The Correspondent, February 1996

THE YEAR CF THE RAT

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THE CORRESPONIIENT February 1996

THE FOREIGN CORBESPONDENTS'

Lette1:s

CLTJB

2 Lower Albert Road, HonB Kong Telephone: 2521 l5l1 Fax:286a 1092 Hans Vr¡ens President Giannini First Vlce President --lohn simon Twiston Davies Second vice Presideflt

5-

Fr:orn ttre President A time of change and growth

-

Correspondent Member Governors Paul Bayfield, iVlarcus

(t-

W Bmucht¡,

Mark clifford, Peter Engardio, Cathl' Hilborn, Robin Lynam, Jonathan Mißlry, Hubert van Es S ecret a Dt : CÄthy Hilbo m

Journalist Member Governore

Chrb Nleszs Up from the basement and back from Britain

a-

A neut mctnager

lBackl>encher: Blood in the streets

Francis Moriarq', Simon Twiston Davies, Nury Vittaclìi

Associâte Member Governors

ao-

John Corbett. Kevin Egan,

Kari¡ Malmstrom, Doroth)' Ryan Professional Comittee Con L,e, rct': Mzrk CbÍf otd House Comittee Conuenor: Kevin Egat Flnance Coñfnittee

Tril>ute Anthony Polsky: the 'contrarian'

7-2-

hleqz Yeaf 'Has anl'body seen my wife'

Tfeasurer': Dorothy Ryan

Membershlp Comittee Cortuenor: Iìubertvao Fs Entert¿inment Comittee Con L,e n or': Kanî Mal mstrom

Hole lfo Flole Havana darned good time

F & B ComÍtttee Conueno r : Stùarl Wolfendale

'wall Comittee

Corl/error. Hubert van

ifopics

Es

Publications Comrnittee

No snch thing

Conuertor'; simon Twiston Davies

Freedom of the Press C o n u e n o r: F nncis Moriarq' Media Comittee

24-

Conuenot: John Giamini

as a

Anthon! Polsky dies

liquid lunch

Golf Societ¡.

The China challenge

The Correspondent EDITORIAL OFFICE Peter Cordingle)'. Editor Nicola Nightingale, Assistant Editor 2 Lower Albert Road, Hong Kong

Telephone: 2i21

For Hong Kong trade statistics, information and analysis. Fast.

Call TDC's lnternational Publicity Section at 2584 4333 Ext. 7489

l5\l

Fax:2868

26-

Chlb actiyities

4O92

@ 1995 The Foreign corespondents' club of Hong Kong Opinions expressed b),writers in Tbe Con'esponclerrt are not necessarill' those of The Foreign Correspondents' Chrb Tbe Con'esþondetr¡ is published monthlv b), The Foreign Corespondents' Club of Hong Kong

PRODUCTION FST Line Design &

Printing

People

People FCC new members and mo¡e

32-

FCC Faces Dorothl'Ryan

Fourth Floor,

In comes 1996

liB Wellington Srreer, Centml, Hong Kong Tel:2521 7993 Fax: 2521 8366 DTP .&tist Liema Duong

t{

-

ADI'ERTISING SALES Sales Manager fuchard Beate 'fel: 2521 7993 -Fax: 2521 Aa66

trItr

Hons Kons 36th Floor, Office Tower, Convention Plaza,

l

-

ilL%9"e*33J8lopment Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong

cou

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Kong Tel: 2584 4333 Fax 2824 0249

Cover illustration by Arthur Hacker

February 1996 TllE

CORRXSP0

---...r

+

To the

\

editor

Morale is high Peter Cordingley's comments aboutAsia, Inc., in November's issue ofTbe Corresþondent could not have been further from the truth. Far from being on its last legs, as Mr Cordingley

implies, Asia, Inc. is on a roll. The latest issue contains a record 68 pages of ads and made serious money. Circu-

lation is a buoyant 75,000.

Most importantly, our journalism

is thriving. In 1995, we won the Citibank Pan Asia Journalism Award and for the third successive year

-

picked up one of the runner-up prizes as well.'We continue to hire top talent - both as staff writers and contributors. Indeed, the FCC President, Hans Vriens has just contributed a major article. Morale is high.

Despite what your columnist believes, Asia, Inc, does have areplacement for Tony Paul as Managing Editor

me. Mr Cordingley may not be -fam:Iiar with my work, but there are

plenty of people in Asia who

not be limited to their exploits in Hong Kong or even Asia.

I have just flown back from Austria. Looking in at the best of the three festaufalìts atvienna airport, I noticed a Visitors' Book, open for some reason at December 1989. And there I read the following: "This marvellous lunch is merely the first course of a banquet of adventure that we can look forward to in thefuture. "

-TedThomas,

Kong

Hong

Our chairman, Sondhi Limthongkul, gave a stirring commitment to Asia, Inc. in his speech to the FCC on December

6. For those members who weren't

decipher the three other signatures. Perhaps their owners had enjoyed lunch even more than Ted. But I'll bet that at least two, if not three, were female. I'd hate to think they were Steve Miller or Mikè Westlake, or Pat Paterson or a few of the Leo Murray - to orname eYen Niki Lauda.

FCC's aviators

-

My money is on George Humble, two of Neville Hall and Les Leston them in drag.

Chris Minter London

inundatedwith

Bill Mellor

obviously read my l€tter to your esteemed organ imPloring members to submit stories for inclusion in my epic

Dining with Ted Ted Thomas's plea lThe Correspondent, October 19951 for more anecdotes about FCC members should

Ta.les

from

must go They 'We

need a new colurnn in Tbe Correspondent: FCC Replaceables.

Might I suggest the first group to be honoured in such a column should be photo-journalists who work for inhouse, trade or specialist magazines.

The people I have in mind are the ones who photograph lawyers in front of bookshelves litteredwith legal tomes.

It seems one gets extra points for pos-

j

an arti-

cle from a reader of Tbe Coruespondent, îow based in Toþo, who had

wotk

it

coming, me hearties.

Ted Thomas

^pparentþ nentpointonthepage. Magazines about

present that day,I hope this letter also helps to set the record straight.

Managing Editor Asiø, Inc.

pared to break the habit of a lifetime and actually pay money for any material used in this seminal work - once it is published.

Since I started labouring oYer my word processorto produce this minor masterpiece of a letter, I have received

ing the lawyer with book open and pertifinger pointing to an

More tales, please I have been

looking forward to immortality ought to be leaping at this oppoftunity.

So desperate have I become for good quality anecdotes that I am pre-

another two contributions. Keep

I couldn't

are,

Citibank judges included.

CATNERA TECHNOTOOY IN PERFECTION

tbe FCC Bar' Thete

were two good yarns enclosed with a wealth of goodmaterial on some of the club's legendary members.

oumalists suffer from this problem too

.

The classical pose is journalist with glass in hand and mouth open (extra points for a minor celebrity nearby). I shudder to think what poses they have in magazines about gynaecologists.

The matter is more acute because the FCC boasts as members the doyen (thatis notAustralianforthe estranged

I have to say, though, that this contribution falls a long way short of what I

wife of Prince Chades) and the odd dean ortwo of photo-journalists, who 'We need to set incredible standards. root out the cliche-mongers. Let the

had been led to expect. Any member (correspondent, joumalist or associate)

book burning begin.

A.A. Bruce

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A time of change arrd growth

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A nexz general rnanager vzitkr \zast e><perience- A surge in rnerrrberskrips- And a, rrraj<>r gatkrering on press freedorrr- As club president fla.ns \Zriens reports, 1-996 already tras tkre rnakings <>f a" gre.at ye.ar f<>r tkre Foreign Corres¡2ondents' Ch-rb-

A Ll There is a very simple way of knowing whether a person involved in business or commerce is well-informed. Do they have access to a Siemens Nixdorf system?

Why? Because Siemens Nixdorf offers not just the necessary hardware but also genuinely innovative solutions.

Our PC networks and information systems are probably the most advanced available. They are well proven, and favoured by leading companies and institutions both in Asia and worldwide. And yet, no specialised computer departments are needed to run them.

Specifically in banking, Siemens Nixdorf is even extending freedom of information to the customer.

Outside the banking hall, and outside hours, our Cash Deposit Machines are

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What counts these days is not what you know, but who you know.

Provided you know Siemens Nixdorf.

For more information, please contact: Siemens Ltd., Telephone: 2583 3308

r I write, the New Year is off a

tt-r

good start. On the morning of

lanuary 2, Bob Sanders started as the new maîagef of the Foreign Corespondents' Club. I andmany others believe we are very lucky to have

For our search for a new general manager, we formed

an ad hoc selection composed of Lynn Grebstad, Chris Young, Tony Nedderman, Dorothy Ryan,

somebodywholras2T years of working experience in Hong Kong; who was very successful as the general manager of the American Chft (19771982); who turnedthe CasaMexicana around; who set up the Spaghetti

Jonathan Mirsky, Paul Bayfield, John Giannini,

House chain of restaurants; and who

brought before the full board. I must admit the

in 196I spent his afternoons on the same polo field in Trþoli as the convenor of the Food & Beverage Committee, Robin Lynam.

Last but not least, Mr Sanders had

been a member of the FCC for 15 years. That was until he returned to Bdtainlastyear to enjoyan eadyretire-

ment. Or so he thought. "After 10 days, I was so bored I de cided to come

back to Hong Kong," he said during one of his interviews with the club.

The task of the new general manager is straightforward - to turn the club around. Legal restrictions preYent me from saying why things have be come difficult for the club, and I am

Stuart \Volfendale and myself. !íe interviewed 11 candidates out of 42 applicants.

Four were shortlisted and selection committee l;:ad a clear favourite, who also proved to be the preferred candidate of the overwhelming majority of the board.

Mr Sanders and the board will from now on receive adyice on business and financial matters from an enlarged Finance Committee. Several experienced businessmen will serve on the committee, among them Dayid Garcia and Doug Moeller of McDonald's China Development Company. There is more good news.

Our membership drive is picking up

steam. In December, a record

January 1 receiye a $500 discount on

his bill. For the other membership categories, the incentives stay the same: Corporate, $2,000; Diplomatic or Media related, $ 1 , 500 and Associate $

1,000.

By the time you read this, the biggest conference in the history of the FCC will have made its mark "Journalists under fire: Media under siege", jointly organised by the club and Freedom Forum.

Finally, I would like to thank our long-standing board member, Stuart 'Wolfendale, for all his support. Stuart

has moved to Phnom Penh to

'W'e

ager, Jethro Lee Mahoney, 15 minutes to clear his office. In time, everything willbe clear. But, fornow, let's justsay that Mr Sanders has got quite a job on

number of 36 new members joined the club, among them the first of the Diplomatic and Corporate Members.

At the last board meeting, it was decided to slightly amend the membership-drive incentive scheme. Each memberwho introduces a Correspond-

to welcome Ronald Ling, who has retumed to the board.

his hands.

ent or Journalist member will from

not pemitted either to tell you why we gave the previous general man-

strengthen the ranks ofthe FCC there. are all looking forward to screening his planned documentaries on the royal families of Asia. I would also like

@ February 1996 TIIE

connrsrorulunlþ

I

tlp from the basement and back from Britain

with a reception to welcome the new club general maî ger, Bob Sanders. Bob - also has been a known as Captain Midnight, the racing punter club member for years. Until he left Hong Kong last year for he New Year kicked off

what he thought was going to be retirement in the UK, he was one of the legendary Yaîgtze players in the basement bar, along with Noel Quinlan, Les Leston and others.

The new maÍrager brings enormous experience to the job. He was manager of the American Club for many years. He also owned a large chunk of Spaghetti House and still has interests in the Casa Mexicana, in what used to be called'W'atson's Estate. Bob is the father of a four-year-old gid. $fl

pfess

ce fe

Incentives

Qantas has linked up withAustralia's first centre for foreign correspondents, the Intemational Media Centre, in Sydney. Under the terms of the agreement, the aidine will assist Austfalian-based

foreign correspondents and visiting journalists with business and excursion travel. The aidine is also supplying the centre with First Class and Business class tableware .

Each mem-

trer who introduces a Corporate member to the club will receive $2,000 credit for food and drinks. For introducing a Diplomatic or Media-related member, the incentive is $ 1,500. For Associate members it is $ 1 ,000. and $ 500 for Correspondent and Journalist mem-

bers.

Febnrary 1996 TÃE

CORRESPO

T

Blood in the streets Price s/ar or no price szar, Hong l(ong looks set to lose a- fevz lTrore Ctrinese-1anl.grta,g,e rreszspapers. \üç.ith costs n-rnning th.e vrza;r tkre¡z are, there seeÍrs no .wza)z the rnarginal ones can surwirze ttr.e year, says Peter Cordinglef.-

FREE ntil last December, Hong Kong

Euenìng Post and tl:e Hongkong

had an astonishing 20 or so daily newspapers for its population of a little more than 6 million. Nowhere in

Stønd.ørd. Group net profit plummeted

the wodd can match that kind of penetration. But things are set to change dramatically, I suspect. At the time of writing, the newsstand price waf that started in December has driven three

papers to the wall, including the United. Daily News, T aiwan's last voice

on the local scene.

Just how serious things are can be

tuom6194.2 million to fi2o.7 million, and operating profit slumped 81 per cent, to $32.3 mlttlon. Ming Pao Enterprise, which publishes rl4i ng Pao, and CulturecomHoldings, publisher of Tin

Tin Daiþ Neus, also got a thorough foasting.

These groups are wealthy enough

to take such

damaging hits on the bottom line and carry on publishing,

although

it should be said that

judged by the performance of four of

Culturecom Holdings shed its

the maj or newspaper groups in the first half of last year. Figures released at the end of December showed, for instance,

Huønøn Jingji Journal pretty eady on in the price war. But what of the

million. Revenue slipped 6.6 per cent, to fi762.2 million.

papers that don't have group resources behind them? It seems certain that some of those will fall by the wayside. Depending on whose figures you believe, about 600 journalists have akeady lost their jobs.

For the Chinese authorities, the

It's not di,fficult to see why the OPG

pruning is probably good news. Hong

was the company that launched the price war. The figures above are bad enough, but they conceflr the period beþre Jimmy Lai launched his Aþþle

Kongnewspaper journalists are adaunting phenomenon, as anybody can judge from the TV news scenes in which

that the Oriental Press Group's net profit fell 36 per cent, from HK$216.6 million to $138.2 million. operating profit dropped3T per cent, to $164.6

-[

specify which editors he was referring to. That might have made interesting talk

aT

the bar.

If extra circulation means increased

costs, then the SCMP seems nicely placed. According to figures published recently by the Standørd, the Posf 's sales fellbymorctlaaî2 per cent in the first half of last year, compared with the same period in 1994.1can't remember the last time that happened, so it has

presumably got them very worried down in QuarryBay. It could be blamed on the launch of t}re Ectstern Exþress, but I doubt it. The Express made almost no impression after the first week.

The Standard says that in the same period that the Posf slipped back, its own circulation went up nearþ 4O

per cent, from 40,000 to more than

dignitaries are hunted down by ma-

56,000.

Daily and cut into everybody's profits.

Cleafly, from the OPG's point of view,

rauding packs and backed againstalilt door. Seen from Beijing, the papers

something had to be done. But slashing the Oriental Daiþ's cover price from $5 to $2 was a very brave step indeed.

At that price, the paper doesn't make a cent on sales. Any extra revenue will have to come from more advertisers being drawn in by the increased circulation. But the bulk of advertising budgets is normallylocked up months ahead, so it will probably take time for the benefits - tÍ any - to trickle through.

Meanwhile, the group is having to carry the double load of vastþ increased

mustlookterifying. Vith

Standard stealing tll'e SCMP's readership? I doubt it. The papers are too different. How about from the .Exþress? Maybe, but probably not more than a couple of thousand. So where

newsprint costs and a much higher

political editor Andy Ho says he has akeady been told by editors not to deal with China's internal issues. Unfortunately, Ho, who is now a consultant and freelance columnist. didn't

circulation.

Things were eYen worse at Sing Tao Holdings, publishers inHong Kong of tlre Sing Tøo Daily and Sing Tøo THE CORRXSPONItf,NT Febr-uary 1996

some

ofthem

gone, the Hong Kong media scene will probably be a little easier to control.

Alas, the job

will probably

So

what's going onhere?

Is

the

be

are those extra numbers coming from?

made less onerous for the cadres by the trend towards self-censorship.

One local TV station has already been caught out Bowdlerising references to communists in a documentary on Cambodia, and neither of them shows any inclination to screen material the Chinese might consider offensive.

Former Soutb Cbina Morning Post

I think I know, but it's probably wiser to wait for t}re Støndard to say.

So here's a challenge to the good people in Kowloon Bay. A circulation breakdown, please, for publicatiort kt Ihe Corresþondent. And, while I'm at it, why doesn't my old friend Ambrose Tumbull, circulation manager at the Post, write in and give us the Posf's subscription circulation situation

-

copies, newsstands and schools will be

detailed enough, Ambrose. I'll publish

them next month.

@

--

IVI{O SAID TI{ERE WAS The Correspondent needs

NO

SUq

THING?

writers to help cover the growing number of luncheon

speeches at the FCC. The club

will cover the cost of your meal. Not only that, the

editor of The Correspondentwill pay you for your words. And he promises not to threaten your sense of self-esteem by malcing you rich.

Please drop a note at the offices, addressed to Peter Cordingley, Editor,

The Correspond,ent.

I

Anthony Polslryt the 'contratiatt' One of ttre l{ong I(ong's rrì-ost e><perienced and corìtroversial rnedia figures, All.tkron)/ Polsky, has died at ttre age <>f 58. In tkris tril>ute, lfodd Crourell, an old friend, reflects on the frlarr qrtro lorred to l>e different. Ð

Õ

È è

Antboryl Pokky: deeþ in lris

LJea.rt,

he

zaas

Henry Kissenger'

it was fairly thrilling to be

of his place in the afterlife. He is sitting

taken under the wing of a genuine

in a big, wood-panelled office. Li Kashing is on the other end of the tel-

f ti.r, met Anthony Polsky when we I w.r. both trying ro milkthe rather

Empire"),

limited international opportunities of the backwoods of the American north-

foreign correspondent - someone who had worked for the legendary

west. Anthony had just started an outfit called Cathay Counsellors Group in his hometown, while I was publishing a one-man newsletter on trade. There were probably no more than six potential clients for him in all of Portland, Oregon, andhe alienated

about three of them because of the trenchant criticism of the state's slow-

moving international trade policies that he wrote regularþ for the op-ed pages of tlae Oregonían.

By chance, we both moved to Hong Kong in 1987, andfor awhile we shared aflat onMacDonnellRoad. ForAnthony, it was a homecoming of sorts. I'm sure

that the happiest time of his life were those years during the Sixties when he was deputy editor of the Far Eastern Econornic Reuieut. I' mtoldhe was personally recruited by Derek Davies to put some street smarts into a publication that was heavy with wfiters with postgraduate degrees in the mating habits of the Papua New Guinea bumblebee.

At tlÌat time the largest organ I had ever worked for was tlre Tri-City Herøld ("Yoice of the Great Mid-Columbia THE CORRf,SP0ilDEIfT Februarv 1996

so

Neut York, H erald Tribune, among others. At one time, the absolute acme of

ephone line. A very aftr activ e, tall, blond secretaìy is speaking in a suluy voice. " I'm sorry, but Mr Polsþ is un avatlable."

ing there for the Netu York Times.

M.P. Gopalan who worked with Anthony Polsþ at th'e Reuieu,t adds: Anthony started his career at the

Unfortunately, I still haven't been to Singapore, which I gather is aprecondition for being expelled. But, heck, a

Bergen County Recordin NewJersey.

He first came to Hong Kong in the midSixties as a correspondent for tlre New

my ambition was to be thrown out of Singapore,

as

Anthonyhadwhile work-

guy can dream.

I never did figure oLrt exactly what Anthony did for a living in Hong Kong, although it seemed to bring in enough to keep him in Perrier water. His business r€sume said he offered something called "international strategic counselling", and I gather that had something to do with explaining the Big Picture to big people. Certainly, there were few - are few - people I know with his giÍt for ferreting out valuable informa-

tion or (and this I

tdy

admired) for

cadging free aidine tickets. He was also

the only person I ever met who

de-

scribed himself as a "contrarian" on his fesume.

Deep in the innerrnost recesses of his heart, he probably believed he was Henry Kissinger. I have a definite image

York Herald Tribune. He returned to the United States in 1973 to work for Reuters as its New York-based financial editor. Later in the Seventies, he received a number of fellowships from US academic andresearchinstitutions,

including a Fulbright Fellowship to lapan and a'W'oodrow Wilson Graduate Fellowship.

Anthony founded Cathay Counsellors Group, an intemational business consultancy, in 1 98 1 . He moved its he adquarters to Hong Kong in 1987 andlived here until his death onJanuary 13 athis MacDonnell Road home.

During his consultancyyears inAsia,

he contributed articles to newspapefs and periodicals throughout the wodd.

Anthony leaves a son, Philip, 23, anda sister,

Susanna,60.

E33=

Non-stop to Johannesburg ever¡/ Saturday, at 2500 hours.

Direct to Johannesburg and Cape Town every Tuesday, at 2250 hours.

AFBICAN AIRWAYS

,{.FRIC,{S W-,{RIVIEST W-E,LCO M E,.

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'I{as an}rbody seen mywife' @ "-r€P

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he New Year parry was, as alwal's, an occasiou for momrmental silliness, tempered in the eird1. s¡..tan.t of the evening by atternpts by a few worthies to bring a little decorum to the occasion. They were vanquished, as they must have known they would be, ancl b1'the time the last revellers were poured out Llnder the door, there had

been the usnal quota of broken eltgagements, resignations and lost ties, iackets and memories.

Here are a selection of pictures. Those likell' 1e 5. used in divorce proceedings or other litigation have been

withheld. r.<:<: .r

.-

\' THE CORRDSP0I{DENT February 1996

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THE CORRESPOIIIItEI{T February 1996

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February 1996 TÃE

GORRDSP0NIIENT

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only exception you notice is the occa-

I{avatrra darned good time

sional billboard proclaiming such sentiments as "Uncle Sam - you don't scare us" and the like.

Roads are well maintained and the traffìc is light: bicycles, motorbikes, a few dreary Soviet-built l¿da cars (mainly tourist taxis) and plenty of big classic pre-Revolutionary US cars. These beauChevrolets, Buicks, tiesfromtheFifties

-

Chryslers, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs,

- are kept flürning bythe ingenuity of local mechanics, said to be the wodd's best at improvising auto parts from bits and pieces. The colours of Dodges

q

PAPA.,.

H E ALSO

v {

Ndilse Srrrith colatillrres tris uzodd tranrels- After falling to find the Lockr Ness lvlolaster in kris last colufiilì, oLlf feadess adr.enturer sa-rzours the tefirpta-tions of Cuba.

{

I

these cars

SAY HE CALLEÞ S/V\

ITH

B

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\

pinks, pale blues

them even more attractive

make

as theycruise

leamed you could buy one for about US$500. But there's a catch. You can't export it. I also leamed that it's easy to negotiate a deal (probably illedriver) for

a day

or more at a fraction of

the official tourist car-hire rates. Youiust stand by a parked classic and chat to the

ownef.

The Hotel Nacional fronts Havana Bay and is the classiest hotel in town, reminiscent of Hong Kong's Peninsula, with its marble floor, colonnaded lobby

and crystal chandeliers. However, it was very run down and poody managed. One assumes the management

OUR

^AAN

{N HAVANA

got jobs by being loyal socialists. For a staft, the ancient otis lifts didn'twork.

The arrows on the antique clock-like floor indicators were all permanently stuck belowthezero markas if the lifts had never returnedfrom an underwodd

he flight on Air Cubana's twin-

In the AeropuertoJose Marti I found of-

prop, overhead-wing Fokkerfrom Nassau toHavana soon developed into an on-boardparqrandthe usual airtravel restraints were ignored as passengers moved around the cabin, chatting with friends and strangers. \ù7ine flowed freely and a passenger's cassette player began belting out Cuban salsa rh¡hms.

I lrad a problem. The immigration

The entire front row of seats behind the flight deck was piled high with cartons. My seat neighbour explained

forgotten to enclose visas. No problem.

Afriendly official soon appeared andwe were through.

The three of us shared a ride into town. W'e were all booked at the Hotel Nacional, favourite of AI Capone in the wild old days. It tumed out that my two pals, Americans, wefe not even aware that they shouldn't be here. They could face heavy fines and even prison back in the US for visiting Cuba. Luckily for

that he and some pals ran

a

crab boat in

the Bahamas and every couple of months they headed for Cuba for a week of partying. No money was needed: the cartons ofdetergent, soap,

used clothes and so on took care of every.thing. Ànd they never had a customs problem. fHD cOnRDSPOttlEIff Febr-uarv 1996

ficer flipped through the package of documentsl'd gotfromthe travelagency and wanted to knowwhere myvisawas.

I couldn't help him. Forfunately for me, tq/o other passengers also lacked visas.

It tumed out we'd all gone to the same

dumb travel agency in Nassau. They'd

them there was no Cuban chop in their passport. One of them caried a small leather bag which seemed to be very heary. It held his weight-training dumbbells, he explained. He liked to work out regularþ. Carryingyourown dumbbells around - and in a proscribed country.

It figured!

There's been little large-scale construction in Havana over the past 50 years. Spanish colonial-style buildings in pastel colours of peeling paint and crumblingplasterare everywhere, alongwith occasional art deco architecture, like the magnificent former Bacardi Rum headquarters in the old part of town.

Havana is a surprisingly neat and clean city; no garbage or litter, no graffiti, not even advertisement posters of gaudy neon signs to mar the view. The

nal notorious casino,/nightclub. He was

Al Capone's financial operator at the time. Today it has the most popular live disco in town. For the price of admission (US dollars only) you're perrnitted two "guests". Every night the hotel lobby is packedwith scores of beautiÍhl Havana cbicas eager to be guests.

Next time I'm in Havana, I'll book the Inglaterra, Havana's oldest hotel and located on the edge of Ia HabanaYieja district, the old part of town. From the

by. I

gally) to rent one of these beauties (plus

/lt\ì

looked authentic, but I declined. Per- decidedtoeatelsewhereandheadedfor haps I missed a good deal. the Bodeguita del Medio.

The Riviera Hotel, in the west of The B del M, as it is locally known, Havanawas Mafioso Meyerlanþ's origitranslates as the "little midwaypub". It is

trip. Then there was the security problem. My room had a wall safe for my passport andwallet, but no key. Reception wasn't helpful - my key was lost and their safe was full. Towels, toilet paper and soap had to be personally collected. Room serwice was secured by grabbing a maid and escorting her to the room. I could go on. The only "intemational standard" aspect of the Nacionalwas theprice: US$ 120 anight.

Aboutwhat an average Cubanmakes in ayeaf.

Around the corner, the former Havana Hilton, now cheekily renamed the Habana Libre, is probably a better bet. Close by is a small lively hawker

lfo¡¡.els, toilet pa-per and soap tra-d to be personall¡. collected.

R-oorn senzice s/as secrrred by gra-bbing, a rnaid and escorting trer to tl-re roc¡rnInglaterra,

a shor-t

walk through cobble-

stone streets takes you to Ernest Hemingway's favourite watering holes and other interestilrg places.

Hemingway was often in Havana and used to drink at Sloppy Joe's, El Floridita and La, Bodeguita del Medio.

Sloppy Joe's, closed now for restoration, was also featuredinthe classicAlec Gtrinness movie, Our Man in Hauanø.

El Floridita is a classy establishment, dimly lit, with a long, polished bar leading into a circular restaurant. The waiters are clad in white with red nlxedos and bow ties. Hardly the place you'd expect to be a Hemingway favourite.

midway between the cathedral and the (former) bordello. Theplacewaspacked, and drinkers overflowed on to the cobblestone street outside . A small L-shaped bar was at the front, with high ceilings and slow revolving fans. A coridor led to amaze of small rooms and cozynooks

behind, with wooden benches and tables. A narrow stone stairway led upstairs. GrafÍìti and photos covered the walls.

I orderedamojito (whiterum, lime,

crushed fresh mint, soda and ice) and studied the wall decor. The usual film stars had been here: Ava Gardner, an adolescent Sinatra, Errol Flynn looking randy with his scrawled obsewation, "the best place to get drunk". Salvador Allende's wishtul "Cuba libre. Chile espera" . Hemingway's own "Mi daiquiri enelFloridita. Mi mojita enlaBodegtúta".

Not exactþ poetry, but not too bad considering the distractions. The food was cheap and simple, but good. I had a

"pollo cacerola" with "moros y

cristianos" (chicken casserole with rice and black beans). Tasty.

Just about every hotel in Havana has its floor show and all are Vegas-style: singers with lots of girls wearing fantas tic but minimal costumes gyrating to the Cuban salsa beat. The most spectacular show in town is the Tropicanacabaret, held nightty in an open air beer garden with over 200 dancers and eight stages, some built into trees. It has been going since the Forties. The dancers are all stunningly endowed with a kind of physique not often seeninAsia, particulady when seen from the rear, which (it is poetically said), they can manipulate

"like the wings of a humming bird".

Must be their mixed genes.

However, they make good frozen

@

daiquiris. Abrass plaque even proclaims it was invented here - a potent mix of white rum, lime and sugar blended with mushy ice. A bronze bust of Papa looked over from a nook at one end of the long bar "wherehe alwayssat," saidthewaiter.

I ordered a "Papa special" daiquiri (dou-

HK$240

ble rum, no sugar) and perused the

market with handicrafts and a few interesting antiques hidden away in

menu.Justabouteverything onthe menu

bags. I was offered aheap of old Thirties photos ofUS baseballplayers, with autograph signatures, foruS $ 1 00. They

"Hemingway'sfavourite", "Hemingwaystyle", "Papa's plate", and so on, mostþ expensive lobster or shellfish dishes. I

exploited the famous patron:

February 1996 TÃE

CORRXSP0IIDENT

(Yo-Yo)

World-famous classical cellist Yo Yo Ma probably spends more time on the road than at home. While on tour, he might stay in a converted monastry in Florence one

da¡ and a Hong Kong high rise the next. Although he

cant take his grand piano with him, there are two things he never leaves home withoul One is his 2SO-yearold

Stradivarius cello. The other is his

IBM ThinkPad 755C. The cello gets its own seat on the plane. But it's the keys of his ThinkPad that keep his

fingers nimble on those long flights.

. Intel 486 DX4/75 MHz with integrated math co-processor . 4MB standard memory expandable to 36 MB . VESA Local Bus and Windows Accelerator technology . Remouable hard disk 340M8 to BL1MB ' Utra large 10.4" Thin Film Transßtor

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For more information, fax your business card to 2537 6601 and quote "ThinkPad 755C", or call 2525 7B7B

There is a difference"'

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I

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r -

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-

I

-

E--

--r -rr

-

No such thing as a liquid

Press R.elations

lunch

lflre Lunckrtirne O'Eto(rzes of ;.ore a-re gorìe, eittter dead or e><iled to rüØapping and other poirrts dox.n tkre ri.rzer. And, uzithor-rt ttrerrr, Fleet Street's'tüÇ'ig amd Pen club is feeling tkre 1?inctr. On a- trip to Lor1don, Ntrark Gratrarrr ca-lled in for a, <:Í::at wrzith ttre people uzkro run ttre place szhere tkre legends once dra.nkf \-./

tean-tiving iournalists, technology-obsessed proprietors and lib-

eralised licensing laws have

finallyput

paid to the long, liquid Fleet Street lunch. The favoured aft ernoon-session location, the Wig and Pen club is feeling the pinch, deprived of its mainstay journalistic clientele by the en masse move to new offices in the Docklands area oflondon and by the fact that the new breed of journo is more likely to have a mobile phone than a martini by his arm. 'Journalists just don't eat or drink so much," says Wig and Pen administratorJohn Reynolds wistfu lly.

"There is more awaren€ss of health.

"Now Fleet Street newspapers haye moved away, there is no central attraction. They have gone to all four points of the compass. The younger

journalist seems to have a quicker lunch, does his work and then goes home to spend his recreation time domestically.

\ù7e

thought the Wig and

Pen might have become a centralcata-

lyst for people crossing London but that hasn't happened."

The mass exodus out of Fleet Street, together with the increased use of modems, mobile phones and faxes, means journalists no longerhave to retum every day to a centralised point. In the past, hacks would finish a day's work - or at least show their faces then retire to the \Vig and Pen - ale-fuelled chinwag. Many a for an colour report has been filed from the barbyLunchtime O'Booze types, many a job offered, many a sacking instigated by an injudicious remark.

The Wig and Pen was

-

and still is

- the social home to another profession known for its love of gossip and liquor, preferably served up in conTHD CORRESP0I|IIEI{T Febmary 1996

CanOn

10/F, Mirror Tower,61 Mody Rd., Kowloon, Hong Kong

Address:2118, Cornwall House, laikoo Plâce,979 King's Bd, Quary Bay, Hong Kong Senior

3B/F

Albert

Chan

2565 2008

Wong

2565 2007

Ms Louise

]ffice Towet Convention Plaza, 1 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Cheung Lilburn

Local lnternational

2584 4294 2584 4489

William Nigel

Offices in: Amsterdam, Athens, Bangkok, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Chicago,

the high courts by the drinks they ordered,"

won, it was always

lvlr

lvlanager

+ G) + I Jolsn Reynolds:

þurnalísts don't drink

so much."

Champagne; if theylost, it was always double Scotches. But rules and regula-

club, but now pubs can open all day,

tions have changed the way people

Otherbenefits of membership are being stressed in a bid to attract new

drink at lunch time financial institutions don't like people drinking."

The club itself, which is affiliated to the Hong Kong FCC, has along and distinguished history. The timbered building dates back more than 300 years; it was th€ only building in the area,to survive the Great Fire of London. !7alls are cluttered with journalistic memorabilia, including some of the greatfrontpages and original drawings by Fleet Street's finest cartoonists.

The menu is pricier than the FCC's,

every day.

blood,'such as the mass-purchasing financial power a club can bring to

lnternational

bear on theatrical and sporting events,

reducing ticket prices for members.

The board is cheerily optimisric fl¡n as a limited com-survive parry will this transitional period, adopting different marketing that the club

strategies towoo newmembers. "Times

have been tough," admits chairman

tional English fare such as grilled Doversole (IIK$ 180), honeyroastedlamb ($ 1 50), English cheese selection ($70) and spotted dick and custard ($45).

Bernard Coral.

public, Newly liberalised British licensing laws have forced clubs such as the Wig and Pen to reappraise their entry des and operating policy. Until recently, the appeal of all-day drinking was a major incentive to join a pfjvate

901-91 1 Mount Parker House, I I I Tel: 2884 77BB Fax: 2568 8505

I King's Road, Taikoo Shing

Director

Stephen GVickers Steven J Einsel YasminR Shaker

.

I)irector Co-ordinator

Associate Managing

Servìces:

Priyate dining rooms, redolent of days gone by, with their low beams and timbered walls, are available for hire only to members.

with an unapologetic focus on tradi-

Prices are topped up by a service charge of 15 per cent.

Unlike the FCC, the main part of the club is open to members of the

KROLL ASSOCIATES (ASIA) LIMITED

Marketing

"I

and my family have

injected large sums of financial support in order to safeguard its future."

'Whateyer the future holds, it will not involve Fleet Street. The days of

monumental sessions, where editols, writers, judges and lawyers imbibed and bantered while the rest of the

-

world worked for its living - ane consigned to a fondly remembered period of

history.

s@

International Risk Management Consultants Internati o nal C o rp o rate Inv e s ti gat o r s Wordwide Business In

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Wan

Epson LCD portable TV

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Kodak (Far East) Limited

Kodak House 1, 321, Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong

Assistant Public Relations Marketing

Manager

Communications

Jessica Ghan

Enquiry : 2564 9333

Direct

Fax

X

: 2564 9309

:2856 5004

Mass Transit Railway Corporation

ChevalierCommercialCentre,lTthFloor,SWangHoißoad,KowloonBay,llongl(ong,

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Mirandaleung

CorporaleHelationsManager

Tel:2993 21i5

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Tel:2993 2166

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Tel:2993 2929

l\,lissClaudiaHo Ass¡stanlPubl¡cRelal¡onsManager

Tel:2993 2216

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Tel: 2993 2136

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ks¡slrntPublicßelati0nsManagu-AirportRailway

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2993 2599

Public Relations Manager Phillip Media Relations Manager Helen Media Enquiries (24

hours)

Bruce

Hung

28247700 28247705 28247152

Function: Developing Hong Kong's new airport at Chek Lap Kok

SIEMENS

For direct access to the people who can best answer your press questions, please use the contacts in this section.

Siemens Ltd. 58/F., Central Plaza

Harbour Road

Wanchai Hong Kong Marketing Communications Manager Monika

TheWig and PeîclLtbisaT229/230 Fleet Street.

Tel: ol71 5837255. Fax 583 6608

Poon

P.L. 2524 5031 Managing 2524 5031 Jimmy Senior Se rvices/Products: Sole agent of Nikon cameras, Hasselblad cameras, Linhof cameras and

I

Kwan

A¡nPoRT AUTHORITY

(H.K.) Ltd.

2/F Hutchison House, Central, Hong Kong

1

C.F.

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Dallas, Dubai, FranKurt, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, lstanbul, Jakarta, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Milan, Moscow, Nagoya, New York, Osaka, Panama City, Paris, Santiago, Seoul, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Taipei, Tianjin, Tokyo, Toronto, Vancouver, Vienna, Warsaq Zurich.

Managing

Communication

Services/Producls: Hong Kong-based international airline

Hong Kong Trade Development Council

knew if people had won or lost a case in "If they

lrlanager

Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong

Manager Corporate Communication

Sole Distributor : JOS Consumer Electronics

Assistant Product Marketing

I

Manager Corporate

Canon cameras and vìdeo camcorders

elled bar. "We always

says Reynolds.

7/E Swire House,

Services/Products:

vivial surroundings London's main law courts are only a brogue-stride away from the wood-pan-

C¡rHnv Pnctnc

CanonHongkong Companylimited

Sturm

2583 3307

Entries are free to advertisers making series bookings. A paid entry is an economicalpart of a company's press relation planning. Please contact 2527 7993 for details.

EMPEROR KAOTSUNG SUNG DYNASTY

REIGNED

tI27.ó2

^+ I

^ tu

tt

9ó cENTS

FIACKER,S

HISTORICAL KAM MAP OF

I

TIN

A

DURING THE MONGOL l^|AR,TOYE^ROLÞ SUNG PRINCESS, SUNG TSUNG,CHI, PUT ITERSELF UND€R, THE PROTECTION'OF

ìi

o_

oNE OF THÊ TANG FAMttY Wt{O WAS

tf1 n. select group of golfers who made ir ro the I Ch.ttrg Shan course , near Zuhai, after awindy day out on the Macau course the day before were

robbed of a rare sight: Rolf Kranepuhl presenting himselfwith his ownprize, an International Herald Tribune leather bag. The IHT chief hit the longest drive of the day but had to leave before the prizegiving.

Still,

it

had been a beautiful day, organised by Chung Shan member and energetic new Golf Society secretary Julian !l'alsh. He was rewarded for his labours by witnessing David Thurston managing to hit his ball (that's probably a strong term for ir) into two supremely impossible lies on the 18th.

The Macau round of the twodayer was won by John Schidlovsþ, with 35 Stableford points. Chung Shan went to Paul Mariage ,w1th34. Brian O'Reilly hit the longest drive at Macau, with Chades Chan nearest the pin. Stella Ng was nearest the pin at Chung Shan.

Thanks to the otherprize donors: MarkAshton

of Terrace on the Peak and Robert Harland of Coca-Cola.

@

Dauid TVrurston3 fírst þroblern on tbe l8tlr at Clturtg Sban.

2. Tburston's next þoser on tbe lgtlJ. 3. Has Juliøn Waklr lost b¿s Lþa!?

4. tobn Scl:idlousky is congratulated by sponsor Rolf Kranepubl.

1

5. Hans Schmídt sLJor.us tlre cadd.íes lsou.t it's done,

THE C0RRf,SPONIIDNT Februarv 1996

HONG

DISTRICT OFFICÊR. OF KUNG YUAN. HE HID I{ER IN KAÀ\ T¡N WHERE SHE /\AARRIED HIS SON'f ZU,¡AING HER FATHER KAO TSUNG LAfER BECA^^E EMPEÀOR

KONG Do you know why Hebe Haven is called Hebe Haven or how Repulse Bay got its name? Do you know that Hong Kong's first Governor once travelled 1,600 miles on a secret mission disguised as an Arab horse dealer? You willfind this and much more in Arthur Hacker's Cartographical Extravaganza of Hong Kong.

Making up this fine print are a hundred amusing drawings in elegant curlicule style, illustrating the history, myths and flora and fauna of Hong Kong.

This print is a perfect wall decoration for your home or office and a "must" for anyone who has lived in, knows and enjoys Hong Kong.

The print which measures 41.5" x 30" comes in a strong cardboard tube with protective plastic ends for safe posting.

"A natural Christmas present for former Hong Kong residents now overseas."

Kevin Sinclair, South China Morning Post.

"Treasure chest of Hacker's findings."

Asian Boating Monthly,

Beautifully printed in a limited edition of 500 numbered copies signed by the art¡st, it is available unframed for HK$300 post free from: Arthur Hacker Ltd., Suite F, 8th Floo[ CrystalCourt, Discovery Bay, Hong Kong.

Tel: 987 9043 Fax: 987 9072 Cheques payable to Arthur Hacker Ltd. ORDER FORM Name

Date

Delivery Address:

Signature

Telephone

No. of copies HK$300 each

Please send

Send this form with your cheque to Arthur Hacker Ltd., Suite F, 8th Floor CrystalCourt, Discovery Bay, Lantau, Hong Kong.

-

A Dutch treat

Horel

GpauDEuR MACAU

The Dutch call him Sinterklaas. But he has nothing to do with Christmas, although, just like Santa Clans, he is in the habit of giving out presents to kids. He made a surprise appeafance at the club thanks to the Dutch Business Association. s

ë e

{

.-a

In the landof Oz

È E

q

In fine voice It

was a night for music lovers

when the Hong Kong !Øelsh Male Voice Choit filled the club with its distinctive sounds.

On a trip Down Under, Bob Davis met up with a few former Hong Kong hands. Pictured, left to right, at the Rowers' Club in Sydney DavidBell, Bob, FrankMcFayden and Mike Foote. are

Special Hotel Pachage for FCC llfembers Pachage Rate: \feekday IIK$468OO \üeekend HKS668.OO (óubjecl lo roomo avaifability)

Pachages Include: Àccornmodatjon flor one ni6hl in

'Who's the

guywith

Russell?

our deluxe rcom

Irce

uoe

ol

svimmin6

oauna room, jacuzzi,

pool ö.

fi

ìndoor

Lneos equiprnent.

I¡ee shultle buo l¡om Macau lemy Terrninal Lo Ïlolel and vlce vef6a

Iree uoe olÞC a[ our buoineoo Centre vithin the buoineos hou¡o, ie Monday - óatunCay 9,@ am. - 6:00 pm ,

Picture perfect

In the presence of one of the greats of the movie industry. Yes, thatwas the scene in Seoul, when Steven Spielberg got the chance to meet Golden Harvest legend Russell Cawthorne. Spielberg, no slouch himself, was in the South Korean capital for talks on cooperation beñveen Golden Harvest and Chiel, which is a major backer

of the American director's

Ex-member dies

Dreamworks company.

ôunday Closed

Additional charge: Daiþ buflet breakfaot will be char6ed at I1K$4O per per6on, il required For more information contact: Hotel Addrss: Ru de Pequim, No. 199, Macau Tel: (853)781233 Fax: (853)78121 1

HK Sals Office Shop 2458, Shun Tak Centre, Connaught Rd, Centml, Hong Kong -lel: (852)28572846 Fx: (852)25464920

Former club member Diana April Lee Tschetterhas diedin Chattanooga, Tennessee, at the age of 50. British-bom April, who worked in public relations and advertising, arived in Hong Kong in 7972. Ir'l 976, she maried Chet Tschetter. They left for Chattanoogatn 1992.

April's death followed what was described as "a lengtþ and very complicated illness". She and Chet had two children, JoannaJane, 18,

andTimothyJames,

15.

Hot photographers, warm photographers and some folk who wete there just

for the cold beer tumed out in numbers for Canon's display of some of its latest technology. On show to an appreciative audience in the ,main dining room were the eye-controlled EOS5OE and the EF 75300mm Image Stabilizer lens.

THE CORRXSP0NDDNT Febr-uarv 1996

California dreamin' Bonnie Engel bade.farewell to the club after 10 years in Hong Kong. Friends and colleagues gathered to wish her luck on her departure for Russian River Valley, in Cali-

fornia.

FebruarJ'

1996

THX CORRf,SPOilDXilf

New members C

orre

s12

ondent lMerrrl> ers

'W'ong'SØoon

Pierre Cavrol

Chun

Marc Lerner

Christina

Mungan

Mary Magistad

H

N.

S.

Manju Nath

Mark

McFadand

Jason Singer

Richard McGregor

THE T996FCC DIARIES

Glenoa Spiro

The FCC 1996 range of executive diaries is now available at'club' prices. Each has been specially produced with a wealth of important information, in either black imported bonded leather or calf skin for the wallet. All feature a discreet club logo and your name, if requested.

Avoid disappointment and order early as stocks are limited. Allow three weeks for personalizing with your name or initials.

Quak Hiang

A. The FCC Desk Diary. 58 weeks in popular week-to-view format; international public holidays; world atlas and lift out directory.

Timothy \ù?itcher

Whai

general information and lift-out

ïHE

Defreitas

CORRXSPONITDNT Febr-uarv 1996

295.00

Karen Jones

Jacob Ogden

D. The FCC Address Book. Handy pocket size with international IDD codes and world time chart.

E. The FCC Calf Skin Wallet.

Ideal for the Pocket Diary.

ORDER FO RM

tr FCC Desk Diary

HK$ 29s.00

tr FCC Compact

HK$ 180.00

tr

Desk Diary

HK$ 6s.00 HK$ 7s.00 HK$ 32.00 HK$ 32.00

FCC Pocket Diary

tr tr FCC Calf Skin Wallet tr plus my name/initials FCC Address Book

directory. $ 180.00

C. The FCC Pocket Diary. 58 weeks in the popular week-to view format; international public holidays and general information.

Geoffrey De

$

B. The FCC Compact Desk Diary. New convenient size of 164 x 210mm. Popular week-toview diary; international public holidays;

Jor-rrnalist N4errrl> ers

Jonathan Chambedain

r

$

65.00

HK$ HK$

(max 24 lerrers, includtng spaces)

_ -

TOTAL Please

bill to my account

Name:

$

75.00

Account No.: Please telephone:

Signature

when units ale available

to be collected at the Club o||ice. Please all.ow at least three weeks

$ 200'00 FAX TO: 2868 4092 The Foreign Correspondents' Club, Lon'cr Albert Road, Hong Kong

New members

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$650 per couple

9

lioe Çilipino Írio mill serenade diners in lbe ìnÍìmale setling of tbe Vugbes

Aoon

2 siliíngs 7:00pn - 9:00pn

'cIor THI

cORf,XSPOilDEI{T Februarv 1996

Buildittg

Tsiruh¡Bui, Kowloon

All FCC members dining at La Taverna will be warmly welcomed with FREE wine. Half bottle for two, 1 bottle for four and so on...

TÆ CHAREMOUS

Chan Anson

GÆ, Astoria

24 lce HoBe Sheet Ccntral, Hong KonB

SPECIAL NEIGHBOR'S OFFER

G¡ !: Edward Cairns

KOWI¡ON

l/F, Shun Ho Towcr

FOR RESERYATONS OWSIDE RESTAURANT HOURS CAIL 2523862.1 Othq Eøblishmenb in Motila lL BoIi

The Gazebo Restaurant (first floor) features breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet A lâ carte menu is also available daily

Tel:28335566,ex¡

HONGHONG

re.s¿roalion.t lel: 2521

1511 fax.

2136ð

4092

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cro,p

C¡rHnv Pnclnc

A monthly þortrøit of FCC ùrrepløceøbles

Cuorcr,

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Dorothy Ryan Member since: Age:

Profession:

Description: Least likely to say: Most likely to say:

7978.

Consistent with last year's forecast.

Number cruncher.

British with an Australian advantage.

FCC on Friday night? Sorry, I'll be working late.

See you attlre bar. Get one in for me.

Pltotogrøpbed by Airø Fernøndo/ Asiøþix

Sponsored by

THX C0RRf,SPOtfItEI{T February 1996

@

Kodak (Far East) Limited +dìÉ

(ìËF)€l3R'¡]Fl

The Heart of Asia.

Nikon

llowevet Good You

fue, You Can D0 Better

,,,

F90X

Nikon tr9OX Higher speed, greater accuracyEvery professional photographer knows that it is critical to get every single frame right. Because even in several rolls, the pefect moment comes only once, and that one frame must be flawless. Now there's a camera with an autofocus system so fast and accurate, an exposure system so advanced, you can entrust to your camera what once you only entrusted to your keenly developed senses. Even in complex lighting conditions, D-type AF

matrix metering computations. Better stยกll, ยกt forms the core of a powerful system that includes a vedical shooting grip MB-'l O and a new speedlight 58-26 with a wireless slave flash. The new Nikon F9OX. With features to make a great photographer greater.

Nikkor lenses send information on lens focusing distance to the camera's computer for advanced 3D

SOle Agent :

SHRIRO (H.K.)

LTD.

2nd Floor Hutchison House, 10 Harcourl Boad, Central, Hong Kong

IFgOX

Tel:2524

5031-g

Fax:2810 6586