Ordinary Gweilo

Simon is whining about having to move to a new office, wait for it, right on the edge of Central. Not Tuen Mun, or Tseung Kwan O, or the Tai Po Science Park, just another location in Central that doesn’t have a view of the harbour!!

His complaint is that the large bank that employs him feels the need to constantly change things. Actually he attributes this to Hong Kong rather the bank, but perhaps it’s a combination of the two (or a feature of the financial industry) because I haven’t noticed it happening very much in my world.

I have very rarely worked in a prime locations, in fact quite the opposite because I have spent most of my time in manufacturing and trading companies. They tend to be more frugal, occupy space in much cheaper locations away from the centre. The most central location I have ever been based was in central London, close to New Scotland Yard (and a short walk from Green Park), but in practice I spent most of my time at clients in much less glamorous places such as Finchley (a boring North London suburb).

I spent some time working for a client in Slough, which is where “The Office” is set, and I can confirm that it is just as unattractive as it appears. The particular factory was right next to the main railway line from London to the west of England, and when an express train went past, all conversations stopped instantly.

Needless to say, travelling from one side of London to another every day was not much fun. If you drive you get stuck in traffic jams (the North Circular is a particular favourite of mine), or if you use public transport you never know what is going to go wrong!

Hong Kong has a very good public transport system (especially if you are brave enough to use the red and green minibuses), and in the time I’ve been here there have been four new rail and MTR lines built (the Tung Chung line, Airport Express and Tseung Kwan O extension on the MTR, and KCR West Rail), with the KCR line to Ma On Shan under construction. Plus several highways, which are served by express bus services. So even places such as Tuen Mun and Yuen Long, which were once quite remote, are now within easy reach.

Mind you, I have had a few problems. Once when I needed to get to Tuen Mun, I decided I could take a bus from Tai Po KCR to Yuen Long and then use the Light Rail (tram). What I hadn’t realised was that the bus stopped almost everywhere en route, and it took an hour just to get to Yuen Long! Time for a cab.

So, Simon, stop complaining and be grateful that you haven’t been exiled to somewhere really remote!