Eldon-Online

...And More Wait!

While I take a positive decision about my weight, I really wish the Government in Hong Kong could do something positive about another type of wait!

Ever wondered why traffic in Central, particularly in the early evenings, is so diabolical? No, it's not the weight of rush hour traffic, although that clearly does not help. It is the inability of that traffic to move freely. And why is that?

I refer to the habit that some people have got into of being so lazy that they cannot suffer a little wait, or at least be considerate to other road users. They make their drivers park, sit, wait, double park - even triple park, for their convenience. If you are waiting for your car, which then arrives, you are often into the third lane of traffic to try and get in to it. It will only be a matter of time before someone gets hurt - physically.

It is selfish people who make their drivers come down town to pick them from areas such as the front of Princes Building , and then expect them to stay - preferably parked until they come out of the building. If they are delayed by 20 or 30 minutes, it doesn't seem to matter to them, and if they are with a friend they seem to enjoy the final discussion/chat just to indicate how important they think they are. Meanwhile cars are backing up round corners, and jammed on Chater Road because the traffic cannot get past the offending vehicles, slowing everything down. Cars with number plates like NP 36**; NZ 15**, CG *8, all of which have been recent culprits. (Okay, so I have partially protected them, but I have the photos - and I am sure they won't read this anyway, but steam released!)

Every so often the police come by, and then the drivers take off in a hurry, knowing that they should not be waiting so long, or be double parked, but the uniformed services undoubtedly have better things to do than act as traffic wardens and as soon as they leave the scene - back come the cars.

I feel sorry for the drivers actually. I am sure that if they are not there when the "boss" comes out of the building, expecting to step directly into his or her car, they will be told off.

Many other "world" cities seem to manage to cope with the problem through higher standards of driving discipline, ( I am sure someone will pick me up with a "world" city example that is worse - but I am talking about the city I live in), and through the employment of traffic wardens - and indeed, there seem to be some wardens in Hong Kong, occasionally, but never where they should be. Probably concerned about the stream of abuse they would suffer if they tried to book certain people. During the course of the day in Central, there are a number of favourite (but illegal) stopping places where drivers remain for as long as they dare until a policeman comes by and moves them on. Surely the amount of fines you could impose on illegal or disruptive parking would in most cases pay for the wardens, and would have the added benefit of making Hong Kong's roads a little easier to navigate.

I guess it is as much a plea for a little common courtesy to others. And yes, to whoever is thinking it, if I don't like it I can always go live elsewhere - but it's probably the pollution that will drive me to that decision before selfish individuals! I have enough friends who do behave decently to make that choice easier.

When I'm Sixty Four....

Remember the old Beatles song?

                        … will you still need me, will you still feed me

                        When I’m sixty four?

Well ageing is at last getting to be a recognised phenomenon right up there with climate change, although if no changes are made in that latter department, none of us will be still alive at 64 in a few generations!

One could say, slightly stupidly I suppose, that ageing is a “fact of life”. (Well, it is!).  But whilst it is a fact that has been around for a while now, and there have been many papers and books written on the subject, it has only recently become a primary topic of regular discussion in the media particularly in relation to China. It was some years ago I first heard the phrase that China was going to get old before it got rich ... but then things went ominously quiet.

I first took a serious interest in the subject of ageing a little while before I became one of the relevant statistics. HSBC did some work with an engaging professor of gerontology on the subject of demographics, Dr. Ken Dychtwald, who has been one of the pioneers in studying the subject at length – putting a commercial interpretation on what it all meant for an organisation like the Bank and the territories in which it operated.

China then, as it does now, loomed large on the horizon back then but commentaries were more often aimed at the declining fertility in and the greying populations of, Europe and, in Asia particularly, of Japan.  Fast forward to today, and recent reports on ageing in China.

A society is officially ageing, according to the UN (and to the SCMP, where I lifted the definition from), when 10% of its population is 60 or over and 7% is 65 or older. In China, from the latest available figures, those numbers are 13.59% and 9.29% respectively – whereas Hong Kong’s comparative statistic for the over 60s is 17.14%. No wonder Donald Tsang was so pleased with the statistic he trotted out to justify the government claim that Hong Kong air quality was not so bad, proving that Hong Kong people were living longer – and probably living indoors! 

In China this longevity issue creates a real strain when one considers the effects of the one child policy, which is now really beginning to show through. Situations where one male child marries and has a child of his own, so he has a family of three to feed. But his elderly parents, and his wife's elderly parents are living longer and need supporting, so one person is supporting seven. No social security safety net, no government healthcare net, and unemployment in China is rising. 

But there are problems elsewhere too. Most of the time the older ones amongst us rejoice (as long as we are in reasonable health) that we have an opportunity to live longer, but the strain it is going to put on society as we move forward is going to be almost as immense as the problem in China. Older people will be capable of, and in many cases want to, work for longer, meaning a clogging up of senior job promotion opportunities for the younger generation. If, for whatever reason, people do stop working at around 60 or 65 - and they are going to live until 90 or beyond (I believe there is a statistic that suggests 80% of every female child born in a developed country in the year 2000 will make it to 100 years old), which government is going to sort out healthcare issues that arise - and how does a worker in that environment make sufficient money to put aside as a pension?

It really is a can of worms for Asia, particularly if you care to look at the other end of the demographic lifeline.

One the one hand, you can take some comfort from the young populations that exist in Asia. In India, one out of every three people is below the age of 15. Indonesia, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam also have relatively young populations. In other words they have a "youth bulge" - to use one of the ADB's more technical terms. A bulge that has the potential to stimulate economic growth in the short term and asset creation in the longer term. But the stimulation comes from jobs, and they may no longer be so readily available.

And let's add one more ingredient to this rather depressing scenario. Asia has too many men. They cannot find wives, and if they can neither do that nor find jobs, they might just find extreme nationalism instead.

Lessons? Let us get on with doing something serious, really serious, about climate change but let's also deal with another growing problem that has the potential to create further instability.

Meanwhile, on a lighter note, I'm going back to read some of the revised song titles I have just been sent that will resonate with those who remember the originals; songs that are now entitled "The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face", "I Can't See Clearly Now" and "A Whiter Shade Of Hair" 

What's In A Name?

Of course, it's all in the mind! And if, like me, you suffer from one that is slightly smutty, you tend to notice things that nice people wouldn't necessarily see at first glance. The object of my attention appeared in today's newspaper but before I get to it let me be serious for a minute.

There has been recent comment in Hong Kong, both in the press and on other blogs, about the inappropriate use of language in street names where words, once in common usage, have become derogatory in the more politically sensitive world of today. I am sympathetic to those who feel offended, and do not think we have to buy the argument from Government that making changes to street names would be too disruptive. But, again, there are always those who are prepared to be more extreme than is absolutely necessary in their demands for change. It is a fine balancing act to get it totally right, and you have to find pragmatic solutions that would satisfy the majority. History happened, and you can't change it (despite the attempts of some countries to have a go!). Obliterating names doesn't obliterate the past - and in fact is sometimes a salutary reminder of the things we, as human beings, got wrong.

This sort of issue falls into the same general category as apologising for the bad deeds of our forefathers who invaded, raped and pillaged anything they could get their hands on. There are many things I feel quite ashamed of in our history, and we do owe many apologies but how far back do we have to go before we are satisfied with those apologies. Should we choose a date in history and say "sorry, but anything that happened before 1745 we're not apologising for" ? Being sensible and grown up about history is the more appropriate course of action, to let us move on.

But I digress; back to names.

Jockey and Turf clubs around the world have a system of ensuring, as far as possible, that horse names remain pronouncable - and polite, for commentators and public alike. Some slip through the net, but are usually picked up pretty quickly. A case in point in Hong Kong was the horse that was allowed to run under its full name of Shinnecock Hills, rather than the preferred Shinnecock. But I now wonder whether the Hong Kong Government's Transport Department needs a similar monitor.

Vehicle registration marks in Hong Kong are in English, and the new scheme that lets you create your own has delivered some, shall we say, strange plates. (The car of similar make and colour to my own which bears the registration mark ELDON is, by the way, nothing to do with me. I am not a fan of the idea anyway). But the one that caught my eye today in the SCMP is the advertisement for the next round of auctions on 31 October, and specifically plate auction number 27 in the morning session. It is a perfectly respectable name in Chinese, but I am not so sure that English-speaking non-Chinese visitors to Hong Kong who don't know these things will be quite so understanding or approving. I also am concerned that it will become a source of irreverent and inappropriate comment in certain less savoury publications.

Imagine, for example, a quiet day out on the road with your granddaughter who is just learning to put letters together to form words. She sees the car of the successful bidder for Lot 27 and suddenly says "Look at that Fuk Hing car in front". Her Grandmother, for one, would have a fit!

P R and C ... and Sixty

P, R and C - three seemingly random letters from the alphabet but which, put together as I write this week, have some interesting meanings.

In the first instance, PRC is of course the key set of initials leading people in many parts of the world to focus on the celebrations in China, as the People's Republic celebrates its 60th Anniversary. A number of friends are already in Beijing waiting for 1 October, to be present and to experience the atmosphere - although I suspect the visuals may actually be better experienced on the television. Wonder if the celebrations will be shown in Dubai, where I am headed?

Of course, feelings about the whole event - the cost, the scale, the symbolism and the multiple messages it sends - are already subject to much scrutiny and interpretation. I have not met anyone yet who is  ambivalent about it, from university professors to taxi drivers and hairdressers (okay, barber in my case!), from Americans to Chinese, Australians and Africans - everyone it seems. From the overly optimistic to the prejudicially pessimistic. And the media for once is very mixed; some actually with glowing positive reports as to what all this means for the future - "balanced" by the downright scary.

China has spent lavishly on a couple of events in the last few years, what with the Olympics and now this parade. And we will never know the exact amounts. But when was the last occasion they spent like this? Maybe 20 years ago when they celebrated their 40th? Let’s remember that China operates its calendar under a sexagenary cycle, meaning that 60 is a particularly important milestone as calendars go. Yes some (or all) of that money could have been used for other purposes and yes, China is not perfect in so many ways. But I would argue it has improved dramatically certainly in the last 30 and is continuing to do so. It is probably one of the only economies in the world today that has some growth – having avoided some of the excesses suffered by its so called “developed” teachers and advisers. Why not have a party, and lighten up a little?

It is always interesting to me that people are quick to be critical of China, who take some pride in their nationalism. Is it possible that the Americans are any less nationalistic, or the Thais or the Singaporeans? As I wrote earlier, China Is not perfect. Its government does things that interfere with civil liberties but you cannot tell me that such issues are not present in the countries mentioned above. Oh, and they all have another thing in common - the death penalty. What a civilized world in which we live!

China is celebrating 60 years in a way they know best. It's a country that has 1.3bn people - of course there's going to be a cast of thousands. At least people can take a little ownership and say that they were a part of it.

Whether it suits us or not, we have to get used to the idea that China is a part of the world in which we live, and will be around for many more lifetimes. Perhaps the time will come when the world is going to need China's help somehow, and they'll have every right to turn around and say - why should we? But they won't, because that's not how they play their game.

Returning to the alphabet, where I started, not only is PRC in the news this week, but for me P and R are also in the news – and just happens to involve C too. Lost?

Public Relations are an important part of our world today. It doesn’t matter if you are a Fortune 500 company, or an individual – PR is all around you.

The announcements made by HSBC at the end of last week concerning the relocation of the Group Chief Executive to Hong Kong were a real PR coup in my opinion. Coming just one week before the 60^th Anniversary, the timing was perfect. The return home, in many ways, provides a ringing endorsement that Asia in general and China in particular is seriously important as far as the economic future of the world is concerned.

I have received many requests from journalists seeking my opinion on the move and on a number of the ramifications surrounding the decisions but I think I had better keep them to myself, other than to say, “Welcome home”!

And before I leave PR. I hope you noticed the announcement last week that the China Investment Corporation (CIC) has invested a substantial sum of money into Noble. That, coming on the back of a rating agency upgrade, saw a lot of positive PR for a company with which I am happy to be associated. 

Finally, I had to smile at a smart (paraphrased) response from the eloquently elegant Madam Fu Ying, Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom that I saw on a news channel yesterday who, when asked by a British reporter whether the next 60 years might see a change in China, leading to giving people the vote said, “You mean, copy the way you do things?” Touché Madam. 

All in all, a pretty good week for P, R and C – and happy birthday to a Sixty Year Old from an Over Sixty!

Money Man

It will come as no surprise to most that Norman Chan has been named as the new head of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, commencing his role on 1 October. Good choice!

I have known Norman for almost 30 years, and I cannot think of anyone else better qualified on an all round basis to assume the substantial mantle that will be left by Joseph Yam. What Hong Kong's premier regulator needs today is someone who understands Hong Kong and how it works. Someone who fully understands "central banking" and has a working knowledge of commercial banking. A person of integrity - who despite being appointed by Government, is capable of independent thought. An individual, then, who is known to and can work with the financial authorities and regulators in China. A character who understands that Hong Kong's position as a global financial centre is dependent on consultation and collaboration with the domestic financial industry.  

I believe that Norman will serve Hong Kong's best interests loyally and with skillful competence. I wish him well.

Of course, I don't for one minute believe that the announcement of the appointment will be the end of the debate!

Comments will be made on the transparency of the process, as legislators will undoubtedly say they should have been involved in the selection, and in today's open world it is hard to deny that where cases of public office are involved, greater transparency is becoming more usual. The trouble with such an open process is that it then becomes "selection by media", with commentary often provided by people without a sufficient understanding of the real issues - concentrating instead on personalities instead of competence.

There will also be comments on the new salary level, where some people will be inclined to say that even though the remuneration is 32% lower than Josephs' it is still a substantial sum. Maybe so, but if you want good people you have to pay for them. I am sure that if Norman were to venture into the private sector, he would attract a much higher remuneration than the one he is receiving from the Government. (Salary is a much different issue from bonuses - and I have a view on the most recent announcements from the investment banking community!).

And is the five year term an issue? I hope it's renewable - if appropriate.

In my personal opinion, this is a good move for Hong Kong. But you should take into account a description I read on someone's opinion of my Blog recently who wrote

 "... former lion of international high finance who is now in his winter. Mr. Eldon's views of the world, of China, and of HK are of his past spring. One may question how relevant his views are in today's political reality... "

Oh well!!!

The Debate Continues: Hong Kong vs. Shanghai

The question that seems to bother Hong Kong journalists much more than their counterparts on the Mainland of China is the one that asks when Hong Kong will lose out to Shanghai as a financial centre. Why this difference in focus exists is something of a puzzle, but suggests to me that Hong Kong has developed a real (even though unnecessary) inferiority complex, especially where China is concerned. In the meantime China - or in this case Shanghai - is openly confident about achieving its goals, and sees little of concern that might hinder its progress.

Hong Kong has been successful as a financial centre. It is something that we in Hong Kong should be proud of, while at the same time making sure that we do not rest on our laurels. But, as I have said before, we do seem to take a perverse pleasure in denigrating ourselves - in allowing our media and even our legislators to "knock" (look at the slang definition) everything in sight; particularly if the Hong Kong Government is involved.

In a meeting of the Institute of International Finance I attended in Beijing last week a highly respected friend Dr Fang Xinghai, now Director General of the Shanghai Municipal Government Financial Services Office, laid out in his usual unambiguous matter of fact style the blueprint for Shanghai's aspirations. They could not be clearer. Shanghai will be the international financial centre for China, in time, and it is even decreed by the State Council that this should be the case. Period. So, what of Hong Kong, he was asked?

"Ah", said Dr. Fang, not at all put out by the question, "in terms of financial affairs Hong Kong is essentially a separate region under one country two systems, and it surely will have its own plans".

As an aside, it has surely been clear from way back that various cities in China have had aspirations to become a financial hub - international or otherwise. Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian amongst them - but the logical place for me anyway has always been Shanghai. It has historical claims, and it remains the hub of China's mercantile trade. It has been similarly evident that Shanghai actually really wants to undertake the role of international finance centre and not merely become the centre for finance in China, although heaven knows there is probably enough business there alone to keep a financial centre busy for ever. 

Okay; ball firmly back in Hong Kong's court. Do we have our own plans?

Well this, perhaps, is where the story starts to get a little blurred. Do we have a clearly articulated vision of Hong Kong as an international financial centre, in the same way that Shanghai is clearly focused? Yes we talk about it, but if you were to ask one of this City's leaders - public or private sector, about the definite plans to keep Hong Kong ahead of the competition what would they say? Would it be? 

"We have a well proven financial infrastructure encompassing the best practices from around the world. We have full support services for the industry with highly professional international and domestic firms in accounting and law. We have a strong, flexible, fair, industry-friendly collaborative regulatory regime. We are open to new ideas, and will always move quickly to implement the necessary changes required to keep us up with or ahead of the competition. We have a business friendly, knowledgeable legislature that understands financial affairs and acts to protect the prominence of Hong Kong. Our relationship with China is such that we can expect to be used as a "toe in the water" for changes that might be implemented more widely in China and internationally, such as Shanghai being allowed to use the RMB as a trading currency?"

If we can say yes to every one of these things then we are at least aware of our surroundings, and are proactively working towards ensuring that we remain as an important global financial centre. If we have gaps - we must close them.

The reputation of a financial centre is as important as its ability to perform, and reputations as we all know are lost in a nano-second, but take years, decades, centuries even, to establish. Look at London, and allow me to quote selectively excerpts from Stephen Inwood's excellent book "A History of London", writing on the period from 1965-2000.

"The City, nevertheless, was a huge and long-established centre of financial services, skills, contacts and institutions...this was London's greatest single advantage" ..."an enormous number of financial institutions offering profitable and tax-efficient investments of every conceivable description" ..."London's size and reputation, along with the skills and resourcefulness of its financial operators, enable it to beat or equal Tokyo, New York and its European rivals".

We have the fundamentals, the reputation, the skills and the abilities to continue to prosper as an international financial centre. It is up to us to keep those skills finely sharpened, to maintain our track record, to be creative (within the realms of decency given global financial scandals that have affected others much more than they have affected us), and make others chase us - instead of us doing the chasing.

We should welcome the competition that will be provided by Shanghai, but I would argue that this is not a heads we lose, tails they win scenario. Can Asia, and the global financial communities indeed, withstand the presence of two major international financial centres based in China - Hong Kong and Shanghai? I would say yes. Shanghai will make it, in time, but provided we do not falter in our own endeavours and ambitions, we will be right there too.

Phones Off - Please!...(Or Are You Special?)

I don't know about you, but even though many people believe that flying with a mobile phone switched on is actually safe, I still get slightly nervous when phones are left on until the last minute. This, despite the exhortations of the safety video and the cabin crew to turn mobile phones off as they posed a risk.

Perhaps when the airlines agree that safety is not a problem for mobiles and allow them to be left on all the time, our only concern will be noise pollution within the plane.

Today I flew to Beijing on the 9 a.m.flight and was, very fortunately, seated in the front section of the Dragonair plane. One of my fellow passengers appeared to be rather important. He was wearing some insignia which suggested that he might have something to do with the Hong Kong Government. He was accompanied by a number of other passengers, but they were seated in another part of the aircraft - not seat 1H, where this passenger was sitting. And on arrival in Beijing, while one of his traveling companions carried his bags and suit bag off the plane, there was a large collection of people at the aircraft door to greet him. 

But what really got my attention was the take-off from Hong Kong. While the cabin crew were safely seated out of the line of sight, and as the aircraft wheels came off the ground, passenger "1H" calmly opened his phone, dialled a number, and had a conversation. It was relatively brief - and would have been a lot briefer if I had been sitting closer to him! But the fact was, it happened.

The Dragonair cabin crew, when they were able to move about the cabin, were helpful and courteous as I explained my concerns (by which time "1H" had conveniently gone to sleep) and promised to speak to him in due course - and to write my complaint in their book. I am sure they will do the latter, as they did carry out the the former, and they have no idea whether I will write an official complaint to Dragonair or not - so better safe than sorry.

I am told that "1H" travels a lot with the airline, that when confronted he admitted using his phone, and that he promised not to do it again. Yeh; right!! 

But the point surely is that if a lady can be arrested for not being willing to put her bag up in the overhead locker, as happened some time ago, should we just ignore a passenger who - if we are to believe the announcements - willingly puts everyone at risk by using his phone? Or is he too important, and therefore must be treated differently.

The Dragonair staff were, and absolutely correctly, unable to let me know the passenger's name. I respect that. But as we got off the plane and the purser said, "Goodbye Mr. Eldon", I then heard her mention the name of the passenger just behind me, from seat 1H.

I really hope he learns to set a good example in future, rather than the extremely shoddy display of ignoring rules that in his view were obviously made for everyone else!!

 

Vote for Hong Kong

It's election time in the USA. It is where I am right now and as I write it is still Tuesday so it ain't over. Personally I shall be pleased when it is. Not because the outcome is not important, it is, but because of the months and months it seems to have been assaulting our ears in Hong Kong and elsewhere - and the money the process costs in America. Frankly I prefer the British electoral system. Call an election, keep the period for electioneering short and restrict the amount of money it costs.  (Similar to the USA, though, it still doesn't guarantee we get the right person at the top!)

So with elections being topical I started to think, as I often do, about Hong Kong. Not from a political leadership perspective, but from the point of view of Hong Kong's position in the world, in Asia and in China - particularly in the post "American Crisis" era.

 Historically Hong Kong has thrived on crisis; political or economic. It was done by a mixture of entrepreneurial and practical business people with common sense, a facilitative civil service and a hard working labour force. 

 What's changed? 

 Well not a lot when you think about it. The entrepreneurs are still there, university-educated perhaps but with less of the raw gut instinct of their fathers. The civil service is still there and has the ability to perform as before, even if it does not always show the inclination to do so (due partly to the presence and pressure of a less business savvy and more banana-driven and hirsute legislature), and the workforce still seems to be largely willing to perform as hard as before. So although we, along with everyone else, who has been caught up in the "American Crisis”, have some issues, we've nothing to be concerned about long term, right?

Well, maybe we'll be lucky, but this is no time for complacency and it is pleasing to know that at least some in the business community are looking seriously at the subject. Mind you, looking, debating and agreeing are only a part of the sum; action is harder.

 I was delighted to be asked recently to give my views to a group of business people. Delighted because at this stage of career I am pleased to be asked my opinion about something - well just about anything actually.

 I used a couple of stories to illustrate the points I was making but my main thoughts from the first story, in brief, looked at:

 - the world over the next 30 years; a more interconnected, interdependent and international world. A world in which Hong Kong, despite the ties with China and the obvious synergies, must remain international in focus unless we want to become just another city in China - and a small one at that.

- whether we need to ask ourselves some basic but sensitive questions. For example have we become all too comfortable in relying largely on China? Do we realise there are markets in directions other than north? 

- Simply put, Hong Kong is where it is today because of our international focus. Because this is a city where people from different places can do business together. If we want to remain relevant to China, and the world, our internationalism cannot be left behind - unless we want to be left behind.

 In terms of the second story, the salient point was that as Hong Kong moves forward we have to increase our appeal. In the comments above, I talked about our interconnected world. In such a scenario people we need in Hong Kong will only be attracted here if our city offers them and/or their families the best lifestyle. This means being honest with ourselves. Are we sometime soon going to go beyond paying lip service to cleaning up our environment or do we expect to be able to do as little in the next 30 years as the last 30 and still have a city worth living in? Simply put, if Hong Kong hopes to compete going forward, it must be a desirable destination for both business and leisure.

 Lastly I made a few points about aggression; being aggressive in defending our turf and our reputation. There is a re-balancing taking place in world economies. We are becoming increasingly volatile in the global economy - a volatility that is being partly driven by flows of information and misinformation. But in this environment we need to consider what we must do to stay ahead of the competition. 

Once again, these trends raise some sensitive but basic questions for Hong Kong. Questions about how to best fend off the competition, to make sure we stay ahead of ALL those cities in Asia that want what Hong Kong already has? But also questions about dealing with negative perceptions transparently and promptly and aggressively protect Hong Kong's regulatory reputation.

So, a few thoughts on this Election Day but for me - and I hope for those of you who have an interest in your future, when you have an opportunity - Vote for Hong Kong.

Pride of Place

The British author and TV Presenter, Jeremy Paxman, summed up the English (specifically) as being "... polite, unexcitable, reserved, and who had hot-water bottles instead of a sex-life". A summing up that could, perhaps, apply to the British generally although we Scots have been known on occasion to thump our chests, albeit usually prematurely, having scored the first points in a Six Nations rugby against the "Auld Enemy", from which we go on to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory!

Britons have usually been more apologetic than proud of their country and its achievements - at least since they lost the Empire! Rare sightings are seen of anything other than a stiff upper lip, and competitiveness on a school sports field seems to have been banned because it disadvantages the less talented. Not so, it seems in the world of art, where a dead sheep suspended in a tank of formaldehyde is considered worthy of rapturous outpourings. Thank goodness art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Abroad, the average Brit will not open his or her mouth in a foreign language unless there is a high degree of confidence that, mentally at least before utterance, the words and the sentence construction are correct; (and I did say "average" before my own children who are at least bi-lingual and in most cases tri-lingual, take me to task!). We tend not to stand out in a crowd in case we stand at the wrong time. We are self-effacing to the extent that you realise we would have been just as happy with getting a second place. A jolly good show!

That was until two weeks ago.

The usually staid "Daily Telegraph" newspaper headline for 20 August read "A Great British Olympics". Since I arrived a few days ago, I have seen a level of pride rising in Britain in a way I have not seen before. A pride in being British, even. Not an arrogant, huffing and puffing, chest-out pride of course, (let's not go overboard!) but just a genuine pleasure in seeing British athletes in all disciplines bringing home medals many were not expected to win. And even taking a good natured "dig" at the Australians for a change, to whom we seem to lose at so many other things.

But the point is this. Success is infectious. It has been the wettest August in Britain for many years, maybe since records began - and we are only just over half way through the month, but you wouldn't know it, from the glow of the Olympic successes. There is an attitude of mind that is positive, and it has been achieved in a short space of time. A real feel good factor. And it brought me back to thinking about Hong Kong.

Thinking about how, so often, we look for the negatives even in a positive environment - or an environment that is least better than that elsewhere. If attitude of mind is the key, then we need to be highlighting those events that should make us feel proud of Hong Kong. Start with our part in the Olympics - a successful equestrian event, thanks to the Jockey Club in large part. Continue by promoting democracy, and electing people to Legco next month whose interests are in the future prosperity of Hong Kong. 

I feel the world is watching us rather more closely than we might think, and a positive attitude will demonstrate that we are awake, alive and not suffering from complacency. We must be proud of who we are and what we have achieved. If the British can do it - so can we!

Right Choice - Convicts Not Wanted

The decision by the Hong Kong Government, according to the latest news I have heard, not to permit convicted British paedophile Paul Gadd, (better known to an older generation perhaps as Gary Glitter) to enter Hong Kong is rational, sane and should be applauded. I just hope hope that no one changes the Government's mind!

But the decision will be met with dismay by at least one British Member of the European Parliament, Godfrey Bloom, who is the UK Independence Party's representative for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire.

I heard Mr Bloom today on Britain's Radio 2 advocating strongly that Glitter should be permitted to stay in Singapore or Hong Kong if that is what he wants to do. After all, Mr Bloom says, "why would we want a paedophile brought back to Britain, at the taxpayers expense, just so Britain can keep an eye on him?" He went on to say that as Glitter had served his time for his recent conviction, and as he had made his strong desire known that he did not want to return to Britain but preferred to stay in South East Asia, he should be allowed - even encouraged - to do so. 

I must admit to a heart-sinking feeling when I heard that Glitter was, indeed, on his way to Hong Kong, in First Class, but good sense it seems has prevailed.

The laws in Britain covering people convicted of paedophilia are much more stringent than they would seem to be in Asia generally. A register of persons convicted of this most heinous of crimes is maintained, and the physical movement of paedophiles is monitored carefully, to the extent of taking away a person's ability to travel. Sadly, few Asian countries monitor such activities as carefully, leaving young children down as young as babies at serious risk from these sick people. No wonder Gary Glitter doesn't want to return to Britain, as his activities will be severely curtailed - and he might even be the target of some unpleasant abuse.

And, Mr. Bloom, I am sure you don't want Mr Gadd returning to his home country particularly if you have young grandchildren who might be at risk as a result, but don't try and foist this disgusting specimen of the human race onto us in Hong Kong.