Local artist Andrew Ling will give a viola recital in September as part of the "City Hall Virtuosi" Series presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Ling will collaborate with pianist Cheng Wai, showcasing his superb viola skills by playing a variety of compositions.
 
     The programme will include Brahms' "Sonata in F minor, Op. 120, No. 1", Ligeti's "Sonata for Viola Solo", Bach's (arranged by Kodály) "Chromatic Fantasy for Viola Solo", Shostakovich's "Sonata in D minor, Op. 40" and Piazzolla's "Le Grand Tango".
 
     Hong Kong-born Andrew Ling is a concert violist and violinist. He is also a conductor as well as a music educator. Currently the Principal Violist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil), he has garnered acclaim for his orchestral playing and solo recitals worldwide. He has appeared with the HK Phil, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and the China Film Symphony Orchestra as a concert soloist.
 
     Ling has brought his musicianship to conducting engagements with the HK Phil, the Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra, the Kunming Nie Er Symphony Orchestra and Finland's Seinäjoki City Orchestra and Kuopio Symphony Orchestra. Handpicked to conduct the HK Phil in rehearsal for Christoph Eschenbach and the late Lorin Maazel, he has worked alongside some of the world's foremost conductors, including Jaap van Zweden, Edo de Wart, Jun Märkl and Leonard Slatkin.
 
     Ling's journey with music began at age 6, when he studied violin with the late professor Lin Yaoji at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. He went on to pursue violin performance at Indiana University under Henryk Kowalski, Mauricio Fuks, Alan de Veritch and the late Ik-hwan Bae, and was a protégé of Lin Choliang at Rice University.
 
     Ling is a successful musician and a much sought-after art educator. Upon his return to Hong Kong, he remains active in the classical music scene and is often seen playing solo and chamber works as well as conducting. In continuing his career as a concert musician and conductor, Ling has played with many renowned musicians including Yuja Wang, Lin Choliang, Jaime Laredo, Ning Feng, Michael Guttman and the Shanghai Quartet.
 
     "City Hall Virtuosi Series: Viola Recital by Andrew Ling" will be held at 8pm on September 8 (Sunday) at the Concert Hall of Hong Kong City Hall. Tickets priced at $150 and $200 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_840.html.

     The Labour Department (LD) will hold a large-scale job fair at Dragon Centre on August 15 and 16. Vacancies in retail, catering, property management and other industries will be offered.

     A total of 42 organisations, offering over 3 200 vacancies, will participate in the two-day fair. Twenty-one organisations will set up booths and conduct on-the-spot recruitment each day. The vacancies offered cover a wide variety of positions including clerk, logistics assistant, cargo services officer, ward aide, courier, receptionist, security guard, driver, storekeeper, waiter/waitress, chef, technician, cashier and packer. Job seekers can find more information on the LD's Interactive Employment Service website (www.jobs.gov.hk).

     Around 83 per cent of the vacancies are full-time jobs. Most vacancies offer monthly salaries ranging from $10,000 to $18,000. About 97 per cent of the vacancies require a Secondary Six education level or below. Around 73 per cent are open to job seekers without relevant work experience, and many vacancies are suitable for secondary school graduates or young people.

     Job seekers can submit applications on the spot and may be selected for on-site interviews. They can also make enquiries on the employment services provided by the LD at its counter at the venue.

     The job fair will be held from 11am to 5.30pm at the Atrium, 1/F, Dragon Centre, 37K Yen Chow Street, Sham Shui Po (near Sham Shui Po MTR Station Exit C1). Admission is free.

     Japanese conveyor belt sushi restaurant chain Sushiro opened its first Hong Kong outlet today (August 13), taking a foothold in the local market and aiming to extend its brand to the region by leveraging the city’s international status.
     
     The flagship store is located at a commercial building near Jordan MTR Station, offering traditional and creative sushi plus other side dishes and desserts. To ensure freshness, it will soon deploy a high-tech system, which is currently deployed in Japan, that can automatically remove unclaimed plates after they travel over 350 metres on the belt and replace them with new ones, according to the President of Sushiro Hong Kong Limited, Mr Kazuo Aratani. 
     
     Mr Aratani said, "Hong Kong has a sophisticated Japanese cuisine market. People here love sushi and demand the best. All of these conditions work perfectly with our competitive advantages. We are dedicated to offering customers the highest quality sushi at affordable prices."
     
     He added, "Hong Kong is also a food paradise in the region. It is a place where East meets West with a dynamic food culture and accessible by people from all over the world. The city, with its international status, is indeed the ideal place from which we can easily expand overseas."
     
     Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion Dr Jimmy Chiang said, "We are happy to see that a popular Japanese sushi restaurant chain has set up a presence in Hong Kong and joined our dynamic food and beverage scene. We wish it every success in leveraging on Hong Kong's business advantages to expand in the region."
     
About Sushiro
     
     Established in 1984 in Osaka, Sushiro is a popular conveyor belt sushi restaurant chain with more than 530 branches in Japan and overseas markets. It offers over 100 varieties of delicious dishes ranging from authentic sushi to creative ones priced mainly at 100 yen, as well as tempura, ramen, udon noodles and even desserts. For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/sushirohongkong/.
     
About Invest Hong Kong
     
     Invest Hong Kong is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government responsible for attracting foreign direct investment and supporting overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services for overseas and Mainland companies. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk.
     
     For event photos, please visit www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72157710254190842.

    

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (August 13) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Hung Shing Yeh Beach, Pui O Beach and Lower Cheung Sha Beach in Islands District. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at these beaches.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (August 13) reminded members of the public, particularly those undertaking outdoor activities, to take heed of necessary measures against heat stroke and sunburn in very hot weather.

     "The public should carry and drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration while engaging in outdoor activities," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     "Those engaged in strenuous outdoor activities should avoid beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee and tea, as well as alcohol, as they speed up water loss through the urinary system," the spokesman explained.

     "The obese, the sick, including those with heart disease or high blood pressure, the old and the young are more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses. They should pay special attention," the spokesman added.

     The public should adopt the following precautions:
 

• Wear loose and light-coloured clothing to reduce heat absorption and facilitate sweat evaporation and heat dissipation;
• Avoid vigorous exercise and prolonged activities like hiking or trekking as heat, sweating and exhaustion place additional demands on the physique;
• Perform outdoor activities in the morning or late afternoon;
• For indoor activities, open all windows, use a fan or use air-conditioning to maintain good ventilation; and
• Reschedule work to cooler times of the day.

     If working in a hot environment is inevitable, introduce shade in the workplace where practicable, and start work slowly and pick up the pace gradually. Get into a cool area for rest at regular intervals to allow the body to recuperate.

     The public should also note the latest and the forecast Ultraviolet (UV) Index released by the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO). When the UV Index remains high (6 or above):
 

• Minimise direct exposure of the skin and the eyes to sunlight;
• Wear loose long-sleeved clothing made of close-woven fabrics;
• Wear a wide brim hat or use an umbrella;
• Seek a shaded area or put on UV-blocking sunglasses;
• Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen lotion with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or above. Apply liberally and reapply after swimming or sweating; and
• While using DEET-containing insect repellents for personal protection against mosquito-borne diseases, apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent.

     If symptoms develop, such as dizziness, headache, nausea, shortness of breath or confusion, rest and seek help immediately, and seek medical advice as soon as possible.

     The public may get more information from the DH's Health Education Hotline (2833 0111), heat stroke page and UV radiation page; the HKO's Dial-a-Weather (1878 200), latest weather and forecast, UV Index and weather information for hiking and mountaineering; and press releases of the Labour Department on precautions against heat stroke for outdoor workers and their employers when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force.