Golden News
Volume 16, Number 08 - Monday 19 August 2002
The official bulletin of the Rotary Club of Kowloon Golden Mile is published
every Monday and is distributed to all club members, District officials and
other "friends of KGM".

Winner "Best English Language Bulletin" in District 3450, 2001/2002
This Week's Meeting:

Our speaker this week is Mr. Wilson Kwok, and the topic of the presentation is "Slow Food Movement".

Hmmm. I wonder if this has anything to do with escargots and turtle soup?

 
Milestones:
 

Birthday greetings for Tuesday 20 August to John Li who shares his birthday with singer Isaac Hayes who portrayed "Shaft" in the movie of the same name.
 
 
Member Updates:
 

A warm welcome to Graham "The Geek" Daley, President of Newel Systems Limited, who was inducted at the regular club meeting last week under the classification "Computers-Management".

If you have not already done so, please introduce yourself and make him feel welcome.


Prospective New Member:
 
The Membership Committee and the Board of Directors has approved the nomination of Mr. Dilip Parmanand, Managing Director, Parmanand (HK) Limited, for Active membership in KGM under the classification "Exporter-Premiums".
 
Any club member who wishes to lodge an objection to this proposal is required to do so in writing to the Club Secretary by email within 7 days from the date of this notice (i.e. on or before 26 August, 2002), setting out the reasons for their objection.

If no objections are received within the specified period, the candidate may be inducted as Active member of KGM on or after 28 August, 2002, subject to his advance payment the ruling joining fees and semi-annual dues.

 
Fellowship News: 

KGM Fellowship Director Miranda "King" Kong has announced her first fellowship for the current Rotary year!
 
The event will be held from 7:00 p.m., Saturday 24 August 2002 (this weekend) at the Thai Orchids Restaurant, G/F, 39 Tong Chong Street, Taikoo Place, Quarry Bay (opposite the PCCW Tower).

The restaurant is owned by KGM Club Advisor "Don" Larry Parmanand, which probably explains the reasonable cost of only $220 per head, which includes dinner, two drinks per person and access to the snooker table.
 
Later in the evening, Miranda and her new hubby Tony (pictured left), will perform their world famous "Excessive Consumption of Tom Yum Gung" (a.k.a. "Where's the Lomotil") dance.

If you are interested in attending this event, contact Miranda by email or by telephone 9199 3077 or simply pay up at this week's meeting.


Fund-Raising:

Our beloved President-Elect Patricia "Iron Lady" Blair has been at it again. No, not THAT (nudge, nudge, wink wink, say no more), I mean actively exploring different ways to raise money for our Community Service projects.
 
While it would be premature of me to reveal some of her other plans (especially those involving massive amounts of whipped cream and fishnet stockings), Patricia has asked me to announce her Monthly Auction which, oddly, will be held once a month.

Patricia is hoping our generous club members will contribute items suitable for auction during regular club meetings. These may be slower-moving but nonetheless attractive products sold by your company, or unwanted gifts you have received or possibly gold and diamond encrusted Rolex watches which you rarely wear.

The first item to be auctioned this month will be a bottle of Mongolian Vodka, kindly donated by IPP Ebe Tung "Chee Wow", who acquired it by winning a game of "Pin The Tail On The Angry Yak And Run Like Hell" during a recent visit to Ulaanbaatar.

The vodka, which comes complete with a leather pouch and an antidote, will be offered this week under the watchful eye of official KGM auctioneer Brian "Hammer Head" Hodgson.

Members who wish to contribute gifts, should contact Patricia and Brian by email.


District 3450 News:
 

1) The District Rotary Foundation Seminar will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday 7 September 2002 at the New World Renaissance Hotel, Tsimshatsui, so I expect KGM Rotary Foundation Director PP "Butch" Cassidy Lam will be looking for victims, er, volunteers to accompany him. Meanwhile, visit the District website for more information.

+++++
 
2) The District Swimming Gala will be held on Sunday 29 September 2002 at the Ma On Shan Swimming Pool. The truly exciting news is that, under the capable guidance of former Fearless Leader PP Cassidy "Flipper" Lam, KGM is the host club for the event.

If you recall, at last year's event PP Cassidy won two prestigious honours for KGM, namely the "Briefest Speedo Trunks Filled To Capacity" award and the much coveted "My What Huge Pecs You Have" award.

However since KGM are the organisers of the event this year, we're going to ensure there are more awards available for categories where KGM will excel. These include a "Biggest Belly Flop With A Half Twist Of Lemon" award, the "Hairiest Nipples" award and the "Beached Whale Impersonation" award.

If you are willing and able to assist Cassidy, please contact him by email or by telephone 9031 2883.


Rotary International News:
 
The next RI Convention will be held in Brisbane, Australia from 1-4 June 2003. Visit the official website for more information.
 
KGM Who Am I?:

In 1999, AOL Time Warner Company recruited me back to Hong Kong from New York as Senior Editorial Designer.
 
My family immigrated to Vancouver when I was in Grade 10.  I obtained my first degree in University of British Columbia, double majored in Computer Studies and Art History.  During my sophomore year, I was chosen to complete the Elite Exchange program on Visual and Environmental Studies at Harvard University.  I later continued my graduate studies in New York, Parsons School of Design, majoring in Digital Graphics with honorary distinctions.  After graduation, I worked at The New York Times for one year.
 
In 2001, I founded Aspirations Limited in Hong Kong, an international corporate branding and advertising firm.  My creative team well-defines "Aspirations"; with our strong desire and ambition for advancement.  We believe that good design makes a difference; and strive to deliver creative solutions, with our uninhibited approaches.
 
My interests include watching movies, art performances, painting, swimming, playing tennis and golf.  My parents alternate between homes in Hong Kong and Vancouver.  I particularly enjoy spending my leisure moments at home with my family. Who am I?

The answer appears at the bottom of this issue.

This section is sponsored by the Vocational Service Committee (Motto: "Livin' La Vida Voca").

Dear Geek:
 
Sometimes while I'm surfing the web and I click on a hyperlink, my browser suddenly occupies my entire computer screen, and there seems to be no way to close it. Even the "X" (close window) box, which usually arrears at the top right-hand corner of the browser, is not visible. What can I do? Yours Ima Newbie.

Dear Ima, Firstly, stop visiting naughty websites, you terrible girl. However if you insist, the next time this happens, hold down your "Ctrl" key and simultaneously press the "W" key, and the window will immediately close. Yours, The Geek.

Cunning Linguist:


Are you curious about the origins of the term "Handicapped" ?
 
The origins of handicapped go back to the eighteenth century. The first senses were connected with sport, including the handicapping of horses by adding weights to even out a contest.

The figurative senses first appeared in the late nineteenth century, derived from the sporting sense. As the Oxford English Dictionary states, it would then have meant: "any encumbrance or disability that weighs upon effort and makes success more difficult", which is very much the way you would like to use it.

But for a large part of this century the word has been closely linked with physical and mental handicap, though this use, in the West at least, is now considered dated, and to some people even offensive. It is still feasible to use the word in wider senses (as well as in the original sporting sense, of course), though its connections with disability require care in deciding when to use it, and it is usually best to find another word.

 
Golden Smile:

A group of 3rd, 4th and 5th year school children, accompanied by two female teachers, went on a vocational field trip to the Hong Kong Jockey Club race track at Shatin, in order to learn about thoroughbred horses and the racing industry.
 
During the tour, the children eventually needed to go to the washroom, so the teachers agreed that it would be easiest if one of them would take the girls to the ladies room, while the other teacher would take the boys to the men's room.
 
As the teacher assigned to the boys waited outside the men's room, one of the boys came out and complained he couldn't reach the urinal. Having no choice, the teacher went inside and began hoisting the little boys up by their armpits, one by one.
 
As she lifted one of her charges, she couldn't help noticing he was unusually well-endowed for a junior school student.
 
"Well, young man", she said, "I guess you must be in the 5th?"
 
"No ma'am", he replied "I'm in the 9th, riding Silver Star, but thanks for the lift."
 
 
Quotable Quotes:


"The most happy marriage I can picture or imagine to myself would be the union of a deaf man to a blind woman".
 
-- Samuel Taylor Coleridge --

 

The Phantom
"Who Am I?" answer: Sonya Wu.

If you no longer wish to receive this bulletin each week, click here. For previous issues of the bulletin (or to view them in their full HTML glory), visit our archives. © 2002 Rotary Club of Kowloon Golden Mile. All rights reserved. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author (who is under heavy medication), and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of any other member of the club.