Category: Life in Hong Kong
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In the UK, public holidays almost always fall on a Monday or are part of a longer holiday. Not so in Hong Kong, where a public holiday can fall on any day of the week – yes, even Saturday (cue howls of protest from Gweilos working a five-day week who don’t realize how lucky they…
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It seems to be a well-established tradition in Hong Kong that when you sit down at the table in a restaurant you use hot tea to wash the cups, bowls and chopsticks. The theory is that the water has been boiled, so it is safe. Well, maybe, but what about the people who wash the…
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Have to agree with Paul over at The Valley on this one. A typical conversation between a Gweilo and a local in Hong Kong goes something like this: "yes, Cantonese is not easy. You should learn Mandarin – the tones are easier, and it’s much more useful". Say you were living in Hong Kong and…
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Curmudgeonly old Fumier has been indulging in the popular sport of bashing HSBC. His rant was very entertaining, but his only real issue with HSBC seems to be that they are forcing him to register for Internet banking. I have to say that I am a big fan of this service, and as far as…
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I enjoyed this letter in Saturday’s SCMP: If Colin Campbell finds it impractical to walk "halfway up The Peak", perhaps he and his rich neighbours could do their bit to save us all from an early grave by investing in a sedan chair and a couple of coolies. This would also leave their hands free…
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From The Valley: When I got home Mrs "The Valley" snatched the fruit from me as I walked in the door. She then retreated into the kitchen for a full inspection. After a few nervous moments she emerged holding a mandarin in the air and, with a surprised look, gave me the thumbs up. Phew!…
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Enjoy the cookies
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My ATM card has been slightly broken for several months, but I’ve never quite got round to going to the bank to request a new one. Well, it worked, so why bother? Until Sunday, that is, when the machine swallowed the card and was unable to return it to me. I stood there for a…
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The government has come up with an altogether more sensible explanation for what they are trying to achieve with new legislation about discrimination and expat salaries, as the SCMP reports: Provisions for expat packages in the proposed anti-racism law will help rather than hinder companies’ recruitment of the best employees for the job, the deputy…
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In Saturday’s SCMP, Albert Cheng was complaining about the government’s lack of plans for digital radio in Hong Kong (subscription required): In Hong Kong, a steering committee was set up in 1998 to look into digital radio. It was assigned to co-ordinate trial tests by public and commercial broadcasters. The test results have been satisfactory,…
Ordinary Gweilo 