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SCMP Reporter

CHEUNG Chau may be famed for its piratical past but more recently the island has become a favourite retreat for pairs of young weekenders who rent holiday cottages to get to know one another much, much better.

   The holiday rental market is said to be at its strongest during school holidays.

   News now reaches us which suggests either the island has reached saturation point as far as weekenders go, or young Hong Kong is losing all control.

   Our sources say that police interrupted a touching scene on the sun-deck of the ferry that plies the route between Cheung Chau and Central.

   However, a spokesman for the Police Public Relations Bureau says the case is being treated as an indecent exposure by the man, 25, who was arrested along with his lady-friend, 18.

   The spokesman said two uniformed officers were alerted to the incident, went down to Cheung Chau ferry pier and found the man and woman on the sun-deck at about 8.10am on Sunday.

   ''Legally, only the man was involved in the indecent exposure,'' a police spokesman said.

   ''He exposed his lower part, but it's hard to say who was his target. There was some act and we are still investigating it.

   ''We are seeking legal advice because we have to see whether the female should be involved in the prosecution.''    Residents of Cheung Chau will not be surprised. They reckon the island should be declared an erogenous zone.

    Loo-minary  WE were simply flooded with calls yesterday after our item on the forthcoming public toilet seminar.

   Several people wanted us to know that Urban Council chairman Ronald Leung Ding-bong's knowledge of policy aspects on public toilets is no mystery.

   ''Dr Leung is known as Dr Toilet,'' one reader assured us.

   And sure enough, he has been an energetic and committed campaigner for better toilets.

   The Urban Council actually ran a big competition for a new toilet design and has been updating existing toilets at a rate of 14 a year.

   This sounds quite impressive, but means it will take 30 years to complete the upgrade programme.

   The doctor apparently prefers the Asian squatting-method loos to the Western sitters because they are easier to clean.

   Last year, he said the council intended to replace most of the Imperialist Western loos with the Asian style - a sort of lavatorial localisation.

   Another reader complained about the unpleasant condition of the ladies' loos next to Beaconsfield House in Central, but said she had found a way around the problem.

   ''I always pop into the Mandarin Hotel - the loos there are very superior and no one has ever asked me if I'm a guest.

   ''I've probably spoiled all that now, haven't I?'' said the lady, who did not leave her name.

    Listless THE cancellation of the flotation of India's state-owned telecom company VSNL yesterday looks like very bad news indeed for emerging markets, which may have to be renamed vanishing markets.

   At least one person out there in brokerland was still able to force a smile.

   ''VSNL used to stand for 'Very Sorry, No Lines','' he said.

   ''Now, it stands for 'Very Sorry, No Listing'.''       Imp-practical  SOMEWHERE in Singapore, there's a red-faced copywriter responsible for the wee gem above.

   The copy underneath is just as good. It explains how parents can use Changi airport's shops and playroom to ''bribe into compliance'' children who have turned into ''imps of impatience'' after hours on a long-haul flight, but ''only if they behave on the flight''.

   We called Batey Ads and spoke to Andrew Crombie, who confirmed that his agency was responsible.

   Strangely, he refused to say anything else. Must have seemed like a great idea at the time.

     Sachsism  THE City of London is all a'flutter following the firing/sudden resignation of a bunch of Goldman Sachs bankers for sexual harassment.

   The chaps were approached by a Goldman secretary who asked for some advice on furthering her career, and the little wags were full of ideas - ideas to which the secretary took exception.

   The newspapers went into action at top speed and most of them had a piece on City sexism the next day.

   ''Is sexism prevalent in broking?'' one reporter asked a barrow boy, sorry, highly skilled professional market expert.

   ''There's a lot of banter,'' he conceded. ''If someone asks you about the size of your position in the market, you might say: 'Do you want me to lift my skirt and show you the lot?' ''     Close secret  DESIGN 2000, the furniture chain, is closing part of its Ocean Centre store for redecoration, but no one is supposed to know, so forget that bit.

   We know because Godric Peters of Sha Tin was sent a letter marked ''Personal and Confidential'' telling him all about it.

   Godric was told because he is Design 2000's ''most valued customer''.

   This is strange, because he has no recollection of ever entering a Design 2000 shop in 20 years of residence in Hong Kong.

   The company must have confused him with another Godric Peters.

   The only other explanation is that it's another sneaky trick to get people to waste their time opening unwanted mail.



Passions run high on slow boat to Cheung Chau