0460 HKSAR Name of the Day

Wency Ho Wan Sze, doctor, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution

0459 HKSAR Name of the Day

Tibbie Chu Sze Man, solicitor, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare; Geography-based

0458 HKSAR Name of the Day

Corasina Leung Yuk Man, surveyor (Since 1996), Hong Kong

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Name Category: Creation

0457 HKSAR Name of the Day

Conway Lee Kong Wai, accountant, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare; Phonetic-based

0456 HKSAR Name of the Day

Lavina YC Tam, office assistant, Department of Sociology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (see 0430 HKSAR Name of the Day)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare; Somewhat common in Hong Kong

0455 HKSAR Name of the Day

Jacol Lam, Sha Tin, Hong Kong (letters to the editor, SCMP, 6 May 2009)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution

0454 HKSAR Name of the Day

Lucida Ng, North Point, Hong Kong (letters to the editor, SCMP, 13 Apr 2009)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Women Behaving Badly

Iran is prone of having earthquakes, and apparently Iranian (or should that be Muslim?) women behaving badly are the cause. A cleric espoused this nonsense, claiming:

"Many women who do not dress modestly ... lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which increases earthquakes."

An Iranian Woman apparently behaving badly ... pull down those turn-ups and cover up the hands and face!! [from Guardian courtesy of Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images]

Aside from the fact that this claim is total nonsense, it would seem pretty futile to respond to the cleric with reasonable follow-up questions like:
What about the recent earthquakes in China and Chile?

Have geologists in Iran or the Middle East heard of such a theory? If so, they must be pretty busy applying for academic grants to fund their research. Perhaps they can research the earthquake-soothing effects of Muslim women wearing one-eyed burqas too (as posted by China Droll)?

0453 HKSAR Name of the Day

Alson Wong Kam-chuen, chairman of the Stanley Residents Association, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Son-suffix

0452 HKSAR Name of the Day

Patra Li Yim-tung, external vice-chairman of the Social Sciences Society and a journalism student at the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

What Do Footballers Know About China?

Apparently not a lot, for one particular footballer.

Lee Bowyer, a Birmingham City FC player who has also played for Charlton Athletic, Leeds United, West Ham United and Newcastle United was asked by Peter Pannu to guess China’s population. This was during Birmingham City’s Christmas party last year.

“22 million” was Bowyer’s reply.


Related Posts

Carson’s China Commercial Connotation

0451 HKSAR Name of the Day

Artemis Cheung Yan-yuet, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong (letters to the editor, SCMP, 12 Apr 2009)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

0450 HKSAR Name of the Day

Edmon Chung, chief executive of DotAsia (www.dotasia.asia), Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

0449 HKSAR Name of the Day

Coco Liu Ching-yi, Sha Tin, Hong Kong (letters to the editor, SCMP, 25 Mar 2009)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare; Brand-based

0448 HKSAR Name of the Day

Levi Poon Wing-hei, Primary Four student from Ying Wa Primary School, top student in the eight-to-11-year-old age group of the 2008 World Class Tests in Mathematics and Problem-solving, Hong Kong (Note: his Hong Kong Chinese parents or teachers probably chose his name)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

0447 HKSAR Name of the Day

Tridy Au Man-hin, Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong (letters to the editor, Mar 10, 2009)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution

Carson’s China Commercial Connotation

There are currently two English Premiership football clubs owned by Hong Kong businessmen. But any similarities between these two clubs ends with that fact.

Balram Chainrai, the default owner of Portsmouth FC, obviously has no interest in making Portsmouth a solid Premiership football team (he just wants his money back … oh, and with interest!). However, Carson Yeung appears to have great future plans for Birmingham City FC both in the Premiership and in China. The potential for marketing Birmingham in China and to develop Chinese football players is hugely challenging and exciting (see news article below). Providing, of course, that Carson can get over the present hurdle of a lawsuit that threatens his ownership of the Blues.

China soccer’s Yeung generation could be EPL bound
Agence France-Presse in Birmingham
Apr 16, 2010

Carson Yeung, the owner of Birmingham City, hopes a reality television programme will unearth players in China who could one day play in the English Premier League (EPL).

Numerous sports dream of ‘cracking’ China and making the most of the potential opprtunities afforded by making an impact in the world’s most populous nation.

Hong Kong businessman Yeung, explaining his plans, told FC Business and The Independent: “We’ll send coaches from England, and the top boys who are selected will have a promotional attachment with our training school.

“We are working out the details now and the programme is imminent.

“That will give us exposure on TV on a weekly basis, starting in Hong Kong, then hopefully in China.”

But Yeung stressed City manager Alex McLeish, who has guided the club to an impressive ninth place in the table following last season’s promotion, would continue to have a free hand in selection and that no player would be imposed upon him purely for commercial reasons.

“Let me be clear that this is not something that we are doing in isolation,” Yeung said.

“Alex McLeish is on top of the situation and aware of what we want to do. And there is no notion that we would ever tell Alex McLeish how to do his job or who to play.

“McLeish is excellent. We couldn’t ask for anyone better,” Yeung added. “We’re not suggesting we’re going to impose a [Chinese] striker and remove James McFadden. That would be ridiculous.

“But McLeish understands there is a commercial connotation if we can find a promising Chinese player.

“And he’s excited that if we can unearth potential, and under his hand a player could be groomed to become English football’s [answer to Chinese NBA basketball star] Yao Ming, that can be positive for the club.”

Yeung’s comments came as investment bank Seymour Pierce threatened to wrest control of Birmingham over what it said was an unpaid debt of 2.2 million pounds (HK$26 million) they claim they are owed for advising the City owner in his takeover of the club, completed in November.

Fancy that, yet another reality TV show. This time to unearth uncut footballing diamonds from China!

Interestingly, Alex McLeish dismissed the lawsuit about ownership by saying:

“I think the players only read about themselves and do not start looking at the business section of newspapers.” “I don’t think they are going to rush out and buy the Financial Times.”

That’s another fact Portsmouth FC has in common with Birmingham City FC!


Additional news article:
Carson Yeung: 'I'll bring China's finest to Birmingham' (The Indeprendent)

0446 HKSAR Name of the Day

Jo Jo Chan Shuk-fong, general manager, Wing On Travel, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

0445 HKSAR Name of the Day

Cherine Yu (Ms), executive officer, School of Design, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution

Terry or Teddy, Andy or Andrew

Today’s sports page in the SCMP (Wednesday) has a story about former Manchester United, Newcastle United and England striker Andy Cole, who nowadays prefers to be called Andrew. Will his name change confuse Hong Kong’s horde of soccer aficionados? How do the Chinese sports media label Mr Cole now?

A typo, or perhaps an over-eager automatic spell checker, also led to Andrew Cole’s former England and Manchester United playing partner Teddy Sheringham being called Terry. Or perhaps the Terry mistake is influenced by the British media’s current obsession with another Terry?

Cole was guest of honour at yesterday's draw for the [Soccer Sevens] tournament, which will feature 16 teams each in the main competition and the masters. He said he had little time to look around the city, which he last visited with United in a pre-season tour in 1999, when they beat South China 2-0. Cole scored the second goal after Terry Sheringham had opened the scoring.

This blog takes an interest in names and recognizes that proper names and their related nicknames (e.g. Anthony and Tony) can cause confusion among people who use English as a second or third language. If the switch from Andy to Andrew can cause confusion in Asia, what would happen if Terry Teddy changed his preference to Theodore?

0444 HKSAR Name of the Day

Cupid Chow Chui-shan (Ms), personal associate, Industrial Centre, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong [Perhaps an "unlucky" name? It is probably best not to ever state this person's name in public!]

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation for Females

0443 HKSAR Name of the Day

Hebe M H Wong (Ms), tutor, English Language Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (see 0050 HKSAR Name of the Day and 0304 HKSAR Name of the Day)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare; Somewhat common in Hong Kong

0442 HKSAR Name of the Day

Meggy SY Lee, academic, Department of Sociology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

0441 HKSAR Name of the Day

Kith Tsang (Mr), associate professor, School of Design, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Deletion; Insertion; Substitution

0440 HKSAR Name of the Day

Daya Choy, part-time tutor, English Language Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

0439 HKSAR Name of the Day

Bronson Hui (Mr), student, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

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Name Category: Rare

0438 HKSAR Name of the Day

Jesslin WM Sit, office staff, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution

Tiger’s Treatment of Former Partners

Tiger Woods has made two obvious digs at his ex-sponsors, which appear to stem from his underlying arrogant contemptuous mean streak. There is no question that Woods is a golfing great, but there are definite questions about whether his personality is great.

The latest vindictiveness on his part is his appearance at Augusta on Monday at the start of the Masters week. Remember, this is Woods’ first public appearance on a golf course since revelations of his sex scandal forced him to take a four-month break from the PGA tour to seek counseling and attempt to save his marriage. With the world’s media looking on, Woods just had to know that being seen unshaven would be sending out a disapproving message to Gillette, his former sponsor.

[Hey Gillette, look at me. Shave? You betcha! (Source: BBC)]

A similar vindictiveness happened when Woods came out publicly in a tightly-coordinated press briefing in February. The timing of that event was thought to steal the limelight from, and hence disrupt, the closing stages of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona. That Championship was sponsored by Accenture, Woods’ former sponsor.

This seems to be only the beginning. What other spiteful acts by Woods lie ahead? Will there be sand traps for AT&T and water hazards for Gatorade, the other sponsors that ended endorsement contracts with Tiger following his sex scandal? What next of Tiger Woods' chagrin?


Related Post
Supreme Sports Personality Championships: Tiger Woods v Roger Federer

0437 HKSAR Name of the Day

Yanta Lam (Dr), associate head and professor, School of Design, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

0436 HKSAR Name of the Day

Sheree Leung, Executive Officer, School of Law, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Harry's View Incorrect

Today's (Monday 5 April 2010) cartoon in the SCMP is baffling. Harry's View is usually pretty good, but this one about counterfeit anti-impotence drugs doesn't make sense. Or is there an alternative reasoning involved?

[Source: SCMP]

Will there be letters to the editor about this? Or will there be a statement in the Corrections and Clarifications section?

0435 HKSAR Name of the Day

Carnation Ng Lok Shun (Miss), student, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Musical Sound Associations

Whenever I hear the xylophone being played, it usually reminds me of scary skeletons with swords and shields. The picture in my mind’s eye settles on how such imaginary skeletons might move in tune with the staccato-like sounds that the old man makes with his sticks as he strikes the xylophone.

Man with xylophone in Causeway Bay




This sound association (between xylophones and skeletons) probably stems from being exposed during early childhood to the classic epic mythical adventures of Sinbad the Sailor and Jason and the Argonauts. Just take a look at these classic stop-motion animation skeleton fight scenes and listen to the accompanying music ... and all will become clear!


Sinbad VS Evil Magician's Skeleton from the 7th Voyage of




Jason And The Argonauts - Skeleton Fight




Note: Wikipedia mentions that the xylophone means "wooden sound" in Greek. It describes a little of the instrument's history, mainly its early construction using gourds and wooden bars. But I can't help wonder whether there have been tribes that have used bones as musical instruments similar to the xylophone? If true, then perhaps that might prove to be another "sound association" between the xylophone and skeletons?


Additional Note: When it comes to the erhu (the other instrument being played in the above videoclip), the sound association is of a string being pulled through a tin can! This is the reason why I cannot take the erhu seriously as a musical instrument. No matter how beautiful other people may claim erhu music to be, to me it will always sound like a "squeaky old tin can".

Funny how sound association influences our perceptions!

0434 HKSAR Name of the Day

Kendy Lai Yee Tse, clerk, Department of Psychology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution

Easter is a Fairy Tale

The following paragraph comes from a recent article published in the South China Morning Post and written by Kevin Rafferty who used to be the editor of The Universe, which used to be the largest English-language Catholic newspaper.*

The central mystery of Easter is that Jesus Christ — God who became a human — suffered and died for humanity and raised himself from the dead to restore the friendship between God and mankind. Most of the world thinks this is a fairy story.

Most of the world would be correct then.

Can anyone honestly say that they understand the relationship between God and Jesus Christ, and the purported reason why he brought "himself" to Earth, then crucified and resurrected "himself"? What's the point? And where does the Holy Spirit fit in to this cosy threesome? If the Holy Trinity is revered, then is the Judeo-Christian religion truly a monotheistic religion?

Here’s a great little videoclip that ridicules the relationship between God and Jesus Christ.

Mr. Diety and the Identity Crisis




Even though Easter is a fairy tale, HKSARblog wishes everyone happy holidays! And please don’t worry about the Chinese “double four” or double death date (i.e. 4/4/2010). It’s just localized superstition and has nothing to do with the crucifixion!

Check out 0431 HKSAR Name of the Day


* It’s a puzzle why the SCMP describes the writer with this statement: “[Rafferty] was editor of The Universe, then the largest English-language Catholic newspaper in the world”.

0433 HKSAR Name of the Day

Vallenta Leung (Mr), technician, Department of English, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

0432 HKSAR Name of the Day

Prisca Chan, Clerical Officer, School of Law, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

0431 HKSAR Name of the Day

Christ Lee Lak Tao (Mr), student, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Self-important

Early Education and Exposure to Religion

AC Grayling writes wonderful books about philosophy and human values. He’s also an engaging speaker who clearly has a rational mind. In a recent interview down under in Melbourne, where he attended the Global Atheist Convention: “The Rise of Atheism”, Grayling mentioned a good observation about China and Chinese society.

AC Grayling interviewed by Greg Clarke part 1 of 2




In part 1, at about 8:20 AC Grayling talks about early exposure to beliefs and the rise of Christianity in China.

AC Graying On Being Exposed to Certain Beliefs During Childhood (transcript)

The Chinese society is not a religious society but a superstitious one. Of course there are Christians and Falun Gong and others in China, but generally speaking and traditionally, it’s not a religious society. As I say, it does have superstitions. But the major dominating influences in Chinese thought have been philosophies as opposed to religions. So Buddhism in its original form (of course it secretes a lot of superstitious elements), but in its original form it has no deity or deities, it has no supernatural elements. And Confucianism is also a philosophy, and so the educated people throughout the Chinese tradition have been brought up in one or the other of those philosophies. And because they have not been exposed to what we would regard as traditional characteristic religious beliefs, they just don’t have them. This is a very good example of how education makes a difference in these respects

AC Graying On the Rise of Christianity in China (transcript)

What explains what’s happening in China is allied rather closely to what’s happening elsewhere in the world, not in growth of numbers elsewhere in the world, but an increase in volume in the degree to which people are prepared to avow their faith or take a stand now that we’ve got this division opening up between the religious and the non-religious. And that is, when something, anything, is under pressure, any ideology is under pressure (as the Chinese communist ideology is) it opens a gap into which people fall if they don’t have something else to clutch on to. And people do have a propensity to look for the ready-made, the ready-to-hand set of answers, which is one reason for example of why people recur to religious belief.

What Grayling says about the rise of Christianity in China is sensible and insightful. The evidence for this (as he alludes to) is the rise of religious belief among peoples of the former Eastern Bloc in Europe, where communism collapsed.


AC Grayling interviewed by Greg Clarke part 2 of 2




Also, China Droll has posted some interesting thoughts about religion. Recent favourites include:
Muslims are Slaves
Pope-y-Cock

Related Posts
Dismissing Creationism and Intelligent Design part 5
Biblical Maths Tries To Keep Noah’s Ark Afloat
Deluded Christian Values
Breaking News! Hong Kong Education Bureau Rejects Creationism and Intelligent Design