It would appear that the Philippine government is somewhat concerned about the reduction in numbers of Filipina domestic helpers and the simultaneous increase in the number of Indonesians starting contracts in Hong Kong, at least judging by the number of news stories on this subject recently. I commented on a rather muddled report on this…

Just to end the week on a positive note (and at the risk of being accused of being “Pooterish” by the man with the big yellow blog). The last few days have been fairly horrible in Hong Kong, with an all too obvious blanket of smog almost everywhere. I was starting to wish for a…

Warning: even by my low standards, this is fairly boring stuff. Like most people, I guess, I get annoyed when telemarketing people call me. Not so much because they are trying to sell me something, but rather because what they say is entirely scripted. I hate having to listen to their pathetic attempts both to…

Yes, I know this is a bit of a taboo subject, so if you are easily offended please don’t read any further. Look, here’s the thing – a little bit of rain never did anyone any harm. The human body is cunningly designed to be water-resistant (otherwise taking a bath or a shower would be…

This story had me puzzled. More than 100,000 foreign nationals work as maids in Hong Kong, and most of them are from the Philippines. But for how long? The labor ministry in Hong Kong says there were 155,470 Filipina maids in Hong Kong in 2001 but only 123,189 in 2003. At the same time there…

Cathy Holcombe, writing in the current issue of Spike, highlights a pharmacy in Central that is apparently famous for offering controlled medicines without a prescription. She also reports that it’s cheaper than Watsons. I am sure that’s right – I have briefly touched on the subject of Hong Kong pharmacies, and at the time I…

I am no longer a regular reader of the SCMP, but I do sometimes buy it on Saturday. I’m not sure why, though. Yesterday, the front page of the ‘City’ section (Hong Kong news that is too dull to go in the main paper, plus features and sport) looked like this: The top story was…

I can spot a theme when I see one, and Mia over at Discombobulated is obviously uneasy about the tendency of Western men in Asia to hook up with young ladies who are half their age (and a quarter of their weight). Recently she was unhappy that a fortyish male friend of hers has acquired…

I recently went to the library for the first time in many years, and the first time ever in Hong Kong. As a child I was a regular visitor to my local library. I remember the building as being a very modern glass and concrete structure with a curious split-level design. From the entrance you…

Watching TV last night I caught a very amusing piece of fiction. Yes, the one with the happy smiling minibus driver kindly requesting his passengers to fasten their seat belts. Then he turns the key in the ignition to start the engine before pulling away. This must come from a parallel universe where minibuses are…