https://www.scmp.com/rss/1173/feed Anna is a business writer. During her 20-year Hong Kong career, she’s written everything from stock market reports and luxury goods sector analysis to speeches for the HKSAR Chief Executive and served as president of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club for two years. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Discovering his first online sex portal changed Gary’s life instantly. “It was like zero to a hundred miles an hour in a heartbeat,” recalls the 39- year-old expatriate British surveyor. “All of a sudden I could go down all these different avenues of pornography [and see] different types of girls.” Sex addiction on the rise due to hook-up apps, therapist says Gary (not his real name) remembers how he felt when he discovered this new world of sexual imagery. “My heart was nearly coming out of my... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2155500/addiction-phones-social-media-cybersex-online-shopping-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2155500/addiction-phones-social-media-cybersex-online-shopping-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Jul 2018 12:15:45 +0000 Legendary war journalist and ­author Clare Hollingworth, who broke the news of the outbreak of the second world war, died last night at her home in Central. She was 105. The British-born reporter with the title “doyenne of war correspondents” was found to have stopped breathing at 7.40pm by a domestic helper at her flat on ­Glenealy, Central. Her great nephew Patrick ­Garrett was then alerted. She was taken to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai, but was found to be dead on arrival, ­according to her... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2060970/veteran-british-war-correspondent-clare-hollingworth-dies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2060970/veteran-british-war-correspondent-clare-hollingworth-dies?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jan 2017 15:00:30 +0000 Many of the people who live in or visit verdant Lantau, Hong Kong's biggest island, love seeing its feral cattle roaming and foraging freely. Tourists pat and photograph the cows, which are used to cohabiting with humans. So it’s no surprise that a proposal to deport Mui Wo’s cows and water buffalo to remote Tai A Chau in the Soko Islands, which lacks fresh water to support even a human population, has outraged fans of the island’s bovines. The Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2010559/south-lantaus-feral-cattle-may-be-evicted-amid-talk-big-development-plans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2010559/south-lantaus-feral-cattle-may-be-evicted-amid-talk-big-development-plans?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Aug 2016 21:45:00 +0000 Police have confirmed that a body found washed up on rocks off south Lantau at 11am yesterday was that of retired High Court judge John Rhind, who went missing on Tuesday. After a comprehensive air, land and sea search by marine and Lantau South police, the body was spotted on remote rocks on a headland near Shui Hau. Police said recovering it may take several hours as the water there is too shallow for the marine launch and the area is difficult to access on foot. “Where it is, it will take... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1920250/hong-kong-police-find-body-former-high-court-judge-rocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1920250/hong-kong-police-find-body-former-high-court-judge-rocks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Mar 2016 10:58:39 +0000 Police have confirmed that the body found washed up on rocks off South Lantau at 11am on Thursday was that of retired High Court judge John Rhind, who went missing on Tuesday. After a comprehensive air, land and sea search by marine and Lantau South police, the body was spotted on remote rocks on a headland near Shui Hau. Police later recovered the body, although it took some time as the water there was too shallow for the marine launch and the area was difficult to access on foot. “Where it... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1919624/retired-hong-kong-judge-found-dead-rocks-south-lantau?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1919624/retired-hong-kong-judge-found-dead-rocks-south-lantau?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Mar 2016 03:45:15 +0000 Waiting nervously to be tested for HIV and other diseases was the last thing Mike - not his real name - expected to be doing at nine o'clock on a hot Monday morning in July. The undercover police officer had been bitten on the upper arm by Gilbert Muasa, a 23-year-old Kenyan drug dealer who had resisted arrest after being caught selling cocaine late at night on Hollywood Road, in Central. As a matter of precaution, Mike underwent a blood test. Muasa bit a second undercover officer before being... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1883520/why-hong-kong-nightlife-hubs-african-drug-dealers-do-what?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1883520/why-hong-kong-nightlife-hubs-african-drug-dealers-do-what?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Nov 2015 15:00:00 +0000 Anyone looking for blue skies and sunshine in Hong Kong's property market could be disappointed. It's hard to find an analyst who can put a positive spin on prospects for next year, with predictions of price dips of at least 5 per cent in 2015. Some, such as Barclays property specialist Paul Louie, have forecast a plunge of as much as 30 per cent. After four years of steady increases which have now slowed, analysts see a severe correction looming, as the combination of a surge in new supply, the... https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-kong-china/article/1645542/hong-kongs-housing-market-facing-slump-2015?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-kong-china/article/1645542/hong-kongs-housing-market-facing-slump-2015?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2014 20:00:45 +0000 Some would see a 52-hour train journey as bliss, others as a short prison term. Even the most rail-averse, however, might be tempted by the thought of being gently swayed to sleep like a big baby in a huge pram; by gourmet meals served in phone-free peace in a 1911 dining car, washed down with unlimited local wine. A friend told me South Africa's Rovos Rail (www.rovos.com) was like "a gentleman's club on rails with a glass of champagne round every corner". I couldn't wait to flop into a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1616130/moving-experience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1616130/moving-experience?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Oct 2014 14:45:30 +0000 The HK URBEX "urban explorers" who climbed aboard the Sunrise Orient to produce a cheeky YouTube video made larking about on a shipwreck look like fun, but dealing with a large, stricken, cargo-laden vessel is anything but child's play. The 90-metre, Vietnamese-owned vessel came to grief off Cheung Chau island on February 21. Many of the 17-strong Vietnamese crew had worked on board since she was built, in 2011, but when the vessel started to list at an angle of 45 degrees, they abandoned ship... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1599401/and-away?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1599401/and-away?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2014 01:15:45 +0000 Two years ago Harry Banga stepped down as co-founder of Noble Group, one of Asia's biggest business success stories. "The time comes in everyone's life; it's been 32 years of hard work and no weekends and no holidays," he said then. "After 60, I don't want to be on that treadmill. "Our baby is now an adult. It's time to start letting go." But Banga now admits letting go was harder than he thought. Fast-forward to last month. Now we're sitting on a whole floor of Central Plaza, the 78-storey... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/money/article/1461760/back-banga?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/money/article/1461760/back-banga?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Apr 2014 14:28:45 +0000 Shazad Rangzeb had everything to live for. He dreamed of being a policeman and had applied to join the Hong Kong Police Force. He believed passionately that he had a mission, a calling to promote harmony between Hong Kong's Muslims and the wider society. On the afternoon of Sunday, November 10, those dreams were swept away in the rough sea off Lantau's Lower Cheung Sha Beach. The son of immigrants from Mirpur, near Islamabad, in Pakistan, Shazad proved that a member of an ethnic minority in Hong... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1458394/future-denied?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1458394/future-denied?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Mar 2014 14:12:08 +0000 At last, a man with a mission and a breath of fresh air after all those cliched charity balls. We’re talking about Mission Possible, a fund raiser that’s fun, with zero expenses and every cent spent going to the charities. With only four weeks to go until the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens (March 28 to 30), there’s still time to dig deep in your pockets. Last year retired financier Peter Bennett amazed everyone by raising HK$2.8 million for local charities with a box he persuaded the Hong Kong Rugby... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1439935/get-behind-mission-possible-and-beat-last-years-sevens-triumph?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1439935/get-behind-mission-possible-and-beat-last-years-sevens-triumph?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Mar 2014 01:41:02 +0000 It’s worked in Los Angeles, London, New York and Amsterdam but it will be interesting to see how Hyatt’s Andaz concept goes down in Tokyo. Most global hotels still stick to: guest arrives, bellboy takes bags, guest checks in at reception desk, gets key, goes to room and is reunited with bags. Then six years ago Hyatt launched their Andaz brand and broke that mould. Twelve properties later, Andaz is going strong, with the newest, Andaz Tokyo, opening this summer. Bali and Munich will be... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1436166/wealth-blog-will-hyatts-service-revolution-work-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1436166/wealth-blog-will-hyatts-service-revolution-work-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Feb 2014 03:15:08 +0000 Meet Boris the Chair Passing the newly-opened BoConcept – “Urban Danish Design since 1952” – on Hollywood Road, I was struck by how dramatic and well, big, the furniture was. Their catalogue is full of huge open plan European-style loft spaces, which show the striking Viking designs at their best. But does this type of thing work in Hong Kong? The clientele on a busy Saturday afternoon consisted of several admiring tourists, like me, a couple of overseas Chinese families looking to decorate... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1435533/wealth-blog-whats-hot-right-now-interior-design?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1435533/wealth-blog-whats-hot-right-now-interior-design?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Feb 2014 03:51:55 +0000 It started a while ago at the beautician section of the hairdressers, previously a male-free zone. Now you see men nonchalantly having manicures and heading off down the corridor for facials. Some look a bit sheepish, but most sit having their nails buffed as if they’ve been doing it all their lives. Some guys are there for “a bit of waxing” I’m told, nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Well now it’s official. Sales of cosmetics and skincare for men in Asia -- sorry, “male grooming products” -- are... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1434760/end-soap-dodging?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1434760/end-soap-dodging?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Feb 2014 03:16:06 +0000 The latest China rich list, China’s Tycoons, published by Week in China, names 125 mainland billionaires. Included are many older magnates who made their money in well-worn sectors like textiles and construction. Much more interesting are the younger entrepreneurs. Here are three of the most inspiring, relatively youthful businessmen and women who have made their fortunes in very competitive and different areas. Their stories highlight that success is only limited by imagination and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1432796/chinas-new-billionaire-entrepreneurs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1432796/chinas-new-billionaire-entrepreneurs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Feb 2014 13:30:30 +0000 The Triple Package, What Really Determines Success has caused a publishing furore in America. Chinese-American Tiger Mother Amy Chua and her Jewish husband Jed Rubenfeld investigated why certain cultural and ethnic groups in the US are more successful than others. Both authors are law professors at Yale. It’s all very politically correct, but when they say Asian-Americans it usually means those of Chinese origin. This group does spectacularly well, making up about 5 per cent of the US... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1430465/tiger-mums-triple-formula-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1430465/tiger-mums-triple-formula-success?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Feb 2014 12:01:39 +0000 Today's (Thursday Feb 13) memorial service for society jewellery designer and philanthropist Sandra D'Auriol is set to be one of the most memorable and spectacular ever held in Central's St John's Cathedral. No one knows how many of her vast circle of friends will turn up, but scores are known to be flying in from Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore for the 6pm service and gathering afterwards at The China Club. Rumours abound about the decorations, with the cathedral anticipating a dramatic... https://www.scmp.com/article/1426934/sandra-dauriol-expect-memorable-memorial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1426934/sandra-dauriol-expect-memorable-memorial?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2014 01:11:40 +0000 Thursday's memorial service for society jewellery designer and philanthropist Sandra D'Auriol is set to be one of the most memorable and spectacular ever held in Central's St John's Cathedral. No one knows how many of her vast circle of friends will turn up, but scores are known to be flying in from Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore for the 6pm service and gathering afterwards at The China Club. Rumours abound about the decorations, with the cathedral anticipating a dramatic display, with... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1426933/sandra-dauriol-expect-memorable-memorial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1426933/sandra-dauriol-expect-memorable-memorial?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2014 01:10:19 +0000 I remember getting flak from friends when a Hong Kong newbie asked about hiring a domestic helper. I advised, when interviewing candidates, to ask: do you have your passport? And ask to see it. If the answer is no, next question is, where is it? This is because many helpers are in debt and have pawned their passports to loan sharks. The Philippines Consulate will usually replace a maximum of two “lost” passports only, so this can present a problem if a helper is without a travel document. Also,... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1425981/help-your-helper-avoid-financial-misery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1425981/help-your-helper-avoid-financial-misery?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Feb 2014 07:55:34 +0000 Vanity Fair’s 12-page investigation into the life and times of Rupert Murdoch, 82, and his third wife Wendi Deng, 45, is finally out. It’s a rip-roaring read, with allegations veering from schoolgirl crushes to adultery to bullying behaviour towards staff and what Americans call ”elder abuse.” Never mind unbelievable bad taste. It’s a good old-fashioned hatchet job of the kind Murdoch usually rewards his own reporters richly for. He’s probably not so delighted when the subject is him and his... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1424560/wendi-dengs-breath-taking-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1424560/wendi-dengs-breath-taking-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Feb 2014 10:41:42 +0000 Today I received a breathless letter to parents from the headmaster of my daughter’s school in England. You will all have read about NekNominate, a social media driven drinking trend, he gasps. Well, yes, it apparently started in Australia as a Facebook drinking game where you video yourself swallowing vast amounts of strong drink or disgusting mixtures of drinks for the entertainment of your online friends. You then “neknominate” said friends – ie dare them – to drink something even more vile.... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1422045/neknomination-should-parents-be-worried?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1422045/neknomination-should-parents-be-worried?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Feb 2014 08:17:29 +0000 Whoever ultimately succeeds Bernie Ecclestone in Formula One is going to have his work cut out. Figures released last week in the annual “F1 Global Media Report”, published by the sports commercial rights holders, showed the global television audience in 2013 dropped by 10 per cent, with 50 million viewers choosing to switch off. Significantly, the biggest drop was in China where just 19 million viewers tuned in, a drop of 30 million compared to 2012. The close to US$ 200 million per year it... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1421902/china-turns-formula-one?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1421902/china-turns-formula-one?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Feb 2014 04:30:00 +0000 Oh the irony. I learn that mainland Chinese tourists flock to Dublin’s poshest department store Brown Thomas, because they now have 12 in-store terminals that accept China UnionPay cards. “Very few businesses in Ireland hold these machines,”  the department store’s general manager told Dublin’s evening Herald newspaper. Hong Kong people know this only too well, after HSBC switched to these UnionPay cards last year. How hilarious that those smart chaps at Brown Thomas have been cute enough to... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1420672/ireland-goes-extra-mile-chinese-visitors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1420672/ireland-goes-extra-mile-chinese-visitors?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Feb 2014 07:56:12 +0000 After a grim few years of economic gloom, Ireland’s thoroughbred horse breeders are looking forward to bright Year of the Horse. My friends back home tell me forget France and red wine - lots of rich Chinese are coming to visit studs and other bloodstock breeding grounds in Ireland.   Coolmore partnership Indeed, Ireland’s famous Coolmore Stud has joined forces with the China Horse Club and last year spent almost US$4 million (HK$31 million) on two blue-blooded colts, sired by Fastnet Rock, at... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1417511/chinas-bloodstock-industry-set-year-horse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1417511/chinas-bloodstock-industry-set-year-horse?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jan 2014 10:04:06 +0000 The Hurun Report surveyed 393 Mainland Chinese ‘millionaires’, defined as individuals with a personal wealth of RMB10 million (HK$12.7 million). They do this each year and it gives an interesting insight into what those with often newly-acquired wealth actually do. These included 69 super-loaded individuals with wealth of RMB100 million. Their average age is 38 years (39 among the super-rich band) and the ratio of men to women is 6:4. Respondents were from 23 first and second tier cities. Hurun... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1417302/where-chinas-rich-choose-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1417302/where-chinas-rich-choose-go?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jan 2014 01:41:22 +0000 Last week’s Hurun Report, which tracks the changing foibles and fads of the seriously rich in China, tells us not only their preferences in luxury shopping and travel destinations, but other things besides. Top of the list of bizarre objectives is sending their kids to expensive elite boarding schools in Britain.   Pity the kids Following on from yesterday’s blog on the subject, I can only assume that mainland parents believe the glossy brochures where the sun shines and don’t bother to go over... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1417298/nearly-third-chinas-super-rich-favour-british-schools?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1417298/nearly-third-chinas-super-rich-favour-british-schools?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jan 2014 01:24:42 +0000 If you’re fed up with Hong Kong’s waiting lists, astronomical debentures for international schools and ESF politics, you might be thinking of sending your offspring to boarding school in England. But for the novice parent about to fork out HK$390,000 a year, before air fares, for five or more years of English education, the range on offer is bewildering. You have to make decisions about what school offers what and guess which approach best suits your child.   Buyer’s market You are the customer... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1414985/british-boarding-schools-asia-marketing-pays?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1414985/british-boarding-schools-asia-marketing-pays?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jan 2014 10:21:43 +0000 Runaway Stonyhurst pupils “safe and well” in the Caribbean, we read. Well there’s a relief. Not the slightest bit discomforted by the furore that’s shortened their lovely holiday. If I was the parent of one of these 16-year old lovebirds who bought HK$40,000-worth of air tickets and a five star hotel stay with a credit card I’d trusted them with, I’d be livid. They took a taxi from their Jesuit-founded school in Lancashire, England, to Manchester Airport and then booked into a five-star resort... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1414187/truant-school-kids-jet-sun-their-own-credit-cards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1414187/truant-school-kids-jet-sun-their-own-credit-cards?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jan 2014 08:30:46 +0000 The new cruise liner terminal is now finally up and running at Kai Tak. A few ships have used it, but once passengers get over the disappointment of not docking at Ocean Terminal, they face another surprise. No taxis. They are told to call taxis, which take about eight minutes to arrive. Not a great welcome to Hong Kong.  It’s no giant leap of imagination to work out that disembarking passengers would need taxis or minibuses to get them the considerable distance from Kai Tak to anywhere else in... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1414179/cruising-tips-and-chilly-welcome-kai-tak-passengers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1414179/cruising-tips-and-chilly-welcome-kai-tak-passengers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jan 2014 07:59:31 +0000 Thanks to people called behavioural economists; happiness is now taken seriously and measured as if it were tangible instead of an abstract notion. Quite how you compare one person’s happiness apple with another’s orange beats me, but it’s an interesting step in the right direction. Anyway, these academic chaps have now decided that happiness exists and psychologists now study the impact of our decisions on the rest of our lives. In tandem with this growing realisation comes the concept that... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1411888/towards-happy-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1411888/towards-happy-city?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Jan 2014 10:44:50 +0000 Readers were no doubt puzzled to learn that the government has been secretly trucking feral cattle to strange places in a bid to make them behave more like obedient poodles and less like roaming bovines. The somewhat ironically named Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) fessed up last weekend that it had, since November 20, rounded up 29 cattle in Sai Kung and carted them off to Shek Pik Reservoir on Lantau. Meanwhile they moved 21 from Lantau to High Island in Sai Kung. En... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1411082/feral-cattle-are-sneaky-moves-answer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1411082/feral-cattle-are-sneaky-moves-answer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jan 2014 08:00:06 +0000 After a wobble a couple of years ago, China’s art market is hot and continues to be a hot topic. Art data from Artron showed sales in China exceeded the United States for the first time in 2010. Sales in 2013 were 57 billion yuan (HK$72.5 billion). But it’s been a bumpy ride, with a major hiccup in 2012. The China Association of Auctioneers (CAA) and international art group Artnet reported 788 auctions in 2012 made Rmb29 billion – half last year’s figure. The 2012 -2011 wobble, according to the... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1409498/china-art-auctions-great-money-laundry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1409498/china-art-auctions-great-money-laundry?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jan 2014 01:19:13 +0000 When considering what makes love last, it seems small gestures of appreciation matter far more than big flash romantic displays of affection. An Open University study into the lives of 5,000 couples, one of the biggest ever done in Britain, has found the most important glue for building strong relationships is simply showing respect and saying “thank you”. And being made a cup of tea by your partner is a bigger turn-on than sex, but we are talking about Britain here, remember. Men who make their... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1408965/british-women-prefer-tea-sex?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1408965/british-women-prefer-tea-sex?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jan 2014 06:00:05 +0000 The scandalous tale of French president Francois Hollande gets better with each parting day. If you haven’t been following it, this is a perfect French farce. The leading man is the country’s socialist president; an unprepossessing portly politician aged 59 with a bit of a turkey-wattle neck and sparse but suspiciously black hair. Then the stage gets a bit crowded. Too many mistresses His girlfriend – or is she his mistress, even though they are not married? – is glam Paris actress Julie Gayet,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1408417/which-mistress-first-lady-french-president-must-decide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1408417/which-mistress-first-lady-french-president-must-decide?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Jan 2014 08:15:45 +0000 Being in England with time to read the newspapers between hospital visiting hours reminds you what a weird place it has become. Yesterday several court cases kicked off, featuring old age pensioners being variously accused of sordid offences from indecent assault to rape of girls of varying ages. Most of the alleged crimes took place decades ago. We’re talking about Rolf Harris, 83, the veteran Australian entertainer, pleading not guilty to a string of child sex abuse charges dating back to the... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1406746/pensioners-dock-accused-being-perverts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1406746/pensioners-dock-accused-being-perverts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jan 2014 02:48:52 +0000 Having now experienced both Hong Kong's Health Authority and Britain's National Health Service hospitals, version 2014, it's interesting to make comparisons. Admittedly it's my father who is currently in the clutches of the NHS, but having now sat for a week beside him in first a high dependency and now a surgical ward, I've gained some good insights. First off, the Musgrove Park NHS Hospital in Taunton, Somerset dates back to the Second World War when it was built by the US forces. The corridor... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1406736/public-hospitals-britain-versus-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1406736/public-hospitals-britain-versus-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jan 2014 02:33:04 +0000 As an expat, the older you get the more you dread the midnight phone call that prompts a dash to Chek Lap Kok and the hasty flight home into the teeth of a raging family crisis. Unless you are one of those people who actively dislike their relatives so much that they choose to live 7,000 miles apart, the distance never gets any easier. It becomes most acute when one or both of your elderly parents become ill, or worse. Unless you are lucky enough to have caring dutiful siblings living near the... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1404621/expatriates-sophies-choice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1404621/expatriates-sophies-choice?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jan 2014 16:45:30 +0000 As posh London property continues to top the destination list for overseas investors, it’s funny to consider the reality of living in a borough like Mayfair. How does the influx of Middle East and mainland Chinese money go down with the locals, the “real” Londoners, if such a thing exists any more? A piece in last weekend’s FT was a cautionary and humorous tale for the unwary new resident of London’s best addresses. For the chap in question, a native of lowly Peckham, a south west London suburb... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1403715/living-prime-london-location-reality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1403715/living-prime-london-location-reality?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jan 2014 03:33:44 +0000 The internet is responsible for many strange things that could not have happened before its invention. Back in the mid-1970s and aged 12, I was bullied at school. It was co-educational, unusual back then in Holy Mother Ireland. By the standards of the day this was an expensive private boarding school, but bullying is no respecter of such things. A posse of boys indulged in a range of bullying antics and having poor eyesight, I was an easy target. The bullying took various forms. They chucked me... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1403669/school-bullies-should-they-be-forgiven?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1403669/school-bullies-should-they-be-forgiven?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jan 2014 01:37:44 +0000 Having decided that everyone has too many material things, this year I decided to send cash to my family for Christmas. That way they could choose their own presents and not end up with yet more clutter in their houses. I’m not a fan on traditional online banking for numerous reasons, so I went to the branch to transfer modest amounts of cash in euros and pounds sterling. I did not expect a huge amount of it to be gobbled up by several hundred dollars of bank charges at both ends. Staff at the... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1397979/how-avoid-international-bank-transfer-charges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1397979/how-avoid-international-bank-transfer-charges?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jan 2014 03:52:13 +0000 For the record, Harlan Goldstein did not lose his Michelin star for his Lan Kwai Fong steak restaurant Strip House. Absolutely not. In spite of what some nasty journalists have written, its’ not true. “Harlan did not lose the Michelin star,” insists Hong Kong’s ebullient celebrity chef, who likes to talk about himself in the third person. Strip House wasn't quite working any more, the numbers were going down – “people thought it must be expensive because it had a Michelin star but I didn’t jack... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1396432/harlan-settles-his-comfort-zone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1396432/harlan-settles-his-comfort-zone?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jan 2014 00:39:59 +0000 It’s a holiday. Where can you go for lunch in Hong Kong that’s interesting, out of town and doesn’t require a mortgage? After years of trying steakhouses in Tseng Kwan O, seafood places on Lamma and obscure eateries with names like 131, I have the answer: Tai O. No, not Tai Po, be careful with spellcheck or you could end up heading for the New Territories, instead of Lantau, where you should be. The Tai O Heritage Hotel has been opened for a while, but like many things on your doorstep, it gets... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1394028/tai-o-heritage-hotel-piece-historic-heaven?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1394028/tai-o-heritage-hotel-piece-historic-heaven?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Dec 2013 10:34:36 +0000 Everyone's writing their best of 2013 columns and blogs, but some of the year's most interesting financial advice came from an exiled Russian billionaire. Yevgeny Chichvarkin is the owner of Hedonism Wine in Mayfair, London. His customers are in the money no object category and to him spending £120,000 (HK$1.53 million) on a bottle of wine is not an absurd extravagance. "Why?" He says, adding he knows several people who would happily spend this much on the Penfolds Ampoule of 2004 Australian... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1393709/how-get-rich-russian-billionaire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1393709/how-get-rich-russian-billionaire?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Dec 2013 01:50:10 +0000 In the 1980s and 90s, the UK was plagued with shell suits. These were basically tracksuits, but often made of brushed velour or some stretchy nylon fabric. Often in pastel shades of pink or green, they went from being sloppy at-home wear to being acceptable for supermarket and school runs. Flattering they were not.   Enter the onesie Sometime a year or so ago, the onesie caught on, especially in Britain. The shell suit had a top and a bottom but the onesie is all-in-one. For all ages, it... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1392526/watch-out-onesies-are-about-come?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1392526/watch-out-onesies-are-about-come?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Dec 2013 09:12:31 +0000 Now that the messy but fascinating UK court case starring loaded art dealer and advertising guru Charles Saatchi, his unhappy ex-wife Nigella Lawson and their two Italian housekeepers is over, it’s interesting to reflect. Seen through the prism of an expatriate in Hong Kong, it makes you realize what passes for singular and weird behaviour in England would raise hardly an eyebrow here. The Grillo sisters were found not guilty of embezzling about HK$8 million of Saatchi cash with credit cards, by... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1389714/nigella-lawson-and-charles-saatchi-first-world-problems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1389714/nigella-lawson-and-charles-saatchi-first-world-problems?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Dec 2013 10:01:22 +0000 Hold on tight to your hand baggage inflight, that’s the message this Christmas. Dragonair is working with police to tackle the problem of organised gangs of Mainland thieves operating onboard their flights. It seems they are targeting the rich pickings to be found in Asian passengers’ wallets and bags as they relax on flights, unaware that they are being robbed as they sleep. According to some of the airline’s pilots, the problem of organised Mainland gangs targeting hand baggage inflight is... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1389585/beware-thieves-stealing-hand-baggage-dragonair-flights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1389585/beware-thieves-stealing-hand-baggage-dragonair-flights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Dec 2013 00:58:25 +0000 When we were kids, joke shops selling things like Whoopee cushions and stink bombs were all the go. So much so that schools had to ban the whiffy little sulphur capsules which, once broken, unleashed a powerful pong that could, and often did, empty a classroom. We also got puerile joy from sliding whoopee cushions under aunts at Christmas as they politely prepared to sit down at the lunch table. Incredibly childish, looking back. But hilarious at the time. Now all that silly stuff is back. In... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1388211/whoopee-cushions-and-white-elephant-parties-are-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1388211/whoopee-cushions-and-white-elephant-parties-are-back?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Dec 2013 04:19:41 +0000 "Victoria Milan. Relive the passion. Have an affair.” Do you feel trapped in a monotonous and loveless marriage? Victoria Milan is a new dating site “for married and attached people seeking confidential affairs.” Whether you seek “an innocent and friendly web flirt, a casual one-night stand, or a long term real life affair”, Victoria Milan promises to provide a safe, anonymous online environment. You can search and interact with married and attached members. Europe-based, it seems now to have... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1385164/another-adultery-website-why-get-married-all?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1385164/another-adultery-website-why-get-married-all?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Dec 2013 10:33:47 +0000 What is it about some men – the more broken-hearted they profess to be over a divorce, the quicker they seek solace with someone else. Forget suffering in solitude and grieving for a bit – many of them dust themselves down and set off dating again. Should we be surprised that after declaring himself distraught after busting up with TV chef Nigella Lawson last June, that her newly ex-husband Charles Saatchi is out on the town again? Charles clearly has a taste for TV talent and silly names. His... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1384179/nigella-lawson-versus-charles-saatchi-battle-continues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1384179/nigella-lawson-versus-charles-saatchi-battle-continues?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Dec 2013 08:34:31 +0000