September 2009

Rising Above Bullying

27 September 2009

I was bullied extensively between the ages of 11 and 16 or 17. For much of this time I almost permanently had bruises on both thighs and upper arms. Accompanying the physical abuse was ongoing taunting that undermined every aspect of my appearance, where I lived, my sexuality, and anything else that was the flavour [...]

Read the full article →

Speaking in Public

25 September 2009

Funny things happen to people when they have to make speeches. OK, maybe funny isn’t the best word, but stress certainly has an effect. Even the most taciturn person can ask someone to pass the salt. On the other hand, standing in front of a roomful of people can render them incapable of saying something [...]

Read the full article →

Pallet-Friendly Wines

17 September 2009

I have a friend who says Puritan when he means to say purist, and penultimate when something is the best ever. The depth of our friendship is such that I would never point out his error; I do, after all, know what he means. Nevertheless, my purist heart cringes very slightly every time he mangles [...]

Read the full article →

Wine, Women & Song

12 September 2009

Macau’s Suncity Karaoke bar was the unlikely setting (absolutely no pun intended) for an event aimed at introducing Cloof wines to a group of local food & beverage and tourism players. I say unlikely, because its gold upholstered walls, mirrors and assorted decorative trinkets are not the kind of environment one would normally associate with [...]

Read the full article →

Turning the Tables

11 September 2009

When I grow up I want to own a casino in Macau. Not – I hasten to add – because of their great beauty or contribution to the greater good of mankind. Hell, no! The Grand Lisboa is quite possibly one of the five ugliest buildings I’ve ever seen, and replicating a random selection of [...]

Read the full article →

Al Fresco in Hong Kong

8 September 2009

Wooloo Mooloo, on the roof of The Hennessy (256 Hennesy Road, Wanchai) is a rare outdoor venue in Hong Kong. From this vantage point one has views towards Kowloon, as well as of Happy Valley racecourse. The stemware is all plastic – imagine the effect of a wine glass dropped from 32 storeys – which [...]

Read the full article →

Massaging the Wheels of Commerce

7 September 2009

I, almost literally, had to sing for my supper at Ming Kee restaurant (Lun Fat Street, off Johnston Road in Wanchai), where I was a guest of my Hong Kong customer. He was hosting a customer from China and asked me to talk through two Bordeaux wines he was pitching. The restaurant is very local, [...]

Read the full article →

Bargain Shopping in Hong Kong

4 September 2009

Johnston Road in the vicinity of Wanchai MTR station (especially on the inland side of the road) is where you’ll find a concentration of discount clothing outlets. Forget about a leisurely browse, interspersed with trying on garments in a spacious cubicle. This is shopper-eat-shopper territory, where sizes are haphazardly collected and where you can barely [...]

Read the full article →