Lesley in Hong Kong

Hidden Extras - Hong Kong Property 'haunted house'

25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester  - demolished

Seriel Killer's Homes are not desirable

If there is, say, a man arrested and subsequently charged with murdering at least 11 women over a number of years we are able to read about such a heinous crime in the newspapers.  As was the case of Fred West and his wife Rosemary.  Biography of West Their house, pictured above, was the scene of the murders and was demolished in an effort to rid the neighbourhood of the legacy of such an evil couple.  The not so publicised reason for the demolition was to prevent the property prices being negatively effected in the area.  I doubt that any estate agent's particulars would mention the fact that Cromwell Street was once the home of a serial killer?   That isn't what any one wants from a des res.

Independent 1995

Buying and Selling uk/hk

Having dipped my toe into the Hong Kong property market quite recently I am becoming familiar with the system of buying and selling compared with the system in the UK.  It is quite different, a little bit more scary - no actually much more scary. 

Exchange of Contracts

In the UK a house can be on the market with an agent and if someone wants to put an offer in then the vendor can accept that offer.  Both parties then approach their solicitor to begin the legal conveyancing process.  No one is actually legally obliged to complete the purchase ie. pay for it, until exchange of contracts takes place.  The exchange may not take place for months and so at any time either party can withdraw from the agreed sale or purchase.  This can be disappointing and frustrating but nothing can be done when this happens. 

In Hong Kong once an offer has been accepted the purchaser must immediately stump up a deposit of 5% of the agreed price and two weeks later another 5% must be paid when an official Assignment is signed with an agreed date for the completion to take place and also when the rest of the money is handed over.

If either party decides not to continue with the sale or the purchase the deposit is forfeited by the purchasers and they are legally bound to pay the double deposit to the vendor.  If the vendor decides not to sell they must return the deposit plus the same amount again to the potential purchaser as compensation for withdrawing from the agreement.   See - scary isn't it?

Valuation

Another aspect which is different, is the valuation of property.  In the UK an Estate Agent will come and have a look at your property, tape measure in hand, and will poke about in your roof space, garage and bathrooms tutting and humming as he values your pride and joy, your home sweet home, your castle.   Once a valuation price has been established it will go on the market for that price.  If someone then wants a mortgage to purchase the property a qualified representative of the bank or building society will call around with a bigger tape measure and do more tutting and perhaps humphing at damp proof courses and roof insulation thicknesses.  Only after that quite thorough inspection will you be offered money to make the purchase.

Virtual Valuation

In Hong Kong the valuation of a property is done either online or over the phone.  No one from the Estate Agency or the Bank will actually view the property or even care what state it is in but will come up with a price.  The valuations are done based on the square footage and sales of similar properties in the area.  Not really that skillful or accurate in my opinion.  So if you spend pots of cash on that lovely new bathroom with Italian fittings it means bugger all and will have little impact on the bank valuation. 

Death List

There is also one other issue I have just become aware of which does effect the valuation of property in Hong Kong and that is the 'haunted house', haunted meaning if any one has ever died in the property. 

Unlucky Number

As we all know the Chinese are very superstitious and any mention of the word death or dead or even just a word that sounds a bit like it ( the number 4 or 14 for instance) must never be uttered.  So there will be no house number 4 or 14 in a street, there will be no tower number 4 or 14 in a block of high rise buildings and no 4 or 14 apartment on floor 4 or 14.  

 

As well as that there is a published list of so called 'haunted houses' so that potential buyers can see if anyone ever died in the place they are considering buying.  If someone did die then it will mean the valuation is lower than the surrounding properties. 

Here is the link to the 'Haunted House' list Check this before making an offer

It is depressing reading and there are far too many 'jumpers' who committed suicide.  It is a fact that the preferred method of suicide in Hong Kong is either burning charcoal in an enclosed room so the fumes kill, or jumping from a high building and there are a lot of tall buildings in these parts.

Unlike the West's house, which has now disappeared from the street, it is not possible to demolish an apartment in a huge tower block so what happens to these 'haunted houses'?  Do people buy them at a lower prices and live happily ever after or do they avoid them and they remain empty for years...

 

 

Street Food Beijing Wangfujing Street

Scorpion on a stick!

                                                                                                  Chili Sparrows

 

More scorpions, star fish and sea horses - on a stick.  Are you getting the culinary theme now?

 

 

 

 

 

I had a trip to Beijing.  The food was terrific and so, as is the way in Asia I took photographs of the food and have posted them for your delight.  Some are on Facebook, obviously, because that is the sole reason for its existence.  ie  Go out to eat, take photos of your plate of food (even if it looks like dog vomit) and then post the image on Facebook to show everyone just what a good time you had.

The street market at Wangfujing Street had some delicious snacks (I could have put snakes there for a hilarious typo but it would have been true not a joke) which reminded me of the scene from Monty Python's Life of Brian "Rat on a stick" - I know you understand my inter-textual reference because you are clever.  The People's Front

I have to tell that I couldn't actually eat anything that looked like a bug or a small bird especially when some of them were still wriggling their poor little legs.  They were not dead just speared on a stick and waiting to be grilled. 

 

I did try the toffee coated strawberries though and can highly recommend them.

The Temperature in Hong Kong Cinemas is too cold

I have just returned from a visit to the cinema at Mega Box, Kowloon Bay.  I saw  Wrath of the Titans  in 3D and I could write at length about the irritation of wearing the silly glasses and constantly jumping in an alarmed way when rocks, spears and snot nosed monsters appeared to be landing on my lap.  I don't think 3D is the future although I certainly do enjoy the IMAX experience.  Can I have the IMAX experience without the silly glasses please?

More importantly it is the freezing temperature of the cinema that I need to complain about.  I have special cinema clothes which I wear for such an outing regardless of the weather outside.   Hong Kong cinemas are so uncomfortably freezing cold that previous miserable cold shivering experiences have taught me that I must don my North Face jacket, woolly hat with ear flaps and compulsory thermal underwear in order to get through a movie. 

I have tried complaining to the staff and asked them to turn down the air conditioning so that they save money and keep me warm.  I have been told I can hire a jacket for $100.  I protested and missed bits of the plot in my attempts to creep to the front to, yet again, plead with the staff to raise the temperature so it is not necessary for the audience to wear ski clothes so they can watch a movie in a comfortable environment.

This situation has being going on for far too long.

It is typical of Hong Kong to ignore such environmental factors.

Lady Gaga Hong Kong ticket sales unfair

I am not in with the in crowd.

I am not an American Express credit card holder.

I really thought that if the tickets to see Lady Gaga went on sale today then that is what it would mean.

I was SO wrong.

All sold out.

I really do think that if you camped out on the street to buy the tickets then you deserve one, but pre sales to American Express card holders....STINKS

Private Lives, McAulay Studio Theatre, Wanchai, Hong Kong

The comic masterpiece by Noel Coward The man

Private Lives

February 22nd-25th, 2012

McAulay Studio Theatre, Wanchai, Hong Kong  Website

Adam Harris, Director and Elyot Chase and much much more

Noel Coward (1899-1971) wrote Private Lives What Wikipedia says over the course of just four days while recovering from illness at the Peace Hotel in Shanghai. 

(Tenuous Hong Kong link)  He typed up his final manuscript while staying at the Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon. 

After a provincial tour the play had its London opening at the Phoenix Theatre on 24th September, 1930 with Coward himself as Elyot and Gertrude Lawrence as Amanda.  Victor was played by a very young Laurence Olivier.

In this satire the affectations and polite manners of the upper crust in the 1930s are exposed, and ultimately shattered, by giving the audience an intimate glimpse of life behind closed doors.  It shows that the human condition has no class boundaries so the horrors of domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse and the inevitable breakdown of a relationship is just as pathetic for the upper classes as it is for the participants of a Jeremy Kyle talk show.  I am quite sure that the twists and turns of Elyot and Amanda's relationship have been used in every soap opera from Coronation Street to Dallas.

The farcical sequence of events the four main characters are subjected to are comedic, but just like a member of a Jeremy Kyle audience, squirmingly uncomfortable to witness.  Snorting cocaine, face slapping, drink slinging and bottle breaking are there to shock and seduce. 

The close proximity of the audience to the cast in the McAuley Studio creates an intimate feel.  To witness a drama performance  in this way makes the experience highly engaging.  Watching Elyot and Amanda being intimate on their sofa, as if at home, almost made me want to avert my eyes.  Were we eves-dropping, spying on them?  Were we supposed to be there so involved in the sexual tension?  Seeing them relaxing, guard down in night wear, a smidgen away from nakedness?

It was particularly enjoyable to see Adam Harris in his pyjamas and especially thrilling to see him with such a dapper, slicked-back,  hair cut.  He is captivating to watch and, when dressed,  his costume was elegant and stylish.   Surely the driving force in this production.

Who on earth dressed Amanda?  The opening scene featured a very flimsy black full length petticoat which was badly made and ill-fitting.  She left the scene to 'slip on a dress' and entered with an even worse cream shiny number, again flimsy, badly made and ill-fitting but this time the zip had broken.  I know it is easy to get things made in Hong Kong - so why not get something substantial that fits?  The awful dresses would probably not have been so noticeable if it hadn't been for the dreadful nylon wig which had a greeny, yellow tinge and in no way could have been mistaken for real hair - forget the wig go with your real hair!

The character of Sibyl was truly annoying. She was meant to be irritating, spoilt, immature and asian.  She succeeded.

Private Lives produced and directed by the irrepressible and dapper Adam Harris, the George Clooney of Hong Kong, was an excellent and brave production.  I highly recommend going to see future performances or productions where Adam is involved.

 

Coming soon Vincent, a one-man show about the artist Vincent van Gogh in May

 

 

 

Stuff White People Like by Christian Lander

 

 

I saw this and thought "It must mean me?"

Hooked by this title I read on...  to a point it is very true and full of witertaining observations from a white, western point of view although it is based on the assumption that all white people live in America and have an affinity to Canada so that part fell on stony ground for me, and to some extent also assumes a maleness and even possibly an under 40sness.  I'm just saying!

He has a website also full of wise words about 'stuff' Stuff White People Like and if you like that you might also like a quick surf at White Whine.com A Collection of First-World Problems  which puts 'stuff' into perspective for those rich spoilt brats out there.

Here is a snippet from SWPL

Outdoor Performance Clothes

As white people get older, they like to have clear boundaries between their professional and personal lives.   They don't mind talking about their personal life at work, but they hate talking about their work life when they are enjoying a weekend or vacation.  But with BlackBerry's and laptops, white people could be working anywhere, at any time.  So how do you know when they are off the clock?  It's easy;  just check their clothes.

When white people aren't working, they generally like to wear outdoor performance clothes.  The top suppliers of these garments and accessories include North Face, REI, Mountain Equipment Co-Op, Columbia Sportswear and Patagonia.  When you see white people wearing these brands, it is important that you do not discuss business matters.  Instead you should say things like 'Where did you get that fleece?" and "What's that thing holding your keys to your shorts?" White people will be more than happy to talk to you about their sustainably produced possessions.

The main reason white people like these clothes is that they allow them to believe that at any moment they could find themselves with a Thule rack on top of their car headed to a national park.  It could be 4:00pm on a Saturday when they might get the call. "Hey, man, you know what we need to do?  Kayak then camping, right now.  I'm on my way to get you.  There is no time to change clothes."

Though this is unlikely that they will ever receive this call, white people hate the idea of missing an opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities just because they weren't wearing the right clothes.

If you plan on spending part of your weekend with a white person, it is strongly recommended that you purchase a jacket or some sort of 'high-performance' T-shirt, which is like a regular shirt, just a lot more expensive.

Viz Educational Recruitment

Viz Adult Comic

 

I just had to share these spoof adverts from this months Viz.  I am thinking of applying!

 

Rutland Council Schools Service

WANTED

Large-Breasted Female English Teacher   24-30K

A busy boys-only secondary school in Oakham is seeking a new English teacher.  The appointee will have a good knowledge of 20th Century English Literature, familiarity with the requirements of the National Curriculum and a flimsy blouse, straining at the buttons.

Main duties will involve providing masturbatory inspiration for boys in Years 9, 10 and 11, as well as subject matter for crudely-drawn desk-lid graffiti.  An existing rumour about having posed for pornographic photographs on the internet would be an advantage but is not essential, as this will start following the first assembly the successful applicant attends.

For an application form contact Mr Geoff Plywood, Deputy Head, St. Oswalds High Street, Rutland

"Helping Pupils Maximise Achievement of their Individual Potential" 

Rutland Council Schools Service

or

 

Redditch County Council require a

Bitter, Jaded Geography Teacher

Grade 2  38-41K pa

Redditch County Council are seeking a tired, disenchanted professional to go through the motions of teaching geography A level at a comprehensive school in the borough.

We're looking for someone with a complete lack of drive and ambition to sit in front of a class, drinking coffee for up to 40 minutes at a time.  The successful candidate will have:-

• a farcial record of absenteeism
• given every piece of homework he has ever marked 7/10 without reading it
• absolutely no desire for promotion
• not changed his lesson plans for at least 15 years

In addition he will be cynically counting the days to the earliest opportunity he has to take early retirement on the grounds of ill health whilst retaining his full pension entitlement.

If this sounds like you, then reply enclosing the same CV you had in 1976 to Mrs Audrey Frodsham, ref. V654, Town Hall Reddith RE5

Reddich Schools, more than just schools...Redditch Schools!

New Passport British Consulate Hong Kong

 

Did you know that the procedure for applying for a British passport through the British Consulate in Hong Kong has changed?

It has.

the following is copied from the British Consulate Website

Changes to your application from 18 August

Please note the following changes that will affect your passport application. With effect from 18 August 2011, the Regional Passport Processing Centre in Hong Kong will process your passport. The passport will be printed in the United Kingdom. You will receive two packages, one containing the supporting documents you submitted, and the second package directly from the UK with your new passport.

 

Previously if you needed a new passport while living in Hong Kong you could go along to the Consulate, queue up to get through security, hand your phone in, then have your application processed in that office.   This has changed.  You can still submit your application to that office but it is sent to the UK, printed in the UK and sent back to you via DHL. 

This means it takes much longer than it used to so be aware - you need to give yourself at least four  weeks.  I suggest six to be on the safe side, plus you can apply for a passport nine months before it expires.

If you fail to do this and do need to travel and have no vailid passport then you can apply for an Emergency Travel Document (100 pounds) which you can only apply for the day before you travel.

How to apply from Hong Kong

All the information is on the website but I really thought I should make people aware of this change because you need to allow a lot more time since they changed the system in August 2011

How to get there

 

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Location and access

 

British Consulate-General, Hong Kong

---

The British Consulate-General is located at

1 Supreme Court Road,

opposite the Conrad International Hotel.

The closest MTR station is Admiralty. Use Exit C1 and take the escalator up into Queensway Shopping Centre and walk into Pacific Place. Take the escalators up towards Hong Kong Park. You will come out on Supreme Court Road. Turn left for the British Council and British Consulate-General.

Entrance to our consular, visa and passport services is located on Justice Drive.

There is no parking or waiting room for cars outside the Consulate building.

Mountain Bike Adventure - Lhasa to Kathmandu August 2011

 

 

Lhasa to Kathmandu by Fred Croft

Through Tibet on a bike - a journey not a destination by Fred Croft

 Last August HB embarked upon a most challenging cycle ride starting in Lhasa in Tibet and ending in Kathmandu in Nepal taking in some of the highest mountain passes in the world and also Everest Base Camp.  He covered a distance of 1100km in 18 days and came back 'lighter'.

 

Click on the link which will take you to www.blurb.com a self publishing website where you can preview the book and then place an order.  Its a beautiful coffee table hard back edition containing many breath-taking photographs capturing the experience.

 

A Poem

 

How HK Expat Zeitgeist are you?

 

Are you whole house, or top floor
Duplex living, out in DB or Midlevels, are you moving
near the tunnel, with your soft top
Is the school good, and the teachers
Do you zumba, or play netball
Is it Curves, when you've got time

Majong or to Shehnzen, with mainland and congestion

Are you android, or just wireless
on your iphone, makes you feel good
Are you connected, on Facebook, or Skyping
back to home town, do they know you?
in the real time, would you go home, if you knew where

 

Immigration, with the masses

Have your thumb print, and the forms filled

Is it legal can they do that – can you make me?

Are you public, red taxi on the metre

Get a good price, if you ask him

Did you say that?  Did you get there?

Were you on time, is it faster

Is it OK, to be scathing, international or the locals

 

Are you aware that you are living on the edge of a communist regime with a woeful human rights record and a demographic transition interconnected with commercialism on a global scale?

 

Do you have - an air purifier

And a maid from Manila

Is she on time,  keeps your house clean,  an accountant

Does she cook, for your husband can she massage

Pick out presents, for the play dates

Comes in handy for the handoffs

On Sundays, do you miss her

 

After Christmas, can you pay it

Does your bonus really cut it

Did you weekend in The Hyatt, was the buffet as expected

Fizzy white wine from New Zealand,

With the sushi and the chocolate, not from Hong Kong

Always imports, is it hep B you recover from

 

Local media, do you see it

Can you miss it,

RTHK in a time warp

The advice from Legco

Be happy and be nice, to your family and the dentist

Use a cliché if in doubt.

So I guess what I’m kinda asking
While I’m kinda multi tasking
Is how freakin Zeitgeist are you?

 

Self-Storage - why?

The Self-Storage - waste of space

 

I really want to share this story from the BBC on my favourite topic.  I used to be one of those people who paid money for years to keep stuff in storage and when I eventually got round to sorting it out 90% of it never made it back into the house and  was immediately put in a skip.

Don't make this mistake - if in doubt chuck it out should be your mantra.

 

The photograph is including because it's lovely.  Isle of Sky, dolphin.

New in Hong Kong part 2

 

There is so much ground to cover on the subject of being new in Hong Kong I feel it needs a second installment...

 

Learning Cantonese

In the beginning you will have positive intentions about learning the language.  You will imagine that it is possible to pick it up from other Hong Kong friends you meet.  You may even consider or even attend Cantonese lessons.  In about a year, or longer, you will feel confident to say the name of your street in Cantonese to a taxi driver and even though his reaction will undoubtedly be 'HA!" with a confused tone and you have to repeat it 27 times and have a conversation in English with his control room in English, you will have made progress because at least the words are being emitted from your mouth.  You will also be more confident to ask the taxi driver or mini bus driver to stop in Cantonese.  Top tip on the bus 'Pass the Jam Old Boy' gets the mini bus to stop, try shouting it out from the back seat today and see what happens.  You are allowed to feel proud if it stops where you want.  

Even though some words people say to you are actually English they have a Cantonese twist which make them harder to understand.   Just because you start copying these words doesn't mean you can speak Cantonese although you will be understood.   For example  MTR low for MTR,  capak for car park, ecuse me for excuse me or the strange custom of saying Cheers when posing for a photograph when obviously the word is Cheese (what does it mean anyway?).

Public Transport

Hong Kong public tranpsort system is the world's best, and I mean that most sincerely folks.    But to start with the names of the stations will be just noise and your journey will involve intense interest in the map with the little lights.  Your heart rate may increase as you near your station with the anticipation of what to do once you get to street level.   You will be one of those annoying people who dither and delay when scanning the magical Octopus card (have you got one yet!)  or, god forbid, at the bottom of escalators.  You may even be at risk of looking like a tourist - some one who reads the Exit signs and carries a map trying to find their way.  It is your mission not to look like a tourist by the way so avoid huge baggy shorts and socks with sandals especially in Central or TST and try not to be so pale. 

Exotic Food 

As a newbie in Hong Kong some of the food may be a challenge. Challenging Food   Chop sticks may hinder your progress but believe me you'll master those quickly.   I doubt that pig intestine, chicken's feet or a number of deep sea endangered species will ever become normal but try to be receptive to the new food and products you see in restaurants and supermarkets.   It could be a mistake to be constantly craving that particular gravy mix or condiment from back home.  It is known for some expats to bring back suitcases of their favourite consumable or even have their mother send it in bulk as a special treat.  Stop this at once.  You can get everything in Hong Kong.  Absolutely anything you want is available you just need to know where to get it (be prepared to pay for it) and if you don't then ask me!

Useful sites to make your life easier

Welcome Delivers

Park N Shop

Broadway Circuit art house cinema

Asia Expat for second hand stuff

Get into the Country Parks

Hiking Options - there is more than city

 

 

 

New in Hong Kong

Have you just arrived?

It is the time of year when a lot of new people arrive in Hong Kong.  There is a period of settling in and discoveries are made.  If you are new, let me warn you now, that you will feel a range of emotions on an hourly basis and the main focus of these emotions will be whether you have made the right decision about giving up your previous life to live away from your old friends and family.  You will change your mind depending upon the peaks and troughs of your experience, as I say, on an hourly basis.

OK may be I'm exaggerating about feeling differently every hour, but you will have moments of doubt.  

Spending Money

Obviously when you first arrive it is exciting and there are loads of things to do, organize and buy.  There will be a hemorrhaging from your bank account as you shell out two months of rent in advance, perhaps buy a car (not so much 2nd hand) tax a car (outrageous), Bonus Driving Blog FYI furnish your apartment.  And all the incidental purchases that make a home homely add up.  You will need mosquito, cockroach and ant deterrent, dehumidifiers to suck up the extra moisture that lingers in your wardrobes and rots your clothes, damp patch blog anti mold potions to keep the unsightly black film off your bathroom ceiling and new filters for your air conditioning units which may never have been cleaned. 

Funds will Fly

Your funds will fly out of your wallet in the flurry of socializing and meeting new people.  Hong Kong bar prices can be painfully high but you don't know that yet because you haven't established the exchange rate in your head accurately so you keep on buying drinks.  And because you are new and have no friends you say yes to all invitations because you want to come across as friendly and interesting.   After a while you will stop even attempting to remember any exchange rate and you will also become wiser about happy hours.

Oh and keep in mind that you will receive a lovely green envelope through the post probably just after Christmas,  this will be your tax bill.

Domestic Helpers

Guide to employing a domestic helper

You will have conversations with people who are not so new about 'helpers'.  In some cases it will be essential to hire a domestic helper so that you can actually go out of the house and do the job you have come to Hong Kong for, leaving your children to be looked after by the helper you don't know yet.  That will mean cooking, cleaning, delivering children to school, picking them up again, playing with your children and getting their pjs on just in time for you to come home, exhausted, to say good night!   A myriad of emotions just there.

Decadence

In some cases you might just want the luxury of having a cleaner.  Someone to wash and iron and make your apartment spic and span as if the fairies really did come when you were out, removed all dirt and make your home into a showroom.   You may not feel the need for such a service to start with.  You may not be used to such decadence, it may be against your principles to employ a third country national and pay them the minimum wage.  You may feel strongly that you should clean up your own mess.  Don't spend too much time beating yourself up about this - get a helper as soon as possible!

Weather Warnings

Hong Kong Observatory

Your first typhoon could be exciting, you might even have a day off from the new job and the government will infiltrate your mind through pubic service warnings encouraging you to tape over your windows, bring in heavy objects from the balcony and hide under the bed.  This will undoubtedly be unnecessary and you will be left wondering if the typhoon happened or not?  The same goes for the colour of rain, a science no one understands involving amber, red or lucky black.  Lucky because it could be a potential day off too. What to do 'official guide' Hot and Cold weather warnings are also there to protect the population so you will be advised to wear a vest when its cold and stay indoors when its hot.  A government official will call around to check on the vest wearing in winter, be warned!

Being a Giant

Map of MTR lines

Transport will be tricky.  Not only will it take time to become confident and not anxious about getting places on the MTR or mini bus you will also constantly feel like a giant person when travelling on public transport.  The seats and the width of the steps seem tiny as do every other asian person around you.  I cannot honestly say that this improves over time.   This is also a feature of clothes buying but I would need a few miles of blogging to vent my feelings about sizes of lovely clothes that don't fit and how my whole wardrobe has been purchased on holidays back home or from M&S.

Obey all Rules

Fun Police Blog

 Be aware that you must conform and do everything exactly as the Hong Kong Government and  every assosiated agency require.  If you try to buck any system you will not succeed.  Every form you are required to fill in must be 100% accurate.  If  you are asked to produce photocopies of your Grannies 25 yards swimming certificate to your last water rates bill don't for one second think they don't mean it, they most certainly do, so read every form 28 times before submitting it.  You will be asked for your HK ID card number every step of the way so memorize it immediately and be grateful for it.  Without it you will get no where, whether its getting a phone line or library book that ID card makes things happen.  

If you are an experienced Hong Kong expat what advice would you give the newbies?

 

 

 

Blue Fin Tuna

I am horrified at the story in the scmp yesterday about the Food Expo organised by the Trade and Development Council.  Japanese based Yashima Shoji Company handed out bite-sized pieces of this endangered fish as a delicacy, a treat, for visitors to their stand.

(I would provide a helpful link to the story but for some unexplained reason the South China Morning Post require a subscription to read their paper which is strange compared to other broadsheet international papers such as The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, New York Times which are all free)

The Worldwide Fund for Nature in Hong Kong have been promoting the fact that blue fin tuna is an endangered species for years but it appears to have fallen on deaf ears in Hong Kong.  Does no one care?  I really don't think that Hong Kong people are solely money driven, there has to be residents out there who are aware of the delicate environmental issues happening now, globally.  Or is it that in this tiny little dot on the map people are blinkered and if its the news isn't about GDP or the impending $6000 handout no one gives a toss!

Hong Kong is not a third world country, we are supposed to be an international city but when an endangered species is being eaten as an image of power and wealth it shows Hong Kong as ignorant.

On the bright side there is some progress, the following is a list of restaurants in Hong Kong who have pledged not to serve blue fin tuna but given the thousands of places this is a drop in the ocean (pardon the pun)

This information comes from the WWF website.

• FINDS Bar and Restaurant
• Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong
• JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong
• Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel
• Metropark Hotel Causeway Bay Hong Kong
• Metropark Hotel Kowloon
• Newton Hotel Kowloon
• Osama Tony
• Posto Pubblico
• Prêt A Manger
• Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
• Simplicity Crepes + Wine
• Spices
• The Baltic
• The Charterhouse Causeway Bay Hotel
• The Excelsior, Hong Kong
• The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course Limited
• The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
• The Novotel Hong Kong Citygate
• The Verandah
• Waves
• Xi Yan
• Yagura

Threats to Blue Fin Tuna from WWF Hong Kong

 

 

Nowhere Boy - directed by Sam Taylor-Wood

John Lennon  1961

Aaron Johnson  plays John Lennon 2010

 

I enjoyed this film a lot.  It is the story of John Lennon's adolescence, an important period in his life when his beloved uncle died suddenly leaving him with his Aunt Mimi and  also explains the very very complicated relationship he had with his mother. It ends, and I don't think I'm giving away anything here, as he heads off to Hamburg with his new band, what were they called again?  The Beatles, that's it.

We meet Paul and George fleetingly, it's too early for Ringo, but it's not about The Beetles, it's about John as a teenager and the relationships in his life which probably had a massive influence on his music and choice of instrument later.

It is British.  I am a total fan of the quiet portrayal of a character who comes alive in an authentic setting.   The attention to detail in every frame and set is delicious.  I was enthralled by each room, perfectly constructed to transport us to 1955 Liverpool.  If it was Aunt Mimi's semi detached middle class parlor or the Head master's office it was so good you could almost smell it. 

It's not a new release, it came out last year, but has only just made it to Broadway Cinamatique in Yau Ma Tei click here for  On line Ticket Sales

This is the first movie directed by the artist/photographer Sam Taylor-Wood and she has obviously used her 'eye' in the making of this, I look forward to her next work.

The Help by Katheryn Stockett

 

Enter a vanished world: Jackson, Mississippi, 1962.  Where black maids raise children but aren't trusted not to steal the silver...

That is the tag line for The Help by Katheryn Stockett

A story about coloured maids who are brave enough to trust one white women who wants them to tell her what its really like to work for a white family and look after their children while living in a racially discriminated society.  The stories are collated into a book that the authors cannot openly put their name to because they fear for their security and their lives.  

The backdrop is the civil rights movement where radical new ideas of integration and equality were being forced into the consciousness of the USA by Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and President Kennedy. 

That was in 1962.

Meanwhile here in 2011 in Hong Kong philipina maids are essential to the economy of the country but they experience discrimination.  They cannot drive, they cannot do any other type of job, they can ONLY be domestic helpers.  Other nationalities can apply for permanent residency after being in Hong Kong for seven years, but not if you are a philipina maid.

The following is from a website called Legal News, Hong Kong Lawyer 

Filipino maid challenges HK legal system over residency laws

January 2011

'A Filipino maid is challenging Hong Kong’s immigration laws in a bid to gain Hong Kong citizenship. Evangeline Banao Vallejos has filed a writ in the Court of First Instance seeking a review of the decision by authorities not to grant her permanent residency status. Vallejos has lived and worked in Hong Kong as a domestic helper for
24 years. Under Hong Kong law, non-Chinese people are entitled to permanent residency if they have ‘ordinarily resided’ in Hong Kong for a continuous period of seven years. However, the Immigration Ordinance (Cap 115) specifically excludes foreign domestic helpers from being treated as being ‘ordinarily’ resident. A human rights law firm, which is acting for Vallejos, argued that this section of the law is discriminatory and contrary to Art 24 of the Basic Law. If the challenge – on the grounds that the policy is unconstitutional under the Basic Law – is successful, 250,000 domestic helpers could apply for permanent residency once they have been in the city for seven years continuously'

 

Philippines Hails Landmark Maids Treaty

 

UPDATE  2nd October, 2011

 

Hong Kong Maid wins right to apply for permanent resident status.

Hiking in Sapa, Northern Vietnam Highlands

ET Pumpkin Adventure Travel

                                            Black H'Mong Tribes women and children

Location of Sapa

 The Journey Begins

I arrived at Hanoi Railway Station in the dark in time to get on the night train leaving at 9.10pm and arriving in Lao Cai at 5.30am.  It was quite a chaotic scene, once the ticket collectors let us through the entrance and onto the platforms.  In the dark it was quite difficult to see where any platform was and which train went where, but the night train to Sapa is a well travelled route and it was easy enough to follow the crowd and find the right train, the right carriage (special ET Pumpkin carriage written on the side) and the right berth and soft sleeper. 

I joined a jolly friendly couple from New Zealand (hello Steve and Veronica!) who were originally from England and we immediately exchanged life stories and bonded.  The young lady from New York who entered the berth a few minutes later thought we knew each other already and seemed perturbed at the easy way the conversation flowed.  Perhaps New Yorkers are more reserved?

Soft sleeper

The soft sleeper was soft enough and we were all supplied with water, a pillow and a quilt to keep us warm during the night.  The train is air conditioned.  It pulled away on time and we were on our way. 

Rocking and Rolling

After about half an hour the speed picked up and the rocking started.  And my goodness did it rock!  I can only compare it to a fair ground ride which went on for hours and hours.  None of the rocking or the metal grinding noises seemed to bother my three sleeping buddies who all settled down quickly and went to sleep.  I watched Veronica across the aisle from me and I guess she was being nudged up and down with the motion of the train by about a foot each time.  I could feel the contents of my stomach being shook.

The train arrived on time and all went to plan.  We then took a mini van to the town of Sapa itself and as we pulled up outside the first guest house to let some passengers off what seemed like an invasion of screeching Black H'Mong women dressed in their traditional costumes came rushing across the road to greet the new tourists.  At first I thought it would be a hard selling mission but actually all they wanted to do was accompany the travellers.

Tribeswomen

The same happened when I got off at Pumpkin Guest House.  The H'Mong women gathered outside on the steps all giddy and excited to join the new people.

                                       Waiting in anticipation

 Breakfast was served, scrambled eggs but not the way I have ever had them before, that is not a positive comment and I thought about offering a quick cookery lesson...

By 9.30am our group was gathered and our friendly guide was leading us up the hill and into the vast valley of stepped rice paddies.  Dih, the guide had excellent English and was able to point out all the important landmarks on the way.  Surprisingly the H'Mong women and young girls who walked with our group, and I would say we had about 15 with us, had really good basic English skills.  Enough to ask how old I was! How many children do I have and where I am from.  Then they were able to tell me about themselves.  Dih explained that none of these women or their daughters went to school but learnt English from tourists. 

The weather was cool, drizzly and very slippy underfoot, especially on the downhill sections.  I was well equipped as I had planned this in advance although for some of the group this must have been an afterthought as they had sandals with no grip or borrowed purple wellies also with no grip.  This meant slow progress down hill as well as a few falls and muddy bottoms.  Each time it got a bit tricky or slippy the H'Mong women were really helpful, assisting us and ensuring we didn't fall.  Their footwear was merely plastic sandals and they do that walk every day.

Mavis

New best friend

Sue

Rita

The hike lasted until 5pm with lunch in a H'Mong village on the way which consisted of fried chicken, rice and salad and chocolate bar.  This was eaten in a little hut, which had a tv, while we were viewed by the children of the village through the window.  I felt like a novelty item or feeding time at the zoo but they were actually very polite children who then really nicely shared any food we didn't want between each of them very fairly which was lovely to see.

In the evening I was given a basic three course meal in the guest house and then had an exploratory look around the town which has typical shops selling Vietnamese style silk clothes and H'Mong items all embroidered in the traditional style.  There are a variety of places to eat from Vietnamese to Thai, Indian and a few western choices too.  Because of the French influence there are a few lovely patisseries.

The next day was a similar hike although it was shorter and was over by 12 o clock.  Frankly the first one was the best and all the things we saw and were explained to us by Sue

We'd already heard the day before, plus the route was very touristy following concrete steps to a waterfall.  The route was lined with market stalls for most of the way although they were not overly pushy.  Of course if you go down hill you must go up again and that was a bit of a slog but we had a break and a cold drink and a lolly looking over the valley at the beautiful rice paddies.

ET Pumpkin, Ma May Street, Hanoi

I used this company for a two day hiking trip to Sapa in the North Highlands of Vietnam.  Their website was clear and easy to use and the trip turned out to be exactly as it said in their information.  It short it was a really interesting and very different holiday experience.  I would have every confidence in recommending this company and would definitely use them again.

I paid for the trip in advance, before I got to Vietnam, by transferring money via Western Union, that was really easy and straightforward.  Pumpkin acknowledged receipt of the money by the next day. 

The price of the trip included an overnight train ride from Hanoi to Lao Cai Railway Station and then a half hour bus ride to Sapa itself.  One night in a basic guest house, all meals and then an overnight train ride back to Hanoi.  All in all I had three nights away.

Luang Prabang, Laos

Giving alms to Buddist monks

I have just spent three wonderful days in Luang Prabang, Laos (in travel speak 4D/3N) and now I am wondering why I left.

It is a truly wonderful, peaceful, town that offers calmness I have hardly ever experienced in a tourist destination.

This trip was an unexpected detour which I hadn't actually planned when I set off to Hanoi but as number one daughter was passing through Laos and it seemed so tantalizingly near I got online to find Vietnamese Airways offering flights and in the blink of an eye I was winging my way from Vietnam to Luang Prabang in Laos when the day before I hadn't even heard of it.

I did have a slight visa issue because once I had left Vietnam I used up my single entry visa which, cleverly, I realized on the Thursday when I arrived.  This meant a couple of trips to the Vietnamese Embassy in Luang Prabang and US$50 to that I could return to Hanoi and continue my original trip.  The office is open from 7.30am-11.30am, closed for two hours and then open until 4.30pm, it is closed at the weekends and public holidays so I count myself clever to realise I needed to get the new visa in my passport before arriving at the airport on a Sunday.  Could have been tricky...

But now I wish I hadn't been so clever and been made to stay in Laos longer - then I could still been there saying "Oh dear, I have to stay because I don't have a visa for Vietnam!"

Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it has such well preserved  temples and was the chosen capital of King Sisavangvong and his family.  Ho Kham is now the Royal Palace Museum.  The main event happens at sunrise each morning as hundreds of monks dressed in orange, who all live in the well preserved temples, walk along the main street to collect alms.  To see this sight means getting up very very early which I can smugly announce I did.

My room at Villa Santi Hotel and Spa was literally 20 steps away from where the procession walks by.  Did I say how early I got up - 5.30am!  But because in my head that is still night I didn't actually wash or dress.  You've guessed it, I was one of those people in the street in their pyjamas.  I did avail myself of the hotel's robe so I wasn't so indecent. 

Three ladies immediately flocked around me pushing rattan plates with sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves.  I sat on the pavement and as the monks walked by I put food in their bowls, as did many others also crouching on the pavement.

I then had a row with the three ladies who seemed to want far too much money for their services and tutted a lot when I refused to give them what they asked for.  This didn't seem fitting for the previous spiritual experience of feeling so close to the monks and soaking up the calmness of the early morning. They wanted 80,000 kip whereas the younger crowd were asked for 10,000 kip.

 

Number one daughter's opinion about this is that I don't look like a backpacker so they think I'm rich.  She suggests I get myself some tie dyed items and a t-shirt stating the last place I visited. (I went tubing in Vang Vieng Tubing)  That way I cease to be a target for explotation.  I might try it. 

Water Falls

Outside of the town accessable by affordable tuktuk are two sites of water falls.  Tat Kuang Si falls.  There are freezing plunge pools and rope swings for the thrill seakers.

 

The night market which is set up each evening from 5.30pm to 10pm is the quietest market in the world.  The traders remain polite yet attentive and there is no hasstle.  Not one stall holder shouted "Pound of bananas"  they had class.  The items for sale were exquisite and very origianl.  I have visited tourist markets many times but his one had very high quality items at reasonable prices.  But not being hussled and bussled to buy was such a refreshing change.  As well as the market there are wonderful boutique style shops lining the main strip on Sikavangvong Street plus wonderful cafes and restaurants offering Laos, Thai and Indian food as well as western style coffee shops.

Laos sausage

I intend to go back and stay longer and perhaps take a slow boat from Luang Prabang to Chiang Mai as number one daughter is doing right now.

 

 

 

Sea Foot Reflexology, Sai Kung

Pedicure, Shanghai Style

A few months ago I blogged about a wonderful experience I had in Shanghai involving a man with a head torch and a sharp blade.  He used this to rid my heels of hard skin and he was so incredibly skilled at this and I was so incredibly impressed I wanted to tell the world. 

You can get Everything in Sai Kung

I have now found that in Sai Kung there is an option of a Shanghai style pedicure at Sea Foot Reflexology House, 1/F, 60 Po Tung Road, 2791 0328. 

Sure enough I was attended to by a lady with a chisel/blade and a very bright light who attended to my feet while I relaxed and flicked through recent copies of Hello magazine.  Afterwards I was offered a foot massage and went away feeling truly attended to.  $260 thank you very much.

10th July, 2010

NB

For accuracy I have to now add that this morning I am in pain!  My left heel is so sore that I can't walk properly and have had to put a band aid over the sore patch so I can wear shoes.  This is bad news and I withdraw my recommendation of the Shanghai Style pedicure...

 

Illegal Structures in the New Territories

There has been a flurry of activity in the local Hong Kong press recently on the topic of so called 'illegal structures' and the blind eye that is metaphorically turned when residents of 700 square foot apartments get ideas of making their life better and giving themselves a little more space.  The press have conjured up headlines such as:-

Government Faces Pressure over Illegal Structures

Rural Roofs spur double-standard rap

Limited Agreement offered on Illegal Structures

But the fact remains that way back in 1972 the 'Small House Policy' came into force allowing indigenous males the right to build a 'small house' in the New Territories.  Under this policy, a person over 18 years old who is descended through the male line from a resident in 1898 of a recognized village in the New Territories in Hong Kong may apply to the authority for building a small house on a suitable lot once in their lifetime. 

Not surprisingly, for Hong Kong,  the rules that came with this policy are typically baffling and obstructive to anyone with an ounce of creativity or common sense.  What has been constructed as a result of this policy are masses of identical, ugly, houses in a mock 'Spanish' style.  All are three stories and all are 700 square feet per floor because... these are the rules.

We are now into 2011 but anyone who wants to build a new house or renovate an existing badly designed village house is restricted by the rules that exist because they exist.

Ecofriendly Houses

There are many examples globally of good design and sustainable living where materials and specifications blend in with the traditional style and scenery of the area.  Houses where the design takes into account growing families and the need for storage, efficient heating or cooling systems as well as appreciation of the way a typical family operates with need for privacy as well as spaces to interact.

Bad Design

What we have here in the New Territories are ugly, badly designed living spaces that are freezing cold in the winter with no appliances supplied to heat or cool the space.  Air conditioners knocked into walls as an after thought causing noise and drips.  More often than not the kitchens are simply a bench and any appliance such as a fridge or, wait for it, an oven, may not even fit into the designated area.  There is no whisper of storage space for kitchenware or clothing in any room.  If a family has an idea of washing their clothes at home then fitting a machine into the house will be looked upon as some alien weird idea so the only place to have one is OUTSIDE.  Yes its true.  You have to put your ELECTRIC washing machine on the balcony or on the roof and hope that it doesn't short circuit during rain storms.  I know you can buy washing machine covers from Japan Home Stores but come on, when did that start to become acceptable?

There is a lot of hot air and fuss being created about so called illegal structures in the New Territories when all residents want to do is improve their living space which was badly designed in the first place and too small.  Instead of fixating on old and outdated rules about the small house policy we should be accepting of the fact that it is possible to be flexible and allow differently designed houses that have humans who occupt them and the way we live in the 21st century in mind.

The very idea of restricting people to a smaller space when they have a rooftop available to them is draconian. 

Instead of harking back to a time when there were no illegal structures on rooftops the government should be employing creative architects who can move with the times, build sustainable housing for the population and start approving building plans that show initiative with appreciation for resources and human beings.