https://www.scmp.com/rss/11221/feed Joyce is a freelance journalist based in Hong Kong. She designs motion graphics and shoots documentaries showcasing Chinese society and culture. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Duojie Caidan, a 13-year-old Tibetan boy, lives among the mountains of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, northwestern China, more than two miles above sea level. Like many generations before, he and his family are nomadic herders. Duojie and his siblings spend their school holidays on a pasture herding yaks. Their days start at 6am, helping to milk the yaks, before they drive them out to graze. It’s fun work to do when school’s out: but Duojie has his own dreams and doesn’t envision being a herdsman... https://www.scmp.com/society/yak-herding-and-growing-zekog-county-chinas-qinghai-tibet-plateau/article/2171223?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/yak-herding-and-growing-zekog-county-chinas-qinghai-tibet-plateau/article/2171223?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Nov 2018 09:45:30 +0000 Illustrations by Joyce Siu In China, food delivery apps are king. During the lunch hour, office lobbies are filled with workers huddled in small groups eating takeout. Food delivery drivers park outside buildings waiting for customers to pick up their orders. The apps took off a few years ago and gradually became part of everyday life in China, so much so that ordering from a restaurant and paying with cash has become passé in big cities, and food delivery drivers are even fetishized. The most... https://www.scmp.com/food/addicted-delivery-beijing/article/3000192?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/food/addicted-delivery-beijing/article/3000192?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Oct 2018 08:16:21 +0000 Illustrations by Joyce Siu In the 1960s, a typical office worker in Beijing might have had lunch with colleagues in the company cafeteria. They were drab places, often housed in the basements of buildings and with limited offerings. But after the market reforms that opened up China’s economy in the 1980s, white-collar workers began leaving their offices for lunch. They were part of the country’s budding private sector and enjoyed more freedom than their counterparts at state-owned... https://www.scmp.com/food/what-beijingers-are-eating-lunch-its-not-all-beijing-food/article/3000182?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/food/what-beijingers-are-eating-lunch-its-not-all-beijing-food/article/3000182?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Oct 2018 03:31:13 +0000 Growing up in Indonesia, singer-producer Nicole Zefanya never imagined it would be possible to have a music career in the United States. “I always had the mindset I wasn’t going to make it because I’m Asian – and no Asians ever make it,” she says. Rich Chigga: the talent spotter who made Indonesian rapper a big name But the impossible happened. Today the 19-year-old, who performs under the name Niki, finds herself living in Los Angeles and serving as the female face of 88rising, the media... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2153847/indonesian-singer-nikis-mission-empower-young-asian-artists-under?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2153847/indonesian-singer-nikis-mission-empower-young-asian-artists-under?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Jul 2018 10:15:59 +0000 China-born singer-songwriter Kris Wu has been signed by Universal Music Group (UMG), becoming the first ethnic Chinese artist to join the prestigious international label. Universal is considered one of the “big three” record labels, along with Sony Music and Warner Music Group, and is also home to the likes of Kanye West, Eminem, and Lady Gaga.  Seven Chinese hip-hop acts who’ve leapt the Great Firewall to make China look cool UMG chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge said: “Kris is an incredibly... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2143298/chinese-rapper-kris-wu-signs-universal-record-label-after-historic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2143298/chinese-rapper-kris-wu-signs-universal-record-label-after-historic?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Apr 2018 10:30:45 +0000 During one notable performance in the US, Bohan Phoenix raps over a simple drum beat when he suddenly switches from English to Mandarin. Surprised looks spread across the faces in the crowd as the rapper, wearing a knowing smile, delivers his lines with a downward drawl, hyping up the crowd. Scenes such as this were common during his live shows in the US, but the 25-year-old Chinese-American rapper named Bohan Leng does not only perform in the States. Last year, he grew tired of travelling... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2139489/chinese-american-rapper-and-hip-hop-star-his-rise-and-why-he-turned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2139489/chinese-american-rapper-and-hip-hop-star-his-rise-and-why-he-turned?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Mar 2018 12:00:00 +0000 About six months after hip-hop fever swept through China, propelled by the huge success of The Rap of China TV competition, authorities banned depictions of hip-hop culture in mainstream media in January 2018 on the grounds that it “encourages immoral behaviour”. The ban has been a setback for the hip-hop artists – within China, they must now navigate their way around the new restrictions, such as by incorporating more positive elements in their lyrics (in accordance with what the Ministry of... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2135393/seven-chinese-hip-hop-acts-whove-leapt-great-firewall-make-china-look?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2135393/seven-chinese-hip-hop-acts-whove-leapt-great-firewall-make-china-look?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Mar 2018 10:01:19 +0000 Editor's note: After the publication of this article, Rich Chigga changed his name to Rich Brian. It’s late at night on Christmas Day 2017 and Yung Takeem, a 22-year-old rapper, is bouncing up and down while he performs at a pop-up show in Hong Kong.  His teenage fans have swarmed to the front of the violin store where the show is taking place, moving in time with the trap beat and shouting out each line of the Cantonese lyrics back at the MC.  Throughout the night, the rapper is approached by... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2131543/hong-kong-rapper-looks-follow-rich-chigga-and-become-international-hip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2131543/hong-kong-rapper-looks-follow-rich-chigga-and-become-international-hip?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Feb 2018 00:34:08 +0000 The hint of make-up, artfully coiffed hair and boyish looks resemble a teen idol. His autograph sessions on the mainland draw thousands of fans, particularly young girls. He's even managed by EE Media - the company behind a crop of singers including Super Girl contest winner Li Yuchun. But Guo Jingming is no pop star. He's one of the mainland's top-selling authors. The 26-year-old is often held up as a voice of the balinghou (post-1980s) generation, along with writers such as Han Han and Guo... https://www.scmp.com/article/687667/its-all-about-me?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/687667/its-all-about-me?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Art spaces are alien territory for Kwong Yam-chun, but this Shek Kip Mei complex is different - it's where she ran her tiny plastic flower business some 30 years ago. 'This used to be our workshop,' the sprightly 76-year-old says as she walks into a design showroom. Pointing down a corridor of the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre - a nine-storey former factory building which housed workshops making clocks, furniture and paper handicrafts - Kwong recalls how it served as a gathering place for the... https://www.scmp.com/article/687378/industrial-strength?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/687378/industrial-strength?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Let the bad times roll' could well serve as a slogan for Belinda Kruger's business. While auction houses and galleries are taking a hit in the global downturn, art leasing companies such as Kruger's are benefiting from the overall belt-tightening as managers rent rather than buy sculptures and paintings to boost their corporate image. A few bold souls have even seized the moment to start leasing services. The managing director of Art-lease.com, which also commissions and sells artworks, Kruger... https://www.scmp.com/article/686197/change-art?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/686197/change-art?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Anyone dreaming of a job as assistant to a show-business figure should think twice - the work isn't all that exciting. In fact, it's more often a dog's life, according a former assistant who has worked for more than 50 artists, from starlets to A-list celebrities. Hence the title of her recently released memoir, I'm an Assistant, Not a Dog, which she has written under the pseudonym Ah Sei (No4) Mama - ah sei being Cantonese slang for dogsbody. 'Many young people want to be a celebrity... https://www.scmp.com/article/684176/my-life-dogsbody?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/684176/my-life-dogsbody?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Nelson Yu Lik-wai looks tired as he settles into a seat in a Yau Ma Tei cafe, readying himself to discuss his new film, Plastic City. It's all the Hong Kong-born Beijing-based filmmaker has talked about for the past three days. While the prospect of further talk may not excite him, images do: his expression brightens when the Post's photographer arrives, and the pair are soon swapping tips on lighting and angles. Yu's enthusiasm for visual arts is hardly surprising. He's one of the foremost... https://www.scmp.com/article/683281/city-angles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/683281/city-angles?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:00:00 +0000 It's curious how enthusiasts come by their obsessions. A vintage postcard of a tram, for instance, triggered surveyor Alan Cheung Shun-kwong's consuming interest in streetcars. 'I was amazed the photo was taken in Central a century ago,' he says. Although it has yellowed with age, Cheung says the image of the city's old-style transport and colonial architecture is a work of art. Drawn by the romance and nostalgia of it all, he started collecting tram memorabilia, buying pieces at auctions and... https://www.scmp.com/article/683136/one-track-minds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/683136/one-track-minds?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Wan Fook-ming glances at the grey sky from the porch of his stilt house in Tai O. Like many of his neighbours along the waterways of this sleepy fishing community of 3,000 on the west coast of Lantau, the 72-year-old has been keeping a close eye on the weather. Wan doesn't want to see any more rain on the Tai O Tuen Ng Waterway Parade. Last year's event was virtually a washout - landslides on Tai O's only road link to the outside world prevented many of the port's city-based relatives from... https://www.scmp.com/article/681661/dragons-tale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/681661/dragons-tale?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2009 16:00:00 +0000 A similar phenomenon has been observed in Hong Kong in recent years with international acts releasing extra tracks for Asian markets. Most such releases are tied in with the artists' Asian tours. British rock band Oasis' exclusive 2009 Asian tour edition of Dig Out Your Soul, for example, includes two bonus tracks: I Believe in All and an alternate version of The Turning. The special edition was first released in Japan, followed by other Asian cities including Hong Kong where the band performed... https://www.scmp.com/article/681313/asia-reaps-bonus-labels-sales-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/681313/asia-reaps-bonus-labels-sales-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Anand Chulani seems ecstatic. Grabbing a chair with one hand, the comedian performs a kung-fu move with the other and seems ready to jump into one of the IFC's decorative pools during a lunchtime photo shoot. 'My energy level is only three out of 10 now,' he says. 'When I'm in workshop, I'm 10.' Chulani's not joking; he's literally full of bounce. At the Kowloon Cricket Club on Saturday the 32-year-old danced, jumped up and down, and played an alien with 50 excited eight- to 12-year-olds in... https://www.scmp.com/article/680955/game-laugh?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/680955/game-laugh?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2009 16:00:00 +0000 As an influential figure in Beijing's alternative music scene, Yan Jun is plugged into a gamut of genres - electronica, metal, punk - but he has little aptitude for performing any of it. 'Music doesn't want me; I can't play any instrument or even count the right beat,' he says, smiling. 'But sounds are generous. They accept me. If you listen to them with your heart, you can make something interesting out of them.' That's why the 36-year-old Lanzhou native has gravitated towards sound... https://www.scmp.com/article/679567/music-his-ears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/679567/music-his-ears?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Fan Ho-hin is having a hard time making up his mind. Presented with a dazzling catalogue of toys, the five-year-old flips back and forth, mulling over his choices before settling on a chess set. Ho-hin and his mother Man Ting are among the crowd gathered outside a toy library at the weekend, eagerly waiting for it to open. The Love Pleasure Community Toy Library has been hugely popular since it opened last year in Prime View estate, Tuen Mun. Man, a housewife, says her son looks forward to... https://www.scmp.com/article/677664/fun-store?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/677664/fun-store?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:00:00 +0000 With 1 million Hongkongers reportedly living amid an incessant urban drone measuring more than 70 decibels every day, the city's 'soundscape' seems comprised solely of drilling, traffic and the clack of mahjong tiles. Not so, says artist Yeung Yang, who believes that if we prick up our ears, there is a realm of less familiar sounds waiting to be discovered. The public will get a chance to explore these sounds over the next few weeks at a mini-festival curated by the 38-year-old. Titled... https://www.scmp.com/article/677558/lets-hear-it-noise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/677558/lets-hear-it-noise?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Rebecca Kuok Sok-i couldn't have timed her documentary any better. Her crew started shooting Gold Rush, a film about the impact of the casino business in Macau, in June - about the time Beijing introduced travel restrictions that choked the flood of mainland high rollers to a trickle. Filming ended in January, as the financial crisis that began in the US spread across the globe. By interviewing croupiers, gambling addicts, residents and social workers, Gold Rush captures Macau's widely envied... https://www.scmp.com/article/675985/busted-flush?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/675985/busted-flush?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Why did you become a fashion designer? My family ran a women's boutique featuring custom-made clothing in Covina, California. Sketching clothes came naturally to me growing up and I saw it as a hobby as a child. When I was about eight, I created my first sketch for a client. At nine, I knew how to hand embroider and sew garments. I also love architecture, so I chose to study it at the University of Washington in Seattle. In my first year I realised I was spending more time drawing dresses,... https://www.scmp.com/article/674521/qa-joanne-cordero-designer-vicente-villarin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/674521/qa-joanne-cordero-designer-vicente-villarin?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:00:00 +0000 The clock is ticking and Sheta Chow's heart is pounding. For someone more used to expressing herself through blogs, presenting her views to a live audience is an adrenaline rush. Chow, a sound engineer, and another six bloggers in different jobs were invited to each give seven-minute presentations last month at a Punch Party - a fast-paced, themed event at which they share experiences. The first such event for Hong Kong included a teacher, a firefighter and an IT entrepreneur, and tackled... https://www.scmp.com/article/673857/power-grids?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/673857/power-grids?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:00:00 +0000 As street vendors in Sham Shui Po pack up for the evening, Ng Wai-tung is just starting on his rounds. The social worker wanders through rain-drenched streets, keeping an eye out for street sleepers. Sometimes Ng hands out blankets and shower gel, but mostly he offers friendly conversation. 'Giving them daily necessities can only ease their problems temporarily. What's more important is to restore their hope and motivation in life,' he says. Ng has been working for the Society for Community... https://www.scmp.com/article/673020/rough-justice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/673020/rough-justice?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Sandy Li Yuen-pik never cared much for sewing. The 26-year-old secretary hadn't picked up a needle and thread since home economics class in school. But that changed two years ago after she spotted a notice for a class on making garments for dogs. A doting pet owner, Li signed up immediately so she could kit out her golden retriever in style. Most clothes stocked at pet shops were too small for her dog, Bobo, she says. 'I've never made clothes for myself. I took the class because of... https://www.scmp.com/article/672014/bow-wow-factor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/672014/bow-wow-factor?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:00:00 +0000 It's a little dark and noisy in the waterfront subway at Tsim Sha Tsui, but that doesn't put off the group of enthusiastic saxophonists. Feet tapping and eyes closed, they immerse themselves in jazz standards. A few businesspeople slow down to listen, curious tourists snap the occasional photo and some elderly passers-by give the group a thumbs-up. Encouraged, the players blow a little harder, but they don't stay long. Street musicians must adopt guerilla tactics so the seven men never... https://www.scmp.com/article/670355/second-wind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/670355/second-wind?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:00:00 +0000 When the going gets tough, job seekers look to ... the civil service. Floods of applicants for vacancies ranging from humble clerical assistants to the elite corps of administrative officers have spawned a variety of courses targeting candidates anxious to do well in recruitment tests. Physics graduate Carlos Cheong, for one, forked out HK$8,580 for two courses offered by the Lingnan Institute of Further Education (Life). The first prepares participants for the Common Recruitment Examination,... https://www.scmp.com/article/669707/yes-please-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/669707/yes-please-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Yentle Tong Ying-tung surveys stall 289 at the Lunar New Year Fair and smiles. Recession might have dampened retail sales in neighbouring Causeway Bay, but the six-day annual fair in Victoria Park has always drawn crowds and the 25-year-old art administrator sees a business opportunity in her 3-metre by 1.5-metre space. Over 40 years the fair has expanded from a market for festive flowers and trees to a seasonal splurge on feel-good, family bonding holiday items such as cuddly toys and... https://www.scmp.com/article/667936/bull-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/667936/bull-market?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong people love to travel. And just because times are tough economically, they still can't shake the travel bug. More than 369,000 upped sticks on Christmas Eve for the long weekend, and travel agents expect a similar exodus over the five-day Lunar New Year break. Many locals will spend less this year on holidays, but experienced travellers know it's still possible to have fun on a budget. Self-drive holidays on the mainland are one option gaining popularity. Entrepreneur Liu... https://www.scmp.com/article/667617/escape-artists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/667617/escape-artists?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong's urban jungle may seem an unlikely setting for fairy tales, but for one picture-book author it's an ideal backdrop against which to encourage children to read. Foon Foon the Owl's Umbrella, by Alex Ho Tat-hing, a lecturer in multimedia design at Polytechnic University, tells the story of an owl stuck at a bus stop by a heavy downpour who generously shares her brolly with other animals taking shelter from the rain. 'It's a fairy tale with a Hong Kong setting,' Ho says. Ho, who... https://www.scmp.com/article/666081/drawn-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/666081/drawn-city?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Call me Hung. Hung Mali Mali Hom,' says Fung Hung as he whips out a bunch of flowers from an empty bag. Fung's sleight of hand may not be as slick as a professional conjuror's, but it's pretty smooth for an 80-year-old. The sprightly performer is part of a troupe of volunteer clowns. Formed by a Po Leung Kuk senior citizens' centre in Tseung Kwan O, they are out to show that the elderly can lead active lives and contribute to society. In the process, Fung discovered a trait he never realised... https://www.scmp.com/article/664840/laughter-lines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/664840/laughter-lines?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:00:00 +0000 There's no decor to speak of, service can be brusque and they'll never get a Michelin star. But stalls serving cheap and tasty street food continue to pull in the customers even as smart restaurants are shivering amid the economic chill. Such humble operations may well prove immune to the slowdown. The Tai On Building in Sai Wan Ho is a case in point. Its ground floor shops - a maze of stalls offering everything from curry fish balls to stuffed tofu and noodles - are a long-time haunt for... https://www.scmp.com/article/664009/frying-high?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/664009/frying-high?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Eric Leung Kam-hung loves his food but he baulked when waiters at a Zhongshan restaurant presented his tour group with a platter of roast pigeon during a recent trip to Guangdong. 'I can't eat them. They are my friends,' he says. Leung isn't just a bird lover; he runs Kok Chai Bird Shop in Kwun Tong - the only supplier of racing pigeons in Hong Kong. Although tucked away in a small lane, its presence is unmistakable from the soft cooing of pigeons and chirping of Oriental white-eyes, ... https://www.scmp.com/article/662393/coo-road?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/662393/coo-road?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Bartender Zheng Wen has mixed many cocktails for her customers, but none for herself. 'I'm allergic to alcohol,' says the 21-year-old Beijinger, sipping a glass of water. Such abstinence might seem ironic in her business but Zheng says she gets flushed with the smallest nip of alcohol. 'Bar owners like me because I stay sober,' says Zheng, who is in Hong Kong to show off her bartending skills tonight and tomorrow night at Elements' Civic Square, in West Kowloon. 'You don't need to gulp down... https://www.scmp.com/article/660942/glass-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/660942/glass-act?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:00:00 +0000 When Simon Cheung Kwong-yik plays his pipa on Sunday afternoons, he forgets about the past week's number crunching and soon settles into practice with the Yao Yueh Chinese Music Association orchestra. 'I like the graceful sound of the pipa. It's a respite from my daily bustle,' says the softly spoken 42-year-old finance manager, who has been a member of the 60-member amateur orchestra for 25 years. The orchestra was founded in 1974 by a group of music-loving students from the Diocesan... https://www.scmp.com/article/660725/banded-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/660725/banded-together?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:00:00 +0000 It's mid-morning at Yu Chui market, normally a lively time for stall owners. Yet there's a sense of despondency at the indoor wet market at Yu Chui Court, a Home Ownership Scheme estate in Sha Tin, where Yeung Siu-ping runs a stall selling chilled chicken. The 55-year-old used to supply live chickens but switched to selling dressed poultry several years ago when bird flu outbreaks threatened her business. However, Yeung now faces a different threat: a dramatic increase in rent. The lease on... https://www.scmp.com/article/659967/bare-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/659967/bare-market?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Enticed by the promise of a free concert, Shek Kip Mei resident Tang Loi expected to see Cantonese opera classics at the recently opened Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre. Instead, she was treated to a piece of contemporary theatre combining dance, mime and masks. 'I hadn't seen this kind of show before, but I liked it because their movement was very lively,' says the sprightly 90-year-old. Titled Love Life Death, the performance by All Theatre Art Association (ATAA) is part of a community... https://www.scmp.com/article/657951/arts-and-minds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/657951/arts-and-minds?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000 There's a dizzying slide from playing for pocket money at neighbours' mahjong tables to owing millions to casinos. For housewife Sarah Ng (not her real name), it began 20 years ago when friends cajoled her into going to Macau to make a change from the usual gossip over the clatter of mahjong tiles. A HK$20,000 win from her first bet of HK$500 at the Jai Alai Casino had Ng hooked. Thrilled, she began frequenting Macau's gambling spots with her friends, initially at the weekends and then every... https://www.scmp.com/article/657016/luck-beats-lady?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/657016/luck-beats-lady?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000 No playing ball, no sitting on the grass and no walking the dog, leashed or not. The long list of prohibited activities in the city's public parks astonished David Biddlecombe when he moved to Hong Kong 12 years ago, and little has changed since. If anything, park controls are becoming more oppressive. Biddlecombe, who runs an educational curriculum development company, says many people - locals and expatriates - share his feelings. 'They think the parks are not for them. Why go to... https://www.scmp.com/article/655555/seeing-red?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/655555/seeing-red?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Would you like tea, coffee or yin-yang? Mooncakes or sandwiches?' asks Maria Lee Tseng Chiu-kwan. Dressed in a floral-print linen top, the founder of Maria's Bakery chain is an elegant figure in her spacious Tai Hang flat. The sprightly 80-year-old has always enjoyed having friends round to sample her cooking and in recent months her dining room has served as the canteen for a group of actors who are about to present the story of her roller-coaster life on stage. Aptly named Bitter Sweet, the... https://www.scmp.com/article/652915/flour-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/652915/flour-power?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Ng Fan has undertaken many challenging projects in his 14 years in advertising and graphic design. Few, however, were as refreshing and meaningful as the one he took on last month: he and six other designers were partnered with a man suffering from a genetic ailment that causes stiff joints and were asked to develop, within two days, an item that would make his life easier. The team's invention - a pair of chopstick-like rods that serve as a computer mouse - was voted best design concept in... https://www.scmp.com/article/652189/dream-team?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/652189/dream-team?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Civil engineers sometimes have to get their hands dirty, but Zinc Lam Chi-sing never imagined having to rummage through trash thrown out by local watering holes at the end of the night. It wasn't that Lam had fallen on hard times - he was scouring for supplies for his start-up venture. 'I can still remember the smell of beer mixed with cigarette butts,' says Lam, recalling his labours three years ago. That was when the 29-year-old Polytechnic University graduate set up his recycling venture,... https://www.scmp.com/article/652016/dash-trash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/652016/dash-trash?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Candise Chan Yee-wah is an unlikely activist, but the relentless rise of Hong Kong's concrete blocks turned the mild-mannered housewife from North Point into a campaigner. 'You either suffer or speak up,' she says. Chan's transformation began when she learned of two proposed projects near her home: a pair of 41-storey residential blocks by Henderson Land Development and an even taller hotel next door by Cheung Kong (Holdings). A neighbour had spotted application notices put up at the... https://www.scmp.com/article/650355/wall-resistance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/650355/wall-resistance?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Most would agree: Hong Kong is stony ground for music-making. With the scene dominated by karaoke lounges and bland pop, it's not surprising there are few places where you can enjoy that special thrill of a heartfelt, live performance of original music. However, a few music lovers are trying to change the culture of passivity by providing venues for aspiring and established performers to showcase their material. Among the latest and most prominent is The Backstage, a restaurant initiated by... https://www.scmp.com/article/648784/live-and-kicking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/648784/live-and-kicking?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Dave Chow Wai-sun and his friends create underwater wonderlands. Artfully laying out driftwood, textured stones and water plants, they construct atmospheric aquascapes in their tanks. Many enthusiasts start out raising fish but it would be inaccurate to describe their aquariums, which often lack any, as the products of failed fish fanciers. 'Designing a planted aquarium is like painting,' says Chow, a graphic designer. 'The tank is my canvas, while the plants, wood, stones and fish are the... https://www.scmp.com/article/648054/tanks-memories?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/648054/tanks-memories?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Martin Lau Wai-ching is grinning with delight after the first full rehearsal of Zaia, the resident Cirque du Soleil production opening at the Venetian Macau at the end of the month. It's an 'eye-opening experience' to see months of hard work come together, says Lau, a senior technician in the show's automation department. He's among a number of Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (APA) alumni benefiting from Macau's flourishing entertainment scene. The former Portuguese enclave has largely... https://www.scmp.com/article/647430/trip-light-fantastic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/647430/trip-light-fantastic?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Just a few decades ago Hong Kong was known for its popular Chinese literature. Among the most celebrated writers were a trio dubbed the 'Three Miracles': Louis Cha Leung-yung for his tales of kung fu chivalry, Ni Kuang for his sci-fi and adventure stories, and his sister Ni Yishu, for her romantic fiction. Their works continue to be top-sellers in Taiwan, on the mainland and in Chinese communities worldwide, and are often among the 20 most frequently-borrowed books at local libraries. But... https://www.scmp.com/article/644829/do-your-shelf-favour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/644829/do-your-shelf-favour?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:00:00 +0000 One man's trash is another man's treasure, they say, and that evidently holds true for artist Denise Chen Hui-lien. The scrap paper and packing foam she scrounges from dump sites near her studio in Chai Wan often wind up in her mixed-media creations. Among Chen's recent efforts is a lamp assembled from waste cardboard and wire that's both simple and stylish. 'I don't want the piece to look recycled even if it is made from cast-offs,' Chen says. 'It should look good and be functional so people... https://www.scmp.com/article/644045/cast-offs-good-glow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/644045/cast-offs-good-glow?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Robert Christianson hasn't missed an Olympic Games in 32 years. The 64-year-old former insurance executive loves the competition, camaraderie and spectacle, but he also has a deep passion for Olympics memorabilia. From the sidelines of eight successive summer and nine winter Games, Christianson has collected sackfuls of pins, coins, medals, mascots, torches - anything bearing the five Olympic rings. His 2,000 sq ft apartment in Palm Harbour, Florida, is now so packed that he might have to look... https://www.scmp.com/article/643117/games-keeper?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/643117/games-keeper?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong's infrastructure is said to be world-class, but to handicapped people such as Twinkie Chau Oi-fan, the city is a daily obstacle course of swing doors, turnstiles and steps. Now, however, she and other members of the disabled community are helping themselves to get around facilities where their needs have been ignored. Chau is one of four researchers acting as so-called pathfinders for the handicapped at People of Fortitude, a mutual help group for the disabled. They're putting... https://www.scmp.com/article/642137/forbidding-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/642137/forbidding-city?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:00:00 +0000