Brazilian Martial Arts and the Zimbabwean Elections

You’ll be impressed (and no doubt surprised!) to learn that I’ve joined a gym for my last month in Hong Kong. The gym is great – they provide shorts, shirt and socks – so that saves on washing :-) and there are personal DVD players at all the training machines. So I no longer need to run for 20 minutes or 3 km – I can just go for a run for as long as an episode of Friends takes – much more civilised.

Last night I decided to try out a class – I didn’t really know what I was letting myself in for – a convenient time was my main reason for choosing it! The class was capoeira – which I now know is an Afro-Brazilian martial art. It also owes much of its technique to dance and rhythm – and is the first exercise class I’ve been to where the participants take part in a jam session at the end with drums and other percussion instruments. There was actually only the instructor, me and one other (very skilled!) person in the class – which leaves you very exposed! And I’m suffering this morning…! I might go back to the class next week – if the blisters on my big toes from all the kicking and sweeping have healed sufficiently!

There are no relevant photos to accompany today’s blog – so here are some random ones! I was surprised when I came back from Tokyo to discover that I no longer worked in the AIG Tower – but rather in the tower next to the man in the pants! I mentioned in a previous blog that the Ritz Carlton Hotel was relocating to the new ICC Tower in Kowloon and the building was going to be demolished… well some enterprising advertising exec at Calvin Klein has taken the opportunity to turn the entire building into a massive billboard for the time being!

The other photo has the Legislative Council building in the foreground and the Bank of China Tower in the background. The Legco building was opened in 1912 and was originally the Supreme Court building. It’s one of the few colonial buildings to have survived the developers.



Zim elections…

The Zimbabwe elections take place tomorrow (29th March). Few people believe that they will be free and fair. Mugabe and other African leaders take the view that democracy and human rights in Zim shouldn’t be judged by the same standards in the west. I heard an almost identical line taken by a leading Chinese diplomat on BBC World the other day. I know that the notions of “fair and just” democracy and human rights are quite subjective – but I can’t help but feel that such views are a convenient excuse by dictators and a political elite to cling on to power at all cost. If you’re interested in finding out more about what’s happening in Zim, David Coltart, currently one of the MPs for Bulawayo, has written an extremely good account of the history of the problems in Zim for the Centre for Global Liberty and Prosperity entitled “A Decade of Suffering in Zimbabwe”. Here’s a section that puts the tragedy in Zim into some sort of global context.

“Despite the gravity of the crisis, international interest in Zimbabwe’s agony seems limited. That lack of interest is attributable to a number of factors. First, although more people are dying in Zimbabwe than in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Darfur, Zimbabwe’s mention in the international media is disproportionately smaller—in part because stories about Zimbabwe are more difficult to film and write. The country offers very few stark images likely to capture the world’s attention. A casual visitor to Zimbabwe will not see blood flowing or many children with kwashiorkor bellies. No car bombs explode. People who die through a combination of HIV/AIDS, poverty, and malnutrition die quietly—they literally fade away. The only way to appreciate the extent of the catastrophe is to visit morgues and cemeteries, which are overflowing. The most poignant evidence of the calamity is found in the dates inscribed on the headstones and plaques in the cemeteries: the vast majority of those being buried are young people and children.”

Easter Weekend in the City of Angels – Part 2

As promised, here’s part 2 (you can click on the photos to make them bigger). Bangkok is totally different to the other places I’ve visited… it’s dirtier and smellier and seems to have suffered much more as a result of the Asia Financial Crisis in 1997 – with major building and transport projects left unfinished (huge empty tower blocks and bridges that go nowhere). Despite this, it’s still a great to place to explore.



Vimanmek Teak Palace & Ananta Samakom Throne Hall

Muay Thai… I’m no great fan of boxing, but several people told me I had to try to get to a Muay Thai (kick boxing) contest which is the traditional Thai martial art. So I made my way to Rajadamnern Boxing Stadium – and actually quite enjoyed it! The dance-like ritual before each match is fascinating to watch; it’s called “Wai Khru Ram Muay” and the fighters use it to pay homage to their teachers, parents and things they hold sacred and also pray for their safety and victory (it’s also an effective way of stretching and warming up before the fight!). There were 8 bouts each with 5 rounds of 3 minutes – but the time went surprisingly quickly even though all but a few went the whole way. As interesting as watching the fights was watching the spectators placing bets and cheering on their favourites – a different shout for each type of kick or punch.



Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute – the world’s second snake farm (opened in 1923) which produces antivenom for the thousands of snake bite victims in the region each year. I’m pleased to say that my snake phobia didn’t return!



Down the Mae Nam Chao Phraya… The river is at the very heart of the city and was supplemented by a large network of khlongs (canals) during the reigns of King Mongkut (aka Rama IV 1851-68) and King Chulalongkorn (aka Rama V 1868-1910) resulting in Bangkok sometimes being called the “Venice of the East”. It was King Mongkut who employed Anna Leonowens (of the King & I fame) to teach English in his court (including his son King Chulalongkorn). It appears that Anna made up much of her story and exaggerated the extent of her influence on the two kings (and then her story was the further fictionalised in the subsequent books, films and musicals) – so take what you think you know with a pinch of salt!

Other Bangkok highlights… a traditional Thai massage at the Wat Pho Traditional Massage School (apparently a world centre for therapeutic massage, but not for the faint hearted – as they say, no pain no gain… and a welcome escape from the midday sun!); the Chatuchak weekend market – a vast, mobbed, boiling area of tightly packed market stalls where you can buy pretty much anything…; a wander through the notorious Patpong area. And to finish, here’s some photos looking to the south from my hotel to complete the 360 panorama from part 1…

Easter Weekend in the City of Angels – Part 1

Bangkok is actually the old name for the city – its official name when translated is "The city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukam". So it’s probably more convenient to refer to it by its original name of Bangkok which simply means “riverside village with olive plums”.

I’ve had a fantastic long weekend in Bangkok - if somewhat hot and sticky with temperatures in the low 100s… and despite the factor 50 I’m my usual lobster red! I’ve loved exploring the amazing sights and culture of this fascinating city. Around every corner you seem to come across another temple… beautifully decorated in the traditional Thai style.

My colleague Brian in Tokyo’s wife comes from Bangkok so he’d provided me with a detailed itinerary of things I had to do… which left little time for rest! I managed to do everything except go to see the Lady Boys of Bangkok perform… and I can always do that in Edinburgh during the festival! Here’s some photos...

Wat Phra Kaew & The Grand Palace





Wat Pho (and the reclining Buddha)

There’s too much to squeeze into one post (lest I receive any complaints…) so part 2 will come during the week. But to close here’s some views of the city from my hotel…

Compact and bijou

My colleague Jenny asked me a while back to post some pictures of my apartment in Hong Kong - and I took these photos (around New Year - the traditional New Year flowers are on the window sill) - but with all the other things I was up to I didn't get round to posting them... As you can see it’s “compact and bijou” – but meets my needs adequately. Alas, there’s no ironing board – so I have to rely on the local Chinese laundry to press my shirts…



I've also been asked for my HK mobile phone number - but it's probably best not to publish it - so if you want it get in touch! Calls from the UK are actually quite cheap - 2p per minute with TeleDiscount - and even cheaper with some broadband phone services.

But don't phone over the bank holiday weekend - as I'm off to Bangkok for Easter until Monday evening. As my friend Jerry commented, it would have been more appropriate to have stayed in the land of the rising sun/son...