The Fall of the Giants

This morning the world is surprised by the news that the last two surviving investment banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have applied the US Federal Reserve Board to have their status changed into a bank which can take deposits. By this move it marks the end of an era of investment banking industry in the US.

As "normal" banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley can open branches and take deposits in order to bolster their financial position. From now on they are subject to regulation by the Fed. It ends the division between investment and regular banking in the US.

Earlier this year investment bank Bearn Sterns collapsed in the wake of the financial turmoils and was sold to JP Morgan, a week ago Lehman Brothers filed bankruptcy protection while Merrill Lynch was sold to Bank Of America. What is left now are only a few small boutique securities firms.

In less than a year since the mortgage crisis hit the global financial markets, gone are the giants that once dominated the investment banking industry...

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

A March Through Bitter Sea

The young inexperienced journalist George Hogg ventures out to the front at Nanking to report on the war. As an eyewitness to atrocities committed by the Japanese army Hogg finds his own life in jeopardy. Saved by Chinese communist fighters he finally ends up in an abandoned orphanage in the remote Huang Shi.

Hogg feels compassion for the life of those neglected orphans. Despite the fact that he cannot speak a word Chinese, Hogg tries to build trust with those young boys, and from thence to give them some education. When the war is drawing alarmingly near to Huang Shi, Hogg decides to march with the children over the mountains to the much safer Shandan that is located 1100 km further away in the desert. This is in brief the true story of the children of Huang Shi.

The cast of The Children Of Huang Shi is above average with big names such Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh. The seasoned Hollywood director Spottiswoode however did not get more out of it than a mediocre movie. Jonathan Rhys Meyers acting is sympathetic and vigorous. Radha Mitchell, as a tough nurse, is a worthy match to Meyers and her acting shows strong vigor and valor.

Chow Yun Fat shows that he is great actor but as a hardened communist warrior he seems to be very talkative. Like a schoolteacher he dwells on the so-called Bitter Sea, which seems to be an ancient name for China.

Spottiswoode has made serious efforts to portray the relationship between Meyers and the children of Huang Shi. He however failed to further deepen those ties in the movie. Also, the personal traumas of the young boys are not further explained.

Michelle Yeoh plays a brilliance role in The Children Of Huang Shi. As a female trader she does her acting with much grace and eloquence. She seems to feel affected by the charm of the young and handsome Meyers, but as a wise Chinese lady she knows well how to hide her personal feelings. Director Spottiswoode has done a great job by capturing this piece of great acting.

The pace and tension are high at the start of The Children Of Huang Shi. Spottiswoode however did not manage to keep hold of them in the course of the movie. At the end tension has turned level giving the audience a hard time to keep theirselves focused.

The camera crew did the filming excellently. The shots of magnificent sceneries are unequalled, adding an extra dimension to the movie. Although originally set up as a war epic, The Children of Huang Shi has become a bit more like documentaries when slices of interview with surviving orphans are shown who make tribute to their hero George Hogg.

Despite the little flaws the ordeal on The Children of Huang Shi has to be a positive one. The significance of this movie lies in the fact that it draws our attention to a war in that part of the world which is little known to us, and it reminds us of the achievements of the long forgotten war hero Hogg and the “little Long March” that the children of Huang Shi have made more than sixty years ago.

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

Clark Field Airport

Under the watchful eyes of volcano Pinatubo we board our plane bound for Kota Kinabalu. Flying from Clark Field Airport was an lasting experience.

It takes nearly two hours from Manila to Clark Field by cab. Our driver Anthony, who is a Filipino guy from ethnic Chinese origin, is driving fast and aggressively.

Not far from Clark Field the volcano Pinatubo rises up from the horizon. It was a threatening and awesome view. Our cab got off the highway at Angeles; it appeared that one has got to pass by the red light district Angeles City in order to reach Clark Field Airport. It was a miserable looking slump.

Clark Field Airport is located in the newly designated special economic zone. Until the latest eruption of the volcano it served as the most significant US airbase in the Pacific. But thanks to Pinatubo it is turned into a civil airport for discount airliners like Air Asia, Asiana and Tiger Air. The security is still very tight where our cab has to pass by a score of military checkpoints before reaching the terminal building proper.

Passengers have to queue up outside the terminal building where their passports and tickets are examined before hand by a cheeky but pretty looking Philippine lady. We have to endure her bullshit talks and insults before we might enter the actual departure hall.

The departure hall was small and Spartan looking. Passengers were packed together like bunches of sheep. After various security checks we finally reached the gate. I rushed to the male toilet, time for a good pee. Gosh! Much to my surprise and irritation there was only one tiny toilet for men to available. And it was already occupied!

The queue before the shit hole was growing and we all did not understand why that moron needs that much time to do his shitting. Finally, it was my turn. When I came out, I was almost overrun by two young Korean bulies who apparently could not hold it out anymore...

At the gate there was only a small canteen where you could get almost nothing. Coffee was a cup of hot water poured out from a thermos! There was a television set in the gate showing a Philippino soap. The noise was that load that it yelled the hell out of you. And no one understood since most of the passengers were foreigner...

It was getting dark when our aircraft finally arrived. Walking over the tarmac we headed to our plane. It was a relief that volcano Pinatubo remains quiet before we got rid of this place...

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

A passionate espionage thriller

One may wonder what the Taiwanese director Ang Lee wants to tell in his latest movie Lust, Caution (Se Jie). The sudden end of the story that started so promising gives the audience a sense of dissatisfaction. Does it have to do with the facts that the personages did not meet their own goals?

, acted by Wei Tang, who sees herself getting more and more entrapped into a dangerous plot of intrigues and espionage. In there, her mission is to lure the with Japanese collaborating politician Yee, played by Tony Leung, into a trap.

Eye-catchers are the gorgeous Chinese dresses Wei Tang is wearing and the nostalgic atmosphere that encompasses the city of Shanghai in the late thirties of the last century. Bonuses are the gracious beauty of the actress Wei Tang and together with the subdue charm of Tony Leung that make Lust, Caution a real gem. It also reminds you of the other great movie In the mood for love (2000) by Wong Kar-Wai.

There is however a sharp contrast between both films. The last one was a kind of love story that overwhelms you by an avalanche of vivid colors and sounding melodies while Lust, Caution is an espionage thriller under the setting of the grim Japanese occupation of China.

The title Lust, Caution reveals the essence of the story: it is all about passion and lust but also caution. Wang raises her stakes in order to lure the politician Yee into a trap where her fellows can assassinate him. The game of seduction conducted by the irresistible Tang Wei combined with the cautious approaches by the scrupulous and calculating Tony Leung shows glimpses of great acting.

One of the best-acted scenes is not the explicit sex scenes but the one where Wang is singing a song to minister Yee in a Japanese geisha house. Much to the surprise of the audience Yee seems to be really touched by the song and he shows his real emotions for the very first time.

The acting by Tony Leung in Lust, Caution is absolutely fabulous. Newcomer Wei Tang, however, also did her part well and proves that she can be a good match for the veteran movie star from Hong Kong. The fact that Lust, Caution is laden with scores of Golden Horse Trophies at the film festival in Taipei last December only underscores this.

There are of course some critical notes on Lust, Caution. The film is rather long, and it sometimes looks to drag on that slowly that the tension it tries to build up is losing steam. The focus is too much set on seduction and eroticism that make the movie rather like a love story than a war epic. The positive elements however prevail in Lust, Caution that makes it worth watching.

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

Deal or No Deal?

Early spring this year saw a remarkable takeover battle between a few major banks in Europe. The Dutch major bank ABN Amro, the largest bank in the Netherlands, has become subject of a fierce fight for control by the British Barclays at one hand, and a consortium of three banks at the other. The last ones are the Royal Bank Of Scotland, the Belgian-Dutch Fortis and the Spanish Banco Santander.

It all started with a letter sent by an activist investment funds, The Children’s Fund, to the management board of ABN Amro in February this year. It demands a break-up of the bank and a sell off of its assets in order to increase the shareholders’ value. Although ABN Amro’s chief, Rijkman Groenink, brushed off the claim by the activist funds, it has triggered the bank to do something. Under Groenink´s rule ABN Amro has shown poor performances over the past seven years, and it is now feeling the heat from discontented shareholders.

It looks much like a panic reaction when ABN Amro unexpectedly announced a full merger with the British Barclays in March. The tie-up will turn ABN and Barclays in one blow into one of the top three leading financial institutions in the world. The British bank offers 67 billion euros, mainly in shares, while it generously agrees to move the headquarters from London to Amsterdam.

So, have Rijkman Groenink and Barclays’ chief John Varley struck an outstanding deal for themselves? If they are in a victorious mood, it is however short lived. Following their announcement, a consortium of banks express their interest in ABN Amro as well. The consortium that is led by the Royal Bank of Scotland is keen to buy and break up ABN Amro into parts. The Scottish bank, which is a key rival of Barclays in the UK, is in particular interested in LaSalle, the US subsidiary of ABN Amro. Since it fits into its chairman Fred Goodwin’s ambition to further expand its operations in the US.

Fortis, that ranks number four in Holland, wants to take a predominant market position by the takeover. If it manages to buy ABN´s operations, than Fortis will become the largest bank in the Netherlands. As about Banco Santander, the Spanish have set their eyes on ABN Amro’s operations in Brazil. The consortium says that it is willing to pay 71 billion euros for ABN Amro. This offer, mainly in cash, is superior to that of Barclays. It has become a serious threat to ABN Amro and Barclays’ merger deal.

Rijkman Groenink who favours a tie-up with Barclays is not amused by this hostile bid from the consortium. In order to outmanoeuvre it, ABN Amro announced in April that it has agreed to sell LaSalle to Bank of America for 21 billion US dollars. It is a cunning move from Groenink who knows that, once LaSalle is no more part of the deal, the Royal Bank of Scotland may abandon the bid and thus making the consortium to falter.

Have ABN Amro gotten away with this? The answer was yes, had there been no incidents at its annual shareholders meeting in Amsterdam April last. Some shareholders got furious when the management board declined to discuss the consortium’s counter offer. Also, they are unhappy about the fact that they are not heard on the sale of LaSalle.

Peter Paul de Vries, who is the chairman of the Dutch association of shareholders, takes the lead in the protest. He climbs up to the stage and seizes the microphone but is quickly dragged away by the security. The scene only shows how high the emotions have run. Affected by the loud protests the emotional Groenink almost on his knees was begging the shareholders to take the deal with Barclays. But to no much avail.

Peter Paul de Vries takes the case to the court claiming that the sale of LaSalle by the management is illegal, as it has no prior approval from the shareholders. The conflict between the bank and the shareholders is getting personal as Peter Paul is determined, not only to undo the LaSalle deal, but also to topple ABN Amro’s chief Rijkman Groenink as he beliefs that the last one is not acting to the best interests of the shareholders.

In June a Dutch court decided that ABN Amro’s selling of LaSalle was illegal without prior consent from the shareholders. Groenink, however, appealed successfully as the Dutch Supreme Court overturned the previous decision by the lower court. In early August the consortium pressed ahead by launching an official bid, no matter LaSalle was part of the deal or not. It is now up to the shareholders to speak out on the fate of ABN Amro.

Behind the scenes of this fight for controlling ABN Amro there is a struggle between a few powerful and ambitious men. Rijkman Groenink who is keen to save his damaged reputation by finding a safe refuge for ABN Amro in the hands of Barclays. Fred Goodwin, the chief of the Royal Bank of Scotland, feared by many because of his reputation as “Fred the Shred”, has set his teeth upon ABN’s LaSalle and is not likely to give up. And Peter Paul de Vries, who has a reputation of being a knight crusader, fights relentlessly for the interests of the shareholders. The question is who will come out as winners from this bitter fight for corporate control?

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

The Curse Of The Golden Flower

What is the problem of Chinese moviemakers? Every new movie is getting grander, more expensive, and spectacular than its predecessor is. After Chen Kaige’s vainly The Promise last year The Curse Of The Golden Flower takes the honor to be the most expensive film ever shot in mainland China. Thus far.

The story of The Curse Of The Golden Flower is however appallingly simple. Emperor Ping (Chow Yun-Fat) takes revenge on his ill wife empress Phoenix (Gong Li) due to her illicit relationship with the crown prince Wan (Liu Ye) who was born out of a previous marriage. Ping decides to add poison to the daily portion of herbal medicine for the empress. In response, the empress and the second prince Jai (Jay Chou) plot a rebellion to overthrow the emperor on the Festival of the Chrysanthemum.

Fans of Zhang Yimou, who are familiar with his creative use of abundant colors, lights and settings are unlikely to be put off by The Curse Of The Golden Flower. In the contrary, this time it is even getting more excessive than as ever. Nothing is spared in order to overwhelm the audience completely with an overdose of magnificent scenes, gorgeous costumes, colorful and surreal settings. There is just one way to describe The Curse Of The Golden Flower, and that is in terms of megalomania: hordes of walk-ons, impressive palaces and beautiful sceneries. Salient details are the bare boobs of the maids that add extra spices to this already lavish movie.

Following the example of The Promise Zhang Yimou is also guilty of over-usage of CGI. In his obsession with visual dazzle, the sceneries and battles are spruced up by computer-animations turning the film needlessly into something artificial and clumsy.

The story is in no way in proportion to the pictures. The Curse Of The Golden Flower has a thin story line with an extremely predictable plot. The scene of the revolt within the imperial palace resembles to the The Emperor And The Assassin (1998) where storming rebels were ambushed and butchered by the palace guards. As about the illicit affair of the empress with the crown prince, where did we see this before? This was also a key element in Xiao Gangfeng’s The Banquet (2006). When it comes to originality, Zhang Yimou really did a bad job this time.

The great star Chow Yun-Fat seems to be too much constraint in his role as the old shrewd emperor. In none of the scenes is he able to show some of his great acting. Instead of being an almighty ruler, he rather looks like a silly old fool. Gong Li, however, manages to show a great dignity and beauty being the empress. The rest of the cast are rather shallow. So is the dramatic scene, when the maid Chan (Li Man) finds out that she has been in an incestuous affair with the crown prince, rather hilarious than tragic.

Admittedly, The Curse Of The Golden Flower is in terms of cinematography absolutely a masterpiece. In his enthusiasm, however, Zhang Yimou has overlooked an important thing: the story.

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

Adam Air Flight 574

On the 1st of January 2007, an airplane of the Indonesian budget airliner Adam Air went missing over the archipelago Sulawesi. Flight 574 with 96 passengers and six crews on board was on its domestic flight from Surabaya to Manado. After a search for more than ten days, a few pieces debris from the crashed airplane, were found at the shores near Makassar in southern Sulawesi on 12 January last. What are the circumstances and background of this air disaster?

Adam Air was founded in 2002 by the well-known Indonesian businessman, Agung Laksono, who is also an influential politician linked to the powerful political party Golkar. Adam Air inaugural flight took place on 19 December 2003 from Jakarta to Medan on Sumatra. Its CEO is Laksono´s own son Adam Adhitya Suherman who was then 22 years old.

The crashed airplane was a Boeing 737-400 with registration code PK-KKW which was 17 years old. The fleet of Adam Air consists of 20 Boeings 737, with an average fleet age of 18.5 year, ranking Adam Air on the third position of the newest aircraft fleet in Indonesia. The national carrier Garuda leads with an average 10-year-old fleet.

Flight 574 left Surabaya at 1 pm local time and was bound for Manado on northeast Sulawesi. It was a normal 2-hours flight. The weather conditions were bad as the area was hit by high winds and severe storms in the past few days. In the last radio contact the captain reported heavy side winds. The contact was then lost one hour before destination at an altitude of 35,000 feet.

The cause of the crash may be found in the severe weather conditions. The first question that arises is why Adam Air flight operation did not cancel the flight but rather allowed it to take off? Two days prior to the crash a ferry with 600 people on board sank on its way from Kalimantan on Borneo to Java Island. Experts believe the same storm might well have been the cause of the crash of this aircraft.

So, why did the pilot not divert the flight, as he could see on the weather radar that the plane was going to fly into the extremely bad weather? An anonymous pilot reported from the Professional Pilots Rumour Network website that all 737-200s of Adam Air are not equipped with such weather radar. Thus, pilots have to rely on weather satellite pictures of Indonesia. The PK-KKW plane was, however, a 737-400 which was believed to have weather radar on board. Was the weather radar already inoperative before departure?

The ´Tambolaka Incident´ may shed more light on this matter. In early February 2006 an Adam Air Boeing 737-300 flying on the route Jakarta-Makassar went off course and was eventually found back on the airstrip of Tambolaka on Sumba Island. The plane was then 2,000 km off its final destination.

Adam Air explained that ´due to bad weather the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing on Tambolaka`. Three days later, however, the Indonesian ministery of transport announced that ‘Adam Air had committed a serious violation by operating a plane which flight navigation system still needs to produce evidence of repaired.’ So was the plane wandering in the sky for more than two hours without proper navigation before it touched down at Tambolaka?

The way Adam Air´s senior management handles safety is questionable. According to the pilots´ rumours website, the cabin crews are poorly trained while a substantial number of flight operation officers lack necessary experience or proper qualifications. There are cases where pilots who protest to the management on its way of handling aircraft safety are sacked and sued by the airline for professional negligence.

An example on the operational safety with Adam Air: the priority is set on cargo. In order to maximise cargo revenue, it happens that the aircraft is sometimes over its maximum zero fuel weight. The captain, not wanting to enter into a delay, decides to reduce weight by burning off fuel before take off.

As long as the wreck of flight 574 is fully recovered, the question of what might have caused the crash cannot be answered. Given the way Adam Air runs airline business, investigators may not have to beat around the bush. Ervina Liauw, 28, an accountant from Jakarta, when asked on her experience with flying with Adam Air: ´I dare not flying with Adam Air as I heard a lot of scary stories about it. A friend once took a flight from here to Semarang. She was shocked when she saw how old the aircraft looked like, and she was scared to death when the plane smashed hard onto the runaway.´

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

Zhujiajiao, A Water Village

Zhujiajiao, an ancient rural village one hour ride off the metropolis Shanghai is a popular hot spot for primarily local residents. It is however becoming more and more popular among foreign tourists in recent years.

Its main attraction are the few canals which flow through the village. There are tens of bridges which link one part of the village to another. Each of those bridges is unique in terms of design, size and construction material. Other attractions are the ancient clan houses of the rich cramped together along the narrow alleys.

When strolling through the narrow alleys you may imagine that you have gone back in time to Medieval China. By the sight of the ancient clan houses houses, of which some date back few hundred years. You may feel as if you are walking on the film set of a Chinese martial art movie where out of the sudden some weird ninja jumps off from the roof to collar you.

After exploring Zhujiajiao visitors are supposed to dine in at the small cosy restaurants and eateries along the quays where dishes from the local rural cuisine are served. The food ingredients such as tiny snails and crayfishes also come from the waters in and around the village. Some foreign tourists may be scared off by the sight of those weird looking small species.

Local folks seem to hang out late after past 10 pm. The main town square is getting crowded where there is a festive atmosphere and upbeat music sounding loudly from loudspeakers. The square is further lit up by colorful light bulbs hanging above the restaurants and shops. Some locals indulgent themselves in partying where they burst out in some ballroom dancing spontaneously.

Since we have a long ride ahead back to Shanghai, we feel sorry that we have to leave now when it is getting real fun in Zhujiajiao. Not far from the main entrance of the village we come across a few police officers on motorbikes. They seem to be keeping a close eye watching the partygoers in Zhujiajiao.

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

Voyeurism in Malaysia

Earlier this month there was a row when a journalist discovered that the CCTV camera was zooming in on the thigs of reporter Melissa Darlyne Chow. It happened at the municipal council of the city of Penang, reports the Malaysian paper The Star. It was again another incident of voyeurism where females became victim of peeping in Malaysia.

In August last when the magazine Easy Finder published photos of Hong Kong star Gillian Chung which were taken illegally, it had sparked a public outrage. The pictures were taken when she was changing dresses while performing at a concert in Genting.

In October last year a short video footage was circulated where a nude woman was shown while doing knee-ups at a police station. The video was clandestinely shot by a handphone. It provoked strong protest from ethnic Chinese in Malaysia and from mainland China as the lady peeped was erroneously taken as a Chinese national.

In the case of reporter Chow the political leader of the orthodox islamic PAS party further fueled the anger by his remark that females who were dressed “too sexy” were to blame themselves as their attire might provoke sexual harassment.

Yee Chuen Leung

Chief Editor

Oasis Hong Kong

The new low budget airline Oasis Hong Kong has incurred delay on her inaugural flight due to Russia's refusal on over-flight rights today, reports the South China Morning Post.

Oasis Hong Kong Airlines is the first low budget long haul airline in service. It will offer non-stop flights to London, Berlin, Bonn/Cologne and Chicago.

A Personal Profile

The Dutch labour market has been known as a rigid one. Under the rule of the right wing government, however, signs of change have been noticeable. How do those changes affect those who want to make a mid-career change? Michiel, a bachelor from Amsterdam in his late thirties, graduated in law last year. Until today he is still looking for a post as lawyer apprentice. Here he shares his personal experience.

Could you introduce yourself?
I am someone who loves to take charge of my own decisions and to take initiatives. I try to enjoy life as much as I can. Literature and culture are my favourite pastime. So are dining out and drinking in the pub as well. I don´t have a real passion of my own. At the present moment, my job with the bank is my passion.

You are thirty seven right now and you have already got a considerable career as a financial advisor. When you were thirty however you started to study law. Why?
When I was twenty, I got my own business which didn´t go well. I built up a lot of debts and was in financial need. I managed to get a job as financial advisor with a brokerage firm. My career went smoothly but after three years of working I felt like looking for a change. I decided to take a sabbatical. After that break I was going to disliked my job which as I thought it was getting too commercial for me. At that time I had a close contact with a legal firm which worked in the social advocacy. They sometimes referred clients to us for things like a new mortgage application. The social advocacy was intriguing to me,. E especially, rendering legal services to those who cannot afford them. I believe that this is one of the pillars of our legal system.

While being a student you got a part time job. What obstacles did you face? What kept you going?
In the beginning I got a busy job. It was hard not to do overtime. Also, I oftenly did not take breaks regularly time to pause so that I became too much stressfuled when I arrived at the lessons. Therefore, I have learned to be stricter toward my working time.

You told said that you want to become an advocate. Why?
As an advocate one must be assertive, have an independent mind and be creative. I believe I have all that takes. In advocacy, it´s all about dealing with people, and that is something I love to do. It really matters me that things I do may contribute to the society as a whole.

What is your experience of making a mid-career change in your life? What obstacles do you come accross? For instance: age discrimination, a tough labour market and such.
None of these. I only have only troubles with my private life. Being a novice in the advocacy, I have to take a substantial salary cut. I don´t believe there are things like age discrimination. But However I could imagine that an advocate of twenty seven year old has got problems with recruiting an apprentice who is ten years older than him. But at the other hand, those people are mature enough to know how to handle this.

What would you advise to those who also consider a mid-career change?
Just do it. Step out of your comfort zone if that prevents you from further personal development.

You graduated on the thesis “Asylum Law”. Why?
Asylum Law is like social advocacy, one of those check and balances in our legal system. It is an area of law which is beyond the scope of the public. Asylum seekers form a social group who are diverse, and who lack political representation in our society. Thus, their cause is usually at the mercy of our judges. From the legal and humane point of view it is an interesting and important area of law.

What is your personal view on the working of the Dutch legal system?
I will limit myself to the Asylum Law. It can and it should be much better. The present proceedings are mainly aimed at extraditing people. It is not the law that causes this situation but the minister and officers in charge. The law provides sufficient fair remedies for the asylum seeker in order to plead for his cause. My thesis focuses on the dismissal of appeal cases in which an applicant is emotionally unfit to defend his cause on the first hearing. Due to the time pressure put on those fast track proceedings the human aspect is oftenly completely overlooked. The proceedings do not take into account with the emotional, cultural and language-barrier aspects which interrupt the process of fact findings for the judge.

What is your personal device?
To enjoy my work, don´t plan too far ahead but keep on looking forpursuing personal growth.

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

Peer-to-peer Internet TV

A new trend has turned up on the World Wide Web: peer-to-peer streaming internet tv (p2p tv). Although streaming tv has already been on the internet for many years but what we see here now is a completely new phenomenon.

This tv streaming is based on the socalled peer-to-peer technology and is similar to the widely used Bittorrent. The special thing about p2p tv is that the picture quality improves when more viewers are watching. Let’s take a closer look and find out how this stuff works.

Most of those services are provided by streaming tv enterprises in mainland China. The most popular ones are PPLive, PPStream, TVAnts, Sopcast and TVKoo. Since the services are in Chinese most of the tv channels offered are from Greater China, Korea and Japan. It can still be interesting for those who do not understand Chinese as there are also channels like the HBO, ESPN and CNN available.

From our tests we found out that PPLive and PPStream are less stable to use. They frequently make your computer hanging. But the number of channels offered are huge. TVAnts and TVKoo however are doing a better job. They appeared to be more stable and their sound and picture quality are good. Unfortunately, their number of channels are fewer.
Another thing that we have to consider is the legal aspect. Although the main chunk of the channels offered are free-to-air channels, the Chinese services are violating copy rights as they broadcast pay tv like the HBO and ESPN without permissions.

So, with p2p tv streaming we are at the brink of a revolution when it comes to watching digital television. As yet, we have to live with Chinese tv entertainment. The enjoyment and the risks involved are for the user’s own account.

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

Memoirs Of A Geisha II

The Woes

In early January 2006 the movie was banned in mainland China. After tarrying for awhile the Chinese authorities has made up their mind: Memoirs Of A Geisha is not to be released in China.

Why? The main reason must be found in the fact that celebrated Chinese actresses such as Zhang Zhiyi and Gong Li are casted for the key characters in the movie. They played a role as a geisha in pre-war Japan. Since there is a strong anti-Japanese resentment among the Chinese audience the Chinese government was nervous that the movie might trigger a new wave of anti-Japanese protests.

Another reason belies in the story itself. Zhang Zhiyi being a geisha fell in love with a businessman who was sent as a soldier of the Japanese army to Manchuria. Since it refers to the brutal Japanese occupation of China during the Second World War it would absolutely not acceptable to the Chinese audience.

The thing that may be the most sensitive is the fact that those Chinese actresses being geishas served and entertained Japanese men. It easily recalls the memories of the socalled comfort women: Chinese women who were forced into sex slavery and to render sex services to Japanese military during the war. It is still a matter that anger the Chinese nowadays. Especially, the lack of repentance by the Japanese on the issue further fuels the anger and resentment towards Japan.

The release of The Memoirs Of A geisha in China may scratch open the old wounds.

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

Belgian Football

Tonite the Dutch tv featured a report on how Chinese maffia managed to infiltrate and to control some Belgian premier league football clubs. By this they can make huge profits by gambling on football matches on internet.

The key role is the Chinese called Zheyun Ye from Shanghai. He seems to be a front of the powerful Chinese internet gambling triads in Shanghai. Ye made his way in at least two Belgian clubs La Louviere and Lierse. Since the fall of 2005 and early 2006 there have been some notable soccer matches. La Louviere lost a number of matches in a row. So were the spare goalkeeper and the worse players sent to the matches.

A British internet bookmaker found that there were irregularities in those matches. The stakes appeared to be unusual high for those normally seen as regular matches in the Belgian league. The bookmaker alerted the Belgian football federation but to no avail. There was no any response from the last one.

It is said that Ye bribed the management and some players of those clubs. Ye demanded that when and with how many goals La Louviere and Lierse should lose a match. By controlling the outcomes of those matches gamblers in China made huge profits in hundred thousands of euros.

The Belgian public prosecution service and the football federation have just decided to launch a thorough inspection in those rumours on bribing by Chinese triads.

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

Winter In Lisbon

When one listens to the melancholic Fado songs lamenting the past glory and the lost love in Lisbon and watches the Portuguese people’s faces showing some senses of lack of pride it intrigues one to question where the traces of the past grandour and wealth of this nation have gone.

Disembarking the aircraft one may be pleased by the surprising mild winter sunshine and blue sky above the city of Lisbon. The airport is located not far from downtown of the Portuguese capital. A bus trips may take 20 minutes and the fare is cheap.

Lisbon is built on top of hills. The old downtown Baíxa faces the riverbank of the river Tagus and is surrounded by quarters on higher hills such as Alfama and Bairro Alto. The main shopping street Rua Augusta runs from Baíxa accross the adjacent quarter Chiado and ends up at the huge square Praça dom Predro IV.

A walk along the waterfront esplanade along the vast river Tagus in the quarter of Belém is a welcome break from the bustling downtown Baíxa. From the waterfront esplanade one may take a grasp to the huge sculpture Padrão dos Descobrimentos. The landmark honors the great Portuguese seafarers who did great discoveries in the past.

For art lovers the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum is a real must-go. Located inside a green quiet park in the quarter of Sao Sebastao it is like an haven of peace amid the crowded traffic. The museum has a rich collection of art items from the Greco-Roman, East Islamic, Armenian and Oriental civilisation. A great deal of its collection was a legacy from a wealthy businessman from Armenian origin. The admittance fee is 3 euro each.

The ancient castle, Castelo de Sao Jorge, is surely worth a visit. Built on top of a hill it provides an awesome view on the entire Lisbon and the river Tagus. Once a citadel built on Roman ruins it has become a popular tourist attraction nowadays. A greater excitement is the sight of the mansions on route to the castle. Their walls are richly ornamented with cheerful colored ceramic tiles. It is a real indulgement of this lavish display of gorgeous ceramic tiles which give the mansions a near enchanting look.

For the enthusiastic admirer of Portuguese tiles one may hop on to the Museu Nacional do Azulejo, the national museum of ceramic tiles. Located slightly further away from town, the museum can be reached by a few buses. Going by cab remains however the easiest way to get there. The museum has a vast collection of ceramic tiles. It tells the history of the tiles manufacturing in Portugal since the 17th century. Housed in the convent of former queen Leonor the building itself is ornamented with gorgeous tiles.

A visit to Lisbon in December can be more than a pleasant enjoyment of the mild winter sun but also an interesting discovery of the rich cultural inheritage and historical architecture of the Portuguese capital.

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

Memoirs Of A Geisha

The Prologue

The 2nd of March this year the movie "Memoirs Of A Geisha" is due to be released in the Netherlands. I happen to be reading this novel from a book I borrowed in November last year. I am really curious to see how the film will be compared to the book.

According to a review I read the movie omitted the years when the main character Chiyo (in the movie she is referred to as Sayuri) underwent hardship to become a succesful geisha at the end.

The remarkable thing about the movie so far I know is that the main characters are played by celebrated Chinese actresses like Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li. Also, the whole film was shot primarily in California although the story happened in Japan in the early 20s of last century. Anyway, I am very looking forward to watch "Memoirs Of A Geisha".

Yee Chuen Leung

Chief Editor

Whispers Of Nature

As we are heading toward Christmas of this year it reminds me of the first anniversary of the tsunami disaster that hit South East Asia and the Indian Ocean region in 2004.

In October 2001 my wife Elvira and I spent a few days holiday on the island of Phuket. It is one of the most popular holiday destinations of Thailand.

We stayed at resort hotel Dusit Laguna that was located along the beach. It was a fabulous hotel designed in Thai style with a huge tropical garden and swimming pool. The hotel consists of few buildings with rooms which were approximately 30 m off the beach.

At night we could hear clearly the roaring sounds of the sea. Since October was the monsoon season there were big deal of tropical rain and the sea appeared to be quite rough and murky. The waves came up far deep onto the beach. They went so far that the waves actually washed away the whole beach itself.

We tried only one time to go up to the beach. But I noticed that the waves quite high and they almost swallowed the whole length of the beach itself that we had to run for our life. Somehow the sea looked hostile and threatening. In Holland I used to see the high waves of the impetuous North Sea. But somehow I thought the way the Andaman Sea behaved was not quite the same as with the North Sea. Since I know the North Sea used to be rough, especially in time of stormy weather, it is in that sense predictable.

One night when we were laying in bed in our hotel room I could clearly hear the sound of the waves breaking on the beach. Since our room was so close to the beach the sound seemed to be so insistent. It sounded like as if the sea was restless and angry. From my own intuition I sensed that there was something scary, something threatening about this sea. But I could not exactly spell what was wrong about it. It anyhow worried me as the sea was so close to our hotel and that the sea water might flush us away.

I remember that I wrote an email to my sister Onki in which I shared with her that there was something scary or something sinister about the Andaman Sea here. I might be a bit oversensitive as it was anyhow the monsoon season and it might be just a normal thing.

Then, on the Christmas Day of 2004 my gut feelings have not failed me. We all heard of the huge and devastating tsunami that hit the whole region. I searched the website of Dusit Laguna hotel and found a notice that it had been hit and damaged by the tsunami. It may be too easy to take this conclusion but I am very sure that my intuition is quite right on the Andaman Sea. It wears on a mask of a beautiful and friendly sea in time of good weathers but underneath there lies something scary and sinister within it.

It reminds me also of the earthquake in Kobe in 1995. A few days before the devastating quake it was noticed that birds became unusually quiet, and the water from the thermal sources turned blur. The lesson we take out of these events is that man needs to learn to listen to the whispers of nature. It is something that man in modern times has disregarded to do.

Yee Chuen Leung

Chief Editor

Stripped Naked

In last November a released video has caused a row between China and Malaysia. It showed a Chinese young woman - allegedly to be Chinese national - who was forced to strip naked by a female Malaysian police officer. The Chinese was summoned to do ear sit ups while she was being filmed in secret from behind.

The video is widely circulated in China and provoked a public outcry and fury for the abuse and humiliation of a Chinese citizen in Malaysia. It also created a loud protest from the large Chinese community in Malaysia itself for this abuse which seems to stem from racism.

The abuse of this Chinese woman by Malaysian police is not an isolated incident. In 2005 there are reports of at least four Chinese women who were treated in similar way by the police. Many Chinese tourists who visited Malaysia complained that they were treated with disrespect by immigration officers and abused by police officers.

The mistreatment and abuse seem to stem from prejudices against Chinese nationals who come to Malaysia as tourists. According to the authorities many Chinese citizens overstayed and committed a lot of offenses such selling goods or entering into illegal work. Chinese females seem to be working as prostitutes. Those things caused a bias by the Malaysian police towards Chinese tourists who come to Malaysia.

Initially, the Malaysian justice secretary defended this act of the Malay police and brushed off the complains of the Chinese. He stated that if the Chinese are so uncontent about their treatment in Malaysia than they may leave the country as they please.

The consequences are that the number of tourists from China dropped with 65% for this year. Also, China has shown her anger and concern about the reports of mistreatment of Chinese nationals in Malaysia. The Chinese government urges its citizens to refrain from visiting Malaysia.

The Malaysian government realised that they have done something stupid by alienating China. Especially, the economic damages to Malaysia can be considerable as Chinese tourists stay away. Also, the scam may further harm the trade with China which is becoming more and more the economic powerhouse in Asia.

Early December the Malaysian government sent a envoy headed by Home Affairs minister Azmi to China to apologize for the incident and also to give assurance that Chinese nationals in Malaysia will not be abused or mistreated. The Malay official gave guarantee that there will no special prejudices against Chinese females. Azmi's envoy made their visit to Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and other major Chinese cities to apologize for the incident.

We will see if this kowtow by the Malays is sincere and that Malaysian government will truly take measurements to discipline the behavior of its civil servants in handling of Chinese visitors.

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

Hiking on Lama Island

Hiking is a popular sport among the people of Hong Kong. It is for them also an escape from the crowds of the bustling city. My wife and I went for hiking on Lama Island which was the fourth largest island of Hong Kong.

Our journey to Lama Island started from the ferry terminal in the district Central on Hong Kong island. It was on an early Saturday afternoon and there was already a crowd waiting for the ferry to come. Most of them were young people who were also in for a sporty hike on Lama.

Finally our ferry left Central and was bound for Lama Island. Our ship passed through the utmost west point of Hong Kong island and we saw how we came along the districts like Pok Fu Lam and Discovery Bay.

The boat trip took only half an hour. Our ferry called at the small port Yung Shue Wan which was no more than a little township with some restaurants, pubs and shabby hotels. Much to our surprise the hiking trail actually started from the main street of Yung Shue Wan where the trail led us to the interior of the island.

We were not alone. There were lots of folks on who were also here for hiking. The backpackers were chatting loudly while some were having food on their way. It was more like a family picknick rather than a wild nature hike. Also, along the path there were food stalls selling curry fishballs, roasted sausages and other snacks. It made us hard to enjoy our walk and the natural beauty around us.

Finally we managed to get rid of the crowd and continue our hike in a more or less normal way. Our trail came along a small beach where there were some people taking a sunbath while others risked a dive into the sea. Believe it or not. We even saw a foodstall on the beach which was selling tofu fa!

The toughest part of our trail was that part that got hilly. It was also a more quiet part of the trail where we had to climb uphill. On top of the hill we got a wonderful view on the South China Sea which looked really serene and peaceful.

Our hike ended at Sok Kwu Wan. It was a small port with a few seafood restaurants along the quay. It was already dusk when our ferry arrived. It took us to Aberdeen at Hong Kong island. All and all it was a good work out for both us. Since the trail was only about 6 km long it was quite doable for beginners like us. The Lama hike was one that could be best marked as a trail of snacks and seafood...

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

Ayuthaya

Shortly after our wedding Elvira my wife and I flew off to Bangkok to spend our honeymoon in the Thai capital city in the year 2002. We really had a wonderful time together. The warm climate combined with the vibrant life and rich culture of Thailand added even more charm and gloss to our honeymoon.

After having arrived at Bangkok airport we hired a young Thai tour guide who would take us on sightseeing for the coming couple of days. Our guide, a handsome and well-mannered youngman from Chinese kin, took us to the former royal palace somewhere in town on the second day. After that he led us to the royal workshop where jewels were made by skilled craftsmen. Those jewels were mostly made from gems found in Thailand itself.

The most impressing visit was however our daytrip to the ancient capital city of Ayuthaya. On the third day in Bangkok our guide took us upon our special request to the ruins what were left of this ancient Thai capital. It was almost a two hours ride by cab from the present capital city of Bangkok to Ayuthaya. The road led us through vast and endless rice paddies which had gone dry in late October. In fact, Ayuthaya was located in a neighbouring province of Bangkok itself.

I remember that it was on a hot and relatively dry sunshiny day when we headed off to Ayuthaya. When we finally arrived at Ayuthaya the place looked much like a huge green park with lots of old trees and ruins scattered all over the park.

Frankly, there was no much left of the once awesome and large ancient Thai capital. Ayuthaya became the capital of the powerful Thai empire which grew in power from the 14th and 15th century. The city was one of the wealthiest in Asia by that time. A British visitor once described Ayuthaya as the greatest of all cities in Asia and its Court was magnificent and beyond compare.

The tide however had turned against the Thai. The might of their rival, the Burmese, was rising. The Burmese invaded and occupied the most part of what was the Thai empire. In around 1767 the Burmese finally destroyed Ayuthaya after a siege of two years. The Burmese ransacked and burnt down this ancient Thai capital completely. They literally destroyed everything that was sacred to the Thai.

When we walked along the ruins of the temples and other buildings traces of that destruction were clearly visible. The completely burnt down ruins were still black of the horrific fire which destroyed the city. The many statues of Buddha found in Ayuthaya had their head cut off. It was a macabre sight. Even on a beautiful sunshiny day like this we shivered by the sight of the huge mass destruction which was so obviously savage and brutal. It was not hard for us to imagine how horrifying the scene it must be when this city fell.

Luckily, there were not only ugly things to be found there in Ayuthaya. Our guide took us to look at a brand new buddhist temple full of splendour just a stone-cast distance from the ruins. Our Thai guide informed us that this new temple was built with money offered by the Burmese. It was a friendly gesture by the Burmese people in order to reconcile with their Thai neighbour.

It really made us feel good to see how these modern Asian nations made efforts to come to terms with their past and to be willing to build on a more constructive future together.

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor