Win a 7-Piece Miro Set Worth a Packet
CKI, the fine art investment specialists are giving away a 7-piece Miro suite worth HK$34,000. One lucky NecesCity reader is going to win - why can't it be you? Imagine: you've just come back from a tough day crunching spreadsheets and you see those seven lithographs on the wall staring back at you. Might even require a new wall.
TEDx Travel Conference in HK
TED represents man at this best, and on May 11, an offshoot of the phenomenon, TEDx, will return to Hong Kong. Although TEDx is an independently organised conference, its creators get to tap into TED proper for guidance so you’re in for a treat. Plus, the theme is quite interesting – travel. Most of us love to see the world, and TEDx will help you get the most out of your paltry Hong Kong holiday allowance. What would we do without Chinese festivals?
When VeryFirstTo.com launched their £1m holiday last month, many dismissed it as a typical PR stunt. Indeed, even the company offering it never expected anyone to take them up on the offer: a two-year, luxury holiday taking in the planet's 962 Unesco world heritage sites (an intense itinerary that would mean taking in more than one site every single day for two years).
Then the phone rang.
An unnamed man from China, with an undisclosed background but apparently studying for a PHD, has signed on the dotted line and is now preparing to begin his journey next year. His trip will include visiting more than 150 countries over in two years, staying in the most luxurious hotels and flying business class.
Although the phone was hardly ringing off the hook, the company said they have another tentative booking and have received 15 enquiries.
"When we launched it, we didn't know if it would sell. Not all of our products do," says company founder Marcel Knobil, who launched Veryfirsto.com in November 2012, seemingly as a one-stop shop for those with so much money they need someone else to come up with ludicrous ways to spend it. Or, as they call it, "a haven for early adopters".
Knobil says the site now has 18,000 members and past products that have failed to find a buyer include a 267-carat black diamond nail polish for £160,000 and the chance to star in your own marriage proposal TV commercial for £135,000. Perhaps even the super-rich are aware of YouTube.
The £1m trip was billed as "the world's most expensive holiday", in the same vein as the most expensive lunch/coffee/bacon sandwich phenomenon. ("There is nothing that pushes my 'rage' button more," wrote chef Luke Mackay about a recently unveiled £1,000 coq au vin.) The holiday package also includes the almost obligatory nod to charity: in this case, a £5,000 donation to Unesco.
In the same month that VeryFirstTo.com launched, Graham Hughes, 34 from Liverpool, completed his own epic round-the-world journey on a much smaller budget. His four-year trip – all overland, with no flights – took him to every UN member state in a bid to gain a Guinness World Record (a claim which is still being processed as Hughes presents various forms of written and photographic proof).
Hughes's trip cost an estimated £27,000, which he funded through various loans and by making travel documentaries along the way. What does he think of the "world's most expensive holiday"?
"If people have got the money, travel is a better way to spend it than drugs or yachts. Visiting all these places is absolutely feasible in two years [if flying], but it will be difficult. You can't get a limo to all these sites. Surely they'll have to be some bus travel involved. And it's a shame that they are spending all their time in five-star hotels. I imagine that could be very lonely."
It is not known whether the Chinese participant will be travelling alone, although the £990,000 fee does allow him to bring a partner or companion. And he won't be able to boast that he's been to every heritage site. The small print confirms that the itinerary will only cover sites that are safe and practical to visit.
Hughes wishes the participant well on their trip, but adds: "I hope they know what they are getting into."
Artisanal Bakery in Sheung Wan
Freshly baked bread is glorious stuff, particularly in Hong Kong where, unless you’re exceptionally well organised, you only really get the good stuff in fancy restaurants before you order. Supermarket bread here is generally dreadful, while cakes in the city tend to be too sweet and packed full of artificial flavours. We say “generally” because a new kid is on the bakery block, a very well dressed kid, called Po’s Atelier.
Lagree Fitness Arrives in HK
H-Kore is a new fitness studio in Central specialising in Lagree Fitness, a unique type of workout that's not offered anywhere else in Hong Kong. If you're not into gratuitous exercise, switch off now - it's pretty intense stuff. Invented by Sebastien Lagree, the technique stems from pilates but has since been turbo-charged into a tough 40-minute class. The workout takes place on a specially designed machine without any pauses between exercises, leaving you a panting wreck. Certainly not the time to take a business call.
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Kraftwerk 3D Concert, KITEC
Kraftwerk are playing a 3D concert in Hong Kong - and that's a show you don't want to miss. The electronic music pioneers began their careers over 40 years ago, a staggeringly long time to be staying up late at night, but with all that experience you're guaranteed pyrotechnics.
New American Watering Hole Opens
The Stone Nullah Tavern has just opened and has made a good first impression, mostly because its name contains the word "Tavern". If only real taverns still existed, the kind that Frodo would have visited for a frothy pint of ale and a roast boar leg. Still, this new watering hole is an interesting addition to the Hong Kong drinking and dining scene. All their produce is organic and sourced locally (honestly, it comes from Hong Kong) which is a feat in itself. And a little bit scary. Organic in Hong Kong? Call the SCMP.
Pop Art Maestro's Exhibition Drawing to a Close
Warhol is a big name. Even your average football hooligan is probably au fait with some of his work, and this weekend is the last chance to see the artist's biggest ever exhibition in Asia. Plus it's nature's antidote to the Sevens. The show is being held in the Hong Kong Museum of Art and comprises over 450 pieces by the pop art maestro. Put it in the calendar today because, however much you like to be spontaneous, culture normally requires some lead time. If you don't prep, you'll probably spend the weekend travelling from SoHo to the SoFa.
HK's Only Intl Craft Beer Festival
Beer. It's glorious. If you're lady orders one in front of the boys your chest swells with pride. It means you've got a woman who knows how to have a good time, if not what it means to be feminine. It'll also mean you've got company at Beertopia, which after its remarkably successful first edition last year, returns to Hong Kong on Saturday, April 13. Don't have a big one the night before or you'll have a melt down before you even get started.
Hong Kong’s Most Comprehensive Insurer
Nowcompare does exactly what it says on the tin. The website is tailored to Hong Kong expats and compares life and health insurance quotes from over 200 different companies. It's not a helicopter ride over the Himalayas, cliff-jumping in Sai Kung or a stag in Macau but it will free up some cash to do all of those things - and cover your back when you end up in hospital with an unidentified rash.
Best way to Find (or Fill) a Job in HK
We all like to help a brother out, but Refer.me goes that extra mile by essentially paying you to refer your mates for jobs. Here's how it works. The crowd sourced recruiting platform allows employers to post a job vacancy along with the bounty they're willing to pay the person who refers a successful hire. So, you can join for free and earn money by referring your pals for jobs. Your friends end up in your debt forever and you get cash rich. It's a no brainer.
Practise Golf while Managing Your Wealth
Swiss Privilege, the wealth management specialist, not only offers financial guidance but also has a trendy office in Wan Chai with coffee, snacks and a golf simulator. Essentially, you can have a great time sauntering down the back-9 at Pebble Beach while they assist with everything from financial planning to investment options. Imagine: Clint Eastwood's trailing in your wake, the wind's blowing in your suddenly full head of hair, Halle Berry's getting out of the ocean...
Bourbon Infused or Gold Leaf Cigars
Cigars are pretty bloody manly. Bourbon too. Add in a splash of gold leaf and you’re a lighter away from becoming the gentlemen’s gentlemen. Or a rap star – it would really depend on what else you’re wearing. Whichever way you look at it, cigars infused with bourbon, or smokes wrapped in gold leaf, are plain awesome - a vibrant mix of testosterone and ostentatious good living. It’s the type of thing you should light up after your company’s IPO, or after crashing your boat into your ex-wife’s private marina.
Digitise And Restore Old Photos
Hard copy photos are awesome but most of our snaps are dying before our eyes. Time and the elements - particularly the humidity in HK - take their toll. These days, you can only just make out Uncle Jimmy's face as he head plants into the sea from that fateful wake boarding trip to Skegness, circa 1999. Fortunately, if you want to restore your photos and save them forever, Good Time Photo Services is here to help.
Flowers & 50 Shades of Grey for Valentine’s
Valentine’s Day is a headache, no doubt about it. There’s an onus on boyfriends, fiancés and husbands to make a stand. Even if you don’t ‘celebrate’ it, you’ve got to do something with the lady and that’s where Gift Flowers HK comes in. The 100% online florist stocks various treats for Valentine’s Day, while their sister site, Gift Hampers HK even sells a “Fifty Shades of Grey” erotic hamper ($590 delivered). However dire the writing, you can’t argue with the return you’ll get on that investment.
Ted's Lookout is one of the coolest bars/diners we've been to in a while. From a design perspective, it's very similar to 22 Ships except Ted's is more bar than restaurant and feels moodier. It has grey concrete walls and Banksy-esque grafitti which normally looks tragic but here it works. The place is hidden in a Wan Chai cul-de-sac and has great atmosphere - the classic pop in for a drink but end up downing several and coming home in the early hours in need of a cuddle.
David Laris Opens HK Restaurant
David Laris, the eponymous chef behind Laris at Three on the Bund, has opened a formidable Hong Kong restaurant. LARIS Contemporary Dining doesn't have a particular style but it serves well seasoned fare that's normally big on flavour. It's difficult to eat 'Western' in HK and not spend over HK$400/head and this place is no different... but at least you walk out feeling well looked after, rather than looked after by your pervy, handsy, old uncle.
White Collar Boxing & Offshore Pensions Spotlight
iFS, the financial services specialist, has a few strings to its bow - including hosting Hong Kong's famous white collar boxing night. We're giving away tickets worth HK$2,700 to the event on March 2 when multinational execs and HK high flyers get into the ring to punch each other in the face. What more could the public want? Suits off and gloves up, it's a chance to see how your friends/colleagues react to pain, shame and public adulation.
HK’s First Tailor Made Cycling Studio
Spinning - you either love it or hate it. Frankly, exercise - you either love it or hate it - so those of you who find more solace in a Cadbury's Creme Egg than a calorie burn can switch off now. We're talking about Torq, Hong Kong's first "independent indoor cycling studio". It's a tailor made space for cycling work outs, so whether you're training for the Marathon des Sables or simply making the classic January 'change', they'll make you burn.
HK Duo Debut Album Concert
The Weathering, a Hong Kong musical duo consisting of Leora and Jeff Caylor, are releasing their debut album at the end of the month. The couple will be performing at the launch event in Quarry Bay - and they’re well worth seeing. We receive regular emails from ‘up and coming’ HK bands asking us to promote their stuff but most of the time they sound worse than silence so the Caylors are a breath of fresh air. Check out their debut single December Lights, for size. Bar the pained expressions, it’s really quite enjoyable.
Best Value Tailor in HK?
We hear a lot about tailors in Hong Kong but the best value one we’ve found is The Power in Wan Chai. Like every reasonable tailor in the city, they take your measurings but outsource the actual production. It's therefore not created in-house but you get what you pay for. A two-piece suit costs roughly HK$4,000 which is backed by excellent service and that’s where they distinguish themselves. They won’t let you leave without fantastic fitting clothes… and a promise to tell your friends about them.
New Kebab Shop Making Waves
27 Kebab House has just opened on Cochrane Street and has been making quite a name for itself. Cheap, cheerful and tasty, they serve pita wrapped deliciousness that feels relatively healthy. Unlike most kebabs, you don’t finish one wondering if you’ve remembered to put the toilet roll in the fridge just in case it all goes nuclear.
Club Opens Tonight with Epic Sound System
Gala's opens tonight on Lyndhurst Terrace with a mega sound system, and we're giving away a few tickets to the opening nights. The club owners have invested over HK$4,000,000 in the sound system alone which in Hong Kong is pretty special. We'd love to see what that thing would do to a bowl of jelly at full volume, or perhaps a girl who's spent too much time under the knife. She'd be moving all over the shop.
Home Brewing Kits Arrive in Hong Kong
Hong Kong's been going nuts for beer lately but perhaps the best has yet to come - your own. The Beer Necessities has just opened, selling home brewing kits in Hong Kong for the first time. They'll give you all the tools to produce delicious beer, and it's cheap too. A pint averages out to HK$5-15 which is the kind of economic incentive that would have every hobo in the world dreaming of winning gold at the international beer awards.
Our Finest Stories of the Year
It's been a big year. Olympics. Syria. More Euro gloom. The Death of Kim Jong-Il. Turmoil in Egypt. You get the picture. And we haven't even got to the Mayan Apocalypse. This could be our last ever email newsletter if the fates are right (South American time) so we're going to take the opportunity to share our best stories of 2012. The aliens might find this in our faint digital footprint in millennia to come.
Map Your Ancestry & Find Health Time Bombs
Co-founded by Anne Wojcicki, wife of Google founder Sergey Brin, 23andMe is a self-DNA test which outlines your ancestry and highlights the diseases you’re most susceptible to. It’s not for everyone. Some people don’t want to know if they’re more at risk of bowel cancer, while others point to the incomplete picture the test provides. It’s thought, for instance, that genes only dictate 20-30% of the outcome of your health, with lifestyle and environmental factors determining the rest. Still it might help you to cut out the deep fried camembert.
