Big Smog for Time Out HK

It Happened Here: Hong Kong welcomes the crocodile hunter

Hong Kongers are left shocked and bemused as the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) invites Australian crocodile hunter John Lever to share his expertise after failed attempts to capture the SAR’s newest resident; Pui Pui the crocodile.

First sighted on November 2, 2003 by villagers in Yuen Long, the croc evaded authorities for 10 days before Lever was brought in for reinforcements on November 11. Believed to be an escaped or abandoned pet, Pui Pui is the first ‘wild’ crocodile to be found in the territory leading to world-wide media attention and local questions over spending on Lever.
Having learnt to grapple with crocodiles from a New Guinean crocodile clan, Lever had all the confidence of Crocodile Dundee going as far as to claim that he would “just walk in and grab it”. Pui Pui, however, turned out to be far more elusive than Lever had expected resulting in several attempts to bag the 1.5m long reptile. Lever employed varied methods including using chicken heads as bait and a bamboo harpoon but following two weeks of tracking the Aussie’s hunt was over and, defeated, he returned home.

The croc was finally captured on June 10, 2004 in the Shan Pui River, Yuen Long by the AFCD after it strayed into one of the numerous set traps. After a territory-wide naming contest Pui Pui, meaning “the precious one”, and as a nod to the Shan Pui River, was selected as the official name. Following capture Pui Pui lived at Kadoorie Farm for two years, she now has a permanent home at the Hong Kong Wetland Park.

Sarah Simpson

Photo by: Michael Elliott

Shopping & Style at Time Out HK

Body language: Martial Arts

Sarah Simpson looks into the eye of the tiger with Impakt gym’s Michelle Kang.

We’ve all marveled at martial arts at the movies, but how do you at Impakt tackle the ancient arts?
There’s a huge difference between different styles of martial arts, obviously from all over the world so what we do is try to put a combination together of martial arts as would be suited to the type of clientele that we have. Altogether we teach Muay Thai, regular boxing, Brazilian jujitsu, Thai Kyokushin Karate, and then we also do strength and fitness conditioning.



How can I tell the difference between the variety of martial arts?
With the Muay Thai the difference really from the kickboxing is it’s just a little more technical, it has a little bit more flair to it and you’re allowed to use elbows, knees, clinches, things like that. For the jujitsu, we chose Brazilian jujitsu style which is more based on the ground work, the grappling and the holds, the locks on the ground. And then the Thai Kyokushin Karate is a far more disciplined sort of style. It combines a full contact sport with the mental toughness and the spiritual side as well.



Do I need to be fit and healthy before I start classes?
No, we take all levels of fitness all levels of ability all ages, shapes, sizes everything that comes along. We have all different fitness levels and what we encourage people to do is push themselves to their limit and we’ll push you and drive you to go beyond what you think are your goals and that’s how you improve.



What are some of the health benefits of practicing martial arts?
You’ve got the obvious physical benefits, you know any exercise is obviously going to benefit you but from the more spiritual side of things, and this is why we push this toward the kids, they learn the respect, they learn the origins of the sport. It’s also a really great stress reliever. People come in here at the end of the working day, really wound up, wanting to kill their boss, and they come out of here and feel fantastic. People feel so much more comfortable afterward and feel really good about themselves.



Now, most importantly, am I going to come out with a black eye?
It’s incredibly rare for anybody to do a stray punch or anything like that. So its actually very safe and that’s particularly why we choose the trainers we have as well so these are guys that have actually grown up doing this all their lives. They’re either nor or previously have been professional fighters so they’ve got so much experience and that really brings out the safety aspect as well. Safety is a big aspect for us.

Gay & Lesbian for Time Out HK

Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival

Confidently striding into its second decade is Hong Kong’s 21st annual Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. The first of its kind in Asia this cinematic extravaganza merely goes from strength-to-strength with age and is recognised as one of the most influential LGBT events across the continent. As a platform for lesbian and gay artists the festival is not only a dominant event on our cultural calendars but also a powerful means by which to spread sexual equality and eliminate discrimination.

With a wide range of films carefully chosen for the festival there’s sure to be something there for everyone. As a special selection for World AIDS movies day Queer China ‘Comrade’ China is a documentary that charts the equal rights movement in China through social reforms, changes and regressions in attitudes and historical moments. Other must sees include the UK’s Fit and The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister. Fit, an effort from director Rikki Beadle Blair, focuses on the lives of six British students who must confront their own perceptions of homosexuality and how they fit into society. The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister presents its content with a classically British approach as it tells the story of iconic lesbian figure, you guessed it, Anne Lister.

The festival will be showcasing 40 local and international films over 12 days from November 20 to December 1 held at Palace IFC in Central, Broadway Cinematheque in Yau Ma Tei and AMC Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong. Tickets can be obtained from the corresponding venues and through their online systems.

Sarah Simpson

Restaurants & Bars for Time Out HK

Any excuse for a drink: Belgian Women's Day

Belgian Women’s Day may be a mere shadow of its former self but this does not mean the fairer sex, Belgian or otherwise, shouldn’t take advantage of celebrating their rights and freedom on November 11.

First observed in 1972, Women’s Day went on to achieve legendary status in feminist circles as a landmark event that would map the Belgian women’s rights movements of the 1970s and early 80s.

The inaugural Women’s Day’s saw over 10,000 participants from across Belgium descend on Brussels in support of societal equality. As Ann van Asbroeck, Minister of Equal Opportunities Policy for Flanders in VOK, remembers, “from the first edition of Women’s Day, feminist and progressive women from all political, social, cultural, and scientific corners balled up their fists and brought their demands with explosive strength to the table.”

Over time, as the roadblocks have been cast aside and the gap in gender role expectations lessened, Belgian Women’s Day has diminished to an almost non-existent event. This year we raise our glasses in thanks to the brave women across the divide of the century who pointed out that women deserve to enjoy the same rights as men.

As November 11 falls on a Thursday this year, take advantage of the weekly ladies night options Hong Kong provides. We recommend heading to Pure Bar + Restaurant for their Sexy Cosmopolitan Ladies Night with free cosmos for ladies from 6.30pm-8pm.

When: Thursday 11Where: Pure Bar + Restaurant, 2/F Kinwick Centre, 32 Hollywood Rd, Central, 8199 8189 PH: 8199 8189 Drink: Cosmopolitan (regular $65, happy hour $45).

Sarah Simpson

Big Smog for Time Out HK

It Happened Here: Harbour Fest

In late 2003 Admiralty’s harbour-fronting Tamar site played host to one of Hong Kong’s biggest ever music festivals. Organised as a way of attracting tourists and positive press after SARS, Harbour Fest aimed to repair the city’s tainted image, bringing in big names and being broadcast into US homes.

Billed as “a dazzling series of live shows catering to all tastes and ages”, the organising committee, InvestHK, was off to a solid start. Acts like Gipsy Kings, Santana, and Neil Young, promised a stellar line-up, and the legendary The Rolling Stones were tapped for the finale.

But before the sound systems had even warmed up, the high hopes for the festival began to fall. Concert costs steadily rose, Cantopop acts Nicholas Tse, Andy Hui, and Joey Yung were mysteriously cut from the bill, and disappointing ticket sales led to the handing out of free tickets for performances from Twins and t.A.T.u, which resulted in violent scuffles outside ticket vendors.

Following the festival, an independent inquiry found almost every act was overpaid (The Rolling Stones received US$5m), the total overrun stood at HK$13.3m, and the festival reached only 600,000 US homes, 0.6 per cent of the targeted 100 million. A survey conducted by the Democratic Party found 50 per cent of those polled believed it was a colossal waste of money, which, on these numbers, doesn’t seem that far off the mark.

Sarah Simpson

Big Smog for Time Out HK

It Happened Here: The British extend their empire

The United Kingdom’s 99-year lease of the New Territories from 1898 to 1997 tends to be the popularly recognised period for the Brits’ control over the region. However, the fact that the whole territory was returned to China in 1997 often overlooks the fact that the area of the current SAR was ceded to Queen Victoria in parts. Hong Kong came first in 1842, and Kowloon was later transferred in 1860, following the Second Opium War.

British and French troops stormed the Old and New Summer Palaces, and in the absence of Emperor Xianfeng, who had already fled, looted and incinerated the gardens. There were also plans to burn the Forbidden City to the ground but, fortunately for the historical site, the over-excited plans of arson were overturned in favour of a more diplomatic approach.

On October 24, 1860, British dignitary Byron Elgin and the Chinese Prince Gong met at Beijing’s Ministry of Rites to sign the Convention of Peking treaty. Article 6 of the Convention stipulated that the area below modern day Boundary Street, along the Kowloon Peninsula, would come under British rule indefinitely.
It wasn’t until 1984 that the terms of the treaty were reassessed and the agreement was made for Britain to hand over Hong Kong and Kowloon to China on July 1, 1997.

Sarah Simpson

Around Town for Time Out HK

Oktoberfest roundup

Sarah Simpson puts on her drindl to find the best local celebrations of the German beerfest

Oktoberfest at Happy Valley RacecourseWednesday Oct 13 & 205.15pm, Happy Valley Racecourse
On consecutive Wednesdays in October the Beer Garden will get a German revamp. Besides drinking German brews such as Lowenbrau and Erdinger, chow down on various sausages, metre-wide pretzels and other German fare while cheering on folks competing in all sorts of games like drinking contests, the “Slick’n’ Slide” beer slide and beer pong. And don’t forget about the horse races.

King Ludwig BeerhallOctober 14-24

www.kingparrot.com
The German-themed King Ludwig outlets offer up a variety of events to get your blood pumping and beer churning. The festivities kick off at the Wan Chai outlet with Rocktoberfest, featuring the stylings of German band Gehrenbergspatzen and local indie band KOLOR, alongside the Mr & Miss Oktoberfest Contest. The bands will be there to entertain throughout the 11-day event, coinciding with fun-filled games and authentic German cuisine – and, of course, beer.

The Marco Polo German BierfestOctober 23-November 136pm, Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel
As one of Asia’s more traditional and authentic Oktoberfest celebrations, The Marco Polo German Bierfest offers revelers a taste of everything German. A culinary spread will feature roast pork knuckle, braised beef steak in red wine vinegar, and of course all types of sausages, which will be complemented by free flowing beer and the panoramic view the hotel affords. All-night dancing and a number of games will keep party-goers entertained, and traditional tunes will be performed by Munich’s The Notenhoblers. Don’t miss out on the intriguingly named Strong Man, Milking the Cow, Pump-the-Balloon and Chicken Dance games.

Erdinger OktoberfestOctober 28-306pm, Happy Valley Racecourse
Get ready as The Flying Sausages prepare to once again take the stage at the Erdinger Oktoberfest. A specially built beer hall will play host to overflowing steins, a German banquet, raucous singing and dancing and ideally the occasional beer hall wench. The 2009 Erdinger Oktoberfest was such a success that the two-day event has evolved to cover a total of three days as well as offering lunch at noon on Saturday only as a fun alternative to your usual weekend brunch.

Around Town for Time Out HK

Raging bull market

Twelve bankers loosen their ties and tighten up their boxing gloves in the name of charity, writes Sarah Simpson

As Sugar Ray Leonard once proclaimed, “Boxing is the ultimate challenge. There’s nothing that can compare to testing yourself in the way you do every time you step into the ring.” Although the kings of the banking world may disagree, citing the often cut-throat business meetings that take place within the office towers of Central, there’s no denying that the contestants for the fourth annual Hedge Fund Fight Nite are in for an intense physical and emotional challenge.

This is the event that bank employees Hong Kong-wide look forward to, as a selection of brave banking bosses and hedge-fund managers prepare themselves for a series of testosterone-filled rounds of boxing. The competitors started at a solid 40 but have been dwindled down over the weeks of intensive training to 12 finalists who will compete on October 28 for top bragging rights.

So why boxing and banking? On the surface they may seem worlds apart, but as Adrian “The Asian Sensation” Wong of Erste Group Bank AG explains, the boardroom and the boxing ring appear to have a few commonalities. “Every day is win or lose. You’ve got to learn from your mistakes, which is the same thing as here. You’re always testing yourself.”

However the similarities don’t make it any easier to get to a training session after a long day at the office. “I think the hardest thing is that sometimes after a long day at work, it’s tough to drag yourself to the gym and know that you’re going to sweat and push yourself all over again. So just as long as the mental aspect of it is there, it’s quite easy to go through the motions. It’s just getting there. It’s like the first step is the hardest step.”

As the training sessions progressed, the contestants have had to pick up their game and focus on the gruelling regime boxing coach Lawrence Tauasa has set out for them in order to ensure they are ready for the tough competition. “At the beginning [training] was very much fitness orientated. Lots of exercise, lots of repetition and now it’s a lot more sparring and combination focused, and just getting your stamina up that way. Stamina is key,” explains Chaterhouse’s Guy “Bruised by Guy” Erricker.

In terms of syncing diet and fitness, each fighter is managing it in their own way. Like a typical Hongkonger, Mark “Money” Hiriart of JP Morgan is doing his on-the-go. “I’m training like twice a day at the moment but I have to work in a 12, 13, 14 hour day as well in amongst that so I just keep eating all day to have energy to go to training afterwards.” On the other hand, Wong has followed a more stringent line. “I don’t drink alcohol anymore. I don’t eat fried foods or anything which is processed.”

Despite the mental push it takes to get down to the gym, and a few new bruises, training at this level has tremendous benefits for body and spirit. A loss of body fat and improved fitness are obvious perks but as Hiriart has found, it also lessens any tension at work. “You find you can cope with the stress of work a lot better because nothing compares to being punched in the face.”

In the end it’s not all fun, games and bloodshed. The driving force behind the event is to raise money for international children’s charities Operation Smile and Operation Breakthrough. All proceeds, from beverages to table sales, will go directly to the pair of charities which aims to “repair children’s facial deformities and combat crime and juvenile delinquency in low-income and immigrant communities”. The 2009 edition of the fight raised a staggering $1 million and this year the goal is to go beyond that mark.

This black tie event will cater to around 800 members of the financial community as they enjoy a four-course dinner and six quality bouts of boxing. “All of work is coming, and hopefully a couple of tables of friends and clients as well. So if I screw it up, I’ll know about it. It’s probably the first time that I’ll be in front of sort of 800, 1,000 people so I’m just worried that I might get my lights punched out,” says Erricker.

Hedge Fund Fight Nite starts at 7pm at the Indian Recreation Club on October 28. Book your seats for the event at

www.ironmongerevents.com.

Photo by: Calvin Sit

Around Town for Time Out HK

Intelligence Squared Asia/TEDx Pearl River

Prepare to be inspired and motivated by an impressive lineup of speakers from a variety of professional fields this fortnight as two international, wide-ranging, and thought-provoking forums hit town.

First up is a debate for the iPad/Facebook era as Intelligence Squared Asia asks whether the internet is making us stupid. Stepping up in support of the motion are Jeremy O’Grady, editor-in-chief of the UK’s The Week magazine, and Thomas Crampton, Asia-Pacific director of 360 Digital Influence for Ogilvy Public Relations, while Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia, and Kaiser Kuo, Director of International Communications for Baidu, will be vigorously arguing against the motion.

Joanne Ooi of the Clean Air Network will act as moderator, and despite the online leanings of her organisation she feels that she will be able to fulfill her impartial role. “I’m going to make sure that I’m conversed in all the pros and cons before the debate, like a responsible moderator. I wanted to be conscientious in discharging this responsibility,” she says.

Two days after her moderating duties, Ooi will take the stage and join 24 fellow speakers for TEDxPearlRiver – a free, invitation-only conference offering knowledge and inspiration for those seeking it. Although she’s well-known as a crusader for clean air, she won’t be discussing that in her 18-minute speech. “I’m going to talk about the future of creativity. The organiser thought I was going to talk more about the environment but I’m going to talk about why the consumer is undergoing a realignment of their values and the evolution of the consuming experience.”

It was innovative and informative ideas like that which blew co-organiser Jose Rueda away when he attended his first TED event. “My first TED experience was life-changing. I wasn’t prepared for the volume of inspiration that I was immersed in and it took me by surprise that TED was about awe, laughs, tears, and action as opposed to just information,” he says.

Inspired, Rueda became involved with bringing the event to Hong Kong. “I wanted to share the experience because it was so memorable. I thought a local event would be a great way to bring people together who think alike and believe in the power of ideas to change the world; that perhaps this type of experience would compel some people to contribute to our generation in a more meaningful way,” he says.

As a contributor to both talks, Ooi sees the importance of them to the community. “I think it’s incredible for the community. Similar to Intelligence Squared I think that we need to raise the bar on the cultural discourse, the quality and the level of the intellectual discourse that takes place in Hong Kong,” she says.

Sarah Simpson

Intelligence Squared Asia takes place at HKCEC on October 28, visit

hkticketing.com for tickets.
TEDxPearlRiver takes place at ArtisTree on October 30. Go to www.tedxpearlriver.com to watch a live webcast of the forum.

Gay & Lesbian Page at Time Out HK

All dressed up, nowhere to go

The disappointment in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community is palpable as Hong Kong’s annual Pride Parade has been cancelled. It’s all a bit of a mess, writes Sarah Simpson

It’s that time of year when we should be unfurling our rainbow flags, dressing with fabulous flair, and taking to the streets to celebrate with pride the LGBT people and society. Whether gay, bisexual, or straight we should be pulling on our dancing shoes and singing out about the sexual freedoms and diversity of Hong Kong. In fact, we really should be awaiting the arrival of Hong Kong’s third annual Pride Parade. Unfortunately there has been something of a hiccup with this year’s organisation of said event bringing about a year’s cancellation. All is not well, it would seem.

The root of the problem appears to derive from a lack of funding and support from within the community and beyond it. Unlike the more established San Francisco, London, and Amsterdam Pride Parades, Hong Kong’s parade organisers are very much on their own. Nigel Collett, Secretary of the LGBT umbrella group Tongzhi Community Joint Meeting (TCJM) explains that in the past “the parade has been constructed on a wing and a prayer by some very dedicated people. They’re all people that do it in their spare time. [The government] don’t encourage it. They don’t pay money for it, but they don’t get involved with it.”

As an alternative, although not a replacement, an Out in the Open event was being organised by TCJM. Said Collett: “There will be displays, speeches, music, food and drink. If the Pride Parade gets back on its legs, which it should do next year, then we can have it as a gathering to keep on the party spirit, raise some cash from the booze at the party, and give it to the parade.” It was set to take place at a beach club and was supposed to be open to all: gay or straight. Brian Leung, host of the first gay Asian radio show RTHK’s ‘We are Family’, stated that “we don’t have big gay beach parties; I think this is the very first. They want to turn it into not just a party but some kind of festival. I actually volunteered to be the DJ for the event. If it’s going to be a party then that would be fun.”

But as much as both Leung and Collett had hoped that the Out in the Open event would become an annual fundraiser and a precursor to an entire festival dedicated to the LGBT community, it is, in fact, not going ahead at all. Collett optimistically stated: “We’re hoping to produce a festival every year like Shanghai and Singapore and Beijing are in the process of doing, which would last maybe three weeks. We would build it around the Pride Parade, the Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, and Floatilla, and also Mr. Gay Hong Kong. So there’s four big events that we could build a festival around and then fill in with plays, dance, cultural stuff, maybe some political stuff.” But for various reasons the only event close to a Pride Parade this year is a private party that can’t even be mentioned in this publication. Another source who chose to remain anonymous has described the situation as “messy.”

Although next year could be promising, this year’s cancellation has clearly left deep wounds. Leung concludes: “To me, with the gay parade, the most important thing is not the parade but the visibility; people going out and the media covering it. I think you have to keep it going no matter how many, just keep it as a tradition. Homophobic people will continue to say bad things about you even if the turn out rate was great, so why worry?”

Gay & Lesbian Page at Time Out HK

Pump up the volume

Hip, hip, hooray, the gays are coming out to play. Sort of. Sarah Simpson celebrates a new record label while mourning the loss of a party extraordinaire

Evan Steer and his Volume crew are about to overcome the disappointment of the cancelled Pride Parade and revive the party spirit. Over the past year Steer and friends have been plugging away in the studio, carefully putting together a special treat for the LGBT community. As an extension of one of Hong Kong’s hottest gay night spots, Volume, Steer is not only launching the first ever gay Asian record label, but has also been orchestrating a fabulous promotional bash the likes of which Asia has never seen.

Anthems Asia Live was an event earmarked for November 20 and was set to take place at AsiaWorld-Expo. Excitement for all those involved in the label’s debut album had been mounting for months as plans were made to produce the most extravagant dance event to come to Asia, complete with a revolving stage, evolving set designs, and numerous special effects in front of an estimated 3,000-capacity crowd. Unfortunately plans have stalled and the launch party has had to be downsized to a cosier event at Volume. Although the cancellation of the original event appears to be due to financial restraints rather than discriminatory factors, it remains another disappointing setback for the LGBT community. However, the show must go on.

As Steer explains, the aptly named Volume Up label will give the LGBT community a long awaited voice in the music industry. Volume Up’s debut album, Anthems Asia, will be a compilation double CD focusing on the club vibe that its sister nightclub affords, featuring local and international gay and gay-friendly artists. “I don’t want Hong Kong to be all about Cantopop. Sure its there but there’s more we can do here. It’s more than just the rock pub scene down at The Wanch. We can make really big electronic music that’s commercial and sounds world class.”

Featured international acts include the UK’s chart topping Bass Monkeys, Miami DJ Oren Niziri, and songwriter and producer Pete Hammond of 1980s pop fame. Among the Asian artists are Singapore’s eye candy Andy Josh Lim, out and proud girl group Hollywood Road, and up-and-coming Hong Kong rapper Gold Mountain, who will be contributing a cheeky song entitled Delay No More, a phrase many Hongkongers may be familiar with. Steer sees Gold Mountain as an invaluable link between the different music worlds: “He’s obviously not gay, he’s a rapper, he hangs out in that community and he’s all for it. He’s like, you know what it doesn’t matter, music is music and he loved the song.”

Of the album, Steer explains, “There’s some definite themes on certain tracks. There’s the Hollywood Road song for example which is about coming out. Love Wide Open is about gay marriage, Rainbow is about the pride flag of course, and there’s the cruising sauna song. But there’s a lot of tracks on there that are just about going dancing and clubbing.”

Andy Josh Lim sums up what it means for all of the artists to be on the first gay album on the first gay label in Asia: “To be a part of this, and be given such a unique platform to help showcase what the LGBT community can do gives me immense joy. After this album drops, people outside of Asia will sit up and finally notice that we make world class, commercially viable dance music too.”

Ulimately, Volume Up aims not only produce a level of house music that will work towards launching Hong Kong onto the global music map but ultimately it’s about handing the spotlight over to a community in need of maximum support and respect. As Steer concludes, “I think first and foremost it’s to get our voice heard and to record our story for posterity. This is how the gay community thought and felt in that particular era. It’s all history in the making, it’s an archive of our community of where we were in 2010 and where we’re going. It’s important that our stories can be shared and understood.”

Anthems Asia Live takes place at volume on Saturday 20.

Photo by: Calvin Sit