Globalisation for real

Bye Bye Queen's Theatre and Hello Gap. Very soon the whole of Central will lose it's uniqueness.




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Journalism is a lifestyle

[中文版請往下]

Once upon a time, a veteran editor said to me: "Journalism is a lifestyle. Journalists do not clock in and out like data-entry clerks. If you choose journalism, remember that you are not choosing a job, you are subscribing to a way of living."

I was apparently too young to figure out what that veteran editor meant. But after exactly 11 years of training in newspaper and magazine journalism, I think I have finally grasped the idea. 

As a journalist, your work begins the moment you wake up, even if you are still lying in your bed, especially in the digital age. You can check emails and read the news on your smartphone first thing even if you are still waking up in bed. When you are brushing your teeth, you begin to officially activate your mind: think about the stories that you are planning to write, the questions that you will be asking in the next interview that you will be doing, the phone calls that you will be making, and what kind of information that you might be able to get out of a contact that you are meeting for the morning coffee.

I have come to realise that only reporters who have little network or contacts would turn up at work at 10am on the dot (of course, it's a different story if you have a deadline, or you have to stand-by at the office, or you need to do research in the office) - that was exactly what I did when I first started over a decade ago. I turned up at work on time at 10am, the official starting time, but only to find myself sitting alone in an empty newsroom reading the newspaper. Other reporters were out and about attending press conferences or meeting up with contacts. And when they returned to the office in the afternoon, they already got a story to file, or a scoop to share. But one thing they did was that they always kept their supervisors informed of their whereabouts, and they were always reachable no matter where they were. If you can't produce a story, you are not a good journo no matter how early you turn up in the office.

It took me at least five years time to build up a solid network and relationship with my sources. We meet for breakfast, coffees, lunches, dinners, drinks...I'm available around the clock! I simply enjoy talking to people. I can virtually talk to anyone about anything, and that's where story ideas come through.

Good stories are not generated from staring at the computer screen. Some of the best and sexiest story ideas I had definitely did not come from press conferences or press releases, but from chatting casually with sources and contacts. They are the people in the know and they can always give you a lead or exclusive information. Even if you are smart enough to dig up a whole lot of information, you still need someone in the know to help you make sense of such information, or make it relevant. Otherwise your "story" can only become a "non-story" telling audience what they already know, or things that they do not care.

Story ideas come through around the clock, not only between 10am-6pm, so as writing. You do not just write between 10am-6pm. If you are passionate about the story that you are working on, the only thing you would have in mind is to finish it as soon as you - overnight even if you have to - and hope it will get a good run in the publication. Then you move on to the next story.  

Writing, meeting contacts and generating story ideas should be done around the clock, and you work around your deadlines, appointments, interviews, and press conferences. That's part of a journalist's lifestyle.

I guess this has become my way of living, and of course, there's always room for improvement. But one thing for sure is that those who have ever questioned you why you don't turn up in the office at 10 on the dot obviously have little experience in journalism.
ENDS

曾經有一位資深編輯跟我說：「Journalism is a lifestyle。新聞工作並不是一份朝九晚五的工作。你選了入這一行，你是選擇了一種生活模式。」

還是年少氣盛的我當時有點不明所以。 但經過了十一個寒暑，我想我現在大概領悟到固中一點點的道理。

一個真正的記者是沒有上班和下班的時間。你上班的時間就是你每天睡醒張開眼睛的一刻。現在科技先進，每人手上一部 Smartphone，睡醒的第一時間就是 check email，看看當天的新聞。然後在擦牙梳洗時你的腦袋就開始正式運作，想想當天工作的安排，訪問的內容，見 source 時要爭取問一些甚麼問題，要如何寫好你的報導。

日子久了，我亦漸漸明白只有沒事做，沒有 source，沒有 network 的記者才會搭正十點就乖乖的在辦公室裡出現（當然如果你是有 deadline，又或是要在 office stand-by 或要趕住做 research 才作別論）- 因為當我還是當「散仔」時就正是這樣。那時候我每早上班時都想，為甚麼只有我一個人待在 office？其他人在哪裡？但實情是其他記者都在外邊跑新聞，meet source，下午或旁晚回到 office 時都有「故仔」交，就選唔係 daily，都總八到一點甚麼留待日後以備不時之需。身在何處不成問題，最重要是你的上級知道你在搞甚麼，而上級要找你時你第一時間可覆命。沒有「故仔」交，你幾早「得」喺個 office 度都無用。

過了良久我才建立自己的人脈。食飯，飲酒，飲咖啡，飲茶，食早餐. . . 我統統盡量出席，因為我知道只有這樣才可跟不同的人談不同的話題，好題材由此而來。就算你真的好醒，找到一些資料或數據，也都須要對該題目有相當認識的專業人仕幫忙，令那些資料或數據變成對讀者有意義的「故仔」，如果唔係都只可能會做一些「鬼唔知阿媽係女人」的 non-story。所以發掘好「故仔」不只限於朝十晚六。我是沒有下班時間的。

除了發掘好「故仔」，寫作都是一樣。記者是不會有特定的寫作時間，只有 deadline。只要在deadline 前交稿，應該是沒有人會理會你是否十點正返工。

我想全情投入就是那個所謂的 lifestyle 罷。所以如果有人問你點解十點鐘都唔喺公司出現，嗰個人一定係新嚟嘅 - 仲要係無經驗而又連荃灣同柴灣都唔識分嘅新移民！

ENDS

When money becomes the only principle 大石砸死蟹之告別畢打行

In the post-handover Hong Kong, nothing seems to matter except $$$$$.

The beautiful China Tee Club is forced to leave the historic Pedder Building after it first set its foot there a quarter of the Century ago. The reason? US casual wear retailer Abercrombie & Fitch is reportedly paying HK$7.5 million a month renting four floors to open its Hong Kong flagship. (Sunday Morning Post, July 10: Tee Club makes way for T-shirts after 25 years) 

Taking up four floors of Pedder Building means other iconic stores like Shanghai Tang and Blanc de Chine will have to go. In fact, Blanc de Chine has already shut down its Pedder Building outlet and moved everything to its Landmark branch. Shanghai Tang is reportedly still looking for a new location, and as for China Tee Club, its fate is still unknown. 

Initially there's nothing wrong with the changing of tenancy. Once a lease is up, and if the rent can't be agreed, the tenant and the landlord have to go separate ways. It's the basic principle guiding this so-called free market.

But here in the case of Pedder Building - a historic piece of architecture built in 1932 and will soon become grade I heritage building in Hong Kong, is such principle still applicable? 

If we still applied that very basic economic principle, Pedder Building would've been demolished years ago. I'm no expert in properties but I can tell how valuable that site could've been. Located right at the heart of Central, imagine just how much rental return it could bring if Pedder Building was replaced by just another grade A office tower. If AIA Central could be renting at HK$160 per sq ft, Pedder Building could easily ask for a similar rate if not more. 

But the building is still here, being "protected" in the name of heritage, which shows us that there's something above the face value of a piece of property, and that is its historical and cultural value. And the tenants in this building should also be those that match the style of the building, shops that will make this building a cultural icon. It's not just a random building. It's a building that has a story to tell. 

However, with the increasing cost of maintenance and the lack of support/ incentive for landlords to preserve the building, it's hard for landlords to say no to HK$7.5 million monthly rental income.

So in just a couple of months, Pedder Street will look just like any other streets else where in the world, colonised by worldwide chain stores. And the historic Pedder Building will become nothing but just another soul-less shell housing a store selling cheap teenage clothes, just like Starbucks invading Forbidden City. 

Do we really have to kowtow to $$$$$?




越來越覺得，管治香港的唯一原則並不是為香港好，而是錢。

位於中環畢打街法定二級古蹟的畢打行，將會很快要面對近二十年來的最大變遷。(Sunday Morning Post, July 10: Tee Club makes way for T-shirts after 25 years) 美國連鎖服裝店 Abercrombie & Fitch 已用據聞天價的七百五十萬月租租下了畢打行由地庫至二樓的四層舖位，所有商舖包括地庫及地下的上海灘，二樓的 China Tee Club 和其如十六個商舖都要走。
上海灘是香港的原創品牌，十七年前發原於畢打行，該店的 China Tee Club 在畢打行獨特的三十年代值民地式建築配合下更見突出，也令畢打行生色不少。

二樓的 China Tee Club 更不用說了。古典特式的佈置，有點馬來亞的色彩，但又有點懷舊上海的感覺，與畢打行配合得天衣無縫。二十五年以來，China Tee Club 已累積了三千個會員，
但幾有特式，幾有歷史價值都沒有用，因為錢的價值更高。如果不是因為被定為法定二級古蹟，畢打行早就拆了。

一個美國大財團，摧毀了有意思的小店。據聞 China Tee Club 跟上海灘都未有找到新的落腳點。這就是所謂的自由經濟的「好處」嗎？難道沒有其他東西的價值比錢更重要嗎？

Finally...

It's finally here! My princess dressing table.

My new toys

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香港，就是這麼賤？Hong Kong, is this what you deserve?

[Scroll down for English]

七月一日，香港回歸。本來，結束逾百年的殖民統治，解放一個由不平等條約割讓得來的城市，是應該值得慶祝的事。奈何每一年的七月一日，心裡總是戚戚然。十四年來，人民生活質素每下愈況，貧富越來越懸殊，示威越演越烈，原因很多人都瞭解和認同：香港殖民統治從未結束，改變的只是宗主國由有民主政制的英國轉為政治體制比香港人習以為常落後的中共寡頭政體。

長久以來，香港這地方同雞無乜分別，比援交更賤。援交都可以揀老細，但雞就唔得，有客就要接，被人抽水無得出聲，做到人老珠黃就會被棄掉，重來沒有人是對香港有BEST INTEREST。

香港被英國佬搞完，就輪到被太陸佬扑。英國佬還算是一個有點品的老細，起碼抽完水都起返啲公屋居屋，搞吓啲福利咁，攞著數唔會攞得咁盡。

但大陸佬哩？精力旺盛，錢又多，扑足廿四小時七日七夜都無問題，輪姦你到體無完膚不特只，得翻條屍都照姦可也，如果唔係香港點會不停接收大陸佬唔想要嘅新移民；任由內地資金炒起香港，福利微薄，沒有足夠公共房屋，但不停叫你上車買貴樓，欠一屁股的債，到你供完樓就強拍你間屋，臨老過唔到世；打壓不同聲音，推動洗腦教育等下一代不懂發問，繼續接客；推行惡法，摧毀僅餘的公義，永無翻身之日。公義，就只是有錢人的玩具。廿一萬人上街又如何？

究竟香港做錯了甚麼落得如廝下場？

其他人不愛香港，香港都應自愛，最慘香港太多扯皮條，方死接唔夠客。香港，就是這麼賤？

July 1 is the anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong. It is supposedly a day to celebrate the end of the colonial rule, the liberation of a city that was ceded due to the unequal treaties signed over a century ago. But in reality, there's only pain. Fourteen years down the road, people's living standard has gone from bad to worse. The income gap is getting wider and wider. Protests are getting more and more violent. The reason is simple: Hong Kong has never escaped from the colonial rule. The only thing that has changed is the coloniser, from a country ruled by a democratic government, to one where freedom and democracy are nothing but myths.

Hong Kong is no different from a prostitute. It's worse than compensated dating, which allows one to pick the customer. But as a prostitute, you simply have no choice. When there's a customer, you have to serve him, regardless of how ugly or smelly he is. By the time you are old and ugly, you will be abandoned. No one ever has best interest in you.

After serving the Brits, Hong Kong has to serve the mainlanders. As a client the Brits at least didn't take things to the extreme - there were public housing, a certain level of social welfare.

And the mainlanders? They have great energy and unlimited amount of cash. They can fuck you around the clock, till the day you can no longer handle the job. If not, Hong Kong will not have to take all those new immigrants that are unwanted by their country; the city will not let China's hot money buy out Hong Kong. There's no improvement in social welfare, no increase in supply of public housing. Instead, everyone attempts to lure you into the property market, sign up for a life-long debt, and by the time you pay off your mortgage, you might have to be forced to sell your flat if the rest of the owners in your building agree to sell theirs. Opposite voices are suppressed. "Patriotic" education is introduced so that our future generations will not know how to question the unjust. Unreasonable laws guarding interests of the minority is introduced one after another, crushing the rule of law - the core value of Hong Kong that laid the foundation of the city's success. Justice has become a luxury.

What have Hong Kong done to deserve this?

If no one loves Hong Kong, Hong Kong should at least love herself. Unfortunately there are too many pimps eager to bring customers to fuck us over. More than 210,000 people took the street? So what? These heartless pimps won't give a fuck.