In the Heat of the Night

Photography: Mike Tao
Hair and Makeup: Karen Yiu
Models: Bethany T and David Oshry (Models International HK)

Producer: P.Ramakrishnan
































Wardrobe Captions:

1
On her: Embroidered green top by Fine'n'Rhine, accessories by Kanchan Couture
On him: Calvin Klein jeans and briefs, Cipher shoes

2
On him: Jeans and leather jacket by Calvin Klein, Cipher shoes
On her: Black embroidered cocktail dress by Fine'n'Rhine

3
On her: Jeans and bustier by Calvin Klein
On him: Calvin Klein briefs, black pants by Burberry

4
On her: Overcoat, shoes and dress by Burberry
On him: Embellished top and jeans by Burberry, shoes by Cipher


5
On her: Silver-grey shirt from Armani Collezioni (from Lane Crawford), boots by Burberry

6
On her: White linen shirt from Armani Collezioni (from Lane Crawford), boots by Burberry
On him: Dior Homme briefs


7
On her: Deep-cut red top from Kanchan Couture, black print pants Burberry
On him: Blue knit T from Armani Collezioni (from Lane Crawford), black denim jeans by Burberry, shoes by Cipher

8
On him: Calvin Klien boxer-briefs

9
On her: T-shirt by Kanchan Couture, jeans by Burberry
On him: White T-shirt from Lane Crawford, jeans and boxer-briefs by Calvin Klein, shoes by Cipher













IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT


Producer: P.Ramakrishnan
Photography: Mike Tao
Retouching: Patt Sham
Hair & Makeup: Karen Yiu
Models: Bethany T and David O (Models International)

Captions:

1
On her: Embroidered green top by Fine'n'Rhine, accessories by Kanchan Couture
On him: Calvin Klein jeans and briefs, Cipher shoes

2
On him: Jeans and leather jacket by Calvin Klein, Cipher shoes
On her: Black embroidered cocktail dress by Fine'n'Rhine

3
On her: Jeans and bustier by Calvin Klein
On him: Calvin Klein briefs, black pants by Burberry

4
On her: Overcoat, shoes and dress by Burberry
On him: Embellished top and jeans by Burberry, shoes by Cipher






5
On her: Silver-grey shirt from Armani Collezioni (from Lane Crawford), boots by Burberry

6
On her: White linen shirt from Armani Collezioni (from Lane Crawford), boots by Burberry
On him: Dior Homme briefs


7
On her: Deep-cut red top from Kanchan Couture, black print pants Burberry
On him: Blue knit T from Armani Collezioni (from Lane Crawford), black denim jeans by Burberry, shoes by Cipher

8
On him: Calvin Klien boxer-briefs


9
On her: T-shirt by Kanchan Couture, jeans by Burberry
On him: White T-shirt from Lane Crawford, jeans and boxer-briefs by Calvin Klein, shoes by Cipher




Not for print. reference shots from shoot. captions and all

OUTTAKES

Images that aren't going to print for... whatever reason.

Q&A: Deborah Simms: A Hong Kong icon of health and fitness

Deborah Simms, 37, body beautician, sculpts some answers for P.Ramakrishnan

Q: Favourite bar/club?
Deborah Simms: I don't go clubbing that much, I love to dance but I'm not going to bars. My regular hang outs in the evening are either the office or my home.

Q: Favourite drink?
DS: Right now, I drink a lot of cranberry juice Alcoholic dink? I like my champagne.

Q: What are you listening to?
DS: I'm into New Age music - Ton O'Connor, Enigma, that sort of stuff. I like pop music and I like tunes I can dance to.

Q: Favourite restaurant?
DS: Right now it's Thai Basil in Pacific Place. It's not just Thai food, it's pan-Asian.

Q: Can you cook?
DS: I'm sure if I tried I'd be able to do it - I just don't have time to cook.

Q: What's your fantasy night out?
DS: Lots of dancing. From the time I go out to the time I get home, loads of dancing.

Q: How much does a night out cost you?
DS: It depends where I go. If I go out for dinner and drinks, it can be anywhere from HK$3000-$5000.

Q: Is Hong Kong a 24-hour city?
DS: Definitely. At 2am, if I feel like dancing, I can head out to Lan Kwai Fong or, if I want to eat, I'd head out to Causeway Bay. There are so many places open in Causeway Bay late at night.

Q: Favourite movie?
DS: Recently, the Mel Gibson movie What Women Want. I thought it was really good. Bascally I don't have time to watch movies, but when I do, it's usually a Hollywood movie. I saw Rush Hour 2 and I thought Jackie Chan did a really good job with Chris whatshisname. [Tucker!].

Q: Favourite movie stars?
DS: I like to watch Richard Gere and Keanu Reeves. They haven't done anything recently that's been good but I like watching them all the same.

Q: Where do you like to shop in Hong Kong?
DS: Pacific Plae - D&G, Dior, Celine... all my favourites are there.

Q: Favourite outfit?
DS: Any of my D&G clothes fit the bill. I don't sully wear jeans but recently I got a pair from D&G and I wear them a lot more than usual.

Q: What can't you say no to?
DS: My kids. Also, I can't say no to Haagen-Dazs.

Q: Who are your heroes?
DS: Mother Teresa and Princess Diana. They believed in what they did and went for it. They didn't hesitate. They didn't let obstacles get in the way of their vision. I follow that philosophy as well. I believe in what I can do and I go for it. My company was launched in 1996 and I'm very happy with my decision. So far, so good.

Creative Steps

Business of Design Week gives William To a chance to indulge in his passion for products.

Words: P.Ramakrishnan
Photographer: Jonathan Wong


I started out as an advisor for the media marketing campaign in 2003 and 2004 of the Business of Design Week (BODW). In 2005, when the project director resigned six weeks before the event, I was asked to jump in on a full-time basis and I've been director ever since.

I'm really not a designer per se, I was in advertising for 18 years. My background is not in design, but advertising is all about design too. The power of advertising was the first influence in design that made me step into this field.

I'm interested in product design, architecture, graphics and, because of my training in advertising, we basically have to be in touch with different industries and all aspects of design.

Creativity prevails in a commercial city like ours. In fact, more businesses will use design as a powerful tool to stay competitive.

Currently, I'm focusing on BODW. For this year's event we have Italy as our partner country (registration and full programme can be found at www.bodw.com). I have just completed this year's final judging of Design for Asia Awards - we have some outstanding winners. The result will be announced on December 12 at the HKDC Annual Award Gala Dinner during BODW 2007. We have a steering committee made up of professors, designers, mostly from the local industry and universities. There's an exciting array of winners this year that will surprise many.

Halo

By P.Ramakrishnan

I’m not sure if there’s a point in plugging this hot number. A sister club to the similarly hip Volar, Halo’s got the glow of a minty new hot spot for those who’ve got serious cash to throw at a barkeep. Just last January did this spectacular looking “private club” open at a non-descript street in Central and without having hosted a celebrity and/or supermodel studded party, this hot spot is illuminating the dark pleasure of nocturnal, nefarious, notorious revelry at its finest in the 'Kong.

Just one trouble with this place. You can’t get in. Unless you’re a member. Or know one. Or know the owner or.. you get the gist. If you’re not part of the elite “in within”, there’s just no point in standing outside while you see a stream of model-lites saunter in while they tell you – the average philistine with gravity-defying-hair-courtesy-of-a-Toni&Guy-ad-inspired-coiff-and-copious-gel – that the place is booked up.

Fortunately for me, I know a member, and a co-owner, and the night I was permitted entrance was the night I was part of singer/diva Rijan’s entourage. Down a risky flight of stairs, a goth-black underground Chateaux awaits. Whisked off to a private atrium (the theme being a sub-terrain house of leisure and pleasure; there’s a living room, library, garden room and so on enfolded within the cavernous space), as this is the place that requires a retina scan at the entrance before you’re allowed in (so you can’t even haggle at the door/flash a tit to get in), THEY know you’re coming and a place is reserved for you. FYI, reservations are required. And they don’t kid about that as on weekends, its jam-packed, vacuum-sealed-with the trendy “it” folks.

Seated at the library, we saw Peter Cheung, a marketing mastermind behind the biggest luxury brands in Asia, and his impossibly fashionable shadow walk in.  Upon a quick meet’n’greet, he sends over a complimentary bottle of champagne to our corner (Peter’s also the uncrowned king of social decorum). Again, if you need to double check the price tag of a bottle of Krug on the menu, this is not the place for you.

Filled with dark promises as the creatures of the night come out at their radiant best, its also the place to find your average Asian popstar rush in amongst hushed tones as they set up camp in their private enclaves. You need to be over 25 to enter (but they’re a bit lax on that rule if you're a model citizen) and as the crème de la crème order the entire contents of page three on the menu, sit in the warm glow of the haves and people watch; its seeing sheaths of your average tabloid come alive.

Oh its good to know someone, who knows someone in a city like Hong Kong.

Halo
Lower Ground Floor, 10-12 Stanley Street, Central
Tel: 2810 1274
Operating Hours: Monday to Friday Doors open at 5pm
Saturday Doors open at 9pm
Sunday Closed
Kitchen last call at 00:30am every night (except Sunday)



Lei Dou
To escape the general erk of Lan Kwai Fong (far too hot, humid and peopled on weekends as every bar strewn street can be), Rebecca Walker, the gorgeous editor of the hip local publication ‘taxi’ escorted me to Lei Dou last weekend. It’s right in the heart of LKF and for nor love nor money would you find it unless you were personally taken there on the arm of someone as in-the know as Ms Walker, who collects such invaluable data for her monthly publication.

“I just love this place,” she said while we walked up a slightly creepy and dodgy nameless building, after a poorly lit alleyway sheltered us from ‘Beerfest’ that raged on just a few steps away. “Come on, it's cool, it’s clean and the people are lovely!”

Er.. right. Getting flashes of my last trip to the seamier side of Mongkok, where my sister wanted to buy a fake Bottega Veneta bag and a cigarette lipped man led us down a blind alley and up a cranky lift to an even dingier apartment, littered with every possible fake-designer dud. Strangled by a plastic Gucci belt the headlines would read I envisioned. Similarly, up a flight of stairs with a far more attractive specimen leading the way, we stood in front of a large black door, again, no sign or indication of what’s ahead and that familiar ominous silence followed the knock.

“And the drinks are reasonable,” she concluded while I pictured asphyxiation and bulb-lit mugging.

Wait… rewind that. Reasonable drinks in LKF? You had me at Hello!

Like a large living room with a generous bar, a fake fireplace, little corners with plush sofas and overstuffed chairs, this dimly lit cocoon is clearly a second home to its clientele. Lei Dou is not quiet a private club but it surely feigns to be, as the cloisters of finely feathered folks (there was a birthday bash we seemed to have gate crashed that night with a fedora theme) seemed to acknowledge each other with hearty hellos.

Signature martinis, decent collection of Australian wines, cool and comfortable with a none-too-shabby menu, knowing you’re in the heart of Central, yet away from the vast sweaty crowd below sure has its benefits. If you need me on a Friday after six, you’ll find me at my non-private-club, which is happy to let anyone in.

Lei Dou
D’Aguilar Street
Central
Tel: 2525 8276

Mink

“There’s a talk at Mink about how to pleasure your partner,” said a voice on the mobile. Already I’m groaning. “Its Kamasutra on the rocks babe! Drinks included!”

Well, all right. So my mates and I clop along Hollywood Road, dotted with carpet shops, art galleries, short-lived bars with dozens of people corresponding with antique shops with nary a patron (and yet somehow they last forever), Indian restaurants, and the like, to find the newly renovated Mink left wide open for our grand, albeit hesitant, entrance.

A gaggle of gals listening to a ‘coach’ on what to and not to do in the bedroom…kitchen, living room, or whatever rocks your boat. For $30 happy hour prices, after a few, it was all white noise and laughter, and really what more does one want on Tuesday after work?

As Mink is between a slew of other bars, to keep its chin up, there’s always some event, promotion, deal, music-DJ-food-talk-cocktail strewn happening, but it really just boils down to atmosphere and service and fortunately for them, the place has got all the right ingredients.

Speaking of which, the house specialty, according to the press release we got, is the Peppered Mink Martini; a blend of pepper infused vodka, seared pineapple, caramel liqueur and lemon - and if that wasn't enough, it's garnished further with cracked pepper. As I heard that evening, “Nice, if you’re into that sort of thing.”


Mink
UGF, Au’s Building, 19 Hollywood Road, Central
Tel: 3171 1989.


UPDATE: Not sure if any of these mentioned bars survived as I write this sentence in 2014!

Chef Yuzuo Han

Grand Hyatt Mumbai chef Han Yuzuo isn't bothered about Bollywood, he just wants to be the best, writes P.Ramakrishnan. Picture: Sayan Sur Roy


"For Chinese cuisine in India, walk right up to the Grand Hyatt and ask for the chef," recommends Shobhaa De, prolific Indian author and columnist. "It's wonderful - more importantly, authentic."

Han Yuzuo, 28, is the head chef at China House, the Mumbai hotel's Chinese restaurant, which is a favourite of the Bollywood crowd and Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, when he's in town.

"I really wouldn't know an Indian celebrity if I was meeting them," Han says. "The staff always tell me, so-and-so star is here. It doesn't bother me as I'm working. There's no major difference between serving an actor or anyone else. Perhaps we do a bit more decoration, but the food is the same.

"My concerns are all kitchen related; vegetables and sauces. Indian vegetables are very different from the ones we use in Chinese food, so that's what I worry about the most. I get sauces and fresh vegetables air-cargoed in. I get excited when the items come to the hotel straight from the airport, and sauces from Beijing and Hong Kong are ordered specially. Leafy vegetables, bean sprouts, Chinese cabbage, fungus, mushroom, lotus plants - small ones [the Indian ones are too big] - come in, I get excited about the meal plan for the day."

Originally from the Dongbo district of Sichuan province, Han has worked for the Grand Hyatt chain for almost a decade, in several cities around the world, and has been in Mumbai for two years. Having become an apprentice chef at the age of 16, Han attended culinary college and obtained his professional certificate in 2001, then the Chinese Cooking Technician Certificate the following year.

"In China, in my hometown, there are seasons; winter, spring, summer and autumn, so we co-ordinate menus according to what's in season, make meal plans according to the weather. In Mumbai, it's always hot. Or it's very hot," he says, with a laugh. "But I'm getting used to it. The menu changes three times a year and I do that according to what produce is available.

"I have many Chinese and Indian friends here in Mumbai so, even though my wife, sister and family are back in China, I don't get lonely. I get homesick only during the Chinese festivals as they are not celebrated in India.

"It's not difficult living in Mumbai, most people are friendly. I don't speak any Hindi - it's very tough - or English. With my Indian friends, it's a lot of acting and hand movement to make them understand. It works.

"There are many Indians who learn Mandarin, so they come here and ask for me and I talk to them after their meal. Or they request to see me before as they want to order in Mandarin. It is fun for them and me."

What's truly foreign to the tongue, of course, is the taste of India. "Sichuan food is spicy, so is Indian, but it's a different spice," Han says. "Preparation is long, that's the main difference. I see my Indian colleagues preparing dishes and it takes hours and the smells are very strong. Chinese food is made much faster, food is tossed in and out of the wok quickly - but curries have to marinate for a long time. And the temperatures are very high, which I don't understand."

Working six days a week, Han's routine rarely changes.

"My mornings are not very rushed. Around 11am I go to the kitchen; just before the lunch rush hour, I'm here," he says, pointing to a spotless open kitchen that's in a glass bubble in the middle of the restaurant.

"Off-duty, I go out to see Mumbai. Like China, India's a country with a rich history - so that's exciting to see.

"I started as an apprentice chef and learnt from great teachers. I want my cuisine to be known as the best, not just in the restaurant I work in, but in the region."



POST SCRIPT:


Mumbai is a marvel and especially the people I've met there. Many thanks to the fab photographer Sayan Sur Roy for working around his busy schedule for a portrait shot. Wanted a picture to display a Chinese chef who's working in India. Getting the Natraj in the background for this shot conveyed what I needed in a very simple click. Love it.

Have to also say, the team at Grand Hyatt Mumbai were fantastic, arranging the translator, the chef to come in on a weekend, the pr team following up on emails back and forth... all turned out well, after a few initial hiccups. The hotel's gorgeous too.

Outtakes from the shoot.


Portraits by Sayan Sur Roy.

Drag & I: A look at Hong Kong's hottest club, the famous and infamous dragon I

Words: P Ramakrishnan


It bordered on the tragic. She was a well cropped mop of hair, standing next to, what could have very well been, the stunt double from the Incredible hulk, as she requested the bouncer in the private enclave of Dragon-I to let her in.

Hong Kong’ most notoriously hip Chinese dim-sum restaurant by day, that morphs into an über-club at night, Dragon-I has more star dust and celebrity sightings than your average ream of Hello! mag. The place where both the Brazilian and Manchester footballers partied the day before their match in Hong Kong two years ago (much to the chagrin of the managers when they failed to turn up the following day for practice), where Kanye West dined and jived after his one-night only concert, the guardians behind the velvet ropes of the club are to be feared and loved and, as the case was that night, to be genuflected over.

“Please let me in, I’m the friend of the DJ,” she squeals but it can be debated if her pitch reached the ears of the bouncer, four foot above her. The DJ had a name, but it wasn’t the pseudonym that appeared on the gigantic posters littered across the cavernous room. His “real” name was code to let his “real” friends in.

“You’re not on the list ma’am,” says the bouncer in monotone, clearly having seen this song and dance oft enough to know better.

Having graduated from the first round of velvet ropes where “the door bitch” let her in, she was emboldened enough to believe the VIP room was just a matter of conviction over credit… card.

All that fuss as Dragon-I celebrated its fourth anniversary with a host of the who’s who of Hong Kong (with a good dose of ‘who’s that?’ thrown into the mix). And yes, even I was dragged in on behest of the very able event coordinators, the wily minxes who promised free drinks (um, no!) and models teeming about (ah yes!). As the Centrium, apart from housing the club, two bars (the minty new “Solas” and “Waagu”, a pricey Aussie restaurant/bar with excellent wine) was also an aegis for two modeling agencies and a fashionable hair salon.

Oh and need I mention that Mischa Barton and entourage were there too? The 20-year-old OC starlet was expected under a shower of awaiting flashbulbs. Invited by Christian Dior to attend the charity gala premier of Hong Kong Ballet’s latest production, Barton’s mug had dotted every paper and magazine in town all week. As predictable as the social circuit is, bright sparks had long figured out that the young pout would swish into the club once her Dior duties were over. And lo and behold, with the entourage of the luxury brand, with a new outfit (and we believe new boyfriend) in tow, the princess walked in just after the clock struck midnight. Defrocked from her earlier, middling gown, the outfit she donned was far more paparazzi friendly. Still Dior of course.

Caked in like sardines in a vacuum sealed can, the VIP room already had 500 people (around 1,000 invitations were sent out in total but about triple as much lined up), 1000 others in the outer rim, it was a rare sight when the “haves” who didn’t in fact have invites, had to pay an entrance fee to get in. Wonders never cease.

So who else was there apart from the beauteous Barton? Well, the usual harem of luxury brand PRs, the pseudo-celebrities (models, one-pop wonders…) other club owners (from all the major HK clubs like Finds, Drop, Kee etc) who came to wish Gilbert Yeung, owner and famed playboy/partier, the best for the years of unprecedented success.

Hot clubs are a dime a dozen in the concrete jungle and, like organic milk, curdle within a short period of time. Somehow, every few weeks, with the right event, right personality, hype and hooplah, Dragon-I rises from the ashes of tedium and remains Hong Kong’s only place to be obscene and heard.

Dragon-i
The Centrium 60 Wyndham Street
Hong Kong,
Telephone: + 852 3110 1222
www.dragon-i.com.hk

Zuma

Location, location, location. When you’ve got Gucci on one side, The Mandarin Landmark hotel on the other, as we stepped out of the cab, tailing a navy, chauffer-driven Bentley, I knew that the opening night of Zuma was going to be a hot one.

With Nobu being across the pond (its no secret that Hong Kong islanders HATE to cross the ocean to Tsim Tsa Tsui – even if the tunnel ride is but 20-minutes away), Japanese restaurant/bar Zuma’s going to be the new place to be caught by the paparazzi.

Though having unlocked the doors a few days ago, Zuma’s official mega-bash opening was just somethin’ else! With Pansy Ho, eldest daughter and heir-apparent to Asian billionaire Stanley Ho, leading the way, society staples like Mira Yeh (I’m not sure what exactly she does, apart from “being fabulous” as one of the PRs said that night), Hong Kong’s illustrious Indian family, the Harilelas, and the usual faces that litter Hong Kong Tattler and the Forbes rich list attended in full force. With Oscar nominee-Coco Lee (the ϋber-hot chanteuse best known for singing the tracks of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) sauntering in with her latest beau, everything about the evening was coated with stardust. The drinks flowed freely (Crystaaaal no less) at the open bar, but the canapés pirouetted around the duplex restaurant-cum-bar were difficult to reach; they may be in diamonds and mink but send a penguin suit with a tray full of delectables, and suddenly vultures descend.

No idea what the food’s like, but having seen the skeletal socialites clacking their six-inch Manolos up and down the luminous stair-case, perhaps that’s the general idea.

Zuma
The Landmark Atrium
Level 5 & 6
15 Queens Road
Central
Hong Kong
www.zumarestaurant.com


798 Unit & Co


Food editor at South China Morning Post, Susan Jung, once said to me, “Pasta is really cheap,” in her deliciously crisp voice. “So if you go into a great Italian restaurant but the portions are ridiculously small, then it isn’t that great a restaurant.”

To walk into this “open” restaurant at the 12th floor of Times Square (the one in Hong Kong, not New York! This city manages to make copies of famous monikers too), you might get lost trying to find the place as there’s no billboard or sign indicating the name of the restaurant/bar as you step out of the lift. Encased in a glass case, well, glass walls, I hate to reveal this un-hidden gem to anyone; its just so damn good.

The house red is alarmingly affordable and alarmingly good. The simple menu with its succinct selection is reasonably priced (otherwise a contradiction of terms in this city – you can pay HK$92 for a cup of tea if you’re not careful in this dang place) and its complete lack of pretension – be it in its décor, food, service, style – makes it worthy of a Michelin. A great place to sit and munch after work, the ties are loosened under the soft-glow of this new hangout for some severely designer-clad folks (the main offices of many luxury brands are floors above). Where else can you find a HK$6,000 LV belt-clad babe buying a $60 cup of vino?

798 Unit & Co
12/F
Times Square
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
www.798unit.com
Tel: (852) 2506 0611
Opening Hours: 12-12


Pop Bites


Although I’m deeply suspicious of how long this latest venture will last, Pop Bites, conceived by celebrated Hong Kong restaurateur and designer Calvin Yeung, has a certain buzz going for it, among the esoteric and eccentric folks that trade in urban chic.

In collaboration with dance and music maven Yvonne Siet-Wong and the celebrated spinner/cable TV star DJ Wong Chi Chung, the idea behind the latest eatery/drinkery is to “eat, drink and make merry music” till the cops come home! Which shouldn’t take long, as the old Central Police Station is right across the road from this restaurant/ice-cream parlor/fine wine hub/music & DJ haunt.

A much more sedate alternative to Lan Kwai Fong, which is a sweaty street below, with thematic parties and events (Bjork Nite! Abbey Road evening and so on), this little place is definitely for music lovers, who can chat with the visiting DJs while sipping a fine Merlot from the extensive stock of Yeung’s private collection.

With the lords of folly and follicle (what? You can’t be a DJ with ‘normal’ hair) ambulating about, there’s a vestige of cool (that’s ‘kwl’ for those inclined to text lexicon) in the lair, the air… I just didn’t fit in! Anyhoo…

Its, its… well, for the lack of better word, cute. Ice-creams are labeled Strawberry Fields Forever (a pink berry flavoured dessert), Aloha Paradise (Coconut Almond Fudge Chip) and U2 Rocks (Dublin Mudslide) and so on, there’s soothing mint-tea specially concocted for Pop Bites served on Balinese platters. Stylist Kristin Flanagan once said to me, judge a wine bar by how good their glasses are (apparently they have to be large, voluminous goblet-like crystal and not paper-cups or Ikea samples) so the place got marks immediately for their selection of cutlery and China.

Said Yeung at the opening party, “I wanted a place that was different from others around Central, a place where I myself would like to come and eat – and this is the place where you’ll see me from now on.”

The idea of a harmonious environment – aided with top DJs spinning tunes, a CD station where shoppers can listen to their own selection, a Technicolor video wall, its an entertainment venue as much as it is a restaurant.

Its hard not to be taken in by Yeung’s contagious enthusiasim, “The venue will be a place for creative exchanges”, he says. “We’ll invite pop singers to share their latest work, and we’ll host art-related events. The major difference between Pop Bites and our two previous concepts is that this place offers a channel for people to enjoy creative talents.”

Any place that offers alternatives to the vocal stylings of canto-pop, Aqua (hasn’t the song I’m a Barbie girl died everywhere else? Apparently not in HK clubs) and Bee Gees remix (ok its cool after some… er… herbal electives), gets my hard-earned-dollar.

Pop Bites
Opening Hours: 8:30am till 11pm, daily.
Location: UG/F, No. 3-5 Old Bailey Street, Central, Hong Kong.
Tel: (852) 2525 4141

Family Jewels

Continuing the family legacy of providing jewels for the famed and fortuned, Hong Kong based Jonathan Abram's role seems like a genetic predisposition. P.Ramakrishnan meets the rising son, who's continuing his illustrious father's footsteps in the business. Picture by Hyvis Tong.


Looking at what's on display at the Ronald Abram boutique in Hong Kong, it's a glimmering array of diamonds, both coloured and white. "It's the stones themselves that are the most exciting part of being in the business," says Jonathan Abram, Ronald's son and director of Ronald Abram. "I've seen some of the most beautiful jewels in the world from the time I was 15; rare jewels, small and precious and huge ones - and combinations of both colour and cut. There was no pressure from my parents to become involved in the family business, but I came back to it after studying at University. When I was younger, I always accompanied my father to work and was constantly intrigued. My brothers and I heard about the business when I was at home and I developed a fascination for it. I guess it was just in my blood."

At stores across Hong Kong brace themselves for the festive and shopping season, sale signs are being displayed around the city as we speak. "It's certainly one of our busiest seasons. The diamond market is cyclical and we're optimistic that this is going to be a good period ahead. Shoppers in this city are sophisticated, and they are a very diverse group. The market is quite mixed when it comes to buying vintage (anything from the 1930s to the 1970s) or antique (over 100 years old) jewellery and there are many who appreciate it and buy it for its artistic value, because the designs can't be replicated. And then there are those who wouldn't buy pre-owned items because they're superstitious about it, as some cultures are."

Though you can't fault any of the pieces for their unequivocal brilliance, canary yellow and pink diamonds do seem to stand out in the smorgasbord of jewels. "When Jennifer Lopez got her pink diamond engagement ring, it got as much publicity as the Taylor-Burton ring. There was a rapid increase in sales in pink diamonds that year and jewelers everywhere credit J Lo for the publicity blitz that shone on the diamond! You would be surprised to know that the most visible celebrity group isn't comprised of Rappers or Hip-Hop stars, who do buy the real thing and then sing about it. The biggest buyers of diamonds in the celebrity circuit over the past few years have been Ellen Barkin and Oprah Winfrey. They are the stars who are the world's biggest buyers - although I don't know what Barkin's been buying since her divorce from Ron Perelman...".

Speaking of celebrities, Marilyn Monroe and Nicole Kidman crooned that "Diamonds are a girl's best friend", but legend has it that both wore fakes - or as in Kidman's case Swarovski crystals. Can you tell if a glistening rock is the genuine article or glass without a monocle? "In a second!" says Abram. "Any jeweler should be able to tell a fake very quickly. Quite simply, the brilliance of a real diamond cannot be replicated."


Picture by Hyvis Tong of model sporting Ronald Abram jewels.

Racing the Planet

The Sahara Desert has been captured on film and photographed like a mysterious and exotic woman; all seductive silhouettes and promising curves, scorching hot by day, icy cool by night. For Martyn Sawyer, a race across its unforgiving terrain seemed like the perfectly logical thing to do. P.Ramakrishnan captures a few moments with the New Age Marathon man and asks the most obvious question, er... why?




The year was 1976. Actor Dustin Hoffman met the legendary Laurence Olivier on the set of the film "Marathon Man", where the model of method acting, Hoffman, decided to go through the physical hardship of extreme training for his role. Found in a state of complete exhaustion and with his body tested to the limit after a race, when Olivier met the gasping shell of the Oscar-winning star at the end, he simply said,"My dear fellow, have you tried acting?"

More than 30 years later, the anecdote swims in my mind while listening to the trials and tribulation of Martyn Sawyer. Last November, at the age of 49, the gung-ho and hearty hotel management senior executive ran across the Sahara Desert in seven days, with 60 other quixotic participants who joined "Racing the Planet", an event that takes place four times a year, when people from around the world congregate to traverse across some of the harshest environments in the world. Sawyer's first race ran the gamut of the Farafra and Bahariya Oases, in the largest desert in Egypt, the finish line being in front of the Sphinx just next to the Pyramids of Giza.

Sitting in his office in Hong Kong, Sawyer recounts the harshest moments of his experience. By day four in the Sahara, he had acquired a second skin of dust and dirt that covered his body almost entirely, a thick patina of fine brown powder that saved him from getting kicked out of the race and from sunburn.

"In the middle of the race, my leg had swollen up incredibly but I didn't have an infection. My legs were very red and when one of the medical staff saw me at the check point, they warned me that if this continued, they would have to pull me from the race," recalls the man who surprisingly, has no tan or debilitating injuries to show after having completed the grueling 250-kilometre journey. "By some miracle the swelling went down the following day, and the fine desert sand was almost the same colour as my skin. It covered my entire leg, so it wasn't red anymore... they let me continue the race."

The damage to Sawyer, for all its skin-peeling horrors, was nominal. "Five people had to be taken out of the race and there were others on intravenous drips at rest stops. I didn't mind the heat, but nothing bothered me as much as getting sand in my shoes - which I know sounds silly - but I had bought this pair of shoes that seemed like the most durable, comfortable and the lightest, but what I didn't count on was how very, very fine the sand was. It seeped through every hole and crevice and I was blistering badly". Had that continued each day, the end was nigh for the enthusiastic competitor. "I had to cut up a running mate's nylon shorts and pin the fabric over the holes to prevent the sand from getting in," he recalls.

For Sawyer, taking on this challenge was a mighty big mission and like any race, it all begins with the first step. "My first challenge was the Sahara and this will be followed by the Gobi Desert on June 17th this year, the Atacama Plains in Chile in March 2008 and then, if I make it through all that, I'll be eligible for the last race, Antarctica in January 2009", states the valiant globe trotter.

In the desert, the temperature can reach up to a searing 46 degrees Celsius in the summer, but the racer admits that it is as much a mental challenge as a physical one.

"I didn't understand it but at one time I was euphoric, ready to take on the world, but the next minute, sheer misery. It was devastating at times, but I never wanted to quit". Though it might seem like a vast monochrome canvas, there is actually much more to the desert Sawyer assures, than physical endurance, referring to the vast beauty in the endless landscape.

"Visually, it's absolutely stunning. I think the most captivating was the night sky," he says, painting a picture that his camera couldn't capture. "I slept out on the sand in a tent, crammed in with the rest of the surviving racers (there were only five casualties this year) and it's not the most comfortable tent in the world. The first night, I just made myself a little sarcophagus in the sand and stared at the sky. It's three dimensional, and so deep with stars. It's completely open to you and you can even see satellites dashing across it."

The race was eventually won by a 21 year-old, but even a 66 year-old man crossed the line to a warm reception of loud cheers from all participants. "That was my target, simply to finish the race. I knew I wouldn't come in first but that wasn't the point. Crossing the line was," admits the man who beyond any measure of doubt, is likely to continue to conquer the world, one step at a time.

Eating Out: TGI Friday's: Restaurant Review:

2.5 out of 5 stars. 

At TGI Friday's there's more to be said about the atmosphere than the food but on a Friday night, perhaps that's just what you're looking for. Music, lights, sports, beer and uncomplicated meals that require no explanation. The formula has worked - ever since opening its first store in New York in 1965, it has expanded to 650 branches in 52 countries. It was launched as a singles' bar for the partying 20-somethings from the swinging 60s, but times have clearly changed, even if the furnshings have not.

With balloons, multicoloured fake Tiffany lamps over red-and-white striped tablecloths, walls festooned with relics (some might view them as varnished trash, others, interesting curios) and brightly attired waiters - with suspenders holding big pins - Friday's screeches "theme restaurant", a humble ode for nostalgic Americans yearning for the golden days. \

The menu is huge, but there's nothing that's not available elsewhere - usually at a fraction of the cost. Grilled steaks, seafood, burgers of all kind, fajitas, pastas... it's the place to go to when you don't want any surprises. 

For our starter, my friend and I chose to share the vegetable fajitas ($88), which turned out to be the best dish of the evening. It might sound healthy, but it really wasn't - the fried, mixed chunky veggies (carrots, zucchini, peppers, onions etc) tasted amazing once in the fresh tortillas and smothered with guacamole, sour cream, cheddar cheese, tomatoes and salsa. 

For the main course, my friend chose the Jack Daniel's salmon steak ($168). The ample steak was surprisingly sweet and seemed to have been dippd in mild sugar water rather than Tennessee bourbon. My chicken alfredo ($128), a tasty, sliced grilled-chicken breast on a bed of creamy pasta, was pretty good - definitely more chicken than pasta, although the massive portion bordered on the ridiculous. 

We bypassed their famed Oreo-cookie delight and decided to share the mocha mud pie ($78) - a decadent serving of coffee ice-ream crusted with chocolate crumbs, almond slices and hot fudge. 

Dinner for two came to $620 (10 per cent service charge included). 

4-5 Floor, Oterprise Square, 26 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui 

Tel: 2368 2800 Open: Sunday-Thursday, 11:20am-midnight; friday and Saturday, 11.30am-1am. 

$$$ 

Published in South China Morning Post's short-lived weekly magazine;24/7. This was obviously written when TGIF first opened in Hong Kong. 

All prices in HKD - not to alarm the reader!

Diaspora Diaries: Jeff Hahn

Don't be fooled by the baby face. Photographer Jeff Hahn is building a reputation in London, writes P.Ramakrishnan.

Photographer Jeff Hahn's impressive CV belies his youth. At 21, Hahn sometimes finds it hard to be taken seriously as a photographer, especially in a city such as London, which is teeming with talent. Recently, when turning in a shoot of a chief executive for a magazine, the managing editor mistook him for the delivery boy. But Hahn's work has appeared in leading luxury and lifestyle magazines in Asia, including The Peninsula magazine, Maison Mode, Kee, Esquire and WestEast, and he's been hired for corporate photoshoots.

In the past two years he's been published in Britain and had an exhibition on London's fashionable Brick Lane. He's being profiled by cult magazines Idol and i-D, and is preparing for upcoming exhibitions in New York, London and Hong Kong.

"I got into photography when I was about 13," he says. "My brother had one of those amazing and, in retrospect, awful, two-megapixel chunky digital cameras and I used to play around with it. Shortly after that I discovered Lomography which, aside from being a company with ingenious ideas for new cameras, was also more of a concept and a way of photographing. It's all about capturing the moment and not thinking technically."

Hahn's signature look - his eye for finding the aesthetic in the mundane, often saturating images with a 1970s-style hue - was formed as much by default as by deliberation.

"I explored light leaks, blurry pictures and photographing the banal," he says. "It was probably the most liberating entry into such a massive world. I think when I took my first picture, my eyes opened for the first time and, instead of looking, I was finally seeing."

Born in Switzerland to a Swiss father and Chinese mother, Hahn was raised in Taiwan, New Zealand and Hong Kong, but he now lives and works in London. As much as he likes the challenges of working in the British capital, he still has a taste for Hong Kong.

Hahn started his career interning at magazines on the well-beaten paths of Sheung Wan. He was 16 and didn't get paid, but was glad for the opportunity.

"I found working in Hong Kong much easier than in London, probably because it's a smaller city and the media community is so tight-knit," he says. "Everyone's supportive and they all love to work with new people. It's a completely different story in London.

"Life isn't always great [in London]," he says. "You don't often feel safe; sometimes it makes you want to give up but it's real and I love it for that. The amount that I've grown and the things I've learned, I probably would never have experienced had I stayed in Hong Kong."

Hahn has a multitude of cameras, ranging from "my faithful Canon 30D, to the medium-format beast that is the Mamiya RB67, to disposable cameras. I think my collection amounts to about 20 that I use.

"My first show in London was called Boy BANG Boy. Curated by artists Stuart Sandford and Sichi, it aimed to celebrate the image of the boy. I was one of eight artists and I did a series of self-portraits based along the lines of narcissism and voyeurism. The feedback was great, more than 2,000 people showed up and i-D published a piece on its website featuring my work."

His star appears to be rising: this year, his work will be displayed in some prestigious London galleries. Hahn's next body of work will involve "challenging the way society views you, with regards to how you present yourself", he says. "It's still in the early stages so no details yet but it's moving in almost a complete opposite direction to the previous show.

"I see myself staying in London for another couple of years," he says. "But I want to give something back to Hong Kong and be part of a bigger movement to push the creative scene."





Post script:

Jeff's talent annoys me. How dare he be so young and gifted. The hard knocks of life have not hit him... yet. muahahahha.

My life: Carmit Bachar

Following a bittersweet departure from The Pussycat Dolls, the "Smile ambassador" has been re-igniting her career in Hong Kong, writes P.Ramakrishnan.

JUMPING FOR JOY I was born and raised in Encino, California, and I'm a mix of Israeli, Dutch, Indonesian and Chinese. Both my parents danced and acted, and I was an audience to their talents. I was always upside down doing handstands as a child - a bundle of energy - so my mum sent me to gymnastics classes. I also did ballet and dance. After watching the 1984 Olympics, I fell in love with rhythmic gymnastics and started competing professionally. I competed internationally for 10 years and even made fifth place in the United States Olympic trials [in 1992]. I had a dance background and loved creating new elements, and I think the audience liked my performance more than my routine. I gave up gymnastics and started performing.

CATS OUT OF THE BAG When we first started, The Pussycat Dolls was more of an underground act, it was the cool thing in [Los Angeles] that few people knew about and we played gigs in The Viper Room and The Roxy. This sensual, burlesque act was conceptualised way back in 1995 but most people think it's relatively new. In 2003, we signed a record deal that brought the group into the limelight but the Dolls had been around long before. The original group was Nicole Scherzinger, Melody Thornton, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, Kimberly Wyatt and me. When we were performing, celebrities came to be a part of the show. It was more risqu?in the early days, we didn't sing live, we lip-synched and we had amazing guest stars like Carmen Electra, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani join in.

THEN CAME GWEN When Gwen joined, the fame aspect grew considerably. I was choreographing for [Stefani's band] No Doubt - I've had many avatars - as an independent artist and, when I met Gwen, I said, 'If you ever want to be a part of the Dolls, let me know.' Six months go by, she came to check out the show and, at the end, she came backstage and said, 'I'm jealous. I want to be in it. I love it!' And then we based the show all around her and her music. Gwen was the quintessential Pussycat Doll, really sophisticated and classic. And she has this perfect combination of beauty and rock 'n' roll and sex appeal. She brought something new to the show. It was so great, we went on tour as an opening act for No Doubt. We had a ball.

SPLIT DECISION I left the group in 2008. The split came naturally. Girls have come and gone over the years, some bitterly, some not. Groups are a difficult thing; the relationship goes through a lot. We enjoyed the perks together, we suffered the losses together. We developed bonds but ... some personalities don't mesh in the long run. Nicole did lead the group and was often seen as 'the face' ... but each member had value. Well, I really don't want to focus on the negative but let me just say when things are good, no one leaves a multiplatinum-record-selling group. It's sort of unfortunate, we all worked hard, we had a wide fan base, Nicole was always experimenting and made the group a bigger success but ... many of us did feel that no one should be taken for granted. It affects your experience. After a while, I was happy to leave.

HONG KONG CONNECTION I was in Hong Kong in December for a charity show and I met Ann Tsang [of Antithesis records] and [rapper] Detroit Diamond. I had met Ann before but this time she said, 'We have to work on something together'. Before I knew it, we were all at a studio working together. The synergy was amazing. I love working here in Hong Kong, it's fast, it's efficient.

I've been to the city many times. It's like New York on speed. It's got some amazing qualities - fashion, food, the whole lifestyle. It is so multicultural. I remember coming here years ago, when I was with the group, and thinking, 'I'm definitely coming back soon'. I feel this strange connection to Asia - my mother was born in Indonesia, my grandmother is part Chinese - and I have Chinese tattoos on my back.

IDOL GOSSIP As much as I love LA, I like leaving it on occasion, too. Living in the heartland of gossip and tabloid culture, my personal life is speculated on but I don't really care to talk much about it. At the moment, my personal life is me and my mother. The tabloids often get it very wrong. Like they did in the early days of American Idol, when I went to support [the reality show's most famous runner up] Adam Lambert [see The Review].

When I left the group, my intention wasn't to go solo. I wanted to go out and create and produce - and that's how The Zodiac Show came into being. It's an underground live-performance show that I co-founded as an outlet for both established and new singers, dancers, rappers, poets and performing artists to come together on stage to display their true passion and talent. It's a multiple-genre thing that I can't fully describe. Rap, aerial fire shows, opera, drag queens, everything on stage, all united on one platform. Dita von Teese, Macy Gray, Grammy winners and producers all collaborating. It's my passion project. Adam Lambert was in The Zodiac Show for years - long before Idol - so, of course, we've been friends for a long time. During the show, I went to support him and you can see me in the audience on the Idol re-runs.

CRACKING SMILES Beyond the music, the show, the documentary [about The Zodiac Show], my involvement with Operation Smile, as a 'Smile ambassador', is very important to me. I was born with a cleft lip and palate and I experienced rejection at every corner. But I understand why; this business is about image. I had a scar on my lip after my surgery and people would look and ask, 'What's that?' But it became part of my character. One in 600 children in the US are born with this condition. In America, we have surgery, which takes just 45 minutes, but in Third World countries, there is nowhere to go. I teamed up with the charity to benefit children born with the condition by offering arts education and inspiration for them to live their dreams.

Q&A: Vivian Lau

Miss Hong Kong 2000 Vivian Lau gives a model set of answers to P.Ramakrishnan.

Q: Favourite bar/club?
I don't go to bars or clubs.

Q: What is your poison?
Liars.

Q: What are you listening to?
R&B and Canto-pop.

Q: Is there a song that always makes you dance?
Sowing The Seeds Of Love.

Q: What song tells you that it's time to go home?
Where Did Your Heart Go? by Wham.

Q: What is your favourite film and why?
The Negotiator - it was so cool.

Q: What is your favourite item of clothing?
Jeans. I am crazy about jeans. I like to get them in North America.

Q: Worst fashion decision?
I bought a pair of five-inch heals once.

Q: Who is your hero?
My parents and my piano teacher.

Q: How do you like to relax?
Going to a really nice cafe and having dessert.

Q: What's the most exciting thing you have ever done?
Joining the Miss Hong Kong Pageant and winning.

Q: Who would you most like to be trapped in a lift with?
A humorous guy.

Q: How do you contribute to society?
I treat people very nicely and hopefully they will do the same to others. Also, I am quite environmentally friendly.

Q: What is your motto?
Seize the day.

Eating Out: Cat Street Cafe

Cat Street Cafe is split into two sections, the karaoke bar and restaurant. Unluckily, we arrived at 9.15pm - just after the karaoke kicked off and just before happy hour ended. Warbling wannabes screeched Canto-pop at the top of their voices while we sipped pre-dinner drinks that failed to pack a punch ($25 during happy hour, $40 at other times).

After that our waitress couldn't find a wine list, so we looked over laminated strips of paper that constituted the main menu and the waitress indicated which items were "sold out" - most of them.

Our starters arrived, soaked in grease, with shrivelled, shredded onion slices lurking at the bottom of my onion soup ($38). For the main course, we ordered a 10-inch pizza capricciosa ($98), which surprisingly came with pineapple (not listed in the ingredients ), which I am allergic to.

Our grand finale was the steak, with a side order of borderline sauce. The large slab of meat was rubbery, while the accompanying heavily oiled fries and florets of broccoli weren't worth wasting calories on.

Our bill came to $530 for two - a lot of money, considering the quality. At the end of the day, this is more karaoke bar than restaurant.


14-18 Laurd Road, Wan Chai.
Tel: 2865 1008. Open:11.30am-3.30pm, 6pm-11pm, karaoke 9pm-late.
$$$

May 18 - May 24, 2001



Dino's

As it's part of the Harbour Plaza Hotel, you might expect this Italian eatery to be an impressive suit-and-tie affair. It's not. The convivial restaurant has two painted circus tents for the ceiling that shade just a few tables, while others are left victim to local weather conditions.

We started off with warm "Mama's minestrone" ($45) while sipping a well-priced red Montepulcianod' Abruzzo ($185 bottle). Olive oil lovers might relish the greasy bruschetta ($45) - warm bread topped with tomato, basil and garlic flavour.

My friend had a creamy roast cod steak ($110), delicious and perfectly cooked, but it came with a few bland potatoes and vegetables devoid of flavour. My Verdure pizza with a topping of grilled seasonal vegetables ($70) was also a disappointment, a textbook creation that tasted too plain. We skipped the deserts on offer 0 tiramisu, panna cotta and frozen sabayon (all $50).

Still, the marquee restaurant is popular - the fantastic view of Victoria Harbour is reason enough to keep Dino's busy. The bill for two came to $594, including service charge.

Harbour Plaza Hotel, 20 Tak Fung Street, Hunghom.
Tel: 26213188.
Open: Sun-Thur noon-1am; Fri-Sat noon-2am.
$$$

Jhankar

Jhankar is yet another eatery in the overcrowded streets between Jordon and Yau Ma Tei. Serving mostly south Indian food with a few Thai dishes as well, it's easy to miss as it occupies the second floor of Double Set Commercial Centre, but even on a rain-lashed week night, the restaurant had a good turnout.

It's surprising because the interior isn't impressive; the stained and decrepit carpet, cheesy postcard-plastered walls, garish pink tablecloths and the Christmas-light festooned windows had my friend wanting to head for the exit. But by the end, we were glad we stayed.

We stuck with Indian dishes. A plain naan bread ($10), followed by a buttered one ($12) while we sipped our beers ($18), was a great way to start what became a feast. Our helpful waitress suggested a simple vegetable curry ($35) with the bread. We were glad she did, as it was the perfect accompaniment.

Patience is called for because as the menu indicated, each item is individually made and there's a time lag between dishes. Another serving of bread was in order so we tried the fantastic khurmi naan ($12). Warm and slightly charred, it was filled with garlic, tomato, chilli and served with a spinach yoghurt dipping sauce. It was a finger-licking delight and the highlight of the meal.

The main course - chicken biryani in basmati rice ($35) - was, unfortunately, a bit of an anti-climax. The rice and chicken were dry and bland, so we spiced it up with a delightful chicken korma - boneless meat marinated in seasoned yoghurt and curry ($48).

This is a backpacker's paradise. With generous portions at cheap prices, it's a winner when strapped for cash, starving and craving curry. The total with two beers and two soft drinks came to $149.

2/f Double Set Commercial Centre, 37a-37b Jordan road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon.
Tel;9206 4134. Open: Monday-Friday 11.30am-3pm, 6pm-midnight.
Saturday and Sunday 12.30am-midnight.
$

CEO Series: Thierry Fritsch: Interview with President and CEO of Chaumet, Paris

President and CEO of Chaumet, Paris

As the head of the prestigious French brand, Chaumet, Thierry Fritsch hops around the globe ensuring the pristine image and standards of the company are strictly maintained. He speaks to P.Ramakrishnan on the eve of the opening of the brand's signature store in Central, Hong Kong.

The House of Chaumet can be traced back centuries, not decades, as the company provided jewellery to Marie Antoinette and Napoleon Bonaparte. So how is this Parisian brand still relevant and not an archaic relic from history? By staying ahead of the curve, knowing where fashion is heading, and constantly upgrading its image and its products, while remaining true to the company's philosophy and rich tradition.

Even the most cynical of media watchers have been impressed by the Chaumet advertising campaign - the mirror-like shot of the modern girl staring at herself in vintage form, a reflection of Chaumet's link between past and present. How did the concept come about?


Thierry Fritsch: From the beginning, I wanted to use a British photographer because only a British photographer would immediately understand how we could play with the concept of royalty, without trying to make the model look like the Queen of England. We selected Richard Burbridge, an Englishman who works in New York. I had lunch with him and tried to explain the idea. Then he said, "I've got it, you want an element of fantasy somewhere, not reality. I have the picture in mind."

This is the magic of an artist, because you have a wish and then you see the artist transform it into reality. He also suggested that the perfect model would be Stella Tennant because she's British, she's an aristocrat, she knows how to wear a tiara, and because she's a modern woman. I said to him that I didn't know her and that she would probably be very expensive but he said that she was a friend and he would call her. Then he called Stella and told her that she had no choice! There was one shoot in New York with just Richard, Stella and the tiara and they did it! It was magic.


The entire campaign came into being in one session?

Thierry Fritsch: Yes. During the shoot, Stella was supposed to wear the tiara and make it stand up like a crown, but she said that was old-fashioned and boring. "I'm going to put it on like a bandana," she said, and the result was outstanding. She dared to do it because she is an aristocrat and was not in awe of a tiara. She did it in a natural way, with a true understanding of what Chaumet is. It's a natural story.


While running the company, you've also been involved in every aspect of bringing Chaumet to life. How do you see your role?


Thierry Fritsch: My job is just to select the right people. It is just like casting. If you select the right photographer, the right model, the right architect, the right designer, the right craftsman, then they will work their magic. You know, apart from Stella or Richard or someone like the great architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte (who designed our stores), they have to understand what Chaumet is, its history and its significance in both the past and present. When you understand the roots, then you can go very far.

Apart from royal families, who's buying your signature piece, the tiara?

Thierry Fritsch: Well, we don't sell only tiaras - the market of tiaras is somewhat limited in the world! We also have an extensive range of watches and fine jewellery. You may be surprised to know that we still do actually sell tiaras and crowns, particularly to royal families in the Gulf. Wait, see this? (Fritsch finds a sketch of a turban, lavishly embellished with pearls and emeralds). This was done for the Maharaja of Indore. It's the original drawing. We make some of the grand pieces by creating drawings first, and we still do special orders like this. All kinds of people are welcome at Chaumet.

What other Asian hot-spots are there for Chaumet?

Thierry Fritsch: People understand Chaumet all around the world - anyone who knows haute couture, and old cultures. For example, its very easy for us to explain Chaumet to Japanese people and I'm not afraid of the Chinese market or the Italian market because if you have had a culture for centuries, then you'll understand Chaumet. We've been in Japan for a while, and now it's the number one market in the world for us.

Why Japan? Why not a European country with ever-present royalty?

Thierry Fritsch: Japan is a massive luxury goods market. The Japanese fall between Imperial tradition and strong modernity, and they fully understand the value of luxury goods. Last year I went to Japan six times, and this year seven, to break my record.

Published in The Peninsula, Volume3, Issue4

Heart of the Matter

By P Ramakrishnan. Images courtesy of Seasons Fitness.

When Arnold Schwarzenegger had to undergo a heart-operation a few years ago, many a couch potato must have taken a double-take as the news appeared on the ticker-tape on CNN. Schwarzenegger. The man described by the Guinness Book of World Records as, brace yourself for this, "the most perfectly developed man in the history of the world".

If he had a heart condition, what hope is there for mortals and mankind?

The fact of the matter is, you may be as thin as a rake or a gym gorrilla, but you can still have an unhealthy heart. Anil Ahuja from Pure Fitness, explains, “For both men and women, there are many factors that contribute to heart problems. A few examples are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lack of regular exercise, family history, age and smoking. I advise anyone to take a moment to look at their lifestyle, family history and their general health.”

Unfortunately, in many cases, not only does the next generation inherit potentially fatal heart conditions, but they also mirror their parents’ exercise habits – which in some cases are non-existent.

Adam Fabbian, a personal trainer at New York @ Hal, warns, “If your heart is weak, less blood is going to your major organs and muscles so that makes you short of breath and tired, even when going about your daily life. These symptoms are an indication of what’s to come”

They say a message hits you with a pebble first, before the brick slams it in. Rob Devereux, Regional Director of Fitness Development at California Fitness, agrees but is quick to point out, “Often the brick hits without warning - for 20 percent of individuals, the first indication that they have heart disease is death. Atherosclerosis (fat deposition in the arteries) is often called the "silent killer" so preventative measures are key.”

The good news is, you can change the pattern and start… well, now. Rob says, “If you haven't exercised for a long time (or never) it is always best to consult with a doctor first to establish whether there may be any health related risks. Assuming that you obtain a clear bill of health, the best option would be to start by walking or stationery cycling as these can be performed at low intensity and have no learning curve.

“Starting with 10 minutes and building to 30 minutes over a period of weeks will ensure that the body adjusts to the increase in activity. Starting out too fast and for too long, apart from being potentially dangerous, can lead to rapid burnout.”

Raymond Chan, Fitness Manager at Seasons Fitness, offers baby steps to get into a program, “In the morning, even before you get out of bed, do a set of stretching exercises, perhaps a couple of sit-ups on the mattress. Do two the first day, then three and so on. It really wakes you up. When you go to work, take the stairs, not the escalator in the MTR. Sometimes, it’ll take you time to find those stairs – a brisk walk in search of it will do you good. When you go shopping, I always recommend that you take your time, walk around, carry your grocery bags. Internet shopping is reducing our fitness level – forget the web sites.”

People with dogs seemed to have a lower risk of heart disease because their routine included walking the dog – even a daily simple stroll does wonder. Says Anil, “Tht may be true in the west, but in Hong Kong of course, it’s the maids with lower risk of heart disease.”

Point taken.








TAKE FIVE

Raymond Chan from Seasons Fitness, offers 5 easy exercises that you can start immediately to benefit your heart:

1) Brisk walking. Moderate amount of exercise can do wonders for your cardiovascular health. Walking around in Hong Kong is free, you can do it anywhere and its easy. Take the stairs when and where you can.
2) Explore new sports – if you’re a loner, cycling or running in Tai Tam is great. Group sports like soccer, basketball in game centres and Victoria Park are easy to join in. In fact, find someone in your office who does a sport, a work out buddy is a great. The first step is the hardest, so find someone else who exercises to help ease the burden.
3) Make a schedule three times a week, 30 minutes a day. Find activities that use a lot of muscle group like swimming or biking. Using as many muscle groups as possible helps boost your heart rate.
4) Do different things every week. Each successive day, aim higher. If you swam one lap on week one, swim two the next. Push yourself for a result. It’ll be hard at first but focus. Focus equals fat burn!
5) Aerobics, dancercise, jazz-ercise, yoga-size, do a fun activity that you haven’t done before. Anything that gets your heart pumping more.



Anil Ahuja shares five mental notes to keep in mind:

1) Control your blood pressure and cholesterol level. Treating high blood pressure can lower your risk of heart attack and stroke, Your diet is a key part of lowering high cholesterol levels.

2) Maintain a healthy weight. Extra weight puts a strain on your heart and arteries. Exercise and a low-fat diet can help you lose weight. Being overweight means you have a higher risk of suffering from many other health problems, especially diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

3) Exercise regularly. Remember, your heart is a muscle. It needs regular exercise to stay in shape. Aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, swimming, jogging or biking, gives your heart the best workout. You can also use fitness equipment like exercise bicycles, treadmills and ski machines when exercising indoors.

4) Eat a low-fat diet. Keep fat calories to 30 percent or less of the total calories you take in during a day and avoid saturated fat (the fat in meats and coconut oil).

5) Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease If you stop smoking, you can lower your risk of a heart attack by one third within two years. Breathing smoke from someone else's cigarettes is also bad for your heart and lungs. If you live with someone who smokes, encourage him or her to quit.