Mother - officially the most loved word in the English language.

1. My mother taught me LOGIC.
"Because I said so, that's why."

2. My mother taught me IRONY.
"Keep crying, and I'll really give you something to cry about."

3. My mother taught me RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

4. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
"Shut your mouth and eat your dinner."

5. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

6. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

7. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks as if a cyclone went through it."

8. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

9. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home....."

10. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you keep watching the TV, you'll get square eyes."

11. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

12. My mother taught me GENETICS.
"You're just like your father."

13. My mother taught me about my HERITAGE.
"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a tent?"

14. My mother taught me WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

15. And my favourite: - My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

New Bulletin Board Postings & Responses

1. “HK Planning Board Lacks Transparency”
2. “New HSBC Chairman”
3. Powerful mix
4. When the cold war hit Discovery Bay
5. Leave the developers alone
6. For Sale - Mercedes Benz C240 Year 2000
7. Car for sale
8. “Quality” Development of Hong Kong
9. Addressing the issues
10. Population Dynamics
11. Blueprint for constitutional reform
12. Public protests are good for business.
13. How to earn brownie points...
14. World's Tallest Building
15. Killer flu of 1918 yields lessons for prevention
16. The cultural canvas - WKCD
17. Radio ID tags emit mixed signals to doubtful audience
18. The cultural canvas - WKCD(2)
19. The cultural canvas - WKCD(3)

Observation

Profit is not a dirty word. One of the biggest challenges facing Hong Kong's leadership is the cynicism and lack of trust of its own citizens. The government devotes huge amounts of revenue to the provision of subsidised homes, schools, hospitals, and other services. Yet to many people, its only priority is to serve a small number of powerful business interests. The West Kowloon cultural hub and the planned demolition of Hunghom Peninsula have strengthened this perception. Some people seriously believe that there is collusion between senior officials and tycoons. Bernard Chan, a member of the Executive Council and a legislator representing the insurance functional constituency. SCMP 10 December 2004

Lai See.

Reading between the lines provides an insight into reits and wrongs. Justice Michael Hartmann might have ruled in favour of the Link Reit but his judgment will have made painful reading for certain people in the legal profession. Campaigning seniors Lo Siu-lan and Mak Ki-chiu lost their titanic struggle against the Hong Kong Housing Authority but they won a moral victory of sorts in not having costs awarded against them. In Justice Hartmann's words, they presented a "strong and arguable case". By contrast he wrote: "The authority, it seems to me, was bold indeed - some might use a different description - to embark on such a massive privatisation of its commercial assets without the assistance of a firmer legislative base." Lai See is similarly shocked but is happy to present today's quiz that asks: Was the Housing Authority ...? A. Foolhardy; B. Advised by Clifford Chance; C. Nuts; D. One pile short of a foundation; or E. Trying to avoid a battle for approval in Legco Answers on a postcard. Ben Kwok, SCMP 16 December 2004

Letters

Canopy costs. Discussion continues on the West Kowloon cultural hub, and we seem to be no closer to finding out what it is going to be. My fear is that it will end up an eyesore matching the factory-like Convention Centre on the opposite side of the harbour and a cultural flop. But my engineering training makes me question the impact of the canopy on the structural design complexities and guessed cost. But there's more than the structure and appearance involved. I have read that the canopy is to be a source of power generation, presumably by solar cells. This will require thought on the maintenance. How hot will it be on this roof? I have experienced 60 degrees Celsius on roofs in Asia. How will it be kept clean? Will there be a network of ugly handrail walkways? And what will airplane pilots have to say about the glare? I think the development and construction cart is a long way ahead of the function and design horse. Don Gudgeon, Kowloon Bay SCMP 10 December 2004

Hunghom eyesore. I am disappointed in the media, which seems to declare the backing down of Sun Hung Kai Properties and a New World Development subsidiary from their plan to demolish the Hunghom Peninsula housing project as a win for the public. I assure you that a large part of the public would have loved to see this eyesore torn down. Where were these so-called Friends of the Earth when this terrible project was developed in the first place? Seven disgusting towers in an absolute prime location with wonderful sea views for tenants that would have had to pay nothing to live there. It is not that sexy to fight against issues that benefit social welfare recipients. I am a Hong Kong resident with a 60-hour work-week, paying income taxes that amount to almost six figures, and I am burdened with a heavy mortgage in order to live in a modest apartment with no sea view. Name and address supplied, SCMP 16 December 2004.

Notice

The Construction Productivity Network in association with HKPU is presenting a workshop simultaneously in London and Hong Kong on February 3, 2005. Registration is required by January 27, 2005 for the seminar titled “Advances in Collaborative Working in the UK and Far East”. See details in Events below.

Success
SCMP, 15 December 2004

News Headlines

$1.41b renewal planned at two sites in Tai Kok Tsui
Emily Tang, The Standard 15 December 2004
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) will spend HK$1.41 billion on two redevelopment projects in Tai Kok Tsui in Kowloon with nearly half that amount going to compensate existing owners, it was announced on Tuesday.

Dynamic Star unveils 'low' hub density
MARTIN WONG, SCMP 15 December 2004
Shortlisted West Kowloon contender Dynamic Star International yesterday said its planned development density for the cultural hub was only fractionally higher than the government's original plan.

Developer's futuristic design ready to tackle the elements
ANDY CHENG, SCMP 15 December 2004
A typhoon-proof canopy designed to capture rainwater is a key part of the latest proposal for the West Kowloon cultural hub, unveiled yesterday.

Taller than the Eiffel Tower, world's highest bridge opens
REUTERS and AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE in Millau, SCMP 15 December 2004
President Jacques Chirac opened the world's highest bridge yesterday, a creation taller than the Eiffel Tower, longer than the Champs Elysees and built to end a traffic bottleneck in southern France.

$1.4b facelift planned for bed-space slum area
KRISTINE KWOK, SCMP 15 December 2004
Two redevelopment projects costing $1.41 billion were launched yesterday in a bid to speed up the face-lift of dilapidated Tai Kok Tsui.

Premiums put squeeze on profits
NG KANG-CHUNG and PEGGY SITO, SCMP 15 December 2004
The government has squeezed the profit margins it allows developers in its assessment of land premiums as property prices rise and political pressure mounts after the Hunghom Peninsula fiasco.

KCRC to boost shopping space at railway stations
DENISE TSANG, SCMP 15 December 2004
The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corp (KCRC) is seeking to boost its commercial property portfolio to capitalise on growing demand for shopping space, according to chairman Michael Tien Puk-sun.

Property prices hit by Hunghom plans
SANDY LI, SCMP 15 December 2004
The asking price for small flats in the Hunghom area has dropped by between 2 per cent and 3 per cent since property developers last week shelved plans to demolish the waterfront Hunghom Peninsula.

Bold pricing puts houses near the border into luxury league
ERNEST KONG, SCMP 15 December 2004
Bold house pricing in the northern New Territories suggests that developers are confident they can sell at luxury-level rates. It also suggests that developers see an opportunity arising from a general lack of house development in the district.

Season is warming up for big projects
SANDY LI, SCMP 15 December 2004
Developers will swamp the market with new residential projects in the next two months, turning the traditional quiet property sale period after Christmas and New Year into a busy one for potential homebuyers.

Project design offers little room to manoeuvre
WONG LEUNG-SING, SCMP 15 December 2004
The developers of the Private Sector Participation Scheme (PSPS) project on the Hunghom Peninsula - NWS Holdings and Sun Hung Kai Properties - will modify the project and sell it.

Reit at head of protest parade
Craig Stephen, SCMP 15 December 2004
A High Court ruling has allowed Hong Kong's US$3 billion reit to proceed, sparing the government a huge scandal and delivering only a modest dose of embarrassment.

Paul Y-ITC sells stake in Downer for $1.51b
PEGGY SITO and BLOOMBERG, SCMP 15 December 2004
Paul Y-ITC Construction Holdings has ended an association with Australia-based Downer EDI by selling its 19.5 per cent stake in the engineering firm for about A$255.8 million ($1.51 billion).

Fare war looms as Jetstar Asia flies cut-price from Singapore
JOSEPH LO, SCMP 15 December 2004
Singapore's latest entrant in the low-cost airline sector, Jetstar Asia, says it is not concerned about a looming fare war on the Hong Kong-Singapore route, despite increasingly competitive pricing by airlines already flying between the two cities.

Oracle gets down to business of ruling the world
BIEN PEREZ, SCMP 15 December 2004
In a performance at the OracleWorld event in San Francisco last week, 1980s pop band Tears for Fears may have well summed up the future for the enterprise information technology market: "Nothing ever lasts forever. Everybody wants to rule the world."

Symantec in Talks to buy Veritas
SCMP, 15 December 2004
Symantec, the software company that produces the Norton line of computer security and maintenance products, is in talks to acquire Veritas Software, a maker of data back-up and storage programs, for more than US$13 billion, executives close to the talks said on Monday.

Mosquito control measures to tighten
Matthew Lee, The Standard 15 December 2004
The government will draft an amendment to the law that will allow more active measures to control mosquito breeding.

Hunghom U-turn will not deter investment: tycoon
KRISTINE KWOK and CARRIE CHAN, SCMP 14 December 2004
The Hunghom Peninsula controversy would not undermine Hong Kong's economic environment, Sun Hung Kai Properties vice-chairman Thomas Kwok Ping-kwong said yesterday.

Discovery Bay land fee 'not a fair move'
AMBROSE LEUNG, SCMP 14 December 2004
It would be unfair to recover a huge land premium from the developers of Discovery Bay that apparently should have been paid 20 years ago, housing chief Michael Suen Ming-yeung said yesterday.

Lantau plans `misleading'
Paris Lord, The Standard 13 December 2004
While environmental groups are celebrating the decision by property developers not to demolish the Hung Hom Peninsula, the struggle for Lantau Island continues.

Demolition of Hung Hom flats scrapped
Michael Ng and Teddy Ng, The Standard 11 December 2004
In a stunning reversal, two of Hong Kong's biggest property developers have caved in to intense public pressure and decided not to demolish the seven-tower Hung Hom Peninsula residential complex.

People power saves Hunghom flats
AMBROSE LEUNG and PEGGY SITO, SCMP 11 December 2004
The owners of Hunghom Peninsula yesterday scrapped plans to pull down the never-occupied waterfront estate amid a widening political and legal dispute over their right to do so.

ALL FALL DOWN - How the saga unfolded
SCMP, 11 December 2004
Sept 1999 Site is leased for $583 million to developer to build seven housing blocks for Home Ownership Scheme.

U-turn on Hunghom 'a victory for the people'
AMBROSE LEUNG, KLAUDIA LEE and JIMMY CHEUNG, SCMP 11 December 2004
Legislators last night declared the surprise decision not to proceed with the controversial demolition of the Hunghom Peninsula estate a victory for the public over powerful property developers.

Major redesign 'would still ensure profits'
PEGGY SITO, SCMP 11 December 2004
A far-reaching redesign can still help owners of the Hunghom Peninsula estate reap a decent profit, say property experts.

Pollution fears over rash of new power plants
SHI TING, SCMP 11 December 2004
Senior officials have warned that the opening of a number of new power plants next year will exacerbate the mainland's pollution problems, state media have reported.

Mega Tower clears another hurdle
DENNIS ENG, SCMP 11 December 2004
Hopewell Holdings has cleared a big hurdle in the two-decade struggle to build its $4.5 billion Mega Tower hotel. The Town Planning Board has accepted the development would not worsen road congestion to an unacceptable degree.

Statement by SHPL on Hunghom Peninsula
Hong Kong Government, 10 December 2004
Following is a statement by the Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, Mr Michael Suen, on the Hunghom Peninsula today (December 10).

Winner won't be the next 'master of the universe'
MICHAEL SUEN MING-YEUNG, Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, SCMP 10 December 2004
During the recent debate on the West Kowloon cultural district project, someone said whoever gets the project would be "getting everything".

Builder open to buyback of flats
Sylvia Hui, The Standard 10 December 2004
In a dramatic shift in the battle over the planned demolition of Hung Hom Peninsula, one of the developers said it is ready to consider any proposal for the government to buy back the 2,470 unused flats.

Big interest in Dream City
Raymond Wang, The Standard 10 December 2004
In another sign of renewed confidence in the residential property market, 17 developers have submitted expressions of interest in phase one of the HK$4 billion Dream City project atop Tseung Kwan O MTR station.

Hunghom owner open to a buy-back
PEGGY SITO and KLAUDIA LEE, SCMP 10 December 2004
Tycoon Walter Kwok Ping-sheung said yesterday he was open to any proposal by the government to buy back Hunghom Peninsula, the never-occupied waterfront estate his company plans to demolish.

Developers to be targeted on march
JIMMY CHEUNG, SCMP 10 December 2004
Activists are hoping tens of thousands of people will turn out for a New Year's Day rally targeting poverty and alleged collusion between government and big business.

Discovery Bay project needed Exco approval
JIMMY CHEUNG, SCMP 9 December 2004
Officials should have sought Exco's approval before allowing Discovery Bay on Lantau to evolve from a tourism to a residential project since the mid-1970s, the secretary for housing, planning and lands has admitted.

Diverse opinions must be listened to
HSHELLEY LEE LAI-KUEN, Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, SCMP 9 December 2004
One of the biggest challenges in the West Kowloon cultural district project is garnering an enthusiastic response from the community - positive or otherwise - and driving the diverse views towards a basic consensus that is acceptable to the community. The process of public consultation is extremely important. This process, begun some years ago, has reached a critical point where a multi-pronged approach will ensure that not just some, but all interested voices are heard.

Wheeler
SCMP, 16 December 2004

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