moscow’s great art legacy - cathay...
TRANSCRIPT
Magazine of the Marco polo club3Quarter 2010
24 hours in kuala lumpur
3Quarter 2010 national treasuresmoscow’s great art legacy
36 Travel The soul of Moscow,
old and new, is found in its art galleries
Published by ACP MAgAzines AsiA liMitedUnit 604-5, 6/F, 625 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong KongTel +852 3921 7000 Fax +852 3921 7099 Website www.acpmagazines.com.hk Email [email protected]
Chief Executive Officer Julie Sherborn • Publishing Manager Alky Cheung • Editor in Chief William Fraser • Chief Sub Editor Andy Gilbert • Sub Editors Ellen Wong, Yam Yim-lan, Kathy Wang, John Cramer, Ling Ka-wai, Reggie Ho • Art Director Shaun Horrocks • Designer Sandy Chiu • Photo Editors Elisa Fu, Ester Wensing • Production Manager Jimmy Tse • Assistant Production Manager Chris Wong
Advertising enquiriesAsiAn in-flight MediA liMitedManaging Director Peter Jeffery +852 2850 4013 [email protected] Kong, Advertisement Director (Cathay Pacific) Teresa Ngai +852 3106 8133 [email protected]
Printer: Paramount Printing Company Limited
The Club is published by Cathay Pacific Loyalty Programmes Ltd. (CPLP) Cathay Pacific – The Marco Polo Club, PO Box 1024, Tsuen Wan Post Office, Hong Kong. Tel +852 2747 5500 Fax +852 2537 9900. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of CPLP Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright 2010 by CPLP Ltd. Opinions in The Club are the writers’ and not necessarily endorsed by CPLP Ltd. Manuscripts, photographs, drawings and other materials will not be returned unless they are accompanied by a self-addressed envelope and appropriate international postal coupons. The Club cannot be held responsible for unsolicited material.
editoriAl Advisory boArdGrace Poon Mun Wong Ella Young Mandy Chau
FEATuRES
ON THE WiNG
DEPARTMENTS
44 INSIDe CX Great service for
members is just a phone call away
48 CX NewS The Marco Polo Club
Golf Classic 2010, more member benefits & news
16 perSpeCTIve Superfine wool: from the sheep’s back to your back
22 eXperT aDvICe For classic-car
enthusiasts, the more vehicles the better
28 24 HourS In Kuala Lumpur, do as
the locals do – eat your way through the city
02 MeSSage froM THe Club
04 eXplore HoNg KoNg Potty teapots, scenic
spots and the best bookshops
08 eXplore THe worlD Marina Bay Sands in
Singapore and high hotel style in Dubai
Phot
os. J
agua
r D T
ype:
Cou
rtes
y of
Bon
ham
s
22
28
12 wHaT’S oN Squash champions in
Hong Kong, Gauguin in London, jazz in Paris
14 CHoICe Jewellery inspired by
the animal kingdom for a wild jewel box
14
Co N Te N T S
I am sure all members will welcome our enhanced Marco Polo Club part-nerships that will provide many more benefits from famous international
brand names. In addition to the Hotel and Car rental
categories we have added exciting new “Lifestyle” benefits for members. These include Dining (six Michelin listed or starred restaurants in Hong Kong), Travel & Leisure (Cathay Holidays Limited), Luxury Brands (Salvatore Ferragamo), Retail (Cathay Pacific Inflight Sales, Dragonair Inflight Sales, Ponti Wine Cellars), Spa (CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La), and Professional Services (Regus and Travelex). All these partners offer exclusive year-round benefits depending on a member’s tier. For more details see The Marco Polo Club Partner section of our website. We hope
that you enjoy the extra privileges these benefits offer.
I am sure many of you are aware that we have now opened our brand new departure lounge at London Heathrow’s Terminal 3. Not only does the new location offer floor-to-ceiling window views over the apron, but also the space is now much larger, includes more seating and sees the introduction of our famous noodle bar.
Our Moscow service got off to a flying start on 13 July, opening our network to a brand new destination and an exciting city for business and leisure travellers. We also increased our frequency to Taipei by two flights a day (now 94 per week) and will add four flights a week to Jakarta from 2 September, to 18 flights a week. Later this year Cathay Pacific returns to Tokyo’s
Haneda Airport after 32 years. From 31 October we will introduce two flights a day to the airport, supplementing our flights to Narita.
Changes were made to Cathay Pacific’s Directors recently with Sales & Marketing Director James Barrington taking over Ian Shiu’s role as Director Corporate Devel-opment. Ian becomes a Senior Director of John Swire & Sons (HK) Ltd. Cargo Director Rupert Hogg will become Sales & Market-ing Director. Nick Rhodes will move from Director Flight Operations to take over as Cargo Director, while General Manager Aircrew, Richard Hall, will take Nick’s place. Director Information Management Ed Nicol retires from the group after 35 years. General Manager of IT Tomasz Smaczny will take up the directorship.
New levels of benefits & facilitiesKatie Rowen, Manager The Marco Polo Club
2 the club
m e ssag e from th e clu b
Hong KongNatural beauty
Luiz Antonio Souza comes from a Portuguese family that has lived in Hong Kong for five generations. His book, The Natural Beauty of Hong Kong – A Photographic Journey, takes him beyond the intensity of the city to the “hidden” Hong Kong – the territory’s diverse landscape of unspoiled islands, coves, beaches, mountains and cliffs. He travels to Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve, towards Tung Ping Chau, then to Crooked Harbour, Double Haven and the mouth of Tolo Channel and on through other preserves of natural environment. www.asiaonebooks.com
Victorian charm Cutting-edge interior-design
company Three Wise Monkeys
is responsible for the textures
and colours that distinguish
The Langham Club, the “hotel
within a hotel” on the 11th floor
of The Langham hotel in Tsim
Sha Tsui. The concept is based
on the original The Langham
hotel in London, which opened
in 1865, and features witty takes
on Victorian décor with The
Ante Room, a private check-in
area, The Library, a bookshelf-
lined room with a red leather
door, and a series of lounges
that culminates in The Salon.
Pinstriped chairs in The Library
give way to deep-buttoned
ottomans and pistachio green
satin banquettes in The Parlour
where the backs of chairs are
laced up like corsets – perhaps
Victoria’s secret.
http://hongkong.langhamhotels.com
Simply potty An octopus teapot. A teapot resembling a Chinese landscape topped
with a pavilion. A terracotta tea set that appears to be made of cardboard.
When the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware held a competition
in november last year, Hong Kong’s potters responded with an out-
pouring of creativity. A selection of 100 ceramic tea-ware sets by 78
local potters is now on display at the museum in Hong Kong Park.
www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Arts/english/tea/tea.html
The Langham Club Ante Room
Creature comforts
Phot
os. P
otte
ry: c
ourt
esy
of F
lags
taff
Hou
se M
useu
m Te
a W
are
4 the club
E xPLo R E
Lights out Dialogue in the Dark is an
exhibition with a difference.
Visually impaired guides lead
participants into a pitch-black
environment where they
experience five different Hong
Kong scenarios – a ferry, market,
park, movie theatre and café.
The skilled guides show the
sighted how to appreciate their
environment without light.
www.dialogue-in-the-dark.hk
Culture clubWanchai Livelihood Place is an organisation started by locals to preserve
the area’s culture and identity. The main gallery, the Blue House, is
located in a tenement block built in the 1920s. It runs quirky exhibitions
on subjects such as Hong Kong wedding rituals, the role of television
in Hong Kong people’s lives, and local street markets. The latest
exhibition is a display of record players. The museum also conducts
heritage walks in the area.
www.wclive.net
Let us be your guide
Access all areasThis new book is packed with
practical advice for getting
around Hong Kong in a
wheelchair, but is equally useful
for seniors and families with
pushchairs. Wheel Away Disabled
Travel: Hong Kong City Guide is
available from the website and
bookstores in Hong Kong.
www.wheelawaydisabledtravel.com
A vital handbook for the city Phot
os. n
ine
Pin
Isla
nds:
Luiz
Ant
onio
Sou
za.W
an C
hai: W
anch
ai L
ivel
ihoo
d
Local treasures in Wan Chai
Hexagonal columns on Nine Pin Islands
5 the club
Page OneThis store started out as a small
Singapore bookshop specialising
in art and design. now it has
branches throughout Asia,
including several in Hong Kong,
stocking fiction and non- fiction, a
good selection of art and design
books, and a Chinese language
section. There is also a good
selection of English and Chinese-
language magazines. There are
branches at Festival Walk, Harbour
City and Times Square, and six
at Hong Kong airport.
www.pageonegroup.com
Picture ThisAfter starting life as a gallery
specialising in vintage posters,
Picture This now has a good
range of antiquarian and second-
hand books. Its main focus is on
travel in Asia, including Hong
Kong, Mainland China, Thailand,
Myanmar, Indochina, nepal,
Japan and South Korea.
A selection of modern first
editions, children’s classics, sport
and literature is also available.
www.picturethiscollection.com
Kelly and WalshYou’ll find a diverse selection of
special-interest books from art
and travel to food, design and
business, as well as good fiction
and children’s sections and a fine
range of Filofax. The main branch
is in Pacific Place. Customers can
also order online.
www.kellyandwalsh.com
MetrobooksThis subsidiary of the national
Book Store, which has more than
100 stores across the Philippines, Lok Man Rare Books
Kelly & Walsh
Page One
The Commercial Press
Hong Kong’s best bookshops
Phot
os. P
age
one
. Kel
ly &
Wal
sh. L
ok M
an B
ooks
. The
Com
mer
cial
Pre
ss
has extensive English and Chinese
fiction selections, a good range of
magazines and quirky stationery.
The Elements branch is spacious
and bright with an excellent
children’s section. It has branches
at Langham Place, Mong Kok, and
at Sino Plaza in Causeway Bay.
http://metrobooks.silver.yp.com.hk
The Commercial PressFounded as a print shop in
Shanghai in 1897, it has 21 stores
across Hong Kong and stocks
Chinese and English titles.
www.cp1897.com.hk
Lok Man Rare BooksThis second-hand English-
language bookstore in Central
deals in hardcovers on everything
from history and travel to
children’s titles and business.
www.lokmanbooks.com
6 the club
E xPLo R E
Terms and conditions1. Room rate is subject to a
10% service charge
Terms and conditions1. A credit card is required to guarantee
bookings.2. Room rate is subject to 10% service
charge per night.
Experience a Harbour View room upgrade at EAST, Hong Kong
Enjoy premium benefits at Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers
From 16 August to 15 november 2010, members of The Marco Polo Club who stay at EAST, Hong Kong at the Best Available Rate for two consecutive nights or more will receive a complimentary upgrade to a Harbour View room – and enjoy one set “Dinner Feast” for two at Feast (Food by EAST).
A lifestyle business hotel, EAST is located in Island East – Hong Kong’s eastern business district – and is only 20 minutes by train or taxi from Central.
To take advantage of this offer, please quote your Marco Polo Club membership number and rate code “MPCM” when making your reservation.
From 16 August to 15 november 2010, stay at Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers in a Deluxe Executive Suite for a minimum of three consecutive nights at selected Best Available Rates from HKD3,000 to enjoy the following benefits:
Round-trip airport limousine per stay•HKD1,000 hotel dining credit per stay•Daily breakfast for 2 persons•Welcome amenity of a bottle of red wine•Complimentary high-speed Internet•Complimentary local calls with calling •
card service charges waivedLate check-out until 2:00pm•
For reservations, please contact Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers Reservation office, and quote rate code “APPKg2”.
P A R T N E R O f f E R S
Telephone: +852 3968 3808 Fax: + 852 3968 3988 Email: [email protected] Website: www.east-hongkong.com
Telephone: +852 2732 6773 Fax: + 852 2368 1999 Email: [email protected] Website: www.sheraton.com/hongkong
Go fish Fishing in Hong Kong can be a relaxing pastime. Choose from 17
scenically located reservoirs, including Pok Fu Lam, Tai Tam, High
Island and Shing Mun, all stocked with a variety of species. The
common freshwater fish found in the reservoirs are Silver Carp, Big
Head, Tilapia, Mud Carp, Edible goldfish and Wild Carp. These storage
reservoirs, like natural waters, contain a variety of organisms that help
maintain an ecological balance and purify the environment naturally.
obtaining a licence to fish in Hong Kong is easy. Apply to the Water
Supplies Department in person and the licence is usually issued on
the same day. The fishing season lasts from September to March.
www.wsd.gov.hk/en/education/fun_of_fishing_in_hong_kong/apply_
fishing_licence/index.html
Reel ’em in at Tai Tam Reservoir
fast food out and about for drinks and
decide to carry on for dinner?
WoMobile, restaurant guide
WoMguide.com’s mobile-
phone site, can suggest a
variety of places in the
area in seconds.
www.womguide.com
Phot
os. R
eser
voir:
Hon
g Ko
ng W
ater
Sup
plie
s Dep
artm
ent
7 the club
Burj Khalifa gets the Armani treatment
Height of style DubaiArmani Hotel Dubai has opened
in Burj Khalifa, the world’s
tallest building. All aspects of
the elegantly minimalist décor
and 160 rooms were overseen
by Giorgio Armani. The eight
food-and-drink outlets include
Indian, Italian, Mediterranean and
Japanese restaurants, the Armani
Lounge, a deli, lobby café and a
VIP nightclub.
http://dubai.armanihotels.com
Wonder wallNew York Visitors to New York shouldn’t miss the chance to see Ethiopian-born
artist Julie Mehretu’s recently installed Mural, which dominates the
entrance lobby of Goldman Sachs’ new steel-and-glass office building
in lower Manhattan. The USD5-million mural, commissioned in 2007
before the financial meltdown, is 24 metres long and seven metres high,
and illustrates the history of mercantilism through hundreds of brightly
coloured abstract shapes including dots, squares, straight and curving
lines, and free-form shapes. The wall is clearly visible from outside the
building at 200 West Street through large glass windows.
www.whitecube.com/artists/mehretu/
Taste sensationsMelbourneThe ultra-thin-crust pizzas at
chic Melbourne Italian restaurant
Ladro are consistently voted
the best in town. Chef and
owner Rita Macali has opened a
second Italian restaurant called
Supermaxi (305 St. Georges Road,
North Fitzroy, +613 9482 2828) –
a pizzeria and trattoria. The menu
has a variety of smaller tasting
plates (primi), homemade pasta,
meat main courses and pizzas.
For a glitzier option, celebrity
chef Gordon Ramsay has two
new restaurants at the Crown
Metropol: Maze serves French fare
with an Australian influence while
Maze Grill is the place for steaks.
www.gordonramsay.com/
mazemelbourne
www.gordonramsay.com/
mazegrillmelbourne
8 the club
ExplorE
THE WoRLD
Mural by Julie Mehretu
Munch at Maze Grill
The Langham Hotel in Pasadena, Los Angeles
Homage to Admiral Lord Nelson
Art of the city MilanChiesa Rossa arts district is home to Milan’s quirky galleries, cafés
and art studios. Places to explore include Superstudio, a renovated
warehouse housing top fashion studios, and Forma, an international
centre for photography located in a disused tram warehouse.
Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, Milan’s answer to London’s Tate
Modern, exhibits sculptures by Arnaldo Pomodoro and other artists
in a former turbine hall.
www.superstudiogroup.com
www.formafoto.it
www.fondazionearnaldopomodoro.it
Stand tallSingaporethe city-state’s newest inte-grated luxury resort, Marina bay Sands, has opened. Designed by Moshe Safdie, the develop-ment combines more than 2,500 rooms in three towers with convention facilities, a casino, two theatres, a shopping mall and museum. the dining options include restaurants from celebrity chefs Wolfgang Puck, tetsuya Wakuda and Daniel boulud. the crowning glory is the hotel’s cantilevered Sands SkyPark which floats on top of the three hotel towers 200 metres high. the 1.2-hectare tropical oasis holds restaurants, a swimming pool and landscaped gardens.www.marinabaysands.com
Sky high at Marina Bay Sands
Snap to it London’s Tower Bridge;
Shanghai’s Bund; Hong Kong’s
soaring skyline – famous sights
that are instantly recognisable
images of these great cities.
Capture a striking picture of a
city where a Langham Hotel is
located and you could win a
Cathay Pacific round-trip ticket
to any destination within the
airline’s network and other great
prizes. For more information on
the Langham Hotel Iconic Photo
Competition, visit
www.iconiclangham.com
The beautiful south LondonDiscover Greenwich is a new
attraction providing an overview
of the Maritime Greenwich
area of London, including the
baroque buildings housing the
old Royal Naval College, the
Cutty Sark, Queen’s House and
Royal observatory, which are
part of the National Maritime
Museum. Located in the Grade
II-listed Pepys Building, Discover
Greenwich acts as an information
centre for the UNESCo World
Heritage site, and also has a
permanent exhibition about
life at Henry VIII’s royal palace at
Greenwich as well as a history
of the Royal Navy and the Royal
Hospital for Seamen.
www.oldroyalnavalcollege.org/
discover-greenwich
Phot
os. M
ural
by
Julie
Meh
retu
: Dia
ne b
onda
reff
– A
P. bu
rj Kh
alifa
: Max
Mon
tinge
lli
9 the club
Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum in Toyko
Phot
os. S
erpe
ntin
e G
alle
ry: J
ohn
Offe
nbac
h. M
itsub
ishi
Ichi
goka
n M
useu
m: t
akes
hi h
omm
a
10 the club
ExplorE
See redLondonEach year, the Serpentine Gallery
commissions a famous architect
to design a summer pavilion in
London’s Kensington Gardens. This
year is the gallery’s 40th anniversary
and the tenth year of the pavilion
commissions. French architect Jean
Nouvel has chosen a vivid red –
traditionally the colour of London
buses, telephone kiosks and post
boxes – to contrast the green of the
park. The pavilion is also the venue
for the Park Nights series
of talks and events.
www.serpentinegallery.org
Tropical spendour BangkokThe Siam Kempinski Hotel
in Bangkok claims it is a
sumptuous “resort within
the city”. The hotel is in the
centre of town next to Siam
Paragon shopping mall and
has 303 rooms and suites. All
rooms overlook landscaped
tropical gardens with extensive
water features, including three
saltwater swimming pools.
www.kempinskibangkok.com
History repeats ToykoThe red-brick, Queen Anne-style
Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum,
in Tokyo’s Marunouchi business
district, looks like it has been
there forever. Well, at least since
1894 when it was built. However,
the original was demolished
in 1968 during the Japanese
property boom. In 2004, the
Mitsubishi Estate decided to
rebuild it using the original
designs of British architect Josiah
Condor, but with an earthquake-
resistant base.
The museum is dedicated
to 19th-century Western art.
The Mitsubishi Estate recently
purchased more than 200
posters and lithographs by
Henri Toulouse-Lautrec.
http://mimt.jp/english/index.html
This year’s Serpentine
Gallery Pavilion
Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok
AUGUST23-29 AugustCathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Squash Open 2010Hong Kong Squash Centre, Admiralty, and Plaza Hollywood, Diamond Hill This grand-prix event
attracts top-ranked
players from around
the world.
www.hksquash.org.hk
27-29 AugustMuseumsuferfestRiver Main, FrankfurtMany of Frankfurt’s
museums are built
along the banks of
the river Main and
Museumsuferfest started
20 years ago to celebrate
the river’s relationship
with cultural Frankfurt.
www.museumsuferfest-
frankfurt.de
28 August –4 SeptemberSportaccord Combat GamesBeijing Martial arts takes centre
stage when competitors
from 13 disciplines
including judo, tae-
kwon-do, kickboxing, jiu
jitsu, karate and sumo
wrestling, come together.
www.beijing2010.org
Until 12 September
Zhang Huan: Ashman Pavilion Of Contemporary Art, Milan
Milan’s Pavilion of Contemporary Art is holding the first European retrospective of Chinese artist Zhang Huan. The exhibition includes videos and photographs of the early 1990s, his giant sculptures and latest ash paintings and heads, created using ash gathered from Buddhist temples around Shanghai. Cathay Pacific is a sponsor and members of The Marco Polo Club are offered a 50 percent discount for entry and to four other museums in Milan. www.zhanghuan.com www.comune.milano.it/pac
SepTember6-12 September2010 RNO Grand FestivalTchaikovsky Concert Hall, MoscowThe highly acclaimed
Russian National
Orchestra opens its
season in Moscow with
the RNO Grand Festival
at the city’s Tchaikovsky
Theatre. Founded in
1990 by conductor and
pianist Mikhail Pletnev,
the orchestra spends
much of the year on tour
in the music capitals of
the world.
www.russianarts.org
Egypt’s Amr Shabana (in white shirt) will defend his crown at the Hong Kong Squash Open Russian National Orchestra
12 THe CluB
AuTuMN EvENTs
wHAT ’S o n
M U S i C F E S t i v A l S
31 August -12 September: Jazz à la villette Paris, www.jazzalavillette.com3-24 September: MitO SettembreMusica 2010 Milan and Turin www.mitosettembremusica.it6-12 September: 5th international Conductors’ Competition Sir Georg Solti 2010 Frankfurt, www.dirigentenwettbewerb-solti.de19-23 October: CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival New York www.cmj.com/marathon
Tehamana Has Many Parents by Paul Gauguin
18-19 September International Swan Boat RacesChao Phraya River, BangkokThe traditional sport in
Thailand and southeast
Asia dates back 700 years.
www.tourismthailand.org
25 September – 10 OctoberChina OpenNational Tennis Centre, BeijingThe world’s top players
in Asia’s top tournament.
www.chinaopen.com.cn/
en/2010/
30 September – 16 January GauguinTate Modern, londonThe first significant
exhibition of the work of
Paul Gauguin in London
for 50 years. Known as
the master of French
post impressionism,
the exhibition brings
together more than 100
of his works.
www.tate.org.uk/modern/
OcTOber3-6 OctoberFine Art Asia 2010 Hong KongFormerly the Hong Kong
International Art and
Antiques Fair, Fine Art
Asia showcases pieces
from Chinese ceramics
and Himalayan bronzes
to contemporary works.
www.hkiaaf.com
11 OctoberColumbus Day ParadeNew YorkFirst held in 1929,
this massive parade
celebrates the 1492
discovery of America by
Christopher Columbus.
www.columbuscitizensfd.org
28 October – 14 NovemberSculpture by the SeaSydneyThe beautiful coastal
path from Bondi to
Tamarama in sydney is
transformed into a giant
sculpture park.
www.sculpturebythesea.com
nOvember6 November Four Nations Rugby Leagueeden Park, AucklandRugby fans can see
England take on Papua
New Guinea at Eden Park
as part of the 2010 Four
Nations tournament,
co-hosted by Australia
and New Zealand.
www.englandrl.co.uk
17 November 2010 – 6 March 2011Drawing FashionDesign Museum, londonFashion designs and
sketches from 1912 to
the present are shown
alongside garments from
couture houses.
www.designmuseum.org
To Raise the Water Level in a Fishpond
by Zhang Huan
ibrahim Maalouf at Jazz à
la villette
13 THe CluB
Phot
os. T
o Ra
ise th
e W
ater
Leve
l in
a Fi
shpo
nd b
y Zh
ang
Hua
n. R
ussi
an N
atio
nal O
rche
stra
: RN
O. I
brah
im
Maa
louf
: Den
is R
ouvr
e. T
eha
’am
ana
Has
Man
y Pa
rent
s by
Paul
Gau
gin:
Art
Inst
itute
of C
hica
go
Dior Diorette Ring Designer Victoire de Castellane hides a lady beetle
in this diamond, pink sapphire, citrine, mandarin
garnet, amethyst, tsavorite and lacquer ring.
www.diorjoaillerie.com
Cartier Panthère BraceletCartier’s first panther motif
appeared in 1914. This bracelet
is in yellow gold with diamonds,
onyx and emeralds.
www.cartier.com
Garrard Jewels Verne Fighting Fish Brooch Garrard may boast that it is the oldest jewellers in the world but
it has a new edge with glam-rock designer Stephen Webster as
Creative Director. His Jewels Verne collection includes the titanium
Fighting Fish Brooch – pure Goth via Harry Potter.
www.garrard.com
BeauTy anD THe BeaSTSThe natural world has long inspired jewellers enchanted by the animal kingdom. Encrusted critters create a bestiary in the jewel box.
14 ThE club
choice
Rob Wynne Spider Ringnew york installation artist and
sculptor Rob Wynne often
works in glass but chose 18K
gold for this black diamond
and ruby-studded spider ring.
www.louisaguinnessgallery.com
Chaumet’s Attrape-moi ... si tu m’aimes“Catch me, if you love me,”
buzzes the little bee in this
honey of a pendant made from
pink gold, pink opal, amethyst,
garnet and diamonds.
www.chaumet.com
Phot
os. C
artie
r Pan
thèr
e Br
acel
et: K
atel
Rio
u –
Cart
ier 2
009.
Tiff
any
Bird
: Tiff
any
& Co
.
Tiffany Bird on a Rock BroochOne of the most famous pieces that legendary jewellery designer
Jean Schlumberger created for Tiffany, this version has the diamond-
encrusted bird perched on a giant aquamarine.
www.tiffany.com
Georg Jensen Dove BroochThis classic Georg Jensen design
in sterling silver dates from 1945
and like all vintage Jensen has
become highly collectable.
www.jensensilver.com
Swarovski Lychee Small PendantThe Lychee line is part of the
new aquatic-themed Out of the
Blue collection and the pave-set
fish has moving fins and tail.
www.swarovski.com
15 ThE club
Fine linesbY tAR A JeNK INS & K AReN PIt tAR
Gentlemen with discerning tastes know that the best suits are made from wool of exceptional quality
Straight and narrow: the carding
mechanism aligns the wool fibre
16 the club
Fine lines
ith watches, it’s Patek Philippe.
With cars, a Bugatti Veyron. With
wines, a vintage Chateau Margaux.
With men’s tailored suits, however,
identifying the best of the best is
not always quite so clear-cut. Chic
names such as Ermenegildo Zegna,
Tom Ford, Cerruti, Armani or Hugo Boss
are synonymous with quality because
they understand the very best men’s suits are about more
than simply the cut and the brand; it’s the excellence of the
fabric that counts.
Of the hundreds of business executives milling around
Hong Kong’s Central district, only a few will be prepared to
pay the prices that a premium suit commands. For example,
a suit made from a world record bale of extra superfine wool,
produced by luxury Italian manufacturer Loro Piana, will sell
for about HKD190,000. Lesser bales still fetch high prices –
approximately USD5,000 a suit – but the resulting material is
so beautifully luxurious, it’s a price many are happy to pay.
Superfine wool is sought after for the highest quality men’s
suiting, mostly made in Italy, and then sold to tailors around
the world. “I have my suits made in Hong Kong by a local
tailor – but always from either Ermenegildo Zegna or Loro
Piana cloth,” says international lawyer Graham Turl. “There
is a significant difference between suits that are made of
superfine wool and those that are not. The material is so
soft, it hangs beautifully and enhances the cut of the suit.
Once you’ve worn a suit made of superfine cloth, nothing
else matches up.”
The difference in wool quality all comes down to a meas-
urement called a micron – the finer the micron, the better the
quality of wool. Barry Walker of Ledgerton Station in Yass, New
South Wales, Australia, is one of the world’s leading fine-wool
producers. “When wool is prepared for sale, it is measured for
Ermenegildo Zegna’s
centennial is celebrated in the selvedge
of its superfine wool fabric
17 the club
perspective
Phot
os. S
horn
woo
l: Ph
otol
ibra
ry/C
orbi
s. Sh
eep:
Ala
my/
Arg
usPh
oto
Superfine wool must be pure
white so it can accept any
colour during processing
a number of things, but the micron is the most important,”
he says. “A micron is a 1,000th of a millimetre; for superfine
wool it goes from 18.5 microns downwards until it reaches
below 12.” At this level it is very similar to cashmere, soft and
silky, but with an important difference: cashmere is a hair, so
the outside is slippery, whereas wool is a fleece. It has an exter-
nal side to its fibre, which is similar to fish scales; the scales
allow the fibres to hook together, one facing upwards, the
other downwards. The end result is a little like teeth on a saw,
making wool the perfect choice for fine knitwear. “Cashmere
can be used with wool to give it a softer feel, but it needs a
lot of wool to give it strength,” explains Walker.
Ledgerton’s Walker family has been breeding Merino sheep
for fine wool since the mid 1800s and he says the difference
between his flock and the average sheep is like comparing
mules to racehorses. Walker’s pampered sheep have inten-
sive health checks and are given special coats to wear after
shearing to keep them dirt-free warm when the temperature
drops. The type of pasture they graze on is also imperative
because the fibre in the wool reacts to the food the sheep
eats. If the sheep is too fat, the fibre will be broader and
the micron higher; if undernourished, the wool will become
weak and brittle. It’s a fine balance and can be challeng-
ing, especially in Australia’s harsh, dry climate, with its often
unpredictable weather.
“Our sheep are highly selected for genetic repeatability so
we are consistently producing better and better stock. We
use a lot of scientific measurements to help define which
18 the club
“australia can grow this sort of wool better than anywhere else”
Merino sheep wool was used to clothe
Spanish royalty
sheep produce the best fibre and they become the head
of our breeding programmes. Breeding sheep is a bit like
growing a very fine wine: the temperature, the four seasons,
the soil type, and the pasture type – a mixture of native
and highly selected imported pasture free from thistle and
weed – is all vital. Australia can grow this sort of wool better
than anywhere else, and superfine wool – from Merino sheep –
is a magic garment.”
History shows there is a certain allure surrounding the
wool produced by these special sheep. In the 17th and 18th
centuries all Merino sheep belonged to the King of Spain
or to his royal relations throughout Europe and they were
considered treasures because they produced finer wool than
any other breed of sheep. Wool from the Saxon Merino – a
subspecies of the Merino – was used to clothe royal families.
The King of Spain forbade anyone to wear it unless he gave
them cloth as a gift, and all the cloth was dyed a regal purple.
Superfine wool must be pure white, so it can accept any
colour during processing, and it must be exceptionally strong.
Walker explains that the wool has to be hardy enough so that
very few fibres can be twisted together to make an extra-fine
thread; the resulting fabric is so fine you can actually read
a newspaper through it. The strongest wool is made into
suits; weaker wool goes into making knitwear or underwear,
although Walker explains that the majority of the highest
grade wool goes into menswear, rather than womenswear.
A host of award schemes are dedicated to encouraging
graziers to produce ever-finer micron counts. Ledgerton
Station has won every major global prize, including the cov-
eted Ermenegildo Zegna and Loro Piana awards. “We are
moving the goalposts every year,” says Walker. “In 2009 we won
an international prize for the finest wool produced anywhere
in the world, which was 11.4 micron wool, and was purchased
by Loro Piana.”
19 the club
perspective
“our customers appreciate authentic quality and timeless elegance”
But the bar is continually being raised as wool becomes
ever finer. This year New Zealand grazier Anna Emmerson of
Lindis Ridges Farm beat the Australian growers by produc-
ing a 10.9 micron bale for the Loro Piana World Wool Record
Challenge Cup. Emmerson is the first New Zealander in 10
years to beat her Australian rivals. “This award goes to the
professionalism, to the skills and the passion so typical of
these farms,” says Chief Executive Pier Luigi Loro Piana, the
biggest single buyer of fine wools from Australia and New
Zealand. “Thanks to their constant efforts, the wool industry
can count on quality and fineness which was unconceivable
10 years ago.”
However, the greatest achievement is the winner of this
year’s Ermenegildo Zegna Vellus Aureum International
Trophy, for the world’s best superfine woollen fleece. The
Windradeen farm in New South Wales, Australia, owned by
graziers Ed and Jill Hundy, produced an ultra-fine 10.0 micron
fleece, setting a new world record in the fineness of wool
fleeces. The prior record, set in March 2003, had remained
unmatched in fineness at 10.3 microns. Agreeing with his
counterpart at Loro Piana, Group Chairman Paolo Zegna
says the incredible fineness and quality of today’s winning
Merino wool is a testament to the miracle of nature and skill
of the growers.
Ermenegildo Zegna has been sourcing the best wool for
a century and today produces about two million metres of
fabric a year at its Lanificio Zegna mill in Trivero, Piemonte, in
Italy. The mill is a perfect example of how modern technol-
ogy in textile production backs up artisanal craftsmanship,
producing gorgeously soft, covetable cloth.
These old Italian manufacturing companies have strong
relationships with their antipodean growers, who travel regu-
larly to Italy. Ledgerton works with fashion houses such as
Cerruti, Zegna, Armani and Loro Piana. According to Walker,
Australia supplies 92 percent of the world’s superfine wool
(the remaining 6 percent comes from New Zealand, with a
very small amount from South Africa and the United States).
However, he says Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea
and China are also becoming involved in fabric production.
The mark of excellence on an Australian
wool bale
Phot
os. W
ool s
tenc
il: Ia
n W
aldi
e –
Get
ty Im
ages
20 the club
perspective
“There are a number of joint ventures between the Europeans
and Asians. The wools for the factories in China or Japan come
from the same specialist regions in Australia.”
A record bale – or bale of the highest-quality wool –
weighs on average between 90kg and 100kg, which is also
the minimum amount that can be transformed into fabric,
enough for only a few dozen made-to-measure suits. “Clients
who have already bought a record-bale article can exercise
a ‘pre-emption right’ on their following purchases,” says a Loro
Piana spokesperson. “Record-bale fabrics are numbered and
marked by a selvedge and an exclusive label which makes
them absolutely unique and datable.
“Our customers are high-net worth and sophisticated indi-
viduals who travel the world, both for pleasure and business,
who appreciate and value the joy of authentic quality and
timeless elegance rather than a status symbol. They go for
the best in each and every aspect of their lives and treasure
our products, often in an inter-generational vision.”
Paolo Zegna carries on a century-old
tradition of quality
craftsmanship
Tasmanian wool farmers provide
the softest and finest Merino fibre,
which is used to create garments for
renowned Italian brand Loro Piana
Phot
os. P
aolo
Zeg
na: B
ob F
inla
yson
– N
ewsp
ix
21 the club
Meet the car enthusiasts who are driven by a passion to collect some of the world’s finest automobiles
By Jeff Heselwo od
Classic beauties
At an auction of classic cars at southern
england’s historic Brooklands racetrack
in early June, a 1931 Bentley 4.5-litre
Vanden Plas Tourer sold for a staggering
GBP670,500 (about HKd7,800,000). At
the same sale, a 1964 MGB rally
car fetched GBP141,922 and a 1955
Aston Martin dB2/4 drophead Coupé went for GBP162,037.
However, it is not always these high-priced automobiles
that are considered classics. Many Asian countries have active
vintage-car clubs where virtually anything can be lovingly
restored. The Classic Car Club of Hong Kong has about 500
members, all owning a vehicle they treasure, whether it is a
rare ferrari, a humble MGA or even a Volkswagen Beetle.
Carl yuen is Club development Manager and an owner of Phot
o. P
hilip
p en
gelh
orn
classic cars. “Personally, I mainly own German cars: Volkswagen,
Mercedes-Benz, BMw and Porsche,” he says. ”The Vws are all
Beetles, which I believe are classics. The Beetle was created
by ferdinand Porsche with money from the Nazi party, but
they also stood for ‘flower Power’ in the sixties.”
Membership of the Classic Car Club has its advantages:
apart from the 30 or so events each year and the newsletter,
membership entitles owners to a special Classic Car Movement
Permit from the Transport department. “This means that if their
car is more than 20 years old, they do not have to register them
or pay road tax,” says yuen. “similarly, they are not confined
to a right-hand drive car. It can be a left-hand drive or even
a central driving position, like a Messerschmitt or a Mclaren.
we also have an insurance deal with brokers that specialise
in classic cars and car collections.”
22 the club
E XPE R T ADV I CE
Gerry Kipling and his award-winning Ferrari
Dino 206 GT
The club’s flagship event is the Annual Classic Car show
held at Chater Road in Central district. This year’s show takes
place on 3 october.
“we have held it for the past 30 years and I believe people
around the region all want to know when the Chater Road
show is going to be,” says yuen. “It’s therefore an international
event and for the past two or three years we have had
sponsorship from Bonhams auction house. That helps raise our
prestige but it also helps them because they are supporting
the largest classic car show in Hong Kong.
“The standard of cars has improved tremendously in recent
years. we have had racing cars or American cars brought in
specifically for this event. But we believe that cars are not just
for show. The rules of the car show are that the vehicle has to
be driven in and driven out. But our judges also give credit to
members that drive their cars regularly.”
Carson Chan, Managing director of Bonhams in Asia, owns
a 1989 Porsche speedster, which he keeps in California. He
explains an important point: “The line between an investor
and an enthusiast is a little blurred. This is across the board – in
wine, watches, paintings. you have to have a certain kind of
passion to start collecting and I think, in the car department,
these buyers are enthusiasts.
“of course, nobody wants to lose money when buying
Carl Yuen, Club Development Manager of the Classic Car Club of Hong Kong
Fast ones: Porsche 356 Rally Car (top); James Bond’s car was the Aston Martin DB5 (above)
“The line beTween an invesTor and
an enThusiasT is a liTTle blurred”
24 the club
E XPE R T ADV I CE
A 1966 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Series 3 at the annual Classic Car Show in Hong Kong
something expensive. But I think if you are passionate
about something, if you have a good eye, often you will
make the right decision. And if you do that it will become
a successful investment.”
Chan advises people to start with a passion, not from
an investment angle. “If you start by thinking you will buy
something to make money out of it, I think that may prevent
you from looking at it properly. But if you are passionate about
it and understand its history, its importance in automotive
history, then I think you will make the right decision.”
what advice does he offer about selecting a car that will
maintain its value? “first of all you must select the quality
of car you intend to purchase. Tip-top condition, very high
quality cars will always fetch the most money in the market.
And when I say high quality, it means a very clean history, a
clear provenance, where it comes from, who restored it, how
was it restored. These questions are more important regardless
of what brand or what make.
“But this goes for all categories, whether it is watches
Carson Chan, Managing
Director of Bonhams
in Asia
or paintings or whatever. I think having a passion for any
particular watch or a particular car is the ultimate shield for
a good investment. If you don’t make money and just break
even [when selling it], you have enjoyed it for a number
of years. How can you put a price on that?”
It’s hard to put a price on the ferrari dino 206 GT,
which was originally launched at the 1967 Turin Motor
show and named after company founder enzo ferrari’s
beloved son dino, who tragically died of leukaemia
aged just 24. Powered by a two-litre V6 engine,
produced by fiat and designed by franco
Rocchi, the all-alloy unit was mounted
transversely behind the car’s occupants.
In Hong Kong, Gerry Kipling, the
managing director of a property con-
sultancy, owns a classic dino 206 GT,
which has won a number of Concours
d’elegance awards around Asia.
“My dino is actually a ’68 model,”
The red stuff: A classic Ferrari 250 Testarossa at Bonhams
says Kipling. “In fact the total production amounted to just 152
of the earlier, alloy-bodied dino. It was designed by Pininfarina
but I understand the V6 engine came from fiat.”
Kipling readily admits that he, like many classic-car
enthusiasts, owns more than one treasured automobile. “It
has become a rather contagious habit. It started with the dino,
but I became very interested in ferrari and was subsequently
able to acquire an f40 and a Maranello back in the UK. And by
way of variety I also have a 1965 Mustang convertible.
“If I had a wish list, it would include a ferrari superfast,
which would be – of course – massively expensive, but that
era of ferrari models is my favourite. Apart from that, it is quite
a job keeping what I have mobile. I drive the dino, subject
to weather conditions, about once a week. It’s certainly a car
that thrives on being driven; unfortunately, when not used
we can have problems.”
sales and marketing director Gary Pudney is a Hong Kong-
based enthusiast who owns a number of exotic cars. “I have
26 the club
E XPE R T ADV I CE
“i boughT Them because These were The cars i had on my wall as a youngsTer”
Built to last: A Jaguar D-Type at Bonhams
four cars: a 1993 ferrari 348 spyder; a 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500
sl; a 1991 BMw 850 V12; and 1990 Porsche 944 s2 Convertible.
In fact, though, I rarely get the time to drive them, but who
says you have to drive them to own them? I bought them
because these were the cars I had on my wall as a youngster.
Then they were posters and I could not afford the cars; now
I can. Three of the cars are in Hong Kong – scattered around
in various locations – and the ferrari is in long-term storage
in england. In fact I have not seen the car for five years; I have
probably only driven 500 miles in eight years.
“I recently looked at an ex-Pentti Airikkala Vauxhall Chevette
HsR and an Audi Quattro and, again, it was the poster thing.
The Quattro: I think everyone of my age group wants a Quattro.
I’m told there are only two in Hong Kong so it would be nice to
have one of those. As far as the Chevette is concerned, it would
be purely to do a little historic rallying when I’m in the UK.”
Pudney says he has a “wish list” of about 25 cars and the
Chevette just caught his eye.
“The rally car was not on the original list but I made some
enquiries. Top of the wish list is the ferrari f40, with the Metro
6R4 a close second. This was a mid-engined, six-cylinder rally
car. An escort Cosworth is on the list because when I was
younger, there were people like Malcolm wilson [now boss
of the ford wRC team] and Carlos sainz in ford Cosworths,
so that’s on the list. I have tried to buy several in the UK but
each time something went wrong.”
dental technician Colin Barlow is a loyal MG man, having
owned quite a few over the years. “I have a 1958 MGA at
present, the 2007 award-winning car for “Best in show” at
the annual Classic Car Club’s Concours d’elegance event at
Chater Road,” he says.
The blue 1958 MGA was found abandoned in a field in
Pennsylvania, Us, in 2006, and was bought and shipped to Hong
Kong. Barlow’s restorer Richard Hawkins performed a complete
restoration, which included removing the body, welding and
fitting new wooden floorboards. The engine was stripped
and all wiring renewed. Total cost was “well over HKd400,000”,
says Barlow. But how could you put a price on that?
27 the club
12:30pm
Kuala lumpur – or “KL” as it is affectionately known among locals – is an appealing mish-mash of diverse cultures, languages and cuisines, the old and the new, the opulent and the modest. Avoid its infamous traffic jams by taking the KLIA Ekspres from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Sentral station, in the heart of the city.
From this bustling transport hub, catch one of the waiting taxis and head to the freshly renovated Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur, set in a verdant garden and a brisk 10-minute walk from the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. Alternatively, opt for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel or Ascott The Residence serviced apartments, on the edge of the KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Centre) Park. For those who prefer non-stop Ph
oto.
Hem
is/IC
“KL” has the five-star accomodation and top-class shopping of an international city, but delicious food gives a distinctive Malaysian flavour
24
Kuala Lumpur HOURS
by EilEEn l ian
street action and nightlife, there are several five-star accommodation options, such as the Westin KL, The Ritz-Carlton or the JW Marriott Hotel, in the colourful Jalan Bukit Bintang area.
1:30pm
For lunch, immerse yourself in the city’s tastes and flavours. The best local food is found in the hawker stalls dotted
28 THE CLuB
24 h o u r s
28 THE CLuB
The Petronas Twin Towers dominate
Kuala Lumpur’s skyline
Nasi lemak – Kuala Lumpur’s “national dish”
all over the city and generally the food is
safe to eat.
apart from the many street vendors and
coffee shops, there are also comfortable
and air-conditioned eateries. Try Madam
Kwan’s or little Penang Kafé in Suria KlCC
for classic Malaysian favourites such as
char kway teow (fried flat noodles), satay,
chicken rice, plus Kl’s “national dish” – nasi
lemak (rice steamed in coconut cream).
For a more eclectic experience, take a
20-minute taxi ride from town to Central
Market near Petaling Street and have a
nyonya lunch at the Precious Old China
Café. nyonya or Peranakan food is a rich
blend of Chinese ingredients with local
Malay spices such as turmeric, lemon
grass, coconut milk and chillies.
ask the taxi driver to swing by the
historic Merdeka Square for a postcard
view of the Sultan abdul Samad
building and the Royal Selangor
Club. it was here,
53 years ago,
that Malaysia’s
options, centrally located in the city. both
offer a plethora of brands such as Jimmy
Choo, Marc Jacobs, Ermenegildo Zegna,
Chanel, Hugo boss, bvlgari, Gucci, Prada,
Versace and yves Saint laurent.
Suria KlCC is popular with tourists and
houses Malaysia’s best-stocked bookstore,
Kinokuniya. While in Suria, inspect Dato’
Farah Khan’s aseana collection at The
Melium Galleria for hand-crafted silver
and striking baju kebaya (traditional
dress). also be sure to visit Starhill Gallery
on Jalan bukit bintang – especially if you
are keen on luxury timepieces.
Prefer a more relaxed retail experience?
Drive to bangsar, one of Kl’s more affluent
suburbs, where bangsar Shopping Centre
(bSC) and bangsar Village can provide
gentle and unhurried shopping jaunts.
first premier and prime minister, Tunku
abdul Rahman, garnered thunderous
response to his cry: “Merdeka! Merdeka!
Merdeka!”. (Merdeka is the Malay word
for independence.)
after lunch, browse in Central Market’s
many stalls, which sell local arts and crafts,
batik, antiques and souvenirs. Check out
the activities at Central Market’s annexe
Gallery – weekends are good for a dose
of culture, with events such as music and
dance gigs, book launches, art exhibitions
and more on offer.
2:30pm
EscapE thE aFtErnoon heat and
slip into one of Kl’s swanky malls. Pavilion
Kuala lumpur and Suria KlCC are excellent
30 THE CLuB
24 h o u r s
3:00pm
timE to rEst those tired feet and
recharge. For an activity away from the
hustle and bustle, try the traditional
English high tea, served every day from
3pm-6pm, at the charming Carcosa Seri
negara hotel. Formerly the residence
of the british High Commissioner to
Malaysia, this colonial mansion was
built in 1896 by Sir Frank Swettenham
and sits on more than 16 hectares of
landscaped gardens.
if you prefer snacks in a casual
setting, Toast box at Food Republic in
Pavilion Kuala lumpur serves traditional
kopitiam-style toast and cof fee.
Harrods at Suria KlCC will please most
palates or buy takeaway and sit on the Phot
os. M
erde
ka S
quar
e: G
etty
Imag
es. N
asi l
emak
: Dia
na L
ynn
– D
orlin
g Ki
nder
sley
/Get
ty Im
ages
Sultan Abdul Samad Building
at Merdeka Square was designed in
Moorish style
steps at KlCC Park, overlooking the
pond and fountain.
you can soak up the agreeable outdoor
ambience at la bodega or The Press
Room on the ground floor of the bSC,
or delight over the delicacies – including
trendy whoopie pie and signature mille-
feuille cakes – at The Huckleberry café at
Times bookstore on the second floor.
6:30pm
rEward yoursElF with a relaxing
massage, beauty treatment and spa in
one of the city’s many fine salons. Try
Jentayu Spa (appointment necessary)
in Damansara Heights, owned by
the popular Malaysian singer Sheila
Majid. They combine house-made
aromatherapy blends and draw on the
wisdom of ancient health traditions to
provide a truly indulgent experience.
alternatively, take a taxi to Plaza Damas
in the upmarket Sri Hartamas – there
are at least eight spas, offering different
styles of massage, foot reflexology and
saunas. if you prefer to be closer to home,
sample the spa and massage services in
your hotel. if there’s time, enjoy a cocktail
and an inspiring view of the city skyline
from Skybar at Traders Hotel.
8:30pm
aFtEr a rEFrEshing shower, head out
again for dinner and to experience the
nightlife. a stroll around Changkat
Enjoy LifeStyle bliss at the Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel, MalaysiaFrom 16 august to 15 november 2010, members of The Marco Polo Club who stay at the Renaissance Kuala lumpur Hotel at best available Rates for two consecutive nights will enjoy the following benefits:
Upgrade to the newly appointed lifeStyle Room•Continental breakfast at lifeStyle lounge or full •
buffet breakfast at TemptationsCocktails and hors d’oeuvres (5:30pm–7:30pm)•laundering of three pieces of laundry per day•Complimentary high-speed internet access•late check out until 3:00pm•a 50% discount on minibar•a 20% discount on food and beverage•a 20% discount on selected Mandara Spa treatments•
To enjoy these benefits, please quote promotion code “CJ8” and your Marco Polo Club membership number at the time of reservation.
Telephone: +852 800 968 328 Email: [email protected] Website: www.renaissancehotels.com
P A R T n E R o f f E R
31 THE CLuB
bukit bintang area reveals many
choices: French cuisine at Frangipani
or le bouchon; El Cerdo for nose-to-tail
pork dishes; tapas at Pinchos; seafood
at Twentyone Kitchen + bar, or british-
style fare at The Magnificent Fish &
Chips bar.
after dinner, work off a few calories
with a walk to Maybank near bukit
bintang Plaza, where buskers and other
street performers display their talents
every evening from about 8pm. To take
in more of the vibrant performing-arts
scene, visit the Kl Performing arts Centre,
the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra at
the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in the
KlCC, or the PJ live arts Centre.
10:30pm continuE your evening escapades
at some of Kl’s best clubs, pubs and
nightspots. Check out the high-energy
Zouk Club on Jalan ampang; Upstairs
@ The loft at the asian Heritage Row in
Jalan Doraisamy; RonnieQ’s in bangsar
or the laid-back backyard Pub & Grill
in Sri Hartamas.
if you are in the mood for less
boisterous surrounds, see a classical
or jazz performance while sampling
the Japanese menu at no black Tie
jazz club and gastro bar, a venue
responsible for launching the careers
of many of Malaysia’s top singers
and musicians.
Brew with a view at SkyBar
Loosen up at no Black Tie jazz club
terms and conditions1. Price is quoted per person, based on two adults sharing one room,
checking in and travelling together throughout the entire journey.2. This offer is not applicable to online booking.3. This offer is only valid for packages booked, paid and for travel
between 16 August and 15 November 2010.4. Payment must be made at least 3 days before
departure to enjoy the half-day tour.
Enjoy a complimentary tour for two in Kuala LumpurMembers of The Marco Polo Club who book a 3-day/2-night Kuala lumpur business Class package from Cathay Pacific Holidays will enjoy a complimentary half-day tour for two in Kuala lumpur, Malaysia.
Package prices start from HKD8,240 and include:Round-trip business Class flight between Hong •
Kong and Kuala lumpur on Cathay Pacific airwaysTwo consecutive nights’ accommodation with daily •
breakfast at selected hotels2,000 asia Miles•Travel insurance•
The half-day tour includes an English-speaking guide, seat-in coach transfers, all entrance fees specified in the itinerary, plus visits to popular spots.
For reservations, please contact Cathay Holidays limited:
Telephone: +852 2747 4388 Website: www.cxholidays.com
P A R T n E R o f f E R
32 THE CLuB
24 h o u r s
and wander outside for a real Malaysian
breakfast at one the many local roadside
stalls. ask the concierge at your hotel for
some recommendations – Malaysians
love their roti canai, nasi lemak, congee
or noodles in the morning.
alternatively, savour a traditional
Malaysian kopitiam breakfast at Sin Seng
nam in Medan Pasar or yut Kee in Jalan
Dang Wangi. For more than 70 years, both
establishments have served authentic
Hainanese fare such as chicken chop,
lamb chop, and toast with kaya (coconut
jam), all paired with strong coffee.
9:30am
catch a taxi to Subang airport for an
exhilarating helicopter tour. See all Kl’s
landmarks along with a commentary.
a round trip takes about an hour.
11:30am Kuala lumpur’s local art scene is on
the rise. if you have time to visit just one
gallery, make it the House of Matahati in
ampang, an artist-run collective founded
in 1993 by five Malaysian artists.
Valentine Willie Fine art in bangsar is
another fine gallery. Galeri Petronas in
the KlCC has displays of local and foreign
works, and Starhill Gallery’s fourth floor
houses six art galleries, including yTl
Corporation’s The Gallery @ Starhill –
dedicated to the promotion of Malaysian
contemporary artists.
12:30am pull an all-nightEr and hire a
hotel limousine to Genting Highlands for
roulette, baccarat, blackjack or a leisurely
game of keno at Resorts World Genting.
The gambling resort is located 2,000
metres above sea level and the drive
there from Kl takes about an hour. Once
a dense virgin jungle, Genting Highlands
has been transformed into a mega-
entertainment city that never sleeps.
7:30am
Jog around KlCC Park before
showering and preparing for the day.
Ditch the international buffet at the hotel
terms and conditions1. This offer is valid for self-drive rentals on Affordable Rates (leisure
rental rates) for vehicle pick up at participating locations in Malaysia.2. This offer is valid on all car groups.3. Standard Hertz rental terms and
conditions apply.
Explore Malaysia with a 20% discount at HertzFrom 16 august to 15 november 2010, members of The Marco Polo Club who rent a car with Hertz in Malaysia will receive a 20% discount on affordable Rates for rentals of three days or more at participating locations.
To enjoy this offer, simply make your reservation with Hertz Reservation Centre at least 48 hours prior to your departure and quote PC#146333 with CDP#1039946 (Green), 44130 (Silver), 226006 (Gold) or 226817 (Diamond). Then present your Marco Polo Club membership card at the rental counter when picking up your car.
Telephone: +852 2525 2838 Email: [email protected] Website: www.hertz.com
P A R T n E R o f f E R
33 THE CLuB
STAYAscott The Residence+60 3 2142 6868 www.the-ascott.comJW Marriott Hotel+60 3 2715 9000 www.marriott.comMandarin oriental Hotel +60 3 2380 8888www.mandarinoriental.comShangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur+60 3 2032 2388www.shangri-la.comThe Ritz-Carlton+60 3 2142 8000www.ritzcarlton.comWestin KL+60 3 2731 8333 www.starwoodhotels.com
EAT & DRInKBijan Bar & Restaurant +60 3 2031 3575www.bijanrestaurant.comCarcosa Seri negara+60 3 2295 0888www.shr.my/carcosa-seri-negara Coliseum Café & Hotel 98-100 Jalan tuanku abdul rahman+60 3 2692 6270 El Cerdo +60 3 2145 0511www.elcerdokl.comfrangipani +60 3 2144 3001www.frangipani.com.myLa Bodega at BSC+60 3 2287 0848www.bsc.com.my
Le Bouchon+60 3 2142 7633 www.lebouchonrestaurant.comLittle Penang Kafé4/F, suria Klcc+60 3 2163 0215Madam Kwan’s+60 3 2026 2297/8 www.facebook.com/pages/Madam-Kwans/114374851369Pinchos18 Jalan changkat Bukit Bintang+60 3 2145 8482 Precious old China Café+60 3 2072 5915 www.oldchina.com.my/pocindex.htm Sin Seng nam2 medan pasar+6012 386 7170 (owner’s mobile)SkyBar at Traders Hotel +60 3 2332 9888www.shangri-la.comThe Huckleberry at BSC +60 3 2095 1606 www.bsc.com.myThe Magnificent fish & Chips Bar28 changkat Bukit Bintang +60 3 2142 7021The Press Room at BSC+60 3 2095 8098www.bsc.com.myToast Box at food Republicwww.pavilion-kl.com/contentTwentyone Kitchen + Bar +60 3 2142 0021 www.drbar.asiaYut Kee35 Jalan dang wangi +60 3 2698 8108
SHoPAnnexe Gallery +60 3 2070 1137www.annexegallery.comBangsar Shopping Centre+60 3 2094 7700www.bsc.com.myBangsar Village+60 3 2282 1808www.bangsarvillage.comPavilion Kuala Lumpur +60 3 2118 8833 www.pavilion-kl.com/contentStarhill Gallery +60 3 2782 3855 www.starhillgallery.comSuria KLCC +60 3 2382 2828 www.suriaklcc.com.myThe Melium Galleria+60 3 2382 9988 www.melium.com
SPAJentayu Spa +60 3 2094 4428 www.jentayuspa.com.myPlaza Damas +60 3 6201 8353www.hartamas-sc.com
VISIT Backyard Pub & Grill+60 3 6201 0318 www.backyardpub.comDewan filharmonic Petronas www.dfp.com.my Galeri Petronas +60 3 2051 7770 www.galeripetronas.com.myHouse of Matahati+60 3 9285 6004 http://houseofmatahati.blogspot.com
Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia+60 3 2274 2020 www.iamm.org.my KL Performing Arts Centre+60 3 4047 9000 www.klpac.orgMalaysian Philharmonic orchestra +60 3 2051 7007 www.mpo.com.myMenara Kuala Lumpur +60 3 2020 5444www.menarakl.com.mynational Museum +60 3 2282 7279 www.jmm.gov.myno Black Tie +60 3 2142 3737www.noblacktie.com.my/tmpnbt/PJ Live Arts Centre +60 3 7960 0439 www.pjla.com.myResorts World Genting www.rwgenting.comRonnieQ’s +60 3 2282 0722 www.ronnieq.comRoyal Selangor Visitor Centre +60 3 4145 6122http://visitorcentre.royalselangor.comThe Gallery @ Starhill+60 3 2143 3323 www.thegallerykl.comUpstairs @ The Loft+60 3 2691 5668www.asianheritagerow.com/loft-upstairs.aspValentine Willie fine Art+60 3 2284 2348 www.vwfa.net/kl/index.phpZouk Club +60 3 2171 1997www.zoukclub.com.my
34 THE CLuB
24 h o u r s
Yeoh Boo LeongCathay Pacific Sales & Marketing Manager Malaysia & Brunei
We Malaysians simply love our endless variety of
food. Jalan alor is a busy street jam-packed with
rows of hawker stalls and restaurants, conjuring all
kinds of wonderful local food such as delicious char
kway teow, Hokkien mee (fried noodles soaked in dark
sauce) and bak kut teh (pork-rib soup). Essentially an
area that caters for non-Halal cuisine, it is a must-see
place for people who want to eat a wide assortment
of food with a very small price tag. but don’t expect
luxury furnishings – Jalan alor is the ultimate road-
side dining experience.
Established in 1921, Coliseum Café & Hotel has
one of the oldest cafés in the country. long-serving
waiters bring good steaks and a variety of local
Hainanese cuisines – but do not expect the type of
service that you find in restaurants or hotels.
bijan bar & Restaurant offers a fantastic selection
of authentic Malay food, all cooked using traditional
recipes handed down over generations, yet creatively
complemented with modern presentation.
Malaysian culture involves more than just food,
and the national Museum (Muzium negara), located
in the heart of the city and built in the style of a Malay
palace, is the guardian of the nation’s history. The
recently upgraded galleries explore the history of
Malaysia from prehistoric times to the present.
interest in islamic art has grown enormously in
recent years and the islamic arts Museum Malaysia
is South-east asia’s largest museum of islamic art. The
building occupies 30,000 square metres and houses
more than 7,000 artifacts as well as an exceptional
library of islamic art books. The objects on display
range from the tiniest pieces of jewellery to one
of the world’s largest scale models of the Masjid
al-Haram in Mecca.
For an visual overview of Kl, visit Menara Kuala
lumpur, the fifth-tallest telecommunications tower
in the world and the tallest in Southeast asia. at 421
metres, the tower provides visitors with an excellent
360-degree view of the city.
Even higher are the Petronas Twin Towers. Soaring
452 metres high, the towers include a symphony
concert hall at the podium between the twin towers,
an international-class art gallery and an interactive
petroleum science discovery centre in the adjoining
Suria KlCC Mall. The building’s Skybridge is open
to the public.
For stylish and distinctive Malaysian souvenirs, try
the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre for high-quality
pewter. Traditional pewtersmithing tools and antique
pewter are showcased in the Pewter Museum and
the factory tour shows different pewter production
processes. you can even try your hand at hammering
the metal alloy with a half-hour workshop.
terms and conditions1. Rate is subject to a 10% service charge and a
5% government tax.2. Complimentary upgrade is not applicable to
Suite rooms.
Enjoy exciting benefits at the Mandarin oriental Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaMembers of The Marco Polo Club who book and stay at the Mandarin Oriental Kuala lumpur in Malaysia at bed & breakfast rates between 16 august and 15 november 2010 will enjoy a range of exciting benefits, including:
Complimentary upgrade at time of reservation•Daily breakfast for one or two persons•a 10% discount on à la carte spa treatments at The Spa•late check-out until 6:00pm (subject to availability)•Double asia Miles•
The hotel is located in Kuala lumpur City Centre (KlCC) and adjoins the 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers, Suria KlCC shopping centre and Dewan Filharmonik Petronas.
For reservations, please contact the hotel and quote “MPC Magazine Promo”.
Telephone: +60 3 2179 8818 Fax: +60 3 2179 8659 Email: [email protected]
P A R T n E R o f f E R
35 THE CLuB
Exhibition at the Garage Centre for Contemporary Culture by
British sculptor Antony Gormley
The third Moscow International Biennale of Contemporary Art at the Garage gallery included
the giant wax-scraping installations of sculptor
Anish Kapoor
Pavel Tretyakov in front of the gallery he founded
Moscow’s artistic heart is vibrant with museums and galleries, old and emerging, exhibiting the creativity that flourishes in the new Russia
Moscow is a city of art and artists.
Almost every other building
seems to hide an intimate gallery
or cavernous exhibition space and
interest continues to grow. “People
are starting to recognise Russia as a
player in the art market,” said Garage
Centre for Contemporary Culture Director Daria Zhukova at
the opening of Moscow’s latest gallery in a converted bus
garage. Russian painting had a slow start. For centuries, while
other European countries flowered into renaissance splendour,
Russian artists were largely confined to gold-backed icons
and church frescoes.
In the 18th and 19th centuries there was an explosion of
talent, as if making up for lost time, and many of the resulting
treasures are on display in Moscow’s fabulous The State
Tretyakov Gallery. The Soviet era restricted artists again, this
time to the officially approved socialist realist style, and the
past 20 years has seen another frantic attempt to catch up.
Visitors to modern Moscow will be astounded at the variety
and quality of art on show.Phot
os. A
nish
Kap
oor:
Ale
xei F
ilipp
ov –
ITA
R-TA
SS. P
avel
Tre
tyak
ov: I
TAR-
TASS
By PhoEBE TAPlIn
Nationaltreasures
37 the club
tr av e l
The high-profile opening of the Garage in 2008 was a sign
of the health and vibrancy of Moscow’s art scene. The venue
is a converted bus station, designed by the celebrated 1920s
constructivist architect Konstantin Melnikov. The opening
retrospective of works by Ilya and Emilia Kabakov was
triumphant, providing a compelling commentary on totalitarian
art. A wonderfully esoteric collection of 70 international artists
in the third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art last year
included symbolic cages of snakes and an aviary full of tiny birds
and electric guitars, which together created eerie music. The
next Biennale, showing at venues across the city, will open in
September 2011.
The Garage shows range from installations of contemporary
Russian works (“Futurologia/Russian Utopias”) to the recent
room full of canvases by Mark Rothko from private collections.
Caroline lindahl, country representative for a leading nordic
auction house, Bukowskis, said a visit to the Rothko room was
“an almost religious experience, meditative and serene”.
Eighteen months before the Garage opened, a pioneer in the
Daria Zhukova, Director of the Garage gallery
to see the best of classic Russian Art from 11th-century icons to 19th-century landscapes, visit the State tretya-kov Gallery on lavrushinsky lane. With legendary sub-jects such as Ivan the terrible’s murder of his son Ivan to portraits of famous writers like Pushkin, tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, this is a gallery that will help visitors under-stand Russian history and culture. Above all, there are the landscapes that have come to symbolise national identity: the endless steppe, snow in the forest or the gold, autum-nal birch trees. the paintings of 19th-century artists such as Mikhail Vrubel, with his brooding metaphysical demons, and Isaak levitan, famous for his spiritually charged land-scapes, deserve to be much better known outside Russia.
T h E S T A T E T r E T y A K o v G A l l E r y
Morning in a Pine Forest (1889) by Ivan Ivanovich
Phot
os. D
asha
Zhu
kova
: Gar
age
Cent
re fo
r Con
tem
pora
ry C
ultu
re. H
angi
ng H
eart
: Ale
xei F
ilipp
ov: I
TAR-
TASS
. Mor
ning
in
a P
ine
Fore
st: A
lam
y/A
rgus
Phot
o
38 the club
tr av e l
conversion of Moscow’s industrial spaces for artistic purposes
was the funky Winzavod Moscow Centre for Contemporary
Art. This 19th-century redbrick former winery complex now
contains more than 20 different galleries and spaces with
a constantly changing range of exhibitions. Director Sofia
Trotsenko compares it to similar reclamation projects abroad,
such as london’s Tate Modern and Berlin’s Kunst-Werke.
Apart from paintings and conceptual installations, Winzavod
also displays photographs and posters. Recent notable
examples include a hall full of black-and-white images from
the press agency TASS and a series of Intourist travel posters.
The photos trawled through the decades of recent Russian
history: avant-garde poets; the siege of leningrad; space
dogs Belka and Strelka; cosmonaut yuri Gagarin being kissed
by actress Gina lollobrigida; and other iconic images.
The poster exhibition, Welcome to the USSR, showed a 1930s
series aimed at promoting Russia abroad. Exhibits came
from the extensive collection of antique dealer Kirill Kalinin,
who describes how during his childhood in the Soviet era
these works of art were “recycled” or used as wrapping
paper. Kalinin’s enthusiasm is part of a contemporary
re-evaluation of Soviet art. one poster sold at Sotheby’s
recently for USD56,000.
Another industrial building turned arts venue is the
former Red october Chocolate Factory on a bank of the
Moscow River, close to the Kremlin with The lumiere Brothers
Photogallery at the back of the main building. The lumiere
Brothers gallery also has an outlet, in the massive Central
house of Artists, downriver near Gorky Park. This is the venue
Hanging Heart by Jeff Koons at the
Garage gallery
in the soviet era these works of art
were “recycled”
terms and conditions1. Price is quoted per person, based on two adults sharing one room,
checking in and travelling together throughout the entire journey.2. this offer is only valid for packages booked and paid for between 16
August and 15 November 2010, and for travel between 16 August and 30 November 2010.
3. cathay holidays limited and Asia Miles terms and conditions apply.
Enjoy a hKD300 discount on Private Guided Tours in MoscowMembers of The Marco Polo Club will receive a hKD300 discount when booking a 5-day/3-night Cathay Pacific holidays Moscow Private Guided Tour priced from hKD50,660, or a 7-day/5-night Moscow and St. Petersburg Private Guided Tour priced from hKD66,486.
Package includes:Round-trip Business Class flight between hong •
Kong and Moscow on Cathay Pacific AirwaysThree or five consecutive nights’ accommodation •
with daily breakfast at selected hotelsAn English-speaking tour guide, and all entrance •
fees specified in the itinerary2,000 Asia Miles•Travel insurance•
For more details and reservations:
Telephone: +852 2747 4388 Website: www.cxholidays.com
P A r T n E r o f f E r
39 the club
Mosaics in the Mayakovskaya metro station (top left)
Maxim Gorky’s statue outside the Central house of Artists (left)
for the massive Art Moscow International Art Fair every
September, now in its 14th year. The fair brings together 40
galleries from around the world to exhibit some of the best
contemporary art on the market.
The huge concrete Central house of Artists also contains
the 20th-century section of the new Tretyakov Gallery,
the national collection of Russian art, taking visitors from
vibrant early modernism through constructivist experiments
into the stif ling confines of socialist realism. natalia
Goncharova’s Peacock in Bright Sunlight, Wassily Kandinsky’s
Moscow, Red Square, Marc Chagall’s floating Over the City
and Kazimir Malevich’s famous Black Suprematic Square
give way to paintings with names such as Construction of
New Factory Shops or Festival at the Collective Farm.
Among recent exhibitions, a retrospective of work by Soviet
painter and sculptor Alexander Deineka shows that this kind
of art can have its own beauty and lyricism. Deineka’s biggest
claim to fame was the series of elegant ceiling mosaics in
Mayakovskaya metro station, which won first prize in the 1939
new york World Fair. The metro itself is arguably Moscow’s
largest gallery, with miles of underground artworks stretching
out underneath the city. For the price of a RUB26 (about hKD7)
ticket, passengers can enjoy displays of stained glass, gilded
porcelain, mosaics and murals, or a hall of bronze sculptures
at Ploshchad Revolyutsii.
The city’s most atmospheric collection of Soviet statuary is the
the Metro is Moscow’s largest gallery with Miles of underground
artworks
40 the club
tr av e l
Gogolevsky Boulevard branch of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art
“Muzeon” Sculpture Park outside the Central house of Artists.
out-of-favour Soviet leaders found a home here in company
with more modern works. Towering over them is Zurab
Tsereteli’s monstrous Peter the Great, recently voted by website
Visual Tourist among the world’s top 10 ugliest monuments.
Tsereteli’s other sculptures across Moscow, including kitschy
clowns outside the old circus and fairy-tale fountains in the
Alexandrovsky gardens, are similarly controversial. Backed by
Moscow’s long-serving mayor, yuri luzhkov, Tsereteli has been
responsible for decorating new metro stations and the massive
memorial complex in Victory Park, fronted by Moscow’s patron
saint, St George, chopping up a swastika-covered dragon.Phot
os. M
osaa
ics:
AFP
. Gor
gky:
Max
im S
hem
etov
–
ITA
R-TA
SS. M
Mo
MA
: Mos
cow
Mus
eum
of M
oder
n A
rt
terms and conditions1. this offer is valid for arrivals until 30 December 2010, based on room
availability at the time of booking.2. Rates are inclusive of 18% VAt for single/
double accommodation per night.
relax and unwind at le Meridien Moscow Country ClubMembers of The Marco Polo Club will enjoy special room rates from RUB6,400 per night at le Meridien Moscow Country Club including:
An upgrade to next room category•Welcome fruits upon arrival•Daily buffet breakfast•Wi-Fi in rooms and guests’ area•Free access to swimming pool, sauna and Turkish •
bath, gym, aerobics and dance lessons
located in a stunning birch and pine grove 15 kilometres outside Moscow, the country club combines the warmth of a Russian home with unparalleled service in a world-class golf resort.
For reservations, please contact le Meridien Moscow Country Club Reservation office and quote rate code “Club Magazine.”
Telephone: +7 495 937 6700 Email: [email protected] Website: www.lemeridien-mcc.com
P A r T n E r o f f E r
41 the club
Tsereteli’s contribution to the Moscow Art scene has not
all been negative. As president of the Russian Academy
of Arts, he founded the Moscow Museum of Modern Art
(MMoMA), now with several venues across town, directed
by Zurab Tsereteli’s grandson. Vasily Tsereteli is also an artist,
but quite different from his grandfather. his deliberately
uncomfortable photographs of dolls recently on show at
Winzavod suggest an ambivalence about the iconography
of modern Russia which is at odds with the grandiosity
and naïve historicism of his grandfather’s monumental
creations. one of the most recent MMoMA exhibitions at
their main venue on Petrovka, was a retrospective of works
by Alexandra Exter, dubbed the “cubist queen” or “amazon
of the avant-garde”.
Another event at their Gogolevsky branch showcased
contemporary Russian artists in the huge, private collection
of Viktor Bondarenko. Apart from works by modern artists,
Bondarenko owns one of Russia’s largest collections of icons.
This is another sphere of renewed interest. A new gallery the
the sprawling Pushkin Museum is more of a village than a gallery. Next to the main neoclassical mansion, a separate wing contains european and American art from the past 200 years. the second floor is incredible, perfect for a grey Moscow morning. Degas’ Blue Dancers, Monet’s Water Lily Pond, Renoir’s chiaroscuro Seine and Van Gogh’s impasto The Red Vineyard compose between them a therapeutic symphony of colours which can lift the heaviest spirits. these paintings perfectly illustrate the impressionist attempt to capture, in Monet’s words, “the atmosphere and light diffused in the moment”.
P u S h K I n M u S E u M o f f I n E A r T SPushkin Museum
42 the club
tr av e l
house of Icons opened last year, to exhibit works belonging
to private collector, Igor Vozyakov.
Moscow now has about 200 museums and galleries, many
of them in the lovingly preserved houses of local celebrities.
For a very different kind of gallery experience, visit one of
these “house-museums”. The atmospheric cottage of the
artist Viktor Vasnetsov, for instance, is still full of carved
wooden furniture and ornate, ceramic-tiled stoves. his studio,
upstairs in the attic, contains seven huge fairy-tale canvases
with pictures of many-headed dragons, flying carpets or the
child-snatching witch, Baba yaga.
Among the numerous private galleries in the city, the
nB Gallery has carved a niche for itself as a purveyor of
fine arts to the expatriate community. Exporting art from
Russia is notoriously bureaucratic and part of nB’s appeal is
its reliable management of paperwork. Founded in 1992 to
display Soviet and contemporary works, the gallery sees its
mission as rescuing “a whole period of exciting art that has
been inaccessible to collectors for more than 50 years”.
Central house of Artistshttp://cha.ru/index
Garage Centre for Contemporary Culturewww.garageccc.com/eng
house-Museum of viktor vasnetsov (branch of the Tretyakov)www.tretyakovgallery.ru/en/museum/branch
Kirill Kalinin’s posterswww.antikbar.ru
Moscow Museum of Modern Artwww.mmoma.ru/en
nB Gallerywww.nbgallery.com/en
red october Chocolate factoryBersenevskaya naberezhnaya 6
Pushkin Museum of fine Artswww.museum.ru/gmii/ defengl.htm
The State Tretyakov Gallerywww.tretyakovgallery.ru/en
Winzavod Moscow Centre for Contemporary Artwww.winzavod.com
M o S C o W A r T v E n u E S
view of Doors open Day exhibition at the Moscow
Museum of Modern Art
Phot
os. V
iew
of D
oors
ope
n D
ay: M
osco
w M
useu
m o
f Mod
ern
Art
. Pu
shki
n M
useu
m: G
rego
r M. S
chm
id –
Anz
enbe
rger
/IC
terms and conditions1. Free GPS offer is subject to availability.2. Standard Avis rental terms and
conditions apply.
receive a 15% discount with Avis in russiaFrom 16 August to 15 november 2010, members of The Marco Polo Club who rent a car with Avis in Russia will receive a 15% discount on super value rates – as well as free GPS!
Please quote your Avis Worldwide Discount number when making a reservation and present your Marco Polo membership card at the Avis rental location.
Green members: K305400•Silver members: K305500•Gold members: K305600•Diamond members: K305700•
Telephone: +852 2882 2927 (Hong Kong) +7 925 046 99 49 (Moscow) Website: www.avis.com.hk
P A r T n E r o f f E r
43 the club
At your service By NadiNe Bat emaN
Great service in a wide range of languages is only a phone call away to the team who go the extra mile for members of The Marco Polo Club
Volcanoes, viruses, snowstorms, strikes,
typhoons and torrential rain all threaten to
interrupt the best-laid travel plans. When
that happens, members want both accurate,
up-to-date information and help to reach
their destination as quickly and safely as
possible. that’s where the marco Polo Club and asia miles
service centres step in.
When airport chaos threatens, members can contact the
hotlines which are manned round-the-clock by dedicated staff,
including a team trained specifically to deal with emergency
situations. Known as member Services executives (mSes), these
frontline staff are highly proficient, if not fluent, in several
languages, according to Steve Rackstraw, manager member
Services, Cathay Pacific Loyalty Programmes Limited, whose
responsibilities include managing operations at the service
centres in Hong Kong and Beijing.
“We have a stringent recruitment procedure and a commitment
to a high standard of staff training that is regularly updated and
revised by our learning and development team,” he says.
Steve is evidently passionate about his work and strives
to be the best in his field. He has been a key player at the
Hong Kong service centre since its inception in 1999. Steve
now also oversees the newly established marco Polo Club
Service Centre in Beijing which provides hotlines to support
members in mainland China. this centre offers the same service
as Hong Kong but with a dedicated mandarin-speaking team
with specific local-market knowledge.
“at the service centre in tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, we have
approximately 400 staff in all departments, including around 250
phone staff. they work 24 by 7 by 365,” Steve says. ”in Beijing’s
Haidian district, we currently have 25 staff – all native mandarin
speakers.”
He says the centre in Beijing was added quite simply to
satisfy demand.
“We identified a growing need on the mainland for the same
kind of customer service we provide for members elsewhere in
the world. many members who call us want to talk to somebody
who speaks the same language as them, preferably native
speakers. i know from personal experience the frustrations of
contacting a call centre and speaking to people in another
country. We want our members in mainland China to be
reassured they are getting the right information consistently
from the people who know best.”
The Marco Polo Club and Asia Miles service centre in Beijing’s Haidian District Ph
oto:
dav
id G
. mci
ntyr
e
44 the club
I NSI D E C X
“it restored his faith in customer service”
Phot
os: d
avid
G. m
cint
yre
Steve Rackstraw, Manager Member Services
“a diamond member was devastated when his itinerary was
affected by the volcanic ash from iceland and the British airways
strike which were happening at the same time. He was confused
about working out alternatives to his flight schedule. the mSe
who handled his call helped to book alternative flights for him
and his wife and made several phone calls to keep him informed
of the progress. the member expressed delight with the mSe’s
efficiency and helpful manner.”
When there’s a flight disruption due to bad weather, industrial
action or other crises affecting Cathay Pacific, dragonair or
partner airlines’ flights, there are a number of specially trained,
more experienced staff who are referred to as the “eR team”
(emergency Response). their function is to speedily inform
members about flight delays or cancellations and assist with
re-booking and rescheduling. “during the icelandic ash fallout,
especially when it coincided with the British airways strike, our
mSes took thousands of calls and managed to keep members
up-to-date with crucial information,” Steve says.
attention to technological advancement is crucial to the
operation and while members’ “self-help” online facilities
have been in place for some time, members can log-in to
their account at www.cathaypacific.com to view and print
their personal e-itineraries, retrieve or cancel a booking, check
the status of their bookings, redeem standard flight awards,
travel class upgrades, companion tickets and priority awards,
secure seats with extra legroom in our economy Class cabins
and select a seat using the interactive seat map. members
can also search for flight award options by itinerary or by
miles, or select an award using the award calculator, check
out inflight entertainment information and check-in online.
the feedback about the centre has been overwhelmingly
positive: “mainland members of the marco Polo Club and
asia miles often express surprise that we have native mandarin
speakers responding directly to their enquiries and they
appreciate the efforts our mSes put in to resolve their problems
and the extra steps they take to assist them,” says Steve.
He goes on, “We really appreciate members who write in and
compliment our staff. So, every month we select the best we
receive and present an award for it.” it’s all part of the company’s
“Service Straight From the Heart” philosophy and Steve offers
numerous examples of the way in which this has proven to be
invaluable to members.
46 the club
I NSI D E C X
the system can also handle carbon offsets by cash (HKd) or
asia miles to support the FLygreener programme.
“We’re planning a major enhancement which will allow
members to waitlist online [award tickets],” Steve says. “this
will be for Cathay Pacific and dragonair passengers only and
will be in place next year.”
While technology is mandatory, Steve maintains it’s the
attention to recruitment and investment in staff training that
reaps the greatest rewards, because even the best technology
can let you down. “One of our Gold members was very impressed
by the attention given to him by a mSe, who was not only helpful
and thoughtful when assisting him with his flight bookings, but
also remained admirably calm when her computer crashed and
she had to reboot it in the middle of the booking. He said he rated
her as the best person he had ever dealt with in the industry,
including travel agents, other airline staff and phone attendants.
“a diamond member told us about when he was stuck in
Vancouver due to a snowstorm in London which resulted in the
cancellation of his flight – not a Cathay Pacific one. He said staff
at the airline were unhelpful and he finally decided to contact
the marco Polo Club service centre for assistance and our staff
went beyond the call of duty to make the necessary arrangements
for him. He said it restored his faith in customer service.”
if Steve’s commitment seems zealous at times, that can only
be a good thing and he makes no apologies for it. “We take pride
in the services we provide and we are determined to offer the
best possible service to our valued members,” he says.
thankfully, it’s not all crises and high drama for service
centre agents; the bulk of the calls from worldwide Club
members are straightforward and include requests to make
and change redemption bookings, arrange flight upgrades,
explain lifestyle award redemptions, check promotions, and
assist with lost or damaged luggage.
members of the marco Polo Club and asia miles can call
from anywhere in the world on a toll-free number that includes
a recently added local toll-free number for mainland China.
mandarin-speaking members in the mainland can now call
from any payphone, hotel or mobile phone using the four-digit
prefix 4006. the number is +4006 747 333 (mandarin speaking)
and +800 2747 5500 (other languages).
Members of the Mandarin-speaking team in Beijing
47 the club
48 the club
C X N E WS
Swing into action in Manila!an unforgettable golf adventure
awaits you at the Marco Polo club
golf classic – our much-anticipated
annual event reserved for Silver
and above members.
Join us in Manila from 5 to 7
november, 2010, for a spectacular
golfing experience at world-class
championship courses – Manila
golf and country club, and the
canlubang golf and country club.
there are fantastic prizes to be
business, commercial and
shopping district. the hotel
comprises 699 luxurious
guestrooms and suites, each
with views of Makati’s famous
avenues and the city beyond.
Register nowthis event is open exclusively
to Silver and above members
of the Marco Polo club and
their guests (members can
bring one companion to the
event), but places are limited
and will be allocated on a
first-come, first-served basis.
completed registration forms
must be received no later than
22 September, 2010. For more
details and to register, log in to
your Marco Polo club account at
www.cathaypacific.com or call
the Marco Polo club golf classic
Hotline on +852 2411 4179.
won, including the first Hole-in-
one award of 1,000,000 asia Miles.
the tournament concludes
with a unique dining experience
amidst the old-world charm of
the walled city – intramuros.
Tee off at two world-class golf coursesEstablished in 1901, Manila golf
and country club is the most
exclusive golf club in Metro Manila.
with its rolling terrain, greens of
Zoysia japonica grass and tree-
lined fairways, the impeccably
maintained course offers golfers a
distinctive playing environment.
canlubang golf and country
club is considered to be one of
the largest golf courses in the
Philippines. the double 18-hole
course layout was designed by
Robert trent Jones and is one of
the most challenging in asia.
Unwind at the Makati Shangri-La ManilaYou can choose to stay at an
exclusive room rate at Makati
Shangri-la Manila, which is
conveniently located in the heart
of Manila’s most prestigious
The MaRco PoLo cLUb GoLf cLaSSic 2010 ToURnaMenT PackaGe
You and your companion can take part in this exciting event for 72,000 Asia Miles per person, which includes: A warm-up game on the •
first day Green fees for two days• A golf caddy and buggy• use of the driving range for •
warm-up Round-trip transfers between •
hotel and golf courses Organising, team pairing •
and scoring A collection of golfing gifts and •
accessories trophy and prizes• Welcome cocktails and •
daily lunch closing gala dinner•
Makati Shangri-La Manila
Manila Golf and country club
canlubang Golf and country club
49 the club
HotelHilton Worldwide Hilton® Hotels • Conrad® Hotels & Resorts • Doubletreeby Hilton™ • Embassy Suites Hotels by Hilton™ • Hilton Garden Inn™ • Hilton Grand Vacations™ • The Waldorf Astoria™ Hotels & ResortsHyatt Hotels & Resorts™ Park Hyatt™ Hotels • Grand Hyatt™ Hotels • Hyatt Regency™ Hotels • Hyatt Place™ • Hyatt Summerfield Suites™langham Hotels InternationalMandarin oriental Hotel GroupMarriott International HotelsMarriott® Hotels & Resorts •
JW Marriott® Hotels & Resorts • Renaissance® Hotels & Resorts Shangri-la Hotels and Resorts Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts • Traders HotelsStarwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Sheraton Hotels & Resorts® • Four Points® by Sheraton • St. Regis® Hotels & Resorts • The Luxury Collection® • Le Méridien • W Hotels® • Westin Hotels & Resorts®Swire Hotelsthe Peninsula Hotels
CaR RentalavisHertz
lIfeStyleBlt SteakMing Court, Langham Place, Mongkok, Hong Kongnicholini’s, Conrad Hong Kong Prince Restaurantt’ang Court, The Langham, Hong Kongtokoro, Langham Place, Mongkok, Hong KongCathay Holidays limitedCHI, the Spa at Shangri-la Salvatore ferragamoCathay Pacific Inflight SalesDragonair Inflight SalesPonti Wine CellarsRegustravelex
Club partners : for exclusive club partner offers, please visit the member’s area of www.cathaypacific.com
For all partner offers, prices quoted are subject to change without prior notice. Peak season surcharges apply. Advance reservation is required. Rooms and offers are subject to availability.blackout dates apply. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional offer or membership benefit.
More privileges & enhanced benefitsYou can now enjoy more exclusive benefits when you fly with cathay Pacific or Dragonair. We have extended privileges with exciting new lifestyle partners including Michelin-listed or starred restaurants, cathay holidays limited, chI, the Spa at Shangri-la, Salvatore Ferragamo, cathay Pacific and Dragonair Inflight Sales, Ponti Wine cellars, Regus and travelex.Get all the details about the new benefits and partners from www.cathaypacific.com.
enjoy chinese culinary delightscontinuing with the “Best
chinese Food in the air”
promotion, cathay Pacific is pleased
to again be working with a number of
outstanding chefs to offer you the finest inflight
dining experience.
a selection of specially designed dishes will be
featured on First and Business class menus on selected cathay Pacific
flights departing Hong Kong between 1 august, 2010, and 31 January,
2011. You will be able to sample creations from chefs, including:
• chef chan Sui Kei, celestial court chinese Restaurant, Sheraton
Hong Kong Hotel and towers
• chefs lau Kin wai and lau chun (Father and son) from Kin’s Kitchen
and Yellow Door Kitchen
• chef cheng Kam Fu, celebrity cuisine
• chef li Shu tim, one Harbour Road, grand Hyatt Hong Kong
• chef chan Kai tak, Yunyan Sichuan Restaurant
Upgraded preflight experience in LondonYou can now enjoy greater comfort
and convenience at the brand new
First and Business class lounge
located at the central concourse
at london Heathrow airport. the
923-square-metre lounge includes
our popular noodle Bar and its
design echoes the concept of
the Pier in Hong Kong.
Magazine of the Marco polo club3Quarter 2010
24 hours in kuala lumpur
3Quarter 2010 national treasuresmoscow’s great art legacy