PEOPLE
Good-bye Hong Kong, Hello Budapest t was while sitting up to their necks in water in a Hungarian hot spring resort that correspondent members Steve Fallon and Mike Rothschild decided thattheywere going toquit Hongkong aÍter 12 years and move to Budapest -- a move as permanent as a pair of expatsfor-life can make. "We had been thinking about where to go next for some time. Australia, the US (our original home), London, Paris - we rejected them all in a process of elimination for one reason or another," said Steve. "Then itdawned on usthat Budapest was now a viable place to settle. An exciting one too. After Hongkong, how can you go somewhere that isn't mov-
went straight to her off ice and was hired." Until then Mike had been eeking a student living as atoy inspector. He would travel around Kowloon and the New Territories to sweatshops where he would throw wind-up dolls against the wall to see if they still worked. "l got paid $1 ,400 a month and got to know the public transport system very well."
ln 1984 Mike left Asia BankingÌobecome the first overseas employee, and later regional bureau chief, of a highly specialised, expensive and little read banking weekly called Ihe lnternational Financing Review, now owned by the Thomson Corporation, for which he has
Steve Fallon and Mike Rothschild
ing ?"
So in late February they bade farewell to one of the most eccentric homes in Hong Kong - three shacks perched amongst bamboos and trees on a hillside overlooking Cheung Sha beach on Lantau - and boarded a plane for Vienna with their Thai amah and two dogs. Steve and Mike met in Pennsylvania in 1977when Mike was 17 and stillat school, Steve was 24, studying for Master's degree in journalism and working for a local newspaper. "The game plan was to come to Hongkong for a year," said Mike, now a financial journalist who will be setting up a bureau to cover the whole of eastern Europe. "l had always wanted to be a
foreign correspondent and
I
had this
romantic notion to live overseas. Back then my horizon stopped at ltaly; Asia meant nothing. But Steve said that it was the place of the future and said why didn't I major in Mandarin, so I did." They arrived in Hong Kong in 1979 with back packs and a contact in a place
called Farm Road. "lt turned out to be next to Kai Tak. I was expecting paddy fields and bamboo," said Mike. Steve called around for jobs from phone booths
28
THECORRESPONDENT MARCHI992
and the couple slummed it in Chungking Mansion flophouses for a year until they could find a landlord "who didn't mind taking in a couple of gays." Meanwhile Steve got a job, "with a slave wage", at Asiaweek and Mike continued his Man-
darin studies at univeisity. By the time Mike had finished his studies, Steve had moved to TVB where he worked in the newsroom with Ann Quon,
lan Whiteley, and Peter Cordingley. "Looking back now," Steve said, "that was probably the most satisfying time for me professionally. Although l've always considered myself a print journalist, working with such talented people was a great
worked ever since, and will be setting up a bureau in Budapest. "lt's the bible of the banking field." Steve, meanwhile had left TVB to edit Business Traveller, which he did for four years until the urge to do something new -- a regular occurrence - overtook him. He used his freedom to finish his Master's thesis - teaching in the vernacular in
Mike started freelancing. First with weekly hiking and nature column in Asía 2000 and financial pieces for the Soufh China Morning Post. FCC member Jo
Asia's f irst bookshop specialising in travel and allied topics, in Hollywood Road. "lt was horrific. We'd been playing the market up to then quitê heavily and then suddenly, with shelves empty and books on their way, we were wiped out," said Steve. "We carried on, though" said Mike, "but it was on a shoestring budget for the first year." They sold a majority interest in the shop to FCC member Mike Morrow, of
me now. What was more important, thought, watching birds or a career?
I I
Said Steve, who's going to spend the first six months writing a Lonely Planet guide lo Hungary: "l've always thought that 1997 would be the end for Hong Kong. Besides it's not the place I came to. I'm not saying
it
shouldn't have changed.
russra.
ln some ways, say in terms of western
"People need information most when its hard to get. Now it's all second-hand
stuff, very few people on the ground
cultural events, it's a lot better, and in a strange way I am quite proud of it. There are also far far fewer poor people.
which is surprising. And it's cheap and it's Europe," he said.
"Who knows, in five years Hungary may have turned into a nice boring little
Marathon man on the mend o, even a deluge of faxes, cables and letters from his myriad well wishers around the region, and beyond
N ^'
could prevent a personal tragedy for John
McBeth, Far Eastern Economic Review bureau chief in Manila and veteran of Bangkok and Seoul. On February 25 his left leg was amputated below the knee. But his own indomitable determination, backed by the support of friends and colleagues, will see that John McB. is back
scribing what is really going on in the Philippines. What started out as a seemingly fairly
it.
I don't suppose I'll ever be around a bunch of people who have done so much,
people at the top of their professions. When it's good, it's heady stuff."
David Thurston
GUESS who the Hong Kong Tourist
was back in his New Zealand hometown, New Plymouth, developed into a nightmare for John. Originally he appeared
Association has chosen to pick the territory's top 23 restaurants for its food fes-
just to need an operation to bypass
a
clogged artery which was impeding blood circulation in his foot. This was carried out just after Christmas. But it did not solve the problem which turned out to be due to arterial damage higher up the leg apparently sustained in childhood. Back in hospital he went through more than a dozen subsequent operations to try to cure the problem. But in the end he had to have the leg amputated. This would be bad enough for anyone, let alone one for whom mobility in work and sport has been a way of life. So the physical. But John has come through the
fee shops, John will be on the road in Surigao, Cagayan and Camarines de-
quite like
minor operation in December when he
worst and is now on the mend. He
in action in two to three months. While others report the news from Manila's cof-
social democracy, and we'll be off again." But for the moment, as a Hungarian friend of their's remarked: "This place is really boiling over." But, he added: "l shall miss a rowdy Friday night at the FCC, there's nothing
BRIEFLY...
trauma has been emotional as well as
ness, the boys inveterate travellers arou nd
the region opened Wanderlust Books,
special reports for As ian Banking. "l called her one day from Fanling station. I was wearing hiking boots and carrying binoculars and she said she wanted to see
arrived," said Steve. Mike will be the first
full-time financial journalist in Eastern Europe with a beat from Latvia to Belo-
Chinese schools - and three months in Thailand to write the definite novel of the century. I didn't. The book still lies bleeding in the computer." But books were to become very much part of his life when he returned and in 1987 a week after the great stock crash, the worst possible time to launch a busi-
experience."
McBride gave him his first job doing
Asia 2000, before leaving. "Budapest seems to have the dynamism that Hong Kong had when we first
is
determined to rehabilitate himself as soon as possible. Already he has been nicknamed Marathon Man by fellow patients in his ward due to the speed and endurance he shows in manipulating his wheelchair around the hospital. His next step will be to get on crutches and then go to Wellington to get an artificial limb fitted New Zealand has some leading world experts in prosthetics. Friends and colleagues know he will soon be beating them to stories, and on the golf course - if not quite yet on the tennis court.
tival Dinner Date programme? None other than our very own resident food writer, among other things, Kevin (make mine a small beer) Sinclair. "The fact that I can't afford to go to half of these places and the
other half are too sensible to let me in doesn't seem to worry the HKTA," Kevin said.
FREEúANCE style and fashion writer
Cathryn Netherwood and husband Douglas Tomkin have said good-bye to Hong Kong and have moved to Sydney where Douglas has accepted a position teaching design.
Austrian inspiration lN association with the Austrian Trade Commission in Hong Kong, Lauda Air and the Hilton Hotel, the FCC is pleased to present a short festival of Austrian cuisine in the Club's main dinning room from March 25-27.
Philip Bowring THE CORRESPONDENT MARCH 1992 29