MAY 2012 The first rule of Fight Club won insidep35 p24 Fame-Y CompetitionInterContinental madness - 2 massiveWinehouse Shenzhen prizes Focus to be CONTENTS May 2012 Chief Executive Offi ce: P.C. CITY Window Director: Italiana Granni 4 Simon Cormack City Editor: Editing Consultant: May Guan Financial Controller: Takuto 14 eureka Consulting Director: shirley Designers: Feng, fish 15 jetsetter Publication Co-coordinator: Rain, Nana Photographer: Fung 18 muse Contributors Nigel Whittaker Jeff Helmsley John Richardson Matthew Friedman 20 fi ghting fi t Donna Livingston Anita Riley Ray Hecht simon edward smith 22 yummy jason rey Contact 24 wine Tel: 86 20 8365 1980 / 8365 2811 Fax: 86 20 8365 2566 Email: [email protected] / [email protected] arts & events 6 Cover Story We are certainly 8 not, anymore, as Hunter Thompson once said, “a nation of frightened dullards”. Are we are getting more violent as a race, and, if so, why? fortune 12 The first rule of FightClub COMPETITION WINNERS Fame-Y Winehouse InterContinental Shenzhen Focus Here are the results of March and April's competition from our wine section, Here are the results of March and April's competition from our Destination CRU. Hong Kong & Shenzhen section, sponsored by InterContinental Shenzhen. March's prize was a bottle of Bon Molise 2010 for the two best reviews of One lucky entrant can win the chance to stay at the hotel for one night, 'your favourite place to drink wine' in Guangzhou, which will be published in include complimentary breakfast for two guests. All you need to do is the June issue of Paper Magazine. answer a simple question and the prize could be yours for the taking. March's answers are as follows: April's answer is as follows: Winners: Shirley Mazeaud Paper Magazine is based in which What does the word 'inter' actually mean? - Between Candy Lu city? - Guangzhou How many border crossings does Winners: April's prize was four tickets to visit Hong Kong's Portrait Winery Soho Tasting Shenzhen share with Hong Kong? - 6 Room for an exclusive wine-sampling experience. The answer to the Sandi Zhang question was 'a', a prtrait is a type of picture Winners: Candy Lu Winner: Helen Hui Issa Mohamed Terry Huang Congratulations to you all. Check out our new competition on page 24. Congratulations to you all. Check out our new competition on page 35. Many thanks to our sponsors for supplying the prizes for this competition. Many thanks to our sponsors for supplying the prizes for this competition. 4 city window May 2012 IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR The rather suspect case concerning the death of British businessman Neil Heywood in Chongqing last November has taken a new direction as the ruling has now determined his cause of death as being intentional homicide, according to sources at the Xinhua news agency. The incidents leading up to the death are very much unclear, but all fingers seem to point towards Gu Kailai, recently dubbed as the Chinese Jackie Kennedy, the mother of one of Heywood’s associates, with a fi nancial motive being the probable cause. Heywood is thought to have helped the family with processing legal fees in the U.K. and a dispute between the two parties was supposed to have escalated in days before the event. Police assure that justice will be served, no matter who the culprit turns out to be. This all comes as the investigation into Bo Xilai heightens. The former head of the Chongqing faction of the Communist Party has been accused of serious disciplinary violations and could pay the ultimate price for his sins. They do say blood is thicker than water… BMW = Beijing Motor Works? China has just helped German car manufacturing giant BMW reach record sales fi gures, as it still seems the insatiable thirst for purchasing can’t be satisfi ed on the Mainland. For the fi rst time, BMW have sold more motors in China than the U.S., with a total of over 80,000, around 20% of its total worldwide sales. The brand has cleaned up right across the board, with its Rolls Royce and Mini divisions also announcing record profi ts. This also comes at the same time as Volkswagen’s reports of similar fi nancial fortunes, with a 10% increase in annual sales for 2011. It just goes to show that effi ciency really is the key… ON THE BUSES The Chinese authorities have made emergency legislation to improve the service and safety record of school buses, in the aftermath of some horrific tragedies in recent months. The series of fatal accidents has resulted in public fury, one of the worst being last month’s collision in southern Guangdong between an overloaded bus and an oncoming truck, leaving three pupils dead. The vehicle was licensed to carry a maximum of 11 people, yet in reality was crammed with almost 20. Manufacturing guidelines will be monitored and offending motorists should expect the toughest penalties for transporting illegal numbers of passengers. The worst case by far was the crash in Gansu province in November last year, which resulted in 20 deaths, as a bus, which only had nine seats, but was holding a hardly believable 64 people onboard, also met its fate with a juggernaut. Better to take your kids to school yourself… THREE HAIL MARYS We've seen a lot of rain in recent weeks, haven't we? It looks like the Sun is just teasing us. Some have suffered a lot more than a wet bonce as hail storms hit eastern Jiangxi, killing three and leaving dozens injured, and over 900 homes damaged in their Culture Vulture wake. Also badly affected were Two-Handed Exchange In China, as well as in Vietnam and Japan, it is important to give and receive items with two hands. It is not enough to do so with just the right or left – it must be both hands parts of Guizhou province, where there were stories together. Using both hands at the same time suggests that you are giving full dedication of hailstones up to 2 inches in diameter and weighing to the item or transaction at (and in!) hand. Foreigners would be forgiven for not almost 20 grams, damaging property and causing partaking in this tradition through ignorance, but locals would be seriously judged for untold destruction. You would probably be safer in the overlooking this sign of respect. I suppose that if you follow this rule, you would have far middle of a baseball diamond whilst blindfolded than less chance of dropping things, too – both respectful and practical! venturing out in that kind of air strike. 6 arts & events May 2012 INTERWINE CHINA EXHIBITION (FRIDAY 25 TH MAY – SUNDAY 27 TH MAY, 2012) BALLET NACIONAL DE CUBA: SWANTH MAY, LAKE 2012) TH MAY & WEDNESDAY 9 Just fallen off the wagon? Yeah. It's hard to (TUESDAY 8 stay on that thing, even with all the willpower Time to get on your tiptoes again. China really seems to be reeling in the ballet in the world. The proverbial 'lock, stock and acts these days. There is a whole new air of class wafting around the metropolis smoking barrel'-full of liquor (lick-her) is back and everyone has caught the bug. This time it's the Cuban's turn at Swan in town for another year's worth of booze Lake, with this 'outfi t' coming all the way from the Great Theatre of Havana. and grog-related paraphernalia. Top alcohol However, don't be expecting Montecristo batons, tortilla slippers a n d producers will be able to give you a rundown quesadilla corsets - it would be more advisable to expect big of all the latest tipples, as well hotels providing booties and plenty of Latin fl air on the stage… some solids to hold you together. So, head down for some serious tasting, or buy them out when you have had one too many. The choice is yours… Guangzhou Opera House, Hua Xia Lu, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District, Guangzhou. China Import & Export Fair Pazhou Complex, Xin Gang Dong Lu, Haizhu District, Tel: (+86) 20 3839 2888 Guangzhou. Time: 20:00 Time: 09:00 – 18:00 Price: ¥80, ¥180, ¥280, ¥380, ¥480, ¥680. Price: Free with pre-registration. Booking: 400 610 3721 http://www.damai.cn/ e-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.gzdjy.com/ Information: (+86) 20 8428 3513 ext. 23 ENCHANTING ESPAÑA: LUZTH MAY, CASAL 2012) IN Soloists are supposed to be a bunch of pre-madonnas; CONCERT (THURSDAY 10 huge entourages, massive lists of requirements and stroppy tempers. Who knows what these guys were Literally meaning 'light', 'Luz' Casal is possibly the biggest legend of Spanish pop on the face of like before they got rounded-up by their current this planet. I mean, she hasn't got much competition; only the likes of Enriqué's old man, Julio director, Vincent Dumestre? Le Poeme Harmonique Iglesias – the creosote crooner. Having sold over five million albums to date, she is now on the is comprised of established solo artists, all brought prowl in the People's Republic, hoping to steal the cheers and admiration of the Chinese crowds. together in an acoustic banquet for your lugholes. Enjoy! Buena Suerte! Guangzhou Opera House, Hua Xia Lu, Zhujiang CROISEMENTS FESTIVAL Guangzhou Opera House, Hua Xia Lu, Zhujiang New Town, Guangzhou. New Town, Tianhe District, Guangzhou. Tel: (+86) 20 3839 2888 2012 PRESENTS: LE POÈME Tel: (+86) 20 3839 2888 Time: 20:00 HARMONIQUE "MONTEVERDI & Time: 20:00 Price: ¥80, ¥180, ¥280, ¥380, ¥480, ¥680. Price: ¥80, ¥180, ¥280, ¥380, ¥480, ¥680.