Our de facto Cheat Sheet newsletter, released weekly, highlights interesting links that may have been overlooked in the past week. It also features a curated agenda of events in Hong Kong this coming week. It’s at once a recap of the past, and a glance at the future! So without further ado:

Highlights:

• Follow 21st Century Boy on Twitter and like us on Facebook. And by subscribing to our newsletter, you can receive our weekly Cheat Sheet in your inbox!
• Picture of the Week: China Airlines jokingly released an “official” photo of what appears to be a panda sitting in the plane cabin. (Jalopnik)
• lysblack teaches K-Pop 101, listing ten of South Korea’s most culturally significant pop music acts this past decade. (omonatheydidnt)
• Asia has always been mythologized, and this year is no different. 2011′s top ten myths are debunked. (New Yorker)
• The Chinese government has now resorted to calling microblogging “worse than cocaine.” (Guardian)
• A female college student from Anshan will sell herself to any official willing to free her jailed father. (Epoch Times)
• Jake Adelstein probes the Olympus cover-up of up to ¥134.8 billion ($1.7 billion) in losses since the 1990s. (Atlantic Wire)

Christmas-Themed Old Spice Ad of the Week:

(h/t @wkshanghai)

Agenda:

Twitter Drinking Hong Kong (TDHK) / Aroxta.com Grand Opening

This is the 4th meet-up for Twitter Drinking Hong Kong, a monthly networking event that intends to connect online faces in real life with the help of a little social lubricant named alcohol. In the photo above, yours truly socializes with Oxygen Cloud‘s Julia Mak (left) and #TDHK co-founder Jamie S (second from left).

Thursday, Dec 8, 2011, 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM HKT

Bisous
9/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street
Central, Hong Kong
w: www.facebook.com/TwitterDrinkingHK

Clockenflap Music & Arts Festival

Hong Kong’s annual music and arts festival is headed for the big leagues this year. Not only has the event moved to the giant West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade—with an explosive line-up that includes the likes of Santigold, Bombay Bicycle Club, Luke Vibert, and Hong Kong’s very own Noughts & Exes—but it’s all for free! The festival will also feature short films, installation art, a flea market, and a kid’s area. The word is that tickets have been overbooked, so make sure you head over early!

Saturday to Sunday, Dec 10 – 11, 2011, 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM HKT

West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade, Hong Kong
w: www.clockenflap.com

Hullett House Christmas Market

For a few glorious days, the colonial-era Hullett House will be home to a Christmas-themed pop-up market. The numerous stalls will feature toys, gingerbreads, cakes, handicrafts, foie gras, smoked meats, cheeses, mulled wine, eggnog, Swiss chocolates, puppies for adoption, and carol singers. With that shotgun blast of goodies, we’re certain at least one of the items will appeal to you. You can see a poster here. (Photo above by Canadian Pacific on Flickr.)

Friday to Sunday, Dec 9 – 11, 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM HKT (except 4:00 PM on Friday)

Hullett House
1881 Heritage, No. 2A Canton Road
Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
w: www.hulletthouse.com | t: +852 3988 0000

Got a story, event, or link you’d like us to check out? Send your tips to us!

• Follow 21st Century Boy on Twitter and like us on Facebook. And by subscribing to our newsletter, you can receive our weekly Cheat Sheet in your inbox!
• Picture of the Week: Henry Tang is referred to as “Chief Executive” (of Hong Kong) in The Standard. The CE selection does not happen until 2012. (h/t @rudeshock)
• Now-retired Yao Ming is launching a California winery for the Chinese market. His wine will be simply labeled “Yao Ming.” (CNNGo)
• A photo essay of Chungking Mansions, the iconic Hong Kong building known for its guesthouses, restaurants, and black market goods. (Foreign Policy)
• Hayao Miyazaki’s next film is reportedly “not the sort of work that everyone in the audience can relax and watch.” (Twitch Film)
• The lovely Marjorie Liu talks about her canceled Marvel series X-23, her other writing projects, and Chinese comics. (CBR)
• French actor Jean Reno returns in yet another ad as everyone’s favorite earless robotic cat Doraemon. (ANN)

Gecko of the Week:

Kung Fu Gecko? (Shikhei Goh on 500px via Neatorama)

Agenda:

Business of Design Week Forum 2011

The annual design conference invites design leaders from around the world to discuss ongoing trends in the industry. The keynote speakers are luminaries: Functionalist designer Dieter Rams and Japanese architect Shigeru Ban. See the full program schedule here.

Forum Dates: Thursday to Saturday, Dec 1 – Dec 3, 2011, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
26 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
e: info@bodw.com | w: http://www.bodw.com/

–

TED x Hong Kong

TEDx comes to Hong Kong once again, featuring speakers such as inventor Alex Backer, ESKYIU co-founder Eric Schuldenfrei, and G.O.D. founder Douglas Young. Seats are already sold out, but we hear that the organizers may still be on the lookout for volunteers. They must be willing to stay all day (9am to 8pm). We’re certain that these helpers will get to listen in on what are sure to be exciting talks! For more details, email michael[at]21cb[dot]net with the subject header “TED Volunteer” by Tuesday, 6pm HKT.

Friday, Dec 2, 2011, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Hong Kong Polytechnic University,
Chiang Chen Studio Theatre, Kowloon, Hong Kong
e: info@tedxhongkong.com | w: http://www.tedxhongkong.com

–

RISD Art Show and Artists Ball

The RISD Hong Kong Alumni Association presents an art show and artists ball. Special guest and RISD President John Maeda will give a speech. Come to the ball dressed as an artist or artwork. We’re going as a de Kooning painting, so be prepared to be offended.

Art Show: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. (7:15 p.m. speech by President Maeda); Artists Ball: 9 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.

RISD Art Show
Fringe Club, Roof Garden, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central
RISD HK members HKD$250, Member’s Guests HKD$350 (includes 2 drinks and canapes)

RISD Artist Ball, Hong Kong with DJ Pop Fugitive
Volar, 38-44 D’Aguilar Street, Central
Pay at door HKD$150 (includes 2 drinks)
Dress code: Dress up as an Artist or Artwork

t: +852 2627 7312 | w: http://www.risdhk.org/

Got a story, event, or link you’d like us to check out? Send your tips to us!

Our Cheat Sheet returns, along with three major changes.

1. As of today, our de facto newsletter will begin running on a weekly publishing cycle. This gives us the opportunity to highlight stories that focus more on developments and long-term trends.
2. We are introducing a Highlight of the Week sub-section, which will at the very least feature the Picture of the Week (the title image). Expect other cool items, like a Video of the Week, a Tweet of the Week, or even something like a Highly Suggestive K-pop Dance Move of the Week.
3. We will also be unveiling a sub-section titled Agenda, where we will list any events in Hong Kong (and East Asia, if they look particularly good!) that we will—or would like to—attend the coming week.

It’s at once a recap of the past, and a glance at the future! So without further ado:

• Follow 21st Century Boy on Twitter and like us on Facebook. And by subscribing to our newsletter, you can receive our weekly Cheat Sheet in your inbox!
• Picture of the Week: A 24-metre-tall statue of Soong Ching-ling, vice chairman of the PRC and Sun Yat-sen’s wife, is being built in Henan, China. (Shanghaiist)
• Tom, who was offered an acting role simply because he was a white guy, discusses the disturbing racial shorthand in Chinese advertising. (Seeing Red in China)
• Visual journalist Jonah Kessel traveled around China, asking owners of small corner stores what their top selling item was. (Dan Wei)
• India has an extremely high teen pregnancy rate. Yet you rarely hear about it – because, Tripti Lahiri argues, India hates women. (India Real Time)
• An American woman who considers Hokkaido her home is now trying to bring folk tales to a wider English-speaking audience. (The Japan Times)
• Bangkok is in danger of being swept away by the powerful flooding in Thailand. Here’s a video explaining the situation. (ThaiPulse)

Video of the Week:

Agenda:

Fabrik X theWanderlister+ Asia for TAKASHI MURAKAMI

Fabrik Gallery in Hong Kong has asked our friends at theWanderlister+ Asia to help them celebrate the opening exhibition launch of Takashi Murakami’s latest works: a series of 10 new paintings including Murakami pieces already in the Fabrik collection.

Opening: Nov 9, 2011, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Exhibition Dates: Nov 9 – Dec 4, 2011, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Fabrik Contemporary Art (Art One)
Gallery 12 Art One, M/F Convention Plaza, 1 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
+ 852 2525 4911 | e: info@fabrik-gallery.com | w: http://www.fabrik-gallery.com

RANCINAN in Hong Kong

French photographer Gerard Rancinan comes to Asia for the first time, and will be exhibiting at Hong Kong’s Opera Gallery. An ex-war-photographer-turned-freelancer, Rancinan’s images are often eye-popping, seductive, and playfully critical of popular culture. You can sign up for the VIP opening through the Hong Kong Art Meetup group here.

VIP Opening: Nov 10 2011, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Exhibition Dates: Nov 11 – Dec 1, 2011, Mon-Sat 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m., Sun & Public holidays 12:00-6:00p.m.

Opera Gallery
2-8 Wellington Street, G2/F, M88, Central, Hong Kong
w: http://www.operagallery.com

BarCamp Hong Kong 2011

(Photograph by belleliu on Flickr)

Started in Palo Alto in 2005, this ad-hoc “unconference” is a user-generated workshop-driven event focused on web applications, open source tech, social protocols, and open data formats. Best of all, it’s completely free. Over 700 people are signed up so far. You can do so as well here.

9:30 a.m.-6:00p.m.

The Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre, Cornwall Street, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
w: http://www.barcamp.hk/

Got a story, event, or link you’d like us to check out? Send your tips to us!

• Follow 21st Century Boy on Twitter and like us on Facebook. And by subscribing to our newsletter, you can receive our daily Cheat Sheet in your inbox!
• The Chinese “new left” is particularly vocal about their support for Occupy Wall Street. (Asia Times)
• Blackberry phone service around the world has gone out after a server failure in the UK. (Engadget)
• A celebrity announces her independent candidacy for the People’s Congress in the Chaoyang district of Beijing. (CDT)
• A bill in California will now require more accurate data collection on Asian-Americans, to account for diverse ethnic groups. (8 Asians)
• According to Reporters Without Borders, North Korea’s mediascape is opening up, albeit slowly. (North Korea Tech)
• Travel website eezeer has collected Twitter data to analyze social media relations between airlines and consumers. (Asian Correspondent)
• Beloved publishing company Tokyopop has announced it intends to publish manga once more. (ANN)
• Luxury retailer Lane Crawford is having a PR nightmare, after they awarded a $10,000 prize for a public Facebook campaign to their official photographer. (Josie Tao)
• Korean pop star Rain salutes his fans before he begins his mandatory two-year army service. (WSJ)
• Citi analysts traveled to Hong Kong, interviewed 130 women, and concluded that luxury continues to thrive. (Business Insider)

(image via Paul S on Flickr)