Sometimes getting slightly lost can be a good thing.  After attending the Invictus Gala Charity Premiere at the Grand Cinema at the Elements Mall in Kowloon West, around 600 guests all rushed to the many exits around the Mall.  Some went straight for the parking levels while some went to the MTR station to catch a train to Hong Kong Island.  Most of us went in search of a taxi to take us home; which is where the problem came in if you’re not familiar with Elements. 

Around midnight on a Thursday evening the Mall was all but shut down save for some cleaners and workers removing Christmas decorations.  Normally when a mall is packed with shoppers it’s easy to find your way around because there will be concierge services all around and even if you just follow the crowd, you should get to an exit quite comfortably.

I took me around 20 minutes to find my way to the exit where I could catch a cab to Hung Hom Bay.  But not before I noticed that Elements is indeed a Mecca for the high-end shopper.

Some of many international brand-names I noticed are:

Alain Figaret, Alfred Dunhill, Calvin Klein Underwear, CANALI, Guess, IWC, Montblanc, BVLGARI, Cartier, ECCO, Fendi, GUCCI, HERMES, Jimmy Choo, Loewe, LOUIS VUITTON, Piaget, PRADA, Pringle of Scotland, Salvatore Ferragamo, Shanghai Tang, Tiffany & Co, TODS, Valentino, Versace, etc.

All in one venue.

As the name suggests, Elements Mall is named after 5 Chinese elements and is devided into 5 distinct zones:

Fire: Entertainment

Earth: Fashion

Water: International Cuisine

Metal: Luxury brands and world-class dining

Wood: Health, Beauty & Lifestyle

This is where you can find the Elements Mall in Kowloon West:

View Larger Map

The Springboks will play all four of the ‘Home Unions’ in November as part of their end-of-year tour. SARU made the announcement today (Friday, January 29, 2010) following confirmation of the fixture programme by the International Rugby Board (IRB). 

The Springboks start the tour against Ireland in Dublin on November 6, having accepted an invitation to provide the opposition for hosts Ireland when they officially open the new Aviva Stadium (the redeveloped Lansdowne Road).

 The Springboks then play Wales, Scotland and England on the following Saturdays. The tour is planned to end with a fixture against the Barbarians at a venue to be confirmed.

Meanwhile the venue of the Springboks’ season-opening Test against France on June 12 remains undecided. SARU are hoping to meet the local organising committee of the FIFA 2010 World Cup to arrive at a final decision on the availability of the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town.

Springbok end-of-year tour fixtures: 

Saturday, November 6, Ireland v South Africa (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)

Saturday, November 13, Wales v South Africa (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)

Saturday, November 20, Scotland v South Africa (Murrayfield, Edinburgh)

Saturday, November 27, England v South Africa (Twickenham, London)

Saturday, December 4, Barbarians v South Africa (TBC)

Stay close to Howzit-HongKong.com to hear where we in Hong Kong will follow the Springboks on their end-of-year tour… right here in the SAR!

I am always bemused when I tell Chinese people that I am from South Africa and getting the response: “Ah… diamonds!” or “Ah… gold!”

I sometimes wonder, when the locals enjoy (South African) abalone at their banquets, if they know about the destruction to our marine resources brought about by the mindless poaching taking place along the South African coasts?

However, when I see prices like these below, I understand (in part) why poaching is such a huge part of the livelihood of the poor fisherfolk along the shores of the Western Cape.

I wonder what the folks at Chow Tai Fook will make of the following diamond ad?

(This article originally appeared on www.blitzbokke.com)

Springbok and 1995 Rugby World Cup winner Ruben Kruger has scrummed his final scrum. The South African media this morning (SA time) reported that the player has lost his battle against brain cancer.

Kruger was a member of the victorious South African rugby team who won the William Webb Ellis Trophy on home soil in 1995. He made his debut in the famed Green & Gold on November 06, 1993 against Argentina at the age of 23.

Ruben Kruger leaves his wife Lize and two daughters.

Rest in Peace, Ruben Kruger. Springbok.

Late last year, we received an e-mail from Gustav Preller, a South African businessman in a previous life who has now turned to writing.  Gustav penned Icarus over Hong Kong and will be introducing his first novel to audiences in Hong Kong next month.

Preller, the grandson of Gustav Preller, one of the originators of the Afrikaans language, was born in Cape Town into a well known South African literary and artistic family. After an international career in business he has now turned his hand to writing.

Icarus over Hong Kongis set in Durban and Hong Kong and relates the story of a fall of an investment banker who lived the high-life in, amongst other, the city that we call home.  In it rookie trader Rorke Summers flies too high. High stakes, high bonuses, high living – in Hong Kong and Macau he is seduced by them all. He is caught up in triangles of passion, betrayal and death. And in the most feared triangle of all: that of the Chinese triads.

Pegasus Publishers has the following in their website:

Icarus Over Hong Kong

by Gustav Preller

Pages: 286

Imprint: Vanguard Press

ISBN: 978184386507 0

Was there no one who could help him? So many people, so orderly out in the sun, but he might as well have been alone deep inside Mrs Song’s alleyway. The blade would find him. He’d lie bleeding in the heat and the man would simply melt away.

Like the mythical young Icarus, rookie trader Rorke Summers flies too high. High stakes, high bonuses, high living – in Hong Kong and Macau he is seduced by them all. He is caught up in triangles of passion, betrayal, and death. And in the triangle most feared in the East: that of the Chinese triads.

All the while, on the trading floor, Rorke has to cope with his unrelenting job under the watchful eye of his boss, Quinn.

Will he find the middle way or will he meet the fate of Icarus? And whom does he choose: Vicky, the girl of his dreams back home, seductive Kristin, or the exotic Ling?

Icarus over Hong Kong moves at a fast pace between the trading floor, the casinos of Macau and the teeming streets of HongKong, exposing the money-driven world of investment banking as well as the dark world which exists beneath Hong Kong’s glittering veneer.

Bruce Fowler of the SA Association in Hong Kong (SAAHK) has kindly arranged for Gustav Preller to introduce his first novel to audiences in Hong Kong, as well as giving a talk about the time he spent in Hong Kong and how it inspired him to write this book.  He will also talk about his transition from a corporate life to the “lonely life” of a writer.

Catch Gustav Preller at The Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) on Friday 25th February 2010

I picked up my copy of Icarus over Hong Kong at Bookazine at the Central Ferry Pier (HK$139.00)  My missus is very into Malcolm Gladwell these days so, as soon as I finish all 4 of his books (Eish!) I will get stuck into Icarus Over Hong Kong.

Belowe.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) can be broadly divided into 3 areas, of which these are are further divided in smaller geographic districts (in brackets):

Hong Kong Island (4 districts)

Kowloon (5 districts)

New Territories (9 districts)

Below is a navigable Google Map of the 3 broad areas of the Hong Kong SAR.  Like any other Google Map, you can use your mouse to scroll around the map. (Click on the links below to access the Google Map of Hong Kong)

Kowloon (Map below)
View Larger Map

Hong Kong Island (Map below)
View Larger Map

New Territories (Map below)
View Larger Map

When asked about what they like about living in China (we’ve also lived in Taiwan before) my kids sometimes respond: “We get to celebrate TWO New Years!” What they don’t say is that they get TWO New Year’s holidays off from school!

Living in Hong Kong, we foreigners indeed have the benefit of two New Year holidays.  The Western New Year is welcomed with great fanfare including an expensive fireworks display, while the Lunar New Year is celebrated along age-old Chinese traditions that also includes fireworks, New Year’s Parades and displays.  Taiwan does not celebrate the (Western) New Year, while Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year, sees the island enjoying a 7-day break.  The Mainland normally also have a holiday of about 7 days over the Lunar New Year.

This year, Lunar New Year falls on the same day as (the Western) Valentine’s Day… February 14, 2010.

Stay close to Howzit-HongKong.com for more features on the Chinese Lunar New Year.  In the meantime, if you’re not familiar with the New Year’s greeting in Cantonese, start learning the follow phrase:

San nin faai lok!

(Generally: Happy New Year! More specifically: Congratulations and be prosperous!)

Last week we reported on one of the major exhibitions that will be hosted in Hong Kong this year.  Close on the heels of the Mega Show come the Mega Show Part 2.

Mega Show Part 2 at the HKCEC 2009 (Pic: Kenfair)

Covering all things Gifts & Decor, Home Interiors (a new addition to the exhibition offering this year) as well as Office and Stationery, the Mega Show Part 2 takes place at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre 5 days after the end of Part 1 of the Mega Show double.

Mega Show Part 2 is now in it’s 8th year and has established itself as an essential date on the international sourcing calendar.

Organisers Kenfair also announced that, as in the past, the GO GREEN theme will form an essential part of the exhibition in the form of highlighting eco-friendly products.

Catch the Mega Show Part 2 at the HK Convention & Exhibition Centre between 28-30 October 2010. 

If you’re a South African company, trader or buyer interested in attending, Contact Us for more information about Hong Kong.  For more information about buyer pre-registration and the exhibitor list, go to mega-show.com

TAXI KNOCKS COW IN ITS MOO

This post is inspired by a picture I recently saw on Seth Rotherham’s award-winning Cape Town-based blog

OK, if The Daily Voice really knew their target market, it would’ve read: TEXI knocks cow in it’s moo!

The poster is from The Daily Voice, a popular Cape Town tabloid/skinner newspaper and refers to a story about a taxi/ texi that ran over a cow.  The poor beast unfortunately died at the hand (spanner?) of the heartless taxi driver because it is apparently in it’s moer.  The report also didn’t mention what it tasted like at the barbecue/braai later that evening!

Wire? Tape? Glue?  Eish! And spanners for steering wheels!  (Pic: www.zapiro.com)

Moving on swiftly…

If you’re planning on visiting our fair country for the 2010 FIFA World Cup (or if you’re thinking of acquiring your very own South African) the following should be helpful, and will hopefully become:

 The Definitive Guide to South Africanisms for non-South Africans:

A

Ag: As in U2′s Achtung Baby, same as Oh (Ag No! Did she really say that?)

B

biltong: dried meat, What Americans call jerky (jerky has nothing on biltong, of course.)

babalaas: hungover (After last night, I have a moerse babalaas!) See moerse below.

Broe/Bru/Bro/Boet: what South African men call their buddies/friends  (Also see China below)

Boot: South African cars have boots, foreigners’ vehicles have trunks

Braai: Like barbecue/BBQ, but not quite.  (South Africans don’t braai burgers and wieners!) 

Refer to the Tong-Master:

C

China (as in My China):  pal/friend/buddy (How are you, my China?)

D

Doos: ass/arse/arsehole (He’s driving like a doos!)

E

F

Fok: as in damn! (Fok! but she’s ugly!)

Fok: as in hit (I’m going to fok you!) (Also refer to Moer)

Fokken: bloody (Fok off, you fokken Prawn!)

Wikus Van Der Merwe lays down the law to the fokken Prawns in District 9.

G

H

Howzit: shortened form of How is it/How are you? (Howzit, my China? or Howzit, Hong Kong?)

I

J

Jol: party (I’m off to a jol on Friday evening!)

Just now: Later, but can be any-time; later… tomorrow… next week. (I’ll speak to you just now.)

K

Kak: shit/bad/crap (That was really a kak movie!)

L

Lekke/Lekker: nice/delicious (Now THAT was a lekke burger!)

or…

Lekke/Lekker:  fun (Have a lekke time!)

M

Moer: hit (I’m going to moer you!)

or…

Moer: angry (I’m really the moer in!)

or…

Moerse: very big/huge (After last night, I have a moersebabalaas!)

N

O

P

Q

R

Robot: others know them as traffic lights, we have robots!

S

T

tekkies/takkies: South Africans wear these, the rest of you wear sneakers/sports-shoes

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

Have any more to add to the list?  Let us know…