If there was any silver lining in the cloud hanging over the Hong Kong Stadium saga, it would be that we finally had a top government official apologise for a setback right in front of the cameras. But for Tsang Tak-sing, secretary for home affairs, "sorry" was in all probability not quite the hardest word to say, compared with the challenge of offering a solution for the deplorable state of the stadium's pitch. A government insider said Tsang's apology, made after Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's unannounced trip to the stadium on Monday, was not part of the game plan. "Tsang knows very well that the pitch is an old problem, but his boss was apparently furious after the visit. That left Tsang with no choice but to issue a public apology on the same day," the source said. Looking back, the "killer pitch" comment by Sunderland manager Paolo DiCanio was made last Friday, but it was not until Monday that a top official issued a response to the remark. What happened to the "Hong Kong speed" Leung advocates?
A seat in the Legislative Council may seem like the dream job for many, but not for former veteran lawmaker Cheung Man-kwong. From visiting Manchester United in Britain to Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar, from touring Thailand to South Korea, the former Democratic Party legislator has been globetrotting since last summer, when he left the place he had served in for more than 20 years. His next destination, Cheung says, is Mongolia - a less popular tourist spot than Inner Mongolia , which lies within China's territory. "People like me, who lack a home return permit, are like the disabled; there are always places we're barred from going," he said. "I couldn't even book a flight to outer Mongolia that transits in Beijing … There are fewer choices." The travel hiccups notwithstanding, Cheung said he enjoyed his new endeavours far more than his hectic and messy life in Legco.