Tsang Angry at WSJ's Editorial -- Again

Tsang complains about WSJ editorial second time in a month

Constitutional affairs minister Erick Tsang Kwok-wai complained yet again to the Wall Street Journal about its editorial on Sunday's Legislative Council election, describing it as a "sham poll", and accusing the newspaper of "arrogance which knows no bounds".

It is the second time in a month that Tsang sent a strongly worded letter to complain the New York-based newspaper must correct its "inaccuracies".

"I am sickened by your biased and unsubstantiated editorials on Hong Kong issues and have given up hope that you will ever try to report accurately and fairly on Hong Kong," Tsang wrote in a letter dated on December 23.

Tsang (second left) retorts NY's voter turn out low

The opinion piece was titled: "Democracy Boycott in Hong Kong", which was published hours after voting closed on the first poll following the massive revamp of the electoral system.

The newspaper described the Legislative Council election as "a sham poll" in which democratic candidates were blocked from running", adding that "all candidates must receive Communist Party approval".

How is the second part incorrect? Because it was one-sided, the democratic candidates did not feel it was worth throwing their hats into the ring.

Tsang compared the poll's 30.2 percent turnout -- the lowest since 1997 -- to the 23 percent recorded in the recent New York mayoral contest, and the 33.3 percent of this year's French regional elections.''

"Following the logic of your argument, would you also suggest that 'almost nobody came to the election' in those two elections?" Tsang asked.

This is where Western countries have to be ashamed for their poor voter turnout, whereas in Australia you must vote otherwise you will be fined.

Only one non pro-Beijing candidate won

He also refers to a line in the editorial which said the news paper "seems to have a better feel for Hong Kong public sentiment than the government does", to which the minister countered: "I wonder how many times you have visited our city for you to be able to make such a claim. I am stunned by your arrogance which knows no bounds".

Earlier this month Tsang threatened to "take necessary action" against the WSJ over an editorial that he claimed incited residents to boycott the election or cast blank votes.

An opinion piece the following day disputed Tsang's December 6 letter and said he "seemed oblivious to the irony" when he started that Hong Kong upheld freedom of speech, the press and publication.

Tsang's knee-jerk reaction is so shrill and emotional, it's hard to take him that seriously...

The Real Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh died at the age of 37 in 1890

Last night my friend took me to see a play called Vincent at the Hong Kong Arts Centre.

We didn't know much about it except that it was written by actor Leonard Nimoy, famously known for playing Spock on Star Trek. Apparently Nimoy had a life-long fascination of the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. Not only did Nimoy write the play, he also performed it. 

He liked to paint scenes of everyday people

Vincent is based on more than 500 letters between van Gogh and his brother Theo, who were known to be very close. Theo owned an art gallery and was the one who financially kept his older brother afloat.

It turns out this is a one-man play was performed by Adam Harris, who I later found out during the intermission that he's a veterinarian by day! And this is not his first production! He previously performed Educating Rita, The Unknown Soldier, and Underneath the Lintel.

Harris is explosive from the start, with lots of energy to sustain the two-hour production. 

He plays Theo, who gathers us, his audience, as his friends to give his own personal memorial for Vincent who had recently succumbed to a gunshot wound in his chest. Theo says he was too distraught during the funeral to say anything but now seems prepared to speak, with several letters to help him paint a fuller picture of his brother.

There are some interesting details about van Gogh's life: He was hoping to become a minister and did preach in really poor parishes. Theo recounts that one time there was a terrible fire in a mine and one of the miners was left for dead but Vincent nursed him back to health.

A bandage around his head after cutting off his ear

And then he was socially awkward, falling in love with a cousin who was a widow, making the family mortified and terrified, as van Gogh could be emotional and stubborn.

He later fell for a "woman on the streets", who had two children and another on the way. Again his parents were hardly pleased and Theo had to financially look after all those mouths. Van Gogh finally left her.

Eventually he turned to painting but he was self-conscious and didn't want Theo to sell his pieces yet. He was emotionally fragile and doctors diagnosed him as being epileptic and was sent to recover in Arles, France.

That is where he became prolific in his paintings, and Theo reports Vincent would paint one or maybe even two canvases a day. We are then shown on a large screen a slide show of his works, some of which are famous, like The Starry Night, Sunflowers and Irises, and a few I have never seen before.

He then has an encounter with fellow artist Paul Gaugin, who Theo despises, because the meeting resulted in Vincent cutting his ear off and gifting it to a prostitute. His depression got worse and it is believed that contributed to him going into the fields to paint and shooting himself in the chest.

The Starry Night was shown during the play

Theo recalls in detail what they talked about before Vincent died, their childhood memories and asking for forgiveness for having his younger brother supporting him this whole time.

In the post script, Theo was so overcome by his brother's death that he too died less than a year later. Eventually Theo's remains were buried next to Vincent.

Harris as Theo is quite intense, with bursts of emotion that are explosive and thoughtful. He also sometimes plays Vincent, with darker lighting to illustrate this. He also reads Vincent's letters in his voice.

When Harris walked off stage to signal the intermission, we the audience had no idea what was happening until a female voice said there would be a 10-minute intermission!

My friend's friends who also went all said it was an intense play!

He was diagnosed as epileptic and depressed

Apparently Harris likes to do these one-man plays, perhaps making it easier for him to control the situation and not having to depend too much on others.

At the very end a woman came up on stage and sang Starry Starry Night which was a nice (and less emotional) finish.

Learned a lot more about van Gogh and glad to see this performance!

Vincent by Leonard Nimoy

Hong Kong Arts Centre McAulay Studio

November 18-20, 2021

Canada Added to Hong Kong's High Risk List

HK-born public health officer Tam asks people to stay home

 

It was getting harder for Canada to effectively control the coronavirus pandemic despite urgent (and polite) pleas from health officials to minimize socializing these last few months.

On Thursday Canada reported over 7,000 new confirmed cases, with a total of 488,000 cases.

As a result the Hong Kong government has now put Canada on the list of high-risk coronavirus cases after observing the ever-increasing number of cases. 

Passengers take Covid tests on arrival at airport

Starting from Christmas Day, passengers returning to Hong Kong from Canada must take a Covid-19 test within 72 hours of boarding their flight. They must also have a hotel booking at a designated quarantine hotel for 14 days.

Passengers who fail to comply or provide inaccurate or misleading information can face up to six months in jail and a HK$10,000 fine.

Currently passengers from 19 countries are already subjected to these rules. They are: Bangladesh, Belgium, Ecuador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.

 

Not News We were Hoping For

Professor Yuen says the coronavirus may not go away until the end of the year

If you thought the coronavirus would disappear in a few months, you will be horrified to find out one of Hong Kong's leading microbiologists says the epidemic will not end this year. We're only in the beginning of March.

To date Italy has over 7,300 cases, and 366 deaths

University of Hong Kong Professor Yuen Kwok-yung says COVID-19 has spread all over the world, making it very difficult to contain. And while the numbers of new cases seem to be slowing down in China, the epicenter of the virus, there are concerns about it being imported from other countries like Italy, South Korea, Iran.

While the virus may slow down in the summer, it could have a resurgence in the winter.

He believes the epidemic will not end until a cheap antiviral or vaccine is available, or the majority of the population had contracted the virus and developed a natural immunity.

Iran has over 6,500 confirmed cases, 237 deaths

Currently anyone flying into Hong Kong from Iran, the city of Daegu and surrounding North Gyeongsang province in South Korea, and three regions in Italy will have to undergo and mandatory 14-day quarantine.

The government is mulling over extending quarantine measures to people traveling from France and Germany.

Hong Kong now has 115 confirmed cases and two deaths.

And Yuen is also strongly suggesting people not to travel outside of Hong Kong until the end of the year. "When the epidemic is serious, avoid traveling to other places unless necessary," he says.

Time to stock up on more masks, toilet paper and sanitizer?

Yuen believes it is too early to tell if China will have the coronavirus under control by April as experts there have been predicting.

Does this mean we'll see more panic buying in the city for masks, rice, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and so on to last until December?

You have been warned...

Stuck in Hong Kong, Nowhere to Go

A tourist takes a picture inside the empty Duomo cathedral in Milan

With the coronavirus spreading to more than 77 countries, there are fewer and fewer places us here in Hong Kong can travel to without having to under go 14 days of quarantine.

Since Friday, Hong Kong has 106 cases, Singapore 130, and Macau has 10 -- and no new cases for the past month which is impressive. But the ferries that go to Macau at Shun Tak Centre in Sheung Wan are still docked and idle.

Hong Kong Airport is eerily empty most of the time

From Monday, Hongkongers' favourite destination, Japan will impose a two-week quarantine on travelers from China and South Korea, while Hongkongers will not be able to get visas. Those who can still travel to Japan can only arrive at either Narita or Kansai airports.

There is also a concern that passenger flights between Hong Kong and Japan could soon be cancelled, which means people's cravings for Japanese food products -- from milk to radish to sashimi -- could be disrupted, as many food products are flown in daily thanks to passenger flights.

Looks like not only Japanese restaurants, but also others that use Japanese ingredients will be affected... there could possibly be no more Hokkaido scallops or sea urchin, or the famed tuna to fermented beans called natto that my colleagues enjoy eating...

From Monday Japan imposes more travel restrictions

Meanwhile if you are traveling to Thailand, then you have to check in with the authorities daily about your health authorities. The same goes for South Korea... but why would you go there now with over 6,000 cases?

The Philippines, Israel, Taiwan, and Bahrain have either banned travelers from Hong Kong or imposed a 14-day quarantine. No point in going to these places either.

You could go to Europe, but Italy would not be a wise choice (3,858 cases), nor Germany (534 cases) and France is about to call it a serious health crisis (423 cases).

And then if you were going somewhere, aren't you worried about possibly catching something on the flight?

Homemade dumplings seasoned with balsamic vinegar!

Best just to stay put for now... and continue to flex those culinary skills in the kitchen!

A colleague I haven't seen in a month came back this week and she practically stayed home the whole time, cooking three meals a day. "I have to say my cooking improved!" she observed, nor did she mind working from home.

One good thing from this is people eating healthier now that many are cooking at home. Wonder if they will continue to do so after the coronavirus eventually goes away...

 

Ilham Tohti's Award for Humanism

Academic Ilham Tohti was awarded the EU Parliament's top human rights prize

Ilham Tohti, a respected Uighur academic, economist and writer who has been jailed for life since 2014, has been awarded the Sakharov Prize, the European Parliament's top human rights prize.

We wrote about his being charged for separatism and at the time were shocked by this -- he is considered a moderate voice and urged the Chinese government to invest in minority populations, to promote more Uighur cadres to positions of real responsibility, and establish a framework of legal protections for ethnic autonomy.  Instead the Chinese authorities deemed him to be a "separatist" and sentenced to life in prison.

EU Parliament President David Sassoli

The EU Parliament said Tohti, who was a former professor at Minzu University, was awarded the Sakharov Prize for his attempts to "foster dialogue" between Chinese people and Uighurs. "The parliament calls on the Chinese authorities to release him immediately," EU Parliament President David Sassoli said.

"By awarding this prize, we strongly urge the Chinese government to release Tohti and we call for the respect of minority rights in China," Sassoli said.

The Sakharov Prize for free speech is awarded annually by the EU Parliament in memory of Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov. The award was created in 1988 and awarded to "those who carry the spirit of dissident Andrei Sakharov", who dedicate their lives to the peaceful struggle for human rights.

Andrei Sakharov won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975

It is hard to find out how Tohti is doing. According to liberal EU legislator Phil Bennion, the Uighur academic has been in solitary confinement for years and hasn't seen his family since 2017. Bennison hopes Beijing will allow a delegation of EU legislators to visit him in prison to tell him the news of the award. However, it seems highly unlikely.

Last month Tohti was also awarded the Vaclav Havel Human Rights prize by the Council of Europe, which is not an EU institution, but acts as Europe's human rights watchdog.

The Andrei Sakharov prize will be presented in Strasbourg, France on December 18.

Perhaps his daughter, Jewher Ilham, who is now living in the United States, will accept the award on her father's behalf.

She says the award recognizes the "suffering that Uighurs have gone through.

Tohti's daughter, Jewher Ilham who lives in the US

"Everyday I wake up worrying about my family members in China, and of course, I'm afraid. When my dad first started speaking up for the Uighurs, he knew he could end up in prison. But he decided to take on this fight and continue on for other people's sake."

Sadly, Tohti's imprisonment was a foreshadowing of what was to come. In 2017 China began building "schools" in Xinjiang for Uighurs to undergo "reeducation". Academics have estimated at least 1 million people have been held in these camps where Uighurs are forced to undergo indoctrination programs, like studying Chinese propaganda and learning about Xi Jinping thought.

When will this horrific nightmare end for Uighurs? When will Tohti be free?

The world must continue to press for Tohti to be released, as well as his fellow compatriots who are stuck behind the walls of these camps. The Vaclav Havel Human Rights prize and now the Andrei Sakharov Prize are highlighting Tohti's plight and the need to push China to stop this inhumane treatment of its own people.

More Chaos in Sha Tin

There were battles between protesters and police in New Town Plaza tonight

Today is the 230th anniversary of the storming of Bastille in Paris, which is France's national day. Meanwhile tonight halfway around the world, some Hongkongers are currently pitched in a flight with police in riot gear in a shopping mall in Sha Tin in the New Territories.

As I write this, protesters against the extradition bill are throwing umbrellas and helmets at the police with shields in the mall -- a place where families usually spend their weekends to go shopping and have meals. But now it's a battleground and it is looking uglier by the minute.

Earlier this afternoon around 3pm the protest march started from Tai Wai to Sha Tin, and for the most part was peaceful, but afterwards some marchers refused to leave and began occupying streets. The police then moved in on three sides, which resulted in the protesters retreating to New Town Plaza and the ensuing battles within the mall, startling shoppers.

Some 28,000 people came out to protest in Sha Tin

On Twitter there were video clips of police in riot gear in a residential area above the shopping mall and the angry residents there demanded the police leave. "If you go away then everything will be fine! Just leave!" one woman shouted at them. Did the police think they were harbouring protesters? In any event the police eventually retreated the cheers (and jeers) of the residents.

Now at 10.45pm protesters are trying to leave Sha Tin on any train they can get on to escape from the police. It's just another chaotic protest day in Hong Kong.

When will it end? Surely the police are going to have enosugh of the pitched battles with protesters and tell Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor that they can't continue like this week after week?

Meanwhile the Financial Times is reporting that Lam tried to resign several times after the extradition bill fiasco but was ordered by Beijing to stay on to fix the mess that she created. "No one else can clean up the mess and no one else wants the job," said one source close to the situation.

At Tamar in Admiralty, journalists protested police violence

We knew that, but the reasoning is interesting. Beijing seems to want to leave Lam high and dry. How benevolent the motherland is...

Tonight's tense flare-ups are in total contrast to this morning when organizers said 1,000 (but seemed more like more than 2,000) journalists, photo-journalists, journalism instructors and freelancers showed up at a silent march starting from Admiralty's Harcourt Garden to the police headquarters next door.

People on buses took pictures as journalists marched in black to the police station in Wan Chai and showed their press passes. Then the marching continued around the Legislative Council, which is currently boarded up.

It's rare for journalists in Hong Kong to protest, but the treatment they have gotten from the police, especially since June 12 when they were pepper sprayed and attacked, it was time to stand up and formally protest.

Some marchers showed examples of violence against media

But tonight's mess is yet another reason for Lam to finally say the w-word (withdraw) and to call for an independent investigation into alleged police brutality against protesters. Keeping quiet is just going to lead to another protest this coming Sunday...

Tribute to IM Pei

The legendary architect IM Pei has died at the age of 102

This morning I woke up to the sad news that architect IM Pei had died at the age of 102. Tributes have been pouring in for the Chinese-American who is famous for his buildings scattered around the world, including the Louvre Pyramid in Paris, the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, and of course in Hong Kong, the Bank of China headquarters.

The Bank of China Building in Hong Kong

I pass by that building every time I go to the gym behind the bank, climbing up the stairs along the mini waterfalls. When the bank was first built, superstitious Hongkongers worried the building looked like a knife, cutting up the city, or that it looked like the devil with its two antennae at the top.

Pei's family has a long history with the bank -- in fact it just celebrated its 100th anniversary last year, making it around the same age as him!

His father, Tsuyee Pei, was one of China's leading bankers, according to the New York Times, and when Ieoh Ming Pei was an infant, the family moved to Hong Kong so that Pei senior could run the Hong Kong branch of the Bank of China.

A century later and two generations later, IM Pei's son, Li Chung Pei or Sandi, would lead the renovations of the old Bank of China just down the street from his father's shiny triangular building.

It's a wonderful anecdote that clearly illustrates the Pei's family roots in Hong Kong and its contribution to banking and architecture in the city.

The Suzhou Museum is symmetrical and calming

My other story is in 2008 I spent Chinese New Year in Shanghai on my own. One of my days there I caught the train to Suzhou for the day, wandering around when I stumbled on a building that didn't look like the typical mainland Chinese architectural style of big, boxy and lacking style.

I was immediately drawn to this building that was very symmetrical and discovered it was the Suzhou Museum -- designed by IM Pei.

But of course.

This realization made my visit to Suzhou exponentially better as I was immediately soothed by its simple lines, sitting on the edge of a man-made pond that had a calming effect.

Dramatic pyramid down below the Louvre

How did I not know this was here? The building itself was much more interesting than the exhibits inside.

Sadly the Bank of China building is the only IM Pei building in Hong Kong -- in October 2013 it was announced Sunning Plaza, a 31-storey office building in Causeway Bay, whose main feature was that there was a large open space around the buildings, thus creating an "urban oasis". People liked being able to sit outside and dine al fresco amid a quartet of palm trees.

But alas Pei's first project in Hong Kong was torn down by landlord Hysan Development that replaced it with -- what else -- a mixed retail and office building that is a non-descript office block -- literally. It opened late last year.

Nevertheless, in front of the cameras Pei was always smiling, looking dapper in his suits and wearing his trademark black frame round glasses. He knew how to charm potential clients and explain to existing clients why things had to be done his way. There were compromises too, but probably his biggest battle -- the Pyramid at the Louvre -- shows Pei's skills not only in design but also patience and persuasion.

I haven't seen this entire video of his lecture at MIT about the project, but he explains in great detail (with jokes aside), the challenges he went through and how he solved several issues.



Pei is not only a legend in architecture, but also for Chinese immigrants and ethnic Chinese the world over, an inspiration of being proud of his roots and being successful for his designs that changed the urban landscapes around the world.

Pei fought the controversy of having a pyramid at the Louvre

He may have left us but may his buildings continue to live on.

Bagging Another Tiger?

China has confirmed Meng Hongwei of Interpol is being investigated

Hot on the heels of actress Fan Bingbing's tax evasion ordeal, on Friday evening there was a curious piece of breaking news -- the Chinese head of Interpol had disappeared and his wife reported him missing to French police.

It has now transpired that Meng Hongwei, 64, was detained by Chinese authorities as soon as he landed in China on a flight from Lyon, France on September 29.

His wife Grace is worried for her and her children's safety

He has been detained for allegedly taking bribes and "gravely jeopardizing" the country's ruling Communist Party and police. On Sunday Interpol received his resignation letter and has been replaced by South Korean Kim Jong Yang.

Who knows how long Meng will be investigated for and then possibly put on trial.

What is ironic is that when he was appointed head of Interpol in 2016 there were fears he would abuse Interpol's powers to forcibly repatriate Chinese dissidents and fugitives.

But in 2017 he only issued one red notice -- which means a request to provisionally arrest a suspect pending extradition -- for Chinese fugitive tycoon Guo Wengui at Beijing's request.

In 2014 China issued notices for 100 Chinese fugitive officials living overseas.

Beijing's campaign of cracking down on corruption has not abated, and it is willing to sacrifice its reputation on the world stage to take down senior officials, as Meng was also vice-minister of public security in China.

Meng's last message to his wife was an emoji of a knife

His disappearance would have been kept quiet longer if it wasn't for his wife reporting him missing to the French police. It shows that no one -- not even the first Chinese national to head Interpol -- is safe from being investigated, and that domestic issues trump international ones.

Grace Meng, his wife, showed the authorities and the media her last communication with her husband. He told her to wait for his call and then posted an emoji of a knife, hinting danger.

Did he know what would happen if he went back to China? Or did he only find out the moment he landed?

There are too many questions, but one thing is for sure -- it doesn't matter how high up you are, if you have allegedly done something wrong, you will be taken down.

Memorable Lunch at Odette

Odette with its light pastel palette and high ceilings

Back in June I had a chance to try chef Julien Royer's food at a pop-up he did at the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong. Despite cooking in an unfamiliar kitchen, the dishes he presented were beautifully plated, and of course delicious. I vividly remember the beetroot, and the pigeon dishes, so flavourful and not heavy.

So on my recent trip to Singapore I had to try his food again in his restaurant, Odette. It opened in 2015 in the National Gallery Singapore, the Supreme Court building re-purposed into an art gallery. Odette isn't the only restaurant -- there are many others, like National Kitchen serving Singaporean cuisine, Yan with Cantonese food, and even a bar called Smoke & Mirrors on the sixth floor.

Chef/owner of Odette, Julien Royer

But back to Odette, which is named after Royer's grandmother. He watched her cook as a child, getting all her ingredients from the farm in Auvergne, France -- he didn't grow up buying food from a supermarket like the rest of us.

After working with the likes of Michel Bras Bernard Andrieux, Royer had a chance to go to Singapore -- at the time he didn't even know where it was on the map -- and worked at the St Regis Singapore's Brasserie Les Saveurs and then Jaan, in the Swissotel The Stamford before opening his own restaurant.

A cep mushroom tea with a slice of truffle brioche

Inside it's airy with high ceilings, a very romantic palette of dusty pink, cream and beige, with an open kitchen off to the side, and diners seated in comfortable banquettes. The staff are well dressed, friendly and chatty with guests as they introduce each dish -- there is no atmosphere of condescension or arrogance. Everything is politely explained. One server admitted to us he didn't like beetroots at all -- until he tried Royer's dish that I mentioned earlier.

There is a lot of attention to detail, from how the cutlery and tableware is designed to the execution of the dishes and how they are served at the table. We also liked the pacing that gave us enough time to eat, savour and digest a bit before moving onto the next course.

 

Uni with red prawn tartare, mussel foam and caviar

So what did we eat? A lot, but we were not overly stuffed.

First a trio of "snacks" -- a mini salad in a lettuce leaf with peas, cherry tomato, onion and pea shoots that were so dainty. This was followed by a tart filled with orange gems of salmon roe that bursted when we bit into them. Finally a tiny spoon with fish mixed with vegetable.

Another starter was a mushroom soup that was poured into ceramic tea cups filled with foam, light truffle shavings and tiny croutons with truffle brioche. Even the wooden board it was served on was shaped like a cep mushroom.

 

Japanese Kegani crab "ravioli" with Granny Smith, celery

Then came bread -- a pastry with truffle paste in it, a delicious crusty sourdough bread, and another with lemon flavour. What was even more interesting was the spread -- there was whipped butter with olive oil, and the other was lard! We didn't have too much of the latter.

Finally the meal started with an impressive-looking dish of the sea urchin shell and in it was uni, spot prawn tartare, a foam made of mussels and topped with caviar and gold leaf. An intriguing combination that worked well together.

Next a "ravioli" featuring Japanese Kegani crab meat mixed with Granny Smith apple and celery, with Vadouvan spices and kaffir lime oil that was so light and refreshing. The sweetness of the crab balanced the tartness of the green apple, and added celery for a crunchy texture. Wow was all we could say.

Heirloom beetroot variation in a colourful presentation

My favourite dish arrived -- heirloom beetroot variation, featuring segments of the humble vegetable that was also made into a sorbet, mini meringue and paired with horseradish, stracciatella and even honey. The plate was too pretty to eat, but we were encouraged to mix everything together to try the various flavours.

Making a dramatic entrance was the rosemary smoked organic egg, presented in a lowly egg carton, but with dry ice flowing out of it. In it were two 63.4 degree Celsius cooked eggs flavoured with rosemary. They were carefully poured into a smoked potato foam and in it were bits of chorizo Iberico and meuniere sauce. We were instructed to mix it -- but not too much -- so that the yolk flavour would be more pronounced. Another wow.

Crispy skinned amadai in a glass bowl made its way to our table, where smoked egg consomme was poured into the bowl that was garnished with yari ika and nori oil. The fish was delicate and perfectly cooked, what an intriguing consomme of eel! Who would think of that?

 

Crispy skinned amadai in an eel consomme and nori oil

The main event is Royer's signature roast pigeon dish, here it was covered in a pepper crust and cooked medium rare. It was accompanied with another humble vegetable -- corn and here it held its own with its crunchiness and sweetness against the juiciness of pigeon. 

 

Each pigeon leg has a different message attached to it tied with string, talking about how he loved eating pigeon as a child, or how one should eat the leg with your hands. We certainly polished it off down to the bone.

Before dessert we had a cheese platter with some goat cheese, a triple cream brie, and comte, with the largest dates I've ever seen.

 

Roast pigeon with a pepper crust and message attached to it

Then we had our pre-dessert, a refreshing cucumber sorbet with seaweed sprinkled on small bits of meringue, and green apple granita. We would have already been satisfied with this dessert. But there was more.

 

The actual dessert was clafoutis, a kind of flan cake, decorated with cherries, elderflower sorbet, vanilla cream and almond slivers.

But wait -- there's more! Royer came to our table with an oval-shaped hive that revealed layers of petite fours. On top were two pomegranate lollipops, next mini matcha cream puffs, caneles, and finally homemade caramels.

In the end the damage came to S$442 or HK$2,547 (US$325) for two. Considering we had two-star Michelin dining -- and the restaurant retained its two stars the following day when the announcement was made -- it was very good value.

 

Cherry clafoutis with elderflower sorbet, vanilla and almonds

Many media at the Michelin announcement were disappointed that Odette was not elevated to three stars, but Royer insisted he was very happy for the team that the contemporary French restaurant retained its two stars and they would work harder next time.

I asked him how he felt about the media's expectations of Odette, and he pointed out the restaurant was only three years old so there was plenty of time to develop and grow. Our meal the day before was almost perfection -- why not? But then again the Michelin ratings are mired with questions of who really deserves two stars and who should get three...

 

Nevertheless we were delighted, thrilled, amazed and sated by our lunch at Odette. A chance to savour and to catch up with a dear friend who accompanied me. What a treat.

Odette

National Gallery Singapore

1 St Andrew's Road #01-04

Singapore 178957
(65) 6385 0498

Chagall's Love of Life

The Red Flowers painted by Chagall in 1950

The Macao Museum of Art might not be very big, but it holds marvelous shows -- that are free!

Last year it was on Chinese artist Zhang Daqian's visits to the Dunhuang caves in Gansu province, and this time to coincide with Le French May, a show on Marc Chagall on his years in Southern France.

Three years ago we went to Nice and visited the Musee National Marc Chagall. The pieces on display were massive, requiring viewers to stand or sit back to soak in everything that was going on in each canvas.

One of Chagall's works converted into a tapestry

Here it was the opposite -- the vast majority were small pieces that required intimate viewing to fully appreciate the colours, emotions and imaginative compositions the artist made.

It also revealed how multi-faceted an artist Chagall was -- not only did he paint on canvas, but was also made lithographs, designed ballet costumes and sets, as well as painted murals, ceilings and created stained glass pieces in cathedrals. Oh and collaborated with weavers to make tapestries too.

He was born a Hassidic Jew in Vitebsk in 1887 and the theme of the Bible would resonate throughout his work. He described the Bible "like an echo of nature and this secret I have tried to transmit".

One of his impressive projects were the stained glass windows for Hadassah University Medical Centre in Jerusalem, where the 12 panels are about the 12 tribes of Israel, the descendants of the 12 sons of Jacob.

A relatively empty museum showing fantastic works of art

His life had its ups and downs. His first wife Bella Rosenfeld died in 1944, but then two years later he would have a son with an English woman, Virginia Haggard McNeil, who would later leave him. Chagall would marry again, a woman 25 years younger, Valentina Brodsky, who would manage his affairs so that he could focus on his art.

In the 1950s he moved to the south of France and was taken by the warm light, and the deep blue Mediterranean sea. Intense colours took centre stage and many of his works feature deep blues along with other symbols like sirens, fish, and mythical beings.

The paintings look so soaked through with colour that they seem so optimistic, playful, romantic and lush.

Deep colours in Siren and Fish, 1956-60

In 1952 and 1954 he went to Greece as he was commissioned by publisher Teriade to do illustrations of the pastoral romance of Daphinus and Chloe. He seemed immensely inspired by this couple and created numerous sketches of them.

He also worked on Stravinsky's The Firebird in 1945-46 and the exhibition displays several of the costumes on mannequins. The clothing is described as very light and during fittings, he would personally paint them. Over the years the costumes were worn and mended, but now they are museum pieces. Next to the display was a video showing the performers dancing in the costumes. Chagall was ahead of his time.

Despite being from Russia, Chagall applied for and was approved for citizenship in France. Many of his commissions were there, including painting the ceiling of the Opera de Paris. He was 77 years old at the time, but personally painted the 220 square metre area. The design pays tribute to 14 composers and their works.

One of many paintings on Daphinus and Chloe

He also made "Biblical Message" in 1955, featuring 12 large oil paintings that illustrate Genesis and Exodus that he donated to the French state in 1966 and wanted them exhibited together. Chagall spent time working on the sketches and small-scale oil paintings that can also be seen in the show.

In 1985 he died at the age of 98 and was buried in Saint-Paul de Vence.

I learned a lot more about Chagall and his life thanks to this show, that was only visited by a handful of other people in the late afternoon.

Even better is that I finally figured out that it is located behind Sands casino; just take the shuttle to Sands and it's a five-minute walk to the museum.

Marc Chagall, Light and Colour in Southern France

Until August 26

Macao Museum of Art

Av. Xian Xing Hai

Macau

(853) 8791 9814
http://www.mam.gov.mo/e/index

Mysterious Circumstances, Mysterious Death

HNA group chairman Wang Jian died while visiting France

Just what happened to HNA group chairman Wang Jian?

It's shocking to hear the 57-year-old was posing on a wall in the small village of Bonnieux in Provence, France, when he fell 15 metres and then died from his injuries.

He was apparently trying to pose for a photograph when he fell from the wall that overlooked a cliff. He tumbled 10 to 15 metres to the rocks below.

Wang and Chen Feng set up the regional airline, HNA

Definitely not a good way to go.

It's an unfortunate time for Wang to pass away when his company, HNA is feeling the pressure from the Chinese government to shed its acquisitions that have been bought on ever increasing debt.

When Wang started HNA with co-founder Chen Feng, the company was a small regional airline based in Hainan province. From there it somehow managed to leverage its assets to become a conglomerate with assets worth and staggering US$230 billion.

Wang was apparently the mastermind behind all these deals, including a 25 percent stake in Hilton Hotels, Deutsche Bank, and four plots of land in Kai Tak it bought at record prices. It had planned to use some of the land to build housing for its staff.

The company also bought a luxury home on the Peak now worth around HK$550 million and is hoping to use it as collateral to pay off some of its debts. Who wants to underwrite that deal?

HNA bought four plots of land at Kai Tak at record prices

HNA even attempted to buy the hedge fund business set up by Anthony Scaramucci, a former White House communications director, but the deal was thwarted by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, an intergovernmental panel that reviews overseas acquisitions of American companies.

But those ambitious dreams are over now that HNA has had to shed these acquisitions as fast as it it has bought them in the first place.

Also questionable are some of the public listed companies under HNA. Seven of those companies have had their shares suspended for months, pending on what the parent group said was a restructuring.

Then HNA said the companies would resume trading on June 9, but since then the company has not announced any new changes to its business and the shares remain suspended.

There are still questions around who really owns HNA. Wang and Chen each own a 15 percent stake, there's another mysterious shareholder, Guan Jun, who has transferred his 30 percent stake of the company into a charitable trust that was set up in New York.

Guo Wengui has claimed HNA has bribed officials

Why would he donate his shares to a charity called Hainan Cihang Charity Foundation?

Fugitive billionaire Guo Wengui has been posting images and documents on Twitter and YouTube, alleging that HNA has bribed government officials and given relatives of at least one senior government official a major stake in the company -- possibly through Guan.

HNA had strongly denied the allegations and vowed to file a defamation suit against Guo, who once had close ties to China's top spy agency.

What's interesting is that the media went through great lengths to verify Wang's death, calling the gendarmeries in Provence, because with the way things go with HNA, you are never quite sure if they are true or not...