bc magazine

The Great European Carnival 2016

The Great European Carnival returns to the Central Harbourfront this winter from the 4th December 2015 – 14th February 2016. As well as games, thrilling rides the midway this year will also feature the unique Udderbelly – a performance venue like no other.

The Udderbelly Festival has already released tickets for some great shows including comedians Rory Bremner, Jason Manford, musicians Gobsmacked, Michael Winslow and shows such as The Boy with Tape on His Face and The Elephant in the Room.

Great European Carnival + Udderbelly Festival
Date: 4 December 2015 – 21 February 2016
Venue: Central Harbourfront
Tickets: various

Halloween Fest @ Ocean Park

The night before All Saints Day (1 November) is known as All Hallows Eve, which has evolved over the centuries to Halloween and been embraced locally as a time to dress up, have fun and eat sweet treats. Commercially a single night has become a season, and there’s no better example of this than Ocean Park where it’s 15th Halloween Fest is a 6 week branding bonanza for sponsors stretching from 18 September to 1 November.

Spokesperson Allan Zeman said Halloween Fest is principally targeted at Hongkongers… Which makes it hard to understand why H15 this year’s signature Halloween attraction, for a park looking to attract 36,000+ people a day, is a single person journey strapped to a board from your funeral through the first seven days postmortem. Needless to say advance registration on 4 and 10 September is required. Looking to cater to everyone Ocean Park has Halloween tie-ins with TV show The Walking Dead and anime favourite Doraemon among its 10 Halloween attractions and 12 seasonal shows. Not having previewed any of the these it’s impossible to comment on them, although calling an attraction Lolita Mansion seems a little distasteful. There are also a variety of themed menus on offer.

So grab a few friends, set aside your cyncism and have a little fun, entry is $345, but nothing is that simple these days and there are almost as many discounted entry tickets, passes and ways avoid queues as there days in Halloween Fest, take a look at their website to see how to save www.oceanpark.com.hk

NPC Decision on HK Chief Executive Election by Universal Suffrage

August 31st marks the one year anniversary of the publication of the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on Issues Relating to the Selection of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by Universal Suffrage.

For those who have not read it, here is the full text

Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on Issues Relating to the Selection of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by Universal Suffrage and on the Method for Forming the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the Year 2016

(Adopted at the Tenth Session of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth National People’s Congress on 31 August 2014)

The Standing Committee of the Twelfth National People’s Congress considered at its Tenth Session the Report on whether there is a need to amend the methods for selecting the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2017 and for forming the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2016 submitted by Leung Chun-ying, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, on 15 July 2014. In the course of deliberation, the relevant views and suggestions of the Hong Kong community were given full consideration.

The Session points out that according to the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on Issues Relating to the Methods for Selecting the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and for Forming the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the Year 2012 and on Issues Relating to Universal Suffrage adopted by the Standing Committee of the Tenth National People’s Congress at its Thirty-first Session on 29 December 2007, the election of the fifth Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the year 2017 may be implemented by the method of universal suffrage; at an appropriate time prior to the selection of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by universal suffrage, the Chief Executive shall make a report to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress as regards the issue of amending the method for selecting the Chief Executive in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Interpretation by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of Article 7 of Annex I and Article III of Annex II to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, and a determination thereon shall be made by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. From 4 December 2013 to 3 May 2014, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region conducted an extensive and in-depth public consultation on the methods for selecting the Chief Executive in 2017 and for forming the Legislative Council in 2016. In the course of consultation, the Hong Kong community generally expressed the hope to see the selection of the Chief Executive by universal suffrage in 2017, and broad consensus was reached on important principles such as: the method for selecting the Chief Executive by universal suffrage shall comply with the Hong Kong Basic Law and the relevant Decisions of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and the Chief Executive shall be a person who loves the country and loves Hong Kong. With respect to the methods for selecting the Chief Executive by universal suffrage in 2017 and for forming the Legislative Council in 2016, the Hong Kong community put forward various views and suggestions. It was on this basis that the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region made a report to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on issues relating to amending the methods for selecting the Chief Executive in 2017 and for forming the Legislative Council in 2016. The Session is of the view that the report complies with the requirements of the Hong Kong Basic Law, the Interpretation by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of Article 7 of Annex I and Article III of Annex II to the Hong Kong Basic Law and the relevant Decisions of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, and reflects comprehensively and objectively the views collected during the public consultation; and is thus a positive, responsible and pragmatic report.

The Session is of the view that implementing universal suffrage for the selection of the Chief Executive represents a historic progress in Hong Kong’s democratic development and a significant change in the political structure of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Since the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and the sovereignty, security and development interests of the country are at stake, there is a need to proceed in a prudent and steady manner. The selection of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by universal suffrage has its origin in Paragraph 2 of Article 45 of the Hong Kong Basic Law: “The method for selecting the Chief Executive shall be specified in the light of the actual situation in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and in accordance with the principle of gradual and orderly progress. The ultimate aim is the selection of the Chief Executive by universal suffrage upon nomination by a broadly representative nominating committee in accordance with democratic procedures.” The formulation of the method for selecting the Chief Executive by universal suffrage must strictly comply with the relevant provisions of the Hong Kong Basic Law, accord with the principle of “one country, two systems”, and befit the legal status of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It must meet the interests of different sectors of the society, achieve balanced participation, be conducive to the development of the capitalist economy, and make gradual and orderly progress in developing a democratic system that suits the actual situation in Hong Kong. Given the divergent views within the Hong Kong community on how to implement the Hong Kong Basic Law provisions on universal suffrage for selecting the Chief Executive, and in light of the constitutional responsibility of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress for the proper implementation of the Hong Kong Basic Law and for deciding on the method for the selection of the Chief Executive, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress finds it necessary to make provisions on certain core issues concerning the method for selecting the Chief Executive by universal suffrage, so as to facilitate the building of consensus within the Hong Kong community and the attainment of universal suffrage for the selection of the Chief Executive smoothly and in accordance with law.

The Session is of the view that since the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be accountable to both the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Central People’s Government in accordance with the provisions of the Hong Kong Basic Law, the principle that the Chief Executive has to be a person who loves the country and loves Hong Kong must be upheld. This is a basic requirement of the policy of “one country, two systems”. It is determined by the legal status as well as important functions and duties of the Chief Executive, and is called for by the actual need to maintain long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and uphold the sovereignty, security and development interests of the country. The method for selecting the Chief Executive by universal suffrage must provide corresponding institutional safeguards for this purpose.

The Session is of the view that the amendments made to the method for forming the fifth term Legislative Council in 2012 represented major strides towards the direction of enhancing democracy. The existing formation method and voting procedures for the Legislative Council as prescribed in Annex II to the Hong Kong Basic Law will not be amended, and will continue to apply in respect of the sixth term Legislative Council in 2016. This is consistent with the principle of gradual and orderly progress in developing a democratic system that suits Hong Kong’s actual situation and conforms to the majority view in the Hong Kong community. It also helps the various sectors of the Hong Kong community to focus their efforts on addressing the issues concerning universal suffrage for selecting the Chief Executive first, thus creating the conditions for attaining the aim of electing all the members of the Legislative Council by universal suffrage after the implementation of universal suffrage for the selection of the Chief Executive.

Accordingly, pursuant to the relevant provisions of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, the Interpretation by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of Article 7 of Annex I and Article III of Annex II to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on Issues Relating to the Methods for Selecting the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and for Forming the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the Year 2012 and on Issues Relating to Universal Suffrage, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress makes the following decision:

I. Starting from 2017, the selection of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may be implemented by the method of universal suffrage.

II. When the selection of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is implemented by the method of universal suffrage:

(1) A broadly representative nominating committee shall be formed. The provisions for the number of members, composition and formation method of the nominating committee shall be made in accordance with the number of members, composition and formation method of the Election Committee for the Fourth Chief Executive.

(2) The nominating committee shall nominate two to three candidates for the office of Chief Executive in accordance with democratic procedures. Each candidate must have the endorsement of more than half of all the members of the nominating committee.

(3) All eligible electors of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region have the right to vote in the election of the Chief Executive and elect one of the candidates for the office of Chief Executive in accordance with law.

(4) The Chief Executive-elect, after being selected through universal suffrage, will have to be appointed by the Central People’s Government.

III. The specific method of universal suffrage for selecting the Chief Executive shall be prescribed in accordance with legal procedures through amending Annex I to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China: The Method for the Selection of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The bill on the amendments and the proposed amendments to such bill shall be introduced by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in accordance with the Hong Kong Basic Law and the provisions of this Decision. Such amendments shall obtain the endorsement of a two-thirds majority of all the members of the Legislative Council and the consent of the Chief Executive before being submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress for approval.

IV. If the specific method of universal suffrage for selecting the Chief Executive is not adopted in accordance with legal procedures, the method used for selecting the Chief Executive for the preceding term shall continue to apply.

V. The existing formation method and voting procedures for the Legislative Council as prescribed in Annex II to the Hong Kong Basic Law will not be amended. The formation method and procedures for voting on bills and motions of the fifth term Legislative Council will continue to apply to the sixth term Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2016. After the election of the Chief Executive by universal suffrage, the election of all the members of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may be implemented by the method of universal suffrage. At an appropriate time prior to the election of the Legislative Council by universal suffrage, the Chief Executive elected by universal suffrage shall submit a report to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Interpretation by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of Article 7 of Annex I and Article III of Annex II to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China as regards the issue of amending the method for forming the Legislative Council. A determination thereon shall be made by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

The Session stresses that it is the consistent position of the central authorities to implement resolutely and firmly the principles of “one country, two systems”, “Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong” and a high degree of autonomy, strictly adhere to the Hong Kong Basic Law and steadily take forward the selection of the Chief Executive by universal suffrage in 2017. It is hoped that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and all sectors of the Hong Kong community will act in accordance with the provisions of the Hong Kong Basic Law and this Decision and jointly work towards the attainment of the aim of selecting the Chief Executive by universal suffrage.

Kai Tak Transport Deadzone

Since the closure of the old airport one large swathe of Hong Kong has become a deadzone for public transport. Alicia Sing explores how to get close to Kai Tak if you’re attending an event there or want to explore the area.

What are your options? Bus, minibus, MTR, walking… The closest MTR stops are Kowloon Bay and Ngau Tau Kok followed by a long walk. Here are the fastest and cheapest routes from across Hong kong, almost all routes require a 15-20 minute walk from the bus stop to the Kai Tak cruise terminal

[table id=KaiTak2015 /]

Alternatives – take a Taxi! There is a taxi pick up and drop off right outside the terminal. Here is the Chinese address for taxi drivers: 啟德郵輪碼頭

If you want to look up the fastest and cheapest route yourselves? Try this app: Hong Kong eTransport.

Hope you’ll find your way and enjoy your day!

Olympic Sevens Qualifying

The Hong Kong Sevens are the best global sporting social event around, in a world before the Internet and instant global communication the HK Sevens were known across the globe even by non-rugby players like myself. For my first tickets I queued overnight in a freezing Victoria Park and stayed three months in a city I’d planned to visit for a few days. That three months, turned into a lifetime and I’m now proudly a Hongkong and this wonderful city is my home. That first Sevens an ecstatic happy memory, the 21 that have followed, some of the best days of each year even though it’s hard work.

I love the Sevens and appreciate that they’re HK Rugby Football Union’s golden goose the multi-million annual tournament that stuffs the Union’s bank account to over-flowing. The competition that even now in the era of professional rugby, players dream of attending or playing at above almost any other. That ‘other’ was once perhaps singular, the Rugby World Cup, from 2016 the ‘other’ is a duo as the Olympics embraces Rugby 7s for the first time.

It’d be tough to say which is the biggest and best known sporting tournament in the world, the Olympics or the Football World Cup. The Olympics probably just shade it. The roar at the HK Stadium when Hong Kong won the shield in 2010 for their first trophy in a decade was amazing. But Lee Lai Shan wining gold at the Olympics was monumental as was Li Ching and Ko Lai Chak’s silver in 2004. Watching Sarah Lee win a bronze medal live at the London Olympics 2012 had me screaming at the computer monitor and walking around so proud and happy of a HongKonger’s achievement on the biggest of biggest sporting stages.

The Olympics, for all their faults, are when the world focuses on sport almost exclusively for a couple of weeks. Hong Kong’s men’s and women’s rugby 7s teams, both have a chance to be among the twelve countries who qualify to compete at Rio2016. The Olympics only happen every four years so qualifying is a hard and rare opportunity, and the fame of the HKSevens has given Hong Kong home advantage for both tournaments.

Really, you didn’t know – I’m not surprised. Tickets for the November 7-8 Qualification Tournament went on sale last week. Yet there’s no mention of this on the website of the HKRFU. Nothing on it’s facebook page, not even a tweet (account suspended). There’s been no press release about tickets going onsale. No details of how many tickets are available locally to the general public (are the Union worried that having 38,000 tickets for sale will reveal how much they are screwing the public allocation at the 7s – come on the public are not stupid, they know they get screwed every March on tickets). Nothing, nada! A black hole of promotion, advertising and awareness.

It is quite frankly a disgrace, Hong Kong might not win the gold medal at Rio2016 but qualifying would be a fantastic achievement. The roar of packed HK Stadium might be the eighth man that pushes Hong Kong across the qualification try-line against our two toughest regional rivals Japan and China. So why does the HKRFU ignore this wonderful opportunity? Are they incompetent? Jealous that the Olympics will injure their annual golden goose? Or is Olympic rugby, like women’s rugby a part of the game to be suffered by the male dinosaurs who run the local game because they’re not feted and fawned upon, their ego’s stroked, as they are by all those $uper rich corporate$ desperate for access to the holy grail of sevens tickets!

Sort it out! The players and fans deserve better!

HKRFU website 18 August, 2015 - 4 days after tickets went onsale. — HKRFU website 18 August, 2015 – 4 days after tickets went onsale.

Olympic Sevens Qualifier Tickets Onsale 14 August

An anonymous source has informed bc that tickets for the Women’s and Men’s Olympic Rugby 7s Qualifier tournament on the 7-8 November at the HK Stadium will go onsale on the 14th August from Ticketflap (www.ticketflap.com).

That 24 hours before the tickets are scheduled to go onsale there’s been no announcement to public is another example of the Union unable to organise a piss-up in a brewery. This despite rugby’s renowned enjoyment of the personal waitress service and beverages that many Wanchai and Angeles’s breweries offer.

While tickets prices were released weeks ago, $360 (2-day pass), $200 (1-day pass), there’s been no information from the HKRFU or Asia Rugby about the number of tickets for public sale. There should though, be more than the 3000/day HK Sevens tickets that the public were allowed to maul over in March.

The women’s qualifier is an 8 team event, the first part of a two leg qualification process that culminates in Tokyo on 28-29 November 2015. Teams competing in the women’s event are China, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Uzbekistan.

The men’s tournament is a 12 team event featuring with the men’s winner claiming Asia’s sole automatic slot amongst the 12 teams participating in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where Rugby Sevens will make its much anticipated debut.

Teams competing in the men’s event are Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Thailand and China

Asia Rugby Sevens Olympic Qualifier
Date: 7-8 November, 2015
Venue: HK Stadium
Tickets: $360 (2-day pass), $200 (1-day pass), under 12 free from Ticketflap
More info: Public sale from 14 August

Wanchai Belles

After 21 year it’s last orders at Delaney’s Wanchai and bc spoke to two of Wanchai’s loveliest ladies Clare and Jeanette, as well as David “No problem, i’ll fix it” the bar’s longest serving employee about their memories and experiences over that time.

Clare: I started in 1997 the same time as Jeanette as a waitress on the 2nd floor. I left in 1999 only to rejoin Delaney’s in 2003 as Duty Manager, I have been the GM for around 8 years.

Jeanette: What is there to say about my years in Delaney’s Wanchai? Although, I have only been back at the Wanchai branch for just over 4 years, the company has played a major role in my 18 years here in Hong Kong. From a waitress up on the second floor in 1997, progressing to Floor Head. I left to go to the original Dublin Jack, on Cochrane Street in March 1999.

David: I started in December 1997 as a bartender on the 2nd floor, it was a very busy bar when I started. How I’m the man who fixes things and keeps the bar running smoothly.

Is there a single night at Delaneys that stands out as your favourite night?
Clare: I think for me personally one of the highlights in my time at Delaneys was the Spurs Legends night ,this fell on my birthday so was an added bonus & was just something totally different to our normal nights!!
Jeanette: One evening that will always be remembered, for me personally, will be the night we had our “Meet The Barbarians Event”. That was a lot of fun, and a chance to meet some great rugby players. Although I am not a great fan of football, the Spurs Legends night was also fantastic. To see the bar packed to the rafters with such dedicated Spurs fans from all over the region was actually very emotional!
David: I’ve worked through 17th St.Paddy days and 17 Rugby 7’s here which was unforgettable.

Best moment/memory?
Clare: The other great nights that stick in mind are St Patrick’s Day each year with the Dargle band flying over from Ireland, & the Rugby 7’s weekends were always hard work but a lot of fun.
Jeanette: Highs? Rugby 7’s weekends are always fun, if not very hard work. St. Patrick’s Day always sticks in my mind, although I’m not sure that it has always been fun! As a rugby fan, the last world cup in 2011 was one of my most fun times.
David: My great nights was always on the weekends with all the footy and rugby games it’s hard to make every customer happy, but good when I can.

Worst moment/memory at Delaneys?
Clare: I think some of the worst nights I have had have been during the football World Cups especially when they have been at silly o clock times & people are at their worst & the hours we have worked have been incredibly long.
Jeanette: Lows? Any time that involves football! Ha Ha!
Gary: The worst times were the 2002 World Cup coz the kick-off time in HK (noon/day time) and when England are playing football, the doors are always shut 2 hours before kick-off and people get angry when we can’t let them in.

What will you miss most/least about Dalaneys Wanchai?
Clare: I think in the 12yrs I have been here the one thing I will miss are the amazing people I have worked with & all the customers that have gone on to become good friends over the years.
Jeanette: Things I will miss? The wonderful customers we have here, some of which I have known since the my early days here in 1997. Some are now close friends, and many hold a place in my heart.
Things I won’t miss? Wanchai. The area is changing, and I don’t think for the better.
David: I will miss all of the people I’ve met here, I’ve made so many friends.

What memories will you take away?
Clare: It has always been a family at Delaney’s Wanchai & that is one of the biggest things I will miss….although I am happy to leave the Wanchai area as that has gone downhill in my opinion over the past few years!
Jeanette: Delaney’s as a company are a very close knit bunch, from the Directors at the top down to all the front-of-house and back-of-house staff. We have been through some wonderful times together. We have laughed and cried, we have had our ups and downs, but we have always been together. I will take those memories away with me and hold them for ever close.
David: Working here for 18 years, Delaney’s is just like my 2nd home, a home has so many memories.

What next?
Clare: I am looking forward to a rest for a little while & then I will see what happens next!
Jeanette: I will be having a well earned rest, and taking a look at what I would like to do next. At the moment, no plans are in place so i’m open to interesting offers.
David: The next step, I will look for a new job. If they open a new Delaneys, I am happy to come back stick everything back together.

Delaney’s Wanchai shuts it’s doors for the final time on 13 August, should be a bit of a craic!

OmfestHK @ Lai Yuen – 9 August, 2015

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/OMFESTHK-Lai-Yuen-9-August/51193210_cN49vP#!i=4263688756&k=F23PQ9q

A couple of hundred yoga lovers gathered in the cramped confines of the main stage at the Lai Yuen carnival for the second OmfestHK. With the popularity of the inaugural event and the wide open grass spaces of Tamar a few steps away the organisers choice of a 30x30m piece of tarmac was a strange one, the area was far too small. Interested yoga enthusiasts would arrive, see the fenced in space was already full of yoga mats and leave…
Click on any photo for the full gallery of images.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/OMFESTHK-Lai-Yuen-9-August/51193210_cN49vP#!i=4263709069&k=bGXFrv4

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/OMFESTHK-Lai-Yuen-9-August/51193210_cN49vP#!i=4263706345&k=wFwJfBT

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/OMFESTHK-Lai-Yuen-9-August/51193210_cN49vP#!i=4263691336&k=5LqtZW3

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/OMFESTHK-Lai-Yuen-9-August/51193210_cN49vP#!i=4263706785&k=D2SPSFL