Tuesday 30 December 2014

1494 HKSAR Name of the Day

Mirana May Szeto, assistant professor, comparative literature, Faculty of Arts, University of Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Sunday 28 December 2014

1493 HKSAR Name of the Day

Rainbow Ng, co-founder, Fresh To Go (food supplies), Hong Kong

see 0952 HKSAR Name of the Day

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Nature-based

Friday 26 December 2014

1492 HKSAR Name of the Day

Sheeta Leung Hui-kwan, spokeswoman for G4S Hong Kong (the British security service company whose van with a faulty rear door spilled large bundles of cash over a busy road in Wan Chai on Christmas Eve)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation


Reference

PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 24 December, 2014, 3:11pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 25 December, 2014, 12:04pm
Hong Kong police say they have recovered some HK$ 3.6 million out of the HK$15 million that went missing after a money transport van with a faulty rear door spilled large bundles of cash over a busy road on Christmas Eve. 

Some motorists and passers-by treated themselves to an early Christmas around lunchtime yesterday, dashing onto Gloucester Road to pick up large stacks of banknotes before armed policemen were able to stave them off and restore order. 

Police said on Thursday morning that 13 people had returned HK$3.6 million, after they asked the public to help return as much as HK$15 million which went missing in the frantic scramble for the cash, most of it in HK$500 notes - equivalent of about US$65. No arrests had been made. 
Following the incident, British security service company G4S – responsible for transporting the cash – told the South China Morning Post it expected to be liable for the loss of millions.
A spokeswoman said an internal probe was underway, but initial findings blamed a van door malfunction.

People were seen darting onto Gloucester Road in an attempt to scoop up handfuls of HK$500 notes, while witnesses spoke of at least one person collecting an armful of still-wrapped bundles of notes.
Police superintendent Wan Siu-hong on Wednesday asked those who had picked up the money to hand it over to any police officer or police station as soon as possible.

"If he or she keeps the money for his own use, he may commit an offence of theft which is a very serious crime under ordinance," he said.

The security company van was transporting a total HK$525 million in cash, police said. Each cash box it carried contained HK$17.5 million in HK$500 notes.

Cash is strewn over Gloucester Road in Wan Chai. Photo: SCMP 

Of the HK$35 million that fell from the van, some HK$20 million had been retrieved by yesterday afternoon, according to the police.

Despite the excesses of cash spilled, the van operated by three guards continued driving to G4S’s headquarters in Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon, 14 kilometers way, until the incident was reported.
A picture taken by an SCMP photographer at the scene showed a single bundle of HK$500 notes wrapped in plastic, with a sticker on the side bearing the figure HK$500,000 from the Bank of China (Hong Kong).

One witness, an office worker at a nearby building who requested anonymity, told the SCMP he saw a "regular looking Hong Kong lady" pick up at least 10 cash bricks before quickly walking off, although he could not verify the denominations of notes she was carrying.

A bundle of HK$500 notes sits on sacks by the side of the road. Photo: SCMP 

"I saw a lady with 10 of them, easily. She looked like a very regular Hong Kong lady. She had an armful of bricks of cash - it was a much as she could carry. She just disappeared into the depths of Wan Chai," the witness said.

The eyewitness said he had just left his office building when he noticed traffic grind to a halt.
"It all started slowing down and I noticed a couple of blue boxes on the road. I thought a lorry had lost some of its load. I saw a few people in the street picking up what I thought were iPhone boxes. As I got closer I saw they were wrapped bundles of bills.

"As well as the packed money there were HK$500 bills lying on the road itself.
"At first people did nothing, then one person went into the road," the witness said, before telling how others quickly followed suit.

"You couldn’t make it up. There were 20 or 30 people picking up cash from the road on Christmas Eve. They looked like schoolkids who knew they were being naughty, but thought, ’this is a once in a lifetime thing’. Everyone had the same look on their face."

Heavily armed police guard the scene of the spill on Gloucester Road, Hong kong. Photo: Bruce Yan 

Pictures posted on social media showed a taxi driver abandoning his car in the middle of the busy dual carriageway and scrambling around on the tarmac in an effort to collect some of the cash.
A police spokesman said: "At 1.51pm police received calls from members of the public that lots of money was on the road and some people were picking it up. It was suspected the money had fallen from a cash escort vehicle."

Armed police quickly arrived on the scene and cordoned off two lanes of Gloucester Road. The eyewitness said officers became angry as those collecting notes initially ignored their call to get out of the road, before the site was cordoned off.

Three boxes, which appeared to be containers used by security firms to transport large amounts of money, could be seen stacked up in the middle of the road being guarded by dozens of police, including armed officers. Representatives of the security firm G4S were also at the scene.

Officers in a police van count Hong Kong banknotes recovered from the road. Photo: Bruce Yan  

Sheeta Leung Hui-kwan, a spokeswoman for G4S Hong Kong, said: “We are still having an internal investigation and we found that something went wrong with the door on the left side.
“Our guards [conducted] the job according to the standard procedure but during the incident there were three guards in the van.

“Our guards reported the incident when they reached Cheung Sha Wan, our head office. Due to the code of conduct and the comfort problem, we will not put any guards inside where we store the money.

“The normal  procedure is, if the bank wants to release the money somewhere, we will collect the cash and then put it in our vault, and we have to count the cash for security, and then we will deliver it according to the bank’s order.”

G4S said the banks normally only recorded the serial numbers if they were new notes. The security firm was only responsible for counting the cash and making sure the amount was correct, she added.
Regarding potential responsibility for the losses, Leung said “it is for sure” G4S was liable to cover the lost funds. 

Officers were later seen in a police van counting out notes recovered from the scene.

Banknotes can be seen scattered across Gloucester Road in this picture


Wednesday 24 December 2014

1491 HKSAR Name of the Day

Eline Shen, 34, former Dragonair flight attendant and mistress of disgraced government official 66-year-old Rafael Hui, Shanghai, China.

name meaning: "noble kind; my God has answered"
Eline Shen "didn't know Hui was an official". Photo: SCMP
Eline Shen "didn't know Hui was an official". Pic SCMP


About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare; mainland Chinese


Related Posts

Men With Money Have Affairs ... Probably

Little Boys Dressed As Girls



Reference

PUBLISHED : Sunday, 21 December, 2014, 3:15pm
UPDATED : Monday, 22 December, 2014, 3:41am
The mistress of Rafael Hui Si-yan received so much cash from her former lover that she was embarrassed to take more from him, according to a magazine report in which she confirmed the secret affair with the disgraced former chief secretary.

Former Dragonair flight attendant Eline Shen told East Week that she had been shocked to learn Hui had been convicted of graft and misconduct, and feared gifts he had given her - including a Shanghai flat and an Audi car - would be confiscated following Friday's court ruling.

The 34-year-old from Shanghai said she met Hui at a dinner several years ago and they secretly dated for nearly three years, even though she knew that he had a wife.

She would fly from Shanghai to Hong Kong each time Hui called her for company, she said.
"All my expenses in Hong Kong were paid by Hui … we would have sex every time," said Shen, adding their last date was in September 2011, after which the 66-year-old stopped calling her.
Hui confessed in court that he had spent at least HK$7 million on a young Shanghai woman with whom he started an "intimate" relationship in 2008.

Apart from cash handouts, he told the court, he bought properties and made investments for her, as well as buying her bags, watches and other presents.

Shen said she did not know Hui was a senior official until the graft-buster started the probe.
Shen told the Independent Commission Against Corruption that she had used "about five million", without specifying the currency, to buy a flat and an Audi in Shanghai, with the rest used for daily expenses, according to East Week. The mistress reportedly had not asked Hui for more money after his last cash gift in 2009 as he "had already given me so much money that I found it embarrassing to take any more".

Rafael Hui stopped calling Eline Shen back in 2011, she said. Photo: Nora Tam

Hui's wife, Teresa Lo Mei-mei, did not comment when asked if she would forgive Hui for keeping a mistress when she visited him at the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre on Saturday.

Meanwhile, neither Hui nor Thomas Kwok Ping-kwong - the former Sun Hung Kai Properties co-chairman found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office - had any visitors recognisable to the media during visiting hours yesterday.

At about 12.15pm, just after visiting hours had finished at noon, an employee of Kwok's, thought to be his bodyguard, appeared at the facility. He was inside for about 10 minutes and declined to answer any questions nor confirm if he had met Kwok.

Asked why he was allowed to enter the facility after registration for social visits ended, staff said the visit was not a social one but refused to elaborate.


Tuesday 23 December 2014

What's God Got To Do With It?

Four guilty and one acquitted

The most high-profile corruption trial in HKSAR's history, which opened in June 2014, has found Rafael Hui Si-yan (former Chief Secretary of Hong Kong), Thomas Kwok Ping-kwong (co-chairman at Sun Hung Kai Properties), Thomas Chan Kui-yuen (aide and executive director at Sun Hung Kai Properties) and Francis Kwan Hung-sang (ex-stock exchange official) guilty.

Youngest brother Raymond Kwok Ping-luen (pictured centre), was acquitted of all his four charges. He said: "I have conflicting emotions," and thanked his wife, mother, children and God.

Oldest brother Walter Kwok Ping-sheung said he was "very glad" to see Raymond cleared but was "deeply sorrowful" that Thomas was convicted. "The issue raised lots of arguments and rumours. What is right and what is wrong, I think God will have his say on the matter".

Why? What has God got to with it? There is no doubt that religious and corrupt individuals are clearly deluded in believing that they are somehow special and that there is a supernatural being that looks after them.

Based on this, Thomas Kwok must be thinking his God loves him the most because first, he has a face that looks like a clown, and second he is the one convicted while his brothers have escaped prison.


Rafael Hui looks like a hamster and Thomas Kwok looks like a clown. God dealt them this hand and God has all the answers, apparently.


Related Posts


Verbal Diarrhoea #8

The Jury Is Out ... Really Out

ICAC Swoop to Arrest Penfold

Rafael Hui Is a Rat Not a Hamster

HK Doppelganger 2

Moses Supposes Erroneously



Reference

Former chief secretary and billionaire spend their first night in custody, but property tycoon's brother is cleared of all four charges
PUBLISHED : Friday, 19 December, 2014, 4:42pm
UPDATED : Saturday, 20 December, 2014, 3:43am

Hong Kong's former No 2 official Rafael Hui Si-yan and property tycoon Thomas Kwok Ping-kwong spent their first night behind bars after they were convicted of corruption yesterday in a marathon trial that gave a rare glimpse into collusion between the political elite and big business.

Kwok's younger brother, Raymond Kwok Ping-luen, was acquitted of all his four charges. He now takes sole charge of Sun Hung Kai Properties, the city's biggest property developer by market value, as its chairman.

Red-eyed and weary, the 61-year-old walked free from the High Court alone as two other co-accused were also found guilty.

"I have conflicting emotions," he told the media circus waiting outside court. Thanking his wife, mother, children and God, he added: "On the one hand, I'm happy … I've been proven innocent after these two years of struggles. On the other, I'm very unhappy because Thomas Kwok and Thomas Chan … are convicted. We will continue to support [them and their] families."

Rafael Hui (left) and Thomas Kwok at court this morning to hear the verdicts.

Thomas Kwok, 63, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office. The brothers' top aide Thomas Chan Kui-yuen, 68, was found guilty of two counts - a fate shared by ex-stock exchange official Francis Kwan Hung-sang, 64.

Last night, SHKP said Thomas Kwok and Chan would appeal against their convictions. Both resigned from the property giant after the verdicts.

The man at the centre of the storm, Hui, was convicted of five out of eight charges, making him the highest-ranking official in Hong Kong's history to be convicted of taking bribes.

The case marked the dramatic fall of a man who was once the most influential and decorated star in local politics. Failing to escape the long arm of the law, a fragile Hui, 66, nodded blankly in the dock yesterday as the jury delivered its verdicts at 2.45pm.

Chan, who sat behind Hui, turned red in the face, while Raymond Kwok laid a hand on the shoulder of his elder brother. As he prepared to leave the dock, Raymond paused to speak to the court guards, as if to confirm he really could go.

SHKP boss Raymond Kwok was acquitted of all four counts.

All four criminals were taken away by Correctional Services Department officers. They may be sentenced as soon as Monday when Mr Justice Andrew Macrae hears mitigation pleas. By last night, Hui and Kwan had yet to decide if they would appeal.
Macrae ordered a doubling of fees for the nine jurors to HK$820 a day, meaning each could claim about HK$100,000 for their work on the case. He exempted all nine from jury service for five years, thanking them for showing "why retention of the jury system is so important in the city".
The case, lasting 131 days, was a close fight to the end. The jurors alone took five days and four nights to make up their minds, and had to seek directions from the judge once. And although four of the five were convicted, only 10 out of the 19 verdicts were in favour of the prosecution.

"[Thomas Kwok] considers the verdict very strange," his lawyer Lawrence Lok SC said outside the court. "Why were some defence arguments accepted but not others, when they were part of the same thing?"

Of Hui's five convictions, three counts were about misconduct in public office. He concealed from his public-sector employers financial benefits totalling HK$16.582 million.

Thomas Chan, one of two men who helped facilitate Thomas Kwok’s money transfers to Hui, was convicted on two counts related to bribing a public official.

Thomas Kwok was convicted of paying Hui HK$8.5 million, via middlemen Chan and Kwan, days before the latter became chief secretary in 2005. All four were found guilty of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office in a 7-2 jury decision. But the Kwoks were cleared of involvement in HK$11.182 million in bribes for which the other defendants were found guilty.

The billionaire brothers and Hui were cleared of paying HK$5 million and HK$4.125 million in bribes in 2005.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption said it would continue to exercise the law "regardless of the background, status and position of the persons involved". SHKP and two listed subsidiaries, Smartone and Sunevision, were suspended from trading at 2.45pm.

Additional reporting by Enoch Yiu, Julie Chu and Thomas Chan







Monday 22 December 2014

1490 HKSAR Name of the Day

Yoyo Yiu, six-year-old who was born with spinal muscular atrophy, Hong Kong (Dec 2012)

Mother Kinki Yiu Attends To Daughter Yoyo Born With Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Pic KY Cheng

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

Saturday 20 December 2014

1489 HKSAR Name of the Day

Icarus Wong Ho-yin, policy researcher at a non-profit organization, Hong Kong

Icarus was complacent, foolhardy and a failure ... an ideal name for a policy researcher then ...

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare; Historical; Literature-based

Thursday 18 December 2014

1488 HKSAR Name of the Day

Fala Chen Fa-la, actress, TVB, Hong Kong
 see 0904 HKSAR Name of the Day

Fala Chen new look haircut (see previous look here)
 


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

Tuesday 16 December 2014

1487 HKSAR Name of the Day

Helen Leung Hay-lin, architect, Hong Kong
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Common name but phonetic-based 

Sunday 14 December 2014

1486 HKSAR Name of the Day

Karina Chow, Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong (SCMP Letters 13 Dec 2012)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Saturday 13 December 2014

Karren Brady Real Waxwork Dummy

When watching Sir Alan Sugar's Junior Apprentice, he was explaining to the kids that Madame Tussauds was full of dummies and then the screen cut to this shot …

Karren Brady looking like a dummy in a room full of dummies

The appearance of Karren Brady is hilarious. Yes, she is a successful businesswoman and a baroness, but she also conjures up the stereotypical image of the British woman. Bad hairstyle, poor makeup and a frumpy unhealthy look.

Karren Brady. Pic from Wikipedia


Related Posts

Healthy and Fit From My Perspective

The Pot Calling the Kettle Ugly


Friday 12 December 2014

1485 HKSAR Name of the Day

Kinki Yiu, mother of six-year-old daughter Yoyo who was born with spinal muscular atrophy, Hong Kong (Dec 2012)

Mother Kinki Yiu Attends To Daughter Yoyo Born With Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Pic KY Cheng

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

Wednesday 10 December 2014

1484 HKSAR Name of the Day

Wincy Ng Wing-sze, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong (SCMP Letters 10 Dec 2011) 

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


Reference

Bad air truly a matter of life and death

In the two years since the government finished the review of its air quality objectives, nothing has been done about it.

The government doesn't seem to realise the health threats of Hong Kong's poor air quality.

While doctors cannot say on a death certificate that a person was "killed by air pollutants", it is well known among health professionals that air pollution is highly associated with fatal diseases.

Studies have shown that people in polluted areas develop respiratory symptoms more readily and people who are exposed to air pollutants for a long time die sooner than those who are not.

So how bad is the air in Hong Kong? It is not unusual for members of the public to think that air quality is of minimal significance and to consider that our present levels are normal and acceptable.

This is not true.

The air quality objectives have not been updated since 1987, and yet it is this standard that the government uses to assess the extent of air pollution, monitor projects and approve new ones.

The outdated standards are extremely lax compared with the World Health Organisation's air quality guidelines.

Do we not deserve better air to breathe? It is time for the government to face the challenge. No more vague emission control proposals, no more uncertain time frames, no more excuses for negligence.

We can all make a difference by expressing our concerns and urging the government to take action promptly. We all deserve a breath of fresh air.

Wincy Ng Wing-sze, Pok Fu Lam

Monday 8 December 2014

1483 HKSAR Name of the Day

Sumar Chan, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong (SCMP letters 8 Dec 2012)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

Saturday 6 December 2014

1482 HKSAR Name of the Day

Garmen Chan Ka-yiu, executive director, communications and marketing, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution

Thursday 4 December 2014

1481 HKSAR Name of the Day

Venus Lee Lan-kiu, digital marketing specialist, co-founder, Aedify (education apps developer company)

Royce Lee and Venus Lee (right) Developed Language App That Makes Learning Chinese Characters Fun For Children Pic Bruce Yan

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Tuesday 2 December 2014

1480 HKSAR Name of the Day

Ringo Ng Wing-ho, managing director of Consumer Group, HKT Education (Hong Kong's first integrated cloud-based education services for primary schools)

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

Sunday 30 November 2014

1479 HKSAR Name of the Day

Maranda Li Fung-ying, interim executive director, Saint Barnabas' Society and Home, Western District, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Friday 28 November 2014

1478 HKSAR Name of the Day

Elene Lam Yee-ling, advocacy officer, Rape Crisis Centre, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Wednesday 26 November 2014

1477 HKSAR Name of the Day

Rochelle Fung, Ma On Shan, Hong Kong (SCMP Letters 25 Nov 2012)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Monday 24 November 2014

1476 HKSAR Name of the Day

Oric Chan, Tung Chung, Hong Kong (SCMP Letters 22 Nov 2012)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

Saturday 22 November 2014

1475 HKSAR Name of the Day

Soddy Leung, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong (SCMP Letters 21 Nov 2012)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

Thursday 20 November 2014

1474 HKSAR Name of the Day

Seraph Wu Shi-kei (Miss), 17, pupil of St Paul's Convent School in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong (Top 12 recognition at the 14th Awarding Programme for Future Scientists, beating more than 1,000 shortlisted entries from across China, November 2014)

Seraph is a boy's name and means "burning ones"


Miss Seraph Wu (front) Pic Edward Wong (Ref: SCMP article)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation for females; Rare for males

Tuesday 18 November 2014

1473 HKSAR Name of the Day

Royce Lee Yat-pui, digital marketing specialist, co-founder, Aedify (education apps developer company)

 Royce Lee (left) and Venus Lee Developed Language App That Makes Learning Chinese Characters Fun For Children Pic Bruce Yan

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Sunday 16 November 2014

1472 HKSAR Name of the Day

Swallow Ching, director, ATV News, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Nature-based

Friday 14 November 2014

1471 HKSAR Name of the Day

Mouse Sham, producer, Police Report (TV programme), RTHK 2014, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Nature-based

Thursday 13 November 2014

Picking and Choosing Names: Korea's Story

The predominance of Korean surnames Kim and Lee reveals the consequences of letting people pick and choose their own family names. Nearly half of South Koreans today is either a Kim, Lee or Park. In China, there are about 100 surnames in common usage, whereas Japan has as many as 280,000 distinct family names. The Economist explains the history behind why is there so little diversity in Korean surnames.

Female hockey players Lee, Kim, Lee, Fanny (!) and Kim. Pic Reuters

This blog loves names and discovering the reasons behind common and not-so-common names. For first names, when people are allowed to pick and choose their creativity (or lack thereof) they can reveal a lot about their background, culture, education, social values and way of thinking.

Related Posts

About Novel HKSAR Names

Hong Kong Loves Weird English Names


Reference

Why so many Koreans are called Kim


The Economist explains

A SOUTH KOREAN saying claims that a stone thrown from the top of Mount Namsan, in the centre of the capital Seoul, is bound to hit a person with the surname Kim or Lee. One in every five South Koreans is a Kim—in a population of just over 50m. And from the current president, Park Geun-hye, to rapper PSY (born Park Jae-sang), almost one in ten is a Park. Taken together, these three surnames account for almost half of those in use in South Korea today. Neighbouring China has around 100 surnames in common usage; Japan may have as many as 280,000 distinct family names. Why is there so little diversity in Korean surnames?

Korea’s long feudal tradition offers part of the answer. As in many other parts of the world, surnames were a rarity until the late Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). They remained the privilege of royals and a few aristocrats (yangban) only. Slaves and outcasts such as butchers, shamans and prostitutes, but also artisans, traders and monks, did not have the luxury of a family name. As the local gentry grew in importance, however, Wang Geon, the founding king of the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), tried to mollify it by granting surnames as a way to distinguish faithful subjects and government officials. The gwageo, a civil-service examination that became an avenue for social advancement and royal preferment, required all those who sat it to register a surname. Thus elite households adopted one. It became increasingly common for successful merchants too to take on a last name. They could purchase an elite genealogy by physically buying a genealogical book (jokbo)—perhaps that of a bankrupt yangban—and using his surname. By the late 18th century, forgery of such records was rampant. Many families fiddled with theirs: when, for example, a bloodline came to an end, a non-relative could be written into a genealogical book in return for payment. The stranger, in turn, acquired a noble surname.

As family names such as Lee and Kim were among those used by royalty in ancient Korea, they were preferred by provincial elites and, later, commoners when plumping for a last name. This small pool of names originated from China, adopted by the Korean court and its nobility in the 7th century in emulation of noble-sounding Chinese surnames. (Many Korean surnames are formed from a single Chinese character.) So, to distinguish one’s lineage from those of others with the same surname, the place of origin of a given clan (bongwan) was often tagged onto the name. Kims have around 300 distinct regional origins, such as the Gyeongju Kim and Gimhae Kim clans (though the origin often goes unidentified except on official documents). The limited pot of names meant that no one was quite sure who was a blood relation; so, in the late Joseon period, the king enforced a ban on marriages between people with identical bongwan (a restriction that was only lifted in 1997). In 1894 the abolition of Korea’s class-based system allowed commoners to adopt a surname too: those on lower social rungs often adopted the name of their master or landlord, or simply took one in common usage. In 1909 a new census-registration law was passed, requiring all Koreans to register a surname.

Today clan origins, once deemed an important marker of a person’s heritage and status, no longer bear the same relevance to Koreans. Yet the number of new Park, Kim and Lee clans is in fact growing: more foreign nationals, including Chinese, Vietnamese and Filipinos, are becoming naturalised Korean citizens, and their most popular picks for a local surname are Kim, Lee, Park and Choi, according to government figures; registering, for example, the Mongol Kim clan, or the Taeguk (of Thailand) Park clan. The popularity of these three names looks set to continue. 
Dig deeper:
Korean men are marrying foreign women more from choice than necessity (May 2014)
How a really uncool country became the tastemaker of Asia (August 2014)
Why South Korea is so distinctively Christian (August 2014)







Wednesday 12 November 2014

1470 HKSAR Name of the Day

Ferrari Fu (Ms), direct sales and services, Cathay Holidays Limited, Hong Kong

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

Monday 10 November 2014

1469 HKSAR Name of the Day

Penney Pang, local cake designer, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Saturday 8 November 2014

1468 HKSAR Name of the Day

Anina Ho, granddaughter-in-law of Ho Sin-hang, one of Hang Seng Bank's founders, Hong Kong

Anina is a girl's name is of Aramaic origin, and its meaning is "answer my prayer"

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Thursday 6 November 2014

1467 HKSAR Name of the Day

Wynna Wong, journalist, The Standard, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

Wednesday 5 November 2014

Running Straight Corners Useful After All


Is Bloomberg capitalizing on cornering the crazy market for new running tracks?















Tuesday 4 November 2014

1466 HKSAR Name of the Day

Kolten Wong, second baseman, St Louis Cardinals, USA (his paternal great-grandparents are Chinese) 

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Sunday 2 November 2014

1465 HKSAR Name of the Day

Winkie Kuan Un-san, chairwoman, Macau Youth Dynamics Group taking part in Occupy Central 2014, Hong Kong

see 0702 HKSAR Name of the Day

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

Friday 31 October 2014

1464 HKSAR Name of the Day

Kosa Law Wing-yi, 21, a member group of students from Baptist University's Academy of Visual Arts who put 200 broken umbrellas to good use by hanging a giant colourful canopy of them across a footbridge leading to the government headquarters in Admiralty, Occupy Central 2014, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

Wednesday 29 October 2014

1463 HKSAR Name of the Day

Popsy Gu, 22, a  private English tutor and year four finance student at the University of Hong Kong, volunteering to teach English classes for free, Occupy Central 2014, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

Monday 27 October 2014

1462 HKSAR Name of the Day

Sunny Cheung Kwan-yang, 18, protestor and a university student, Occupy Central 2014, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Saturday 25 October 2014

1461 HKSAR Name of the Day

Winsome Ng, protestor, third-year student from Baptist University, Occupy Central 2014, Hong Kong

meaning is "agreeable"

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare for females

Thursday 23 October 2014

1460 HKSAR Name of the Day

Kitty Choi Kit-yu, Director of Administration, HKSAR government

see 1170 and 0083 HKSAR Names of the Day

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Brand-based; Phonetic-based?; somewhat common in Hong Kong

Tuesday 21 October 2014

1459 HKSAR Name of the Day

Kelis Wong, reporter, The Standard, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

Sunday 19 October 2014

1458 HKSAR Name of the Day

Nason Law Kwun-chung, representative, Hong Kong Federation of Students (October 2014)

 Eason Chung, Lester Shum and Nason Law, HK Federation of Students. Pic HK Standard.

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution

Friday 17 October 2014

1457 HKSAR Name of the Day

Kerby Kuek, Feng Shui practitioner, columnist, The Standard

the meaning of Kerby is "settlement by a church" ... that's very bad feng shui because it means the name is right next to a graveyard. Nice one Kerby!!

see It's all down to appearance and application


Here's what I think of Fung Shui (or Feng Shui): see Mumbo Jumbo; HailstonesTony Chan; Contemptible Chinese Charlatans.

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Wednesday 15 October 2014

1456 HKSAR Name of the Day

Imogene Wong, reporter, The Standard, Hong Kong  imogene.wong@singtaonewscorp.com

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Monday 13 October 2014

1455 HKSAR Name of the Day

Eason Chung Yiu-wa, representative, Hong Kong Federation of Students (October 2014)

see 0041 HKSAR Name of the Day

 Eason Chung, Lester Shum, Nason Law, HK Federation of Students. Pic Standard

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

Saturday 11 October 2014

1454 HKSAR Name of the Day

Alpha Chan, reporter, The Standard, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

Thursday 9 October 2014

1453 HKSAR Name of the Day

Nicola Lu Min (Mr), 36 years old, Hong Kong fencing team (competing at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea)

NOTE: Lu has an Italian father and Hong Kong mother which likely explains his name. Had this important piece of information been missed, then it is easy to see why we can fall into our "lazy way of thinking" and believe that this novel name was derived from a lack of good English. We now have two good examples of where apparently "novel" names are derived (and both are derived by the individuals' parents). The other example is Ines Kwai-pun (see his comments here).

 Nicola Lu Min trains with teammate Leung Ka-ming at Goyang Gymnasium. Pic by Nora Tam

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Tuesday 7 October 2014

1452 HKSAR Name of the Day

Joy's Sin Kam-ying, , notice of Bankruptcy Order (11 April 2014), Hong Kong 

Oh the irony … a bankruptcy order for Joy's Sin …

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

Sunday 5 October 2014

1451 HKSAR Name of the Day

Vernée Ho, co-founder of Playto, an 18 month old video game development company with a product that can help children improve their concentration skills, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

Saturday 4 October 2014

Praise the Lord, a Conflict of Interest

The Equal Opportunities Commission has disciplined an employee for damaging the credibility of the organization. Josiah Chok Kin-ming has clearly been indoctrinated by his faith and can no longer be trusted to think and act critically. There are religious-based names and then there are religious-based names (for instance this Josiah and this Moses appear to be really religious).



Josiah Chok (inset) was stripped of his role in a review of the laws while Equal Opportunities Commission head Dr York Chow said the public consultation on reform of the laws will not be affected. Photos: David Wong, EOC


Reference

Equality official harmed credibility of watchdog with church comments, says EOC chief (SCMP; paywall)

Official was stripped of role in anti-discrimination review after helping church group oppose reform of laws
PUBLISHED : Friday, 29 August, 2014, 2:58pm

Jennifer Ngo jennifer.ngo@scmp.com

A top official at the equality watchdog who helped members of his church to oppose reform of anti-discrimination laws has damaged the credibility of the body, its chairman said.

Josiah Chok Kin-ming was stripped of his role in a review of the laws after it was reported that he organised members of his church to make submissions to the consultation to counter those by gay-rights supporters.

The consultation is being conducted by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).

“The credibility of the EOC will more or less be affected,” said its chairperson Dr York Chow Yat-ngok on Friday.

Chok has not been fired and an internal EOC investigation is ongoing.

“[Chok’s] responsibility was to explain and answer questions at consultation sessions and not to analyse collected suggestions. Other colleagues have taken over his work,” said Chow.

The public consultation will not be affected, he said. EOC officials should refrain from actions which are against the commission’s principles and might adversely affect public perception of the watchdog, Chow added.

Earlier this week Apple Daily revealed that Chok had spoken at a church forum and handed out sample letters of opposition to reform.

The reports left gay rights groups outraged, and one called on Chok to quit.

The EOC last month launched a three-month consultation on proposals to outlaw discrimination on the grounds of marital and residency status.

It did not include legislation against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation – subject to a separate study in which Chok is not involved – though gay rights groups had made submissions in support of some of the proposals.

Chok reportedly told churchgoers that the draft laws discriminated against church groups. He later told reporters his comments were his own opinion and did not conflict with his role at the EOC.

Commission convenor Dr John Tse Wing-ling said Chok’s behaviour was “inappropriate” and that there was an obvious conflict of interest.

“A top official’s job is to collect public opinion, not to create and to organise opinions,” Tse said.

Lawmaker Cyd Ho Sau-lan said she would raise the matter at the Legislative Council’s constitutional affairs committee.



Friday 3 October 2014

1450 HKSAR Name of the Day

Josiah Chok Kin-ming, official involved in anti-discrimination consultation review, Equal Opportunities Commission, Hong Kong

(disciplined for helping members of his church to oppose the reform of Hong Kong's anti-discrimination laws; August 2014)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare



Wednesday 1 October 2014

1449 HKSAR Name of the Day

Mavis Pan, local celebrity (with large breasts, apparently), Hong Kong

see Hongkie Town posting (and here)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Monday 29 September 2014

1448 HKSAR Name of the Day

Young Ng Chun-yeong, spokesperson from a concern group against CLP's future sea-based wind farm about 9 kilometres off Clear Water Bay

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation for females; Rare for males; Phonetic-based

Saturday 27 September 2014

1447 HKSAR Name of the Day

Koni Lui, local celebrity, Hong Kong

see Hongkie Town posting (and here

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution

Thursday 25 September 2014

1446 HKSAR Name of the Day

Alvin Lam Tsz-pun, director, Midland Surveyors, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Tuesday 23 September 2014

1445 HKSAR Name of the Day

Domnina Cheung, occupational therapist, Hong Kong (courtesy of blogger Ulaca)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Insertion

Sunday 21 September 2014

1444 HKSAR Name of the Day

Antonio Chan, chief engineer, hotels, Hong Kong Disneyland

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Saturday 20 September 2014

How To Cut Corners ... By Putting Them In

Q: How many lanes does a rectangular running track have?
A: Who cares! It's crap ... and hilarious.


Not for turning: A runner struggles to turn the corner of the running track. “It is difficult to turn and easy to fall,” a local resident said. Pic SCMP Pictures


Running Posts

“Lightning” Bolt vs Duracell “Battery” Bekele

Chinese Students Compelled to Cheat in International Marathon

Born To Run



Reference

Hurried Chinese officials cut corners to rush out rectangular running track (SCMP; paywall)
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 29 July, 2014, 2:59pm

Agence France-Presse in Beijing

Chinese officials painted a rectangular running track at a stadium as they rushed preparations for a visit by their superiors, state media reported on Tuesday.

Pictures posted online showed the running surface had the normal oval shape, but the white lines marking out each runner’s lane were angled at 90 degrees.

Internet users leaped on the revelation.

Watch: Hurried Chinese officials rush out rectangular running track for superiors' visit

“Leaders, this is the newly developed right-angled running track,” wrote one poster on Weibo, imitating the tone of a lower-ranking Chinese official reporting to his superior.

“We have become the first country in the world to have such tracks! I believe [Chinese athletes] will outperform other countries’ [athletes] after scientific training on such a running track!”

China National Radio described the forestry administration stadium in Tonghe county, in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, as having “rectangular tracks” around the football pitch.

Curves in all the wrong places: Officials painted the rectangular running track as they rushed preparations for a visit by superiors. Photo: SCMP Pictures

“It is difficult to turn and easy to fall,” local resident Gong Xiaona told provincial television programme Newsnight.

It quoted a member of staff at the stadium as saying the previous track had become worn down by long use.

“The current tracks were laid in a rush to deal with the visit by some provincial leaders,” he said.

“We ourselves feel it’s ugly. But who can change it if our bosses don’t care?”

It is not unknown for local officials in China to come up with eccentric ideas to curry favour with their bosses or cope with inspections.

A publicly-funded orphanage in Jieyang in the southern province of Guangdong had its facilities transformed into government offices and dormitories, according to previous state media reports.

When provincial authorities mounted an inspection last year, social welfare officials attempted to borrow orphans from a nearby temple.






Friday 19 September 2014

1443 HKSAR Name of the Day

Andre Leu, a vice-president of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Wednesday 17 September 2014

1442 HKSAR Name of the Day

Hamish Low, a member of Green Drinks Hong Kong, an informal gathering of people interested in green issues, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Tuesday 16 September 2014

Rafael Hui Is a Rat Not a Hamster

The unfolding saga of Penfold (aka Rafael Hui Si-yan), in particular his business and personal life, is beginning to be revealed in court ...

The 66-year-old former Chief Secretary, like many high-status Hong Kong males, has admitted to being a rat having a mistress (unsurprisingly, a "young woman from Shanghai"). This in itself is not particularly shocking. Rather it is the amount of money Rafael Hui, a retired civil servant, has at his disposal that is of public interest.

Rafael Hui said that he spent up to HK$8 million on an “intimate” young female friend from Shanghai. Pic Dickson Lee



Related Posts

ICAC Swoop to Arrest Penfold

HK Doppelganger 2

Men With Money Have Affairs ... Probably



Reference

Rafael Hui 'gave HK$8 million to young woman he was having intimate relationship with' (SCMP; paywall)
PUBLISHED : Monday, 15 September, 2014, 1:26pm

Stuart Lau stuart.lau@scmp.com

Former chief secretary Rafael Hui Si-yan told a court today that he had given up to HK$8 million to a young woman from Shanghai with whom he had an "intimate" relationship.

Giving testimony at the city's biggest graft trial, Hui admitted showering the woman with several million dollars, and gifts such as handbags and watches.

“In the year 2008, and the one or two years that followed, I gave some money to a female friend in Shanghai,” said Hui, who was a non-official member of the Executive Council at the time.

“I had not known her for a long time,” he said. “When I first met her, it was in a social gathering in Hong Kong.”

Hui’s counsel, Edwin Choy Wai-bond, asked: “Is this Shanghainese female acquaintance a young woman or a married woman?”

Hui answered: “Maybe I would say, a young woman.”

Choy then asked: “Is it right to say your relationship with her was at times intimate?”

Hui agreed. He said he sometimes met the woman in Hong Kong and sometimes in Beijing. But they did not meet too frequently, he added.

Hui recalled giving her “several million” Hong Kong dollars.

“I do not recall the exact amount. But I think at least seven or eight million,” he said.

Some of the money was for her to buy property while some of it was used to make investments, the court heard.

“I did give her some gifts,” Hui added.

“Like bags and watches and that type of thing?” his lawyer asked. Hui answered yes.

“You were generous in giving her those gifts as well?” his lawyer went on.

“For the value of those gifts – of course it was not low. But I would not say they were luxurious items either,” Hui said.

Hui, 66, faces eight charges related to bribery and misconduct in public office.

He allegedly received HK$27 million in cash from the property magnate Kwok brothers, also standing trial, in return for being their "eyes and ears" in government.

Thomas Kwok, 62, faces one charge of conspiracy to offer an advantage to Hui and two counts of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office.

Raymond Kwok, 61, faces four charges, including one with Hui of furnishing false information. SHKP executive director Thomas Chan Kui-yuen, 67, and former Hong Kong stock exchange official Francis Kwan Hung-sang, 63, each face two charges.

All have pleaded not guilty. The trial continues before Mr Justice Andrew Macrae.



Monday 15 September 2014

Saturday 13 September 2014

1440 HKSAR Name of the Day

Mallory Ng, Shun Lee, Hong Kong (SCMP letters 31 August 2011)

see Mallory Wober and 1143 HKSAR Name of the Day

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Thursday 11 September 2014

1439 HKSAR Name of the Day

Kibby Lau, local celebrity, Hong Kong

see Hongkie Town posting here (and here)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution

Tuesday 9 September 2014

1438 HKSAR Name of the Day

Hoiz Au, Tai Wai, Hong Kong (SCMP letters 29 August 2011)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

Sunday 7 September 2014

1437 HKSAR Name of the Day

Aali Tong, Shun Lee, Hong Kong (SCMP letters 29 August 2011)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Deletion for female; Insertion for male