https://www.scmp.com/rss/43646/feed SCMP's Life section takes a broad view of culture and covers issues including the environment, community affairs and human interest stories. Mondays are dedicated to Fashion, Health and Education. Tuesdays focus on Fitness and Wellbeing, Arts and Entertainment, and Family. Fridays cover Food and Wine, Technology and Design and Luxury. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com It’s a disturbing set of statistics. HIV diagnosis rates in Hong Kong have climbed over the past decade, unlike in other places in the world where there has been a consistent fall in the numbers of new HIV cases. Between 2010 and 2016, the annual number of new HIV diagnoses in Hong Kong increased by nearly 80 per cent, to a total of 692 new cases in 2016. By contrast, between 2010 and 2017, the annual rate of new HIV diagnoses declined by 14 per cent in Asia and the Pacific as a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3025602/gay-hong-kong-chinese-men-afraid-come-out-families?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3025602/gay-hong-kong-chinese-men-afraid-come-out-families?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Sep 2019 05:55:14 +0000 Eclectic, nostalgic, fun and saucy are just a few of the diverse adjectives we like to use to describe the South China Morning Post’s culture and lifestyle coverage. Our readers agree, if some of the most popular stories we ran in 2017 are anything to go by. In case you missed them, here are 10 of your – and our – favourite stories of the year. Why Hong Kong passengers are a flight attendant’s nightmare At Christmas time, many expats in Hong Kong head home for festive family reunions, while... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2125651/10-hong-kong-lifestyle-stories-you-liked-best-2017-and-some-our-own?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2125651/10-hong-kong-lifestyle-stories-you-liked-best-2017-and-some-our-own?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Dec 2017 05:00:14 +0000 The number of alcohol-specific deaths in people aged 50 and over has risen 45 per cent since 2001, prompting fresh warnings about excessive drinking among baby boomers. Last year there were 5,208 deaths of people aged 50-plus wholly attributable to alcohol, compared with 3,582 in 2001, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures published on Tuesday. Over the same period, the number of alcohol-specific deaths remained stable among under-50s – it was exactly the same for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2118837/alcohol-deaths-baby-boomers-over-50-years-old-jump-uk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2118837/alcohol-deaths-baby-boomers-over-50-years-old-jump-uk?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Nov 2017 19:18:22 +0000 Owners of pet pooches in China are in the doghouse. While they may spend more than 100 billion yuan (US$14.8 billion) a year on their four-legged friends, they are letting them go unregistered, attack others, or are not cleaning up after them – triggering a slew of complaints and bans from local governments. To control the burgeoning dog population and maintain safety and hygiene standards, several cities are enforcing or amending rules for keeping pet dogs, restricting the number, size and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2104270/its-no-longer-about-eating-dogs-china-has-pet-dog-problem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2104270/its-no-longer-about-eating-dogs-china-has-pet-dog-problem?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Jul 2017 08:00:30 +0000 Scotland has been making whisky for centuries, but as recently as 2009 the authorities were changing the rules about how the drink was produced and marketed, and reorganising the country’s whisky-producing regions. The isles of Jura, Mull, Orkney and Skye, which were previously separate, are now part of Highland; there’s also Speyside (this used to be a subzone of Highland), Lowland, Islay and Campbeltown. The minimum alcoholic content of a bottle is to be no less than 40 per cent. Why Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/1943045/single-malt-scotch-whisky-whats-label-and-what-it-all-means?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/1943045/single-malt-scotch-whisky-whats-label-and-what-it-all-means?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 May 2016 08:01:44 +0000 Two Hong Kong companies are developing homes that will sell for as little as HK$500,000 – and we are not talking about illegally converted pigsties in the New Territories. The Alpod and the G-pod are prefabricated homes the size of a standard shipping container. These are not the drab “prefabs” of the kind put up in Europe after the second world war, nor do they resemble the makeshift offices fashioned from used containers on construction sites. They are stylish, eco-friendly and, most... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1908665/cheap-hong-kong-designed-container-homes-way-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1908665/cheap-hong-kong-designed-container-homes-way-future?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Feb 2016 00:00:45 +0000 Whenever long-time resident Richard Feldman saw garbage that hadn’t been picked up for a while, or spot cracks in the public pavement that should be repaired, he would get on his phone and call 1823, a hotline for residents to get in touch with the Hong Kong authorities. Soon, he could save himself that phone call. The government service has recently gone digital – users can contact officials on pressing issues ranging from fallen trees and problematic potholes, to taxis that refuse fare, all... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1906431/how-1823-app-makes-complaining-hong-kong-government-easier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1906431/how-1823-app-makes-complaining-hong-kong-government-easier?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Jan 2016 04:15:15 +0000 Think by working out more you can eat more? Think again. Our bodies actually adapt to higher activity levels – so we don’t necessarily burn extra calories even if we exercise more, according to a new study by researchers published in the journal Current Biology. “There is tons of evidence that exercise is important for keeping our bodies and minds healthy, and this work does nothing to change that message,” says researcher Herman Pontzer from the City University of New York “What our work adds... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1906560/why-working-out-harder-doesnt-give-you-licence-pig-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1906560/why-working-out-harder-doesnt-give-you-licence-pig-out?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Jan 2016 03:00:30 +0000 MasterChef Asia is calling for contestants for its second season and potential applicants are advised to learn a thing or two from Woo Wai-leong, the first winner of the competitive cooking reality show. Recently in Hong Kong to promote the programme, which was aired on Now TV, the Singaporean says the show was so stressful he would never do another one, but the experience is so valuable it will last a lifetime. “As long as you’re a fan of cooking and want to see how you perform under pressure,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1902321/first-masterchef-asia-winner-talks-agony-and-ecstasy-reality-tv?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1902321/first-masterchef-asia-winner-talks-agony-and-ecstasy-reality-tv?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Jan 2016 23:01:14 +0000 I’ve been all over the place – I almost went round the bend. Perhaps I started to let conditions in India get to me. Doing a lot of walking means spending a lot of time looking at pavements and there seem to be rivers of muck flowing under so many of them. You look through the many gaps between the broad concrete paving slabs and there is a flow of black water with oil floating on the top and a host of unidentifiable objects – perhaps that’s a good thing – and the odd dead rat. SEE ALSO: Obese... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1902309/obese-hong-kong-food-writer-sheds-chin-india-weight-loss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1902309/obese-hong-kong-food-writer-sheds-chin-india-weight-loss?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Jan 2016 18:00:40 +0000 Luxury hotels have always had something extra, perhaps a great view, more space and a beautiful bathroom. Now a new class of hotel is emerging to cater for a generation that is hooked on technology, and on smartphones in particular. In some hotels guests can check in with their phone, open the door with a smartwatch, and be streaming internet radio around the room in seconds. It’s even possible to turn down the air conditioning using an app on the in-room iPad before browsing the travel guides... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/1899483/hotels-offering-touch-luxury-smartphone-generation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/1899483/hotels-offering-touch-luxury-smartphone-generation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Jan 2016 20:00:45 +0000 A large new study of twins has found that having a twin sibling diagnosed with cancer puts you at high risk of developing any form of cancer. A research team led by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health looked at more than 200,000 twins, both identical and fraternal, in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, who were followed over an average of 32 years between 1943 and 2010. The researchers analysed both familial risk (an individual’s cancer risk) as well as the heritability of cancer, a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1898378/when-one-twin-gets-cancer-others-risk-facing-it-too-rises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1898378/when-one-twin-gets-cancer-others-risk-facing-it-too-rises?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Jan 2016 16:39:01 +0000 It is easy to identify Gemma Hayden Blest in a busy Central coffee shop. She is the one holding a large metal bucket overflowing with mainly roses and berries in a mix of reds. Blest pulls up a chair and plonks the colourful tools of her trade on the floor. Her works are full of imaginative twists, and often appear in photo shoots for fashion magazines and installations for big brands. Most of her more than 1,500 Instagram posts feature flowers shot in Blest’s soft and romantic signature... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-luxury/article/1896749/business-blooming-hong-kong-floral-artist-gemma-hayden?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-luxury/article/1896749/business-blooming-hong-kong-floral-artist-gemma-hayden?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Jan 2016 07:00:27 +0000 I’m in Thiruvananthapuram for a spell, but fortunately not a spelling test. Better known as Trivandrum, Kerala’s state capital is my kind of town – there are museums, a weird restaurant and some shopping, which also turns weird. SEE ALSO: Meet the ‘grotesquely obese’ food writer who’s on a mission to shed the pounds by walking 1,450km in 90 days The Napier Museum has a small collection of figurines of Hindu gods and goddesses, a temple chariot and leather puppets from Javanese wayang kulit... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1896795/obese-hong-kong-food-writer-drops-another-size-india-trek?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1896795/obese-hong-kong-food-writer-drops-another-size-india-trek?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Jan 2016 21:48:08 +0000 Another elite international school will open in Hong Kong in September, joining the ranks of foreign operators Harrow and Nord Anglia, which have opened schools in the city in the past four years. The American School Hong Kong (ASHK) will occupy two former school buildings in Tai Po, which are being overhauled for the new tenants. The school will be run by Esol Education, a Dubai-based group set up by Walid Abushakra in 1976. A Lebanese civil engineer who found his calling in education, he has... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1897971/hong-kong-get-another-american-school-year-tai-po-district?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1897971/hong-kong-get-another-american-school-year-tai-po-district?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Jan 2016 20:00:48 +0000 Adaptogens Also known as “superherbs”, these include ginseng, moringa, maca, ashwaganda and others. “To qualify as an adaptogen, an herb must be completely safe and non-toxic, it must have broad uses for health, and it must specifically reduce stress, both mental and physical,” says medicine hunter Chris Kilham. “To put it simply: adaptogens help you adapt.” Acai bowls Move over, smoothies and froyos, there’s a new hipster health food in town. The pulp from the acai berry, a reddish-purple fruit... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1896785/z-hot-button-health-issues-2016?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1896785/z-hot-button-health-issues-2016?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:30 +0000 Soft, expandable, bendable, dependably strong, light weighted... transparent sometimes – that may be what you want for a bra. But a research team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences said they developed in laboratory a new supercapacitor material “more wearable than ever” with similar characteristics. A capacitor could hold and discharge electricity like a battery. But the movement of electrons was driven by pure physical forces in a capacitor, while a battery relied on chemical... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1894482/china-invents-way-use-bra-charge-smartphone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1894482/china-invents-way-use-bra-charge-smartphone?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Dec 2015 05:01:49 +0000 Brace yourselves, people. ’Tis the season for the festive spirit to come to town – and make itself at home for a six-week stretch as Hong Kong rolls through Christmas, New Year and then the Lunar New Year, which falls on February 8. As anyone who actually listened to their primary school PE teacher might remind you – prior preparation prevents poor performance. Plan your party, first, but spend just as much time working out how to recover from it afterwards. To help with the aftermath, we’ve... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/1892357/hong-kongs-nine-top-hangover-cures-some-them-alcohol-free?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/1892357/hong-kongs-nine-top-hangover-cures-some-them-alcohol-free?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Dec 2015 21:30:00 +0000 Long gone are the days when a few balloons, a game of pin the tail on the donkey and a cake are enough to celebrate a child’s birthday party.Organising parties for youngsters can be a minefield, with some families opting for elaborate themes and fancy finger food. And then there’s the delicate matter of the guest list. Whether you keep it to the few friends a child plays with on a regular basis, or take the populist route and invite an entire class of hyperactive seven-year-olds is a matter that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1886726/how-throw-childrens-party-tips-hong-kong-events-professionals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1886726/how-throw-childrens-party-tips-hong-kong-events-professionals?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Dec 2015 20:15:26 +0000 Reducing the size of food portions, packaging and tableware could help to tackle obesity, argue experts in The BMJ this week. Theresa Marteau and colleagues from England’s University of Cambridge recently published a review that found the “most conclusive evidence to date” that people consume more food or drinks from larger portions or packages, and when using larger items of tableware. They showed that eliminating larger portions completely could reduce daily energy intake consumed by 12-16 per... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1886775/curb-obesity-make-food-portions-plates-and-cutlery-smaller?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1886775/curb-obesity-make-food-portions-plates-and-cutlery-smaller?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Dec 2015 13:01:09 +0000 These are the findings of the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual survey of health and fitness professionals’ views on the top fitness trends of 2016. 1. Wearable technology: includes fitness trackers, smartwatches, heart rate monitors, and GPS tracking devices. 2. Bodyweight training: a “back to basics” training style that uses minimal equipment, thereby making it more affordable. 3. High-intensity interval training (HIIT): involves short bursts of activity followed by a short period... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1888016/top-20-worldwide-fitness-trends-2016-according-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1888016/top-20-worldwide-fitness-trends-2016-according-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Dec 2015 10:00:43 +0000 You know you’re unfit when you’re wheezing up a hill and a nun breezes past leading a group of children. It’s day eight of my attempt to walk 1,450 kilometres in 90 days in India and I’m at the Edakkal caves in Kerala, known for the inscriptions several thousand years old on their walls. Nothing here is quite as it seems. The “cave” is actually a gap between two boulders with a roof made by a further boulder that rolled on top. I’m told the climb is “a short walk and then just a few steps”. It’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1886701/obese-hongkonger-makes-strides-india-walk-lose-weight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1886701/obese-hongkonger-makes-strides-india-walk-lose-weight?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Dec 2015 06:30:30 +0000 When is a film not a film? When it’s a computer game. In this case, that game is the online role-playing game League of Legends, which has about 67 million players worldwide, and even hosts its own championship competition with a US$1 million (HK$7.75 million) prize. League of Legends was chosen as the focus for the inaugural event of Tribeca Games, an initiative to showcase the storytelling and crafts of computer games, launched by Tribeca Enterprises, the team behind New York’s Tribeca Film... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/article/1886346/players-get-grips-computer-gamemovie-connection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/article/1886346/players-get-grips-computer-gamemovie-connection?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Dec 2015 22:00:30 +0000 It’s perhaps not surprising that grave robbing has a long tradition in China – after all, Chinese civilisation stretches back several thousand years. But a 21st century twist is turning this age-old crime into an epidemic. Inspired by get-rich-quick yarns and a series of popular novels, young migrant workers and peasants have teamed up in the thousands through internet chat rooms to loot historic tombs in key provinces. A band of five led by a migrant worker surnamed Nuan was among the more... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1885832/chinas-ancient-treasures-under-siege-army-tomb-raiders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1885832/chinas-ancient-treasures-under-siege-army-tomb-raiders?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Dec 2015 05:00:00 +0000 For a city as practical as Copenhagen when it comes to transport, the project seemed grand, almost frivolous: a glass-walled bike and pedestrian bridge suspended 30 storeys above the harbour, between two skyscrapers. But after years of discussion, plus some premature reports that the scheme was about to go ahead, it seems plans for the so-called Copenhagen Gate were abandoned this week. The idea dates back to 2008, when celebrated US architect Steven Holl’s company won a competition for the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/1885816/security-concerns-scupper-copenhagens-celestial-cycling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/1885816/security-concerns-scupper-copenhagens-celestial-cycling?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Dec 2015 13:00:29 +0000 Mary McCartney is the daughter of Beatles frontman Paul McCartney and is also a highly acclaimed photographer and cookbook author. She recently collaborated with jewellery brand De Beers to photograph inspirational women for its latest campaign. “With my photography I’m looking to find moments in life that I can capture to allow the viewer to lose themselves in their own personal thoughts as they are looking at my image. My style is intimate, candid and collaborative. I want my work to showcase... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/1885923/mary-mccartney-daughter-beatle-follows-her-mother?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/1885923/mary-mccartney-daughter-beatle-follows-her-mother?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Dec 2015 09:55:12 +0000 One of Europe’s best-known street artists is going to unleash his creations in Hong Kong, but only after he’s left. A traumatic encounter with the Japanese police has instilled a new fear of the authorities in Clet Abraham, a Frenchman living in Florence whose works have all been about breaking rules. Abraham, on holiday at the beginning of the year with his Japanese girlfriend, had put his signature stickers on a few street signs in Osaka and Kyoto before flying back to Italy. There, he... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/article/1885431/european-street-artists-hong-kong-show-speaks-volumes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/article/1885431/european-street-artists-hong-kong-show-speaks-volumes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Dec 2015 03:15:15 +0000 By the time I get to … …Wayanad, I’ll have walked a mere 45km around Bangalore and Mysore. The intensity picks up as I move to 9.6km a day. … Kozhikode, where Vasco Da Gama arrived in 1498, I’ll be on 13km a day and should have walked 202km. … Malappuram, a centre of religious learning, wildlife and trekking, I aim to be on 16km a day. I’ll try walking up some small hills and see the effect on my ankles, knees and thighs. Kochi (formerly Cochin), via Ponnani and Thrissur, a trading centre,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1885161/journey-1450-kilometres-starts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1885161/journey-1450-kilometres-starts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Nov 2015 22:00:30 +0000 Is there discrimination against children born out of wedlock? In practice, the judiciary in Hong Kong makes every effort not to discriminate against such children. But on the face it, with the legislation as it presently stands – the answer is yes. The legislation which protects married couples and their children is significantly stronger than that which deals with children of unmarried parents. As most people know, the rights of the parents are fewer if they are not married – there is limited... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1885178/how-hong-kongs-children-unwed-parents-miss-out-break?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1885178/how-hong-kongs-children-unwed-parents-miss-out-break?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Nov 2015 22:00:27 +0000 Numerous studies point to the same finding that children who love to read grow up to be more astute, aware, compassionate, resourceful and resilient than those who don’t read for pleasure. Parents and teachers should pause and give thought to what they want to accomplish in getting children to read. Finding joy and comfort in reading is not the same as having aptitude for language and reading comprehension. Once we embrace the idea that the goal is to develop a child’s passion for reading, and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1885173/hong-kong-kids-can-benefit-reading-quality-books?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1885173/hong-kong-kids-can-benefit-reading-quality-books?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Nov 2015 22:00:27 +0000 As you read this I’m at the start of an attempt to walk 1,450 kilometres in 90 days in southern India. My plan is to turn my sedentary lifestyle into something far more active and healthy. The problem is that for most of my life I’ve been a fatness fanatic, spending more than half my career in journalism focusing on food and drink, especially alcoholic drink. I’ve ended up grotesquely obese – that’s my new category above morbidly obese. My normal exercise is a 20-minute stroll from my house to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1885159/one-meaty-mans-mission-shed-pounds-walking-1450km?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1885159/one-meaty-mans-mission-shed-pounds-walking-1450km?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Nov 2015 22:00:15 +0000 November is all about the mo and the moves for Movember, a global charity committed to men living happier, healthier and longer lives. We meet three of the charity’s Mo Bros and Mo Sistas helping raise awareness.   Working in an office never felt quite right for Londoner Charlotte Johnson. “It wasn’t just that I wanted to be outside on the few days of the year when it was sunny, I didn’t feel like what I was doing was meaningful.” She grew up always on the move – “cartwheels, making up dance... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1885157/how-yoga-can-breathe-new-life-very-core-your-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1885157/how-yoga-can-breathe-new-life-very-core-your-day?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Nov 2015 06:00:45 +0000 Daniel Lee Cheuk-hin aced the maths and science exams for his Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) last year. He also scored grade 4 for English. That’s pretty good going, but his Chinese result came as an enormous blow: he only achieved grade 2. The failed grade dashed his dreams of entering university, rendering his stellar results in other subjects meaningless. “Unfortunately, you need a [minimum of] grade 3 in Chinese to enter university. I was shocked and couldn’t accept it,”... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1885152/hongkongers-university-dreams-dashed-hkdse-chinese-exam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1885152/hongkongers-university-dreams-dashed-hkdse-chinese-exam?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Nov 2015 04:00:45 +0000 Parental absence affects brain development in children Researchers in China have found that children who have been left without direct parental care for extended periods of time show larger grey matter volumes in the brain, suggesting a delay in brain development. Conducted at the Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, the study compared MRI exams from 38 left-behind girls and boys (aged seven to 13) to MRI exams from a control group of 30 girls... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1884185/dont-leave-children-or-yourself-alone-too-long-and-dangerous?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1884185/dont-leave-children-or-yourself-alone-too-long-and-dangerous?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Nov 2015 22:00:14 +0000 We all use the cloud. Every time you download an app or upload a photo to Facebook, Instagram or Weibo, you’re connecting to a network of servers. Perhaps you’re one of the 60 million who stream movies from Netflix, the 300 million users of file-sync company Dropbox, or part of the Facebook empire of 1.2 billion users. However, smartphones are just the beginning; the cloud – or rather, cloud computing – is rapidly changing how business is done. The cloud may be the biggest transformative... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1883518/hong-kong-plays-catch-cloud-computing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1883518/hong-kong-plays-catch-cloud-computing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Nov 2015 20:30:53 +0000 How would you like some seaweed in that pizza, hot dog or pasta? Just a small addition of the algae to food could reduce cardiovascular disease, according to a new article published last week in the scientific journal Phycologia. Ole G. Mouritsen, a professor of biophysics at the University of Southern Denmark, and colleagues reviewed existing knowledge on the health effects of 35 different seaweed species. In the article, they offer suggestions to how both individual consumers and the food... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1884184/how-seaweed-can-help-fight-against-heart-disease?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1884184/how-seaweed-can-help-fight-against-heart-disease?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Nov 2015 13:00:23 +0000 Yoga selfies are all the rage. A quick search under the hashtag #yoga on Instagram (which according to Statista has 400 million users, making it the most popular photo-sharing app to date) shows more than 15.8 million posts, way more than other popular forms of movement or exercise such as #pilates (2 million) and #calisthenics (1.4 million). Thanks to a growing number of “challenges” that invite users to post and share images of themselves while holding a particular yoga pose, this number is... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1884188/how-take-perfect-yoga-selfie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1884188/how-take-perfect-yoga-selfie?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Nov 2015 00:00:30 +0000 Imaging identifies cartilage regeneration in long-distance runners It seems the human body was built for ultra-distance running. German researchers followed 44 runners participating in the 4,487km Trans Europe Foot Race. Over 64 days, the athletes ran every day, starting in southern Italy and ending in the North Cape in Norway. Participants underwent MRI scans every three to four days, as well as other examinations. With exception to the patella joint, nearly all cartilage segments of knee,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1884124/our-bodies-were-made-running-men-suffer-postnatal-anxiety?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1884124/our-bodies-were-made-running-men-suffer-postnatal-anxiety?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Nov 2015 06:15:45 +0000 Wallace Chan has a reputation for artistic jewellery. Now the Hong Kong-based craftsman has launched his first book, Dream Light Water, and a jewellery art exhibition with the same name at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Showcasing 86 intricate and technically innovative pieces, Chan’s publication is an illustrated monograph, encapsulating the best of his creations. Thirty of these pieces, many of which are borrowed from collectors, will be on show at the exhibition. Chan says... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-luxury/article/1882573/hong-kong-jeweller-dazzles-showcase-his-best-creations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-luxury/article/1882573/hong-kong-jeweller-dazzles-showcase-his-best-creations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Nov 2015 13:01:29 +0000 Homelessness, forced labour and last year’s Umbrella Movement are among themes featured in the shortlist of this year’s Hong Kong Human Rights Arts Prize. The plight of refugees, ethnic minorities and LGBT rights have also been focused on. Organised by Justice Centre Hong Kong, the annual prize aims to promote awareness of human rights issues in the city. Nineteen artworks from more than 100 entries were shortlisted by a panel that included Faina Derman, director of Sundaram Tagore Gallery, and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/article/1883156/hong-kong-human-rights-arts-prize-shortlist-announced?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/article/1883156/hong-kong-human-rights-arts-prize-shortlist-announced?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Nov 2015 05:45:15 +0000 This month it’s all about the mo and the moves for Movember, a global charity committed to men living happier, healthier and longer lives. We meet three of the charity’s Mo Bros and Mo Sistas helping to raise awareness. Since slipping on ballet shoes at the age of six, Rachel Moon knew she was born to move. First as a performer, later as a producer and manager of stage productions, and now as the business development manager and instructor at local indoor cycling studio XYZ. So when she was... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1881971/rachel-moon-wants-hongkongers-get-moving-movember?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1881971/rachel-moon-wants-hongkongers-get-moving-movember?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Nov 2015 22:00:22 +0000 Extreme tiredness and weakness are common side effects experienced by cancer patients during radiation therapy. But not for Mo Devlin. Recently diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer, the 50-year-old’s reaction to the treatment is a winning streak: nine victories in nine local running races in as many weeks of radiation therapy. “When I was diagnosed, like everybody else who’s diagnosed with cancer, I went through the emotions of denial, anger and then despair. Then this idea popped into my... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1881966/keeping-cancer-run-hongkonger-fights-disease-citys-trails?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1881966/keeping-cancer-run-hongkonger-fights-disease-citys-trails?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Nov 2015 22:00:22 +0000 When Paul Morris returned to work after a two-week stint at home with his children, he experienced the inevitable emotion many working mothers feel: guilt. Responsible for the day-to-day care of his three children while his wife was out of town, the senior financial consultant enjoyed the opportunity and admits to feeling torn when he returned to work. “It was great, though challenging, to be involved in every aspect of my kids’ daily lives. My weekends are all about my family but I’d like to be... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1880860/how-hong-kong-dads-battle-balance-work-and-family?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1880860/how-hong-kong-dads-battle-balance-work-and-family?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Nov 2015 22:00:15 +0000 Given its small size, Hong Kong has an astonishing diversity of butterflies, which play an important ecological role because of their close interdependence with plants. According to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Hong Kong has a checklist of 236 species, accounting for about 11 per cent of all Chinese butterfly species. Macau, by comparison, has only 85 species. Perhaps the most famous and glamorous of the 200 species identified at Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve, many of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1881978/star-attractions-among-200-butterfly-species-visible-tai-po-reserve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1881978/star-attractions-among-200-butterfly-species-visible-tai-po-reserve?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Nov 2015 21:31:15 +0000 As one of Hong Kong’s most successful community science and conservation projects celebrates its 10th anniversary this week, its founder and “unpaid CEO” says he has no idea what the future holds for Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve. “The lack of security is very worrying,” says Dr Yau Wing-kwong, who is about to submit a funding proposal to try to secure another two to three years for the reserve near Tai Po, which provides a precious habitat for more than 200 species of butterfly and an education... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1881976/wing-and-prayer-hong-kong-butterfly-reserves-future-uncertain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1881976/wing-and-prayer-hong-kong-butterfly-reserves-future-uncertain?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Nov 2015 21:31:11 +0000 Study provides strongest evidence yet of a link between breakfast quality and educational outcomes Children who eat breakfast perform significantly better at school, according to a new study of 5,000 primary school children aged nine to 11. Public health experts at Cardiff University found the odds of achieving an above-average educational performance were up to twice as high for pupils who ate breakfast, compared with those who did not. However, eating unhealthy items such as sweets and crisps... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1881963/have-good-breakfast-coffee-good-you-again-raisin-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1881963/have-good-breakfast-coffee-good-you-again-raisin-test?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Nov 2015 13:01:33 +0000 Schools should not promote religion, but they should teach it. Understanding history is impossible without an understanding of the religious traditions that helped shape the world. From a purely secular standpoint, even atheists should know and understand what they choose not to believe in. Schools have very different approaches to the question of religious education. In my experience, Hong Kong International School does a relatively good job at weaving religious education into the curriculum.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1881984/religion-hong-kong-schools-teach-it-dont-preach-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1881984/religion-hong-kong-schools-teach-it-dont-preach-it?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Nov 2015 10:00:00 +0000 Mention the word "Bluetooth" and wireless headphones and keyboards immediately spring to mind. But the technology is so wide-reaching these days its applications may be a lot more prevalent than we think. Bluetooth beacons are a case in point. These low-powered, low-cost devices with a very long battery life are now being embedded into the world around us - from the walls of offices and train stations to airports, sports stadiums, shopping malls and even placed on the shelves of stores - and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1880872/every-step-you-take-how-bluetooth-beacons-will-change-your-life-work-rest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1880872/every-step-you-take-how-bluetooth-beacons-will-change-your-life-work-rest?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Nov 2015 21:32:21 +0000 Victor Xian was five years old when his family emigrated to Australia from Guangzhou in 2007. Living in Sydney, he quickly fitted in at school, where he played soccer with his new friends and was in no time speaking fluent English. At the age of 10, as he was looking forward to starting junior high school, his family decided to return to Guangzhou to care for his ageing grandparents, but Victor was not happy about the move. Besides the adjustment of leaving his friends behind, Victor's basic... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1880873/international-schools-ride-boom-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1880873/international-schools-ride-boom-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Nov 2015 10:00:15 +0000 Buckingham Palace is the first stop on the UK itinerary for Chinese tourists, followed rather remarkably, not by the Tower of London or Big Ben, but shopping destination Bicester Village. Taking a train and then a bus to get to the designer outlet mall in the heart of the Oxfordshire countryside has always been a bit of a faff. Nevertheless, it doesn't put off the thousands of Chinese tourists who descend on the village each year to snap up bargain-priced Prada, Burberry and Stella... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-luxury/article/1880864/uk-welcomes-chinese-urge-splurge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-luxury/article/1880864/uk-welcomes-chinese-urge-splurge?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Nov 2015 04:15:00 +0000