Eshin Direct

Monthly Update

Well, another month has slipped by. As we reach the start of September, it would have been a time that would have normally depressed me. It gets darker, colder, and well, generally, more dismal. Thankfully, I’m not in the UK anymore so this all doesn’t affect me.

Recently, its been abominably hot in HK. As I write this email, I look out of my window at work and notice the sky outside increasingly turn dark, so I figured it must have been the weather front on its way.

The month of September sees me on my way home for a short 10 day stint. So if you are around, please let me know. This month is also probably a month of diving, as I suspect the weather will turn and well, who wants to dive when its cold?

Last month saw me going to the Cranberries Concert and Austin Powers. I’ll post Part 2 of the Cranberries Concert when I get the chance. Infact, I have a whole back log of things I want to post up but haven’t had the chance! This is partly because I’ve been busy at work and also been designing my family website. But I’ll try and do what I can in the next month or so.

Thanks to everone for their support for the website….as some of you know the front end will be going through a face lift very soon (a move towards a more mature look). I’ll be sending emails out about that soon.

Please keep coming back to the site…some of you haven’t been for a while…and some of you post stuff in a flurry and then don’t check stuff. I know its my website but feel free to use it as you see fit. It’s there to be used!

That’s all for now!

Bourne Identity, The

I went to see The Bourne Identity last night with a friend. I believe its Matt Damon’s first outing as an “action” hero and the film is definitely approached in novel way. Essentially, the premise is that Matt Damon’s character, Jason Bourne, awakes on a fishing trawler with no recollection of who he is. He then embarks on a journey across Europe (Switzerland and France actually) trying to find out where he’s come from, who he is, and what he needs to do. In the mean time he hooks up with drifter in the form of Marie Kreutz (Franka Potente), who manages to get involved in the tangled web of Jason Bourne’s history.

(N.B. Film Spoilers Ahead) Okay, I’m going to cut to the chase here. The film plot line was weak and although I haven’t read it, I have a feeling that the film has probably very little reflection on Robert Ludlum’s book of the same name. Essentially, the film already told us all we needed to know about Bourne in the first half an hour. Actually in about five minutes, much of the “thrill” and tension the film was alleviated. We knew he worked for the CIA, we knew who he was meant to assassinate and we knew that he’s trying to be killed by CIA people trying to cover-up their mistakes. All Bourne needed to do in the film is find out what we already knew. Oh, and run away from the bad guys, which of course, was less menacing considering that we knew he was going survive, was shit hot and what he did, and well, we knew that essentially they worked for the CIA. Also, once we knew who he was meant to assassinate, the target was taken out and it took at another possible ending for the film.

This film may have worked back when we were still able to be shocked that the CIA could do bad things (like stabbing each other in the back), mind-conditioned black-ops agents existed and the world was a suspicious place. The premise of the film and the execution of the film left very little to the imagination. Essentially, at times, you felt that you were just sitting on a train waiting for it to get to the end of the line, very quickly.

Having said that, the film did have one or two redeeming aspects of it. It was beautifully shot, and the film style captured the essence of the dark gritty feel of Paris. A good old Mini was used in a car chase scene which, although cliche since the times of the Italian Job, is still great fun to watch. Also, I liked the idea that despite these modern times, the producers and director refrained from an over reliance on special effects. There was only one explosion in the film, and it was necessary and believable. Refreshing.

The casting was uninspired, but then again, this was a good thing given that films shouldn’t always be about the stars themselves. Matt Damon, I would have to say, is a great choice for this role. His acting ability does come from a genuine talent, which originates from a pre-American Pie era. His move into “action” roles is a good move, although this role isn’t necessarily altogether action in this film.

All in all, not a film I’d recommend to see if you had something better to watch. But if you do have some time to kill, do go and see it. You probably have to appreciate where the film was coming from, the genre it hails to and make allowances. In this day and age, that is easier said than done.

Kuala Lumpur - More Suprising Than You Think

As most of you know, I got sent down to Malaysia for some focus groups that were arranged by our client. Luckily, they fell on the Thurday and Friday, so I got a chance to extend my stay there for the weekend. It gave me an opportunity to see Eve and to explore Kuala Lumpur (KL) a little. My last trip down to KL was also around this time of year. I actually wasted a lot of time down there sleeping and we snuck in a trip to Singapore too, so I couldn’t really say I learned much about KL then.

This trip was a pleasant surprise. After enduring a two hour focus group session that lasted until 2100, Eve picked me up from the research house. She wasn’t sure where she should take me to eat when I suggested that I really did want to try the local Malaysian food and eat where the locals ate. It helped her a lot in terms of choosing where to go, but I think it also worried her in terms of whether I would like the food or not!

Anyway, we made the trip to a mamak stall on Steven’s Corner in Mount Kiara. Mamak stalls are probably one of the most popular eatery/hang out places for Malaysians. They are casual street side stalls and are recognisable by their shoddy appearance and bluish white flourescent lighting. Don’t let this put you off! The food you get here is top grade and great value for money. This particular place did a combination of Indian and Malay food although I believe there are others that have a Chinese influence too.

On this particular occassion, Eve went on a spending spree. Partly because she knew I hadn’t eaten since the plane journey and partly because she wanted me to sample a whole range of dishes. She started me off with the buffet and steered me clear of the spicy food as she knew I can’t take spicy food too well. I would recommend that any visitor to Malaysia tries to handle the spicy food as you are probably missing out from a lot of the cuisine here by doing so. Coming back from the buffet, we came loaded with a plate of Nasi Biryani and three types of curry - chicken, mutton and Sotony (squid). Being famished as I was, this went down rather quickly and luckily it wasn’t too spicy. This was all washed down with fresh watermelon juice and Teh Tarik (ice milk tea). Malaysians seem keen on fresh fruit juices and it is usually prepared fresh from the fruit. The country has an abundance of fruits, so there generally is a good variety to choose from.

After the rice and the curry had been wolved down, Eve exposed me to two Indian dishes - Roti Canai and Gee Tohsai. Both dishes seem to be flat pancakes that one dips into the sauces provided and Eve added some of the curries that we had to them. Roti Canai is thinner and more crispier than the Gee Tohsai which as more moist and soft. Both were nice but I had a preference for the Roti Canai although the Gee Tohsai looked more appealing. I guess its a matter of personal preference and Eve tells me that Gee Tohsai is more popular.

In the meantime, someone brought us a dish of satay chicken and beef. For those of you who haven’t been to South East Asia, satay (essentially, meat on a stick) is a local delicacy. If you’ve tried the satay from the packets that I know you can probably get from most supermarkets, then you are still in for a treat. The satay done here is much sweeter and flavoursome than the ready made tripe. The marinade that is commonly used is honey based and uses a variety of spices (I believe that my mother knows the recipe). The meat is softer and it is easy to eat through a plate of these without a second thought. If you pass a satay stall in Asia you’ll probably be allured to them initially by the smell of their cooking over hot charcoal, but be brave and try them. When we initially approached the Mamak stall, the first assualt on my senses was their aroma and I instantly wanted them.

Two additional dishes that we had were Tandoori chicken and Malay Asam Laksa. The Tandoori chicken here is much nicer than anything I’ve experienced back in the UK and the blend of spices used in its preparation are a lot more aromatic. The Malay Asam Laksa was a disappointment which Eve confirmed for me. I must admit, it was too watery for me but she does tell me that I am probably more familiar with the Chinese Asam Laksa which is more creamy and thicker. In any case, this is the only dish I recommend you avoid.

Mamak stalls are popular because they attract all three ethnic groups of Malaysia - Malay, Chinese, and Indian. Both Eve and my colleague in McCann KL say that its a great meeting point for the ethnic groups, and it is common to see all three on the same table intermingling. They are very casual and it seems to be a place where people can just eat and hangout. They don’t follow the Cantonese approach to eating which is eat and go, but are much more laid back and an evening or afternoon can easily be spent just chilling with your friends or family. Also, don’t be put off by the staring as its quite normal and a part of the culture. One tip for those new to Malaysia - Malaysians, even the Chinese, commonly use fork and spoon to eat food. Don’t try and impress your hosts or people by ordering chopsticks. This is reserved for noodles and laksa and using them overly makes you look a little backward!

The next day, my focus groups finished off at about 2000. I had managed to build quite a rapport Stephanie who was our local account person in charge of the client that I was down in Malaysia for. She suggested we join her for drinks after Eve and I went for dinner which was mighty friendly of her. In general, Malaysians are a friendly people and although they can stare a lot, they tend to be very hospitable and welcoming.

Eve took me for dinner to Petaling Jaya (PJ - by the way, Malaysians being the laid back people that they are, like to abbreviate a lot of place names). She took me to a Chinese food place in Old Town but she doesn’t remember the exact name. I have a feeling that Old Town is a Chinatown, so you’ll find plenty of places that offer the Chinese fare there. The main dish that we had was Bakkut Teh, which is essentially boiled pork but as most people familiar with Chinese food are aware, the variation of the preparation creates a unique dish. I’m told that this particular Chinese dish is native to Malaysian Chinese so don’t expect to find it everywhere where Chinese are. The place, again, was quite shoddy but as both Eve and my colleague, Pat, tell me, the best food is often in places where the surrounding environs aren’t luxurious.

After dinner, we headed off to [i]Bangsar[i] which is one of the hotspots in KL at night. KL is quite a large city and its easy to drive a good twenty minutes to get to the different parts of it. This means that they tend to have several different hotspots, catering for different tastes, but tend to be all intensified in a particular area. I guess really, it’s like most major capital cities. Bangsar is quite interesting in that it occupies probably a square block in which the restaurants, bars and nightclubs are all located. Strangely, its nestled in between a residential area and I’m sure the residents appreciate their neighbourhood turning into a parking lot over the weekend nights.

We arranged to meet Stephanie at Bar Flan which apparently is one of those places for those who want to be seen and see in Bangsar. Walking into the place, I was assualted by designer fragrances hanging of the oh-so-yuppie crowd in there. It seemed quite popular as the place was quite small but packed with people. I actually couldn’t tell you much about the place because as soon as we arrived, Stefanie whisked us away to another place. She was with some people who had just left McCann and had to oversee a Heineken promotion at Chamber, which was just down the road from Bar Flan.

Chamber was a more subdued place and because of the promotion, was decked out in Heineken livery. It wasn’t as packed and there was plenty of seating available. My impression is that the places in KL tend to have more seating available than night spots in London or in HK, although, if it is busy place, then don’t expect too much in the way of seating. We sat down with Stefanie and her friend treated us to a bucket of Heineken beers. They seemed to be playing Acid Jazz there, which was quite interesting.

Heineken promotion girls were in full force but they didn’t really seem to be promoting the beer too much. Normally, the beer promotion girls in HK tend to whip out an itinery of 2 for 1 offers (and variants) to get you to buy the actual beer (they actually tally it so they can get paid). Here, the beer promotion girls seemed to be pushing to get us to register to win something and get a free premium - in this case a Heineken bottle cap with flashing light. But no beer.

When we did order the bucket of beer, they seemed to be all over us to get a free instant picture taken. Ordering a bucket entitled us to two pictures, so we took one for Eve and myself and one for Stephanie to put on her wall at work. She seems to be in high spirits at work, as her wall is covered with litanies of stress and work related traumas. Anyway, once the beer promotion girls were done with us (Eve did comment that she was sure I wanted them to be done with me in other ways!), another Heineken promoter was on to us. This time they were looking for faces for “Coolest People” contest for the Heineken website. I managed to sign up and Eve and Stefanie (although both promised that I would regret it) and yes, I did sign up as well. Although I haven’t managed to find the site yet, and I do still have sneaking suspicion that they were just looking for faces for a porn site, you can find my picture there. I’ll let you know when I find the website.

After a while, Stefanie’s old boss and friend, Pristinne, and her husband came to join us. She seemed quite funky, with a dyed quiff of coloured hair and a low cut top. An ex-McCanner, we spent a few minutes exchanging notes on the Regional account team here in Hong Kong. Her husband works as a diamond jeweller and is one of those Chinese that can’t speak Chinese. Given my background, we had quite an interesting discussion on that. Once they joined us, we didn’t stay long in Chamber and moved swiftly on to Bar Finnegans.

Bar Finnegans is probably the Joe Banana’s of Bangsar. Eve was loathe to go there and the guys we were with weren’t too complimentary about the place. We were advised to go to the toilet at Chambers before we went, as apparently the facilities weren’t that great there. Pristinne’s husband even recommended I go too, which I took as poignant sign - if men advise men to go to a bathroom before going to a particular place, you know the facilities are going to be hell. Eve tells me, and I quote, “Finnegans is the place that old white married men go to pick up local girls”. Joy.

It certainly was an expat hangout which unsurprisingly was the case as it was an Irish bar. We walked in there and managed to find a place. With two guys and three girls, the girls were immediately eyed up by two fat English men. Also, the place also had a small contingent of cross-dressers which was interesting. I saw more of them and I think its quite “accepted” although not to the extent that it is in Thailand and their ladyboys. Eve promises to take me to a place where they perform and stuff, which I interested to see next time I’m down in Malaysia.

I learned that I was out of practice with my beer drinking. Being in Hong Kong, I’m used to drinking my beer from the bottle and from small glasses. Here I was treated to a full pint of Heineken which I had trouble finishing. I think I definitely need to get some practice in before I go to London otherwise I’ll be a laughing stock. The music at Finnegans was typically Western and we were treated to tunes such as Sweet Child of Mine and Hey Mickey. Make your own mind up about that.

I finished off the evening with six B-52’s with Stephanie. The others weren’t drinking as they needed to drive. Stephanie too needed to drive and she had a medical in the morning the next day, but she challenged the honour of McCann Hong Kong which I needed to defend. I was pleasantly surprised with the cost of the six shots as it only came to RM120, which is roughly US$32. This is surprisingly cheap in comparrison with London and Hong Kong, and well, just about anywhere. Stephanie did complain that she already had two B-52’s earlier in the night although she managed them like a trooper. She was a little worse for wear when we left Finnegan’s at about 0300 which seemed to be the general time that most places shut in KL. Eve did tell me that some underground nightclubs are around that are open later, but we didn’t get a chance to visit them this time.

The next day, Eve and I spent most of the day sleeping and just lazing about. After finishing off an old HK flick called with Andy Lau and Rosmund, we managed to set off at 1700 for Putrajaya. I was keen to see Putrajaya as it is the new government administrative centre for Malaysia. Mahatir, in his infinite wisdom and part of his 2020 Vision, relocated the majority of Malaysia’s government departments to a new purpose built city 20 minutes drive at Putrajaya from the ageing building in KL. Given that there was probably nothing here ten years ago, the place is an impressive achievement.

Eve admitted that she hadn’t been to Putrajaya yet and was also keen to check it out. She was a little dismissive of the idea and even Stephanie and Pristinne’s reactions were “Why do you want to go there?!”. When we approached the place, were were not sure what to expect. In fact, I did feel a little anxious that I had sent us on a wild goose chase for a couple of government buildings in a field. I would never hear the end of it from Eve!

Thankfully, both she and I were bloody impressed with the place! As you will no doubt see from the photos, its definitely a blueprint for a new city. The government really has got a clean slate to build and develop the city as it sees fit, so hopefully with modern times it will not suffer from the haphazard reactive planning that most major cities experience. The scale and architechture of the buildings is not to be underestimated and the planning means that the place is more akin to a utopian “world” set off Star Trek TNG.

Unfortunately, I can’t tell you the names of the buildings there, as we left without a guidebook but we did manage to see the mosque and the President’s centre. Although we didn’t manage to go in because of our lousy timings, we did get to see the outside. We had afternoon tea there which comprised of a fast-food mall variety of chcken rice, Tom Yum Koong and an interesting sweet dessert called Ais Kaccang. Ais Kaccang is a dessert made up of ice, flavourings of something (which I will track the name down), and tapioca. Very sweet and refreshing, don’t expect to lose weight eating it. By the time we left the eatery, it was sunset and the time of evening prayers hit. The musical nature of the Islamic prayers added a spiritual note to the sunset and it really left one feeling at peace.

I would really recommend someone who is planning a visit to KL to take an afternoon and see Putrajaya. It’s an amazing achievement and certainly a testament that man can still create great monuments to civilisation in these modern times. The concept of being at the birth of a new city just blew both of us away and maybe when we visit again in twenty or thirty years time, the place will have changed dramatically. I guess it Eve summed it up best when a friend called her on her mobile (and I am taking creative license here)”

Friend: Where are you?

Eve: Putrajaya.

Friend: Why do you want to go there?!

Eve: Oh, I’m taking a visitor here..I know, its not the place that I would’ve thought about going! But really, its so amazing! You really need to come here and look.

I guess the birth of a new city is something that goes amiss in a world that is racked with more important news and even Malaysians take it for granted. But do go. Catch it now, and be part of history. One word of advice - Putrajaya is the government heart of Malaysia and given that Malays are the only people allowed to work in the government, the place is predominantly Malay and hence Muslim. I recommend you show a little respect and dress accordingly to Muslim decency values if you want to visit the place. Eve was dressed quite conservatively but she was feeling a little self-conscious.

We drove back to KL after that. We decided that we wanted to visit the sky tower, Menara Kuala Lumpur. It looks an impressive building from the outside and weighes in at 421m, making it one of the tallest towers in the world. However, we were a little a disappointed with the view at night. Partly, I think, this is because we were still buzzing from the trip to Putrajaya, but also because KL is somewhat of an uninteresting landscape at night because it is flat and hence not much to see at night. Maybe worth a visit during the day time, we covered this off in about 20 minutes. Here you get a feel of Malaysian national pride - foreigners are charged RM15 (US$4) and locals are charged RM4 (US$1). A small point, but can an irking experience.

We decided to go and eat at Suria KLCC for dinner, although I don’t think either of us was really hungry. Eve took the scenic route and showed me Jalan Alor in Bukit Pintang. Jalan Alor is apparently the red light district in KL and although not noticeable from the outside, she says that the budget hotels in the area accommodate Malay, Mainland Chinese and Indian prostitutes. On the surface, however, the primary feature of the place is a street dedicated to food, predominantly Chinese by my reckoning. Seafood and steamboat can be had here at an good price. Jalan Alor is located in Bukit Pintang which seems to be a vibrant shopping and restaurant community, but to be honest, we didn’t get out and have a look. I guess I’ll do this next time I visit KL - it’s alway good to have a few places to see when you come back!

Suria KLCC is located under the Petronas Twin Towers that dominate the KL skyline. It’s actually one big shopping mall that easily dwarves Bluewater, following the American trend towards Supermalls and experiential retailing. What is surprising is that this is not unique in KL as supermalls are a common feature in KL. We visited at night time and it was interesting to see young Malaysians just sitting in large groups and hanging out, especially outside by the man-made lake. On our way to dinner, we bumped into a group of Indonesians who seemed to have appropriated a part of a mall to do some synchronised dancing to music that was a mixture of modern influence and local ethnic music. It was interesting to see, as I have noticed the same thing among some Filipinas on their Sunday day off in HK.

Although we initially decided to find a place to eat in Suria KLCC, I felt that this last night with Eve in KL would be better served by going to the Mandarin Oriental for dinner. We had a great meal in their Japanese restaurant Wasabi even though I was a little greedy and ordered too much. The place was near empty but the food was what you can expect from a Mandarin Oriental. It was a small place, and if you do smoke, I wouldn’t recommend you to sit near the kitchen as it can get quite loud. Recommded here is the sushi set which had a piece of pricey Toro nigiri in it and the Zaru soba.

After dinner we walked around for a while and then decided to drop off the car back at the hotel. We had planned on going to Jalang Sultan Ismail, which is a popular hangout place for the young yuppie set and conveniently located near our local office, but I think after the strenous (yes, I know, it was half a day!) days sightseeing, we decided just to sit and write a few postcards to friends and family. Recommendation for Jalan Sultan Ismail - the Beach Club. I went there last time I was in KL and it was quite a popular hang out place. Pretty boys and girls too, which most of you know, sums up the place in my terms.

The next day, we were, of course, running late. We had time to visit Eve’s sister’s new house and on the way managed to stop off at a Goreng stall to get some Pisang Goreng. A tribute to the Malaysian friendliness was when Eve asked if it was okay for me to take pictures of them cooking the Pisang Goreng and they suggested that she take a picture of me cooking it. Although it was funny, it really did top off my trip down to Malaysia with a heart warming experience.

Eve’s sister’s place was in a state of upheaval but considering the fact that she literally was moving in that day, unsuprising. Houses in Malaysia tend to have a high ceilings and it seems to me that they have no hallways. Given this, and the fact that they seem to not use the actually front door in many houses, a guest will typically arrive through the “french doors” and into the heart of the home - either the sitting room or the dinner area. I guess this is a reflection of Malaysian hospitality. Another oddity, which I question the practicality, is that some rooms are connected to each other via a shared bathroom.

I did feel we were imposing (the female side of the Chan clan was there in full attendance - the men seemed to be absent!) and Eve’s mother was concerned about us not making it to the airport on time. So we left and made our way to the airport. After the usual goodbyes my Malaysian experience was marred somewhat by the incompetence of the ground staff that were serving the Cathay Pacific counter and ticketing with their incompetence…but it was regained as I boarded the plane. I had apparently caught the eye of one of the ground crew and she flashed me an embarrassed and blushing flight smile as I boarded (sorry Eve!).

All in all, Malaysia has come a long way. This is in part due to Mahatir’s 2020 vision in which he boldly declared that Malaysia would be a first world country by 2020. They have done this partly through an extensive building project which has seen Putrajaya and Cyberjaya (Malaysia’s Silicon Valley) being built, but also numerous modern housing developments springing up around KL and Malaysia. Although critics of the 2020 vision seem to say that its merely a show stunt for keeping Mahatir’s party in power, it still remains an impressive achievement. Malaysia is definitely developed as a first world nation to compete with the West and they have retained the Asian heritage to a better degree than other Asian countries like Singapore and minimised the economic disasters of many fast growing metropolis’ in say South America. It does show signs of cracking though - recently most tobacco advertising was banned which has affected the media and advertising industry and more importantly, the recent crackdown on illegal immigrant workers from the Philippines and Indonesia has meant that the building industry will slow down. But I would recommend the place for a visit. You will be surprised by the achievements, the culture and more importantly, the friendliness.

Pictures to follow.

Club Reviews - C Club, Green Parrot, Drop and Home

Hong Kong is a strange place for its night life. Hong Kong, for its size, appears less vibrant than it actually makes itself out to be. Certain parts are 24 hours although unlike the centre of London, which is a-buzz pretty much 24 hours in a day, these pockets of activity are not really that lively. The Hong Kong nightlife is usually confined to two distinct areas - Lan Kwai Fong on Hong Kong Island and Mongkok and TST on Kowloon side. I’ll admit I travel less to the Kowloon side than I should, and a recent escapade reminded me that most of the better looking girls are on that side.

For the Hong Kong side, Lan Kwai Fong represents the focal social point for many in Hong Kong. It’s a slightly unbalanced mix of people - expats, asian expats and locals. It’s hard not to find a bar to have a good time in…although if dead, then just get up and leave. Try experimenting, that’s what I would initially suggest. But if you want to take the easy route, then well, here are my two cents worth on four places in and just off Lan Kwai Fong.

I’ll have to be honest but I must say that over the summer in HK, the quality of girls actually goes up somewhat (well, and the guys too if you ask my female friends) as the returning overseas students bring the in-your-face American beauty and attitude. It’s like an injection of youth and coolness. This applies to C Club and the other places that I’m reviewing here. So the quality of “talent” should be adjusted according to the necessary seasonal factors.

The C Club

This is one of those upmarket places with a queue and there are no trainers allowed. The queue is there because it is most likely to be full and from my experience, Hong Kong’s queue’s aren’t directly related to the exclusivity factor as they are in London. The C Club is next door to California and I’m not entirely sure if they are owned by the same company or not. Don’t make the mistake of going into California - that’s passed its prime a long time ago (Some time after late 2000, as I was still going there then).

C Club is the one that you have to walk down the stairs to go in. The best day to go is on Wednesday which is “Model’s Night” or ladies night. I’ve been there on both ladies night and on a regular night and I must say that the quality of people are well, pretty, well groomed and well, the beautiful people shall I say. It does have its fair share of pretention but I guess that’s to be expected at 60 bucks for a drink.

C Club, being the popular place that it is, has plenty of seating but in most cases these are private tables and private areas. These places are expensive in the UK to say the least, I have a feeling that in HK these places will have a similar price tag. It’s also quite cute to see people about half a decade younger than you living the high life. I remember doing it myself and enjoying it. Now that I look back, you look more like a kid and a spoiled brat than ever(which is probably why Brat Pack is the name of one of these successful promotion companies in England). And in a place where the average person doesn’t learn to take care of themselves until they leave home at early 30’s, financial responsibility isn’t high on the list for a lot of these kids.

The place plays R&B and Hip Hop. Bumping and grinding seems to be happening in bucketloads over there. And because you are dealing with the level of society that can afford (or at least tries to look like they can afford) to look great, all the close body contact its not such bad thing to watch. The place does get crowded over the weekend and I have a feeling its shut on Sunday. With the economy the way it is, I imagine that its empty during the week although I’m sure that there are few die hards in there (especially over the summer).

Would I recommend it? Yes, over summer, when the cute girls come back to spawn….sorry, rest… Otherwise, its one of those places to be seen and to be shown. I reckon its the Cafe de Paris of Hong Kong. Exclusive but open to many posers.

The Green Parrot

Okay, in contrast to the C Club, there is a place just further up the hill in LKF. It actually has a more local flavour to it although it is styled into an American sports bar. The clientele is mostly Cantonese and they have live music most evenings. The band is strangely enough Thai and they usually work on 6-month rotation. Apparently, the manager puts together the band in Thailand and then exports them here and then well, sends them back as far as I know. Seems a strange arrangement but I haven’t really pryed too much into it.

The place gets packed over the weekend, summer or not. The sounds of popular drinking games - such as Sap Ng Yi Sap, Di Wah Sik and Hang Won Sik- can be heard and add a vibrant charm to the place. The music is often lively and the band plays a mixture of English and Cantonese songs, which of course appeal to the mainly Cantonese clientele there. The singers, at the moment, two lovely Thai ladies, Vicky and Oom, come out and get the audience to sing, often making it an impromptu karaoke session. And they do most requests.

The drinks aren’t the cheapest but the place, like so many bars, is plagued with promotion girls with the latest discounts. If they haven’t accosted you before you’ve had a chance to sat down, call one over and ask what the promotions are.

For those celebrity hunters amongst you, I did see Edison there once but have no idea whether its a regular venue. He looks more gay in person than in the pictures.

Drop

Okay, swinging back to other side of the spectrum, we’re back at exclusivity but this time away from LKF. In fact, this next place promises to be a little more exclusive than C Club. I have a feeling that it is a private members club. I’ve been twice to Drop and the one time with a member and the other with somebody who had booked a table in another name. So I’m not too sure on the nature of the place.

Drop seems to be a place that people make their way to later in the night (or earlier in the morning) and it seems catch the Liquid leftovers who are still keen to party. It’s located behind some shops in between Hollywood Road and Lyndhurst Terrace and besides several bouncers, you wouldn’t realise the place was there.

Once you’re in the place, it’s actually quite small. It’s probably one of the smaller night clubs in HK with the exception maybe of Pillows. This means that a lot of people can be crammed into a really small area space….and the music seems louder. Plenty of seats but most are adorned with the standard Reserved sign. I enjoyed myself less at Drop than I did at C Club. Maybe its because I was spoiled on the quality of women at C Club that, considering the smaller sample size (due to the space limitations), I wasn’t a happy bunny. Also, maybe because both times I went, I was tired and really just wanted to go home.

It’s nice place to go to after you’ve been to other places and you still want to lose some energy after they have shut. For a more chilled out time, I recommend…

Home

No, not home but Home. Actually, I think it’s called Homebase but everyone refers to it as Home. This place is located on Hollywood Road, just opposite the police station. It’s on the third floor of this building that is next to Pacific Coffee. To be honest, avoid this place early in the evening. Go there about 1 am in the morning. Things start to kick off then. The reason for this is that it serves as point to really end the evening. People will often filter from LKF, Alibi and so on to Home.

One of the unique propositions to Home are these ridiculously large sofa’s that are actually beds. It’s hard to describe but it is reminiscent of the Arabic style of entertaining. There are only two of these bays and so, high demand for them. It’s a great way to just sit and chill with friends. Recommend it, but price tage to suit.

At the moment, I don’t have the addresses of these places…but they will be following soon.

A Year On…And They’ve Won

Okay, it’s a year on from the WTC attacks. I’m not going to spew my usual Anti-War and paranoia opinions at you. But I do think you have a right to know where I stand on this issue.

Where have we got to in this past year? Nowhere, fast. I would say, in retrospect, that the terrorists have achieved exactly what they set out to do and the Americans are helping them out with this. John Q. Public is just as eager to eradicate the threat of “Islamic” fundamentalism as the Arabs extremists are to eradicate them. If you’ve taken a look at some of the message boards, it’s a constant battle of ideology between Americanism and Fundamentalism. They are both just as fanatical about this as the other. I see no difference. The reason why I say this is that they are both major player in this world. We didn’t know about Al-Qaida until a year ago…well, not the general mass of people, those who followed some current affairs knew they were around. But they are the next superpower. I, thankfully, didn’t have to grow up during the Cold War at its most intense but I feel that we are entering into such an era now.

Here’s my rationale. Whether or not anyone likes it, Al-Qaida has changed our way of life. It’s easy to say that it hasn’t if you’re not American. American’s think about it probably more than anything. They are scared. They haven’t had to deal with this kind of terrorist attack on their soil. They dropped their bombs and even they know that it’s a hollow victory. The real war remains to be fought. Lurking in the shadows, working intelligence, winning silent victories, that is where the war is being fought. Just as in the Cold War. In fact, this war promises to be more bloody. The Cold War, the maneovring and the politicing between two open states maintained one sense of civility. There were tangible targets to take out and also potentially nuke. The Americans don’t have a target, but nor do they have a nuke pointed at them to hold back. They don’t really even have a nation state that is visible to protest. No open dialogue, frosty as it might be, exists. Al-Qaida is the menace that no-one really wants in their own turf and so it will be hard to back them.

But Al-Qaida isn’t weak either. They have shown that they have no qualms about taking out civilian targets. World-wide condemnation? They have no nation state to blockade, they have no visible interests that strike at. They have no civilians to protect. They are the nation state of war. Each citizen is a soldier. They have no elections to hold, no constituents to appease and hence, they can go to war when and where they want. They are free from restrictions that a legitimate nation state might have. The Taliban were visible but to be honest, they are not Al-Qaida. Al-Qaida is a belief. It cannot die easily.

The Americans do have a responsibility to seek justice. I would hold with little respect any nation that does not protect its own interests. But what I fear for the Americans, is that they haven’t healed and gone on to live their lives. It’s an oppressive fear of terrorism and what was done to them that still haunts them. Or could be done to them. The Cold War proved the lengths to which people went to protect themselves out of fear and the McCarthy witch-hunts were evidence of this. We walk again in such times. Was America the bastion of democracy and freedom then?

Americans need to realise that the world has been dealing with these attacks for years. Civil wars are fought, separatists and loyalists kill each other, and religion remains a rally cry for war still. To be honest, the WTC is a wake up call. But not for war and mobilization of armed forces. It is a wake up call for something to be done to make this world a better place. We need to address the problems of the world…not bomb them. Osama bin Laden is fighting for a reason….find this reason. It is not religion. Islam doesn’t promote violence, people do. What is the real reason that Osama is fighting? They believe that their actions will make the world a better place…albeit in the terms. Under Islam, the world will be a better place. That is what they believe.

The Americans too believe this. Under their ideology, the world is a better place.

But I digress. The point is that America needs to come to terms with the attacks. I know. I grew up in England at a time when bombs on trains were not out of the ordinary. The British government has been fighting a secret war against the IRA through MI5/MI6 and the SAS. There were no parades…no banner flying. For both sides in that war, the best that each “winner” could do was have a drink in down in the local pub. SAS men would have a drink after a successful operation and so too would IRA operatives come home to probably not more than a pub full of well wishers. But in the end, both sides realised the futulity of it and a tangible, if shaky, peace agreement was made. The SAS could take out the ring leaders and strategic resources of the IRA at any time. Why did they not? Because the government knew that it was too easy to for a civilian to become an IRA soldier and continue the fight. To fight an idea is not that easy. To fight a nation state, where you have borders to push, civilians to capture, and eventually governments to topple, is easier. But if Britain were invaded tomorrow, you would still have people who were British and subscribed to that idea. Anybody want to know what it would cost to defeat the idea of being English?

Likewise too, the IRA could never hope to topple that idea. Sure a change of governments was the best they could hope to accomplish. But full withdraw from Northern Ireland? Not likely given the divisions that exists in that community.

Al-Qaida however operates differently. Sure they want to advance their purpose. But to be honest, I feel that Al-Qaida’s motives behind the attack were to teach America a lesson. Topple America and wholesale invasion of US soil? I doubt even Osama dreams of that at night. To make Americans and other complacent nations feel the fear and terror of being at war, that the Afghan people for one, have been feeling for decades? That is an objective which they have quite successfully achieved. September 11 is a confusing day for Americans. How do you mark it? The answer is that the Americans don’t know. But it is a source for reflection and a source of fear. Al-Qaida, even if America capture Osama, has already won this battle. Much of the free world is in fear….and special arrangements are made by many Western governments to combat the threat of terrorism. The enemy has already controlled your behaviour.

The American response worries me. In Asia, we feel the memories of September 11 less on a day to day basis. But in America’s quest to deal with the bad Islamic militants in a traditional “war” approach, I fear that Asia will be the battle ground for the war against terror. The foothold of Islam is just as strong as the idealogy of communism was. And equally, many governments and people subscribe to the democratic ideals of the West. “You are either with us, or against us.”. Reminds me of the Domino theory, where the US governments belief that if one nation falls to communism, then others will fall in a domino effect. Only this time, the threat comes from a theological rather than an ideological base. The Middle East will always be a traditional battleground as there are too many Islamic nations and peoples. The Americans have lost this battle before they even fight it. It will be folly for the Americans to attack Iraq, even if they are hell-bent on doing so. The backlash will be catastrophic.

The battleground will be Asia. Islamic separatists and extremists can breed quite nicely in Asia but they are too small and enough of a problem for legitimate governments to revile them, to make them a tangible target to take out. US military intelligence is now moving in to protect America’s interests. Troops have been stationed in the region since WW2 but the most action they will see is getting to a state of high readiness. But combined with American’s distaste for getting dirty (the spectre of Vietnam still haunts them) and the lack of a nation state to attack (where are the borders?), I doubt that Billy Bob from Arkansas, Texas will see much action. This should be worrying for many of you.

Billy Bob doesn’t have an enemy that comes out and fights. Billy Bob only knows two things. The enemy is there and that he is fighting an ideology - Islamic extremism. The problem with ideology is that it isn’t visible. The Vietnam War told them that. So then the enemy becomes the collective race/nation that the ideology comes from. In a war where one is hidden, civilians become potential threats. If Billy Bob is ordered into military action but can’t identify the enemy, his task is to eliminate any threat to himself, his unit, his nation, his ideology. The atrocities commited in Vietnam are testament to this. Mogadishu, more recently, is testament to this as well. Tribal fighters used civilians as shields. Civilians became legitimate targets as they contributed to the threat to Billy Bob’s comrades in that conflict. I don’t deny that this is bad but I can understand that. In war, there is no longer any Geneva Convention. No Human Rights Declaration. Just raw pure animal instinct to survive and protect the community you belong to. Tribunals and trials are something that is done after the fighting has stopped.

In the case of Asia, the capacity that Americans have to play are observers. Really? Vietnam wasn’t a war. It was a police action. They were invited in. Just like now. The US government has two choices, commit entirely to wage war or to purely observe. Then we have the same problem of the Dutch troops in Yugoslavia. They did nothing. Governments in Asia can throw civil liberties out of the window in the name of combatting the menace of terrorism. America is hardly going to object anymore. Not while the War on Terrorism still has to and is being fought. One evil is greater…and that is terrorism. Just like in the Cold War. Civil liberties were at stake in the American homeland and abroad, but it was a good thing as it exposed some genuine communist threats. Americans and other nations were quite happy to live with this arrangement even if innocents died or suffered.

My point is this - on September 11, the US government needs to reflect. Mr. Bush has to take the opportunity to show that he is a world leader and not an elected official of the American people. Unfortunately, the US has an Empire. Just like the Romans, just like the Turks and just like the English. When Rome shook, so did the Roman world although the interests of only a minority was really taken into consideration as they were the ones that voted or that really mattered. When American moves, so too does the world. What’s best for America might not be the best for the world. We are at a stage in Human civilisation where we are progressing above what we have done in the past. Slavery is no longer acceptable. Nations waging war on one another is no longer acceptable. Mr. Bush, please progress the title of world leader to a new level. Osama, you’ve done what you set out to accomplish. The Americans know suffering and fear. Be the spiritual leader you claim to be and rise above it. Turn yourself in. Christ, who I believe you hold as one of your profits, did so.

I will not mark September 11 with a minutes silence like my compatriots in England will. The minutes silence was to remember the mass of people killed during the two world wars. A much larger loss was felt and the scale of the human loss was less. The impact and suffering is what Osama and Bush are creating. I mourn each loss of human life. But to warrant the type of mourning that millions more died for, is disproportionate. Many more will die and many more have died. When the dust settles…then we can mourn.

For those of you that question my loyalty and sense as human being. Please note this. If called upon to do my duty by my nation I will do so. Those who know me, know that I have a fighting spirit and I’ve been fascinated with the military and war for a long time. And while I do my duty, I also know the cost, and that is why I am loathe to fight. But I will if called on to do so. And while I live and hold citizenship in a nation that values free speech and democracy, I will excercise that right.