I have received complaints about my blog being too academically boring and no one would spend that much time reading the posts.
well,let's try something different here, it's a simply entry today.
this link i came across in youtube really laugh die me,watched it 3 times in the last 10 minutes.still couldn't stop laughing. i know it doesn't really belong to here and strictly for hong kong speaking chinese to understand. but hey,if something is so damn funny why not break up a rule now and then?enjoy everybody!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1sGIo2K1Hk
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Friday, January 19, 2007
dilemma unresolved
referring to the previous post, the PR who contacted me yesterday had her senior ringing me just then firing off her dissatisfaction for 12 minutes and 46 seconds.
I told her if my editor wants to write the article there is nothing else i can do but to write the damn thing.i will have to listen to him.she said i might be blacklisted from now on.
oh well, let's see what's going to happen. i have a feeling this will continue.
my editor later on told me if she come messing with me again, he's going to talk to her directly.
Did I make the right choice? what do you all think?
I told her if my editor wants to write the article there is nothing else i can do but to write the damn thing.i will have to listen to him.she said i might be blacklisted from now on.
oh well, let's see what's going to happen. i have a feeling this will continue.
my editor later on told me if she come messing with me again, he's going to talk to her directly.
Did I make the right choice? what do you all think?
Thursday, January 18, 2007
journalistic dilemma: to go ahead or not?
Thursday 18 January, I came across one of the most confusing journalistic intersection.I spent the longest 15 minutes in my life trying to decide whether to go ahead with a story which might carry undesirable consequences. OR, I could just take it easy and compromise with controversy by printing the story one day later requested by the PR? I can't help but wander, how far could a journalist live on total independence in a sickening media ecology in Hong Kong?
The dilemma started from me being invited to a media lunch by the Director of Social Welfare. Ground rules for attending: no recording and no reporting.I was lucky enough to sit right next to the director so I got to hear everything he said over lunch with two round tables packed with more than 20 Hong Kong reporters along with PR officers and other senior officials from the department. On my right, was my main rival who is at least 15 years more experienced than me and earning a package probably 5 times as much. Was I nervous? hell yeah.The senior official leaked out a good story about the government is studying the feasibility of imposing a cut-off time over dole payment system which is a drastic welfare policy change affecting many of the underprivileged groups.
By instinct, I guarded this with my life bringing it back to newsroom. My editor rewarded me with a frontpage position.Government's PR soon found out I was drilling on this piece. It's to her best interest trying to prohibit the story from running because the reporters weren't properly briefed and publicity effect will be varied. First she accused me of breaking rules of game. Then she tried harder by telling me I may run the risk of being blacklisted by the government and fellow reporters who agreed on the no recording and no reporting rule.I told her I would really be a lousy journalist if I'm not running the story because I know it for sure that I wasn't the only rebellious reporter there. (Infact, I didn't know that for sure. I only knew if a young reporter like me could sense the pressing urge to print the story, it will be even more so for the rest of the senior reporters who attended the gathering.)
The PR got busted and then turned into this soft tone trying to talk me into running it one day later.I got soft and agreed talking it over with my editor while the PR called around other reporters trying to talk them into sealing the story. On the other line, I have got this professor ringing me back to comment on the story and my boss on my back trying to figure out what the hell was I doing.
I told my editor what the PR told me and he was,by no surprise, acting all furious.He blamed me for letting the PR what story i'm working on and not clearing out the deals before bringing the story back to the newsroom.For the record, I didn't tell the PR anything. She just figured it out somehow.But he was right about the deals clearance.With the rules, i guess they are made to be broken just as everyone says and especially if you've got a good story.anyhow, I went back to my desk trying to think if I should go ahead with the story because my editor said he didn't know what to do.
If i was the only one to run the story, good on me for scooping the news but down for being hated among other reporters for breaking the deals. Journalists among Hong Kong's printed media tend to help each other out, deals breakers are rare.If I didn't run the story but someone else has it the next day, I will be known for being a chicken shit and running the risk of being fired. Plus, consciously, I probably won't be able to live with myself knowing I have compromised upon journalistic independence.It's seem to me at that time i will end up losing integrity by going either way.That 15 minutes was the longest moment in my life. I felt like I was being cooked up on this burning grill.Finally, I was like, "Fxxk it!'' I stood up and told my editor that I'm going ahead with it and just couldn't careless because I have another child abuse story to write on top of the dilemma.After making the decision, I felt an immediate relief although I wasn't sure I have made the right one. But I went out for a ciggie anyway.Ten minutes later, the PR called back informing me her damage control had utterly failed. Other reporters were way too furious trying to get a bite on this one that no PR sweet talks could slow down the jaws. I asked her who was the most furious out of all, she told me it was the experienced reporter sitting by my right hand side during the lunch.
Just like every other reporter, I got my story in-time and made local news session frontpage.Without paying a heavy price, I am just glad that I have learnt a lesson by trusting my own journalistic instinct and not to compromise journalistic independence in times of difficulty.
The dilemma started from me being invited to a media lunch by the Director of Social Welfare. Ground rules for attending: no recording and no reporting.I was lucky enough to sit right next to the director so I got to hear everything he said over lunch with two round tables packed with more than 20 Hong Kong reporters along with PR officers and other senior officials from the department. On my right, was my main rival who is at least 15 years more experienced than me and earning a package probably 5 times as much. Was I nervous? hell yeah.The senior official leaked out a good story about the government is studying the feasibility of imposing a cut-off time over dole payment system which is a drastic welfare policy change affecting many of the underprivileged groups.
By instinct, I guarded this with my life bringing it back to newsroom. My editor rewarded me with a frontpage position.Government's PR soon found out I was drilling on this piece. It's to her best interest trying to prohibit the story from running because the reporters weren't properly briefed and publicity effect will be varied. First she accused me of breaking rules of game. Then she tried harder by telling me I may run the risk of being blacklisted by the government and fellow reporters who agreed on the no recording and no reporting rule.I told her I would really be a lousy journalist if I'm not running the story because I know it for sure that I wasn't the only rebellious reporter there. (Infact, I didn't know that for sure. I only knew if a young reporter like me could sense the pressing urge to print the story, it will be even more so for the rest of the senior reporters who attended the gathering.)
The PR got busted and then turned into this soft tone trying to talk me into running it one day later.I got soft and agreed talking it over with my editor while the PR called around other reporters trying to talk them into sealing the story. On the other line, I have got this professor ringing me back to comment on the story and my boss on my back trying to figure out what the hell was I doing.
I told my editor what the PR told me and he was,by no surprise, acting all furious.He blamed me for letting the PR what story i'm working on and not clearing out the deals before bringing the story back to the newsroom.For the record, I didn't tell the PR anything. She just figured it out somehow.But he was right about the deals clearance.With the rules, i guess they are made to be broken just as everyone says and especially if you've got a good story.anyhow, I went back to my desk trying to think if I should go ahead with the story because my editor said he didn't know what to do.
If i was the only one to run the story, good on me for scooping the news but down for being hated among other reporters for breaking the deals. Journalists among Hong Kong's printed media tend to help each other out, deals breakers are rare.If I didn't run the story but someone else has it the next day, I will be known for being a chicken shit and running the risk of being fired. Plus, consciously, I probably won't be able to live with myself knowing I have compromised upon journalistic independence.It's seem to me at that time i will end up losing integrity by going either way.That 15 minutes was the longest moment in my life. I felt like I was being cooked up on this burning grill.Finally, I was like, "Fxxk it!'' I stood up and told my editor that I'm going ahead with it and just couldn't careless because I have another child abuse story to write on top of the dilemma.After making the decision, I felt an immediate relief although I wasn't sure I have made the right one. But I went out for a ciggie anyway.Ten minutes later, the PR called back informing me her damage control had utterly failed. Other reporters were way too furious trying to get a bite on this one that no PR sweet talks could slow down the jaws. I asked her who was the most furious out of all, she told me it was the experienced reporter sitting by my right hand side during the lunch.
Just like every other reporter, I got my story in-time and made local news session frontpage.Without paying a heavy price, I am just glad that I have learnt a lesson by trusting my own journalistic instinct and not to compromise journalistic independence in times of difficulty.
i laughed at this pic for one minute.
鼻 大 如 豬 的 唐 狗 Eddy 出 身 卑 微 ， 女 主 人 Rebecca 卻 沒 有 因 此 嫌 棄 牠 。 區 民 傑 攝Translation: Mixed breed Eddy has a big nose could almost match up with a pig, but its owner Rebecca didn't love it anyless. photography by Au Man Kit.
adopted from 2007's Jan17th Wednesday's apple daily.
see full article here: 唐 狗 會 成 立 消 除 雜 種 歧 視
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
wasted energy, no good.
After placing an order to my favourite magazine Columbia Journalism Review last October, I found myself 4 months later still empty handed.Everyday, for the last four months, I check my pigeonhole hoping for a copy of the CJR would arrive by any god-sent miracles. I even interrogate mom everyday just so she won't confuse a weird looking English magazine as promotional materials and ended up chucking them in the bin.
I also have sent out many emails to customer service using a variety of tones. From a sane polite customer at first, I turned into this desperate maniac demanding a FedEx delivery the next day. Despite all the effort, I was told by the same mono-tone customer service machine, either Carol or Sandra,telling me to wait for a new copy to arrive, month after months. I am finally sick of the dreadful wait and demanded a money back. But that's also the time they have stopped replying to my emails.
All the effort and great expectation turned into wasted energy, no good.
CJR covers the most intriguing issues in Journalism. Good reading materials for geeks like me. I remembered I was staying up all night reading the skinny magazine stolen from the university's newsroom(I wasn't allowed to take them out but I always have them back in one piece).
I even made copies of my favourite articles putting them up on my walls and carried some around just so i could share my favoruite read with non-journalism geeks. CJR filled up plenty of my intellectual hunger back in the old days.
Now that I have got a proper job and just hoping to keep a collection to myself, why does a simple wish has to meet with so many hurdles?I didn't ask for copies to be delivered to the number 51th tree house in the middle of Indonesian's Java rainforest group.
May be my postman is enjoying the copies because he has recently decided to be a journalist. Or may be the daughter of my next door's neighbour has been using my mags as her new cut and paste books? Mind you, CJR does have interesting photographs and typography. ONLY I don't get to receive it...(sob...)
Saturday, January 13, 2007
po-pee,valerie and showing off
Recently, I was diagnosed with gastritis and that put me in bed for 4 days. Doctors said my stomach was inflammed and it's induced by stress. I wasn't too sure about it but that gave me plenty of time to think about beautiful things that give me pleasure. Today, I came up with three.
1. po-pee
The cover of a Korean documentary featuring a white terrier sticking his head out of a car window enjoying the breeze. The terrier hijacked my heart for a few minutes. I didn't finish this movie last time cos i fell alseep but i am sucker for puppies so this cover will probably get me started with the documentary again. (Director of the documentary Kim Su Hyeon once had a dog called Po Pee about ten years ago. He went around with his camera and interviewed 5 ppl with 5 different dogs in Korea.)
2.Valerie
Catching up with an old friend val on the net brought warmth to my heart. it reminded me how lovely it was talking to this old friend when we were both students, how fun it was when we used to go on road trips during semester breaks while studying in sydney, the sweet and bitter moments of our laughter and quarrels, her cute her singaporean accent and the friendship we used to cherish.
3.showing off
Showing off while clarifying some celebrity gossips while watching TV after dinner to mom. apparently it made me feel really good about myself,though,first,i shouldn't have shown off,especially in front of my mother, and second, shouldn't settle with such a low level of content. oh well, what can i do? I am just too easy to be happy with myself.
1. po-pee
The cover of a Korean documentary featuring a white terrier sticking his head out of a car window enjoying the breeze. The terrier hijacked my heart for a few minutes. I didn't finish this movie last time cos i fell alseep but i am sucker for puppies so this cover will probably get me started with the documentary again. (Director of the documentary Kim Su Hyeon once had a dog called Po Pee about ten years ago. He went around with his camera and interviewed 5 ppl with 5 different dogs in Korea.)
2.Valerie
Catching up with an old friend val on the net brought warmth to my heart. it reminded me how lovely it was talking to this old friend when we were both students, how fun it was when we used to go on road trips during semester breaks while studying in sydney, the sweet and bitter moments of our laughter and quarrels, her cute her singaporean accent and the friendship we used to cherish.
3.showing off
Showing off while clarifying some celebrity gossips while watching TV after dinner to mom. apparently it made me feel really good about myself,though,first,i shouldn't have shown off,especially in front of my mother, and second, shouldn't settle with such a low level of content. oh well, what can i do? I am just too easy to be happy with myself.
Friday, January 05, 2007
hello smoking 2007
on the verge of 2007, i was sitting inside a restaurant monitoring how the smoking ban was executed. At 10pm,I arrived from work to find no ashtray was left on dining table. Ashtraies were only available on demand by customers.
Below was my contribution published on the 1 Jan 2007:
At Tsui Wah Restaurant in Wellington Street, Central, ashtrays were put away two hours before New Year's Eve and no-smoking signs were displayed throughout the restaurant.
The ashtrays were available only on demand and customers had to stop smoking by early today.
"Customers who are drunk or refuse to cooperate in observing the ban will be asked to leave. We'll have people dealing with it, don't worry," a waiter said.
(for the full version,pls click here)
I instructed a provokative friend to lit up at 11:58pm 31/12/2006 and instructed her to smoke across the year. The smoking was done till 12:03am 1/1/2007 and we weren't told to put out the ciggie before that.
Shortly after that, people from Lan Kwai Fong started to rush in the restaurant after counting down. I was suprised to see Hong Kong people are so obedient. No one lights up inside the restaurant and I could see people smoking outside already.
Why are Hong Kong people so obedient? Could this ever happen to Australia or other western countries?As a reporter, I was expecting to see some vigour actions when the smoke ban was implemented. But nada, no drama no one stood up to fight for their smoking rights whatsoever.
reporting became boring because of it.
I was so temped to create trouble just to test out the law but I have to remain objective. So i only sat there and observe.
Two weeks before that, I was invited to a press briefing by the Department of Health. I raised a sincere question that put the government official in a moment of blurness:
Q:Considering tabacconists' new tactics including launching new brands with simple design sold at a cheaper price luring young people to smoke, has the government considered subsidizing smoking cessation products like nicotine patches and chewing gum(note:they're about the same price of cigarettes) to raise the incentive of citizens to quit smoking?
(5 seconds later)
A:the government belives the new law will effectively reduce the number of smokers with the help of public campaigns and smoking cessation hotline 1833-183.
Q:You didn't answer my question.
A: No, the government is not going to consider this(subsidizing cigarettes patches and chewing gum).
Q:Thank you.
Anyhow, here comes 2007 and may be it's time to think about qutting. but if smoking cessation products are made cheaper, I will seriously think about quitting cigarettes. For the time being, the government can just call my own hotline: 1833-mind-your-own-fxxxing-business.
Hello, 2007!
Below was my contribution published on the 1 Jan 2007:
At Tsui Wah Restaurant in Wellington Street, Central, ashtrays were put away two hours before New Year's Eve and no-smoking signs were displayed throughout the restaurant.
The ashtrays were available only on demand and customers had to stop smoking by early today.
"Customers who are drunk or refuse to cooperate in observing the ban will be asked to leave. We'll have people dealing with it, don't worry," a waiter said.
(for the full version,pls click here)
I instructed a provokative friend to lit up at 11:58pm 31/12/2006 and instructed her to smoke across the year. The smoking was done till 12:03am 1/1/2007 and we weren't told to put out the ciggie before that.
Shortly after that, people from Lan Kwai Fong started to rush in the restaurant after counting down. I was suprised to see Hong Kong people are so obedient. No one lights up inside the restaurant and I could see people smoking outside already.
Why are Hong Kong people so obedient? Could this ever happen to Australia or other western countries?As a reporter, I was expecting to see some vigour actions when the smoke ban was implemented. But nada, no drama no one stood up to fight for their smoking rights whatsoever.
reporting became boring because of it.
I was so temped to create trouble just to test out the law but I have to remain objective. So i only sat there and observe.
Two weeks before that, I was invited to a press briefing by the Department of Health. I raised a sincere question that put the government official in a moment of blurness:
Q:Considering tabacconists' new tactics including launching new brands with simple design sold at a cheaper price luring young people to smoke, has the government considered subsidizing smoking cessation products like nicotine patches and chewing gum(note:they're about the same price of cigarettes) to raise the incentive of citizens to quit smoking?
(5 seconds later)
A:the government belives the new law will effectively reduce the number of smokers with the help of public campaigns and smoking cessation hotline 1833-183.
Q:You didn't answer my question.
A: No, the government is not going to consider this(subsidizing cigarettes patches and chewing gum).
Q:Thank you.
Anyhow, here comes 2007 and may be it's time to think about qutting. but if smoking cessation products are made cheaper, I will seriously think about quitting cigarettes. For the time being, the government can just call my own hotline: 1833-mind-your-own-fxxxing-business.
Hello, 2007!
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