Though with everything that has happened in the past almost two weeks and a sombre mood still hanging over Hong Kong after the fires in the three blocks of apartments in Tai Po, it’s “interesting” to see that the group known as Now United is suddenly back in the picture, and will be prancing around the racecourse in Happy Valley on HKIJC night with, one supposes, their Gangnam Style Giddyup dance moves. Frankly, Hong Kong needs to get back to some semblance of good times and

With many of us still trying to figure out what must be done to get Hong Kong back to some semblance of normality after the devastating fires in Tai Po and produce something approaching hope and happiness, it was oddly interesting timing to read racing writer Sam Agars of the SCMP tackle the subject of trainer David Hayes wanting the HKJC to think “out of the box” about the “oversupply” of Class 4 rated horses. A newspaper story is a newspaper story and this is not to say tha

Some have asked if the photos above are from “A Night At The Museum”, others have asked if they’re from some kitsch horror movie while the smarter of the species have asked if this display of equine oddities is in Shatin. Nah, it’s the Hong Kong Jockey Club Racing Museum in Happy Valley and far better known to longtime Hong Kong Belongers as a good place to catch a cab. Who goes to this place which we remember when attending its grand opening that was officiated by our non am

It was the weekend, I refused to watch the non-stop news about the crippling fires in Hong Kong, finished a song I was writing and stumbled on a video where Michael Parkinson was interviewing the great Shane Warne. It was easy to see that the great British television host and Warnie were friends and nothing was off limits.  The more I watched this 2007 interview, I was reminded of how similar Zac Purton is to the great cricketer in his frankness, his pride in being an Austral

Maybe, I am wrong- hard to believe, I know- but even those with whom I once lived are suddenly looking somewhat dull. What I am seeing today an appalling lack of inspirational leaders in almost every industry and with most surrounded by subservient hires to do their bidding. There’s a very noticeable talent drain and strain, which is no doubt why something very important to our lives- the imagination needed to be creative and depend on those with the skills to deliver what’s

Though never tired of Becks and Posh being interviewed by Ali G back in the day, there was some mild interest in watching and listening to her on a podcast in America called @callherdaddy. Of course, she was there to promote her Netflix documentary. Having seen Charlize Theron, who we love to bits, use the word “fuxxing” quite a lot and about the joys of one night stands, we were expecting something kinda similarly offbeat from Victoria Beckham, who we know to have a very wic

There’s an eerie silence around me these days of my own doing. Maybe, I am wrong- hard to believe, I know- but even those I once loved and some with whom I lived are coming across being less than the sharpest tools in the shed. I am also seeing an appalling lack of inspirational leaders in every industry and with most having mediocre leadership skills and which means being surrounded by subservient hires to do their bidding. Something very important to our lives- creativity-

We’re all different people and thanks to whoever for that. When deciding to start what one calls a column, it’s really a personal diary of mental notes to myself in between writing as honestly as I can a book about my life and what I have learned along the way, those I have met and the mistakes I have made, especially to the only woman I will ever love, and the different types of politics I have encountered. I met Christopher Hitchens a few times, I have watched him give spee

Who we would like to see named in the Epstein Files: Wini, Pete and toy boy Dennis frolicking together by the whirlpool. Pauline Hanson Bazball  Kash Patel *********** Perhaps it’s not as good as when Hong Kong was producing award winning advertising, but all credit to McDonald’s for showing the city good, strategic creative work. For people like Philip Tse and myself who were there from the beginning to help launch McDonald’s in Hong Kong under the brilliantly unorthodox yet

This isn’t “Cocoon”, no one can reverse the aging process and those in, let’s say, their fifties aren’t exactly stepping up because either they don’t have the leadership skills to turn things around or there’s some kind of old girls and old boys clubs hoarding who does what, meaning that very possibly some very good talent with ideas are shut out. Also shut out is the Hong Kong I love and remember when it was positioned as “Asia’s World City” and really did attract the world

To those who just woke up to the idea of having an international mahjong championship in Hong Kong and how mahjong could even be an Olympic sport, do please bear in mind, children, that we suggested this over two years ago and using the drawing star power of Actress and mahjong aficionado Julia Roberts…   ********************* A tad disconcerting to hear from a girl who decided to take up transcendental meditation and how her first hour of solace and deep diving into her inne

Of course, it was expected: The hoopla on Sunday at Shatin surrounding a couple of Hong Kong’s and the world’s best racehorses in the form of the absolute Kong from the Hong in Kai Ying Rising and the return of the amazing Romantic Warrior. Kai Ying Rising is in a different league and his amazing win brought back recent memories of Travis Head tearing apart whatever “Bazballs” England might have thrown his way in the first of five Ashes Test matches between the two countries.

The only person I knew who could read the tea leaves and truly understand the China market was my friend and client, Daniel Ng. A former NASA engineer with a PhD in engineering, he somehow ended up opening the first McDonald’s in Hong Kong by owning the franchise in the city. A Visionary Against the Odds Despite the naysayers warning that Chinese people only ate rice and citing Burger King's decline in Hong Kong, Daniel sailed past them, guided by incredible self-belief. When

I don’t know much about Anil Wadhwani, but after watching him interview Andre Agassi, one of my all-time favourite tennis players, I was intrigued. Agassi brought so much colour and personality to the game, from tie-dyed cut-off jeans to a Rock’N Roll spirit on centre court. It was a delightful surprise to discover that the interviewer was Wadhwani, the 53-year-old CEO of Prudential plc. Prudential's Vision for Hong Kong and Asia What Prudential is doing for Hong Kong and Asi

In its own weird and controversial way, the HarbourFest event held in Hong Kong in 2003 was far more entertaining and intriguing than what it set out to be- and I was there for the first briefing session. That was enough. When it comes to entertainment in Hong Kong, one cannot help thinking back to that time and the ambitious event to attract international tourists back to Hong Kong after the crippling SARS crisis. “WE’RE GOING BACK IN TIME, MARTY! “Guided” by the Hong Kong g

The more pertinent question is whether despite the good intentions and solid leadership of chief executive John Lee to keep the city safe and secure, the Hong Kong government and the city’s other organisations have the necessary talent who truly know marketing, have made the time to understand that people make a city, and how only this type of navigation skills lead to success and Happily Ever Afters? There’s not going to be any change for the good with an oversupply of the s

Apart from the strategy of the Prudential NextGen Aces that is built around tennis and other racquet ball sports like the very much family oriented pickleball, the corporation’s corporate ethos appears to be about inspiring and developing new thinkers who have the vision and inspirational skills to be leaders for a new generation often lost in space. Prudential achieved this with visits to the city this month by former Champion tennis player Andre Agassi and World Number One

Remember the saying about “United We Stand, Divided We Fall”? I most certainly do and need to bring some closure to a subject that needs clearing up in that thick jungle of confusion and clutter and, well, horrendous music marketing.  Of course, those involved in the “United” 6-7 project will deny it- and the denial mentioned here has nothing to do with the river in Egypt- but the marketing and promotion in Hong Kong of the international group Now United has fallen well short

The interest in the pastime had been waning for some time, and when I woke up on Sunday afternoon after being back in Hong Kong for a few days and seeing how the rest of the world lives and not just survives, the usual weekend horse races were on. I wasn’t the least bit interested in who was riding what and even thinking of having a bet. All it did was make me wonder if gambling on horse racing is the most exciting consumer product the city has and where it rates with young H

Let’s maybe start with a little pimple therapy and build from here to things more multi dimensional and actually relevant to life, especially in Hong Kong where I have lived for over fifty years- important things like the costs of living with happiness instead of surviving with worry and fear because this city is STILL struggling with a locked down mindset… I’ve been asked about why turnover at the Hong Kong races last Wednesday night was down by over 13 percent. Think I care