Living up to China’s classical ideals

By Kimberly Johans
Published in The Macau Daily Times
September 15, 2007, page 18 (995 words)

Pianist Yundi Li become the youngest pianist to win the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition at the tender age of 18 and the only Chinese to have done so.
So impressive was his performance, that he was also given a Polonaise award by the Chopin Society at the competition, which, despite being held every five years, found the jury in the past two occasions declining to award the top prize.
Yet he recently announced he would never compete again, having only lived a quarter century thus far.
Asked why this was the case, he replied, “I think competition was a chance for me but with the music life it’s not only about competition it’s about how you prove yourself and develop your music. How you play and what you play.”
Born in Chongquing in central China, the young Yundi took up the accordion at the age of four, tutored by Tan Jian Min, after having become so fascinated by a man playing an accordion in a shopping mall that he refused to leave.
With little more than a year’s worth of practice, Lundi won the first prize at the Chongqing Children’s Accordion Competition.

Responsible gaming lecture to focus on liability

By Kimberly Johans
Published in The Macau Daily Times
September 15, 2007, page 3 (281 words)

The University of Macau’s Sociology Department will be holding a lecture on responsible gaming on September 19.
Titled, ‘A critique of Australian responsible gaming policy and practice: A public health approach to the gambling industry’s CSR (corporate social responsibility), it will be led by Associate Professor, Linda Hancock, from Australia’s Deakin University, who also heads the Corporate Citizenship Research Unit.
The lecture will cover the question of whether the threat of liability will drive new approaches to player protection.
Recent research on gambling in Australia highlights the role of globalised gaming products in the production and reproduction of gambling-related problems.
In Australia, despite current government emphasis on harm minimisation and responsible gambling, gambling losses keep rising and the harmful impact on individuals, families and local communities is evident.
Researchers are concluding that it is the globalised products (video lottery machines/EGMs or as they are called in Australia,‘pokie machines’) and the regulation of gaming venues, that are the problem.

No HK$43 million payout for Hong Kong’s Tin Suet Kan

By Kimberly Johans
Published in The Macau Daily Times
September 15, 2007, page 2 (186 words)

Hong Kong resident Tin Suet Kan had her appeal rejected for the HK$43 million she believed she had won last month at Starworld Galaxy casino.
She filed the complaint with the Gaming Inspection and Co-ordination Bureau on August 31, the day after the incident.
The Bureau collected evidence from the slot machine producers, the casino and the policeman on duty as well as CCTV footage, combining all of this with a report from an expert who had done research on the incident.
It was concluded that the ticket cash-out history of slot machine No. 343 showed no evidence of being operated nor any record of an individual having inserted money on the day of the supposed operation.
It was found that the machine had actually shown a message onscreen stating that the machine was disabled and to call an attendant.