In the News, HK Style

I rarely watch the news but lately there have been some interesting stories on the local telly in Hong Kong. Today all in Hong Kong were treated to a new budget from the Government/Tyrants. I really don't have much to complain about other than the air quality, but it seems locals in Hong Kong have been miffed at the tax rate (16% for almost everyone). 16% is far far far far far lower than most countries I know of, but what can I say, Chinese people are cheap, it's not a stereotype, it's fact. Why else is almost everything made in China? More on that in a minute.

Today's budget announced that last year's salaries tax in HK will be cut for everyone by 50%!! That's a huge chunk of change. It's a one-time deal, but I imagine it could happen again, especially since it happened once, people will expect it again. Props to the government for actually giving people back their own money, or rather letting them keep it (In Hong Kong, you don't get taxed on each cheque, you pay at the end of the year). So now people have to pay the gov. 50% less across the board. That's pretty cool. Even with the maximum cut being $15,000HKD, that's still a lot of money.

I complain about the air quality so much, but today I'm going to let someone else do it for me. Here's an article from Vancouver about 'China's New Great Wall.' The 'New Great Wall' is actually the border of smoke/cloud/smog/toxins that floats between Hong Kong and China. It accounts for 80% of HK's pollution. If it wasn't for mainly Western Society's dependance on cheap labour cost in China, Hong Kong might actually be quite lovely in terms of air. If you cut even half of that 80%, the air quality would be similar to Vancouver on a really busy day. I could handle that.

"They're coming to their senses, ...They say what's the use of having so much money when my water is black and the air is foul?"

It took them almost 7 years to realize this? Just goes to show that people would rather die early on in life, than drink clean water with a little less money.

In other news...

"Hong Kong's three landfills could be at capacity in four to eight years and 450,000 tonnes of untreated sewage spews daily into picturesque Victoria Harbour."

Note to self, don't ever go swimming again in Hong Kong. If any tourist must go to a beach, pleeeeease go somewhere on the other side of Victoria Harbour. All things considered, Hong Kong smells pretty damned good... compared to say... a rotten carcus.

But please come visit!

I'm serious...

On the Menu

Probably one of the hardest things to get used to in Hong Kong is the vast array of food choices there are. I've already notice a huge difference in terms of cost depending on where you go to eat. Here is a list of food I really like and some things I've learned.

Good Food (Prices in HKD)

1. Chinese waffles on the street, numerous locations, $10
2. McD's Icecream, only cause it's super cheap, $3-5
3. Soy based juice, very tastey, and not too sweet
4. Popcorn* tentative, but i've heard it's yummy at the theatre
5. Street food / Local restaurants = CHEAP!
6. Chain American Restaurants = make you feel at home, but pricey
7. Beer from the grocery = much much much cheaper
8. Inn Side Out - Nacos are awesome ($65), under palms in Causeway Bay HK Island, sponsor of the rugby team

Bad Food

1. McD's grilled chicken, there is nothing "grilled" about this, it's just gross
2. Pickled anything, uugugugggggg
3. Sugar cane juice, not my type of juice, and way too sweet
4. Fermented bean curd, I didnt even taste this one to know I would puke

Misc. Food tips

1. Location - Food in malls is expensive, but easy to order in food courts. They tend to be all in English and the tellers speak very good English usually. However it cost at least $50 for anything decent.

If you want really good dinner for pennies practically, go to a less touristy area and into a local restaurant. We had a huge plate of food each, a tonne of choices on the menu, and a full meal was I think $24. The downside is, it's all in Cantonese, and the waiter/waitress don't speak any English, so it's kind of risky.

2. I've been told eating street food isn't a good thing upon first arrival, but I did it anyway, and it's really good and cheap! I guess the safe thing is to make sure it fresh and cooked. Stay away from the 7/11 Slurpees if they even have any. According to my girlfriend they made a bunch of people sick a few years ago because they never clean the machine.

3. Water is cheap/plentiful at the grocery stores. Bottle of water at a restaurant = $36. 6L/bottles mineral water at the grocery store = $36. Easy to figure out which is best.

New Furniture

After sleeping on a cot for a week, I decided to get myself a new bed. Thanks to IKEA, I now have a super duper cheap bed, that should hopefully last me at least another week. I've had IKEA beds before, but this one is by far the cheapest. It's fairly solid, but the matress leaves much to be desired.

If you are looking for cheap semi-reliable furniture, go to IKEA, it's very easy, and if you're familiar with the store, it will be a painless ordeal. Delivery is very cheap, about 1/5 of what it costs in Canada. In Hong Kong not many people have cars, so delivery is much more common. The showroom is fairly nice, and you can test out what you get before you buy it.

I checked out a few more places in Causeway Bay, but they were all super pricey. If I end up getting a nice English Teaching job, perhaps a better bed may be in my future, but not for now.

Hong Kong Tips

I have only been here a short while, but have already learnt a great bit which has enabled me to adapty fairly quick. This post will be updated as new things are found out and explored. For a quick briefing, I am 6 feet tall, white, and speak no cantonese at all. So needless to say I stick out a bit in public, but not all the time (there are many brits in certain areas) Also I am living with my girlfriend, who has lived in Hong Kong since she was 7, we met in college. She also does not speak Cantonese, so going out together proves not much easier in terms of communicating. So here's my first impressions on the main areas, and generally getting to know Hong Kong.

1 - I'm Big! I wouldn't have thought being 6 feet to be crazy tall being from North America, but here I feel like a giant sometimes. Particularly in buses or trams. Double decker buses are hard to manage on the top floor, especially if you have bags with you. My advice, stay on the main floor seating area, but you might have to give up your seat to an elderly person.

2 - Sit on top! I know I just said stay off the top floor if you are tall, but it is the best way to see the city. From the top of a double decker, sit in front, and you will feel like you are on an amusement park ride, the fee is well worth it, especially if taking the East route to Stanley market, we almost had a head on collision with another bus, aparantly this is normal on this road.

3 - Take buses/trams to save money. Generally this is the best way to travel if you have time to spare. The fares are quite low, usually less than $1 CDN, and the buses are all AC! Trams however are not, but they are really cheap. Personally I would avoid trams because I am too tall to stand up on them, and you will probably need to stand at times, guaranteed during rush hour. If you want to get from one end of HK island to the other quick, take the MTR/Subway, it's very clean, and very fast, also AC. If you want to go anywhere else in HK you must take a ferry or the MTR or an expensive cab ride.

4 - ONE camera at a time. If you plan on bringing a camera(s), only use one at a time! Do not attempt to have 2 cameras out at once, or one will most likely be stolen, broken, or dropped. It is just too busy to be carrying around any more than what you can hold in your hand. I would not bring a tripod unless it is at night. Also bring a Polarizing filter!

5 - Shoes! Well the first thing I bought here was a pair of shoes, and I have to say the experience was awesome! Go to Mong Kok! Go there for anything! There is one street in particular that has at least 50 shoe store within 3 blocks. And they are all legit stores. No fakes. Prices will be low if you buy out of season wear, and even if they are not most pairs will be probably half what you'd pay in North America, and there is amazing variety. I think I saw at least 200 different version of converse classics. Adidas, Nike, New Balance, Puma, Reebok, and most other major brands can be found here.

6- Umbrella. I highly recommend bringing one every time you go out anywhere. I have been caught in the rain twice now, and it's not fun!

7- Carry cash. Most places take cash only unless it is a major establishment or nice restaurant. Even the 'Peak Tram' the most well known tourist site, only takes cash!

8- Learn to walk on the left side. Most NA's tend to walk to the right. Well not only do people drive on the left here, they also walk on the left. Escalators etc. are all backwards compared to NA. Also be prepared to walk into people, or be prepared to be walkin into and knocked down. Although most people inside malls etc. are friendly to everyone's own path, the streets can get ugly. If people are carrying umbrellas they don't notice what they are hitting so watch your eyes. Also if it's crowded don't wait for everyone, or you will wait forever, you don't get "waved in" here.

9- Phrase Book. As with any country it helps to know what people are saying sometimes. I picked up the Lonely Planet Cantonese phrase book, so far it's been great. Very small, simple easy to learn phrase book.