How China Duty Free Group is leading the virtual-physical charge

I like that George Soros quote “When you’re a catalyst for change, you make enemies – and I’m proud of the ones I’ve got.”

Tales of Shelleys, Sabrage and Sunilage from Hong Kong

Sabrage is a highly skilled technique for opening a Champagne bottle with a sabre. Sunilage, on the other hand is a highly dangerous technique best avoided as this photo, almost the last one of Antares Cheng taken alive, and which resulted in Dom and Perignon becoming separate brands, reveals.

Miscellaneous

September 16, 2021

Funny where the time goes

On that day The Moodie Report was born. Perhaps in kindredship with its creator, it wasn’t a particularly beautiful baby. The first edition was a 6-page pdf. No frills. No photographs. No advertising. No subscription fee. And according to some, no hope.

Events

September 11, 2021

The sky was falling and streaked with blood

I heard you calling me, then you disappeared into the dust/ Up the stairs, into the fire/ Up the stairs, into the fire/ I need your kiss, but love and duty called you someplace higher

People

September 9, 2021

Meet the Blue Sky thinker with Panda Blood in his veins

Upon learning about a girl who required o Rh negative blood after a car accident in another province, he rushed to contact the relevant hospital, encouraging the young patient with a microblog post declaring ‘Mr. Blue Sky is here to help!’

Events

September 4, 2021

Running across the world with the Delta (variant) blues

New Zealand did so well for so long by keeping its borders shut. But the Delta variant sneaked through a defence that had hitherto been tighter than that of the country’s mighty All Blacks rugby team.

Events

August 28, 2021

Hopefully not a once in a blue moon Hong Kong encounter

We joked that it was the biggest travel retail gathering of the year and remembered that this was like it used to be in travel retail before a certain nasty virus came along and blighted our industry and our lives.

Quirky

August 21, 2021

Testing times, a Praying Mantis and a countdown to freedom in the Interim Quarantine Bureau

“We’re here for the test,” said a woman in full PPE, who at first sight looked like a giant praying mantis. “So am I,” I replied lamely. “The All Blacks are ahead 16 to 8.”

Lifestyle

August 18, 2021

In training for the (very modern) Quarantine Pentathlon

The triple jump – What we used to call the hop, step and jump at school is a natural for a finely tuned quarantine athlete such as me. Hop? Why that’s so easy, I could do it on one leg.

Miscellaneous

August 16, 2021

Time to abandon the rear view mirror

It takes me 12 strides to walk the approximate 10-metre length of my room. That means 150 ‘laps’ or 1,800 strides to do my equivalent of the 1,500 metres. Today I plan to set a new personal best in a probably futile attempt to delay the onset of madness.