Sherwin Hui, student, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare
Thursday 30 September 2010
Wednesday 29 September 2010
0612 HKSAR Name of the Day
Quince Chong, director, corporate affairs, Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Deletion
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Deletion
Tuesday 28 September 2010
0611 HKSAR Name of the Day
Vicken Chiu Wai-kan, 23-year-old man convicted of one count of murder (Dec 2009)
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation
Monday 27 September 2010
0610 HKSAR Name of the Day
Karven Wong, Man Wan, Hong Kong (SCMP letters 23 Nov 2009)
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution
Sunday 26 September 2010
0609 HKSAR Name of the Day
Eman Kwong, media co-ordinator for the 2009 East Asian Games, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare
0609 HKSAR Name of the Day
Eman Kwong, media co-ordinator for the 2009 East Asian Games, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare
Saturday 25 September 2010
0608 HKSAR Name of the Day
Pius Yum Kwok-tung, Kowloon City district councilor, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare
Friday 24 September 2010
Hong Kong and World Car Free Day
The news (and Private Beach) reported how HKSAR Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen took part in the global car-free campaign on Wednesday 22 September by “shunning his chauffeur-driven limousine - and walking to work”.
So instead of taking his usual chauffeur-driven limousine, good old Donald decided to take his chauffeur-driven umbrella to work.
[Donald Tsang and his chauffeur-driven brolly. Photo courtesy Edward Wong, SCMP]
Furthermore, it appears his brolly is attached with all the latest mod-cons such as a standard-issue police pistol, satellite mobile phone, cigarette lighter plus a very handy suit jacket stand.
What more can our privileged chief executive want? Apart from his limousine, that is.
So instead of taking his usual chauffeur-driven limousine, good old Donald decided to take his chauffeur-driven umbrella to work.
[Donald Tsang and his chauffeur-driven brolly. Photo courtesy Edward Wong, SCMP]Furthermore, it appears his brolly is attached with all the latest mod-cons such as a standard-issue police pistol, satellite mobile phone, cigarette lighter plus a very handy suit jacket stand.
What more can our privileged chief executive want? Apart from his limousine, that is.
Thursday 23 September 2010
0606 HKSAR Name of the Day
Ceci Wong Lok-sze, Lai Chi Kok, Hong Kong (SCMP Letters 6 Nov 2009)
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Phonetic-based
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Phonetic-based
Wednesday 22 September 2010
Searching for a Silver Lining in the Manila Massacre
The partial release of the long-awaited official report from the Philippines government investigating the ‘tragicomedic’ event on 23 August has probably added more fuel to the fire.
A total of 23 pages of “conclusions on accountability” were omitted from the 84-page report, which has taken a month to complete. Here are the headlines of some local news articles:
Is there a silver lining to all this? There doesn’t appear to be, although it is somewhat surprising that no Chinese media or even individuals have mentioned the really super “lucky” numbers that are associated with the Manila hostage crisis.
Remember, Chinese protestors will not fail to use slogans such as “six-four” (6/4) to represent the June 4th Tiananamenincident massacre or “four-four” (4/4) for the April 4th movement. Anything that enhances Chinese traditions and superstitions will be unashamedly exploited. Fung Shui masters are especially adept at doing this, and the media must also take responsibility for propagating such silly beliefs and superstitions.
But for the Manila ‘tragicomedy’ no one, it seems, has noticed or at least publicly acknowledged the super “lucky” association with “eight-two-three” (8/23) along with the “eight deadly blunders”, not to mention the number of fatalities?
As morose as this post may seem, this is just an illustration of the cherry picking that is involved whenever people use superstition and traditional beliefs to support their cause … as opposed to rationality. We can’t have it both ways: if people choose to use numbers to confirm their biases, then there should be no complaints if conflicting evidence also appears.
This blog makes no apologies when it states that the Manila hostage crisis happened on an extremely auspicious-sounding date, 23 August (8/23), and eight Hong Kong Chinese people were killed. Oh, and the official Philippine investigation report is 84 pages long.
Is there a silver lining to all this?
A total of 23 pages of “conclusions on accountability” were omitted from the 84-page report, which has taken a month to complete. Here are the headlines of some local news articles:
Eight deadly blunders
How death came to eight on bus
Philippine hostage report lists tragic chain of errors
Left to die as top officials fumbled
Survivor outraged at omissions in report
Lack of co-ordination between media, police and authorities highlighted
Is there a silver lining to all this? There doesn’t appear to be, although it is somewhat surprising that no Chinese media or even individuals have mentioned the really super “lucky” numbers that are associated with the Manila hostage crisis.
Remember, Chinese protestors will not fail to use slogans such as “six-four” (6/4) to represent the June 4th Tiananamen
But for the Manila ‘tragicomedy’ no one, it seems, has noticed or at least publicly acknowledged the super “lucky” association with “eight-two-three” (8/23) along with the “eight deadly blunders”, not to mention the number of fatalities?
As morose as this post may seem, this is just an illustration of the cherry picking that is involved whenever people use superstition and traditional beliefs to support their cause … as opposed to rationality. We can’t have it both ways: if people choose to use numbers to confirm their biases, then there should be no complaints if conflicting evidence also appears.
This blog makes no apologies when it states that the Manila hostage crisis happened on an extremely auspicious-sounding date, 23 August (8/23), and eight Hong Kong Chinese people were killed. Oh, and the official Philippine investigation report is 84 pages long.
Is there a silver lining to all this?
0605 HKSAR Name of the Day
Nelvin Lee Chun-yu, Hongkong Post stamp design manager, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Insertion; Substitution
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Insertion; Substitution
Tuesday 21 September 2010
The Chelseas and the Man Uniteds
[Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Mark Lawrenson on MOTD]Here’s another example of football pluralism creeping into the vernacular. On BBC’s Match of the Day last weekend, host Gary Lineker and pundit Mark Lawrenson are discussing Arsenal, following their 1—1 draw at Sunderland in the English Premiership.
Lawro: Have they [Arsenal] still got a soft centre? Can they win the league?
[Shugs and indicates that he’s not sure that Arsenal can win the league]
Lineker: I suppose the real test will be where they fell down last year, against the big teams. Against the Chelseas and the Man Uniteds they just got pulverized didn’t they?
Lawro: Well yeah and if you remember Chelsea played their football almost as well as Arsenal and they were so much more physically strong that they absolutely dominated them.
Let’s see how many other unsuspecting people within the football fraternity (like Gary Lineker) start to use pluralism.
0604 HKSAR Name of the Day
Ica Mak, Kwai Chung, Hong Kong (SCMP letters, 16 Oct 2009)
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation
Monday 20 September 2010
0603 HKSAR Name of the Day
Wins Hung Chi-yin, pastry chef, Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel, Hong Kong
see 0066 HKSAR Name of the Day
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation
see 0066 HKSAR Name of the Day
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation
Sunday 19 September 2010
0602 HKSAR Name of the Day
Ping Wu Ka-ping, Hong Kong (SCMP letters 1 Dec 2009)
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Phonetic-based
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Phonetic-based
Saturday 18 September 2010
0601 HKSAR Name of the Day
Jiminey Li Man-kit, exotic pet enthusiast and seller (hkbeetle.com), Hong Kong
[quoted in SCMP on 24 Nov 2009: “the aptly named 24-year-old runs several shops specialising in pet insects, mainly beetles rather than crickets”.]
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Literature-based?
[quoted in SCMP on 24 Nov 2009: “the aptly named 24-year-old runs several shops specialising in pet insects, mainly beetles rather than crickets”.]
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Literature-based?
Friday 17 September 2010
0600 HKSAR Name of the Day
Andy Loo On-dick, Form Four Hong Kong student at St Paul's Co- educational College and silver medalist at the 41st International Physics Olympiad in Croatia (2010)
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Common but somewhat humourous Chinese form
JOKE NAME Toilet Humour [Centurion: Well, it’s a joke name sir]
Reference Monty Python's Life of Brian
Biggus Dickus
Pontius Pilate: So, yaw fatha was a Woman? Who was he?
Brian: He was a Centurion, in the Jerusalem Garrisons.
Pontius Pilate: Weally? What was his name?
Brian: 'Naughtius Maximus'.
[the Centurion laughs]
Pontius Pilate: Centuwion, do we have anyone of that name in the gawwison?
Centurion: Well, no, sir.
Pontius Pilate: Well, you sound vewy sure. Have you checked?
Centurion: Well, no, sir. Umm, I think it's a joke, sir... like, uh, 'Sillius Soddus' or... 'Biggus Dickus', sir.
Pontius Pilate: [guard chuckles] What's so funny about "Biggus Dickus? "
Centurion: Well, it's a joke name, sir.
Pontius Pilate: I have a vewy gweat fwiend in Wome called 'Biggus Dickus'.
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Common but somewhat humourous Chinese form
JOKE NAME Toilet Humour [Centurion: Well, it’s a joke name sir]
Reference Monty Python's Life of Brian
Biggus Dickus
Pontius Pilate: So, yaw fatha was a Woman? Who was he?
Brian: He was a Centurion, in the Jerusalem Garrisons.
Pontius Pilate: Weally? What was his name?
Brian: 'Naughtius Maximus'.
[the Centurion laughs]
Pontius Pilate: Centuwion, do we have anyone of that name in the gawwison?
Centurion: Well, no, sir.
Pontius Pilate: Well, you sound vewy sure. Have you checked?
Centurion: Well, no, sir. Umm, I think it's a joke, sir... like, uh, 'Sillius Soddus' or... 'Biggus Dickus', sir.
Pontius Pilate: [guard chuckles] What's so funny about "Biggus Dickus? "
Centurion: Well, it's a joke name, sir.
Pontius Pilate: I have a vewy gweat fwiend in Wome called 'Biggus Dickus'.
Thursday 16 September 2010
0599 HKSAR Name of the Day
Zaidee Leung Sin-yan, social sciences student, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution
Wednesday 15 September 2010
0598 HKSAR Name of the Day
Paulo Pong Kin-yee, Central, Hong Kong (SCMP letters to the editor, May 27, 2009)
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare for Males; Creation for Females
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare for Males; Creation for Females
Tuesday 14 September 2010
0597 HKSAR Name of the Day
Kobi Chan, reporter, SCMP, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation for female; Substitution [if female]; Rare for male
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation for female; Substitution [if female]; Rare for male
Monday 13 September 2010
Appropriate European Climber Names
This blog loves peculiar names and a couple of European labels caught the eye in a news story about cheating amongst mountaineers. Or was this a case of altitude sickness causing amnesia?
The names are: Austrian "skyrunner" Christian Stangl and Romanian climber Zsolt Torok.
The latter (i.e. the whistle-blower) sounds like a Romulan Praetorian from Star Trek and the former (i.e. the cheat) sounds more like a “dangler” rather than a skywalker or skyrunner.
K2 'conqueror' never even left base camp
Agence France-Presse in Vienna
Sep 11, 2010
Austrian "skyrunner" Christian Stangl, who was bidding to become the first man to conquer the two highest summits on each continent, did not in fact reach the summit of K2 in August as claimed, Austrian media reported.
Stangl, 44, never even left the base camp, let alone climb the world's second highest peak, the daily Oesterreich reported, citing Romanian climber Zsolt Torok, who was on K2 at the same time.
"The guy did not even leave base camp but just went away, camped for two days, read a book ... and then came back at 6am. He told us then that he'd reached the summit," the Austrian daily quoted Torok as saying.
On Tuesday, Stangl admitted that he had never reached the summit of K2 on August 12, as claimed.
"I was in a trance-like state and thought I had reached the summit," he confessed at a press conference.
A photo he claimed to have taken at the top of K2 was actually taken at 7,500 metres (24,600 feet) altitude, some 1,000 metres below the summit, Stangl also said.
But even that was false, according to Torok, who ascended K2 on August 13 and said he saw no traces of Stangl's climb. "It was clear that nobody could have climbed there before me," he was quoted as saying in Oesterreich.
Stangl said Tuesday that fear of failure had altered his perception and it was only after the fatigue had let up on his return to Austria that he "became more and more aware" that he had not reached the K2 summit.
The Austrian was seeking to climb the two highest peaks on each continent - Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, Antarctica and Oceania. After his alleged K2 conquest, the only remaining summit on his list was the 4,852-metre Mount Tyree in Antarctica.
The names are: Austrian "skyrunner" Christian Stangl and Romanian climber Zsolt Torok.
The latter (i.e. the whistle-blower) sounds like a Romulan Praetorian from Star Trek and the former (i.e. the cheat) sounds more like a “dangler” rather than a skywalker or skyrunner.
K2 'conqueror' never even left base camp
Agence France-Presse in Vienna
Sep 11, 2010
Austrian "skyrunner" Christian Stangl, who was bidding to become the first man to conquer the two highest summits on each continent, did not in fact reach the summit of K2 in August as claimed, Austrian media reported.
Stangl, 44, never even left the base camp, let alone climb the world's second highest peak, the daily Oesterreich reported, citing Romanian climber Zsolt Torok, who was on K2 at the same time.
"The guy did not even leave base camp but just went away, camped for two days, read a book ... and then came back at 6am. He told us then that he'd reached the summit," the Austrian daily quoted Torok as saying.
On Tuesday, Stangl admitted that he had never reached the summit of K2 on August 12, as claimed.
"I was in a trance-like state and thought I had reached the summit," he confessed at a press conference.
A photo he claimed to have taken at the top of K2 was actually taken at 7,500 metres (24,600 feet) altitude, some 1,000 metres below the summit, Stangl also said.
But even that was false, according to Torok, who ascended K2 on August 13 and said he saw no traces of Stangl's climb. "It was clear that nobody could have climbed there before me," he was quoted as saying in Oesterreich.
Stangl said Tuesday that fear of failure had altered his perception and it was only after the fatigue had let up on his return to Austria that he "became more and more aware" that he had not reached the K2 summit.
The Austrian was seeking to climb the two highest peaks on each continent - Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, Antarctica and Oceania. After his alleged K2 conquest, the only remaining summit on his list was the 4,852-metre Mount Tyree in Antarctica.
Sunday 12 September 2010
A Face Like A Fish
Nick Pulford has a great weekly sports column called You Bet in the SCMP. However, his mugshot has a rather off-putting veneer and puts a damp squib on proceedings. Perhaps it best to remove the mugshot, so that readers can focus on the column’s content which is usually an interesting read?
[Squidward and Pulford]
Q: Anyone know where that famous line comes from?
Hint: Augustus
Other look-alike or doppelganger or perceptions posts:
The Pot Calling the Kettle Ugly
The Pot Calling the Kettle Cute
Stand Out Face
Avatar Doppelganger Caricature
HK Doppelganger 2
HK Doppelganger 1
Disclaimer: As mentioned in About HK Doppelgangers, no offence is intended, and any resemblances are entirely due to one’s own perceptions shaped by experience and exposure to life’s wonderful social diversity.
[Squidward and Pulford]He was looking so like a halibut … I might have supposed myself to be gazing on something a.w.o.l. from a fishmonger’s slab.
Q: Anyone know where that famous line comes from?
Hint: Augustus
Other look-alike or doppelganger or perceptions posts:
The Pot Calling the Kettle Ugly
The Pot Calling the Kettle Cute
Stand Out Face
Avatar Doppelganger Caricature
HK Doppelganger 2
HK Doppelganger 1
Disclaimer: As mentioned in About HK Doppelgangers, no offence is intended, and any resemblances are entirely due to one’s own perceptions shaped by experience and exposure to life’s wonderful social diversity.
0595 HKSAR Name of the Day
Bowie Kung Yin-sum (Miss), student, Island School (11 GCSEs with A* grades in 2009), Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution
Saturday 11 September 2010
Football in Middle-East Countries
9/11 today, so this is a rush job on a post with an nth degree of Kevin Bacon and Muhammad.
Somehow, I don’t think sales of football shirts do a roaring trade in countries like Qatar, Oman or Iran. Unless of course the women, who are prevented from attending live matches, are huge supporters and wear soccer shirts under their burqas.
Can you tell which team this set of fans support?
Away home away fans, I think. Photo from a recent match between Qatar and Oman.
Even one in eight Macedonians (according to a convenient poll) wear football shirts to matches!
Somehow, I don’t think sales of football shirts do a roaring trade in countries like Qatar, Oman or Iran. Unless of course the women, who are prevented from attending live matches, are huge supporters and wear soccer shirts under their burqas.
Can you tell which team this set of fans support?
Even one in eight Macedonians (according to a convenient poll) wear football shirts to matches!
Friday 10 September 2010
Thursday 9 September 2010
0592 HKSAR Name of the Day
Inneo Lam Hau-wah, former regional director, Fortis Insurance Co (Asia), Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation
Wednesday 8 September 2010
0591 HKSAR Name of the Day
Moses Mui Wai-keung, social worker, Council of Social Service, Hong Kong
see 0112 HKSAR Name of the Day and 0489 HKSAR Name of the Day
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Self-important
see 0112 HKSAR Name of the Day and 0489 HKSAR Name of the Day
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Self-important
Tuesday 7 September 2010
0590 HKSAR Name of the Day
Dino Lam Chun-kit, Sha Tin, Hong Kong (SCMP letters 27 Aug 2009)
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare
Monday 6 September 2010
Sunday 5 September 2010
0588 HKSAR Name of the Day
Edelweiss Cheung Shu-nga, Miss Hong Kong 2008 beauty queen (accused of not fulfilling her duties as Miss Hong Kong), Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Nature-based
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Nature-based
Saturday 4 September 2010
0587 HKSAR Name of the Day
Kennex Cheung (Ms), executive officer, Earth Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
see 0425 HKSAR Name of the Day
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Brand-based?; somewhat common in Hong Kong
see 0425 HKSAR Name of the Day
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Brand-based?; somewhat common in Hong Kong
Friday 3 September 2010
0586 HKSAR Name of the Day
Icarus Lam (Miss), Chemistry Department, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation for Females; Literature-based
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation for Females; Literature-based
Thursday 2 September 2010
0585 HKSAR Name of the Day
Kinny Lau (Ms), executive officer, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution
Wednesday 1 September 2010
0584 HKSAR Name of the Day
Nickkita Lau, reporter, Hong Kong Standard, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Insertion
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Insertion