talk 535

Happy New Year to all of you from HK!

We Lighters are a group of forever young, and energetic people indeed. I understand once one passes the age of 40, more than half the conversation will be about the past. However, look at the Lighter’s website. The Canadian Lighters talked about celebration of the New Year, and the coming reunion. The U.S. Lighters talked about Bay to Breaker festival, how to restore Pui Ching to the former glorious days including privatization, raising US$250 million, establishing Pui Ching Internationals, and searching for the soul of Pui Ching. All are about the future. Aren’t we a forward-looking, young group full of energy and vitality? Even though I was at Pui Ching only one and half years, I can easily identify all the section A Lighters in that New Year party photo including the two of the four beautiful, forever young “Party Girls.” You have not changed much. However, Gina, you should at least label all the spouses (I can identify Stephen) to make the name the name game easier.

HK is on the rebound after a disastrous 2003. Two-thirds residents of HK think year 2004 will be a good one. This is compared with less than half (actually one third) thought that a year ago for 2003, a rise of 100%.

Buoyed by all the optimism, everything in HK is on the rise. After allowing people from Beijing, Shanghai and Canton to visit HK without having to joining group tours, the number of people in the already crowded streets is on the rise. The retail sales has risen 5% over the last year. The stock market has risen 45% or so to over 13,000 to new highs for the past several years. The height of the tallest building has risen to 88 floors from 78 with the completion of the IFC-II in the Central. Even the price of already sky-high real estate after 6 years of declining, is on the rise. If you took my advice bought real estate at the last HK reunion (if you understood what I said then, that is), you would have recouped your loss and made 5% or so. How high, you may ask. The most expensive apartment in HK sells for HK$30,000 a square foot, or US$4 million or so for a 1000 sq ft apartment at the Repulse Bay.

For the HK Lighters, we are even looking forward to the rise of HK population. Currently HK has the lowest fertility rate in the world: 0.9 birth per woman, even lower than Italy’s 1.5 or so. With our math background, we Lighters all know that you would need a 2 to barely sustain the current population. On Jan 2, WT Pang’s daughter tied the marital knot. Along with the Pang’s, all the Lighters, I wish the new couple a happy new married life and new addition(s) soon in the New Year (The “s” here is to allow twins).

Let me share with you a little more about the happiness of that wedding. I could not name all the high government officials, the rich, and the famous of HK, but there were hundreds of people including about 20 or so Lighters at the wedding. Nor I could fully understand and appreciate the speech made by WT Pang; in addition to conversational Cantonese, it would require the study of “Advanced Classic Chinese Literature” to do so. Besides, with free flowing of Cabernet Sauvignon red wine, I would not have remembered it anyway. To make sure the population will go up, we asked the new couple did several things couples often do at oceanfront of Tsim Sha Tsui at night. While they were embarrassed, we had a good laugh. I am sure they enjoined it also. Left the memory card in home, I was with my digital camera without any photos to show you. However we all had a good time! What a way to start a new year! Wish you were here! Now I am waiting for the party for the new arrival(s) later this year. Have I made you feel happier already in the New Year?