alibullock.com | animalsinphotos.com

Our blog has moved

2010-12-24T06:12:00.003Z

Please click here to see the new blog for animals in photos and my personal blog is here we will no longer make updates to this blog. Thank you.

New blog

2009-05-11T13:52:00.002Z

Hello dear readers.

There has been a lot going on what with AIP and alibullock.com being re-designed and all the work that I have been doing on these and so with all this I have decided to move this blog.

Please subscribe to the new one here:

http://alibullock.wordpress.com/

animalsinphtos.com redesign is completed

2009-03-08T10:10:00.003Z

The new site has been a while coming but I have finally made the final touches to the site and its done. You can see the results here:

www.animalsinphotos.com

I'm really pleased with the results and even though this is just an update of the existing design I think it works so much better in terms of design and the layout of the content. As always the feedback from various people was essential and I think you really see the enhanced user experience in the site.

Someone asked me whether I would be doing photography full time. My reply (as always) is no. I like the day job and it pays well enough that I have no complaints. The photography remains non-profit based for the foreseeable future.

First photos from the Animals Asia bear rescue 2009

2009-02-09T08:28:00.003Z

These are the first photos from the AAF rescue that I covered up in China. My thanks to the AAF team for making me feel so welcome and I hope to shoot some more shots of these wonderful bears very soon.

Full sets of photos will be up on FaceBook, Flickr and animalsinphotos.com this week so stay tuned.

AIP is undergoing a re-design

2009-02-03T06:10:00.004Z

In 2007 I published my first book with HDKR and as it went on sale we were pretty happy. In 2008 we all came back for volume 2 and made a bigger, better and more profitable book that sold out (and that of course means more money for the charity.)

As we enter 2009 animalsinphotos.com is getting a re-design and some new staff/volunteers to help push the site and services forward. We have a lot to do and some great initiatives under way. You can see the new site here: www.animalsinphotos.com

Caz is organizing a company structure to help us with billing and the roll out new products and services for the clients and charities that we work for. Mandy Chu has joined as a photographer to help me get the photos.

So about the new projects: Well there are a number of new projects that we are excited to be working on. A few examples of what we will be up to:

HKDR :: see more here ::
- 2010 calender / 12 scenes of Hong Kong with the pooches taking a staring role
- Hong Kong's only Dog Guide (2009) / Everything and everywhere in HK that is dog friendly
- The diary 2010 / Another puppy diary on the way and even better than last year

Animals Asia:
- Heading up to China to photograph a key bear rescue in the first week of Feb

SPCA :: see more here ::
- We will be working with SPCA on a book all about the charity and work that they do

Clients:
- We already have people lined up for personal shoots and I will be posting photos and updates as those happen here on this blog. Enjoy the photos and do get in touch if you want to set up a shoot.

I am sure that there will be more happening so please check back on the blog to see all the latest photos and news.

ali

Before you go all Web 2.0

2009-01-31T13:12:00.003Z

Before people tell you to go "all web 2.0" (and lets remember that I am the guy that was around in the web 1.0 days.) Learn one lesson and that is that you should not store your files online.

Lets forget the whole security issue and just think about this - It doesn't make money. And when something doesn't make money, someone finally decides to pull the service.

And so this has happened at Yahoo who will now be dropping their online storage service Briefcase.

As a client of a major media agency I know SEM (look it up if you don't know) and online storage along with a host of other online/web 2.0 services (shock) doesn't make money. So before you trust all your files to MSN, Yahoo or Google think about that...

Anyway, rant over. Goodnight to Yahoo's briefcase: read more

If you want something that works, try dropbox - It syncs files over the internet but it doesn't hold them. Simple and effective. If only Yahoo and others got this. See their excellent service here: www.getdropbox.com

Web 2.0: How not to market your brand

2009-01-30T06:43:00.002Z

I have made several postings recently on Virgin Atlantic's now famous letter of complaint featured on the telegraph and even BBC news. What started off as a hilarious email to Virgin by a customer disappointed about their food is fast becoming something of a PR nightmare.

Why? Because in the web 2.0 world you should never lie -You'll get caught. HollyMoly has posted that the "complaint email" was fake (read the update here.)

Now if this is true then it means Virgin, once one of the web 2.0 viral champions has well and truly fallen on its face. Not because they did something un-funny or violent but because they lied and then lied again.

Oh Virgin - How could you get it so wrong?

Simple -They forgot the golden rule of marketing in the web 2.0 environment - Be open. Now, this doesn't mean that you have to shout your brand across an advert or YouTube snippet, but it does mean that you need to own up to what you do. And most specifically, don't build another lie ontop of the one that you have already told as they have done here.

Thats the great thing about the internet - The truth will out.

(With that in mind I will state that I work for an airline in Asia, and none of my views represent that airline in any way. This is purely a personal kicking for the Virgin brand that I think they royally deserve.)

Letter to Virgin – possibly the best travel complaint letter ever

2009-01-30T03:08:00.000Z

Dear Mr Branson,

REF: Mumbai to Heathrow 7th December 2008

I love the Virgin brand, I really do which is why I continue to use it despite a series of unfortunate incidents over the last few years. This latest incident takes the biscuit.

Ironically, by the end of the flight I would have gladly paid over a thousand rupees for a single biscuit following the culinary journey of hell I was subjected to at the hands of your corporation.

Look at this Richard. Just look at it:

I imagine the same questions are racing through your brilliant mind as were racing through mine on that fateful day. What is this? Why have I been given it? What have I done to deserve this? And, which one is the starter, which one is the dessert?

You don’t get to a position like yours Richard with anything less than a generous sprinkling of observational power so I KNOW you will have spotted the tomato next to the two yellow shafts of sponge on the left. Yes, it’s next to the sponge shaft without the green paste. That’s got to be the clue hasn’t it. No sane person would serve a dessert with a tomato would they. Well answer me this Richard, what sort of animal would serve a dessert with peas in:

I know it looks like a bhaji but it’s in custard Richard, custard. It must be the pudding. Well you’ll be fascinated to hear that it wasn’t custard. It was a sour gel with a clear oil on top. It’s only redeeming feature was that it managed to be so alien to my palette that it took away the taste of the curry emanating from our miscellaneous central cuboid of beige matter. Perhaps the meal on the left might be the desert after all.

Anyway, this is all irrelevant at the moment. I was raised strictly but neatly by my parents and if they knew I had started dessert before the main course, a sponge shaft would be the least of my worries. So let’s peel back the tin-foil on the main dish and see what’s on offer.

I’ll try and explain how this felt. Imagine being a 12-year-old boy Richard. Now imagine it’s Christmas morning and you’re sat their with your final present to open. It’s a big one, and you know what it is. It’s that Goodmans stereo you picked out the catalogue and wrote to Santa about.

Only you open the present and it’s not in there. It’s your hamster Richard. It’s your hamster in the box and it’s not breathing. That’s how I felt when I peeled back the foil and saw this:

Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking it’s more of that Bhaji custard. I admit I thought the same too, but no. It’s mustard, Richard. MUSTARD. More mustard than any man could consume in a month. On the left we have a piece of broccoli and some peppers in a brown glue-like oil and on the right the chef had prepared some mashed potato. The potato masher had obviously broken and so it was decided the next best thing would be to pass the potatoes through the digestive tract of a bird.

Once it was regurgitated it was clearly then blended and mixed with a bit of mustard. Everybody likes a bit of mustard Richard.

By now I was actually starting to feel a little hypoglycaemic. I needed a sugar hit. Luckily there was a small cookie provided. It had caught my eye earlier due to its baffling presentation:

It appears to be in an evidence bag from the scene of a crime. A CRIME AGAINST BLOODY COOKING. Either that or some sort of back-street underground cookie, purchased off a gun-toting maniac high on his own supply of yeast. You certainly wouldn’t want to be caught carrying one of these through customs. Imagine biting into a piece of brass, Richard. That would be softer on the teeth than the specimen above.

I was exhausted. All I wanted to do was relax but obviously I had to sit with that mess in front of me for half an hour. I swear the sponge shafts moved at one point.

Once cleared, I decided to relax with a bit of your world-famous on-board entertainment. I switched it on:

I apologise for the quality of the photo, it’s just it was incredibly hard to capture Boris Johnson’s face through the flickering white lines running up and down the screen. Perhaps it would be better on another channel:

Is that Ray Liotta? A question I found myself asking over and over again throughout the gruelling half-hour I attempted to watch the film like this. After that I switched off. I’d had enough. I was the hungriest I’d been in my adult life and I had a splitting headache from squinting at a crackling screen.

My only option was to simply stare at the seat in front and wait for either food, or sleep. Neither came for an incredibly long time. But when it did it surpassed my wildest expectations:

Yes! It’s another crime-scene cookie. Only this time you dunk it in the white stuff.

Richard…. What is that white stuff? It looked like it was going to be yoghurt. It finally dawned on me what it was after staring at it. It was a mixture between the Bhaji custard and the Mustard sauce. It reminded me of my first week at university. I had overheard that you could make a drink by mixing vodka and refreshers. I lied to my new friends and told them I’d done it loads of times. When I attempted to make the drink in a big bowl it formed a cheese Richard, a cheese. That cheese looked a lot like your bhaji-mustard.

So that was that, Richard. I didn’t eat a bloody thing. My only question is: How can you

live like this? I can’t imagine what dinner round your house is like, it must be like something out of a nature documentary.

As I said at the start I love your brand, I really do. It’s just a shame such a simple thing could bring it crashing to its knees and begging for sustenance.

Yours sincerely…

In the US - being Muslim ain't going to fly

2009-01-06T01:44:00.000Z

This makes me angry...

The article from Tripso, "What really happend to the Muslim passengers who were kicked off the plane?"

This relates to a US airline. Working in the "global" airline industry I am of course acutely aware of passenger safety, 911 and what has happened since and the need for safety.

However, everyone has a right to fly. But in the US it would seem that this is not the case.

The story goes as such - 9 people (Muslims) were asked to leave a plane in Florida. So far, perhaps, we might say that this is reasonable - Passengers has suspicions and the captain agreed with the air marshals and so they were marched off the plane.

Now my patience ends. Read on if you can believe what happened;

These innocent people (and let me remind you, innocent) people waited patiently for the FBI, and let me say again the FBI???! Anyway, after several hours the FBI said they were OK to fly and removed any doubt that they were innocent.

And AirTran said no, they could not fly! AMAZING.

Words fail me. Honestly, no evidence (other than a family wanting to go on vacation) and a load of ignorant, racist passengers. How can they get away with this you ask? Welcome to the US airline industry. I hope this is an isolated case but I have a feeling it may well not be.

I hope that the airline I work for and am proud to work for would always treat its customers with the upmost respect with of course, safety in mind. Caz and I plan on flying through the US later this year - It won't be on AirTran thats for sure.

Safety of passengers has to be every airlines top priority, but when people are innocent of any crime or suspicion they should be allowed to fly regardless of religion, colour or anything else.

Read the full story here

‘I know that half of my advertising money is wasted

2009-01-05T13:15:00.007Z

… I just don’t know which half’

Very very good posting from a guy called Joe Fry - This kid might turn out quite well.

Read more here

2008 in Photos

2008-12-28T03:12:00.000Z

2008 has been a good year for me and Caz. We have been on our adventures (as usual) traveling to San Francisco, Macau, Shanghai, Japan (on the bullet train!) and of course the Olympics in Beijing something that blew me away and I will remember for a long time.

2008 also involved a very tough (both in a physcial and emotional sense) to Sichuan, photographing the earth quake zone, people and some of the dogs that have survived this tragic event.

On the dog front, Padstow and Ivy were joined by a new one called "Mini" who was only 1 kilo when we brought her home. I published a second book for the rescue charity.

On family matters, we saw just about everyone in Hong Kong and back in London Fi and B asked me to be godfather to Finn which I was so very proud to accept.

Yes, all in 2008 has been a good year. 2009 is shaping up to be a tough year with the financial crisis that we have all seen but I can only hope that 2009 brings health and some travel if we are lucky. We are planning trips planned to Vietnam, Bali & Longwo, Osaka, Sapporo (Japan) NYC and Las Vegas... I can only dream of where this adventure will take me next.

Wishing you a good 2009 - To see the 2008 photos click here

ali & Caz

New designs are on the way

2008-12-24T07:27:00.004Z

My main web site has been worked and re-worked throughout most of 2008, and to be honest I am tired of how many times I have said, "its live," only to test it, find an issue or decide that something needed to be changed.

Well, happily the site is finished and you can see the new design here: alibullock.com

The next step has been to re-work (but not redesign) animalsinphotos.com - I have simplified and tidied up the site and all in all I think this site will do really well in 2009 as we get this company up and running.

And, of course as you are reading this blog - alibullock.com/blog you will notice that this site/blog has been redesigned as well.

All in all the idea is to gain some consistency over all the sites I work on. You will see the same logo (Padstow's head) across everything that I work on inluding my presence on twitter and flickr.

On the day I become a god father

2008-11-23T08:31:00.005Z

Well it seems that everyone has to grow up at some point. Some loose it, some never had it, some are lucky, many don't know what a good life they have...

As I'm about to become a god father I wonder what advice I would give Finn about my life, his life and the road that lies ahead of him... All I could come up with is this quote from Apple. Its something that i use everyday at Cathay Pacific (whether they like it or not!) in my design and photography and even in the decisions I make with Caz (and I'm fairly sure I drive her crazy at times...)

But there you go, I'm a god father thanks to Fi & B, still have some very good friends in London, 2 published books and 3 wonderful dogs in Hong Kong and a job at Cathay that I love and challenges me every day.

Most importantly is that I have Caz in my life.

So I guess I must be doing something right.

Finn, from your god father

alibullock.com { LIVE }

2008-11-19T02:05:00.001Z

Yes, finally the new site is live and the design is done.

You can view the site here: www.alibullock.com

If I could get a photo this good everyday

2008-11-15T11:09:00.003Z

Of course this means little if you haven't met "Mini Cooper," but damn she is a cute dog...

See her paws here

In the bean bag

Work on the blog and my other sites

2008-11-15T07:12:00.003Z

I have almost finished work on my main site { alibullock.com } and work has been finished on my charity site { animalsinphotos.com } which also serves as my commercial site for pet photography.

Next up is work on re-working this blog. Its no longer going to be called "The Hong Kong Diaries," but rather just the slightly more simple "ali bullock." The reason for this is that I am planing to bring a lot more coordination between all of my web sites and web 2.0 resources and I want to get everything aligned.

So when I upload my latest photos { orangutans shots form Borneo } you will see the photos updated on alibullock.com, flickr.com/alibullock and Facebook. Supporting this I will also be updating this blog and Twittering about it as well.

The more web 2.0 sites that spring up the more the complexity so hence the need for me to align all these sites so that instead of spending more time at my Mac, I'm actually outside doing what I love.

ali

STOP IGNORING ME AND CALL ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-14T08:58:00.001Z

Message from Mrs B at 11.05:
STOP IGNORING ME AND CALL ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Message at 11.08:
In meeting, don't have phone - TICKET BOOKED FOR YOU!

Message from Mrs B at 11.08:
HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANKS, LOVE YOU XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Everyday I like to think I understand gay guys just a little more...

alibullock.com still in BETA

2008-11-13T06:42:00.002Z

OK, Ok, so this site always seems to be in BETA - But I am happy to announce that the site is almost ready for the prime time.

Every page has been updated and the last 6 months have meant that with some makor back end changes I can really have a new look and feel for my main site.

The design is very different to most sites, I have put in a more aggressive font and I want to get some feedback, so let me know what you think:

www.alibullock.com

My work for Cathay in the news

2008-10-29T00:49:00.003Z

A great article from Brandchannel on the Cathay Pacific experience site and a lot of very good comments about it.

My personal favorite, "
Cathay Pacific Airways Pre-flight experience as a brand differentiator
A number of airlines offer beautiful visuals and descriptions of their cabins on their websites, but none get even close to the experience Cathay Pacific has put together. Close competitors Emirates and Singapore Airlines (SIA) rely on high-definition photos and photo-realistic cabin tours respectively to showcase their product. This is in no way sub-standard, but certainly a far cry from the superior online experience Cathay Pacific has created."

See the full article here

You are welcome.

See the site: http://wwww.cathaypacific.com/experience

Missed me?

2008-10-10T05:23:00.002Z

Sorry for anyone that feels this blog has not been updated in a while. Been very very busy working on some projects for charities here in Hong Kong, and you can see the results on this (almost) finished site:

www.animalsinphotos.com

I have also been working on my personal web site and that is going libve in tow weeks, but you can see where I am so far here: www.alibullock.com

Thanks for bearing with me!

ali

This woman makes Mrs B look reasonable

2008-09-19T13:55:00.001Z

And he is an ex Formula 1 champion...

Women.

New page for animals in photos on FaceBook

2008-09-01T07:22:00.004Z

As anyone who reads this will know I really enjoy working for a number of charities in Hong Kong and this involves a lot of animal photography.

Learning from last year we found that a number of people want to know more about these diary and book projects or even just the photos that come from my work so with this in mind I have set up a FaceBook page to keep everyone updated automatically of the photos, events and news.

Feel free to join here: http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/animals-in-photos-ali-bullock/24270739354

Thanks for your support.

ali

The Varied Life of a Cathay Pacific Flight Attendant

2008-09-01T06:16:00.001Z

Playing now on YouTube...

"Are Hong Kong express okay safety wise?" Asks Mrs B

2008-08-25T08:13:00.004Z

Well, as Cathay Pacific (who I work for) knows a thing or two about airlines I am probably a good person to be in the know when asking about airline safety. Except I know little about Hong KOng Express. However, a quick clickety click on the interweb reveals all I need to know to respond to Mrs B, in our following email conversation:

Mrs B: "Are Hong Kong express okay safety wise?"

Me: Is your life insurance up to date? If yes, then yes they are safe.
If no, suggest you don't fly with anyone.

(Ha, ha sometimes I'm just to funny.)

Mrs B: You will be on the same flight as me funny man

Me: Humph!

Has China lost the spirit of the Olympic Gold?

2008-08-22T07:18:00.005Z

So lets start with the positive, China has got more golds than anyone else. The UK has had a fantastic run and is currently in third position.

But the down side, sadly it would appear (and of course I must restate it only appears at this point) that China has cheated with 3 gymnasts lying about their ages and instead of being 16 they are in fact 14.

Whatever China wanted to get out of the Olympic games - This is cheating, its lying and it certainly casts a long shadow. There is no excuse for drugs in sport nor lies and so with sadness I personally advocate that the team (all three) have their gold medals taken away.

Not that other countries haven't cheated in the past. The US and Canada have had their share of people willing to break the rules in order to win a gold medal for their country - The key issue is that China must own up to this and make an example of these girls and the trainers/officials (who I suspect are as guilty.)

There can be no excuse - cheating is cheating.

Again, I am the first to congratulate China on the medals that they have won, but any country that wins as many medals as China is bound to come under scrutiny. Its called the Olympic spirit and we all have to be under that spotlight. China included.

Links to the stories (strange no SCMP...?)

The Times (UK)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/article4583174.ece

Huffington Post (USA)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/21/ioc-to-launch-investigati_n_120519.html

Busy in Hong Kong

2008-07-29T06:00:00.002Z

No more news this week. To busy working...

(Other than buying my collegues new car - Not sure Caz is on board but she does have three dogs...)

You can see the car here

The Olympics in China - Its all coming true

2008-07-29T01:53:00.003Z

Broadly speaking I am in favor of the Olympics in China. If nothing else I think its a great example of be careful for what you wish for, it may come true.

The authorities in Beijing have already proven this point with the Olympic torch, beating up Hong Kong journalists to name but two examples. China can, and will change through the lessons learnt - Or they won't after everyone has gone home, depending on who you believe.

As I predicted to a friend when Beijing won the chance to host the event, the outcome would sit between what China wants the west to believe and what the west wants to see. It would be naive to believe that China was going to change everything just because the western media would turn their lens onto the country. I also argued that it would be naive for China's authorities to expect everyone not to comment on what they have or have done.

Thats the beauty of the Olympics.

And so a new story about the pollution. Any PR firm would love to have this sort of guy. No matter how bad the situation this figure sticks to the same line. He reminds me of Chemical Ali, who when the Americans were invading Iraq (and you could hear the tanks blasting) would be telling journalists that they would be defeated and Saddam was in charge. He carried on saying this even after Saddam was captured.

This breathtaking madness can only be matched by a Chinese official (or a UK labour party member supporting Gordon Brown to stay as prime minister) - So read this response to the pollution problem:

Du Shaozhong, deputy director of the Beijing city Environmental Protection Bureau, said at the weekend: “Good air quality does not necessarily mean blue sky. You might not be able to see things in a bathroom, but you would not conclude that it’s due to pollution.” He added: “We should judge whether there is pollution by scientific statistics, not by what our eyes can see.”

... Not by what our eyes see!?? I love that. No matter how much you love China that has got to be the most ridiculous statement ever. How about your lungs that hurt when you breathe in?

Even better the scientific data seems to suggest that the situation really is as bad as people think:

"But the pollution readings make for grim statistics. A week ago, it looked as if the slew of drastic measures taken by the capital to try to clear the air before the Olympics open on August 8 might be having some effect. With half the cars taken off the streets, construction ordered to halt and many factories closed for miles around, the air pollution index for particulate matter – a major airborne pollutant – was at a reasonable 67.

But, even with so many vehicles off the streets, the index soared on Thursday to 113, peaked at 118 on Saturday and was still at 113 on Sunday. No number is yet available for today, but the air looks as thick as ever with many tall buildings hidden by haze"

Of course China and its government may yet be able to pull of some blue sky (if nature allows) but nature seems to have a sense of humor (or is it hatred) as I recall in 1998 when Hong Kong was handed back to China it rained solidly for 3 days.

No doubt the scientist above would say they were tears of joy...

Full article here

Our new arrival

2008-07-22T06:57:00.000Z

Announcing a new member into our family, currently we are fostering her (so she is looking for a permanent home... But we'll see if Caz can give her away! I for one hope not...

http://www.alibullock.com/dogs/dotty.htm

Shanghai - Thoughts & Photos

2008-07-06T12:56:00.007Z

Well as promised some more "Alistair Cook" writings on China in the same way he wrote about America in those golden years.

My photos from Shanghai can be seen here.

As for my thoughts on China's second city - What I'm going to say is, "They have the hardware, but they haven't got the software."

The quote is one from a friend and colleague talking about Apple's Iphone vs other mobile phones. His argument was that Motorola for example has the hardware, the physical phone in your hand by numbers, but its Apple that has taken a step forward linking the hardware to the software. But the key fact is the software is the key element going forward, and that will win the day in the mobile space.

As I started to write about Shanghai I got to thinking about how this comparison applies to the city. Now, while the Apple/Hong Kong comparison may not entirely make sense, vs a Windows China I'll endeavor to explain. China has the hardware - No doubt. People, money, buildings and a desire to be a leader are all there. Shanghai is a city that is on the way up and one that may one day rival the likes of London, Hong Kong and NYC.

While Shanghai might have the hardware, it doesn't have the software, and by this I mean the brains, the touch the feeling to make a city feel like a city that works. Now, thats all good for ex-pats like me, but why this rating?

Its certainly not like Shanghai doesn't have a lot to offer. It certainly does. But the SCMP (not that they really say much of sense) constantly warns that Shanghai is to take Hong Kong's crown. Shanghai has the numbers, Beijing's ear, a lack of people that protest and of course a populous that speak Mandarin (forgetting that the international language of business is English...) So I went to Shanghai expecting a lot - And again I did see a lot and enjoyed myself immensely. But its not Hong Kong, not by a long way. Sorry, SMCP but HK doesn't have to much to fear in this decade.

Lets start with the positives. The buildings, though many under construction shows the wonder of the city. From the historical Bun to the future age TV tower, the city has everything to one day rival NYC, London and no doubt the skyline of Hong Kong. The Grand Hyatt has one of the most impressive lobby bars I have ever seen, beating even the Peninsula in Hong Kong.

But, like a fake Chinese watch, Shanghai lacks something. Sure it looks good and you can see where it has copied HK's shoreline buildings and light show, but just like that fake it doesn't quite seem as good as the original.

And then there are the taxis - Shanghai has taxis but not enough. Not by a long way. It seems a symptom of a city (London cabbies are rich but moan about politics to much, NYC taxis shout at you if they don't get a tip ect) In Shanghai (and I'm assuming that you find one) the driver may well not know the street where you want to go, let alone actually be able to find the place that you have directed them to.

Then there are the people and taxis. Manners are not something that people in Shanghai understand. There are no queues, only survival of the fittest. You can be standing by the taxi as someone gets out and someone will barge past you and get in. A colleague waited 45 minutes for a taxi and found out to her cost how you need to act in this city.

Or lets take a walking tour, only you can't. Trying to get round Shanghai by foot means not only getting lost (as no map seems to help) but most importantly not getting killed trying to cross a street, when the lights are red for cars, this seeming makes no difference at all.

But lets look at the town planing: The maglev train - A feat of engineering, taking you from the airport to the city in record time... Except for the fact that, er it doesn't. This new age train takes you from the airport to Shanghai but they forgot to run the train into the city. So its a taxi (and yes, you guessed it, they don't know where you want to go any better than the ones at the airport) to the city center or even close to where you need to be. Its a huge white elephant of epic porportions. That hardware vs software argument comes to mind.

So about that comparison - Hong Kong is by far the better city. People have manners (no spitting/pushing in) all signs are in English and Chinese and taxi drivers that know where they are going. Shanghai is Windows, lots of buildings people but no logic connecting them together that makes the city work in the slick way Hong Kong does.

So where does this short introduction leave you - Shanghai is a great city, no argument. But its one that while the buildings are there, it lacks logic and manners that a city needs to be world class, and I can't see that changing anytime soon. Is this a wider symptom of China? A lack of manners, selfish, no connection between the people and architecture of a city? NYC or London has many of those elements so perhaps this is just what a city becomes on the path to greatness. Only time will tell...

See my photos here

Less updates, more about Hong Kong

2008-07-03T06:54:00.010Z

I started this blog to be about my new adventure in Hong Kong. A way to keep up with friends and family, as I knew that coming to Asia would be an adventure. So far it hasn't proven me wrong.

We've come here, adopted 2 dogs and published a book about those dogs. I have found a new job while traveled to the Great Wall in China and taken in the tuna market in Tokyo weeks before it closed to the public.

As I look back on a year in Hong Kong there is much to be proud of. Yes, I am tired at times, but I feel that I am really living life at full speed.

And look at these photos taken on July 1 - Is it any wonder that I love this city?

As I look forward to what else I am doing it shows there is a lot more to see and do. We have volume 2 of the book to be published, a photo exhibition for world animals day, a huge project for Cathay nearing completion, a trip to the Sichuan earthquake zone where I am volunteering as a photographer and of course trips planed to Bangkok, Bali, The Maldives, Japan, Vietnam, KL and Cambodia.

I have also made some decisions about this blog. I started this in the spirit of Alistair Cook's letter from America which came on the radio once a week, every week. And so that is what I am going to do. One major post a week with thought and prose put behind it.

I hope you enjoy the new format and keep reading.

Thanks.

ali

"China earthquake is karma" - Sharon Stone

2008-05-30T04:41:00.005Z

I'm not the biggest fan of China's government - I think they could do more around human rights. In fairness I'm not Gordon Brown's biggest fan either and don't even get me started on Clinton.

All of that said I have a new candidate to be taken off to a Chinese labour camp. Step forward "actress" Sharon Stone.

The earthquake in China has been a human tragedy - No-one could or should doubt that. The people killed (including so many children) don't make policy decisions and probably couldn't even find Tibet or Burma on a map - They live their lives day to day, and are PEOPLE just like us who still have homes, loved ones and jobs.

And then their world changed forver.

While I don't want to give this woman the oxygen of publicity or even invite people to think that her comments in some way make any sense I have a link the video here.

I can't quite believe I am actually typing these words,

"I've been concerned about how should we deal with the Olympics, because they are not being nice to the Dalai Lama, who is a good friend of mine," she said. "And then all this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and I thought, is that karma - when you're not nice that the bad things happen to you?"

Making this comment can surely only add to the misery experienced by so many people who in no way deserve criticism. Shame on this woman for her comments and society for letting her open her mouth. Taping it shut would be Karma. Ahmen.

Australia - You don't deserve the Queen!

2008-05-29T02:19:00.008Z

Ah Australia. You don't want the Queen as the head of your state, oh no. You need a leader, someone fearless, up to date, a man of the people, a figurehead for Australia to the world.

Indeed.

And here is candidate number 1:

Aussie straps in beer, not child
Alice Springs, Northern Territory

A car driver in Australia has been fined for strapping down his beer rather than his young child. Police said they were "shocked and appalled" when they pulled over the car south of Alice Springs in Australia's Northern Territory.

They said the 30-can pack of beer was strapped down between two adults in the back, with the five-year-old child unrestrained on the floor. The driver was handed a fine of A$750 (US$709; £362).

The fine was for failing to ensure a child was wearing a seatbelt as well as driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.

Read more here

Note: I am not enjoying this story at all. Really not a bit.

My new work for Cathay Pacific

2008-05-15T01:49:00.003Z

Just released a new site today and I think it is one of the most innovative sites that I have worked on. A very good effort (no amazing) by the agency, McCann to get this out on time.

The site enables you to take a full virtual tour of an entire 777 Jumbo Cathay plane. You can see all the seats and interact with the VOD (ect ect.)

This project was a chance to show what can be done if you have the will to go to over 50 component suppliers (including Boeing!) and hundreds of man-hours. Of course a few $$ helps as well. This site is built in Flash 9 on the latest technology.

The Cyber Lion is in the bag.

See the site here and you can even win a chance to come to Hong Kong and fly in a simulator with a pilot. Pretty cool all in (even if I do say so myself.)

www.cathaypacific.com/experience

Porsche...

2008-05-10T06:24:00.005Z

What a day. Been a long week at work (that I didn't need) and its starting to get hotter than Hades in Hong Kong, which makes it a nice surprise when you get a Porsche.

So thanks to Fi and B for making a great day and reminding me that while I may not have the car yet and while the day job occasionally gets me down there is something at the end of the journey.

Speaking of which, I have two dogs and a wife to take in that car one day...

You can see it on my front page here

A great day for London...

2008-05-03T00:45:00.002Z

This is a fine day for London and a fine day for the UK. Yes, as hoped Boris is in power and red Ken has been kicked out.

Finally.

All I have to say on the matter. Almost tempted to go home. Almost...

My photographic exhibition in Hong Kong

2008-04-29T01:28:00.016Z

Sunday saw the launch of a great Hong Kong based film by Angie Chan, "This darling Life" and my photos are being exhibited in support of the film.

Loads of celebs turned up and there were plenty of photographers there which felt odd as I am usually the one on the other side of the camera.

Great though to have all my photos out there and being seen by so many people in Hong Kong. Lots of compliments (which was very much appreciated.)

Who would have thought a year ago I would be working for Cathay Pacific, living in Hong Kong and attending my own photographic exhibition?

Not bad for a first year... Not bad at all. You call see all the photos here

China's Olympic dream in tatters?

2008-04-28T01:54:00.004Z

With credit/thanks to Spike for this:

... I'll say it again. The hatred many have for America and American policies will pale compared to what we think of China in the next 10 years if stories like this continue.

But here is the rub of the Olympics and the Internet in general is that of course many Chinese people are misrepresented, but attacking people on protest marches has very bad connotations and isn't doing the Chinese brand any good.

From the NY Times:

Thousands of young Chinese assembled to defend their country’s troubled Olympic torch relay pushed through police lines on Sunday, some of them hurling rocks, bottled water and plastic and steel pipes at protesters demanding better treatment for North Korean refugees in China.

When lone protesters demanded that China stop repatriating North Korean refugees, they were quickly surrounded by jeering Chinese. Near the park, Chinese students surrounded and beat a small group of protesters, news reports said.
In another scuffle, at the city center where the five-hour torch run ended, Chinese surrounded several Tibetans and South Korean supporters who unfurled pro-Tibet banners, and kicked and punched them, witnesses said.
The largest scuffle erupted shortly after the first torch-bearer left the Olympic Park, surrounded by dozens of police officers on foot or on bicycles and hundreds more in buses and trailed by a water cannon, ambulances and helicopters circling overhead.
Many of the Chinese gathered at the park surged toward about 150 protesters, mostly elderly South Koreans and North Korean defectors, who were shouting “No human rights, no Olympics” from across a boulevard.

Welcome to China's media

2008-04-27T10:33:00.000Z

From CNN.com, a report that the Chinese government will meet with a representative of the Dalai Lama.

In the CNN story is this quote from the Dalai Lama's secretary, Tenzin Takhla:

"His Holiness, since March 10th, has made every effort to reach out to the Chinese leadership.
"He has long said: 'The only way we can solve our differences is with face-to-face dialog.'"

CNN also carries a quote from a nameless Chinese government official, taken from a terse Xinhua report that is apparently the source of the story:

"It is hoped that through contact and consultation, the Dalai side will take credible moves to stop activities aimed at splitting China, stop plotting and inciting violence and stop disrupting and sabotaging the Beijing Olympic Games so as to create conditions for talks."

Quite a difference in tone there, with the Chinese striking a conspicuously aggressive stance. I'm afraid that the contrast will leave western audiences as sympathetic as ever to the Dalai Lama. But of course, that can always be attributed to CNN's "biased reporting".

Bossini presents This Darling Life + HKDR Charity Photo Exhibition by Ali Bullock

2008-04-22T01:39:00.000Z

This Sunday, 27th April, 3pm-4pm at 12/F, Langham Place mall, there will be the launch of the Ali Bullock/HKDR Tribute Book photo exhibition as a run-up to the opening of the upcoming film, "This Darling Life".

The photos are blow-ups of the book photos and mounted on canvas, and they will be on sale for $499.

The HKDR Tribute Book will also be available, and Ali Bullock will be on site to sign copies of both the book and the photos. Our HKDR Ambassador, Rosemary Vandenbroucke, will also be there for the launch, along with HKDR Founder, Sally Andersen and filmmaker, Angie Chen.

The photo exhibition will run from April 27 - May 23 at 3 different UA Cinema locations: Times Square, City Plaza and Langham Place. HKDR Tribute Books will be available at all locations for the duration of the exhibitions. ("This Darling Life" will open at all UA Cinemas on May 8th following the Gala Premiere at Times Square on May 6th).

Please have a look at "This Darling Life" website at www.thisdarlinglife.com. (An interview with filmmaker, Angie Chen, can be seen on The Pulse TV prgramme at the RTHK website www.rthk.com.hk. (date of screening 18/4/08). The interview is in the second half of Part 2 of the show).

Bossini will be launching a linited edition range of HKDR T-shirts featuring 6 of Ali Bullock's photos. These will be sold as a pack with a 'This Darling Life' tote bag at all Bossini outlets and will be available in early May.

All proceeds from the sale of the HKDR tribute Book, the dog portraits and the Bossini T-shirts will go to HKDR.

With thanks to Angie Chen, Golden Scene and Bossini for their generous support of HKDR.

Dear god... Make Microsoft stop.

2008-04-17T07:52:00.000Z

Please tell me someone in MS did this. Oh please, oh please make my year. Its the biggest pile of steaming crap I have ever seen. God bless the yanks in MS. Its genius in a car crash sort of way. I am moved to tears. I may even give up my Mac and take on Vista. Yes, the video was that powerful.

OK, I have to stop now, the tears are flooding my keyboard.

Oasis goes bust

2008-04-11T02:51:00.003Z

As an employee of Cathay Pacific (and competitor of sorts to Oasis) I wanted to wait a couple of days before I blogged on this news.

Of course I could have released a Hong Kong blog exclusive on this but in my position that is not really something I could do.

I have fielded several calls and emails about Oasis - All of which have met with silence on my side. The simple reason is that there is not much I can say about this issue, other than (in my opinion):

- Oasis did not have a sensible business plan
- Businesses go down when they don't make money
- My thoughts are with the passengers and employees of Oasis who are the real losers
- The statement from the owners in the SCMP was rubbish - Competition did not take away there planes, their business plan did!
- There is no-one who wants to save this airline as it was loosing so much money

For other opinions check out the HK blogs. Many are saying the same as above which I agree with.

Australian 'hero' saves wife from deadly croc by gouging its eyes

2008-04-03T15:05:00.003Z

(My mother in law)

An Australian man has been hailed as a hero after rescuing his wife from the jaws of a crocodile by jumping on the creature's head and gouging its eyes.

Norm Moreen, 39, heard Wendy Petherick, 36, cry out in pain after the 2.5 metre (8.2ft), saltwater crocodile attacked her at a National Park in a remote part of northern Australia last night.

The reptile clamped onto Ms Petherick’s leg while she was standing by a riverbank, pulling her into the water.

“Next thing Norm is in the water,” Ms Petherick said today. “He jumped on the croc’s head and felt for its eyes.

“He poked his eyes and the croc freed me. Norm just pushed me towards the side of the bank and both of us got out of the water.”

Saltwater crocodiles are the largest and most dangerous of their type. Known in Australia as “salties”, they are immensely powerful animals, capable of dragging a fully grown water buffalo into a river.

"These crocs are vicious machines," said Steve Landreth, a local man who saw the events unfold.

"I think she's one of the bravest women I've ever met," he said, praising both husband and wife.

Full link here

Thats nothing, you should see Mrs B when I told her how much my Porsche was going to cost. The croc would have had no chance, along with my chances of getting the car!

Australian MP proposes cane toad-killing day

2008-04-03T08:18:00.003Z

Australian families have been urged to roll up their sleeves and embark on a slaughter of "the most disgusting creature known to man" - the cane toad - in a national day of amphibian pest control.


	I had an ex-girlfriend who looked like this...

Queensland MP Shane Knuth called for a cane toad equivalent of Clean Up Australia Day, an annual event in which Australians scour the countryside for litter.

The fast-spreading cane toads are the country's most disliked introduced pest, their poisonous skin accounting for the deaths of millions of birds, crocodiles and other predators each year.

While admitting that he had, in the past, "belted toads with whatever I could get my hands on," including golf clubs and cricket bats, he said it was important that the toads be dispatched humanely.

Read the full article here

My photo on BBC news web site

2008-03-28T03:14:00.005Z

The cherry blossom photo (see here) that I took in Japan has been featured on the BBC web site.

Not major news, but quite nice for a Friday.

Clinton lies (again) - I shouldn't love this as much as I am

2008-03-26T08:06:00.002Z

Here is the funny thing when you live in Hong Kong, you seem drawn to the American election more than say the Chinese one (wonder wht that is?) But regardless the American one is no less fun.

Hillary has been caught lying. Now all thise "Clinton" supports are a little quiet today, aren't we? It seems that Hillary's latest tale of derring do, her gripping account of how she dodged sniper fire on a trip to Bosnia twelve years ago and had to bolt from her helicopter on landing were, shall we say, at odds with the more prosaic reality as captured by this now famous video from CBS. News.

Shame being in notably short supply in the Clinton campaign (Judas, anyone?), I had half expected them to try to tough this one out. Perhaps they would claim that the CBS clip didn't show the moment when Mrs Clinton and Sheryl Crow came under fire from angry Serb gatecrashers ticked off that Sinbad wasn't geting more time at the microphone? That girl in the video handing her what looked like a greeting card at the arrival ceremony that wasn't supposed to have happened? Perhaps we'd be told it contained traces of a noxious substance that Mrs Clinton bravely ignored in the pursuit of some valuable hands-on foreign policy experience?

But it wasn't to be. Mrs Clinton claimed instead she merely "misspoke". That's fair enough. People do that. I can recall a president a while back saying "I never had sex with that woman". Turned out he misspoke too.

I had once thought that Mrs Clinton's sheer determination to fight on was her greatest asset. But now it looks merely like desperation. Her main hope seems to be to hang on in the hope that something really horrible will emanate from the Obama campaign. That could happen, but I doubt it now.

Ding dong, the witch is turning in her grave...

Photos from japan

2008-03-26T04:34:00.003Z

Japan is fantastic, almost as good as Hong Kong (at least people don't chatter so much on the MTR!) and now I get why people like the cherry blossom so much.

But I still don't understand:

1. Toilets that speak to you (and have more buttons than the starship Enterprise)

2. Girls dressing up like school girls (but no complaints)

3. How people can have that many mobile phones to choose from

You can see the photos here: http://www.alibullock.com/photos/asia/japan.htm

or for non-flash: http://www.alibullock.com/nonflash/photos/japan/index.htm

Blogging from Tokyo

2008-03-23T13:07:00.007Z

Here we are in Japan. The Caz and ali travel show rolls on to yet another country.

Caz has been wonderful about finding or way around (while Japan is amazing, it is not that tourist friendly, unless you are Japanese of course.) I have been doing the usual diplomatic thing and saying to people "smack you," instead of "thank you."

So what is there to see in Japan? A lot. The first thing to note is that everything talks to you. Toilets, vending machines,

trucks, crossings (and even people!) The toilets are a thing to behold. They do everything (and I mean everything!) Great stuff. A new role for the maid when we get home as we don't have one of these toilets.

Tokyo is a beautiful city at night, by day you need to hunt out the beauty, or just stand on the sidewalk and watch the beauties come to you (and in school uniform no less! Happy days!!) Oh wait, some of them may actually be school girls, I can't tell... Anyway, they are all hot and love dressing up. Naughty! (The women that is, not the school girls, oh hell you get the point.)

...Moving onto more fishy things, on Saturday (at 4 am) I went to the Tokyo fish market. This might seem like an early start but when you see the photos you will see why. The place is something else. Hundreds of tuna on sale along with many varieties of other fish. Well worth the visit if you get the chance. Most interesting is that there is no technology at the fish market, none. Its all human interaction and old school working practices. Not a mobile phone in sight.

Of course I have saved the best for last, the technology. Ah, Japan meet brain. Japanese live for their technology and most importantly their mobile phones. The cathedrals, and believe me when I say they are places of worship are crammed with every color and model for every technology. You are bombarded with voices from above and on the shop floor offering you deals and offering to the gods of Sony, Nikon and Cannon...

Next its the Bullet train to Kyoto so I'll have more historical photos and hopefully some shots from Mount Fuji. Mrs B has no updates as she is applying th black eyeliner and school dress I just brought her.

More when we are back from the land of the rising sun.

New area on alibullock.com: Portfolio

2008-03-16T02:05:00.003Z

Been far to long coming but the portfolio area of my site is up and running which you can see here {link}.

This area of the site has been created to showcase my best photos from several different projects and areas.

You can see the best photos from :

- Travel around the world
- People photography
- Best of 2007
- Dog photos (on behalf of HKDR)
- Awards

Enjoy the photos and tell me what you think.

Ding dong! The witch is dead!

2008-03-12T03:48:00.002Z

Slow day in Hong Kong (well we don't really have elections do we here!??) So everyone is watching the US presidential race with keen interest.

And its a good day - Clinton is beaten, done and has (I can hope) died in a political sense. After lies, corruption and god only knows what else she is out. I love the quote when she became a senator, "I have no plans to run for president." Hey guess what sister you are right!

You read it here in Hong Kong first. I think we can all be very happy. The world can breathe a little easier.

"The Texas Secretary of State is set to certify the official election results for the Democratic primary. As predicted, Barack Obama has beaten Hillary Clinton. While Clinton won the state's popular vote, Obama racked up more caucus support, so that, now that the final tally is in, the Lone Star state's delegate total reads:

Obama: 61 delegates from the popular vote + 38 delegates from caucuses = 99 delegates.

Clinton: 65 delegates from the popular vote + 30 delegates from Caucuses = 95 delegates.

So news people can now stop saying "two big wins in Ohio and Texas." Big win in Ohio, sure, but not Texas."

Link to this story

Politician cheats on wife...! No really!!

2008-03-11T05:08:00.002Z

Apparently the NY Times calls this news - Shocking, I tell you shocking, a politician has cheated on his wife and is now trying to hold onto his job... One wonders what ever happened to the politicians that when they (or their staff) did wrong resigned. Sigh.

But there you go - He is guilty of all sorts and wife only sticks with him due to the fact that if she did divorce him and he has no job, she gets nothing.

Frankly they deserve each other.... But I thought I would translate his press release for fun.

Spitzer: I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family.

Translation: I got my apology out in the first news cycle, and now I'm going dark. If this was France no one would care.

Spitzer: I apologise for my behavior.

Translation: Why can't I be major of Paris, the French get away with this stuff all the time, hell they even get elected based on it, and then I wouldn't have to pretend I'm sorry.

Spitzer: I will not be taking questions. Thank you very much.

Translation: Why isn't it Friday, so this could die into the weekend? And why am I not already the Mayor of France?

(Note: Yes I know you can't be mayor of France, its Paris, but as he is American and therefore the translation reflects his inability to understand any city outside of the US.)

I hate all politicians. And so do I suspect do you!

China - Why do this?

2008-03-10T01:59:00.003Z

For all the wonders and opportunity that exist in China there are many issues that remain and here is one that saddens me greatly. You can read more here and see pictures if you have the will Times Online

Why would people think that this is a good idea? Even in Hong Kong circuses continue to have similar ideas (and lets not even get into shark fin soup). A sad post for a Monday but it has to be highlighted that while these "displays" continue to be allowed is it any surprise that there is so much animal cruelty?

At first glance, this picture below looks like a Photoshop job.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Welcome to China’s notorious Haicang Zoo, where modern animal keeping is unknown, and the facility’s inmates are treated more like circus acts than wild creatures.

Not that this distinction seems to matter to the zoo’s visitors, who flock to see spectacles such as human-lion wrestling and this unfortunate pair.

The lion is made to jump on the horse’s back. A trainer with a whip compels them to circle the cage while spectators cheer. There’s a tiger on hand to repeat the trick.

Haicang zoo">

The zoo, which is located in Xiamen, in southeastern Fujian province, has been the subject of international criticism for its exploitive animal handling. While China boasts some world-class modern facilities, including the massive Beijing Zoo, circus-like attractions remain popular in the country. There are no immediate prospects for reform.

Link: Times Online

Happy birthday Caz (and my Sis too!)

2008-03-03T05:19:00.002Z

So it was both Caz's nd Lui's birthdays yesterday and in the case of Caz a few friends got together and we went to the beach in Stanley.

It was a great day that ran into the early evening. Everyone had a great time and both Caz and I thank everyone for coming along. As I left for work this morning the dogs were still sleeping an exciting day off by the looks of things.

You can see all the photos here.

Classic joke...

2008-02-29T02:01:00.000Z

Old Scottish Jokes Home:

A man walks into a Glasgow library and says
to the librarian, "Excuse me Miss, do ye huv
any books on suicide?"

The librarian looks up and says,
"Fuck off! Ye'll no bring it back!"

More updates to alibullock.com

2008-02-22T11:49:00.004Z

Been a busy week here in Hong Kong. Finally the story over naked canto pop stars is dying down, my presentation on web 2.0 is almost finished for Cathay and I have even managed to sneak in some time on my web site.

(1) So you can see the site with all the improvements here and here for the non-flash

(2) My FB account is updated here

(3) and finally my FLICKR account has finally been given the attention it deserves which you can see here.

Next week presentations on web 2.0 and hopefully a nice relaxing week-end after that...

ali bullock

You know when you have to much spare time when...

2008-02-15T14:33:00.003Z

{update} Mrs B asked me, "How do you drive an F1 car when its made of match sticks?"

Comments welcome.

... When you have 956,000 (yes you read that correctly) spare match sticks to go round, what do you do? Well, if you are German (and who doesn't love the Germans! Jens, you know who you are), of course you build an F1 car.

And there was me thinking there was nothing obsessive about the Germans....

I quote,

"What do you do when you can't afford a million quid to buy a real McLaren 4/14 Formula 1 car? You spend almost £4,500 building one out of matchsticks, of course.

Wacky German, Michael Arndt spent 6 years building this immaculate replica in his kitchen. And all it took was 956,000 matchsticks and 1,686 tubes of glue. Of course, there’s not much room left for socialising.

Thankfully, it can be broken down – very carefully – into 45 pieces for transport to various matchstick building conventions. Yes, it is insane but you have to admire the single-minded dedication/obsession."

Link

You can't right yesterdays mistakes - But Australia humbles us all

2008-02-15T05:11:00.003Z

Australia has taken a brave step and apologized for its dreadful mistreatment of the Aboriginal children. Nothing can make up for the pain, suffering and frankly inhuman blot on a country - But you can take the bold step and try to make amends.

The mistakes of the past are there and you can't back away from your responsibilities, nor can you live in the past. It should now be time to move on. But I give a lot of credit to the Australian government for their humanity.

A lesson many countries and its people could do with learning.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23202622-5001021,00.html

Only in China...

2008-02-14T07:56:00.000Z

Only in China:

A sudden spike in the demand for pet rodents, inspired by the start of the "Year of the Rat", has forced the price of hamsters up by as many as six times in China, state media reported Wednesday.
Prior to the Lunar New Year, hamsters went for as little as five yuan (70 US cents) each, but now they cost as much as 30 yuan, the People's Daily said in a report posted on its website.
"More people want rat-like pets," Yi Xiaoran, an online hamster trader, told AFP. "I've got at least twice as many customers looking for hamsters now than before Lunar New Year."

Kung Hei fat choi! 恭喜发财 - Wishing you a prosperous year of the Rat.

2008-02-10T07:54:00.000Z

Chinese New Year has come and gone and its been a great holiday here in HK - Quiet streets (other than Won Tia Sin) for us to show Mum and Peter around.

There is so much to see here and I will be updating my web site with more photos, bit for now I have included a few from the last 4 days.

Tomorrow its back to work at Cathay, and I'm sure there will be plenty to do (no bad thing at all!)

So all it remains for me to say is Kung Hei fat choi! 恭喜发财

You can see the photos here

Photos from CNY: 2008

2008-02-09T11:29:00.000Z

Had a great Chinese New Year with Caz and the fokes (more photos from them later).

So here are the photos from CNY: Click here

When you are bored on the train try this

2008-02-07T11:20:00.000Z

Very cool site where a Japanese guys folds bank notes into different shapes - Featured here is our very own queen.

Click here to view the notes (note, site in Japanese)

Big idea - Small city

2008-02-06T07:29:00.001Z

Photography is amazing. And as it falls to me to bring you the best in photography/web sites here is a new one:

http://www.cityshrinker.com/

The images that you see right and indeed on the site above is real. The photographer shrinks down though photoshop (and magic devil juice) - The images are very cool.

Talking about the US

2008-02-04T03:52:00.001Z

As we are in the middle of the American elections I thought this might be on topic. While having ad dinner with some friends on Saturday night (fellow republicans, not damn cowards, I mean democrats.. No names!) and I was reminded of how great Texas is. (They are from Memphis, but everyone thinks Randi is from Texas due to her accent - A compliment in my opinion.)

Anyway, I am reminded of a story that my old boss Kim Ort's husband told me about the Texas Rangers.

The governor of New Orleans in the middle of the chaos and rioting after Katrina asked the Governor of Texas to send Rangers to help. The governor sent one to the main street.

The New Orleans Governor calls the Texan Governor and said, you only sent one man?"

The Texas Governor replied: What, you got more than one riot?"

Texas rules. Disagree and you might well get shot. Take that Clinton.

UNhappy MOTO

2008-02-01T03:51:00.000Z

Normally I would not blog about my company or a previous employer. My feeling is, that just like talking about old girlfriends, the mud sticks and you don't look good no matter what.

However, this story about Motorola is one that I feel I can though as an ex-employee who left the company for the primary reason that I knew this would happen to Moto.

What a sad state of affairs Motorola finds itself in. I have to say they have no-one to blame but themselves and of course the corporate American team who didn't get the obvious fact - RAZR was getting old fast.

In fact, its even worse that they are not even going to try and fight back, just spin the division off into the deadpool. That is the only place the handset division has to go. Perhaps if they stopped funding "corporate heads" and actually concentrated on the business of selling phones they might have a chance, but this isn't going to happen.

Motorola reminds me of the Titanic and the corporate team are too busy re-arranging the deck chairs to launch the lifeboats and save the division.

I can remember the quote from my old boss Simon Thompson who said, "RAZR is old, done, and we need consumers to love Motorola the brand, not RAZR the phone." While he had the marketing knowledge, no one in Shamburg wanted to stick their head out of the sand and admit that he was right.

Hense he left the company. And now so will any remaining employees with any shred of talent or corporate dignity. Sad but true the talent has left the building along with market share and our old friend share price.

So can Motorola be saved, would I go back? The answer is no to both. The company is to US focused and it has lost the people that could make it work. Competition is to strong now for them to make a comeback. My play - Shut Moto's handset division down? Probably the only thing you can do. There is no savior that I can see.

What apple and Nokia do so well is not only the design, but the software - And this is where Motorola really struggles. It has never invested in this area and if it did, it might have had a chance.

Again, too late now. RIP.

Quote from Endgadet:
Rumor no longer, Motorola is taking a hard look at its Mobile Devices unit and might very well give those slackers the ol' Freescale treatment and spin off the division as a separate company. This sort of love 'em and leave 'em tactic is oddly a bit of a habit with Motorola when times are bad, and times certainly have been better -- Motorola's phone unit lost $388 million this quarter, compared to $341 million in earnings a year ago. Motorola may sell the unit or spin it into its own company, which would leave Motorola with precious few intersections with the RAZR-saturated consumer, and as more of a government and enterprise business. Says Greg Brown, current president and CEO: "We are exploring ways in which our Mobile Devices Business can accelerate its recovery and retain and attract talent while enabling our shareholders to realize the value of this great franchise." It's a pretty odd statement for any company to make, and considerations may be further along than they sound, but either way we'll be keeping an eye out for any developments.

Someone asked me how Caz got me to marry her

2008-01-31T10:06:00.000Z

I'm saying nothing about how the ceremony went down... but hopefully this candid picture will explain all.

Are you a real man?

2008-01-28T02:16:00.000Z

I do wish Mrs B would stop sending me all these emails...

You Dont like your male machine size

Girls joke at you...

Now it's time to solve this trouble.

Use our male device enlargemen,t and Chicks will adore you promptly.

I used. My wife is really happy.

http://www.sabhelesbles.com

The beast of Hong Kong Park? Staff stake out the lawns...

2008-01-27T12:38:00.000Z

SCMP has this on their web site (must be a slow news day. Either that or they have given up on stories about democracy in HK. It could of course be that they are lazy buggers... Who knows.)

"The beast of Hong Kong Park? Staff stake out the lawns

from Home/News/Hong Kong
Staff at Hong Kong Park are on the lookout for a mystery animal that startled two people walking through the park."

Well I solved the crime, that would be Padstow our dog. Thank god for those well funded (if not well informed) journalists who uncovered the criminal and will no doubt report him to the police, Hong Kong anti-dog style.

Click here to see the beast in action, or just laugh at the madness of Hong Kong and life here. Its just so hard.

Luckily for him, he has diplomatic immunity!

alib.co.uk - Updated

2008-01-20T13:21:00.000Z

Not really news in the grand scheme of things but my old site alib.co.uk has had a redesign. I really quite like this and have used it as a construction holding page on my main site alibullock.com which you can see an example of here

Next week, back to Cathay Pacific and my life in Hong Kong...

The Japanese are back! Boob Tube time!

2008-01-17T02:22:00.000Z

I know this blog is meant to be about Hong Kong, but some thigns are just too good to be true. And this is one of those times.

I have absolutely no idea what is happening in this YouTube video (and frankly after watching it over 15 times I don't care!!) But it would seem to be some sort of news program and a load of hot Japanese girls in a hot spring. You know what I love Japan, its official. can't wait to go there next month.

Click the link here to go to YouTube and see it for yourself (safe for work, kids blah, blah)

No Excuses by Nike and Matt Scott

2008-01-17T01:35:00.000Z

Again its nothing to do with Hong Kong, but this latest advert for Nike is well worth watching if you don't feel like exercising.

Either press play or read on. One thing I will say Matt Scott is one of the bravest human beings that I have ever seen. A true inspiration to us all. Now excuse me, I'm off to do exactly what he talks about. Run.

See the video here

Now Ford is at the bad PR

2008-01-15T10:31:00.000Z

Is it me, or is this crazy marketing week. I am not sure.

Not that this has anything to do with Hong Kong (this time) but it is a classic case of over reaction in the web 2.0 space.

"The folks at BMC (Black Mustang Club) automotive forum wanted to put together a calendar featuring members' cars, and print it through CafePress. Photos were submitted, the layout was set, and... CafePress notifies the site admin that pictures of Ford cars cannot be printed. Not just Ford logos, not just Mustang logos, the car -as a whole- is a Ford trademark and its image can't be reproduced without permission. So even though Ford has a lineup of enthusiasts who want to show off their Ford cars, the company is bent on alienating them. 'Them' being some of the most loyal owners and future buyers that they have. Or rather, that they had, because many have decided that they will not be doing business with Ford again if this matter isn't resolved." I got some more info from the folks at cafepress and according to them, a law firm representing Ford contacted them saying that our calendar pics (and our club's event logos - anything with one of our cars in it) infringes on Ford's trademarks which include the use of images of THEIR vehicles. Also, Ford claims that all the images, logos and designs OUR graphics team made for the BMC events using Danni are theirs as well. Funny, I thought Danni's title had my name on it ... and I thought you guys owned your cars ... and, well ...

I'm not even going to get into how wrong this is.

No Santa (unles you are an AMEX holder)

2008-01-14T02:56:00.000Z

Amazing PR disaster by AMEX over the Christmas period. One to learn from

An American Express Christmas promotion with The Pacific Place shopping centre has turned sour after non-Centurion card holders and their kids were barred from seeing Santa. What is shaping up to be pre-Christmas PR disaster, one outraged consumer said the Amex Santa campaign was "flawed".

Nick Sutcliffe, executive director for The Conference Board, took his kids to see Santa but was rejected as he did not have the required Amex card. "Children have no concept of Amex's marketing campaign, but for parents having to tell their children that they cannot see Santa, that's good enough reason to cancel their subscription with Amex," Sutcliffe said. "I watched countless families being sent away with children crying. If this is designed to endear me to Amex, they failed I will be returning my Amex card," he added.

Access to Centurion cards is by invite only.

A spokesperson from American Express International said the promotional period to enter the Santa House for Amex cardholders ran from 6 to 9 December and was clearly stated in all marketing collateral. Questioned over the exclusivity of the promotion, she could not be drawn on details.

The Japanese are at it again (thank god, this would be a boring blog without them)

2008-01-12T04:05:00.000Z

The Japanese have some TV shows thats for sure.

I stumbled on the story of Nasubi the other day and couldn’t believe what I was reading.

Back in the pre-Y2K days of 1998 Japanese TV producers held an audition for a new show. A comedian named Nasubi (Japanese for eggplant) “won” the audition and was blindfolded and brought to a one room apartment somewhere in Tokyo. The apartment was stocked with a stack of magazines and a pile of postcards. Nasubi was told to strip naked and left with a cushion, a table, a small radio, a telephone, and some notebooks pens. He had no food.

Nasubi was told that in order to escape his prison he had to win a million Yen ($10,000) in prizes via magazine mail-in contests. This was also the only way he could eat- his first two weeks were without calories until he won some jelly in a contest (what kind of contest prize is jelly?).

Nasubi soon won a 5kg bag of rice but didn’t have anything to cook it with. He worked up a prison style cooking method using a cup of water and rice placed on the heater. He also won a TV set but didn’t have a cable or antennae. When he finally won a VCR the only videos he had were an exercise and cycling video.

The whole story is nuts. The guy was locked away for 15 months all by himself, forced into a starvation diet, and had his entire ordeal broadcast on TV and the internet. His diary became a best seller on the outside world.

At the end of his show Nasubi was placed in yet another small enclosed space, where out of force of habit he took off his clothes. Imagine the crazyness he went through when the walls fell away and he found himself in front of a large studio audience, where he was finally told the details of what had happened to him over the past year and change.

Nasubi’s adventures makes Survivor seem pretty tame. Head over to the Quirky Japan Home Page to read the whole story, if anything it’s even stranger than I’ve been able to write here.

Maybe being married to me isn't so bad after all - Mrs B take note.

I'm no Alastair Cook

2008-01-08T05:04:00.000Z

A really good (well I would say that) review from hong-kong-blogs-review.com about my blog, my favorite part; "What he has to say is interesting and he says it in a friendly, affectionate way, almost as gracefully as Mr. Cooke himself. And Ali has something that Mr. Cooke was not known to have: a sense of humor."

The whole article:

"According to this blog's description for itself, it is modeled after Alistair Cooke's famed radio program, "Letter from America".

This blogger aims high, but like most of us, he lacks Mr. Cooke's grace and flair for the English language. That being said, it doesn't mean this blog, HONG KONG DIARIES is a blog not worthy of your time --- it only implies Mr. Cooke's shoes are difficult to fill, and he's not easy to emulate.

Although the blogger, Ali Bullock is no Alistair Cooke, this blog has warmth; unlike other Hong Kong expat blogs Sham-Shui-Po Boy has read, this blog gives its readers a distinctive feel of British middle-class decency and politeness. Ali's entries are often light-hearted and he steers clear of contentious political issues. He is an accomplished photographer, an animal lover, and active in Hong Kong Dog Rescue. Sham-Shui-Po Boy always has a soft-spot for artists of any media and animal lovers of all persuasions.

Sham-Shui-Po Boy says, read this blog; Ali comes across as an all around nice chap. What he has to say is interesting and he says it in a friendly, affectionate way, almost as gracefully as Mr. Cooke himself. And Ali has something that Mr. Cooke was not known to have: a sense of humor."

Many thanks for this - A little something that reminds me why I write a blog.

Sue B to get an MBE!

2007-12-29T02:30:00.000Z

Congratulations to my step mum who is being honored by the Queen (and Tony Blair) for an MBE. This isn't for putting up with my dad, its for her services to the Blair's ect, ect.

Photos of Dad and Sue

Full honors list

A Very Merry Christmas

2007-12-26T12:43:00.000Z

Some photos from our Christmas Day in Hong Kong. By the people sleeping on the couch I would say that we all had a good time...

Merry Christmas to everyone! You can see the photos here

ali, Caz, Padstow and Ivy

On a sad note...

2007-12-22T01:17:00.000Z

It would seem that China is following Hong Kong's ideology for ripping anything older than 10 years down and building something new. This applies not just to buildings but to many cultural ideals that I suspect one day they will miss more than the glass temples that are being built to the gods of commerce.

The sad story that the headline refers to is that the Beijing government is to outlaw the sale of wild song birds that old Chinese men keep in cages and walk around the citys parks.

This has been around for over 2,000 years and it seems a shame that the government has done this. I hope that there are still birds for sale.

I have no idea whether this ban is going to affect Hong Kong and its bird market (I assume that this is a Beijing only law) but it seems a shame that such a tradition and activity for the elders of China will die out. Many of these men do no have wives or family and this is a pleasant way for them to spend their mornings.

A real shame, but I'm still going to have some birds on our balcony.

Feathered Facts:

— In the Ming and Qing dynasty civil servants commonly displayed their rank using “Mandarin Squares”. The embroidered badges displayed nine levels of birds, with the quail the lowliest and either the golden pheasant or white crane the highest

— The phrase “selection by hitting the bird screen” is used to mean choosing a husband after the story of the daughter of a 6th-century military commander who said that she would marry the man who hit a painting of a peacock twice with an arrow while running

— China's ornithological love affair came to an end with Chairman Mao. Because they ate grain he ordered the eradication of the sparrow population. Citizens were told to leave their houses and clap continuously — the noise scared the birds and kept them on the wing until they dropped from exhaustion

My sister gets yet another cat

2007-12-21T08:30:00.001Z

Not really news but my sister has a new cat - Here is an image of the damn thing (Cats vs Dogs, we all know who is the winner!).

Going Dutch on your adopted child

2007-12-20T04:43:00.000Z

Hong Kong's diplomatic staff on the whole are pretty good people. With the exception of the french and the Dutch.. The Dutch vice consul did this??! Not even the French can beat this one. A very sad story.

Get a load of these scumf*cks…

Every child is a gift, as the saying goes. But in a case that has stoked outrage on two continents, a Dutch diplomat posted in Hong Kong has been accused of returning his eight-year-old adopted daughter like an unwanted Christmas necktie. The story, which first appeared in the South China Morning Post on Dec. 9, began seven years ago, when Dutch vice consul Raymond Poeteray and his wife, Meta, adopted then-four-months-old Jade in South Korea. The couple, who also have two biological children, brought Jade with them to Indonesia and then to Hong Kong in 2004, although Poeteray never applied for Dutch nationality for the child — a curious oversight, given that he worked in a consulate. Then, last year, the Poeterays put Jade in the care of Hong Kong’s Social Welfare Department, saying they could no longer care for her because of the girl’s emotional remoteness.

I don’t even know what to say. What is wrong with those people? That poor little girl. Time has the whole sad, infuriating story. I would also like to know why they are still in Hong Kong - This guy should not be representing his country in this role. Shame on him, his wife and the Dutch government.

Mrs B agrees to buy me a PORSCHE for Christmas!

2007-12-15T18:24:00.000Z

Yes dear friends, family and people who are mad enough to read this blog, Mrs B has agreed to buy me a Porsche 911... After 5 years together we have completed the most important step in our relationship.

No its not me meeting our wedding vows (or working out what the iron is) its the fact that Mrs B has said that she will buy me a Porsche. FINALLY.

She added a few conditions on the email (I have not read these but who cares, the car is mine, mine I tell you!) but here hey are (and I quote the email) if you want to read them here they are.

1. YOU have to have saved at least 50% of the cars value
2. It won't happen until you have had a Mini for at least a year (and driven home alive)
3. You will have to marry someone else stupid enough to fund this thing
4. Porsche actually allow you to buy one
5. You drive it over my dead body (as this is the only way I will approve such a purchase)

... Hell must freeze over before you have the car.

Done!

Dino & Emma's Wedding

2007-12-09T13:48:00.000Z

Just back from a fabulous week-end in Edinburgh attending Dino and Emma's wedding. Emma did a great job organising everything and Dino did a great job hiring two excellent best men to speak on his behalf.

The day was absolutely beautiful and the evening bash was very cool and ended with a fireworks display.

Congratulations to them both and the best of luck! You can see the photos by clicking here

Cat people are mad: Official!

2007-12-08T10:07:00.000Z

If you’re one of those types that gets great pleasure from dressing up your animals for Halloween, Christmas, Independence Day, etc. then we here at Snarfd have the perfect accessory for your sick passion: Kitty Wigs.

That’s right, no longer will the self-grooming habits of your cat suffice for those hard-to-impress moments with friends and family. Drop a Pink Passion, Bashful Blond, Silver Fox, or Electric Blue wig on your feline and watch the conversations really get started. Each package also includes a mouse with a rattle to distract your cat from the humiliation coming from above. Makes one wish for the good ‘ole days of reverence in ancient Egypt.

You know we’ve reached a new low when descriptions for kitty wigs end like this: “Blonde sets off your kitty’s eyes and makes your kitty look tan.” Wow. Next thing you know, they’ll be making wigs for infants. Damnit!

Hong Kong Dog Rescue Book launch - A success!

2007-12-03T09:39:00.000Z

On Friday we launched the book (my first) and the party went incredibly well. With over 100 of Hong Kong's finest movers and shakers for drinks and a chance to show their pooches off to fellow dog owners.

Padstow and Ivy attended the party and were most certainly the stars. All in 300 books sold so far and a hope that it will be in stores in time for Christmas.

A great cause and a great party... Now if we can just tidy up the flat.

One VERY good week

2007-11-30T01:11:00.000Z

Yep a very good week here in Hong Kong. Everything seems to be going right (other than not having a Porsche, but thats another matter).

In no particular order, I have a new Job (with Cathay Pacific AIRLINES!!!), my book has been published for the Hong Kong Dog rescue Charity and we have our Christmas cards back from the printers.

Life is good, and this is the time to store some luck (and pay a visit to Won Tai Sin to say thank you...)

And in case you missed it - Here are the photos from 2007

Padstow meets his Sister

2007-11-25T06:42:00.000Z

Padstow on his walk today met a new friend, actually his sister! There was some jealously from Ivy but this soon passed to mere boredom and more interesting smells on the other side of the street.

Even better Mrs B let me buy a Jackie Chan signed T-Shirt at the HKDR fund raiser today. So happy news all round. and if you have never met Padstow (he is the good looking chap on the right).

So many people from Hong Kong (both Chinese and Western) had a great time and I am sure that plenty of money was raised for the charity. However, one Chinese lady (I think with a dog) told me that she was scared of "black dogs," yes you read correctly, she was scared of black dogs??! Not any old dogs, just black ones. How odd.

Has anyone else heard of this - people being scared of Black dogs??!

2007 Photo Gallery is finished

2007-11-24T10:02:00.000Z

So it comes to that time of year when I can finally finish up my 2007 gallery of photos. It has been a great year, kicking off in Cuba and taking in Padstow, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam and one of my all time "must see before I die places" The Great Wall in China.

So 2007 has been great in terms of travel. I can't wait to see what Caz and I experience in 2008, but until then here are the photos from this year.

Click here to see them on my web site or on FaceBook

Find Zilla a Home for Christmas

2007-11-24T05:22:00.000Z

Christmas has started in Hong Kong (but thats another story for another time) - I am trying to help this poor (but very beautiful dog) find a home.

Zilla (right) was beaten so badly as a puppy that she now has a lop sided face. She is a friendly dog and has been in kennels for 6 months without a new home... Can anyone in Hong Kong help her? See photos here and here. Perhaps she can find a home in time for Christmas.

Email me here or please forward this on to some friends who might know someone.

Crash Bonsai:

2007-11-21T06:31:00.000Z

Dead Man’s Curve is no place to play
Dead Man’s Curve: you’d best keep away
Dead Man’s Curve: I can hear ‘em say:
“Won’t come back from Dead Man’s Curve”

– Jan and Dean, “Dead Man’s Curve” (1964)

A car — a tree. Good thing it’s a bonsai.

Artist John Rooney creates car wrecks: tiny ones. Using creatively crunched model cars and meticulous little junipers, maple, and ficus, Rooney artfully collides modern automotive culture and the ancient Japanese pastime of bonsai.

Rooney calls his work CrashBonsai. His website claims it’s a synthesis of creation and destruction. It will certainly get some looks sitting on that Ikea coffee table.

Want one of your own? It’s strictly BYOB (Bring Your Own Bonsai). But Rooney will be happy to sell you a perfectly crafted Caddy Eldorado, Jaguar, or Ford pickup truck model — all pre-crashed and ready to adorn your bonsai of choice. Order early to avoid the Christmas rush.

And drive carefully this holiday season, particularly if you’re behind the wheel of a 1:18 scale 1961 Porsche 356B. They’re a little tail-happy in the rain.

Link: CrashBonsai

Does anyone work at the South China Morning Press?

2007-11-14T06:32:00.000Z

I only ask as I am really hoping that someone on their staff takes note of this article from TechCruch and removes their online subscription model.

I doubt that SCMP is actually making any money from having a subscription area to their site, but in the days of bloggers and search it is (for a newspaper site at least) utter madness not to have a completely open site.

And so Rupert Murdoch (who knows a thing or tow about new media) has decided to tear down the Wall Street Journal's pay wall - Finally. Here I quote:

"We are studying it and we expect to make that free, and instead of having one million (subscribers), having at least 10 million-15 million in every corner of the earth."

Read the article here (no subscription required thanks Chri**st!)

If he can see that this makes finanical and consumer sense, why does the SNCP carry on as it is? Any suggestions welcome.

All that glitters isn't necessarily gold...

2007-11-14T05:33:00.000Z

Despite the wealth and adverts advertising Macau to the world there are many issues. I quote the SCMP

"A plan to set up a non-mandatory central provident fund was unveiled by Macau Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah yesterday as part of his package to tackle "snowballing social problems" in the former Portuguese enclave."

Read the full story on the SCMP here

Are the japanse completly nuts?

2007-11-12T07:09:00.000Z

This is weird/odd wrong and yet strangely compelling. So all told it sums up everything that I have to come to love about the Japanese.

This is an arcade game where you poke the bottom of a virtual enemy and win "prizes." It takes the arcade game to a whole new level (and not necessarily upwards in the world if you know what I mean...)

Anyway, for a Monday it really made me laugh. But I'll set the web site describe it in better detail:

"The object of Boong-Ga Boong-Ga is to score points by spanking or performing kancho (anal probing) on a model of a human posterior embedded in the game’s cabinet. A plastic finger is attached to the machine for players to perform the latter.

The game features eight characters players can “punish”: “ex-girlfriend”, “ex-boyfriend”, “gangster”, “mother-in-law”, “Gold-digger”, “Prostitute”, “child molester” and “Con-artist”. During gameplay, the facial expression of the chosen character is displayed on a monitor.

The game also dispenses cards that rates players on their “sexual behavior”, and for players who perform exceptionally well the machine will dispense a small plastic trophy in the shape of pile of feces."

Madness or genius? You tell me! Read the full article here

Mills: "Paul called me a one-legged bitch"

2007-11-12T02:41:00.000Z

From Digital Spy - Showbiz News
A report claims that Heather Mills has a tape of Paul McCartney calling her a "one-legged bitch".

Well if the shoe fits...

Sorry, could not resist. As you can see I'm on the side of Sir Paul (as is most of the world if you believe the Sun newspaper)

A new favorite quote from the SCMP: China PR

2007-11-06T09:17:00.000Z

So China is building its own (and I stress) COPY of London's millennium Wheel. Now having been to Beijing I have no idea what people are going to see at the top of this attraction other than smog, which interestingly this "artists" mock up does not seem to have.

But the best bit form the article is the quote from the PR manager. and yes he really did say this, "When you take a ride, you can see all the new developments in the city's business district, parts of the Forbidden City. And with a bit of imagination, you can see the great wall."

Lets read that last bit again, "with a bit of imagination you can see the Great Wall." ???! What??! With a bit of imagination I can see the great Wall from my office window in Hong Kong... Doesn't mean I can actually see it!

China PR team strikes again. Link here to the full story (subscription required)

You might not like him but he's right

2007-11-06T09:13:00.001Z

Michael O'Leary who is the head of Ryan Air on climate change and China:

"Rejecting the idea that concerns over climate change could affect passenger numbers he said it was "complete bloody nonsense" for western governments to worry about aviation when it produced only 2% of the world's carbon emissions while shipping and the power industry produced much more.

"China and India are laughing at us while they build more coal-fired power stations. The European middle classes are having a mid-life crisis and the sooner we wake up and say so the better."

Hate the guy but I agree with what he says. Of course we need to take stand on climate change, but here in Hong Kong where the results of pollution can be seen most days it has rejected recycling for being non-cost effective.

When the President of China came for a visit they had a problem of the pollution so what did they do? Why they shut down the factories for a week. Genius.

A new arrival to the family: IVY

2007-11-05T07:05:00.000Z

Well its been a busy week-end here in Hong Kong. We decided on Saturday to foster a new dog, don't ask me how this happened it was over in a flash. one minute Padstow and I are in the dog rescue home chatting with the dogs (me talking with Sally the founder) and bam! Caz has found a new friend for Padstow.

So far so good, everyone seems to be getting on and I hope that Ivy (short for St. Ives, get it?! Padstow and St.Ives!) will be a permanent fixture in our flat. She is a beautiful dog and of course very much this seasons colour (White) with Padstow (black) its all very Prada Hong Kong cool.

More photos and news if we decide to keep her, she has a week with us and we'll decide then.

Question: Does she get your vote? Leave a comment and let us know.

Update: Yes she is very calm, sensible and gentle. And yes Padstow is attention seeking, naughty and loud. AND YES, I know there is a direct comparison between me and Caz...

Internal emails

2007-11-05T02:56:00.002Z

Interesting week it must have been back at the mother ship in Chicago. Employee survey email was sent out two weeks ago, then last week an email from the CEO asking employees to fill out the survey. Then one from the global Business unit head, then one from HR, then another from Asia Pac head, and finally the one from my direct boss.

The reason: Only 43% of employees had filled out the form.

Now, this may just be me (and my management style) but if 57% of employees are not filling out a survey on how they think the business is run, you don't need a survey, the answer is right there in front of you.

Now I am being corrected on MY English??!

2007-11-01T05:36:00.000Z

Coming to Hong Kong was (and still is) something of an adventure. I have experienced many new things and met many new people and cultures. But something new to even me was being corrected on my English pronunciation. Amazing, I would have thought that the plummy accent and the fact THAT I AM ENGLISH, would have meant that no one would dare to try and correct my words in China.

Oh, how I was wrong.

In a meeting I am introduced to a new colleague who introduces herself as "Samanfa," I being the polite chap I am do not correct her, instead preferring to say "hello Samantha."

"Its Samanfa!" comes the response.

...??! "Saamaantha." I say. "No, Samanfa!" - It sounds better don't you think?

Cue 100 Croydon pram face council mothers collectively shouting "looser, minger" in my head.

All I can bring myself to say is "Hello." I will never complain about an American accent again. Promise.

Mao was an "imbecile"

2007-11-01T05:12:00.000Z

These are not my words, but a quote from Steve Wynn, billionaire casino developer who described Mao Zedong as an "imbecile", telling more than a thousand investment advisers that the communist revolutionary "almost ruined" his country.

Read the rest of the article here (subscription required to SCMP)

Now, I am no billionaire, but this is just not a smart thing to say. And when you consider that Wynn casino is doing very nicely in Macau its just not a good thing to say to a government who don't take to kindly to quotes like this.

Billionaire yes, politician, no.

Halloween in Hong Kong

2007-10-31T06:28:00.000Z

My colleague informs me that in Hong Kong people don't give sweets instead they give money. Perhaps I will take Padstow trick or treating after all...

Royal Blackmail: The name - But who cares?

2007-10-31T02:24:00.000Z

OK, lets get this over with - The law is indeed an ass as the Times.co.uk writes here. They are not allowed to publish the name, but anyone else in a foreign country can.

Its Lord David Linley (read here for the Italian link). There we go. A very minor royal and the only real news is that someone wanted £50,000 pounds to keep it quiet. Frankly, no one cares about this chap and they should have released it days ago - There would be no story now had they done this.

Have they learnt nothing from the Diana fiasco? I wonder who advises the Royal family on the web and PR because they are doing a pretty lousy job. It took me two minutes to establish that it wasn't Harry (have you seen Chelsea??! Gay? I don't think so...) Charles? Well, possible I suppose.

Any child in the UK can type into google and get the result. The issue should be that people are writing that its Charles, its Harry and that is where the dame can be done.

The real story is that this isn't a story - Its only making waves in the UK because the (UK ONLY) press can't publish what I can or the Italian press can, its absolute madness.

Now, lets all get back to Britney's meltdown or the smog in Hong Kong. That is really news.

Now this is a quote...

2007-10-30T03:39:00.000Z

I always tell people, be careful what you say online as everyone will quote you, no matter what or how you meant those words to come out. Everything is now under a global microscope.

Today I read a new favourite from NBC Universal Chief Jeff Zucker;

"Apple has destroyed the music business... If we don't take control on the video side, they'll do the same [there]."

If he means destroyed in terms of increased sales (read profits), new artists and generally an all round better experience for consumers then yes, Apple has indeed destroyed the music business.

Words fail me on this one. No-one would ever say anything that stupid in Hong Kong of course...