HK HORNS
Enhance public’s understanding of and interest in UT o Re-ignite the passion of old members o Recruit new members o Provide opportunities to UT alumni to network in Hong Kong o Serve UT o Have Fun!
| A Triannual Newsletter |
Issue No. 1 (Spring 2012)
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Annual General Meeting
The AGM 2012 was held on March 3, 2012, just one day after the Texas Independence Day, at Modern China Restaurant in Times Square. 17 people including members and spouses attended the meeting…
Networking among Members
Since 2007 we have been using Facebook as an additional channel to reach out to our alumni…
CIBER Summer Program Students in Hong Kong
Each summer the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) sends about 200 graduate and undergraduate business students abroad….
Celine’s First Taste of Motherhood
“Hook’em! I did it on November 7, 2011! This was the day I would never forget. After more than 24 hours of laboring, our new family member baby Cera arrived…”
Fusion Gourmet!
“My first visit to this restaurant happened quite randomly. I was not intending to go there, but apparently pressed the wrong button inside the elevator of the Pemberton Building…”
First Happy Hour
On April 20 we had our first happy hour gathering of the fiscal year at our new venue W52 on Wyndham Street…
Letter from the President
Dear members,
Since 2001, our club has been organizing a lot of activities for our alumni and members. We have a number of active members who attend our activities regularly, but at the same time we have a lot of dormant members who rarely attend our activities and we never had a chance to communicate with them.
I see that we lack the channel to let our members understand what has happened and what is going on with HKTX. In our last Exco (executive committee) meeting I suggested to publish a newsletter to build up this channel. The idea is unanimously accepted by the Exco members in the meeting. We plan to publish a newsletter after every other Exco meeting which happens once every two months, which means we will have three issues this year.
I hope that the newsletter will enhance the communication between the Exco and the membership, and as a result make the club a stronger group. This issue is our first trial and I am sure it is not perfect, probably very far from perfect. I urge you to give us your comments about this newsletter so that we can improve its quality and its effectiveness.
Another thing that I want to bring up here is that two groups of business students of 30 each from the CIBER Summer Programs will be in Hong Kong this June. I ask for your support in our activities that involve the students from the program. Please read the section about the activities for more details.
Hook’em, and may the ‘Horns be with y’all!
Victor K. Nip
Annual General Meeting
The AGM 2012 was held on March 3, 2012, just one day after the Texas Independence Day, at Modern China Restaurant in Times Square. 17 people including members and their spouses attended the meeting. Victor Nip as the President of 2011-12 presented a report of the activities of HKTX in 2011-12, and Carl Sung as the Treasurer of the same period presented the financial report of 2011.
The Exco showed its gratitude to a number of members who offered help to them in the previous years by presenting them Certificates of Appreciation. The recipients of COAs are Frank Leung, Lynn Wang, Joseph Li, Winson Chan, Cynthia Lau, Betty Chu, George Lam, Rolland Lau, Leticia Acosta, David Reeves, and George Duff. Victor Nip as the co-founder presented the Founders’ Award to Celine Lok, Carl Sung, and Calra Hong to thank them for the continuous exceptional contribution to the club.
Based on the constitution, 11 people were eligible to vote, and they unanimously approved all the proposed changes to the Constitution and confirmed the new Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee for the Fiscal Year 2012-13 comprises of the following members:
| President: | Victor K. Nip (MBA 1996) | |
| Internal VP: | Winson Chan (BA 2004) | |
| External VP: | Celine Lok (BA 2002) | |
| Treasurer: | Carl Sung (MBA 2003) | |
| Int. Relations Officer: | Calra Hong |
After the meeting, we had our Texas Independence Day Dinner when we had a lot of very delicious food. In fact, the restaurant is very famous and is almost always full. And after the dinner, 9 of the participants had an after-party at the Ruggers nearby when they spent an hour and a half there, followed by another hour’s chat in the middle of the street (Right! None of the 9 people left after they left the bar!).
To read the AGM documents (including annual report and election materials) or see the pictures of the event, go to hktx.org/nl0101, or scan the QR code at the end of the newsletter, and follow the link.
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| Participants who stayed for Texas Independence Day Dinner |
President Elect’s Acceptance Speech
Right after the election, Victor Nip as the President Elect gave an acceptance speech. The Exco feels that it is important for our membership to know the message in the speech, so the transcript of the speech is put below.
First, on behalf of the newly elected executive committee, thank you very much for your support again in this election. Again, there is only one cabinet candidate standing for election, but we want to be your officers of choice. We want that you vote for us not just because you have to, but because you want to. And in the coming year we will try our best to prove that we deserve your votes.
This coming year is going to be my 12th year in a leadership position of the organization. I am sure a lot of people have been asking the question: Why? Why is Victor still in the position after so many years? I also ask the same question. To many, the question is about why I want to be in the office for so long. To me, the question is why nobody is interested in taking over my job.
Some people think that I stay in the office because I love the power. I can tell you this is not true. If we don’t deliver value, nobody shows up. The power is on the members’ side. I am staying because there is so much fun in the interaction with different people in the process, including with our members, partner organizations, visitors from UT and the staff there. And when once in a while I go back to campus I know that what we are doing here is appreciated by our school. That’s why I’m still here.
And to answer my version of the question, one member told me Benjamin [Chang] and I set the bar too high. I and the committee have organized at least 10 activities per year. People might think it is excessively time consuming and it is hard to top that, so no one wants the job. It is true that I put a lot of time in this organization but it does not mean that is the only way to bring value to the membership. We need new ideas and we need new people to reach out to the alumni whom we cannot reach out to. I cannot imagine that I will be in the office forever, so I welcome any member, be he someone in the committee or a new member, who has the enthusiasm to serve our school and serve our membership to come out and tell me that he wants my job.
There are still a lot of things that I can say now but I am sure our stomachs are voting “no” to a longer speech, so I would like to say “thank you” again for your votes, for your support, and for your friendship in the past years. Our new Ex-co members and I look forward to another great year for Hong Kong Texas Exes. Thank you!
Networking among Members
Since 2007 we have been using Facebook as an additional channel to reach out to our alumni. We have been very successful in expanding our network by using Facebook as social networking device.
This year, we start to use LinkedIn for our members to network with each other in a business-related networking environment. Members may join the Hong Kong Texas Exes Group in LinkedIn to connect with other members. Members may also connect with our other members through our co-founder’s profile (“V Nip”). We will only accept connections with other members with this profile, so members may connect with each other through it easily.
To see the HKTX LinkedIn group, visit https://hktx.org/linkedin. To connect with other members of the group, visit https://hktx.org/linkedprofile. To go to the Facebook group, visithttps://hktx.org/facebook.
CIBER Summer Program Students in Hong Kong
Each summer the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) sends about 200 graduate and undergraduate business students abroad to take classes, go on company visits, become exposed to international business practices, etc. in Hong Kong, Paris, Prague, and Edinburgh. CIBER sends about 60 Accounting and Supply Chain Management majors to Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, the students take two business related courses and live at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) for approximately 5 weeks.
Last year, HKTX had organized 2 activities for the CIBER Summer Program students to experience the culture of Hong Kong and to meet our alumni here. The activities were very well received.
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| The CIBER group and alumni after the Dragon Boat Festival lunch last June |
This year, the same CIBER Summer Program groups (Accounting and Supply Chain Management) of 30 students each will come to Hong Kong in June. Our tentative plan is to have a welcoming dim sum lunch with the students and staff of the program on June 9 in Shatin, and to have a special happy hour gathering with them on June 29 in the Lan Kwai Fong area. We would like to invite you to join us and meet the students in these two events. More information will be available soon. Please mark down the dates in your calendar for now.
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| CIBER Summer Program students and alumni mixing together at the Happy Hour last June |
To learn more about the CIBER International Summer Programs, and to see the pictures of last year’s events with the CIBER groups, go to hktx.org/nl0101 or scan the QR code at the end of the newsletter, and follow the links there.
Celine’s First Taste of Motherhood
– Celine Lok
Hook’em! I did it on November 7, 2011!
This was the day I would never forget. After more than 24 hours of laboring, our new family member baby Cera arrived. My hubby Raymond and I were very excited and joyful to welcome our daughter! The very moment Cera was born, I was totally exhausted yet very touched in my heart! My tears of joy just could not stop falling when the first time I was holding my baby. The feeling was amazing and real after a long journey of pregnancy. Hubby was also very touched to see his little angel look almost exactly like him. No wonder people say that daughter is daddy’s girlfriend in his past life.
When we brought our baby home the first day, we were totally inexperienced parents. I tried so hard to breast-feed Cera, yet I did not have enough milk for her. Although I checked her breath from time to time to make sure she was breathing properly, baby Cera was still hibernating non-stop for more than 10 hours. I doubted why taking care of a new born baby was such an easy task in my mind at that moment until my helper told me that baby Cera might be not drinking enough milk because she did not need to have her diaper changed for a long time. I was so scared and called the doctor immediately. The doctor advised us to feed baby Cera formula milk. Taking care of a new born is totally not an easy job, especially for inexperienced parents like us.
In the third week, I was sick and hubby took the responsibility of taking care of the baby at night so that I could get some sleep. In the middle of the night, when he changed baby Cera’s diaper, she pooped and peed straight onto his pajamas and he screamed!
Those were just two of the special occasions in our journey of raising baby Cera. There will still be many more interesting and unforgettable things to happen during our parenthood. There will be lots more to remember and share when baby Cera grows.
There are many more to learn to be parents such as how to shower baby, how to feed her, how to make her sleep, and how to massage her. Although our lives changed dramatically after baby Cera’s arrival, we are very thankful and joyful to have seen her growing up every day. When hubby comes home after a long day at work, a lovely smile from baby Cera sweeps away all his tiredness. The way baby Cera sleeps after I finish feeding her, the way she crawls, the way she laughs, and the way she cries, all her footprints are deep into her daddy’s and mommy’s hearts. Indeed baby Cera has brighten up our lives. We just want her to be a healthy and lovely baby with all the love from daddy and mommy.
Raymond, baby Cera and I would love to share our joy and happiness to you all. May the ‘Horn be with y’all!
Celine Lok graduated from UT in 2002 with a degree in Economics. She joined the Exco in 2005 and is now our External Vice President (and a mother, too!).
Fusion Gourmet
– Dining and Wining by Winson Chan
Address: 1/F, The Pemberton, 22-26 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Phone: 2545 0068
Going to a fine-dining restaurant or at least knowing about it is a trend so important nowadays that many people fear not to follow, almost like following fashion so to speak. Ironically, in spite of a high price to pay, you literally have to line up in order to get a table, as available booking can go as far as months away! Certainly, there is always a reason why people go to an upscale restaurant, but what if it is just an ordinary Friday? What if you just wish to take your spouse, or perhaps a couple of friends out for the same quality of food but without the hassle of booking ahead, and certainly without signing a fortune away? What if you are getting tired of returning to a chain restaurants and ordering from the same menu over and over again? I found my answers here at this restaurant called Fusion Gourmet.
My first visit to this restaurant happened quite randomly. I was not intending to go there, but apparently pressed the wrong button inside the elevator of the Pemberton Building. As soon as the elevator door opened up, the first thing I saw was a displaying refrigerator, holding at least four to five different kinds of imported fish, and also scallops, spring chicken, etc. On the other side was another refrigerator holding an array of grade A chilled meat and poultry, fresh oysters, foie gras and more. There were also separate sections of fruits and vegetables, dairy products and dry goods. The place was nothing short of a grocery store, only at a smaller scale. The restaurant even had its own bakery, and a wall filled with old and new world wines for those who care about what they drink. All of the groceries I just mentioned had a price tag. To my surprise, they were not expensive at all. In fact, even cheaper than many chain grocery stores.
To a domestic person like me, simply being in Fusion Gourmet is already a blissful experience. You may wonder why I mentioned so much about the grocery instead of going straight to the food evaluation. The reason is simple. What is so special about Fusion Gourmet is that food can be made to order with any of the fresh ingredients purchased there. What is more? They can also be prepared according to your taste. That guarantees absolute freshness and top-notch food quality. I believe that is why the restaurant was named Fusion Gourmet, with the idea of fusing grocery store and catering services. If you prefer a more traditional way of ordering food, of course, the restaurant also provides a food menu, with more than enough selections to suit everybody’s needs.
The food I ordered in my first visit included a classic C?sar Salad, some fresh green mussels (I chose to have them cooked in white wine sauce), and 300g of Australian Wagyu striploin The C?sar Salad was made with extremely fresh romaine lettuce, served cold and lightly dressed. The shaved Parmesan cheese plus a few pieces of thin and crispy bacon added a nice touch to it. I only had one word for the green mussels: HUGE! Although not quite as tender as the more popular black mussels, again the freshness made up for the down side. Last but not least, the Australian Wagyu striploin was indescribable! The striploin was char-grilled to perfection and seasoned only with salt and pepper. Sharing the same characteristics as its Japanese counterpart (sometimes known as Kobe beef), the Australian Wagyu I ordered was so tender that it literally melts in your mouth, but without being too heavy. The only thing I regretted was that I did not order enough! 300g (10.5 ounces) of steak is usually sizeable enough for most people, and should yield a cut thick enough to guarantee juiciness. But at just HK$80/100g, this is a price that no other restaurant can beat! At Fusion Gourmet, food is served with everything you need, and nothing you don’t. That is why the dishes served in Fusion Gourmet are relatively simple without too many side dishes or too much garnishing. To me, that is an art of simplicity as well as a highlight of the food’s freshness.
Tips:
- If you spend at least HK$2,000 in one visit, you can become a VIP member of the restaurant. With the membership, most of the groceries there can be purchased at 30% off (takeaway only).
- Set menus are available during lunch time and are very reasonably priced.
- If someone asks you whether you want any bread, say “Yes”! The bread, in three different kinds, is fantastic!
- If you are ordering Wagyu beef and if you are not preparing to share, go for the cheaper one, as the top grade one can be quite heavy for one person to consume.
Pros:
- Value for money
- Superb food quality and freshness
- Food can be made to order
- Plentiful selection of wine
- Clean environment
- Friendly services
- Great place for gathering
- Convenient location (near Sheung Wan MTR, nearby parking available)
Cons:
- Not a place for fine dining
- Somewhat noisy environment (when it is full)
- Lack of privacy (same as most other restaurants)
- Being a partial grocery store could be an eyesore (i.e., if you are sitting close to the refrigerator)
Winson Chan graduated from UT in 2004 with a degree in Psychology. He joined the Exco in 2008 and is now our Internal Vice President.
Winson voluntarily recommends this restaurant to our members. HKTX and its officers had not received any consideration in exchange to include an article about the restaurant in this newsletter.
First Happy Hour
On April 20 we had our first happy hour gathering of the fiscal year at our new venue W52 on Wyndham Street. Although it was raining extremely hard that day, more than a dozen of members and friends gathered at the venue for drinks and relaxing conversations. We always see some new faces every time and this time is no different. Although the gathering was scheduled for 2 hours starting at 7pm, a few participants enjoyed the environment so much that they stayed till 10:30 before they went out for some food together. It was a lot of fun. To see more pictures of the event, go to hktx.org/nl0101 or scan the QR code at the end of the newsletter, and follow the links there.
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| Our VP Winson Chan presenting a Certificate of Appreciation to Joseph Li during the Happy Hour |
HKTX Merchandise
We have been auctioning off Longhorn merchandise for years to raise funds for our club. Our auctions create a win-win-win situation where our members get the Longhorn merchandise that they love, UT gets the normal profits on the sale, and HKTX earns the rest of the profits to subsidize other activities. Now, we have merchandise with our very own HKTX logo Ted (Texas Exes Dragon)! For this round, we have the following:
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| Coffee mug: HK$100 | Beer mug: HK$150 |
Write to us at hongkong@alumni.utexas.net if you are interested in our merchandise. The small profit on the sale of our merchandise will help us in the running of the club.
Final Words
We hope that you enjoyed reading this newsletter, or at least find this newsletter informative. If you have any comments about this newsletter, please do not hesitate to write to us at hongkong@alumni.utexas.net.
Also, if you have any news that you want to share with our fellow alumni, or you want to tell them about your business in the form of an advertisement, please contact us.
Upcoming Activities
- June 9: Lunch with CIBER Summer Program Students (Venue TBA)
- June 29: Special Happy Hour Gathering with CIBER Summer Program Students (Venue TBA)
Contact Hong Kong Texas Exes
Phone / WhatsApp: +852 6481 6005
Email: hongkong@alumni.utexas.net
Website: https://hktx.org/
Facebook: https://hktx.org/facebook
LinkedIn: https://hktx.org/linkedin
Photos: https://hktx.org/photos
Links in this Newsletter
To visit the links in this newsletter, you may visit hktx.org/nl0101 instead of typing the URL’s in your browser yourself. Alternatively, you may scan the following QR Code:
