MIDDLEBURGH

Middleburgh Extreme Bookmarking

2008-03-24T21:23:00.000+08:00

Middleburgh Extreme Bookmarking Centuries before Ptolomy had signed off on the budget for the Great Library of Alexandria, indeed even before the events recorded in the Epic of Gilgamesh had actually occured, Hur the Hittite impregnated a tablet of clay with his reed stylus (well - his wife had a headache!!). And from this, ultimately we get literature as we know it (Harry Potter and the Call of

Middleburgh Arts Festival

2008-03-16T13:28:00.001+08:00

Middleburgh Arts Festival Am I cultured or wot!!! Well I'd like to think so but it is in question....As a callow youth in London I used to go to classical concerts and the like at the South Bank (student discounts!!). I was a member of the British Film Institute and went to the annual film festivals and various art house cinemas (other than those in soho - well maybe once or twice). I went to

Middleburgh Donates

2008-02-11T21:15:00.005+08:00

Chinese New year Its been "cold enough to freeze the balls of a brass monkey" and if this year where that of the Monkey (instead of the Rat), it would have a falsetto voice .. Forgive me for being a wingeing pom ... I know its worse in Hunan (and in the New Territories) but its so cold that there has actually been a run on space heaters and and damart thermal underwear in HK - not your normal

MIDDLEBURGH SMARTCARDS

2008-02-09T16:55:00.000+08:00

Middleburgh Smartcard Once upon a time, in the dim and distant past, I acquired my first wallet. I would like to think that I either bought it, or was given it as a gift, but I suspect I simply borrowed my father's old cast off, (just like his pack of playing cards with semi clothed “ladies”). In those days when life was simple and we lived the Hovis advert, wallets were for keeping your money

MIDDLEBURGH VOTES II

2008-02-07T20:39:00.000+08:00

Middleburgh Votes II Government Health Warning: that this is VERY VERY BORING -- even more tedious than the US Presidential Primaries !! While Hilliary, Barrack and Johnny have been slugging it out , China has been electing deputies to the (next) 11th National People’s Congress (China's parliament). On the one hand we have a traditional western style adversarial system i.e. Democrat v

MIDDLEBURGH - VOTES

2008-02-05T22:11:00.000+08:00

Middleburgh Votes(if the image on the left doesn't display refresh) This has nothing to do with Super Tuesday or the upcoming 2008 US Presidential elections…Just a few words about me exercising my rights (and obligations)as a Hong Kong Permie. I was impressed by the Australian compulsory voting system when I lived in Melbourne and it was inevitable that I would choose as

Middleburgh - HOTPOT

2008-01-20T15:26:00.000+08:00

Middleburgh HotpotChristmass is traditionally a time for family, food, parties and for some, a break in New York or indeed, Tunisia. I enjoyed Tunisia, especially the French style festive meal. I have equally enjoyed traditional Turkey in London, Seasonal Goose in Dublin, Barbies in Melbourne and Hotpot in China, as well as winter solstice meals with my partner's family. This years solstice meal

Middleburgh Bears All

2007-12-31T18:08:00.000+08:00

Middleburgh Bears All ok, at least once a week for 18 months I lugged an old X31 IBM notebook with power adaptor etc (approx 6LB) back and forth across the border between shenzhen and HK. It took it's toll - a hernia, stained back etc. I explored alternative options including different bags, (prefered is a Hedgren backpack) different PCs (an IBM X61s - 3LB), use of USB drives of different

Middleburgh Cork'd

2007-11-25T09:37:00.000+08:00

Middleburgh Cork'd This special post is for my many recent visitors from southern Ireland. Thank you for all the attention... although I must say it took you long enough.... I thought long and hard (for at least a minute) about whether I could reach out , show you I cared, and add something of special interest to you. In end the end I decided ... what the hell!!! forget the Cork webcam with

Middleburgh -Obituary Premature

2007-08-10T20:44:00.000+08:00

MIDDLEBURGH - OBITUARY PREMATUREToday I had a visitor referred from the BlogShares Dead Blog Finder (v1.0) site Neat idea... but MIDDLEBURGH is NOT dead.... merely entertaining Paddy's, working my nuts off, waiting out the Typhoon season (Pabuk returned!!) and biding time till the HONG KONG District Elections later this year ...... Democracy is not simply about "one man/one vote", or the Queens

Middleburgh The Other Side

2007-01-23T07:06:00.000+08:00

Middleburgh-The Other Side At Christmass/New year I typically launch deep internet searches to uncover what has happened over the last year to distant friends and family... This year was different in that I researched the other side of my family history. My mother who was 87 just before Christmass has observed that I have referred to my father's family in this blog but not hers. This corrects

Middleburgh TV

2007-01-14T21:11:00.000+08:00

Middleburgh TV I have been severely chastised, and taken to task, over my last three posts. Apparently they are considered self indulgent and boring, with only the snow monkey livecam and the african music redeeming them. The Snow Monkeys were in fact a subtle joke open to two interpretations and the African Music is well ... African. If you are desperate for an explanation of the joke You can

Middleburgh Vit Ici

2007-01-07T17:26:00.000+08:00

Middleburgh Vit Ici Mum recently asked if I was a HK citizen. She was actually seeking clarification on my "residence" status. As it happens I have now lived here long enough that from this month I could apply for permanent residence status which would not be same as renouncing my UK/EU Citizenship although I am sure it might have other implications. Locally it would mean an end to annually

Middleburgh Quakes

2007-01-07T14:42:00.000+08:00

Middleburgh QuakesLike most people who haven't lived in an "light"(<4.0 on the Richter Scale) earthquake prone region, I would not have recognised one, if it bit me on the bum, On the 26 December however the earth moved for me ... or more precisely the 17 floor of the tower block in which I live, which "pulsed" in the absence of a heavy lorry or bus trundling past etc. My partner, as ever,

Middleburgh Radio

2006-12-17T08:28:00.000+08:00

Middleburgh Radio Last week (and a bit) a HKU student doing a survey on radio listening habits cold called. I usually insist on speaking English to Cantonese speaking telemarketers who mostly ring off because they can't manage in English. On this occasion, the caller stepped up to the mark - and even rang back seeking clarity on answers. Perhaps she couldn't believe my stock response of "BBC

Middleburgh Speculates

2006-11-20T10:59:00.000+08:00

Middleburgh SpeculatesIndustrial & Commercial Bank of China was simultaneously floated a couple of weeks ago (October 27) on the HKSE (1398) and Shanghai SE with much fanfare; Worlds largest IPOFirst Chinese company to use an over-allotment option in a domestic IPOThe five underwriters happen to include Merrill Lynch, in whom I happen to have a passing interest. In entepreneurial HK unlike

Middleburgh Eats Filipino

2006-11-19T11:08:00.000+08:00

Middleburgh Eats FilipinoPushing back the gastronomic envelope, today, I ate Filipino. A filipina in my office very kindly lent me her grandmother's cook book (don't you just love it!!) and shared some photos from home. I appreciated both and have decided to also share them with the boys in Dublin. ADOBADONG CARNE Ingredients(for 2-3) 450 gm 2" cubed stwewing beef 0.25 cup vingar 0.25 cup

Middleburgh Down Town

2006-11-12T21:41:00.000+08:00

Middleburgh Down TownWould you believe that I went looking for a horse yesterday morning in Lan Kwai Fong. And before you say it, I know that at night, you can find some real dogs down there, (so I am told), and the odd Sheila who could easily be mistaken for a nag. I was checking whether a Shatin escapee that I saw there last year ,outside a bar (and yes I was sober at time), was still there (So

Middleburgh Polyglots

2006-11-01T18:11:00.000+08:00

Middleburgh PolyglotsI came across a frightening site (Newstrove) the other day. It is a specialist search engine on which you can search for a topic and filter the results using "out of the box" viewpoints. These include different political and religious 'perspectives'. In principle a user could then re-filter the results using an alternative "perspective" to see results from the "other side",

Middleburgh Reconsiders Starsucks

2006-10-30T13:01:00.000+08:00

Middleburgh Reconsiders StarsucksThe Lo Wu experienceThis week it was reported that Starbucks (SBUX)is buying out its partner of 7 years in China and is looking to seriously ramp up mainland operations. I have mixed feelings about this. I have specific reservations about "globalisation" in the retail sector. I recognise that liberalization of trade has the potential to alleviate poverty, create

Middleburgh Movie Critic

2006-10-29T11:07:00.000+08:00

Middleburgh and the Movie CriticsTwo weeks ago, I decided to experiment with link baiting by placing a link to my previous post in a forum thread "Did scorsese dumb down IA for US audiences" since I had argued that all US remakes tend to sanitize the original for US home market (ie is neither a Scorsese thing only nor specific to "The Departed"). The link generated an unprecedented amount of

Middleburgh Post Directory Full

2006-10-15T13:36:00.000+08:00

Directory of Posts 10/30/2006 Middleburgh Reconsiders Starbucks 10/29/2006 Middleburgh and Movie critics 10/10/2006 The Departed 10/09/2006 Larry the Liz 10/07/2006 Moon Cakes 9/30/2006 Cyprus-the untold story 9/23/2006 Middleburgh Recipe #2 9/03/2006 Naff Challenge 4 8/29/2006 Istanbul Revisited 8/23/2006 Eurotrip 2006 Bruxelles Part 3 8/22/2006 Eurotrip 2006 Bruxelles Part 2 8/21/2006

The Departed

2006-10-10T07:17:00.000+08:00

The DepartedEven considered the rationale behind remaking a movie eg "The Departed"? Clearly hollywood studios saw a commercial opportunity to make money (thats after all what they do) by repackaging "Infernal Affairs" for an english speaking/international audience. Undoubtedly non english dialogue, unknown asian actors (to non asian audiences) , and an unfamiliar cultural background to the

Larry Lizard

2006-10-09T06:51:00.000+08:00

Larry the LizHong Kong has according to the Biodiversity Database about 80 native species of reptiles.In the zoo there are about about 70 species (including foreigners) on display. There are also 20 species in the reptile house in Tuen Mun with about 20 species on display and of course Pui Pui in the Wetlands Park.It was therefore billed as the largest show of its kind to be held in Asia, when

Moon Cakes

2006-10-06T07:47:00.000+08:00

The Mid Autumn Festivalaka the Moon or Mooncake Festival. Coinciding with the Autumn Equinox when the moon is at its fullest and brightest it is basically a harvest festival originally associated with moon worship and subsequently with the folk story of Chang'e ...and the jade bunny. Since the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) is is also the occasion when people