East Eats West

Chinese traveling for Fun

Picture: Chinese tourists in Hangzhou, China.

A Hong Kong friend of mine told me that tiny gambling paradise Macau, next to Hong Kong, has a new dedicated budget airline for its own. The airline ferries Mainland Chinese in for gambling and women from Russia for consoling the losers. At the moment most of the 31m Chinese who Chinese travel, the majority goes to Hong Kong for shopping and to Macau for gambling. The few millions who make it to Europe as ordinary tourists normally stay in the cheapest hotels, eat only Chinese food and are crazy about luxury shopping. Switzerland is a favorite destination for Chinese because of its luxury watches. The Swiss hotel industry was quick to offer courses in cultural understanding and Switzerland even has a Mandarin tourist website

Who is Hrithik Roshan?

Picture: Hrithik Roshan is Singapore (wearing a yellow top).

Ever heard about Hrithik Roshan? No? I met him two years ago in Singapore in the Grand Hyatt Hotel and did not know him back them. But I saw him again recently on Swiss TV in a Bollywood Movie: Hrithik Roshan is one of the upcoming Bollywood superstars with a status equal to Brad Pitt in Hollywood. My father even came on TV with Amitabh Bachchan, the other famous Bollywood actor, as he sat in the bar of the Grand Hyatt. As Bollywood movies are becoming increasingly popular in Switzerland with Bollywood-parties being hosted in Zurich and screenings of Indian movies in theatres, you will surely hear more of him. It takes a bit of time to get used to the movies, especially to their length of between three and four hours. Or to the fact that there is constant wind blowing also inside a house, or the frequent dancing, or the eclectic and colorful dressing in plastic clothes or the utter total beauty of the female movie stars.

PS: A good start into the magnificient world of Bollywood is “Sometimes happy, sometimes sad” with Shahrukh Khan and Amithabh Bachchan. Just have at least a generous four hours on your hand.

PSII: I first wrote that the guy in the yellow top was Shahrukh Khan, but I was corrected by an Indian friend of mine that he is not Shahrukh Khan. My apologies (but they do look similar, I think).

Agent Provocateur Lingerie Store, London

Agent  Provocateur, one of the new, trendy and definitely not-seedy lingerie stores in Soho, London, where even the grumpiest husband will light up in this shop.

Off you go to Singapore

Readers of my blog are surely aware that Asia is economically growing and with it its wealth. Due to stable politics, strict laws and favorable taxes Singapore is at the same time becoming a magnet for all that wealth that is created and the private banking industry is setting up shop in Singapore to offer its services. Leader of the banking industry are Swiss banks from big to small that profit from the reputation of Swiss banks and so they are quickly adding capacity. And what would be normally a rather remote process has become very real for me recently as four of my friends will soon leave or have already left for Singapore to work for Credit Suisse and UBS. I know of some more friends who are tinkering with the idea of going (or their company is). Decades ago bankers from Switzerland were sent to London or New York, now they go to Singapore. Asia is awakening.

Where Switzerland is still number one - chocolates

My friend Tim from Hong Kong and I eating exquisite Sprüngli chocolates in Zurich.

Getting in holiday mood in Zurich (yes, it is possible)

Picture: Enjoying a sunset at Restaurant Seerose in Zurich Wollishofen. Summertime is wonderful in Switzerland in particular if winter was harsh as this year (not that I was here). A good way of enjoying summer in Zurich is having dinner beside the lake at the outdoor Restaurant Seerose. Situated besides a harbour boats constantly come and leave and there is no better place to watch them as on the deck-chairs on the terrace. Sitting in the sun and enjoying the delicate cuisine while watching boats and Swiss celebrities like Alain Sutter (a former football player) is a tested recipe to get into a holiday mood. Just make sure to book well ahead.

Picture: Where the Zurich Riviera is.

The positive effects of my blog

When I started my blog the initial idea was to share pictures and reports from my trip with my friends. I looked for an easy tool and came across the www.typepad.com tool with a simple interface and high stability for a modest price. In the process of time I started to realize that my blog is not only a tool to share stories and pictures with friends but also to stay in contact with friends around the world. In handing out cards with the address of my blog I slowly built reach and with my weekly updates on my blog my friends from near and far now what I am up to and where I am. One positive outcome of my blog is that more and more people start to ask me for advice about Asia, which I am happy to give. Another effect is that for example an American friend read about the Sprüngli-chocolates and I sent him some. The third positive effect is that people I met during my travels come and visit me. Last week Tim, an American working in Hong Kong, came to visit me in Zurich with his colleagues Anthony. I showed them around Zurich and I introduced them to the wonderful Sprüngli Luxemburgerli and Grand Cru truffles. So I hope I can welcome more of my friends from around the world in Zurich as my guests, it is my pleasure!

Plush Polo in England

Picture: A goal about to happen in front of Knepp Castle, South of London.

According to a spectator polo was brought back by the English from India. Therefore I was a bit curious to see what this English upper-class sport (Prince Charles and his sons play it) is about. One hour south of London in West Sussex I attended the Knepp Castle's polo tournament in front of majestic and ancient Knepp Castle. Being young and non-English I felt a bit like the young tennis player introduced into English upper-class in the Woody Allen movie "Match Point". Everywhere English gentry in immaculate suits, Panama hats, sipping Champagne and Pimm’s. They talked about their second flat in London, their country-house in the South and their holiday apartment overlooking Central Park in New York. The game itself was furious, fast and not too gripping as the spectators preferred to sip Champagne and Mojitos than trying to follow the players chasing a white ball the size of a tennis ball over a vast green field. I appreciated the sunshine and being out on the country side for a change, but it was difficult to make small talk for more than a couple of minutes. And I gently declined when I was asked to ride a polo pony. Or an elephant.

Picture: Treading the turf in order to fill all the potholes from the game.

The best place to watch sunset in London - Tate Modern

Picture: Sunset in the cafeteria of the Tate Modern Museum in London.

Sunsets might not be the thing you want to see first in London. But should you a fancy a romantic setting for a sunset I can warmly recommend to go to the 7th floor cafeteria of the Tate Modern Museum overlooking the Thames River. After the sunset you can even watch some fancy modern art as the museum is open until 10pm.

PS: The building was remodeled by the Swiss architects Herzog&deMeuron

Where quality beats fashion - Savile Row & Jermyn Street

Picture: A bespoke tailor on Savile Row, London.

Clothes today are all about quick-lived fashion, media-inspired trends and global brands; and if you want luxury just go for flashy logos. Who cares about quality or craftsmanship? But do you know that modern formal men's wear has English roots (and Italian, to be fair)? For the discerning gentleman who still believes in the ancient concept of quality, Jeremyn Street and Savile Row in London are the places to go. There one can still find the age-old craftsmanship of shirt-, hat- and shoemakers, where quality comes in a classical style and products are meant to be worn for years, not months. Should you for example fancy a bespoke suit made by hand from the finest fabrics you will find it on Savile Row with its established tailors. On neither street will you find products with flashy labels or brash celebrity-endorsement, only superior quality custom-made for your personal needs. In one word: true luxury, not mass luxury. Should you fancy the pinnacle of traditional shoe-making and shy not away from paying over 2’500 pounds for a pair of shoes, John Lobb on St.James's Street is the place to go. In the stayed shop with displays showing shows over 100 years old, one can still see the shoemakers at work and one can choose from a wide-array of leathers and colors. Should you argue that a suit tailor-made in Bangkok will cost only 250$, you might be right. And about 1'800£ for a bespoke suit might not be everyone's piece of cake. But the fabric will be mixed with man-made fibers and the fit will be mediocre, even falling apart after a while. But it is true: you pay for what you get.

Picture: A bespoke, completely hand-made, suit in the making on Savile Row.