Heston, Kwong, Kwok Wai doctor, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation
Saturday 31 July 2010
Friday 30 July 2010
0551 HKSAR Name of the Day
Hilbert, Ka Ping Wah, solicitor, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution
Thursday 29 July 2010
0550 HKSAR Name of the Day
Ceiceily Lo, Man Mui, accountant, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Insertion
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Insertion
Wednesday 28 July 2010
Tuesday 27 July 2010
T-shirts Made For Each Other
On the streets of Hong Kong it's always fun to notice eye-catching T-shirts ... and it's double the fun catching a thematic pair.
T-shirt pairs: Female "volunteers" needed and I Heart "Dick".
T-shirt pairs: Female "volunteers" needed and I Heart "Dick".
0548 HKSAR Name of the Day
Purina Iu Pui Wing, solicitor, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Brand-based?
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Brand-based?
Monday 26 July 2010
Sunday 25 July 2010
Quotes, Anecdotes and Put Downs from A Bit of Fry, Tang, Roberts and Forsyth
I was lucky enough to get into Saturday’s Open Book Forum, hosted by The University of Hong Kong, that had on its esteemed panel Stephen Fry, Frederick Forsyth and Andrew Roberts which covered a didactic spread of writing genres. It was chaired by Sir David Tang and was held in Loke Yew Hall in the Main Building of The University of Hong Kong.
[Anna Kushchenko Chapman came up during the open book forum! Pic from AP.]
The forum was titled: "How and What and Why do Writers Write?" and there was a good two hours of witty banter, poor jokes and good ribbing from everyone … including the audience. Here are some of the quotes, anecdotes and put downs that I remembered:
ON WHY THEY WRITE
Frederick Forsyth: I write for a living, for money. I have no need to fulfill myself and have no message for the human race.
David Tang: Thank you for your dishonesty.
ON INSPIRATION FOR WRITERS AND IDEAS
Stephen Fry: I seem to get ideas when I’m in bed so I use a black marker pen and write on my leg! When I wake up in the morning, I’ve got black marks down my leg and on my sheets (audience laughs).
David Tang: What? Why?
Stephen Fry: It’s better than switching on the light, and then getting a pen and paper.
David Tang: It’s a good job you sleep alone!
Stephen Fry: I suppose I could write on somebody else!
Andrew Roberts: For me, it’s about writing well, the quality. I write also for the self-teaching and the fact that it can inspire.
QUESTION from a HKU professor and Pro-vice-chancellor: You all mentioned English authors that inspired you, but what about non-English novelists? Are there any non-English authors that have inspired you?
Frederick Forsyth: No.
Professor: (urging) It can be French, German …
Frederick Forsyth: Er, no (shakes his head)
David Tang: (To the professor) What part of No don’t you understand? (audience laughs)
Andrew Roberts: The author (name??) of the History of the Phoenician Wars is a non-English inspiration to me.
Stephen Fry: Yes, I have noticed James Joyce and Oscar Wilde were non-English. (audience erupts) American writers have been slightly less influential to me. Dostoevsky I do love, for the story and psychology … it’s fantastic. But for me it begins with language, so I can’t really claim they [Dostoevsky, etc] are influential for their language. It’s not my native tongue and I can’t apologise for it.
Stephen Fry: (continuing with the theme) I read in today’s South China Morning Post about the issue of dialects here …
ON HONG KONG’S USE OF CANTONESE AND NOT MANDARIN
(see here for China Droll’s view)
David Tang: It all started after 1997 when they started with promoting Mandarin here. Cultural diversity is very important. It was Mao who made everyone use Mandarin, but I don’t think Mao understood culture very well. Hong Kong should use Cantonese and English. I don’t want Hong Kong to become like Singapore … you know, where they speak three languages … badly. (audience erupts)
ON DEALING WITH WRITERS’ BLOCK
Stephen Fry: I have a conversation with myself in writing. In other words I write a diary. “Oh Stephen, what’s the matter with you?” It sounds mad, but it’s using writing as a way of getting over a problem. By arguing with myself in a diary, that’s the way I do it. It seems to work.
Frederick Forsyth: No, I don’t get it. (audience laughs) For me, writing is a job; it’s not an indulgence, it’s a job. If you get paid to do it, then you damn well do it.
Andrew Roberts: I have two ultimate cures for writers block: alimony and mortgage. (audience laughs … and groans)
Sir David Tang, on selecting a questioner from the floor who was wearing a rather noticeable light pink jacket with a lilac carnation pinned on the lapel.
David Tang: Where did you get it from?
Questioner: Not from Shanghai Tang, I’m afraid! (audience erupts)
David Tang: (Quickly) OK, what’s your question?
Questioner: If The New Yorker were to commission you to write 5,000 words on any subject, what would it be?
Frederick Forsyth: Something contemporary, such as the discovery of 10 Russian Intelligence Agency spies living in American suburbia doing nothing in particular.
David Tang: One of them was quite attractive!
Frederick Forsyth: Yes, one of them was actually a British citizen and there’s a stupid law we have where they took away her passport and told her that she mustn’t come back. I thought she was an absolute, absolute … winner. (audience laughs)
[Forsyth (a man of 71 years) was referring to 28-year-old "winner" Anna Chapman, the spy ring’s femme fatale]
David Tang: All right (calm down Fred).
Stephen Fry: I’m afraid I’m either an artist or a hack, I’m not much in between. I have nothing that I would want to write in The New Yorker. Why would I want to write in The New Yorker? It doesn’t appeal to me at all. (audience laughs)
Just as an example, Time Magazine rang me up in January and said: as you may know there is a new device coming out and we want to do a big article about the new device (the iPad), and Steve Jobs said that they wouldn’t allow us unless you (Stephen Fry) did it. So I said OK I’ll do that, so I flew to San Francisco to interview Steve Jobs for Time Magazine and I loved it. That to me was joy, it was pornography, and sweet chops, and drugs all rolled into one. I love that sort of thing. So if The New Yorker wanted me to write about the history of Apple or smart phones, then I would do that. I wouldn’t do anything else.
David Tang: Not even for a million pounds?
Stephen Fry: No. (smiles)
Andrew Roberts: I love The New Yorker. I’ve started to fall in love with New York. I’d like to write an article about what it’s like to be an Englishman who’s moved to New York. And dismiss some of the myths about New York. A city that never sleeps, what rubbish. We’re all tucked up in bed by 930pm. The other day I was invited to dinner at 530pm. I’d like to take the Mickey out of America.
Stephen Fry: Incidentally I have written for The New Yorker. I have nothing against it. It’s a wonderful magazine.
David Tang: All right. (and the forum carries on for a few more questions, quotes, anecdotes and put downs)
It was an enjoyable, pleasant Saturday morning.
[Anna The forum was titled: "How and What and Why do Writers Write?" and there was a good two hours of witty banter, poor jokes and good ribbing from everyone … including the audience. Here are some of the quotes, anecdotes and put downs that I remembered:
ON WHY THEY WRITE
Frederick Forsyth: I write for a living, for money. I have no need to fulfill myself and have no message for the human race.
David Tang: Thank you for your dishonesty.
ON INSPIRATION FOR WRITERS AND IDEAS
Stephen Fry: I seem to get ideas when I’m in bed so I use a black marker pen and write on my leg! When I wake up in the morning, I’ve got black marks down my leg and on my sheets (audience laughs).
David Tang: What? Why?
Stephen Fry: It’s better than switching on the light, and then getting a pen and paper.
David Tang: It’s a good job you sleep alone!
Stephen Fry: I suppose I could write on somebody else!
Andrew Roberts: For me, it’s about writing well, the quality. I write also for the self-teaching and the fact that it can inspire.
QUESTION from a HKU professor and Pro-vice-chancellor: You all mentioned English authors that inspired you, but what about non-English novelists? Are there any non-English authors that have inspired you?
Frederick Forsyth: No.
Professor: (urging) It can be French, German …
Frederick Forsyth: Er, no (shakes his head)
David Tang: (To the professor) What part of No don’t you understand? (audience laughs)
Andrew Roberts: The author (name??) of the History of the Phoenician Wars is a non-English inspiration to me.
Stephen Fry: Yes, I have noticed James Joyce and Oscar Wilde were non-English. (audience erupts) American writers have been slightly less influential to me. Dostoevsky I do love, for the story and psychology … it’s fantastic. But for me it begins with language, so I can’t really claim they [Dostoevsky, etc] are influential for their language. It’s not my native tongue and I can’t apologise for it.
Stephen Fry: (continuing with the theme) I read in today’s South China Morning Post about the issue of dialects here …
ON HONG KONG’S USE OF CANTONESE AND NOT MANDARIN
(see here for China Droll’s view)
David Tang: It all started after 1997 when they started with promoting Mandarin here. Cultural diversity is very important. It was Mao who made everyone use Mandarin, but I don’t think Mao understood culture very well. Hong Kong should use Cantonese and English. I don’t want Hong Kong to become like Singapore … you know, where they speak three languages … badly. (audience erupts)
ON DEALING WITH WRITERS’ BLOCK
Stephen Fry: I have a conversation with myself in writing. In other words I write a diary. “Oh Stephen, what’s the matter with you?” It sounds mad, but it’s using writing as a way of getting over a problem. By arguing with myself in a diary, that’s the way I do it. It seems to work.
Frederick Forsyth: No, I don’t get it. (audience laughs) For me, writing is a job; it’s not an indulgence, it’s a job. If you get paid to do it, then you damn well do it.
Andrew Roberts: I have two ultimate cures for writers block: alimony and mortgage. (audience laughs … and groans)
Sir David Tang, on selecting a questioner from the floor who was wearing a rather noticeable light pink jacket with a lilac carnation pinned on the lapel.
David Tang: Where did you get it from?
Questioner: Not from Shanghai Tang, I’m afraid! (audience erupts)
David Tang: (Quickly) OK, what’s your question?
Questioner: If The New Yorker were to commission you to write 5,000 words on any subject, what would it be?
Frederick Forsyth: Something contemporary, such as the discovery of 10 Russian Intelligence Agency spies living in American suburbia doing nothing in particular.
David Tang: One of them was quite attractive!
Frederick Forsyth: Yes, one of them was actually a British citizen and there’s a stupid law we have where they took away her passport and told her that she mustn’t come back. I thought she was an absolute, absolute … winner. (audience laughs)
[Forsyth (a man of 71 years) was referring to 28-year-old "winner" Anna Chapman, the spy ring’s femme fatale]
David Tang: All right (calm down Fred).
Stephen Fry: I’m afraid I’m either an artist or a hack, I’m not much in between. I have nothing that I would want to write in The New Yorker. Why would I want to write in The New Yorker? It doesn’t appeal to me at all. (audience laughs)
Just as an example, Time Magazine rang me up in January and said: as you may know there is a new device coming out and we want to do a big article about the new device (the iPad), and Steve Jobs said that they wouldn’t allow us unless you (Stephen Fry) did it. So I said OK I’ll do that, so I flew to San Francisco to interview Steve Jobs for Time Magazine and I loved it. That to me was joy, it was pornography, and sweet chops, and drugs all rolled into one. I love that sort of thing. So if The New Yorker wanted me to write about the history of Apple or smart phones, then I would do that. I wouldn’t do anything else.
David Tang: Not even for a million pounds?
Stephen Fry: No. (smiles)
Andrew Roberts: I love The New Yorker. I’ve started to fall in love with New York. I’d like to write an article about what it’s like to be an Englishman who’s moved to New York. And dismiss some of the myths about New York. A city that never sleeps, what rubbish. We’re all tucked up in bed by 930pm. The other day I was invited to dinner at 530pm. I’d like to take the Mickey out of America.
Stephen Fry: Incidentally I have written for The New Yorker. I have nothing against it. It’s a wonderful magazine.
David Tang: All right. (and the forum carries on for a few more questions, quotes, anecdotes and put downs)
It was an enjoyable, pleasant Saturday morning.
0546 HKSAR Name of the Day
Apollinaris, Kwok, Chai Sum doctor, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Self-important?
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Self-important?
Saturday 24 July 2010
Friday 23 July 2010
Thursday 22 July 2010
Wednesday 21 July 2010
Tuesday 20 July 2010
Monday 19 July 2010
Sunday 18 July 2010
0539 HKSAR Name of the Day
Winnei Hung Wing Yan, solicitor, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Translocation
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Translocation
Saturday 17 July 2010
Friday 16 July 2010
0537 HKSAR Name of the Day
Hilton Koo, Hok Tin doctor, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare for males; Creation for females
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare for males; Creation for females
Thursday 15 July 2010
Wednesday 14 July 2010
0535 HKSAR Name of the Day
Johnson Lam Man-hon, judge (involved in late Nina Wang Will case), Hong Kong (see 0486 HKSAR Name of the Day)
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare
Tuesday 13 July 2010
0534 HKSAR Name of the Day
Winfield Wong Wing-cheung, solicitor (involved in late Nina Wang Will case), Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare
Monday 12 July 2010
0533 HKSAR Name of the Day
Matchy JM Ma, Senior Manager, Versitech Ltd, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation
Sunday 11 July 2010
0532 HKSAR Name of the Day
Hailson HS Yu, Deputy Managing Director, Versitech Ltd, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Son-suffix
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Son-suffix
Saturday 10 July 2010
0531 HKSAR Name of the Day
Mako Yan Mun-lai, vice- president (Credit Operations and Fraud Management), Citibank, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation
Friday 9 July 2010
0530 HKSAR Name of the Day
Wilton Fok Wai-tung, honorary adviser, Hong Kong Environmental Protection Association, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare
Thursday 8 July 2010
0529 HKSAR Name of the Day
Apple Chow Yuen-ping, Greenpeace food safety assistant campaigner, Hong Kong (see 0063 HKSAR Name of the Day; 0219 HKSAR Name of the Day)
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Nature-based; somewhat common in Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Nature-based; somewhat common in Hong Kong
Wednesday 7 July 2010
0528 HKSAR Name of the Day
Payson Cha Mou-sing, deputy chairman of HKR International, developer of the Discovery Bay residential enclave next to Disneyland (a government and Hong Kong Disneyland appointed independent non-executive director – 2 August 2006), Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Son-suffix
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Son-suffix
Pele’s Pathetic Predictions Persist ... so let's ...
Pele’s prediction of a Brazil v “any African side” World Cup final quickly faded even before Brazil was eliminated by the Netherlands at the quarterfinal stage on 2nd July.
Pele’s prediction plopped right after the group stages on 25th June, when only Ghana (one of six African nations in the World Cup) survived to the Round of 16. And had Ghana and Brazil progressed, they would have met each other only at the semifinal stage (as predicted earlier). So much for Pele's prediction!
These days, the only memorable thing about Pele is that he continues to be consistently useless at forecasting football futures. So why not make use of Pele's amazing track record in pathetic predictions?
HKSARblog would like to start up a list of predictions for Pele, so that he can proclaim them to the media with the aim of actually making a difference to the game of soccer. Let's face it, FIFA doesn't appear to want to make any changes to keep up with developments in the modern game, so let's get help from Pele. Let's start off by asking Pele to predict that ...
1) Video technology, particularly goal-line technology, will never be introduced to football, especially in the foreseeable future.
2) Vuvuzelas will be embraced by all sports tournaments, and therefore are here to stay forever.
3) The Jabulani World Cup ball is magnificent and will be used in every major football tournament from now on.
[Let's get Pele to predict that vuvuzelas are here to stay. Pic courtesy AFP/Getty Images.]
I'm sure there are plenty of other Necessary Changes to Football that we can collect, save and use for the benefit of the beautiful game. Please feel free to contribute. All we need do is to politely ask Pele to work his magic by making these predictions to the world's media.
Pele’s prediction plopped right after the group stages on 25th June, when only Ghana (one of six African nations in the World Cup) survived to the Round of 16. And had Ghana and Brazil progressed, they would have met each other only at the semifinal stage (as predicted earlier). So much for Pele's prediction!
These days, the only memorable thing about Pele is that he continues to be consistently useless at forecasting football futures. So why not make use of Pele's amazing track record in pathetic predictions?
HKSARblog would like to start up a list of predictions for Pele, so that he can proclaim them to the media with the aim of actually making a difference to the game of soccer. Let's face it, FIFA doesn't appear to want to make any changes to keep up with developments in the modern game, so let's get help from Pele. Let's start off by asking Pele to predict that ...
1) Video technology, particularly goal-line technology, will never be introduced to football, especially in the foreseeable future.
2) Vuvuzelas will be embraced by all sports tournaments, and therefore are here to stay forever.
3) The Jabulani World Cup ball is magnificent and will be used in every major football tournament from now on.
[Let's get Pele to predict that vuvuzelas are here to stay. Pic courtesy AFP/Getty Images.]I'm sure there are plenty of other Necessary Changes to Football that we can collect, save and use for the benefit of the beautiful game. Please feel free to contribute. All we need do is to politely ask Pele to work his magic by making these predictions to the world's media.
Tuesday 6 July 2010
0527 HKSAR Name of the Day
Winky Chau Chui-ping, former Cathay Pacific Airways ground staff (lost High Court case, 17 July 2006), Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution
Monday 5 July 2010
0526 HKSAR Name of the Day
Helios Lau Kar- cho, chief clinical psychologist, Social Welfare Department, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation
Sunday 4 July 2010
0525 HKSAR Name of the Day
Spider Kwok Cheuk Yan, Video/Television Technician, Hong Kong University, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare for Males; Creation for Females; Nature-based
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare for Males; Creation for Females; Nature-based
Saturday 3 July 2010
0524 HKSAR Name of the Day
Janny Lai, Electronic Resources Acquisitions Coordinator, Library, Hong Kong University, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation for Males; Rare for Females
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation for Males; Rare for Females
Friday 2 July 2010
0523 HKSAR Name of the Day
Benny To (Ms), External Relations Office, Hong Kong University, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare
Thursday 1 July 2010
0522 HKSAR Name of the Day
Creamy Lam Tsz Kwan, Environmental Life Science Society, Hong Kong University, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation