Blog Band – Page 39 – Fridayeveryday

The mystery Hong Kong tea trader who helped win a war

THE TEA TRADER had no tea leaves to buy or sell. But he didn’t mind. Young merchant Liao had far more serious matters on his mind. In January of 1938, he'd opened a tea import-export business called the Yuehua Company (粵華公司) at 18, Queen’s Road in Victoria, the main city and central business district of…

October 6, 20220Comments ByFriday Writers

Features

Creating an e-commerce system for everyone

TEN YEARS AGO, many people expected the e-commerce revolution to change the way that humans bought and sold things. Except it didn’t. Not at first. There were some early adopters, but the average person on the street was still hesitant. What if you ordered something … and it didn’t arrive? Or the wrong thing was…

October 5, 20220Comments ByNury Vittachi

Chinese history Culture Hong Kong News

The strange tale of the King of Lantau Island

The last Emperor of the Southern Song was a fleeing young royal family member who lived in the Hong Kong town of Mui Wo on Lantau island. He’s been long forgotten now, but the opening of a new metro station named after a monument to him and his brother has revived interest in his astounding…

October 4, 20220Comments ByFriday Writers

Features

The banana trader who saw the future of shopping

A BANANA SALESMAN stepped into a department store called David Jones & Co and saw the future. This was 1890s Sydney, and the man, Ma Ying-piu (馬應彪), had never seen anything like it. In front of him was a huge space in which people bought an unimaginably wide variety of goods, and above were multiple…

September 29, 20220Comments ByFriday Writers

Features

Why people sewed up a wound on the back of a giant fish

The Emperor's fish, an extraordinary giant beast that had been seen in the waters of the great rivers for centuries, was dying. Until the day came when there was just one left. It was injured and the people tried desperately to save it. Emily Zhou reports. THE WINTER OF 2003 was bitterly cold. A…

September 29, 20220Comments ByEmily Zhou

News

Global spread of fake China story creates credibility crisis

THERE ARE RED FACES all over the media this week after an insane story about a coup in China was shared around the world. Huge numbers of journalists, east and west, took a clearly invented tale about the arrest of Chinese leader Xi Jinping seriously. “Where there’s smoke there’s fire, as they say, and there…

September 26, 20220Comments ByNury Vittachi

News

Cows arrive in Hong Kong to produce fresh ice cream

A HERD OF COWS arrived in Hong Kong this week to produce fresh milk and ice cream. Until now, residents have the dubious honor of having the world’s most expensive milk, imported from mainland China or other countries. Importers had asked for the cows to arrive already pregnant – so the herd may grow in…

September 22, 20220Comments ByNury Vittachi

News

Top economist roasted after admitting puzzlement

TOP U.S. ECONOMIST LARRY SUMMERS is being roasted on social media at the moment after he expressed surprise that the capitalist society in which he lived had serious, mounting problems. People aren’t working, couples aren’t getting married, many folk are depressed or suicidal, and politics is being polarized. The former U.S. government moneyman revealed…

September 22, 20220Comments ByNury Vittachi

Opinion

Hong Kong SPACs have unique advantages, but shortcomings too

SPACs are in the news this week, after Silicon Valley’s pioneer in the investment vehicle business said he would return US$1.5 billion to backers. But Hong Kong’s versions of the Special Purpose Acquisition Company have key differences, says SPAC specialist Jason Wong THE U.S. ENTERED AN interest rate hike cycle this year, and capital markets…

September 21, 20220Comments ByJason Wong

News

China trims Ecuador debt by $1b, growing its fan club

THE PEOPLE OF ECUADOR revealed on Monday that China had slashed their debt by more than US$1 billion. Cash saved will go to social programs for the needy. By restructuring the developing country’s bailout, the Chinese are effectively foregoing US$1.4 billion in repayments—which is good for Ecuador. “It’s a positive deal. There is an important…

September 21, 20220Comments ByNury Vittachi

The mystery Hong Kong tea trader who helped win a war

Creating an e-commerce system for everyone

The strange tale of the King of Lantau Island

The banana trader who saw the future of shopping

Why people sewed up a wound on the back of a giant fish

Global spread of fake China story creates credibility crisis

Cows arrive in Hong Kong to produce fresh ice cream

Top economist roasted after admitting puzzlement

Hong Kong SPACs have unique advantages, but shortcomings too

China trims Ecuador debt by $1b, growing its fan club

China, Brazil, Germany, become Guardians of the High Seas

Decoding ‘Trump QE’ – a stealth liquidity injection bypassing the Fed

Transcendental banditry