A Blast from the Desert

Tinariwen at home in the Sahara Desert

I just came back from a concert performed by Tinariwen, a band based in the Sahara Desert in northern Mali.

They are a group of Tourareg-Berber musicians and formed Tinariwen in 1979 in the refugee camps in Libya and then returned to Mali in the mid-1990s.

And last month they won a Grammy for Best New World Music.

Just before the concert began the audience heard how the band members live in the desert and it takes them at least two days to get to the airport by jeep and bus. For us urbanites this kind of commuting is so far removed from what we know that it made us appreciate their coming to Hong Kong even more.

Performing at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall

And to add to the complications, fighting between warring factions has broken out in northern Mali so two band members, founder and guitarist Ibrahim Ag Alhabib and singer-guitarist Elaga Al Hamid could not safely get out of the area.

Nevertheless, the band managed to round up two former members of the band to play for us at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

The six-member group including a female singer, came on stage wearing their silk-cotton robes complete with headdress. In the Concert Hall they were trying to recreate an intimate musical session in the desert under the stars.

Once they began to play, you couldn't help but clap, tap your toes or bob your head to the music. The beats were strong and the music lyrical. Many of the songs were about their war-torn experiences and their yearning for freedom.

After every song, one of the singer-guitarists would say, "Ca va? Is OK?"

Yes! It was more than OK -- it was fantastic. And every time he asked us, we had to laugh.

The female singer had very strong vocals and was a wonderful dancer who swayed beautifully with the music. She attempted to say "thank you" in Cantonese and we appreciated the effort.

In the end the 90-minute show was extended to almost 120 and afterwards as we were walking out, we practically rubbed shoulders with some of the band members who came out to sign autographs. We thanked them and told them the music was fantastic in French. One of my friends wanted to swoon.

Two band members waiting to sign autographs for fans

All the CDs were sold out already so people snapped up records -- yes vinyl folks -- at HK$200 a piece. Then people lined up to get them autographed by Tinariwen and take pictures of them.

What a night. I am just blown away by the great lengths they go to to travel around -- and they have played in all kinds of cities and music festivals. And yet they are very much at home in the desert, drinking tea made from a small campfire and living relatively simple lives.

From their music they are spreading awareness of their people's plight and their call for freedom.

Apologies Are Not Enough

Today Chief Executive Donald Tsang promised to cooperate with the Independent Commission Against Corruption's investigation into his extracurricular activities to find out if the allegations of having too close ties with tycoons and taking advantage of their private jets and yachts are verified.

"I have nothing to hide," he said in an emotional speech to lawmakers in the Legislative Council chambers. "I promise everyone... I will cooperate fully."

As he spoke lawmakers interrupted his speech shouting, "Donald Tsang step down!" and others holding placards saying "Corrupt bow-tie step down".

The legislative councilors are a tough audience, but really they are only reflecting the public's anger and also upholding the law.

According to media reports Tsang appeared to hold back tears as he apologized for any misunderstanding over the "incidents".

"The series of incidents have caused concerns from the public, media, lawmakers and civil servants, and shaken public confidence in the government. I hereby solemnly apologize to the public," he said. "Regardless of whether you still trust me, please do not lose faith in the Hong Kong system."

He got into some seriously hot water a few weeks ago after he was photographed on a tycoon's yacht in Macau and even though Tsang claimed he had paid the market rate for transportation, a tycoon asked the media what was wrong with giving a friend a lift?

Not good.

And then Tsang was accused of taking advantage of cheap rent for a penthouse flat in Shenzhen after his retirement that included a giant pond for his collection of koi fish. However, after discussions with his wife, Tsang will not rent the flat after all.

At least he got that right.

Tsang has refused to name the tycoons he has allegedly had cozy relationships with, and even though some have been named by the media, he refuses to confirm their identities.

So far the chief executive had admitted to accepting four excursions on private jets operated by his tycoon friends and at least a yacht trip to Macau and a private jet trip to Japan.

What is hard to understand is that Tsang is such a dedicated church goer and a good Catholic boy, so why how did he end up not being more transparent about these things?

"Some residents now think the chief executive is corrupt," Tsang said. "I have always abided by the rules but I admit there is a gap between public expectation and the handling of this issue, which has led to public disappointment and questions about my integrity.

"I am here not to restore people's confidence towards me, but to restore public confidence towards the government's system."

Even though Tsang is stepping down in less than five months, for his sake he probably should think about trying to win back public trust too.

After all, does he want this to be his last legacy for Hong Kong?

Creative Chinese Cuisine

The signature "super lean" roast duck

This afternoon I had a chance to sample some Beijing food.

The Mandarin Oriental will be bringing in chefs including Da Dong himself in April where he will cook a gala dinner on April 20 at Man Wah.

Sliced Canadian geoduck with Sichuan pepper

While the food is for the most part Chinese, he has taken the cuisine one step further in terms of cooking with different ingredients and the Japanese minimalist-style of presentation.

Today I had a chance to sample some of the dishes, each very good, and of course the famous "super lean" roast duck.

To start we were each presented a square plate and on top of that was a thin hollowed out globe of ice sitting on a bed of fabric and inside it was sliced Canadian geoduck with Sichuan pepper. The ice kept the poached geoduck cool and it had a bite thanks to the peppercorns that wasn't too overpowering.

Chef Da Dong dressing a plate

Next came an interesting combination of small cubed pieces of lotus root covered with foie gras that had been thinly sliced and looked like ham slices. This was paired with some sweet osmanthus sauce and it worked very well. The sweetness of the sauce naturally goes well with lotus root, but even more so with the foie gras, enhancing its silky smooth texture.

Da Dong gave a contemporary take on a traditional Shanghainese dish of bean curd sheets with finely diced Chinese spinach. Here he sandwiched the spinach in between minced bean curd that may have seemed bland but actually had a delicate flavour that was refreshing.

Intrigue went around the table in trying to figure out what squid egg soup would look like. It arrived in small espresso cups and the smell was very earthy and like mushrooms. With a small spoon we fished out the skin of the squid egg, a very thin slippery white ingredient that didn't have much taste on its own, but was like a noodle. Apparently squid egg soup is a traditional Chinese dish, but obviously Da Dong has presented a different interpretation that was delicious.

Chef Dong's braised sea cucumber presented like a pine branch

His signature braised sea cucumber was presented on a long rectangular plate, cooked with leeks in a thick sweet-soy sauce. We enjoyed each bite, similar to tendon in texture, and the addition of the leek was unfamiliar but tasted great.

For a bit of a crunch, the fresh jelly fish with broad bean was very good. Interestingly it was paired with strawberries as well. It's a simple dish seasoned with a bit of chilli oil.

Then came the main event -- the roast duck that was wheeled to our table and ceremoniously sliced up very quickly. The duck was excellent as always, hardly any fat on it and the meat very tender. Everyone admired the individual plate of condiments that almost looked too pretty to eat.

Braised abalone and Chinese yam with rice in truffle sauce

Another delightful dish was the braised abalone and Chinese yam with rice in truffle sauce. They arrived in individual small clay pots with Chinese characters on each ranging from happiness and prosperity to long life. The aroma was heavenly from the truffle sauce and it was topped with a small plump abalone that was very tender. The rice had been thoroughly marinated in the sauce so each bite was very good.

It's so great to see Da Dong continue developing his dishes, making them not only delicious but thoughtfully presented so that the dining experience is absolutely memorable.

Da Dong Roast Duck Returns to Man Wah April 14-22
25/F, Mandarin Oriental
5 Connaught Road
Central
2825 4003
www.mandarinoriental.com

Car Status in China

The ubiquitous black Audi is the car of choice of Chinese officials

Every other car in Beijing is a black Audi.

It's the car government officials drive (or rather their chauffeurs drive).

Some 80 percent of all state-bought cars are foreign brands, and Audis make up one-third of that.

One time when I was in Beijing a friend told us he bought a car -- a black Audi.

Just as our jaws dropped in horror he said, "Just joking," with a broad smile.

We all had a good laugh.

However the Audi-buying all with other foreign brands will come to a complete halt this year.

A proposal from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology last week says the 412 models approved for purchase by state agencies this year will be limited to Chinese brands. It's seen as an effort to protect the domestic car industry as they struggle to compete against global producers.

In addition, China stopped offering incentives on investments to foreign carmakers in a bid to stop overcapacity.

"It seems that the China market for cars is closing slowly but surely toward foreign investment," said Dirk Moens, secretary general of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. "As an industry you cannot expect to be warmly welcomed outside of your country if at the same time you start closing the industry in your country."

Sounds like another bad sign for Europe.

However, there could be some resistance to this proposal that is up for public consultation until March 9.

"It's such a drastic step I could imagine they could be a bit resistant from the local government procurement side," said Klaus Paur, Shanghai-based head of auto research at Ipsos. "If you're a relatively high-level person, you still want to have an Audi. The brand, the reputation, the standing is all important."

Would a senior government official want to be seen in a BYD or Great Wall Motor car?

Perhaps Chinese officials will be holding onto their current cars for a little while longer...

Meanwhile for some background info, last month The Globe and Mail talked to a taxi driver surnamed Zhao who gave insights into who drives what cars in China:
Toyota sedan – Driven by putongren. Ordinary people. Not so ordinary that they have to use public transport or ride a bicycle, mind you.
Mercedes SUV – Driver Zhao presumes someone who drives one of these ubiquitous (and always black) vehicles is a laoban. The word means "boss," but in this case laoban can mean anyone who recently come into cash and wants to show it off.
Buick GL8 minivan – Wildly popular in China, these vans aren't for soccer moms. To Driver Zhao, someone driving a Buick GL8 is a "xiao laoban," or little boss. Someone who can't yet afford the Mercedes. Just as often, the driver is a professional and the passengers are Western expatriate families with kids.
Audi A6 – Weibo had it bang on, it's the automobile of choice for the Chinese bureaucrat. Seeing an Audi A6 in traffic means you're idling beside part of the country's power structure. As The New York Times put it , the A6's "slick frame and invariably tinted windows exude an aura of state privilege, authority and, to many ordinary citizens, a whiff of corruption." (The Beijing government says there are 62,000 official cars in the city, a figure that seems far too low. The state-run CCTV television station reported last year that the real figure is closer to 700,000.)
Humvees or Ferraris – Driver Zhao says the only people arrogant enough to drive one of these on Beijing's streets are the well-off children of top government officials. As evidence of that, I once saw a bright yellow Humvee rip the wrong way through traffic in Beijing's busy Sanlitun bar district, before proceeding to drive through a red light without so much as tapping the brakes. At least three policemen witnessed the same scene, but seemed to conclude from the driver's brazen behaviour that he was too powerful to be stopped.