Happy 2012!

Photo: Miss O'Kistic

Apologies for the lack of posts recently. Hope to resume normal service now the festive period has passed :)

Happy New Year to all b.b.c. blog readers, and see you soon for more topical posting this new year. Now... bring on Chinese New Year!

China's 'black jails' (disturbing)

A rather scary report from Al-Jazeera.

Can places like this really exist to deal with ordinary people who, for example, want to report corrupt officials?

China's Got Talent to hold UK auditions

Calling all karaoke stars, musicians and performers...This could be interesting.

A lot of UK talent shows already feature Chinese or Asian auditionees - often, it has to be said for comedy value (see Goldie Cheung)

But now, a show that was conceived in the UK and was then exported to China is now coming back to the UK to search for British contestants to compete in China!

According to Shanghaiist:

... contestants must 'have a connection to China, either through language, family, or simply an appreciation of Chinese art forms.' Which sounds to us like the floodgates are open for hordes of random non-Chinese people trying to get famous by singing Chinese songs.

This sounds like a great potential opportunity for the many talented singers and performers out there.

Want to give it a shot? head over t the 'CGT' facebook page here.

The Lowdown on the HK$6000 payout

Word has probably reached you by now that the Hong Kong government is offering all its permanent citizens a one-off payment of HK$6000 over the next couple of years.

Similar to but not the same as the US 'stimulus check', the move has been prompted by pressure from Hong Kong citizens who are becoming increasingly frustrated at the rising costs of living on the SAR, especially for housing.

An initial plan to make payments into citizen's state pensions schemes was scrapped in favour of an immediate handout.

Rather than get into a lengthy explanation of the scheme, I thought I would just direct readers to this blog , where everything you need to know has been posted already by ben.ism.

And this is the link to the official HK government website for the scheme.

Will you be applying? HK$6000 equates to roughly GBP460, which might cover a return flight from London if you're lucky.

Bear in mind you have to either have an active HK bank account or be able to collect a cheque in person from a Hong Kong Post office. There is also a set timetable for when to apply and when your cheque will be ready (see official website)

Chinese Novels: 20 Classics

If, like me, you are a little in the dark about classic Chinese literature, you might appreciate this link sent to me by bachelorsdegreeonline - a list of 20 renowned Chinese novels.

'Water Margin' and 'Lust, Caution' are perhaps titles you will be familiar with but there are a host of other interesting ones to learn about.

Check out the page here.

Lawrence Leung is performing in London!

Regular readers will have caught a glimpse of Larence Leung in this earlier post.

Well, it just so happens that the composer of the ultimate b.b.c anthem is in London doing a series of stand-up comedy performances. Lawrence is at the Soho Theatre until August 13th, and by all accounts puts on a fairly enjoyable show.

Details: Soho Theatre

Yes, we invented hipsters too

Now we know where those trendy people in Hoxton and Manhattan get their fashion ideas from. Trust me, next year's must have accessory will be a red-blue-white plastic sack.

Link: Accidental Chinese Hipsters

The kindness of strangers in Hong Kong

This is not the usual kind of video you get from Apple news. Apparently three girls in Hong Kong have since last Christmas been voluntarily distributing 'tong sui' (sweet soup) to elderly people in the street, as well as stopping for a chat with them.

As one of the girls points out, they do this not just to feed the elderly people they encounter but also to provide a listening ear.

A random act of kindness in Hong Kong? Whatever next?