Splitsville Gets Fairer in China

A new law in China comes into effect today, Saturday. It doesn't matter if it's the weekend -- even banks are open seven days a week.

Yesterday the Supreme People's Court released a judicial interpretation of the Marriage Law clarifying how property should be divided when a couple divorces. The court now says the person whose family buys the apartment after marriage is entitled to sole ownership when the couple splits up.

The new interpretation comes after it was announced China's divorce rate has risen for the eighth year in a row.

Some 465,000 couples called it quits in the first three months of this year, up 17 percent from the same period last year. The court handled 1.1 million divorce cases in 2010, mostly involving property disputes.

Many of the divorces involving young people under 30 who critics say are too selfish or immature to understand the sacrifices that need to be made in a marriage. Part of it can also be blamed on the pressure parents put on their only child to get married in their early 20s so that they can have a grandchild.

And so the onus is usually on the man's side of the family to deliver the material wealth in order to be considered an eligible bachelor.

A young woman won't even have a second date with him if he doesn't have at least an apartment and perhaps a car. As buying an apartment is out of reach for the majority of young people just starting out in their careers, their parents have to shell out for the apartment, a hefty investment that really should fall on the young couple's shoulders.

What is the point of giving an apartment to a young couple who in some cases can barely function independently themselves? In Beijing I'd read about young couples whose parents would come in regularly to cook and clean for them.

This cultural belief that one must have an apartment or "home" before getting married has to change. In the West couples save up for years or perhaps their parents help them with the down payment, but it is the couple who purchases the home, not the parents. That is how they gain responsibility for the place. In some cases, they can't afford anything and must continue to rent or they choose to lease.

So it's no wonder China's Supreme People's Court had to make a ruling on property because parents would buy an apartment for their son or daughter only to fear that half of it would go to their son- or daughter-in-law in the event of a divorce.

The ruling basically says the person who put the down payment and whose name the property is under goes to that person in the event of a divorce. However, if both parties share the mortgage, then the property is considered a joint asset and should be split evenly after it's sold.

Until the Chinese stop putting so much emphasis on the material goods around marriage, divorce rates are going to continue climbing.

And whose fault is that?

Picture of the Day: Old Master Q

Old Master Q and his sidekick Big Potato on the bus

Old Master Q (老夫子) is a Hong Kong icon. The cartoon character was created by Alfonso Wong and Old Master Q first started appearing in newspapers in 1962. He has a sidekick, Big Potato along with other characters, Mr Chin, Mr Chiu and Miss Chan.

Mostly it's about Old Master Q and Big Potato who observe the social and political changes happening around them and usually have a comic twist to them. Wong says Old Master Q is like Lu Xun's Ah Q today.

The two of them wear clothing from the Ming Dynasty that Wong says gentlemen used to wear. And as they wear traditional clothing not only do they stand out but it helps create hilarious situations for them to be in especially in modern times.

Wong is still around, though his son Wong Chak runs the business creating products around the cartoon characters in Taiwan. You can read some of the old comics here.

And so it's nice to see the Hong Kong connection is still strong with Old Master Q and Big Potato featured in a series of public health announcements on the bus.

Here's one about coughing, and there are others about talking too loudly on the bus or giving up seats for the elderly, disabled or pregnant.

While it's strange that Hong Kong turns to cute cartoon characters to convey serious social messages, the ones with Old Master Q and Big Potato seem very appropriate since they are supposed to represent the average Hong Konger.

Hope Old Master Q will be around for a while -- we need him more than ever to reflect on who we are and where Hong Kong is going.

Q & A With James Murdoch

James Murdoch will come to Hong Kong next month

We may or may not get a chance to ask James Murdoch what he really knew what was going on at News of the World because he'll be in Hong Kong for the Asia Media Summit at the Four Seasons on September 6.

He's the keynote speaker who will also take part in a question-and-answer session -- but now it's uncertain whether he will be taking any tough questions about mobile phone hacking that led to the 168-year-old tabloid's abrupt demise.

The organizer of the event, Media Partners said a set of pre-arranged questions will be drawn up in advance and they will be finalized closer to the event. "I am not sure if [Murdoch] will be taking questions from the floor," a spokeswoman said.

There haven't been extra security measures taken either considering activist/comedian Jonnie Marbles threw a shaving cream pie at Rupert Murdoch at the British parliamentary hearing.

"We have not been informed by his office that any special arrangements are needed, but there is still about a month to go, so closer to the date we will know more about those kinds of arrangements," she said.

I can already imagine hordes of media attending Murdoch's speech, only to be disappointed by the highly-controlled event without any chance to ask questions.

Or perhaps his step-mother Wendi will show up too?

Nevertheless James has a brief connection with Hong Kong, as in 2000 he was appointed head of News Corp's Asian satellite service Star TV, which lost HK$1.27 billion a year. Two years later it turned a small profit thanks to new channels and distribution deals with India, China and Taiwan.

In 2003 he then moved to London where he became director of UK satellite broadcaster BSkyB, and later that year became chief executive.

So James, perhaps you wish to clear your conscience in Hong Kong rather than London? Pray do tell.

Performing for the Superstar

In front: Li Zhongxin, Kate Lee and Thomas Chan

Pianist Lang Lang is in Hong Kong doing some promotional activities with Langham Hospitality Group as he is contracted as its ambassador. And one of the events he did this afternoon was a masterclass with three budding pianists in front of parents, teachers, fellow students and the media.

But before the piano sessions started there was the announcement of the Langham Lang Lang Music Scholarship if that wasn't enough of a mouthful. The award recognizes "exceptional talent and promise as a great pianist of the future" and in this case Lang Lang chose to give it to eight-year-old Li Zhongxin who looked like a five-year-old.

He was the first student to play for Lang Lang, performing a Chinese song called The Buffalo Boy and his Flute. Li was very serious at the keyboard, wearing a two-toned shirt, bow tie and suspenders. He even bowed sharply like a soldier and Lang Lang comically mocked his bowing technique.

Nevertheless, Lang Lang gave him a few pointers that his left hand had to be softer and play more lyrically. "Do you drink?" he asked, as the audience laughed, but Li just looked at him strangely. The child doesn't have enough life experience under his belt to have the affect of alcohol on his playing.

Lang Lang likened the piece to the Chinese Bach and explained it was similar to a two-part invention but that seemed to go over Li's head too. Lang Lang would "sing" with him as he played and then apologized for his "bad singing".

In any event, after a few tips here and there, Li's playing drastically improved and then his mini masterclass was over.

Lang Lang with Dr KS Lo of Langham Hospitality Group

Next up was Italian-born Kate Lee, a primary five student at Diocesian Girls Junior School who attempted to play Minute Waltz by Chopin but fumbled through it to the point where the chords played by the left hand didn't match the right. He stopped her and she explained that she had only learned the piece this morning which was a ridiculously tall order.

He gave her the sheet music but she still fumbled in the same places. Lang Lang stopped her again and instead asked her to play what she performed for him yesterday -- The Cat and The Mouse by Aaron Copeland. She played the piece beautifully which probably helped her regain her confidence.

But he wanted to go back to the Minuet Waltz. He pointed out that she played the keys with hands that were flat on the keys rather than curved which didn't help her in terms of moving quickly around the keys but also strength in the keys to give them more colour. She also needed to work on her left hand as the chords weren't clean and had to be light as it was a waltz.

Again, her playing improved as he picked up not only major issues with her playing, but also suggested subtleties that helped make the piece sound better. But he warned that she had to work much harder on the piece -- but really not bad if she only started playing it the night before.

After her session was over, Lang Lang announced that he had to go to the bathroom and the hotel PR instructing the photographers not to follow the superstar into the restroom.

A few minutes later he emerged saying he was feeling much better and was ready to listen to the last student, Thomas Chan, an 11-year-old who played Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. Taking a backseat, Lang Lang played the orchestral part on the upright piano as Chan made an impressive performance.

It was the first time Lang Lang heard him play and he kept saying how Chan was very good and noticed how his hands were almost big as his own, matching them up. The boy was so serious he didn't do much except stare in front of the piano than watch Lang Lang try to make him laugh and loosen up.

Lang Lang posing with his "L" sign for Langham

Lang Lang said he only learned this piece when he was 13 so Chan was up two years on him. But again the way Chan placed his fingers on the keyboard it was too flat to get much strength from the keys as the chords are so critical in this piece. Also he noticed Chan's right hand's fingers weren't clear in playing every note. He suggested Chan play the sections slowly so that every note could be heard before playing it faster.

About an hour later the whole masterclass was over.

Throughout the masterclass Lang Lang was his playful and passionate self, trying to humour these kids into having fun with the piano -- and perhaps that was what was lacking in all three. They took on their tasks technically well, but did they really enjoy what they were doing? It was hard to tell.

But also were these children taught the proper foundations of playing the piano, or were they rushed through the syllabus to harder and more difficult pieces just to easily impress people?

If this is what music teachers in Hong Kong think is good, then that's a frightening thought. Talent is one thing, passion is another. And Lang Lang has the unique combination of both in equal measure.

He seems to be maturing in his interest in nurturing young talent, but perhaps Lang Lang should be focusing more on teaching them to love of music -- otherwise why play it?