The best cappuccino in Hong Kong

I had the best cappuccino in Hong Kong on Saturday, and along with a great blueberry cheese cake. The place is called Cova in Lee Gardens of Causeway Bay. (the introduction and the address could be found here from our paper).

The cappuccino is not as much sweet as others do, and there is no gap between the level of milk and the coffee, both two mixed pretty well. The Blueberry cake is beautiful, along with some soft cream. (Pity me didn't photo it before I eat it out). Besides, the environment is good, with decent tables and chairs. My friend who was with me there definitely knows the best place in Hong Kong. The price is not that bad, three cappuccino and two cheesecake cose 255 HK dollars.

Good try for all.

Never proud of anything

My professors in the University of Hong Kong always told me that my English is not good; However, I don't believe at all, the reason I slept well in the past few months.

In fact, it isn't so good as I think. After an experienced reporter told me my weak writing standard yesterday, I felt so frustrated. Yes, never proud of anything, because I still have a lot of things to learn.

Bank of China, a must-buy or not?

Bank of China's coming IPO made every retail investor in Hong Kong crazy. Everyone is waiting for the opening of application on Thursday, because of what? Tycoons' lead in buying the lender's stake, its famous brand, or others?
I am not a huge Bank of China fun, just like this person in the Bloomberg's story today(BTW, it's the only story I considered as "neutral", not "flattered". Personally, the only bank I like in the mainland China is China Merchants Bank, great service and high-quality people.

I may be too narrow minded on the BOC's service, as it doesn't only include retail services. It also has monopoly rights in many wholesale and enterprise services, but I will not buy stocks for the company I don't like.

Maybe a lot of people will blame me on that. Right, there will definitely a short-term profit from buying its shares on the first day and sell them in several days, say, a month maybe. Because the IPO organisers should try to maintain and increase the price(I guess, no factual cause). But don't you remember Warron Buffett's famous words: invest in long-term profit. Short-term investors, especially smaller ones, couldn't win all the time.

I'd better not to say much, but I really want to say something different.

VC aiming Toodou

Toodou.com, a podcasting website set up in 2004(if I didn't remember it wrongly), has got the second round of investment, or US$8.5 million from three VC. Marc should be so happy on that. I have seen how this website grows up, from nowhere to some big idea.
To tell the truth, the website is still small now. But the website does have potential to develop with more people falling in love with the camera shooting and editing. Also, it does have good management. Hope they will have good luck.

P.S. English press release here. (the founder's website)

How to be an effective social network website?

I always get email from Linked in, friendster,and other social websites. Now there is a new website named wealink, started by one of my VC friends Issac. After a round of Internet bubble, the trend now comes to the Internet's social level, more complicated but easier understood by common people.

When I discussed with Lutz Winter, a German Internet enterpreneur, last week, we just agreed that the social network needs to provide more personal details. You couldn't imagine that two strangers could become friends in reality finally without any knowledge of the other. For example, it is always easy to make friends through blogs; after reading one's blog for a while, it is easier to understand the blogger and his/her thought and then next step, be the friends. If social websites could do something just like blog does, it will be much better.

For instance, if I get some messages from people who wanna to be my friends, then the website should provide some functions like trial period, to give me some time to read his/her blogs to really know the person. After that, it will be up to my mind to meet her or not. Then it will be more perfect.

Hukou makes differences

When I was in the junior school, I had classmates who were from rural area. They have to pay more tuition than I did as they didn't have a urban Hukou, which is just like the a born certification for farmers.

This is not good, I always believe.(Except for those family want a second child, they could have the quota if their first child is female and the mother has rural Hukou). But for many, they are curious of having the same treatment as ones from urban areas. At least, all my friends are eager to get them.

So many of them tried through illegal ways such as spending a lot of money, maybe a year's income. Then they will have the advantages to enjoy better schools, better medical system, and even better husband/wife. Also, a Hukou in big cities such as BJ and SH will enjoy special treatments in entering universities and job huntings.

But, wait a moment, how come different borning place, instead of hard working or smart minds, could decide a person's fate? That's at least unfair to almost two thirds of the total populations living in rural areas.

So here I saw some good news: Zhejiang province said it will unit both urban Hukou and rural Hukou together by 2007, Xinhua reported. If Zhejiang could do it, the other areas may be on their way.

The future of E-paper

One day in last August, when I gave a lecture on New Media and Internet to a bunch of experienced reporters, someone raised the below question:
E-media couldn't replace print media as people still prefer to read papers instead of computers.

Suddenly I came up with the idea of e-paper. I answered: right, but rememer technology improves faster than people think; maybe one day we have the e-paper, just like print media; you don't even need to read as it will read for you.

Now, seems my answer comes true. A Belgium newspaper De Tijd, is planting the traditional newspaper style into the electronic form without any change in the format, probably coming in this month. Though the e-paper still lacks color, it is no longer a science fiction, said New York Times.

Wow, amazing? isn't it? That's Amy always like technology. You couldn't really imagine what kind of chocalcate in that box.

It is expensive, but you could imgagine the future. No paper waste, always changing text and advertisement, more importantly, you could only bring a piece of paper instead of inches-thick paper.

When the newspaper is said to be dying, here is another solution. But don't make it too complicated at first. At least, I don't need to update it " Wi-Fi hot spots or through Internet connections", as it will be too expensive charged by greedy telecom operators.

Say, I have a X41 Tablet, but never(maybe once or twice per month) to use digitizer pen; I also have the news service on my mobile for financial news and entertainment news, but I never read them as it is too complicated and easily be charged more than you planned.

So let's say if e-paper will be nichy or mass........