Fifth Avenue and is currently a board member of Vaultus, Wireless Telecom Group and Viewlocity. Mr Tung  was awarded  $350,000 as a director's fee for a three-year appointment.

do they know it's christmas?

Christmas is coming and already Operation Santa Claus has raised  $102,000 by auctioning five gifts and experiences.

Lai See can report the biggest donor is Lan Kwai Fong landlord Allan Zeman, who won a Dancing Shouting James Brown doll - signed by James Brown. He also took home a photo of the Rat Pack: Frank Sinatra, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, Sammy  Davis Jr and Dean Martin in front of the Sands Hotel with their signatures and he's giving that one to his friend Steve Wynn as Christmas gift.



Lai See